Drizzt Do'Urden
Encyclopedia
Drizzt Do'Urden is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Salvatore created him on a whim when his publisher needed to replace another character in Salvatore's first novel, The Crystal Shard. Drizzt has since become a popular heroic character of the Forgotten Realms setting, and has been featured as the main character of a long series of books, starting chronologically with The Dark Elf Trilogy
. As a non-archetypal drow (dark elf), Drizzt has forsaken both the evil ways of his people and their home in the Underdark
, in the drow city of Menzoberranzan
.
Drizzt's story is told in Salvatore's fantasy novels in The Icewind Dale Trilogy, The Dark Elf Trilogy, the Legacy of the Drow
series, the Paths of Darkness
series, The Hunter's Blades Trilogy
, the Transitions
series, and the Neverwinter Trilogy, as well as in the short stories "The Dowry," "Dark Mirror", and "Comrades at Odds". All of the novels featuring Drizzt have made the New York Times Best Seller list
. A number of the novels have been adapted into graphic novels by Devil's Due Publishing
. Drizzt has also been featured in D&D-based computer role-playing games, including the Baldur's Gate Series
and Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
.
Salvatore uses Drizzt to represent issues of racial prejudice, particularly in The Dark Elf Trilogy. For instance, Drizzt is concerned that if he and his love Cattie-Brie (a human) have children, their offspring will face hostility from both races. Drizzt is also troubled by the lifespan discrepancy between himself and Cattie-Brie.
Drizzt was created by happenstance. In 1987 R.A. Salvatore sent Mary Kirchoff
, then managing editor of TSR
's book department, a manuscript for what would become his 1990 novel Echoes of the Fourth Magic. She liked it, but asked if he could rewrite it to take place in the Forgotten Realms. She sent him Darkwalker on Moonshae
by Douglas Niles
, the only novel at the time set in the Forgotten Realms. Salvatore sent her a proposal for a sequel to Darkwalker, but Kichoff sent back a large map of the Forgotten Realms and told him she wanted a new story set in a different part of the Realms. After two weeks of phone calls, Salvatore found a spot on the map that was not already designated for another project, and he located Icewind Dale there. According to Salvatore, the book was "set on the Moonshae Isles, because at the time I thought that was the Realms. When I found out how big the Realms were, I moved the story a thousand miles to the north."
Salvatore created Drizzt on the spur of the moment. He was under pressure to create a sidekick
for Wulfgar in the Icewind Dale series
. Salvatore had sent an early version of The Crystal Shard (what would become his first published novel) to TSR, and one day Kirchoff called him. She was on her way to a marketing meeting concerning the book, and informed him that they could not use one of the characters. He asked for time to think, but she was already late for the meeting. Off the top of his head, Salvatore said he had a Dark Elf. Kirchoff was skeptical, but Salvatore convinced her it would be fine because he was just a sidekick. She asked his name, and he replied Drizzt Do'Urden. She asked if he could spell it, and he said "not a chance". Recalling Drizzt's creation in an interview, Salvatore said, "I don't know where it came from. I guess that Gary Gygax
just did such an amazing job in creating the drow elves
that something about them got stuck in the back of my head. Thank God!" Although many readers have assumed that Drizzt is based on one of the many Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns that the author has played, this is not the case. Salvatore's main influences were classical literature and works of J. R. R. Tolkien
. "I like to think of Drizzt as a cross between Daryth from Darkwalker on Moonshae and Aragorn
from The Lord of the Rings
." Salvatore calls Drizzt "the classic romantic hero—misunderstood, holding to a code of ideals even when the going gets tough, and getting no appreciation for it most of the time."
Drizzt's story begins in the novel Homeland, the start of The Dark Elf Trilogy
and published as a prequel in 1990 to The Icewind Dale Trilogy, which was published between 1988 and 1990. In the book, Drizzt is born in Menzoberranzan
as the third son to Matron Malice, the leader of House Do'Urden
(a type of family akin to a Scottish clan
). His father is Zaknafein, a weapons master who secretly hates drow society and teaches Drizzt his martial
skills as he reinforces Drizzt's innate moral code. The 1996 short story "The Fires of Narbondel", in the Realms of the Underdark anthology
, describes unrelated events involving Zaknafein as the main character, and a young Drizzt plays a supporting role.
