Abbot Emmanuel
The CastlevaniaFor years Hollywood attempted to make a Castlevania movie, but it was only with the intervention of Netflix, and the creativity of Frederator Studios, that an anime adaptation (in any form) finally took shape. Netflix series seems to have a strong distruct of leaders and nobility, and especially anyone in power in a religious setting. We saw this early on with the BishopThe fanatical leader of Targoviste. The Bishop hates magic, and science, and anything that he feels is "sinful". He thinks that Lisa, Dracula's wife, is a witch and has her executed, which only fuels Dracula's rage and causes reign of terror after. in season one, who hated anything he didn't understand, which led him to killing LisaDracula's wife and mother of Alucard. It is generally accepted that the events of the game series are kicked off (at least for Dracula) when Lisa is killed by religious fanatics, hardening Dracula's heart against humanity. and caused the whole horrifying reign of DraculaThe lead antagonist of the Castlevania series and most famous vampire character in all media, all thanks to Bram Stoker. Based on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, a vicious ruler of Wallachia in the mid-1500s.. We saw it in season three when Prior SalaWorking out of Lindenfeld, Prior Sala is the leader of a religious order. Secretive about their business, and unwilling to have others investigate what they're up to, the reality is that the order worships a massive night creature and they think, by sacrificing the citizen of the town to the creature they can open a gateway to resurrect Dracula. led his followers down the path of demon worship, while the JudgeThe political leader of Lindenfeld, the Judge oversees the needs of the people of the town. He has suspicions that the religious order, led by Prior Sala, is up to no good. But then, the Judge has a dark secret of his own, as well., a seemingly just man who aided the heroes in fighting the Prior, was actually an evil monster killing kids where no one could see.
Now, in Castlevania: NocturneA loose adaptation of Rondo of Blood, this sequel anime series follows on from Netflix's hit anime adaptation of the game series. we have that dynamic again with the Abbot, the ostensible leader of Paris (especially after many of the nobles found themselves beheaded by the peasantry). He seemed like a good man who had his parish's best interests at heart. But deep down he, too, had a darkness. He aligned himself with the vampires, though, becoming a demon forgemaster so he could aid in the eventual vampire takeover of the world.
Why? Because he was swayed by the vampires into thinking the vampire Messiah would save his parish from the "evils" they were committing against the nobility. Nobles that were, it should be noted, vampires. Yeah, he kind of got a little lost there.
Character History:
Castlevania: Nocturne
Early in the first season TeraOne of four girls that can be rescued in Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Tera was a young nun who lived in the village in the original game, although her role was greatly expanded in Castlevania: Nocturne, turning her into Maria's mother. recounts the story of how she ended up in Paris. She was fleeing an evil vampire, Erzsébet Báthory (see: Elizabeth BartleyBased on Erzsabet Bathory, Elizabeth is the secondary antagonist in Castlevania: Bloodlines. Bartley is the niece of Dracula and, by sowing discord around Europe, she aids in his eventual resurrection.), traveling from Russia across the continent to escape that vampire's clutches. She ended up in Paris where, after settling into a cabin on the outskirts of town, she met Abbot Emmanuel. He seemed like a good man, and a kind leader of his people, and the two quickly fell in love. They had a steamy affair which led to her becoming pregnant. Fearing what it could mean for his career, and what the parish would do to Tera if they found out, the two broke off their relationship, remaining friends... from a distance. Tera went on to have Maria RenardA young heroine, and cousin to Richter Belmont, with the blood of the Belmont clan in her veins, Maria teams with Richter to fight back Dracula and the forces of darkness in the late 1700s., although the Abbot didn't acknowledge her as his daughter.
Later, during the rise of the French Revolution, the Abbot found himself in a position where he didn't understand the actions of his parish. He saw them turning their back on the Church and away from God in exchange for reason, an evil sin that had to be stopped. Not seeing any other choice, he aligned himself with the vampires, hearing their tales of the coming vampire Messiah. Thinking this could be a sign from God, the Abbot threw his lot in with them, bringing along a secret weapon to aid in Messiah's coming: a demon forge.
A captured treasure of the Church, the demon forge sat in the crypts of the Abbot's church. He tapped into its magic and readied the machine for use. All he needed were bodies, which the vampires were all too happy to provide. They killed the peasants trying to overthrow the nobles' power, and he took these bodies and turned them into evil things. It aided the vampires in seizing control while making it more difficult for the vampire hunters of the land, his own daughter, Maria, as well as her cousin, Richter BelmontRevealed first in Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood in Japan, and then Castlevania: Dracula X in the West, Richter is the Belmont hero of the late 1700s who worked with Maria Renard to bring down Dracula., to fight off the vampire threat.
Not that the heroes realized this, of course. Initially they thought him a potential ally. They told him of the increasing vampire attacks and how they thought the evil creatures were up to something. They told him to look into the Marquis and MarchionessIn the time of Revolutionary France, the nobility is under siege by the pesantry. It just so happens that the nobility, led by the Marquis and Marchionesse, are vampires, and they fear the loss of power. So they join with the coming vampire Messiah to ensure their own rule. who, they suspected, were the vampire leaders. The Abbot swore he would, even as he said he has his doubts that the two nobles could be up to anything. But he knew, and he just needed to keep the heroes at bay for as long as he could...
Soon enough Drolta TzuentesA minor character in Castlevania: Nocturne. The captain and his men stop Drolta Tzuentes and her entourage from entering the city. For this "mistake", he and his men are quickly dispatched. came to the Church to meet with the Abbot. She, along with the Marquis who was acting as her local representative, wanted to verify that everything was in order, that the night creatures he was making were ready. After his assurances that everything was on track for the arrival of Erzebeth Bathory (see: Elizabeth BartleyBased on Erzsabet Bathory, Elizabeth is the secondary antagonist in Castlevania: Bloodlines. Bartley is the niece of Dracula and, by sowing discord around Europe, she aids in his eventual resurrection.), the vampire Messiah, Drolta asked to see the demon forge and the creatures from it. Just a simple inspection.
Except it wasn’t so simple since the heroes – Tera, Maria, Richter, and their new companion AnnetteThe sister (well, "sister") of Maria Renard. Her exact familial connection to other characters is confused by bad translations across the Western games. She was then reinvented completely for the Netflix series. – had come into the crypts of the Church to investigate. Ostensibly they were there to find their friend, EdouardA former opera singer, who also aided in sneaking slaves out of the Carribean plantations, Edouard joined with Annette on a mission to stop the coming vampire Messiah. Unfortunately he was captured by the vampires and turned into a night creature soon after arriving in Paris., who they suspected had been turned into a night creature. But in coming face to face with the Abbot, there giving a tour to the vampires, the heroes realized he was truly in league with them while the Abbot knew that his cover was blown. They saw him for who he truly was, and everything for him was going to change.
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