The recent Castlevania: Nocturne was given a tantalizing teaser for the show's newest protagonist, Richter Belmont. The show takes place generations after the original series, following Richter's exploits set against the backdrop of the French Revolution.
Fans on Reddit were overall thrilled with the reveal, especially since few expected to see some kind of footage for it so soon, and have been discussing their hopes for this new dark-fantasy adventure. From returning characters from the first show to homages to the source material, these fan requests suggest that Castlevania set a high bar for video game adaptations.
The Return Of Alucard Voiced By James Callis
has been one of Netflix's strongest animated originals thanks to several creative decisions, one of which being the stellar cast from top to bottom. All of the characters sound convincing and fit seamlessly in this grim, gothic fantasy world, and James Callis' portrayal of Alucard was among the best performances.
Redditor Favre99 said, "Also hoping we get Alucard back, I can never get enough of James Callis." Along with Alucard's sleek character design, Callis helped give the complex character an air of suave charm, dry wit, sympathetic, and an imposing presence all at once. His return would also be more likely than newer fans might think too, as Richter was a ing character to Alucard in the acclaimed Symphony of the Night video game.
Unafraid To Embrace A Bit Of Campiness
It's been a breath of fresh air for many audiences to see the realm of animation be emphasized in the mainstream beyond the stereotypical kid-friendly cartoon atmosphere. That being said, there's such a thing as striking the right balance of grit and the source material's whimsically bizarre elements.
Redditor ManlyPlant notes this about the Castlevania games, saying they "want something that doesn't feel afraid to have fun with this as well because well, Castlevania is f****** weird. [Rondo of Blood] is literally the game where a little girl runs around tearing s*** up with a group of small animals." That last point is referring to Maria Renard, who is a ing character to Richter Belmont and confirmed to be part of games in the franchise.
A New ing Cast That Can Match Isaac's Compelling Storyline
Aside from the main cast of characters in the first Castlevania series, Dracula's former Forgemaster Isaac was the ing role that stuck with fans the most. On top of Adetokumboh M'Cormack's powerful performance as the character, his story arc was arguably the most compelling from season 2 onward, as it proved to be a deeply satisfying journey of introspection and resolution by the end of season 4.
Redditor took several creative liberties with Isaac to the point where he was practically an original character, so fans should have some confidence in Nocturne's potential ing cast to fill the void.
Adapting Stages & Music From The Games
Castlevania was already pleasantly dripping with gothic fantasy style, but some fans are hoping that Nocturne takes more pages from the source games for its environments. With this sequel series' teaser possibly hinting at docked pirate ships in the background, some fans are particularly looking forward to the prospect of a certain level(s) and the games' memorable score being adapted in the show.
Redditor SindraVania noted "I'm spotting some pirate ships. Wishful thinking for a Ghost Ship scene, I'm sure, but I'd lose a small amount of my s*** if they had the music from Rondo either way." Ghost Ships are a common franchise staple in the games, often serving as levels with item treasures inside, and Rondo of Blood's fifth stage entirely took place on the docks and inside the haunted ship itself.
Following Dracula X Chronicles' "Bad Ending"
The first series already showed audiences that they wouldn't shy away from writing 's Alucard. Likewise, the creative team also showed they're capable of writing mostly tasteful original spins on gaming canon that still honors it. Redditor Sumelttuce wondered with regards to Richter's fiancé "if they're gonna go the route of the bad ending in Dracula X and Dracula X Chronicles where Annette becomes a vampire."
malb93200 responded saying "Having Richter fight his fiancée who becomes a vampire is a [much more] dramatic and interesting conflict for a TV show than having Annette as a simple damsel in distress." Given how the aforementioned Isaac was one such creative liberty for the better, this route for Annette could similarly flesh her out into a more interesting and satisfying character with agency and a more involved impact on the plot.
Juste Belmont In A ing Role
While some might have expected a Castlevania sequel series to follow more closely where Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades' stories specifically left off in of lineage, Nocturne doesn't have to cut off the number of Belmonts appearing after Richter. Redditor BookkeeperCorrect125 was pleased with the new Belmont's reveal, saying "It looks good, I wonder if Juste will be in it, he would only be in his 60s I think around the events of [Rondo of Blood]."
Juste is canonically the most powerful magic in the Belmont bloodline and his hypothetical inclusion could work as a mentor role to Richter. It would also be an interesting new character dynamic the Netflix universe has yet to show, since Trevor was the only Belmont in the original.
Fitting Use Of Vulgar Dialogue
No series is perfect, and while plenty of the dialogue was well-acted and made for engrossing character interactions, one weakness in Castlevania was how its vulgar language overstayed its welcome in places. For a time, it seemed more tasteful and in line with the grim dark fantasy characters one would find in the world of Game of Thrones, but gradually devolved into gratuitousness as the show went on.
Redditor Primorph commented on the original writer's departure, saying there will be "Probably less swearing like a teenager, which is nice. On the other hand, absolutely nobody can write self-destructive characters like Warren Ellis." Characters like Trevor, Isaac, Alucard, Hector, and Carmilla are excellent examples of fascinating and psychologically volatile characters written (mostly) with tact when it came to their grueling character arcs, but this specific area of the dialogue is something that Nocturne should handle with more maturity.
