The Legend of Drizzt book series. Written by American author R.A. Salvatore, this extensive series began in 1988 with The Crystal Shard, the first book of The Icewind Dale Trilogy. Drizzt, one of D&D's most famous heroes, was introduced in this book but didn't become the main character of the narrative until The Dark Elf Trilogy, released next. Drizzt faces villains of epic proportions throughout the books.

The pantheons of gods and goddesses in Dungeons & Dragons have grown over the years, with some cruel deities remaining firm fan-favorites. Among these are Vecna and Tiamat, with Vecna even getting a cameo in Netflix's Stranger Things. Although the first few Dungeons & Dragons movies did little to embed D&D villains into pop culture, the Whispered One (Vecna) appeared tantalizingly in Amazon's The Legend of Vox Machina. And yet, it is Drizzt's enemy, Lolth - the Goddess of Spiders - who is now looking like the future of villainy in D&D.

Lolth’s Warrior Proves That Lolth Does Protect Drizzt In Dungeons & Dragons

Fans Theorized That Lolth Protected Drizzt Throughout The Legend Of Drizzt

Lolth's Warrior proves that the long-running fan theory of Lolth, Drizzt's enemy, actually protecting him is true. Drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden constantly rebelled against Lolth, who ruled over the Underdark, throughout The Legend of Drizzt. Growing up in Menzoberranzan, a city of the Underdark, Drizzt was expected to serve Lolth. Drizzt's rebellion frequently incurred Lolth's wrath, and he fought a whole war against her in The Way of the Drow, along with his allies. But the commitment to keeping Drizzt alive that Lolth showed in this 2023 release (Lolth's Warrior) makes Lolth a much more interesting counterpart to Drizzt's heroism.

Although Vecna or Tiamat are often seen as the best villain in D&D, Lolth is looking increasingly like she may be the franchise's best evil character. Vecna may be the most iconic villain, but Lolth's design is both scary and beautiful. Plus, she saw character development across Dungeons & Dragons' literary contribution that puts her in a position whereby she may finally beat Vecna as a historical institution. Multiple authors have developed Lolth's story, and she may now be the best bet for a villain in Hasbro Entertainment's developing live-action D&D TV show.

Who Is Lolth In Dungeons & Dragons?

Lolth Is A Goddess With Power Over Drow

Technically, Lolth's status as a goddess has changed over the years, with new rulebooks released often offering a new interpretation of Lolth. But as of the release of D&D 5e, Lolth is a nonhuman deity, still the Queen of Spiders. According to 2024's One D&D errata, Lolth is the dark elf goddess of spiders, whose cleric domains are trickery and war. Lolth was an early creation of Gary Gygax for the Greyhawk campaign setting of 1e, but went on to Forgotten Realms, and was picked by R.A. Salvatore as the main villain for his Drizzt books.

Salvatore's use of Lolth made her widely known beyond gamer circles and dragged other D&D writers into her orbit, intriguing as her premise was. Lisa Smedman created an addendum to Lolth's story in The Lady Penitent, although it was later retconned, while many writers created War of the Spider Queen, a series central to Underdark and Lolth lore. Originally Araushnee, Lolth betrayed Correlon, her husband, and was banished to the Demonweb Pits in the Abyss in spider form. Meanwhile, dark elves that ed Lolth were chased into the subterranean Underdark.

Lolth Could Offer Dungeons & Dragons TV A Villain To Rival Vecna

Dungeons & Dragons Should Take Advantage Of Its Spider Queen

Drizzt and his two scimitars fought Lolth ever since book one of The Legend of Drizzt, if it is read chronologically. Gamers and readers have demanded a Legend of Drizzt adaptation since the '80s, with upwards of 30 million books sold, making Lolth a surefire way to entice viewers into a show. Although Paramount+ pulled out of the live-action TV show that Hasbro was planning, mostly due to their financial difficulties and the sale of eOne, Hasbro Entertainment remains shepherding the show. It is seeking partner studios, and Lolth could ensure a script strong enough to attract them.

A webtoon focused on Breezy, the daughter of Drizzt Do'Urden and Catti-brie, is "uncertain" but on the cards, while the 2021 animated short Sleep Sound demonstrates the awesome potential of a show about Lolth-worshipping drow in the Underdark. Spiders crawl up hands and altars in this rudimentary but promising 5-minute watch narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. D&D's since-removed blog post apologizing around accusations of racism regarding the ebony-skinned drow got Drizzt replaced by Xenk in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, but Drizzt should fight Lolth on TV to ensure D&D's growth and future.

Lolth’s Devotion To Chaos Is An Interesting Route To Redeeming Her For DMs Or TV

Lolth Appears Almost Redeemable From Some Angles

Lolth seemed so committed to chaos in Lolth's Warrior that she almost seemed to serve a greater purpose other than herself. This is, of course, not entirely true, as Lolth generally works toward her power above all else. But if Lolth served chaos and trickery truly, she could actually be inspiring progress and change. This seemed to shine in Lolth's Warrior and even its prequels in The Way of the Drow, to a certain extent. This opens up the possibility of an intriguing redemption arc for DMs during gameplay or live-action TV.

Lolth's alignment is chaotic evil in Dungeons & Dragons, unsurprisingly.

Seen from almost every angle, Lolth is a goddess with approximately zero redeeming qualities - a Machiavellian psychopath with no desire for connection. But she can be seen as insane in many pantheon and drow origin stories and campaigns, which also opens her up to a possible "healing" of sorts, even if it only served a temporary hero alliance or teamup. This could be a genuinely innovative conversation starter for the TV show. Lolth's discussions in Lolth's Warrior with her handmaidens prove how much she values Drizzt. Ultimately, this makes her one of Dungeons & Dragons' most complex and high-potential villains.