Line #125 Series/Willow2022


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5	! Spoilers for [[Film/{{Willow}} the 1988 film]] will be left unmarked.
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7	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/25e6250b_f468_449e_8bf9_a620960f68c3.jpeg]]
8	[[caption-width-right:350:''"Into the unknown. That's where we must go."'']]
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10	''Willow'' is a 2022 HeroicFantasy series which debuted on Creator/DisneyPlus on November 30, 2022. A direct sequel to [[Film/{{Willow}} the 1988 film of the same name]], it again follows Nelwynn farmer-turned-sorcerer Willow Ufgood as he has to once more leave his home and try saving the world from the forces of evil twenty years after banishing Queen Bavmorda.
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12	The original film's stars Creator/WarwickDavis, Creator/JoanneWhalley, Creator/KevinPollak, and Creator/RickOverton reprise their roles as Willow, Sorsha, Rool, and Franjean, respectively, while new cast members include Creator/RubyCruz as Sorsha's daughter Kit, Creator/ErinKellyman as trainee knight Jade, Creator/EllieBamber as a kitchen maid named Dove, Creator/TonyRevolori as prince/scholar Graydon, and Amer Chadha-Patel as Boorman, a thief offered freedom if he assists the group in their quest. Original director Creator/RonHoward serves an an executive producer on the series.
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14	At least two more seasons were initially planned, although following a report of cancelation, writer and executive producer Jon Kasdan explained on [[https://twitter.com/jonkasdan/status/1636618831497146368?s=46&t=7YT7yMPCw2VMMwQUxWj5_A Twitter]] that the cast had simply been released for the time being, due to streaming series production slowing down across the industry. Production on season two was not expected to begin in the next twelve months, but the show had not officially been canceled. Despite this, it was subsequently announced the series would be removed from Disney+ on May 26, 2023, less than six months after its premiere.
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16	'''Previews:''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbbveDpUZv4 Teaser]], [[https://youtu.be/da7BYWyvwO8 Trailer]]
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18	----
19	!!This series provides examples of:
20	* ActionGirl: Kit and Jade are both dab hands with swords, and Jade has a talent for throwing shuriken. This is demonstrated in the first episode when they practise fighting on a rocky mountain and again while running away from bandits.
21	* AffablyEvil: The head troll Sarris is a genuinely pleasant fellow to the heroes, always talking politely and even sometimes chastising his more brutish underlings. He seems to believe that a little thing like imprisoning, enslaving or trying to kill people isn't anything to be mean about. [[spoiler:When he's stabbed by Kit in the end, he acts humorously upset, saying he'd felt they were getting along.]]
22	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: It's clear that part of Jade's attraction to Kit is the princess's willingness to flout social norms, being bolder about this than Jade.
23	* AlmostKiss: In Episode 5, "Wildwood", Jade and Kit are about to kiss after finally coming clean on their feelings for each other. Then [[spoiler:a troll comes out of nowhere, grabs Kit and takes off with her]] right before their lips could meet.
24	* AltarDiplomacy: In the first episode, Queen Sorsha of Tir Asleen and King Hastur of Galladoorn have arranged a marriage between their heirs, Kit and Graydon, to solidify the alliance between their realms and pave the way to the realms becoming a single kingdom. The wedding is postponed when the plot kicks off.
25	* AlternativeCalendar: In everyday conversation, the characters measure the passage of time in terms of "moons" instead of months or years. For instance, it is stated in the first episode that 200 moons have passed since Queen Bavmorda's defeat. If a "moon" lasts roughly a month as it does on Earth, that adds up to 16 years and 8 months (Extrapolating from this, that would make Elora just shy of 17, Airk and Kit -- presuming Sorsha and Madmartigan married immediately in the wake of the movie and Sorsha became pregnant right after -- just under 16, and Jade around 16 and a half, since [[spoiler:her father General Kael was killed at the end of the movie]]. For the record, Ellie Bamber (Elora) and Dempsy Bryk (Airk) are 26, while Ruby Cruz (Kit) and Erin Kellyman (Jade) are 24). Years are only used when referring to truly ancient times, like the 10,000 years since the forging of the Kymerian Cuirass.
26	* AmbiguousSituation: Sorsha says Cherlindrea and Fin Raziel are both "gone" by the time of the series. It's not clear if they're dead or if they just left (Maria Holvoe, who played Chelindria, hasn't been in a film since 1989; while Patricia Hayes, who played Raziel, died in 1998). Played for laughs when Rool explains that Franjean is "no longer with us" before clarifying he "headed south, said it was for the weather, but we know it was because his wife left him - for me." and said wife is also "no longer with us" - she actually is dead. "Further south."
27	* AmbiguouslyBi: Boorman is consistently depicted as definitely attracted to women, but in the first season finale, when he, Jade, and Graydon find themselves facing almost-certain death, he proposes a [[PreClimaxClimax quick makeout session before they're all killed]], if anyone's interested. Given that the people he makes this suggestion to are a presumably straight man and a confirmed gay woman, there are no takers.
28	* AmbiguouslyGay: Hubert, the woodswoman, is not ''technically'' confirmed to be gay. She ''might'' just be wearing masculine clothing, platonically living with another woman, using a double-headed axe, complimenting Dove's beauty and generally fulfilling every {{butch lesbian}} cliche ever while being completely heterosexual. No one in the fandom believes this to be the case.
29	* AndImTheQueenOfSheba: The group is understandably astonished when Willow reveals that [[spoiler:Dove is actually Elora Danan, though none moreso than Dove herself.]]
30	* AntiVillain: The Bone Reavers are bandits, but they are also [[GreyAndGrayMorality former slaves who are trying to build a life for themselves the only way they can.]] Furthermore, [[spoiler:General Kael was their leader. He and his people were originally slaves, but Bavmorda offered them a chance to be free... if they served her instead.]]
31	* TheApprentice: Dove becomes Willow's apprentice in the art of sorcery. [[spoiler:Graydon later becomes his apprentice too.]]
32	* ArmorOfInvincibility: The legendary Kymerian Cuirass, forged out of pure Khromium 10,000 years (and 3 weeks) before the events of the series by a fay of the Grove. It is magical and supposed to make the wearer invincible.
