# Castlevania (2017)

> A vampire hunter fights to save a besieged medieval city from an army of otherworldly beasts commanded by Dracula himself.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/62061

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 32
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, fantasy, horror
- Created by: Warren Ellis
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Richard Armitage, James Callis, Alejandra Reynoso, Peter Stormare, Malcolm McDowell, Gildart Jackson, Emily Swallow, Bill Nighy
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6517102/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: bleak, brooding, gothic, propulsive, visceral

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim Castlevania as an audience-rated animated dark fantasy that grows stronger across its seasons, with a tight first season and an epic Dracula confrontation in season two.

## Synopsis

Castlevania (2017-2021) is an American adult animated dark fantasy series created by Warren Ellis for Netflix. Set in a plague-ravaged medieval Wallachia, it follows the vampire hunter Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage), who fights to save a besieged city from an army of otherworldly beasts commanded by Dracula. Alongside him stand the half-vampire Adrian Tepes, known as Alucard (James Callis), and the spirited mage Sypha Belnades (Alejandra Reynoso), whose uneasy alliance is tested at every turn. Each season builds a sustained, serialized story across four seasons totaling thirty-two episodes, with the story carried forward by ongoing campaigns against demonic forces and a corrupt church that profits from fear. The series leans into gothic horror, with grisly combat, decaying cathedrals and a brooding, bleak atmosphere that mixes operatic violence with sharp dialogue. Its sensibility draws on Hellsing Ultimate and Game of Thrones, offering the grim political weight and monster-filled dread that fans of those titles will find resonant. Based on the popular video game franchise, it reads as mature, moody and cinematic animation for viewers who want dark fantasy with real stakes and a melancholy streak.

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