During a raid against a group of surface elves, Drizzt finds himself unable to participate in the slaughter with his fellow drow. He pretends to kill an elf
child, but actually helps her to escape. When the deception is discovered, Zaknafein is sacrificed in Drizzt's stead to appease Lloth (Known as Lolth by the Deep Gnomes - Svirfnebli), the drow's goddess. Following a war against another House, Drizzt curses his family and the evil drow ways and escapes Menzoberranzan into the Underdark
. At this time he also acquires the statuette that allows him to summon the magical panther Guenhwyvar. Guenhwyvar travels by Drizzt's side as he makes his way across the Realms.
Drizzt fights off the resurrected spirit-wraith of his father in Exile, the second book in the Dark Elf Trilogy and also published in 1990. Sojourn picks up the story when Drizzt leaves the Underdark for the surface, where he meets a blind human ranger
named Montolio Debrouchee. When Montolio begins teaching him the ways of the ranger, Drizzt realizes that, unknowingly, he had been following those very principles his entire life. From then on Drizzt's patron goddess is Mielikki
, the Faerûn
ian goddess of the forest and of rangers. Montolio eventually dies, and Drizzt travels the Realms in search of a new home. He eventually finds himself in Icewind Dale where he meets dwarven
king Bruenor Battlehammer
, and Bruenor's adopted human daughter, Catti-brie.
The fourth book chronologically in the series, although the first published, is The Crystal Shard (1988), the first in The Icewind Dale Trilogy. It describes Drizzt's meeting with the barbarian Wulfgar and the halfling
Regis, and their adventures as they stop Akar Kessel, a mage
possessed by the sentient artifact Crenshinibon
(the book's eponym
ous Crystal Shard), from gaining control of the region. Streams of Silver (1989), tells the story of the group as they journey to Mithral Hall
, Bruenor's boyhood home. Artemis Entreri
, a recurring character in the series, also makes his first appearance. In later books, Artemis is Drizzt's equal in combat, and they clash often due to their conflicting views and goals. In the 1990 book The Halfling's Gem, Artemis kidnaps Regis while in the employ of a powerful crime lord. Drizzt and Wulfgar chase the assassin by sea, with the help of Captain Deudermont, to recover Regis. Drizzt ends up in combat with Artemis Entreri, who leaves the battle wounded. At the end of the book the group finds Regis, and Guenhwyvar kills Artemis's employer.
Legacy of the Drow
is a tetralogy
, unlike the previous two trilogies. The 1993 short story, Dark Mirror, in the Realms of Valor anthology, describes events just prior to the series. The first three books, The Legacy, Starless Night, and Siege of Darkness, describe a drow attack on Mithril Hall. Wulfgar is seemingly slain by a yochlol
, and Drizzt returns to Menzoberranzan to prevent his friends from being further attacked by dark elves. The drow launch a second attack against Mithril Hall during the Time of Troubles
. It is eventually repelled and Drizzt returns to his friends.
Passage to Dawn, the final book in the Legacy of the Drow series and published two years after Siege of Darkness, picks up the story six years after the drow attack. Drizzt and Catti-Brie work with Captain Deudermont on his pirate-hunting ship, with the Companions of the Hall ultimately fighting a powerful demon
who is aided by the Crystal Shard, which had previously been buried under a mountain of snow . Wulfgar, never truly dead, returns to life from the Abyss
as the demon who had held his soul was destroyed.
Drizzt is the main character in only two books of the Paths of Darkness
series. The Silent Blade (1998) describes the group's journey to permanently destroy the Crystal Shard. Sea of Swords (2001) continues Drizzt's story after the events of The Spine of the World (1999), which focuses on Wulfgar, and Servant of the Shard (2000), which has Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle
as the main characters. Sea of Swords covers the companions' search for Wulfgar's lost magical warhammer, Aegis-fang, and the reunion of the group after an extended separation.
Drizzt returns as the main character throughout The Hunter's Blades Trilogy
. In The Thousand Orcs (2002), Drizzt and his friends encounter the powerful orc
Obould Many-Arrows
, who has employed frost giants
to aid him in gaining control of the region. After a battle at the town of Shallows, Drizzt believes the other Companions of the Hall to have fallen in battle, and he sets off into the wilderness to fight all orcs in vengeance. The Lone Drow (2003) continues this storyline as the still-living Companions protect Mithril Hall from orc attacks without the aid of Drizzt. He is reunited with his friends in The Two Swords (2003).
