Defenders of Arcadia

“*Yes, something is not quite right... evil is here, Trollhunter. It is time to prove that you have got what it takes. You need to be stronger than ever if you are to defeat this Trickster.*”
―Merlin to his champion, Jim, about the incoming dangers

## Production

### Format

PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
PC

### Executive producer(s)

Marc Guggenheim
Chad Hammes

### Music composer

Tim Davies
Jeff Danna

### Release date

September 25th, 2020

***Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia*** (or simply ***Defenders of Arcadia***) is an action game platformer based on the *Tales of Arcadia* franchise, developed by WayForward and published by Outright Games for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

The game was released on September 25th, 2020.

## Synopsis

Jump into the world of *Tales of Arcadia* as Jim Lake Jr. to stop Porgon the Trickster Troll and his sneaky plans! Team up with Claire in couch co-op and also get a helping hand from lots more loved characters to face unknown evil forces and help stop the Time-pocalypse! Upgrade your armor and boost your abilities to become more powerful than ever. The fate of the universe is in your hands!

## Rating Summary

This is an action-platform, based on the series *Tales of Arcadia*, in which players control time-travelers (Jim and Claire) as they collect coins/magical stones, unlock special abilities, and battle various enemies. From a side-scrolling perspective, players traverse platforms and use swords and projectiles to kill fantasy creatures (e.g., goblins, trolls, dragons). Combat is frenetic at times, highlighted by sword-slashing sounds and cries of pain. A handful of enemies use blaster-like weapons, and some boss characters shoot multiple magical projectiles across the screen in more protracted combat.

## Plot

A year after defeating Gunmar and Morgana and putting an end to the Eternal Night, Jim Lake Jr., now half-troll and turning seventeen, lives in the woods of New Jersey, playing games on his phone. He suddenly gets a call from his best friend, Toby Domzalski, asking if there's been anything unusual going on (more than the trolls and goblins). Jim admits it's been quiet, until his girlfriend, Claire Nuñez, calls for help against a Pirate Troll ambush. Jim rushes to her aid while she summons Toby to New Jersey. The trio are suddenly confronted by Porgon the Trickster Troll. They never heard of him, yet they get the strange feeling they've dealt with him before. Using a mysterious device, Porgon sends Jim through a portal before disappearing himself.

Jim suddenly finds himself back in Arcadia, shaken up but alright. he suddenly gets a call from the wizard, Merlin, who informs his champion that Porgon can travel through time and Jim is about a year into the past, about last summer before he became a half-troll. Spotting Porgon up ahead, Jim hangs up (not getting the chance to heed Merlin's warning) and chases after the Trickster Troll through town and into the sewers. Just when he had him cornered, Porgon disappears into a portal. Merlin then explains that Jim is trapped in a Time Loop, an alternative reality created through specific events. He tells Jim to remain in the past and return to Heartstone Trollmarket to talk to his mentor, Blinkous Galadrigal, and retrieve an ancient artifact he left for the younger Blinky a thousand years ago. Jim points out that Trollmarket was destroyed after the whole Eternal Night incident, yet Merlin reminds him that he's in the past, so it'll be the same place of activity as it used to be.

In Heartstone Trollmarket, Jim tries to talk to his friends, but they don't recognize him. Merlin explains that he's in the past, so he's supposed to still be human. Needing to change his appearance, Jim heads to Bagdwella's Fine Gifts to purchase a Glamour Mask, but he does not have enough coins. However, Bagdwella decides to give it to him for free. With the mask, Jim disguises himself as the first human Trollhunter again. Although he is destined to become half-troll, it is useful for him to appear human in the past. Jim proceeds to recruit Toby and then talks to Blinky about an "ancient artifact", which he discovers to be Merlin's Time Map, which he can use to travel to different Time Loops Porgon is creating.

With the Time Map, Jim teleports to the Geode Caverns where he first met Merlin. Merlin believes Porgon is there to steal the Staff of Avalon, which he could use to control and/or destroy time. However, what they're confused about is that Porgon is not smart enough to even understand it by a mile. Regardless, Jim presses on to find the wizard's staff. There, he finds Angor Rot confronting Porgon for the staff as Jim tries to warn the assassin, but the Trickster Troll escapes in a portal again. Jim tries to tell Angor that he's not his enemy anymore, but the assassin doesn't listen and attacks him. Once Jim defeats him, he recruits Angor Rot to help him stop Porgon, which the assassin begrudgingly agrees upon. Although Jim stopped Porgon from acquiring the Staff of Avalon, Merlin warns his champion that the Trickster was now on his way to Trollmarket.

