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DOTA: Dragon's Blood: What you need to know about the Dota anime

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

If you haven't already heard, Dota 2 is getting a new Netflix anime series called DOTA: Dragon's Blood. With the series premiering in one week, we compiled all the information we know about the series thus far so that Dota 2 fans and newcomers to the game alike can know what to expect from the show.

Read on to find out everything we know about the show thus far:

Release date, number of episodes, rating, and more

DOTA: Dragon's Blood will be released globally on Netflix on 25 March, with its first season, Book 1, having eight episodes. Each episode will have an approximate runtime of 22 minutes. The series will also be R rated, featuring graphic depictions of violence and sex.

In collaboration with Dota 2 developer Valve Corporation, the series is being produced by Ashley Edward Miller, known for his work in X-Men: First Class, Thor, and Black Sails, and is animated by Studio MIR, the studio behind Avatar: The Legend of Korra and Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Robert Burnett, the animatic editor for DOTA: Dragon's Blood, revealed that the show has been in the works since 2019, though the series was apparently already being developed years before. In addition, he also revealed that he has worked on a total of 24 episodes for the show, meaning DOTA: Dragon's Blood will have two more seasons of eight episodes each following its initial release with Book 1.

English • Russian • Japanese • Filipino • Thai • Indonesian • Brazilian Portuguese • Spanish (Neutral) • Spanish (Castilian) • French • German • Italian Additionally, subtitles will be available in 30 languages.

Plot

The official Netflix page for DOTA: Dragon's Blood succinctly describes the plot for Book 1 as follows:

"A conflicted yet courageous Dragon Knight must use the power of the dragon within to stop a deadly demon."

However, thanks to information gathered from the show's trailers and promotional material, we can piece together a more coherent picture of how the series' story can go. First off, check out the official trailer if you haven't already:

DOTA: Dragon's Blood follows the story of popular Dota 2 hero Davion the Dragon Knight, most known for his ability to transform from an armour-clad human into a ferocious fire-breathing dragon. The series seems to be set shortly after Davion received the power to transform into a dragon from the eldwurm Slyrak, as he is shown grasping to understand his newfound powers.

While Davion fights his inner battles, another conflict also seems to be driving the story forward: one between the two goddesses of the moon, Mene and Selemene. Mene was the original goddess of the moon before she was usurped by Selemene, who now claims the title of the goddess of the moon and holds dominion over the Nightsilver Woods and the Order of the Dark Moon. Selemene's servants include Dota 2 heroes Mirana, the Princess of the Moon, and Luna, the Moon Rider.

The conflict between Mene and Selemene reaches a critical point when Mene's servants stole sacred lotuses from the Nightsilver Woods, with the belief that the lotuses will bring back their goddess from her apparent death. This prompts Mirana to embark on a quest reclaim the lotuses while Selemene herself descends upon the world and commands Luna and the Order of the Dark Moon to go to war.

The plot summary on the show's official Netflix page also makes a reference to a "deadly demon" that Davion will have to put a stop to. The deadly demon being referred to here is none other than Terrorblade, whose presence in the show was initially hidden before being officially revealed earlier this month.

Finally, Invoker seems to feature prominently in the show despite his role in the story remaining unclear thus far. But considering what we already know about him from his in-game lore, he could very well end up as the ultimate antagonist.

With all that said, DOTA: Dragon's Blood seems to be set before the climactic War of the Ancients, the conflict which plays out in every game of Dota 2. While it would be nice to see how the canon result of that great battle, it is also nice to see what some of the heroes that would later participate in it were up to.

Netflix has also released a video delving into the lore of Dota 2, featuring the game's resident loremaster Jake "SirActionSlacks" Kanner as well as caster duo Jorien "Sheever" van der Heijden and Owen "ODPixel" Davies.

Cast

Main Characters

DOTA: Dragon's Blood features five Dota 2 heroes as its most prominent characters. They are Davion the Dragon Knight, Mirana the Princess of the Moon, Luna the Moon Rider, Invoker, and Terrorblade. Davion and Mirana are the show's protagonists, Terrorblade is one of its antagonists, while Luna and Invoker's roles are still unclear.

Davion

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Davion the Dragon Knight is the primary protagonist of the show and its namesake. He acquired the ability to transform into a dragon, the power he is most known for, from the eldwurm Slyrak. According to his in-game lore, he hunted Slyrak for years before he found the eldwurm had already grown too old. Davion saw no honor in slaying a dragon that was too weak to put up a fight and decided to leave him to die in peace.

However, Slyrak pleaded with Davion to grant his dying wish of a death in combat, a request that the honorable knight obliged to. But as Davion sank his blade in Slyrak's breast, the eldwurm sank a claw into his throat, mingling their blood and transferring the power of the dragon to the knight. Thus, the Dragon Knight we see in the game was created.

It is unclear whether the series will follow this origin for Davion, as Slyrak can be seen in the promotional material as a fearsome eldwurm and not the old beast depicted in the hero's in-game lore. Davion is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.