R.A. Salvatore's next series of Forgotten Realms books, The Sellswords Trilogy, focus on the further adventures of Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle, with Drizzt only being mentioned in them. However, Drizzt is once again the main character in the Transitions
trilogy, consisting of The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King. Drizzt is the main character, along with Bruenor, in R.A. Salvatore's next series in the Forgotten Realms, "The Neverwinter Trilogy"; the first book in this series, Gauntlgrym
, was released October 5, 2010 and the second book in the series Neverwinter, was released October 4, 2011.
, starting with The Crystal Shard. The Orc King, which marked the 20th anniversary of the character, made it to #7 on the list, as well as #9 on the Wall Street Journal list, #6 on the Publishers Weekly
bestseller list, and #36 on the USA Today
list of top sellers.
The Two Swords peaked at #4 on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2004. It reached the top of the Wall Street Journals hardcover bestseller list after only two weeks, a record for its publisher Wizards of the Coast. It also debuted at #4 on The New York Times's bestseller list and #2 on Publisher's Weekly bestseller list.
The Lone Drow debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list in October 2003. Publishers Weekly felt that The Lone Drow was clichéd, but that some of the characters did achieve "some complexity". They singled out two characters for praise: Innovindel, an elf who talks "pensively" of her long life in contrast to the short lived humans, and Obould the orc king.
A special Icewind Dale adventure was featured as the centerpiece at the November 3, 2007, Worldwide Dungeons and Dragons Game Day
event, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the creation of Drizzt. According to PopMatters
' Andrew Welsh, Drizzt is Salvatore's attempt to create a multifaceted character who faces internal struggles, in hopes of standing out from the drow, and fantasy fiction in general. Welsh feels that Salvatore fails in this regard, saying "any blood Drizzt finds on his hands is quickly justified and most “internal” conflict is superficial at best."
fantasy role-playing game. The Hall of Heroes
accessory for the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, published in 1989, features a four-page description and game statistics for Drizzt and Guenhwyvar, written by R. A. Salvatore. The Heroes' Lorebook
accessory, published in 1996 and written by Dale Donovan and Paul Culotta, features an update and revision of Drizzt's information from Hall of Heroes. The 1999 accessory Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark by Eric L. Boyd, details the cities and civilizations of Faerûn's Underdark through the perspective of the title character. The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
hardcover for the game's third edition features a brief description and game statistics for Drizzt for this edition, under the section on the Sword Coast North.
Drizzt has also appeared in a number of graphic novel
s and video games, and as a miniature figure. Beginning in 2005, Devil's Due Publishing
began releasing comic book adaptations of the Drizzt novels, covering each book in a three-issue mini-series along with a trade paperback collection. To date, Homeland, Exile, Sojourn, The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, The Halfling's Gem, The Legacy, and Starless Night have been released. The character has appeared in several video games. He is part of the story and a party member the 1994 SSI game for PC Menzoberranzan
. In Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
he is a playable character in the game's seventh stage, described by a writer for Imagine Games Network (IGN
) as "cool but utterly ineffective." He is also an unlockable playable character in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
. Drizzt appears in Baldur's Gate
fighting some gnolls; it is possible for a skilled player to kill him and steal his items, and a friendly or hostile version of Drizzt can be spawned with a cheat code. Drizzt also appears in the sequel Baldur's Gate II and will react negatively if the player has imported characters from the first game that killed Drizzt or have any of his unique items. He will also react negatively to any elven character with a low reputation with the same name, challenging them to a duel of honour. Drizzt is also included in the Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures game, in the Legend of Drizzt Scenario Pack that also includes Wulfgar and the dragon Icingdeath. An enclosed booklet lets players recreate the battle between Drizzt, Wulfgar, and the dragon. The boxed set was nominated for Best Miniature Product at the 2008 ENnies
.
