- "You are a good man, Gabriel. You are as God intended. I loved you then, as I love you now."
- — Marie's spirit to Gabriel
Marie Belmont is a supporting character in the Lords of Shadow saga. She is the deceased wife of Gabriel Belmont.
History[]
Early life[]
Marie was the youngest daughter of a rich merchant family and was always attracted by the courageous nature of the Brotherhood of Light lore; curious and lively, she often escaped her duties at home to watch the warriors' training at the monastery. During one of these visits she became acquainted with the man that would later become her husband, an orphan by the name of Gabriel.
The two youngsters were made for one another; they grew together and soon started to make promises of their future, promises that were always kept. One idyllic morning, with the blessing of both her family and the Brotherhood, the couple was married.
Marie was a good counterpoint to Gabriel's dark moods and often just her laughter was enough to blow away the gathering storm within him.
In 1046, when her husband was on a mission for the Brotherhood, Marie gave birth to his son, Trevor, but knowing of Gabriel's eventual descent into darkness, she was called to protect their son from what he would eventually become, and decided to leave the child in the hands of the Brotherhood, concealing the birth from Gabriel.
Events of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow[]
In 1047 Marie was stated to have been murdered by one of the creatures that roamed the land in these times and became one of the many dead whose souls became trapped on the Earth and forced to roam it for eternity. She recognized what was at stake and guided her husband throughout his quest to defeat the evil. Gabriel learns about a powerful device, the God Mask, which has the ability to bring back the dead, and he will have to defeat the three Lords of Shadow to retrieve it so he can use it to revive her. At times, Marie serves to protect Gabriel from near-death, as seen when the vampire Laura witnesses their love and is moved to pity, sparing Gabriel's life.
After having reassembled the Mask in the Land of the Dead, The Lord of the Dead, who turns out to be Zobek, reveals to Gabriel that Marie's death was far more tragic: she was killed by none other than Gabriel himself, under the influence of the Devil Mask. In fact, Gabriel's quest was specifically orchestrated by Zobek (under the influence of Satan) in order to obtain the mask's power for himself. After Gabriel defeats Satan, Marie reveals to him that the mask's only true power is seeing the world through God's eyes, and disappears, taking the mask with her, after expressing her love for Gabriel and her forgiveness of his actions.
Lords of Shadow 2[]
The ghost of Marie is said to have been sent by God to help guide Gabriel, now known as Dracula. Shortly before his awakening, Marie frequently helps her son Trevor (now Alucard) to reclaim his father's powers from the castle and the curse that tries to prevent Dracula's return. Quietly from afar, Marie helps Alucard execute his plans.
It is not until the witch Carmilla poisons Dracula that Marie appears before him, providing an antidote to his condition with her blood. Marie helps him defeat Carmilla, and reunites with Trevor after Dracula sheds his inner self. She is last seen with Trevor when Dracula regains his memories with the Book of Dracul.
Personality[]
Marie was known to be a curious, lively girl who often watched the knights of the Brotherhood train. It was her inquisitive nature that caused her to eventually meet Gabriel, who she fell in love with and eventually married. A kind, lovely and forgiving woman, Marie bore no ill will for Gabriel killing her, understanding he would have never done so willingly. She is also courageous, notably one of the very few who refers to Dracula and Alucard as their human identities. This also displays her unconditional love and compassion for her family, as she never saw them as the dark beings they became and considered them to be still her husband and son.
Quotes[]
Lords of Shadow 2[]
- Remember, I am always with you.
- I am sorry... I failed you.
- No, stop! You're destroying him!
- Take my life, my love. Let me help you!
- What you are looking for is in that book, Gabriel.
Revelations[]
- It has ordered its servants to put the Void and Chaos power out of your father's reach!
- Now you must retrieve the Chaos Power, my son.
- You must be careful, my son. The Chaos power is in the most dangerous place of the castle.
- Your father used the power of the Navigators to move swiftly between different areas of the castle. When they died, its power was forgotten in time.
- Your father will wake in a few hours. You must hurry, Trevor!
Trivia[]
- The name "Marie" is the French and German variant of the name Mary; in the Bible, the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, was told she would bear the son of God directly by an Archangel named Gabriel, a famous scene known as the Annunciation. Upon hearing the angel's words to her, although surprised, like the character of Lords of Shadow, Mary accepts her destiny completely. Therefore, the names of Marie and Gabriel in relation to the characters are fitting, although the game reverses the roles: Marie acts as the heavenly guide to her mortal husband to aid him in fulfilling his own fate.
- Also in French, the name Marie shares a similar pronunciation to the word "mari", the French word for "husband", making a further connection to Marie's character.
- As the deceased wife of the holy knight who would later become Dracula, Marie can be considered the Lords of Shadow version of Elisabetha Cronqvist.
- Marie may also be considered the Lords of Shadow version of Lisa, as she is also the mother of Alucard.
- Being the wife of the earliest known Belmont and having been reluctantly killed by him, Marie can also be considered the equivalent to Sara Trantoul.
- It is heavily implied in Revelations that Marie is actually alive during the events of Lords of Shadow 2.
- It is never revealed how she was brought back from the dead. However, it is probable that God may have not only sent Marie's spirit to help Gabriel, but he may have also restored her fully, both in body and mind.
- Notably, Marie never acknowledges Gabriel or Trevor by their vampiric identities (Dracula and Alucard, respectively). This is perhaps because she does not fear their wrath and still sees them as her family rather than the dark beings they had became.
- Also, Marie is perhaps the only one Dracula and Alucard tolerated to speak their human names.
- Although this is probably a coincidence, Marie Belmont resembles the Incubator from Silent Hill.