By adapting Konami’s renowned video game Castlevania, Netflix managed to bring to life the spectacular story of Dracula that game fans had come to love and adore. Ripe with easter eggs and references to the Castlevania video game, the anime adaptation also breathed life into some of the best characters that the original had introduced over the years. One character amongst them is that of Dracula’s trusted human general, Isaac.
Throughout the course of the four seasons of Castlevania, the character of Isaac went through myriad transitions. Starting off as a merciless and evil antagonist, and one of the evilest characters of season 3, Isaac gradually developed into someone who took up the role of a protagonist as the storyline progressed. Despite the many layers to this wonderfully complex character, there remain many details about Isaac that few fans are privy to.
Isaac Realizing His Own Agency Is Different From The Games
In the anime, it is shown that Isaac realizes he has his own agency and delivers some of Castlevania’s best quotes that truly move the viewer. He realizes that instead of being a tool used by Dracula to fulfill his machinations, he can actually do something on his own and better the world that he calls home. However, this development in the character is something that did not happen in the games.
The Isaac from the games tries to carry out Dracula’s plans till the very end, even when this path causes his death. After failing to carry out Dracula’s wishes of finding and killing Hector for his betrayal, Isaac spends the later years trying to avenge his fallen master, whom Trevor Belmont had killed while he was away.
Isaac Is Not More Powerful Than Hector, Unlike The Anime Suggests
The anime shows Isaac to be considerably more powerful than Hector, adept at martial combat, and even capable of manipulating magic that has been created by Hector. However, in the games, it is the other way around.
While both Hector and Isaac are powerful, being as strong as Death himself, Hector seems to have a slight upper hand as opposed to his fellow Devil Forgemaster. In fact, Hector even defeats Isaac to the point of death on one occasion, and finally manages to kill him during their final confrontation.
Isaac Has A Sister
A fact that has been ignored in the anime, Isaac actually has a sister. His younger sister goes by the name of Julia Laforeze, and she is a skilled witch who managed to escape the witch hunts. Hector meets with Julia in Curse of Darkness, not realizing until later that she is Isaac’s sister.
She sells Hector various items inside the game and also cares for Hector’s Innocent Devils when the latter is not present.
Isaac Respected Hector But Was Also Jealous Of Him
Hector is probably the only person that Isaac can call family, apart from Julia. Having been raised together under Dracula’s care and tutelage from a young age, both grew quite close to each other. However, Hector displayed skills in the art of a Devil Forgemaster that was superior to that of Isaac’s.
This resulted in Isaac respecting Hector, but also caused a rift in their relationship. Although both are considered equally powerful, Hector seemed to have an upper hand, and thereby was the preferred general of Dracula, a fact that led Isaac to grow jealous of his comrade.
Isaac’s Character Design Is A Lot Different From The Games
It can be assumed that the character design of Isaac has been altered in the anime to promote inclusivity, but fans of the games will realize that he looks a lot different from the games. The Isaac of the games had fair skin and red hair and seemed to be obsessed with self-mortification and bondage. While the masochistic qualities are shared by the Isaac of the anime, it’s clarified that his reason for inflicting pain upon himself is a way to keep himself grounded, focused, and mindful of his torturous past.
However, Isaac, in the anime, is a bald Black man, calm and calculated in his demeanor, yet incredibly intelligent. His clothing matches that of Hector and seems to be the staple attire of Devil Forgemasters in Dracula’s army, quite different from the tattered clothes and chunks of armor that the Isaac from the games sported.
Isaac’s Name Has Biblical Connotations
Isaac’s name has strong connections to characters in the Bible. The son of Abraham was also known as Itzhak, who was almost sacrificed by his father to prove Abraham’s undying faith in the Almighty. While Isaac is not really Dracula’s son, he was no less unwavering in his fealty to his master. Similar to Itzhak, Isaac was also sacrificed to Dracula’s whims, but unlike biblical lore, there was no saving Isaac from the terrible doom that this path of vengeance ensured.
Furthermore, the name of Isaac’s Innocent Devil is Abel, which is another reference to a story in the Bible – the story of Abel and Cain. Cain murdered his own brother because God favored Abel’s sacrifices over Cain’s. Although Isaac is hardly as pious as Abel, and Hector had justified reasons to kill him, his Innocent Devil bearing the name Abel is symbolic of the fact that Isaac would be killed by someone who is as close to him as a brother, i.e. Hector.
Isaac’s Name Has Connections To Vampire Lore
Isaac’s name also shares connections with vampire lore, whereby in the book A kiss of Judas, written by Julian Osgood Field, one of the main characters is also known as Isaac. Isaac Lebedenko from the books dies and reincarnates as a vampire known as the “Child of Judas.”
In the book, this character embarks on a quest to exact his vengeance on an enemy that deserves the treatment. Although Hector is hardly deserving of Isaac’s obsession with vengeance, Curse of Darkness showcases Isaac embarking on a similar vengeful path, thinking Hector to be the cause of Dracula’s defeat. Furthermore, being one of the Children of Judas, Isaac in the book had red hair, much like the portrayal of Judas Iscariot during the Renaissance period, a trait shared by the character design of Isaac from Curse of Darkness.
Devils Resurrected By Isaac Suffered Immense Pain
Being a Necromancer and Devil Forgemaster, Isaac is capable of resurrecting devils from Hell into the bodies of dead corpses. However, unlike Hector’s process of resurrection, the corpses that Isaac resurrects scream in agony while being brought back to life.
Using his knife as a talisman, he can create some of the powerful monsters and night creatures who share red glowing eyes, different from the blue glowing eyes of the monsters resurrected by Hector.
Isaac Served As Dracula’s Vessel
In Curse of Darkness, Hector is time-and-again met with a mysterious figure who calls himself Zead. As Hector learns after having killed Isaac, Zead is actually Death in disguise, who was simply carrying out the sinister plan of trying to resurrect Dracula.
However, the body he wanted to be used as a vessel was actually that of Hector’s and since it was not possible anymore with Isaac, having failed in his task of killing Hector, Death had to settle for Isaac’s body instead. While the resurrection was incomplete and Hector was able to defeat Dracula, it was Isaac’s body that served as a shell to house his former master’s soul.
Isaac Fell Prey To Dracula’s Curse
After being defeated by Trevor Belmont, Dracula places a curse upon the land before dying. This causes the citizens to behave erratically and give in to their baser instincts.
This fact is first brought to light by Rosalee in the game, who informs Hector of the wicked behavior humans have resorted to and is further confirmed by Julia, who states that Isaac’s lust for vengeance has been enhanced exponentially owing to him falling prey to Dracula’s curse. She further comments that the only way her brother can experience peace now is if he were to die.
