LeChuck
Encyclopedia
LeChuck is a fictional character
in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure game
s. Created by Ron Gilbert
for LucasArts
, LeChuck was introduced in The Secret of Monkey Island
and is the chief antagonist
of the series. Gilbert drew on aspects of the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger Tides
for his concept for LeChuck. Actor Earl Boen
provides the character's voice work for the majority of his appearances, although Adam Harrington and Kevin Blackton supplemented Boen's work in Tales of Monkey Island
.
An undead
pirate
captain, LeChuck is obsessed with pursuing the affections of the series' heroine, Elaine Marley
, and exacting revenge upon protagonist Guybrush Threepwood
, who is responsible for consistently thwarting his plans. LeChuck is not limited to one incarnation; across the series, the character has been depicted as a ghost
, a zombie
and a demon
among other forms. While sometimes gullible and naïve, LeChuck is a powerful and intelligent villain, making extensive use of voodoo magic in his megalomaniacal plans.
. Gilbert's concept for LeChuck, especially the character's heavy use of voodoo magic, was influenced by the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger Tides
. The "Chuck" portion of the character's name comes from LucasFilm
general manager Steve Arnold, who told Gilbert that he really liked the name Chuck and would like to see it appear in more games.
While the first two games in the series did not feature voice acting, actor Earl Boen
provided LeChuck's voice for both The Curse of Monkey Island and Escape from Monkey Island, reprising the role for the later Special Editions of the first two games. However, Boen was initially absent from Telltale Games
' Tales of Monkey Island
; LeChuck was instead voiced by Adam Harrington in the first chapter, with Kevin Blackton voicing the human version of the character in the subsequent chapters. Boen returned to the role for the final two chapters, in which LeChuck is restored to his undead form; Boen has since recorded Harrington's lines for the first chapter for the DVD release of the game.
Gilbert has drawn parallels between LeChuck and the character of Davy Jones
in the later Pirates of the Caribbean
film series, implying that LeChuck may have served as an inspiration for the character's attitude, tone and design. Regarding Jones' appearance, Gilbert wrote that "if I'd thought of the squid tentacles for a beard, I would have done that".
, whom he recognises a real threat to his plans due to Threepwood's resourcefulness. By Escape from Monkey Island LeChuck regrets having missed the opportunity to simply kill Guybrush in the past, having preferred the opportunity to gloat in victory over eliminating his enemy. Despite his intellect, LeChuck is arrogant and overconfident, and can be gullible, which often leads to his downfall.
Following his transformation into a human in Tales of Monkey Island, LeChuck's nature appears to change. Wielding a kinder and more friendly disposition, he is willing to go over great distances to repair the damage caused by his own actions. His feelings about his past as an undead pirate are mixed, shown to be regretful about his malicious deeds, but longing for the powers he lost, feeling weaker and less bright than he used to be. His relationship with both Guybrush and Elaine changes, respecting their marriage despite his love for Elaine and admiring the innate ability at puzzle-solving of his former nemesis. However, by the end of the game, it becomes apparent that this new behavior is nothing more than an act put on by LeChuck to orchestrate his latest scheme for power and Elaine's hand in marriage. He is very fond of voodoo magic and artifacts, and constantly uses them in his plans, although he is just as often defeated by voodoo means.
, as he has gained the ability to swap between these forms, and near the end of the game, he possesses a large statue of himself that Guybrush must defeat in Monkey Kombat.
Upon learning of Guybrush Threepwood, a new pirate-in-training on Mêlée Island who could cause problems to his plan, LeChuck travels to Mêlée Island to personally dispose of Guybrush, disguising himself as the island's sheriff
. LeChuck confronts Guybrush, ties him to a weight and pushes him into the harbour waters. Leaving Guybrush for dead, LeChuck and his crew raid the island and kidnap Elaine, taking her to their Monkey Island hideout. Guybrush survives, however, and having become smitten by the governor himself, mounts a rescue mission to Monkey Island. Guybrush is unable to reach Elaine in time, as LeChuck's ship returns to Mêlée Island for the wedding. Nevertheless, Guybrush gatecrashes the wedding, intent on killing LeChuck using an anti-ghost potion based on a voodoo root
. Infuriated, LeChuck attacks Guybrush, but his spirit form is destroyed when he is sprayed with root beer
.
on Guybrush, spurring others in the Tri-Island Area to pursue Threepwood, most notably on Phatt Island. Eventually, Guybrush is lured to the fortress when LaGrande takes one of his friends, local cartographer Wally B. Feed, hostage.
