DOTA 2 has a massive fan base, who will undoubtedly be thrilled at the prospect of Netflix and Valve collaborating to release their upcoming anime adaptation of the game, DOTA: Dragon’s Blood. As the anime will be honing its focus on the game’s intricate lore, worldbuilding emerges as a seminal aspect that warrants compelling actualization. DOTA: Dragon’s Blood will be centered around Davion, a soon-to-be Dragon Knight who must face a horde of foes while navigating the conflict-laden world of the game. DOTA: Dragon’s Blood premieres on Netflix on 25th March 2021 and is available to watch in 12 languages.
As DOTA’s in-game universe spans back to before the conception of time, it is difficult to map its lore in a comprehensive manner. As the anime shall strictly revolve around Davion, the focus will most probably rest upon his heroic arc, culminating in an epical, coming-of-age odyssey. Davion is but one among countless heroes involved in the final Battle of the Ancients, which can be traced back to an entity named The Primordial Mind, whose presence thundered the universe into being. After his mind is fragmented into Radiant and Dire, the two are locked in vicious opposition, engaging in an eternal war that warranted all of creation to partake in serving this conflict. However, a third fragment named Zet was also birthed as a means to resolve the latent disharmony in the cosmos, who quickly overwhelmed his siblings with his immense magical powers. As a result, peace reigned the cosmos once again.
Despite fusing Radiant and Dire in an eternal prison, also known as Mad Moon, Zet spent eons standing vigil, which was inevitably broken when the captives broke out of prison. Meanwhile, inhabits of the Terrene Plane, where most of the events of DOTA 2 take place, are embroiled in this primordial war. Although it is unlikely that DOTA: Dragon’s Blood will take a deep-dive into the lore of the Ancients, the anime might choose to reveal aspects of the war in interesting ways while maintaining its central focus on Davion’s heroic pursuits. Moreover, as the title suggests the presence of dragons, Davion can be expected to embark on a quest to slay Eldwurms, who are a race of dragons that manifest as one of the eight elements - air, ice, boid, ion, water, lumen, fire, and chaos. Eldwurms are known to live for eons, accumulating rich wisdom and a sense of history over the span of their existence. Although Davion makes his way into the world with his formidable dragon-slaying abilities, he spends years on the trail of Slyark, an ancient Fire Eldwurm who he seeks to slay.
The mingling of Slywark’s blood with Davion’s creates a Blood Route, which transmits Slyark’s latent centuries-spanning powers, experience, and wisdom to the young knight. This leads to Davion transforming into the Dragon Knight, granting his powers such as the ability to breathe fire and transform into his ultimate, Elder Dragon Form. Apart from Davion, Princess Mirana will also emerge as a central protagonist, who sports exceptional abilities as a huntress and a devotee to the Goddess Selemene. As Luna is also expected to make an appearance in the anime, audiences will most likely be granted a peek into the inner workings of the Dark Moon Order, along with the key events that take place within the sacred confines of the Nightsilver Woods. Both Mirana and Luna derive most of their powers from the lunar goddess Selemene, who grants them weapons made and charged with lunar ore. Although much is not known about Mirana’s kingdom, the anime might choose to delve into the lore behind Mirana’s relinquishment of the Solar Throne in favor of being devoted to Selemene.
Demons and Mages also exist within the world of DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, which is confirmed by the presence of Invoker and Terrorblade in the show’s teaser trailers. While Invoker is a mage of tremendous prowess, possessing arcane knowledge known to a few, Terrorblade is an outlaw hellion with infernal intentions of his own. Terrorblade’s arc might warrant intricate worldbuilding of Foulfell, a hidden prison plane lined with fractal walls also dubbed as the hell of hells. Although there is a considerable bit of character backstory and in-game lore for the anime adaptation to cover, DOTA: Dragon’s Blood will hopefully weave in fresh perspectives that will serve to enrich the converging storylines of the key players involved. As the anime’s worldbuilding will greatly hinge upon visual storytelling, it remains to be seen whether they are able to evoke feelings of awe and haunting nostalgia in one and all.