Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Ending Explained: What Happened To Edgin And His Team?
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, after the flops of the previous films on the role-playing game most appreciated by fantasy lovers, is finding its glory in cinemas. The merit goes, without a doubt, to its being narratively and technically engaging, fun, and sparkling. A film (here the review), the one directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, which among other things is very reminiscent of the 80s feature films of the genre, and which is gathering box office satisfaction and public acclaim.
Although it has a light structure, full of many inside jokes, moments of pathos are not lacking, as demonstrated by its finale full of meaning. In particular, the last scene, in which we witness the death of one of the protagonist’s supporting actors, was the one that most of all encompassed the meaning of the film. On this occasion, we learn that the journey faced by the team is not only the one related to the villain but also the emotional and personal one. To better understand the ending, it is good to analyze the last scene, which provides the viewer with a key reading of the story.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The Story Plot
On the one hand, a bard named Elgin (Chris Pine), on the other Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a barbarian with a turbulent past endowed with great strength and great intellect. Both are imprisoned and are waiting for the right moment to be able to escape from a very high tower in which they have spent the last two years: they are framed by their fellow thief, Forge (Hugh Grant), who now lives as the new lord and new stepfather of Kira Elgin’s daughter. The bard and the barbarian are thus called on an impossible mission to save the girl, together with Simon (Justice Smith) a very insecure wizard with no self-esteem whatsoever and Doric (Sophia Lillis), a Wild Shape druid, plus the friendly input of Xenk (Regé-Jean Page), an unblemished paladin ready to sacrifice himself for anyone else.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor for Thieves is based on a narrative plot that looks extremely like a D&D campaign, from which it also draws inspiration for the light-hearted ways and above all for the often exuberant constructions: all elements that work all ‘inside a narrative construction of undoubted value and power, above all because the comedy is never coarse, it is never excessive, and that way of making comedy is sought which is working a lot in products like Guardians of the Galaxy. Elgin can be compared to a fantasy, medieval Star-Lord, equipped with a lute and a passion for his past, for what he really loves. In characterizing the party, in creating an amalgam between the characters who always interact in a very profound way with each other, the D&D film tells us a light-hearted adventure of four heroes ready to do anything to achieve their goal.
We came from an unwelcome and digested cinematographic transposition for the Dungeons & Dragons universe, which is 2002 with “Let the game begin” had especially disappointed fans of the brand, as well as cinephiles. However, to celebrate 50 years of the role-playing game invented by Gary Gygax and David Arneson in the best possible way, a much more fascinating, much more convincing film was needed, which could go to scratch that rocky wall that lately seems to have somehow covered the heart of us nerds, sometimes perched in dogmas that leave no room for stylistic reinterpretations. Still, John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein scoffed at it, because Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is such a light-hearted parody of the D&D universe, which is laid bare and stripped of all its D20 and all its arithmetic seriousness to enhance the most goliardic and comical moments of a campaign with friends.
The film, to be released on March 31st at cinemas, highlights the microcosm that is built around a table during games, allowing Elgin and Holga to enhance their fraternal relationship, to weave an almost paternal gesture between the bard and Simon, up to the magician’s not at all latent love for Doric; even the dichotomy between the light-hearted hero and that of the spotless paladin which is Xenk manages to be appreciated in every joke. Perhaps the least pleasant aspect of the whole screenplay is to be found in the excessive rigidity that some of the protagonists often have in dealing with more serious issues: it often happens to Holga, the most unshakeable of all and to those moments in which there is no need to make jokes, there is no need to wink but to try to raise the bar of a canvas that does not aspire to that. It does not aim at any psychological construct, but at offering us something very balanced between fun and seriousness.
Another aspect of great value is that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves does not claim that the viewer is an avid connoisseur of the subject matter: there is no doubt that the fantasy tradition is respected and treated adequately, but there is no desire to make the film a niche product, intended only for those who think they know Gygax and Arneson’s entire creation by heart. Anyone can enjoy it, provided they want to watch a fantasy film and indulge in sincere, dispassionate and amused laughter. Also enriched, among other things, by the excellent world-building, which follows the trappings of fantasy folklore and enjoys dwelling on the details of the creatures and the environment reconstructed in such a way as to be able to immerse everything in a deep, three-dimensional universe, credible. The direction itself lets us understand that there is a desire to leave room for a single world, starting from a sequence shot featuring Doric and his transformations: one of the moments in which the camera is most exalted, in the dance from the castle to the village outside, focusing on aerial acrobatics ready to make us exalt both for the content than for the final staging.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Ending Explained: What Happened To Edgin And His Team?
