Summary

• Blade now has a new "daughter" Rotha to train, adding a paternal twist to their partnership and dynamic in Blade #8.
• Rotha's connection to Blade deepens, becoming more than just a sidekick as she is taken in as his ward, forming a familial bond.
• Blade's biological daughter, Bloodline, is off "going her own way," setting up for an interesting team-up in the future.

Warning: spoilers for Blade #8!Despite having only just introduced Blade's biological daughter, Marvel just gave the ultimate vampire slayer a new 'daughter' to train against the world's monsters. Last year's Bloodline: Daughter of Blade miniseries introduced Brielle to the Marvel Universe. Brielle is the secret daughter of Blade, hidden from the supernatural courtesy of Doctor Strange's protection spell, until Strange died. Upon discovering her true lineage, Blade trained her to become a hero, which has already led to her first team-up with Spider-Man.

Now, only a year after Brielle became Bloodline, her father has already found a second daughter in his sidekick, Rotha, as of Blade #8. While she's not his biological daughter, their partnership just took a paternal turn, with Blade taking in Rotha as his ward.

"Paternal" isn't a word that Rotha is familiar with until Blade's arms dealer ex Tulip suggests she views her mentor as a father figure. Rotha denies this at first, but when he asks for her help to send him to Hell, she its to herself that their relationship is "perhaps a bit paternal."

Blade Might Be Closer to Rotha Than His Daughter

Blade #8 by Bryan Hill, Elena Casagrande, KJ Diaz, and Cory Petit

Rotha was introduced in the first issue of this series, begrudgingly betraying and killing off her brothers to free Blade from their imprisonment. The attack by Rotha's family was Blade's punishment for unknowingly killing the only warrior (later revealed to be her father) capable of killing the Adana, one of 2023's most threatening new villains. Under the impression Blade could help her kill the Adana, Rotha released him. She spent the first half of the series serving loyally by Blade's side, already spending more time on adventures with Blade than his biological daughter ever has.

Things took a turn after Blade #5, where Rotha's time by Blade's side seemed to have come to an end. Between Blade #6 and #7, Rotha hadn't been seen on-. Readers knew she was elsewhere caring for the injured Tulip off- following the latter's run-in with the Adana, but her future remained uncertain. Now, though, this new paternal element seems to have given her a wider purpose within the series by deepening her connection to Blade. She's more than just a sidekick now, she's basically an adopted daughter.

Where Does This Leave Blade's Actual Daughter, Bloodline?

Blade Already Had a Rocky Relationship With His Long-Hidden Child

Bloodline got a throwaway reference in Blade #2 where her father explained she's elsewhere "going her own way." Assuming that there's inevitably going to be a time when she makes her way back to her dad, she may wonder why he's so close with a young woman around her age experiencing their own adventures. However, fans shouldn't expect jealousy. Bloodline's team-up with Spider-Man shows she plays well with others, so a team-up with Blade's "other daughter" could be compelling down the road.

Blade #8 is available now from Marvel