There are many table-top role-playing games (or TTRPGs) in the world. Dungeons & Dragons is undoubtedly the most famous of them. This is largely due to it creating something new to the niche world of miniature war games in 1974. Namely, a shared storytelling experience, based around individual characters rather than military formations. It also, eventually, inspired movies based upon the D&D brand.

Best Dungeons & Dragons Movies as of 2025

As of 2025, there have been five feature-length movies based upon the many worlds under the Dungeons & Dragons banner. Some were better than others at taking advantage of the brand, while others had bigger budgets. With all that in mind, the following list ranks these films, from worst to best.

Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (2008)

The creation of game designers Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, Dragonlance was one of the most influential game settings published under the aegis of D&D. Indeed, their novels based on the world of Krynn introduced D&D to many people. The concept of a magical world abandoned by its gods only to find them suddenly returning resonated with fantasy audiences looking for something beyond Lord of the Rings.

The first of these novels, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, was chosen to be adapted into an animated movie. Hopes were high among Dungeons & Dragons fans in the build to the film’s release. Beyond Hickman and Weis assisting with the screenplay, the vocal cast featured actors like 24’s Kiefer Sutherland, Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum, and Xena herself, Lucy Lawless.

Unfortunately, the final film suffered on several fronts. Chief among them was the animation, which mixed traditional 2D hand-drawn characters with 3D computer-animated constructs. This led to constant visual inconsistency, with the cel-animated Heroes of the Lance battling CGI dragons and Draconians.

The larger issue, however, is the film’s poor pacing. It attempts to fit the whole of the Dragons of Autumn Twilight novel into a 90 minute film. It does this by cutting most of the character-focused scenes. This was a huge miscalculation given that it was those scenes that made the original Dragonlance novels so memorable. The end result is a movie that is generally agreed to be the worst cinematic Dungeons & Dragons adaptation ever.

Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

The land of Izmir is ruled by the Empress Savina, thanks to her command of a magic rod that grants the power to control golden dragons. However, the Council of Mages, led by the evil wizard Profion, oppose her plans to increase the rights of the common people. Enter the thieves Ridley and Snails, who are brought into their conflict after trying to rob the wrong magic library. To save Izmir, they will join forces with an apprentice wizard, a Dwarven mercenary, and an Elven paladin to retrieve the red-dragon controlling Rod of Savrille before Profion can.

The first live-action Dungeons & Dragons movie is generally considered to be one of the worst Hollywood blockbusters ever made. Certainly it is a flawed film, which has issues with maintaining a consistent tone in terms of its direction. Indeed, many debate which is more difficult to watch; the hammy overacting of Jeremy Irons as Profion or the sedate underacting of Thora Birch as Savina.

Beyond that, the movie presents a generic fantasy world only loosely based on the relatively obscure Dungeons & Dragons setting of Mystara. This was due to producer/director Courtney Solomon feeling that basing the movie on a specific or popular campaign setting would only confuse viewers. However, this decision wound up turning-off fans of the franchise just as much as the wonky CGI and tonal shifts in the script.

Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005)

Wrath of the Dragon God is a bit of an odd beast. Officially, the film is a sequel to the 2000 Dungeons & Dragons movie. However, their only common links are a reference to the land of Izmir and the return of actor Bruce Payne as Damodar, the head henchman of Profion. And yet, Wrath of the Dragon God draws more deeply on the game’s mythology than the first film.

Set 100 years after the first movie, an undead Damodar seeks revenge on the descendants of the heroes who saw him cursed to undeath. This leads him to retrieve a mystic orb, with which he hopes to awaken the hibernating dragon-god Faluzure. The task of stopping him falls to a brave knight, his wizard wife, and an assemblage of heroes including a barbarian, a druid, and a rogue.

Premiering on the Sci-Fi Channel, Wrath of the Dragon God‘s budget was less than one-third that of the original. Despite this, it put what money it had to better use. The special effects are nothing special, but look far better for being television-grade CGI than the previous film. The movie also benefited from more consistent direction overall. It also won over D&D players with subtle nods to the game lore. Granted, most of the nods were based on the Greyhawk setting rather than Mystara, but the thought was there.

Dungeons & Dragons 3: The Book of Vile Darkness (2012)

In times long past, a wicked sorcerer sold his soul to dark powers after a life of unrepentant villainy. His skin and blood were used to forge The Book of Vile Darkness; a twisted tome that corrupted any who read it. Thankfully, the Knights of the New Sun were able to destroy it.

2000 years later, the Knights of the New Sun are dead, save for their leader and their newest recruit. With the forces that destroyed their order seeking to rebind The Book of Vile Darkness, the young paladin Grayson undertakes a bold plan. Posing as a mercenary, he joins the evil adventuring party that slaughtered his fellow Knights, seeking to smite them at the right moment. But can the idealistic young hero honor his oaths while pretending to be an amoral scoundrel?

Dungeons & Dragons 3 is easily the most obscure movie on this list. It never got an official DVD release in the United States. And given the film’s adult content and dark story, it is unlikely to get a rerelease with Wizards of the Coast now marketing D&D as a family-friendly game. This is unfortunate, as Dungeons & Dragons 3: The Book of Vile Darkness was, for many years, the best D&D adaptation ever.

While undeniably low-budget, director Gerry Lively was able to work within the necessary financial limits. The story is also well-scripted, delving into the conflict the Lawful Good Grayson feels regarding holding to a code and effectively delivering justice. Finally, with multiple nods to the Greyhawk campaign setting, it did a far better job of adapting the source material than any previous D&D movie.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Newly escaped from prison, bard Ed and barbarian Holga seek out their partners in crime. The reunion is soured, however, when they learn their former comrade Forge betrayed them and partnered with the sinister Red Wizard Sofina. Worse yet, Forge turned Ed’s daughter Kira against him. Reuniting with sorcerer Simon, and recruiting the druid Doric, Ed and Holga start plotting a heist. One that will prove their innocence, rescue Kira, and thwart Forge and Sofina’s schemes.

While only a modest earner at the box office, Honor Among Thieves is easily the most well-received of the Dungeons & Dragons movies. Film critics loved it for its humor and action. D&D players praised it for how it adapted the lore and monsters of the Forgotten Realms setting. It also won the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form).

How we picked the best Dungeons & Dragons movies

This list was based around two chief criteria. The first was overall production quality and how well the movie tells an engaging story. The second was how well the movie captures the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons in terms of the lore and general tone.