This paper describes an expedient and straightforward total synthesis of the two pyrrothine natural products holomycin 1a (7 steps, 11% overall) and xenorhabdin I 1c (7 steps, 11% overall) and analogs thereof via a common late-stage intermediate. The pathway proceeds via the pyrrothine hydrochloride intermediate 10 (6 steps, 17% overall) which also gave access to very fast synthesis of analogs as demonstrated by the synthesis of 1f, 1g and 1h (7 steps, 11–12% overall).