ONA
Description
The character known as the Bishop, or Evêque, is a senior cleric who serves as a primary antagonist in the first season. Originally the bishop of the city of Targoviste, he is a fanatical and self-righteous religious figure whose actions set the entire conflict of the story in motion. His most consequential deed is the condemnation of Lisa Tepes, the human wife of Dracula, to death by burning. He personally investigated her home, and despite her medical tools being used to help others, he denounced her as a witch, leading to her execution at the stake. This act directly provokes Dracula’s declaration of war against the people of Wallachia.
The Bishop is defined by his utter fanaticism, hypocrisy, and unshakable self-righteousness. He genuinely believes his interpretation of faith is the only correct one and that all of his actions, no matter how cruel, are done in service to God. He displays sadistic satisfaction in destroying anything he views as impious or outside his understanding, such as medicine he perceives as black magic. Rather than express remorse for sparking Dracula’s genocidal war, he sees the ensuing chaos as an opportunity. He relocates from Targoviste before Dracula’s return and arrives in the city of Gresit, where he seeks to consolidate power. With other major cities destroyed, he proclaims, "For all intents and purposes, I will be the Church," revealing his true motivation is not faith, but control and authority. He shifts blame for the demon attacks onto innocent groups like the Speakers, a tribe of scholars, and incites mob violence against them while hiding behind the walls of his church.
The Bishop’s role in the story is that of a catalyst. Beyond causing Dracula’s war, he acts as an obstacle to the protagonist Trevor Belmont and the Speakers. He uses his militia of priests to police Gresit and condemns the Speakers for their different beliefs, ordering them to leave or be killed. His key relationships are defined by his cruelty. He has a contentious relationship with his superior, the Archbishop of Targoviste, whom he considers less zealous. His fate is directly tied to the beings he despises. Believing himself protected by God within his church, he is confronted by a demon named Blue Fangs. The demon mocks his hypocrisy, revealing that his evil has caused God to abandon him and the church, making it no sanctuary. Blue Fangs then brutally kills him with a fatal "kiss".
The character does see a form of development after death. For his atrocities, he is denied a peaceful end. In the second season, Dracula’s forgemaster Hector reanimates the Bishop’s corpse as a zombie. Under the vampire Carmilla’s command, the undead Bishop is forced to use his knowledge as a priest to sanctify a river. This holy water is then used as a weapon to destroy part of Dracula’s army. The Bishop’s reanimated body is ultimately consumed and destroyed by the very blessed water he was forced to create. As a character, the Bishop possesses notable abilities tied to his ecclesiastical position. He wields significant social and political influence, commanding followers and swaying mobs. Even in death, his knowledge of religious rites remains potent enough to sanctify water, demonstrating that his power is based on the form and authority of the church, even when wielded by a corrupt and undead servant.
The Bishop is defined by his utter fanaticism, hypocrisy, and unshakable self-righteousness. He genuinely believes his interpretation of faith is the only correct one and that all of his actions, no matter how cruel, are done in service to God. He displays sadistic satisfaction in destroying anything he views as impious or outside his understanding, such as medicine he perceives as black magic. Rather than express remorse for sparking Dracula’s genocidal war, he sees the ensuing chaos as an opportunity. He relocates from Targoviste before Dracula’s return and arrives in the city of Gresit, where he seeks to consolidate power. With other major cities destroyed, he proclaims, "For all intents and purposes, I will be the Church," revealing his true motivation is not faith, but control and authority. He shifts blame for the demon attacks onto innocent groups like the Speakers, a tribe of scholars, and incites mob violence against them while hiding behind the walls of his church.
The Bishop’s role in the story is that of a catalyst. Beyond causing Dracula’s war, he acts as an obstacle to the protagonist Trevor Belmont and the Speakers. He uses his militia of priests to police Gresit and condemns the Speakers for their different beliefs, ordering them to leave or be killed. His key relationships are defined by his cruelty. He has a contentious relationship with his superior, the Archbishop of Targoviste, whom he considers less zealous. His fate is directly tied to the beings he despises. Believing himself protected by God within his church, he is confronted by a demon named Blue Fangs. The demon mocks his hypocrisy, revealing that his evil has caused God to abandon him and the church, making it no sanctuary. Blue Fangs then brutally kills him with a fatal "kiss".
The character does see a form of development after death. For his atrocities, he is denied a peaceful end. In the second season, Dracula’s forgemaster Hector reanimates the Bishop’s corpse as a zombie. Under the vampire Carmilla’s command, the undead Bishop is forced to use his knowledge as a priest to sanctify a river. This holy water is then used as a weapon to destroy part of Dracula’s army. The Bishop’s reanimated body is ultimately consumed and destroyed by the very blessed water he was forced to create. As a character, the Bishop possesses notable abilities tied to his ecclesiastical position. He wields significant social and political influence, commanding followers and swaying mobs. Even in death, his knowledge of religious rites remains potent enough to sanctify water, demonstrating that his power is based on the form and authority of the church, even when wielded by a corrupt and undead servant.