Warning: This feature contains SPOILERS for Disenchantment season 3.
Season 3 of Disenchantment ended in confusion, with most of the show's many subplots unresolved. In this the season 3 finale was similar to the Disenchantment season 2 finale, with the added complication of the protagonists being separated and facing different cliffhangers.
Disenchantment season 3 opened where season 2 ended, with Princess Bean, Elfo and Luci trying to solve the mystery of who attempted to assassinate King Zøg and frame Bean for the crime. The trail led to the rival nation of Steamland, whose ruler, Alva Gunderson, seemed to have an infatuation with Bean. The season ended with Bean trying to build up Dreamland's defenses in anticipation of a retaliatory strike from Steamland, only to wind up facing entirely different enemies from within and without.
Most season finales tend to be focused around resolving ongoing subplots and long-standing mysteries. The finale of Disenchantment season 3 ironically defied this expectation, with most of the exposition coming in non-sequiturs over the course of the season, and the finale only serving to introduce further complications. The end result was muddled, but some things were made apparent that were unclear about the bigger picture. Here's a breakdown of Disenchantment season 3 and the epic battle it seems to be setting up for season 4.
The Secret Magic Power of Dreamland
The biggest revelation to come out of Disenchantment season 3 is that the nations surrounding Dreamland are convinced that it possess some kind of secret magical resources. This is why the rich nation of Bentwood originally sought to ally itself with Dreamland by marrying their prince off to Bean in the series' first episode and part of why Alva Gunderson of Steamland is so interested in the neighboring country. It's also likely why the nation of Maru, whose royal family have magic powers and a connection to Hell, sought to destroy Dreamland, thinking they were the one nation that might pose a threat to them. The irony in Disenchantment is that Dreamland is a medieval kingdom full of superstitious idiots, whose most powerful magician only took on the title of Court Wizard after being allowed to glue stars on his dunce cap. While Bean dismissed the idea that her homeland has some kind of secret magic ("We don't have any magic. We don't even have Reggae!") there are subtle clues that Dreamland had vast magic resources at one time — especially its past history as an Elvish homeland.
The Secret Society and The Royal Curse
While the Secret Society overseen by Prime Minister Odval is largely a sex club for old perverts, they also concern themselves with the management of Dreamland and, presumably, other nations as well. Season 3 of Disenchantment revealed that the Secret Society was also concerned with ending a curse that had been placed upon the royal family of Dreamland and that getting King Zøg off the throne was the first step in doing that. The details of this curse were not explained, but the Secret Society had one branch that was seeking out the missing pages of a rare book, The Royal Log: From Agog to Zog: A Secret History of the Kings of Dreamland, which they believed had the answers.
The exorcist Big Jo was part of this branch of the society and located one page from the book, detailing the life of King Xog. This page had a message scribbled on it, in the margins around the original text, in what Odval identified as "the ancient language of the Ancients," i.e. the language of Maru, which has popped up repeatedly in previous episodes of Disenchantment. In the season 3 finale, Odval translated the ancient runes and said they spoke of a battle between Bean's ancestors and an enemy who lay a curse on all subsequent successors to the throne of Dreamland after being defeated. Odval noted the exact wording was "frustratingly vague" as it didn't identify who the ancient foes were or the specific nature of the curse.
The Elves and "The Very Thing"
One of the few subplots from Disenchantment season 2 which saw some development in the season 3 finale was the ongoing story of the Dread Pirate Leavo: an elf who left Elfwood on a secret mission for the elf king Rulo in search of something he believed to be in the caves under Dreamland. In the season 3 finale, "the very thing" Leaveo was searching for was revealed to be Candyass, the legendary seat of Elven power in ancient times. King Rulo noted that this meant that Dreamland used to be the home of the elves, but why they left it to hide from humanity in the Enchanted Forest is a mystery. It's also unclear why King Rulo wished to keep this knowledge a secret, even from his own people. However, the revelation that Dreamland once belonged to the Elves raises the question of if they are the ancient enemy who cursed Dreamland's royal family.
The Trögs' Prophecy
Bean won the loyalty of the diminutive subterranean race known as the Trøgs early on in season 3, after they came to believe that she, Elfo and Luci were the saviors of their race. Precisely what they need saving from was never explained, as the Trøgs seem to be doing fairly well for themselves if you ignore that they live a secretive existence, scrounging the cast-offs of the surface world, like the sewer mutants in Futurama. It's also unclear what connection the Trøgs might have to the Elves, if Dreamland truly is the original Elven homeland, as the two short races look remarkably similar. At the very least, some of the Trøg women seemed incredibly attracted to Elfo.
Bean's Powers, Prophecy and Hell To Pay
Season 3 saw Bean developing some kind of magical lightning power, which she used to stop the robot guards of Steamland from capturing her and Elfo. This may be her legacy as part of the royal family of Maru, who bargained with Hell to gain magical powers. It may also tie into the prophecy Bean's maternal family believes she is meant to fulfill. Unfortunately, like all the prophecies in Disenchantment to date, nothing has been said about the details of this prophecy beyond the royal family of Maru owing a debt to Hell and Bean's conception being a means to fulfilling that end. It's been hinted that they meant to corrupt Bean into the service of Hell (Bean becoming magically bonded to Luci was originally part of this plan) but the actual goals of Queen Dagmar, her siblings, and Maru remain totally undefined.
How The Disenchantment Finale Sets Up Season 4
The one thing that is clear in all this talk of prophecies and ancient magics is that Disenchantment season 4 will likely see a massive war breaking out amid all the nations and factions seeking to control Dreamland. The biggest question is if there really is some secret magic power there waiting to be tapped. It seems likely Bean is the key to it all, as her lightning powers are clearly magical, but whether they are a part of her heritage as a scion of Maru or the result of her being the first ruler of Dreamland to defy its patriarchal cycle and, perhaps the conditions of its bloodline curse, is unclear. It's also uncertain what allies Bean may have left beyond the Trøgs or if the Elves will turn on her in a bid to reclaim that which was lost. Whatever it all means, there's bound to be some bloody battles, thanks to Bean having made a lot of enemies after one day as Queen of Dreamland.