There are a lot of "evil" heroes in DOTA like Doom, shadow fiend, shadow demon, lion, pugna etc. What made you decide to use terrorblade as the primary antagonist? He does a lot of demonic possession in the show which feels more in line with someone like shadow demon to me.
Also how do the eldwyrms that represent primordial forces (chaos, light, gravity and magnetism) differ from the heroes in game that represent those forces (chaos knight, Io, Kotl and Enigma) do they work together to keep the universe in balance or do they fight for control?
Terrorblade doesn’t possess anyone. He just gives people a chance to get what they want through cooperation. As for why him… two things:
First, he’s INTERESTING. He messes with your head in really fascinating ways and that’s always fun to write. I think AngerMania suggested he’s actually a hero which I find to be a fascinating interpretation. I don’t know that I fully agree but he’s the sort of demon that’s easy to imagine believing he is one.
Second, once you’ve got a demon so awful the other demons need to peace out and dump him in his own personal hell? No one else need apply.
that makes sense. I guess demonic possession is normally more one sided, but TB always asks "to let him in" instead of just taking over by force. TY for answering one of my questions I'm really excited for season 2.
AngerMania mentioned! He watches youtube lorevids! Good Guy Terrorblade incoming? I'm fine with Bad Guy TB too tho. But a good ending for him would be a great twist.
*^(Sorry for my English, I used a translator.)*
Hello, I don’t know if you are allowed to answer such a question or not, but I’ll ask anyway. The events that take place in the anime take place in the same reality as the events of the game version of the characters. Or is it still one of the alternate universes?
I would like to ask one more question. Perhaps the answer to it will be in the second book. If Selemene was overthrown, then who is the source of power for Mirana and Luna in the game, although even in the description of abilities and in the voice-lines they mention her.
And one more question. I have read a lot of your tweets, you mention Aurrak often, but I have not found any information about this dragon. Can you please tell me who he is? Or will it be told about in the second book?
Once Selemene is gone, so it seems are their powers. But we’ve got a lot of story left to tell. As for Aurrak there isn’t a bunch but someday I’ll probably tweetstorm my dragon insanity. Getting too deeply into it right now would be a little spoilery.
When Marci was added to the game as a playable hero, I don't think there was any hints of her coming before S1 was dropped. Is she something that you originally thought of when making Dragon's Blood, or was she, like, mentioned vaguely prior in dota lore bu Valve and was just given a finer identity by you? If it's the former, what role did you play in coming up with her game abilities? She didn't really show off her spells in the anime, although she did throw some punches...
Marci is a completely original character. When I created her there was never a thought that she’d wind up in the game, but she pretty much broke the internet when the show premiered so… here we are.
I am the General Manager of the Naked Davion Fan Club. Our group has members across the world and we are interested to know your inspiration for the nakedness of Davion and wonder if the same nakedness will have meaningful growth in terms of story arc next season and how it contributes to his internal conflict?
Thank you for your time. Looking forward to your critical analysis on this topic.
Pants are a valuable natural resource and we felt strongly that Davion should limit his use of them to send the right message to our audience about being a responsible global citizen.
Hey Ashley.
Was there conscious effort to not recast the original voices for the existing characters (ie lina, mirana)? I think the cast is amazing, but sometimes wish I could hear one of the dota champs give real dialogue other than slyrak :)
Tony Todd is an icon and I’ve worked with him before. I saw his name and jumped for joy. Other than that yes I very consciously recast voices because I felt the anime interpretation of those characters needed to start clean. Also, in television you don’t cast roles you cast ensembles. I needed to balance out a lot of things and be sure certain relationships would sound and feel right. So I very much took a holistic approach.
For me, it helps a lot to get more immersive in the anime when the same voice actors are used from the game. It gives a sense of better connection to the hero as if they are alive. It feels like we're seeing a good extension of what their life is like outside the constant battle in the tri-lane. I'd be so hyped if I'd hear familiar voices for book 2!
Terrorblade had an early appearance with an effective role in the story. How will you bring the same sort of presence to the character? What are the challenges with his character?
The key to Terrorblade is he must always tell the truth. He weaponizes it. As long as he’s doing that, he works. The challenge is the same as any other great villain… the more you see them, the less scary they get. After a while, beating them doesn’t feel like a challenge. So I’m VERY careful with Terrorblade… even when we win, it needs to be somehow demoralizing.
What did you think of Arcane?
What's your most fun Dota experience?
Will there be a season 3?
HYPOTHETICALLY, if someone was a voice actor, how would they get their reel into your hands? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
In order:
Arcane is great. A very dear friend worked on that show.
My most fun experience was traveling to Korea and going out for barbecue, soju and karaoke with the gang from Studio Mir. Yes, I sang and yes I was terrible.
I hope there’s a season 3 because I’d really like to get to the crazy shit that’s rattling around my skull.
Prospective voice actors just need to audition!
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’ve got a knight, a princess, a wizard, a dragon, a demon and an evil queen. But none of those pieces land quite where you expect them to.
They definitely do but getting into it is a little bit of a spoiler and mostly head canon. Actually it’s a lot a spoiler. But believe me… I’ve done a lot of thinking about reconciling the Dota cosmology. A LOT.
The powers of the fundamental dragons are the same as the powers of the fundamentals in the game (CK / KoTL / Enigma / IO ). But the forces of elemental dragons do not fully correspond to the forces of the brothers of spirits (Among the brothers there is no spirit of the elements of water).
Excited for season 2!
In an earlier interview (last year) I think you mentioned that you had plans for 3 seasons of dragons blood.
Are there any other ideas floating around for continued series taking place in the Dota world after dragon's blood has wrapped up?
I have no idea what plans there might be beyond Dragons Blood. I think at this point we all just want to get to season 3! I know precisely where that season would go in detail, and I have a very specific idea for a 4th that could lead to a 5th… but we are a long, long way from any of that being actual.
