Shanoa

Shanoa was created by game designer Koji Igarashi. She was modeled after his wife.[2] Her design in Castlevania Judgment was created by Takeshi Obata.

Shanoa first appears in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia for the Nintendo DS in 2008. She later appears in the 2008 Wii fighting game Castlevania Judgment, featuring a modified character design.

Shanoa as she appears in Castlevania Judgment. This design, created by Takeshi Obata, received mixed reception.

Shanoa has received generally positive reception following her appearance in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. She was included in Complex's list of the 50 greatest heroines in video games.[3] The Mary Sue writer Jonathan Ore wrote an article praising Shanoa as an example of a female lead in a video game done well. He also praised her design, noting that she lacks overt sexualization while still being an attractive character. He notes that her backless dress feels racy without feeling vulgar, adding that while she at first may seem like a "superfluous, flimsy character disguised as a strong female character," she has agency in the story. He particularly finds her to be better than other Castlevania female characters such as Maria Renard, Sypha Belnades, and Charlotte Aulin, all of whom are secondary to the protagonist of their respective games.[4] Writer Zachary Miller similarly felt that Shanoa was the first strong female lead in the series, excepting for Sonia Belmont, who was made non-canon by Igarashi.[4][5] Destructoid's Jonathan Holmes called her a "woman with depth and purpose," praising her abilities while calling her "one of the most, if not the most, interesting Castlevania protagonists ever."[6] GamesRadar awarded Shanoa with "sexiest new heroine" of 2008, praising her for being attractive without "shedding every last scrap of clothing." She was also praised as a rare example of a female Castlevania lead.[7] Joystiq writer Candace Savino expressed excitement for her during the pre-release of Order of Ecclesia, calling her a "pretty badass character."[8] Escapist Magazine writer Keane Ng however felt that she would not "spark a gender revolution in the ranks of videogame protagonists," but still felt that she was a unique protagonist in the series.[9] Writer Phillip Willis felt that her amnesia made her stereotypical of other similar role-playing game characters.[10] Game Revolution was more critical of this plot point, similarly criticizing it for being stereotypical while feeling that it makes Shanoa "completely unempathetic" and "cold and lifeless."[11] The design and abilities of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night protagonist Miriam has been compared to Shanoa's by outlets such as Hardcore Gamer.[12]

Shanoa's design in Castlevania Judgment has been criticized for being too different from her traditional one by sources such as GamePro and Engadget.[13][14] Zachary Miller however notes that Shanoa stands out to him as one of the few characters in Judgment whose design was at all comparable to the original.[15]