Tales Of Arcadia: Wizards Season 2 Release Date & Story Details
Wizards season 1 is the latest installment in Guillermo del Toro's Tales of Arcadia trilogy. But what are the plans for a Wizards season 2?
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Wizards: Tales of Arcadia.
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia is the latest installment in Guillermo del Toro's Tales of Arcadia trilogy, joining the two previous TV shows, Trollhunters and 3Below. The series hails from DreamWorks Animation and is available to stream on Netflix. Trollhunters introduced the trolls living beneath the surface of Arcadia Oaks and the human teen who discovers it's his destiny to protect them, while 3Below followed a pair of aliens siblings who escape a coup on their home planet by hiding out in the quiet, suburban town. Across their runs, the two shows became more intertwined, and Wizards was planned as the culmination of the trilogy's overarching story.
In Wizards, the focus switches from trolls and aliens to wizards, and specifically Douxie (Colin O'Donoghue), a minor character from Trollhunters and 3Below. In this series, he's revealed as Merlin's (David Bradley) apprentice, and along with Jim (Emile Hirsch), Claire (Lexi Medrano), and Steve (Steven Yeun), travels back in time to the age of Camelot for an adventure that reveals the truth about the Battle of Killahead Bridge and how Morgana (Lena Headey) - Merlin's first apprentice - became the Mother of Monsters.
Here's what the future holds for Del Toro's Tales of Arcadia and when its epic story can be expected to conclude.
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia won't receive a season 2 and is remaining a single season or limited series entry in the Tale of Arcadia trilogy. This is in contrast to both Trollhunters and 3Below, which received three and two seasons, respectively. Tales of Arcadia's story isn't over, however, and Wizards season 1 leaves off with several plots still unresolved. To finish out Tales of Arcadia, the plan is for the trilogy to now conclude with a movie called Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans instead of Wizards season 2. (Begging the question, is this still a trilogy?)
While Wizards season 2 could have been expected to arrive in roughly six months time - mimicking the release schedule of the previous Tales of Arcadia show, 3Below - the Trollhunters movie is set to release in 2021. If that turns out to be early 2021, preferably January or February, then the hiatus between Wizards season 1 and Rise of the Titans would be similar to that between seasons. Any longer, though, and it'll be an extended wait before the conclusion of Tales of Arcadia releases. Originally, the thought was Wizards would be serving as that conclusion, cleanly rounding out the trilogy of shows, but the plan has obviously changed. Wizards season 1 does have an arc for its main character, Douxie, that it brings to a meaningful end, and it features the deaths of both Merlin and Morgana, effectively removing the other wizards established on the show (with the possible exception of Claire). Still, given the tease that comes at the end of Wizards' season 1 finale, there is still more story to be told.
There are some plots that are fully resolved by the time the credits roll on Wizards' season 1 finale. Jim is saved from the corruption poisoning his heart, the Green Knight is defeated, and Douxie goes from apprentice to full-on, world-saving wizard. That being said, the series leaves off with more questions than previous Tales of Arcadia shows, meaning that whether in a Wizards season 2 or a Trollhunters movie, the story needed to be finished.
The biggest of these questions Rise of the Titans needs to address is how do the heroes of Arcadia defeat the Arcane Order? Wizards season 1 only saw them thwart the demi-gods who are bent on controlling all magic and destroying humanity. Thanks to Douxie's clever thinking to essentially swap the Genesis Seals for Nari, he's managed to buy them more time while also keeping the forest spirit safe, just as he promised Merlin he'd do. But that doesn't stop the Arcane Order from regrouping and coming after them - which is exactly what's teased in the final moments of the Wizards season 1 finale. Additionally, the movie's subtitle - Rise of the Titans - hints to either the heroes or possibly even the Arcane Order enlisting some allies. Either that, or Tales of Arcadia's heroes are about to level up, perhaps forming their own Avengers-like supergroup called the Titans?
Another question that remains for the Trollhunters movie to answer is who will prove worthy of Excalibur and pull the sword from the stone? Following the Green Knight's (a character revealed as a corrupted King Arthur) defeat, his sword lands thrust into a stone, awaiting a new, worthy wielder. Jim attempts to pull it free but is unsuccessful, possibly leaving it for a different character. Then again, this may relate to another of the questions Wizards season 1 leaves unanswered - is Jim still the Trollhunter? When he succumbs to the corruption, Jim completely transforms into a troll and is under the thrall of the Arcane Order. Claire, Toby, and the rest of Jim's friends are eventually able to save him, and in doing so, he's returned to his original human form. Jim also doesn't appear to have the Amulet of Daylight anymore, the object that gifted him a Trollhunter's powers. While it's certainly good news that Jim is safe and even human again, where Wizards season 1 leaves him raises questions about what his role will be in the upcoming fight against the Arcane Order.