Though they each have their moments and are far from bad, most fans consider theMonkey Islandgames that were released after series creator Ron Gilbert left LucasArts to be inferior to the first two titles in just about every way. For decades, they called fora newMonkey Islandgame with Gilbert back at the helm, though their cries largely fell on deaf ears. At least until 2022, that is.
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In a surprise announcement that initially appeared to be an April fools joke, Gilbert announced that he’d been working on a newMonkey Islandgame for several years. Better still,Return to Monkey Islandis set for release at some point prior to the end of 2022, meaning fans won’t have to wait too much longer before they can return to the series' whimsical world. When that moment finally arrives, these iconicMonkey Islandcharacters are all but certain to be joining them on their journey.
Guybrush Threepwood
Having served as the main protagonist ineveryMonkey Islandgame so far, the chances of Guybrush not appearing inReturn to Monkey Islandare about as slim as they come. A lovable leader with a passion for piracy, his dry wit and fourth-wall-breaking antics are what made so many people fall in love with the franchise back in the nineties, and will be needed once again ifReturnis to find any real measure of success.
Guybrush has many skills and expertise, all of which make him agreat pirate. He’s a master of insult sword-fighting, a contemptible sneak, and can even hold his breath for a mind-boggling ten minutes. This expert skillset, together with his humorous narration, makes him the perfect point-and-click protagonist, with onlyGeorge Stobbart from theBroken Swordserieseven coming close to matching his longevity and brilliance.
LeChuck
For a hero to really show their strength, there needs to be an equally exceptional villain with whom they can butt heads. Thankfully, theMonkey Islandseries has this covered, with the evil ghost pirate LeChuck serving as the big bad in all of theMonkey Islandgames to date. With that in mind, he too seems like a shoo-in forReturn to Monkey Island, which will likely lead to more voodoo-related antics somewhere down the line.
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Interestingly, the ending ofMonkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge(to whichReturn to Monkey Islandwill apparently be a direct sequel) reveals that LeChuck is actually Guybrush’s long-lost brother Chuckie and that the pair are both still children. InThe Curse of Monkey Island, this is shown to have been nothing more than a ruse from LeChuck, though it’s possible thatReturnwill explore this idea further if it picks up right whereLeChuck’s Revengeleft off.
Elaine Marley
Since appearing in the firstMonkey Islandgame back in 1990, Elaine has returned for every subsequent outing. During that time, she’s been the governor of numerous islands, including Melee Island, Booty Island, and Plunder Island, though, despite her passion for politics, she’s more than capable of taking care of herself and is an exceptional swordfighter in her own right.
Elaine typically serves as the love interest for Guybrush, with the hapless hero often attempting to rescue her even when it’s him who really needs help. The pair even got married at the end ofThe Curse of Monkey Island, though as returning series creator Ron Gilbert played no part in that game, it’s unclear whether the pair’s union will remain intact at this time.
Stan
Of the many lovable goofballs that Guybrush interacts with throughout theMonkey Islandgames, few are as memorable as Stan. Players first meet him in the series' debut installment, in which he serves as a used ship salesman. By the following game, however, he’d shut up shop and opened up a pre-owned coffin store, and has continued to bounce between increasingly bizarre business ventures ever since.
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Stan often serves as the series' comic relief, with LeChuc sending him flying into the air after an unsuccessful sales pitch at the end of the first game andGuybrush nailing him into one of his own coffins inMonkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge. Though his return inReturnis far from a given, it would be fairly surprising not to see him show up in some capacity.
Herman Toothrot
Herman Toothrot is a hermit who Guybrush first encounters during his initial visit to the titular Monkey Island. He’d been stranded there for years by that time and whiled away his days bickering with the island’s natives over banana pickers and proper island etiquette. In future games, however, it’s revealed that there’s actually a lot more to Herman than first meets the eye.
InEscape from Monkey Island, Guybrush helps Herman to recover his lost memories, which reveal that he is actually Elaine’s great grandfather Horatio. After recovering from his amnesia, he returns to Melee, with Elaine stepping down as governor so that he can take his rightful place. He also starts wearing pants again at this time, something that Guybrush and those around him are more than a little thankful for.
Return to Monkey Islandwill release in 2022.
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