Mirana

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Mirana the Princess of the Moon is a servant of Selemene, and is thus a member of the Order of the Dark Moon and a protector of the Nightsilver Woods. According to her in-game lore, Mirana was the heir to the Solar Throne before she renounced her royal title and devoted herself to the service of Selemene.

The show has altered Mirana's origin, as her claim to the Solar Throne that she renounced in her in-game lore was instead taken from her in a bloody coup. She was able to escape with her life, eventually finding herself in the Nightsilver Woods where she swore her life to Selemene. Mirana is voiced by Lara Pulver.

Luna

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Luna the Moon Rider is another of Selemene's servants. Whereas Mirana can be considered as the figurehead of the Order of the Dark Moon, Luna is its iron fist. According to her in-game lore, she was once a powerful bandit leader known as the Scourge of the Plains. Her army was defeated and she was forced to flee, eventually finding herself in Nightsilver Woods where she unwittingly endured the initiation rites of the Order of the Dark Moon. Since then, Luna has been fiercely loyal to Selemene and has even formed a rivalry with Mirana for the favor of their goddess.

Luna's origin story seems to be largely unchanged in the show, though it seems her loyalty to Selemene may be challenged by the events that will unfold. Luna is voiced by Kari Wahlgren.

Invoker

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Invoker is one of the more mysterious characters in the series, yet is arguably the most interesting of them all. He is both the most powerful mage in the world of Dota 2 and one of only a few known mortals to achieve quasi-immortality. His magical power stems from his supreme intellect, making him the smartest man in the Dota 2 universe whose plans and intentions are nigh incomprehensible for most other denizens of the world.

Dota 2 fans should be excited to see Invoker flex his magic prowess in the show, especially when considering the current uncertainty surrounding his role in the story may hint that he could turn out to be its ultimate antagonist. Even just the possibility of seeing Invoker unleash his full arsenal of spells against the other heroes in the show should get any fan of the game hyped. Invoker is voiced by Troy Baker.

Terrorblade

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Terrorblade the Demon Marauder is one of the most feared beings in Dota 2, both within the game and its lore. He stands apart from the demons of the Dota universe, as lesser demons tremble before him while the more powerful of his brethren abhor him for breaking their strict laws. For his crimes, he was sent to the Dota world's hell of hells: Foulfell. There, he was forced to confront the twisted reflection of his own soul, which he was able to overcome and bend to his will. With his mastery over his own inner demon, Terrorblade escaped from his imprisonment in Foulfell to sow chaos upon the world.

Terrorblade seems to be the primary antagonist of the series, though it is unclear whether or not he has a hand in the known conflicts driving the story thus far. Terrorblade is voiced by JB Blanc.

Other characters

While five Dota 2 heroes will have the spotlight on them the most in DOTA: Dragon's Blood, the show will also be introducing a slew of interesting characters to surround them. Some of these characters already exist in the game's lore, while others are entirely new creations for the show.

Bram

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Bram is Davion's squire, accompanying the Dragon Knight on his quests in order to learn how to become a dragon knight himself. He is shown slicing open his palm and drawing blood in order to use a Town Portal Scroll in the show's trailers, which gives a nice preview on how the series will be treating the Dota universe's take on magic and magical items. Bram is voiced by Josh Keaton.

Kaden

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Kaden is the strongest dragon knight of the order that Davion belongs to. He is the only known human to have encountered an eldwurm and lived to tell the tale as well as slay every type of dragon. Kaden is voiced by Anson Mount.

Slyrak

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Slyrak is the dragon known as the 'Ember Eldwurm' and the 'Father of Fire' that gave Davion his powers. Eldwurms are the strongest and most ancient kind of dragon, with each one of them being associated with either a primary elements in nature or one of the fundamental forces of the universe. As one can surmise from the other names given to Slyrak, he is the eldwurm linked to fire. He is voiced by Tony Todd, who interestingly enough was the one who lent his voice to Dragon Knight in Dota 2.

Marci

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Marci is Mirana's bodyguard who travels with her on her quest to retrieve the sacred lotuses stolen from Nightsilver Woods. She is apparently mute, so no voice actress has been listed for her character.

Fymryn

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Fymryn is an elf who possesses a long-forgotten power, which she uses to steal the sacred lotuses from Nightsilver Woods in the hopes of inciting the return of her goddess, Mene. Fymryn is voiced by Freya Tingley.

Drysi

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Not much has been revealed about this mysterious character, other than the fact that Drysi is someone from Luna's past. She also seems to belong to the same race that the Dota 2 hero Bounty Hunter is also a part of. Drysi is voiced by Stephany Jacobsen.

Selemene

(Photo: Netflix)
(Photo: Netflix)

Selemene features prominently in the lores of Mirana and Luna. However, not much is known about her or her origins aside from the fact that she usurped the original goddess of the moon, Mene, and has taken dominion over Nightsilver Woods and the Order of the Dark Moon. Selemene is voiced by Alix Wilton Regan.

Netflix also touches on the different characters in DOTA: Dragon's Blood in another promotional video featuring SirActionSlacks.

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