One of the best and most action-packed dark fantasy shows on Netflix is demanding your attention this holiday season. As we’re all stuck inside, taking time off work and avoiding the cold weather outdoors (unless you live in sunny Australia), we’re all on the hunt for something good to watch. The advent of streaming has simultaneously made that decision harder and easier, as we’re now spoiled for choice. We’re left wondering, ‘What’s actually worth watching?’ Well, Netflix has the perfect action series that blends incredible fight scenes with magic, blood-sucking vampires, and a deep exploration of human morality and religion (that’s a lot to pack into one show). If you haven’t guessed already, the series we’re talking about, and borderline demanding that you watch, is Castlevania.

All four seasons of Castlevania are streaming on Netflix, and they’re the perfect binge-watch over the holiday period. Debuting in 2017, Castlevania remains one of the best Netflix Original shows so far. Season 1 lasted for just four episodes, yet it still managed to tell an incredibly rich and thought-provoking story about religious oppression, told through a fantasy lens. Season 2 then expounded upon that story with a full 10-episode season, with Seasons 3 and 4 following the group on even more death-defying adventures to save the world from the vampiric threat. The official synopsis reads:

“It follows the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, Trevor Belmont, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hands of Vlad Dracula Tepes. As Dracula and his legion of vampires prepare to rid the world of humanity’s stain, Belmont is no longer alone, and he and his misfit comrades race to find a way to save mankind from the grief-maddened Dracula.”

Castlevania is inspired by the Capcom video game franchise of the same name, but tells an original story. Richard Armitage voices Trevor Belmont, with James Callis as Alucard, Alejandra Reynoso as Sypha, and Graham McTavish as Dracula. Other voice actors include the late Lance Reddick, Theo James, Jason Isaacs, Bill Nighy, Peter Stormare, and Barbara Steele.

‘Castlevania’s Spin-Off Continues the Belmont Legacy

When Castlevania came to an end in 2021 with a spectacular final season, fans of the franchise weren’t ready to say goodbye to the Belmonts. It turns out, neither was Netflix. Castlevania: Nocturne, released in 2023, took place almost three hundred years after the original, following Richter Belmont during the French Revolution. In Nocturne, the Revolution is a guise for the Countess Erzsebet Bathory to cast a spell on the Earth, creating an endless night.

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Nocturne wasn’t as well-received as the original Castlevania. However, it was still a critical hit for Netflix, with a second season being released in January 2025. Season 2 of Castlevania: Nocturne was similarly successful. However, Netflix still hasn’t officially renewed the show for a third season. However, Castlevania fans are no strangers to long and anxious waits. Given that Season 2 was another critical and ratings hit for the streamer, it is likely that the show will be picked up for a third season… someday.