When Netflix began to establish itself as the premier streaming service for animation, one of its brightest rising stars was The Dragon Prince. This joined United States and Canadian series comes from the mind of Aaron Ehasz, the head writer and co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Set in a magical land where humans and elves sit on the brink of war, it follows an elf assassin and two human princes as they desperately try to broker peace.

The show won audiences and critics thanks to strong world building and memorable characters. Now that season four has finally emerged after a three-year hiatus, it's worth looking back at the episodes that best showcased all these things. Spoiler warning for those not up to date.

"Echoes of Thunder" (Season 01, Ep 01)

Viren informs Harrow of coming assassins

Following the death of the dragon king and his only egg, Moonshadow Elf assassins have crossed the border into the human kingdom of Katolis. Their mission is to kill the king, Harrow, and his heir, Ezren. When their youngest member, Rayla, spares a human guard, it gives the kingdom time to prepare.

Related: The Best Fantasy Shows on Netflix"Echoes of Thunder" balances the Herculean task of introducing audiences to a new world, the main characters, and establishing the main conflict. Fortunately, it pulls this off with aplomb, particularly with Rayla's conflicting between her role as an assassin and her compassion. The worst part about it is the animation, which, due to a stylistic choice to reduced frame rates, often appears sluggish.

"What is Done" (Season 01, Ep 02)

Runaan talks with a fellow assassin about the upcoming battle

Knowing that his death is imminent, Harrow tells Ezren and his step-son, Callum, to go to their winter retreat. His royal advisor, Lord Viren, pleads with the king to accept a magical solution to save his life. Meanwhile, Rayla wants to make amends for her earlier blunder by infiltrating the castle and killing Ezren and Harrow herself.

While "Echoes of Thunder" established the world and characters, this episode acts as the last minute of normalcy before the world the two princes know comes crashing down. It also presents strong themes related to the dangers of pride. Rayla's pride leads her to perform a suicide mission that almost gets Callum killed, while Harrow and Viren's causes a major rift in what had been a close friendship.

"Moonrise" (Season 01, Ep 03)

An injured Runaan staggers towards the balcony to fire an arrow and inform the dragon queen of king Harrow's death

With the discovery of the dragon king's egg, Rayla believes there is a chance for peace. She tries to convince her fellow assassins to call off the attack, but they are adamant to see the dept paid. With no other option, Callum and Ezren decide to go with her to Xadia to return the egg and end the war.

Related: The 10 Best Animated Netflix Shows, Ranked"Moonrise" is an emotional gut-punch that caps off this three-episode introduction. It dangles the chance of peace one last time only to snatch it away as the moon rises and the assassin's blades descend. The final few minutes remain some of the strongest in the show: despite not showing Harrow's body, the reactions from all characters involved conveys the weight of what has been lost.

"Heart of a Titan" (Season 02, Ep 06)

The forces of Katols and Duren face-off against the magma titan

To convince the human kingdoms to side with him against Xadia, Viren tells a story of how he, King Harrow, Queen Sarai, and the two queen of Duren traveled into Xadia to retrieve the heart of a magma titan. With it, Viren was able to cast a spell to bring warmth and bountiful harvest to both kingdoms. But the price for the heart proved to be more than anyone imagined.

Continuing the flashback from "Breaking the Seal," this episode tells a tale of sacrifice and implores for a deeper understand of history. Its greatest accomplishment, however, is in presenting Viren as one of the most understandable antagonists in modern kids entertainment. While he is looking to seize power, he also genuinely loves his kingdom and humanity, so his anger towards the other human kingdoms is understandable.

"Fire and Fury" (Season 02, Ep 07)

Rayla, Soren, and his men stand before the dragon, Pyrrah

VIren's children, Soren and Claudia, take a detour from tracking the princes to defend a town that is being harried by a dragon. In the ensuing battle, the town is torched, but the dragon is brought down. Seeing this, Rayla briefly leaves the group to try and rescue her fellow Xadian.

The destructive powers of dragons have been talked about on the show, but this episode gives the first glimpse of what war with them would be like for humanity. It also demonstrates the risks of acting too hastily with powers you don't understand. This is demonstrated through Soren's battle with the dragon and Callum tapping into dangerous magic to rescue Rayla, both of which have disastrous consequences for the characters.

