In 1988, Lucasfilm employee Ron Gilbert, frustrated by contemporary adventure titles, conceived the idea of a point-and-click adventure game based loosely on the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride. In 1990, The Secret of Monkey Island was released. The game has since been launched across multiple platforms, thanks to the versatile SCUMM video game engine, and has seen several sequels over the decades.
Return to Monkey Island, announced in April 2022, is the sixth installment of the series and could well prove to the last. The game picks up from the ending of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge and promises elements from the original two games, as well as nods to the subsequent games. Here are seven iconic characters who we hope will feature in the game.
7 Murray
First introduced in The Curse of Monkey Island, Murray was originally a part of LeChuck’s undead army, before he lost his entire body and became an independent talking skull who never quite lost his penchant for terrorizing others.
It is unclear what Murray’s role will be in Return to Monkey Island, but his appearance in the teaser trailer, being fired from a cannon into an enemy vessel, signals his inclusion in the game.
6 The Mêlée Island Lookout
The very first character the player will meet in The Secret of Monkey Island is an elderly, hard-of-hearing (and harder-of-sight) gentleman who, rather ironically given the requisite requirements, has been handpicked to be the watchman of Mêlée Island.
Voiced by Rob Paulson, we hope to see the Mêlée Island Lookout make a cameo in Return to Monkey Island.
5 The Voodoo Lady
First met on Mêlée Island, in her ‘House of Mojo’ voodoo emporium, the mysterious Voodoo Lady is sought out by Guybrush once more on Scabb Island in the sequel, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. Using a coffin to navigate the swamp, the player passes through the jaws of a giant skull and is transported into her secret abode.
Once there, Guybrush agrees to collect the ingredients required to make a voodoo doll of Largo LaGrande, Scabb Island’s resident bully. The Voodoo Lady appears in the trailer of the latest game, which bodes well for players who want more eerie and occult dealings.
4 Otis
Having to bust him out of jail on Mêlée Island, using the metal-eating properties of the local grog, Guybrush Threepwood enlists Otis as a crew member for the expedition to Monkey Island, only to find that his crew have mutinied and instead spend the entire voyage sunbathing on the deck.
If Otis is to make an appearance in Return to Monkey Island, hopefully, it will be without his insufferable case of halitosis.
3 Carla: The Sword Master of Mêlée Island
Initially trained by Captain Smirk, before her skills surpassed his, Carla’s talent was as much to do with her uncanny ability to think up original insults as it was her swordsmanship.
In order to achieve his status as a bona fide pirate, Guybrush must defeat Carla in a duel and obtain her title as Swords Master. Performing a somersault in the game’s trailer, we are hopeful that Carla will have a role to play in the next installment.
2 The Cannibals
Making appearances throughout the series, The Monkey Island Cannibals describe themselves as ‘the only civilized people on the island’. Vicious eaters of human flesh, the cannibals enjoyed preying on wandering tourists although, to Guybrush’s great fortune, were actually very health conscious and tried to cut down their red meat intake.
The Cannibals later moved to Blood Island where, during a ceremony, Guybrush threw cheese into the volcano, causing it to erupt violently. Whereas Lemonhead could be seen waving to Guybrush and Elaine as they sailed away, it is unclear as to the fate of the others.
1 Meathook
A resident of Hook Island (situated off the northeast coast of Mêlée Island), Meathook is a large brute made even more intimidating by the fact that he has two large hooks instead of hands. In the first game, Meathook ran a hotel on Hook Island, although seemingly did his very best to put off any guests who tried to visit.
A man of various talents, Meathook used his chest tattoo (called Roger) to perform a ventriloquism act. He eventually became part of Guybrush’s mutinous crew in The Secret of Monkey Island and later featured in Escape from Monkey Island; it remains to be seen if he will be in the 6th installment.
Return to Monkey Island is set to release in 2022.