Netflix's 'Castlevania' Is a Better Fantasy Adaptation Than 'The Witcher'

Netflix has produced several high-profile series that failed to meet expectations, and The Witcher is often singled out. Built from Andrzej Sapkowski's novels and CD Projekt Red's games, it was pitched as Netflix's answer to Game of Thrones but began taking on water after its first season amid controversial changes and the departure of Henry Cavill.

Castlevania, based on Konami's video game franchise and created by Warren Ellis, ran four seasons on Netflix and has a still-ongoing sequel series. Its 2017 debut season lasted just four episodes, yet the show packed in sharp action, brutal magic, bloodthirsty creatures, complex characters, philosophical debates about religion, and a willingness to subvert fantasy tropes.

The writing added depth to a familiar plot: Dracula's genocide against humankind and the Belmonts' fight to stop him. Trevor Belmont is more than a drunken loner—he is scarred by the annihilation of his clan and hungry for real connection.

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