One of the best parts of Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves wouldn’t have worked if the movie didn’t cut the tabletop game’s biggest character. Drizzt Do’Urden, a dark elf ranger and the protagonist in over 30 novels, was originally meant to appear in Honor Among Thieves. However, plans changed and the character was subsequently removed from the story.
Drizzt Do’Urden is a beloved icon of the Dungeons & Dragons universe, having headlined a multitude of stores set in its world. Apart from being the focus of R.A. Salvatore’s long-running Legend of Drizzt book series, the character has played roles in various D&D campaigns and video games such as Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Given that his popularity and visibility are above that of any other existing D&D character, it’s not surprising that Drizzt nearly had his live-action debut in Honor Among Thieves. But according to Honor Among Thieves producer Jeremy Latcham, Drizzt was cut over licensing issues and replaced with Xenk.
Honor Among Thieves Couldn’t Have Used One Of Its Best Gags With Drizzt
Xenk being able to take Drizzt’s place in Honor Among Thieves makes perfect sense, especially when considering their personalities. His strong moral code matches up well with how Regé Jean-Page’s character behaved in the movie. However, one fundamental difference perfectly distinguishes the two characters: Drizzt represents the ranger class, whereas Xenk is a paladin. Xenk’s paladin status and the class’ connection to the Lawful Good alignment contributed greatly to the humor that came with his character.
In most editions of Dungeons & Dragons, players who play the paladin class are bound to the Lawful Good alignment. As a result, all paladins are defined by a stereotype, with them all being regarded as do-gooders who never stray from the righteous path. Seeing the world in black and white makes them unpopular with others, which is an aspect of the class that was perfectly illustrated by Edgin’s issues with Xenk. Honor Among Thieves’ characters likely would have reacted to Drizzt in the same manner, but it would’ve lacked the special meaning and comedy found in Xenk’s personality. What made Xenk’s attitude funny - rather than annoying - was the fact that this is the way paladins are supposed to be. Conversely, Dungens & Dragons rules wouldn’t be able to for Drizzt’s behavior.
Honor Among Thieves’ Planned Drizzt Cameo Explains Why Xenk Is So Powerful
In of comedic appeal, at least, Xenk was a better choice than Drizzt for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. That said, how the dark elf is characterized in most D&D material indicates that certain parts of the movie wouldn’t have been much different if Drizzt was on hand instead of Xenk. Like Xenk, Drizzt is commonly seen as a one-man army who makes short work of most foes that cross his paths. It’s for that reason that he’s renowned for his fighting skills throughout the Sword Coast. With that in mind, it’s not hard to imagine Drizzt basically carrying the party through their Underdark adventure and single-handedly taking on Themberchaud, just like Xenk did in the movie.
