8 Video Game Bosses Who Were Dead When You Arrived

Symphony of the Night begins at the point where its predecessor, Rondo of Blood, begins. As Richter Belmont, the player defeats Count Dracula and seems to put an end to his threat there and then. However...

Four years later, the castle reappears, and Dracula's son, Alucard, awakens to investigate both his father's castle and Richter's disappearance.

So, then, for the majority of the game, Dracula is dead and gone, and, as you'll discover, Richter looks to have turned to evil and become the new lord of the castle. I'm betting more than a few of us fell into that pitfall on our first playthrough.

In reality, Richter is being brainwashed by Dracula's servant, Shaft, who claims that the Count's return is all but imminent - right before you chase after him through an inverted version of the castle.

You can assume that Shaft's efforts paid off during this section of the game, as Dracula is waiting for you as soon as you reach the heart of the castle. His nightmarish ultimate form is more than a match for Alucard's swordsmanship, and despite the fact you've technically killed the guy already as Richter, do not assume you can do it again quite as easily.