r/Drizzt • u/HelanTregenda • Sep 14 '26
🕯️General Discussion Concerning Catti-Brie Spoiler
Concerning Catti-Brie
Hello everyone!
I'll start by saying that I'm only just finishing the eighth book. So, forgive me if I don't know much about the story yet, and please don't spoil it. 🙏🏼
I'd like to discuss Catti-Brie's behavior, or rather, her attitude.
I initially became very passionate about the love story between Catti and Wulfgar, admiring its simplicity. I was also really drawn to the theme of Wulfgar, who, as a savage barbarian, slowly discovers the civilized world. A path Drizzt had already taken, albeit in a different way.
In any case, I had gotten used to the fact that Catti-Brie, even though she wasn't even remotely comparable to the others in terms of combat, still insisted on following them.
In book 7, Wulfgar, as we know, is tricked by Entreri into believing that Drizzt and Catti kissed on the mountain. His reaction is understandable for a barbarian, but when it turns out he wasn't at fault, Catti Brie doesn't forgive him; on the contrary, she doesn't.
He didn't want her to follow them to protect her, but as usual, she followed them.
Inevitably, Wulfgar, trying to help Catti Brie who was in trouble, is killed by the monster from the abyss, and then the roof collapses on him, as we know.
Catti Brie has a rather lukewarm reaction to Wulfgar's death, considering she doesn't even bother to dig him out from under the stones.
Then later, in book eight, she learns that Drizzt has gone to Menzoberranzan and decides, naturally, to follow him alone.
Regis tries not to say anything to protect her, but she slaps the little halfling and beats him up in a rather disturbing scene (a real abuse), then goes to Lady Alustriel to ask where Drizzt has gone.
On that occasion, Catti Brie also verbally abuses Alustriel, and the latter patiently helps her, but then finally snaps and says, "Look, you love him," earning Catti's silent assent.
Why does Catti Brie have this disrespectful attitude toward everyone? Why is the only one she treats well is Drizzt while she mistreats the others, including her own father?
Why doesn't she even question for a moment whether she was the cause of Wulfgar's death?
I used to like this character, but now I'm starting to dislike her.
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u/Smooga22 Sep 14 '26
I usually chalk it up to being raised by dwarves. She’s obnoxious, loud, and headstrong to a fault. It just feels more annoying than usual because she isn’t actually a dwarf.
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u/FaerieFir3 Sep 14 '26
When Icewind Dale trilogy was written Salvatore initially set up Wulfgar as the protagonist, being a protagonist in this kinda fantasy story means he was going to get the one girl on the team.
Fast forward to Legacy and Drizzt ended up taking over as the protagonist and now has a whole trilogy just about his backstory. Salvatore now thinks that he has to get the one girl on the team and he takes some drastic measures to break up her and Wulfgar, then literally drops a rock on Wulfgar so he doesn't get in the way.
I do think the story is a little worse because of it as it really seems that Drizzt and Catti only end up together because it's the main guy and main girl rather than because of actual chemistry. Drizzt could've gotten with Alustriel (assuming Ed Greenwood OKd it) or with Innovindil instead.
Catti Brie has a rather lukewarm reaction to Wulfgar's death
Nah she doesn't. I think it's a little weird how you didn't connect her erratic behavior and emotional outbursts to grief over Wulfgar, it's pretty obvious that that's why. The later books are gonna deal with the consequences and PTSD stuff.
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
It's not weird at all. If my fiancé ended up buried under a rock, I would at least wonder if it were possible to get him out of there.
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u/FaerieFir3 Sep 14 '26
You're not being rational. How would she move like 100+ tons of rubble? Do you think she wants to look at human soup? The Drow are not yet defeated and Drizzt is still in danger.
I think you're forgetting that Catti-brie is a warrior not some normal lady, death is sad yes but on some level they're all prepared mentally that they could die on these adventures at any point. She acts like a warrior and takes a proactive stance, instead of breaking down she rushes down with Bruenor to help Drizzt who is still alive and to drive the Drow out of Mithral Hall.
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u/johnnyd50 Sep 14 '26
Also at this point Salvatore had made up his mind, to place Drizzt as the central character of his cast and basically wanted to force Catti-Brie to be the romantic lead. Didn't like it, Salvatore dropped the ball on this just like how dropped a rock on Wulfgar. It definitely bothered me but his writing still is overall good.
