There's no need to roll the dice on understanding the end of "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."
Here's how that ending came together — no DM required.
Game on With the resurgence of "Dungeons & Dragons,"
it's only fitting that Paramount set out to bring it to the big screen once again with
"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."
The adventure takes place in the legendary Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the tabletop game.
It focuses on two original characters: Edgin and Holga, two thieves who embark on an adventure
to right a past wrong.
The pair's last heist ended up putting a powerful artifact in the hands of a Red Wizard named
Sofina, and by the time we catch up with them, they're on a mission to take it back.
Unfortunately, their former ally Forge is now working with Sofina and has turned Edgin's
daughter Kira against them.
Now, Edgin and Holga must form a new team to retrieve the artifact and stop Forge and
Sofina's nefarious plans.
Like any great "Dungeons & Dragons" quest, these unlikely heroes face many dangers and
shocking surprises during their campaign.
The film's finale has the most shocking moments of all, though, as the group comes face to
face with Forge and Sofina to fight for the people of Neverwinter.
So, let's delve into the ending of "Honor Among Thieves" and the biggest moments of
its action-packed climax.
"This is unlike anything we've ever seen."
Although Forge and Sofina have been working together for quite some time, they aren't
quite on the same page.
Sofina would rather kill Forge than continue to work with him and Forge only has his mind
set on maintaining his wealth and power.
These separate motivations see them part ways in the film's finale.
Forge plans on abandoning Neverwinter and stealing the riches of those he's invited
to the games.
He plans to sail towards a new horizon while Sofina turns everyone into mindless servants.
Sofina, on the other hand, isn't leaving the stadium at all.
Instead, she's going to fulfill her destiny as a Red Wizard to become all-powerful and
rule over the lands.
With the help of the magical horn she enlisted Edgin and his group to steal years prior,
Sofina is set to turn the people of Neverwinter into her undead army by unleashing a powerful
mist that will kill and reanimate anyone caught in its path.
Forge has set her up for success by bringing everyone into a packed arena to be put under
her spell.
At first, it seems like their plan is going to come together flawlessly, but they don't
count on Edgin and his team spoiling their fun.
A key part of Edgin's original plan is having the group's sorcerer Simon attune to a magical
helmet that will nullify the spell protecting Forge's vault.
"Protect it with your very life."
"I will."
"Hold this."
However, Simon's lack of confidence keeps him from being able to use the helmet properly.
Every time Simon puts the helmet on, he's transported to another world where he meets
his extremely judgy ancestor.
He tries to attune with the helmet multiple times but gets frustrated and tells Edgin
that he can't do it.
Although the group is forced to go with another plan, Edgin never gives up on Simon.
In a crucial moment, Edgin tells Simon that he's better than he gives himself credit for.
Any time that the group has desperately needed Simon and his skills he has always managed
to deliver.
This pep talk turns out to be exactly what Simon needs.
When Simon gets in front of the vault door, he tries to attune with the helmet one last time.
With this newfound confidence, Simon fights past his ancestor's doubts and even punches
him in the face to earn his respect and show his spirit.
This allows Simon to finally attune to the helmet, open the door, and become even better
at magic.
Edgin might be the group's self-proclaimed planner, but he isn't exactly the best at
his chosen role.
"If the existing plan fails, I make a new plan."
"So you make plans that fail?"
"No."
"He also plays the lute."
"No relevant."
While his determination is admirable, everything around him and his companions can fall apart quickly.
As the group heads into the big heist sequence, Edgin is constantly changing and altering
the plan to cover up obstacles and failures.
His Plan A becomes a Plan C and his Plan B becomes a Plan D. Ultimately, he ends up combining
both strategies to form one super heist plan that somehow works, although not without some
unexpected chaos.
Maybe Edgin deserves more credit and has a better grip on the situation than it seems
-- or maybe he's just winging it and rolling twenties.
Either way, Edgin's planning is often bizarre and frequently puts the mission in jeopardy
-- especially in the final mission.
When the time comes for the group to take their shot at stopping Forge and Sofina, things
end up being much more chaotic than expected.
The group is forced to pivot towards a new plan after Simon can't attune with the helmet,
but this approach shows surprising promise.
The group uses the Hither and Thither Staff to set up a portal in a painting stashed on
a wagon delivering valuable items to Forge as a way to gain access to the vault.
Unfortunately, the painting falls over when the guards put it in the vault, which means
the only thing the group can see is the concrete floor.
With that plan suddenly thwarted, Edgin decides to jump back to the original idea of having
Simon attune with the helmet.
However, Doric realizes that she might be able to create a hole small enough for her
to transform into a worm to slither through.
Edgin decides that both plans will run concurrently, and this seeming chaos results in some shocking success.
Doric is able to chip a hole big enough that she can get through as a worm and is even
able to cover up the portal before the guards can see it.
Even better, Simon is able to attune the helmet and break the magic seal keeping the vault
door protected.
Although both of Edgin's plans work and everyone -- except for him -- makes it into the vault,
they encounter an unexpected problem.
The door that Simon opens leads him and Holga to an empty room while Doric is quickly knocked
out after she sees Forge's men loading the valuables on an escape boat.
While this is all happening, Edgin is giving a tearful apology to Kira, promising to be
a better father to her.
Unfortunately, Kira is actually Sofina in disguise and Edgin is suddenly tied up by
tentacles, as are Holga and Simon.
