神印王座
Throne of Seal
From lowly novice to legendary knight, a continent's crusade against the demons
Synopsis
On the Sacred Demon Continent, humanity survives under the protection of six great temples, the only bulwark against the threat of the seventy-two Demon Pillars. To cure his ailing mother, young Long Haochen joins the Knight Temple and begins a training journey that will lead him to defy the demon powers.
Adapted from the novel by Tang Jia San Shao — also the author of Soul Land — Throne of Seal reuses some of the team-based cultivation conventions he popularized, while transposing them into a setting closer to Western chivalric fantasy.
Released in 2022, the 3D animated adaptation stood out for its extensive use of the Unreal Engine to render armor and large-scale battles, propelling the series to the top of viewership charts in China and internationally via Crunchyroll and WeTV.
World
The Sacred Demon Continent was long dominated by the Demon Clan and its seventy-two Pillars, before six great temples managed to push back the threat. Even now, the balance remains fragile, and every generation of knights must prepare for a new demon offensive.
Power system
Novices of the Knight Temple form teams bonded with spirit beasts and progress through a martial rank system combining weapon mastery, summons and sacred seals, hoping to eventually earn the supreme title of Throne of Seal.
Reception & popularity
From its 2022 release, the 3D adaptation climbed to the top of Tencent Video's viewership charts, carried by its unprecedented use of the Unreal Engine for a donghua of this genre and an international release via Crunchyroll and WeTV.
My take
Throne of Seal stands out for its inspiration: knights, paladins and demons, closer to Western fantasy than to Taoist mountains. The result is bright and heroic, far from the darkness of some titles.
Long Haochen is an upright, almost old-fashioned hero, and the series fully embraces that earnestness. Some will find it predictable, but the battles against demons are generous and well animated.
Who is it for?Watch it if you like chivalric fantasy and heroes without ambiguity.
Main characters
More character profiles are coming.
Adaptations
This franchise also exists in other formats — each with its own pacing and audience.
Trivia
- Tang Jia San Shao, the original novel's author, is also the creator of Soul Land, one of the biggest hits of the xianxia genre.
- The animated adaptation was one of the first major donghua productions made entirely in 3D with the Unreal Engine.
- The series quickly topped Tencent Video's viewership rankings upon its 2022 release.
If you liked…
More donghua to discover after Throne of Seal: same author or same genres.