Drizzt features prominently in the D&D Adventure System Cooperative Play board game , released October 18, 2011.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Salvatore created him on a whim when his publisher needed to replace another character in Salvatore's first novel, The Crystal Shard. Drizzt has since become a popular heroic character of the Forgotten Realms setting, and has been featured as the main character of a long series of books, starting chronologically with The Dark Elf Trilogy
The Dark Elf Trilogy
The Dark Elf Trilogy is a prequel to the Icewind Dale Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. Drizzt Do'Urden, a drow, or dark elf, was originally written as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy to Wulfgar the barbarian. However, the author soon realized how popular the character was, and Drizzt...
. As a non-archetypal drow (dark elf), Drizzt has forsaken both the evil ways of his people and their home in the Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
, in the drow city of Menzoberranzan
Menzoberranzan
Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, is a fictional city-state in the world of the Forgotten Realms, a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. It is located in the Upper Northdark, about two miles below the Surbrin Vale, between the Moonwood and the Frost Hills...
.
Drizzt's story is told in Salvatore's fantasy novels in The Icewind Dale Trilogy, The Dark Elf Trilogy, the Legacy of the Drow
Legacy of the Drow
The Legacy of the Drow is a New York Times best selling fantasy series. It is the third series by R. A. Salvatore following the adventures of the Forgotten Realms character Drizzt Do'Urden.This series is followed up by the Paths of Darkness series....
series, the Paths of Darkness
Paths of Darkness
Paths of Darkness is the New York Times best-selling series of novels chronicling adventures of the renegade drow elf character Drizzt Do'Urden written by R. A. Salvatore...
series, The Hunter's Blades Trilogy
The Hunter's Blades Trilogy
The Hunter's Blades Trilogy is a New York Times best-selling trilogy written by science fiction and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore. It follows on from the previous book, The Servant of the Shard and the other books of the Paths of Darkness series. It contains three books, The Thousand Orcs, The Lone...
, the Transitions
Transitions (novel series)
The Transitions Series is a series of fantasy novels by R. A. Salvatore, the famous science fiction and fantasy author, consisting of three novels: The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King. The Orc King was published in September 2007, The Pirate King in October 2008, and The Ghost King...
series, and the Neverwinter Trilogy, as well as in the short stories "The Dowry," "Dark Mirror", and "Comrades at Odds". All of the novels featuring Drizzt have made the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
. A number of the novels have been adapted into graphic novels by Devil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
. Drizzt has also been featured in D&D-based computer role-playing games, including the Baldur's Gate Series
Baldur's Gate series
Baldur's Gate is a franchise of action role-playing games released under the Dungeons & Dragons Video Game Licenses. It is set in the fictional campaign setting of Forgotten Realms and takes place in its fictional continent of Faerûn. It takes place mostly in the Western Heartlands, but has also...
and Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone is a video game that was released in 2004 for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows PC. It is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons , but the gameplay only vaguely models D&D's structure. The story was written by R.A...
.
Concept and creation
Drizzt Do'Urden's stories are set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons. The character has been a mainstay for author R. A. Salvatore, appearing in his novels for over 20 years. Drizzt is a drow who acts against the drow stereotype, favoring friendship and peace over hatred and violence. His unusual personality creates the conflict that allows Salvatore to create so many novels with stories about courage and friendship. Drizzt fights the dark traits that are inherent in the drow.Salvatore uses Drizzt to represent issues of racial prejudice, particularly in The Dark Elf Trilogy. For instance, Drizzt is concerned that if he and his love Cattie-Brie (a human) have children, their offspring will face hostility from both races. Drizzt is also troubled by the lifespan discrepancy between himself and Cattie-Brie.
Drizzt was created by happenstance. In 1987 R.A. Salvatore sent Mary Kirchoff
Mary Kirchoff
Mary L. Kirchoff is an American writer. She is the author of more than ten published works, including the Dragonlance novels Kendermore, Wanderlust , Flint, the King , The Black Wing, and the Defenders of Magic trilogy...
, then managing editor of TSR
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
's book department, a manuscript for what would become his 1990 novel Echoes of the Fourth Magic. She liked it, but asked if he could rewrite it to take place in the Forgotten Realms. She sent him Darkwalker on Moonshae
Darkwalker on Moonshae
Darkwalker on Moonshae is a fantasy novel by Douglas Niles, set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
by Douglas Niles
Douglas Niles
Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.-Early life:Niles was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and...
