I once wanted Viren to be another simple evil villain like Ozai but as the show went on, I loved how complex his character is. He’s one of my favourite characters due to how a man who may love his family, his king, and his position but is driven by responsibility, respect, revenge, power, and duty that he’s blinded by it
What makes him interesting to me is that he starts out strongly coded as a villain - magic mirror, two-faced snake, secret physical corruption he hides by killing innocent pretty butterflies, scary secret dungeon - but the writers and Jason imbue him with so many humanising characteristics that we kind of look past those, until we're reminded by his later actions, oh yeah, this dude is actively making choices, and they're all bad. It's all capped with Soren's 'villain' speech... and he's served his purpose for the first leg of the journey. But the show isn't content to leave it there - the message of the show is that no one is wholly bad, everyone has reasons for their hurtful actions and anyone can choose a different path. S4 shows us a Viren ready to make that choice, but Claudia pulls him back from it because SHE has followed him down that wrong path. I feel like the show's core message requires Viren to reject the role she and Aaravos will try to force on him again, that it will cost him his life (again) but will ultimately save Claudia from being similarly ensnared. I don't think there's any other way it can go. The question is, will he first side with Callum, Rayla and Ezran and have to fully confront the consequences of his actions first, or will he make his big sacrifice in relative isolation? I think the former is more narratively/dramatically interesting. Guess we'll just have to wait and see...
Totally DJ! Viren from the show is such an intriguing character! At first, I didn't think he was a villain despite his creepy vibe and dark outfit. We met him early on, even before Harrow. But later on, I was convinced he was a bad guy, though I never expected the extreme lengths he went to. Surprisingly, I found myself rooting for him at first, you know, the whole underdog thing. When he sent his kids away and had no allies left, I could understand his desperation to stop the Xadian threat. He was so passionate about his cause, and Soren's words could make anyone do terrible things while feeling justified. And hey, a lot of people actually agreed with Viren's goals. But there came a point where his actions crossed a line, and I stopped supporting him. Fear, desperation, ego, and power-hunger drove him to do some alarming stuff. Looking back, I tried to figure out when I stopped seeing him as an antihero and realized he was the true villain of the story. Viren's character is so complex, with so much going on, and that's why I love the show. There are layers upon layers of motivations and actions to unravel. But let's get back to my question. When did I start seeing him as the true villain? I guess it wasn't until season 3 when he tried to drain the life out of the Dragon Prince. That's when I finally saw his true colors. Even though he did awful things before that and attempted more, I was always kind of on his side. It was definitely an interesting journey for me, and I can't wait to see where his character goes next. He has a rare chance at a real second chance in life. Exciting stuff! How about you? When did you realize Viren was the true villain? Were you onto him from the start, or did you appreciate the complexity and secretly hope he had some redeeming qualities? Let me know!
It would be the expected path, that Viren will give up his life to save his children and atone for his choices. But he first used dark magic to save baby Soren and later to save the people of Katolis from famine. He used dark magic to save the people he cared about. Remember that Callum has done the same. I personally hope that the showrunners don't go down the expected path, because that has the ethics of death penalty. I am also interested in hearing Aaravos's back story. The dragon's tale could be biased.
What do you mean coded as the villain? He is the villain? Straight up. The series does nothing to tell you he isn’t the villain lmfao. Actually the message of the series is that dark magic is bad and that humans are bad as well for even using it, while everyone else is good. The issue with Virens character is that the writers decided that he’s nothing more than a generic bad guy, who abused his kids, when they didn’t have to be his character at all
Hey Virrow in new screenshots, there's one with Viren with a dark surrounding. That might be a parallel to when Callum had his dark magic coma. I feel like he's going to experience the same thing (minus unlocking an arcanum) and that's how we'll learn about his past. Also great video!
