After many years of solitude, the cold-hearted Vlad Dracula Tepes found love unexpectedly, and with a human no less! Sadly, Lisa was expunged from existence by the superstitious Church, which believed her science and healing skills to be magic and burnt Lisa as a witch.
The distraught Vampire King subsequently swore to seek vengeance from the entire human race, with his trusted Forgemasters, Hector and Isaac, by his side. By building a formidable supernatural army, Dracula swore to exterminate all of humanity, but what does that mean for his loyal human Forgemasters in Castlevania?
Isaac
With an inner dialogue holding only servitude in mind, Isaac’s main goal in life is to find a Master worthy of his unconditional loyalty. Deriving from a world of abuse, the stern slave is rescued from sinister magicians by Dracula, who intended to sell parts of Isaac’s necromantic body for gold. Having found respect for the first time, the Forgemaster swears his unwavering loyalty to the Vampire King and becomes borderline obsessive about protecting his master.
Even after being denied the opportunity to lay down his life to defend Dracula, Isaac’s loyalty did not falter, and he dedicates all his energy towards destroying those who betrayed his beloved king. The Forgemaster’s refusal to assist with Dracula’s revival is another sign of his devotion and understanding of the Vampire King – he knows that, regardless of his own wishes to reunite with his master, Dracula would be more content to remain with Lisa in Hell.
Hector
Stemming from an unloved home (which he ultimately burnt to the ground), Hector found little companionship with other humans and preferred to spend his time with his reanimated pet monsters. Dracula found the young necromancer living a life of solitude in Rhodes, Greece, having built up a firm hatred for humanity over the years. Growing up without the guidance of a mentor, Hector remains quite naive and juvenile, making him an easy target to manipulate.
Dracula saw value in the youngster’s ability to create night creatures to fill his army’s barracks and tricked Hector into joining the vampires by telling him the war would be a controlled culling and not a complete extermination. Dracula’s dishonesty cost him dearly, but even after Hector’s betrayal, the Vampire King appeared to show no malice towards the naive Forgemaster.
Not So Cold-Hearted After All
Dracula’s kind treatment of his Forgemasters seemed more than just a calculated ploy to gain their loyalty – although this is something that Carmilla should have considered doing herself! The Vampire King appeared to genuinely care for his human companions. He held Isaac in high regard, often consulting him about important decisions, assigning the man more trust and respect than he gave any of the other vampires in his council. When push came to shove, Dracula prioritized Isaac’s safety over his own, saving the Forgemaster at the expense of his own life. He admired Isaac’s dedication, knowledge, and bluntness, not to mention it was comforting to see that Isaac had no thirst for power – he was fueled purely by hatred and loyalty.
It was evident that Dracula cherished Hector in his own way – as Lenore eloquently stated, much like a pet. The Vampire King felt guilty for manipulating Hector with lies, but he felt it necessary to trick his kind-hearted Forgemaster, who would otherwise be unwilling to participate in such violence. He allowed the necromancer his small luxuries, never demanding more from him than necessary, and appeared to be truly concerned about Hector’s safety once the Castle was full of vampiric occupants. Dracula did not seem worried about his Forgemaster’s loyalty, however, he was well aware that Hector could be easily influenced by the wrong person – and Carmilla fulfilled that prophecy, with excruciating consequences.
Lisa’s Love
Viewers believe that Dracula would have never nurtured such deep relationships with his human Forgemasters if not for Lisa, the love of his life. Before Lisa’s positive influence, Vlad seemed unconcerned by any connection to another, but when the beautiful woman forced her way into his home, only to be ripped away unexpectedly, it left a void in the vampire’s heart.
There is undoubtedly an essence to humans that vampires cannot match, and enthusiasm for life that stems from mortality, which Dracula seemed to admire like a breath of fresh air. After Lisa’s death, he traveled the world in search of allies but, out of all of his vampire associates, Dracula ended up trusting two humans the most, welcoming them into his home with open arms.
Destined for Death
Castlevania fans join the on-screen debate of what Dracula’s intentions with the Forgemasters were in the end – the question on everyone’s lips is whether the plan of killing all humans included Hector and Isaac. The Forgemasters themselves even discussed theories, concluding that they were not likely to walk away with their lives. Many fans disagree with this sentiment, especially considering that Dracula saved Isaac’s life when the Forgemaster was more than willing to die for his king. Hopeful viewers are inclined to believe that the vampire would have done his best to offer his Forgemasters a comfortable lifestyle after the war, sparing the lives of his human friends in the end.
Regardless of Dracula’s desires, it is indisputable that Hector and Isaac would not have survived for very long if the war was in fact successful. Having killed every human, and therefore the vampires’ entire food source, hunger would soon overwhelm whatever respect they may feel for their king, and Hector and Isaac’s blood supply would have been drained dry. Sure, Dracula could have possibly tried to protect his pets, but even the King could not take on a whole hoard of vampires single-handedly. For the human Forgemasters of Castlevania, this was a suicidal mission all along.
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