Miriam is the main protagonist of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and one of the supporting protagonists of the Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon series. She is a shardbinder, a human capable of wielding demonic powers through a magic crystal transplanted onto her body.

Miriam is a playable character in Ritual of the Night and both games in the Curse of the Moon spinoff series. She has appeared in every game of the Bloodstained series and all the extra modes within Ritual of the Night except for Bloodless Mode.

Miriam is a young woman with an air of gothic grace about her. She possesses peach-toned skin, blue eyes, and dark hair with faded-brown ends that reach past her shoulders in thick, flowing locks. In most depictions, she wears a short, revealing blue and black dress with silver buckles over the waist and golden bands near the end of her right sleeve along with some choice armor pieces. These include a glove and gauntlet covering her left forearm, armored knee-length boots, and a distinctive ridged armor piece that covers the right half of her torso from shoulder to chest. She is often seen wearing the Aries Horns, one of her favorite hair accessories, and a blue scarf that trails behind her when she runs.

Miriam’s dress shows off much of her figure, including an ample bosom and shapely thighs. It is short enough to reveal black-lace bloomers beneath the skirt and exposes much of her bare skin, revealing the crystal curse spread over her body. The curse takes the form of stained-glass roses of varying sizes and colors (though predominantly blue), her most prominent ones being over the top of her left breast and down her thighs. She also has individual crystal pieces over her body that resemble falling petals.

Miriam’s appearance can be changed dramatically in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Accessories and headgear will appear over her when equipped such as the graceful Pleidas crown, the humorous voice-changer, and the intimidating stone mask. Visiting Todd the Killer Barber also allows Miriam to radically change her physical appearance, from hairstyle and hair color to the color of her dress, eyes, and even skin. Combined together, Miriam’s appearance has a significant degree of customization for players, but it should be noted that accessories and headgear will affect her stats. Todd making changes in her appearance will not affect her stats.

Miriam has an alternate appearance when she equips her Valkyrie Dress over her body. The dress is a white and black version of her original dress and appears to be more ‘complete’. It fully covers Miriam’s shoulders and chest and has full-length sleeves covering both arms, along with an additional covering over her neck that ends in ‘flaps’ resting over her breasts. Long black stockings stretch to her upper thighs and her boots are swapped out for a more elegant, simplified design. To finalize this ‘pure’ look, Miriam’s hair is now a golden blonde from roots to tips, and what skin is revealed on her hands and upper thighs show no sign of the crystal corruption, implying that the curse does not afflict her in this form.

Following the 1.5 update, Miriam now has four cosmetic packs: Shantae (Free), Magical Girl (Premium DLC), Japanesque (Premium DLC), and Succubus (Premium DLC). Each cosmetic pack consists of a set of gear, weapons, and abilities, and when combined, form a complete costume.

The Shantae cosmetic pack results in Miriam resembling the titular half-genie hero in her outing from Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse. Combining the iconic red harem pants and matching red bra, red pointed shoes, golden armbands, and gold tiara, she adds a purple-colored pirate bandanna and a dark-colored vest with red trim. Armed with either a Risky Sword or Risky Pistol, Miriam fully resembles Shantae when she temporarily fights alongside her nemesis, Risky Boots.

The Magical Girl cosmetic pack results in Miriam dressed as Justice Warrior Miri, a magical girl who fights for truth, justice, and love. Her Miri Dress is based on the Lolita fashion with a red, pink, and white color scheme, and includes poofy shoulders, a wide skirt, and ribbons. White sleeves with pink ribbons wrapped over her forearms, a butterfly-themed communicator headset, and cute red buckled shoes complete the ensemble. Miriam also dons a wig made up of high pink twintails tied with yellow ribbons, and her crystals take on a more colorful appearance as if they came from a vibrant coloring book.

The Japanesque cosmetic pack results in Miriam adorned in a high-quality robe fit for Japan’s Golden Week. She dons a high quality, Japanesque robe consisting of two layers, both predominantly made of dark fabric. The inner layer sports a demonic skull and colorful shards while the outer layer boasts gold trim and red, white, and blue bats flying against a black night sky with trailing golden clouds. Miriam’s ensemble is complete with a decorative rose hairpin, a stylized rabbit mask, long white stockings, and a traditional pair of Japanese sandals.

The Succubus cosmetic pack results in Miriam depicted as a succubus, a demoness known to prey on men in their dreams. Over a grey skinsuit, Miriam wears a revealing armor set consisting of a skimpy black-and-red top covering and a black thong. Armored gauntlets stretch to her upper arms and each hand is fitted with gloves ending in sharp, armored fingers, resembling devilishly long nails. Fiery red shoes and black thigh-highs capped with red adornments stretch over her legs, and her outfit is complete with a pair of demonic wings, horns, and matching hair, dark with red tips.

In both Classic Mode and Classic Mode 2, Miriam’s in-game model is seen in her base appearance without the Aries Horns or a scarf equipped.

In her Curse of the Moon 2 artwork, she wears the Demon Horns hair accessory instead of the Aries Horns, and instead of her original blue scarf, she wears a Fairy Scarf.

