This Netflix anime is basically Castlevania in ancient Greece – and it looks amazing

(Image credit: Netflix)

There's a new Netflix show in town – or at least one landing in the near future. A trailer has just dropped for Blood of Zeus, a bloody anime series from the studio behind Castlevania, and we're already getting excited.

The show appears to follow a young man named Heron, who realizes he's the son of Zeus – and therefore becomes crucial in a battle between gods, Titans, giants, and demons (there's a lot going on). As a horde of demons crosses the land – much like in Castlevania – Heron must help to save humanity, and make some difficult choices in terms of which deities he's willing to back.

The trailer below shows off a lot of slick action, lightning, and deities you'll recognise from the Greek pantheon – Zeus, Ares, the Fates (we think), and more.

There's more than a touch of Hades – Supergiant Game's much-hyped roguelike set in the underworld of ancient Greek mythology – particularly in having to choose the favor of individual gods, and deal with the consequences of spurning another.

Zeus, of course, is pretty infamous for siring offspring left, right and center, so we expect there'll be other members of the family to contend with in the anime series.

Blood of Zeus seems a little bit more pulpy, perhaps, than the gritty vampire drama unfolding in Castlevania – but it's great to see the studio lending their immense talents towards the divine-infused chaos of Greek myth. The series lands on Netflix on October 27, 2020.

What's in a name?

The show was originally titled Gods & Heroes, but it seems to have been changed for something more explicitly violent. It does remind us of Ubisoft's upcoming adventure game Immortals Fenyx Rising, with similarly draws on Greek myth, and changed its name from the much stronger Gods & Monsters – apparently after pressure from the Monster Energy drink.

While Gods & Heroes sounds like it could be an uplifting afternoon cartoon, though, the title Blood of Zeus definitely gets to the meat of the story here – and we're excited to see Powerhouse Animation Studios continue to deliver animated action.

Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.