Thinking that the judges would not grant them a pardon, Edgin and Holga escape. When they discover that Forge is the lord of a very prestigious city, they decide to visit him, so they find out that Fitzwilliam made Kira believe that her father did not love her and was only interested in her riches. Edgin tries to talk to his daughter, but Forge requests that they be returned to prison. In order not to take risks, Sofina orders them to be executed. The two friends manage to escape and look for Simon, who suggests recruiting Doric. Thanks to her, the group learns that they need the magical helmet to stop the enchantment of the evil sorceress.
While Sofina contacts a red magician to get rid of the protagonists of “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Lest they interfere with their plans of conquest, Edgin’s gang talks to the dead to find the helm. That way they reach Xenk Yandar. Xenk helps them on the condition that they give the riches they get to the town. After a complicated and dangerous journey, they get the helmet, but when Simon tries it on, he sees his grandfather, who rejects him for not winning the magical artifact. After patching up their differences, the group sneaks out of town. While Edgin distracts the guards, Simon uses the helm to open Sofina’s treasure room. However, the artifacts are no longer there and Edgin is caught by the Forge, who allows him to participate in the games instead of simply killing him.
In order to survive, the protagonists of “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” must escape from a maze before a creature traps them. Although they manage to get out using the maze’s mechanisms, they still have to stop Forge from leaving with Kira. Thanks to Holga they succeed and move away from the city. However, they must go back to stop Sofina, who completed her domination spell. During the battle, the sorceress tries to stop time, but that doesn’t work anymore because Simon has become a great wizard. At that moment, Kira appears and uses the inhibitor to stop Sofina.
When the fight ends the team realizes that Holga was badly injured. After her friend says goodbye to everyone, Edgin realizes that he must use her resurrection table to bring her back. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ends with the group being named heroes of the city by the former Lord and Forge telling all this to the judges to get a reprieve. Something that of course, they deny him.
The Team Journey?
Before going into the explanation of the ending, let’s try to summarize the context in which Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is built. Edgin (Chris Pine) is locked in an icy prison along with his trusted friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez). Having managed to escape, the couple discovers that former teammate Forge (Hugh Grant), not only has Edgin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman) hostage but has even sold them to the sorceress Sofina (Daisy Head), who is intent on raising an army of zombie soldiers.
Edgin, therefore, has to face the journey for a twofold reason: to save the world and his daughter, who believes that her father doesn’t love her enough to have abandoned her. Together with Holga, Simon (Justice Smith), the shape-shifting Doric (Sophia Lillis) and the warrior Xenk (Regé-Jean Page), he will be faced with a series of fights, intrigues, and obstacles that will lead him to defeat the evil Sofina in the final battle.
The Flashback with Holga In The Finale?
In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, in the epic final battle against Forge and Sofina, Edign’s party is unaware that Holga has been mortally wounded. One of her subsequent sequences frames her friends gathered around her, almost as if to say their last goodbyes. However, her death is not definitive, given the magical context in which the team finds itself, as well as being in possession of the resurrection tablet, one of the objectives of their mission. At that point, however, Edgin is faced with one of the most important choices of his life: to bring back to life Holga, his dear friend, and companion in adventures, or his deceased wife, the only reason why he had started the search for the tablet.
It is at that moment that the film builds a crucial flashback, in which the viewer is shown all the moments that Holga and Kira spent together, demonstrating the fact that the first was a fundamental point for both Edgin’s daughter and Edgin same. A safe haven, an ever-present figure who never stopped helping them, as well as becoming the mother Kira couldn’t have over time. This makes him realize how essential Holga is in their lives and how indispensable she has been in helping them find balance after his wife’s disappearance.
Edgin’s Choice
Although the desire to bring his wife back to life is very strong, Edgin understands that he cannot do it at Holga’s expense, especially for the path they have faced together so far. And so, to her surprise, he decides to use her resurrection tablet to bring her back to life. By making this gesture, Edgin chooses to leave the past behind and embraces Holga, even though the latter reiterates that that magic should not have been wasted on her.
After that everything seems to settle down in the best way: Forge, while trying to escape, is captured by Xenk and imprisoned, asking for clemency that is not granted. The universe is thus safe, and the group can finally lay down their weapons and claim victory (waiting for a new crazy adventure). The most important aspect, in this particular case, is not that they were heroes who saved the day, but rather that they used their special abilities to protect each other in the finale. This is a perfect example of “unity is strength”, as well as proof of the great respect and affection they feel for each other.