Miriam is a young woman defined by her selflessness, determination, and resolve. Despite, or because of the nature of the crystal curse and her upbringing as a shardbinder, she values her humanity and the freedom of choice, resolving to use her demonic powers of her own will and never in service to evil, especially by demonic corruption. She readily demonstrates this belief throughout Ritual of the Night and Curse of the Moon, such as her willingness to fight through an entire castle of demons alone to end their invasion or proclaiming her intentions to not be held to the sway of demons, convincing Zangetsu to take her on as an ally once freed from the Glutton Train.

Equally important, Miriam reveals she is kind and good-natured at heart. Even while fighting her way through the Hellhold, she goes out of her way to help the survivors in Arvantville, especially during their time of grief. Whether it be honoring the deceased with Abigail, comforting Susie with fulfilling meals, or appeasing Lindsey’s need for vengeance, Miriam doesn’t hesitate to aid them when she can.

Described as “a woman of few words but strong of purpose” in her official description, Miriam demonstrates this well in many of her plot-relevant interactions. She can be viewed as stoic at times as she speaks with Gebel, Zangetsu, and Alfred, listening intently with a cool head and speaking only what must be said. Despite this, Miriam also displays a friendlier, lighthearted side, showing that she is still a young girl at heart. She enjoys cooking and remarks on the food after eating them, happily uttering “scrumptious!” or even “delicious” at times. She pouts when Dominique teases her during their photography session, jokingly (and correctly) acknowledges Johannes as her intellectual superior, and gleefully reveals to O.D that she has exactly what he needs should she retrieve a “photograph” before he can reveal it. In the same vein, Miriam reveals she can be equally impatient with incompetence and repeated mistakes, as poor Benjamin learns the hard way when she threatens to kick him out of frustration or even leave him behind in the Hellhold for misusing the waystones she gives him.

Overall, Miriam is a selfless, friendly young woman with a kind heart and great determination. Though she controls the demonic powers gifted to her as a shardbinder, she is resolved to never misuse them for dark purposes.

Miriam was one of the children taken in by the Alchemists Guild for the magicrystal experiments. Like the others, she was transplanted with a crystal and forced to become a shardbinder from a young age, trained to wield the demonic powers granted by shards as her body housed the magicrystal and its spreading corruption. Many of the guild members viewed her and the children as little more than sacrifices, and used their bodies as hosts for the growing crystals until enough could be amassed to summon the demon, Bael. Despite these circumstances, Miriam found friends within the Guild such as Johannes, an apprentice alchemist who treated her kindly, and his master, Alfred, who spent time with the doomed children and became a father figure to them. Miriam also befriended Gebel, a fellow shardbinder and a mutual friend of Johannes.

The pain from the crystal was a constant reminder that she was no longer human, and between the years of experiments, being pitted against summoned demons, and the gradual crystallization of her body, life within the Guild was not a pleasant one. Over time, feeling stripped of her humanity, Miriam fell into a deep depression, losing her will to live and believing herself a monster. One day, she and Gebel got into a fight over “some stupid thing”, and amidst this, Miriam demanded to know how he could still believe himself to be human after all that was done to them.

Gebel believed that their powers alone did not make them monsters. Neither coveted the power the alchemists had forced upon them, and neither were bound to obey the demonic forces they commanded through their respective crystals. Both he and Miriam could still choose how to use their powers, and for as long as they had this freedom of choice, they were still human.

His answer brought a spark of hope into Miriam’s heart, but it also revealed an underlying fear. Someday, they may lose that freedom of choice to the crystal’s corruption. Realizing this possibility, the two made a solemn promise: If one ever lost the ability to choose how to use their power, the other would stop them. Since then, she held the promise close to her heart, along with Gebel’s words. Her spirit was rekindled, and she resolved to hold onto her humanity and remain in command of her powers and use them responsibly. Unbeknownst to Miriam, as the day of the ritual neared, she became a critical element to the Alchemist Guild’s plans. Possessing “boundless potential”, she was deemed the ‘most attuned’ of the shardbinders, and more importantly, her crystal alone could account for half the power necessary for the catalyst to summon Bael.

In 1783, on the eve of the summoning ritual, Miriam fell into a deep, magical slumber. The strange sleep not only rendered unresponsive, but also purified her crystal of demonic power, rendering it useless for the summoning. As a result, Miriam was able to forego the ritual entirely and was spared from being sacrificed. Despite this setback, the ritual went ahead as planned without her. The gates of Hell were thrown open to the human world, and though Bael was not summoned, countless demons poured out across the land. Through the efforts of the Church, the invading demons would be vanquished in two months’ time, and once the Guild’s involvement was discovered, the leadership would be executed, crippling the guild. Within a year, Gebel would reveal that he miraculously survived the ritual, returning with an army of demons and destroying what remained of the Alchemists Guild in 1784.

All the while, Miriam would remain in her deep slumber for the next ten years, suspended in time and unaging, unaware of the events transpiring around her. Johannes, who had opposed the ritual, was presumed to have abandoned the Guild sometime before its destruction and cared for Miriam during her ten-year long sleep. He eventually befriended Dominique Baldwin, an exorcist of the Church who offered one of her homes as a shelter for Miriam and himself.

Miriam awoke exactly ten years later in 1793. At the same time, Gebel conducted his own ritual at the ruins of the Alchemy Guild, summoning the Hellhold to Earth. Upon learning that he is responsible for this new ritual, Miriam and Johannes depart for the demonic castle aboard the galleon, Minerva.

