Netflix’s tendency to axe its acclaimed and popular animation ventures will always baffle me. Earlier this year the League of Legends animated adaptation, Arcane, came to an abrupt end with its hastily put together second season. And now it appears that even its most beloved animation franchise, Castlevania, won’t be exempted from similar treatment, as Castlevania: Nocturne seemingly concluded its journey with its sophomore season as well. However, a number of hints interspersed through the second season convey that there is a solid chance to begin a new chapter of the Castlevania saga by building upon the still incomplete character arcs and narrative threads in the near future. The beloved gothic horror franchise still has many stories to share, and it would be a mistake to rob the makers of that opportunity.
Spoilers Ahead
Globetrotting Adventures of Alucard
Following the passing of his dear vampire hunter friends, Trevor and Sypha, Alcard went into self-imposed exile to cope with his loneliness and spent three centuries drifting around the earth as a lost soul. The fan-favorite human-vampire hybrid occasionally returned to check on members of the Belmont family, but eventually he had grown wary of his old habits, as being an immortal being himself, he was deeply affected by the passing of the ones he cared about. Alucard distanced himself from his associates, and in the second season finale, while having a conversation with Juste, Alucard reveals that for the last couple of centuries he had spent time in Japan and in India to witness a rapidly changing world. Of course, Alucard is talking about the colonial presence changing the political landscape of India and the Edo period in Japan—and there is a huge potential in the terms of storytelling if makers decide to build on these plot threads in separate spin-off series. Just like how “Castlevania: Nocturne” focused on the rivalry between vampires and humans with the French Revolution and European colonization working as the backdrop, the new spin-off series can very well explore different parts of the world through Alucard’s perspective, bringing in new characters in the process. Incorporating real-world historical and political scenarios, Castlevania: Nocturne has already gained a narrative edge that is more familiar with the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and new spin-off ventures can continue this trend even further.
Belmont Family Legacy and Annette’s Connection with the Spirit World
By the end of Castlevania: Nocturne, the two surviving members of the Belmont lineage—Richter and his grandfather, Juste—go their separate ways. While Juste remains by Maria’s side as her guardian figure, Richter leaves with Annette to travel to her homeland at Saint Domingue. Surely fans will be eager to learn what happens to the Belmont family legacy in the future, especially now that both Richter and Juste seem to be in complete control of their abilities and have unshackled themselves of their mental burdens.
Annette’s character arc, on the other hand, can open up new ways to explore the franchise’s mythology. As seen in the second season, Annette travels to the spirit world to bring Sekhmet’s third soul into the mortal plane, and Ogun aids her by opening up an interdimensional portal that leads her to the Egyptian underworld. This indicates that in the spirit world, there exists a confluence of different cultural myths and legends, and there is a possibility that as Annette grows stronger in the future, she will be able to access the ways that can lead her to the pantheon of gods of different cultures. It will surely be exciting to see forces of evil from different cultural origins banding together, and to counter them, Annette and her associates seek help from deities of several myths and legends.
Finding Acceptance: Fate of Edouard and Other Night Creatures
Although Bathory and Drolta have perished during the battle of Paris, and the majority of their vampire followers have met their end as well, some of the Night Creatures who betrayed their instincts and chose a better path, like Edouard and the captain of the revolutionary army, appear to have survived. Edouard, the opera singer who didn’t lose touch with his artistic soul even after getting turned into an undead monster, is quite easily one of the most beloved characters of the series. Despite having very little screen time, the unfortunate captain became a fan-favorite as well. After all is said and done, Edouard decided to accept Annette’s invitation and began a journey to his homeland at Saint Domingue with her, while the captain stayed in Paris, keeping away from human gaze. It will be interesting to see whether the Night Creature duo finds acceptance in mainstream society in the future or if the world mistreats them on the basis of their physical appearance.
Olrox’s Journey
Aztec vampire Olrox had survived the invasion of Spanish conquistadors before being turned into a bloodsucking monster by one of the colonists, and much like Alucard, this enigmatic, mysterious vampire drifted across the world. Olrox is responsible for killing Richter’s mother, Julia, and it is hinted that Richter will take his revenge in the future by killing him, but despite knowing that, Olrox actively aided him to take down Erzsebet and Drolta’s forces. Olrox’s motivations and purpose of life remain ambiguous till the very end, although it seems he has found peace by reuniting with his lover, Mizrak, and turning him into a vampire. The story of this ancient vampire is far from over, which can be explored through a prequel or sequel spin-off with Olrox in the lead.
Maria’s Fate and Appearance of Mephistopheles
To oppose the age of enlightenment and the spirit of revolution, which called for the abolishment of oppressive control of faith and monarchy, Abbot Emmanuel had chosen to make a deal with the Devil, quite literally, as he turned humans into Night Creatures using a dreaded transformation machine to strengthen Erzsebet Bathory’s army. Following his wife, Tera, being turned into a vampire by Erzsebet, their daughter Maria sought revenge upon her father by killing him using the creatures summoned by her. At that point of time, Emmanuel’s wretched soul was taken by a grim, dark presence which Olrox identified to be Mephistopheles, and as the season ends, Mephistopheles is seen to be present at the side of Tera as well – probably waiting for her demise to take her soul to Hell. The nature of Maria’s speaker powers remains shrouded in mystery, as the origin of the portal that allows her to summon mystical creatures is unknown. However, it appears that her emotional condition plays a role in determining the nature of her powers. There is an off chance that while inheriting speaker powers from her mother, Maria had also been influenced by Emmanuel’s association with the Devil himself. In the season finale, it is shown that despite Juste helping Maria overcome her inner darkness, she still hasn’t gotten rid of some of the negative instincts. Maria’s arc has a strong possibility of finding continuation in the near future with a spin-off venture, which will enrich the existing Castlevania mythos as a whole.
