The red dragon in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves supports the movie's biggest cameo theory. It's long been suggested that Paramount's Dungeons & Dragons movie will feature a guest appearance from Drizzt Do'Urden, one of the tabletop game's most iconic heroes. The upcoming film has clearly built its cast around a party of original characters, but that doesn't rule out a few familiar faces showing up in some capacity.
Over the years, the world of Dungeons & Dragons has served as the playground for countless fantasy stories. A long list of novels and video games set in D&D campaign settings like the Forgotten Realms have greatly expanded its universe and also provided it with a rich library of heroes and villains to work with. Theoretically, some of these characters could wind up receiving roles in the new live-action movie. The candidate for an Honor Among Thieves cameo that's arguably getting the most attention thus far is Drizzt Do'Urden, a hero who has headlined over 30 books since 1988. Here's why Drizzt may be in the movie, and how the red dragon makes it all the more likely he'll be showing up.
What Themberchaud Means For Honor Among Thieves' Story
Thanks to the additional footage included in the second Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves trailer, one of the monsters in the movie can be identified as an existing monster in D&D lore. Seen briefly in the first trailer, the red, fire-breathing dragon is none other than Themberchaud, an evil beast from the tabletop game. Distinguished by his chubby physique, Themberchaud lives in the Underdark, a subterranean world that can be reached through underground tunnels in the Forgotten Realms. Themberchaud guards an area occupied by the Duergar, a subrace of evil dwarves native to the Underdark.
Themberchaud's role in the movie builds evidence for the Underdark being a crucial stop on the main characters' journey in Honor Among Thieves. A quick glimpse at a brightly-colored city in a giant cavern raised speculation that the Underdark would be visited at some point in the movie, and the inclusion of Themberchaud makes it increasingly obvious that this key location in the Dungeons & Dragons universe will be the setting of a substantial portion of the movie's story. This place's apparent importance to Honor Among Thieves gives the film a strong link to Drizzt, whose origin story is rooted in the Underdark.
Drizzt's Underdark Origin Explained
In the 1988, a D&D novel titled The Crystal Shard introduced readers to a heroic ranger named Drizzt Do'Urden. Wielding a pair of enchanted scimitars, Drizzt is a Drow, a name given to a race of dark elves who dwell in the Underdark. Having left his home behind years ago, Drizzt faced persecution on the surface due to a long-stewing hatred for his kind. Negative feelings toward Drizzt were driven by the bloody history of his people. In the Forgotten Realms, the Drow have a reputation as a civilization built on murder, greed, self-interest, and slavery. After decades of living among them, Drizzt rejected the cruelty of the Drow and abandoned the Undark for a better life on the surface. However, certain events in his adventures have forced him to return on various occasions.
How Honor Among Thieves Could Feature A Drizzt Cameo
The idea that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' party will spend a significant amount of time in the Underdark should create room for a Drizzt Do'Urden cameo. As for how it would work, one of the best possible options would be to draw from Exile, the second book in the Dark Elf Trilogy, which explored his origin story. Exile dove into the time period that followed Drizzt's departure from Drow society. Throughout the novel, Drizzt wandered the Underdark as a nomad. If Honor Among Thieves is set during this time in the ranger's life, Drizzt could appear as a mysterious loner they cross paths with over the course of their adventure. In light of his good-natured personality, it wouldn't be surprising if Drizzt steps in when they get into trouble in the Underdark.
If the trip to the Underdark and the fight with Themberchaud leads into a cameo from the fan-favorite D&D hero, such a scene could pave the way for Drizzt to return in a much bigger capacity in the years to come. If Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves performs well in the box office, a sequel will be inevitable. Not only that, but the studio is already a planning a live-action D&D series on Paramount+. As an icon of a franchise with a potentially bright future on both the big and small screens, Drizzt is an excellent position to eventually lead his own Dungeons & Dragons project.