Season 2, Episode 7, titled “Grenadye Alaso”, directed by Sam Deats and Adam Deats, and written by Clive Bradley, explores the final battle against the forces of darkness led by the vampire messiah and the fallen priestess of Sekhmet. The entire fight is proof that the animation team for this show has so much love and dedication to their work and the Castlevania lore, as many of the characters use their game counterparts’ combat and magical abilities. It’s outstanding and it is one’s hope this continues in later seasons. 

At its core, this episode explores the theme of conviction. Team Belmont, the heroes of the story, show a lot of conviction and will in their determination to defeat the vampire messiah in order to protect humanity from the corruption Hell brought many millennia ago on Earth. Humans have their strength and their courage to fight against evil even though many succumb to it. There is hope, but such hope only can exist if there are those who seek to uphold it during times of conflict. Hope is what deters evil from corrupting the Earth and brings many back from evil’s clutches. An example is Olrox, who was motivated by Mizrak to stand and fight for what is right, even though he will be cursed to be evil for eternity both on Earth and in Hell. 

The Invasion Begins

Erzsebet Bathory (Franka Potente) and Drolta Tzuentes (Elarica Johnson) lead their army of vampires and night creatures to invade Paris. The objective is to crush the French Revolution by destroying the National Assembly and the National Guard that defends it. However, they are opposed by the National Guard and many volunteers who defend the city alongside Team Belmont: Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel), Alucard (James Callis), Sekhmet (Thuso Mbedu), Maria Renard (Pixie Davies), Juste Belmont (Iain Glen), and Mizrak (Aaron Neil). On the other hand, Annette (Thuso Mbedu) is defending Sekhmet’s scales against Ammit in the Duat. 

Edouard (Sydney James Harcourt) and the Frozen Shade (Victoria Atkin) lead the night creatures, most of whom were formerly revolutionaries in their human lives, against the forces of darkness and the night creatures who remained loyal to Erzsebet and Drolta. Many good night creatures, such as Jacques, die during the battle but the battle turns the tides against evil itself. This gives an open window for Team Belmont to close in on Erzsebet who is shocked by the presence of Sekhmet’s third soul in Annette. The other two souls of Sekhmet, currently controlled by the vampire messiah, refuse to rejoin the third soul, so the final battle ensues. 

Sekhmet Confronts Erzsebet

Olrox (Zahn McClarnon) eventually joins Team Belmont in battle as a giant feathered serpent-like dragon, resembling Quetzalcoatl. Olrox’s involvement backs Drolta into a corner as she helplessly watches Erzsebet confronted by Team Belmont. However, Olrox stops pursuing Drolta when he sees a fatally injured Mizrak about to be claimed by Mephistopheles. Alucard helps drive the dark spirit away before thanking Olrox for joining the fight against evil as the Aztec vampire once had when he saved the son of Dracula’s life in a previous unknown battle. Mephistopheles may have disappeared but its schemes are not over. 

During the final battle, Sekhmet nullifies Erzsebet’s powers allowing Team Belmont to land damages on the vampire messiah enough to cripple her to defeat. Erzsebet’s weakness against her enemies disgusts Drolta, and the fallen Egyptian priestess decides to take things into her own hands by stealing Sekhmet’s two souls from Erzsebet, killing the vampire messiah in the process. This betrayal is a final confirmation that Drolta was always the final boss which has nearly always been the case for villains who rule from the shadows but not on the throne. 

Rating: 9/10