Summary
Like its first season,Castlevania: Nocturne’ssecond season offers eight episodes of anime goodness to enjoy on Netflix. It continues exactly where the first season left off as if two years haven’t passed since this anime last aired in 2023. That’s why it’s recommended to go back to season one to catch up andbinge through it,which won’t take that long, and it’ll be a joy.
Watching advice aside, the second season ofCastlevania: Nocturnemay not be as strong as the first was throughout. There were fewer surprises and new characters, but on that same note, there is still plenty to love for anyCastlevaniafans out there. So, let’srank the pure entertainment level of all eight episodes ofCastlevania: Nocturne.
8The Widow’s Widow (Episode Three)
Tera Is Starting To Show Her Humanity
Episode three,“The Widow’s Widow,“is one of the slowest of the season, with not much happening. It mostly focuses on Tera trying to become a mother to Maria again and teaching her she’s not a danger as anewly-turned female vampire. Juste doesn’t believe her, which begins a cool, but very brief fight between Tera and Juste.
The ending execution of the king of France sort of comes out of nowhere, but it does thicken the plot with Annette. What is this devil she sees whenever the dead are around? Episode three opens up some questions but doesn’t offer much in terms of entertainment value.
7Into The Abyss (Episode Five)
Will They, Won’t They
The fifth episode ofCastlevania: Nocturne,“Into the Abyss,“is another slower one that is building momentum to the season’s end. Alucard leaves Annette and Richter to find allies in the remnants of theFrench resistance groupwithin the city. Maria almost gets turned into a vampire, by her choice, but her mom refuses.
This is also the episode that shows how Erzsebet Bathory finally becomes the vampire queen by drinking Sekhmet’s blood. Lastly, Annette and Richter almost kiss but are interrupted by Annette’s unsettling ghostly ancestors surrounding them. Episode five is an important one, but fans aren’t going to remember much about it beyond moving the plot forward.
6Ancestors (Episode Six)
Diving Into The Realm Of The Gods
“Ancestors,“the sixth episode, is mostly about Annette as it follows her into the realm of gods. She’s hoping to find the core soul of Sekhmet to gain a fighting chance against Erzsebet and all of her powers. It’s methodically paced and important, but is yet another episode that isn’t full of amazing moments.
The best part of the episode is the beginning, asMaria finally gets control of her beastsagain with the help of the darkness. There’s also a fun flashback when Richter and Annette were training as kids that is animated in a different style to make it look more crayon-like.
5Angel Of Death (Episode Two)
Diving Into Drolta’s Backstory
Drolta was one of the main vampire villains in season one, and she who died at the hands of Alucard. In season two, she is revived by the end of episode one. Episode two,“Angel of Death,“begins with a backstory of Drolta as an Egyptian priestess watching over the tomb of Sekhmet. After killing a vampire, she too becomes one to eternally watch over her mistress. That’s part of the big story reveal of this episode, which is good to get context for.
The other big revelation was Richtergoing back to Justeto ask for his help, and he obliges. It was good to finally see Juste fight again, even if he wasn’t at his best (unlike his debut adventure on the Game Boy Advance,Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance).Overall, the backstory for Drolta is good, as is her closing fight, and just seeing Juste again is a confidence booster.
4A Line Of Great Heroes (Episode Eight)
Leaving Our Heroes On A High Note
“A Line of Great Heroes"kind of feels likeThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,in that it has a lot of endings. The battle that left off in episode seven resumes here and is quickly resolved. This leaves the bulk of the episode dealing with the characters in the aftermath.
It also sets things up for season three, but if it never happens, fans won’t be too disappointed or left with any giant anime cliffhangers. Even though about two-thirds of the episode isn’t filled with exciting thrills, Richter has an unforgettable badass moment when he executes Drolta. It leaves the series in a good place, while also keeping the door open for more.
3A Living Legend (Episode One)
Reestablishing The Plot
Season one begins with an amazing fight scene showcasingAlucard in a flashback. He’s combing the depths of an Egyptian tomb looking for Sekhmet’s corpse to hopefully squash part of Erzsebet Bathory’s power. It’s an exciting opener, but the rest of the episode is more focused on plotting, as it goes through the main cast and reestablishes their situations.
Maria is sad about her mom, Tera. Tera is coming to terms with being a vampire. Richter is upset about being defeated last season but is glad Alucard is there to help, et cetera. The wildest part of"A Living Legend"is the end, when Drolta is revived as a new demon by The Abbot’s infernal machine.
2Monstrous Things (Episode Four)
Maria’s Patricide
“Monstroud Things"has a lot of good stuff in it, the least of which is the final fight in the French museum. While the choreography is killer, there is another moment that tops almost everything that happens in season two. Maria, wild with anger at The Abbot turning her mom into a vampire, and also creating monsters herself, goes to The Abbot’s church to kill him.
While Juste tries to calm her down, Maria does not listen and instead lights the lowly father up withher summoned dragon. The look in her eyes is unsettling, and the animators did a great job at conveying that Maria is losing herself in that moment. It’s a striking image that would make a great desktop wallpaper.
1Grenadye Alaso (Episode Seven)
The Climactic Battle
Season two was building up to the events of"Grenadye Alaso,“and mostCastlevaniaseasons do have great finales. It’s just weird that it came in episode seven and not episode eight, because this episode is almost all action.
Battles are waging from all sides of the city, and they’re all well-animated too. The budget can be clearly seen here, and if this episode doesn’t get the blood pumping, then no anime can. From Maria’s magical dragon to Richter’s whip-cracking antics to Alucard just being the best, it’s a fantastic episode and the absolute peak ofCastlevania: Nocturneseason 2.