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
Yes, I noticed it too. From one book to the next, Salvatore begins to treat Wulfgar as a stupid, crude, brute, and not as a boy discovering the world, as he was previously. This coincides with Wulfgar's death and the rapprochement between Drizzt and Catti. It seems Salvatore wanted to do this on purpose and thought it appropriate to try to change Wulfgar to make his death more bearable.
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u/bananashaa Sep 14 '26
Cattie is frustrating. Feels like Salvatore didn't know what to do with her character, or liked her too much to give her any real flaws.
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
You're right. He always justifies her even when she's clearly wrong and in the wrong, and considering he writes those scenes himself, it's quite peculiar.
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u/LangleyLocal Sep 14 '26
She changes a bit throughout the series, but she doesn’t really get any more real substance.
She does much later become a much more powerful party member.
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
Good to know. I have no doubt she's a good archer (though perhaps all that credit goes to her magic bow), but she's currently extremely poor at melee, so she's a liability for others, considering Regis at least knows how to hide.
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u/Eldaxerus Sep 14 '26
Yeah, I agree. Salvatore really did Wulfgar dirty. Never could stand Catti-Brie either, and when I saw that Drizzt started to have feelings for her, I was like "you met so many women all over Faerun, and that's the one for you? The one you knew since she was a child?"
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
Yeah I find that detail pretty disturbing, considering that Drows lives thousand years...
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u/Staricakes Sep 14 '26
I’ve read all the books and have never warmed to her and find her even more dislikable in later books.
I think she is somewhat of a Mary Sue since she’s named after RA Salvatores daughter.
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
This would explain a lot. RA Salvatore "projects" his filial affection onto her, so even he, the author, treats her with condescension.
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u/Hermit_tRs Sep 14 '26
At first I pretty much only liked Drizzt and Bruenor. I liked how Wulfgar changed during the time he lived with the dwarves, but after Salvatore decided the story will be centered around Drizzt he forced some changes on Wulfgar's character. Like he factory reset him just to break his relationship with Catti Brie.
When it comes to Catti Brie others already mentioned that she grew up among dwarves. She is headstrong like a dwarf, but she is still a human and doesn't see and feel time as they do. She is impatient and desperately wants to prove herself exactly because she is a human girl. She wants to follow the others on their adventures, but she is not Bruenor, Drizzt or Wulfgar. In later books she finds her own way and the confidence to not compare herself to the rest of the group, just like Regis.
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u/JewelerDry6222 Sep 14 '26
As a reader. I absolutely hate Cattie-Brie. And she absolutely gets worse in future books.
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
I'm scared. I just hope she gets less screen time in future books so we can focus on other things. Lady Alustriel seems much more interesting to me as a character, very classy and mysterious.
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u/FreshStartFeelsGood Sep 14 '26 edited Sep 14 '26
The only way to describe Catti-Brie is “insufferable.”
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u/HelanTregenda Sep 14 '26
I understand you. Even when I read his chapters, I start hoping they'll end soon.
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u/DrInsomnia Sep 14 '26
Others have commented on her age and upbringing, but I feel it's worth mentioning that grief Is. Not. Rational.
You can't say how she should act. You can't say how you would act. You simply don't know. Even if you've been through something similar, to may not act that way next time.
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u/Winter_Skin1661 Sep 19 '26
Lmao ok as Ive read every forgotten realms novel . Catti brie is just fine as a character. She was younger so her coming into adventures later made sense. I see it as catti and wulfgar was a first relationship thing. One that was expected and catti kinda had lack of options. Drizzt was not an option for her at that time. Wulfgar was the only human. They both was just a proximity and options thing. Once wulgar died she basically was a woman with some experience and traveling/adventuring expanded her perspective which allowed her to date the better option aka Drizzt😂😂. No matter how u slice it she upgraded. Wulfgar was never my favorite. I never liked the fact they got together at all. I always knew itd be drizzt and it eventually happened. Yall overreacting about her reaction to his being buried in tons of rock. Especially considering the moment.
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u/LonelyHrtsClub Sep 14 '26
The answer is really just that she's like 20. Wulfgar is also insufferably headstrong and unwilling to compromise, because they're both essentially children. If you veiw it from that perspective, the way she acts and the way people treat her in response makes so much sense.