Jim heads Porgon off at the Canal Bridge, where he faces off against the Trickster Troll. However, Porgon sucks Jim into another portal and sends him into the Darklands, where he meets up with Merlin. Merlin informs Jim that Trollmarket is gone, Claire and Toby have been kidnapped by Gunmar, and they are around the time Gunmar released Morgana from the Shadow Realm, leaving Merlin suspicious that his former apprentice is mixed up in this crisis as well. Needing to close the Time Loop, Jim ventures through the labyrinth and finally confronts his old nemesis in his Throne Room, where he defeats the Gumm-Gumm warlord once again.

Trollmarket is restored and Jim's friends are saved. However, Merlin detects odd energies coming from Arcadia which he describes to be "alien". Jim heads onto the roofs of Arcadia, where he meets Aja and Krel, royal Akiridions who crash-landed on Earth just a few weeks ago. They detected some of their tech and conclude that Porgon is wielding a Dekyon Charger that allows him to teleport through time. If the trickster troll was to get his hands on a Subspace Manifold, then he could destroy time itself. Wasting no time, Jim recruits the alien siblings and teleports to Akiridion-5. As Jim explores the alien world, Aja and Krel believe that this Time Loop does not look like it is under General Morando's rule, maybe taking place before or after his coup.

Jim confronts Porgon once again... until a mysterious woman intervenes and kills Porgon. Morgana reveals herself to be the true mastermind behind Porgon's actions.

Merlin demands if she's the Morgana who was either the one trapped in the Shadow Realm or in the Heartstone below Trollmarket. Morgana scoffs that time is but the construct of the mind and wished to conquer time itself. She steals Merlin's Time Map from Jim and destroys the mirror of time itself, unleashing a full-blown Time-pocalypse, a chaotic realm devoid of logic or structure. As Jim journeys through the miss-matched worlds of Arcadia, Akiridon-5, the Darklands, etc. while facing off enemies, Jim's friends look closely at the Time-pocalypse like a time machine; they see Toby as a little kid and an old man, and Claire even sees herself and Jim with Douxie and Steve Palchuk at a castle in the distant past. Jim finally makes it to Trollmarket, where Merlin orders him to find Morgana at her castle, challenge her, and get the Time Map back. Before doing so, Jim recruits Merlin's second apprentice, Douxie, who will restore his health if he feels low.

At Castle Morgana, Jim faces off against Morgana's machines and guards. While doing so, Morgana uses the Time Map to erase Jim's friends and allies (Claire, Toby, Aja, Krel, Angor Rot, and even Douxie) out of existence, all while taunting him that all he does is abandon them, like how he left them when he went into the Darklands alone, when he became a half-troll, and now as he rushes to face her off. Jim assures that, although he'll be alone, he'll be unstoppable. When he makes it to Morgana's throne room, she explains that she became a villain because she's been betrayed too many times. She was apprenticed to a wizard, sister to a king, and champion to an order of ancient sorcerers who all betrayed her. Jim admits that good friends are hard to come by, yet does not look past all of her vile actions as justifying her excuse; all she knows is taking everything from everyone, like how she betrayed Porgon and even erased his friends. Wasting no time, Morgana attacks the Trollhunter while the castle breaks apart. Jim finally triumphs over the Eldritch Queen and successfully takes the Time Map back. Morgana warns that they are creatures out of time, so she will be back for vengeance, just before she disappears.

Jim quickly undoes all of damage caused by Morgana and brings his friends back into existence, who tell him to come to Trollmarket as quickly as possible. There, Jim is surprised to see that they're throwing him a surprise birthday party. There is also a surprise party waiting for him in the future and suggests that Jim hands him back the Time Map so he can return to his present. However, once Jim returns to New Jersey, everything will be reset like none of this ever happened. Jim worries about what would happen if they run into Porgon again. Merlin says it means that they're stuck in another Time Loop, but it wouldn't be a foregone conclusion.

*NOTE: When you speak with Merlin and reset the timeline at this point, the entire story plot will reset and you get to play as **Troll Jim** the **entire game**.*

Jim hands Merlin back the Time Map and is sent back to New Jersey... the exact same moment he and Claire fight off against Pirate Trolls and confront Porgon. Jim is once again faced with closing the Time Loops and defeating Morgana. Jim finally meets up with the same Merlin from the future and finally returns to New Jersey without having to worry about Porgon anymore and celebrate his birthday with his friends in peace.

