The cast of Condemned: Criminal Origins and Condemned 2: Bloodshot
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Main Cast
Ethan Thomas
Special Agent Ethan Thomas
Voiced by: Greg Grunberg (Condemned: Criminal Origins), André Sogliuzzo (Condemned 2: Bloodshot)
"That's me, Ethan Thomas... Drunk, tired and pissed off. Why? Because this damn city is too fucking blind to see what's killing them... but I can, I've seen the unspeakable, it's out there, and I have a feeling we're about to get better acquainted."
An SCU agent who was framed for the murder of two cops while investigating the crime scene of a high profile serial killer. He spends the vast majority of the game trying to clear his name and track down the real culprit. His only weapons are a tazor, his SCU gear, and whatever he can find in the ruined enviroments around him.
- The Alcoholic: In the second game. Since leaving the SCU, Ethan's turned to self-medication to cope with his damaged sanity. He can't even shoot right without drinking alcohol, although he does eventually get better.
- Ambiguously Human: In the first game, he displays near-superhuman strength, like when he's able to cling to the platform on the back of a train car that's about to fall off, and it's later revealed that he has an unusual bone and muscle structure. Eventually clarified he is human, but has Oro mutations.
- Anti-Hero: In the second game, following his deterioration since the first one.
- Badass Normal: A downplayed example. It's revealed he has above-average physical strength and durability, but beyond that, he's a normal man by any other standards. It doesn't stop him from successfully fighting off dozens of homicidal maniacs with improvised weapons or his bare hands. In Bloodshot, it's revealed he can project powerful sonic waves with his voice, but is still a normal human being besides that.
- Beard of Sorrow: Grows one in the second game, after being forced to leave behind the Bureau and winding up homeless due to his alcoholism.
- Clear My Name: The entire goal of Condemned: Criminal Origins.
- Deadpan Snarker: More so in the second game than the first. When Farrel sits him down to interrogate him and asks him if he needs anything, he'll respond in kind.Ethan: Yeah, five aspirins and a shot of soda water.
Farrel: I don't think we have —
Ethan: Forget it. - Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Takes on the evidently Humanoid Abomination Greater-Scope Villain of the first game causing all the madness enveloping Metro City in single combat and defeats it soundly, snapping its neck.
- Drunken Master: In the second game, he can still hold his own in a fight despite his alcoholism. He actually needs alcohol to keep his hands from trembling when aiming a gun. After he defeats the Anthropomorphic Personification of his alcoholism in a boss fight, this need goes away.
- Fingore: His showdown with Serial Killer X ends with him losing one of his index fingers.
- Handwraps of Awesome: Wears them in Condemned 2.
- Homeless Hero: A downplayed example. In Condemned 2, Ethan is now living on the streets, isolating himself from others while getting constantly drunk. He's become much more short-tempered and bitter, but he does end up helping Rosa and the SCU out.
- Humanoid Abomination: Ethan is a being with vocal chords like those of the Oro, and can use his voice as a weapon without the need for activation by metal implants.
- Made of Iron: Which is actually explained in the game itself.
- Magical Homeless Person: By the second game, he has become so shaken from the events of the first game that he becomes a homeless alcoholic. He is nonetheless picked up by the SCU to help with their current case, and in the course of the investigation, he discovers he has the ability to destroy things with his voice.
- One-Man Army: In both games, even more impressive in that firearms are generally more rare, forcing him to defeat his many insane and monstrous foes with a variety of melee weapons.
- Parental Abandonment: Both of his parents were killed when he was a young boy.
- The Pigpen: In the second game, when he encounters one of the few homeless people in the city not affected by the Hate Plague, the other guy remarks about how bad Ethan smells, which provokes an angry response from Ethan.
- Progressively Prettier: Inverted. He's neat and clean-shaven in the first game, but in Bloodshot, his appearance has deteriorated; his clothes are dirty and ragged, his hair is unkempt (including an also unkempt beard) and he has many wraps and bandages. This is a justified example, given he's become a homeless alcoholic.
