Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 Ending, Explained: How is Drolta Defeated?

Season 1 of ‘Castlevania: Nocturne“ ends on a disheartening note for the heroes as Richter of the vampire-hunting Belmont family and his friends meet a bitter end in their fight against Erzsebet Bathory. Fortunately, the legendary Alucard swoops into their rescue at the last moment and even lays waste to Erzsebet’s closest companion, Drolta. Yet, the god-blooded Vampire Messiah continues to increase the aristocracy’s stronghold over the angry mortal revolutionaries in France.

Furthermore, with Abbot Emmanuel’s machine of nightmares, her army of Night Creatures grows in number. Consequently, Richter and his friends, the witch Maria and Annette, of godly descent, must find their strengths to bring an end to Erzsebet’s era of darkness. Over the course of this adventure, the Netflix show’s season 2 brings a riveting story about goddesses, revolutionaries, and an intriguing fight against evil. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Recap

In the aftermath of Richter and his friends’ escape from Erzsebet, their savior, Alucard, concludes that they must find their enemy’s weakness through the source of her power. The Vampire Messiah gets her powers from her connection to the Egyptian Goddess of war, Sekhmet. In 1199 CE, after foreigners raided Sekhmet’s tomb and murdered her followers, Drolta, the high priestess, managed to survive the attack. In her grief, she concluded that the Goddess wanted her to turn into a vampire and safeguard her following for ages to come. Furthermore, she tasked herself to bring Sekhmet back into the realm of the living by feeding her soul—stored in her blood and body—to a successor.

For the same reason, Drolta formed a cult for Sekhmet and began seeking someone strong enough to stomach the goddess-stored blood. Years later, she found Erzsebet Bathory, who perfectly fit the bill. Therefore, now Erzsebet wants to complete Sekhmet’s return by consuming the goddess’ mummified heart. Consequently, Alucard comes up with the idea of tracking down the mummy after failing to find it in Sekhmet’s fortified tomb. Nevertheless, as Richter and Annette agree to join him on the journey, Maria chooses to stay behind to deal with her unfinished business with her parents. However, as her anger festers, she allows her newly turned vampire mother, Tera, to convince her to tap into the darker side of her powers.

Meanwhile, Erzsebet grows devastated by Drolta’s death and orders Emmanuel to use his machine to bring the dead vampire back to life as a Night Creature. Even though the Abbot complies, it tests the limits of his faith as it proves that even the Night Creatures have souls. Afterward, he faces his reckoning as his daughter arrives at his Abbey, prepared to kill him. She unleashes evil forces upon him, including a mighty dragon who burns him to a crisp. However, the encounter also opens her eyes to the lack of control she has over her new dark powers. As a result, after Tera realizes the limits her daughter has crossed, she encourages Juste Belmont to mentor Maria before she flees from the scene.

On the other hand, Richter and the others fail their mission as Drolta successfully steals Skehmet’s mummy—much to Alucard’s disdain. Nonetheless, he sets out to warn the revolutionaries of Paris of the upcoming battle the aristocrats will be bringing to them with demonic allies. Simultaneously, Annette—whose ancestors’ spirits have been haunting her all this time—has an epiphany. She realizes that Sekhmet’s soul must have a third face in the spirit world and that her ancestors want her to set out to find it.

Therefore, Annette travels into the spirit world while Richter and Alucard stand guard by her mortal form. In the other realm, she meets the God Ogun, who arms her with immortal weapons and helps her travel to the realm of the Egyptian Goddess. There, Annette realizes that Sekhmet has been devastated by the actions of her high priestess. Drolta’s mission to eclipse the sun in Sekhmet’s name has angered her father, the Sun God, and put her in threat of eternal damnation. However, Annette’s presence in the realm of the Goddess offers her a unique opportunity to right some wrongs.

Castlevania Nocturne Season 2 Ending: Does Sekhmet Return? What Happens to Erzebet?

Drolta thinks the key to Sekhmet’s return is only in her blood and heart. However, even after she feeds them to Erzebet, the latter only possesses two halves of the Goddess’ soul. The third half—her spirit—returns to the mortal land through Annette. In turn, the woman’s own spirit gets stuck inside the other realm, where she must stay engaged in battle against a beast that can sense that she doesn’t belong here. Consequently, as Sekhmet takes over Annette’s body to take down Erzebet, it puts a ticking clock on the mortal woman’s survival.