Desperate to evade death, Edgin suggests that Sofina and Forge put him and his group into
the games that Forge is hosting so that they have a chance to earn their lives.
Forge isn't willing to approve his request, but Sofina is.
She knows that even if they survive the games, they'll simply become zombies for the army
of undead when she spreads the deadly mist throughout the arena.
"There will be a wonderful gift for each and every one of you."
Edgin might've helped the group escape a quick death at the hands of Sofina, but no one is
happy about where they are now.
Both Doric and Simon are unable to use their magical abilities as they are cuffed with
a relic that negates their magic.
Beyond that, their first task in the tournament has death written all over it.
The first round of the games has contestants traverse a maze before being slaughtered by
a vicious displacer beast.
The maze itself has plenty of obstacles that could kill players -- including walls that
fall to expose their position, mimics that trick warriors looking for weapons, and a
gelatinous cube that digests organisms that fall into it.
However, the gelatinous cube actually comes in handy for Doric as she uses it to remove
her magic-restraining cuffs and help the group escape.
Doric's quick thinking might mean that Edgin has a new rival for being the group's planner.
Before embarking on the quest to retrieve the helmet, Edgin promises Xenk that he will
give the riches stolen by Forge to the poorest citizens of Neverwinter.
Given that the group is full of thieves, it initially feels unlikely that Edgin will keep
his promise.
As it turns out, he does.
In a fitting bit of payback against Forge, the group sends his valuables tumbling across
the city thanks to the Hither and Thither Staff.
While the revenge is satisfying, the lure of gold also helps evacuate the arena, allowing
the group to spoil Sofina's plan.
With her plan thwarted by Edgin's group, Sofina is furious and ready to take the party on
herself, leading to an epic, all-out brawl in the middle of town.
Doric transforms into an owlbear for some destructive combat, but is eventually knocked out.
Holga and Edgin hold their own for a bit, but are eventually sent spinning through the
town inside a bubble Sofina traps them in.
Simon stands the best chance against Sofina, but the villain still comes out on top.
Once Sofina has them all in her grasp, she attempts to use a time-stop spell to make
it easier for her to kill them.
However, when Edgin starts moving it's revealed that Simon was able to stop the spell.
It's a great moment for Simon that's made better when an invisible Kira places the magic-negation
cuff on Sofina to restrain her powers.
Doric then wastes no time turning back into an owlbear and hilariously throws Sofina around
like a rag doll until she's crushed by some falling debris.
With Sofina finally dead and Neverwinter saved, it seems like the group's journey has ended.
However, their cheers of victory are interrupted when they see that Holga has been stabbed
by one of Sofina's daggers.
Since the dagger is imbued with Red Wizard magic, Simon's powers won't be able to save
Holga -- she's going to die.
Although she knows she's doomed, Holga is proud that she was slain in battle and fulfilled
the mission of her people by protecting the helmet while stopping a Red Wizard.
Plus, she feels like her family is right by her side and is happy she did enough to protect them.
Edgin and Kira help Holga pass on by singing one of Edgin's old melodies until the infection
caused by the Red Wizard's magic consumes her.
It's a tragic end for Holga, especially since she's become a mother figure for the group
and Kira.
When he sees how devastated Kira is, Edgin makes a difficult choice.
After spending the film desperately wanting to use the Tablet of Reawakening to resurrect
his wife, he has a change of heart when he sees how much Holga means to Kira.
Ultimately, he decides to use the tablet to bring Holga back.
It's an immensely fulfilling moment in Edgin's character arc and a big step in his journey
to become a better father and a better person.
Sure, it's a crushing blow for Edgin since it ensures that he will never see his wife
again, but in his heart he knows that it's what's best for his daughter.
With Sofina defeated and their group reunited, the four adventurers take refuge at the Wood
Elf enclave and talk about their time together.
Edgin and Holga discuss what they might do next, and Simon takes a shot at asking Doric
out again.
This time, she takes him up on the offer, and Simon seems delighted.
Forge attempts to escape through the woods but is stopped by Xenk and taken to prison.
There, we see him attempt to plead his case for parole -- just as Edgin and Holga did
at the beginning of the movie.
However, he is far less successful.
By the end of the film, it doesn't seem like Edgin and the group need to worry about Forge
any time soon and can continue on in peace -- for now, at least.
Now for the biggest question of them all -- is "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"
going to have a sequel?
At the moment, there has been no word of a follow-up film and the movie's mid-credit
scene doesn't give any answers.
It's mostly just a last laugh to send moviegoers out on, but the signs of a sequel happening
are very good.
The reactions and reviews for "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" have been incredibly
positive so far and the movie has the potential to be a solid hit at the box office.
If "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" is a big success, don't be surprised to hear
that Edgin and his crew are returning for another adventure.
We do know that Sofina had a superior Red Wizard who could easily make for an antagonist
in a follow-up movie.
On the other hand, "Dungeons & Dragons" has the potential to be a bigger franchise, touching
on stories outside of the one presented in "Honor Among Thieves."
With how expansive the "Dungeons & Dragons" property is, thanks to its different campaigns
and settings, this franchise could easily have plenty of spinoffs that introduce radically
different characters, stories, and genres.
If this first movie does well enough, we could be seeing a lot more "Dungeons & Dragons"
content in theaters for years to come.
"Anything you want to add?"
"I'm good."