Michael Schneider

was Reinhardt Schneider's father. He was a man of God who taught Reinhardt the true values of a vampire hunter.
==Naming confusion==
Reinhardt's father is referred to by the name "Michael" in various Japanese guidebooks, such as the NTT Pub Akumajō Dracula: Mokushiroku Official Guide, as well the Millennium Official Castlevania 64 Strategy Guide. Alternatively, he is also known as "Gelhart". The exact origin of this name is unclear, but its earliest known mention appears to be a preview article from IGN, dated January 26, 1999. Certain fan websites, such as Mr. P's Castlevania Realm, refer to him as "Michael Gelhart Schneider", but this name does not appear in any official materials.
==Trivia==
*Michael Schneider is almost certainly named after Michael R. Belmont, a character only mentioned in an internal world building document created during the development of Castlevania: Bloodlines. According to the document, Michael R. Belmont was already an old man in 1917.Castlevania: Bloodlines EGM fax. Various pieces of evidence suggest that Castlevania 64 was originally planned to be set during World War II, such as a preview article from GamePro mentioning that the game took place around the same time as Castlevania: Bloodlines, a leftover line from Renon in which he states: "News has arrived of an impending global war.", among other things.GamePro. February 1999. Furthermore, it's known that Reinhardt's surname was originally planned to be "Belmont" instead of "Schneider". The above facts make it very likely a connection exists between the characters of Michael Schneider and Michael R. Belmont.
*The name "Gelhart" seems to be derived from "Gerhart", a son of Christopher Belmont, whose name appears in a family tree from the above mentioned world building document. Whether Michael Schneider was planned to be named Gelhart/Gerhart at some point in development, or if the claim from the IGN article that he is Reinhardt's father is an error, is not clear.
==See also==
*Michael Gelhart Schneider (Lords of Shadow) - The Lords of Shadow continuity version of this character
*Michael R. Belmont - A Bloodlines character with possible development ties to this one
==References==
Category:Humans
Category:Male Characters
Category:Mentioned Characters
Category:Schneider Clan
Category:Vampire Hunters and Huntresses
Category:Castlevania 64 Characters
Category:Legacy of Darkness Characters