## Characters

### Heroes

#### Playable

* Jim Lake Jr.
* Claire Nuñez **(in co-op)**

#### Assists

* Toby Domzalski
* Angor Rot
* Aja and Krel Tarron
* Douxie Casperan

### Villains

* Angor Rot, Assassin Warrior
* Porgon, Trickster Troll
* Gunmar the Black, the Skullcrusher
* Morgana, Slayer of Trollhunters
* Goblins/Blood Goblins
* Pirate Trolls
* Gruesomes
* Golems
* Hellheetis
* Gumm-Gumms
* Nyarlagroths
* Stalklings
* Skeltegs
* Foo-Foos
* Omens
* Taylon Phalanx Soldiers
* Area 49-B Hazmat Men

### Interactive

* Merlin
* AAARRRGGHH!!!
* Blinky
* Dictatious
* Vendel
* Stricklander
* NotEnrique
* Bagdwella
* Rot and Gut
* Luug
* Wumpa
* Omelrug
* Nadvik
* Yelhsa
* Schmidt
* Sagdwella

## Cast

* Emile Hirsch as Jim
* David Bradley as Merlin
* Lexi Medrano as Claire
* Charlie Saxton as Toby
* Colin O'Donoghue as Douxie
* Tatiana Maslany as Aja
* Sebastian Lopez Hinton as Krel, Misc Voices
* Ike Amadi as Angor Rot
* Yvonne Angulo as Morgana
* Brook Chalmers as Porgon, Misc Voices
* Fred Tatasciore as AAARRRGGHH!!!, Gunmar, Blinky, Bagdwella, Vendel
* Tom Kenny as Gut, NotEnrique, Gnomes

## Time Loops

* New Jersey (prologue)
* Heartstone Trollmarket
	+ Blinky's Library
	+ Bagdwella's Fine Gifts
	+ Troll Pub
	+ RotGut's
* Arcadia Oaks
	+ Arcadia
	+ Arcadia Tunnels 1
	+ Arcadia Tunnels 2
* Geode Caverns
	+ Geode Caverns 1
	+ Geode Caverns 2
	+ Heart of Merlin's Tomb (boss fight)
* Canal Bridge
	+ Canal Bridge 1
	+ Canal Bridge 2
* Darklands
	+ Darklands 1
	+ Darklands 2
	+ Darklands Grotto 1
	+ Darklands Grotto 2
	+ Darklands 3
	+ Gunmar's Throne Room (boss fight)
* Akiridion-5
	+ Akiridion City 1
	+ Akiridion City 2
	+ Akiridion City 3
	+ Akiridion City 4
	+ Akiridion City 5
* Time-pocalypse
	+ Time-pocalypse 1
	+ Time-pocalypse 2
	+ Time-pocalypse 3
	+ Time-pocalypse 4
* Castle Morgana
	+ Castle Morgana 1
	+ Castle Morgana 2
	+ Castle Morgana 3
	+ Morgana's Throne Room (boss fight)

## Collectables

* **Coins**
* **Nougat Nummies**: Grab these to restore a Heart in your Health Meter
* **Dirty Socks**: Smelly, delicious, and cherished by trolls in Trollmarket, trade these in at Rot & Gut's Sock Exchange
* **Extra Life**: Snag these to add an Extra Life to your Life Counter
* **Gnomes**: Tricky to catch, these mischievous creatures are reviled by trolls. Collect gnomes to play *Omelrug's Gnome Challenge* in the Troll Pub
* **Horngazels**: Find the Horngazel in each stage to release the treasure hidden behind Chalk-Drawn Doorways
* **Gemstones**: Defeat bosses to find a Triumbric Stone and unlock new weapons
	+ **Birthstone**: Defeat Angor Rot in the Geode Caverns to unlock the Glaives, which allows you to take out enemies from a distance, activate switches, flip platforms, and collect hard-to-reach treasures
	+ **Eye of Gunmar**: Defeat Gunmar in the Darklands to unlock the Helmet, which allows you to charge into enemies and break off barricades
	+ **Killstone**: Defeat Porgon in Akiridion-5 to unlock the Shield, which allows you to glide over from a distance and gain altitude over wind gusts

## Reliquary

### Inventory

* **Merlin's Time Map**: A complicated and temperamental artifact that offers paths into specific Time Loops
* **Glamour Mask**: A mask with an enchantment that allows the wearer to change their appearance
* **Nougat Nummy**: Tasty treat that restores 1 Heart
* **Diablo Maximus Burrito**: Spicy meal that restores 3 Hearts
* **Diablo Maximus Burrito (Extra Spicy)**: Extra spicy meal that restores 5 Hearts
* **Kairosect**: A powerful artifact that can be used to freeze time for 5 seconds
* **Grit-Shaka**: Enchanted pendant that banishes fear and grants 5 seconds of invincibility
* **Gravesand**: The bone dust of fallen Gumm-Gumms, it hones feral instincts and grants 2x attack damage for 10 seconds

