If you’ve spent any time in the dark, gothic corners of gaming or anime, you’ve hit the Alucard wall. It’s a confusing place. On one hand, you’ve got the dhampir prince from Castlevania with the flowing blonde hair and the tragic family trauma. On the other, there’s the red-coated, gun-toting engine of destruction from Hellsing.
People constantly ask: how old is Alucard? The answer isn't a single number. It’s a mess of centuries, deep-sleep cycles, and historical dates that don't always line up. Honestly, depending on which version of the character you’re obsessing over, he’s either a moody "young" man in his late twenties or a terrifying primordial force that’s been around since the 1400s.
The Castlevania Timeline: A Centuries-Long Nap
In the world of Castlevania, Alucard—born Adrian Tepes—is the son of Dracula and a human woman named Lisa. This is where the math starts to get a bit weird.
In the Netflix series, which leans heavily on the lore of the 1989 game Dracula’s Curse, Lisa is executed around 1475. At that point, Alucard is already a grown man, at least physically. He’s often described as being in his late teens or early twenties during the first season of the show. If we assume he was born around 1455, he’s barely legal when he starts hunting his dad with Trevor Belmont.
But then there's the time jump.
By the time Castlevania: Nocturne rolls around, the year is 1792. Alucard shows up looking exactly the same, which makes sense because he's a dhampir. At this point, he is roughly 337 years old. He spent a massive chunk of that time in a self-imposed slumber because, frankly, killing your dad is exhausting and depressing.
Breaking Down the Game Ages
If you look at the "Igavania" game timeline (the one curated by Koji Igarashi), the numbers shift slightly.
- 1476 (Dracula’s Curse): Alucard is roughly 20–46 years old depending on which obscure radio drama you believe.
- 1797 (Symphony of the Night): After a 300-year nap, he's about 340+ years old.
- 2035 (Aria of Sorrow): Operating under the alias Genya Arikado, he has reached the ripe old age of 580.
He doesn't look a day over 25, though. That’s the perk of having vampire blood—you skip the wrinkles but keep the existential dread.
The Hellsing Powerhouse: 500+ Years of Blood
Switch gears to the Hellsing universe, and the "how old is Alucard" question gets a lot easier to answer because he is literally the historical Vlad the Impaler. He isn't some son-of-Dracula figure; he is Dracula.
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According to the manga by Kouta Hirano, Vlad III Dracula was born in 1431. He "died" and became a vampire in 1462. Since the main events of the Hellsing anime (the OVA Hellsing Ultimate) take place around 1999, the math is pretty straightforward.
Alucard is 568 years old at the start of the series.
After the final battle in London, he disappears for 30 years while dealing with Schrodinger’s "quantum" existence. When he finally rematerializes to see Integra again, he’s roughly 599 years old. He is essentially a senior citizen with the reflexes of a fighter jet and the fashion sense of a Victorian pimp.
Why the Age Gap Matters
You’ve probably noticed that both versions of the character are tied to the 15th century. This isn't a coincidence. It’s because both creators are riffing on the real-life Vlad Tepes, who lived from 1431 to 1476.
The main difference is how they handle aging. In Castlevania, Alucard is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. He ages "quickly" to adulthood and then just... stops. In the Netflix show, he mentions he grew up "literally" fast. It’s a biological trick to get him to his prime so he can serve as a warrior.
In Hellsing, Alucard is a "True Vampire." His age is irrelevant because he is a collection of souls. He can look like a young girl, a middle-aged man, or a swirling mass of eyes and shadows. He chooses to look like a man in his 30s because that's when he gave up his humanity on the battlefield.
The "Deep Sleep" Factor
We can't talk about how old Alucard is without mentioning that he spends a lot of time doing absolutely nothing.
- Castlevania Alucard: Slept for 300 years between 1476 and 1797.
- Hellsing Alucard: Was sealed in a basement for 20 years by the Hellsing family before Integra found him.
Does time count if you're unconscious in a box? Biologically, no. Chronologically, yes. If you’re trying to win an argument with a lore nerd, always specify if you’re talking about "active years" or "calendar years."
The Verdict on Alucard’s Age
So, if someone asks you point-blank, here is the cheat sheet.
For the Castlevania version (Netflix or Games), he is roughly 330 to 340 years old during his most famous stories (Nocturne or Symphony of the Night). By the time he gets to the futuristic setting of 2035, he’s nearly 600.
For the Hellsing version, he’s a solid 568 to 599 years old.
If you want to dive deeper into this, your next move is to check out the Castlevania: Nocturne series on Netflix to see how his character has shifted from the "sad lad" of the original series to the "god-tier protector" of the French Revolution. Or, if you prefer the more violent side of history, re-watch Hellsing Ultimate Episode 9 to see his "Level 0" release, where he reverts to his original 15th-century form.
Whatever the age, the guy clearly needs a vacation that doesn't involve a coffin.
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Next Steps:
- Watch Castlevania: Nocturne to see Alucard’s 18th-century "evolution."
- Compare the 1400s flashback in Hellsing Ultimate to the historical Vlad III for a real-world history lesson.
- Explore the Symphony of the Night timeline if you want to see how the games handled his 300-year slumber.