Currently, Durin is one of the most talked-about characters, which makes him particularly interesting for analysis not only from the perspective of the story but also in terms of visual design.
For a complete understanding of Durin’s lore, you can check out my previous article here:
In this article, we will examine in detail the ideas, motifs, and emotions embedded in his appearance, name, title, constellation, and visual references.
Name & Title
The name Durin refers to a legendary dragon whose remains still lie in Dragonspine. This historical context gives the character several layers of meaning at once: from a connection to antiquity to a sense of tragedy and lost power.
Durin's remains in Dragonspine
His title “The Undying Fire” is also not given arbitrarily. Fire here is not only an element of his power but also a metaphor for life, passion, and transformation. Fire can heal, purify, but also destroy — reflecting the dual nature of Durin as a being who has experienced rebirth.
The Draco Rubedo constellation complements this symbolic series. In alchemy, rubedo is the final stage of the Great Work (magnum opus), representing completion and transformation.
Thus, his name, title, and constellation emphasize the themes of rebirth, purification, and eternal flame — key motifs for a character who has undergone reincarnation and now exists as a mythical element awakened from the past.
Visual References: Dragon vs Human
Dragon vs Human
As mentioned above, Durin was originally a massive dragon, whose remains became part of the Dragonspine landscape, symbolizing tragedy, oblivion, and history frozen in stone. In his new human form, Durin retains dragon-like features — horns, wings, tail — serving as a visual reminder of his past. His clothing is dark, restrained, with details like a crystal heart on his chest, long gloves, and long clothes covering his body.
Human Durin (left) & Dragon Durin (right) battle forms
The crystal heart on his chest symbolizes accelerated pain and vulnerability, yet also represents Durin’s inner core. This echoes the story of the original Durin, when the energy of the ancient dragon gave life to his new “human” form. Horns and wings remain visual markers of otherness: despite his human appearance, Durin is forever linked to his dragon past.
These elements are a metaphor for the character’s dual nature: the beastly, ancient, heavy side and the human, vulnerable, emotional side. This “shell” acts like armor, designed to conceal his past and protect his inner self. It may signify that Durin is not merely a demon — he carries the weight of history, and the external “jacket” helps him hide his true nature.
Color Palette
The combination of dark, deep shades (black, dark purple) with bright accents (purple, red, gold) creates a sense of contrast and harmony simultaneously: darkness + flame, past + new.
His namecard is also has the combination of purple shades.
His color palette and visual details reference the weapon Festering Desire, which is directly connected to the story of the original Durin. The sword even looks similar to Durin's signature weapon — Athame Artis.
Festering Desire (left) & Athame Artis (right)
The concept of Durin as “born from ink” (from the tale of the witch M) alludes to the idea that everything written can come to life. This is a metaphor for creativity, words, and memory: the past is not erased — it can return in another form.
Durin’s visual design is not just a “cool human-dragon hybrid,” but a visual metaphor for inner conflict, emotional pain, transformation, and the chance for a new beginning. His journey — from monster to humanized hero — reflects an old allegory: evil + redemption. The design visually emphasizes this duality: dragon nature + human form, darkness + fire, past + chance for rebirth.
Short Summary
Rebirth and hope: His transition from a destructive dragon to a humanized character can symbolize that even after tragedy, a new beginning is possible.
Pain and self-acceptance: His “other” appearance reminds us that the past cannot always be forgotten — but it can be accepted, sewn into a “new shell,” and life can continue.
Humility and inner conflict: The design with a covered body, wings-horns, and crystal heart suggests that Durin is not an ordinary hero: he is quiet, reflective, possibly suffering, but willing to confront himself.
Allegory for creativity and memory: The phrase “Born from ink, he soars among the stars” is a poetic image: the past as a written record, brought to life by imagination, taking form.
Durin’s appearance and symbolism are carefully thought out and multilayered. He is not just a “handsome dragon-man,” but a symbol of struggle, transformation, and hope for redemption. His design bridges myth and humanity, destruction and rebirth. For us, Durin can be a metaphor for the idea that even the darkest pages of the past can be reinterpreted and turned into the beginning of something new 
