Season 7, Episode 7, titled “The Titan and the King,” directed by George Samilski and written by Michal Schick, continues the Netflix series The Dragon Prince. This episode delves into Callum’s struggle against inner darkness and Team Zym’s mission to thwart Aaravos and Claudia’s plan to invert the Moon Nexus and unleash the dead into the mortal plane.

The central theme of this episode revolves around corruption. This concept is embodied by Aaravos and Claudia, two dark mages driven by vengeance who manipulate others through half-truths to achieve their ultimate goal: the downfall of the dragons and elves and the rise of humanity as Xadia’s dominant power. Their actions reveal the insidious nature of corruption, which strips humanity of innocence and compassion, leaving only a hunger for power. If left unchecked, their influence could push humanity down a path of no return.

Callum vs. Claudia

Callum (Jack DeSena) sends a message to King Ezran (Sasha Rojen) warning of Astrid’s (Boone Williams) revelation: Aaravos (Erik Dellums) intends to use the corrupted sun orb in Lux Aurea to bring eternal night across Xadia, allowing the spirits of the dead to roam freely. Callum devises a three-part plan: Astrid will warn the Sunfire Elves about the corrupted sun orb, Callum and Runaan (Jonathan Holmes) will locate Archmage Akiyu to create another pearl prison, and the rest of Team Zym will rally the Archdragons to combat Aaravos.

Astrid reaches the Sunfire Elf refugee camp to warn Sunfire Queen Janai (Rena Anakwe) and Queen Amaya about Aaravos’s intentions. Janai reluctantly convinces her estranged brother Karim (Luc Roderique), a powerful mage, to assist in destroying the corrupted sun orb.

Meanwhile, Callum and Runaan search for Archmage Akiyu, only to find her slain by Claudia (Racquel Belmonte). They fail to subdue Claudia, who wields the last scale of Shiruakh to summon power armor that conjures destructive flames. Claudia escapes, leaving Callum’s plan to imprison Aaravos in ruins.

Aaravos taunts Ezran

King Ezran receives Callum’s message but remains confident, believing Aaravos’s capture in Katolis has neutralized the threat. However, recognizing Aaravos’s danger, Ezran sends Terry (Benjamin Callins), Soren (Jesse Inocalla), and Corvus (Omari Newton) to retrieve Zubeia as part of Callum’s plan to unite the Archdragons.

Ezran engages in dialogue with Aaravos, who claims innocence and insists he is humanity’s benefactor offering them magic to resist elven and draconic oppression. Ezran counters that the magic Aaravos provided was dark magic—a corruptive force that drained life essence from magical creatures. Aaravos defends dark magic as a necessary compromise, enabling humanity to abandon naivety and embrace complexity.

While Aaravos’s arguments hold a twisted truth, his demeanor reveals a delusional sociopath consumed by vengeance. Though the elves and dragons oppressed humanity, Aaravos worsened their plight by offering false power and peace. His manipulations, akin to Sauron’s gift of the Rings of Power, are designed to ensnare victims in his grand scheme. Aaravos’s ultimate goal remains to destroy the Startouch Elves’ cosmic order. Leola would be heartbroken to see what her father had become.

The History of the Novablade

King Ezran avoids Aaravos’ temptations to use his influence to make humanity powerful enough to finally overcome the dragons and the elves. Aaravos’s desires for humanity would only create another cycle of oppression, where humans overthrow the dragons and elves, only to become oppressors themselves. This mirrors the trajectory of humanity in The Witcher universe, where such paths led to nothing but pain and ruin. Recognizing this, Ezran perceives Aaravos as a broken individual consumed by centuries of hate, incapable of seeing the world beyond his vendetta.

Aaravos, unfazed, calls Ezran naive and begins recounting a piece of ancestral history tied to Ezran’s lineage: the Novablade. Three thousand years ago, a titanic battle occurred between the Archdragon Shiruakh, likely a predecessor of Sol Regem, and the Startouch Elf warrior Laurelion. Both combatants perished in the confrontation. Laurelion, bound to the stars, awaited the realignment of her celestial form to regain a physical body, while Shiruakh was permanently slain.

One of Shiruakh’s fangs was used to forge the Novablade, a weapon imbued with enough power to destroy a Startouch Elf’s physical form. This discovery revealed that the magical teeth of Archdragons could neutralize even beings as formidable as the Startouch Elves. The Novablade passed into the hands of the Orphan Queen, who wielded it to defeat Aaravos centuries ago before taking it to her grave.

As Aaravos weaves this tale, his motives become clear. He is using this history to sow doubt in Ezran’s resolve and to lure him into participating in a future battle—not as a key player, but as a distraction. Aaravos’s true focus remains on Callum, the human mage he perceives as the greatest threat to his grand plans.

Aaravos is Freed

As night falls, the spirits of the dead ambush Katolis’s soldiers, overwhelming them and freeing Aaravos from his chains. Azymondias helps Ezran and Queen Aanya (Zelda Ehasz) escape the chaos. Aaravos heads to Lux Aurea to claim the corrupted sun orb, while Ziard resurrects Avizandum at the Storm Spire as Aaravos’s undead pawn.

Rating: 9/10