- Sanity Slippage: He suffers from this over the course of both games. In Criminal Origins, he has numerous horrific visions while trying to clear his name, not at all helped by the stress of having to constantly fight off the psychotic denizens of Metro City. In Bloodshot, it's revealed his hallucinations have gotten even worse to the point that he's developed a drinking problem just to cope with them.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: He frequently drops mumbled and slurred Cluster F Bombs in the first game when he's swinging weapons or finishing off enemies, although they become a lot more audible as of the second game. Also, the first game only has him swearing once in a cutscene-when he finds SKX in Malcolm's trunk-while he drops F-bombs left and right in the second.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: He's an action-horror protagonist that managed to effectively beat all of his foes to death, potentially barehanded, and come out of it all clearly troubled by what he went through but managing to keep his mind together, though with the heavy implication that whatever supernatural stuff was happening lingered in his mind. The second game kicks off with him having tried to find peace in the bottom of a bottle since then, paranoid, broken and volatile from the continuing trauma, ultimately homeless and jobless as well as straight up bitter. Considering the nightmarish shit he survived, and him genuinely risking death by what may be his own psychosis, even less than a year can shatter a man.
- Took a Level in Dumbass: It really depends on how you play the game, but some of the questions he can ask Rosa in the second game give the impression that his alcoholism has damaged his brain. Among them are gems such as:How do you spell Oro?
Were humans even around 3000 years ago? - Took a Level in Jerkass: In the first game he seems pretty calm and rational, if not friendly (at least before he finds out that Vanhorn is keeping his murderous nephew in the back trunk). Come the second game, he's become much more bitter, aggressive and foul -mouthed; one of the first things he does is tell a bum who tried to help him off the ground to "piss off" while flipping him the bird.
Rosa Angel
Rosa Angel
Voiced by: Kimberli Coulbourne (Condemned 1), Angel Parker (Condemned 2)
Another SCU agent who believes in Ethan's innocence and helps him by deciphering the various clues Ethan comes across. While she plays a fairly minor role for most of the game she shows up for the library level to assist him in person and give him a taser upgrade.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Double subverted. If Ethan makes a mistake while trying to defuse the bomb in the lodge, she'll say, "Shit", but promptly correct herself with "Shoot".
- Man Bites Man: Or rather, woman bites man. SKX captures her in the library, but she bites his hand and he runs off.
- Mission Control: Spends most of the game just talking to Ethan on his phone and giving him information. She does help him out in the library level though.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Briefly, when Ethan shows his ability to kill with his voice.
- Undying Loyalty: In the first game, she still helps Ethan out after Serial Killer X frames him for murder. Even at the end, she lets him know that the FBI has her wired so they can get incriminating information out of Ethan.
Malcolm Vanhorn
Malcolm Vanhorn
Voiced by: John Armstrong (Condemned 1), Paul Eiding (Condemned 2)
A mysterious figure who shows up to help Ethan at a few points during the game. As it turns out he is Serial Killer X's uncle and felt somewhat responsible for his actions, which is why he helps Ethan track him down.
- Big Damn Heroes: Saves Ethan from being killed by Serial Killer X, though he didn't make it in time to stop him from losing a finger...
- Even Evil Can Be Loved: Despite his nephew's monstrous actions, he still tries to convince Serial Killer X to stop his murders. Unfortunately, SKX sees him as nothing more than an obstacle.
- Papa Wolf: When Thomas is thinking of killing his nephew, Malcolm threatens to shoot him before he kills SKX. Even when their relation is revealed, he knocks out Thomas to protect him.
- Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: He is killed at the beginning of the second game by SKX.
- Too Dumb to Live: He apparently didn't learn anything from his nephew choking him unconscious when he previously tried to save him.
Criminals
The Matchmaker
The Matchmaker
The game opens with Ethan investigating one of his latest murders when things take a turn for the worst. His calling card is murdering young women and placing the corpses on display with a male mannequin. Found dead in the department store level, a victim of his own methods.
- Basement-Dweller: According to his dossier that could once be found on the game's website, he's probably around 30-40 years old and might still live with his mother.
- He-Man Woman Hater: The violent methods he uses to kill women and pose their bodies indicate he probably has some issues with them.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Serial Killer X, whose entire MO is this trope, kills him and then poses his body with a mannequin, just like he did with his own victims.