🙌😊 Thank you for your comment! I truly appreciate it! 👍😄 Yes, I also saw those images, and I must say, I'm extremely excited about them. 😍🎉 The idea of having parallels between Callum and Viren is fascinating to me. 🧐🔁 However, I'm hoping that these parallels serve a greater purpose in the storyline. 🤔 From the very beginning of season 4, it's evident that they're intentionally setting up these parallels, but what I'm curious about is whether there will be an ultimate point or deeper meaning behind them. 🤔🔍 I'm eager to see if it's more than just a fun and creative approach, and if these parallels will contribute to a significant narrative or thematic development. 🌟📺
He’s a villain and I was rooting for him to be one, but I love that he’s a complex one with a motive, charming and smart personality, and multidimensional character
I wonder what Viren would think of Emperor Belos. Both do awful things in the name of "protecting humanity", but Belos is much more vile and never truly had good intentions.
@@samobrien7291 considering what happened in season 5, I think Viren would at first support Belos but then realise just how horrible those actions were and disagree with any similar actions going forward.
I'm not sure if you saw it, but in the teaser pictures they released, Rayla has Runaan's Bowblade. With Season 5 Ocean just around the corner, I'm really excited and hyped to not only see Rayla's development going forward, but I also want to see some very crucial and important flashbacks about Rayla and the Moonfam in the next three seasons, much like what they did with Callum and Harrow, to give us better understanding in regards to what had led them to the heart-wrenching and devastating situations during seasons 1-3. As well as them dealing with all the unbearable guilt and unspeakable regrets they've carried for those last two years. Just my own speculation. I've never been more excited about what coming than now. I can't wait to see what's gonna happen for the writers, creators and VAs have been teasing that S5 by far is the best season they've worked on. I have a strong feeling that our young characters will truly be pushed to their ultimate breaking points. We're in for an emotional, heavy yet incredible ride. Let's go S5. 😢🎉😱👀👏👏 Can't wait for the next video. Amazing job Virrow. Keep up the amazing work fam.
Samai, you're an absolute rockstar! Thank you a million times for your kindness. Oh, and you better believe I've been keeping tabs on all those teaser images that have been dropping. It's getting me all hyped up, you know? This upcoming season is going to be one heck of an emotional rollercoaster, and I'm all strapped in and ready for the ride! I can't wait to see where our beloved characters end up next. I have complete faith in the incredible writers to bring back that magic we fell in love with during the first three seasons. Let's buckle up and prepare for an epic journey ahead!
I think Viren always had the capacity for cruelty and murder but that he deliberately curtailed it in order to get along with his family. He leaned darker while Hearo was more neutral. Their wives both pulled them more towards hope and goodness. The wives were the counterbalance and Hearo the fulcrum that kept Viren from falling into true villainy while his pragmatic approach kept them on track to actually making progress in the real world. It was the fear of loosing his son that first drove him to use dark magic and that drove his wife a way. Hearo loosing his wife and kind of blaming Viren for it drove Hearo to be a better person in honor of her sacrifice but it also caused him to stop reaching out for a middle ground with Viren. Hearo betrayed Viren when he called him a servant not because Viren is to proud to serve but because he denied their bond as brothers and deemed Viren as subservient to HIM as a way to dismiss and shut him up. Not only did his brother deny him but he chose to commit the equivalent of suicide as recompense but with no guarantee that it would actually protect his people. Having been betrayed and abandoned by two of his biggest supporters and influences towards good Viren got desperate and decided that he couldn’t trust anyone else. This is when he goes from flawed and fragile but willing to work towards a middle ground to outright narcissistic and manipulative. Because he is putting the weight of saving humanity on himself he is so scared of possibly failing that he looses the ability to accurately self reflect and instead just keeps bluffing that he is perfect and can totally pull humanity through this crisis. Even then I still identified enough with his motives and pain to be kind of routing for him right up until the point he tried to gaslight Soren about telling him to kill the boys.
