Valkyrie

The Valkyrie is an enemy in the Castlevania series. She is a female warrior with a pretty face and a wicked heart.
==Origins==
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. Selecting half of those who die in battle, the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar. When the einherjar are not preparing for the events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead.
Valkyries are described as beautiful women wearing armor and boasting white wings. They also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens and sometimes connected to swans or horses.
Though they are commonly aligned with holy and lofty imagery for their roles within Nordic religion and mythology in modern day thought, their feature as foes alludes to the Viking Age, when the Vikings freely invaded and pillaged Northern Europe, often clashed with Christianized kingdoms in search of conquest and power, and were known to practice animal and even human sacrifice to appease the Aesir.
==Appearances==
===Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow===
Valkyries are seen all throughout Castlevania, although they mostly inhabit the Inner Quarters along with Curlys and Persephones. They wear Norse helmet, armor and boots, as well as a long loincloth that covers their lower body. They attack by first flying near Soma and then lunging at him with their lance.
Gaining dominance of her soul grants Soma the Demon Cleaving Holy Sword ability, which allows him to summon a Valkyrie as a bullet soul. When summoned, a Valkyrie covered in a blue aura will attack by swinging her sword upward. She is among the few souls that deal Holy damage to enemies, which most of them are weak to; in addition, she is among the highest class of damage-dealers in the Bullet Soul class.
===Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow===
In Dawn of Sorrow, the Valkyrie is described as "a female warrior with a pretty face and a wicked heart". She's still decked out in a set of Norse armor with a white pair of angelic wings, and attacks horizontally with a lunge of her lance. Her shield now bears a symbol of a dragon on it.
Valkyries can be found within the Guest House attacking alongside Liliths, as well as in The Dark Chapel. A defeated Valkyrie occasionally drops a Breastplate and, oddly enough, Pancakes.
Unlike the first game, this time the Valkyrie's soul is activated as a Guardian Soul which allows Soma to transform into a charging Valkyrie himself (costs 30 MP per second to maintain the state). While in this state, the Valkyrie attacks by charging in a straight line, uncontrollably hitting everything within range with Holy-type damage. The transformed valkyrie abandons her helmet and allows her blue hair to flow while she attacks.
Soma can also allow Yoko to pry a Valkyrie's soul out and fuse it with either of two weapons, the Great Sword or the Halberd. Upgrading the Great Sword allows Yoko to create the Durandal, a giant sword tempered by fairies (Great Sword class), while upgrading the Halberd will create the Lance, a spear used by knights (Spear class).
===Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls===
==Item Data==
==Gallery==
===Screenshots===
AoS 042.png|Valkyrie enemy list entry from Aria of Sorrow.
ValkyrieDOS.gif|Valkyrie Form from Dawn of Sorrow.
===Animations===
DOS Valkyrie.gif|Valkyrie Form from Dawn of Sorrow.
==Trivia==
*Valkyrie and Erinys are the only souls in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow to have Holy properties.
==See also==
*Erinys
Category:Female Monsters
Category:Flying Enemies
Category:Norse Monsters
Category:Aria of Sorrow Enemies
Category:Dawn of Sorrow Enemies
Category:Grimoire of Souls Enemies