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3 Below Season 2 Review (Spoilers)

3 below season 2 was an enjoyable ride. It took all the setup present in season 1 and managed to payoff the plot points and character growth. 3 below may have had three main characters but it was really Aja’s story. It followed her growth from free spirit that shunned her responsibility into a leader and warrior ready to take the throne of Akaridion 5. I can say that by the end I was sad to see the show go and wanted longer to follow the trio’s story for longer.

Characters:

I mentioned that this was clearly the story of Aja Tarron and both seasons had a heavy focus on her. She has had the most character growth and development of all the core three and she has become my third favorite tales of arcadia character behind only Jim and Strickler. Her growth was gradual and took two full seasons to realize. This being Aja’s story is emphasized by coming back to Aja being the one to tell their story to Arcadia in the end. Aja’s arc was setup from the beginning with having her being the one most opposed to taking the throne and yet being the one most prone to action between her and her brother. Having her acknowledge her parents shortcomings and resolve to learn from their mistakes was a huge step forward for her character. She also learned to be diplomatic and compromise which was shown with the electro-thermal bounty hunter. I was honestly really excited when she went home to take the throne because it felt earned.

Varvatos Vex is probably the character with the second most development and his final stand against Morando felt very fitting as well as Aja’s final request of him to stop seeking a glorious death and instead a gloriously long life. This realization feels fitting for his character because he had always sought after death so having him end the series realizing that instead of dying for the king and queen in waiting living for them is what would be best.

Krel was given the least development but he did complete his arc for this series. He grew to open up to things outside of technology, math, and physics. His ending of choosing to stay on earth and let Aja take the throne was clearly setup for wizards so that he could take a role in the conflict to happen in that series. I really liked the expansion of his desires to protect those he cares about. He also managed to outgrow his lack of action in this season and put his engineering to use protecting what he cares about. 

Morando wasn’t really developed in this season but I was fine with that. They seemed to go for an enemy that would force the heroes to grow and sacrifice. I thought that was done well which lead to me not being disappointed with Morando’s lack of development. He was fun and provided necessary growth for our heroes.

Story:

This season ratcheted up the stakes and intensity of the conflict of the series. The first season was mainly setup. It set up the conflict, characters, relationships, and basic lore before the second season took all that setup and paid it off in a big way. Akaridion history was expanded upon and connected to troll history. The conflict with Morando finally came to a head and Aja and Varvatos’s character arcs were completed. This season was intense and filled with emotional beats that landed. Even the episodes that seem like filler contain setup for future episodes and provide forward momentum for the story. Overall I think this was a well paced and written story that builds perfectly into wizards.

Animation:

3 below, like with all of the tales of arcadia, has great 3D animation. I found myself breathless during many scenes. I continue to be amazed with what dreamworks is able to do with the animation medium. There isn’t a single frame that I found to be even just average and at its best it is absolutely stunning. I want to give it the accolades it deserves. 

Conclusion:

This was a blast to watch and has me really excited for wizards. Dreamworks has once again hit it out of the park with the tales of arcadia. I look forward to possibly seeing more of Aja, Varvatos Vex, and Krel in the future. I believe that this conclusion to 3 below was an excellent season of television.