Netflix has released a new trailer for the Castlevania: Season 3. The animated series is set to return on Thursday, March 5. Check it out below:
Think of this as our bloody valentine to you, Castlevania is back for season three on March 5th! pic.twitter.com/2F13YIykFn
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) February 14, 2020The new trailer is fairly light on plot, but it does give us some idea of what to expect from the new season. Read on for a breakdown of what the new trailer reveals and why the land of Wallachia is still such a mess after Dracula's defeat.
From Dracula to Carmilla
Even though our three heroes - Alucard, Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades - succeeded in their shared goal of slaying Dracula in Season 2, the world doesn't necessarily seem to be a safer place in Season 3. Given the action-heavy approach here, it's clear a great many monsters still need slaying.
The trailer seems to confirm vampire queen Carmilla will become the series new main antagonist (or at least one of them) in Season 3. She already played a major role in Season 2, scheming behind the scenes and playing Dracula's bloodlust to her advantage. With the Lord of Vampires gone, there's little to prevent Carmilla from filling the void. And it seems she's determined to completely annihilate the human race. This rivalry between Dracula and Carmilla is one of the most interesting deviations between the animated series and the games (where Carmilla is generally more of a secondary villain faithful to Dracula). But it's a fitting one, considering the source material from which Castlevania is drawing. The character of Carmilla actually predates Bram Stoker's Dracula novel by several decades, making her one of the earliest vampire characters to catch on in pop culture. It's only fitting she would usurp Dracula's throne. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=castlevania-season-3-gallery&captions=true"]
Dracula's Resurrection?
One of the biggest questions heading into Season 3 is whether Dracula himself is truly dead. As fans of the games know well, Dracula has a nasty habit of being slain by one Belmont or another, only to rise again and torment a new generation. If there's a way to permanently end his immortal existence, neither the Belmonts nor Dracula's son Alucard have figured it out yet.
With that in mind, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see Dracula return at some point in Season 3. Early shots in the trailer show Alucard ruling over his father's castle, a place now bathed in sunlight and exorcised of its demons, but that doesn't mean the castle will stay under Alucard's control. Dracula's Forgemasters might have a thing or two to say on that front (more on them later). Netflix clearly wants fans to get the impression Dracula is returning, as the trailer features the tagline "Evil Never Stays Buried." That certainly implies Dracula's resurrection, though it could also mean Dracula will cast a shadow over the series in other ways. Perhaps he left behind some fail-safe in the event of his death. Maybe his ghost still haunts the halls of Castle Dracula. And if so, how long before Alucard begins succumbing to his father's dark influence?
Several shots in the trailer highlight Alucard's uncertain role in the series post-Dracula. We see him floating while bathed in a red glow, suggesting he could be under the influence of another or dabbling in dark magic. We also see him battling a new female character (another member of the Belmont family, perhaps?). Is Alucard destined to enter into a doomed romance just like his father?
Revenge of the Forgemasters
Hector and Isaac are easily two of the most fascinating characters in the series, and both look to be taking on even more prominent roles in Season 3. Though both are mortal humans, Hector and Isaac each willingly sided with Dracula and became his Devil Forgemasters, generals responsible for creating the monsters and weapons necessary for Dracula's war on humanity.
As we've learned over the course of the series, both men have good reason for waging war on their own kind. Hector was ostracized and his family was killed because of his childhood talent for necromancy. Isaac was sold into slavery and abused by magicians until being rescued by Dracula. And in the wake of Dracula's death, both Forgemasters are eager to avenge him. Isaac and Hector's stories look to be veering in very different directions, however. Hector is currently a slave of Carmilla, being forced into helping her and betraying Dracula in Season 2. It looks as though that bondage continues in Season 3, which could mean Hector will wind up becoming a reluctant ally to Trevor and friends. Hector is actually the main protagonist of the game Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, suggesting a more heroic turn for him.
