#prince karim

[jedidragonwarriorqueen]

[ac0531]

TDP: Xadia- Winter Wonderland Skins

[raayllum]

7x03 / 2x06

[kurizeria]

[ragingadhd]

They should make a stress toy that looks like Karim. For no particular reason

[thrandilf]

I have a real bad feeling about Karim's crown bearing a passing resemblance to Aaravos's. While his is unique and has Sol Regem's silhouette behind his own head in gold, the impression of overlapping diamonds makes me go HMMMMM

For references, other Sunfire crowns to show how different this is from the usual

[thejosiebird]

I recently rewatched The Dragon Prince episode 6x02 and something about the speeches Janai and Karim deliver stuck out to me.

In case it wasn’t already obvious that Karim wouldn’t have made a good king to his people even if Janai was willing to step down, this scene pretty much hammers that home.

Whereas Janai is standing amongst her people, reaching out to make connections, and asking them to trust each other, Karim is standing high above his people, asserting his dominance and commanding them to believe in a cause based solely on power and victory.

Janai’s vision for her kingdom is someone ambiguous and allows everyone within it the freedom to flourish in their own way. Karim’s vision for the kingdom looks like the fantasized memory of the home he grew up with. A time in the past that doesn’t even exist anymore.

Janai simply wants everyone in her kingdom to feel safe and happy. Karim wants everyone in his kingdom to agree with his supremacist ideals.

For a student of history Karim is abysmal at actually learning from it. Or if he is, he’s taking all the wrong lessons from it.

[kati-corn]

4x06 / 4x08 / 4x09 / 7x02 / 7x03 / 7x05 / 7x08 / 7x09

Season 4 x Season 7 Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12  - Part 13  - Part 14 - Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19

[sunstone-nerding]

TDP rewatch note:

In S5E5, while Karim and Pharos are waiting for Kim'dael to appear, Pharos gets nervous and tries to dissuade Karim from employing the huntress. While doing so, he rubs the side of his neck -- right over the caterpillar bite. It could just be a nervous habit anymore, but maybe it is significant. It would be interesting, if Aaravos somehow perceived where his agent was, and nudged Pharos to say those words because Kim'dael would/could mess up the Startouch elf's plans.

[daikhenkhi]

So did Karim get executed at the end of season 6 or what

[jedidragonwarriorqueen]

[ac0531]

If evil, why hot?

[raayllum]

EZRAN: Prince Karim, all Queen Janai wants is peace. There's no need to attack. Take your army, the people who follow you, and build your own future somewhere away from here.

KARIM: But I agree with you. There is no need for violence today if my terms are met. EZRAN: Your terms? Prince Karim, I may be a child, but I know how to count. Janai's five armies are more than your one. The Queen expects to defeat you decisively. KARIM: And I expect my sister to surrender unconditionally and acknowledge me as the High King of the Sunfire Empire. EZRAN: I don't think— KARIM: And all humans will leave our lands immediately, and return to the other side of the border. Where you belong. EZRAN: You can't force the humans to leave. People have made friendships, built families. Your own sister is marrying a human! KARIM: I know this must seem harsh to you, but... history cannot be forged without fire. Without strength.

EZRAN: I am a king. And as a king, I choose love over strength. Sometimes it's hard, but when I struggle, I think about the people I love and how they are counting on me to do the right thing. Not the harsh thing, not the strong thing. The right thing.

KARIM: But she will always be my sister. EZRAN: Then you can still choose love. It's not too late. KARIM: The great Archdragon of the Sun was faced with a choice long ago. He chose fire. I honour Sol Regem now, as my sister should have done when she had the chance. [...] EZRAN: You want Janai to attack! And when she does... you'll call down Sol Regem and—they won't stand a chance! KARIM: Ah. Humans might be more clever than I thought. I don't need five armies when I have one archdragon.

A few notes, as always:

Karim, when nudged by Miyana, acknowledged in 6x02 that what they were doing, they were doing "for us" and "for [their people]" and I think in a lot of ways, like Viren, that's what it initially started out as. However, here we see most clearly that this is about Karim's ego (shocking, I know) and pride. He wants to be king of this land, he wants to crush and restore 'natural order' to Xadia by expelling humans again. Just having this own followers and his own piece of land elsewhere isn't enough, even though it would be if his people's happiness was all he cared about.

Ezran offers a variety of options and perspectives to Karim to appeal to him — you could leave peacefully with your people, you can make active choices, don't you love your sister? — the latter of which being the only one to really get under his skin. I also like seeing Ezran advocate on behalf of his citizens (and possibly others) who have been integrated into Sunfire society and daily life. Karim wants to return Xadia to being wholly divided, but Ezran — like Janai, and Amaya, and the bulk of the main cast — want reintegration, for humans to live on both sides of the border again (and elves beyond just Rayla I'm sure).

We also see consistent motifs such as the 'paths' element that arc 2 has largely fostered, Karim's focus on history and fire, consistent themes like the emphasis on choices, as well as anyone — but especially Ezran — harkening back directly to Harrow's letter from 2x06, which is the first time in seasons we've heard the same sentiments so directly expressed. (Crying over "No, it's too late for that" in 1x02 vs "Then you can still choose love, it's not too late").

I also really enjoy the way this scene tests Ezran. As he said in 4x03, "We all want love and we all want peace" and here, he's presented directly with the opposite: Queen Janai wants peace, but Karim wants violence, he wants to be attacked so that he can have the upper hand, and that's when Ez and Corvus know they need to get out of here.

I also can't help but think about how relevant Ezran's speech here is going to be when he encounters Runaan in S7. We saw in the TDP short story "Deep Below" that he will likely want to do the "harsh thing, the strong thing," rather than the right thing. It makes me wonder if we'll see more of an Ezran&Rayla focus as a way to guide him through. After all, Runaan murdered his father, but Runaan is also Rayla's father—and doesn't Ezran love his sister?

[roz-ani]

You know, for kids

[sunstone-nerding]

Ohoho I like this idea!

Thats a really nice sunseed you got there Karim.....

would be a shame if someone.......

shot it during your spell and it blows up in your face...

[thrandilf]

Karim getting into ceremonial robes for a sun ritual that will doom us all is giving such fun s3 Viren parallels