Vampire Killer/Enemies

Vampire Killer's levels are filled with 17 different types of enemies, most of which have counterparts in Castlevania. Each enemy has a set amount of health, deals a set amount of damage to the player per hit, and awards a specific amount of points on being killed. As mentioned on the Gameplay page, All projectiles in the game - fireballs, bones, snakes, bandages, scythes, and axes - deal one damage point to the player.

Zombies
Zombies can be found in Stages 1 and 3 of Vampire Killer. They spawn on the ground at the edge of the screen and run towards the player at a pace just below Simon’s walk speed. Zombies will only spawn if the player is at least one-quarter of the screen’s width from one (or both) of the screen's edges.

Zombies only become troublesome if you let too many of them accumulate on-screen, so keep your weapon at the ready and take them out as soon as they enter your range. Alternatively, you can also jump over Zombies on level ground.

Black Panthers
Black Panthers are unusually powerful for an enemy that only appears in Level 1 of Vampire Killer, dealing hit damage equivalent to that of the strongest bosses in the game. Black Panthers sit in place until you draw near to them on the x-axis, at which point they'll run towards the player, jumping down platforms and turning in Simon's direction if they can.

It's best to either avoid these enemies altogether or attack them while crouching as soon as they enter your range.

Bats
Bats are a prominent enemy in Vampire Killer, and appear in most of the game's Levels in some form. Cyan bats are the most common type - in specific areas, they spawn from the edges of the screen on Simon's y-axis and fly towards him in a slightly-wavy line. Brown bats, which can only be found in a couple of locations in the game, cling to the ceiling and slowly fly down at Simon when he draws close. Finally, Red Bats are only found in Phase 2 of the Dracula fight, and fly upwards from Dracula's mouth to the corner of the ceiling on whichever side of the screen Simon is on.

All three bat variations have the same amount of health and do the same amount of damage to the player. It's best to attack the Cyan and Brown types as soon as they enter your range.

Cyan Mermen
Cyan Mermen can be found in the water area in Stage 2 - they jump straight up out of the water, land on a platform, and then walk towards Simon. If they reach the edge of the platform, they'll fall off and back into the water.

It's best to deal with these enemies by attacking them as soon as they land on a platform, or while they're still in the air if possible. Be cautious when timing your jumps during these screens as well, as an unlucky merman spawn while you're crossing a gap can lead to Simon being knocked straight into the water.

Spear Knights
Spear Knights are found in Stages 4 and 5, and are the first enemy you'll encounter in Vampire Killer that you won't be able to kill in one hit (without any Primary Weapon upgrades). These knights walk back and forth in seemingly random (but predetermined) patterns. They also turn towards the player when Simon lands on the same platform the Spear Knight is on.

Unfortunately, due to their erratic movements, there's no good way to deal with Spear Knights when all you have is the base Leather Whip. However, once you're armed with the increased range of other primary weapons and/or the immense usage potential of the Hourglass, this enemy doesn't pose much of a threat.

Medusa Heads
Medusa Heads are one of the most annoying enemies you'll face in the game, and can be found in Levels 2 and 3. These enemies spawn in the air on Simon’s y-axis at the edge of the screen, and fly towards the player in a wavy line. Like Zombies, Medusa Heads only spawn if Simon is at least one-quarter of the screen’s width from one (or both) of the screen's edges.

Often you'll simply be able to duck under or jump over Medusa Heads as they fly towards you. If you can't use their flight trajectory to your advantage, you can take out Medusa Heads with one hit of any weapon. Using the Hourglass to freeze these enemies can also sometimes be helpful, especially in rooms where getting hit by one would lead to Simon being knocked into a bottomless pit.

Slimes
Slimes are the only enemies in Vampire Killer that are unique to the game and are not taken from Castlevania. These enemies can be found in various candles and breakable blocks throughout the game starting in Stage 5, as a trap to cause the player extra unwanted damage. Upon being spawned, these blobs will drop to the ground, pause, and then move in the player's direction. Red Slimes will also attempt to jump to other platforms to pursue the player.

The best strategy for dealing with Slimes is to learn which candles and blocks contain them, and avoid spawning them wherever possible. All Slimes die in one hit to any weapon, so if you uncover one, crouch in front of the Slime and attack it as soon as it becomes vulnerable.

Ghost Skulls
Ghost Skulls are found on only one screen in all of Vampire Killer- the first screen of Stage 6. They spawn at various random points on the sides of the screen and slowly fly towards Simon at awkward angles - given how much time you'll spend on this screen, it's best to focus on dealing with this enemy as quickly and efficiently as possible before more of them start spawning in to overwhelm you.

Bone Pillars
Bone Pillars first make an appearance in Stage 6 and appear prominently in the latter two-thirds of Level 3. These static enemies flash orange every few seconds before firing off two fireballs in rapid succession.

Dealing with the Bone Pillars' fireballs comes down to either having a Shield B on hand, which blocks the projectiles automatically, or being able to time your weapon strikes and destroy the fireballs manually. As for the Bone Pillar itself, getting in close and mashing your primary weapon during the pillar's shot cooldown is the number one tried and tested method.

