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,

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.

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.

Those slow, thoughtful/dark/funny/weird scenes came to define Netflix's Castlevania just as much as its action. It was the odd balance of the two, so unexpected in an adaptation of a series where you smash in secret walls to find roasted turkeys and snag hearts hidden in candelabras, that made the show a rare treasure.

Castlevania: Nocturne' introduces the enigmatic Mephistopheles this season, from his folklore roots and literature to his potential role next season. The post What Does Mephistopheles Mean for ‘Castlevania Nocturne’ Season 3?

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 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.

Castlevania: Nocturne season 2 sets the stage for the animated franchise to finally adapt the most acclaimed Castlevania video game, Symphony of the Night.

Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 makes an epic return with another thrilling story and exploration of themes. Throughout the Castlevania series, the metaphor of the knife symbolizes the struggle between power and agency.

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.