As for Isaac, we'd guess his fanatical devotion to Dracula will put him at odds with both our heroes and Carmilla. One of the shots in the trailer suggests Carmilla may be caught off guard by an unexpected threat, which could well be Isaac. Just as Carmilla supplanted Dracula as the series' main villain, she may be taken off the board by a man whose only goal is to punish the world for robbing him of his master. If you need a refresher on the series, check out our full review for Castlevania: Season 2. Then see showrunner Adi Shankar reflect on the tragedy of Dracula and learn more about his plans to build a Castlevania/Devil May Cry shared universe. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
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Think of this as our bloody valentine to you, Castlevania is back for season three on March 5th! pic.twitter.com/2F13YIykFn
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) February 14, 2020
From Dracula to Carmilla
Even though our three heroes - Alucard, Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades - succeeded in their shared goal of slaying Dracula in Season 2, the world doesn't necessarily seem to be a safer place in Season 3. Given the action-heavy approach here, it's clear a great many monsters still need slaying.
The trailer seems to confirm vampire queen Carmilla will become the series new main antagonist (or at least one of them) in Season 3. She already played a major role in Season 2, scheming behind the scenes and playing Dracula's bloodlust to her advantage. With the Lord of Vampires gone, there's little to prevent Carmilla from filling the void. And it seems she's determined to completely annihilate the human race. This rivalry between Dracula and Carmilla is one of the most interesting deviations between the animated series and the games (where Carmilla is generally more of a secondary villain faithful to Dracula). But it's a fitting one, considering the source material from which Castlevania is drawing. The character of Carmilla actually predates Bram Stoker's Dracula novel by several decades, making her one of the earliest vampire characters to catch on in pop culture. It's only fitting she would usurp Dracula's throne. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=castlevania-season-3-gallery&captions=true"]Dracula's Resurrection?
One of the biggest questions heading into Season 3 is whether Dracula himself is truly dead. As fans of the games know well, Dracula has a nasty habit of being slain by one Belmont or another, only to rise again and torment a new generation. If there's a way to permanently end his immortal existence, neither the Belmonts nor Dracula's son Alucard have figured it out yet.
With that in mind, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see Dracula return at some point in Season 3. Early shots in the trailer show Alucard ruling over his father's castle, a place now bathed in sunlight and exorcised of its demons, but that doesn't mean the castle will stay under Alucard's control. Dracula's Forgemasters might have a thing or two to say on that front (more on them later). Netflix clearly wants fans to get the impression Dracula is returning, as the trailer features the tagline "Evil Never Stays Buried." That certainly implies Dracula's resurrection, though it could also mean Dracula will cast a shadow over the series in other ways. Perhaps he left behind some fail-safe in the event of his death. Maybe his ghost still haunts the halls of Castle Dracula. And if so, how long before Alucard begins succumbing to his father's dark influence?
Several shots in the trailer highlight Alucard's uncertain role in the series post-Dracula. We see him floating while bathed in a red glow, suggesting he could be under the influence of another or dabbling in dark magic. We also see him battling a new female character (another member of the Belmont family, perhaps?). Is Alucard destined to enter into a doomed romance just like his father?Revenge of the Forgemasters
Hector and Isaac are easily two of the most fascinating characters in the series, and both look to be taking on even more prominent roles in Season 3. Though both are mortal humans, Hector and Isaac each willingly sided with Dracula and became his Devil Forgemasters, generals responsible for creating the monsters and weapons necessary for Dracula's war on humanity.
As we've learned over the course of the series, both men have good reason for waging war on their own kind. Hector was ostracized and his family was killed because of his childhood talent for necromancy. Isaac was sold into slavery and abused by magicians until being rescued by Dracula. And in the wake of Dracula's death, both Forgemasters are eager to avenge him. Isaac and Hector's stories look to be veering in very different directions, however. Hector is currently a slave of Carmilla, being forced into helping her and betraying Dracula in Season 2. It looks as though that bondage continues in Season 3, which could mean Hector will wind up becoming a reluctant ally to Trevor and friends. Hector is actually the main protagonist of the game Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, suggesting a more heroic turn for him.
As for Isaac, we'd guess his fanatical devotion to Dracula will put him at odds with both our heroes and Carmilla. One of the shots in the trailer suggests Carmilla may be caught off guard by an unexpected threat, which could well be Isaac. Just as Carmilla supplanted Dracula as the series' main villain, she may be taken off the board by a man whose only goal is to punish the world for robbing him of his master. If you need a refresher on the series, check out our full review for Castlevania: Season 2. Then see showrunner Adi Shankar reflect on the tragedy of Dracula and learn more about his plans to build a Castlevania/Devil May Cry shared universe. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.Continue reading...