Castlevania: Nocturne

Castlevania: Nocturne is an American adult animated dark fantasy action television series created and written by Clive Bradley and led by producer Kevin Kolde for Netflix. A sequel to the Castlevania animated series, it is based on the video game series of the same name by Konami and adapted from the 1993 entry Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and its sequel Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Set in 1792, during the French Revolution, it follows Richter Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont family fighting against vampires and night creatures. The series stars Edward Bluemel, Thuso Mbedu, Pixie Davies, Richard Dormer, Sydney James Harcourt, Nastassja Kinski, Zahn McClarnon, Aaron Neil, Sophie Skelton, Elarica Johnson, Franka Potente and Iain Glen in the voice cast.

Announced in May 2021, a new series with a new cast of characters set in the Castlevania universe was being planned by Netflix, but that it would not be a direct spin-off of the original Castlevania series. Instead, it would focus on Richter Belmont, Trevor and Sypha's descendant, and Maria Renard, set during the French Revolution. During Netflix's 2022 Geeked Week virtual event, the series' official title was announced.

Castlevania: Nocturne premiered on Netflix on September 28, 2023. The series received critical acclaim, with praise for its animation, directing, writing, themes, and voice cast, while its pacing and character development drew some criticism.

Premise
Set in 1792 during the French Revolution, primarily in the French commune of Machecoul, the series follows the young Vampire hunter Richter Belmont and his adoptive sister Maria Renard as they make new allies and attempt to prevent the apocalyptic rise of a godlike Vampire Messiah.

Voice cast

 * Edward Bluemel as Richter Belmont, a descendant of Trevor Belmont and the current wielder of the legendary "Vampire Killer" whip. Benjamin Plessala voices Richter Belmont as a child.
 * Thuso Mbedu as Annette, a former slave with incredible powers of an African earth god who escaped from slavery in the French Caribbean.
 * Pixie Davies as Maria Renard, a young aristocrat-turned-revolutionary during the French Revolution and a Speaker who can summon animal spirits to aid her.
 * Richard Dormer as Emmanuel / The Abbot, a clergyman of the Order of Saint John and a Forgemaster who works to maintain the Church's power.
 * Sydney James Harcourt as Edouard, an opera singer and Annette's closest friend who aided her in a slave uprising before journeying together to France.
 * Nastassja Kinski as Tera Renard, a Speaker magician, Maria's mother, and Richter's adoptive mother.
 * Zahn McClarnon as Olrox, an ancient Aztec vampire from the new world and an adversary of the Belmont clan. He travels to France to witness the rise of the "Vampire Messiah".
 * Aaron Neil as Mizrak, a knight serving under the Abbot with an unshakable faith in God, and Olrox's lover.
 * Sophie Skelton as Julia Belmont (season 1), a vampire hunter and Richter's mother.
 * Elarica Johnson as Drolta Tzuentes (season 1), Erzsebet's second-in-command and most devoted follower who prepares the vampire aristocracy for her master's arrival.
 * Franka Potente as Erzsebet Báthory / Sekhmet, an ancient vampire queen and self-declared "Vampire Messiah" drawn to France by the ongoing revolution who claims to be the reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet.
 * Iain Glen as Juste Belmont, Julia's father, Richter's grandfather, and a former vampire hunter once famously gifted in magic.
 * James Callis as Adrian "Alucard" Țepeș, the dhampir son of Dracula and Lisa Țepeș, who previously fought alongside Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades three centuries prior. Callis reprises his role from Castlevania.

Production
On April 16, 2022, Deadline reported that Netflix was planning a spin-off series set in the Castlevania universe, following the conclusion of its original animated series, with a new cast of characters. Kevin Kolde and Clive Bradley were announced as the showrunners and executive producers under Kolde's Project 51 Productions banner. Powerhouse Animation was also announced to return as the primary production studio while Sam and Adam Deats would direct episodes from the first season.

On June 10, 2022, during Netflix's Geeked Week virtual event, it was announced that the series is titled Castlevania: Nocturne. The voice cast of the series was revealed on July 27, 2023.

On October 6, 2023, one week after the release of the first season, Netflix renewed the series for a second season.

Release
Castlevania: Nocturne premiered on Netflix on September 28, 2023. The first three episodes were screened a day early during the Netflix virtual showcase "DROP 01".

Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of Castlevania: Nocturne holds an approval rating of 96%, based on 24 reviews with an average score of 7.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Bringing great flair to a struggle against demons both literal and metaphorical, Nocturne is a promising return to the world of Castlevania." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 77 out of 100 based on seven critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The series was nominated for "Best Adaptation" at The Game Awards 2023.