The Owl House season 3 will return in 2023, and now that Belos is back in action, it's clear that the show needs to keep him as the main villain instead of the Collector. Ever since Luz Noceda stumbled into the Demon Realm, learning to become a witch alongside her new friends, Emperor Belos has ruled the Boiling Isles with an iron fist. While Luz and the gang defeated him and stopped the Day of Unity in the Owl House season 2 finale, Belos has now found a way back to the Demon Realm, intent on finishing his work as a witch hunter. This perfectly sets up a final battle between Belos and the main cast, and demonstrates why the Collector is best left as a ing villain.
While the Collector did make a big impression in season 2, and will certainly be a big part of the remaining episodes, Belos should be kept as the main villain for the end of The Owl House season 3. When the Day of Unity was stopped, that seemed to be the end of Belos' big plans, moving him to the side so that the Collector could take center stage. However, Belos found a way to return to the Demon Realm in season 3, episode 1 "Thanks to Them," and from his determination, it's clear that he has something else up his sleeve. This is a great opportunity to expand on Belos as a villain, and he already has a series-long advantage over the Collector.
The Collector Doesn't Have Time To Become The Owl House's Biggest Villain
The Owl House's cancellation resulted in a shortened season 3, meaning that there's simply not enough time to develop the Collector into the main villain. They'll certainly be a force of chaos, and the remaining episodes may shed more light on their backstory, but the writers won't be able to develop the Collector as much with a shorter season. Also, the Collector is just a child, albeit with an incredible amount of power with which to create games. This definitely makes them an entertaining screen presence, but Belos' motivations and backstory are simply more engaging.
The Owl House Season 2 Makes Belos A More Interesting S3 Villain
Belos' story has developed incredibly well over the first two seasons, and season 3 should take advantage of its interesting, already-established villain. In The Owl House season 2, episode 16 "Hollow Mind," it's revealed that Belos is a human named Philip Wittebane. He lived during the 1600s in a town of witch hunters, and later spent almost four hundred years secretly working with the Collector to wipe out all witches through a draining spell. This made him the perfect foil to Luz Noceda, who came to embrace her new friends and found family, while Belos could only see them as monsters. This dichotomy can be expanded on in the rest of season 3, as well as exploring how the Day of Unity affected the witches and demons who followed Belos blindly for so long.
The biggest opportunity, however, is the mystery of what Belos will do next. It seemed like the Day of Unity dashed his hopes of wiping out all life in the demon realm, but his actions suggest he has a contingency plan in mind. Perhaps it involves the Collector, who very likely holds a grudge against Belos for betraying them, but for now, Belos' endgame is unknown. The Owl House season 3 is sure to give the Collector their time in the spotlight, but whatever Belos is planning, it's certain to be Luz and her allies' biggest challenge yet.
