It's been a long ride, but it looks like the definitively best video game adaption is finally coming to its conclusion. Going into this season, I was a bit worried about how many plates they had spinning and how few episodes they had to wrap things up. It was a similar situation that another dark fantasy series found itself in its final season. Even after two years, the pain from the utterly abysmal finale for "Game of Thrones" is still felt by many fans and I was fully prepared to feel that sting once again.
Thankfully, "Castlevania" manages to avoid pulling a "Game of Thrones" and delivers an emotionally satisfying conclusion to its three heroes. Considering the conclusive nature of this season and my feelings towards these characters' respective arcs, it's going to be hard to avoid spoiling major plot points.
In case you want a simple yay or nay to see if this finale is worth watching, "Castlevania' Season 4 gets a recommendation from me. With that in mind, minor spoilers ahead, so proceed at your own risk.
Dracula called, and he's coming tonight
Season 4 is separated into three subplots. After the events of last season, Trevor and Sypha discover a plot to revive Dracula, Carmilla and Isaac have formed their respective armies, and Alucard is called upon to deliver help to a town being ravaged by vampires and night creatures.
Unlike "Game of Thrones," "Castlevania" doesn't make the mistake of betraying the characters we've grown to love. While certain characters are pushed to the sideline and some plot points seem a little hastily resolved, the story of Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard reaches a satisfying conclusion.
After weeks of fending off night creatures and discovering resurrection rituals, Trevor and Sypha find themselves where it all started- the city of Targoviste. This was where Dracula's love Lisa was falsely executed for witchcraft, prompting his genocidal war against humanity. The city is still in bad shape, and the two take it on themselves to help the citizens and uncover the secrets within. Trevor has come a long way from the self-destructive drunk we met in the first season.
The man who was perfectly willing to let Dracula wipe out humanity found someone to fight for in Sypha, and he's gone from being apathetic towards his family's obligation to protect humanity to fully embracing it even when the odds seem impossible or even futile.
After succeeding in getting Hector to forge her army, Carmilla has decided to expand her ambitions from Europe to the entire world. Her role in this season mainly serves as a counterpart to Isaac. Both are characters who have suffered at the hands of cruel and ignorant authority figures who then broke free from their oppressors and sought to forge their own path. While Carmilla lets herself be consumed by vengeance and a lust for power, Isaac takes the wisdom of kind strangers to heart and decides to use his gifts to build rather than destroy.
Both parties eventually decide that neither can get what they want while the other still breathes, culminating in a final showdown.
Finally, Alucard once again finds himself alone after being betrayed by two aspiring vampire hunters. It is then that he receives a message from a town 20 miles away pleading for help against night creature attacks. It becomes apparent to Alucard that his castle would provide the villagers with the best defense against the horde. Faced with the possibility of being betrayed by humans once again, Alucard reluctantly provides his shelter to the survivors with the very same home that Dracula used to terrorize them.
The Belmont name shall be honored
The main theme of this season seems to be rebirth.
The problems of the old world come from the disregard for life from characters who are too used to resolving things through destruction and death. Are Trevor and Sypha actually protecting the people of Wallachia, or are they just reacting to problems without actually solving them in the long run? If Carmilla succeeds in remaking the world, will she finally be happy, or is her thirst for power something that can't be quenched? Are the night creatures only capable of killing and pillaging, or is it possible that they've just never been allowed to be more than that? Is Alucard destined to be just like Dracula, or can he create something new from the ruins of his father's fortress?
Once again, the animation and voicework are nothing short of fantastic.
The attention to detail in the fight scenes and the expressive character animation bolster the send-off for these characters. Richard Armitage, Jaime Murray, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, and all those returning from previous seasons once again knock it out of the park with stellar performances that add to the pathos of their characters' respective conclusions. In addition, some new faces are introduced this season. Alexander DeLarge himself, Malcolm McDowell, is a notable highlight as the vain and self-aggrandizing vampire Varney of London.
While the book is definitively closed on Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard, I'm still hoping that there's a future with that potential spinoff that's being talked about.
While it seems unlikely to spawn another game given Konami's abhorrent treatment towards its franchises, Season 4 has shown that there's still more stories to tell in the world of "Castlevania," whether they're interactive or linear.