Netflix's adaptation of the gaming franchise Castlevania has many qualities, including excellent animation and a cast filled with extremely talented voice actors. Perhaps the best thing of all is the fact that the source material has been enriched with a dense plot, giving characters deeper motivations. Villains benefit even more from this than the heroes, becoming far more complex and often even likable.
Dracula's campaign to destroy humanity has a genuine reason behind it, the grief over losing his wife. Dracula's human generals also receive deep storylines of their own. In fact, the Forgemaster Isaac is perhaps the character who experiences the most growth throughout the series. His loyalty, strength, and contribution to the plot have earned him a lot of fans. Isaac is a very complex character, with a lot of secrets hiding behind his stoic facade.
10 Isaac Might Be Gay
A huge part of Isaac's backstory focuses on his upbringing as a slave. Despite his abuse, Isaac declares his love to his white male master. While he is quite young at the time, fans have interpreted this as a sign of Isaac's homosexuality.
Isaac also occasionally seems to flirt with his fellow Forgemaster Hector, particularly during their time as Dracula's generals, but also slightly after their reunion. Isaac's sexuation orientation in the games is far clearer, as he even kisses Trevor Belmont on the lips after stabbing him.
9 Isaac's Forgemaster Occupation Is Different In The Games
As one of Dracula's generals, Isaac is a Forgemaster who creates night creatures. His occupation differs slightly from the talents of his game equivalent, where he is a Devil Forgemaster and creates 'innocent devils'. The Netflix version of Isaac seems to use a form of necromancy, but when questioned, Hector explains it as creating life, not exploiting death.
Night creatures seem to be their own individual species and need the Forgemaster's talents to emerge from hiding. However, it's notable that Hector can also bring dead humans back to life who preserve their regular skills, while Isaac drags demonic souls from Hell and shoves them into new bodies.
8 Isaac's Work Causes The Creatures He Brings Back Pain
The difference between Isaac and Hector as Forgemasters manifests in many ways – their temperament, the color of their magic, and even the tools they wield. Interestingly enough, Isaac causes excruciating pain to the beings he creates, whereas Isaac is gentle, preparing for the process with surgical care.
Isaac's magic is red and he wields a dagger, whereas Hector's hammer glows blue. This dichotomy has appeared many times in other anime as a symbol of evil versus good, darkness versus light. Isaac's dagger is also reminiscent of the weapon he uses in the game Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, Laser Blade.
7 Isaac's Work As A Forgemaster Is Influenced By Muslim Philosophy
Season three and four of the anime go deeper into Isaac's characterization. Fans learn that he is a Sufi Muslim. He openly admits to it during his conversation with the ship captain he meets with, but a better look at his train of thought is given in his conversation with the bug-eyed demon.
He makes a reference to an Islamic hadith, commenting that "One day Hell will be emptied, and its doors will rattle in the wind." This is something Isaac mentioned before, but now his meaning becomes clear. He believes his work assists in fulfilling this idea, bringing sinners out of Hell and into the world. This interpretation of Muslim philosophy seems very dubious, but it adds depth to the character.
6 Isaac Engages In Self-Flagellation
Isaac may be harsh on his night creatures, but he's harsh on himself too. He engages in self-flagellation, and is shown beating himself with a spiked whip. This is a form of pursuing spiritual discipline, a method he uses to clear his mind, but this practice seems to go beyond what is shown on the screen.
The markings on Isaac's face appear to have been made with his own dagger. His self-flagellation may also be related to the beatings he received as a slave. Perhaps by inflicting damage on himself, he is freeing himself from the damage other people can inflict upon him.
5 Isaac's Character Design Is Very Different In The Games
The Netflix show makes severals changes to Castlevania's lore and characters. Isaac's design alone is incredibly different. Isaac's outfit is inspired by a promotional booklet included with the Castlevania Curse of Darkness pre-order, but he is different in almost every other way – from his physical appearance to his personality.
His obsession with Dracula remains powerful, but unlike his game counterpart, Netflix's Isaac is able to overcome it. He becomes his own person, and his journey of self-discovery is one of the strongest arcs in the series. This allows him to take over Styria from Carmilla and her Council of Sisters.
4 Isaac's Game Equivalent Is The Central Villain In Curse Of Darkness
Isaac's effect as a villain isn't as pronounced as it could have been. Dracula sends him away at the end of season two before his climactic confrontation with Trevor Belmont, Alucard, and Sypha Belnades. This leaves Isaac alone for the rest of his journey, and he's left to take on other villains. In the games, the situation is quite different. In Castlevania: The Curse of Darkness, Hector serves as the main character while Isaac is the main villain.
Hector's backstory in Curse of Darkness has a lot in common with Netflix's version of Dracula. His wife Rosaly is burned at a stake for witchcraft, a crime she is accused of because of Isaac. This is a form of revenge for Hector's betrayal of Dracula following Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, something that also happens in the show, if in an entirely different manner. Tragically, Isaac's fate in the games is quite different. He is defeated and his body is used as Dracula's vessel before he is finally released from his agony.
3 Isaac Was Supposed To Have A Sister
The game version of Isaac has a sister named Julia. A witch who sells Hector various items, Julia desperately wants Isaac to be defeated. Even so, she hopes until the last moment that he will survive. Their relationship is one of the most human things about Isaac, even at a time when he is completely lost to Dracula's power and his hatred for Hector. In the Netflix adaptation, Isaac is a complete misanthrope and seems to have no real blood ties to anyone.
2 Isaac's Family Name Is Speculated To Be Laforeze
In Curse of Darkness, Devil Forgemasters do not use last names, and Isaac is only referred by his first name. However, Julia's existence suggests his family name may be Laforeze. This may have changed along with everything else in Isaac's background, as it seems unlikely that someone of Isaac's ethnicity would have that last name. The meaning of the name is still interesting, as it references a highly spiritual person, often closed off to other people, but very passionate while engaged in a relationship.
1 Isaac's Design Seems Inspired By His Voice Actor
Since Isaac's character design is so different from the games, fans may wonder where the inspiration from it came. Most of Isaac's looks are related to his voice actor, Adetokumboh M'Cormack. It's a very interesting creative choice, but some fans weren't thrilled with a less games accurate approach.
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