User:Rhain/workspace/Characters of Wolfenstein: The New Order

MachineGames's 2014 action-adventure first-person shooter video game Wolfenstein: The New Order, published by Bethesda Softworks, is set in alternative history 1960s Europe in a world where the Nazis won the Second World War. The game follows war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz and his efforts to stop the Nazis rule over the world. The game's narrative and character development has received generally positive reviews from gaming magazines and websites.

Main characters

William "B.J." Blazkowicz

Main article: William "B.J." Blazkowicz

William Joseph "B.J." Blazkowicz (Polish pronunciation: [blasˈkɔvitʂ]) is the player character and main protagonist of the Wolfenstein series. Brian Bloom voices Blazkowicz in Wolfenstein: The New Order.

MachineGames considered Blazkowicz's appearances in previous Wolfenstein games, thus realising that the character had never developed at all; "He's just the guy that you play," said Pete Hines, Vice President of PR and Marketing for Bethesda. The team invested in exploring his story. At the request of id Software, Blazkowicz is portrayed as a hero in The New Order. Tom Hoggins of The Telegraph called Blazkowics "one of the more complex leather-jacketed meatheads" in video games. Throughout the game, Blazkowicz develops a romantic interest with Anya Oliwa, the head nurse at the asylum.

Anya Oliwa

Actress and singer Alicja Bachleda-Curuś was cast as Anya Oliwa in The New Order.

Anya Oliwa is a member of the Resistance, and Blazkowicz's love interest. Alicja Bachleda voices Anya in The New Order. She was the head nurse at her parents' psychiatric asylum, where she developed an interest for William Blazkowicz, who was a patient. After her parents are executed in 1960 when they resist to shut down the asylum, Anya and Blazkowicz escape from the extermination squad. On a train to Berlin, Anya and Blazkowicz admit their interest in each other, ultimately having sex. When in Berlin, the couple rescue and meet up with the Resistance.

In the game, Anya is not portrayed as a stereotypical damsel in distress. Anthony John Agnello of The A.V. Club was impressed by this, stating that the character is "revealed to be more than a case study in the Florence Nightingale effect".

Caroline Becker

Bonita Friedericy portrayed Caroline Becker in the game.

Caroline Becker is a member of the Resistance, and the leader of the Kreisau Circle. Bonita Friedericy provided the voice of Caroline in The New Order. Caroline previously appeared as a supporting character in the 2009 Wolfenstein. At the end of Wolfenstein, she was presumed dead from a gunshot, and her body seemingly vaporized.

In The New Order, it is revealed that Caroline survived the events of Wolfenstein, but was left paralyzed as a result.

Fergus Reid

Fergus Reid is a member of the Resistance, and a war veteran. Gideon Emery provides the voice of Fergus in The New Order. Fergus was Blazkowicz's squad leader during the game's prologue, and has an expertise in piloting planes. After being captured during the siege on Deathshead's compound, Blazkowicz is forced to choose whether to gruesomely kill either Fergus, or Probst Wyatt III. Should he choose to kill Wyatt, Fergus escapes the compound. He eventually joins the Resistance, but is later captured and held in prison. Fourteen years after Wyatt's death, Blazkowicz saves Fergus from the prison.

Gideon Emery, who portrayed Fergus Reid, auditioned for his role in the game. He described Fergus as "a tough as nails soldier, who gives [Blazkowicz] both support and a pretty hard time in the process". Despite Fergus' common portrayal as the game's comic relief character, he is also often notably represented in a serious matter. Agnello of The A.V. Club said, "you're treated to some great comedy, but also thick tension—he’s equally angry and grateful".

Probst Wyatt III

Private Probst Wyatt III is a member of the Resistance, and a war veteran. A.J. Trauth provides the voice of Wyatt in The New Order. Wyatt was a member of Blazkowicz's squad during the game's prologue. After being captured during the siege on Deathshead's compound, Blazkowicz is forced to choose whether to gruesomely kill either Wyatt, or Fergus Reid. Should he choose to kill Fergus, Wyatt escapes the compound. He eventually joins the Resistance, but is later captured and held in prison. Fourteen years after Fergus' death, Blazkowicz saves Wyatt from the prison.

Set Roth

Set Roth is a member of the Resistance. Mark Ivanir voices Set in the game. Set uses his skills learned as a member of the Da'at Yichud—an ancient secret society that invents devices ahead of contemporary times—to help the Resistance in their attack against the Nazi regime.

In 1941, Set was detained in a labor camp, where he was forced to assist in the manufacturing of an improved version of concrete that allowed the Nazis to build entire cities in weeks. In 1960, Resistance member William Blazkowicz was also detained in the labor camp, requesting Set to help the Resistance in their fight against the Nazis. Set agrees to help the Resistance in return for the destruction of the labor camp. To do so, Blazkowicz finds a battery for a device that controls the camp robots, but is captured. As Set and Blazkowicz are about to be executed, the former takes the battery and uses his device, taking control of the robot, which Blazkowicz uses to destroy and escape the camp. Upon arriving in Berlin, Set explains to the Resistance about the Da'at Yichud and their inventions. Following this, he travels with Blazkowicz to one of the secret bases and obtains equipment that the Resistance use to mount an assault on Deathshead's compound.

Antagonists

Wilhelm "Deathshead" Strasse

Dwight Schultz portrayed the role of Deathshead in The New Order

Wilhelm "Deathshead" Strasse is a leading member of the German Armed Forces. Dwight Schultz provided the voice for Deathshead's English dialogue in The New Order. Deathshead previously appeared as the main antagonist in Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) and Wolfenstein. At the end of the latter, he was revealed to have survived Blazkowicz's attack.

Frau Engel

Frau Engel is a high-ranking member of the Nazi Party.

Bubi

Hans "Bubi" Winkle is a member of the Nazi Party, and Frau Engel's companion.

Other characters

Max Hass

Alex Solowitz was cast as Max Hass for the game. The team found that casting the character of Mass was challenging, and that it "took a tremendous actor to pull [the character] off".

Max Hass is a pacifist member of the Resistance, and is seemingly brain-damaged.

When creating the character of Max, the developers were inspired by the character of Garp from John Irving's novel The World According to Garp. Alex Solowitz portrayed Max in the game. "Max was the most challenging character to cast, which seems counter-intuitive because he's a pretty simple guy on paper, but it took a tremendous actor to pull that off and a long time to find him," Matthies said.

External links

• Official website