Castlevania Nocturne is the latest adaptation of the Castlevania mythos by the genius minds of the Netflix Castlevania team. Justifiably the hopes are high for this considering the legacy of the original series and the games that this new spin-off will adapt. Let’s discuss some of the creative changes they will make to the canon of the games.
Die Monster. You don’t belong in this World!
For those unaware Nocturne is going to adapt the storyline of Castlevania: Dracula X (Rondo of Blood) and Symphony of the Night, where we follow Richter Belmont from during the time of the French Revolution in 1792, as he is tasked to be the latest generation of vampire hunter in his now acclaimed family name which is no longer shunned by the catholic church due to the efforts of his ancestor Simon Belmont.
Richter is skilled, confident, and the strongest in his bloodline. In the midst of yet another revival of Dracula orchestrated by the Dark Priest Shaft, he does not waste a second to prepare and head out to beat the Vampire King.
Along the way, he saves 4 maidens which include his girlfriend Annette and her little sister Maria Renard who is also a young Vampire huntress in training with the powers of a speaker. Together both Richter and Maria make it to Dracula’s Castle and defeat him.
4 years later, Alucard wakes from his slumber in order to investigate the sudden reemergence of Dracula’s Castle ahead of the 100-year revival curse due to the unknown circumstances of Richter’s disappearance.
While on his journey, Alucard meets with a much older Maria who claims that Richter’s disappearance was the catalyst for the emergence of Dracula’s Castle, and both soon learn that it was the work of Dark Priest Shaft who had taken hold of Richter’s mind in order to facilitate the rushed revival of Dracula.
What is a Man? but a miserable pile of Changes
From what we can gather from the new Trailer of Nocturne and other promotional material. We can assume that the story is looking to make the stoic character of Richter Belmont feel more vulnerable, along with giving him a more fleshed-out backstory that delves into the traumas he has suffered as a son of Belmont and the lasting impressions those experiences have left him in.
We can also see a considerable difference in age and attitude for Maria, as she acts and sounds more like her Symphony of the Night version while wearing her original Rondo of Blood costume. This leads us to believe that Maria in the Anime will be aged between 15-18, as opposed to her original appearance as a 12-year-old in the games.
Another major change is the lack of Dracula as a primary antagonist, which makes sense considering where the Original series ended off but the lack of Dark Priest Shaft is alarming considering he was the catalyst to all the events in the original story.
Considering all the facts, the Spin-off could very well be a completely different tale that just utilizes the same characters and this turn of events may put the awaited adaptation of the fan-favorite Symphony of the Night and the return of Alucard on hold.
Conclusion
Castlevania: Nocturne coming to Netflix on September 28! The teaser trailer will be revealed tomorrow! Stay Tuned! 🔥
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— AnimeTV チェーン (@animetv_jp) July 26, 2023
It seems that Castlevania: Nocturne is preparing to majorly differentiate itself from the original source material even more so than the original series, and while usually this would be frowned upon, we have seen what the production crew is capable of delivering with the IP. So we would like to assure the early detractors to give this series a chance and look forward to what it may deliver.