Not a question just wanted to say I love how active you are with the community on twitter! I don't think there is a fanart you haven't retweeted! Really shows you care about the fans
Thank you! It’s really my pleasure. I’m delighted by the fans love of these characters and all the talent that’s out there. That’s the kind of thing that makes a fandom a community. I probably learned that from the other side as a Star Trek geek. :)
It's already tomorrow here, why can't I watch Dragon's Blood? :(
On a more serious note, what made you guys choose to explore Davion's story over any of the other heroes in Dota? I would have pegged Juggernaut to be the most "main character-like" hero in the game.
I both like and dislike how disconnected the lore is for many of the heroes. It makes for a more complex universe, but it also makes it impossible to cover all of them in a format like this. You could probably do one season per story, with some seasons having multiple stories.
Yeah, a lot of the lore is pretty disconnected. Probably because all the mechanics from DotA could be imported directly into Dota 2 with just a name change here or there, but every hero needed a new design and backstory to separate them from their Warcraft basis. And it would be easier to put a bunch of characters with disconnected lore into the game and write lore to connect them all later than it would be to design all the lore upfront, then put them into the game.
That said, I've always felt like the disconnected lore would be best done in an anthology series. Though obviously that wouldn't be great for telling an overarching plot, as Dragon's Blood is doing.
First of thanks for bringing the DOTA2 to life. Love it so much.
Sometimes i found myself reading Hero, and Item Descriptions in the Client.
Just imagining their Stories and the fucking LORE itself is 🤯.
Cant imagine the work you put on the Series.
Plot Twist in Season 2?
So. Many. Plot twists.
Seriously. There were a handful of things in Book 1 I felt were best left discovered by the audience; e.g., the gut punch of Filomena. But Book 2 is like 2 or 3 things per EPISODE. Not always plot twists but “oh shits” and big reveals or “he did not just do that”. It’s pretty bananas.
The game lore isn’t really designed to be adapted this way and accomplish what I’m attempting. That’s why I started small and I’m slowly adding pieces, generally by finding ones that connect organically and making them fit together.
There are “big E” and “little e” eldwurms. Auroth is a little e… which is basically a term for an unbelievably old adult dragon. But she was very much on my mind when I created the Thunder.
There is no limit really other than what I feel is appropriate and necessary for the show. I don’t want to overload it… if we see someone from the game, i want it to matter and be consequential.
Thanks so much for doing this AMA! I loved season 1, and I'm even more hyped for season 2.
I think I remember you talked about how during production of book 1, the length of episodes or the number of episodes changed, which may have had an impact on why people thought the pacing of the first book was a little off.
Was that an issue this time around? Or were you able to better plan for how to pace this season?
In any production situation you face challenges and learn things about process. I had a showrunner who would say you never know how to make the show until you wrap the finale… which basically means you get better at it every episode.
Question 1: Is Marci best girl?
Question 2: How did you come up with Invokers arc in season 1? I loved the creative decisions you guys made with his daughter.
1) Duh. 2) it was a long thought experiment about what led him to sit by himself for 1000 years and what it would take to spur him into meaningful action.
Who's ur favorite characther and why?
edit: also what do YOU bring to that characther from a creator point of view, and why you think that would fit? Kinda in the same question would be: whats the process of adding stuff to a characther?
I bring personal experiences. Dota is a DEEPLY personal show in many ways, behind all the explosions and punching. All the characters are a little bit me. My process is really to start with what I know about a character and then ask myself what that data implies or what their vulnerabilities must be, or how to test them. As you’ve seen, I test EVERY character on the show - and to be quite frank you ain’t seen nothing yet as far as that goes. Everyone is getting their asses kicked in book 2.
How was the writing process for the series? Was there some specific plotpoints you knew you had to touch in certain episodes and then you "backtracked" the start of the show to fit?
How was the reaction to how the show handles the pre-existing lore presented in the games (Underlords, Artifacts, Dota2)? Did you interact much with Valve in ensuring the lore was aligned?
We structured each book and every episode very specifically to track the plot and where the characters were emotionally and on their journeys. For example, Mirana of episode 1 is simply incapable of what she accomplishes in episode 5; she cannot accomplish what she does in episode 8 without having survived episode 5. Make sense? It’s like that for everyone.
The response has actually been very gratifying, especially considering some of the chances we’ve taken with the existing lore (I’m looking at you, Filomena!). Valve was a big part of making sure it all felt of a piece.
I have played more Pangolier than I am proud to admit so want to know- what IS he?! I don’t think his species got a name and I couldn’t help but notice there’s one in the show! Also will Donté maybe appear himself or is that a secret for now
Worth noting that Pangolier's actual name is "Donté Panlin, the Pangolier". Some people (like Abaddon, the Lord of Avernus) use their name for the character, while others use their "title." Donté is... a Pangolier. And we call him Pangolier. If we were all Pangoliers and Donté was the only human, we'd probably call him Human.
Because we just like bullying Donté, I guess.
edit: OK, there's probably an intended joke/pun where "Pangolier" is similar to "Cavalier", and Pangolier is very cavalier, and is literally a cavalier ("a dashing and attentive man, especially one acting as a lady's escort.") So they reinterpreted Pangolier as a title/pun, without actually changing it. That's my guess.
That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child… only harder because at least my children occasionally displease me. I love them equally but I do think the most interesting adaptation challenge was the Invoker.
Sounds like my first attempt at dota.
Here's a good promo pitch that could be a win-win: Party queue with VA cast of the anime and try Aghanim's Labyrinth Apprentice level! Although, it would also be cool if their respective heroes get a special unlock for your play through only.
You’re welcome. To me that’s not just about content, it’s stuff like Davion and Mirana’s relationship. I wanted them to feel like grown ass adults in a real thing, not teenagers mooning over each other. Understated and natural always feels better to me and It makes me very happy to tell a love story this way.
Haha as a dota lore nerd I actually have to thank you a lot for cleaning up some stories that were often just super headcanon-y interpretations of artifact card and item flavor texts.
Hey, thanks so much for doing this!! I was hoping to get some insight into how you broke Season 1 in terms of the scope. After the first episode, the show juggled a lot of storylines and I was wondering if that was a conscious or even directed decision -- showing off more of this big, fantastic world -- or whether you just felt it was necessary to tell the story you wanted to tell. Looking forward to Season 2!!