Near the end of her voyage, the vessel is attacked by Vepar and a small host of its minions. Despite their ferocity, the assault ends in Vepar’s defeat and the demons repelled. Amidst the chaos, Miriam encounters Gebel for the first time near the Minerva’s bow, now a radically different person than the one she remembered and the demon Gremory by his side. The kind, good-hearted soul she knew was gone. In his place was a man teetering on the edge of insanity, consumed by sorrow, pain, and a bitter hatred for humanity. To her horror, he confirmed that he was responsible for the demon invasion, making mad declarations of “reshuffling the world” as revenge for what was done to the shardbinders. Miriam rebuffs his invitation to join him in his genocidal endeavor, and attempts to appeal to his former, better nature, reminding him of the words that saved her at her darkest hour: Their powers alone did not make them good or bad, their choices did. For a moment, Gebel hesitates at her words, pained with a flash of regret, but just as quickly, steels himself following Gremory’s urging that they must return to the castle.

Before leaving, Gebel spitefully challenges Miriam to find him within the Hellhold. He warns her that she will be forced to take in demonic powers again, and if she still could claim to be human by the end, he will consider listening to her appeals. With this, Gebel and Gremory depart, leaving a saddened, but determined Miriam aboard the Minerva. The brief hesitation revealed the ‘flicker’ of the true Gebel she knew. He had not conducted the ritual of his own free will.

Shortly after, the Minerva made landfall on the rocky shore outside the village of Arvantville, now a burning ruin overshadowed by the Hellhold’s towers. Past the settlement’s outer walls, Miriam and Johannes rendezvous with Dominique Baldwin, saving her and a young Anne Knolles in the nick of time from a wandering morte. Once thanks and greetings were exchanged, Dominique led them to the basement of an old manor house that now served as a shelter for herself and the few survivors she found. Here, Miriam could find the handful of villagers dwelling in the floors beneath the house or just outside of it, along with Dominique’s Supply Post and Johannes’ Workshop once he had settled in.

With everything settled, Miriam prepared for the castle, the structure towering like an outstretched hand toward Heaven. With the promise close to her heart, Miriam drops the drawbridge and ventures into the Hellhold, determined to keep her word to Gebel and end the demonic threat.

Miriam soon learned that she was not the only one making her way through the castle, or that her quest would be straightforward as it seemed.

To her surprise, she ran into Alfred just beyond the Entrance, intent on recovering “the book” from Gebel’s possession. Her pain, anger, and demands for answers were coldly dismissed by the man she once considered like a father. Instead, Alfred bluntly warned her that if she or Johannes should get in his way, they would both die, presumably by his hand. Johannes could only speculate that “the book” his former master sought was the Liber Logaeth, a powerful tome used to summon the demons in the ritual ten years ago, and likely, so that Alfred could restore the Alchemists Guild back to its former glory.

Making matters worse, Zangetsu, a powerful exorcist hailing from Nippon, was present within the castle as well. His hatred for alchemists and shardbinders alike rivaled his skill with a blade, and on their first meeting, he declared himself Miriam’s executioner. Dominique’s intervention halted the confrontation from further violence, and though disdainful of the interruption, Zangetsu relents, warning Miriam to stay out of his sight if she valued her life. At Dominique’s insistence to focus on his objective to stop Alfred, he gruffly rebuffs her, resentful of her presumption she can tell him what to do.

Gebel as well revealed that he would not be idle during her trek through the Hellhold, appearing before her alongside Gremory as Miriam made her way through the castle’s clocktower. With a smug grin, he patronizes her about her journey, taunting her resolve to hold onto her humanity even as she possessed so much “deviltry”.

Even Dominique behaved oddly, appearing in the ruined labs of the destroyed Alchemists Guild with little explanation of how or why. Before any thought could be given to her unexpected appearances, she would leave to return to the Supply Post with questions unanswered.

The demonic residents of the Hellhold were no exception either. While most were hostile toward Miriam on sight, some revealed themselves to be more curious encounters. There was Todd the Killer Barber, who offered free hairstyling in exchange for help in improving his barbery, insisting he was a human cursed with literally the worst curse ever by a pair of accursed scissors. Then there was the Coachman, a zombie-like demon who offered free rides across the castle’s courtyard, and had a peculiarly specific interest in “giant hands.” None were more intriguing than Orlok Dracule, or O.D. for short, the castle’s librarian who took no interest in the castle’s affairs, but still allowed Miriam to borrow his enchanted tomes on the stipulation they be returned. After all, he ran a library, not a bookshop.

And as Miriam journeyed on through the Hellhold, fighting its demonic residents and binding more shards to herself, the truth would come to light.

Eventually, Miriam would track down Gebel to the throne room within the Hall of Termination, a grand sector in the highest tower of the Hellhold. Sitting upon the infernal throne, Gebel asks Miriam to join him once more, only for her to reaffirm her intent to keep her promise. Having forgotten the promise they made ten years ago and driven by a dark hatred, Miriam realized that Gebel was truly no longer himself. Enraged at her obstinance, Gebel challenges Miriam to stop him by force, and the two shardbinders duel within the throne room, their battle witnessed only by the moon in the sky.

