Speculation surrounds the potential for aDungeons & Dragonslive-action TV series, andThe Legend of Drizztbookshave been cited as potential subject matter, with many drow indicating spinoff series. The drow is a species invented byD&Dco-creator Gary Gygax for theAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manualof 1977, inspired by Norse mythology. But it was American author R.A. Salvatore who popularized them with his novels, introducing Drizzt as an abnormally good drow in the violent culture of the Underdark. This character is more than fit to lead the dormant TV show, with other drow deserving spinoffs.
Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urdenfirst appeared in 1988’sThe Crystal Shard, the first book ofThe Icewind Dale Trilogyand the first book ever published by Salvatore. He was not the main character ofLegend of Drizztthen, but Salvatore soon changed that, writingThe Dark Elf Trilogy, a prequel series outlining Drizzt’s troubled past in Menzoberranzan of the Underdark. Myriad drow, many villainous, were introduced in this series that would go on to inspire the 30 million or so buyers of Salvatore’sLegend of Drizztbooks over the years, many of whom could easily lead their own spinoff show.
10Galathae
Aevendrow Warrior
A lot of Salvatore’s 2023 release,Lolth’s Warrior, was spent on Galathae, and her time with Zaknafein. This expanded upon the work done byStarlight Enclave, the book where R.A. Salvatore responded toDungeons & Dragonsdrow controversyby adding good drow to the mix. The violent drow drew criticism for the potential to draw real-world parallels, andSalvatore used the Aevendrow in his books to start telling the story of the far more civilized drow of Callidae, many of whom worshiped Eilistraee.
Casting A Drizzt TV Show: 10 Actors Who Would Be Perfect For Dungeons & Dragons' Dark Elf Hero
Drizzt Do’Urden, the Dark Elf of Dungeons & Dragons fame, is overdue for a TV show or movie, with certain actors seeming suitable for the role.
Centering a spinoff around Galathae would nod to this move. Eilistraee is a historicalD&Dgoddess that would be awesome to adapt and welcomed by many players of the tabletop game, so bringing in Galathae’s arc seems like a good start. However, Galathae is tied in with a complex section of the Salvatore books, so an adaptation may use her as more of a blank-slate character and offer a prequel story.It seemed a shame for Galathae to leave the story so fast, so prequel content to flesh her out would make her part in the books feel more solid.
9Dinin Do’Urden
Devious Brother Of Drizzt
Dinin is secretly one of the most interesting characters in theDungeons & Dragonsworld.He began life as a devious counterpart to Drizzt’s kindnessand a nasty man accepting the fate imposed on him - kill or be killed. But like many characters in the Salvatore books, he grew up over many books and many years. He is certainly one of thedrow that a DrizztDungeons & Dragonsshow must include, and may even be the right candidate for its next spinoff.
Dinin’s story is far from over in the books, and he teeters on the brink of redemption or final damnation, making him one to watch.
Growing up in the problematic city of Menzoberranzan, a city ruled by an abusive Lolthian matriarch, Drizzt didn’t have the best time with his family. Drizzt’s home life was torment at worst and educational at best, and Dinin was no help. Emerging from his 1990 debut into the 2020s,Dinin softened, partially due to his transformation into a drider, which could be an amazing fantasy moment on-screen. His lizard steeds would make great TV as well. Dinin’s story is far from over in the books, and he teeters on the brink of redemption or final damnation, making him one to watch.
8Pharaun Mizzrym
Powerful Drow Wizard
Pharaun Mizzrym is one of the funnier drow in the book series and has serious antihero appeal.The skilled drow wizard is one for casting spells and taking names, putting him above many of the warriors in the book series and ensuring a hero-level stat block, if he had one. His cutting jibes and dark sense of humor make him an entertaining lead for any TV series, while his supporting role may mean that his leading a spinoff could minimize the risk of confusing or contradicting other arcs.
Paramount+ and Hasbro subsidiary EOne were planning a live-actionD&DTV series, but Paramount+ pulled out after Hasbro sold eOne, necessitating a creative shakeup and Hasbro seeking new partners for the show.
