Editing Drizzt Do'Urden (section)

== Reception and legacy ==
{{quote box|quote=Salvatore mixes neatly choreographed battles with philosophical musings from self-styled "renegade soul" Drizzt, lending a little depth to an otherwise straightforward hack-and-slash adventure.|source=''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' review of ''The Orc King''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Forgotten-Realms/R-A-Salvatore/e/9780786943401|title=Forgotten Realms: The Orc King|year=2007|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]|publisher=[[Barnes & Noble]]|access-date=2009-01-22}}</ref>|width=300px}}

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."<ref name="PM"/> A review for ''[[Pyramid (magazine)|Pyramid]]'' refers to Drizzt as the "most famous denizen" of Menzoberranzan, identifying him and the city as "some of the most famous pieces of the Realms",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=1360|title=Pyramid: Pyramid Review: Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark (for AD&D)|first=Eric L. |last=Boyd|author-link=Eric L. Boyd|website=www.sjgames.com|access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref> while chroniclers of the game Witwer ''et al.'' in the book ''[[Art & Arcana: A Visual History]]'' counted him among the "iconic D&D characters".<ref>{{cite book |title=Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: a visual history |last1=Witwer |first1=Michael |last2=Newman |first2=Kyle |last3=Peterson |first3=Jonathan |last4=Witwer |first4=Sam |last5=Manganiello |first5=Joe |date=October 2018 |isbn=9780399580949 |publisher=[[Ten Speed Press]] |oclc=1033548473 |pages=5, 210-211}}</ref> Rob Bricken of [[Kotaku]] called Drizzt "one of the [[Mary Sue]]-iest characters in all of fiction".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/the-13-strangest-deities-in-dungeons-dragons/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331030901/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/the-13-strangest-deities-in-dungeons-dragons/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 31, 2016|title=The 13 Strangest Deities In Dungeons & Dragons|date=28 March 2016|website=[[Kotaku Australia]]|access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref>

The Drizzt Do'Urden books are popular with fantasy fans,<ref>{{Cite journal|title =Wizards of the Coast Publishing Caps Record Year With Two New York Times' Best-Sellers| type = review| journal =[[Business Wire]]|publisher =Berkshire Hathaway | date = Jan 28, 2003}}</ref> and the Drizzt character is author R. A. Salvatore's best known creation. All 34 novels featuring Drizzt by Salvatore have made [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]], starting with ''The Crystal Shard''.<ref name="Pirate"/><ref name="Orc"/> ''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.<ref name="Orc">{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/publishing-book-publishing/5290385-1.html|title=R.A. Salvatore's The Orc King Makes Top 10 Rankings on Bestseller Lists: Publishers Weekly...|date=October 11, 2007|work=Business Wire|publisher=All Business|access-date=2009-01-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116101414/http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/publishing-book-publishing/5290385-1.html|archive-date=January 16, 2013}}</ref> It reached the top of ''The Wall Street Journal'''s 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 Publishers Weekly bestseller list.

''The Lone Drow'' debuted at #7 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in October 2003.<ref name="TS Debut">{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/manufacturing/miscellaneous-mfg-doll-toy-games-games/5578079-1.html |title=The 'Two Swords' Debuts at #1 on the Wall Street Journal's Bestseller List; R.A. Salvatore's... |date=November 8, 2004 |work=Business Wire |publisher=All Business |access-date=2009-01-09 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> ''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.<ref name="PW"/>

Drizzt Do'Urden was #3 on ''Game Rant''<nowiki/>'s 2020 "10 Must-Have NPCs In Dungeons & Dragons Lore To Make Your Campaigns Awesome" list — the article states that "A skilled ranger in his own right, Drizzt remains equally-adept in conversation. He's always wary of danger, strives for perfection, and held himself to the highest standard. Meeting one of the most iconic figures in ''D&D'' could help make players feel important in their campaign."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Taguiam|first=Rhenn|date=2020-08-15|title=10 Must-Have NPCs In Dungeons & Dragons Lore To Make Your Campaigns Awesome|url=https://gamerant.com/dungeons-and-dragons-lore-must-have-npcs-for-campaign/|access-date=2020-08-25|website=Game Rant|language=en-US}}</ref>

In the ''[[Io9]]'' series revisiting older ''Dungeons & Dragons'' novels, in his review of ''[[The Crystal Shard]]'', Rob Bricken referred to Drizzt as "arguably the most famous and beloved D&D character of all time" and noted that Wizards of the Coast had finally begun combatting the stereotype of the drow as a "super-evil, subterranean race", which Drizzt forsakes "to become a noble Ranger on the surface world". Bricken noted that "Drizzt ends up overshadowing almost everyone and everything" but comments that "Drizzt and Wulfgar are so preternaturally badass they beat 25 giants by themselves (well, with help from Drizzt's magic panther Guenhwyvar, because of course he has a magic panther pal)".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bricken|first=Rob|date=June 26, 2020|title=Dungeons & Dragons & Novels: Revisiting The Crystal Shard|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-novels-revisiting-the-crystal-sha-1844083723|access-date=2020-12-28|website=io9|language=en-us}}</ref> In his review of ''[[Homeland (Forgotten Realms novel)|Homeland]]'', Bricken explained that "when Salvatore introduced Drizzt in 1988's ''The Crystal Shard'', players/readers who hadn't been bothered this by were forced to acknowledge the correlation because characters in the Forgotten Realms judged Drizzt by the color of his skin. He was distrusted, despised, and discriminated against, often even by those he helped."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bricken|first=Rob|date=November 15, 2022|title=Dungeons & Dragons & Novels: Revisiting Homeland|url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-novels-drizzt-homeland-rasalvatore-1849785575 |access-date=2022-12-01|website=io9|language=en-us}}</ref>