Having captured Guybrush, LeChuck constructs an elaborate Rube Goldberg-esque mechanism to lower his nemesis into an acid pit, planning to turn Threepwood's remains, which LeChuck explains will be "still alive, and in great pain", into a chair. Guybrush manages to escape and accidentally detonates the gunpowder magazine
, destroying the fortress and flinging him to Dinky Island, the location of Big Whoop. LeChuck catches up to Guybrush in a tunnel system beneath the island, and tortures him using a voodoo doll. However, Guybrush constructs an impromptu voodoo doll of his own, using it to tear off LeChuck's leg. The incapacitated LeChuck then claims to be Threepwood's long lost brother Chucky, and takes him to a modern day amusement park
where the two are now children about to be picked up by their parents. As the game ends, Chucky looks at the camera and grins wickedly, his eyes glowing red.
.
On Monkey Island, LeChuck explains to his captives that Big Whoop is not a physical treasure, but rather a powerful portal into Hell
itself: during his quest for the secret of Monkey Island, LeChuck harnessed the portal to give him his voodoo powers and transform himself into the living dead. To protect Big Whoop's secret, LeChuck orchestrated the deaths of Elaine's grandfather and his crew, who had been searching for Big Whoop at the same time, and built an amusement park around the Big Whoop to bolster his ranks of undead minions. LeChuck now plans to pass Elaine through the portal, turning her into his undead bride, and once again curses Guybrush into becoming a child. Both Guybrush and Elaine escape from LeChuck's grasp, reversing the curse on Guybrush; Guybrush then manages to trap LeChuck under a mountain of ice.
the Caribbean through the use of a voodoo talisman, the Ultimate Insult—LeChuck wants to use the talisman on Elaine to make her his obedient wife. Due to her long absence from Mêlée Island, Elaine has been declared dead and the position of governor of the Tri-Island Area is opened for election. LeChuck assumes the guise of "Charles L. Charles" and defeats Elaine in the election: the townspeople, feeling neglected by Elaine's long absence, do not believe her efforts to convince them of Charles' true nature. Now in control of Mêlée Island, Mandrill and LeChuck acquire the Ultimate Insult and maroon Guybrush on Monkey Island.
However, while on Monkey Island, Guybrush discovers that resident castaway Herman Toothrot is actually Elaine's presumed dead grandfather Horatio Marley; the two escape through the use of a large robot monkey and disable the apparatus needed to project the Ultimate Insult across the whole Caribbean. LeChuck loses patience and uses his voodoo powers to inhabit a giant statue of himself he has had built on the island, with the intent of using the statue to personally crush all resistance to his rise to power, but is brought to heel when Mandrill exposes him to the Ultimate Insult. Guybrush's monkey robot and LeChuck's statue engage in Monkey Kombat. Eventually, LeChuck grows exasperated and crushes Mandrill and the Ultimate Insult, the side effect of which destroys his statue.
Unknown to the others, LeChuck is actually placing the voodoo-empowered monkeys in strategic places around the Gulf; when Guybrush cures the pox, LeChuck turns on Threepwood and kills him after having killed bounty hunter
Morgan LeFlay; LeChuck then uses La Esponja Grande to transfer the voodoo pox's potency to himself. Aided by Guybrush's passing and the monkeys, LeChuck opens a gateway to the crossroads of the afterlife, drawing on the unlimited source of power to rise as a pirate god. Guybrush, who manages to reunite his spirit and body, lures and traps LeChuck in a rift between the real world and the crossroads, where he is stabbed simultaneously by Elaine and the spirit of Morgan, destroying both his physical and spiritual forms. However, at the conclusion of the game, his voodoo essence is taken by Morgan and given to the Voodoo Lady in exchange for Morgan's return to the physical realm.
ranked LeChuck eighth on a 2008 "Top Ten Badass Undead" list, stating that LeChuck is "a not entirely brilliant villain who usually clues you in to his weakness (hint: it's always voodoo), LeChuck's versatility makes up for what he lacks in common sense; he shows up as an evil ghost pirate, and an evil undead-demon-zombie-ghost pirate. That covers the undead-pirate spectrum". IGN
described him alongside Guybrush and Elaine as one of "the most beloved adventure characters of all time". IGN would also list him as the 24th best video game villain, stating that the best video game villain is one who cannot be killed. They also praised his adaptability, having been a ghost, zombie, demon, and a human.