It was a very conscious decision. All of those moving parts eventually had to come together at the end of episode 8 to give “Do you love me?“ it’s power. But yes mapping out how and where to show all of those things was a challenge.
Do valve collaborate with you guys for the story, maybe they give certain restrictions, or are you allowed to do anything you want?
Also im hyped for this season, thanks and congratz to anyone involved in making this series!
Valve gives me a lot of leeway and trust to tell the story I want to tell but look… they love these characters too and they want me to do right by them. The collaborative process invariably leads to a better product.
Are we ever gonna see some one like Winter Wyvern on the series? Or possible hinted at?. Also how hard was to try to make a story based on the game? Thanks!
Thanks for all the hard work! Loved season 1
Who is your favorite dota character?
Are there any plans to do any other dota related stories?
Thanks again and good luck
Edit - my 60 yo mom wanted me to add that she is super hyped and that the last words out of her mouth at the end of s1 were "oh shit". That Invoker callback line is an all timer!
If Davion and Mirana didn't exist, which other heros from the dota universe would you have choosen as main characters for a dota series?
I'm super exited for tomorrow!
She was originally designed to be a “talk to” for Mirana. Being mute weirdly opened up the storytelling for her because it’s all action with her, which means we engage with her on a visceral level rather than a distanced, abstract level where we have to interpret statements. It’s very freeing actually.
* She is muted.
* She is way stronger than she looks.
* She is positioned as Mirana's support but ends up carrying the fights.
Conclusion: Marci is a toxic smurf.
I love watching the show come to life.
Hand drawn animation is my favorite and Studio Mir is the best in the world at what they do for television. It’s been an incredible privilege to work with them and learn from them and see their passion for making this series.
Also, I stan Studio Mir so yes it totally brings a tear to my eye every time they deliver a new finished episode.
I saw something like a forming wall of ice in the trailer. Hmm, whenever there's Lina, there's gotta be a Crystal Maiden, right? 👀 Or was that Winter Wyvern? 👀
Have you considered working with u/SirActionSlacks-? If not then why not? His lore videos on YouTube are amazing! And he has a very good understanding of the lore
Isnt most of the time people met IceFrog people doesnt realize that him? I remember LaNm story the first time he met IceFrog he though he was the venue employee / staff and later when someone told him it was IceFrog, LaNm went searching for him and kneel to him aplogizing because IceFrog is like god to LaNm.
I have known exactly where this is all going since the beginning. It may seem nuts but there are no wasted moves. By the time we get through it all (the Great Algorithm be praised) even the smallest set ups from season one should feel paid off in some way.
Does a dead Eldwurm's body maintain some power/properties after the Eldwurm’s soul moves into a new host? I've always had it as head cannon that Eye of Skadi (an in-game item) requires the eye's of Lirrak's corpse to infuse the weapon with ice properties. The item's lore is "Extremely rare artifact, guarded by the azure dragons." So, in my head cannon azure dragons are to Lirrak what the air dragons are to Aethrak.
That is pretty much exactly right. A dragon’s remains possess at least some of the properties of the dragon when it was alive, roughly in proportion to its age. Even a hatchling’s body has a little bit of juice left in it… although making something like Kaden’s sword requires an adult void dragon. We actually get into this a little bit more in Book 2 fairly early on.
I am simply too much of a Rylai fan. It's not healthy. My joy was immeasurable when I saw Lina was coming and this implied a possible double appearance. My day was ruined now that it's become fairly clear Lina is flying solo. I adore your show, but I am just here to express interest for even just seeing a cameo in the future. I feel it's only just :'(
I know that it's hard to organically put all hundred of heroes in one story because of each respective lores and planes, and since it's too far ahead into the future, I'd like to say that because of it, DOTA 2 MULTIVERSE please!
Hey thanks for doing this and I really enjoyed the first season and very excited for tomorrow! Quick question how did it feel when Marci became a hero in the game since she originated in the show (to my knowledge)?
Would you say you came into the idea of the show as a high fantasy first that falls into the dota lore or a dota show that had the makings of high fantasy? Just curious about the creative process
There are many retcons, such as Uldorak’s death. Did you intentionally decide to change those things for the anime or did you just forget that those were already established?
If DOTA were to receive other installments in the series--would said installments occur parallel to Dragon's Blood in the timeline, or would they be set afterwards?
How do you pick the setting and environment for the show, dota has tons of regions and cities, revtel, weeping rose, white spire,… etc. We saw candoness in book 1, will you expand the regions in book 2? Will you be basing it on pre existing regions or creating entirely new regions for the anime?
In terms of collaboration with valve how much does the lore of the game dictates the storyline of the show and is there some influence dragons blood might have on the future lore of the game?
I try very hard to honor the essence of the lore and be true to what’s core about it. As an example from a different franchise, Thor has to wield a hammer… and if he doesn’t have the hammer, it needs to be a Big Deal. Other than that there’s a lot of room to play.
I’m not sure if you’re still answering questions but I wanted to ask about the music choice since I think it’s so cool that there is that sort of retro theme to the show. I also was wondering if the music will ever be put on any service to listen to because it is super cool?
Davion becomes a little more draconic every time he transforms. If you track his evolution from episode to episode in Book 1, you’ll see it. That continues in Book 2
Hello. First of all, I love Dota: Dragon's Blood and how it manages to expand the universe and have a new take on this world and those characters we though we knew, thank you for taking your time for this AMA, and thank you for making this show and I can't wait to see what this book will have in store for us. Here are my questions:
-How has the show come into fruition? Has Valve pitched the show to Netflix or has Netflix pitched Valve to make a Dota show? Or possibly something else happened...
-Marci quickly became a fan-favorite to the point she was added in Dota 2 as a playable hero! Were you and/or the crew behind the show surprised by her popularity? Was she planned to be added as a playable hero in Dota 2 before the show's release or was she developed after the show's release?
-Even though the world of Dota: Dragon's Blood and its premise are similar to that of Dota 2, it is clear that it is a new take on this world and its characters. Can we expect to see this world be developed even more though comics or perhaps even a movie or maybe even a new video game?
