Castlevania: Nocturne released all the episodes of its second season earlier this week, seeing Richter, Annette, Maria, Alucard, and Juste attempt to take down the Vampire Messiah. Unfortunately, while the second season hits the ground floor running in giving us one of the best outings for the animated Belmonts,

Castlevania: Nocturne quickly cemented itself as one of the more phenomenal video game adaptations, and this new season makes clear that season 1 was in no way a fluke. A smidge of the surprise is gone, but it continues to play to its already impressive strengths well, and Netflix would be foolish not to bring it back for more.

Unlike the original Castlevania seasons 1 and 2, Castlevania: Nocturne fell overwhelmingly short and has no hopes of saving at this point. The story feels very weak, and the characters are shallow, the dialogue is a bit clichéd, and even the pacing’s really clumsy.

Castlevania: Nocturne season 2 is set for release on January 16 on Netflix. We expect it will launch at midnight Pacific/3:00 AM Eastern. Those in the UK with an aversion to the dark will be pleased to know that's 8:00 AM GMT. For other regions, use the time zone converter.

I'm talking about the animated series on Netflix, which found its groove in Season 2 by combining surprisingly articulate conversations between murderous vampires and ruminations on loss and legacy with explosive action sequences.

Netflix is yet to confirm whether Castlevania: Nocturne has been renewed for season 3 or cancelled, with director Samuel Deats telling fans on X that the show was "on hiatus" until the streamer reaches a verdict.

Before animating Maria's fiery attack on the church in Nocturne, Tam Lu previously worked on expressive showdowns in Castlevania's third and fourth seasons.

The original Castlevania show, which ran before the release of Castlevania: Nocturne season 2, ran for four seasons. In the show, Dracula was the main antagonist of the first two seasons and his arc came to a natural conclusion as well. However, he still maintained a presence at least thematically throughout the series.

Castlevania: Nocturne remains just as thrilling in season 2 with the kind of innovative fight sequences that live-action cinema can only dream of. The show's signature charm is still intact too, although the original Castlevania series remains superior.

Viewers are curious to know whether Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 features a tragic or happy ending for their beloved characters. This season, Richter is joined by Dracula’s son, Alucard. Together, they decide to take on Erzsebet’s growing legion.