If Miriam did not learn the truth behind Gebel’s corruption, the battle ends with Miriam as the victor. Gebel thanks Miriam for ‘doing the right thing’ as his final words, and she regroups with Johannes outside the castle. With Gebel defeated and her promise kept, they no longer needed to put themselves in harm’s way, and they could leave it to the Church to banish the demons, just as they had ten years ago. However, Miriam could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Despite Gebel’s death, the Hellhold remained where it stood, along with the many demons within its walls. When asked by Johannes what she would do now that the issue was out of their hands, Miriam is unable to answer.

GAME OVER

If Miriam further explored the castle and learned the truth of Gebel’s corruption, she will have entered battle with Zangetsu’s blade, the Zangetsuto. Having battled Zangetsu to a second stalemate and earned his trust, the exorcist gifted Miriam with his own blade, the Zangetsuto. His blade alone could harm Gremory, whom he had pursued from his homeland to England. Having not appeared before him, and seemingly intent on avoiding him, Zangetsu offered his sword to Miriam in the hopes that she could slay Gremory in his place. More importantly, he confirms that Gremory was controlling Gebel, but due to fear of losing her hold over him, she would not be far from him.

Realizing the truth behind Gebel’s twisted persona, she now had the opportunity to sever the demon’s control over her friend.

Unfortunately, should Miriam fail to notice Gremory’s presence, then Gebel will fall in their duel. Exhausted from battle, Miriam can only ponder if she had done the right thing as he dies before her. It would be the last thought of her own will before Gremory makes herself known with a dark chuckle. With so many shards bound to her crystal, Miriam is helpless to Gremory’s possession and becomes her newest puppet.

GAME OVER

On the other hand, should Miriam observe the moon turn a deep, bloody red, she slices it clean through with the Zangetsuto, revealing Gremory posing as the celestial body. The Liber Logaeth falls from her possession, and Alfred, having waited in hiding, reclaims the book and flees with his waystone, but with Gremory on his trail. Alfred now possessed the Liber Logaeth, but Gremory’s hold over Gebel is severed. Finally himself again, Gebel addresses her with the voice she remembered. However, their reunion quickly turns into a sorrowful farewell. Without Gremory’s influence, the crystal curse rapidly claims Gebel, its corruption spreading unchecked. Before he is completely overtaken, he makes one final request of her: To banish the castle back whence it came. Gebel dies content knowing Miriam kept her promise to him and he could see her smile one last time.

Now aware that Alfred has the Liber Logaeth with Gremory close behind, Miriam begins her pursuit anew, intent on keeping her new promise.

Miriam chases Gremory to a walkway over the Garden of Silence, posing again as a crimson moon against the sky above the courtyard. The moon demon is again forced to retreat after a strike of the Zangetsuto, and Miriam pursues her through a portal to the Den of Behemoths.

To her shock, as she enters a hallway overlooking the courtyard, a grievously wounded Alfred stumbles toward her. He slides down the wall to the floor, too weak to move, mumbling with despair that the book had been stolen by ‘her’. Zangetsu and Johannes arrive from behind her, just as shocked to find the old alchemist dying of his wounds. Despite his animosity toward him, Johannes hears Alfred’s final request for a ‘boon’ from him, and as this occurs, Zangetsu takes Miriam aside to discuss a grave matter.

Zangetsu reveals the truth he discovered: Dominique had been manipulating everyone the entire time. From the beginning, she kept Miriam and Zangetsu separated, ensuring that they could not combine their strengths while within the Hellhold, and insisting the exorcist chase down Alfred rather than help Miriam pursue Gebel. As it turned out, the old man was never their enemy, and his veiled death threat to her and Johannes had in fact been a misinterpreted warning. He feared that Miriam would be used by outside forces, and due to being the most attuned of the shardbinders, she could’ve become a grave threat to the world should she fall under demonic corruption.

Unfortunately, there was little more Alfred could do. Before he succumbs to his wounds, he begs for Miriam’s forgiveness with his final breath, acknowledging his role in all her misfortunes.

Now realizing what must be done, Zangetsu, Miriam, and Johannes composed a new plan to banish the Hellhold. First, they must eliminate Gremory. Zangetsu and Miriam head deeper into the realm beyond the portal while Johannes returned to the village, supporting them from his workshop while he awaited the retrieval of the Liber Logaeth. Due to the loss of his sword, Zangetsu went ahead of Miriam to act as bait for Gremory, knowing she would think him powerless. He eventually lured Gremory into a long, isolated chamber within the Glacial Tomb of the castle, locking her in the immediate vicinity and preventing her from slipping away. Even with her mastery of subspace crippled, Gremory was not helpless.

Miriam arrived just in time to see Gremory open a dark portal beneath Zangetsu, dragging him through the floor to an unknown destination. He could only wish her luck before disappearing completely.

Miriam declares an end to the demon’s wretched plans, but even with the Zangetsuto in her possession, Gremory did not frighten her. She reveals to the shardbinder that her goal was to summon Bael, and as the wench’s crystal was required, she will be brought in line. The two battle fiercely, Gremoy unleashing the full might of her lunar abilities while Miriam utilized al her absorbed powers. With Zangetsu’s sword in hand, Miriam defeats her, forcing Gremory to flee through a portal as she cursed her in rage.

However, Gremory did not have the Liber Logaeth, and one final foe yet remained.

Within the deepest depths of the Glacial Tomb, Miriam confronts the traitorous Dominique Baldwin. Demanding answers for her betrayal, she obliges.