All drow have a level of magic, which is begging to be adapted into adark fantasy series led byD&Dicon Drizzt Do’Urden. Among these abilities are levitation, faerie fire, and globes of darkness. While these skills can be introduced in a Drizzt live-action TV series,a spinoff could deep dive into the potential of a drow mage like Pharaun, who has far more impressive spells up his sleeve. This would create CGI sequences of fantasy’s wildest dreams.
7Valas Hune
Bregan D’Aerthe Scout
Valas Hune is in Jarlaxle’s employ and therefore a great entry point to the world of Bregan D’Aerthe, which would be a solid basis for aspinoff of a live-actionD&Dshow about Drizzt Do’Urden.Jarlaxle’s mercenary band has needed its own TV series for decades, and Valas Hune is as good a way to introduce new fans to it as any. This core member of the team was one of the highlights ofWar of the Spider Queen.
Insurrectionwas written by Thomas M. Reid and is available on Audible as an audiobook and in paperback and hardback.
This book series by multiple authors plays in Salvatore’s Underdark sandpit. Utilizing characters and settings that Salvatore wrote about, this series gave new writers a chance to platform their work, so Salvatore eventually agreed to it. Appearing on an epic quest inInsurrection,Valas Hune proved his mettle as a leading man. This heroic drow is a loyal scout and a fierce warrior with a tragic past that deserves more exploration.
6Zaknafein Do’Urden
Weapons Master & Drizzt’s Father
ReadingThe Legend of Drizztbooks in chronological orderwill soon introduce readers to the legendary Zaknafein Do’Urden, who is Drizzt’s father. Normally an ally, but not always the most obvious one,this character occupies the grayscale morality that makes these books what they are. The conflicted and embattled warrior has a distinctly adult sexual abuse arc with Matron Mother Malice Do’Urden, providing some chunky themes for a spinoff series to get into.
Realms of the Underdark
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Legacy of the Drow (The Legend of Drizzt)
Daughter of the Drow
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Servant of the Shard
2000
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Road of the Patriarch
2006
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Sacrifice of the Widow
Storm of the Dead
Ascendancy of the Last
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Night of the Hunter
2014
Rise of the King
2015
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Collection of Drizzt’s journal entries(The Legend of Drizzt)
R.A. Salvatore
2024
Zaknafein rises above indoctrination and coercion to become one of the best Weapons Masters in the history of Menzoberranzan. His zombie storyline is a highlight ofThe Dark Elf Trilogy, dabbling in mysterious magic and demonstrating the power of humanity, emotion, and love in overriding seemingly insurmountable control and oppression. This arc needs its own TV show if a Drizzt-focused adaptation chooses not to lead withThe Dark Elf Trilogy. Regardless,Zaknafein has more than enough content in later books to warrant a whole series.
5Yvonnel Baenre II
Yvonnel Baenre is a rare female drow who becomes a hero, despite her checkered past, making her an interesting focus for a spinoff. Presuming a live-action show would eventually get to the content featuring Yvonnel II, it would likely soon tackle her alien childhood.Yvonnel grew up fast, to say the least. This could make Yvonnel the perfect vessel for introducing viewers to drow culture, who would see the world through her eyes for the first time, but with an adult perspective.
Yvonnel’s extensive memories, embedded into her, combined with the innocence of her newness, would allow for a unique exploration of the morals of drow culture as well. Salvatore understood this and used her as a foil for those around her. She becomes not just a powerful player in the turbulent affairs of Menzoberranzan, but an ally of Drizzt.Yvonnel’s crush on Drizzt is an emotional hookthroughout the complex wars of the story, and could create a strong link between a Drizzt Do’Urden TV show and a Yvonnel spinoff.
4Gromph Baenre
Archmage Of Menzoberranzan
Gromph Baenre is one of the best characters inThe Legend of Drizztbooks by the end ofLolth’s Warrior, and could definitely sway fans into watching a spinoff about him. The powerful drow mage is Yvonnel’s father and a huge presence inArchmageandDissolution, book one ofWar of the Spider Queen.He becomes a grim, determined figure of ironic humorand a calm ability to process extreme difficulty.
