Landon turning into a phoenix, his powers can evolve even more in the upcoming Season 3.
Legacies, the series spin-off of The Originals and The Vampire Diaries, introduced a new inventory of supernatural creatures to run alongside the usual triad of vampires, werewolves and witches. One of those new creatures is Landon Kirby, the only known phoenix. When Landon first appeared in The Originals, he was thought to be a regular human, but over time, it became clear he possessed a supernatural gift.
The mystery was finally solved in Season 1, Episode 13, “The Boy Who Still Has a Lot of Good to Do.” In the episode, Landon was killed by MG, and his body burst into flames. He then turned into a pile of ash, but from it, a freshly healed Landon emerged, revealing himself to be a phoenix.
Upon the reveal of his true nature, Landon discovered his ability to resurrect himself, as well as his apparent immortality, things commonly associated with the phoenix. He spent much of Season 2 exploring his healing abilities, performing suicidal experiments only to come back to life each time, with the resurrection occurring faster after each death. Throughout the season, Landon became aware of a possible new ability involving levitation, which eventually developed into full-fledged flight with the flame wings that sprouted from his back.
As of right now, flight and resurrection are the only abilities Landon is aware of, but they’re unlikely to be the only ones he’ll get before the series ends. The mythological phoenix is a bird made of fire, and it is best known for its ability to resurrect itself. Like Landon, the phoenix can regenerate from death in a pyre made of its own ashes.
Along with its immortality and regeneration, some mythologies have phoenixes heal others from fatal wounds, and they can even bring people back from the dead with their tears. For instance, J.K. Rowling used this detail when creating Fawkes, Albus Dumbledore’s pet phoenix, where his tears healed Harry from basilisk venom in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Legacies could do something similar and have Landon’s potential healing powers emerge when someone important to him dies, with his tears bringing them back.
Much of the phoenix myth seems to have been carried over for Landon’s character in Legacies. The mythical beast was one of the animals featured in The Aberdeen Bestiary, a 12th Century manuscript that listed and described different types of animals, both real and imaginary. Within that manuscript, the phoenix was said to be a rare creature that cannot exist simultaneously with others of its kind, meaning there can only be one phoenix in the world. This matches up with Landon’s current state, as he is the only known phoenix to exist. Of course, in the case of Landon, it’s because he was born from unusual circumstances; however, if the series reveals another phoenix, Landon may have to die permanently.
Another possible ability for Landon to gain is pyrokinesis, the ability to produce and manipulate fire. Even though fire manipulation is not an ability often associated with most phoenixes, it seems like an obvious skill to give such a character, especially since the mythological bird is made of fire.
Legacies stars Danielle Rose Russell, Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant, Quincy Fouse, Aria Shahghasemi, Peyton Alex Smith, Matt Davis and Chris Lee. Ben Levin and Leo Howard, who portrays Ethan, have also been upgraded to series regulars. Season 3 of Legacies premieres Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
Source: cbr.com