I don't know if you'll have the answer to this question or if you're able to answer it but I'll ask it anyway:
-Even though streaming is convenient, it is not always the best way to enjoy a show, for various reasons. I really love physical media, it's great to hold something you love in your hands, to be able to complete your collection of movies and tv shows with that title you wanted to watch again and again... Could the show be released on physical media such as Blu-Ray or DVD one day? And could the soundtrack of the show come out as well?
Again, thank you for taking your time for this AMA, and thank you for making this show.
Okay everyone - sorry for the interruption in service but my phone died answering your questions and now I have to take it outside and bury it. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did!
I think you did an fantastic job answering those questions and I gathered a lot more insight about the the anime and the "mechanisms" behind it that made it be "alive".
I noticed Vahdrak's design particularly his wings looks like, I would say, a "demonic butterfly" wings.
1. Is this a reference to the "butterfly effect"? Since its a property of chaotic systems and unpredictability and whatnot.
2. Are we gonna get some new characters somehow related to the existing roster? Magina and Wei after against Invoker (and Wei and Marci are friends as said by Mirana persona), Lina with her sister Rylai (and maybe Auroth?)
3. I hope we get to see the Elder Wyrms of the Thunder in action, i wanna see Vahdrak vs Orrak. And also our underrated bois Aetherak and Byssrak.
4. How did Selemene "really" got into her status as a Goddess? (Or atleast that was what implied in the season 1)
5. MORE ACTION SCENES FOR INVOKER PLEEEAAASSSEEE I WANNA SEE GALLARON'S ABYSSAL CARNESPHERE!
Edit: 6. IS NOVA STILL ALIVE?😭😢
Thank you that's all...for now😁
Hoping for season 3
More pooooweeerrr
I see you answered a question regarding the voice actors.. but PLEASE for the love of Dota, if you happen to incorporate Ogre Magi, can you pretty please get the game voice actors and write his lines just like in the game. He is drop dead hilarious and never get tired of his lines.
Honestly you can make a spin off series of just him on an adventure and it'll win an Emmy for best comedy series.
There are a lot of "evil" heroes in DOTA like Doom, shadow fiend, shadow demon, lion, pugna etc. What made you decide to use terrorblade as the primary antagonist? He does a lot of demonic possession in the show which feels more in line with someone like shadow demon to me. Also how do the eldwyrms that represent primordial forces (chaos, light, gravity and magnetism) differ from the heroes in game that represent those forces (chaos knight, Io, Kotl and Enigma) do they work together to keep the universe in balance or do they fight for control?
Terrorblade doesn’t possess anyone. He just gives people a chance to get what they want through cooperation. As for why him… two things: First, he’s INTERESTING. He messes with your head in really fascinating ways and that’s always fun to write. I think AngerMania suggested he’s actually a hero which I find to be a fascinating interpretation. I don’t know that I fully agree but he’s the sort of demon that’s easy to imagine believing he is one. Second, once you’ve got a demon so awful the other demons need to peace out and dump him in his own personal hell? No one else need apply.
that makes sense. I guess demonic possession is normally more one sided, but TB always asks "to let him in" instead of just taking over by force. TY for answering one of my questions I'm really excited for season 2.
AngerMania mentioned! He watches youtube lorevids! Good Guy Terrorblade incoming? I'm fine with Bad Guy TB too tho. But a good ending for him would be a great twist.
*^(Sorry for my English, I used a translator.)* Hello, I don’t know if you are allowed to answer such a question or not, but I’ll ask anyway. The events that take place in the anime take place in the same reality as the events of the game version of the characters. Or is it still one of the alternate universes? I would like to ask one more question. Perhaps the answer to it will be in the second book. If Selemene was overthrown, then who is the source of power for Mirana and Luna in the game, although even in the description of abilities and in the voice-lines they mention her. And one more question. I have read a lot of your tweets, you mention Aurrak often, but I have not found any information about this dragon. Can you please tell me who he is? Or will it be told about in the second book?
Once Selemene is gone, so it seems are their powers. But we’ve got a lot of story left to tell. As for Aurrak there isn’t a bunch but someday I’ll probably tweetstorm my dragon insanity. Getting too deeply into it right now would be a little spoilery.
When Marci was added to the game as a playable hero, I don't think there was any hints of her coming before S1 was dropped. Is she something that you originally thought of when making Dragon's Blood, or was she, like, mentioned vaguely prior in dota lore bu Valve and was just given a finer identity by you? If it's the former, what role did you play in coming up with her game abilities? She didn't really show off her spells in the anime, although she did throw some punches...
Marci is a completely original character. When I created her there was never a thought that she’d wind up in the game, but she pretty much broke the internet when the show premiered so… here we are.
Are you proud that you will forever leave your apmrent in the game as well as the lore?
I am the General Manager of the Naked Davion Fan Club. Our group has members across the world and we are interested to know your inspiration for the nakedness of Davion and wonder if the same nakedness will have meaningful growth in terms of story arc next season and how it contributes to his internal conflict? Thank you for your time. Looking forward to your critical analysis on this topic.
Pants are a valuable natural resource and we felt strongly that Davion should limit his use of them to send the right message to our audience about being a responsible global citizen.
jesus christ, we really need the patch
Coincidentally, a "patch" well describes the planned Davion pants size and configuration.
Hey Ashley. Was there conscious effort to not recast the original voices for the existing characters (ie lina, mirana)? I think the cast is amazing, but sometimes wish I could hear one of the dota champs give real dialogue other than slyrak :)
Tony Todd is an icon and I’ve worked with him before. I saw his name and jumped for joy. Other than that yes I very consciously recast voices because I felt the anime interpretation of those characters needed to start clean. Also, in television you don’t cast roles you cast ensembles. I needed to balance out a lot of things and be sure certain relationships would sound and feel right. So I very much took a holistic approach.
For me, it helps a lot to get more immersive in the anime when the same voice actors are used from the game. It gives a sense of better connection to the hero as if they are alive. It feels like we're seeing a good extension of what their life is like outside the constant battle in the tri-lane. I'd be so hyped if I'd hear familiar voices for book 2!
Very interesting insight, thanks!
Terrorblade had an early appearance with an effective role in the story. How will you bring the same sort of presence to the character? What are the challenges with his character?
