A lot DOTA 2 players may love the game but haven’t taken the initiative to research the heroes’ backstories (and only get small hints about their knowledge of the in-game reactions.) Dota: Dragon’s Blood was supposed to be the perfect opportunity to get an insight into their favorite heroes in a fun and memorable way, but many aspiring fans were very disappointed.
With 122 heroes to choose from (excluding Marci), just a handful DOTA 2 characters were given some representation in the animated adaptation, with only Dragon Knight, Mirana, and Invoker (and to some extent Luna) claiming lead roles in all three books.
Representation is important
dragon’s blood has no shortage of epic characters to discover, with different personalities created purely for the show. Ashley Miller showed great restraint in choosing his design for DOTA 2s adaptation, and decided to include only a select few original Heroes, while keeping each individual story as canonically accurate as possible. According to Miller: “When we see someone out of the game, I want it to matter and be consistent.“
Original DOTA 2 heroes in Dragon’s Blood:
- Terrorblade
- dragon knight
- Mirana
- caller
- Luna
- Winter Wyvern
- lina
It appears that an attempt has been made to appease the fans by giving a few Heroes their 5 seconds of fame and adding little to no substance to the storyline. Some characters look so much like their in-game counterparts, and yet they are presented to the public as someone new and different, with little information to support the strange changes. Marci, on the other hand, was made purely for show, but got such positive reviews that Valve decided to add her as an official playable DOTA 2 Hero.
DOTA 2 Hero Cameos:
- Phantom Lancer
- windranger
- Small
- Arc Warden
- Oracle
- Crystal Maiden
- scorpion king
Slightly modified DOTA 2 heroes:
- Ax (mutated)
- Pangolier (Nico Hieronimo)
- Ursa Warrior (Asar)
- Drow Ranger / Bounty Hunter (Vanari)
- Vengeful Ghost/Ghost Killer (Fymryn)
- The Thunder (vague representatives of various heroes)
Behind the scenes with Ashley Miller
Best known for his work on Andromeda, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, X-Men: First Class, and Zoom, Ashley Miller definitely adopted the term amendment serious about his view of the DOTA 2 lore. Unfortunately, as with most anime live-action adaptations, the creator had no real ties to the MMORPG and never played DOTA 1 or 2 before (or after) the project started. His lack of sensitivity to the celebrated subject is highlighted by Miller’s assessment of the potential of the DOTA 2 Heroes in a dramatized storyline as he tries to combine their stories:
“I’m a huge fantasy nerd and I saw an opportunity to take a lot of tropes and turn them upside down and inside out. Look, I have a knight, a princess, a wizard, a dragon, a demon and an evil queen. But none of those pieces land exactly where you expect them to.“
While most anime live-action adaptations are so disastrous that fans would rather forget their existence (Dragon Ball Evolution; Avatar: The Last Airbender, Death Notethe list goes on.) If only everything had the same delicate treatment as miracle and DC adjustments are (which aren’t perfect either, but the authentic stories are generally treated with more respect.) Dota: Dragon’s Blood wasn’t a complete flop, as those original heroes who stole the show were quite well represented in both looks and lore; the fandom wish there were more of them.
Unfortunately, the original DOTA 2 Lore isn’t set in stone enough, as some heroes have received vague backstories with changes here and there over the years. Vengeful Ghost, for example, became a DOTA 2 Held long before Skywrath Mage joined the ranks in 2014, and because their histories are so intertwined, Ms. Sleverzare also needed some updates. Therefore, there are many gaps in the original lore that need to be filled, and Miller took the opportunity and got to work on it.
“What’s really interesting about DOTA as a game is the lore. There are many facts, but few that bring it all together as a story“
In Miller’s defense, when asked about his portrayal of… DOTA 2s fundamentals and spirit brothers, he replied with “I’ve thought a lot about reconciling the Dota cosmology.” This statement (on reddit) was made after a possibly factual joke about Riki’s alleged appearance in every episode (as a notorious stealth assassin with the power of invisibility). dragon’s blood. And rather than simply pick the best-played heroes, such as Rubick, Pudge, or Juggernaut, for the sake of fan service, Miller chose to prioritize a cohesive storyline with a mishmash of old and new concepts.
Dragon’s Blood vs Arcane
This debate is a no-brainer according to most fans, with Arcane: League of Legends win by a landslide. Rotten tomatoes achieved a score of 75% for dragon’s blood Book 1, while Arcane got a whopping 100%. Apparently a lot of care has gone into creating the League of Legends adaptation, such as Riot Games 6 years invested in the creation of Season 1 alone, as opposed to the 2.5 years it took to make Book 1 dragon’s blood. From the musical score, story, and standout visuals, Arcane takes the cake in every category (and more), while at the same time bringing plenty of fan service to the game.
Source: reddit/u/AshMasterZero and WireTap
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