Princess Donut’s crown symbolizes the terrible decisions that the dungeon forces its crawlers to make. The crown also draws attention to Donut’s shift from self-centeredness to a team-based approach. Initially, Donut makes the rash decision to wear the crown without reading about its capabilities, and she often acts without thinking about the consequences. By the end of the novel, however, Donut is well aware that her brash actions impact Carl as well as herself, and she proves that she cares about Carl more than she cares about her own vanity.

Throughout the narrative, Carl repeatedly contemplates the crown and its implications:

I looked at Donut’s small, jeweled tiara… Because she’d put it on, she’d become a royal member of ‘The Blood Sultanate.’ We’d only get off the ninth floor if all other members of the family were killed, including the Sultan himself. I had no idea what any of that meant (377).

Because of Donut’s rash action, Carl knows that on Level 9, he will need to make a decision as to whether to abandon Donut for his own safety, or to remain true to their partnership and help her to kill all the members of the Blood Sultanate family.