Judge

The is a character in the Castlevania animated series. He is the leader of the town of Lindenfeld and holds a grudge against Sala and the monks who defy his authority.
He was voiced by Jason Isaacs in the English version of the show.
==Background==
The Judge was born in Lindenfeld, but moved to the capital at age 8. After growing up and receiving an education, he was given the position of Township Judge of Lindenfeld.
At some point in the past, he found an apple tree in the forest and dug a spiked pitfall at the base of it. He would occasionally send children there only for them to be killed by his trap, taking their shoes as trophies.
==History==
Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades arrive to a small town called Lindenfeld dragging a night creature behind their carriage. Trevor tries to collect a reward from the Judge, but before they can continue with the negotiations, three monks of the priory walk in. Their leader, prior Sala, is happy that Trevor killed the creature, as it betrayed Dracula. Sala's statement quickly puts Sypha on edge, but before things can escalate, the Judge asks Sala to move along.
Trevor and Sypha have a nagging suspicion that some of the townsfolk worship Dracula, which the Judge confirms. He asks them to accompany him to his house, where the Judge asks them who they really are, and Sypha reveals that they were the ones who killed Dracula. Upon hearing their identities and accomplishments, the Judge asks them to find out what's going on in the church.
In a flashback, the Judge reveals that a pack of night creatures attacked Lindenfeld. Luckily, the town's men-at-arms dispatched the demons. However, the pack leader, the Visitor, managed to escape to the local priory. A while later, the monks came out with blackened pieces of the creature. They looked broken. The next day, Sala closed allowance into the priory's hall. Every day since, a new stranger arrived in town and the monks took them in. The Judge wanted to know why the priory was attracting damaged, frightened people. Sypha and Trevor agreed to find out.
Trevor notices ominous symbols throughout Lindenfeld. He is soon met by the Judge, who recounts how he became the leader of Lindenfeld. At a young age, he left Lindenfeld with his family for the capital, where he rose in the Court and did well enough that he was sent back to his hometown. The two men walk back to the town when the Judge suddenly notices a symbol on the gate. While Trevor believes it's the action of a child, the Judge believes that someone else is responsible.
On their part, Sypha and Saint Germain also find the same type of symbol. Saint German recognizes it and he's worried. Trevor joins them and all three go to the town's tavern, where Saint Germain reveals that he is in search of the Infinite Corridor.
The Judge spots Saint Germain's walks and inquiries about Trevor and Sypha. However, the aristocrat quickly dismisses him with some witty remark about toilet paper.
The monks continue to carve ominous symbols around town. Trevor walks up to them and swiftly overwhelms them. He grabs one of them and drags him to the Judge's house. Meanwhile, the Judge looks quite disturbed and cleaning his hands profusely. Trevor and Sypha walk in and drop the captured monk on the floor. Sypha believes that the monks are planning something magical in nature.
Trevor interrogates the captured monk who divulges that each day the monks go to other towns, following the Visitor's plan. While the Judge believes that the night creature has driven the monks, Sypha thinks otherwise; the members of the monastery might be the victims. They come with a plan to fight the mad monks and get rid of the night creature. Not only that, but Trevor and Sypha will also help Saint Germain to open the Infinite Corridor.
Trevor, Sypha, Saint Germain and the Judge with his men-at-arms head to the monastery. Simultaneously, the monks and the night creature get ready for battle. The monks and men-at-arms suffer significant losses despite Trevor and Sypha's help.
Meanwhile, Sala tries to escape, but not before being stopped by the Judge. Nonetheless, the monk is more crafty and manages to fatally stab the Judge in the abdomen. With his dying breath, he warns Sala that there's nowhere for him to run. The only way to evade capture is to follow the path to the Judge's apple tree. While Sala is confused on why would the Judge help him, he nevertheless heeds his advice leaving a dying Judge behind.
Sala manages to find the apple tree, but falls into a pit filled with spikes, killing him on the spot. Sypha finds the dying Judge, who tells them he killed Sala and where they can find him. With his last breath, the Judge asks Sypha to burn his house down.
When Trevor and Sypha find Sala's body, they also discover countless human bones. Suspicious of the Judge, they explore his home only to find a room filled with children's shoes. It seems the Judge had his own little pleasures...
==Personality==
The Judge is strict, taking his leadership of the village very seriously. He cares about the well-being of the villagers and dislikes troublemakers. He takes pride in his position and does his best to keep the village organized.
He has a high opinion of the Belmonts and has even learned some of their methods of dealing with demons.
However, behind this is a person that puts his ideals of 'order' above the safety of others. He would often send disruptive children into the woods, leading them to die in a pitfall he created and even taking his victim's shoes to his home as trophies. He does appear to feel some amount of shame for his actions, though, as he begs Sypha and Trevor to burn down his home before they leave the mostly destroyed town so no one would discover the evidence of what he had done.
==Appearances==
==Quotes==
*"It has its little pleasures." ("A Seat of Civilisation and Refinement")
*"I happen to know there's an apple tree in the clearing after that. It's my apple tree, and nobody's allowed to go there." ("Worse Things Than Betrayal")
*"This is my town. You do as I say" ("What the Night Brings")
*"Sala! Prior Sala! When you were a simple man of the church, I tolerated your hold on my people. When you became a mad hermit who shunned my people, I tolerated you still. No more. You will vacate the priory. Throw your weapons out as you exit. Sala! I know you deconsecrated the priory. God is no longer in that house. You enjoy no protection. Out! All of you! Now! Or we come for you, Sala!" ("What the Night Brings")
*"I'm going to wait for that bastard in hell and kill him all over again when he arrives." ("Abandon All Hope")
*"Burn my house down." (His last words in "Abandon All Hope")
==Gallery==
===Concept art===
The Judge Model Sheet.png|Model sheet.
The Judge Illustration.jpg|Judge illustration.
The Judge Concept Art.jpg|Judge concept arts.
The Judge Expressions Model.jpg|Judge expressions model.
===Screenshots===
TheJudgeAnime.JPG
Judge - 02.png
Judge - 03.png
Judge - 04.png
==Trivia==
*The Judge's English voice actor, Jason Isaacs, also voiced Satan in the Lords of Shadow games.
*His overall appearance (shaved head, priest-like robe, etc.) make the Judge resemble the character Zead from Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (as well as Nergal Meslamstea from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, who was probably also inspired by Zead).
*Certain aspects of the children murders carried on by the Judge bear resemblance to real life Soviet serial killer, Anatoly Slivko. Slivko would convince young teenagers to accompany him in trips to the woods, where they would then partake in controlled hanging experiments where the boys ended up falling unconscious. Slivko murdered seven of these boys, keeping their shoes as a memento, much like the Judge from the series.
==External links==
*The Judge (Netflix's Castlevania) at the Villains Wiki
Category:Deceased Characters
Category:Humans
Category:Male Characters
Category:Castlevania (Animated Series) Season 3 Characters
Category:Castlevania (Animated Series) Characters