After five years of vampire slaying, viewers will be forced to say goodbye to Vanessa Helsing (Kelly Overton). According to the Season 5, Episode 15 synopsis, Vanessa, Jack (Nicole Muñoz), and Violet (Keeya King) will have one final battle that will determine the fate of humanity. Although many are eager to learn what happens in the season finale, fans are still sad to see Van Helsing go.

Showrunners announced that the Syfy series would be coming to an end ahead of the Season 4 finale, which left fans shocked and confused. So why is Van Helsing ending?

Why is ‘Van Helsing’ ending?

Showrunners explained that although the series had a good run, they were excited to “end the show on its own terms and to give our story, these characters, and our fans the conclusion they so richly deserve.” Executive producer Chad Oakes told The Hollywood Reporter, "We are thrilled to be able to bring the amazing Van Helsing saga to a close.”

In a recent interview with Looper, Jennifer Cheon Garcia shared how she really feels about the show ending. According to Jennifer, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, cast members feared that the show would not return for a fifth season, but after a brief hiatus, the series returned in April of 2020. Jennifer explained, “So many times with shows you get canceled, and then you never really get to end it.”

“So, we all felt really, really fortunate that we got that process to say goodbye, and that we got the chance to wrap it up and pay homage to how long we got to spend with those characters and each other. At the end of the day, all of us were just grateful," she added. 

Jennifer’s co-star Aleks Pauvonic also chimed in about the series finale, promising that the final episode of Van Helsing will be a real tear-jerker. In an interview with CBR, Aleks also emphasized the importance of the series “ending on its own terms.”

He shared, “That led to a lot of really interesting storylines, not only developing but finishing. That's the biggest thing that people are really going to take away from this season is to see where each character goes and how they end up and where the end of their story lies. I think that's special."

"I can't obviously get into storylines or anything like that. I don't want to give anything away, but it's going to be really fun to watch. I think there's going to be quite a few tears shed, for sure," he added. 

But who is the ominous character Vanessa and her squad are forced to defeat in the season finale? Meet the actress who plays the Dark One in Van Helsing.

Who is the Dark One in ‘Van Helsing’?

Known to many as “the mother of all,” Tricia Helfer plays Countess Olivia von Dracula, who emerged from the dark realm in Season 4. In the past, Tricia has also been featured in Lucifer, Battlestar Galactica, and Two and a Half Men.

Tune into the series finale of Van Helsing on Friday, June 25 at 10 p.m. EST on Syfy.