A phenomenon eight books strong

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl has grown from a story into a multimedia universe spanning graphic novels, a Peacock series, games and collectibles.

Why Carl and Donut matter

The series succeeds because of its two main characters. Carl fights to stay human while Donut discovers she was born for intergalactic stardom.

Carl's grudging respect

Carl never liked cats much, but Donut's complete indifference to others' opinions earned his respect from the start.

“I liked Donut. That cat did not give two shits about anybody or anything, and I could respect that.”

Donut admits the truth

Early on, Donut drops her princess act to confess that she's scared and doesn't want to be alone.

“I need you. And you need me, okay? Look, I'm really scared here.”

A qualified declaration of love

While drunk during a disastrous fight, Donut tells Carl she loves him, though she loves her person Miss Beatrice and Ferdinand more.

“I love you, Carl. I don't love you as much as I love Miss Beatrice... But I love you.”

Donut's existential awakening

Newly able to speak and think like a human, Donut struggles to explain what it feels like to realize she's not who she thought she was.

“Have you ever woken up from a long dream, one where you're one thing, and now that you're awake, you realize that's not who you really are?”

Donut stays true to herself

When Carl challenges her behavior, Donut apologizes but refuses to stop being a princess. She'll try not to be too much of an asshole.

“Oh, I am a princess, Carl. But I'll try not to be too much of an asshole.”

Carl's humanity slipping away

As the crawler population falls below one million, Carl realizes the numbers represent real people and he's losing his humanity watching them die.

“For every person that ticked away, I felt I was losing a part of myself, a part of my humanity.”

Carl refuses to break

Near the end of a brutal floor, Carl declares to the dungeon and its audience that they will not break him, no matter what they do.

“You will not break me. Fuck you all. You will not break me.”

Carl recognizes the real enemies

Carl realizes the creatures he kills aren't responsible for his situation. The real enemies are the Syndicate, Borant and the kua-tin.

“I needed to remember who the real enemies were. The Syndicate. Borant. The kua-tin.”

Donut was born for television

When it's time for their first intergalactic television appearance, Donut insists on taking the lead because she was bred for cat shows.

“Every cat show I have ever done is an interview. I was bred for this. Let me do my thing.”

Donut pitches their brand

Donut promises Odette's audience that she and Carl will kill them with style and directly asks viewers to follow and favorite them.

“You guys are going to want to follow me and Carl. You're going to want to favorite us.”

The pants problem

Donut decides Carl's lack of pants is a public relations disaster that must be fixed before their television debut.

“First we need to find you some pants. I will not be presented to the universe in such a fashion.”

Carl's catchphrase goes viral

Carl's habitual expression of exasperation becomes so recognizable that the television program turns it into his catchphrase with a montage.

“Goddammit, Donut.”

Fame changes everything

After their first television appearance, Carl recognizes that Donut's growing celebrity makes his preferred strategy of quiet survival impossible.

“There was something to be said about being anonymous. That wasn't going to happen, not here, not when I had Donut with me.”