More to the point, Gromph is an ideal leader, and his subtle heroics shine through. His journey from oppressed male caught in Lolth’s politics to the most powerful man in the city is an inspiring study of how to survive and thrive in appalling conditions.Gromph becomes Master of Sorcere, which would enable a spinoff to look into this school of magic in the Underdark, which could tap into the popularity of dark academia likeWednesday, which is popular on Netflix.
3Breezy Do’Urden
Drizzt’s Innocent Daughter
Brienelle Zaharina Do’Urden is the daughter ofCatti-brie and Drizzt Do’Urden inThe Legend of Drizzt, leading her to be perfect spinoff material.Purpah and Ryan Maniulit are planning a webtooncalledBrie and the Borrowed Bladethat offers Brienelle, otherwise known as Brie or Breezy, as a protagonist. This provesDungeons & Dragons’enthusiasm for content around Breezy, despite the comic being “uncertain” as of September 2024.
Betwixt Two Worldspoints the Drizzt books the right way, demonstrating Breezy’s suitability to front aLegend of Drizztminiseries. This, in turn, confirms thatshe can be a fascinating and empowering main characterin a Drizzt TV spinoff.Betwixt Two Worldsis audiobook only, which works well due to its short, sweet, standalone nature. Although, Salvatore confirmed that it was due to emerge in print later. This story shows how Brie’s naive outlook could generate the perfect character development for a hit TV series.
2Kimmuriel Oblodra
Psionicist & Bregan D’Aerthe Lead
Kimmuriel is one of the best characters of the later books written by R.A. Salvatore, sometimes taking up more story than Drizzt himself. This unique character offers more brains than brawn, presenting as a uniquely delicate drow and a powerful psionicist.Liaising with the traditionally evil illithids, Kimmuriel is often as cold and detached as them, creating a personality that is in turn terrifying and darkly funny. Kimmuriel’s mind-reading arguably makes him the most powerful drow character by the end ofThe Way of the Drow.
The tantalizing character development of bringing Kimmuriel’s body and emotion back is lingering over the story.
Knowledge is power, and a spinoff would highlight this interesting fact in the world of swords and violence, which is the Forgotten Realms.Kimmuriel ends up disembodied inLolth’s Warrior, which seems like an unresolved plot point and is one of the main indicators thatThe Legend of Drizztisn’t over. Kimmuriel’s key importance to the ongoing story makes him a dead ringer for a Drizzt TV show spinoff lead. Now that Kimmuriel couldn’t go any further into illithid culture, the tantalizing character development of bringing Kimmuriel’s body and emotion back is lingering over the story.
1Jarlaxle Baenre
Jarlaxle could be the iconDungeons & Dragonsneedson TV, as shown time and time again by his extravagant role inThe Legend of Drizzt. Not only is he the perfect face-heel-turn character for a villain-to-hero arc in the Drizzt TV show, buthe has more than enough heroics to spill out into a spinoff. Along with assassin Artemis Entreri, he is the main subject of theSellswordsbooks andOne Eyed Jax, as well as “Uncle Jax” to Brie inBetwixt Two Worlds.
Smiling and laughing aren’t the usual way of the drow, but Jarlaxle makes their dark stories fun, giving them an incredibly human standpoint that would resonate with viewers, even if they were unfamiliar with the lore of the game or books. With R.A. Salvatore confirming Jarlaxle’s omnisexuality, he is also a queer icon with style and sass (Facebook). Not to mention, Jarlaxle is a major NPC in the critically acclaimed WaterdeepDungeons & Dragonscampaign, so his spinoff series would speak to gamers and readers alike.
Dungeons & Dragons
TheDungeons & Dragonsfranchise is a fantasy adventure series based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The franchise includes both live-action and animated adaptations, with the most notable being the recent filmDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves(2023), which brought the fantasy world of D&D to a broader audience with its blend of humor, action, and classic D&D elements. The franchise explores themes of heroism, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of adventuring in a magical world filled with dragons, wizards, and mythical creatures.
