User:Cukie Gherkin/Shanoa

Shanoa is a character in the Castlevania series, and the protagonist of the 2008 video game Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.

Reception
The Mary Sue writer Jonathan Ore regarded Shanoa as one of his favorite characters in gaming, feeling that she fits in perfectly with the Castlevania universe. He praised her for both her strong qualities, such as her independence and physical prowess, as well as the restrained beauty of her design. He appreciated that she was sexy without resorting to things like "boob armor," armor typically contoured to emphasize a woman's breasts. On her backless dress, he commented that it was more similar to something one would wear on a runway rather than a wet T-shirt contest, finding it "racy, but not necessarily vulgar." Shanoa was praised by Club Nintendo magazine staff, referred to as one of the most enigmatic characters and interesting heroines in the series. Writer Antonio Suárez fell in love with the character, finding her story more interesting to follow than typical Castlevania protagonists.

Play writer Dave Halverson praised her design, particularly the way she reveals her back when she absorbs Glyphs, commenting that she evokes Alucard's movements. Identifying her as the first female slayer in the series, he felt such a thing would help in a sidescrolling Castlevania game on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. In Play Magazine's sixth volume of the magazine Girls of Gaming, Shanoa was praised for "exud[ing] the very essence" of the series, and Konami was commended for making a lead in the series who was worthy of being compared to Alucard.