'Dragon Prince’ Netflix: New Trailer Shows Off ‘Avatar’-Style Anime Action

Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender might be disappointed to learn that The Dragon Prince, a new Netflix animated series from the same creators, opts for computer-animation rather than a classic anime style, but a new trailer should put those fears to rest. Our latest look at The Dragon Prince, which dropped over the weekend, proves that the new series packs just as big a punch as its spiritual predecessor — especially when it comes to the action.

To pull this off, The Dragon Prince features a mix of computer animation, cell-shading, and a “reduced frame rate” to offer something comparable to “traditional two-dimensional animation,” according to the show’s Wikipedia page. That may not sound convincing, but the trailer speaks for itself.

Check out this quick scene where an assassin elf hops between trees before dropping down on an unsuspecting human victim.

Or this moment, where one of the main characters uses magic (which seems vaguely similar to Air Bending) to protect his friends from in incoming avalanche.

There’s also this awesome moment where a gigantic fish sends the same group flying out of their boat and into the air.

And I don’t even know what to make of this rapid montage of various action-packed moments.

Aside from all the action, we also get a decent amount of plot. It seems that humanity has destroyed an important dragon egg, causing a squad of dangerous elves to attack in revenge. However, when it turns out the the egg was merely stolen but not destroyed, a pair of human princes team up with a young female elf to set things right, embarking on an epic adventure with their enemies following close behind.

I’m still not sold on this animation style in general, but the action and the plot both seem promising. We won’t know for sure whether The Dragon Prince can hold up to the Avatar series until the series premieres later this month.

The Dragon Prince hits Netflix on September 14.