Da 5 Bloods (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Bloods discovered the gold in a crashed CIA plane. It was meant as payment to the Lahu people for their help fighting the Viet Cong, but the soldiers were tempted by the fortune and decided to bury it for later retrieval. Their plan was to return after the war to recover it, but Norman died and a napalm strike destroyed the landmarks they needed to locate the cache.

• gold
• buried treasure
• Vietnam War
• CIA plane
• Lahu people

Norman was killed during a fierce Vietnamese counter-attack while the Bloods were still in Vietnam. He died defending the group, and his death prevented the soldiers from retrieving the gold they had buried. The loss of their squad leader profoundly affected the surviving members.

• Norman
• squad leader
• death
• counter-attack
• Chadwick Boseman

A devastating napalm strike obliterated the landmarks and terrain features the Bloods used to remember where they buried the gold. Without those reference points, locating the exact spot became impossible. The 2024 landslide that uncovered the aircraft tail finally gave them a new way to pinpoint the location.

• napalm
• gold location
• landmarks
• missing treasure

Paul suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder from his Vietnam experiences, which intensifies as the mission progresses. The combination of returning to the trauma-filled environment, guilt over Norman and their past actions, and the high-stakes treasure hunt triggers paranoid behavior. He becomes convinced that outsiders, including Vinh, are planning to betray them.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Paul struggling with flashbacks and confronting his PTSD in the countryside.

• Paul
• PTSD
• paranoia
• trauma
• mental health

Eddie is killed by a landmine while traveling through the Vietnamese countryside. His tragic death highlights the lingering dangers from the war, as unexploded ordnance remains scattered throughout the region. His death deeply affects the remaining group and becomes a catalyst for further conflict.

• Eddie
• landmine
• death
• Vietnam countryside

David joins the mission despite his strained relationship with Paul, seeking to understand his father's past and perhaps forge a connection. Their relationship remains tense throughout the journey, with Paul struggling to open up about his war experiences. The journey ultimately becomes a path toward reconciliation, with Paul writing David a heartfelt letter before his death.

• David
• Paul
• father son relationship
• estranged
• reconciliation

Desroche is a French entrepreneur introduced by Tiên who offers to help smuggle the gold out of Vietnam. However, he ultimately proves to be a villain who double-crosses the group. He orders Paul's death and attacks the remaining Bloods at their temple refuge. David ultimately defeats Desroche, avenging Otis's death.

Foreshadowing: Desroche's offer to help with smuggling foreshadows his true intentions.

• Desroche
• French entrepreneur
• betrayal
• double cross
• Jean Reno

Paul takes his share of the gold and ventures off alone, believing that others will betray him. He is eventually killed by Desroche's men. After his death, his share is not detailed as being recovered, the focus shifts to distributing the remaining gold among the survivors and their chosen causes.

• Paul
• gold
• death
• Desroche

After defeating Desroche's men, the surviving Bloods distribute the gold: Melvin's share goes to his widow, Eddie's is donated to Black Lives Matter, and portions go to Hedy's landmine clearance organization. Norman's remains are returned to his family with full military honors. David reads a final letter from Paul, and Otis begins a relationship with Tiên and meets their daughter.

• ending
• gold distribution
• Norman remains
• resolution

Norman was killed during the war and buried somewhere in the jungle. The 2024 landslide that reveals the aircraft tail gives the Bloods hope of locating both the gold and Norman's remains. At the end of the movie, the U.S. military provides a respectful return of Norman's remains to his family, bringing closure to this central quest.

• Norman remains
• burial
• return to family
• military honors

Otis reconnects with Tiên, his former Vietnamese lover, during the reunion in Ho Chi Minh City. He discovers he is the father of her adult child. By the end of the movie, Otis chooses to stay in Vietnam to build a relationship with Tiên and their daughter, representing a new chapter and personal healing after the trauma of war.

Foreshadowing: Tiên's revelation about being Otis's daughter is introduced during the Ho Chi Minh City reunion.

• Otis
• Tiên
• daughter
• reunion
• new beginning

The distribution of gold represents the characters' search for meaning and redemption after their journey. Eddie's share goes to Black Lives Matter, reflecting his commitment to fighting for racial justice. Hedy and Simon give their portions to the landmine clearance organization in honor of Seppo, who died from a landmine. This act transforms the gold from a symbol of greed into a force for positive change.

• gold distribution
• Black Lives Matter
• landmines
• charity
• redemption