Media Essays: The Dragon Prince Season 4 and 5 We Should've Gotten (Part 1)

Written by The Wandering Fox

Everyone, I’m back! And what’s that? I’m here with another The Dragon Prince blog entry? You might be thinking I’m a miserable git for being so critical of the show, Media Man too told me it’s best I be careful of what to say of the show. But hey, I criticise this because I loved The Dragon Prince and was angry with Through the Moon and Season 4, and season 5’s poster is already making me angry.

Look at it! Nyx is back! More characters to juggle in an over stuffed story! Ezran is still there, he should be going home and be a king! Is Soren gonna be annoying? They confirmed this, but Nyx being there is gonna make him more annoying given we all know Nyx helped get Rayllum together, she and Soren will be those annoying side characters. And then we had another online web story revealing how humans once could do magic and Aaravos then created the Sea of the Castout! Aaron, how many people are going to read that? You are not learning anything from the mistakes you made with Through the Moon and Season 4.

But how come I am doing this now? Because I watched The Owl House and the episode Hollow Mind, and the Hellraiser movie, gave me a idea of how exactly Seasons 4 and 5 should go. Now, you might be thinking “Hellraiser? Mixing The Dragon Prince and The Owl House with Hellraiser is not the best crossover!” No, I’m not having Pinhead and the Cenobites appear. I don’t think I’ll tackle season 6 and 7 yet until we know well enough what those seasons could be like. Still, keep in mind, I’m using Hellraiser as a inspiration for these things:

You thought I was gonna put a Hellraiser poster on here?

The Dragon Prince and Hellraiser have a box be a main thing in their franchises, the Key of Aaravos and the Lament Configuration, you have both associated with the boxes being from other dimensions, both have deep voices, the boxes are said to open something if solved.

With that said, I will say if you want my criticisms towards Season 4 explained to you, then here you go https://www.themediamanblog.com/post/media-essays-emperor-belos-vs-aaravos-the-better-villain https://www.themediamanblog.com/post/media-essays-what-if-dana-terrace-joined-the-dragon-prince

I also like to say though I think Season 5 will be released at the end of July, I’m doing Season 5 to follow on from my idea of season 4. If Season 5 is even worse than Season 4, then yes, I’ll write one for Season 5’s quality as it stands.

So, what would my Season 4 do that season 4 didn’t?

Who ran away?

Through the Moon is a example of how NOT to do a TV show. You don’t just do a major plot point in a book not everyone is going to read, with artwork which fits a web comic more than a physical comic and turn your main female character into a regressed idiot who thinks she can kill the guy who defeated her and her parents and leave her boyfriend on his birthday. If you ask me I think they tried to make Rayla more than what she was, this didn’t suit her. I get it, Viren had done something to Runaan, and her mum and dad, yet aside from that, Rayla hasn’t got a big connection to Viren. But who does? Soren.

Soren, the son of Viren, who saved him from dying as a kid, Viren blames him for his wife Lissa leaving, gaslighting him, manipulating him in killing both Ezran and Callum, almost turning him into a fire zombie. Soren is also Claudia’s older brother, he spent most of season three trying his best to convince Claudia to leave Viren, the last he saw her, she tried to kill Ezran with an illusion of Viren and Soren killed it, gaslit him for doing so then buggered off. You know, with him being worried about Claudia being nowhere, I think Soren would be the one to run away, to find Claudia and bring her home.

I’d do this, season 4 begins with Soren leaving in the middle of the night, he leaves a letter at Ezran’s throne, telling him he’s going to bring Claudia home. We next see Soren in episode four of season 4, behaving a little weirdly as he returns to Katolis, admitting he’s given up on Claudia, and it’s later revealed Claudia brainwashed him, therefore he did find her but was beaten up and turned against the heroes. This gives you a better take and the result of Soren trying to bring her home has a tragic result.

Time skip

The two year time skip in the show was a thing I wouldn’t be happy with if I did it. There’s so much bad to it. You have Rayla being gone for two years being a idiot and coming back empty handed with only Stella and was like “Ah gave up! Sorry for being gone for two years but hey, Ah got a cuddle monkey, ye think we can make up Callum?” Ezran stayed the same, he’s still a kid, he hasn’t become wiser or king like, he’s still a kid who does childish things and doesn’t think things through, such as appointing Barius the baker as a member of the council and inviting Zubeia and brushing off the citizen’s worries and wants to see Zym again then goes off on another adventure. Soren is a bigger dummy then he once was and had no concern Claudia was missing for two years. We also never got to see Janai and Amaya develop their relationship, we never got to see how different things are.

If down to me, the timeskip would be up to a few months, maybe December, the season beginning a couple of days before Sarai’s birthday December 3rd. A few months can give us enough to cover certain stuff like the following:

The other Human Kingdoms.