### Items

* **Tubbleblix**: A curious totem required for TVs to function properly. It looks ancient...
* **Fetch**: Artifact that acts as a small portal to the Darklands, too small for anything larger than a small changeling
* **Petunia**: A brown bag flour baby assignment to Jim and Claire in health class
* **Mystery Box**: Must not be opened, according to Bagdwella. A strange sound can be heard coming from it
* **Adoration Crystal**: A rare crystal found only in the Geode Caverns. This would make a lovely gift
* **DJ Kleb's Autograph**: Hand-signed autograph of indie film "Kleb or Alive" star

### Armor

* **Armor of Daylight**: Imbued with Merlin's magic, it is the magical suit of armor worn by the Trollhunter
* **Maximus Nougat Armor**: Get the max from your Nougat Nummies with this tasty buff! Adds 3 extra Hearts to your health
* **Keep-It-Crispy Armor**: Keep it Crispy! Increases mobility and attack speed by 15%
* **Kanjig-Armor**: Summon the strength of Kanjigar, the previous Trollhunter, to aid you against enemies! Adds 25% more damage to all attacks

### Assists

* **Claire Nuñez**: Claire can manifest Shadow Portals to bypass purple Shadow Blocks
	+ *Note: Claire is playable only through multiplayer.*
* **Toby Domzalski**: Toby can use his Warhammer to smash through red Warhammer Blocks
	+ **Toby's Troll Armor**: This Merlin-crafted armor reduces Toby's Assist recharge time by 50%
* **Angor Rot**: Angor can summon a Golem to help reach otherwise Unreachable Areas
	+ **Enchanted Animus Totem**: This hand-carved Totem reduces Angor's Assist recharge time by 50%
* **Aja** **and Krel Tarron**: Aja and Krel can create a Hoverboard to get across Hazardous Pits
	+ **Alien Protractor**: Not really a Protractor, but it reduces Aja & Krel's Assist recharge time by 50%
* **Douxie Casperan**: Douxie can cast a spell from his Charm Bracelet to Restore Health
	+ *Note: Douxie has the longest recharge time and is the only assist who has no reduction.*

## Minigames

### Go-Go Sushi

*Go-Go Sushi* is a playable mini-game if you interact with Toby in Trollmarket and earn coins if you beat the high score.

* Collect sushi
* Avoid veg
* If you collect 5 or 10 sushis, you can serve them up for tips
* If you go over 10 sushis, you drop some

### Omelrug's Gnome Challenge

If you collect gnomes on quests, you can chat with Omelrug at the Troll Pub in Trollmarket to play the gnome challenge and earn extra coins.

### Luug's Coin Hunt

It you interact with Luug in Trollmarket, he teleports you to Akiridion-5 to collect coins using Assists and new weapons before time runs out. Collect them all and you're rewarded hundreds of coins.

## Trailers

Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Announce TrailerTrollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Launch Trailer
## Soundtrack

1.- Main Theme - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack2.- Heartstone Trollmarket - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack3.- Blinky's Library - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack4.- Bagdwella's Fine Gifts - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack5.- Arcadia Oaks - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack6.- Arcadia Tunnels - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack7.- Geode Caverns - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack8.- Canal Bridge - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack9.- Darklands - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack10.- Darklands Grotto - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack11.- Akiridion-5 - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack12- Akiridion-5 (2) - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack13.- Akiridion-5 (3) - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack14.- Akiridion-5 (4) - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack15.- Time-pocalypse - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack16.- Heartstone Trollmarket Time-pocalypse - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack17.- Castle Morgana - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack18.- Castle Morgana 2 - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack19.- Boss Fight - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack20.- Luug's Coin Hunt - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack21.- Omelrug's Gnome Challenge - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack22.- Go Go Sushi - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack23.- End Credits - Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia Soundtrack

## Gallery

***Arcadia Oaks-pedia*** has a collection of images and media related to *Defenders of Arcadia* which can be found at
***Defenders of Arcadia/Gallery***.
## Trivia

* The title of the game likely references to a DreamWorks animated series, *Dragons: Defenders of Berk*.
* Although the title says *Trollhunters*, the setting of the game is combined with the other two installments of the franchise, *3Below* and *Wizards*.
	+ It's also confirmed that the game is not canon to the main *Tales of Arcadia* saga.
* The game also includes a mini-game that is featured in the franchise, *Go-Go Sushi*, a game which Toby and AAARRRGGHH!!! play together in the main trilogy.