5 Best D&D-inspired Movies and Shows to Celebrate Baldur's Gate 3's Success
Dungeons & Dragons is popular once again after Baldur’s Gate 3’s triumphant win at The Game Awards 2023. Here are five movies and shows that feel like a D&D party!
5. The Princess Bride (1987)
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What’s more classic than a fantasy tale about a young man who sets off on a dangerous journey to save his true love, the princess? This is exactly what The Princess Bride is about: beautiful castles, creepy dungeons, vast oceans, forests, mountains, scary monsters, friendships forged along the way, and noble goals.
The Princess Bride encompasses the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons in more ways than just following a hero’s journey. The movie throws some comedy in the mix, creating unique and hilarious characters that seem like a Dungeon Master’s whim and trapping the viewers in an enchanting and vivid world they don’t want to leave.
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)
The world of elemental magic is torn by war as the Fire Nation subjugates or eradicates its enemies with ruthless brutality. Like in any other pivotal moment, an Avatar — a mage capable of controlling all four elements — emerges to save the people, but there’s an issue: he’s a small and naive boy whose magic is weak.
The journey in Avatar: The Last Airbender is your average D&D party set in an original world: Aang is a sorcerer, Katara is a healer, Sokka is a warrior, and Toph is utterly overpowered as she kicks more bottoms than her friends, combined. The Last Airbender is a charming animated series about friendship…and the brutalities of war.
3. The Hobbit Trilogy (2012–2014)
As per Tolkien, there’s no one better at saving the world than an average hobbit who just wants to lead a peaceful life. That’s why when a group of dwarves decides to reclaim their home kingdom from an evil dragon, a wise wizard connects them with Bilbo Baggins who’s less than thrilled with the prospect of becoming a hero.
The live-action adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, the Hobbit trilogy is more modern than Lord of the Rings and even closer to a Dungeons & Dragons campaign due to more humor and action in the mix — except in D&D, a party of 13 powerful dwarven warriors and a wizard is reasonably considered too OP.
2. The Legend Of Vox Machina (2022–Now)
Noble goals lead those who are too boring to indulge in feasts and booze; at least, that’s what seems to drive Vox Machina, an adventuring party of misfits with a passion for booze. Unable to pay their tab in a tavern, the misfits agree to a quest that suddenly leads them to confront the darkest forces that endanger the realm.
No TV series gives off such strong D&D vibes — and that’s because The Legend Of Vox Machina was directly inspired by one of the most famous Dungeons & Dragons campaigns in the world. The main characters were once created by real players for fun, and now, they made their way into the best D&D animated TV show ever.
1. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
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A charming thief who just escaped prison finds out that his former partner has joined forces with a suspicious sorceress and turned his daughter against him. Finding himself in the epicenter of a dangerous scheme, the thief gathers a party to retrieve a lost relic that could help him, but he’s yet to discover what he’s got himself into.
Another masterpiece directly set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons (the Forgotten Realms, to be precise), Honor Among Thieves was a great gift to any D&D fan. Flashy, witty, action-fueled, and driven by distinct and compelling characters, this movie is a must-watch if you’re a sucker for all things magic, humor, and epic.