33	* ArrangedMarriage: A plot point during the first episode is Kit being wed to Graydon as part of [[AltarDiplomacy a tightening of bonds between Tir Asleen and Gallodoorn]], and how much Kit is opposed to the idea. It creates a lot of tension between her and her mother. Graydon later admits to her that he wasn't thrilled by the idea either, because he believes people who get married should, you know, actually ''be in love first''.
34	* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Boorman talks quite a bit of smack, but backs it up every time. Airk is likewise rather full of himself, but willingly heads into battle to try and protect his family.
35	* AttackAttackRetreatRetreat: The four monsters who invade Tir Asleen only do so to [[spoiler:kidnap Airk, and once they have him, they skedaddle.]]
36	* BackToBackBadasses: Kit and Jade team up, and after Jade is injured, Kit and Sorsha do the same.
37	* BadassBoast: Airk demurs that he's ''not'' the best swordsman in the kingdom. He's ''second''-best.
38	* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: According to Willow, a balance exists between Light and Shadow, Good and Evil, and when that balance is broken, the Universe itself steps in to correct it.
39	* BanOnMagic: Sorsha forbade magic in hopes of hiding Elora's identity and preventing the Order of the Wyrm from gaining a foothold in her kingdom.
40	* BanditClan: The Bone Reavers, a gang of horse-riding bandits who wear masks made from the skulls of their victims. They accost our heroes during Episode 1, and one of the new heroes (Boorman) is confirmed in Episode Four to be a former member.
41	* {{BFS}}: Boorman wields a massive sword which he's got to use two-handed.
42	* BigDamnHeroes: Willow swoops in to help Elora bust out of the Crone's illusory world, which causes the others to [[TakenForGranite be freed from their petrification.]]
43	* TheBigDamnKiss: Two, but the first one shows up relatively early: [[spoiler:in the first episode, when Kit decides she'd rather go beyond The Barrier than marry Graydon, she gives Jade a quite passionate kiss before leaving. They later share a much more intimate one on an island of the Shattering Sea after affirming their love for each other.]]
44	* BirdsOfAFeather: During the journey to find Airk, Grayson bonds with Kit (due to their shared struggling with parental issues and chafing against their ArrangedMarriage) and Elora (due to their shared talent for magic and struggles with self-image).
45	* BirthmarkOfDestiny: [[spoiler:Dove doesn't have Elora's distinctive trident birthmark...until Willow cancels the illusion spell hiding it, proving her identity.]]
46	* BladeBelowTheShoulder:
47	** After [[spoiler:Boorman cuts off The Scourge's left arm at the elbow in the first episode, the next time he shows up, his stump has been fitted with an axe.]]
48	** [[spoiler:The Kymerian Cuirass lets Kit summon a pata-like blade from her left gauntlet, echoing how her father Madmartigan fought General Kael with a pata on his left hand and a regular longsword in his right.]]
49	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Respectively Dove, Kit and Jade among the main heroes. [[spoiler:This is a subverted trope; Dove is a redhead whose hair has been dyed blonde from a young age by her guardian. In the second episode, Willow's vision of the future shows Dove with her natural red hair. By the end of the fourth episode, her natural red color begins to show, and when she fully embraces her power in episode six, the rest of her hair turns red in an instant.]]
50	* BoyishShortHair: Kit, a tomboy and lesbian warrior, has very short hair for a princess. Airk's is roughly twice as long, [[spoiler:though under The Crone's influence, he cuts it by the last two episodes]].
51	* BreakTheHaughty: Kit is something of a SpoiledBrat. Everything she goes through during the quest knocks her down a peg or two, culminating in an [[spoiler:AnguishedDeclarationOfLove to Jade.]]
52	* BreatherEpisode: Episode 5 is mostly the heroes partying with a Bone Reaver WackyWaysideTribe. It follows the dark and intense Episode 4, with the heroes trapped in Nockmaar castle.
53	* CallAHumanASmeerp: It's unclear in the original film if "Daikini" is simply the Nelwyn word for larger humans or if it's a more general word for them in-setting, but the series includes Daikini characters using the word themselves a couple of times, suggesting it's indeed the general word and that the blanket word of "human" either may not exist or simply not see frequent use in the ''Willow'' setting.
54	* CallBack
55	** In the first episode when the fog descends on Tir Asleen, Prince Airk flourishes his sword much like his father Madmartigan did as he leaves Dove in the bedchambers to defend the castle.
56	** In Episode 2, the Nelwyns call for Willow to perform the Finger Test on Dove. In the film, the High Aldwyn used this SecretTestOfCharacter to choose his next apprentice. Willow's lack of confidence was the only reason he failed. Unhappy to be performing the test on Dove, the older Willow tries to secretly guide her into choosing correctly, but she still fails the test. Willow grumpily declares the test means nothing, but the Nelwyns have already lost interest.
57	** In Episode 3, Willow reiterates the previously-established reason the Gales and their servants can't just kill Elora if they get their hands on her; she'd just be reborn. Instead, they have to banish her just as Bavmorda tried and failed to do.
58	** In the last shot of the finale, [[spoiler: the Crone's army]] seems to include several Eborsisks, the two-headed dragon from the movie.
59	* CanonDiscontinuity: The movie was originally followed up by a book series called the ''Chronicles of the Shadow War Trilogy'' featuring teenage Elora Danan written by Creator/GeorgeLucas and Creator/ChrisClaremont, but this series has effectively been rendered non-canon by the Disney+ series, though WordOfGod has described the books as 'tangential' to the show.[[invoked]]
60	* TheCasanova: Airk, [[LikeFatherLikeSon much like his father]], is a ladies' man with a long string of lovers and a reputation as an unreliable fop. Despite this, he forms a [[LadykillerInLove genuine attachment]] to Dove.
61	* CastFromHitPoints: It is strongly implied that some of a mage's lifeforce is needed to power their magic. Willow has to be judicious with his spellcasting, because he has to save his strength for the quest [[spoiler:and the WickedWitch waiting for them in the Immemorial City]].
