The Dragon Prince Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
It's been three years but The Dragon Prince is finally back, and it's bringing change to the world of Xadia. The new season has a darker tone, a bigger scope, and more resonant themes. Not all of it works, as an uneven pace means some storylines get less screen time than others, while the show's usual blend of big and complex ideas with broad humor can at times undermine the story. Still, this is an exciting new chapter for the story that is worth the long wait.
Season 4 picks up two years after the events of the previous season, with Ezra now grown into his role as king, Callum acting as high mage, and Soren as a proud Crownguard. Meanwhile, Claudia managed to resurrect her father, Viren, and now has to free the mysterious and ancient elf Aaravos in order for the spell to stick. A time jump is a long and honored tradition in animated shows, and while this is not as drastic a jump as, say, Gurren Lagann, it is an effective way of signaling the start of a new chapter in the show. The Dragon Prince is moving from the more traditional hero's journey of the first three seasons and into its Empire Strikes Back era.
While the first episode reminds us of how much our heroes have accomplished in getting the titular dragon prince back to his kin, and saving Xadia from an army led by a corrupted dark mage, there is not yet peace in the region. We see this clearly in the storyline of the Sunfire elves, who essentially became a nation of refugees after Viren (with the help of Aaravos) destroyed their city and killed their queen. Now, they live in a refugee camp with humans, with the queen's successor Janai now engaged to Amaya, the leader of Katolis' army.
Tensions are running high, with culture clashes and resentment standing in the way of understanding and openness. Even in Katolis, despite Ezran's best efforts to bring people together through goodwill and food — like by promoting his friend the baker to Minister of Crusts and Jellies — the people aren't so quick to be friendly with dragons the way Ezran and Zym are. Here lies the brilliance of this season, which doesn't just go for a "forgive and forget" message, but instead acknowledges that you can't simply fix the pains of the past overnight. This season is all about realizing that a big victory doesn't wash away old wounds, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still try.
It certainly doesn't help that the villains seem more motivated and prepared than ever before, with Claudia now fully picking up the mantle left by Azula in Avatar: The Last Airbender and acting as the main antagonist. She is arguably the best-written character on the show, one who does increasingly evil and cruel things, but whose motives and actions are easy to understand. Not only is she desperately fighting to keep her family, but she has been drinking Aaravos' Kool-Aid and now has deep resentment towards the magical creatures of Xadia for their treatment of humans. And despite her ability for cruelty, she is very much in love with her elf boyfriend Terry.
The Dragon Prince returns with a season all about changes, both expected and unexpected.
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The new season of The Dragon Prince gets back on track with the kind of good queer representation that made it stand out in the first place. After a bit of a disappointing Season 3, this season has well-written, compelling queer characters that are vital to the story, like Janai and Amaya, or Terry, whose own coming-out story is handled with care — and brings to mind a similar scene in Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
Granted, the season is far from perfect. Due to the bigger scope, with three concurrent storylines that have huge repercussions to the future of Xadia, the pace falters and struggles to make the three stories feel equally important. Some storylines get less screentime than others, and a slow start to the season means the rest of it rushes to catch up. Likewise, this installment sets up many mysteries and plot points for the future, with many just getting sort of abandoned along the way. Key among these is Aaravos himself, who we learn a bit more about but is mostly just absent from the show. The first half of the season also suffers from an overabundance of very dated pop culture references and broad jokes, though they get better as it goes along.
Still, Season 4 of The Dragon Prince remains as exciting, action-packed, and riveting as ever. This is the start of a dark but compelling chapter for the show and it is worth getting excited about its future.
Verdict
The Dragon Prince returns with a season all about changes, both expected and unexpected. The show is starting a new chapter with a darker tone, bigger stakes, and complex themes about trying to heal old wounds. Despite wonky pacing, it delivers a thrilling high fantasy story.
