Netfilx's well-received Castlevania Season 3 has just been released this month, and the streaming company has already revealed their plans to create a fourth season.
The short announcement came from Netflix's official 'NX' account, in the form of a message from Issac's mirror.
The news is welcome, though it doesn't come as much of a surprise to those who have been following the series. While the third season ended on a bit of a sour note, it certainly laid the groundwork for future seasons of the show.
The first two seasons of the show were notable for accomplishing something rare when it comes to adapting video games in other media: they stuck relatively close to the already-established story and characters, with writer Warren Ellis showing a familiarity with the lore and timeline that left many fans pleased with the result.
At the same time, the series wasn't afraid to establish its own identity. Many characterizations and plot beats (that are entirely of Ellis' own invention) set a bleak tone that fits with the gothic setting but is distinct from the general atmosphere seen in the games themselves.
On the whole, this is necessary, since the games are a bit thin on plot compared to what would be expected in an animated series - especially when it comes to old NES games such as Castlevania III, which the series loosely follows.
Of course, with the plot of the game wrapping up at the end of Season 2 of the series, everything from that point forward has had more to do with Ellis' own ideas that with any game-based plot. The characters and the threats they face do, sometimes, appear in games and comics, but in the show, they take part in schemes that aren't covered in any other medium.
Season 4 will almost certainly offer the same style of story, using elements of the Castlevania universe to create something entirely new, and often fascinating.