62	* TheCavalry:
63	** In the first episode, when Kit is about to be lashed by one of The Doom's steel whips, Sorsha shows up sword in hand to defend her daughter.
64	** Soon after, Jade is pinned against a wall being choked by The Scourge, then Boorman cuts off its left arm and frees her.
65	* ChangedMyMindKid: In the season finale, Willow refuses to go into the Immemorial City with the others, saying that he's reconsidered what's most important to him and wants to go home and protect what's left of his family. He changes his mind offscreen and shows up later just in time to tip the odds back in favor of the heroes.
66	* ChekhovsSkill: The party is missing one ingredient for the potion needed to save Graydon's life. Dove is able to come up with a way to get that ingredient from other things lying around. This is because, as a SupremeChef, she knows how to improvise with what she has on hand.
67	* ChildhoodFriendRomance: Kit and Jade have been best friends for years, indicated to be since they were both girls, which grew into a mutual attraction.
68	* ClosedCircle: [[spoiler:Airk tries to escape the Immemorial City. He only ends up coming right back to where he'd left.]]
69	* ClosetKey: Kit and Jade both serve as this for each other, with them realizing over time that they're in love. Boorman already [[TransparentCloset saw the two's feelings]], but they didn't lay it out until Jade [[LoveConfession confesses she loves Kit]] (Kit's [[QueerEstablishingMoment passionately kissing her]] before preparing to leave though was a sign in retrospect).
70	* ContinuityNod: Several references to the original movie.
71	** Willow tells the story of how Bavmorda turned an entire army into pigs. He's ''pretty sure'' he and Fin Raziel changed all of them back. The party look nervously at the pork they're eating, and Boorman actually spits his out.
72	** While possessed, Graydon demands that the "peck" give him water. These were also Madmartigan's first words to Willow.
73	** The WizardDuel between Elora and the Crone devolves into GoodOldFisticuffs just like the fight between Fin Raziel and Bavmorda.
74	** Willow recounts Madmartigan turning into a HumanSnowball.
75	* TheCorruption:
76	** Commander Ballantine is wounded by The Lich during The Gales' attack on Tir Asleen, and this is shown to infect him. He turns into a servant of the Crone, then infects other guards in his party to be the same.
77	** Graydon suffers this too after getting infected in episode 3, though he's able to be exorcised.
78	* CoveredWithScars: There is a large mass of scars on Graydon's chest, the result of some kind of treatment he had as a child. [[spoiler:It may have had something to do with the apparent DemonicPossession he suffered when he killed his brother.]]
79	* DamselInDistress: Happens quite often to [[spoiler:Elora]], almost to the point of it being a particularly dark RunningGag.
80	** [[spoiler:Elora]] gets kidnapped by Ballantine. She escapes briefly, but is recaptured. She's rescued later by the others.
81	** [[spoiler:Elora]] later frees herself and Kit through a spell when they're captured by the Bone Reavers. Then, while they're coming to rescue her (but instead get captured again) Jade manages to slip out of her bonds.
82	** [[spoiler:Elora]] rescues Kit when she's sucked down inside a strange liquid in the mines.
83	* DarkActionGirl: Scorpia, leader of the [[BanditClan Bone Reavers]], is skilled with a knife and unarmed combat. {{Downplayed}} however as it turns out she's more of an {{anti villain}}.
84	* DeadGuyJunior: Airk, son of Madmartigan and Sorsha, is presumably named after Madmartigan's friend Airk, who'd died in [[Film/{{Willow}} the war with Bavmorda]].
85	* DemonicPossession:
86	** Ballantine is possessed by The Lich due to being touched by its staff, then spreads this to his men as well, turning evil while The Lich controls them.
87	** Graydon is also infected in episode 3 and gets fully possessed in episode 4. Also [[spoiler:it is revealed in episode 4 that Graydon was apparently demonically possessed as a child which caused him to kill his older brother by shoving him out of a tree.]]
88	* DesignatedGirlFight: Jade, the best woman warrior in the heroes' party fights Scorpia, leader of the [[BanditClan Bone Reavers]], who's a good fighter herself. [[spoiler:This ends when Scorpia realizes Jade's her [[LongLostRelative long-lost younger sister]].]]
89	* DisappearedDad: Madmartigan has been missing for years after he went on a mission Sorsha tasked him with, leaving her and their children behind. A flashback of her talking with Willow reveals that she fears she sent him on a SuicideMission.
90	* DistantSequel: The series starts almost 17 years (200 Moons) after the events of the film.
91	* DistinguishingMark: [[spoiler:Scorpia recognizes Jade as her [[LongLostRelative long-lost sister]] by a tattoo on the back of her neck which they share. Their father was Kael; all his children got this as infants, thought Scorpia and Jade are the only surviving ones.]]
92	* DistractedByTheSexy: Played with. During an early conversation, Jade looks at Kit before losing her train of thought, but it turns out this was because [[spoiler:she's been accepted for knight training and was worried how Kit would react.]]
93	* DistressedDude: The plot is set in motion by the abduction of Airk, son of Sorsha and Madmartigan. [[spoiler:If renewed it looks like season 2 will be about the rescue of the kidnapped and potentially brainwashed Graydon.]]
94	* DressingAsTheEnemy: Boorman, Elora, Jade and Graydon disguise themselves as trolls in totally concealing mining gear that some wear while evading them.
95	* DualWielding: [[spoiler:While fighting Ballantine, Jade wields two swords at once for a time. She does it skillfully, holding her own against him doing so. Kit wields Madmartigan's longsword and a chromiam pata when fighting Airk in the final episode.]]
96	* DyingAsYourself: Willow's spell allows [[spoiler:Ballantine to regain control of himself, but it's too late to save him.]]
97	* EndlessDaytime: There's no night in the Immemorial City, so Airk can't tell time while there. As the heroes cross the Shattered Sea to rescue him, they note that the days get longer and the nights shorter as they draw near it.
98	* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Absolutely ''nobody'' misses the fact that Jade and Kit are in love, except [[spoiler:the two of them.]]
99	* ExactlyExtyYearsAgo: Played for laughs when Boorman is telling the story of the Kymerian Cuirass, as he says it was forged "ten thousand years... and about 3 weeks ago".
