King Andre

King Andre was a fictional smuggler and minor villain to Guybrush Threepwood in LucasArts' The Curse of Monkey Island. Andre was a bald black man who lived in a cave on Skull Island, a small island near Blood Island during Guybrush's Adventures. It seemed he ran a huge smuggling industry and the 'Pirates Club' of which he sold his stolen goods to customers who came by the Island. Of course the location of both islands shrouded in mists and surrounded by trecharious waters meant that it seemed unlikely that anyone ever came to the Island. King Andre had only one known trusted associate known as Cruff and he lived amongst vast amounts of gold and jewels as well as his well-known Smuggle Bunny.

King of the Smugglers

How Andre accumalated such vasts amounts is never revealed yet it seems he is well-known across the Caribbean, in a cut-scene early on in the game two pirates who are fishing from the remains of the battle at the start of the game mention him. He is well-known on Blood Island as a notorious smuggler yet none seem to dare approach his island; as if they could due to the shroud of mist that only the Flying Welshman seems to cross. Andre also did business with the main antagonist LeChuck before the first game The Secret of Monkey Island started. This deal will lead Guybrush to Andre in the game; LeChuck seemingly traded the Goodsoup Family Diamond for the price of a ship. This new ship LeChuck would use to sail to Monkey Island and claim the treasure of Big Whoop.

The Curse of Monkey Island

The night Guybrush arrived, Andre was reluctant to accept him; yet Guybrush convinced Andre into making a deal for the diamond- through a game of poker. Of course Guybrush was being cheated on two accounts- these villains would never give him the diamond and they made him pay to enter their game. After Guybrush paid to enter and won with a five-of-a-kind trick (using five Death Tarot cards) the two smugglers turned on Guybrush with guns and prepared to kill him. Fortunately the temporary Lift-Operator known as LaFoot opened the door and the candles that lit the cave blew out giving Guybrush the chance to run and escape with the diamond. Andre and Cruff were left fighting and it is unknown what happened to them; it can be presumed business returned to normal with the absence of the diamond only partly affecting Andre's business (Although he claims that the fantastic energies flowing through the Goodsoup diamong is the key to all his power). Yet the Flying Welshman left permanently for Scabb Island and hence Skull Island has not been revisited since the Curse of Monkey Island. Yet it is unlikely to presume that Guybrush will ever return to the island and face Andre again.

In-Joke Portrayal and References

Andre was meant to be a portrayal of a classic Bond villain as many of famous phrases from known Bond villains turn up; such as when Guybrush says 'You expect me to talk' Andre replies 'No Mr. Threepwood, I expect you to buy' he also has an evil laugh and at one point goes on about a ridiculous plot involving satellites and charges set around Blood Island. This of course as is typical of Monkey Island games merely a in-joke to Bond and other known classical villains of the modern film genre.