Screwattack
ranked LeChuck number 1 on their list of 'Top 10 beards' due to the fact that 'he's actually dead and his beard continues to grow! Now THAT'S a beard for the ages!'
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure game
Graphic adventure game
A graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
s. Created by Ron Gilbert
Ron Gilbert
Ron Gilbert is an American computer game designer, programmer, and producer, best known for his work on several classic LucasArts adventure games, including Maniac Mansion and the first two Monkey Island games. Gilbert was also co-founder of Humongous Entertainment and its sister company Cavedog...
for LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
, LeChuck was introduced in The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island is a graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and published by the same company after its name was changed to LucasArts. The game spawned a number of sequels, collectively known as the Monkey Island series...
and is the chief antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the series. Gilbert drew on aspects of the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides is a 1987 historical fantasy novel written by Tim Powers. It was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and placed second in the annual Locus poll for best fantasy novel....
for his concept for LeChuck. Actor Earl Boen
Earl Boen
Earl Boen is an American actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator series...
provides the character's voice work for the majority of his appearances, although Adam Harrington and Kevin Blackton supplemented Boen's work in Tales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island is a 2009 graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games and LucasArts. It is the fifth game in the Monkey Island series, released nearly a decade after the previous installment, Escape from Monkey Island. Developed for Windows and the Wii console, the game was...
.
An undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
pirate
Golden Age of Piracy
The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation given to one or more outbursts of piracy in maritime history of the early modern period. In its broadest accepted definition, the Golden Age of Piracy spans from the 1650s to the 1730s and covers three separate outbursts of piracy:the buccaneering...
captain, LeChuck is obsessed with pursuing the affections of the series' heroine, Elaine Marley
Elaine Marley
Elaine Marley–Threepwood is a fictional character in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure video games. Created by Ron Gilbert for LucasArts, the character first appears in The Secret of Monkey Island and is one of the core characters in the franchise...
, and exacting revenge upon protagonist Guybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood is the main character of the Monkey Island series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. The voice of Guybrush is actor Dominic Armato in the third, fourth and fifth games, as well as the enhanced remakes of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's...
, who is responsible for consistently thwarting his plans. LeChuck is not limited to one incarnation; across the series, the character has been depicted as a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
, a zombie
Lich
In modern fantasy fiction, a lich is a type of undead creature. Often such a creature is the result of a transformation, as a powerful magician or king striving for eternal life uses spells or rituals to bind his intellect to his animated corpse and thereby achieve a form of immortality...
and a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
among other forms. While sometimes gullible and naïve, LeChuck is a powerful and intelligent villain, making extensive use of voodoo magic in his megalomaniacal plans.
Character design
LeChuck was created by Ron GilbertRon Gilbert
Ron Gilbert is an American computer game designer, programmer, and producer, best known for his work on several classic LucasArts adventure games, including Maniac Mansion and the first two Monkey Island games. Gilbert was also co-founder of Humongous Entertainment and its sister company Cavedog...
. Gilbert's concept for LeChuck, especially the character's heavy use of voodoo magic, was influenced by the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides
On Stranger Tides is a 1987 historical fantasy novel written by Tim Powers. It was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and placed second in the annual Locus poll for best fantasy novel....
. The "Chuck" portion of the character's name comes from LucasFilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
general manager Steve Arnold, who told Gilbert that he really liked the name Chuck and would like to see it appear in more games.
While the first two games in the series did not feature voice acting, actor Earl Boen
Earl Boen
Earl Boen is an American actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator series...
provided LeChuck's voice for both The Curse of Monkey Island and Escape from Monkey Island, reprising the role for the later Special Editions of the first two games. However, Boen was initially absent from Telltale Games
Telltale Games
Telltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...