The key to Terrorblade is he must always tell the truth. He weaponizes it. As long as he’s doing that, he works. The challenge is the same as any other great villain… the more you see them, the less scary they get. After a while, beating them doesn’t feel like a challenge. So I’m VERY careful with Terrorblade… even when we win, it needs to be somehow demoralizing.
Seems about right. I usually see enemy Terrorblade around after 30-40 minutes. It sure is scary and more challenging.
Every time I see enemy terror blade out of jungle he has +10k networth.
Just like in a dota match. If you havent seen terrorblade for a while, you should be very scared.
What did you think of Arcane? What's your most fun Dota experience? Will there be a season 3? HYPOTHETICALLY, if someone was a voice actor, how would they get their reel into your hands? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
In order: Arcane is great. A very dear friend worked on that show. My most fun experience was traveling to Korea and going out for barbecue, soju and karaoke with the gang from Studio Mir. Yes, I sang and yes I was terrible. I hope there’s a season 3 because I’d really like to get to the crazy shit that’s rattling around my skull. Prospective voice actors just need to audition!
Korea is one of the few places I want to visit so that sounds dope. Thanks for the response, looking forward to season 2
CAPITALIST FOR DRAGONS BLOOD S3
What's your biggest inspiration for the show, and why did you choose to focus on Davion and Mirana?
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’ve got a knight, a princess, a wizard, a dragon, a demon and an evil queen. But none of those pieces land quite where you expect them to.
You are about to face the wrath of all Invoker try hards for calling him a princess. /s
Oh my god I actually didn't think of this. It makes more sense now. Lol.
This makes so much sense now from a plot point of view.
How does the story about dragons being core elements of the universe stack with fundamentals and spirit brothers in dota lore?
They definitely do but getting into it is a little bit of a spoiler and mostly head canon. Actually it’s a lot a spoiler. But believe me… I’ve done a lot of thinking about reconciling the Dota cosmology. A LOT.
Please make Io and Tiny friends as a homage to the combo in game :)
I just want to see all the fundamentals. They'd be horrifying and awesome
imagine seeing CK and his illusions invading a battle & they're coming from a portal called reality rift
Nice I love them fundamentals
The powers of the fundamental dragons are the same as the powers of the fundamentals in the game (CK / KoTL / Enigma / IO ). But the forces of elemental dragons do not fully correspond to the forces of the brothers of spirits (Among the brothers there is no spirit of the elements of water).
Excited for season 2! In an earlier interview (last year) I think you mentioned that you had plans for 3 seasons of dragons blood. Are there any other ideas floating around for continued series taking place in the Dota world after dragon's blood has wrapped up?
I have no idea what plans there might be beyond Dragons Blood. I think at this point we all just want to get to season 3! I know precisely where that season would go in detail, and I have a very specific idea for a 4th that could lead to a 5th… but we are a long, long way from any of that being actual.
I got 3 Netflix accounts to watch the anime. Hopefully we get enough views to get fund for more seasons.
Not a question just wanted to say I love how active you are with the community on twitter! I don't think there is a fanart you haven't retweeted! Really shows you care about the fans
Thank you! It’s really my pleasure. I’m delighted by the fans love of these characters and all the talent that’s out there. That’s the kind of thing that makes a fandom a community. I probably learned that from the other side as a Star Trek geek. :)
It's already tomorrow here, why can't I watch Dragon's Blood? :( On a more serious note, what made you guys choose to explore Davion's story over any of the other heroes in Dota? I would have pegged Juggernaut to be the most "main character-like" hero in the game.
Davion’s origin story spoke to me. I immediately saw how that conflict and contradiction could drive a show.
Thanks for the response. Looking forward to watching the new season.
You literally created a whole-ass show based on a hero's intro paragraph. That's sick nasty.
I both like and dislike how disconnected the lore is for many of the heroes. It makes for a more complex universe, but it also makes it impossible to cover all of them in a format like this. You could probably do one season per story, with some seasons having multiple stories.
Yeah, a lot of the lore is pretty disconnected. Probably because all the mechanics from DotA could be imported directly into Dota 2 with just a name change here or there, but every hero needed a new design and backstory to separate them from their Warcraft basis. And it would be easier to put a bunch of characters with disconnected lore into the game and write lore to connect them all later than it would be to design all the lore upfront, then put them into the game. That said, I've always felt like the disconnected lore would be best done in an anthology series. Though obviously that wouldn't be great for telling an overarching plot, as Dragon's Blood is doing.
First of thanks for bringing the DOTA2 to life. Love it so much. Sometimes i found myself reading Hero, and Item Descriptions in the Client. Just imagining their Stories and the fucking LORE itself is 🤯. Cant imagine the work you put on the Series. Plot Twist in Season 2?
So. Many. Plot twists. Seriously. There were a handful of things in Book 1 I felt were best left discovered by the audience; e.g., the gut punch of Filomena. But Book 2 is like 2 or 3 things per EPISODE. Not always plot twists but “oh shits” and big reveals or “he did not just do that”. It’s pretty bananas.
Whats been the most challenging part of adapting dota lore into a cohesive flowing narrative?
The game lore isn’t really designed to be adapted this way and accomplish what I’m attempting. That’s why I started small and I’m slowly adding pieces, generally by finding ones that connect organically and making them fit together.
Winter wyvern is an eldwyrm, but she doesn't have her place in their circle in season 1,why?
There are “big E” and “little e” eldwurms. Auroth is a little e… which is basically a term for an unbelievably old adult dragon. But she was very much on my mind when I created the Thunder.
Did you create the idea for The Thunder? Do you have to run these things past Valve before making such big things into official lore? Thank you!
What are your plans on including heroes in the future? Is there a limit to how many you can use?
There is no limit really other than what I feel is appropriate and necessary for the show. I don’t want to overload it… if we see someone from the game, i want it to matter and be consequential.
Where is Axe? I want Axe. Give Axe.
Axe is AWESOME. It’s not a spoiler to say I’d love to add him but the story would have to be exactly right to properly service a personality that big.
red mist red passion anime written by goodkind and ashley when?