Fortunately, Erzebet wages battle on the revolutionaries soon enough, providing Sekhmet, Richter, and Alucard with the opportunity to confront her. Furthermore, during the battle, some of the Vampire Messiah’s army of Night Creatures turns against her under the leadership of Edouard & a revolutionary leader-turned-monster. The same, paired with the actual revolution army, proves to be a considerable match against Erzebet’s troops. Therefore, as Alucard engages Doltra in a fight, Richter and Sekhmet are open to face Erzebt herself. Additionally, Maria and Juste—who have recently uncovered his magic—also join them in the battle.

While Sekhmet keeps Erzebet under her spell, making her vulnerable, Richter and the others reign down their powers upon her. Nevertheless, their damage weakens once the Vampire Messiah turns to attack Sekhet. Richter rushes to her help, partly swayed by his concern for Annette’s mortal form. During this time, he realizes that if Ezrebet joins with Sekhmet’s soul when she’s not strong enough to receive it, the energy will decimate her. Thus, he helps the Goddess get a drop on her so that all parts of Sekhmet’s soul may return to their rightful realm.

However, Drolta manages to escape her fight against Alcucard, Mizrak, and Olrox and swoops in at the last moment. She takes Ezrebet’s body away, saving her from Sekhmet’s destruction. While the latter assumes it’s because her loyal servant wishes to save her, Doltra is actually furious at her. She has spent decades by Ezrebet’s side because she thought the woman would be strong enough to fulfill her destiny. Therefore, now that she has failed, she has no purpose. For the same reason, Doltra finally takes things into her own hands and feeds on Ezrebet’s body, assimilating Sekhmet’s blood and heart into her own body. Ezrebet dies, revealing Doltra as the real threat she has always been.

How Do They Stop Drolta?

This season brings the revelation of Drolta’s significant involvement in Ezrebet’s plot. In fact, it becomes evident soon that the former is the actual architect behind the Vampire Messiah’s evil plans. Thus, it’s only fitting when she takes over Ezrebet’s powers for herself in the wake of the latter’s defeat. Drolta’s initial trauma of losing her community, paired with every wrong decision she has made since then, has only solidified her desperate belief in her plan. She has lost her life twice over and has been reborn just as many times to achieve her goal. As such, she refuses to let anything stand in her way.

Ultimately, Drolta stands as a vampire, a night creature, and a carrier of Sekhmet’s soul—prepared to maul her enemies. This results in an epic battle in which Richter and Alucard team up against her, using the best of their powers to bring her down. Through their teamwork, they’re able to weaken her significantly, especially once Richter taps into the full potential of his Belmont powers. Consequently, it opens up the window for Sekhmet—weakened in Annette’s form—to approach her high priestess once and for all. Faced with her Goddess, Drolta attempts to explain her actions, claiming they were done for Sekhmet’s prosperity.

Yet, Sekhmet has no appreciation for the atrocities committed in her name and considers them a desecration of her legacy. As a result, she turns her godly fury on Drolta, preparing to burn her to embers to return all parts of her soul. However, Richter realizes that this could cause irreparable damage to Annette—perhaps even killing her. As such, he attempts to stop Sekhmet, ready to let the world burn to secure Annette’s safety. Even so, Alucard arrives in the nick of time and makes him realize that Annette would not agree with his actions and that she would be prepared to make this sacrifice. In the end, Richter lets Annette go, allowing Sekhmet to merge her soul with Drolta and take away her godly powers.

Does Anne Die? Does She Return From the Spirit World?

Sekhmet’s final attack against Drolta is devastating. Her powers were already burning hot enough to turn Annette’s body fiery, compelling Richter to use his ice magic to keep her cool. Consequently, it leads to an immense explosion once she merges her soul with Drolta—who isn’t strong enough to bond with it. As such, Drolta is reverted to her former, ungodly self. Similarly, it also damages Annette’s mortal form. Still, even though Richter knew he had to let Annette go when defeating Drolta, he isn’t prepared to give up on her entirely.