, the only novel at the time set in the Forgotten Realms. Salvatore sent her a proposal for a sequel to Darkwalker, but Kichoff sent back a large map of the Forgotten Realms and told him she wanted a new story set in a different part of the Realms. After two weeks of phone calls, Salvatore found a spot on the map that was not already designated for another project, and he located Icewind Dale there. According to Salvatore, the book was "set on the Moonshae Isles, because at the time I thought that was the Realms. When I found out how big the Realms were, I moved the story a thousand miles to the north."
Salvatore created Drizzt on the spur of the moment. He was under pressure to create a sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
for Wulfgar in the Icewind Dale series
The Icewind Dale Trilogy
The Icewind Dale Trilogy is a trilogy of novels written by R.A. Salvatore, a SciFi and fantasy author. The events depicted in the trilogy follow the events of The Dark Elf Trilogy, although the former was written beforehand. It then continues from the Halfling's Gem onto the next series, Legacy of...
. Salvatore had sent an early version of The Crystal Shard (what would become his first published novel) to TSR, and one day Kirchoff called him. She was on her way to a marketing meeting concerning the book, and informed him that they could not use one of the characters. He asked for time to think, but she was already late for the meeting. Off the top of his head, Salvatore said he had a Dark Elf. Kirchoff was skeptical, but Salvatore convinced her it would be fine because he was just a sidekick. She asked his name, and he replied Drizzt Do'Urden. She asked if he could spell it, and he said "not a chance". Recalling Drizzt's creation in an interview, Salvatore said, "I don't know where it came from. I guess that Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
just did such an amazing job in creating the drow elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
that something about them got stuck in the back of my head. Thank God!" Although many readers have assumed that Drizzt is based on one of the many Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns that the author has played, this is not the case. Salvatore's main influences were classical literature and works of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
. "I like to think of Drizzt as a cross between Daryth from Darkwalker on Moonshae and Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
from The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
." Salvatore calls Drizzt "the classic romantic hero—misunderstood, holding to a code of ideals even when the going gets tough, and getting no appreciation for it most of the time."
Publication history
The Dark Elf Trilogy
The Dark Elf Trilogy is a prequel to the Icewind Dale Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. Drizzt Do'Urden, a drow, or dark elf, was originally written as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy to Wulfgar the barbarian. However, the author soon realized how popular the character was, and Drizzt...
and published as a prequel in 1990 to The Icewind Dale Trilogy, which was published between 1988 and 1990. In the book, Drizzt is born in Menzoberranzan
Menzoberranzan
Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, is a fictional city-state in the world of the Forgotten Realms, a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. It is located in the Upper Northdark, about two miles below the Surbrin Vale, between the Moonwood and the Frost Hills...
as the third son to Matron Malice, the leader of House Do'Urden
House Do'Urden
House Do'Urden is a fictional clan of dark elves in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, created by R.A. Salvatore....
(a type of family akin to a Scottish clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
). His father is Zaknafein, a weapons master who secretly hates drow society and teaches Drizzt his martial
Martial
Marcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
skills as he reinforces Drizzt's innate moral code. The 1996 short story "The Fires of Narbondel", in the Realms of the Underdark anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
, describes unrelated events involving Zaknafein as the main character, and a young Drizzt plays a supporting role.
During a raid against a group of surface elves, Drizzt finds himself unable to participate in the slaughter with his fellow drow. He pretends to kill an elf
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
child, but actually helps her to escape. When the deception is discovered, Zaknafein is sacrificed in Drizzt's stead to appease Lloth (Known as Lolth by the Deep Gnomes - Svirfnebli), the drow's goddess. Following a war against another House, Drizzt curses his family and the evil drow ways and escapes Menzoberranzan into the Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
. At this time he also acquires the statuette that allows him to summon the magical panther Guenhwyvar. Guenhwyvar travels by Drizzt's side as he makes his way across the Realms.
