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Not to be confused with Tear of Blood.
Bloody Tears NES

Bloody Tears from the Castlevania 35th Anniversary NFT.

Bloody Tears is a music theme originally composed by Kenichi Matsubara for Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. It is the background theme used in all external areas (not towns) during daytime.

The track has since been arranged multiple times throughout the course of the Castlevania series and has become one of its most popular tracks to date.

Appearances[]

Song Data: Bloody Tears
Image Track No. / Name (Japanese Name) Game / Soundtrack Composer Usage Notes / Links
Akumajo Dracula front cover 12 - 33. Bloody Tears Castlevania II: Simon's Quest /  Akumajō Dracula Famicom Best
Kenichi Matsubara  Daytime background theme Links: YouTube (FDS)

YouTube (NES)

Konmiavol01 40. Bloody Tears Haunted Castle /  Konami Game Music Collection Vol. 1
Kenichi Matsubara  Banquet Room (Stage 3) Links: YouTube
Konami Game Music Classic Castlevania 20. Tears of Blood Haunted Castle /  Konami Game Music: Classic Castlevania
Konami Kukeiha Club  Banquet Room (Stage 3) Links: YouTube
Perfect Selection Dracula - 01 3. Bloody Tears  /  Perfect Selection Dracula
Konami Kukeiha Club (composer)

Nazo² Project (arranger) 

Notes: Rap version
Links: YouTube
Dracula new classic ps front 7. Bloody Tears  /  Perfect Selection Dracula ~New Classic~
Jun Irie, Konami Symphonic Ensemble, Nazo² Project (arrangers)  Notes: Orchestral version
Links: YouTube
ABV2front 19 (CD 1). Bloody Tears Super Castlevania IV /  Akumajō Dracula Best 2
Masanori Adachi, Sotaro Tojima (arrangers)  Clock Tower Links: YouTube
Chroniclesost 9 (CD 1), 41 (CD 2). Bloody Tears Castlevania Chronicles /  Castlevania Chronicle: Akumajō Dracula Original Soundtrack
Shin Chan, Jigokuguruma Nakamura, Devi Kobayashi, Sota Fujimori (arrangers)  Red-Brick Cathedral Links: YouTube (YM2151)

YouTube (CM-64)
YouTube (SC-55)
Youtube (Arranged)
Youtube (RMX)

MidiPower3 33. Bloody Tears [alt] Castlevania Chronicles /  MIDI Power –X68000 Collection– ver.3.0
Konami Kukeiha Club (composer)

IKA-chan (arranger) 

Red-Brick Cathedral Links: YouTube (YM2151)

YouTube (CM-64)
YouTube (SC-55)

Akumajo Dracula X Cover 6 (CD 1). Bloody Tears Castlevania: Rondo of Blood /  Akumajō Dracula X
Metal Yuhki (arranger)  Stage 3 Links: Youtube
Akumajo Dracula X Cover 9 (CD 2). Bloody Tears Castlevania: Bloodlines /  Akumajō Dracula X
Michiru Yamane (arranger)  Bonus track Links: Youtube
DMCCD 3. Simon's Quest (FC/DISC)ドラキュラ2~呪いの封印~ Castlevania II: Simon's Quest /  Dracula ~Music Collection~
Konami Kukeiha Club  Notes: Echo version from the Japanese version - Medley with The Silence of the Daylight, Dwelling of Doom, Monster Dance, Last Boss, Game Over and A Requiem
Links: YouTube
DMCCD 8. Super Castlevania IV (SFC) 悪魔城ドラキュラ Super Castlevania IV /  Dracula ~Music Collection~
Konami Kukeiha Club  Notes: Echo version - Medley with Dracula's Theme and Theme of Simon Belmont
Links: YouTube
DMCCD 15. Haunted Castle (AC) 悪魔城ドラキュラ Haunted Castle /  Dracula Music Collection
Kenichi Matsubara  Notes: Medley with Reviving Dracula, Wedding March of Tragedy, Cross on the Breast, Can't Wait Until the Night and A Lullaby Sent to the Devils
Links: YouTube
Spd 20060617180224 b 2. Bloody Tears  /  Perfect Selection Dracula Battle
Konami Kukeiha Club (composer)

Naoto Shibata (arranger) 

Notes: Rock/metal version
Links: YouTube
Castlevania - Symphony of the Night (Saturn) - (JP) - 01 Bloody Tears Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Saturn version-Only) Arranged by T. Ohsono, J. Karashima and Kaoru Okada Entrance Richter Mode Links: Youtube

Youtube (alt)

AoSDoSOST 26 (CD 2). Bloody Tears Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow /  Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow & Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Original Soundtrack
Masahiko Kimura (arranger)  The Dark Chapel, only during Julius Mode Links: YouTube (DS)

YouTube (Mobile)

20deluxeost 4. Bloody Tears Castlevania II: Simon's Quest /  Castlevania 20th Anniversary Deluxe Music Collection
Kenichi Matsubara  Notes: Echo version from the US version
Links: YouTube
20deluxeost 37. Bloody Tears Haunted Castle /  Castlevania 20th Anniversary Deluxe Music Collection
Kenichi Matsubara  Notes: Echo version
Links: YouTube
Castlevania - The Dracula X Chronicles Original Soundtrack 7. Bloody Tears Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles /  Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles Original Soundtrack
Nazo² Project  Stage 3 Links: YouTube
Judgmentostcover 5. Bloody Tears Castlevania Judgment /  Castlevania Judgment Original Soundtrack
Konami Kukeiha Club (composer)

Yasushi Asada (arranger) 

