While humanity was saved again in the last episode of Netflix's Castlevania: Nocturne, it still left plenty of key pieces of setup for Season 3.
The latest season of the Castlevania sequel series, Nocturne, came to an explosive end with the defeat of Erzsebet Báthory (Franka Potente), the self-declared Vampire Messiah, and her loyal servant, Drolta (Elarica Johnson).
However, that doesn't mean that the adventure is over for Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel), Maria Renard (Pixie Davies), and Annette (Thuso Mbedu). The season concluded with both groups splitting up, potentially leaving them vulnerable to new dangers.
4 Ways Castlevania Nocturne Prepares for Season 3
Mephistopheles
The biggest cliffhanger capping off the Season 2 finale of Castlevania: Nocturne was a mysterious entity known only as Old Man Coyote and Mephistopheles. It attached itself to Tera (Nastassja Kinski) as it ominously watched her daughter, Maria, from afar with a toothy grin.
All that is known about this creature is its connection to Abbot Emmanuel (Richard Dormer) and what little Olrox (Zahn McClarnon) spoke of it. Not only did it take the Abbot's soul when Maria had torched him, but it was also the one who gave him the demonic book to forge Night Creatures in the first place.
Olrox also mentioned that it had many names and made tempting promises of power, even offering the book to Olrox in the Abbot's place. However, the Aztec vampire quickly rebuffed its blatantly Faustian bargain and burned it instead, declaring that the book and shadowy figure don't belong in this world.
A manipulator in the vein of Malcolm McDowell's Death in the last season of the original Castlevania series, Mephistopheles is more of a trickster or dealmaker based on its two namesakes. As for what it has planned for Maria, her ability to open portals to the Otherworld or affinity for death could be the key.
Alucard & Maria
After her father, Abbot Emmanuel, sacrificed Tera to Erzsebet, Maria wanted nothing more than to kill him. Despite Juste Belmont's (Iain Glen) efforts to stop her, Maria exacted her revenge with great prejudice but nearly lost control of her powers and dragon familiar in the process.
But her troubling attitude didn't stop there, as the finale showed her still filled with bitterness. When learning that humans who had collaborated with the vampires would be executed, Maria's only response was a cold, "Good. They deserve to die," which even Alucard (James Callis) found concerning.
In the original games, specifically Symphony of the Night, Maria develops romantic feelings for Alucard. However, this crush was largely one-sided and doesn't get further developed in the games, but that could change in Nocturne.
Richter's Confrontation With Olrox
One of Richter's primary motivations in the first season of Nocturne was to get revenge on Olrox for killing his mother, Julia Belmont (Sophie Skelton). However, when given the chance to fight Olrox in the finale, Richter lets him leave instead, telling him, "I will kill you, Olrox. One day. But not today."
The reason Olrox killed Richter's mother was because she had killed his vampire lover. Now, Olrox has a new partner, Mizrak, who he turned into a vampire to save his life.
If these two meet again in Season 3, will history repeat itself? Will Richter kill Olrox's new lover, intentionally or not, driving the Aztec vampire to seek vengeance against another Belmont?
Richter & Annette
In the last episode, the cast of Castlevania: Nocturne split up. Richter left with Annette to return to her home of Saint-Domingue and help free her people from slavery, telling Maria there's "a world to win there, too."
In Symphony of the Night, in a bid to bring Dracula back from the dead, Shaft, a former loyal servant of Dracula, possesses Richter. While it's unlikely that this will happen in Season 3 of Nocturne, considering how it's been set up, Shaft could still become a major villain.
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is streaming on Netflix alongside the original Castlevania, one of the best anime shows on the service.
