Ludwig Dieter, portrayed by German actor Matthias Schweighöfer, is a prominent character in Zack Snyder's "Army of the Dead" franchise. Initially appearing in "Army of the Dead," Dieter's popularity led to a prequel, "Army of Thieves," where he takes center stage. This analysis explores Dieter's character, his personality traits, skills, and his role in the overarching narrative.
From Sebastian to Dieter: An Origin Story
Before becoming the renowned safecracker Ludwig Dieter, he was Sebastian Schlencht-Wöhnert, a lonely German bank teller with a peculiar passion for the intricate mechanisms of locks. Sebastian's childhood was marked by interests that set him apart from his peers, primarily his fascination with safecracking, which he diligently practiced in his spare time. This dedication led him to become an expert safecracker, arguably the best in the world.
The Leipziger Tournament
Sebastian's journey took an exciting turn when he participated in a safecracking tournament at the Leipziger house. After narrowly securing his position in the semifinals, he faced Neo, the reigning champion, in the finals. With only thirty seconds remaining, Sebastian breezed through the dials and opened his door, assuring his victory.
Recruitment by Gwendoline
Following the tournament, Sebastian's life took a dramatic turn when he encountered Gwendoline Starr. Gwendoline, a jewelry thief among Interpol's most wanted criminals, sought him out because of his knowledge of Hans Wagner's safes. Impressed by his passion and skills, she recruited him to crack the master designer's Ring Cycle safes.
The Army of Thieves: Cracking Wagner's Safes
In "Army of Thieves," Dieter is recruited by Gwendoline to join a team of expert thieves on a mission to crack a series of high-security safes across Europe. Despite being initially hesitant, Dieter ultimately agrees to join the heist in hopes of proving his worth and experiencing the thrill of a lifetime. Throughout the film, Dieter showcases his exceptional safecracking skills and quick thinking under pressure, making him an invaluable asset to the team.
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The Rheingold Heist
The team's first target was the Rheingold, Hans Wagner's first Ring Cycle safe, located in a credit union in Paris. Sebastian, guided by Gwen, successfully cracked the safe, and they filled their bags with money, marking the beginning of their thrilling adventure.
The Valkyrie Heist
The next target was the Valkyrie, housed in NPIB Prague. With Korina's electronic guidance, Sebastian navigated through the bank's security protocols. Despite a minor slipup, he managed to crack the safe amidst the chaos of Brad Cage's distraction. However, Brad betrayed Sebastian, leaving him to evade the Czech police.
The Siegfried Heist
The final safe, the Siegfried, was located in the St. Moritz Bly. The plan involved stealing the entire safe instead of breaking into the casino. Sebastian and Gwen stole the armored truck and successfully cracked the safe. However, they were intercepted by Brad and Rolph, leading to a confrontation with Interpol. Gwen sacrificed herself to allow Sebastian to escape, giving him a new identity as Ludwig Dieter and a ticket to America.
Personality and Traits
Ludwig Dieter is portrayed as an ENFP (Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving) with an Enneagram Type 6w5. As an ENFP, Dieter is expressive, enthusiastic, honest, and authentic. He enjoys being in the moment and exploring the unknown with friends. His Enneagram type 6w5 indicates that he is more introverted, self-controlled, and intellectual than other type 7s. He is often the smarty pants who seems to have everything figured out.
Quirks and Comedic Moments
Ludwig Dieter quickly becomes a fan-favorite character due to his endearing quirks and comedic moments, which provide a lighthearted balance to the intense action sequences. Schweighöfer's portrayal of Dieter has been praised for its charm and charisma, as well as the character's unexpected depth and vulnerability. As the story unfolds, audiences become invested in Dieter's journey and root for his success in the face of dangerous adversaries and unexpected obstacles.
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Safecracking Expertise
Dieter was an expert safecracker - probably the best in the world. His expertise in safecracking and specialty in Hans Wagner's safes in particular made Dieter a prime candidate to crack the Götterdämmerung, where the targeted $200 million waited.
Multilingualism
Dieter fluently spoke his native German in addition to English.
Marksmanship
Dieter had a small degree of skill with firearms. Although he was not as experienced with battle as the other members of his team, he picked up the skill quickly and was able to use a pistol to shoot the bride zombie in the head.
Army of the Dead: Facing the Apocalypse
Six years after his adventures with Gwendoline, Dieter is approached by Scott Ward and Maria Cruz to crack the Götterdämmerung, the last of the four legendary Hans Wagner safes, in zombie-infested Las Vegas.
Recruitment and Arrival at the Götterdämmerung
When approached at his place of work, Gwendoline's Safe & Lock Co., the Götterdämmerung blueprints in hand, Dieter jumped at the chance to join the mission. He met with the full group and took an immediate liking to Vanderohe, who initially brushed him off. A bit jumpy in the face of danger, Dieter made it safely to Bly's Casino with the rest of the group.
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Cracking the Götterdämmerung
Faced with a small pack of zombies, Dieter managed to dispatch his first shambler: the bride. The group found the remains of another safecracking team, which had tried to cut their way to the vault, damaging the card reader. Instead of using Dieter's entry card, Van blew it up, and they moved forward. The final hallway was rigged with "non-lethal" deterrents, which Van triggered by sending shamblers down the hall. Not all deterrents were non-lethal. Finally able to approach the safe, Dieter got to work. Some time later, he was in.
Sacrifice and Uncertain Fate
Impressed with Dieter's skill set, Vanderohe finally treated Dieter as a full equal. They began to gather the money when the chamber was attacked by the Las Vegas horde. The others filtered out, up into the lobby, but Dieter and Van stayed behind to collect the last of the money before the alphas could break through. As they finished, they were too late, and the zombies began to come in. The two fired on them as they approached, clearing a path to the elevator, until Zeus stood in their way. Zeus' helmet protected him from their gunfire, and Van was stuck trading blows with the enhanced strength of the zombie king. Dieter spotted an opportunity to strike Zeus' head, then he pushed Vanderohe into the safe and closed the door to save him from Zeus. Dieter sacrificed himself to save Vanderohe from Zeus.
Dieter's sudden and unexpected death is one of the film's most crushing moments. Dieter appeared to have met a grim fate in Army of the Dead in his sacrifice to save Vanderohe. But, as Snyder himself acknowledged, the tried-and-true rule of horror deaths is that unless there's a body, you can't assume a character is dead, and Dieter was very clearly "killed" offscreen.
Dieter and Vanderohe: A Queer-Coded Bromance?
Even though there's a ton going on in Army of the Dead, two characters have emerged as breakout fan favorites: Dieter and Vanderohe, the latest duo to join a long and storied history of queer-coded bromances in action flicks. With an ensemble cast as large as Army of the Dead's, the most memorable relationship wasn't between any of the established or teased-at romances. Instead, it was the not-so-subtly homeotic chemistry between Schweighöfer's bright-eyed safecracker Ludwig Dieter, and Hardwick's philosophical, battle-hardened Vanderohe. Though the two only share a few scenes together, the chemistry was immediate and palpable.
Dieter and Vanderohe have all the trademarks of a traditional action bromance - the veteran taking the naive newbie under their wing, the two bonding in battle and growing closer as the situation get more dire, and, of course, one making the tragic heroic sacrifice at the end of the film so the other can get out alive.