Dragon Striker Early Concept Art by Gaelle Autin
Key Nagatatsu
Good to see they had Key locked in from the beginning. Though our boy looks like he stepped out of Breath of the Wild.
On the Knights uniform, I understand the design was simplified for animation purposes (the less complex the design the easier it is to animate), but it’s interesting how much it’s just a knight’s regalia.
Straight up, I’m pretty sure this is an armor set in Dragon Age the Veilguard.
Now, in the transition from concept to final, they grounded the design into something that could believably be a sports uniform.
We actually also have another example of this early Knights uniform.
Now, I haven’t been able to find a name to this character, but I’m willing to bet this is an early version of Ssyelle. Or, more accurately, this was the character that filled Ssyelle’s role as the female lead for the series.
Any suggestions for a name? I’m thinking Alya, it shares a meaning with Ssyelle’s name (‘sky’).
Anyways, Alya here lacks the armor Key had. Which almost gives off the vide of a squire.
In combination with the cloak, really leans in to the more into the ‘Knights of the Round’ vide it seems that this version of the team had.
Pregrina Freaks
Everyone’s favorite ghost princess was another character who seems to have been around since the start.
Though the difference is staggering. (I’ll call her Perrin, but if anyone has suggestions please give them)
I think the changes in design really highlight the change art style. As well as the change of both characters’ ‘vibes’.
Overall, both are similar designs. Both are full of themselves princess bullies. But where Pregrina has immense bratty gremlin energy, Perrin reads more like she would’ve been the popular mean girl Ice Queen.
Now if you think that’s a stark contrast in early concept to final, get ready.
And I’m going to preface this by say that, like Alya being a potential concept predecessor to Ssyelle, this is very much that for a character we now know and love. Though in this case it’s confirmed.
Ragno Garanthar
Yes
Ragno was a pretty boy at one point in development. (I don’t know why, but I’m calling him Shen. He feels like a Shen)
This character feels designed to be Key’s foil in every way. Key’s the small town farm boy, this guy’s a complete prep. A high class prodigy raised and trained to be a Gorotama star.
His gear has a much more obvious dragon motif to follow concept Key’s more knightly style. And his tama was electricity based, an elemental equal to Key’s dragon.
It’s then interesting that, going from “Shen” to Ragno, it’s almost like they went in the opposite direction.
Slim to buff
Short black hair to long white hair (though both cover the left eye)
Western dragon motifs to Eastern Japanese Armor
Green dominate color palette to red dominate color palette
Elemental lightning tama to Telekinetic Dragon(?) tama (though the manifested ‘claws’ carry over)
A fantasy prep school uniform with scale designs to a letterman’s jacket with the Dragon’s logo
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the show creators were to pull a Felix from Miraculous and introduce this concept as his own character later down the road. And maybe the same with Pregrina and (possible) Ssyelle’s concept versions too.