The Dragon Prince, an upcoming, original animated series from Netflix, recently attended San Diego Comic-Con. Here’s everything we know about the Aaron Ehasz-helmed show.
Prior to San Diego Comic-Con, what we knew about The Dragon Prince was limited. We had a captivating poster, courtesy of See What’s Next, as well as a brief synopsis, and the news that it would be headed up by former Avatar: The Last Airbender head writer, Aaron Ehasz.
Avatar: The Last Airbender headwriter Aaron Ehasz has paired with Netflix for #TheDragonPrince, a new animated series about two human princes who forge an unlikely bond with the elfin assassin sent to kill them, embarking on an epic quest to bring peace to their warring lands. pic.twitter.com/HsIkyyD2fj
— See What's Next (@seewhatsnext) July 10, 2018
That, alone, was enough to pique the interest of potential fans. But we didn’t have to wait long to discover more about the series, as shortly following its July 10 announcement, The Dragon Prince hit the road, and put on its inaugural panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
Far more was divulged at the convention, as well as a first-look at its trailer, so we’ve compiled everything that you can expect from the show, before it hits the streaming service on September 14.
The characters
The trailer showcased several characters, though only four — plus one creature — have been officially named thus far.
Callum, the eldest prince, will be voiced by Jack De Sena (Sokka, Avatar: The Last Airbender). His younger brother, Prince Ezran, will be voiced by Sasha Rojen, and he also has a creature called Bait, a glow toad. Meanwhile, the elfin moonshadow assassin sent to kill the two princes, Rayla, will be voiced by Paula Burrows. A second moonshadow elf, Runaan, was named on Twitter after the panel.
And here they are! #TheDragonPrince pic.twitter.com/gWNDKzGZCf
— The Dragon Prince (@thedragonprince) July 21, 2018
Moonshadow elf Runaan. #TheDragonPrince pic.twitter.com/rLQyq2YPZk
— The Dragon Prince (@thedragonprince) July 25, 2018
Our four NAMED characters! Callum, Ezran, Rayla, and Runaan. Which character from the trailer would you like to know the name of next? #TheDragonPrince pic.twitter.com/dBZSLy5Lnv
— The Dragon Prince (@thedragonprince) July 26, 2018
Additional characters, though they have not yet been officially named, include the father of the two princes, a lord (Viren), a knight (Soren), his sister (Claudia), and further elfin assassins — presumably related to Rayla, who will eventually defect to join Callum and Ezran.
The world
The world of The Dragon Prince, Xadia, already appears to be a rich and diverse one, with a deep lore and interesting basis for its magic system.
According to the panellists, and the episode screened, magic is derived from six natural sources: moon, sun, stars, earth, ocean, and sky. The humans discover the ability to use dark magic, which takes the essence from magical creatures in order to unleash its power. It is that use of dark magic which sets in motion the conflict with the elves and dragons.
When questioned about the possibility of LGBT+ representation in the show, the panel answered that anything specific would constitute a spoiler, but they are trying to create a diverse and inclusive fantasy. This was similarly stated for the ethnic diversity of their cast of characters within the world of Xadia as well.
As for the antagonist in the series, there will be no specific good vs. evil storyline. Unlike the Fire Nation in Avatar: The Last Airbender, the intention for the show is that the sides will be varied, with neither being “ethically homogeneous.”
Additional info and release date
The Dragon Prince will be available on Netflix on September 14, though no official episode order has been given as of yet.
As for the tone of the series, while it won’t necessarily skew darker than Avatar: The Last Airbender, there are less restrictions on what they can and can’t show — they cited the death of Jet in ATLA as an example — which means that they can explore more emotional depth with that freedom.
Despite that, The Dragon Prince will still have some levity and lightness to it, through its humor, in order to balance out some of the heavier themes and content.
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