Scientist investigating the piranha outbreak in 1978.
Elizabeth Barnard Medina is Nicholas Medina’s wife and Francis Barnard’s sister. She secretly survives her premature burial and works with Doctor Leon to make Nicholas believe her ghost is haunting the castle, hoping to inherit his fortune and home. She is ultimately trapped alive inside the iron maiden after Nicholas turns against her.
Princess Asa Vajda is a vampiric witch condemned and sealed behind a death mask centuries earlier. Revived by Dr. Choma Kruvajan's blood, she commands Igor Javutich and seeks to drain Katia Vajda, her living reincarnation, to restore her youth. Her deception is exposed by Dr. Andrej Gorobec, and she is burned by the villagers.
Cynthia is Prof. Bernard Hichcock's new wife, who returns with him to his old London home twelve years after his disappearance. She begins seeing Margherita around the house, becomes suspicious of Bernard's attempts to harm her, and discovers that his plans are even more horrifying than murder.
Muriel is Stephen's wife and the owner of the castle; after he discovers her affair with David, he attacks her, burns her body with acid, and electrocutes her. Jenny, Muriel's mentally unstable stepsister and heir, later marries Stephen, suffers nightmares, and ultimately leaves the castle with Dr. Dereck Joyce.
The introverted, unfriendly protagonist obsessed with taxidermy and pinning butterflies. She exhibits predatory behavior, manipulating and ultimately murdering neighbors and acquaintances, including Claudia, Olga, and a workman. Flashbacks reveal a dark past where she nearly drowned her estranged daughter, Dorothy, leading to their separation.
She is the Countess of Montebruno, returning to reclaim her birthright and ordering an old statue recovered from a lake to be refurbished. As mysterious deaths begin, her personality changes and she assumes the persona of Belinda, using seduction and influence to control villagers while becoming central to the curse and the artist’s suspicions.
The ancestral witch who historically led the witchcraft cult. Her legacy and rituals continue through her modern descendant, J.D. Morley.
Minor female character in the first film.
Elisabeth Blackwood is the ghost played by Barbara Steele. Among the murdered inhabitants haunting the castle, she attempts to help Alan Foster escape during the night. Her actions place her in direct opposition to the supernatural forces that require the journalist's blood to sustain their existence.
Veronica is a young British newlywed traveling on her honeymoon with Philip. After their car plunges into a lake, she apparently disappears and is replaced by a monstrous witch-like body. The Count later attempts an exorcism intended to restore the transformed figure to Veronica, though the outcome remains uncertain.
Bozena is the local prostitute whom Beineberg takes Thomas Törleß to visit. She is the mother of an infant born after an employer impregnated and abandoned her while she worked as a servant for an aristocratic family. Törleß shows more intellectual intrigue than excitement toward her, reinforcing his detached observation of vulnerable lives.
Barbara Steele has 74 screen credits in a career dating back to 1955. Their work spans 4 cinematic universes — most prominently Piranha with 1 titles. Signature works include Pretty Baby, Black Sunday, Minutes Past Midnight. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
Universe traveler — spans 4 universes
Related entry on Wikidata (Q266240), public domain (CC0).