' Tales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island is a 2009 graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games and LucasArts. It is the fifth game in the Monkey Island series, released nearly a decade after the previous installment, Escape from Monkey Island. Developed for Windows and the Wii console, the game was...
; LeChuck was instead voiced by Adam Harrington in the first chapter, with Kevin Blackton voicing the human version of the character in the subsequent chapters. Boen returned to the role for the final two chapters, in which LeChuck is restored to his undead form; Boen has since recorded Harrington's lines for the first chapter for the DVD release of the game.
Gilbert has drawn parallels between LeChuck and the character of Davy Jones
Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Davy Jones is a fictional character and antagonist in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Davy Jones is the captain of the Flying Dutchman , roaming the seas in search of souls to serve upon his vessel for a century...
in the later Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
film series, implying that LeChuck may have served as an inspiration for the character's attitude, tone and design. Regarding Jones' appearance, Gilbert wrote that "if I'd thought of the squid tentacles for a beard, I would have done that".
Personality
Though intelligent, LeChuck displays a ruthless and sadistic disposition, with little regard for human life. Throughout the series he is driven by a megalomaniacal desire for power and by his love of the series' lead female character, Elaine Marley. LeChuck frequently attempts to make Elaine his undead bride, regardless of Elane's own views on the matter. Following his defeat in the first game of the series, LeChuck fosters a deep hatred towards protagonist Guybrush ThreepwoodGuybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood is the main character of the Monkey Island series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. The voice of Guybrush is actor Dominic Armato in the third, fourth and fifth games, as well as the enhanced remakes of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's...
, whom he recognises a real threat to his plans due to Threepwood's resourcefulness. By Escape from Monkey Island LeChuck regrets having missed the opportunity to simply kill Guybrush in the past, having preferred the opportunity to gloat in victory over eliminating his enemy. Despite his intellect, LeChuck is arrogant and overconfident, and can be gullible, which often leads to his downfall.
Following his transformation into a human in Tales of Monkey Island, LeChuck's nature appears to change. Wielding a kinder and more friendly disposition, he is willing to go over great distances to repair the damage caused by his own actions. His feelings about his past as an undead pirate are mixed, shown to be regretful about his malicious deeds, but longing for the powers he lost, feeling weaker and less bright than he used to be. His relationship with both Guybrush and Elaine changes, respecting their marriage despite his love for Elaine and admiring the innate ability at puzzle-solving of his former nemesis. However, by the end of the game, it becomes apparent that this new behavior is nothing more than an act put on by LeChuck to orchestrate his latest scheme for power and Elaine's hand in marriage. He is very fond of voodoo magic and artifacts, and constantly uses them in his plans, although he is just as often defeated by voodoo means.
Depiction
Despite the fact that he is undead, LeChuck resembles a stereotypical pirate captain, complete with a full beard, large captain hat with feather, sword, and common pirate phrases. His original, living form was not shown until Tales of Monkey Island, after Guybrush inadvertently restored his humanity. After attaining his demon-pirate form in The Curse of Monkey Island, however, he loses many of his human features in exchange for a beard of flames, fiery eyes, pyrokinetic capabilities, and a less humanoid face. All three of his normal "undead" appearances are seen in Escape from Monkey IslandEscape from Monkey Island
Escape from Monkey Island is a computer adventure game developed and released by LucasArts in 2000. It is the fourth game in the Monkey Island series....
, as he has gained the ability to swap between these forms, and near the end of the game, he possesses a large statue of himself that Guybrush must defeat in Monkey Kombat.
