Who Is Old Man Coyote In Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2?

This article contains spoilers for “Castlevania: Nocturne” season 2.

In many ways, “Castlevania: Nocturne” season 2 mirrors “Castlevania” season 2. Given that “Castlevania” season 2 is widely considered the show’s best season, that’s a huge compliment. They both amp up the ideas, storylines, and action of their respective debuts, deepening the core themes and giving increased screen time to the villains. And just like “Castlevania” season 2, the sophomore outing of “Nocturne” wraps up most of the major arcs begun in its first season. However, certain threads are intentionally left hanging in the event of a season 3.

Members of the “Castlevania” creative team have made it clear they’re not done yet and would love to keep going with “Nocturne” if Netflix approves another set of episodes. If that happens, season 3 will likely involve the mysterious dark spirit seen gliding around in the background of season 2. This character never speaks, nor do they get an official name, though the vampire Olrox (Zahn McClarnon) refers to them multiple times as Old Man Coyote — a trickster figure in some Indigenous American folklore. Olrox also calls them Mephistopheles at one point, the devilish character from the Faust legend of old German folklore.

While this character never makes their true nature or intentions known, they appear at several key points in the story, including one of the last shots of the season 2 finale. So, who is “Old Man Coyote,” really, and what could they have in store for “Castlevania: Nocturne” season 3?

Since “Castlevania” is a video game adaptation, it needed a final boss, and with Dracula having been defeated in season 2, a new villain was required to take on that role in season 4 to send the series off. The candidate? Death himself, voiced by Malcolm McDowell. Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage) squares off against the Grim Reaper at the very end of the first “Castlevania” show, paying homage to the character’s frequent appearances in the games. However, the Netflix version of Death is a bit different. He’s less an agent of some dark cosmic purpose and more a carnal creature who feeds off of the life force that leaves humans as they die. Death tries to bring Dracula back to life so that he can continue claiming souls and “feeding” Death, but Trevor bests him in battle, destroying his physical form. Dracula still returns to life in secret, but not as the warmonger Death wanted.

While Death is defeated, it stands to reason that he wouldn’t be fully gone. If the heroes of “Castlevania” couldn’t erase Dracula from existence just by killing his body, then surely Death would also linger on in some form. In “Nocturne” season 2, three of Old Man Coyote’s four appearances directly involve death. They come to claim the soul of Abbott Emmanuel (Richard Dormer) after Maria (Pixie Davies) kills him, they loom over Mizrak (Aaron Neil) after he sustains a fatal wound, and they appear behind Tera (Nastassja Kinski) as she watches the guillotine executions in Paris in the season finale.

Additionally, Old Man Coyote’s smoky form resembles the skeletal shape of Death, and their only appearance in “Nocturne” not related to death is when Olrox addresses them directly before destroying Emmanuel’s dark spell book.

When Olrox calls out the spirit whom he names Old Man Coyote, he seems to know the dark figure well. “I know who you are,” he says, referencing the creature’s many different names. “I know what promises you make, and how tempting they are.” It’s understandable that some of the more religious characters in the show assume that Old Man Coyote is the devil, as according to Olrox, they function off of dark deals. However, “Castlevania” has never indicated that “the devil” is real in its mythology, which means that this is more likely a different kind of being to whom various groups over the course of history have attached their own folklore and beliefs.

The biggest clue to the dark spirit’s intentions comes in that same first scene with Olrox. The vampire finds the dark spell book that Emmanuel used to work his forgemaster machine and create night creatures from human corpses. He mentions that the book is written in Enochian, an occult language from the earliest days of the world, and he tells Old Man Coyote that neither they nor the book belong in the mortal realm. Then, he burns the tome.

If Old Man Coyote really is Death with a new face, they could have been the one providing the tools and knowledge for Emmanuel all along. That fits with the Death character, as the creation of night creatures and empowerment of Erzsebet Báthory would lead to widespread death, giving Death more power.

If “Castlevania: Nocturne” gets a third season, it’s likely that the show will adapt some of the storylines from the video game “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.” That game features Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel on the Netflix series), Maria Renard, and Alucard (James Callis on the Netflix series) prominently. It’s also the most famous and widely praised “Castlevania” game ever, so it would make sense for Netflix to adapt it.

Death features prominently in “Symphony of the Night,” so if that is in fact the dark spirit’s true identity in “Nocturne,” they could play into some adapted arcs from the game. Even if they’re a totally new character, it’s pretty clear that the show is setting them up as the next big bad. In the season finale, they place a ghostly hand on the shoulder of Tera as she watches her daughter from the shadows. Tera is clearly torn between her old life and her new identity as a vampire, and she just might be conflicted enough to become a tool of Old Man Coyote.

“Castlevania: Nocturne” seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix.