Maya and the Three is a celebration of Mesoamerican cultures during a badass adventure. The series has many hidden details and inspirations.

15 Unknown Facts About Maya and the Three

Created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez and produced by Tangent Animations, Maya and the
Three is the new fan-favorite animated show on Netflix. The nine-episode series
is about Maya, a badass Hispanic princess who must save the Earth from the wrath
of vengeful Gods. Helping her on this quest are the Three Legendary Warriors,
who find their roots in various Mesoamerican, particularly Latinx cultures.



Netflix released this animated series on October 22, 2021, and fans haven’t
since stopped talking about it ever since. As a result, Netflix has released a
number of videos talking about the making of the film. Here are 15 unknown facts
about the making of this series celebrating the Latinx and Mexican cultures.




JORGE’S PERSONAL LIFE INSPIRED MANY CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS

Jorge’s personal life inspired many characters and incidents. The entire movie
is based on his appreciation of Latinx culture. And the first kiss between Zatz
and Maya is a parallel between Jorge and Sandra’s first kiss in high school.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]


MAYA IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY USED NAMES

Mexican animator Jorge R. Gutiérrez specifically chose the name Maya for this
eagle warrior princess so that a larger number of viewers could resonate with
her even more deeply.


THE EAGLE WARRIOR PRINCESS IS BASED ON JORGE’S WIFE

The protagonist Maya draws inspiration from his wife Sandra Equihua. Sandra was
a fiery and rebellious teenager and that is how Jorge came to envision Maya.
Jorge also tricked Sandra into voicing Queen Teca. He promised her that the
recording would only be temporary, which all viewers know, isn’t quite so.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]


OUR FIRST VISIT TO TECA HAS A MEXICAN FLAG

The Eagle and the serpent have had a huge role to play in Latinx cultures. And
the series didn’t fail to pay homage to that. The opening scenes when we first
witness the glory of the kingdom of Teca and the battle between Maya, the Eagle
Princess, and the Mictlan Serpent are two different visions of the same.

ALSO READ: Maya And The Three Characters: EXPLAINED
[https://netflixjunkie.com/maya-and-the-three-characters-explained/]


MAYA AND THE THREE IS ALL ABOUT SYMBOLIZATION

No, we’re not talking about the cultural homage in this Netflix Original
[https://netflixjunkie.com/category/originals/]. The series really is full of
tiny details, each of which means something. For example, Chiapa the jaguar has
square spots, unlike the usual jagged black circles. These squares symbolize his
belongingness to Teca. The jaguar also has skull spots for all of his victories.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]


THE SERIES IS BASED ON MESOAMERICAN CULTURES

While this fact isn’t quite “unknown”, there are many details not everyone
noticed or knew about.

The land of Teca and the rest of the world of Maya and the Three
[https://www.netflix.com/title/80244283] is based on multiple Latin American
countries, cultures, and legends. The Aztecs inspired the land of Teca, the
Mayan cultures inspired the jungle lands and Chimi, the Caribbean culture
influences Rico and Roosta islands, the Inca culture and the ruins of Machu
Pichu kindled the golden mountains and Pichu.

ALSO READ: Trailer of Money Heist: Part 5 Vol. 2 Released: The World’s Biggest
Heist to Come to an End
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-trailer-of-money-heist-part-5-vol-2-released-the-worlds-biggest-heist-to-come-to-an-end/]

Many of the temples seen in the series are inspired by real-life ruins. The Toad
Wizard, played by Filipino American Jeff Ranjo uses real Tagalog in his magic
spells.


JORGE HAD A THING FOR ART MUSEUMS

Jorge Gutiérrez grew up in the city of Mexico and often frequented the Museo
Nacional de Antropologia, which highly inspired the look, theme, style, and
entire cinematic experience of the Netflix
[https://netflixjunkie.com/category/news/] series.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]


SKULLS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SERIES

With skulls of some form hidden in almost every scene throughout the series.
Jorge said the number of the skulls was- “too many to count”. Some quick fun
facts about skulls in the series:

 * Lord Mictlan’s head had two skulls.
 * Maya’s Eagle Claw has three skulls, commemorating her three brothers.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]


THE CREATORS DIDN’T HOLD BACK ON THE FORESHADOWING, EITHER

When Maya first learns about the prophecy, the viewers get a sneak peek of Rico,
Chimi and Pichu, under the three symbols representing each kingdom.

ALSO READ: Quotes of Wisdom From Maya and the Three
[https://netflixjunkie.com/quotes-of-wisdom-from-maya-and-the-three-netflix-news/]



Safia Khanam

Comment

15 Unknown Facts About Maya and the Three - Netflix Junkie

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A writer at Netflix Junkie, Safia Khanam is a Business Administration student with a passion for writing. Having been an avid reader and cinephile all her life, she enjoys sharing analysis and insights. The Intern, Dead Poets Society, and Anne With An E are her top preferences. When she’s not watching or reading anything, she likes to traverse the fields of calligraphy and other liberal arts. With an appreciation for culture and linguistics, she wishes to travel extensively and experience art and architecture firsthand.

