Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Army of Thieves.
Army of Thieves, the prequel to Army of the Dead, leaves behind several unanswered questions – here are the answers. Set several years before the events in Army of the Dead, the story of Army of Thieves focuses on Ludwig Dieter, also known as Sebastian, the safecracker who unlocks Army of the Dead’s Götterdämmerung safe. International thieves Gwendoline, Rolph, Korina, and Brad hire Dieter as their crew’s new safecracker.
Dieter’s job is to crack three out of Hans Wagner’s four legendary safes, Das Rheingold, the Valkyrie, and the Siegfried. The crew manages to find and open all three. However, in the end, everyone except Dieter ends up in the custody of Interpol.
Army of Thieves reveals much about the origins of Army of the Dead’s Ludwig Dieter. However, the finale also fails to resolve some of the questions and mysteries raised throughout the movie. Here are Army of Thieves’ biggest unanswered questions – explained.
How Is Bly Tanaka Involved In The Events Of Army Of Thieves?
Bly Tanaka is the casino owner who hires Scott Ward’s crew to retrieve $200 million from the Götterdämmerung under the zombie-infested Vegas Strip in Army of the Dead. Tanaka’s Army of Thieves cameo is limited to a photograph that Korina shows the crew during her intel presentation on Wagner’s safes. However, as Army of Thieves reveals that Tanaka owns all four of Wagner’s legendary safes, this could indicate that he was involved in Dieter’s path towards finding and opening each masterpiece. Considering Tanaka’s resources, it’s possible that he orchestrated the events in Army of Thieves, including the locksmith competition, in order to find the person who can conceivably unlock all four safes. Although it’s clear that Tanaka’s true intention was to retrieve an alpha zombie’s head in Army of the Dead, Tanaka could’ve also tried to find Dieter earlier. As the person who understands Hans Wagner’s vision the most, Dieter might be the only locksmith who is qualified enough to protect Tanaka’s riches. It also makes sense if Gwendoline was working for Tanaka the whole time.
Did Korina Betray Gwendoline and Dieter To Interpol?
Korina is the master hacker in Army of Thieves’ cast of international thieves. After the third and final heist, Interpol manages to snag Korina. Beatrix tells Korina that if she gives up the other people in her crew, Interpol will ensure that Korina’s younger brother is looked after when she goes to prison. While Korina seems to consider the offer, Army of Thieves doesn’t reveal whether or not Korina actually took it, or if she betrayed Gwendoline and Dieter. However, the next scene does show Interpol catching up to Gwendoline and Dieter, which could indicate that Korina betrayed them. On the other hand, another possibility is that Korina gave Interpol the location of Brad and Rolph instead, which makes more sense. While it’s unlikely that Korina will betray Gwendoline or Dieter, Korina has no love for Brad and Rolph, and giving them up would be a much better exchange for ensuring her little brother’s future.
Why Did Delacroix Just Let Dieter Escape?
While Army of Thieves isn’t a zombie movie like Army of the Dead, it also uses a classic movie trope: the traditional heist. And in this heist, Delacroix plays the key role of the Interpol agent chasing after the thieves. After spending most of the film getting outsmarted, Delacroix finally gets a big break when he catches Gwendoline and Dieter about to flee on a boat. Somehow, Gwendoline convinces Delacroix that Dieter is a nobody who deserves to be let go. On one hand, it’s true that Dieter, unlike the rest of the crew, is just an amateur thief who is in way over his head. But on the other hand, Dieter is also a master safecracker who, despite getting caught, actually managed to open the most complicated vaults in the world. It doesn’t make sense for Interpol to let go of such an important suspect in a high-profile case.
How Does Ludwig Dieter Get To California?
Army of Thieves’ ending sets up Army of the Dead by showing Dieter in his locksmith shop in California, as Scott Ward shows him the plans for the Götterdämmerung. Before that, Dieter is last seen on a boat on the lake, after leaving Gwendoline to be arrested by Delacroix. Although Dieter finds passports and tickets for both him and Gwendoline in his bag, Army of Thieves never shows how Dieter ends up in California, how and when he founded his locksmith shop Gwendoline’s, or whether or not he chose California for its nearness to the possible location of the Götterdämmerung. It can’t be a coincidence that Dieter, who is a master at solving puzzles, ends up in a location so close to Wagner’s last safe.
Where Do The Robot Zombies in Army Of The Dead Come From?
Although Army of Thieves is a prequel to Army of the Dead, the film focuses on Dieter and Wagner’s safes, and reveals nothing about the origins of the robot zombies in the first movie. Director Zack Snyder has confirmed that some of the zombies with glowing eyes in Army of the Dead are indeed cybernetic zombies. While it’s clear that these robot zombies are likely part of the U.S. government’s plans to weaponize the infection, there are still no definite answers about how, where, and why the robot zombies were created. The third movie could shine a light on this mystery.
What Do Hans Wagner’s Safes Have To Do With Army Of The Dead’s Time Loop Theory?
The time loop theory stems from a conversation between Dieter and Vanderohe in Army of the Dead. After seeing the many skeletons near the Götterdämmerung, Vanderohe speculates that the entire team may be stuck in a time loop, cursed to repeat the same heist again and again. Meanwhile, the three safes in Army of Thieves, along with the Götterdämmerung, are each based on the four parts of Richard Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle music dramas. Each story behind Army of Thieves’ Wagner safes parallels the developing relationship between Gwendoline and Dieter, as well as their quest to unlock Wagner’s riddles. Based on Norse mythology, the stories are also seminal and recurring themes in movies and literature, just like the concept of the heist itself. As Hans Wagner’s safes represent the seminal Ring Cycle myths, they could be a metaphor for a perpetually recurring time loop.
Moreover, if the time loop is real, the source could be Wagner’s safes, all of which are embedded with runes and images from Norse mythology. And if so, the safes could be more directly connected to the zombies in Army of the Dead than initially revealed. In any case, considering the success of Army of Thieves, the mysteries of Hans Wagner’s safes and Zack Snyder’s time loop could all be resolved in Planet of the Dead, the upcoming third movie in the series.