Drizzt fights off the resurrected spirit-wraith of his father in Exile, the second book in the Dark Elf Trilogy and also published in 1990. Sojourn picks up the story when Drizzt leaves the Underdark for the surface, where he meets a blind human ranger
Ranger (Dungeons & Dragons)
The ranger is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. They are protectors of nature, skilled woodsmen, and often live reclusive lives as hermits....
named Montolio Debrouchee. When Montolio begins teaching him the ways of the ranger, Drizzt realizes that, unknowingly, he had been following those very principles his entire life. From then on Drizzt's patron goddess is Mielikki
Mielikki (Forgotten Realms)
Mielikki is a fictional goddess in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Mielikki is the goddess of autumn, druids, dryads, forests, forest creatures, and rangers. Her symbol is a gold-horned, blue-eyed unicorn's head facing left, and her...
, the Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
ian goddess of the forest and of rangers. Montolio eventually dies, and Drizzt travels the Realms in search of a new home. He eventually finds himself in Icewind Dale where he meets dwarven
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
king Bruenor Battlehammer
Bruenor Battlehammer
Bruenor Battlehammer is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The character first appears in the Icewind Dale trilogy by author R. A. Salvatore. He has also appeared in subsequent books as the trusted dwarven companion...
, and Bruenor's adopted human daughter, Catti-brie.
The fourth book chronologically in the series, although the first published, is The Crystal Shard (1988), the first in The Icewind Dale Trilogy. It describes Drizzt's meeting with the barbarian Wulfgar and the halfling
Halfling
Halfling is another name for J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit which can be a fictional race sometimes found in fantasy novels and games. In many settings, they are similar to humans except about half the size. Dungeons & Dragons began using the name halfling as an alternative to hobbit for legal reasons...
Regis, and their adventures as they stop Akar Kessel, a mage
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
possessed by the sentient artifact Crenshinibon
Crenshinibon
Crenshinibon is an evil, sentient artifact in the Forgotten Realms setting based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The item was featured primarily in the novels The Crystal Shard, Passage to Dawn, The Silent Blade, and Servant of the Shard by R.A...
(the book's eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous Crystal Shard), from gaining control of the region. Streams of Silver (1989), tells the story of the group as they journey to Mithral Hall
Mithral Hall
In the fictional world of Forgotten Realms, Mithral Hall is the fabled dwarven home of Bruenor Battlehammer, an old dwarven city where tunnels were often lined with natural veins of mithral as thick as an arm....
, Bruenor's boyhood home. Artemis Entreri
Artemis Entreri
Artemis Entreri is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Entreri is depicted as a ruthless assassin and the arch-enemy of Drizzt Do'Urden, the protagonistic dark elf. He is the creation of author R. A...
, a recurring character in the series, also makes his first appearance. In later books, Artemis is Drizzt's equal in combat, and they clash often due to their conflicting views and goals. In the 1990 book The Halfling's Gem, Artemis kidnaps Regis while in the employ of a powerful crime lord. Drizzt and Wulfgar chase the assassin by sea, with the help of Captain Deudermont, to recover Regis. Drizzt ends up in combat with Artemis Entreri, who leaves the battle wounded. At the end of the book the group finds Regis, and Guenhwyvar kills Artemis's employer.
Legacy of the Drow
Legacy of the Drow
The Legacy of the Drow is a New York Times best selling fantasy series. It is the third series by R. A. Salvatore following the adventures of the Forgotten Realms character Drizzt Do'Urden.This series is followed up by the Paths of Darkness series....
is a tetralogy
Tetralogy
A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works....
, unlike the previous two trilogies. The 1993 short story, Dark Mirror, in the Realms of Valor anthology, describes events just prior to the series. The first three books, The Legacy, Starless Night, and Siege of Darkness, describe a drow attack on Mithril Hall. Wulfgar is seemingly slain by a yochlol
Yochlol
Yochlols are fictional demonic creatures in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. These lesser tanar'ri are handmaidens of Lolth, the drow goddess of Spiders, dwelling amongst the outer planes and being regularly summoned by the Queen of Spider's priestesses to witness sacrifices in the name of...
, and Drizzt returns to Menzoberranzan to prevent his friends from being further attacked by dark elves. The drow launch a second attack against Mithril Hall during the Time of Troubles
Time of Troubles (Forgotten Realms)
The Time of Troubles, also known as the Arrival, Godswar, and Avatar Crisis, is a fictional time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game...
. It is eventually repelled and Drizzt returns to his friends.