Previously, Richter promised to become the touchstone that Annette could return to when she initially set out for the Spirit World. In the aftermath of Drolta’s defeat, he follows through on that promise and attempts to encourage her to return to the land of the living. Somehow, his support reaches Annette’s soul in the Spirit World. In fact, she’s even able to tap into powers similar to Richter’s as she finally defeats the wolf hunting her. Thus, with the wolf bested in battle, Annette can travel away from Sekhmet’s realm as all parts of the Goddess’ soul return to their rightful place.

Using Ogun’s shield as a paddle board, Annette manages to escape the realm and return to the Spirit World she knows. From there, Ogun pulls and swings her away so that she can return to her own world. Along the way, she passes her ancestors, including her mother and her teacher, Cécile, and says her final goodbyes. Thus, as the battle quiets down around Richter in Drolta’s defeat, Annette returns to life. In the end, all that is left to do is defeat Drolta, a feat that Richter and Olrox achieve together. Ultimately, Drolta dies, returning to a burned husk.

Does Mizrak Die? Does Olrox Turn Him Into a Vampire?

Olrox’s participation in the fight against Erzsebet and Drolta remains layered, given his previous alliance with them. Olrox has been around for a long time, long enough to know when a war is a lost cause. He believes Erzsebet’s reign to be the same and even succumbs to it by allowing her to brand him as her loyal servant. Nonetheless, it is all only done in self-preservation. He doesn’t plan on sticking around. Still, his love for Mizrak stops him from fleeing. Even though he and Mizrak—a warrior monk of the Abbot’s army—may have begun as a fling, both have grown to care for the other. Even if the soldier can’t accept it since it clashes with the teachings of his faith, Olrox has learned to accept his desires.

For the same reason, Olrox returns to the final battle to ensure Mizrak—a loyal soldier who never would have turned his back on his people—remains safe. Yet, during an initial fight against Drolta, he ends up gravely injured while defending Alrucard from a blow. Thus, his time is limited once Olrox brings him back to his palace in the war’s aftermath. He’s scared of his looming death because he believes the Devil awaits him in the afterlife. This is likely due to his involvement in the Abbot’s evil schemes as well as his internalized homophobia, which compels him to believe he’s a sinner.

Olrox recognizes this fear and feels a similar calling within him. He is scared of losing the man who has grown to become his beloved. Therefore, he decides to take a grave measure and bites Mizrak. By doing so, the old vampire effectively staves off the monk’s death. However, it also turns him into a creature of the night—adding another facet to his identity that goes against his faith. As a result, when Mizrak wakes—red eyes and vampire fangs abound—he’s feral, torn between his anger and love for Olrox. Whether this will bloom as passion or animosity between the pair remains up in the air.

What Happens to Richter and His Friends? Do They Join the Revolution?

Once Ezrebet and Drolta’s reign comes to an end, it opens up a brand new chapter in the life of Richter and his friends. However, not everyone has the same path ahead of them. Now that Annette has averted the brewing danger that threatened to take over France, she is eager to return to her homeland and help her people in their liberation. She and Edouard escaped the lives of slaves from Saint-Domingue with the intention of returning to fight for their cause once again. Therefore, she plans on taking the same route. On his part, Richter is always willing to fight for a cause and volunteers to come with her. This further opens up plenty of space for their budding romance and sets them up for another righteous adventure.

Similarly, Edouard, who has gotten used to his identity as a Night Creature, is also prepared to leave for Saint-Domingue with Annette. The singer will likely continue to inspire valor and resistance in people through his revolutionary ideas. However, Maria doesn’t have the same destiny as this trio. She has always been a revolutionary eager to fight for France’s liberation. Therefore, she plans on staying behind to continue fighting for her cause. She is further joined by Juste and Alucard, the latter of whom has been stirred to action after witnessing the passion of the revolutionaries in preserving their freedom.

Thus, Maria and Richter part ways—with the promise of meeting again. Even so, it seems the former has menacing troubles brewing in the shadows. On the night of Emmanuel’s murder, she opened a portal that freed Mephistopheles, an evil and powerful soul. The creature continues to circle around Tera, the witch’s mother, and gleefully witnesses Maria’s slow but steady descent into darkness. Even the small things—such as her delight at watching her enemies get punished—promise to bring Mephistopheles closer to his elusive goal.