- Mad Artist: Of a sort. Each of his killings is a set piece, such as a dinner table or a baseball game.
- Red Right Hand: It's a little difficult to see, but in Ethan's visions, he has the same mark on his face that he disfigures the mannequins at his murder set pieces with. He's also missing his right index finger.
The Torturer
The Torturer/Carl Anderson
A serial killer who likes to drive his victims to suicide so that he doesn't deliver the final blow. Kills the teacher who ratted him out to the cops in the abandoned school, but falls prey to Serial Killer X not long afterwards.
- Asshole Victim: Notably one of the sickest and most despicable killers in the entire game, it's hard to shed a tear for him when he kills himself after the tortures he was put through. Though then again, considering that the Oro are behind most of the violent crime in the city, it's unclear how much of it was purely his own choice.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: His specialty, though never his sole intention.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Tortures and mutilates his gym teacher for ratting him out to the police.
- Driven to Suicide: He prefers not to kill his victims directly, but rather, to torture them to the point where they'll just finish themselves off. Ends up killing himself once SKX mutilates him.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Just like the Matchmaker, he meets his end in the same way he killed his own victims once Serial Killer X gets ahold of him.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: By his own hand, no less!
- Stupid Evil: Going after your former teacher for ratting on you isn't such a smart idea, especially when you insist on using your usual methods — which the teacher described to the authorities as having been Carl's fantasies — to kill him.
Serial Killer X
Serial Killer X/(Leland Vanhorn)
Voiced by: Peter Jacobs (Condemned 1), Henry Dittman (Condemned 2)
The man who killed the two cops at the beginning of the game and framed Ethan for it. He spends most of the game killing other serial killers in the same way they killed their own victims. Ethan manages to confront him near the end of the game but is stopped before either of them manage to kill the other. His ultimate fate is left up to the player to decide.
- Ax-Crazy: Although to a lesser degree than most of Metro City's inhabitants, he's violent and uncontrollable. His uncle learned this the hard way.
- Bald of Evil: He has a shaved head in the sequel.
- Big Bad: Either this or The Heavy of the first game.
- Driven to Suicide: If the player chooses to spare him, he shoots himself. Subverted in that he's revealed to be Not Quite Dead in the sequel.
- Facial Horror: In the second game, he's missing a huge chunk of his face from a bullet wound, and has an "X" carved into his forehead.
- Faux Affably Evil: At least in his monologue to Ethan towards the end. That's pretty much the only time he carries an even remotely polite tone, gleefully reminiscing about how he stalked Ethan and killed the serial killers they were both hunting. All before chopping off Ethan's index finger.
- For the Evulz: His pretenses of righteousness are just an excuse. He clearly loves the thrill of hunting down serial killers and killing them using their own methods.
- Genius Bruiser: He is quite intelligent, given his ability to stalk Ethan for months leading up to the events of the game and hunt down several serial killers to kill them before he can capture them and is shown to be a strong fighter, as he is able to defeat several foes at the same time when you see him in the subways, and battles you face to face during the endgame, even if he spends most of the fight running away and trying to ambush you.
- The Heavy: Arguably this, if unwittingly, for the Greater-Scope Villain of the first game.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: His entire MO is based around this. He hunts down other serial killers and murders them, and uses their signature.
- Jerkass: Every other word he says to Ethan is an insult, and seems to enjoy ruining his life.
- Knight Templar: Convinced he's on the path of righteousness, and will kill anyone who he sees as hindering him on that path. Apparently dropped in the sequel, instead he's motivated by figuring out how the Oro work so he can take on their power.
- Mad Scientist: In the second game, he's abducting homeless people and performing experiments on them with Oro implants.
- Moral Myopia: When he sees Ethan again, he isn't too happy about his makeover, despite his ruination of Ethan's life, as well as the mutilation he inflicted on him.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: A villainous variant. He channels his murderous rage into going after serial killers, killing them using their own M.O. What makes him in the wrong is that he's okay with killing anyone he sees as standing in the way of his "path of righteousness".
- Red Right Hand: In the second game, his face is disfigured by a gunshot wound to the mouth and a self-inflicted "X" carved into his forehead.
- Serial-Killer Killer: Goes after all the killers Ethan hadn't managed to catch and by the time the game begins has already managed to kill most of them.