Soren’s disappearance.

Ezran growing into the role of a king.

Callum being taught by Ibis.

Rayla becoming a Dragonguard.

Claudia’s revenge plan.

The Season 4 covering these gives us a chance to have Ezran trying to discuss things with the rulers of the other human kingdoms with Aanya helping him, as the other humans believed Xadia killed and wounded their rulers, and Ezran and Aanya killed the soldiers turned into fire zombies, Kasef being killed as well, with Katolis’s rebells and Duren’s lot helping. To make it more annoying for those kingdoms, the two child rulers have opened a trade route with Xadia, making them think Ezran and Aanya are weak as rulers. Claudia is aware of this and forms a network of Dark Mages from these kingdoms to get revenge on them, while getting the ingredients together to resurrect Viren. The other elements with Ibis training Callum gives us the chance to even see what else he does as a mage, then there’s him studying Aaravos for the key has given him a interested in Aaravos. Then there’s the story of Rayla a Dragonguard is following in her mum and dad’s footsteps.

Season 5 follows on with these things occurring, primarily Aaravos’s meeting with Callum, his freedom, Viren adjusting, Ezran trying to outlaw Dark Magic by gathering those who have practiced it, the coins, and Callum opening the box.

Characters

The characters aren’t gonna be anything like their idiotic selves from season 4, Terry, Rex Igneous, the Earth blood elf kid, and the butterfly elf won’t feature. Terry could appear a bit later. The characters I’ll focus on will be Callum, Soren, Ezran,, Claudia, Rayla

Callum

The difference between him and his tv self is Callum isn’t a depressed guy who is roughing up Soren. Because he’s still with Rayla, he’s a lot happier, and he’s been with Ibis in Xadia, stronger with Sky Magic, so he’s in his happiest. The character journey he has in season 4 is having to make some choices for the future for he sees Ezran has been struggling a bit since going home and becoming king, with him having to think about wether he can stay in Xadia or not. Callum has come to love what he’s got with Rayla and is very protective of her if a human or elf insult her. However, he does have a more vicious side to him given he doesn’t care for Claudia now, he doesn’t have anything to feel for her other than betrayal and hate, he hates her for lying to him and almost killing Ezran. Once he fights her here he’s a lot more aggressive. Even then, Callum is still a kind, compassionate guy who loves his girl, his family and magic, the last of which he is more invested in compared to his tv counterpart with him uncovering the past of Aaravos and how his own arcanum can affect the other primal sources. Callum does prove his intelligence by opening Key, with him warped inside. Callum does undergo some trauma in my version of season 5 after Aaravos tricks him into freeing him, Aaravos taking on the form of a child to convince Callum to help free him. The sheer shame, guilt and rage in Callum makes him a reckless character in season 6, but I’ll go into that once I feel I can.

Callum doesn’t talk to the Dragon Queen, mostly out of mixed emotions of her having his dad killed, though this does get resolved in season 5 for Zubeia apologises for it, telling him she thought her baby died and wanted revenge, but Harrow’s death brought her nothing, given why she fell in a deep slumber. Zubeia sacrifices herself in stage sixth season to halt Aaravos from taking him. Though he does struggle to forgive her, Callum is tearful at her death.

In his magic, Callum is a lot more agile and athletic with him able to do handstands, or even bench press with his finger thanks to his magic he can make himself as light as a feather, hence he’s a lot more ripped. He can cast mist, ice, dust clouds, summon clouds to cause rain, send a whisper through the air, increase the oxygen for his friends if they’re struggling to breathe, make air pockets in tight spaces, can find openings for air, crush the lungs of his enemies. Callum learns how to manipulate the other arcanums to his advantage like using Aspiro to affect a river and then cast Aspiro Frigus to make a few ice spikes for those to use, blow some rocks off and then manipulate them with his wind magic, same with fire or magma rocks, cast clouds in the dark of the night to help translates runes for Moon or Star.

Callum wears a outfit closer to what he wore in season 3’s end, a red tunic with markings, black trousers, though he keeps his scarf, boots and book from the first three seasons. He has white feather shoulder pads to represent he is symbolic with doves, as his name means Dove King. He has red bandages from his forearms to his hands, his hair windswept given he’s flown a lot.

Ezran

Unlike his current self in the animated series in which he’s basically still behaving like a kid and abandons his kingdom, Ezran is a little more stern. He’s still a friendly and good hearted guy, but as king he’s become rather unlike who he once was, he’s learning to reserve his emotions and to help the citizens of Katolis and hear them of their opinions. Ezran has found it difficult with Callum’s absence but he doesn’t hold it against him as he didn’t want Callum tied to the throne, but he did Miss him and wishes he can help a bit more, thus leaving Callum to think of his own life. Ezran has had to learn sword fighting under Corvus, but he is unsure of killing someone so he has a shield and he has Bait on him to help blind his opponents. Ezran does hold guilt over the fight at the Storm Spire for having to kill a few human soldiers, some of who had been from his own kingdom, and the families of those he feels responsible for, giving them the chances to bury their loved ones and even allows them to leave for other kingdoms if they don’t like him.

