Netflix’s Castlevania based on Konami’s gothic horror video game of the same name switched up a few key elements in character designs to add more layers to the show’s narrative. Its screenwriting weaves a rich tapestry of historical metaphors, recognized philosophies, and humane dilemmas which made the show so very intriguing.
Like many monster shows, Castlevania too offers a look at the ideals of human-monster co-existence, but it’s a lot more taut and organic than the game. The characters’ dynamics are designed to be relevant and at least the primary characters, be it Alucard, or Sypha or Trevor, never get boring to watch, and neither do their relationships.
10 Taka, Sumi & Alucard: Around A Month
The vampire hunting duo Taka and Sumi have a really interesting arc on the show; Alucard met them when he was grieving the death of his father Dracula and was also grappling with his lonely existence.
He quickly grows fond of the two as he begins training them in combat. They did not spend too much time together because Taka and Sumi quickly grew suspicious of Alucard and his secrets and seduced him to extract information out of him. Alucard kills them and horrifically impales their bodies in front of his castle as a warning to others.
9 Carmilla & Hector: At Least Two Months
Carmilla basically plans to use Hector as a weapon since he can forge demons; she met Hector at Dracula’s hold as he was planning a defense strategy to save his castle. Camilla manipulates the weak-willed and young Hector and holds him hostage. It’s not entirely clear how many days they spent in Dracula’s castle but it couldn't have been more than a few weeks.
A month after Dracula’s death, Carmilla returns to her castle in Styria to reunite with her Council of Sisters and imprisons Hector at the castle. The entire dynamic changes from allies and conspirators to kidnapper/hostage really fast.
8 Carmilla & Dracula: Around A Month
Carmilla was quite brazen and often openly antagonistic towards Dracula, but did not challenge his authority to his face. Of course, she wanted to usurp him and designed an elaborate plan to have him killed but she wasn’t like the rest of Dracula’s generals.
The very first time she met Dracula, she bravely asked him why his human wife was never turned into a vampire; this angered Dracula a great deal, however, Carmilla faced his fury with a straight face. Dracula’s real feelings towards her were never broadly explored but it’s possible that he found her courage and her sense of humor quite fascinating, and he definitely did not know her true intentions until much later.
7 Dracula & Isaac: Around A Decade
According to Castlevania lore, Dracula’s human general Isaac was in his mid-twenties when he helped Dracula design a war strategy against the residents of Wallachia. Dracula had saved Isaac from a life of abuse and oppression, so he had immense gratitude and undying loyalty towards him. Dracula, too, placed a lot of faith in Isaac.
In the first episode of season 2, Dracula explains in a rather crucial sequence why he entrusts his only two human generals with the responsibility of drawing up a war plan. In Castlevania, Dracula is not a maniacal bloodthirsty vampire and did not think of humans as livestock, his intentions against them were mostly sentimental. He knew Hector and Isaac were the only generals who were not blinded by thirst and could plan a war with a clear head.
6 Trevor & Alucard: Less Than A Week
It’s no surprise that Trevor and Alucard can’t bring themselves to be cordial to each other considering their family's history. But they shared a unique kinship since they both understood how dangerous Dracula really is. They obviously could not co-exist beyond a certain point and they only traveled together to fulfill their shared purpose.
And their partnership only lasted four to five days after Alucard arose from his coffin; soon after they found the Belmont library and were able to kill Dracula. After Dracula’s death, Trevor and Sypha take Alucard’s leave.
5 Alucard & Sypha: Less Than A Week
It was implied that Alucard fancied Sypha, he obviously had tremendous admiration for her as a magician and sought her admiration on some level. But the show never really explores their storyline; they become friends and Sypha even worries about him but also finds his sadness quite daunting.
Like Trevor, she also remained with Alucard for a few days till Dracula was defeated. It was depicted that Alucard missed her in season 3 and made their puppets of her and Trevor, as Sypha and Trevor pursued monster hunting in other parts of the world.
4 Sypha & Trevor: A Month & A Half
In Castlevania lore, Sypha and Trevor marry and raise a family together. On the show, they had only known each other for a few weeks. Despite being very different from each other they soon form a strong and transparent friendship, and by end of the second season, it’s pretty clear that they’ve both developed feelings for each other.
They work really well together because they share mutual respect and seem to trust each other. Sypha is also more comfortable around Trevor than she is with Alucard because Trevor is human.
3 Alucard & Lisa: At Least Twenty Years
Alucard’s love for his mother was immense, so much so that neither he nor his father could ever bring themselves to cope with her death. On the show, Alucard only has past visions of his mother but it was clear that her death caused a rift in his relationship with his father because of how differently each of them handled it.
While Dracula wanted every resident of Wallachia to pay for burning Lisa at the stake, Alucard knew his mother would never want this. Even after her death, Lisa’s sense of conscience influences many of Alucard’s decisions. In fact, just before he was about to kill his father, he and his father discussed their love for Lisa.
2 Alucard & Dracula: Twenty Five Years
What made Alucard’s plan to destroy his father so tragic is that he knew and understood his father’s pain. He knew how much his father loved his mother and he shared his sadness.
His entire personal arc is shaped by how different he is from his father, starting from his name, which is literally ‘Dracula’ spelled backward. So his father has had a tremendous influence on his life, despite their stormy relationship. It’s also revealed towards the end of season 2 that Alucard deeply loved his father and his anger towards his intentions did not take away from his feelings for Dracula.
1 Lisa & Dracula: Twenty Years
Canonically speaking, Dracula always kills for love. In almost all versions of his lore, Dracula grieves the death of his wife for centuries by hurting humans, who he blames for her death. But in Castlevania, Dracula’s plans for humanity’s destruction aren't so directionless; his rage and grief are a lot more complex and somewhat relatable since his wife was the victim of bigotry and prejudice.
The fact that Lisa and Dracula accepted each other for what they are is crucial; unlike Bram Stoker's Dracula whose grief turned him into a bloodsucker, Castlevania’s Dracula was a monster who fell in love with a human and had a successful marriage and a very happy family life, which is so rare for a vampire. So Dracula’s loss is much greater and his pain is more acute, and his and Lisa’s love story is a lot more tragic.
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April 30, 2021 at 05:30AM
