is a Japanese anime television series based on the series of children's books of the same name, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. It was announced by Rodda herself at Sydney's Book Council of Australia Conference and at an ABC Kids convention. The series was produced by Genco and SKY Perfect Well Think. It was broadcast for 65 episodes on TV Aichi from January 2007 to March 2008. It began airing on Cartoon Network Australia and New Zealand in May 2010. It premiered in the United States on The Hub on October 10, 2010.
Story
The Shadow Lord, an evil sorcerer from the Shadowlands and The Lord of Shadows, has taken over Deltora by destroying the magical Belt of Deltora, which is Deltora's only protection against him, and scattering the seven gems that give it power. On his sixteenth birthday, Lief, son of Jarred the blacksmith of Deltora's capital city Del, and his wife Anna, is given the repaired Belt and told the truth; that his father was the best friend of the former king, Endon, and helped him escape with his wife and unborn child when the Shadow Lord took over. Accompanied by Barda, a former palace guard, and given a map of Deltora showing where the seven gems of the Belt are believed to be, Lief sets out to restore the gems to the Belt and save the land. Their first destination is the Forests of Silence.
After meeting Jasmine, a girl who has been alone since her parents were taken by the Shadow Lord's soldiers when she was seven, Lief and Barda are directed to the location of the first gem. After destroying the guardian Gorl, they find the Topaz and continue to the Lake of Tears, with Jasmine joining them after being encouraged by the spirit of her now-deceased mother. Along the way, they meet Manus, a silent man who helps them defeat Jin and Jod, two of the sorceress Thaegan's thirteen children. After discovering the existence of a resistance against the Shadow Lord, they reach the Lake and persuade the gem's guardian, the monster Soldeen, to give it to them. However, they are forced to fight Thaegan and retrieve the Ruby. Thaegan is defeated when Jasmine's raven, Kree, cuts her finger, causing her to lose blood. Since Thaegan is a witch, she dies as a result, restoring the Lake to its former appearance, Soldeen and the other creatures in the Lake to their original human forms, and the voices of Manus and his people, the Ralads.
On their way to the next gem, the trio are trapped by Thaegan's remaining eleven children, but manage to fool them and escape. They then visit a mysterious shop owned by Tom and meet Doom, a scar-faced man who is part of the resistance. After finding and escaping from Noradz, a city revealed to be supplying the Shadow Lord's servants with food, they manage to reach the City of Rats. There, Lief, Barda and Jasmine defeat the giant snake Reeah and get the Opal. However, after losing their remaining money, they are forced to enter the deadly Rithmere Championships to raise funds. Jasmine wins, but they are subsequently captured. With help from Doom, who also competed, and his friend Dain, who was disguised as a server, they manage to escape and reach the Shifting Sands, where they obtain the fourth gem, the Lapis Lazuli, from the living Hive.
Attempting to travel to Dread Mountain, they are trapped by Thaegan, who has been revived by the Shadow Lord, but manage to destroy her again, along with four of her children. They encounter the Kin, a race of sentient animals who help them travel to Dread Mountain as they are pursued by the Shadow Lord's elite soldiers, the Carn Squad. On Dread Mountain, they defeat the monstrous toad Gellick with the help of the Dread Gnomes, who form an alliance with the Kin, and retrieve the Emerald. Along the way, they discover the years-old grave of another man named Doom and realize that the man they know is not who he claims to be. Lief also discovers that his parents have been taken captive by Fallow, the Shadow Lord's advisor, but his friends persuade him that the only way to save them is to complete the quest.
Traveling toward the Maze of the Beast, they encounter Dain, who saves them from two Ols, shapeshifting servants of the Shadow Lord. He directs them to a stronghold of the resistance, but Doom, revealed to be the leader, distrusts them and has them locked up. Dain helps them escape on the condition that they bring him to the city of Tora. They go on the boat the River Queen, but are attacked by pirates, who kidnap Dain before leaving after learning that some of the passengers are Ols. To avoid putting the other passengers in danger, the trio are dropped off nearby. After being found by the pirates again, they are sent into the Maze of the Beast and are able to find the Amethyst, barely escaping the slug-like Glus.
The Shadow Lord revives Thaegan again, and she attempts to defeat them with their worst fears, but they triumph over her once more and leave her to destroy herself along with all but one of her remaining children, Ichabod. Pursued by both the Carn Squad and the pyrokinetic sorcerer Oacus, they rescue Dain and find Tora, empty of its people after they broke a magical vow to shelter King Endon. Shortly after they arrive, they encounter Doom, who reveals that he escaped the Shadowlands after receiving his scar and was rescued by the other Doom, who was killed by the Shadow Lord's minions when they pursued him. However, he does not remember anything before this, including his name, which is why he uses the other man's name. While Doom and Dain leave to return to the resistance, the trio journey to the Valley of the Lost and defeat the guardian, retrieving the last gem, the Diamond, after fighting Oacus.
