I can’t believe how good this first season of Castlevania Nocturne is. It’s blown me away completely, and it left me on the edge of my seat, gutted that we have to wait for season 2.
Anyway, with a story that focused on Richter Belmont, a vampire hunter looking to save France from the grasp of the devourer of light, we saw real complex issues tackled in this short eight-episode series.
The story was something that was able to shine. And the fact that there isn’t anything like this that’s out there at the moment, it stood out in terms of originality.
So let’s do a Castlevania Nocturne Ending Explained and break all that there was important from this first season.
Who is Alucard?
At the end of the Castlevania Nocturne final episode, we saw that Alucard essentially came in and saved the day, preventing the destruction of Richter, Maria, Annette, and Mizrac. He came in out of nowhere and revealed his identity, which then caused everybody else to back down at the threat of being killed. This left the question of who he is.
Well, Alucard is the child of Dracula and a human called Lisa, so he’s part human and part vampire, which makes him unique. In terms of his back story and how he came to be on the side of the humans, His mother was killed as the people believed that she was a witch.
But upon her death, she told Alucard not to take his anger out on the humans due to the sheer amount of pain and suffering that they’d gone through over the years. However, his father was more than willing to fight against the humans.
Alucard was trained by his father and was deemed to be stronger than any human, and it was intended that he’d go on to fight on the side of evil.
However, once Alucard was strong enough, he stepped away from his father and his army. He wanted to fight for the humans and planned on destroying his father’s army instead, showing that he was standing by what his mother believed in and wanted him to do—also highlighting that he was different from his father. Hence, his name is Dracula in reverse.
So, I think it’s safe to say that we will be seeing Alucard in the next season of the show, especially judging by how strong he was.
Tera’s Sacrifice And The Ram Reference
In the final episode, we saw that Maria was supposed to be a sacrifice from Emmanuel to Ursabet so that she could see just how loyal he was and that he wasn’t going to stray, even when we thought that Maria was free.
With Ursabet entering and seeming pretty indestructible, and stating that she wanted Maria to be the sacrifice and have eternal life, becoming a Vampire, Tara stepped up and told them that she would be a worthy replacement.
When Emmanuel was about to sacrifice Maria, he told Tara, “Why didn’t God send the ram?” And then, when Tara spoke up, she said, “I am the Ram.” This is referencing a story in the Bible in the Book of Genesis.
There, God had ordered Abraham to sacrifice his Isaac. And then, when Isaac was about to do it, a Ram appeared along with an Angel. And the Ram was sacrificed instead, leading Abraham to be praised for his obedience and loyalty.
So Abraham’s son didn’t need to be killed for his loyalty to be questioned. It was more about seeing if he was going to go through with it.
So, with Tera stepping up and saying that she was the Ram, she was essentially calling herself the thing that needed to be taken instead of their daughter. Ultimately meaning that she went on to become a vampire, a scene that was haunting, and we saw the true transformation.
Why Did Richter Get His Magic Back?
During the show, we saw that Richter was an individual who wasn’t able to use the magic that he once had when he was younger. It’s most likely because the last time he used it was when Olrox killed his mother, so the ability was associated with the pain he felt when his mother was killed.
However, when he was captured along with his grandfather, he was on the verge of death, and as that happened, we saw the thought of his family being killed at the hands of the devour of light, and it sparked something inside of him.
He had That fear and helplessness when his mother was killed, and instead of running away, he embraced it. And it led him to be the most powerful that he had ever been, and he channeled that magic that he could never unlock. That was one of my favorite moments in the entirety of the show.
The Themes Of Slavery
Within this show season, being a slave to something or somebody was prominent for nearly every character. Annette was enslaved and on a plantation.
Edward was transformed into a knight creature and a slave to the Abbot. Richter was a slave to his mind as he was struggling to overcome the issues that were present, which prevented him from using his magic. The most important one is that the French people were soon to be enslaved to the vampire species.
Outside of the main plot, which was focused on the city being taken over, we saw each and every one of these characters overcome the issues that they had, and they found their way to freedom. Something which was empowering to watch and went against what the other said earlier on. He said evil will always win as there will be more and worse.
This wasn’t the case for this set of characters, and they proved that, on a personal level, they could overcome their demons and those that stood in their way. So, it was an interesting way to frame the powerful nature of the message.
Why The French Revolution?
It seemed this was set in a time when there was uncertainty among the city’s population. The church lost its influence and power, and the people sought leadership and direction elsewhere.
So, the collaboration of the Abbot working alongside the Sun Devourer and the Vampire Messiah was so that he could appeal to the non-God worshippers. And find a way to get them back on the side he was on regarding the revolution. And then, if they didn’t comply with it, he’d simply have them eradicated.
Meaning that the vampires could feast off of them, or they’d become night creatures and be a slave to the man that they were not on the side of. So, the uncertainty of the period and the hostility present at that time make a good setting for the story’s theme.
Overall Review
I thought this first season of Castlevania Nocturne was simply incredible. I was hooked from the moment that it began right up until the second that it finished.
The first 7 minutes released was one of the best starts to a show I’ve seen in a long while. It captured the mood, pacing, and excitement that we expected while also showcasing the impressive visuals in store throughout the entire 8 episode run. Plus, it also sets the origin in place of why Richter was the way that he was nine years later in France and is now an adult.
The way that this show looked was something that I thought was extremely impressive, too. Elements looked extremely real, such as the texture of the water, the sky, and certain other landscape features. Having that paired with the traditional anime style was a really nice combination.
Even certain transitional shots when characters would be transforming or showcasing their powers. How it was designed allowed us to feel the weight of what it wanted us to. One of the best moments was when Richter discovered that he could use magic again. That whole sequence was so enjoyable to watch, and it was also inspiring. Especially when he then proceeded to obliterate everybody that was around him.
