Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 came out a few weeks ago on Netflix. Picking up at the end of season one, we find ourselves in the aftermath of the battle between Alucard and Drolta. Terra’s a vampire. Maria’s deep in grief. Richter is at a loss. The Vampire Messiah Erzsebet Báthory and her army of the undead are on the rise. With only eight episodes, the cast must figure out how to take her down for good. This season had a great character arc and did a great job intertwining the Yoruba religion into the story. However, I wish we had more time with Terra to watch her struggle with her new vampiric body.
Maria’s Arc
Throughout the first half of the season, Maria goes through the ringer in the aftermath of her father’s attempt to sacrifice her to the vampires. In an attempt to save Maria, her mother Terra switches places with Maria as an offering to the vampires led by Countess Erzsebet Bathory. Maria struggles with the loss of her mother’s humanity and her anger at her father for putting them in that position.
Her grief turns to anger. She allows the feeling to consume and lead her to dip into the darker sides of her witch powers. This leads her to summon a dragon to murder her father. She loses control of it, causing problems for those around her. Once the dragon problem goes away, Maria reflects on her actions and laments the loss of the person she was before committing patricide. With the help of her support system, Maria emerges on the other side scathed but knows that she is still loved.
Annette’s Haitian Background
Annette is such a badass in the series. She’s resilient, headstrong, and kind. She loves her friends and will do anything to protect them. She’s also a powerful magician and swordfighter who can manipulate metal and rocks to move weapons and obstacles in her way. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was a damsel in distress in the games.
Annette’s focus this season went to her magical prowess. In this season, she finds herself struggling to decipher the visions plaguing her thoughts.
I love that they brought the Yoruba religion into the series. I can’t recall a show I’ve seen that touches on this with such care. Nocturne’s depiction of Ogun was so refreshing as his design screamed he is the god of war and metals with his silver helmet with the white braids popping out from under it, and his bulky physique hit the mark. This is a step up from the depiction of Ogun I’m used to seeing in the SMT franchise.
The Historical Context
Adding Haitian history to the series also rooted the show in history. Castlevania Nocturne takes place during the French Revolution. While it was fun background knowledge, the French Revolution didn’t affect the show too much. The show made a loose reference to the September Massacres so it’s safe to assume the season takes place around 1792. This means the Haitian Revolution Annette talks about has been going on for a year. While this knowledge allowed us to understand what was going on, Annette’s connection to her ancestors was a key plot device in this season. I believe that if the show tackles the Haitian Revolution in season 3, the history of the Haitian Revolution would influence how Annette and Richter grow in the future. Well, if we get a season 3. I hope we do, but Netflix is Netflix.
The Unfortunate Cuts
With only eight episodes, I understand why a lot of the characters didn’t get more screen time. However, I would’ve loved to see Terra struggle with being a vampire. When she first appears in the season, she’s pretty well adjusted to the change despite it happening a few hours ago. I found this odd. While she did it to save Maria, I can’t imagine anyone coping well after something as traumatic as forced vampirism. My best explanation is a mother’s love makes one unbreakable.
Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