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15 Unknown Facts About Maya and the Three - netflix-junkie

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<p>Created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez and produced by Tangent Animations, Maya and the Three is the new fan-favorite animated show on Netflix. The nine-episode series is about Maya, a badass <strong>Hispanic princess</strong> who must save the Earth from the wrath of vengeful Gods. Helping her on this quest are the Three Legendary Warriors, who find their roots in various <strong>Mesoamerican, particularly Latinx cultures</strong>.</p>
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Maya and the Three | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QrPMlYSbkEQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Netflix released this animated series on <strong>October 22, 2021</strong>, and fans haven&#8217;t since stopped talking about it ever since. As a result, Netflix has released a number of videos talking about the making of the film. Here are <strong>15 unknown facts about the making</strong> of this series celebrating the Latinx and Mexican cultures.</p>
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="15 Fun Facts You Didn&#039;t Know About Maya and the Three | Netflix After School" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jpWY8zExWsQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h2>Jorge&#8217;s personal life inspired many characters and incidents</h2>
<p>Jorge&#8217;s personal life inspired many characters and incidents. The entire movie is based on his appreciation of Latinx culture. And the first kiss between Zatz and Maya is a parallel between Jorge and Sandra&#8217;s first kiss in high school.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10023 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-zatz.jpg" alt="" width="736" height="485" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-zatz.jpg 736w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-zatz-300x198.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px" /></p>
<h2>Maya is one of the most commonly used names</h2>
<p><b>Mexican animator Jorge R. Gutiérrez </b>specifically chose the name Maya for this eagle warrior princess so that a larger number of viewers could resonate with her even more deeply.</p>
<h2>The Eagle warrior princess is based on Jorge&#8217;s wife</h2>
<p>The protagonist Maya draws inspiration from his wife <b>Sandra Equihua</b>. Sandra was a fiery and rebellious teenager and that is how Jorge came to envision Maya. Jorge also tricked Sandra into voicing Queen Teca. He promised her that the recording would only be temporary, which all viewers know, isn&#8217;t quite so.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10024 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya.jpg" alt="" width="1296" height="730" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya.jpg 1296w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-768x433.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /></p>
<h2>Our first visit to Teca has a Mexican flag</h2>
<p>The Eagle and the serpent have had a huge role to play in Latinx cultures. And the series didn&#8217;t fail to pay homage to that. The opening scenes when we first witness the glory of the kingdom of Teca and the battle between Maya, the Eagle Princess, and the Mictlan Serpent are two different visions of the same.</p>
<p><strong>ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/maya-and-the-three-characters-explained/">Maya And The Three Characters: EXPLAINED</a></strong></p>
<h2>Maya and the Three is all about symbolization</h2>
<p>No, we&#8217;re not talking about the cultural homage in this <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/category/originals/">Netflix Original</a>. The series really is full of tiny details, each of which means something. For example, Chiapa the jaguar has square spots, unlike the usual jagged black circles. These squares symbolize his belongingness to Teca. The jaguar also has skull spots for all of his victories.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10026 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-symbolisation.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="909" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-symbolisation.jpg 1000w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-symbolisation-300x273.jpg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-symbolisation-768x698.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></p>
<h2>The series is based on Mesoamerican cultures</h2>
<p>While this fact isn&#8217;t quite &#8220;unknown&#8221;, there are many details not everyone noticed or knew about.</p>
<p>The land of Teca and the rest of the world of <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80244283">Maya and the Three</a> is based on multiple Latin American countries, cultures, and legends. The Aztecs inspired the land of Teca, the Mayan cultures inspired the jungle lands and Chimi, the Caribbean culture influences Rico and Roosta islands, the Inca culture and the ruins of Machu Pichu kindled the golden mountains and Pichu.</p>
<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong> <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-trailer-of-money-heist-part-5-vol-2-released-the-worlds-biggest-heist-to-come-to-an-end/">Trailer of Money Heist: Part 5 Vol. 2 Released: The World’s Biggest Heist to Come to an End</a></p>
<p>Many of the temples seen in the series are inspired by real-life ruins. The Toad Wizard, played by Filipino American Jeff Ranjo uses real Tagalog in his magic spells.</p>
<h2>Jorge had a thing for art museums</h2>
<p>Jorge Gutiérrez grew up in the city of Mexico and often frequented the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, which highly inspired the look, theme, style, and entire cinematic experience of the <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/category/news/">Netflix</a> series.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10021 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museo-Nacional-de-Antropologia-1.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museo-Nacional-de-Antropologia-1.jpg 1600w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museo-Nacional-de-Antropologia-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museo-Nacional-de-Antropologia-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museo-Nacional-de-Antropologia-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museo-Nacional-de-Antropologia-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museo-Nacional-de-Antropologia-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<h2>Skulls are an important part of the series</h2>
<p>With skulls of some form hidden in almost every scene throughout the series. Jorge said the number of the skulls was- &#8220;too many to count&#8221;. Some quick fun facts about skulls in the series:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lord Mictlan&#8217;s head had two skulls.</li>
<li>Maya&#8217;s Eagle Claw has three skulls, commemorating her three brothers.</li>
</ul>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10022 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three.jpg" alt="" width="1919" height="812" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three.jpg 1919w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-300x127.jpg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-1024x433.jpg 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-768x325.jpg 768w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maya-and-the-three-1536x650.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1919px) 100vw, 1919px" /></p>
<h2>The creators didn&#8217;t hold back on the foreshadowing, either</h2>
<p>When Maya first learns about the prophecy, the viewers get a sneak peek of Rico, Chimi and Pichu, under the three symbols representing each kingdom.</p>
<p><strong>ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/quotes-of-wisdom-from-maya-and-the-three-netflix-news/">Quotes of Wisdom From Maya and the Three</a></strong></p>
<div class="ultp-block-excerpt"></div>


Maya And The Three Characters: EXPLAINED

Trailer of Money Heist: Part 5 Vol. 2 Released: The World’s Biggest Heist to
Come to an End

Quotes of Wisdom From Maya and the Three

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15 Unknown Facts About Maya and the Three

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