Netflix's Dragon Prince Is Still Wasting Its Best Character
by Renaldo MatadeenWARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Dragon Prince Season 3, streaming now on Netflix.
Over three seasons, Netflix's The Dragon Prince has introduced fans to a vast array of unique characters. From the altruistic mage in Prince Callum to the kind King Ezran to the badass elf Rayla to, last but not least, the show's version of Littlefinger, Viren, we've seen some very intriguing personnel fighting for what they perceive to be the good of Katolis and the four other kingdoms.
However, as much as we love seeing these figures hash it out over the fate of the young, titular, Zym, the show continues to waste its most interesting character: General Amaya.
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Amaya's the maternal aunt of Ezran and sister-in-law to King Harrow. She lost her sister to the Dragon King, Thunder, and since then has been a protector of the realm driven by vengeance. It's not that she's become bloodthirsty, but she's absolutely become far more no-nonsense in her demeanor as she doesn't trust the elves and dragons of the magical realm, Xadia, anymore.
The first two seasons barely scratched the surface of the warrior, which seemed like it would be rectified in Season 3 as she was taken prisoner by the Sunfire elves in the land of Lux Aurea. But she's given little to do for the entire season, apart from the last two episodes where she breaks free as a prisoner of war and helps Ezran protect Xadia from Viren's evil army empowered by the sinister Aaravos. There's not much nuance to her anymore and Amaya's merely used for her brute force rather than her brain, throwing away the potential she holds as an advisor to Ezran in the same way she was to his parents.
Amaya's Deaf -- a trait rarely seen in mainstream media -- so that also is something the series should give more airtime to. Instead, we see her in short bursts, which is a mistake considering how much she could offer in terms of inclusivity and progressive storytelling. Also, we just don't see enough of her in the field, despite it being perfectly obvious she's the best fighter on the show.
When the Sunfire elves hold her hostage, her relationship with her captor, Janai, isn't fleshed out that much either, which is a shame because they have such a powerful dynamic. They clearly see themselves in each other yet the series doesn't spend too much time fleshing out this emotional connection to establish why Janai feels sympathy for Amaya.
That's why it's not that genuine when both help Ezran's alliance of elves, humans and dragons stop Viren's legion. In the aftermath, the two of them hold hands, hinting at a lesbian relationship to come. Unfortunately, it feels superficial as it comes out of nowhere, rather than coming across as deep, natural and earned as we'd like it to. Had we gotten more of them exchanging war stories and family history at the Sunfire prison, it'd be more believable that the two would have romantic feelings for one another.
Janai's elves could have learned so much from Amaya and vice versa. Similarly, when Viren appears to steal the Sunforge power, he doesn't have that much to do with Amaya, either. It's disappointing because she was one of his biggest critics, staunchly opposing his methods since the show started, so by not giving her any interactions with him, the Sunfire queen or Jaina for that matter, Amaya comes off like nothing more than a forgotten prop. Instead, she's just there to decorate Ezran's life as a bodyguard, or, when the going gets tough, as some sort of deus ex machina at Xadia. By reducing her agency, she really feels trivial.
Fans complained about this last season as they know she's one of the greatest figures on the series -- something hinted at since day one. With Ezran's parents dead, people expected more of her being a mother-figure to him and Callum -- and even to Rayla, who senses a kindred warrior spirit in Amaya. And yet, Amaya is nothing more than peripheral in Season 3 of The Dragon Prince.
Hopefully, she moves past this secondary role should the show get a fourth season because with her wisdom, military tactics and new position as a bridge between elves and humans, Amaya deserves a lot more time in the spotlight than she's been getting.
Netflix's The Dragon Prince Season 3 is now streaming. It stars the voices of Jack DeSena as Callum, Sasha Rojen as Ezran, Paula Burrows as Rayla, Jesse Inocalla as Soren, Racquel Belmonte as Claudia, Luc Roderique as King Harrow of Katolis and Jason Simpson as Viren.
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