100	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Boorman's answer when Kit asks him what a "wererat" is.
101	* FailedASpotCheck: People are constantly surprised by foes sneaking up on them BehindTheBlack in featureless terrain.
102	* FantasticRacism:
103	** Nelwyns are referred to by the derogatory term [[FantasticSlurs "peck"]] several times.
104	** When she was a baby, Jade's family was slaughtered by Bone Reavers and she was raised to hate them. [[spoiler:Turns out she was lied to. She ''is'' a Bone Reaver and she was stolen from her people as a baby.]]
105	** Sarris the troll dislikes Nelwyns and insists that Willow only speak when spoken to. Though, as with everything else, [[AffablyEvil he says this in the most polite and friendly way possible]].
106	* FaunsAndSatyrs: Satyrs are mentioned but not seen. The [[GenuineHumanHide skin of a satyr]] was used to bind a TomeOfEldritchLore found in Bavmorda's old castle.
107	* FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter: Sorsha has long hair and always wears an elegant, beautiful gown. Her daughter Kit on the other hand is a short-haired tomboy who wears very masculine clothing (extremely reminiscent of what Sorsha wore as a soldier, in fact), eschewing the more feminine things that were expected of her as a princess. [[spoiler:The illusion of Sorsha Kit meets in the Immemorial City apologizes for trying to make Kit something she's not, as part of the Crone's temptation.]]
108	* FirstEpisodeTwist: At the beginning of the series, Elora Danan and Madmartigan have disappeared. Kit theorises Madmartigan secreted Elora away and chose to stay with her rather than return to his family. She finds out whether that theory's true at the end of the episode. [[spoiler:Elora has been secretly living in the castle all along as the fake-blonde kitchen maid, Dove. Madmartigan's disappearance is due to something else.]]
109	* FlatWhat: Dove's reaction is this when Willow drops the FirstEpisodeTwist revelation that she is, unbeknownst to her, [[spoiler: Elora Danan]].
110	* {{Foreshadowing}}: In episode 2, Kit is skeptical that Elora's BirthmarkOfDestiny is real and suggests that Bavmorda marked a bunch of babies. She tells Jade "Maybe you have a mark." [[spoiler:It's later revealed that Jade has a tattoo that marks her as General Kael's long-lost daughter.]]
111	* ForgottenFallenFriend: Kase knew Airk and Kit ever since they were babies. He dies in the first episode and he's never mentioned again.
112	* FourIsDeath: The Crone has four servants: [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Lich (a sorcerer), The Doom (a cloaked whip-wielder), The Dag (an avian-humanoid shapeshifter), and The Scourge (a huge musclebound brawler).]]
113	* FunctionalMagic: Willow [[spoiler:and Graydon]]'s magic is "Rules Magic", focused more on the correct pronunciation of magic words and the proper use of ingredients. Elora's magic is of the "Inherent Gift" variety. She struggles with Willow's style of magic but is most powerful when she stops thinking about it so hard.
114	* GenderBlenderName:
115	** Hubert, played by Creator/HannahWaddingham.
116	** One of the Bone Reavers is named Lori. Most people just call him by his last name, Toth.
117	* GenderEqualEnsemble: The party that goes after Airk has three men and three women (Willow, Graydon, Boorman vs Kit, Jade, Dove).
118	* GreaterScopeVillain: The Crone it turns out is TheManBehindTheMan to Queen Bavmorda, the [[BigBad main villain]] of the [[Film/{{Willow}} original film]]. She indoctrinated Bavmorda and turned her evil to begin with, and Willow outright says The Crone has a master of her own, The Wyrm.
119	* GreenThumb: The very first spell Willow teaches Dove is one to make a plant grow from the ground. She succeeds finally after much struggle, but doesn't see it since she's been kidnapped.
120	* {{Hallucinations}}: The characters experience a number of these while sheltering in Nockmaar castle, seeing visions of the past and other things, indicated to be a result of the residual evil magic there.
121	* HappilyAdopted: Jade was adopted, raised and trained by Ballantine. Prior to him being [[DemonicPossession possessed]] and [[TheCorruption corrupted]], it seems they have a loving father-daughter relationship. [[spoiler:Before he dies from her [[MercyKill mercy stroke]], Ballantine tells Jade how much raising her meant, along with his pride in her. Jade is heartbroken after having killed him, even if it was to spare him pain.]] [[spoiler:The "happily" is further put into question when it turns out that Jade wasn't rescued from the Bone Reavers, she was abducted by Tir Asleen after her Bone Reaver father was killed.]]
122	* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: Willow is perfectly capable of it, but it drains him significantly. [[spoiler:This is why Silas tells Willow to let him die, so that he can save his strength for the quest.]]
123	* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: {{Zigzagged}}. The corrupted knights sent after the heroes all wear helmets (usually putting the visors down just before fighting). Meanwhile the heroes are bareheaded, except for Jade putting on a dueling helmet briefly before she fights Ballantine. It's quickly knocked off though.
124	* HereditaryHomosexuality: Scorpia flirts with [[spoiler:Jade]] as they fight and calls her "gorgeous", while she's been with Boorman in the past. They turn out to be [[spoiler:half-sisters]]. On her part, [[spoiler:Jade]] proclaims her love for her female best friend Kit after this.
125	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Allagash dies holding off what looks like around twenty trolls as the others escape, going down after he kills many.]]
126	* HiddenBackupPrince: Elora Danan, who's the True Empress, is hidden under an alias to protect her, without her even knowing of her status at first.
127	* HiddenInPlainSight: Due to a vision Willow had that she would be killed and leave the world in ruins when the forces of evil took over, Sorsha determined she would hide Elora Danan as a [[spoiler:simple servant in her castle, Brünhilde (nicknamed Dove), who at first has no idea about this]].
128	* HorseArcher: The Bone Reavers chasing the heroes in episode 1 use bows while riding on horseback, fitting for a BanditClan.
129	* IAmSpartacus: Jade says she's Elora along with the real Elora when the trolls come to get her. [[{{Troll}} So does Boorman.]] Sarris, their leader, is more practical than most and says they'll take both of them.