Passage to Dawn, the final book in the Legacy of the Drow series and published two years after Siege of Darkness, picks up the story six years after the drow attack. Drizzt and Catti-Brie work with Captain Deudermont on his pirate-hunting ship, with the Companions of the Hall ultimately fighting a powerful demon
Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demons are the most widespread race of fiends. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss...
who is aided by the Crystal Shard, which had previously been buried under a mountain of snow . Wulfgar, never truly dead, returns to life from the Abyss
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
as the demon who had held his soul was destroyed.
Drizzt is the main character in only two books of the Paths of Darkness
Paths of Darkness
Paths of Darkness is the New York Times best-selling series of novels chronicling adventures of the renegade drow elf character Drizzt Do'Urden written by R. A. Salvatore...
series. The Silent Blade (1998) describes the group's journey to permanently destroy the Crystal Shard. Sea of Swords (2001) continues Drizzt's story after the events of The Spine of the World (1999), which focuses on Wulfgar, and Servant of the Shard (2000), which has Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle
Jarlaxle
Jarlaxle is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He first appeared in the 1990 novel, Exile, by R. A. Salvatore as the charismatic and opportunistic drow leader of the mercenary band, Bregan D'aerthe...
as the main characters. Sea of Swords covers the companions' search for Wulfgar's lost magical warhammer, Aegis-fang, and the reunion of the group after an extended separation.
Drizzt returns as the main character throughout The Hunter's Blades Trilogy
The Hunter's Blades Trilogy
The Hunter's Blades Trilogy is a New York Times best-selling trilogy written by science fiction and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore. It follows on from the previous book, The Servant of the Shard and the other books of the Paths of Darkness series. It contains three books, The Thousand Orcs, The Lone...
. In The Thousand Orcs (2002), Drizzt and his friends encounter the powerful orc
Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
Obould Many-Arrows
Obould Many-Arrows
King Obould Many-Arrows is a fictional character from the Forgotten Realms series based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He was created by the author R. A. Salvatore and is featured in The Hunter's Blades Trilogy and Transitions.-Description:Obould Many-Arrows is the king of the...
, who has employed frost giants
Giant (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or "creature type." Giants are humanoid-shaped creatures of great strength and size.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
to aid him in gaining control of the region. After a battle at the town of Shallows, Drizzt believes the other Companions of the Hall to have fallen in battle, and he sets off into the wilderness to fight all orcs in vengeance. The Lone Drow (2003) continues this storyline as the still-living Companions protect Mithril Hall from orc attacks without the aid of Drizzt. He is reunited with his friends in The Two Swords (2003).
R.A. Salvatore's next series of Forgotten Realms books, The Sellswords Trilogy, focus on the further adventures of Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle, with Drizzt only being mentioned in them. However, Drizzt is once again the main character in the Transitions
Transitions (novel series)
The Transitions Series is a series of fantasy novels by R. A. Salvatore, the famous science fiction and fantasy author, consisting of three novels: The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King. The Orc King was published in September 2007, The Pirate King in October 2008, and The Ghost King...
trilogy, consisting of The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King. Drizzt is the main character, along with Bruenor, in R.A. Salvatore's next series in the Forgotten Realms, "The Neverwinter Trilogy"; the first book in this series, Gauntlgrym
Gauntlgrym
Gauntlgrym is a novel released in October 2010 by fantasy author R. A. Salvatore set in the Forgotten Realms campaign world. It follows the continued adventures of drow elf renegade, Drizzt Do'Urden...
, was released October 5, 2010 and the second book in the series Neverwinter, was released October 4, 2011.
Reception
The Drizzt Do'Urden books are popular with fantasy fans, and the Drizzt character is author R.A. Salvatore's best known creation. All 18 novels featuring Drizzt by Salvatore have made the New York Times Best Seller listNew York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, starting with The Crystal Shard. The Orc King, which marked the 20th anniversary of the character, made it to #7 on the list, as well as #9 on the Wall Street Journal list, #6 on the Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
bestseller list, and #36 on the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
list of top sellers.
The Two Swords peaked at #4 on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2004. It reached the top of the Wall Street Journals hardcover bestseller list after only two weeks, a record for its publisher Wizards of the Coast. It also debuted at #4 on The New York Times's bestseller list and #2 on Publisher's Weekly bestseller list.
