Netflix's animated Castlevania series is one of the finest video game adaptations yet produced. Fans of the classic horror/action franchise have been left out in the cold by Konami's inability or refusal to create new experiences. The show plays with the established canon to create a more satisfying narrative. Castlevania: Nocturne, the upcoming spin-off, is set to adapt slightly more recent outings with a new cast of villains.
The story of the early Castlevania games was delivered primarily in instructional booklets, brief snatches of text between levels, or scattered context clues. By the time of Symphony of the Night, voice acting added a lot to the characterization, but much of the narrative was still gameplay-focused. The series has to pull new details to develop a new plotline.
Who is Erzsébet Bathory in Castlevania?
Castlevania: Nocturne's antagonist is Erzsébet Báthory. Like Dracula, Báthory is inspired by a historical figure. Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was a wealthy noblewoman who held sway in the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1602, when Báthory was 42, rumors circulated throughout the populace. Báthory and four of her servants were accused of killing young women sent to her palace to learn etiquette. Collaborators mentioned the use of needles. Báthory was suspected of various forms of torture. The accusations were founded on rumors. Many modern scholars believe Báthory to be the victim of a witch hunt. Her servants were tortured and executed. Báthory was imprisoned in her castle, where she died after three years in captivity. Local folklore imagined lurid tales of Báthory bathing in blood to retain her youth. Her legend has been impactful in vampire fiction for generations.
Erzsébet Báthory first appeared in the Castlevania series in 1994's Castlevania: Bloodlines. The American translation of the game gave her the name Elizabeth Bartley. She's one of the game's final bosses. She fights heroes John Morris and Eric Lecarde by either summoning or becoming Medusa. Once the player defeats that form, she'll attack with a barrage of elemental spheres. The game mixes historical details with folklore, adding an absurd new dimension to her lore. Bartley killed thousands, sacrificing victims to drink their blood. Bloodlines imagines a familial relationship between Bartley and the Tepes family that birthed Dracula. After her imprisonment, she spends 300 years in slumber. Bartley was awakened by an old ally, allowing her to take revenge against the royal family of Austria by killing a young noble and kickstarting World War I. The game names the wrong Austrian assassination victim but confirms that Bartley is responsible for the conflict. She dies in Bloodlines and hasn't been mentioned since.
The version of Erzsébet Báthory set to appear in Castlevania: Nocturne might differ from her earlier iterations. Netflix's take on the character doesn't look at all like Elizabeth Bartley. Bloodlines depicted her with a multicolored flowing dress and striking green hair. The trailers only briefly tease the character, but she's selected an elegant blue gown and a more conservative white hairstyle. Those who saw the teaser immediately assumed that the figure was meant to be Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French Revolution. The series takes place in 1792, shortly before Antoinette's execution. Castlevania has a version of Marie Antoinette, who also served as a boss in Bloodlines. The Princess of Moss, a mistranslation of Princess of Moths, is the ghost of the French monarch who transforms into a Mothra-esque monster. Castlevania: Nocturne may blend the two bosses to fit the setting.
Who is Drolta Tzuentes in Castlevania?
Fans noticed a striking new vampire alongside the Blood Countess in the Castlevania: Nocturne trailer. She's depicted in a brief action scene against the young sorceress Annette. Her name is Drolta Tzuentes, and though she bares little resemblance to her in-game appearance, she's captured the imagination of many fans. Drolta is the witch who resurrects Elizabeth Bartley after her 300-year stint in the grave. She was inspired by and named after Dorotya Semtész, one of Erzsébet Báthory's servants who were executed as accomplices to her murders. The Drolta of Castlevania: Bloodlines is an elderly hag draped in a cloak. She dies when Bartley is killed and hasn't been seen since. Nocturnes seems to have reimagined Drolta as the brutal muscle behind Erzsébet Báthory's apocalyptic scheme. It's not a role reversal. It's a massive upgrade for a character that has quickly become a fan favorite.
Castlevania: Nocturne has demonstrated some impressive creativity with the source material. Erzsébet Báthory and Drolta Tzuentes aren't anyone's favorite Castlevania foes. Richter Belmont has never fought either of them. The upcoming series might change that. Dracula and his court of vampires have had their time. It's time for a new historical figure with a legacy of bloodshed to take the dark throne of this franchise. Erzsébet and Drolta may be the creatures of the night this series needs.