Leaving The Past To Embrace The Present
Among the themes that surfaced in Dungeons & Dragons: The honor of thieves there is certainly the importance of friendship and finding the courage to let go of one’s past, even if this involves painful choices. Both explode in the final with the battle and the choice of Edgin, whose plan developed at the beginning served to lead him to a more concrete awareness: to come to terms with a great burden that accompanied him throughout the journey. And to deal, in particular, with the death of his wife. Although the film has been given a comic and light cut, moments of reflection have never been lacking.
In Edgin’s case, having had to deal with Holga’s death served to remind him how much the present, the hic et nunc , matters much more than what it was. And that the past, precisely because it is characterized by episodes that have already been faced, must remain the same. The only thing to do is move forward and value the people who are still alive. It is in these last bars that the ending hits the mark when the man understands that he has to think about building a better future for himself, Kira, and the rest of her friends. The journey faced by the team was in itself full of gags, irony, laughter, and almost silly, but it is in the last sequences, when it draws to its end, that it finally takes on a sweet and moving aspect at the same time.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: Post Credit Scene Explained
Looking for the Helmet
The post-credits scene of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a short, almost autonomous sequence, which ironically connects to another one belonging to the film. Before analyzing it, it is necessary to explain what its macro-reference is. When Edgin (Chris Pine) puts together the team of thieves made up of Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), Simon (Justice Smith) and Doric (Sophia Lillis), his goal is to rob their archenemy Forge (Hugh Grant), who had previously betrayed the bard and the barbarian. In fact, the group must take possession of the resurrection tablet in order to resurrect Edgin’s murdered wife. The magical object is located in the Forge vault, inside an impenetrable fortress.
At that point, the team puts their hope in Simon’s abilities, who admits he doesn’t have the power to disable the complex protection spells. However, the magician has another solution to be able to enter the vault, albeit a more complicated one. This is the Helm of Disjunction, a relic capable of nullifying even the most powerful and difficult spells. The problem is that this relic was lost many years ago in the Battle of Evermoor and all those who participated are now dead. Luckily Simon manages to find a way to find out more about Elmo: they will have to go to the Evermoor cemetery and talk to the corpses.
The History of Elmo?
Arriving at the graveyard, Simon digs up a body and uses a device known as a Death Token. The task of the Token is to revive the chosen corpse so that its owner can ask him five questions. Once placed, such a body can never be brought back to life. The first zombie the group of thieves talk to fails to provide them with comprehensive answers, nullifying the Token ritual. They try again with two other bodies, all belonging to the Moose Tribe (who had participated in the battle), and through their stories, it is possible to understand something more about the Elmo, as well as know its history with the support of some flashbacks. Long ago, the Elk Tribe hoped to protect Helm from the Cult of the Dragon, an evil faction from the Dungeons & Dragons mythology. The Battle of Evermoor, however, had brought the Cult of the Dragon to victory, resulting in a massacre of the Elk Tribe. Many of these had been slain by the Cult’s Black Dragon, whose acidic breath had caused them a very painful death.
The Helmet of Disjunction had later come into the hands of Ven Salafin (Paul Lancaster), the last body the team ultimately interrogates. Thus, we learn that Ven had almost managed to escape the battle but had then been mortally wounded still with the helmet in his possession. Dying, he had managed to deliver it to Xenk (Regé-Jean Page), a Thayan paladin, to whom he had entrusted the task of hiding it in a safe place. Having obtained the information they were looking for, the group sets out in search of the warrior, the only one able to help them. However, caught up in finding Xenk, they forget to finish the five questions to Ven, who therefore remains undead.
Ven Is Still A Zombie?
So we come to the post-credits scene of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor among Thieves, in which Ven, still not dead, is revealed, who cannot return to the afterlife after being brought back to life by Edgin. In this case, to make him die (again) it would have been necessary to complete the five questions intended for him. However, the team of thieves is not renowned for their intelligence and did not return Ven to the realm of the dead. Since all the other corpses are (re) dead, one wonders if and when someone will ask him questions to be able to make him go back to rest. Is it the end of a new beginning? A taste of what a hypothetical sequel could be. On reflection, it doesn’t seem like it. Only time (and the progress of the film) will be able to answer us.
