Top 10 Biggest Differences Between the Castlevania Series and Video Games

With her fierce expertise in all things magic, Sypha Belnades was one of the most capable combatants of the original show. But her backstory is a bit different from what we see in the games. There, she was a witch who was eventually taken in by the Church after many like her were killed during the witch trials of the time. In the adaptation, she’s given a new group, the Speakers, a group of mystical nomads who are actually blamed by some for Dracula’s wrath towards humanity. When she teams up with Trevor and Alucard in the game, it’s the Church that sends her instead of taking on the more villainous role as seen in the show.

The original series takes heavy inspiration from “Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse” in its set up. The game follows Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard going up against the titular vampire. However, there’s a fourth playable character who was left out of the show entirely. Grant Danasty is a pirate and part of a rebel group. While his allies are killed, Grant is turned into a monster until the player can free him. The series was originally planned as a film; creator and writer Warren Ellis initially left Grant out because he didn’t fit with the setting, nor would there be enough time to do another character justice. When it was changed to a TV series, the decision remained. However, an Easter Egg confirms he was still around.

In most cases, vampires don’t really need justification for being evil; it kind of comes with the territory. But in “Castlevania’s” case, viewers gain a better understanding of Dracula’s actions. He vows to extinguish humanity after Lisa, his wife and Alucard’s mother, is burned at the stake under suspicion of being a witch. However, in the games it's a mob of citizens rather than representatives of the church. Being from older games, this event didn’t leave much room for exploring the villain’s psyche. But the show certainly does. Furthermore, the in-game Lisa is actually Dracula’s second wife. The death of his first, Elizabetha, caused him to become the powerful vampire, while the second sent him into a murderous rage.

Although the original show consists of four seasons, the heroes are victorious in killing Dracula by the end of Season 2. When this happens in “Dracula’s Curse,” and in many other games, Dracula’s castle is destroyed and crumbles to the ground, waiting for its master to return once again. Additionally, out of guilt for killing his father, Alucard enters a deep sleep until he’s needed again in “Symphony of the Night,” set centuries later. However, that obviously doesn’t happen in the show. Not only is the castle left standing, but Alucard stays awake and holds the keep at the behest of Trevor. The show sends him on a more personal arc for Season 3 instead of getting rid of him, which was a good call.

The vampire Carmilla becomes one of the most vicious antagonists on the original show, which is actually saying quite a lot. She’s one of many allies brought in by Dracula to wage war against humanity. Having first appeared way back in “Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest,” she has always been one of the Big Bad’s most loyal followers. Although she looks quite different from her video game appearances, her loyalty, or lack thereof, is the biggest difference in the show. In Season 2, she grows to believe Dracula to be too weak and plots to gain more power to further feed her bloodlust. Furthermore, she’s part of the Council of Sisters, which includes three other vampires that don’t appear in the games.

Set a few centuries after the first show, “Nocturne” loosely adapts events and characters from “Rondo of Blood” and “Symphony of the Night.” The former saw the debut of Richter Belmont, who ventures into Dracula’s castle to rescue his girlfriend, Annette. While the show takes place during the same time period, its central plot is quite different. Dracula doesn’t return, and so a Vampire Messiah takes on the role of primary villain. The adaptation is set in France, but the French Revolution does more than merely serve as the backdrop. It’s also a big part of the story as it directly plays into the vampires’ plans.

Things were looking pretty bleak in the finale of “Nocturne.” The vampires appeared victorious, with the Messiah’s second in command, Drolta, bearing down on the heroes as they tried to escape. And that’s when Alucard made his heroic entrance into the sequel series. Those familiar with the games were likely expecting a return, but it happens very differently in the source material. In “Symphony of the Night,” after waking from his long sleep, Alucard finds a mind-controlled Richter in Dracula’s castle with plans to resurrect him. Maria, who also appears in “Rondo of Blood” alongside Richter, convinces Alucard to help him. But in the show, it doesn’t look like he’ll need much convincing.

The second season of “Castlevania” introduced a slew of new characters, including Hector and Isaac, Forgemasters with the ability to create monstrous minions for Dracula. Hector was manipulated by the Council of Sisters to leave Dracula’s service and was eventually forced into making monsters for them. However, in the game “Curse of Darkness,” he left of his own volition. He grew tired of murdering innocents and fled, eventually marrying a woman named Rosaly. After the events of “Dracula’s Curse,” Isaac blamed Hector for his master’s defeat and set out for vengeance. He did so by accusing Rosaly of witchcraft, leading to her death and to Hector setting out on his own quest for justice.

Both shows have taken big liberties when it comes to plot and characterization. But with Annette, they may as well have just given her a different name. In “Rondo of Blood,” she’s simply Richter’s girlfriend who's kidnapped by Dracula. But in “Nocturne,” she’s a former slave from the Caribbean who fled her vampiric enslaver after discovering powers from her divine bloodline. She would then leave to help with the larger threat in France, teaming up with Richter and Maria. From her race to her powers to her personality, the show’s Annette is far different and plays a more vital role in the story. This isn’t the only time “Castlevania” has changed a character’s appearance; the Isaac of the games is also white with red hair.

Dracula has a lot of underlings. And he’s powerful enough to count literal Death among them. The Grim Reaper shows up in many games, usually as the big Vamp’s chief advisor and sometimes his resurrector. Despite the figure appearing in a ton of entries, Death doesn’t appear in the show until the final season, long after Dracula has already died. He takes on the form of Varney, a minor vampire, revealing himself and his plans towards the end. Instead of being a steadfast ally, Death seeks to revive Dracula only as a means to reap more human souls. Whereas in the games he wants to help his master, in the show he wants to use him as a puppet.

What do you think was the biggest deviation from game to show? Share your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to check out these other great videos!