In Defense of Prince Krel

Prince Krel is my soft child who must be protected. That's my argument. But I'm sure you'll want more than that, which is why I have a whole post dedicated to the topic.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Krel is one of the main characters in Dreamworks Netflix show, 3 Below. It's set in the same town as their show, Trollhunters, and there are even a few cross-over episodes. The gist of it is that Aja and Krel are two royals from outer space who must hide on Earth from the guy that took over their planet. It's not quite the same level as Trollhunters, but it still has more heart and storyline than most kids shows.

Now that you know the details, we can dive into why I'm defending Krel. Spoilers ahead!

First we have to talk about Aja and Krel. They're the heirs to their planet and as the show starts, their parents are mostly killed, leaving them as rulers, even though they're in hiding.

Aja is the older sibling and is a very classic princess who wants to rule because she would be better at it and has all these combat skills and whatnot. Krel is the younger brother who is in line to be king, and isn't as good at physical combat, instead preferring to rely on his intelligence to solve problems.

Aja is an okay character. I especially enjoy all the scenes with the two siblings together, as we don't always get to see sibling relationships in TV. But at the same time, Aja is super basic. Warrior princesses have been done. A lot.

She gets so much screen time and character development in the series. But I'm not sure why, because again, her character is so basic. Everyone loves her, she can kick butt, and she's a princess. Flaws? I guess her own insecurities? (Although that doesn't come in much.)

Krel, on the other hand, is great. He's smart, he's more reclusive, he loves music and DJing. He's a soft cinnamon roll character who deserved way more screen time than what he got. I also love that they kept Diego Luna's accent, which adds to his character.

He's not a warrior. He can be arrogant at times, and think humans are stupid (which, compared to him, we can be), but underneath that, he's a kid who wants to fit in and find his place in the world.

There's a lot of interesting things about his character. For starters, his human disguise is a Latino boy, as it's suppose to help him be ignored (taking some big shots with that one, eh, Dreamworks?). In one of the first few episodes, as he tries to fit in a school, he gets picked on by another boy for being so smart because he's Latino. I think these things show a lot about his character.

I've always had a thing for the more self-reliant, gentle characters. I love me a good warrior princess, but it has to be done well, and sadly, I don't feel like Aja was. Which is why I think Krel should get more recognition in the show.

Without Krel, they wouldn't have been able to fix their ship, restore their parents (if only for five minutes), or be able to get back home. His smarts and his technology skills made them able to do that. As the series goes on, he grows in his self-confidence and finds friends in Arcadia.

So that's why Krel is my favorite character from the show. Sarcastic, soft, kind of a loner. And if you haven't checked out 3 Below on Netflix, give it a try.

What's a character you think needs more recognition? Warrior princess or techy prince? Tell me in the comments.

Suggested Posts:

In Defense of Frodo

A Julie and the Phantoms Appreciation Post