The popularity of Castlevania has prompted streaming services like Netflix to make some investments in more serialized anime designed for adults. That partly explains the positive reaction to Blood of Zeus, another animated series from the same production company, Powerhouse Studios. It's a detailed show with a lot of action, mythology, fantasy, and of course, sex and gore. In keeping with the tradition that started with Castlevania, the human drama is just as exciting and interesting as the supernatural forces.
Fans of the series are already waiting for the next season even though it's too early for Netflix to announce a decision either way. At this point, given the positive reaction from both fans and critics, Season 2 seems more and more likely. Just in case the writers and creators need some inspiration, there's plenty for them to work with even as our heroes enjoy a temporary moment of reprieve after the bloody encounters of Season 1.
The Role of Hades
Hades was conspicuously absent from season 1, with his brothers Zeus ad Poseidon stealing the show as usual. However, it turns out that this might have been his doing the whole time, as it was his deadly weapon that Seraphim conveniently found when he was on the run.
It's yet to be confirmed if Hades started all of this for malicious reasons, but it seems that the Lord of the Underworld is getting set up to be the Bad Guy again. Audiences are getting tired of this depiction of Death, not only because it's a tired cliché, but because it doesn't keep with the Classical depiction of Hades as the ancient equivalent of True Neutral. Who else can be trusted to judge every soul fairly in the afterlife? Let's hope the show goes in a different direction.
The Journey of Electra
Electra's story could end here, with the internment of her body and her journey across the River Styx. There's still the question remaining of her sons, however. One of them, Seraphim, follows her to Hades not long after. A personal meeting would be interesting, especially now that Seraphim knows her identity. Heron discovers that he also has some godlike powers, and in theory, he could visit his mother in the afterlife. Speaking of gods, does Zeus go to the afterlife when he dies? All of these are possible story threads connected to Electra.
The Fate of Hera
Season 1 closes with the battle of the God of Olympus against the Giants and Hera, and it doesn't go well for the jealous wife even though she did succeed in getting Zeus killed. She escaped at the last minute thanks to her crows, but Hera suffered a brutal defeat as Season 1 came to an end.
The giants were eventually defeated, but both they and Seraphim turned on her as they did so. A giant almost tore her apart and Seraphim cut off her hand to get to the bracer of Hermes. She could either continue to fight against Olympus or try to take over as its queen in Season 2.
Heron and the Power of Personality
Having the occasional outburst doesn't count. It's a good thing that Heron is surrounded by characters and storylines that are more interesting than his because he's too boring to carry any storyline on his own. Heron needs a few more things by himself, like his brother Seraphim who's a lot more interesting. It's a good thing the plot keeps reminding us that Heron is the main character otherwise viewers would forget for some reason. Hopefully, the godlike powers he's inherited will give him something to do in Season 2.
The New Zeus
Kudos to voice actor Jason O'Mara, who made Zeus an interesting and sympathetic character despite his transgressions and infidelity. His death at the end of the season left a power vacuum on Mount Olympus, and there are strong hints that the plot of Season 2 will revolve around who takes over. Despite some favoritism towards the main character, plenty of the other, older gods are still hanging around, including Hera, who was brutally wounded but is still lurking in the heavens somewhere.
Seraphim's Character Arc
How about if he gets one? Heron is supposed to be the main character, but there was more of an emotional arc for Seraphim, especially in the last few episodes. Thanks to an almost total lack of his own agency, however, his efforts were in vain. The scenes where Seraphim acts on his own are some of the best in the show, like when he confronts his murderous uncle, and the series could use more of that classic tragic hero narrative.
It doesn't seem that Seraphim's character really has anywhere to go as the season ends, and his function was always as the tool of a more powerful being. Either he goes to Hades forever or he ends up serving yet another god. The fans don't want to sit through that again any more than he does, so hopefully, the last scene we seem him in has some kind of twist that does this character justice.
The Giants
They were defeated at the end of Season 1, but their presence is still there, waiting to be awakened again, and their role could go in a number of different directions. It seems likely that the Giants will return, as the storyline is hinting that Hades has been working behind the scenes since the beginning. Seraphim might be tasked with waking them up again, or he might try to raise them himself in a revolt against Hades. There's also a possibility that they could be reasoned with or used as allies, the same way Zeus did back in the day.
Alexia the Amazon
A mysterious character that so far has only been described by others as "the Amazon" this character is well on her way to becoming a fan favorite and a major player in the overall plot. In a show where there are so few female characters in a world that included female gods and even some real historic figures, Alexia stands out even more.
In the last few episodes, we got a few tantalizing details about her character's past, giving her another dimension besides just the tough anime fighter girl. It's hard to miss how the show is setting up a romance between her and Heron, but hopefully, he'll get more interesting first and give her a good reason.
Chiron the Wise
Chiron wanted to follow Alexia and her troops across the Fields of the Dead, but she gently rebuked him and told him to return to his village and his people, who needed his leadership. It's never explained exactly why Chiron seemed to capitulate to Seraphim in the first place, as a society of centaurs with ancient, secret knowledge would have the tools to fight against him. It would be nice to know how that happened, if he successfully returned to his laboratory, and what happened when he did.
The Surviving Gods
This isn't just a question of who takes the throne in Olympus, but of what loyalties lie where. Will Hera continue to oppose the leader of the gods, no matter who it is, or will she attempt to take over? Ares was rescued and survived, despite his loyalty to Hera, but does that mean he'll change or stay loyal to her? Gods like Aphrodite and Athena were often opposed to Hera in mythology and were just as powerful, so it's entirely possible that they could appear as part of the storyline and compete for power.