Wonderstorm’s Netflix series The Dragon Prince, Season 5 Episode 5, called “Archmage Akiyu,” continues the primary mission of Team Zym to stop Claudia (Racquel Belmonte), Terry (Benjamin Callins), and Viren (Jason Simpson) from releasing Archmage Aaravos (Erik Dellums), a powerful Startouch Elf, from his secret prison. The episode begins with Callum, Rayla (Paula Burrows), Ezran (Sasha Rojen), Azymondias, Soren (Jesse Inocalla), and Zubeia (Nicole Oliver) at the Storm Spire to discuss their next objective. 

At the Storm Spire, Ezran explains his meeting with Domina Profundis. Domina tells him the true nature of Aaravos’ prison and that the person who knows the prison’s location is the great Tidebound Elf, Archmage Akiyu (Julie Lemieux). Archmage Akiyu made the prison and knows where it is. Callum tells Ezran that they also learned that the Novablade can kill a Startouch Elf, and the weapon is located and guarded by the Celestial Elves, an ancient sect of Skywing Elves, at the Starscraper. The Starscraper is on a northern island at the Frozen Sea. Callum suggests the group head to the Starscraper, borrow the Novablade and kill Aaravos when he escapes. 

At the Tidepools, Zubeia flies and drops off Team Zym at the Tidepools and tells them she will return at sundown. Team Zym would meet the Tidebound Elf Tina, who promises to take them to Archmage Akiyu. Instead, she takes Team Zym into a trap. A trap Team Zym managed to survive. After the incident, Team Zym realizes Tina is Archmage Akiyu. Akiyu relents and tells the group her backstory of creating Aaravos’ prison under the leadership of a human mage called The Jailer hundreds of years ago. The Jailer gives the clue of Aaravos’ prison to each Archdragon. However, when Akiyu knows the prison’s location, The Jailer wants to kill Akiyu to prevent the knowledge from being accidentally released. Wanting to live, Akiyu makes a deal with The Jailer that she will hide herself in isolation in exchange for her life. 

Following the tale, Akiyu fakes an attempted suicide to force Team Zym to leave her alone. However, Akiyu gives up the act after she learns from Team Zym of Dark Mages and their mission to free Aaravos from his prison. In response, Akiyu gives Team Zym the map and location of the prison. Akiyu likely gave Team Zym the information after realizing how trustworthy they are with the info and remembering how humans, dragons, and elves worked together in the past to imprison Aaravos. 

At the Moonshadow Forest, Karim (Luc Roderique) tells Pharos (Deven Mack) his plan to steal the Sunseed at the Sunfire Elf camp and use the seed to heal Sol Regem’s eyes. However, Karim needs the aid of Kim’dael (Laara Sadiq), the Bloodmoon Huntress, to steal the Sunseed for them. They head to the Bloodmoon Temple to summon Kim’dael. 

During their trip, Karim tells Pharos of Kim’dael’s backstory: “During the reign of Luna Tenebris, a group of Moonshadow Elves used strange blood rituals to prolong their lives and to enhance their dark powers. This mysterious cult was known as the Order of the Blood Moon. When Avizandum seized power, he abolished the cult and wiped them out. Only their leader, Kim’dael, survived. She went to my great-grandmother, Queen Aditi, and begged for protection from the vengeful Archdragon. Aditi granted her asylum in exchange for a magical binding called a mercy debt.” At the Bloodmoon temple, Karim summons Kim’dael and makes a deal that he will free her from her mercy debt if she steals the Sunseed for him. Kim’dael gladly agrees and gives a sinister smile. 

At the Drakewood Forest’s river, Claudia is still frustrated by her father, Viren, being in a catatonic state and wonders if it is an effect of Viren’s limited one-month resurrection. Terry calms her down, and they continue their journey to the Sea of the Castout via boat until an ocean dragon flies above them. The ocean dragon is one of the dragons that accepted Ezran’s request to hunt down Claudia and Viren. To avoid the dragon’s sight, Terry hides the group with his Earth magic spell by hiding them in bushes. 

The episode ends with Team Zym waiting outside the Tidepools for Zubeia. However, the infected wound the Archdragon of the Sky received at the Great Bookery from the corrupted Banther is twisting her into a dark creature. 

Kim’dael, The Bloodmoon Huntress

In Season 5 of The Dragon Prince, the fifth episode introduces Archmage Akiyu and her involvement in building Aaravos’ prison alongside a human mage called The Jailer. The Jailer is likely one of the few rare humans who could wield primal magic in the past. It is likely the case as dragons and elves loathe dark mages, and Callum is the first mage to use the Arcanum in centuries. The Dragon Prince lore revealed that Ezran’s ancestor, the Orphan Queen, worked with The Jailer and Akiyu to create Aaravos’ prison and imprison the Startouch Elf. Initially, it seemed the Orphan Queen, The Jailer, and Akiyu were a former team similar to Team Zym. However, the episode shows how ruthless The Jailer was in imprisoning Aaravos and that she was willing to kill Akiyu to hide the prison’s location. Therefore, there is a high chance the Orphan Queen, The Jailer, and Akiyu were merely allies, not friends. 

The episode also introduces Kim’dael, the Bloodmoon Huntress. Kim’dael’s first appearance was in The Dragon Prince comic “The Bloodmoon Huntress.” Her story continued in The Dragon Prince’s short story “The Queen’s Mercy.” Like Aaravos, Kim’dael’s backstory is a mystery because she and the Order of the Blood Moon are likely responsible for killing Luna Tenebris since the Archdragon of the Moon disappeared under a Blood Moon. Also, Kim’dael attempted to assassinate Queen Aditi but failed. Aaravos would later kill Queen Aditi, which would kickstart a war between the dragons and the elves until the Orphan Queen revealed Aaravos’ involvement in the conflict, which led to his imprisonment. There is a high chance that Kim’dael and the Order of the Blood Moon worked for Aaravos, the Startouch Elf who discovered Dark Magic. They likely worked as Aaravos’ assassins in the past. 

Rating: 9/10