Reviews
BUT WHY THO? 10/10
DMT 5/5
SCREEN RANT 9.8/10
TELL-TALE TV 4.75/5
COLLIDER 8/10
CBR 8/10
BLOODY DISGUSTING 4/5
READY STEADY CUT 4/5
IGN 6/10
The series premiered in 2023, two years after the fourth and final season of the original Castlevania, and received mostly positive reviews. However, Season 2 is a considerable improvement, upping the ante and offering a satisfying and epic tale of legacy, heroism, and duty that matches the heights reached by the original Castlevania at its peak. With eight episodes and more spectacle than one can handle, Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 might be the best that Netflix’s adult animation branch has offered thus far.
David Caballero, Collider 8/10
The biggest strength in Castlevania: Nocturne‘s second season is how many storylines it juggles, deftly allowing each one room to breathe and expand.
David Caballero, Collider 8/10
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 devotes time to expanding on each of its ensemble characters without missing a beat. Writing this review, it’s astonishing how many characters the single season can build on and explore with so few episodes. It’s a feat rarely accomplished now that the average season of a prestige television series is 6 to 8 episodes.
Kate Sánchez, But Why Tho? 10/10
Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 is a brilliant tapestry of accepting your pain, embracing those you love, and attempting to survive if only to protect what’s more important to you, even if sometimes that means letting them go. But in that focal point, the series also casts a wide net over the idea of heroism: some things are worth dying for, and others are not. Understanding the difference allows you to see what matters in life and embrace the path that needs you the most.
Kate Sánchez, But Why Tho? 10/10
There is weight every time we cut away from the past or learn more about present conflicts. It’s easy for the series to show lip service toward representing different parts of the world and the depth of trauma and emotions around them. It’s even easier to check a box off. But Nocturne doesn’t do that. Instead, it grounds itself in its people as much as its setting or action spectacle. It’s beautiful, allowing every character to become complex and layered.
Kate Sánchez, But Why Tho? 10/10
An astonishing feat, every subsequent season since 2017, the Castlevania property has deepened and become even more beautiful. The animation is breathtaking, the fantasy is more significant, and the lore has developed to the point that it exists separately but is enhanced by the original Konami video game series. Castlevania: Nocturne Season 3 hasn’t been announced yet, but whether it’s a new season, side stories, or anything else, I want to stay with these characters. To sum it up, Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 is utterly perfect storytelling.
Kate Sánchez, But Why Tho? 10/10
Coming to the voice acting in Season 2, everyone deserves all the awards in the world for their work. No points for guessing who is my favorite; it’s Elarica Johnson. I think it’s kind of wild that the girl who played a waitress in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has gone on to become one of my favorite actresses. I mean, she was amazing in the first season, but she is even better this time around. Edward Bluemel is amazing. His comic timing is so good. Pixie Davis is stupendous. The way she portrays Maria’s descent into darkness is just great. Thuso Mbedu is excellent, especially during the finale. Her chemistry with both Bluemel and James Callis (who plays Alucard) is enjoyable. Speaking of Callis, listening to him talk in that soothing fashion while his character cuts through all kinds of vampires is satisfying. Sydney James Harcourt’s songs are masterful. Nastassja Kinski gets to highlight a different side of Tera, which is awesome. Franka Potente, in the role of Erzsebet, is intimidating and sort of intoxicating at the same time (I don’t know how she does that). Richard Dormer, Iain Glen, Aaron Neil, and the rest of the supporting cast are all aces in my book.
Pramit Chatterjee, DMT, 5/5
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 retains the high quality of its predecessor – and the main series – in a more character-focused sophomore outing that nonetheless has its fair share of epic action.
Jonathon Wilson, Ready Steady Cut, 4/5
One of the most effective elements from Castlevania: Nocturne’s first season is how it juxtaposed its many undead atrocities with the French Revolution. This continues to be a rewarding setting that amplifies the season’s central themes of power, agency, equality, and legacy.
Daniel Kurland, Bloody Disgusting, 4/5
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 has upped its game massively with strong character-centric arcs, a captivating overarching story, and its awesome, savage fights.
Chris Gallardo, Tell-Tale TV, 4.75/5
A gluttonous serving of arguably the best ongoing video game adaptation of all time.
Isaiah Colbert, io9
Another highlight of Nocturne is how its fantastical narrative seamlessly melds with historical events, coloring the backdrop of its story. While the show is set during the French Revolution, it also adds texture to the global scale of its story by incorporating Egyptian, African, and West African mythologies into the mix. Nocturne also continues the series’ stellar exploration of its Black characters, Annette and Drolta, who are the driving force behind the show’s most intriguing developments.
This isn’t to say Nocturne‘s writing is only excellent when it’s threading how its fictional story coincides with real-world events. The show also flexes its creative muscles, fleshing out characters in its mythos. Key among them are Maria, who is on the precipice of something dark manifesting with her beast-summoning powers following the vampiric turning of her mother, Tera (Nastassja Kinski)—and Juste Belmont (Iain Glen), rekindling the sparks of heroism he thought died long ago.
Isaiah Colbert, io9
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