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The Dragon Prince's third season is so good, I finished it in one day

By Koh Wanzi - 26 Nov 2019

The Dragon Prince's third season is so good, I finished it in one day

Image Source: Netflix

This is shaping up to be one of the best fantasy series ever

The world of The Dragon Prince is quite simply filled with wonder and magic. I'm not someone who typically enjoys shows about love, hope, friendship and other big feelings, but the third season of The Dragon Prince absolutely swept me away with its detailed world building, fascinating lore, and well-written characters. This Netflix original from studio Wonderstorm has some big names behind it too, so it's not nearly a surprise that it's turned out to be so good. Co-creator Aaron Ehasz is a former Futurama writer and head writer of Avatar: The Last Airbender, while Justin Richmond was director and game developer on the beloved Uncharted series.

Despite being a children's animated series, The Dragon Prince brings to the fore issues that are so relatable, human, and relevant to our times that it's more than just another fantasy series for kids. In addition to a diverse cast and LGBT representation, the writing and dialogue convey an earnestness that I find almost refreshing. This series isn't pretending to be anything and it has no delusions of grandeur or inflated notions of self-importance. I never got the impression that it was trying too hard to drive a certain message home. Instead, everything is conveyed simply and without more words than necessary. At its core, The Dragon Prince is about characters trying to do the right thing in a morally gray world. This is further complicated by things like revenge and familial duty, especially when these instinctive impulses go against what they know to be right.

Season 3 is also the most layered yet of the series. The creators have done admirable work in laying the foundation of the world in the first season, gradually shading in myriad tones of black and white as we go farther along. In Season 1, we were presented with a world divided between the human kingdoms and the magical realms. Humans supposedly can't tap into the natural magic of the world, which the show refers to as Primal Sources. Instead, they've turned to dark magic, which requires them to crush the life from living creatures to utilise the magic inherent in them.

But while the series initially sets up a stark dichotomy between humans and other magical creatures, it slowly breaks it down, showing that characters with shared values can work together toward a common goal. Season 1 saw human princes Callum and Ezran, and Moonshadow elf assassin Rayla, overcome the fear and enmity they've been brought up with. It isn't easy at first, and the trio have to get around considerable distrust and established stereotypes, but their blossoming friendship is heartwarming to watch.

Season 2 takes things a step further, showing that even people you thought to be on your side – including trusted figures of authority – can have nefarious goals. It's yet another step of breaking down an us versus them perception of the world, showing that it's people's values and their character that defines them, not superficial categories like race or creed.

Image Source: Netflix

The third season offers glimpses of a solution – as Rayla watches Ezran and baby dragon Zym play, she says that they're the ones that are going to "break the cycle", the cycle being the vicious tit for tat that the adults in the series have been engaged in so far. Zym's father Avizandum killed the princes' mother, and he was in turn killed by King Harrow and Lord Viren when they returned to Xadia seeking revenge. When Callum sees the giant figure of Avizandum, who has since been reduced to stone, he says he feels hatred. But more than anything, he's just sorry that things played out the way they did, because Avizandum was also Zym's father.

Ultimately, season 3 sees our heroes grapple with the fallout from the actions of parental figures in their lives. Humans, elves, and even dragons are deeply flawed creatures, and the inability of many of them to see past their enmity has led to a never ending cycle of war and recrimination that their children are now forced to confront. "His name will be vengeance!" Viren tells Harrow, arguing that they need to destroy Avizandum's egg as well to stave off all possibility of retaliation from the future Dragon King. This theme of children carrying on their parents' fights persists throughout the show, and it's something that Callum, Ezran, and Rayla are trying to break free from as they attempt to broker peace and journey to the Storm Spire to return Zym home.

Image Source: Netflix

Storytelling in The Dragon Prince is masterful and nuanced. Villains are seldom just caricatures of evil, as exemplified by the dark mage Viren. Viren thinks that his cause is noble, insisting to Aaravos that his goal is a "bright future for humanity". In Viren's mind, the end justifies the means, no matter what he has to do or who he has to trample on to get there. He's also shown to have a softer side, rebuking the Startouch elf for referring to his daughter Claudia as an "asset". And what of Claudia herself, whose only crime is arguably an unshakeable belief that her father is a good man?

The Dragon Prince's world is a gray one, much like our own. Sometimes the people we love are guilty of wrongdoing, and it takes courage to stand up to them. Soren's character arc is particularly well done, and he grows from a bumbling Crown Guard desperate for his father's approval to the person who finally says out loud that Viren is evil and needs to be stopped. He's abandoned his father and sister to stand with Callum and gang, a choice that he finally makes after becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Viren's actions over the course of three seasons.

Image Source: Netflix

Even the battle sequences are fantastic in this series. In the final battle against Viren's armies, we're given an epic ebb and flow as the tide of battle continually shifts. And in a moment reminiscent of the arrival of the Rohirrim at the Battle of Helm's Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the Kingdom of Duren comes to our heroes' aid at the very last moment, with Queen Aanya leading the charge. Incidentally, the queen is also a child, and she was the only one of the human leaders to resist Viren's call to war when he tried to rally them together. Once again, The Dragon Prince shows a mere kid trying to break this needless cycle of violence.

These may seem like weighty themes to grapple with, but there are small moments of humour and levity that help lighten the mood and push the show along at a sprightly pace. When he returns home to assume the crown, Ezran finds that he can now have as many jelly tarts as he wants and no longer needs to sneak into the bakery to steal them as he used to do. What's more, he has guards that will continually follow him around and echo his every request, including mundane ones like "The King requests another tart of jelly!" Then there's Soren's letter to Lujanne, the guardian of the Moon Nexus, addressed to "Dear Moon Lady". And who can forget Callum and Rayla's adorable dynamic as they awkwardly confess their feelings for one another, an odd pairing that also somehow feels right at the same time.

Image Source: Netflix

The show's creators also continue to flesh out the magical realm of Xadia and the rich history behind it. We get to learn how archdragon Sol Regem lost his sight, and the exact manner in which Viren and Harrow were able to fell Avizandum. The latter is particularly heartwrenching, as Avizandum spends his last moments valiantly trying to get back to his egg. He eventually calcifies into stone with one hand outstretched toward his nest, shedding a tear as he realises he's not going to make it.

On top of that, we're given a peek into Lux Aurea, the home of the Sunfire elves. It's a dazzling location, quite literally, and the show expands more on the source of the Sunfire elves' power, filling in a fascinating piece of this magical world. General Amaya gets a bit to do here as well, and it's the setting for the start of an interesting friendship (and possible romance) between her and Sunfire elf Janai. 

Image Source: Netflix

With a seven-series arc planned, the vast universe of The Dragon Prince looks only set to grow wider. There's a video game in the works, and a full line of books from Scholastic is expected in the first half of 2020. A novel by Ehasz himself is also expected to reveal things about the characters and world that aren't in the animated series. For those of you who enjoy fantastical realms and the world building that comes with the territory, The Dragon Prince already has extensive lore for you to lap up, with more still on the way.

 

The verdict

Image Source: Netflix

This is an enthralling and magical series suitable for folks of all ages. With well-written characters, beautiful artwork, and a fascinating setting, The Dragon Prince is one of the best, if not the best, fantasy series to come out in 2019. It is heartwarming and funny, managing to both pull at your heartstrings and make you laugh, all while tackling issues and moral conundrums that go to the heart of the human experience. It's a story about a bunch of friends trying to make the world a better place, and it is flush with a rosy innocence that is immensely uplifting.

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