- The Sociopath: He's a vicious, remorseless Serial Killer. While he has murdered other serial killers, he does so to sate his appetite for murder, and thinks nothing of the collateral damage caused along the way.
- Speech Impediment: Has a very audible lisp in the second game. Maybe having a bullet wound on the left side of his mouth has something to do with that?
- Stalker without a Crush: Has been following Ethan's progress in the F.B.I. and spying on him in his apartment.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Malcom rescues him from Ethan. How does he repay him? By choking him unconscious. Then, after sustaining a bullet wound, Malcom nurses him back to health, only to be killed afterwards.
- Villainous Rescue: In the second game, he stabs an SCU agent who was about to kill Ethan, and then tells him to run. The two of them hide in a room, and he dispatches a couple more agents before turning on Ethan and telling him to "think of [his rescue] as a future investment".
- Worthy Opponent: Appears to initially consider Ethan this, claiming that they walk the same path. Eventually, he grows weary of him near the end and finds him to have been ultimately useless in the long run.
WALKING SPOILER for Criminal Origins
Oro Dark Primary
The Final Boss of the first game who fights Ethan in a surreal landscape after stalking him throughout the rest of the game. Implied to have been involved in almost all of the events in the game in one way or another and appears many times in Ethan's mind before then. Is killed after Ethan removes several metal pieces from its body, crushes its neck, and drops it to the ground from the top of the platform he was standing on.
- Big Bad: Arguably this of the first game, if Serial Killer X is considered to be The Heavy, having been corrupted by it.
- Body Horror: It has metal implants in its shoulders, spine, and jaw. And you have to kill it by ripping the metal parts from its body out one at a time!
- Cool Sword: His weapon is actually a long metal pole, but he wields it like a sword, using a unique fighting style.
- The Corrupter: Vanhorn blames it for Leland's murders and violent behavior. More specifically, this thing seems to be trying to drive everyone in the town insane. People have been becoming more aggressive all around. Those with weak wills start to go mad, they turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, and they end up homeless while attacking people on sight (including each other). Some almost seem to mutate into crawling creatures that live in the sewers. Those who already had violent fantasies or psychopathy often become one of the many serial killers stalking the town. Those with strong wills who, nevertheless, end up under its influence start to worship it like a dark god. Killing it seems to halt the progression, but it didn't cure many of the victims, some of whom fall into greater depravity since they were already in a tail spin because of this thing.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Revealed to have been this of the events of the first game.
- Humanoid Abomination: It's never made clear just what it is, but unlike most of the game's enemies, it cannot be considered human. It clearly holds some ability to bend reality to its whim and holds a mental grip on SKX.
- No Name Given: Is never referred to by name in the game itself; Malcolm simply refers to him as "it". Dark Primary is the name assigned to it in the game code, though this sounds a lot like a dev-only designation. Given that Condemned was originally supposed to be called The Dark, it's possible he's also supposed to be known as The Dark.
- Reality Warper: Can alter the scenery to something a lot more Mind Screw-y.
- Sequential Boss: He actually has less health than the Butcher boss from the abandoned school, but you have to fight him 3 times in a row.
SCU
Director Ike Ferrel
Director Ike Ferrel
Voiced by: Peter Jacobs (Condemned 1), Paul Eiding (Condemned 2)
The director of the Serial Crimes Unit of the FBI. He spends most of the first game trying to convince Ethan to give himself up, believing him to be responsible for the murder of the two police officers at the beginning. The second game reveals that he's a member of the Oro, who wants to try to persuade Ethan to join them.
- Affably Evil: Contrasting with Dorland's Jerkass demeanor, he's perfectly reasonable with Ethan and tries to keep him safe so he can join the Oro.
- Ambiguously Human: Like many high-ranking Oro members, he can pass as a normal human, despite being more of a superhuman.
- Body Horror: Has a lot of metal implants in his body, which he needs to take painkillers for regularly.
- Da Chief: Unconvinced that Ethan is innocent of the murders of Dickenson and Becker, he does all he can to try and convince him to give himself up, eventually terminating his lab access.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: A villainous example. Unlike Dorland, who wants to kill Ethan because he sees him as a threat to the Oro, Ferrel wants to keep him safe because he sees him as a potential ally.