Carmilla's theme; plays during a fight with or against her Links: YouTube
Disc5 5 (Disc 5). Bloody Tears Castlevania Legends /  Akumajō Dracula Best Music Collections BOX
Arranged by Kaoru Okada and Youichi Iwata  Stage 1 Links: YouTube
Pachislot Akumajo Dracula OST 33. Chi no Namida -Bloody Tears- ~Dracula Battle Spiral Staircase Stage~ Pachislot Akumajō Dracula /  Pachislot Akumajō Dracula Original Soundtrack
Konami Kukeiha Club (composer)

Akihiro Honda (arranger) 

Dracula Battle Spiral Staircase Stage Notes: Recycled directly from Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Links: YouTube
Pachislot Akumajo Dracula OST 42. Bloody Tears ~Dracula Battle Spiral Staircase Stage~ Pachislot Akumajō Dracula /  Pachislot Akumajō Dracula Original Soundtrack
Kenichi Matsubara  Notes: Recycled directly from Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Links: YouTube
Pachislot2OST 10. Bloody Tears Pachislot Akumajō Dracula II /  Pachislot Akumajō Dracula II Original Soundtrack
Konami Kukeiha Club (composer)

Akihiro Honda (arranger) 

Notes: Recycled directly from Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Links: YouTube
Pachislot2OST 35. Bloody Tears Pachislot Akumajō Dracula II /  Pachislot Akumajō Dracula II Original Soundtrack
Kenichi Matsubara  Notes: Recycled directly from Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Links: YouTube
Tribute1 2. Bloody Tears  /  Akumajō Dracula Tribute Vol. 1
Konami Kukeiha Club (composer)

TECHNOuchi (arranger) 

Links: YouTube
Pachislot3OST 28. Bloody Tears ~Dracula Battle 4~ Pachislot Akumajō Dracula III /  Pachislot Akumajō Dracula III Original Soundtrack
Notes: Recycled directly from Castlevania: The Arcade
Links: YouTube
Pachislot3OST 39. Bloody Tears ~Dracula Battle 11 (Premium)~ Pachislot Akumajō Dracula III /  Pachislot Akumajō Dracula III Original Soundtrack
Kenichi Matsubara  Notes: Recycled directly from Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
PachilosOSTfolder 4. Bloody Tears Pachislot Akumajō Dracula: Lords of Shadow /  Pachislot Akumajō Dracula: Lords of Shadow Original Soundtrack
KPE STUDIO

Konami Kukeiha Club 

Links: YouTube
Castlevania - Valiant Guardian - 02 Bloody Tears Castlevania: Valiant Guardian Castlevania Feature
Mondo Rondo front Bloody Tears Castlevania: Dracula X /  Castlevania:Rondo Of Blood / Dracula X Original Video Game Soundtrack 2XLP
Arranged by Tomoya Tomita, Masanari Iwata, Harumi Uekou and Masahiko Kimura  Great Hall Links: YouTube
Ssbu Bloody Tears / Monster Dance Super Smash Bros. Ultimate /  Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Original Soundtrack
Michiko Naruke (arranger)  Notes: Medley made of "Bloody Tears" and "Monster Dance"
Links: YouTube
Bloody Tears Famicon Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Family Computer ver.) - Bloody Tears Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Famicom) /  Castlevania 35th Anniversary NFT
Kenichi Matsubara  Daytime background theme Links: OpenSea
Bloody Tears NES Castlevania: Simon's Quest (Nintendo Entertainment System ver.) - Bloody Tears Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES) /  Castlevania 35th Anniversary NFT
Kenichi Matsubara  Daytime background theme Links: OpenSea


Other usages[]

Additionally, the track has been used in the following non-Castlevania games:

Appearances of the concept throughout the series[]

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Trivia[]

  • The concept of religious imagery weeping tears of blood or presenting stigmata (believed to originate from supernatural means) are widely known phenomena often associated with divine miracles, especially in Catholic beliefs.
Dracula-has-risen-from-the-grave-christopher-lee-cries-blood

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
(Hammer Film Productions, 1968)

  • The name of this theme could be a reference to the classic Hammer "Dracula" horror films, where Count Dracula (portrayed by Christopher Lee) is sometimes seen crying tears of blood.
  • The introductory segment in Bloody Tears bears an uncanny resemblance to the 1985 song "Marching Out" by renown heavy metal guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen. The song predates the release of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest by two years, making both products relatively contemporary. Konami is well known for making numerous references to rock music in their games.
  • There is a common misconception that the Perfect Selection Dracula Battle version of Bloody Tears was performed by Gothic Metal band Cradle of Filth; however, this is not true, as it was arranged by Naoto Shibata.
  • In the Castlevania: Nocturne animated series, there is an obscure reference to Bloody Tears. In 2014, four members of Giant Bomb streamed Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, and one of them, Brad Shoemaker, mentioned how he used to refer to Bloody Tears as "Barkerville" when he was a kid. This became a running joke in the community, some of which apparently worked on Castlevania: Nocturne. In the fifth episode of Season 1, "The Natural Order", during Olrox and Drolta's scene in the graveyard, one of the tombstones reads "Bradley S. Barkerville".[2]
  • In Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, one of the boss characters, The Sorrow, was mentioned to cry blood, with it being implied his crying caused rainstorms to happen, which resembles the overall theme of the bloody tears concept in the Castlevania series. In The Sorrow's case, however, his crying blood was a reference to the events of his death (specifically, his being shot in his left eye, causing his glasses to break, when in a situation where he and The Boss were implied to have been forced into a duel to the death).

References[]

External links[]

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