The Secret of Monkey Island
LeChuck is introduced in The Secret of Monkey Island as a ghost pirate captain of a ship of undead pirates. Prior to the events of the game, LeChuck had been in a brief but unsuccessful relationship with Elaine Marley, the governor of Mêlée Island. After Elaine spurns his advances, LeChuck makes an effort to impress the governor by sailing off in pursuit of the secret of Monkey Island. The exhibition ultimately costs LeChuck his life, but he returns as a ghost and begins to terrorise the Caribbean, operating out of Monkey Island. Having scared most of the pirates in the Caribbean into staying in port, LeChuck begins to plan kidnapping Elaine and forcing her to marry him.Upon learning of Guybrush Threepwood, a new pirate-in-training on Mêlée Island who could cause problems to his plan, LeChuck travels to Mêlée Island to personally dispose of Guybrush, disguising himself as the island's sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
. LeChuck confronts Guybrush, ties him to a weight and pushes him into the harbour waters. Leaving Guybrush for dead, LeChuck and his crew raid the island and kidnap Elaine, taking her to their Monkey Island hideout. Guybrush survives, however, and having become smitten by the governor himself, mounts a rescue mission to Monkey Island. Guybrush is unable to reach Elaine in time, as LeChuck's ship returns to Mêlée Island for the wedding. Nevertheless, Guybrush gatecrashes the wedding, intent on killing LeChuck using an anti-ghost potion based on a voodoo root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
. Infuriated, LeChuck attacks Guybrush, but his spirit form is destroyed when he is sprayed with root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
.
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
In LeChuck's Revenge, Guybrush makes the mistake of showing the still-living beard of LeChuck's ghost form to LeChuck's former first mate, Largo LaGrande, on Scabb Island. LaGrande takes the beard and uses it to reanimate LeChuck's corpse. Rather than pursue Elaine directly, LeChuck turns his focus to hunting down and exacting vengeance on Guybrush first, to eliminate the competition. LeChuck tasks LaGrande with capturing Guybrush, who is searching for the fabled treasure of Big Whoop, and bringing him to LeChuck's secret fortress. LeChuck even goes as far as putting a bountyBounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
on Guybrush, spurring others in the Tri-Island Area to pursue Threepwood, most notably on Phatt Island. Eventually, Guybrush is lured to the fortress when LaGrande takes one of his friends, local cartographer Wally B. Feed, hostage.
Having captured Guybrush, LeChuck constructs an elaborate Rube Goldberg-esque mechanism to lower his nemesis into an acid pit, planning to turn Threepwood's remains, which LeChuck explains will be "still alive, and in great pain", into a chair. Guybrush manages to escape and accidentally detonates the gunpowder magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
, destroying the fortress and flinging him to Dinky Island, the location of Big Whoop. LeChuck catches up to Guybrush in a tunnel system beneath the island, and tortures him using a voodoo doll. However, Guybrush constructs an impromptu voodoo doll of his own, using it to tear off LeChuck's leg. The incapacitated LeChuck then claims to be Threepwood's long lost brother Chucky, and takes him to a modern day amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
where the two are now children about to be picked up by their parents. As the game ends, Chucky looks at the camera and grins wickedly, his eyes glowing red.
The Curse of Monkey Island
With Guybrush fooled into thinking he is a child, LeChuck returns his attention to pursuing Elaine's love, bombarding her coastal fortification on Plunder Island. Meanwhile, Guybrush has somehow managed to escape from LeChuck's curse and inadvertently sails into the middle of the battle, only to be captured and imprisoned on LeChuck's ship. Guybrush's antics below decks results in the ship being scuttled; the shaking of the ship causes LeChuck to drop a volatile voodoo cannonball intended to kill Elaine. The cannonball's explosion destroys LeChuck's zombie form, though LeChuck is reincarnated soon after as a demon and returns to Monkey Island to rebuild his forces. Once set, he sends them out find Elaine and Guybrush, displaying a willingness to burn every island in the Caribbean if necessary. The two are eventually captured on Blood IslandBlood island
Blood islands are structures in the developing embryo which lead to many different parts of the circulatory system.They primarily derive from plexuses formed from angioblasts. Within them, vacuoles appear through liquefaction of the central part of the syncytium into plasma. The lumen of the blood...
.
On Monkey Island, LeChuck explains to his captives that Big Whoop is not a physical treasure, but rather a powerful portal into Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
itself: during his quest for the secret of Monkey Island, LeChuck harnessed the portal to give him his voodoo powers and transform himself into the living dead. To protect Big Whoop's secret, LeChuck orchestrated the deaths of Elaine's grandfather and his crew, who had been searching for Big Whoop at the same time, and built an amusement park around the Big Whoop to bolster his ranks of undead minions. LeChuck now plans to pass Elaine through the portal, turning her into his undead bride, and once again curses Guybrush into becoming a child. Both Guybrush and Elaine escape from LeChuck's grasp, reversing the curse on Guybrush; Guybrush then manages to trap LeChuck under a mountain of ice.
