'Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans': Will Jim Lake wield the Excalibur? Fan theory gives hope
DreamWorks Animation and Netflix's project from Guillermo del Toro, 'Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans' releases on July 21, Wednesday. In the epic-adventure film, "the heroes of Arcadia must band together to protect humanity from the evil Arcane Order, who wield their dark and uncontrollable magic to summon ancient Titans that threaten to destroy the world."
The animation serves as a conclusion to the 'Tales of Arcadia' trilogy that has spawned countless fan theories, a few of which we'll explore ahead of the premiere. Before we deep-dive into the wild speculations dominating the internet, here's what you can binge on before 'Rise of the Titans' drops on the streaming site: 'Trollhunters', '3Below', and 'Wizards'.
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'Wizards' ended with a burning question: Who will wield the Excalibur? The 'sword in the stone' is a commonly-used trope in superhero films. It adds an element of suspense to the narrative and keeps the eagerness among viewers alive.
By the end of 'Wizards', Jim Lake loses his amulet and is left questioning his identity, his role as a troll hunter, and if he deserves to wield the new weapon at his disposal.
Excalibur is the magical sword left behind by the fallen King Arthur, who was on a mission to end the world. Upon learning of his intentions, Morgana uses the last of her magic to strip him of his right to wield the sword. With a sword of that caliber to spare, it's only a matter of time before 'deserving' candidates line up to claim their 'rights'.
We are not ruling out any curveballs. However, at this point, it seems likely that Jim will pull it out of the stone. He has done it before. In 'Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia', while acclimatizing himself with the powers of the amulet, he had accidentally stabbed his sword into a stone, which he was able to retrieve.
Another fan theory indicates Jim's character evolves with time. Apparently, showrunner Aaron Waltke had tweeted in response to one of the questions posed by a fan about the teenage troll hunter's fate: "Don’t think… you’ll have to watch and see what he BECOMES." A Tumblr user speculated that it pointed towards Jim's future as the one who wields the Excalibur.
The user also furnished his claims with the fact that Jim has always had his heart in the right place. Despite initial hesitation, when he took up the mantle, he didn't give it up until the amulet was gone. What helped his case was that he was surrounded by friends and family who believed in him and his powers. In 'Wizards' when Jim was ready to walk away from the sword, Douxie assured: "Jim, Blinky’s right. With Arthur gone, someone needs to wield Excalibur."
Amid all the uncertainty, we still hope Jim is able to master the Excalibur.
'Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans' will premiere on Netflix.