Castlevania: Nocturne's Opening Explores the Bloody Belmont Legacy

Netflix’s new Castlevania show, Nocturne, is set hundreds of years after the events of the original series, with a long-line descendant of heroes Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, Richter, headlining the cast. What better way to connect the Belmont Clan bloodline across shows than immediately giving the poor young lad tragedy, violence, and monsters to deal with?

That’s the case in the seven-minute cold open to Nocturne, which Netflix released today as part of its animation-focused “Drop” event, celebrating tomorrow’s debut of the new series. The opening introduces us to 18th century Boston, where young Richter lives with his mother Julia Belmont... at least, not for long, when an encounter with an old vampiric grudge sees Richter’s life spiral into a mess of blood and tragedy.

Castlevania: Nocturne | First 7 Minutes | Netflix

Nothing says “distantly related to Noted Sad Vampire Hunter Trevor Belmont” quite like watching your mom’s own hunting legacy cut tragically short by a shapeshifting vampiric monster, alas. But this is a great set up for Zahn McClarnon’s mysterious villain Olrox, who’s effectively chilling in not just his electrifying battle with Julia, but his menacing soliloquy to the young Richter about his revenge quest.

It’s a neat set up for the show at large, and immediately makes Castlevania’s long list of Belmont Clan descendants feel tangibly personal in the process—a smart way to show just what ties the two shows together thematically, even it means a whole lotta trauma for our newest little boy Belmont.

Richter’s journey continues tomorrow, September 28, when Castlevania: Nocturne begins streaming on Netflix.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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