130	* ICallItVera: Hubert, the woodswoman that helps Elora, has an axe that she named Roargoth after her father.
131	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler:In episode 8, Kit has to face a corrupted Airk.]]
132	* ImplausibleDeniability: Kit tries to deny twice that she's in love with Jade as Boorman and then Dove take note of it, with not even momentary plausibility with how she reacts.
133	* InternalReveal: Episode 4 has quite a few of them. [[spoiler: Elora learns that Willow used trickery to hide her from Bavmorda and [[SelfDisposingVillain her freaking out took care of the rest,]] Kit reveals that Elora really did make the bush grow, Boorman reveals that he found the Lux Arcanum after all, and Elora discovers that [[WhamShot Graydon was apparently possessed by something as a child and killed his older brother]].]]
134	* ItsAllAboutMe: Kit has a self-centeredness akin to her father before he found his reason for being. Downplayed slightly, because she raises some valid complaints, but ultimately upheld because she handles them in a bratty manner. She's not that gracious about her friend Jade getting to live her dream of becoming a knight, and it doesn't occur to her that Graydon may not be any more interested in their arranged marriage than she is.
135	* ItsAllMyFault:
136	** Jade is wrestling with her guilt over mercy-killing Ballantine, her adopted father, in the next episode.
137	** Dove similarly blames herself for the two woodcutters getting killed by the cursed Ballantine, saying she caused it.
138	* LastOfHerKind: Willow mentions that Elora Danan is the "last blood of Kymeria". As of yet, it is not clear whether this means that she is the last of the Kymerian people or the last member of the ruling dynasty of the Kymerian Empire.
139	* LightIsNotGood: [[BigBad The Crone]] dwells in the Immemorial City, an eerie place [[EndlessDaytime with no night]]. The entrance into the lair of The Wyrm, the being that she serves, is bathed in light too, while its "milk" also glows. At the end of Season 1 as well she claims The Wyrm will usher in "new light" to the world. None of it makes her less clearly evil.
140	* LongLostRelative: [[spoiler:Scorpia, leader of the [[BanditClan Bone Reavers]], is revealed as Jade's long-lost older half-sister, their father having been General Kael. Jade previously had believed her entire birth family was dead.]]
141	* LotusEaterMachine: [[spoiler:Elora and Kit are tempted through an illusionary garden The Crone created where they are happy with their loved ones, to tempt them onto her side. Kit gets the acceptance she wants from her mother Sorsha, and Elora is set to marry Airk. They break out only after Madmartigan calls out to Kit, who stops Elora drinking the Wyrm's "milk", which it's indicated would corrupt her like Airk and make her join The Crone.]]
142	* LoveConfession:
143	** Jade confesses she loves Kit in Episode 5, "Wildwood".
144	** In Episode 7, "Beyond the Shattered Sea" Graydon also tells Dove he loves her.
145	** In episode 8, Kit tells Jade she loves her back.
146	* MadeASlave: The trolls have enslaved many people for work in the mines of Skellin on the Crone's behalf.
147	* MagicalIncantation: Willow teaches Dove one to [[GreenThumb make a plant grow]] that she struggles with before it finally works.
148	* MalevolentMaskedMen: The Bone Reavers, a BanditClan, wear skulls for masks. {{Downplayed}} however as they are more {{anti villain}}s, it's revealed, and this is largely just for intimidation.
149	* MasterOfIllusion: The Crone is capable of creating highly realistic, pleasing illusions that [[LotusEaterMachine tempt people to forget everything they face and join her side]].
150	* MedievalStasis: If Boorman's story regarding the history of the Kymerian Cuirass is to be believed, the world of ''Willow'' has been stuck at the same level of technology for at least 10,000 years.
151	* MercyKill: [[spoiler:Ballantine is exorcised of The Lich which possessed him, but severely wounded by it being inside him and realizes he'll die. He has Jade kill him to spare him from a slow death.]]
152	* MoreDiverseSequel: The series has four people of color in main roles, Creator/RubyCruz (Mexican-American) as Kit, Creator/ErinKellyman (Jamaican/Irish Englishwoman) as Jade, Creator/TonyRevolori (Guatemalan-American) playing Prince Graydon and Amar Chadha-Patel (an Englishman of Indian descent) as Boorman. Additionally, Kit and Jade are both queer women revealed as in love with each other, and Boorman is [[AmbiguouslyBi implied to be bi]] (or at least bicurious). Scorpia also flirts with [[spoiler:Jade]] before learning she's her [[spoiler:sister]]. Adwoa Aboah, who's biracial (with Ghanaian and white English parentage), plays her. This contrasts with [[Film/{{Willow}} the film]], which had only white main characters, and none were LGBT+.
153	* MyGreatestFailure: Willow still went on quests from time to time. [[spoiler:He wasn't there when his wife died, and his son blamed him for it and left home in anger. It's implied that this is connected to the incident that drove the Nelwyns underground.]]
154	* MyNaymeIs: Prince Airk, which is pronounced just like the real-world name Eric. This contrasts the Airk from the first film, whose name was pronounced exactly as spelled, like "air" with a "k" at the end.
155	* MythologyGag: The series' episode guide canonizes the name "Andowyne" for the world of ''Willow'', which was first used in an April Fools' Day gag where entries about ''Willow'' were added to the ''Franchise/StarWars'' online database in a faked attempt at CanonWelding presenting it as a planet in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy.
156	* NobleMaleRoguishMale: Airk is both at once. He's a shameless flirt and braggart with a devil-may-care attitude, but shows hints of being surprisingly diplomatic when he attempts to smoothe things over after Kit nearly insults Galadorn. He also proposes to Dove in pretty much every way except actually asking her to marry him, and doesn't hesitate to enter the battle in the courtyard to help defend Tir Asleen.
157	* NonActionGuy: Prince Graydon has little to no combat ability, to the point where he stayed out of the fighting during the raid on Tir Asleen and had to be badgered into joining the quest. However, [[TheSmartGuy his education gives him a skill set his companions lack,]] and [[TheHeart when he gets past his shyness, he's able to]] give Dove [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre an effective pep-talk. He also proves to have the ability to learn and cast magic, becoming strong enough in a short period of time that he's able to strain The Crone's magical shield before his stamina gives out.]]
