Castlevania: Nocturne

Our Review

The sequel series moves to Revolutionary France: Richter Belmont, the last of the vampire hunting clan, and Annette, the Haitian revolutionary, fight a vampire aristocracy feeding on the revolution itself. The show’s politics give the vampire hunting a revolutionary stakes the original never had, liberty against a literal parasitic ruling class, and the new cast (Maria’s child revolutionary energy, the… the Erzsebet Báthory threat) carries it.

Season 1 is solid world building; season 2 improves markedly (the Báthory arc, the Alucard return, the… the Messiah of-the vampires escalation) and pays the setup off with the spectacle the franchise is known for. A worthy followup that finds its own register.

Verdict: Watch it after the original. The revolution continues.