The Lone Drow debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list in October 2003. Publishers Weekly felt that The Lone Drow was clichéd, but that some of the characters did achieve "some complexity". They singled out two characters for praise: Innovindel, an elf who talks "pensively" of her long life in contrast to the short lived humans, and Obould the orc king.
A special Icewind Dale adventure was featured as the centerpiece at the November 3, 2007, Worldwide Dungeons and Dragons Game Day
Worldwide Dungeons and Dragons Game Day
Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons game day is a promotional event for the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. Game stores in over 40 countries host games throughout the day, including a special free adventure with pre-generated characters from Wizards of the Coast....
event, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the creation of Drizzt. According to PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
' Andrew Welsh, Drizzt is Salvatore's attempt to create a multifaceted character who faces internal struggles, in hopes of standing out from the drow, and fantasy fiction in general. Welsh feels that Salvatore fails in this regard, saying "any blood Drizzt finds on his hands is quickly justified and most “internal” conflict is superficial at best."
Other media
Drizzt Do'Urden has been featured in several accessories and one book for the Advanced Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy role-playing game. The Hall of Heroes
Hall of Heroes (Forgotten Realms)
Hall of Heroes is an accessory for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
accessory for the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, published in 1989, features a four-page description and game statistics for Drizzt and Guenhwyvar, written by R. A. Salvatore. The Heroes' Lorebook
Heroes' Lorebook
Heroes' Lorebook is an accessory for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
accessory, published in 1996 and written by Dale Donovan and Paul Culotta, features an update and revision of Drizzt's information from Hall of Heroes. The 1999 accessory Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark by Eric L. Boyd, details the cities and civilizations of Faerûn's Underdark through the perspective of the title character. The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting is a role-playing game sourcebook first published in 1987, detailing the Forgotten Realms setting, containing information on characters, locations, and history as well as setting-specific rules for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
hardcover for the game's third edition features a brief description and game statistics for Drizzt for this edition, under the section on the Sword Coast North.
Drizzt has also appeared in a number of graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s and video games, and as a miniature figure. Beginning in 2005, Devil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
began releasing comic book adaptations of the Drizzt novels, covering each book in a three-issue mini-series along with a trade paperback collection. To date, Homeland, Exile, Sojourn, The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, The Halfling's Gem, The Legacy, and Starless Night have been released. The character has appeared in several video games. He is part of the story and a party member the 1994 SSI game for PC Menzoberranzan
Menzoberranzan (video game)
Menzoberranzan is the title of a PC game created by SSI and DreamForge Intertainment and uses the same game engine as SSI's previous game Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession . It is set in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms...
. In Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone is a video game that was released in 2004 for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows PC. It is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons , but the gameplay only vaguely models D&D's structure. The story was written by R.A...
he is a playable character in the game's seventh stage, described by a writer for Imagine Games Network (IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
) as "cool but utterly ineffective." He is also an unlockable playable character in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is an action role-playing game developed by Snowblind Studios for the PlayStation 2; later released for the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance. It was re-released on the PlayStation 2 as a Greatest Hits title...
and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is an action role-playing game released for the PlayStation 2 on December 2, 2003 and the Xbox on January 20, 2004...
. Drizzt appears in Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate is a computer role-playing game developed by BioWare and released in 1998 by Interplay Entertainment. The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a high fantasy campaign setting, using modified Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules...
fighting some gnolls; it is possible for a skilled player to kill him and steal his items, and a friendly or hostile version of Drizzt can be spawned with a cheat code. Drizzt also appears in the sequel Baldur's Gate II and will react negatively if the player has imported characters from the first game that killed Drizzt or have any of his unique items. He will also react negatively to any elven character with a low reputation with the same name, challenging them to a duel of honour. Drizzt is also included in the Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures game, in the Legend of Drizzt Scenario Pack that also includes Wulfgar and the dragon Icingdeath. An enclosed booklet lets players recreate the battle between Drizzt, Wulfgar, and the dragon. The boxed set was nominated for Best Miniature Product at the 2008 ENnies
ENnies
The Annual Gen Con EN World RPG Awards are annual, fan-based awards for role-playing game products and publishers hosted at Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana...
.
Drizzt features prominently in the D&D Adventure System Cooperative Play board game , released October 18, 2011.
External links
- Dark Party Review An Interview with R.A. Salvatore about Drizzt