Janai and Amaya’s relationship in The Dragon Prince is wonderful

This season is great fun. The Dragon Prince’s most interesting plot line came from the relationship between Sunfire elf queen Janai and human general Amaya.

After the events of season 3 — where Amaya was captured by the Sunfire elves and got to know them and eventually aided them in battle — the two apparently officially got together. The majority of this happened off-screen, so the timeline skip allows for it to be covered. However, Janai and Amaya’s romantic relationship is revealed in episode one of season 4.

But their relationship isn’t just lovey-dovey cuteness. The two of them must deal with what their future means — and the future of their people. It’s not only the show’s best queer representation thus far, but it also serves to highlight the show’s themes and gives these two wonderfully complex characters an equally nuanced and thoughtful relationship.

[Ed. note: This post contains some spoilers for The Dragon Prince season 4.]

Image: Wonderstorm, Bardel Entertainment/Netflix

In past seasons, the show’s queer characters didn’t really take center stage. Rayla’s guardian Runaan and his partner, for instance, as well as two queens mentioned in a backstory, mostly existed to support the cast of young characters and their journey. Their relationships were not the focus of any stories. While it is certainly a good step to have same-sex relationships woven into the show’s world and normalized, those relationships were never front and center.

But that all changed this season, in which Janai and Amaya essentially lead one of the show’s big arcs. Janai, who has assumed the role of queen following the loss of her sibling, wants to guide her people in a new age. Janai proposed to Amaya, and she hopes to begin a new life together. However, her brother, as well as some more traditional Sunfire elves believe that she has abandoned their traditions. Janai, Amaya and their relationships are hard to talk about after their clashing cultural beliefs.

A lot of courtship development and the process of getting married was obscured by the time skip. But that doesn’t mean Janai or Amaya are in an exclusive space compared to other couples. They’re not an older married couple, which in all-ages shows usually take a backseat to the younger protagonists and serve as mentors; they’re also not lovestruck teenagers navigating the insecurities of a first relationship. They’re adults about to embark on the next stage of their lives together — and they just happen to come from two separate fantasy races that up until two years ago were at war.

Image: Wonderstorm, Bardel Entertainment/Netflix

In a story full of young people navigating the aftermath of war, Janai and Amaya’s story is refreshing, because it shows a snippet of what the adults are doing — and their relationship also thematically fits with the work that needs to go into bridging the gap between humans and elves. They’re both basically the figureheads of their respective races, which makes their whole relationship not just two people working out their cultural differences, but a symbol for both the elves and the humans. Janai and Amaya will both set the standard for their respective races.

It feels real, however, like an actual problem. This is reminiscent of real life situations where people with different backgrounds must work together to make their relationship work. When the chief human architect interrupts a Sunfire elf mourning ritual, and at first Amaya is dismissive of the elves’ concerns, because to her it seemed like a simple mistake (and a fire hazard). Janai, her brother, is pressuring Janai to give the human architect the death penalty, as that is the usual punishment. Amaya realizes that she has to open her mind to unfamiliar cultures, and Janai accepts tradition. Both of them need to take active steps to make their relationship — and the future partnership of their people — work.

Compared to the other queer relationships in the series— and across other shows — Janai and Amaya deal with issues that go beyond their sexualities. They’re not just in the background for diversity points, nor are their struggles solely about coming to terms with their sexual and romantic identities. Their relationship has its bumps, but they do so in a manner that is more than the limited portrayal of queer relationships. In this case, the relationship is more political than usual and could be a turning point in the history of Xadia.

At the end of this season, Janai successfully thwarts a coup attempt and takes more of a stance for her people — she’s going to lead them into a new era, one where they honor tradition but do not feel beholden to it. There is still tension. Just because she weeded out one usurper doesn’t mean the rest of the Sunfire elves will agree. Amaya’s marriage will certainly continue to stir things up. This speaks volumes about the intrigue political and world-building that is at the core of The Dragon Prince — and it’s just delightful that this particular plot line is led by two women deeply in love.

The Dragon PrinceAvailable on Netflix Now