Doom and Dain arrive at the Valley, revealed to now be home to the people of Tora, and are eventually informed about the quest to restore the gems. Doom agrees to help them find the heir, and arranges a meeting of members of the seven tribes of Deltora at another resistance stronghold near Del. At the stronghold, they are once again attacked by the Carn Squad and realize that there is a spy among them, but the tribes unite and kill their attackers. When they all swear loyalty to the new heir, Lief comes to believe that Dain is Endon's child, but he is kidnapped by Ichabod and brought to Del. The group journeys to Del, defeating Oacus for the final time along the way, and rescues Dain, killing Ichabod in the process.
However, when Dain is given the Belt, he reveals himself to be an Ol spy and has them ambushed. Most of the resistance escapes, but Barda, Jasmine and Doom are captured, while Lief manages to kill Dain and retrieve the Belt. Doom, who suffered a head injury in the capture, remembers his past and that he is Jasmine's long-lost father, before they are rescued by Lief and the Kin. Lief suspects Jasmine of being the heir, but she maintains that she is not. When Fallow threatens to kill Lief's parents if they do not surrender, the people of Del come to the resistance's aid, and the Shadow Lord's forces, including Fallow, are defeated, while Jarred and Anna are rescued.
Jarred and Doom recognize each other and reveal the truth; Jarred is King Endon, while Doom is the real Jarred, with them having switched identities to protect the heir to the throne, Lief. However, Fallow is revealed to still be alive and attacks Endon before being stopped by Lief. The Shadow Lord's minions, including the seven Ak-Baba, dragon-like birds who hid the gems, attack the people, but Lief eventually kills Fallow, though the gems are scattered from the Belt in the process. The Shadow Lord arrives to destroy the resistance, but Lief manages to put the gems back on the Belt in the right order (Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby, Amethyst, spelling "Deltora") before wearing it, banishing the Shadow Lord. A fatally wounded Endon thanks Lief for saving the people when he could not and dies peacefully, and Lief becomes the new king of the now united Deltora.
Characters Lief
Lief is the son of a blacksmith, who lives in the rundown city of Del. Described by Barda as 'A young hot-head', he spends his time roaming the streets while both tempting and dodging trouble. On his sixteenth birthday, he leaves Del on his father's quest to find the magical gems missing from the Belt of Deltora and the heir destined to wear it. Lief is tempted in many ways and, by the end of the first series, he has grown not only in bravery and strength, but also in wisdom and patience. During the series, he competes in a contest in which he describes his special skill as speed. Lief is courageous and trustworthy. He shows romantic interest in Jasmine, even though they do not always see eye to eye. While he occasionally considers giving up the quest, the thought of his friends or allies suffering always helps him to continue. Barda
At the start of the series, Barda appears to be a poor beggar living on the streets of Del. He is revealed to be a skilled swordsman and ex-palace guard who assumes the role of protector to Lief, much to their dismay. He is about the same age as Lief's parents. He is the son of Min, who was the childhood nurse maid of Endon and Jarred before being killed by Prandine when she warned King Endon that he was being deceived, but he did not believe her. During the series, Barda competes in a contest in which he describes his special skill as strength. He helps Lief and Jasmine along the quest and is always strong-hearted, never gives up hope, and is a gentle giant. Jasmine
Jasmine is a sixteen year old wild orphan girl who lives a solitary life in the dangerous Forests of Silence. After her parents were taken by the Shadow Lord's soldiers, she grew up alone and learned to fend for herself. She has messy black hair which frames her elfin face and green eyes. She is often described as impatient and lonely, but with a good heart. Her only friends in the Forests are the raven Kree and a small furry animal called Filli, who she can communicate with due to understanding the language of trees and many other animals. She is independent, like Lief, though displays less tact and is unafraid of standing up for what she believes in if she feels something is unjust or incorrect. She believes in equal rights and fairness, but cannot understand people who will not fight for themselves and how easily people can be tricked by fancy words and promises. In the series, she is eventually reunited with her long-lost father and competes in a contest in which she describes her special skill as agility. She shows romantic interest in Lief, even though they do not always see eye to eye. Kree
Kree is a raven who was adopted by Jasmine, who he can communicate with, after his family was eaten by the sorceress Thaegan. He joins Lief, Barda and Jasmine on their quest. When they head to the Lake of Tears, he is sent back to the Forests of Silence for his own protection, but returns to help them and stays with them afterwards. He is often used to scout ahead. Filli
Filli is a small, rodent-like creature who is Jasmine's pet and can communicate with her. Like Kree, he joins the companions when Jasmine decides to accompany them on their quest, but can also get them into trouble. The Shadow Lord
The Shadow Lord is a malevolent entity who has taken over the land of Deltora after destroying its protection against him, the Belt of Deltora, and scattering the gems that give it power. He resides in the Shadowlands, beyond the mountains of Deltora, but regularly communicates with Fallow, his servant who runs his operations in Deltora from the palace of Del. He frequently has Fallow send servants to stop the trio from continuing their quest, and expresses fury when they fail. He is shown to be a master schemer, never having just one plan. Dain