Because Dungeons & Dragons has almost 50 years of influence, this will not be an exhaustive list of pop culture references. Rather, this will contain popular culture references that had the biggest impact on me personally. I've also learned that many writers and directors play D&D to help write stories and experiment with different characters. Therefore, some works may be influenced by Dungeons & Dragons without the public ever knowing.
By the 1980s, cultural shifts in America, the rise of horror movies and films, and the popularity of televangelism all combined to create the ultimate fearmongering concoction: the satanic panic. Horror films incorporated many satanic cults or visuals and helped the public visualize different satanic rituals or beings in such a realistic way. In an effort to protect young children, televangelists labeled things as either satanic or essentially gateway drugs into satanism.
John Todd is recognized as one of the original main campaigners against Dungeons & Dragons who labeled the role-playing game satanic. Todd claimed to come from a family of witchcraft but was later converted to Christianity. His background in Satanism gave him the perceived credibility to identify satanic things. His comics, books, and speeches persuaded millions of Americans that things like Dungeons & Dragons, Christian Rock, and Neopaganism were satanic.
Because the satanic panic was so pervasive, these ideas heavily influenced both how Dungeons & Dragons was viewed in popular culture and what kinds of media were created about Dungeons & Dragons. Todd's ideas were so widespread and influential that many people to this day still believe D&D is satanic (like my mother).
Unlike the other pieces of popular culture on this page, this one is more local. Almost ten years ago, BYU's Studio C released a comedy sketch called “Dungeons & Dragons.” The sketch mocked D&D players and depicted them as socially inept people playing this game over a period of months in a basement. This sketch eventually turned into a series that collectively got over 8.5 million views on YouTube alone. Even though the point of the sketch was to mock D&D players, I still found myself thinking, “But that actually sounds kind of fun.” These sketches were my first exposure to Dungeons & Dragons.
Netflix's Stranger Things became a massive pop culture icon. Not only does the show star children playing Dungeons & Dragons in the peak of the Satanic Panic, but fantasy horror elements are inspired by iconic D&D Monsters and Characters including the demogorgon, mind flayers, and the undead lich Vecna. Because Stranger Things became popular, D&D became more popular as a result. The show introduced new audiences to Dungeons & Dragons and presented the game in a new way.
The show also inspired many new Dungeons & Dragons products including a Stranger Things campaign module called Hunt for the Thessalhydra, a Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Starter Pack, and more. In many ways, Stranger Things has helped the general public be more aware and accepting of the world's favorite ttrpg.
Dungeons & Dragons also became more popular when players started livestreaming their own D&D campaigns. Many incredible D&D streamers exist, but the most popular is Critical Role. Critical Role stands out because the cast consists of professional voice actors who are all friends in real life. Matthew Mercer is the dungeon master for all of Critical Role's long running campaigns. Right now, Critical Role is in the middle of its third campaign, and the first campaign was turned into an animated series on Amazon Prime called Vox Machina. Critical Role showed people what D&D looked like, how it worked, and what you could do in the game.
In July 2022, the trailer for a brand new Dungeons & Dragons movie dropped. At first, fans were nervous because previous Dungeons & Dragons movie adaptations strayed from the source material and failed in the box office. Luckily, it looks like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves won't have those issues. The all star cast, impressive visual effects, thoughtful incorporation of source material, and cohesive story have D&D fans hopeful and excited, including myself! The movie is set to premiere exclusively in theaters on Friday, March 31, 2023.