When they’re done right, video games that are adapted into shows and movies include a few references and Easter Eggs for fans and players.DOTA 2: Dragon’s Blood, the Netflix adaptation of the popular gameDotA 2, is a hit with both fans and critics because it also has plenty for those who know and love the game and for viewers who just love their fantasy horror cartoons.
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Season three ofDragon’s Bloodis currently available there’s already talk of a season four. A few of the game-referencing Easter Eggs in earlier seasons reappear again, and there are plenty of new ones to enjoy if a person can find them.
7The Secret Shop
The Secret Merchant also referred to as the Shopkeeper or the Keeper and is the proprietor of the Secret Shop.It was one of the first and most obviousreferences to the game that appeared in the animated series. He appears again in season three, but only in the final episode, and he’s buying as opposed to selling.
The Secret Shop is neutral and sells to anyone, no matter what hero they’re playing. It’s a classic RPG store, selling consumables, magical items, and special gear. In the game, the shop itself can be found in a location between the Dire and Radiant sides that’s convenient for everyone.
6The Oracle
This character was mentioned previously as the being that was responsible for the prophecy that set the plot in motion two seasons ago. The Oracle makes a personal appearance in season 3 and speaks to Mirana about the alternate realities created by the Invoker.
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Fans of the game will recognize a Hero, Nerif The Oracle, one of the playable characters in the game. Unlike many of the other characters in the show that are derived from their gaming counterparts, the Oracle doesn’t go through a lot of cosmetic changes, and he has the same lore as an overpowered entity that can predict future events.
5Titles And Poetry
Perhaps more for diehard fans of T. S. Eliot than of the game, butthis mysterious reference still deserves a mention. Fans of video games and poetry alike have noticed that almost all of the titles in the DotA series are derived from lines of poetry, specifically the poem “The Wasteland.” The tradition continues in season three, with entries from other poems like “The Hollow Men” and “Gerontion” also making appearances.
The poem was inspired by the aftermath of World War I in Europe, and it’s famously enigmatic, filled with allusions, allegory, and a post-modern sense of non-linear time. Fans of the game might joke about the messy nature of DotA lore as being equally messy, which is a start, but the jury is still out as to the real intention here.
4Zet, The Arc Warden
Zet is a primordial creature as old as the universe itself, and nobody knows where the Self, which is how Zet references his own being, came from originally. The Self has been since the beginning.
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A familiar face for viewers that know the game, Zet is a character with some interesting backstory and some incredible powers. He only appears long enough in the show to remind the Invoker that there are entities in the universe more powerful than he is, and players who know the Arc Warden aren’t surprised to watch him hand the Invoker his first real defeat. The result of their fight, the destruction of a moon and the falling direstones, is part of the game’s central lore.
The appearance of Zet is a reference within another reference. During his altercation with the Invoker, the moon is destroyed from the inside. The destruction of the larger moon inDragon’s Bloodis a reference to a cataclysmic event that took place within the game universe that Zet, the Arc Warden, set into motion.
The lore has a lot more detail, and involves an altercation between Zet and two of his “siblings” or other primordial minds. What happens in the show has enough similarities for gaming fans to recognize. The Direstone falling to earth is one example, and in the game, it’s the Direstone versus Radiant Ore that’s at the center of virtually every conflict.
2Mirana Of Nightsilver
The reason only hardcore fans would recognize this is because they’re the ones playing the game and would haveaccess to the Mirana of Nightsilver Persona. A “persona” in DotA might be called a “skin” in other games, and this one was rewarded to players who invested in an Aghanim’s Labyrinth Battle Pass, among other goodies.
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This one is special because it’s based on Mirana’s anime design in the show. It works the same way as an equipment set, but it fills the Persona slot, so players can’t see the items on their own. The set was only available until February 2022, but given the popularity of theDragon’s Bloodshow, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it again.
1The Archronicus
To be precise, Mirana gives the book to the shopkeeper, but he doesn’t buy it from her. He asks what she wants in return, but she only asks him to keep it, assuring him that despite its value nobody would ever dare steal it.
In the series, the book holds the magical formulas and spells that allowed the Invoker to use the Forge. In the game, this is a reference to an item that doesn’t exist anymore. The Archronicus didn’t have any magical properties, nor was it valuable. Players could find pages in the game containing stories that revealed the lore and history of the world ofDotA.
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