I’ve talked about the dragon games cast before, now it’s time for my opinions of the epic winter cast, which was ANOTHER stupid lineup. But it honestly doesn’t have many redeemable qualities, so I’ll also be suggesting plotlines and character arcs. First, I will start with the characters that get to stay in the lineup:
Daring Charming, though I would request he doesn’t experience the character assassination of the power princess soft reboot. YES he has stuff to learn and reconcile about his identity, but he was never an absolute toddler throwing tantrums every 3 mins
Faybelle Thorn because she was one of the few things handled well by the writers, and I think additionally we need to explore her behaviour in dragon games as a reaction to Briar rejecting her own destiny in spring unsprung/way too wonderland
Rosabella gets to stay, but less to do with gentle parenting Daring, and more being the Royal that challenges all the other royals (yes, even Faybelle) when it comes to their views on destiny. She’s outspoken and organised in a way that Raven is not, and is very comfortable disrupting the status quo, so that’s the rose of spring
Blondie, for reasons I will discuss further down
And, sigh, Crystal Winter, because the story never would have started without her. Let’s just pretend she was the snowflake princess backgrounder from the beginning, so that she at least didn’t come completely out of nowhere from a writing standpoint, and has a nicer design. Obviously the rose of winter
I’m sorry Briar and Ashlynn, but they honestly added nothing that other characters can’t to the plot except bribelle. So characters that will be added to the lineup are:
Apple White, because while Raven’s storyline absolutely concluded in dragon games, Apple definitely needed one last special for the conclusion of her character arc. What we got of her with beast daring was a good start, but it needed to continue. Even without destiny, their stories are still intertwined. Plus, putting Daring right in front of the girl he failed to save for the entire special certainly adds a little extra kick. Being from the apple-themed kingdom, she gets to have the Autumn rose
In a similar vein, Darling Charming. While she had a good character arc in the books, in the show it was inconclusive and she was written out completely after giving Apple true love’s kiss. Sure, she has publicly been the white knight since way too wonderland, but how will people see her now that she’s the “princess of destiny”? Is it even something she wants?? Does she believe her duties lay in Wonderland, or to Apple?? There’s SO much to explore. Plus, Daring would have to accept the fact that he lost his destiny to his own sister. That’s got to sting at least a little bit. Flip the tables, make him jealous of her the way she used to be jealous of his freedom
Now, the prophecy will claim that the Charming family has had the rose of summer within their possession, but no matter how hard they search, it can’t be found. That is, until Blondie realises that her mum has had the rose for as long as she can remember. In other words: King Charming gifted it to Goldilocks, for he is her true father. Not only would this fit in with the power princess branding, it’s the power fantasy of most little girls (the target market): realising you’re a princess. It also gives Blondie something in the plot instead of being forgettable as one of its participants. As the girl who shares every secret, will this be one she exposes or not?? For Daring, I think this would be pivotal in his character arc. Like his father before him, he’s not truly in love with the girl that he’s “destined” to, and neither is she. So why repeat the sins of the past??