Even before Christopher Vogler introduced to the world the primary seven character archetypes in his 2007 textbook The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, players of Dungeons & Dragons had already been experimenting with the game’s ‘aligment’ system – wherein their player character is placed on an axis of “law” versus “chaos” and “good” versus “evil” that defines their morality and ethics – since 1974. While the rules of the popular tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Amongst Thieves is based on already dictate the characteristics that belong to characters who are assigned to a certain class – and thus, a specific role to play in the course of a gameplay session – the film nonetheless toys with the conventional archetypes present in role-playing fantasy narratives while still delegating each character to a distinct role, or mask. Certain characters embody the archetypes previously defined by Vogler, some wear multiple masks, and some subvert the mask entirely.
As is the case with any work of fiction, the presence of the Hero is paramount; in this example, it is presented through the film’s protagonist, the bard Edgin. Edgin’s status as the Hero is unique in that he displays very little “heroic” traits at first: in addition to being rather sarcastic and reckless, he is shown to have abandoned a previous moral code in favour of selfish thievery, and this thievery is what costs him the life of his wife, his capture, and subsequent two years in prison away from his daughter Kira. In this sense, he can be most strongly identified with the “anti-hero” type instead of the “pure” hero figure. While he is flawed, his flaws are what makes him human and relatable to the audience, lending him an “everyman” quality. We understand his disillusionment with the system and why the events that transpired in his life lead him to become who he is at the start of the film.
However, as Vogler’s mythic analysis states in regards to the Hero, Edgin ultimately transcends the illusions of his own Ego and becomes more noble by the end of the film. This is best encapsulated during the climax, after he and the party successfully rescue Kira: despite having fulfilled his personal objective, he still makes the conscious choice to turn back the boat and leads the party to save the citizens of Neverwinter when he notices Sofina exacting her evil plan – certainly not a course of action the Edgin seen at the beginning of the film would have done, signifying his character growth. Also of note is Edgin wearing the mask of the Trickster on a smaller level – not possessing great fighting abilities or magic, he instead relies on his charm and facetiousness, and embodies the desire for change in that his relentless optimism keeps the party together and encourages their growth as characters.
In this story, the archetype of the Herald – what signifies new energy and causes a shift in the hero’s balance – is depicted in the form of Kira, Edgin’s daughter. Kira’s presence and significance as the Herald is unique in that she straddles the line between being a positive and negative figure for the hero: though Edgin desires to protect and reunite properly with her, she treats him with hostility and little enthusiasm, because Forge has tricked her into thinking of her father as selfish and purposefully neglectful, thus she is more resistant to the heroes’ attempt at rescuing her and does not directly beckon them to adventure. However, it is her negative traits that further cement her role as the Herald, since Edgin’s realisation that she has been manipulated leads him and Holga to on the path to exposing Forge and Sofina’s true villainy.
During the course of his quest, Edgin is accompanied by several characters who form the main party and become his Allies, all of whom represent a different subsection of the Ally archetype. Holga, a female Barbarian, is an ally who is closest to a “companion” for the protagonist: in addition to already being allied with Edgin at the start of the film (as opposed to becoming an ally later on), she is shown to be the person he places the most trust in, and is someone who has stood by him even when the party initially disbanded. Holga and Edgin further the notion that the relationship between ally and hero can be quite complex: while she repeatedly harbours annoyance for both his lack of planning and inappropriately optimistic attitude, she nonetheless understands him and his struggles more than any other character. Moreover, while they clearly strongly care for one another, they are not romantically involved, and one is never above making jabs at the other. Simon, the resident Sorcerer, acts as the “comic relief” ally, with his low self-esteem and general ineptitude at performing magic (at least at first) being played for humour. Doric, a tiefling Druid, is an ally who inadvertently serves as the “conscience” of the party – she is the only one with no criminal record and she possesses the most dignified reason for partaking in the cause, being that she desires to protect her homeland from imminent destruction, thus lending a sense of balance and morality to an otherwise amoral group.