"Breath" (Season 02, Ep 09)

Claudia lures a baby deer in so she can kill it and use its energy to heal Soren

Having finally learned of his father's fate, Ezren speaks with Claudia and decides to return to Katolis and claim the throne. Callum also makes a breakthrough regarding his magic while Claudia looks for a way to heal Soren. Meanwhile, Viren, pushed to his limits, accepts the help of the mysterious elf, Aarivos, to stir the other kingdoms to war.

"Breath" caps off the second season by showing stories fueled by responsibility with very different outcomes. Though it hurts to see the brother's separate, Ezren's decision to return home shows his maturity despite his age, and the trust he has in Callum and Rayla to make it Xadia without him. Meanwhile, Claudia's desire to protect her brother forces her down a bath of sacrifice with noble intentions, just like her father.

"Sol Regem" (Season 03, Ep 01)

Sol-Regem meets with Ziard, the first dark mage

In order to get to Xadia, Callum and Rayla must pass Sol Regem, a former Dragon King who was blinded by the first Dark Mage. Now he is consumed by his hatred for humanity and is willing to kill Rayla and the dragon prince for a shot at Callum. Meanwhile, at the breach, the princes' aunt, General Amaya attempts to destroy the passage to prevent another Sunfire Elf offensive.

Related: From 'Shang-Chi' to 'Reign of Fire': Best Movies About DragonsThis episode is the first to provide more context on the history of the elf and human war. During the flashback that opens the episode, it's revealed that elves and dragons viewed humans as lesser beings for their lack of magic and that they were suffering and starving before harnessing Dark Magic. Sol Regem is also a wonderful new antagonist thanks to his voice, poignant and minimalist dialogue, and inability to let go of the past.

"Ghost" (Season 03, Ep 03)

Rayla and Ethari meet again

As Ezran tries to maintain control of Katolis as its new child-king, Lord Viren sows doubt between Claudia and Soren and begins gathering new allies. In Xadia, Rayla tales Callum to her hidden village, where she discovers she has been made an invisible shade. Meanwhile, Amaya is brought to the queen of the Sunfire Elves and must prove herself worthy of being kept alive.

"Ghost" manages to balance all three of its plot lines effectively to deliver emotion and story advancements. Amaya's noble heart begins to win her an unexpected ally, while Viren lying to his children reinforces just how ruthless he can be in pursuit of his goals. But Rayla's story is the strongest: the pain she feels at being compared to the cowardice of her parents is palpable, though she is, fortunately, able to get closure with an old friend.

"Thunderfall" (Season 03, Ep 06)

Avizandum succumbs to Virem's petrification spell

With a united army of four of the five human kingdoms, Viren begins the march into Xadia. On the way, he tells Aaravos about how he convinced Harrow to slay the king of the dragons and avenge Sarai's death. Meanwhile, Ezren rejoins Callum and Rayla at the base of the Storm Spire, the lair of the dragon queen.

Related: The Best Netflix Shows and Original Series to Watch Right Now"Thunderfall" is a wonderful episode for exploring the cycle of vengeance. When Callum comes across the petrified corpse of the dragon king, he's not sure how to feel. While he is happy that his mother was avenged, this action denied Zym his own father and resulted in Harrow's assassination, so what was achieved?

"The Final Battle" (Season 03, Ep 09)

Soren and Amaya lead a group of elves against Viren's army
Image via Netflix

Having empowered his army with the magic of the Sunfire Elves, Viren launches his attack on the Storm Spire. As the dragon queen is deep in hibernation, Rayla, Callum, and Ezren prepare their defenders. But even with elves, dragons, and Soren on their side, it might not be enough to overcome Viren and Aaravos' magic.

The season three finale does a good job showcasing the skills of all the characters. While it does possess a few moments of Deus ex machina, they ultimately serve the show's themes of unity overcoming hatred. While every character has a standout moment, Soren's is the best, as it confirms that despite his dumb-jock attitude, he possesses a noble heart.

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