Richter Belmont makes an appearance in the first teaser trailer for Castlevania: Nocturne. During the annual Geeked Week, hosted by Netflix, the streaming service offered a glimpse at the new spin-off series, found below.
Richter, a descendent of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, originally appeared in two of the most beloved Castlevania video games: Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. According to lore from the games, Richter is said to be the strongest vampire hunter in the Belmont bloodline. The series, initially announced last year, is set during the French Revolution, several hundred years after the conclusion of the original show's fourth season.
Although we hear several voices throughout the teaser trailer, we are only allowed a brief look at the series' protagonist. Wearing his blue uniform and holding his family's trademark weapon, the sacred whip known as the Vampire Killer, Richter appears ready to slay any and every monster that stands in his way. The show is currently in production, with no timetable for release.
What is Castlevania?
Initially a video game franchise, Castlevania is a gothic horror action-adventure game about Dracula, created and developed by Konami. The games primarily take place in the castle of Count Dracula, the main antagonist of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters. Debuting in 1986, Castlevania has seen several iterations and changes to the formula over the last 35 years. Most of their games are side-scrolling action platformers, which became so popular that they spawned their own genre, called Metroidvania. Castlevania is one of Konami's most successful and prominent franchises, with several entries ranked among the best video games ever created.
In 2017, Netflix adapted the franchise into a television series. The animated dark fantasy show was produced by Frederator Studios' Kevin Kolde and Fred Seibert. The official synopsis for the series reads:
When his wife is burned at the stake after being falsely accused of witchcraft, the vampire Count Vlad Dracula declares all the people of Wallachia will pay with their lives. He summons an army of demons which overruns the country, causing people to live lives of fear and distrust. To combat this, the outcast monster hunter Trevor Belmont takes up arms against Dracula's forces, aided by the magician Sypha Belnades and Dracula's dhampir son Alucard.
The show ran for four seasons, becoming one of the most acclaimed video game adaptations of all time. However, the series was forced to come to an end after the creator, Warren Ellis, was under intense scrutiny for his treatment of women. Nocturne will be under new management to avoid the controversy of the former series, with Castlevania producer Kevin Kolde now leading the show.