User:Cukie Gherkin/Maria Renard

Maria Renard (マリア・ラーネッド) is a fictional character in the Castlevania video game series.

Concept and creation
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night contains unused content that suggests an evil or possessed version of Maria was planned to be included. Her theme remix in Castlevania Judgment was designed to evoke Maria's "energetic and innocent" personality. Composer Yasushi Asada opted to utilize a nylon string guitar and accordion to try and match this intensity.

Appearances
Maria first appears in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, as a young girl who is kidnapped by Dracula's forces. If Richter rescues her, she becomes a playable character, attacking with animals.

A now adult Maria appears in a supporting role in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, where she is investigating Richter's disappearance and the mysterious return of Dracula's Castle. While exploring, she encounters Alucard, and aids him in his own quest. If certain conditions are met, Maria will provide Alucard with the Holy Glasses, which dispel evil illusions. This allows Alucard to see that Richter is being controlled by Shaft when they fight, leading to the second half of the game, and the good ending. If the player does not get the glasses from Maria, they will be forced to kill Richter, leading to the bad ending. In the Japanese- only Sega Saturn, and global PSP and PS4 re-releases, of Symphony of the Night, Maria is made a fully playable character.

She will appear alongside Richter in the Castlevania: Nocturne animated series, set during the French Revolution.

In 2023, Maria Renard was added as a playable character in a ROM hack of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. Also in 2023, a fangame titled Maria Renard's Revenge was released in beta form for the Amiga line of computers.

Reception
GameZone and Jeax Video drew comparisons between her Judgment design and Death Note character Misa Amane, who was also designed by Obata.