I knowed Viren would turn in to a villan from the start. I have been waching TDP sincew season one release, and at the time i trully hated Viren, but rewatching it after what? ig 3 years, maked me look at him in a whole diff way, i trully simpatize with him at the start, tho i think he's a liar, i also was capable of identifying his dislike to Callum's mom and the boy himself, that because of the woman contrary opinian about Dark Magic, that is why i think he was so shocked when she saved him, but i also think he used her death to manipulate Harrow, and also...oh well, bassically, he gets me confuse in his intantions and chacter growth
Viren to me is always the anti hero. Mankind is under threat from the elves who view them as noting more then bugs and lesser beings. Many years of war and death cannot be undone in a single day and Viren is there to ensure a bright future for humanity a future that isn't beneath elven dominance
Dude, you won't believe what's coming up in the epic finale of season 5! Brace yourself for some mind-blowing stuff. So, remember those characters who got trapped in those darn coins? Well, guess what? They finally break free, but here's the kicker: Rayla, our awesome warrior, "dies" in the process. I'm telling you, it's gonna wreck people emotionally. Prepare for the ultimate rollercoaster of feels, my friend. It's gonna be intense!
I wanted him to be a complex antagonist who wanted the same thing the heroes wanted, but was going to extremes to accomplish that. Too bad they made him a generic bad guy
I once wanted Viren to be another simple evil villain like Ozai but as the show went on, I loved how complex his character is. He’s one of my favourite characters due to how a man who may love his family, his king, and his position but is driven by responsibility, respect, revenge, power, and duty that he’s blinded by it
What makes him interesting to me is that he starts out strongly coded as a villain - magic mirror, two-faced snake, secret physical corruption he hides by killing innocent pretty butterflies, scary secret dungeon - but the writers and Jason imbue him with so many humanising characteristics that we kind of look past those, until we're reminded by his later actions, oh yeah, this dude is actively making choices, and they're all bad. It's all capped with Soren's 'villain' speech... and he's served his purpose for the first leg of the journey. But the show isn't content to leave it there - the message of the show is that no one is wholly bad, everyone has reasons for their hurtful actions and anyone can choose a different path. S4 shows us a Viren ready to make that choice, but Claudia pulls him back from it because SHE has followed him down that wrong path. I feel like the show's core message requires Viren to reject the role she and Aaravos will try to force on him again, that it will cost him his life (again) but will ultimately save Claudia from being similarly ensnared. I don't think there's any other way it can go. The question is, will he first side with Callum, Rayla and Ezran and have to fully confront the consequences of his actions first, or will he make his big sacrifice in relative isolation? I think the former is more narratively/dramatically interesting. Guess we'll just have to wait and see...
Totally DJ! Viren from the show is such an intriguing character! At first, I didn't think he was a villain despite his creepy vibe and dark outfit. We met him early on, even before Harrow. But later on, I was convinced he was a bad guy, though I never expected the extreme lengths he went to. Surprisingly, I found myself rooting for him at first, you know, the whole underdog thing. When he sent his kids away and had no allies left, I could understand his desperation to stop the Xadian threat. He was so passionate about his cause, and Soren's words could make anyone do terrible things while feeling justified. And hey, a lot of people actually agreed with Viren's goals. But there came a point where his actions crossed a line, and I stopped supporting him. Fear, desperation, ego, and power-hunger drove him to do some alarming stuff. Looking back, I tried to figure out when I stopped seeing him as an antihero and realized he was the true villain of the story.
Viren's character is so complex, with so much going on, and that's why I love the show. There are layers upon layers of motivations and actions to unravel. But let's get back to my question. When did I start seeing him as the true villain? I guess it wasn't until season 3 when he tried to drain the life out of the Dragon Prince. That's when I finally saw his true colors. Even though he did awful things before that and attempted more, I was always kind of on his side. It was definitely an interesting journey for me, and I can't wait to see where his character goes next. He has a rare chance at a real second chance in life. Exciting stuff!
How about you? When did you realize Viren was the true villain? Were you onto him from the start, or did you appreciate the complexity and secretly hope he had some redeeming qualities? Let me know!
