Vlad Dracula’s boiling hatred for humanity ran deep in Castlevania -- so deep, he enlisted all the forces he could muster to extinguish the race in its entirety. Other vampires he called upon had their own nefarious interests at heart, but his two human forgemasters, Hector and Isaac, served as his devoted generals. However, after Dracula’s death, the generals developed independently as their stories dramatically diverged.
Hector and Isaac were introduced as Dracula’s generals in Castlevania Season 2, their undead armies endlessly slaughtering human villages in their wake. Without Dracula’s direction in Season 3, the forgemasters had to reassess their purpose – what will they do with their power and how will they go about it? With Castlevania Season 4 just released, fans are about to discover what’s in store next for Hector and Isaac, and how differently their paths will unfold.
Why Dracula Asked Hector And Isaac To Join His Cause
Without Hector and Isaac by his side, Dracula’s declaration of war would’ve been much less formidable – vampire armies can’t match the undead in number or servitude. Dracula greatly respected both Hector and Isaac for joining his side, deeming them generals “bound by loyalty and intellect” rather than thirst for blood. Considering Dracula’s wife was human, he’s proven he values certain human individuals, especially when they share his ideals.
Hector and Isaac are both forgemasters with terrifying necromantic power known as transmogrification, and they seek to find purpose for their work. Still, their reasoning for massacring their own race stems from experiences distinct to themselves. Dracula’s war on humanity may have aligned with their interests while he was alive, but where do they stand now that they’re on their own, thrust into different circumstances?
Isaac Seeks Revenge For Human Cruelty
As depicted in Castlevania Season 2, Isaac’s former master physically and emotionally abused him for many years. In his journeys across Africa, humans only continued to harm Isaac, thus warping his judgement of humanity as a whole. This hatred fuels his work as a forgemaster. Isaac’s objective clearly isn’t to make humans into livestock – rather, it’s to enact his revenge by creating undead armies. Using his glowing red dagger, Isaac explained that he “can take demons from hell and install them in dead bodies on earth.”
Dracula had a closer bond with Isaac than Hector because their plans for human extinction were more resolute. Moreover, Dracula helped rescue Isaac from his tragic life of oppression and abuse, so the two had a close friendship. When Alucard, Sypha, and Trevor breached his castle and ended his life, the vampire lord saved Isaac by teleporting him into the desert, despite Isaac’s willingness to stay by his side to defend him. This move prompted Isaac to start his own army which serves his personal interests as opposed to Dracula’s. Isaac’s loyalty to the vampire lord used to consume his agency, but in Season 3 he discovers his own direction to carry out his destructive plans.
Castlevania Season 3 also pushed Isaac to question his disdain for humanity and his devotion to Dracula, as some humans offered him kindness and a new perspective. Influenced by them, Isaac doesn’t initially unleash his army on all humans during his journeys – there’s usually cause, even if it’s because they’re being rude. In other words, humans prove their animosity and corruption to him time and time again, wearing down his tolerance for the entire race. When Isaac discovered an evil magician who enslaved an entire city, the forgemaster deftly defeated him, with unlimited undead power now in his ranks.
Hector’s Ambivalence Takes Away His Agency
Unlike Isaac and Dracula, Hector strives to attack humans in a more humane fashion, despite his deep resentment for them caused by a hard childhood. Rather than engage in evil plans, however, Hector simply enjoys his work reanimating the dead and seeks to sharpen his skills. Still, Dracula hid his intention to eradicate all humans from Hector in order to make use of his undead armies. Thus, Hector’s decision to betray Dracula and incite a coup wasn’t too surprising -- especially when he was manipulated by Carmilla who had plans to use the amenable forgemaster as a weapon all along.
Hector is much more merciful than Isaac, but his greatest downfall is his indecision – he never seems sure of what he wants or who he trusts, allowing others to take advantage of him. Beaten and imprisoned by Carmilla and her sisters, Hector's lack of direction saw him stripped of his own volition entirely. Lenore, the ravishing vampire diplomat she is, easily (and magically) coaxed him into becoming her own servant, or as she likes to call him, her pet.
Hector's connection to the dead isn't about summoning powers from hell to occupy human bodies – rather, he says it’s to “make life from death.” Using his hammer, Hector can summon creatures of the night into human corpses, but he has an ability beyond Isaac’s – he can revive the former life of someone in their own body. For example, Hector resurrected his pet dog to whom he showed great affection. He also reanimated the Bishop who was able to make the river into holy water, which Dracula’s vampire army fell into and died instantly.
Despite the maniacal forces controlling Hector, the forgemaster could still manage to break free of his circumstance and reclaim agency, but it won’t be an easy feat. He recognizes how Lenore tricked him, but will he overcome her romantic and magical entrapment?
What Hector and Isaac May Do In Castlevania Season 4
The two forgemasters are obvious foils to one another, so their interactions always speak volumes about their differences and growth. Severed from his servitude to Dracula, Isaac enacted his own will in Season 3, while Hector’s betrayal consequently forced him into vampire servitude. In such different stages of development, it’ll be interesting to see their reunion.
Castlevania Season 4 will undoubtedly pit the two forgemasters against each other, but it’s unclear how their armies may clash. Carmilla and her sisters control Hector’s army to enact their human livestock plans, while Isaac still seeks eradication of humans. Could Isaac’s army destroy Hector’s, allowing the latter to reclaim his independence from the vampires? Would Isaac have the compassion to help or even spare his once-fellow general?
Season 4 of Castlevania releases on Netflix on May 13.
