Season 2 ofCastlevania: Nocturneis here, andthe show has scored some phenomenal reviews with its triumphant return.Based on the hit video game franchise of the same name by Konami, Netflix’s animatedCastlevaniafirst debuted in 2017. The original series ran for four seasons, before coming to a close in 2021.
Castlevania: Nocturne, the first spin-off series, set over 300 years after the original, premiered on Netflix in 2023. Every season ofCastlevania, and the first season ofNocturne, has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike, and has even been hailed as one of the greatest video game adaptations of all-time.Season 2 ofNocturnehas just risen from the crypt,andalmost every critic agrees the new season helps the show maintain that unofficial title.
Season 2 ofCastlevania: Nocturnecurrently sits at a flawless 100% onRotten Tomatoes.Season 2 picks up with Richter Belmont, Maria Renard, Annette, and the transformed Eduard having been saved from the Night Creatures by Alucard. The new season dives deeper into the Vampire Messiah’s unfurling plan to take over the world, as Alucard, the half-human son of Dracula, teams up with the new generation of the Belmont clan, and some new allies, to stop them.
Critic David Opie ofTotal Filmladled high praise on the series, writing,“Castlevania: Nocturneremains just as thrilling in season 2 with the kind of innovative fight sequences that live-action cinema can only dream of.“However, Opie added, “the originalCastlevaniaseries remains superior” — a notion held by the majority of the fan base.
Jonathan Wilson ofReady Steady Cutholds a similar opinion, and first addressed the notion ofCastlevania: Nocturneworking as a spin-off, before heaping praise on Season 2. “The first season of Castlevania: Nocturne shouldn’t have worked, really; shouldn’t have been able to recapture the same – or even similar – magic.The fact Season 2 pulls it off as well is pretty remarkable,” read the review. Pramit Chattejee ofDigital Mafia Talkiesgave similar praise, rating the new season 5/5, and writing:
“The artwork, the sound design, the animation for the action sequences, the editing, the music—it’s legitimately jaw-dropping. It begins swinging for the fences from the first episode itself and doesn’t let up till the last goddamn second.”
‘Castlevania: Nocturne’ Remains One of Netflix’s Best Animated Shows
TheoriginalCastlevania, and nowCastlevania: Nocturne,have both been elevated to the pantheon of “Greatest Netflix Animated Shows of All-Time,” along with hit series likeArcane,Blue Eyed Samurai,Dandadan, andCyberpunk: Edgerunners. Almost every critic agrees with that mantel, and some even went so far as to callNocturne’s second season “perfect.” Kate Sanchez ofBut Why Tho?said:
“An astonishing feat, every subsequent season since 2017, the Castlevania property has deepened and become even more beautiful… To sum it up, Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 is utterly perfect storytelling.”
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All eight episodes ofCastlevania: NocturneSeason 2 are currently streaming on Netflix.Despite only being available for a few hours (at the time of writing), some fans have already devoured the new season and are desperate for Season 3. The show has not been picked up for a third season, yet. However, given the intensely positive critical reception so far,Castlevania: Nocturne’s future is looking pretty safeat the moment.