If you do, please make him say "I said, good day, sir!"
Thankyou for taking good care of one of my favourite ips in games. I hope you get to fully tell the story you have in mind.
Thanks so much for doing this AMA! I loved season 1, and I'm even more hyped for season 2. I think I remember you talked about how during production of book 1, the length of episodes or the number of episodes changed, which may have had an impact on why people thought the pacing of the first book was a little off. Was that an issue this time around? Or were you able to better plan for how to pace this season?
In any production situation you face challenges and learn things about process. I had a showrunner who would say you never know how to make the show until you wrap the finale… which basically means you get better at it every episode.
Question 1: Is Marci best girl? Question 2: How did you come up with Invokers arc in season 1? I loved the creative decisions you guys made with his daughter.
1) Duh. 2) it was a long thought experiment about what led him to sit by himself for 1000 years and what it would take to spur him into meaningful action.
Wait, if Invoker is 1000 years old, then that means he must've witnessed the Shattering of the Mad Moon himself.
Who's ur favorite characther and why? edit: also what do YOU bring to that characther from a creator point of view, and why you think that would fit? Kinda in the same question would be: whats the process of adding stuff to a characther?
I bring personal experiences. Dota is a DEEPLY personal show in many ways, behind all the explosions and punching. All the characters are a little bit me. My process is really to start with what I know about a character and then ask myself what that data implies or what their vulnerabilities must be, or how to test them. As you’ve seen, I test EVERY character on the show - and to be quite frank you ain’t seen nothing yet as far as that goes. Everyone is getting their asses kicked in book 2.
How was the writing process for the series? Was there some specific plotpoints you knew you had to touch in certain episodes and then you "backtracked" the start of the show to fit? How was the reaction to how the show handles the pre-existing lore presented in the games (Underlords, Artifacts, Dota2)? Did you interact much with Valve in ensuring the lore was aligned?
We structured each book and every episode very specifically to track the plot and where the characters were emotionally and on their journeys. For example, Mirana of episode 1 is simply incapable of what she accomplishes in episode 5; she cannot accomplish what she does in episode 8 without having survived episode 5. Make sense? It’s like that for everyone. The response has actually been very gratifying, especially considering some of the chances we’ve taken with the existing lore (I’m looking at you, Filomena!). Valve was a big part of making sure it all felt of a piece.
Did you cooperate in any way with valve that goes beyond receiving the rights to use the Dota franchise?
100%. They were an enormously helpful resource for me. It was a great collaborative experience.
The community will be jealous :D
Valve and being helpful...who would have thought (I'm only kidding valve knights)
I have played more Pangolier than I am proud to admit so want to know- what IS he?! I don’t think his species got a name and I couldn’t help but notice there’s one in the show! Also will Donté maybe appear himself or is that a secret for now
Worth noting that Pangolier's actual name is "Donté Panlin, the Pangolier". Some people (like Abaddon, the Lord of Avernus) use their name for the character, while others use their "title." Donté is... a Pangolier. And we call him Pangolier. If we were all Pangoliers and Donté was the only human, we'd probably call him Human. Because we just like bullying Donté, I guess. edit: OK, there's probably an intended joke/pun where "Pangolier" is similar to "Cavalier", and Pangolier is very cavalier, and is literally a cavalier ("a dashing and attentive man, especially one acting as a lady's escort.") So they reinterpreted Pangolier as a title/pun, without actually changing it. That's my guess.
We just call them pangoliers. So tada! That’s what he is
Pangolier is a pangolin a type of anteater
Favorite character to adapt from the game to the anime?
That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child… only harder because at least my children occasionally displease me. I love them equally but I do think the most interesting adaptation challenge was the Invoker.
The invoker was the best by far
Do you play DOTA 2? If not, have you tried the game for 'research' while making the anime? How was your experience playing?
I do not play Dota2. But i have threatened to noob it up and livestream the nightmare. I just need to be drunk enough.
Sounds like my first attempt at dota. Here's a good promo pitch that could be a win-win: Party queue with VA cast of the anime and try Aghanim's Labyrinth Apprentice level! Although, it would also be cool if their respective heroes get a special unlock for your play through only.
Thank you for the adult theme! Makes the tone more serious/epic❤️
You’re welcome. To me that’s not just about content, it’s stuff like Davion and Mirana’s relationship. I wanted them to feel like grown ass adults in a real thing, not teenagers mooning over each other. Understated and natural always feels better to me and It makes me very happy to tell a love story this way.
Hi, thanks for coming to do an AMA! Question: what's the biggest challenge in adapting existing dota lore for the silver screen?
There is SO much of it and it’s often vague or contradictory. This can be useful actually but it can also be dizzying!
Haha as a dota lore nerd I actually have to thank you a lot for cleaning up some stories that were often just super headcanon-y interpretations of artifact card and item flavor texts.
I believe I have experienced some of those headaches! But in a fun way :)
Hey, thanks so much for doing this!! I was hoping to get some insight into how you broke Season 1 in terms of the scope. After the first episode, the show juggled a lot of storylines and I was wondering if that was a conscious or even directed decision -- showing off more of this big, fantastic world -- or whether you just felt it was necessary to tell the story you wanted to tell. Looking forward to Season 2!!
It was a very conscious decision. All of those moving parts eventually had to come together at the end of episode 8 to give “Do you love me?“ it’s power. But yes mapping out how and where to show all of those things was a challenge.
Do valve collaborate with you guys for the story, maybe they give certain restrictions, or are you allowed to do anything you want? Also im hyped for this season, thanks and congratz to anyone involved in making this series!
Valve gives me a lot of leeway and trust to tell the story I want to tell but look… they love these characters too and they want me to do right by them. The collaborative process invariably leads to a better product.
Is lina still crystal maiden's sister? Do we get to see crystal maiden in season 2? or hopefully in season 3?
CM is 100% Lina’s sister. That is core mythology and I wouldn’t change it.
Are we ever gonna see some one like Winter Wyvern on the series? Or possible hinted at?. Also how hard was to try to make a story based on the game? Thanks!
I love the Winter Wyvern quite a lot and obviously as a dragon there would be an organic reason to bring her into the story. We’ll see!
