Black Manta returns from the original movie to take over as the main Aquaman 2 villain, getting an upgrade with his Black Trident. But how powerful is it and is it an even stronger weapon than Aquaman’s trident? Here’s all you need to know about the Black Trident in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
What are the origin and powers of Black Manta’s Black Trident in Aquaman 2?
Black Manta’s Black Trident in the DCEU is based on the Dead King’s Trident from the comics and uses dark magic powers. It was created by Atlan’s brother Kordax using dark magic.
As it’s clear in the trailers, the Black Trident empowers and possibly even corrupts David Hyde/Black Manta. It makes him strong enough to take on Arthur Curry and poses a real threat to the land and the seas. As Atlanna suggested, Black Manta “must be stopped, or a global meltdown is imminent.”
It is an ancient relic that even predates King Atlan’s reign. As per the trailers: “During King Atlan’s time, there were seven kingdoms. The trident was a curse upon them all.” King Atlan managed to stop the “Dead King” wielding the trident by breaking it in half. He neutralized the threat of the Lost Kingdom that attacked Atlantis.
However, with Black Manta managing to find the Black Trident, he seems to have reawakened its magic by rejoining it. With the trident, he doesn’t just get the powers of the “Dead King,” but he also gets the ability to control the dead. With its dark magic, he now has the ability to take over the seas and cover them with darkness.
In the comics, the Dead King’s Trident allowed its users to cause earthquakes. So, it’s quite likely that the Black Trident in the DCEU would grant a similar ability to Manta, enabling him to cause a “global meltdown.”
Black Manta’s Black Trident vs. Aquaman’s Trident of Atlan: Which is stronger?
Considering the threat that the Black Trident poses to the globe, it does have an edge over King Atlan’s trident with its dark magic.
Black Manta’s Black Trident seems to be the antithesis of the trident of King Atlan. The latter can only be held by a true heir of Atlantis and has the power to bring the seas together. It allows Arthur to command any creature residing in the vast oceans. It magnifies Arthur’s strength and also has the ability to produce shockwaves.
The Black Trident, on the other hand, can seemingly raise the dead underwater. With it, its user commands the inhabitants of the Lost Kingdom and can spread dark magic across the seven seas, taking control over every creature that Atlan’s trident commands. So, it certainly is the more dangerous weapon here.
Even though Atlan’s trident split it in half, the threat that it poses makes it the real villain of the film. Whether Arthur would manage to destroy it completely with Atlan’s trident remains to be seen.
For more entertainment content here’s a list of Joaquin Phoenix’s best movie performances. Also, here’s our interview with Jesse Eisenberg in which he discussed masculinity and working with Adrien Brody.