Ezran also does call out Avizandium for killing Sarai. Ezran’s reign as king does come with his downfall as he and Aanya ban Dark Magic in their kingdoms, arresting those who practice it or support it. It only causes Ezran grief once Aaravos is freed and telepathically controls the Dark Mages to break free and begin taking over.

Ezran wears more silver to help separate himself from his dad, who’s sword he forged into his crown, wears his cloak from season 3 and has had a haircut.

Rayla

A big difference in Rayla here is she didn’t run away, instead remaining true to being a Dragonguard and following in her mum and dad’s footsteps, while being utterly joyful in her relationship with Callum. Rayla does have her own trials to face in this Season 4 with prejudice, maintaining a healthy relationship with her uncle, and facing Claudia. Rayla does have her fears of what happened to her mum, dad and Runaan but is having to accept the likelihood they’re dead and she only has Ethari of her family now. Rayla is also a lot more mature here, understanding the elves and dragons did a lot of bad things as well and is calling out elves being racist to humans, becoming upset if anyone is insulting Callum, she often yells at them of all the things he’s done for her and Xadia, he is way more compassionate than her village, telling them to be grateful to him. With humans she often shrugs off the insults as she has friends in humanity who are a lot more respectful towards her. She does care a lot for Ezran, for being king means he has a lot on him now and understands he wants Callum to be around a little longer.

Rayla does have her moments where she’s a bit harsh, mostly with Claudia, telling her that her dad was a monster who brainwashed multiple humans and tried to kill a baby dragon, telling her she’s a waste of anyone trying to help her. Though she has her emotional depths with her and Ethari coming to accept Runaan is dead and has a deep talk with Callum over how confused she feels, she understands Runaan killed his dad and it was a vile thing, but on the other hand she misses him. Callum understands and gives her and Ethari the space to mourn him. She gives Callum and Ezran comfort as they mourn for their mother.

Rayla eventually does discover her family survives in coins which is her arc in Season 5 including thinking of how bringing Runaan back could hurt Callum, who she will he comforting after he frees Aaravos.

Tying her hair in a ponytail, she wears a dress she would’ve done in Season 4 but with a dragon guard emblem on the chest, blue boots and forearm sleeves with a grey blue shirt, has the gold beads of the Dragonguard, and the lilac gems.

Claudia

Claudia in Season 4 here isn’t like how she had been in the actual series, with her being a lot more colder and vicious. The hatred she’s developed for elves has gotten a lot worse thanks to Rayla killing her dad. Claudia knows Aaravos is an elf but sees him merely as a means to get revenge on the elves and dragons and the humans she feels have betrayed her. Claudia is a lot more smarter than she usually is, with Aaravos contacting the other human dark mages with her beginning a plan to overthrow Ezran and Aanya, gathering what she needs to resurrect Viren.

Claudia despises Rayla and sees Ezran as an idiot, and doesn’t consider Soren family anymore for he killed the illusion of Viren. She still cares about Callum, believing Rayla has brainwashed him and tries to have him embrace the darkness, saying he wasn’t born of royalty and doesn’t belong with the humans or the elves. Claudia does lose her edge upon meeting Rayla again and tries to kill her, coldly tells Ezran their conversation means nothing now for he is her enemy who loves the elves more than humans, brainwashes Soren to help infiltrate the meeting and bring the Dark Mages in. Lissa tries to talk to her but Claudia tells her if she loved her family, she wouldn’t have left.

Claudia though smart and skilled with magic struggles against Callum given she uses the Sunfire staff and it limits her fighting whereas Callum is hands free. In season five she turns it into a gauntlet to give her more physical edge to fight, though she still loses to Callum.

I might have her meet Terry maybe in Season 5 in a story in which she’s separated from Aaravos for a while, Terry helping her get better. Claudia does become confused with him helping her to which we discover the Earth elves hated the idea of humanity being separated from them, giving Claudia some light to take.

Claudia’s costume is more torn having survived in the wild for months. Her hair is cut a bit shorter but still ties it in a ponytail. Claudia still has the cloak she wore.

Soren

He’s mostly brainwashed in this season but we see killing the illusion of his dad scarred him a lot and Claudia being gone has him fearful for her so he left to find her. Soren is mostly behaving as Claudia wants him to, acting like a jolly dimwit, but after he is turned back to normal he is ashamed and is determined to bring Claudia home and keep Ezran safe.

Soren wears a outfit similar to the one he wore but it’s more darker.

End of Part 1