- Vocal Evolution: His voice is relatively clear-sounding in the first game. In the second game, however, he sounds very raspy when he speaks. The metal implants in his body may have something to do with it.
- The Voice: Ferrel is never shown in the first game. You only hear him over his phone conversations with Ethan.
- We Can Rule Together: Tries to make this offer to Ethan, seeing him as more of a potential asset than a threat.
- Your Head Asplode: Ethan eventually blows his head up with his voice, at Ferrel's own urging (to help Ethan unlock his powers and defeat Dorland).
Agent Dorland
Agent Dorland
Voiced by: Dave B. Mitchell
A rather aggressive SCU agent in Bloodshot who wears his contempt for Ethan on his sleeve. He's actually a high-ranking member of the Oro who sees Ethan as a threat to their organization, and thus, wants him dead.
- Ambiguously Human: Like many high-ranking Oro members, he can pass as a normal human, despite being more of a superhuman.
- Body Horror: He's got a lot of metal implants in his body, which we later get to see in-game.
- The Dragon: To Ferrel, whom he later disposes of.
- Final Boss: He's the closest thing to a Big Bad the second game has, and also serves as the final boss. Unlike the Dark Primary from the first game, he's a Puzzle Boss/Mook Maker Boss rather than a straight-up fight.
- Jerkass: He constantly antagonizes Ethan in almost all of their interactions.
- Kick the Dog: He's low enough to leave Ethan to die at the hands of a gang of thugs, then mock him for being homeless. While Ethan still has his earpiece in.Dorland: "He'll find his way, he lives in this filth."Thomas: "Fucking dick."
- The Starscream: He betrays and kills Ferrel after learning Ferrel has been attempting to save Ethan rather than kill him in the hopes of recruiting him to the Oro.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He's been sent to kill Ethan because he sees him as a threat to the Oro, and states the Oro's goal is to become "our protectors". From what, and whether he's telling the truth or not, is never made clear.
Agent LeRue
Agent Pierce LeRue
Voiced by: Phil Lamarr
A friendly SCU agent who helps Ethan out in Bloodshot.
- Badass Normal: Unlike any of the major antagonists, or Ethan himself, he's just a guy with a gun. That doesn't stop him from bulldozing a hole in Black Lake Lodge and holding off Dorland's men.
- Big Damn Heroes: Rescues Ethan from Black Lake Lodge when it looks like Dorland's men have him outgunned.
- Nice Guy: Probably the nicest character in either game. He never loses patience with the hot-tempered, alcoholic Ethan, displays concern for his well-being, and besides Rosa, he is the only character without a hidden agenda. He even rescues him from Dorland's men at Black Lake Lodge. However...
- Politically Incorrect Hero: He has a low opinion on drug addicts, calling them "soulless pieces of shit" as he's shooting them. Granted, said addicts have long ago degenerated into a violent feral state because of the Hate Plague gripping the city, and it's likely that LeRue has been on the frontlines fighting the situation for several months now.
Other Characters
Masked Man
Alcohol Demon/Masked Man
- Voiced by: André Sogliuzzo
A hallucinatory figure tempting Ethan to give into his alcoholism and increasingly violent behavior.
- Anti-Villain: Type IV. He might seem like an Evil Mentor and encourages Ethan to indulge in his vices, but he also encourages him to act in self-defense and at the end tells Ethan what he needs to know to destroy the Oro's machinery.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He might be painted in a sinister light and tries to push Ethan over the edge, but encourages him to take down the Oro in the endgame.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Ethan "kills" him in one of his hallucinations, but he shows up in another towards the end to give Ethan a pep talk to defeat the Oro.
- Doppelgänger: Shares Ethan's exact body structure and appearance, with the exception of the mask.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While from what we see of him, he's not very pleasant, he is right that the agent that Ethan meets in his hallucination is already dead, as you later find out when you see a plaque with his name on it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As much as a hallucination can be, anyway. He encourages Ethan to act violently, but he teaches him some life-saving lessons in the opening sequence, and opposes the Oro.
- Malevolent Masked Man: Not so malevolent, actually.