Ten years ago, God was silent during the demonic invasion. Instead of protecting His servants as they fought against them, He did nothing, leaving them to be mercilessly slaughtered. Since that day, Dominique renounced her faith in God and sought to pursue power, perhaps even one greater than gods. Her crystal and the shards that Miriam provided for ‘purification’ aided her in just that. Miriam’s sacrifice became her strength. Aghast, Miriam asks if this ritual and its invasion wasn’t enough to slate her lust for power, and Dominique makes a surprising statement. If the summoning had been enough, she wouldn’t have had to lure Miriam to the castle to begin with.

Miriam realizes with horror what Dominique’s intentions were. She was after a far more powerful demon, but because Gebel’s crystal could not summon it, she required the only other crystal she knew existed: Miriam’s own.

However, with Gremory defeated and an antagonistic shardbinder, Dominique had no choice left but to play her final card: The Liber Logaeth now in her possession, and with its Enochian script and her crystal, she will summon Bael herself. To Miriam’s surprise, Dominique does not suffer the fate of the shardbinders from the summoning. The holy blood of exorcists allow her to suppress the crystal corruption just as it had for Gebel, which is what allows both to survive their respective “sacrifices”. More importantly, Miriam notes that Bael’s summoning remains incomplete, and seeing her opportunity, she attacks Dominique.

The two women battle fiercely, both wielding the powers bound to their crystals. Dominique combines her newfound abilities with the speed, grace, and strength of her combat skills, but the exorcist falls short of the shardbinder. Out of options, she calls for Bael through the summoning portal, pulling Miriam and herself into a chaotic realm made of boundless, swirling red clouds. Bael, the King of Kings, welcomes her into its realm with an earth-shattering roar, the first demon of the Ars Goetia circling her like a trio of world-eating serpents with the heads of a toad, a cat, and an accursed man.

As the battle progressed, Dominique reveals herself fused atop one of Bael’s three heads, seemingly controlling him like a summoner to a familiar. She supported the great demon with her own light-based magic and by infusing the demon with her own power, enhancing his own with devastating effect. In the end, despite the great danger, Miriam incapacitates Dominique, disrupting the summoning and her control over Bael enough to disrupt the summoning. As the demon king and his realm destabilized, Miriam escapes through a portal back to the ritual site, alone. Dominique’s fate is unknown.

Miriam returns to the ritual chamber within the Glacial Tomb, just in time to see Johannes enter. He laments Dominique’s fate and the good she could have done, but with her gone, the Liber Logaeth was now theirs. With the book in hand, he could now commit to his part of the plan. His late master had marked Enochian letters all across the castle’s foundational weak points, and with the book’s script, he enacts a rite to send the castle and the demons back from whence they came. With the rite’s completion, a short time later, Miriam and Johannes observe a seal opening above the Hellhold from the safety of the village. The castle is pulled through it, the towers breaking piece by piece as they fly off into the sky. When the last of the foundation is sucked through, the portal closes, and the red horizons give way to blue skies and white clouds. Daybreak had finally come.

With the castle banished and its masterminds defeated, Miriam and Johannes prepare to head for home. Before leaving, Miriam may plant the Zangetsuto into the ground, and as she and Johannes exit Arvantville, unbeknownst to them, the sword disappears from where it stood. A familiar pair of heavy footsteps walk in the opposite direction of them as a shadowy silhouette moves against the opposite wall.

THE END(?)

Sometime after her final battle with Dominique, Miriam is shocked to encounter her outside of town after she escapes Limbo, now cured of her crystal curse but weakened and amnesiac. She scoops up the helpless Dominique into her arms and carries her back to Johannes, pondering on the worrying implications of Dominique's return, and hoping that Johannes has answers for her, and some measure of forgiveness for her betrayal.

Miriam appears as the final boss of Zangetsu Mode. After defeating Bael, Zangetsu finds himself warped back to the Hall of Termination, where Miriam awaits him in the throne room, having fallen to demonic corruption and became the Mistress of the Hellhold. With a grim promise to not hold back, he meets her in battle. Miriam fights with a variety of powerful shards and weapons, but ultimately falls to Zangetsu’s greater skill and blade. As her life fades, he utters her name with a hint of remorse.

If Miriam is victorious, she will spitefully state, “What hopes does a human have against me?!”, implying that she has rejected her humanity.

Miriam does not make a physical appearance in Aurora Mode, but she is mentioned by name in the True Ending. After Aurora defeats Bael, a final poem appears describing how she and her companions returned home to Lemuria. The final lines address Miriam directly, coaxing her to close her eyes and drift off to sleep, implying that the Aurora Mode was akin to a bedtime story.

Miriam appears as the final boss of Boss Revenge mode after Zangetsu and Dominique. If defeated, she is implied to suffer the same outcome as the prior two hunters, such as becoming a mindless, obedient zombie under Bathin or a helpless puppet under Gremory’s influence.

If the boss is defeated, Miriam affirms her resolve to hold onto her humanity and not misuse her power.

Miriam is the main character of Classic Mode, a game mode that strongly follows the plot of Konami’s first Castlevania game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Armed with the Sword Whip and trusty subweapons, Miriam treks into the Hellhold (now more streamlined, but nonetheless dangerous), determined to stop Gebel who resides as the master of the castle. She fights her way through the demonic minions of the Hellhold, including five greater demons before dueling Gebel himself in his throne room.

On Easy mode, Miriam will only fight Gebel. However, on Normal and Hard modes, after defeating Gebel, Dominique will appear as the true final boss.

