Mathias Cronqvist

is one of the main characters in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. He was Leon Belmont's good friend. Initially a master tactician, he is eventually revealed as one of the main antagonists of the game –and even the entire series– (later known as Count Dracula), as he manipulated Leon in order to enter the final stage in possession of the Crimson Stone.
==History==
In the world of knights who lacked education, Matthias was a genius tactician who was even called Cronqvist the Wise. Because Mathias's family had books recording secret arts transmitted orally concerning alchemy, a science that experiments with the arcane, Mathias himself had a detailed knowledge of alchemy. His beloved wife, Elisabetha, died from illness while he was on an expedition. Mathias was grief stricken and bedridden and Leon was forced to continue the campaigns without his friend. When Leon's beloved was kidnapped, Mathias told him that it was the doing of a vampire who had a castle in the east.
In fact, Mathias had deceived Leon. In deep mourning, Mathias devised a plan to take revenge on God for stealing Elisabetha by becoming a vampire and living eternally. He manipulated Leon, Rinaldo, Sara, even Walter and his monsters, in order to obtain a vampire's soul with the Crimson Stone, and he was reborn with it. He then offered Leon to join him and become immortal, because Leon suffered the same loss. Leon refused, with Mathias, while disappointed that Leon refused to see things his way, deciding to let his new henchman Death deal with Leon and fled by turning into a bat. Death was ultimately defeated, and had delivered a message to Matthias from Leon: Leon, as a result of Matthias's actions, had vowed that his clan would forever hunt him. As time went on, Mathias renamed himself Dracula, taken from the Romanian word "Dracul" meaning dragon and devil.Shinkigensha Castlevania (PS2) Official Guide (translation by Marfisa (vampire killer)).
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*The name "Mathias Cronqvist" is likely a reference to Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary from 1458 to 1490. Corvinus had Vlad III Drăculea as his vassal at times and even once as his prisoner. This connection to the historical Dracula may have influenced the way Koji Igarashi chose to name his antagonist.
**Mathias's wife's name, Elisabetha, is a variation of Elizabeth, also the name of the real Matthias's wife, Elizabeth of Celje.
*The name "Mathias Cronqvist" could also be a corruption of Vlad Țepeș's real name "Wladislaus Dragwlya", as both signatures look similar in appearance.
*The surname Cronqvist is Swedish in origin and means "crown twig".
*It is revealed on the Castlevania: Lament of Innocence Japanese official site that Mathias earned the title of "Count" in the Crusades, a fact that is later referenced on his new identity, Dracula.
*It's worth noting that Mathias bears a striking resemblance to Alucard's disguise as Genya Arikado, which makes sense considering they are father and son. However, this could also be merely coincidental since Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Lament of Innocence's original character portraits were created by the same artist, Ayami Kojima.
*In a for Lament of Innocence, Mathias is seen holding Elisabetha's body in a similar manner to Dracula with Lisa in the Symphony of the Night prequel manga, foreshadowing Mathias's connection to Dracula.
*In Julius Mode of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, in the room where Soma Cruz is fought, there's a painting in the background that might be intended to reference Mathias, who Soma technically acted as a reincarnation of. However, this is mere speculation.
**The portrait makes a reappearance in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, as well as Castlevania: Harmony of Despair.
*Mathias's English voice actor, Crispin Freeman, provided the voice for Hector, the main protagonist of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness.
**He also provided the voice for the vampire Alucard in the anime series Hellsing, in which Alucard is in fact Dracula himself.
**When included as a new Killer in the downloadable Chapter 33: Castlevania of the game Dead by Daylight, Freeman also voiced the main antagonist Dracula, the Mathias's new identity as a vampire.
*The reasons for Mathias's fall and metamorphosis seem to be strongly inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula, which is an adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel, Dracula. Both Mathias and Coppola's Dracula renounce God and seek and obtain immortality out of anger at the death of their wives. While Elisabetha does not commit suicide, she does pass away while Mathias is absent 'fighting in God's name' (it has been proposed that this was during the First Crusade; however, this is not possible as according to the game's canon Elisabetha died in 1093, one year before the events of the game - Pope Urban did not call the First Crusade until November 27, 1095). Furthermore, she shares the name of Dracula's wife in the film.
**In addition, like in the film, four centuries separate the moment when Mathias became a vampire and the moment when he was vanquished (in the Castlevania mythos, defeated by Trevor Belmont for the first time).
*After Dracula was defeated in Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, when talking with his father, Alucard indicated that when he was with Lisa, he regained his humanity, which may imply that he briefly lived during that time as Mathias Cronqvist until her execution reverted him back to being Dracula.
==See also==
*Dracula
*Tepes Family Tree
==References==
==External links==
*Matthias Corvinus at Wikipedia
*
es:Mathias Cronqvist
Category:Alchemists
Category:Antagonists
Category:Church
Category:Cronqvist/Tepes Family
Category:Deceased Characters
Category:Dracula
Category:Dracula Relatives
Category:Humans
Category:Knights
Category:Male Characters
Category:Real Life Based Characters
Category:Vampires
Category:Lament of Innocence Characters
Category:Lament of Innocence Mobile Manga Characters