Is Castlevania Nocturne Woke? Reddit Update!

Many people have been labeling Netflix’s Castlevania Nocturne ‘woke’ since it takes place around the French Revolution and addresses the slavery elimination concept that took place at the time. Well, here’s what Reddit users believe.

Castlevania: Nocturne, a Netflix adaptation of its predecessor Castlevania, is an animated dark fantasy series about a war for freedom led by a young man descended from a long line of vampire hunters. An underground vampire cult gains influence during the height of the French Revolution and proclaims a Vampire Messiah who will usher in the dark ages.

In the middle of this massive power shift, Richter, the heir to the Belmont cause and a vampire hunter with a troubled past, must take the initiative and join forces with Maria and Annette to battle these bloodthirsty beasts in order to stop the Messiah from consuming the light of the world.

As soon as it arrived on the streaming platform, many people labeled the anime as “Woke” since some scenes address slavery in revolutionary France. Well, here is our take on whether or not the Castlevania Nocturne is woke.

Previously, we touched on Olrox, Alucard, and Juste Belmont.

Is Castlevania Nocturne Really Woke?

There are multiple plots of why so many viewers believe Castlevania Nocturne is woke. The first episode of the anime makes clear that the plot takes place in France at the end end of the 18th century. Those who are aware of history are undoubtedly aware of this era as the French Revolution.

Whether or not Castlevania Nocturne is woke has been a debate among the viewers.
Image Source: Netflix

The French Revolution is one of the primary themes of the plot, as Maria Renard, one of the series’ main characters, attempts to persuade the locals to join the uprising.

Obviously, a sizable portion of the royalty in the “Nocturne” version of France consists of vampires who wish to enslave the peasantry in order to further their own selfish goals. During the events of this book, the French Revolution was battling against this particular type of aristocracy.

Then it was discovered in the Caribbean that the people of Saint-Domingue rebelled against the island’s nobility and slave masters, freeing themselves from the noblemen who were holding Black people as slaves. In an effort to team up with Richter and stop the Vampire Messiah from enslaving the entire world, Annette, one of the slaves who managed to escape the slavers of Saint-Domingue, traveled to France.

Annette, one of the major characters, escapes from slavery.
Image Source: Netflix

In a nutshell, a significant portion of the plot revolves around slavery and other comparable issues. Vaublanc, the vampire who formerly owned Annette in Saint-Domingue, actually said that it was normal for the powerful to enslave the weak. He was definitely talking about the noblemen and vampires enslaving common people, especially the peasants.

In response to the oppression of the French aristocracy, the French Revolution strove to elevate the peasantry. They introduced novel concepts like equality and freedom for all people, regardless of class.

The major protagonists of Castlevania Nocturne introduced woke thoughts during the French Revolution, which is relevant to the time period. This is due to the fact that, in that historical period, the majority did not want to adopt these fresh and innovative ideas.

These concepts were revolutionary back then, especially to the wealthy who were born with the rights and privileges that the peasants were fighting for. Of course, these concepts are now ordinary in the era in which we live.

Maria was one of the most vocal figures when it came to recruiting support for the revolution and overthrowing the aristocracy, thus it goes without saying that she served as a symbol of the “woke” beliefs of the time. Additionally, it so happened that a sizable portion of France’s aristocracy were either vampires or human beings who converted to vampire service in order to get access to their power.

In conclusion, we believe Castlevania Nocturne isn’t woke at all. In terms of their time period, the concepts and rights that the characters were defending were progressive. However, because they are already ingrained in our daily lives, these concepts are no longer woke.

Reddit Users React to Whether or Not Castlevania Nocturne Is Woke!

Addressing whether or not Castlevania Nocturne is woke, some people took to Reddit and expressed their opinions. And it appears most of them agree that the anime isn’t woke. One person mocked everyone claiming the show “woke” writing,

I guess being against slavery is considered “woke” now lmao What idiots.

Similarly, another wrote,

Funny thing, the very idea of seeing all human lives as equal, has always been a woke thing. Namely stuff that has to do with the concept of enlightenment and such. It’s just nowadays that “woke” = “random thing you dislike”.

Before leaving, find out if Alucard is alive.