Once her journey is complete, Miriam will watch the castle crumble from the outskirts of a village. She allows herself to mourn Gebel’s death, a single tear falling down her cheek as she walks away from the ruins.

Miriam is released from the Glutton Train after Zangetsu defeats it at the end of Stage 1 ('Moonlight Temptation'). Her role (and fate) in Zangetsu's quest will change depending on if he chooses to recruit her, spare (but ignore) her, or kill her. It is further affected if Zangetsu chooses to travel with a full party or with only some of his allies.

Recruit Miriam

If Zangetsu chooses to recruit Miriam, she will remain with him for the rest of the journey. Zangetsu is initially hesitant in letting Miriam live being a shardbinder, but upon voicing her determination to remain ever righteous in her command of her power, he allows her to accompany him, asking to show proof of her determination in battle. From then on, Miriam proves to be a reliable ally to Zangetsu, and remains by his side as they travel to the demonic castle to face its master, Gremory.

At journey's end, if Zangetsu did not travel with a full party (Zangetsu, Miriam, Alfred, Gebel), then Miriam is stated to have vanished, wandering the land and seeking a new reason to live.

However, if Zangetsu did travel with his full party, then at journey's end, a defeated Gremory attempts to overwhelm the exhausted party with her dark energies. Zangetsu rushes forward, baring the brunt of the attack, and forcing it to be taken into himself. The dark energies burst forth from him, blowing away Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel from the castle as he is twisted into the Dark Emperor. Standing on a distant cliff with the castle in the distance, the trio are resolved to traverse it once again to save Zangetsu's soul.

Spare Miriam

If Zangetsu spares Miriam but does not recruit her, then she will only appear if he travels alone. Otherwise, she will make no further appearances and is not mentioned.

At journey's end, if Zangetsu has traveled alone and spared all his potential allies, then after defeating Gremory, she will attempt to possess him with her dark energy. An exhausted Zangetsu is powerless to stop it, but just before it hits, Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel will take the hit for him and be overwhelmed by the dark energy. Though they collapse and do not appear beside Zangetsu outside the castle, their fate is ultimately unknown.

Kill Miriam

If Zangetsu kills Miriam, then he will take her soul and awaken a new Soul Art: Crescent Moon. With this Soul Art, he will be able to do an overhead slash while in mid-air.

Miriam, along with Alfred and Gebel, venture once again for the demonic castle, intent on saving Zangetsu's soul. Much of their journey plays out the same as before, but near its end, instead of entering Stage 8 ('Curse the Moon'), they find a different part of the castle's pinnacle waiting for them, Stage 9 ('Fallen Moon's Requiem'). The trio are briefly separated as they are barred by a menacing gate blocked by three seals, each bound to a demon at the end of a different path. Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel are successful in destroying the demons commanding the seals, and opening the path to the Dark Emperor awaiting their return.

Upon entering his throne room, Dark Emperor Zangetsu binds Alfred and Gebel with corrupted ofudas, rendering them unable to fight to their full capacity. Miriam alone fights Zangetsu, her two allies assisting on occasion against the dark power binding them. She duels him to a stalemate, just in time for Alfred and Gebel to break free of the bindings to attempt a purification spell.

As Dark Emperor Zangetsu prepares to finish them, Alfred readies the purification spell, requiring Miriam and Gebel to defend him in the meantime. Should Miriam fail to defend Alfred from Zangetsu's summoned skulls, Zangetsu will execute the trio with a single strike. He will then be overwhelmed by his demonic essence, transforming into a skeletal-like monster as he breaks out into a victorious cackle.

However, should the purification spell be completed, it will successfully purge the evil from Zangetsu and save his soul. Miriam, along with Alfred and Gebel, will watch the new dawn rise over the land, the castle looming in the distance.

If Zangetsu was able to save Dominique from Mephisto by acquiring the Zanmatou, then she will appear alongside Alfred and Gebel at the end of the episode as Zangetsu’s new party mulls over the invading moon army, coming as reinforcements to repel the invaders.

As Zangetsu prepares to leave once again to save Dominique, Miriam appears alongside Alfred and Gebel. The trio have warped to his position, offering their assistance in his journey once again, having remembered their previous quest together. Miriam hands the Zanmatou sword necessary to save Dominique and states with enthusiasm that she and the others are ready to take the fight to the demons once again.

Over the course of their journey, Miriam shows camaraderie and fondness for her companions, expressing pride and joy during moments of respite. She marvels at Zangetsu's artistic skill when he creates an ice sculpture of his allies, enjoys hearing his recounting of his more recent journey, and comforts him when he is hesitant before they assault the pinnacle of the castle yet again. Miriam readily assists Zangetsu in saving Dominique against Mephisto, fighting beside Alfred to stop one of his while hands while Gebel holds off the other, allowing Zangetsu to deal fatal damage to Mephisto with the Zanmatou and free Dominique from being the demon's host. Finally reunited, they leave the castle and watch its ruins sink into the sea from a distant cliff.

However, their story doesn't end there. At camp, Miriam sits listening as Dominique speaks of another great evil on the march, petting Hachi beside her. The Moon's Army is approaching Earth, and their final foe waits for them on the Moon.

