Netflix is creaking closed the Castlevania coffin, as the hit anime has come to an end after four short seasons. Castlevania season four just dropped on the streaming service and aims to round off the stories of Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades and Alucard Tepes in style. There are just 10 episodes in the season, with 'It's Been a Strange Ride' giving the series a definitive end.
Before you weep red, salty tears, after deciding that the lifeblood has been drained from the main series, Netflix has promised the world of vampire villains and booze-swilling Belmonts will return in some form. Instead of season five, a spin-off series has been commissioned that will be set in the same world as Castlevania. Sadly, there's no news on when we'll get to revisit the franchise's complicated lore or who the main players will be.
Note: Castlevania finale spoilers follow.
What happened in the Castlevania season 4 finale?
Castlevania's blood-soaked swansong saw the various factions come together for a final battle at the regal Castle Dracula. After a shocking reveal that Malcolm McDowell's Varney was actually a guise for Death himself, Trevor took the fight to the big bad and banished the hate-filled spectre using old magic.
For a brief second, it looked like our hero had made the ultimate sacrifice, but with a last-minute fakeout, Trevor revealed he'd survived the ordeal when Saint Germain's final act sucked Belmont into the safety of the Infinite Hallway.
With Alucard and Greta settling down alongside Trevor and (a pregnant) Sypha, it looks like all's well that ends well. Although there isn't a post-credit scene in the traditional sense, there's one final twist when a reanimated Dracula and Lisa are seen alive and well.
Although the process to bring their souls from Hell and splice them into one body failed, the star-crossed lovers escaped limbo and found themselves in their original bodies. Dracula finally put his quest for vengeance behind him, and with the pair deciding to explore the world together, they also vowed to keep their resurrection a secret from Alucard's happy ending.
What's next for Castlevania?
It's entirely possible that the spin-off could pick up any number of stories from the Castlevania cast. The idea of following Vlad and Lisa around the globe has some scope for exploration, but with the former antagonist giving up his wicked ways, the series would have to find a new villainous vamp to sink its teeth into.
Much more likely, the Castlevania spin-off would go back to the early days and chart the life and times of the Belmont clan. Castlevania season one picked up with Trevor being the last of his name and the once-beloved family of monster hunters being shunned from society.
The series largely told the events of 1990's Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and 2005's Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, meaning there's plenty to tackle before and after. Similar to how George Lucas' Skywalker Saga kicked off with Episode IV and went back to the divisive prequels, the Castlevania spin-off could do the same and bring Leon Belmont into the fold.
2003's Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is chronologically the first tale in the series and takes place in the year 1094. Giving both the Belmont lineage and Dracula an origin story, it would be an easy adaptation for Netflix to tackle next.
Elsewhere, the sprawling history of the games and their timeline could add Simon Belmont into the mix. The OG protagonist of Konami's franchise saw Simon as a playable character in the first two games (before Trevor) took over. Simon comes much later in the family tree than Trevor, with other important Belmonts like Christopher and Soleil coming between. Basically, there's a whole lot of Belmonts who have a story to tell.
Will there be more Castlevania spin-offs?
It's interesting to note that Castlevania is tipped as a jumping-off point for an expanded universe of shows. While we're not quite expecting Marvel Cinematic Universe levels of shows being churned out on a nearly monthly basis, there's a lot of canon to tap into.
Away from the Belmonts, any number of other stories are ripe for a spin-off. Who wouldn't want to know more about the eccentric Saint Germain, or have viewers ever wanted to see the rise of Carmilla and her Council of Sister in Styria?
Netflix has denied that the spin-off will be a direct continuation of Castlevania, which presumably counts out any of those we've already met. The ending did tease the birth of Trevor and Sypha's child as a possible segue into a time jump of a few hundred years and the introduction of Simon.
The only person we're likely to see again is Dracula. The Castlevania games have a pretty linear pattern of Dracula trying to eradicate the human race and some Belmont ancestor being there to stop him.
However, given the Count's happy ending with Lisa, it might rob Castlevania's finale of its impact if Dracula is again the main villain. That doesn't mean there aren't other power and blood-hungry vampires out there.
Namely, the Castlevania finale is just the beginning instead of the end it might seem. The series was a verified success and has gathered a loyal legion of fans over its four-season run. Just like the vampires themselves, fans are ravenous for more. They'll just have to wait a bit longer to find out what Netflix has planned for this world of black magic, blood-suckers, and Belmonts.
Castlevania is available to stream on Netflix.
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Tom Chapman is a pop culture-loving writer and NCTJ-accredited Broadcast Journalist with over seven years of experience covering the small and silver screen.
Starting his career with a post at Movie Pilot in Berlin, Tom took on freelancing full-time with regular stints at Digital Spy, Screen Rant and Comic Book Resources.
These days, you can still find him covering all things Marvel and Star Wars at Digital Spy, while dipping his toe in bylines at Yahoo! and IGN.
Tom likes to think his spirit animal is a cross between Gale Weathers and Olenna Tyrell.