Escape from Monkey Island
By the fourth game in the series, LeChuck has been freed from his icy prison by Ozzie Mandrill, an Australian capitalist. LeChuck sympathises with Mandril's hatred of pirates and assists his efforts to gentrifyGentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
the Caribbean through the use of a voodoo talisman, the Ultimate Insult—LeChuck wants to use the talisman on Elaine to make her his obedient wife. Due to her long absence from Mêlée Island, Elaine has been declared dead and the position of governor of the Tri-Island Area is opened for election. LeChuck assumes the guise of "Charles L. Charles" and defeats Elaine in the election: the townspeople, feeling neglected by Elaine's long absence, do not believe her efforts to convince them of Charles' true nature. Now in control of Mêlée Island, Mandrill and LeChuck acquire the Ultimate Insult and maroon Guybrush on Monkey Island.
However, while on Monkey Island, Guybrush discovers that resident castaway Herman Toothrot is actually Elaine's presumed dead grandfather Horatio Marley; the two escape through the use of a large robot monkey and disable the apparatus needed to project the Ultimate Insult across the whole Caribbean. LeChuck loses patience and uses his voodoo powers to inhabit a giant statue of himself he has had built on the island, with the intent of using the statue to personally crush all resistance to his rise to power, but is brought to heel when Mandrill exposes him to the Ultimate Insult. Guybrush's monkey robot and LeChuck's statue engage in Monkey Kombat. Eventually, LeChuck grows exasperated and crushes Mandrill and the Ultimate Insult, the side effect of which destroys his statue.
Tales of Monkey Island
Several years after Escape from Monkey Island, LeChuck once again kidnaps Elaine. In his rescue attempt, Guybrush inadvertently turns LeChuck into a human and releases a voodoo pox over the Gulf of Melange. Elaine and a now seemingly unmalicious LeChuck begin returning monkeys used in LeChuck's voodoo experiments to their homes while Guybrush searches for La Esponja Grande, an artifact that will cure the pox. LeChuck eventually begins to befriend Elaine and Guybrush, coming to his defence when Threepwood is put on trial for various crimes on Flotsam Island, and accuses the Voodoo Lady, an enigmatic advisor of Guybrush through the series, of contriving all of his and Guybrush's confrontations over the years.Unknown to the others, LeChuck is actually placing the voodoo-empowered monkeys in strategic places around the Gulf; when Guybrush cures the pox, LeChuck turns on Threepwood and kills him after having killed bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
Morgan LeFlay; LeChuck then uses La Esponja Grande to transfer the voodoo pox's potency to himself. Aided by Guybrush's passing and the monkeys, LeChuck opens a gateway to the crossroads of the afterlife, drawing on the unlimited source of power to rise as a pirate god. Guybrush, who manages to reunite his spirit and body, lures and traps LeChuck in a rift between the real world and the crossroads, where he is stabbed simultaneously by Elaine and the spirit of Morgan, destroying both his physical and spiritual forms. However, at the conclusion of the game, his voodoo essence is taken by Morgan and given to the Voodoo Lady in exchange for Morgan's return to the physical realm.
Reception
Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
ranked LeChuck eighth on a 2008 "Top Ten Badass Undead" list, stating that LeChuck is "a not entirely brilliant villain who usually clues you in to his weakness (hint: it's always voodoo), LeChuck's versatility makes up for what he lacks in common sense; he shows up as an evil ghost pirate, and an evil undead-demon-zombie-ghost pirate. That covers the undead-pirate spectrum". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described him alongside Guybrush and Elaine as one of "the most beloved adventure characters of all time". IGN would also list him as the 24th best video game villain, stating that the best video game villain is one who cannot be killed. They also praised his adaptability, having been a ghost, zombie, demon, and a human.
Screwattack
ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack . is a video game-related website that showcases original entertainment for an audience of video game enthusiasts. Its content is also shown on GameTrailers and IGN...
ranked LeChuck number 1 on their list of 'Top 10 beards' due to the fact that 'he's actually dead and his beard continues to grow! Now THAT'S a beard for the ages!'
External links
- LeChuck on the Monkey Island Wiki