Combat Cross: The Media Effects of Weaponized Religion in Castlevania

The Castlevania franchise has sold more than 20 million games since 1986. It has become popular again due to Netflix’ acclaimed series. The games are full of Christian symbols and icons, some functioning as weapons. For example, in Symphony of the Night, the Bible is a sub-weapon, giving fresh meaning to the term “bible thumper.”  In the Lords of Shadow, the main weapon is a multi-tool known as “the combat cross.” Castlevania’s religious weaponry frees the world from chaos and restores order, suggesting to players that religion is a violent, organizing, and liberating force, potentially shaping their real-world view of religion. This paper brings cultivation theory into the arsenal of religious research tools to theorize how Castlevania’s weaponized religion might affect gamers’ perception of religion. Additionally, gaming transfer phenomena (GTP) and a gamer-centered qualitative analysis on Let’s Play accounts contribute to understanding the effects of weaponized religion in games.