Fleamen
Fleamen are very erratic enemies that appear in many Stages of Vampire Killer, starting with Stage 7. These enemies randomly take short hops and large leaps to pursue the player, and attempt to jump up and down platforms to reach Simon. Unlike in NES Castlevania, Fleamen can be outrun on level ground, though Fleamen jumping down from above can pose a significant challenge to defeat safely.

Mashing your primary weapon when the Fleaman is on the floor in front of you usually leads to success - if you have the Hourglass, using it to freeze Fleamen and kill them while they're stuck in place is also a viable and practical strategy, especially in Level 5.

White Skeletons
You'll quickly become acquainted with Vampire Killer's regular White Skeletons early on in Level 3. These enemies shuffle back and forth, jump between platforms, and throw bones at the player.

Skeletons can throw bones in either high or low arcs - the best course of action against these enemies is to get inside their range when they throw a high bone, as you can usually run under high-arcing bones. At that point, all you need to do is deal four points of damage as quickly as possible with whatever weapon you currently have on-hand.

Crows
Crows only appear in Level 3 of Vampire Killer. Upon noticing the player, crows will swoop down to attack Simon, pause for a few seconds, and then swoop after the player again or fly to another point on the screen.

It's best to deal with Crows as soon as your weapon's range allows - given the number of pits and vertical areas in Level 3, getting hit by one of these enemies and falling off your platform can be detrimental to your progress. Thankfully, Crows can be taken out with a single hit from any of your weapons, and their movement patterns are both predictable and manipulatable.

Red Mermen
The second type of Merman is found exclusively in Stage 10, the first leg of Level 4 - another water area. Red Mermen's behaviour is identical to that of their Cyan counterparts, except that Red Mermen also stop moving and shoot fireballs in the player's direction every few seconds.

Red Mermen also have two health points instead of one, though considering that the game provides Simon with a Morningstar whip on the first screen of Stage 10, this increase in enemy health should not be an issue. When fighting a Red Merman, keep attacking as fast as you can to get rid of any incoming fireballs, and approach the enemy to take them out as soon as possible during their shot cooldown.

Fleaman Eagles
Fleaman Eagles are large birds that carry Fleamen in their talons, which they drop on the player while flying overhead. These birds are exclusive to Stage 11 and the last couple screens of Stage 17.

Fleaman Eagles also have no damageable hitbox and are thus unkillable. However, the Fleaman carried by the Eagle can be killed using Holy Water before being dropped, which the best strategy for making it through Stage 11 unscathed.

Bone Dragons
Bone Dragons are some of the strongest enemies in Vampire Killer, and award the most points of any regular enemy upon being killed. Like Bone Dragons in NES Castlevania and other games in the series, these enemies are attached to walls, move up and down in a snakelike manner, and periodically shoot fireballs at the player.

Unlike their NES Castlevania counterparts, however, only the Dragon's head has a hitbox - you can stand inside the Bone Dragon's body segments without taking damage. Standing inside the enemy's body also means that the Dragon cannot attack you with its fireballs, making it extremely easy to kill with any weapon.

As Bone Dragons only appear in Stage 12, for situations that require you to attack a Bone Dragon from the front, you can pick up a Shield B at the end of Stage 10 which blocks Bone Dragon fireballs, rendering them defenseless (as long as you stay out of range of their head hitboxes).

Red Skeletons
Red Skeletons are far more dangerous in Vampire Killer than in Castlevania - thankfully, they only appear in Stages 13 and 14. Like in Castlevania, Red Skeletons materialize from a pile of bones on the floor and pursue the player. However, in Vampire Killer, these enemies move much faster, in short and very rapid sprints - they can easily keep pace with Simon on level ground. They also have 2 health points in Vampire Killer as opposed to 1 in Castlevania, which makes dealing with them much more risky if you only have the base Leather Whip. Upon being killed, Red Skeletons collapse back into a pile of bones, only to revive themselves a couple of seconds later.

Given the speed and persistence of Red Skeletons, it's best to knock them down with a primary weapon such as the Axe or Throwing Knives and run past them as quickly as you can. Their low damage output also means that you can damage boost through them if necessary.

Axe Knights
Axe Knights are another of the strongest enemies in Vampire Killer and appear frequently throughout Levels 5 and 6. They're a dangerous enemy if you don't know how to deal with them. Axe Knights shuffle back and forth, throwing axes that function identically to Simon’s Axe. These enemies try to maintain distance from the player and move backward as Simon approaches, similar to their Castlevania counterparts. However, Vampire Killer’s Axe Knights are slower and can be caught up to while walking towards them.

Vampire Killer's Axe Knights also only throw axes at the player's head height and not along the ground. Thus, constantly attacking with your primary weapon as you approach these enemies should block any incoming projectiles. Axe Knight axes are the only projectile in the game that Simon cannot block with Shield B, so relying on that item alone won't help you here. The Axe and Throwing Knives are the best weapons to use when dealing with Axe Knights, with the Axe's damage output being able to two-hit Axe Knights and the Throwing Knives' spammability providing you with a complete shield from any projectiles.