158	* NoodleIncident:
159	** Sorsha promises to pardon all of Boorman's crimes if he guides them beyond the barrier. Boorman asks if that includes ''something'' he did in a haberdashery, with the only explanation being that he "loves the feeling of velvet on my -- ".
160	** A more dramatic instance with [[spoiler: Graydon's DemonicPossession as a child. Presumably this would be fleshed out in more detail if the show is renewed, but for now, we know nothing about how it happened or how he was exorcised, only that he pushed his brother out of a tree under the demon's influence.]]
161	* NoSell: Woodswoman Hubert appears to kill Ballantine, axing him in the back. However, he shrugs off this after a moment and [[spoiler:then kills her]].
162	* NotNowKiddo: Hubert makes Dove explain the full story of why she's out in the wilderness [[spoiler:and how she's really Elora Danan. If the woodswomen had heeded her warnings and had her explain on the way, they could perhaps have escaped the knights.]]
163	* NotQuiteDead: The Crone appears to kill [[spoiler:Graydon by disintegrating his body. However, he awakens on the battlefield from Willow's vision of the future, and sees a version of Elora (really The Wyrm masquerading as her) who tells him that she needs him and that [[WeCanRuleTogether she wants him at her side]].]]
164	* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: After spending several episodes being contemptuous toward Elora, Kit sees an unambiguous demonstration that Elora really does have the powerful magical gift legend attributes to her, but doesn't tell anyone about it because she's not ready to admit she was wrong. Shortly afterward, during a conversation with Boorman, he remarks that he understands her attitude because Elora hasn't really done anything yet and it would be different if she'd ever seen evidence that Elora's magic was real.
165	* ObviouslyEvil: When The Crone attempts to lure Airk inside a doorway in the Immemorial City, he immediately turns away from her creepy whispering saying this is obviously bad.
166	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Boorman shoves Kit and Elora out of The Wyrm's antechamber, locking himself in with The Lich, The Doom, and The Scourge. Some time later, he emerges unharmed. None of them can say the same.
167	* ParentalIssues: Kit hero-worships Madmartigan, and is still upset that he seemingly abandoned his family. She later grouses that Sorsha isn't the mother she wanted, but Sorsha brushes this off by saying that as bad as Kit thinks ''she'' is, Bavmorda was ''much'' worse. As Kit is around [[spoiler:Elora]] more, she gets even more upset, at one point demanding to know why Madmartigan seemingly chose to help [[spoiler:Elora]] over staying with his own daughter.
168	* {{Patricide}}: [[spoiler:Poor Jade has to not only fight Ballantine, her adopted father, but then euthanize him at his request because he's so gravely wounded by The Lich's possession of him, crying afterward over his body.]]
169	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Willow and Silas are both Nelwyn. Willow is a sorcerer and Silas is a HotBlooded knife fighter.
170	* PowerDyesYourHair: Inverted. [[spoiler:The more Elora uses her magic, the more her natural red hair reappears.]]
171	* ThePowerOfLove: Played for laughs, with Elora invoking it in the context of immediate physical threats in a way that confuses or irritates the person she's talking to.
172	--> '''Elora:''' Let our love be your strength!
173	--> '''Airk:''' Right. Definitely gonna do that.
174	* TheQueenpin: Scorpia, a female warrior, is the leader of the Bone Reavers BanditClan in the Wildwood.
175	* QueerEstablishingMoment:
176	** The pilot "The Gales" showed Kit and Jade were more than just friends with the former kissing the latter passionately before leaving.
177	** [[spoiler:When the strange storm approaches the Immemorial City, Boorman asks both Jade and Graydon if they want to make out before the end.]]
178	* ReallyRoyaltyReveal: [[spoiler:Dove, who seems to be just a commoner kitchen maid at first, is soon revealed as Elora Danan, who's the True Empress.]]
179	* RebelliousPrincess: Kit is a [[TomboyPrincess tomboy]] who is unhappy with her {{arranged marriage}} to Prince Graydon and uninterested in the traditional ladylike things expected of her. She gets ready to run away and then goes off on a quest when her brother's kidnapped.
180	* RecycledTitle: The series is simply titled ''Willow'' and nothing else, just like the original film.
181	* RescueRomance: Graydon starts to have feelings for [[spoiler:Elora after she helps free him from DemonicPossession]].
182	* TheRemnant: The Bone Reavers are remnants of Bavmorda's forces, who were originally Galladoornian slaves. While they are still enemies of Tir Asleen and Galladoorn, they no longer have any loyalty to Bavmorda or the AncientEvil she served.
183	* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:Hubert and Anne]] are killed by the corrupted knights in the third episode.
184	* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Kase]] is killed in the first episode. [[spoiler:Silas]] is killed in the third episode. [[spoiler:Sir Ballantine]] also qualifies, because he might have been saved had he been healed before TheCorruption progressed too far.
185	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
186	** [[spoiler:When the knights catch up to the fleeing Elora and Anne, Anne immediately leaves Elora to them. Elora understands completely and immediately, begging Sir Ballantine to just let her go. He doesn't, using her death to manipulate Elora into surrendering to them.]]
187	** When Airk hears [[spoiler:the Crone]] calling to him through an open door in the Immemorial City, he ''immediately'' decides to walk in the opposite direction, even if it's into a lifeless ruin.
188	* SealedEvilInACan: On their journey to the Immemorial City, Willow tells Boorman that The Wyrm is an ancient creature which feeds on magic (the very bloodstream of the universe) and it was imprisoned {{beneath the earth}} a long time ago, where it's still sleeping. The [[BigBad Crone]] worships The Wyrm and, it's strongly implied, wants it freed.
189	* SequelHook: The party plus Airk [[spoiler:and minus Graydon because he was apparently killed]] still have to find a way out of the Immemorial City and back across the Shattered Sea. Also, it's clear that Madmartigan is out there somewhere. Meanwhile, [[spoiler:as revealed in NotQuiteDead, Graydon is being tempted by The Wyrm who wants him as its new Harbinger.]] Further, after the CreativeClosingCredits, we see the book that served as each episode's FramingDevice put back onto a bookshelf. Volume I is on the spine, and beside it is Volume II and Volume III.
