While Books 1 and 2 of Dragon's Blood each have their own successes and pitfalls, many viewers are more confused than ever after completing the third installment on Netflix, particularly if they have no history of playing Dota 2 and are unfamiliar with the lore (and even if they do!)
While some Dota fans believe the overused time traveling trope introduced in Book 3 is simply an attempt to rectify past mistakes, the overload of information crammed into eight short episodes leaves many viewers puzzled and rewinding to try and figure out what they missed. There are several elements in the third installment of Dota: Dragon's Blood that simply don't add up, or have left an opening for a potential continuation with Book 4.
Spoilers for Dota Dragon's Blood Book 3 lay ahead, proceed with caution
9 A (Un)Dead Dragon Knight
Book 3 of Dragon's Blood can certainly be described as an emotional roller coaster, particularly concerning the lead protagonist's storyline (not to mention the supporting roles of Lina and Marci.) Davion convinces the Thunder to assist in killing Terrorblade, only to slay the nightmarish beast himself, with just the use of his blade.
Sadly, Davion dies during the epic showdown but is then re-introduced in Universe 12403, now disconnected from Slyrak and with a new and impaired personality. The once-lovers are now practical strangers, and Davion wants nothing to do with the Princess's quest, but ultimately sacrifices his life (again) for her cause just a few episodes later.
8 Terrorblade's Sudden Replacement
Fans spent two whole seasons anxiously looking over their shoulders for Terrorblade's sudden assault, but then Book 3 rolls around, and it's simply: Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am! Only two episodes in, the Big Bad is defeated and subsequently replaced by the antagonistic Invoker on a quest to rebuild the Universe (again), and the leading hero is killed in action.
While destroying the enemy is to be expected, this strange shift in focus makes Book 3 feel rather disjointed and this event comes off as a rather forced segue into the readapted timeline. Episodes 1 and 2 felt like they belonged in Book 2 (which apparently they did), or should have at least been more drawn out. There is so much information crammed into "Hell of Hells" which is then suddenly insignificant (essentially), leaving viewers dazed and confused, without much time to process it all.
7 Is Luna Legion Commander?
After regaining Mirana's trust, Luna takes her rightful place by her side as the commander of the Royal army. Things are still not quite right between the warrior and the Helio Imperium, however, Luna is devoted to her Princess and fights in her honor, regardless.
The Scourge of the Plains dons new armor as she chooses Sun over Moon and now appears to reference a different Dota 2 Hero entirely. Adorned in bronze with a short red cape, all that is missing is a set of Legion Commander wings to complete this confusing cosplay. Luna fighting for the "light" is strange enough as it is, no need for the misleading wardrobe change on top of everything.
6 Fymryn's New Look
The Invoker has reset the Universe thousands of times and, as far as fans are aware, people's personalities might change, but their general appearance seems to remain relatively intact. Every other familiar hero in The Invoker's last reboot looks identical to their alternate reality counterparts, except for dear Fymryn.
Yes, she has since reincarnated as Mene and ascended to a Goddess status with corresponding powers and abilities, but her visage seems to have been altered, leaving Fymryn almost unrecognizable. Her Scottish accent is inconspicuously missing, which could be indicative of growing up in a world without Selemene's corruption (as Fymryn's tribe would not have been forced to relocate to the Nightsilver Woods) but what is the significance of her new face, if Mene and Fymryn are one and the same?
5 The Moon Prison...Thing
As essentially the fundamental basIs of Dota 2's structure, it is quite strange that the Radiant and Dire (aka Radinthul and Diruulth) are rarely mentioned in Dragon's Blood. In Book 3, however, they play a fundamental part in the potential destruction of the Universe, but their exact role is still relatively unclear to some viewers.
The second Moon that roams the sky is actually a prison that was created by Zet and aims to confine the harmful forces of the Radiant and Dire's eternal battle. After being plunged into space, it gravitated towards Earth and settled down for a while, inconspicuously concealing the mystical war raging within. The Radiant Ore and Direstone were birthed from this chaos, each stone significantly influencing the world. The Mad Moon prison, however, began deteriorating, causing fragments to shoot off towards the Earth, with the potential to destroy all life in the process.
According to Dota lore, Dawnbreaker crashed into the Mad Moon, acting as the catalyst of its wreckage.
4 Arc Warden Who?
Dota 2 players may have gotten the Arc Waren reference immediately, but the Dragon's Blood narrative did little to help non-players in on the loop. The previously mentioned Zet, aka the Arc Warden, is a fragment of the Primordial Consciousness (along with the Radiant and Dire) who took it upon himself to maintain the seal of the Mad Moon prison.
As stated in Dota Lore, Dawnbreaker's collision with the Mad Moon also dislodged Zet from the vicinity, with such chaotic force that he transformed into the Arc Warden as a result. Seeing his prison fail, the Arc Warden now seeks to destroy the Dire and Radiant and put an end to the constant confrontations, once and for all.
3 How Is Filomena Still Alive?
Filomena plays jump rope with life in much the same way that Davion does, however, she seems to land with a better footing. Book 1 of Dragon's Blood introduces fans to a young, inquisitive girl inflicted by a strange illness that even the almighty Invoker is incapable of curing. Filomena's death leads her father down a self-destructive path as he recreates the Universe 12403 times, to find the alternate reality in which she survives.
In Book 3, The Invoker is finally successful and now has a stubborn young lady to contend with, but it seems Filomena's disease is not dormant, despite appearances. It looks like the mystical moon flowers impede the spread of Filomena's disease, which would suggest that The Moon Goddess' powers are keeping her alive; so were the flowers previously ineffective due to Selemene's wickedness? Regardless, Filomena was due to perish along with Marci, Lina, and Davion when Mirana reset the world, and yet, she miraculously survived; but how? Hopefully, there will be a Book 4 to offer up some explanations!
2 Bun In The Oven
A strong hint is made towards the fact that Mirana is pregnant (even when hungry, women don't generally go around rubbing their bellies!) but the big question is, who is the father? Yes, Davion, of course, but from which reality; the original or the remake?
The new Davion states that he has strong feelings for Mirana but no context behind them, leaving him feeling rather disorientated, however, still capable of... doing the deed. Alternatively, Mirana could have been impregnated by the original Davion before his death; but then why only acknowledge it after the second reboot? Mirana eventually had access to her memories in Invoker's reset, but makes no reference to an incoming baby, suggesting that Davion 2.0 could very well be the father. Does it even make a difference? That's a debate for another day.
1 Davion And Kaden's Connection
During the Terrorblade-induced hallucinations experienced by Mirana's troop upon entering Foulfell, viewers get a glimpse into each inflicted character's past as they relived their worst nightmares. Kaden's flashback reveals his greatest regret in life when he abandoned his wife to honor his duties as a Dragon Knight. The town he walks away from, however, seems oddly familiar... And as it so happens, fans have seen it before.
Davion's backstory is no secret, having dedicated his life to honoring his father, who lost his life to a Dragon. The man who dies may have raised Davion but is not his biological father because unbeknownst to Kaden, his wife was pregnant when he departed. It seems that Kaden had no idea about his offspring, and is as surprised as the rest of the viewers once he finally connects the dots.