Castlevania Season 3 Review: The Path To Hell Is Paved With Great Characters
While some video game adaptations struggle or don’t quite catch the spirit of the material, Castlevania continues to march to its own beat as the shining example of how to take the source and turn it into a particular vision.
Writer Warren Ellis and co-directors Sam and Adam Deats have successfully created a vibrant television universe with Castlevania, and with its ten-episode third season, their careful approach tells an epic tale of trust and betrayal that separates a lot of its main cast of characters, but uses this to expand the story beyond Dracula.
The story picks up not long after season two, building onto the foundation with smart worldbuilding and deeper introspection of its characters. Trevor Belmont and Sypha are on a path of clean-up that leads to a mysterious village; Alucard struggles with the events of the second season while trying to open himself up to trust again; and the forgemasters are adjusting to their new lives as Carmilla returns home and starts to plan what comes next.
Castlevania certainly takes its time, but it’s for good reason. Warren Ellis is reaching into something beyond a fun video game adaptation by finding the depths of these characters’ souls. There is so much purpose behind the lengthy dialogue scenes, as they tear back and reveal who they truly are.
Richard Armitage’s Trevor Belmont and Alejandra Reynoso’s Sypha Belnades are the glue for the series now, where their story is the foundation the others orbit. Both Armitage and Reynoso are wonderfully charming as their characters grow closer and don’t bicker as much, working together and becoming a fascinating team.
It’s with the forgemasters, Hector (Theo James) and Isaac (Adetokumboh M’Cormack), where Castlevania finds its most rewarding arcs.
Their lives after the events of the second season are uprooted and they find themselves in a stage of rebuilding, trying to find meaning when their meaning is taken away. Isaac’s story is one of sorrow taking him toward revenge, while Hector’s diminished and finding himself in the care of the show’s most interesting character, Lenore.
Lenore stands out through being a different read than other vampires on the show, where kindness is her ultimate weapon to disarm. Jessica Brown Findlay adds so much with her voice work, where the calm she brings to the role makes her alluring unpredictability potentially the most dangerous of all.
The incredible cast continues to grow with impressive additions, including Jason Isaac as The Judge, Bill Nighy as Saint Germaine, and Lance Reddick has a small, flashy role as The Captain. All three bring such vibrant personality to their respective characters, blending in perfectly with the returning voice cast to grow the world of Castlevania.
The animation is still top notch, bringing a ton of personality to quieter scenes but becoming vibrant and hellishly gory when the time comes for bloodshed. There are particular uses of brilliant, popping color that adds so much to the visual madness, pairing well with the many new monster designs for the night creatures.
A small note on the score, which is at times subtle and at others powerful. Classic Castlevania music cues from the games make a comeback at key scenes, just like previous seasons, creating an extra layer of excitement during those moments to really sell all of the build-up.
But all of this comes with the caveat that after three seasons, the show knows exactly what it is, and this may prove challenging for some viewers. The show does take its time, and it isn’t leaning into action often to break up the slower moments. The action is earned through the peaks and valleys that the story is taking, and for some, that may take too long.
And yet, Castlevania, with its third season, brilliantly continues the careful storytelling of the previous seasons and uses all that’s come before to broaden its scope and to show there’s more to this universe than Dracula and moving castles. These characters have a wealth of history and stories to tell, and it feels like the show is just getting started on its profound epic path.
What did you think of this season of Castlevania? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Castlevania arrives on March 5 on Netflix.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.