A character who wears the mask of an Ally as well as the mask of the Mentor is Xenk, a Paladin and the most magically-equipped of all the protagonists. His role as a mentor figure to Edgin and the party sees him act on several traits of the archetype, such as protecting them during their journey to the Underdark, assisting them in their cause, and “planting explanations” for the heroes and audience by providing needed exposition on the true nature of the Red Wizards; this combined with his implied slow ageing places him in the “Wise Man” subsection despite his relatively youthful appearance. Since the major characters are either criminals or outlaws, he is the closest the group has to a reasonable authority figure, although his strict adherence to a religious code prevents him from joining the group directly.
Xenk also wears the secondary mask of the Threshold Guardian by leading the group to the “special world” within the film’s universe: the Underdark, wherein he and the group uncover a relic that later plays a major role in the narrative. On a psychological level, this archetype also means he acts as an obstacle or “test” of personality for Edgin, as Edgin must cross an emotional threshold by resolving his inner conflict with the Thayans to willingly accept his help. It is worth noting that he subverts the typical archetype of a hostile Threshold Guardian in that he does not actively prevent the heroes from entering the “special world”, but assists them in reaching it.
When it comes to antagonists and other beings that prevent the party from achieving their goals, Sofina and Forge exemplify the traits established by Vogler of the Shadow and the Trickster respectively. As an all-powerful Red Wizard who is never anything but callous, Sofina is the perfect Shadow archetype, being the in-universe manifestation of evil and representing the dangerous energy of apathy; while the party make a grand effort to protect the citizens of Neverwinter, Sofina has no qualms about the destruction of innocent lives and is willing to sacrifice them all to gain power. She even acknowledges the main party as being “worthy opponents” and encourages their participation in the High Sun Games rather than executing them as a result of being impressed by their tenacity in bypassing castle security. Indeed, she serves her narrative function as a challenge to the heroes and herself becomes their “worthy opponent” when the final battle ends with the entire party up against her commanding powers, and only then do the combined skills and wit of the party finish her off for good.
Forming the second half of the film’s antagonistic duo is Forge, a Rogue conman working for the Shadow and motivated only by a desire for wealth and power. As befitting of such a character, Forge is never shown displaying physical prowess or strength – rather, all his success is the result of his wit and charm – as is the case for the Trickster archetype, where their smarts are what wins them their battles. Psychologically, he embodies the energy of mischief and radical change, with his manipulativeness becoming the catalyst for the heroes to want to take him down. Forge and Edgin both being Tricksters highlights their opposing natures: while Edgin at first uses his skills as a Trickster to perform acts of pettiness, as does Forge, he ultimately outgrows this by the end of the film and becomes more receptive to the needs of others, whereas Forge never forgoes the mask and continues to use his skills entirely to his own benefit.
The final archetype, the Shapeshifter, is the one considered most flexible. However, if taken into account that this archetype involves a character that appears to change constantly from the hero’s viewpoint, both Forge and Xenk wear this mask – the latter shifts in a positive light, while the former shifts in a negative light. As mentioned previously, Edgin was still under the impression that Forge was a trustworthy individual when the two reunited, and at first he did put on a charming façade, allowing Edgin and the audience as a whole to view him as affable and friendly. When he quickly reveals his “two-faced” nature – another Shapeshifter trademark – of duplicity, the attitude of the heroes towards him changes dramatically. Forge’s status as a Shapeshifter also serves as a catalyst for change, bringing suspense and a lack of trustworthiness into the narrative. Xenk, from Edgin’s viewpoint, also undergoes a minor shift in perspective. Although he makes it clear of his dislike of Xenk due to his Thayan blood and what he personally views as a self-righteous “stuck-up” personality, Xenk’s genuine efforts to aid the party eventually land him in Edgin and the audience’s good graces.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, as a whole, is an exercise in playing with predetermined tropes. Given that the writers had to work within a set of rules, there are a surprising number of character variations and archetype subsections present, while still ensuring that every major character has a destined role to play in the grander narrative, making it a prime example of what classic mythic archetypes look like – both when they’re played straight, and when they are subverted.
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