Is Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust film a canonical sequel to the original movie? Explained

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) has undoubtedly set the benchmark when it comes to character design and the vampire trope in anime. Serving as a sequel to the 1985 movie Vampire Hunter D, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is frequently regarded as being better than the original film due to its stunning character designs and compelling plot.

Bloodlust is significantly different from its prequel, given its entirely new set of characters apart from the titular lead and an overall shift from the original visuals and animation. This often leads new watchers to raise the question of whether the events of this movie are canon. In this article, we will try to answer the same question and dive deeper into the production history of the movie.

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Is the sequel Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust part of the canon?

As far as the events of the previous movie in the series, Vampire Hunter D (1985) are concerned, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) is not a direct sequel. The movie follows D on an entirely new adventure, with new characters and conflicts along the way. That being said, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is an absolutely canonical story as it is based on the original novel series by Hideyuki Kikuchi. It directly takes inspiration from the third novel of the series, called Vampire Hunter D Volume 3: Demon Deathchase.

The first movie introduced us to D, the mysterious vampire hunter who is a dhampir. He meets Doris, who urges him to kill the notorious vampire Count Lee. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, on the other hand, is set in a different time period, and this time D is recruited by John Elbourne to rescue his daughter Charlotte, who has been abducted by the vampire nobleman named Baron Meier Link.

Kikuchi, the creator of D, had not been content with the first adaptation of 1999, reportedly complaining about the quality of the animation being not up to the mark. This expedited the creative process of making a sequel, which was taken up by the director Yoshiaki Kawajiri under the production studio Madhouse. Kawajiri has worked on multiple successful projects like Ninja Scroll, The Wind Named Amnesia and has also been a part of the storyboard of popular anime like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer.

D was redesigned by artist Yoshitaka Amano and thus resurrected the mythical hero with an improved flair, which contributed a lot to the stark visuals of the movie. The rest of the characters were also drawn in the same vein by the animation director, Yutaka Minowa. This change in character design became one of the most talked about aspects of the movie, and it singlehandedly catapulted the movie to unprecedented fame.

Unfortunately, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is not available for streaming on any online platform as of yet. Here is how the movie is summarized on the official website of Crunchyroll,

"Continuing his quest to rid the world of the Nobility, the Vampire Hunter D, a dhampir (half human, half vampire), is summoned by the Elbourne family to rescue their daughter Charlotte from the captivity of Meier Link."

It further continues,

"The race against time not only involves saving the girl, but also the additional hiring of the Markus Brothers; a volatile and infamous group of Hunters known for their tendency to rid themselves of the competition by any means necessary. To make matters more complicated, when Charlotte is found she is more than reluctant to leave the side of her new love..."

Stay tuned for more updates on popular anime mangas and shows like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, One Punch Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more.