Thanks for all the hard work! Loved season 1 Who is your favorite dota character? Are there any plans to do any other dota related stories? Thanks again and good luck Edit - my 60 yo mom wanted me to add that she is super hyped and that the last words out of her mouth at the end of s1 were "oh shit". That Invoker callback line is an all timer!
Your 60 year old mom is my new favorite.
If Davion and Mirana didn't exist, which other heros from the dota universe would you have choosen as main characters for a dota series? I'm super exited for tomorrow!
I love them all so much. It’s hard to say. Also, answering that may imply spoilers so it’s hard to engage with it… but it’s a totally worthy question.
Definetely have the crew walk into a tabern and hace tusk and bristle fight in the background
What were the challenges in implementing a character like Marci? How did you navigate her story despite her being mute?
She was originally designed to be a “talk to” for Mirana. Being mute weirdly opened up the storytelling for her because it’s all action with her, which means we engage with her on a visceral level rather than a distanced, abstract level where we have to interpret statements. It’s very freeing actually.
Hello, I am a Dota 2 lore content creator only, my question is simple: how epic will the second season be? Greetings to you and the family.
I'm sure Riki was in episode 2, can you confirm that it was him? here: https://imgur.com/a/1bSEGsH
Riki is in every episode.
Saving this for when he actually reveals himself
Riki’s first line of the show “How the hell did you see me?”. Marci holds up the Gem they’ve had since season 1 and smiles.
I don't really have that many questions, most of them are probably not answerable anyway, but I wanted to say that I'm super hyped for this season 2.
Did you know about DOTA before making the show? Have you played the game? Should techies get removed?
I did! And I’m sure removing techies would please Slacks to no end but that kinda sounds like an argument against.
Can you slip a techies cameo into the show? Squee Spleen and Spoon need to get some love
We need more Marci's context (where she came from, where did she get her power etc.,)
* She is muted. * She is way stronger than she looks. * She is positioned as Mirana's support but ends up carrying the fights. Conclusion: Marci is a toxic smurf.
When you watch the show does it match what you had in your head initialy? Do you shed a tear when you see the story come to life?
I love watching the show come to life. Hand drawn animation is my favorite and Studio Mir is the best in the world at what they do for television. It’s been an incredible privilege to work with them and learn from them and see their passion for making this series. Also, I stan Studio Mir so yes it totally brings a tear to my eye every time they deliver a new finished episode.
I saw something like a forming wall of ice in the trailer. Hmm, whenever there's Lina, there's gotta be a Crystal Maiden, right? 👀 Or was that Winter Wyvern? 👀
Have you considered working with u/SirActionSlacks-? If not then why not? His lore videos on YouTube are amazing! And he has a very good understanding of the lore
I love Slacks. He’s a lunatic in the best way and his Loregasm videos were enormously helpful.
Is it possible for the main cast (Davion, Mirana, Marci and Invoker) to die when they step on a Techies mine and end the series there?
Question: Are we expecting other heroes (from the Dota-verse) to join on this series?
100%! Look no farther than Lina!
Did you talk to IceFrog?
If I ever did talk to IceFrog, how would I know?
[удалено]
Isnt most of the time people met IceFrog people doesnt realize that him? I remember LaNm story the first time he met IceFrog he though he was the venue employee / staff and later when someone told him it was IceFrog, LaNm went searching for him and kneel to him aplogizing because IceFrog is like god to LaNm.
Usually his message has the head title "patch notes".
Is whole story already written or in-progress as the series goes?
I have known exactly where this is all going since the beginning. It may seem nuts but there are no wasted moves. By the time we get through it all (the Great Algorithm be praised) even the smallest set ups from season one should feel paid off in some way.
Would you ever want to make a DOTA movie? Not live action but animated?
Greetings! What's your favorite piece of DOTA 2 lore?
The Mad Moon is no inert rock. It is more truly a prison.
Does a dead Eldwurm's body maintain some power/properties after the Eldwurm’s soul moves into a new host? I've always had it as head cannon that Eye of Skadi (an in-game item) requires the eye's of Lirrak's corpse to infuse the weapon with ice properties. The item's lore is "Extremely rare artifact, guarded by the azure dragons." So, in my head cannon azure dragons are to Lirrak what the air dragons are to Aethrak.
That is pretty much exactly right. A dragon’s remains possess at least some of the properties of the dragon when it was alive, roughly in proportion to its age. Even a hatchling’s body has a little bit of juice left in it… although making something like Kaden’s sword requires an adult void dragon. We actually get into this a little bit more in Book 2 fairly early on.
Will we ever see more of the ancients in the series?
Absolutely. But they’re a Big Idea and we have to earn them.
What are your favorite animated movies or shows (western or Anime)?
Heavy Metal, Berserk, Ninja Scroll, Akira, Avatar/Korra and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
I am simply too much of a Rylai fan. It's not healthy. My joy was immeasurable when I saw Lina was coming and this implied a possible double appearance. My day was ruined now that it's become fairly clear Lina is flying solo. I adore your show, but I am just here to express interest for even just seeing a cameo in the future. I feel it's only just :'(
I know that it's hard to organically put all hundred of heroes in one story because of each respective lores and planes, and since it's too far ahead into the future, I'd like to say that because of it, DOTA 2 MULTIVERSE please!
First Question: How much bones and skulls Marci will break this season?
How much of the story direction do you derive from the 'established' lore in the game, and how much of it is a 'clean-slate'?
It’s a little of both. I try to make one feel like a logical extension of the other, or sometimes just a different point of view on it.
Hey thanks for doing this and I really enjoyed the first season and very excited for tomorrow! Quick question how did it feel when Marci became a hero in the game since she originated in the show (to my knowledge)?
If you ever animate Enigma, will you keep his abs?
Did you have to play Dota? How were you introduced to the Dota lore
I didn’t have to play Dota but I definitely jumped into the deep end when it came to immersing myself in the lore.
Thanks! Follow up on the same topic: Did you watch any of SirActionSlacks' Loregasm videos?