@@laradrake9602 ...... 😦
It would be the expected path, that Viren will give up his life to save his children and atone for his choices. But he first used dark magic to save baby Soren and later to save the people of Katolis from famine. He used dark magic to save the people he cared about. Remember that Callum has done the same. I personally hope that the showrunners don't go down the expected path, because that has the ethics of death penalty. I am also interested in hearing Aaravos's back story. The dragon's tale could be biased.
What do you mean coded as the villain? He is the villain? Straight up. The series does nothing to tell you he isn’t the villain lmfao.
Actually the message of the series is that dark magic is bad and that humans are bad as well for even using it, while everyone else is good.
The issue with Virens character is that the writers decided that he’s nothing more than a generic bad guy, who abused his kids, when they didn’t have to be his character at all
Alternate title: From antihero, to villain, to redeemed. Counting Season 6. Seriously. Season 6 is written crazy well. Best season ever.
YES!!! Season 6 was sooooooo good!
Hey Virrow in new screenshots, there's one with Viren with a dark surrounding. That might be a parallel to when Callum had his dark magic coma. I feel like he's going to experience the same thing (minus unlocking an arcanum) and that's how we'll learn about his past.
Also great video!
🙌😊 Thank you for your comment! I truly appreciate it! 👍😄 Yes, I also saw those images, and I must say, I'm extremely excited about them. 😍🎉 The idea of having parallels between Callum and Viren is fascinating to me. 🧐🔁 However, I'm hoping that these parallels serve a greater purpose in the storyline. 🤔 From the very beginning of season 4, it's evident that they're intentionally setting up these parallels, but what I'm curious about is whether there will be an ultimate point or deeper meaning behind them. 🤔🔍 I'm eager to see if it's more than just a fun and creative approach, and if these parallels will contribute to a significant narrative or thematic development. 🌟📺
“Ur a monsta.” -Runann.
I'm a pragymagyboi - Viren
What is that pragymayboi
He’s a villain and I was rooting for him to be one, but I love that he’s a complex one with a motive, charming and smart personality, and multidimensional character
He’s not really complex as his reasoning is that he wants power.
@@BabyGirlTiny his motive is to gain power to protect the ones he loved but it’s to achieve control over them
Viren is definitely a perfect fit for the Emperor’s Coven. Don’t y’all agree with me?
Defiintiyl! There's that one guy in that coven that reminds me of him but I can't think of his name! 😂
Yep he'd fit right in
@@Virrow, you mean Darius?
I wonder what Viren would think of Emperor Belos. Both do awful things in the name of "protecting humanity", but Belos is much more vile and never truly had good intentions.
@@samobrien7291 considering what happened in season 5, I think Viren would at first support Belos but then realise just how horrible those actions were and disagree with any similar actions going forward.
I'm not sure if you saw it, but in the teaser pictures they released, Rayla has Runaan's Bowblade. With Season 5 Ocean just around the corner, I'm really excited and hyped to not only see Rayla's development going forward, but I also want to see some very crucial and important flashbacks about Rayla and the Moonfam in the next three seasons, much like what they did with Callum and Harrow, to give us better understanding in regards to what had led them to the heart-wrenching and devastating situations during seasons 1-3. As well as them dealing with all the unbearable guilt and unspeakable regrets they've carried for those last two years. Just my own speculation.
I've never been more excited about what coming than now. I can't wait to see what's gonna happen for the writers, creators and VAs have been teasing that S5 by far is the best season they've worked on. I have a strong feeling that our young characters will truly be pushed to their ultimate breaking points. We're in for an emotional, heavy yet incredible ride. Let's go S5. 😢🎉😱👀👏👏
Can't wait for the next video. Amazing job Virrow. Keep up the amazing work fam.