190	* SequelSeries: It's the sequel to the film, picking up some 20 years on with several of the film's characters returning plus new ones being introduced on another adventure. Willow himself is naturally one of them.
191	* SeriesContinuityError: Prince Airk is named after Madmartigan's old friend Airk from the original film, who died fighting Kale. In the film, his name was pronounced "AIR-k", with no vowel sound between the R and the K. In the series, everyone says it like "Erik."
192	* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Hubert, the woodswoman that helps Elora, peppers her speech with a lot of big words and grandiose phrasing.
193	* SharedFamilyQuirks: Each of Madmartigan's children inherited traits of his: Kit is a gifted swordswoman (who's attracted to a red-haired swordswoman like he was) and has some issues [[ItsAllAboutMe truly caring about things greater than herself]], while Airk is also a gifted swordsman, but also a charismatic womanizer. He falls for a woman whose natural hair color is shown as red too.
194	* [[HesBack She's Back]]: When Tir Asleen comes under attack, Sorsha, who up to this point has only been seen in 'queen mode', opens a hidden cabinet and retrieves her sword before heading down to join the battle.
195	* ShoutOut:
196	** In the second episode, Boorman gets the group away from the Bone Reavers by yelling a command in an obscure language and goading their horses to jump off a ledge. When questioned what the word means, he says it means "stop". This is taken nearly word-for-word from ''Film/YoungGunsII''.
197	** In the fourth episode, Kit gets into a drinking contest with a much larger man, just like Marion in ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''. Just like Marion, she wins.
198	** [[spoiler: The Wyrm's tendency to appear to people as their loved ones recalls the [[Franchise/{{Buffyverse}} The First Evil]]]].
199	** Several to the Franchise/CthulhuMythos. A language of magic in the 'Verse is Pnakotic, ''The Pnakotic Manuscripts'' are a TomeOfEldritchLore in the Cthulhu Mythos (one among several). Graydon's royal family shares a name with Great Old One Hastur. A Pnakotic spell Elora casts is "''fungi yuggoth''", Fungi of Yuggoth are another Mythos reference. Shub-Niggurath and Yog Sothoth are also invoked as part of some magic incantations.
200	* ShowerScene: [[MrFanservice Boorman]] has one in his flashback after he escapes the trolls via the refuse barrel, shown under a waterfall as he happily gets clean, tossing around his long hair.
201	* SlaveLiberation: On finding that many Reavers have been enslaved inside of the Skellin mines, Scorpia departs the party and goes to rescue all those that she can.
202	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: {{Discussed}}. As we learn in "The Gales", Jade has been admitted to being trained as a knight by the Knights of Galladorn. This is the first time they have ever accepted a female trainee in their ranks-they had made a special exception for Jade, establishing that she must be quite good.
203	* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: Jade and Kit demand Boorman verify it's him as a result of the many magical hallucinations they've experienced in Nockmaar castle. Boorman shows that it's him by making a flippant comment revealing he [[TransparentCloset knows they're attracted to each other]].
204	* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:Ballantine says this to a tearful Jade, right before urging her to finish him off. Later, Willow does the same to Graydon, telling him that he's on his way to becoming a great sorcerer and an even better man right before Graydon and Jade go off to save Elora and Kit.]]
205	* SpellBook: Willow finds one called the Malatrium in Bavmorda's former fortress that contains a spell to save Graydon from the Gales' possession.
206	* SpinOffspring:
207	** Sorsha and Madmartigan, who were central characters in the film, are consigned to supporting roles in the series; instead much of the focus is instead placed on their children, Kit and Airk.
208	** [[spoiler:Jade later discovers that she]] is the daughter of General Kael.
209	* SpecialEditionTitle: "The Whispers of Nockmaar" opens with Bavmorda's TomeOfEldritchLore rather than the usual storybook, and instead of the opening illustration getting filled in watercolour-style, the colours drip from the top of the page like blood.
210	* StealthPun: [[spoiler:Kit is kidnapped by trolls at the end of the fifth episode, interrupting her intimate moment with Jade.]] This led fans to jokingly call them homophobic, before realizing that this trope was in play.
211	* StorybookOpening: Each episode opening shows a leather-bound book with Elora Danan's rune on the cover opening to a chapter heading that matches the episode title. At the end of the season finale, the book is closed and the hand of an unseen character places it on a shelf [[spoiler:next to two similarly bound books labeled "Volume II" and "Volume III"]].
212	* StrongFamilyResemblance: After the reveal of [[spoiler:Jade and Scorpia]] being half-sisters, it's not surprising as the two have similar looks (e.g. their features, skin color etc).
213	* SupremeChef: Dove grew up working as a maid in the royal kitchens and easily charmed Prince Airk with her delicious, buttery muffins. Later on, when she runs off to join the search for Airk, she earns her place in Kit's adventuring party by whipping up an amazing possum stew out of whatever she was able to scrounge up in the forest.
214	* SurpriseIncest: Scorpia briefly flirts with [[spoiler:Jade]] and calls her "gorgeous" while they fight [[spoiler:before finding out they're half-sisters]].
215	* TallDarkAndSnarky: Boorman is the tallest and darkest-skinned member of the rescue party, he's very quick with a quip, and doesn't hesitate to call out things (or people) he sees as foolish.
216	* TakeUpMySword: After the battle in the courtyard ends, Kit picks up her injured mother's sword. She later uses Madmartigan's as well.
217	* TakingTheKids: A platonic version. Between the movie and the show, Willow and Sorsha have fallen out due to a disagreement on how to raise Elora. Willow wanted to tell her about her destiny and train her in magic. Sorsha hid her true identity from her and banned magic throughout her kingdom.
218	* TalentVsTraining: Willow and [[spoiler:Graydon]]'s approach to magic is more intellectual and scientific, focused on careful study of languages and substances. Elora's approach to magic is more instinctive and emotional. She's most successful when she isn't thinking about it too hard.
219	* TomboyishName: Hubert, one of the rather butch woodswomen whom Dove runs into, has a name that's been traditionally male.
