All nine episodes were provided for this non-spoiler review
The first season of The Dragon Prince aired on Netflix in 2018, Co-created by Aaron Ehasz (of Avatar: The Last Airbender fame) and Justin Richmond. The Dragon Prince was praised for amazing world building, a loveable diverse cast of characters, and large scale sense of adventure. That doesn’t mean it didn’t have its fair share of problems, the slow pacing, and choppy framerate made the nine episodes feel like eighteen. Luckily season two has resolved all those problems, which is good news because The Dragon Prince has built up a humongous fanbase.
Before we begin, let’s address the elephant in the room: the animation. The biggest downfall of season one was the choppy animation, which turned quite a few away, but for those who stayed realized the storytelling was worth the price of admission. The animators seemed to have heard the complaints and made the animation smoother, and easier to digest. Another big change is the length and pacing of the show, episodes are a tad longer and more complete. Each episode knows exactly when to end. Rest assured when the nine episodes are over you will wish there was nine more. Season one spends most of its time raising questions, while season two answers numerous questions that have been on our mind. Like what is the mystery behind the mirror, what happened to Callum and Ezran’s mother, and can humans actually learn magic outside of the forbidden dark magic?
Similar to the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, each season is named after an element, and this season is named Sky. Without spoiling too much, the season ties into Callum trying to regain his ability to use Sky magic, and the imminent war that is brewing between the humans and the elves. Season two relies on split storytelling, choosing to focus on our heroes, and of course the villainous Lord Viren. If there is one main selling point to this series, it has to be the character building. Every character including the creatures are fully fleshed out and realized, and the show makes sure to rise above cliches tropes in other animated series. For example, Claudia and Soren are the antagonists of season two, but that doesn’t stop them from being downright likable. Speaking of Claudia, she steals the show and is sure to become a fan favorite amongst the viewers. Rayla takes more of a supporting role this season, but she still has her moments to shine.
It is quite amazing, how season two gracefully builds upon the setup of season one. Numerous factions, settings, and motives are explored in detail while still leaving some mystery for fans to speculate on. Season two almost feels like a reward for people who believed The Dragon Prince could be the next big hit on Netflix.
Living up the legacy of Avatar and other great animated series is a hard task, despite the shaky season one, season two proves The Dragon Prince is worthy of being a spiritual successor to Avatar, and that the hype was justified. The biggest negative of season two is that we are left on a massive cliffhanger, but hopefully, a season three is announced for this year. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the recently ended Voltron: Legendary Defender now have a great new series to look forward to, and for people who doubted this series, now is the time to jump in.
The Dragon Prince Season 2 will be available on Netflix February 15th
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