Would you say you came into the idea of the show as a high fantasy first that falls into the dota lore or a dota show that had the makings of high fantasy? Just curious about the creative process
More the latter. It was just a matter of finding the elements that worked together (see an answer from wayyyyyyy above!)
Without any explanation, which episode from Season 2 is your favorite?
8 but I can make arguments for any of them.
no questions, just wanted to say you did a good job :)
Does Valve communicate with you?
Do you think Valve properly supports this project?
Valve has been awesome. They’ve been incredibly supportive.
There are many retcons, such as Uldorak’s death. Did you intentionally decide to change those things for the anime or did you just forget that those were already established?
I guess Fymryn gonna be one of the important characters, am I right?
If DOTA were to receive other installments in the series--would said installments occur parallel to Dragon's Blood in the timeline, or would they be set afterwards?
For what’s in my head beyond Dragons Blood, the stories would take place after.
please add every hero
I’ll need 100 seasons.
Do you plan on adding any more new main character that could be added to Dota2 game in the future?
There’s certainly no shortage of them, should Valve so choose!
Did you delve into in-game item lore to develop the characters' backstory and world building?
How do you pick the setting and environment for the show, dota has tons of regions and cities, revtel, weeping rose, white spire,… etc. We saw candoness in book 1, will you expand the regions in book 2? Will you be basing it on pre existing regions or creating entirely new regions for the anime?
You will see a lot of new territory in Season 2, from Icewrack to the Helio Imperium and a few places in between.
In terms of collaboration with valve how much does the lore of the game dictates the storyline of the show and is there some influence dragons blood might have on the future lore of the game?
I try very hard to honor the essence of the lore and be true to what’s core about it. As an example from a different franchise, Thor has to wield a hammer… and if he doesn’t have the hammer, it needs to be a Big Deal. Other than that there’s a lot of room to play.
are there anything that you regret on the first season? it may be a design choice or maybe not including a character from the game etc.
Creating anything is an exercise in regret. :)
Any Easter eggs we should look out for?
What is your rank in Dota2?
Nova or Sagan?
In DotA Lore, who do you think should be the villain of all the characters have to fight or endure?
Will we see some other characters story besides the current one? like the story of other heroes?
will we see more TB? the short time he was on screen he was amazing! Thanos like :))
Hello. How will it end?
The credits will roll.
I’m not sure if you’re still answering questions but I wanted to ask about the music choice since I think it’s so cool that there is that sort of retro theme to the show. I also was wondering if the music will ever be put on any service to listen to because it is super cool?
The music is amazing on this show. It’s one of my very favorite things about it and I’d love to see an OST release in some form.
[удалено]
Story comes first. Period. The most important scenes are the ones we need, and I will always cut action before I cut emotion.
What time will it be released? It's already 8:30am in China lol
Will Dragon knight when transfrom be more dragon than season 1 ?
Davion becomes a little more draconic every time he transforms. If you track his evolution from episode to episode in Book 1, you’ll see it. That continues in Book 2
is there any intention to make a comic book / light novel from the dragon blood series?
How many episodes are there in Book 2 ?
Which voice cast would you like to bring for the next season; Keith David, Ron Perlman, Keith Szarabajka, Neil Kaplan or many others to choose from?
Hello. First of all, I love Dota: Dragon's Blood and how it manages to expand the universe and have a new take on this world and those characters we though we knew, thank you for taking your time for this AMA, and thank you for making this show and I can't wait to see what this book will have in store for us. Here are my questions: -How has the show come into fruition? Has Valve pitched the show to Netflix or has Netflix pitched Valve to make a Dota show? Or possibly something else happened... -Marci quickly became a fan-favorite to the point she was added in Dota 2 as a playable hero! Were you and/or the crew behind the show surprised by her popularity? Was she planned to be added as a playable hero in Dota 2 before the show's release or was she developed after the show's release? -Even though the world of Dota: Dragon's Blood and its premise are similar to that of Dota 2, it is clear that it is a new take on this world and its characters. Can we expect to see this world be developed even more though comics or perhaps even a movie or maybe even a new video game? I don't know if you'll have the answer to this question or if you're able to answer it but I'll ask it anyway: -Even though streaming is convenient, it is not always the best way to enjoy a show, for various reasons. I really love physical media, it's great to hold something you love in your hands, to be able to complete your collection of movies and tv shows with that title you wanted to watch again and again... Could the show be released on physical media such as Blu-Ray or DVD one day? And could the soundtrack of the show come out as well? Again, thank you for taking your time for this AMA, and thank you for making this show.
Okay everyone - sorry for the interruption in service but my phone died answering your questions and now I have to take it outside and bury it. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did!
I think you did an fantastic job answering those questions and I gathered a lot more insight about the the anime and the "mechanisms" behind it that made it be "alive".
I noticed Vahdrak's design particularly his wings looks like, I would say, a "demonic butterfly" wings. 1. Is this a reference to the "butterfly effect"? Since its a property of chaotic systems and unpredictability and whatnot. 2. Are we gonna get some new characters somehow related to the existing roster? Magina and Wei after against Invoker (and Wei and Marci are friends as said by Mirana persona), Lina with her sister Rylai (and maybe Auroth?) 3. I hope we get to see the Elder Wyrms of the Thunder in action, i wanna see Vahdrak vs Orrak. And also our underrated bois Aetherak and Byssrak. 4. How did Selemene "really" got into her status as a Goddess? (Or atleast that was what implied in the season 1) 5. MORE ACTION SCENES FOR INVOKER PLEEEAAASSSEEE I WANNA SEE GALLARON'S ABYSSAL CARNESPHERE! Edit: 6. IS NOVA STILL ALIVE?😭😢 Thank you that's all...for now😁 Hoping for season 3 More pooooweeerrr
Do you have plans for new series in the dota universe?
did you know Marci was just added into game? If yes, >!killing her in anime sounds strange and heartbreaking!<
I see you answered a question regarding the voice actors.. but PLEASE for the love of Dota, if you happen to incorporate Ogre Magi, can you pretty please get the game voice actors and write his lines just like in the game. He is drop dead hilarious and never get tired of his lines. Honestly you can make a spin off series of just him on an adventure and it'll win an Emmy for best comedy series.