Here is my sixty second pitch for Castlevania: It is a faithful adaptation of a classic video game series containing a wonderfully grim and violent world with lovable and complex characters, unbelievable production value, and an airtight story for newcomers to the series and veterans alike. It is not easy to encapsulate all that Castlevania has to offer, so you’ll have to trust me that this is not a show you want to sleep on.
Castlevania as a game franchise is not exactly considered popular at this point in time. The first game is older than I am, and although certain entries such as Symphony of the Night are regarded as cult classics, the title has seen better days. That is, before Season 1 of Netflix’s Castlevania adaptation released in 2017. Some might regard this as a bold move, but with dark fantasy’s recent popularity, most notably in the success of Game of Thrones, and the consistency of Netflix’s productions, it’s no surprise that Castlevania was received so well. Season 1 consisted of only four episodes, so it felt more like a teaser for what was to come. The series is loosely based on the games Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness. This combination allowed the story to take the best parts from each game and embrace creative liberty in making great plot changes. There is a huge amount of talent on display throughout, especially in the writing and the voice acting. The dark tone of the show never felt overly oppressive or edgy.
The first season introduces the three protagonists. Trevor Belmont is a depressed and lonely man and the last in a family of professional vampire slayers. Sypha Belnades is a sorceress who leaves her group of traveling scholars to join the party. Finally, we meet Alucard Tepes, the half-vampire son of Dracula himself. They band together and swear to kill Dracula no matter what it takes. If that isn’t cool enough for you to at least give it a watch, then the characterization of Count Vlad Dracula Tepes should be. Episode 1 is entirely devoted to Dracula, painting the picture of someone filled with hatred when his one and only love is ripped away from him by paranoid humans and burned at the stake as a witch. Before he is portrayed as an antagonist, Dracula is shown to be a sympathetic, broken man who maybe isn’t quite as unjustified in his genocide as one might think at first glance.
By the time the much longer Season 2 was released, it introduced a slew of new characters with interesting backstories and personalities. My personal favorite is Isaac, a forgemaster who creates the night creatures that Dracula commands to annihilate the human race. As a former slave under an abusive master, Isaac is a human who chooses to help the vampires wage war on other humans to get revenge for his mistreatment. He suppresses his emotions and whips himself constantly so as to never forget his treatment. But when he is abandoned by Dracula, Isaac goes on a journey of self-discovery to understand humans and himself in the process. He slowly learns to find a will to live, all the while creating an army of night creatures to wage his own war on humanity. The second season made the switch from four to eight episodes, and the story truly hit its stride. Season 2 had an air of finality, and easily could have been the end of the series, but that’s not how modern TV works. When Season 3 dropped, it was my least favorite. Events were drawn out and slow for most of the runtime, and the season rushed through an ending in the last few episodes. As someone who strongly believes in a show ending before it overstays its welcome, this was very disappointing to me. However, redemption came with the confirmation that Season 4 would be the last in the series. I looked forward to seeing how everything would wrap up, and I am pleased to report that this was a very good season of Castlevania. Although it wasn’t perfect, it was an excellent series finish.
By Season 4, there is a large cast of likable characters who have engaging plotlines written to be simultaneously separate and intrinsically connected in a way only a master can achieve. With all of these individual characters in different locations concurrently, the fat is trimmed and the story is constantly moving, as there is no time for fluff or pointless dialogue. Unfortunately, the ending is once again cut short and the script exits a few characters before they can get a proper sendoff. But with so many characters to balance, it’s understandable, and the most important plot threads are wrapped up nicely. Every major character has changed in some significant way, whether becoming a self-sacrificing hero or simply finding a will to live. Comparing the characters from their first scene to their last is extremely satisfying and I found myself hoping for a happy ending for all of the characters—good, bad, and everything in between. To create such a large cast with unique motivations, personalities, and alignments is truly a testament to the talent that went into creating this show.
If you’re a fan of the original games, then you will have no trouble getting invested in the world of Castlevania. Loyal consumers of the franchise will often see subtle nods to the games. For example, the music takes the synth of the games and adds a cinematic feel that gives the already excellent action an extra boost to become truly engaging. For newcomers to the story, it’s equally enjoyable. Lovers of games, dark fantasy, and quality media in general can’t go wrong with Castlevania. Small issues are easily forgotten in the face of all that Castlevania gets right. As the credits rolled on the last episode, I was happy that the story was ending strongly, but a part of me wishes that I could linger in that world for just a few minutes longer. Watch Castlevania. You won’t regret it.