“She’s perfect”
— Lujanne
The most important lessons don’t always strike immediately. Sometimes, time is required for revelation to sink in. When it does, though. That time only helps to build up momentum to create a truly — and literally — breathtaking moment of realization.
Such is the case in The Dragon Prince. Netflix’s animated adventure lives up to the excitement built by its connections to Avatar: The Last Airbender. ATLA is celebrated for its deep storytelling, broad cast of lovable characters, grand plots, and impactful messages. The Dragon Prince continues this legacy in its own right, building on its ATLA foundation and growing in a fresh and unique way.
What viewers have paid particular notice to is the diverse nature of the characters. Main heroes have varied ethnic backgrounds, strong warriors communicate exclusively via sign language and lip-reading, and lovable teammates have specific gender identities.
These characters end up being vehicles for important lessons about society as a whole and individual groups living within the broad expanse of their — and our — world. Can we not find ourselves able to connect to the cast of The Dragon Prince as different races find themselves defined by the worst among them, all the while wanting peace? Most strikingly, do we not also find ourselves trapped in a cycle of revenge perpetuated by a select few in charge?
