Castlevania brings about a vast world of creatures. From the Night Creatures to Death, embracing the gothic culture and with it the dark and supernatural is a specialty of the series. What the Gothic thrives on is the usage of paranormal activities, anything classified as supernatural or taboo. The rise of Gothic horror came into being in the year 1765, half a decade before the age of Romanticism was introduced. In it was everything that could be accounted for in terms of the dark and gory.
One aspect of the species introduced was that of the vampires. Vampires have always been a part of some form of media or literature. Their lore might change and so would the way they talk, walk, run, or even survive. One side of the story sees them as medieval creatures while the other embraces the modernity and passage of time. However, one thing always remained a constant; their lust for blood.
Castlevania Took Away Vampires’ Fundamentals
Speaking with The Verge, Castlevania creator Warren Ellis opened up about how Dracula was fundamentally different from many villains, especially vampires. There is a lot that makes a vampire stand out in front of humans. Their immortality and extended life, their gnawing sharp teeth and unique features, but most importantly, it is their appetite for blood. In many cases, these supernatural beings are driven by their thirst.
Dracula was the oldest and had been through many many life changes, and you have to work really hard not to develop a degree of self-reflection if you’re going to live that long and go through that many experiences. So some of his responses played as more human than the human characters.
The Twilight Saga, The Vampire Diaries, Vanitas no Carte, and The Monogatari Series are only a few examples of the same. That is not to say that Castlevania wasn’t faithful to the lore. It was more than promising and undoubtedly one of the best. However, with a villain as notorious and regal as Dracula, there was one factor to consider; he isn’t just a vampire, he is much more.
For a being that has seen wars fought and won, time passing like water through one’s fingers, and languages changing with their meanings; Dracula as a being consists of more than just vampirism as his personality. What makes him special is that despite his existence, he has come to absorb humanity almost naturally.
Vampirism Isn’t a Personality but a Feature
Unlike the stereotypical vampire, Dracula isn’t controlled by his hunger. That is secondary to him, as it would be for humans too. He is a person before he is a vampire and that makes him more human than beings with a beating heart. His understanding of the world, having seen it change so many times, gives him an age that better helps his goals.
Dracula was not necessarily about thirst as a vampire. Most of the other characters are all about their thirst. So that kind of gives them a sharper edge as antagonists. They are more human in that they’re a lot more focused on what they want, which, in a lot of ways, makes them more immediately dangerous.
His vision, his outlook and his goals drive him. It is not just his vampirism and bloodlust. He is already regarded as the best villain of the franchise and there is good reason for that. Having a simple vampire fighting against others would have made him a repetitive antagonist.
Instead, Dracula’s humanistic nature made him a three-dimensional character. Taking away that bloodlust and giving him other characteristics in place of that gave him layers. Just because a creature is hungry doesn’t necessarily make them evil by nature and Dracula’s emphasis as a character elaborated on that.
Castlevania is available to watch on Netflix.
