Donut and Carl are officially in the home stretch as readers head into Book 9 of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series. It’s been a long road for the two crawlers, and they’ve faced overwhelming odds along the way, facing down everything from mantaurs to sharktopuses (or is it octosharks?) and even to full-blown deities.
!!! WARNING CRAWLERS: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL BOOK 9 !!!
Sadly, the numbers have dwindled considerably since Carl first entered the World Dungeon, and what started as roughly 13 million people has been reduced to double digits by the time they reach the 11th Floor. With the odds stacked against them, the vast majority of crawlers never stood a chance, and whether it’s sheer luck, skill, or something else entirely, Carl and Donut have managed to survive where so many others have failed. Here’s a look at the situation as we head into Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 9.
How Many Crawlers Are Left At The End Of Book 8
By the beginning of Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8, the number of surviving crawlers had already fallen dramatically, with just 5,501 remaining when Carl and Donut entered the 10th Floor. That’s an astonishing decline from the nearly 13 million who originally entered the World Dungeon, though thousands managed to escape by accepting deals, particularly following the events of Faction Wars.
Unfortunately, the 10th Floor proved especially brutal, with crawlers forced to participate in seven heats of deadly vehicle races. Between the dangerous courses and competitions that pit fellow crawlers against one another, the remaining population was completely decimated. That said, not everyone who disappeared from the competition was actually killed.
Carl and co. encouraged the other crawlers to accept exit deals rather than risk certain death, while hundreds pursued an alternative escape through the Pineapple Cabaret. Ahead of the final heat, 715 of the 989 remaining crawlers are ready to leave through the Outreach Guild, further reducing the total number.
By the time Carl and Donut actually arrive on the 11th Floor, only 23 crawlers remain. Things get even worse during the Parade of Horribles, which culminates in a massive battle involving deities and the long-awaited encounter with the legendary Scolopendra. Four more crawlers are killed in the chaos, leaving just 19 original crawlers heading into the 12th Floor.
Interestingly, there are two unusual additional crawlers that joined the lineup during Book 8: Penelope the pig and Scolopendra herself, who is transformed into a level-one crawler and actually joins Carl’s party. Technically, that complicates the final count, though Carl explicitly identifies 19 surviving crawlers before those two.
Every Crawler Still In The Game For Book 9 (That We Know About)
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Credit: Dandy House</figure>
Although Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8 ends with 19 original crawlers surviving the 11th Floor, we also have learned a bit about Book 9 thanks to Matt Dinniman’s teaser chapters from the Patreon page. The opening preview chapters for Book 9 reveal the number has dropped even further. Just 13 crawlers remain active when the Ascendency Games begin on the 12th Floor, though the roster now includes several unexpected additions who weren’t among the original human survivors.
Fortunately, some of the series’ most beloved characters are still with us, including several of Carl and Donut’s longtime allies. The known crawlers entering Book 9 include:
- Carl: Our main man, who remains determined to get everyone out of the dungeon.
- Princess Donut: The Queen Anne Chonk, who also has selected the new Vibe Coder class.
- Prepotente (Pony): The powerful caprid crawler and one of Carl’s most formidable allies.
- Imani: The longtime healer and member of Carl’s surviving group.
- Elle McGib: Now a level-175 goddess known as the Mourning Comet, while retaining her crawler status.
- Florin: The Australian crocodilian crawler who continues protecting Lucia Mar.
- Lucia Mar: The mysterious young crawler whose condition remains connected to thousands of children.
- Jurgen: The powerful warrior who has been working alongside Prepotente.
- Makana: The Hawaiian crawler who becomes the lone survivor of the Destruction parade float.
- Lingyun: A Chinese crawler who adopted the Monkey King race.
- Penny (Penelope): The pig who unexpectedly receives crawler status during Book 8.
- Sexy Scolopendra: The former dungeon boss transformed into a level-one crawler.
- Tabiti (Tilly): A mysterious newcomer resembling a little girl.
There are a few important distinctions regarding the surviving crawlers. Muchen and Qianfan, two Chinese crawlers who survive the 11th Floor, accept deals allowing them to return to Earth’s surface rather than continue into the Ascendency Games. Meanwhile, Ajib and several other crawlers are among the 19 survivors at the conclusion of Book 8 but aren’t accounted for in the available Book 9 preview chapters. Their exact circumstances remain unclear, meaning the fate of every surviving crawler has not yet been definitively established.
All told, there’s a lot on the line for the remaining crawlers in Dungeon Crawler Carl as we head into Book 9, currently using the working title The Beautiful Place. With just a baker’s dozen of crawlers left in the World Dungeon, the stakes are higher than ever and Carl’s crew are going to have to pull out all the stops to make it out alive.
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