220	* TomboyPrincess: Kit, in a nutshell. She has BoyishShortHair, a distaste for dresses, wears quite boyish clothing, is better at swordsmanship than social graces and also has a very irreverent attitude to everything around her.
221	* TookALevelInBadass:
222	** Willow's powers seem to have increased significantly in the years since he rescued Elora Danan. However, this is also played with, as when under the influence of the Bone Reavers [[TruthSerum truth plums]], he says he's only "mediocre".
223	** [[spoiler:All the time Graydon spent hanging around listening during Willow and Elora's magic lessons unlocked his own magical potential.]]
224	* TrainingMontage: Elora and Willow have one while the party travels on the Shattered Sea. [[spoiler:This causes Kit to ask Jade to train with her, to bring her up to her level, and even the budding sorcerer Graydon gets some lessons in combat magic.]]
225	* TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: Elora [[spoiler:and Graydon]] have aptitude for magic but need proper training from Willow.
226	* TransparentCloset: Jade and Kit haven't told anyone (not even each other) that they have a mutual attraction when Boorman, it turns out, easily picked up on the fact. Kit later weakly attempts to deny that she feels anything but friendship for Jade, which [[spoiler:Elora]] sees through at once.
227	* TraumaCongaLine: Graydon [[spoiler:was possessed by a demon and killed his brother as a child, got blamed for the death by his father, is being forced to marry a woman he doesn't know, pressured into joining a dangerous quest to protect that woman, fell in love with a woman who's in love with someone else, possessed ''again'', almost gets killed fighting The Crone, and wakes up in a possible BadFuture filled with corpses.]]
228	* TruthSerum: The truth plums growing in the Wildwood have this effect on people eating them, making them always tell the full truth (although they're able to briefly hold this back).
229	* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: Scorpia's full name and title is Her Sublime Eminence Mistress Magnificus Venoma Scorpia.
230	* UndergroundCity: Or rather an underground village. Between the events of the movie and the series, the Nelwyns moved their village underground for safety's sake.
231	* TheUnfavorite: Kit plaintively tells Elora that she feels like this in comparison with her, as her father Madmartigan always went to help Elora but left her behind. Though they aren't sisters, it had the same effect on her.
232	* UnreliableVoiceover: Boorman tells Scorpia about escaping the mines, with his dialogue being heard over visuals showing the less-heroic truth of what happened.
233	* UnnaturallyLoopingLocation: Airk sets off away from the Immemorial City, but finds himself staggering out of the desert right back where he started.
234	* UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn: Prince Airk and Princess Kit are fraternal twins, with him being a minute older.
235	* UpperClassTwit: Subverted. Very few people respect Airk other than Dove. He may be a bit of a skirt-chaser, and he's not the warrior his parents and sister are, but when Kit humiliated Graydon he was the only member of the royal family [[HiddenDepths to try and smooth things over.]]
236	* UptownGirl:
237	** Prince Airk is shown to be involved with Dove, a kitchen maid in the palace. {{Zigzagged}} however as it turns out [[spoiler:she's TheChosenOne Elora Danan, and thus very important herself as the True Empress (though she doesn't yet have any official authority).]]
238	** Princess Kit (Airk's sister) and Jade (a commoner) are in love as well.
239	* UsedToBeASweetKid: According to Willow, Bavmorda was much like Dove/Elora when she was young: bright, curious, and full of promise. Then she was abducted and indoctrinated by [[GreaterScopeVillain The Crone]], twisting her into doing evil.
240	* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The Crone is heard saying to Bavmorda while she's initiated that their goal is ending all suffering in the world. Judging by the acts of her servants, the Crone is willing to kill or imprison anybody that she believes stands in the way of that.
241	* VillainousLegacy: Sorsha warned Kit and Airk that they all have the potential to be like Bavmorda as they're descendants of a long-ago evil sorceress. Bavmorda's acts overshadow the story as well; her allies attempt to finish what she began by sending Elora into a damned dimension for them to seize control over the world.
242	* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The Crone is ghastly, looking like a walking corpse, but can make herself look like [[spoiler:a young, beautiful woman]]. In the Season 1 finale, a being who's possibly The Wyrm also takes on [[spoiler:Elora's appearance as well]]. The Dag, one of the Gales, can shapeshift between a slightly-feathered humanoid woman to a giant bird of prey.
243	* WaterfallShower: When Boorman is describing how he escaped from trolls to an unimpressed Scorpia, the flashback cuts show the awesome shower he took under a waterfall after the escape, complete with him showing off his shirtless bod and swinging his long, wet hair around like he's in a shampoo commercial.
244	* WeUsedToBeFriends: Flashbacks in Episode 2 show that Willow and Sorsha's friendship ended acrimoniously because of differences in opinion on how to protect and/or train Elora against future threats. Despite this, Willow doesn't hold anything against her children and gladly agrees to help find Airk when Kit comes to him for help.
245	* WhamShot: Elora (and the viewers) get one when [[spoiler:she sees the moment Graydon's brother Dermot died. One second he was giving his younger brother Graydon a pep-talk, the next Graydon's face contorted, [[RedEyesTakeWarning his eyes turned red]], and then Graydon shoved Dermot to his death.]]
246	* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse: We see Willow eliminate some of The Crone's mooks, but we don't see the fates of The Lich, The Doom, or The Scourge. All we know is that Boorman apparently killed all three ''by himself''.
247	* WillfullyWeak: [[spoiler:It turns out that Jade was holding back during her sparring matches with Kit, training with her on Sorsha's orders. Kit is not at all happy to learn Jade was letting her win, and demands that Jade begin training her for real.]]
248	* TheWorldsExpertOnGettingKilled: Kase is sent to guide the party in the lands outside the Barrier. He gives them a lecture on being vigilant at all times right before he's shot in the back with an arrow.
249	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: In Episode 8, [[spoiler:Madmartigan somehow reaches out to Kit again, telling her that she has to be the one to protect Elora now, and that she's better than he was.]]
250	* YouthfulFreckles: Jade has brown freckles all over her face which serve as a mark of her youth.

Context Series / Willow2022