Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for The Dragon Prince Season 5
The Dragon Prince’s newest season is the second installment of the show’s new arc. After completing the original mission of returning Zym to his mother, Ezran (Sasha Rojen), Callum (Jack De Sena), and their friends run into a new obstacle: Aaravos (Erik Dellums). As the series entered the new story arc, its name updated toThe Dragon Prince: The Mysteries of Aaravos,signaling the importance of the Startouch Elf. Yet, from his prison, Aaravos hasn’t done much in his two seasons as the central conflict. Certainly, his presence looms large, with the characters racing to find his prison to either release him or keep him contained, but Aaravos himself was more active in the earlier seasons than he is inSeason 5.
The infamous character is an ancient being imprisoned ages before the series because of his careful manipulations. He is said to be such a threat that the Dragon King, Avizandum (Chris Metzen), commissioned a special prison for him and distributed the information about it among Archdragons, so no one could ever find it. Yet Aaravos discovered a way to manipulate Viren (Jason Simpson) from his prison and threatens to break free with help from Viren and Claudia (Racquel Belmonte). The Dragon Queen, Zubeia (Nicole Oliver), and everyone who knows of Aaravos, fear what he could do if he escapes, prompting another world-saving quest. But Aaravos hasn’t done anything in these seasons to prove how much of a threat he is. If Aaravos is as dangerous as everyone describes, it’s time for him to do something besides boast. Up to this point, the only mystery about him is his absence from the show.
What Did Aaravos Do in ‘The Dragon Prince’ Season 5?
Aaravos was largely missing fromSeason 4, but that season was establishing the new story. With the plot just beginning, Aaravos' lack of participation was almost excusable. But as the arc builds, Aaravos needs to be more of a threat, and Season 5 doesn’t deliver that. In fact, there was less of him in Season 5 than before. Including Aaravos does come with challenges, as he is still imprisoned. He has overcome this issue in the past, but only through magic and Avizandum’s mirror. With the mirror that serves as a window into his prison long left behind under Zubeia’s watchful eye and the “little bug friend” that allowed him to communicate with Viren now grown into the wordless Sir Sparklepuff, Aaravos was incommunicado throughout most of Season 5, to the show’s detriment.
Despite their efforts to free him, Claudia and Viren have little contact with him. Mostly Aaravos is waiting in his prison, appearing only in two episodes. First, he shows up in Janai’s (Rena Anakwe) dream. He threatens the Sunfire Elf Queen and reveals that he was involved in her grandmother’s death, but the audience doesn’t hear how until the final episode. It’s not until then that Aaravos returns to replay the dream and claims to have swallowed Janai’s grandmother. Inthe season finale, he also appears to Viren, offering a way to extend the expiring resurrection spell with the blood of Viren’s child — Sir Sparklepuff. Viren rejects the dark magic, and Aaravos assures him that he will die. Though the episode explains that Aaravos is anticipating his freedom and can sense that Claudia is close to his prison, he does nothing else. If the show wants Aaravos to be a master manipulator, it’s time he actually becomes one. Even from his prison, Aaravos has been a threat before, so why is he struggling to orchestrate his release?
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‘The Dragon Prince’ Included More Aaravos Before He Became the Main Villain
Aaravos is not a new character, as his plot began in Season 1 with the mysterious mirror that Viren previously stole from Avizandum. The story shows Viren unlocking the secret and seeing Aaravos, though he cannot hear him. Viren and Aaravos continue to work together, communicating through the being that would become Sir Sparklepuff. Through Aaravos' plan, Viren ascends the throne and wages war on Xadia. At this point, the conflict is still focused on Ezran’s fight for peace and unity through the return of Zym, but Aaravos takes an active role by manipulating Viren.
Despite becoming the story’s focus, his part diminished somewhat in Season 4. Yet Aaravos still plays a significant role. With Aaravos' instructions,Claudia resurrects the fallen Viren. And in his new role of High Mage, Callum investigates the mirror, eventually learning about Aaravos through Zubeia. Zubeia recounts the history of Aaravos, briefly explaining why he is dangerous and how he came to be imprisoned. But his most important scene in Season 4 is when Aaravos possesses Callum through the mirror. Taking over Callum’s body, Aaravos uses it to threaten the other heroes, terrifying Callum to the point where he asks Rayla (Paula Burrows) to kill him if it happens again. This single action shows him to be dangerous even from his prison, but Season 5 doesn’t expand on that, which is an issue with the plot.The series has long struggled with pacing, and Aaravos' plot is no different.
‘The Dragon Prince’ Needs To Explore Aaravos' Mysteries
The Dragon Princeneeds to deliver on Aaravos' mysteries that they promise in the title. It’s not enough to allude to his history and expect him to be a potent threat. An ancient and powerful evil makes a good villain, but only if they are still doing something in the present time. The show has already proven that hecanbe dangerous from his prison, so why isn’t he this season? Beyond his desire for freedom,Aaravos' goals are as unexplored as his abilities. In his limited appearances, Aaravos hints at a plan but gives no indication of what it may be or what he’s trying to do. Legends give a terrifying reputation for him, but he hasn’t done anything to support that. By holding Aaravos back, the show continues to build anticipation that he may be unable to live up to. If Aaravos is supposed to be pulling the strings, it’s time the audience sees that, or else he is in danger of becoming a letdown.
