The Big Picture
Lenore from Castlevania is a visually alluring villain among the vampire queens. Lenore uses manipulation and underhanded tactics to sway Hector to her side, showcasing her cunning mind without using outright cruelty like Carmilla might. Lenore and Hector’s complex relationship is filled with double-crossing and subterfuge, yet they still care for each other in surprising ways.
There’s a difference between loving a villain…and loving a villain. With the former, you admire the villain’s goals, their presence, and how they prove to be a foil for the hero (or sometimes even a more interesting character than the hero). With the latter… there are actual romantic feelings involved. Sometimes you can’t help it: there’s that one villain who has a sway on you. Maybe it’s the actor playing them. Maybe it’s their physical appearance. Maybe it’s the way they go about their evil deeds. Heck, maybe it could be a combination of all three. Whatever the case, we all have that one evildoer who’s stolen our heart (and probably a few priceless artifacts to boot.)
I encountered my own villain crush when watching Castlevania. The Netflix anime is packed full of the same gore and violence that was a trademark of the Konami video game series it was based on, not to mention some gorgeous fight sequences courtesy of Powerhouse Animation Studios. Season 3 introduced a new threat: the Council of Sisters, who seek to create their own vampire kingdom. One of the sisters, Lenore (Jessica Brown Findlay), immediately proved to be the most compelling of the Council to me – for a number of reasons. A large part of that is due to her appearance: her fiery red hair and matching eyes, combined with her porcelain skin and variety of flowing blue dresses, make her one of the most visually alluring characters in the series’ history. But it’s the actions she took that cemented her place in my heart.
Lenore’s Seemingly Innocent Nature Makes Her Stand Out From Her Sisters
Image via Netflix
Each member of the Council of Sisters stood out in their own way. Carmilla (Jaime Murray) was cruel, cunning, and determined to grind her enemies to dust under her heel. Striga (Ivana Miličević) utilizes her brutal strength and swordplay to cut down her enemies, aiming to make a world where she and her lover Morena (Yasmine Al Massri) can live in peace. Lenore takes a unique approach as the self-proclaimed “diplomat”: she uses her considerable charms and intellect to get what she wants as well as what her sisters want. In this case, they need the help of the captive Devil Forgemaster Hector (Theo James) to raise an army for their new nation. The only problem: Carmilla imprisoned Hector against his will and he is less than copacetic.
Lenore starts wearing down his resistance bit by bit. At first, she offers him fresh food whereas Carmilla would have given him moldy bread. Then she starts taking him out for walks through the castle, slowly breaking down why his servitude to Dracula wouldn’t have benefitted him. Finally, she offers to free him and live with her – culminating in a highly charged sex scene between the pair. But behind Lenore’s honeyed words and kind gestures is a cunning mind. Hector first witnesses this when he attempts to assault her and break her neck; Lenore flings him around like a rag doll. Their walks also consist of Lenore literally leading Hector around on a leash – a stark reminder that he’s still under the Council of Sisters’ thrall. Finally, their night of passion takes a dark turn when Lenore slips a ring on Hector’s finger that literally binds him to her — forcing him to forge Night Creatures for the Council. Even if her actions are underhanded, they’re fairly clever and shocking — and I couldn’t help but admire them.
Lenore and Hector’s Relationship Makes For a Tense, Often Erotic Thriller
Image via Netflix
Even though he’s been more or less under the literal yoke of the Council of Sisters, Hector still has a connection with Lenore. They engage in some flirty banter, but soon things take a turn for the worse: Carmilla slowly starts sinking into the same madness that plagued Dracula (Graham McTavish) while Hector’s former friend and fellow Devil Forgemaster Issac (Adetokumoh M’Cormack) is on the warpath to destroy him. In the midst of all this chaos, Hector uses his own magic to bind Lenore to her castle – effectively making her a prisoner the same way she and her sisters did to him.
Yet when Issac attempts to kill her, Hector confronts his former friend. This scene sums up the unique relationship between Lenore and Hector in a nutshell; somehow with all the double-crossing and subterfuge they both engaged in, they still somehow care for each other. Even if Lenore isn’t human, she expresses very human feelings of betrayal, surprise, and affection – which makes her the most intriguing vampire character in the series apart from Dracula himself. But the best was yet to come.
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Lenore Meets a Tragic, but Beautiful End
Image via Netflix
The final episode of Castlevania, “It’s Been A Strange Ride”, marks a departure from the series’ usual blend of gory action and hellishly beautiful imagery. Instead, it took a more quiet approach, exploring where the characters stood after their long and bloody battle against the forces of darkness. For Lenore and Hector, it meant facing the ways that Dracula and Carmilla used them. Lenore, extremely disillusioned with the nature of power but refusing to be a prisoner in Issac’s new kingdom, decided to commit suicide by stepping out into the rising sun. Before that she asks Hector what he plans to do with his life; he says that he might write a book. Lenore briefly smiles before the fire consumes her.
This is the image from Castlevania that stuck out to me. It showcased that Lenore was just as flawed and complex as the human beings she wanted to rule; and it’s the only way her story could have ended. She’ll always be the villain that stole my heart, and with the long-awaited Castlevania: Nocturne exploring a new chapter in the Belmont legacy you’d be hard-pressed to find a villainess in that show that can match Lenore.
Castlevania and Castlevania: Nocturne are available to stream on Netflix.