Samai, you're an absolute rockstar! Thank you a million times for your kindness. Oh, and you better believe I've been keeping tabs on all those teaser images that have been dropping. It's getting me all hyped up, you know? This upcoming season is going to be one heck of an emotional rollercoaster, and I'm all strapped in and ready for the ride! I can't wait to see where our beloved characters end up next. I have complete faith in the incredible writers to bring back that magic we fell in love with during the first three seasons. Let's buckle up and prepare for an epic journey ahead!
Viren is no villain. He does everything for humanity
hahahha! 😂
I think Viren always had the capacity for cruelty and murder but that he deliberately curtailed it in order to get along with his family. He leaned darker while Hearo was more neutral. Their wives both pulled them more towards hope and goodness. The wives were the counterbalance and Hearo the fulcrum that kept Viren from falling into true villainy while his pragmatic approach kept them on track to actually making progress in the real world. It was the fear of loosing his son that first drove him to use dark magic and that drove his wife a way. Hearo loosing his wife and kind of blaming Viren for it drove Hearo to be a better person in honor of her sacrifice but it also caused him to stop reaching out for a middle ground with Viren. Hearo betrayed Viren when he called him a servant not because Viren is to proud to serve but because he denied their bond as brothers and deemed Viren as subservient to HIM as a way to dismiss and shut him up. Not only did his brother deny him but he chose to commit the equivalent of suicide as recompense but with no guarantee that it would actually protect his people. Having been betrayed and abandoned by two of his biggest supporters and influences towards good Viren got desperate and decided that he couldn’t trust anyone else. This is when he goes from flawed and fragile but willing to work towards a middle ground to outright narcissistic and manipulative. Because he is putting the weight of saving humanity on himself he is so scared of possibly failing that he looses the ability to accurately self reflect and instead just keeps bluffing that he is perfect and can totally pull humanity through this crisis. Even then I still identified enough with his motives and pain to be kind of routing for him right up until the point he tried to gaslight Soren about telling him to kill the boys.
I knowed Viren would turn in to a villan from the start. I have been waching TDP sincew season one release, and at the time i trully hated Viren, but rewatching it after what? ig 3 years, maked me look at him in a whole diff way, i trully simpatize with him at the start, tho i think he's a liar, i also was capable of identifying his dislike to Callum's mom and the boy himself, that because of the woman contrary opinian about Dark Magic, that is why i think he was so shocked when she saved him, but i also think he used her death to manipulate Harrow, and also...oh well, bassically, he gets me confuse in his intantions and chacter growth
Personally I first saw Viren as a misguided villain, but by the end of Season 1, I came to the conclusion that he was corrupt to the core.
Another amazing Video, Virrow. I love these Analysis content. Really well done. Keep up the great work. 🎉🙌🙌👏👏
Thank you so much Samai!!!!
Viren to me is always the anti hero. Mankind is under threat from the elves who view them as noting more then bugs and lesser beings.
Many years of war and death cannot be undone in a single day and Viren is there to ensure a bright future for humanity a future that isn't beneath elven dominance
I just had a really crazy thought. What if Alador from The Owl House is actually Viren's brother?
This is my headcanon
Runann Come Back!!!! 😂😭
Dude, you won't believe what's coming up in the epic finale of season 5! Brace yourself for some mind-blowing stuff. So, remember those characters who got trapped in those darn coins? Well, guess what? They finally break free, but here's the kicker: Rayla, our awesome warrior, "dies" in the process. I'm telling you, it's gonna wreck people emotionally. Prepare for the ultimate rollercoaster of feels, my friend. It's gonna be intense!
@@Virrow Haha, Now I Know You're Lying 😂
@@horse_lover_2025 I don't lie... I never lie. 😏
@@Virrow Uh Huh. 🤣😏
@@Virrow
You're not Aaravos.😑😑
I wanted him to be a complex antagonist who wanted the same thing the heroes wanted, but was going to extremes to accomplish that. Too bad they made him a generic bad guy
Viren did nothing wrong in the first three seasons. Fax.