After Alfred explains his plan to assault the demonic fortress on the moon, Miriam leaves to fulfill her part in acquiring the necessary parts required for their spacecraft. If Zangetsu assists her in her task, she will be present at camp, awaiting his decision to leave for the moon, and be part of the assault party against the fortress. Otherwise, she will not appear as a party member.

If she is a part of the assault party and follow Zangetsu in his hunt for Sariel, at journey's end, she will be present in their final battle and lend him her power so that he can slay the fallen angel. On the other hand, if Zangetsu chose to leave for the Moon alone, then she will appear to assist him during his (mostly) solo battle against Sariel, stopping one of the skeletal rabbits from charging Zangetsu so he can get on top of them, just like the others had before her. After Sariel is left in a critical state, she will be among the party members revitalized by Dominique’s Resurrection skill, and assist in damaging the fallen angel, allowing Zangetsu to cleave the demon in twain. Regardless of the endings, Miriam will be left on the Moon along with the party.

Surprisingly, Miriam shows a more playful side if Zangetsu speaks with her, teasing him for being shown “a harlot” when they fought Lubius, amusing herself with the knowledge that she “now knows what his heart desires”. In a hidden conversation, if Zangetsu has collected all the possible supplies needed for the trip to the Moon, Miriam will gleefully express her hope of seeing the ‘Rabbit on the Moon’ based on Japanese legend.

Miriam cherished her bond with Gebel and cared deeply for him, enough that she was willing to brave a hellish castle to fulfill a promise they made together. She believes that he was the one who saved her in her darkest hour, helping her “feel like a person again” even as the shardbinding experiments seemed to strip her of her humanity. Miriam was in disbelief and some denial that ‘a good soul’ like him was responsible for the Hellhold summoning, showing how much faith she had in his character, and arguably, how deeply she loved him.

Her belief that ‘the real Gebel’ was still within him never wavered, even as their confrontations became more antagonistic. Though it weighed on her, Miriam was determined to see the promise she made with him fulfilled: If one was to fall to demonic corruption, the other would end them. This promise remained close to her heart and one that she would fulfill, and regardless of how Gebel meets his fate, Miriam grieves for him once their promise is kept.

In the ending of Classic Mode 1, Miriam grieves for Gebel after his death, shedding remorseful tears as she turns away from the castle’s ruins.

In the Curse of the Moon series, though Miriam’s relationship with Gebel is not fully explored, it can be implied that they were willing to work together. By Curse of the Moon 2, it could be implied that they were on good terms, as they along with Alfred appeared together to aid Zangetsu.

Miriam is on friendly terms with Johannes, and though not to the same extent as Gebel, does care deeply for him too. She is appreciative of his friendship with her and Gebel, and that he always “took care of them” during their time together in the Alchemist Guild. Though she is sympathetic to his guilt and shame, Miriam took up the task of stopping Gebel over him, knowing that Johannes was not strong enough for it nor the best candidate.

Johannes aids Miriam using his alchemy skills for crafting and cooking, who is appreciative of his knowledge, skills, and insights, even acknowledging that he is far smarter than her. She is also attentive when he speaks of his theories or shares his troubles, and in turn, he has been a sympathetic, listening ear when Miriam opens up to him about some of her experiences.

Miriam and Johannes remain traveling companions even after the Hellhold is vanquished. They share the same grief at the loss of Gebel, Zangetsu, and Alfred, but Johannes suggests that instead, their lives should be celebrated for what they have done to help. Her faith in Johannes’ skills and his character is further shown when she trusts in him for applying what could be a potential cure for her crystal curse, and the pair leaving Arvantville together once all was done.

In the True Ending of Classic Mode 2, Miriam mentions to Dominique that she hopes Johannes will be willing to help, hinting that she understood how deeply her betrayal had hurt him.

Miriam once saw Alfred as a father figure in the Alchemy Guild, but by the events of Ritual of the Night, she no longer holds that view toward him. Embittered and angry, she demanded answers from him at their first meeting, sharing a similar disbelief as Johannes at Alfred not only being alive, but seemingly intent on enabling the calamity that befell the world. Miriam remained determined to “stop Alfred”, hurt by his betrayal toward the shardbinders and Johannes.

Despite this, it’s clear that Miriam still had some fondness for him. She was shocked and concerned when she finds Alfred near death in the Den of Behemoths and displayed some sorrow at his passing. While she never confirms it, it can be argued that she found some forgiveness for him as well based on her conversation with Johannes after Alfred’s death.

In the Curse of the Moon series, though Miriam’s relationship with Alfred is not fully explored, it can be implied that they were willing to work together. By Curse of the Moon 2, it could be implied that they were on good terms, as they along with Gebel appeared together to aid Zangetsu.

Miriam and Zangetsu initially started with distrust toward each other. Their first interaction became a confrontation between the two, ending only with Dominique’s intervention and forcing the swordsman to continue with his hunt for Alfred. However, over time, Zangetsu would come to respect Miriam’s ferocity and strength, even bestowing the Zangetsuto to her to defeat Gremory, and using himself as bait to lure her into the open.

It can be argued that Miriam was more open to better relations than Zangetsu was. The gruff swordsman seemed intent on avoiding Miriam whenever she happened to encounter him at Dominique’s Supply Post, but in spite of this, he has shown he is more than willing to work with her when they had a mutual goal. This may have also softened Miriam’s view that Zangetsu was not simply a man who despised demons and any associated with them.

In Curse of the Moon 1, Zangetsu has the option to recruit, ignore, or kill Miriam. Depending on which action he takes, a different relationship could form, such as Zangetsu willing to sacrifice himself to save her and his new allies, his allies sacrificing themselves to save him, or simply sees her as a demonic pawn, or even a source of power.

In Curse of the Moon 2, Zangetsu and Miriam are on friendlier terms. Following their reunion, Miriam is more than willing to aid Zangetsu in his quest to save Dominique, even offering the Zanmatou if he did not possess it. In the Final Episode, she shows a more lighthearted side in their banter, from giggling at the thought that Zangetsu saw a harlot in the Lubius fight, to expressing hope in seeing ‘The rabbit on the moon’ before they blast off to face Sariel.

Miriam was friendly with Dominique, finding her reliable and appreciating her help in endeavors. Their interactions had largely been friendly, with Dominique even joking that Miriam seemed to enjoy “spending a lot of time with her” and poking some fun at her when taking her photograph. It seemed that despite the tragedies of Dominique’s past, she was intent on doing good, which Miriam appreciated and was sympathetic towards.

Unfortunately, her relationship with Dominique changed the moment her true colors were revealed. In utter disbelief at her true nature, Miriam was enraged that Dominique was a sociopathic maniac, cursing God to justify her mad quest for power. She did not hesitate to fight her to stop her from summoning Bael, expressing only regret that she could not have done more good once defeated.

In Classic Mode 2, despite her experiences with Dominique, Miriam still aided the cured, but amnesiac Dominique by carrying her back into town. She was unsure if this was a ruse or if Bael’s fearsome power was dormant within her. Nevertheless, she carried her back into town, showing her humanity in helping a defenseless woman.

Though she does not directly interact with her, in Curse of the Moon 2, Miriam was willing to aid Zangetsu in saving Dominique, and assisting her in stopping Sariel and the Moon’s Army.

Miriam is friendly toward Anne, praising her for being a good shopkeeper while Dominique was away. She was alarmed that the young girl knew how to handle the demonic shards, and despite her concerns, Anne revealed that she was able to handle them effectively without repercussion.

Initially, Miriam was amicable with Benjamin when she first encounters him in the Hellhold, even offering him a waystone so he can leave safely. However, she rapidly loses patience with him as she encounters him twice more, both times because he couldn’t ‘picture his house and hold to that thought’. By the second time she finds him, she threatens to kick Benjamin for warping himself to the wrong place, and by the third time, she threatens to leave him in the castle entirely. She was so frustrated by this point that she threatened to introduce her foot to his skull if she found him “in even one more strange place”.

Thankfully, that did not have to happen, and despite her frustrations, Miriam was happy to see Benjamin (finally) returned to the village safely.

Miriam displays her kinder side toward Susie when the old woman seemed to have given up hope. She helps raise her spirits by bringing her food that she requested along with words of encouragement, though with some (private) lamentation that Susie would not save some of the food for her.

Miriam offers to hunt down and kill the monsters that Lindsey desires to see dead, but despite her great endeavors, Lindsey remains blunt in her interactions with Miriam, offering little more than thanks for killing the murderers dead and a reward for her efforts.

Miriam shows her sympathies toward Abigail as she tries to honor the deceased of Arvantville. She displays an understanding of the pain that Abigail is going through and helps to procure the items she seeks to help give her a small degree of peace.

Miriam has nothing but animosity toward Gremory. Upon realizing that the moon demon is the one responsible for controlling Gebel, she has nothing but hatred and rage toward her, declaring an end to her wretched plans before engaging and defeating her in battle.

Initially wary, Miriam was willing to humor Todd’s request in helping undo his curse.

Miriam was wary of the Coachman when he offered a ride in the Garden of Silence to “someplace most interesting”, but did take him up on the offer later, even giving a (giant) hand in clearing the path ahead of obstructions for a smooth ride.

Miriam was surprised at her first meeting with O.D, but once he made clear that he was at best, a neutral party, she became more relaxed around him. The vampire librarian was willing to offer his aid to her, from allowing her to borrow some of his books to providing credentials to board the train within the castle, all of which Miriam was grateful for.

Miriam shows she could be surprisingly forgetful, sheepishly offering only an ‘oops’ if O.D confronts her for having never returned a particularly valuable tome. In addition, up until this point, she never seemed to truly fear O.D. Should she survive his ‘missing book policy’, she will express some shock and fear at finding O.D still alive after their confrontation, sheepishly offering to return his book and clearly aware of his power.

• Though this was never incorporated into the final game, there is a cutscene where Dominique confronts Miriam in the throne room similar to the final battle in Zangetsu Mode. In this dialogue, Dominique pleads with Miriam to remember she is human, but Miriam rejects it, claiming it was far easier to accept she was not human anymore and wondering why she even bothered to hold onto that belief.

• If Miriam was brought to the Alchemists Guild on the day referenced by the Unnamed Alchemist (2/8/1767), then Miriam may have been only two years old on that day.

• Miriam is often symbolized by a blue rose. In symbolism, a blue rose means ‘attaining the impossible’ because the blue color is only possible by artificial means, which fits the theme of it being tied to alchemy.

• Miriam has made appearances in other games outside the Bloodstained franchise. These games are Blasphemous, Kingdom Two Crowns, and Mighty Fight Federation.

—- <Back>