List of characters in Manhunt

This is a list of characters and who appear in the 2003 video game "Manhunt".

Major characters

James Earl Cash

The protagonist of the game, little is known about anything in his life before the games events. He was sentenced to death after being on death row for three years, but instead of a lethal injection, he was only tranquilized due to the work of Lionel Starkweather, who bribed the police and prison officials. After waking up, Cash is forced by Starkweather to participate in his "manhunt" snuff film, promising that "it will all be over before the night is out." It would appear that Starkweather chose his candidate well, as Cash displays no outward emotion while butchering his pursuers and is no stranger to violence, although he does display some sympathy for his kidnapped family members during one scene. At the end of the game, Cash's whereabouts are unknown. His voice was provided by Stephen Wilfong.

Lionel Starkweather

The twisted mastermind behind the whole scenario, the Director communicates to James Earl Cash through an earpiece until after the asylum. According to bonus material, he was once a prominent director who fell out of favor in Hollywood due to some unknown indiscretion and went insane, turning to slasher films and underground pornography to rebuild his funds and using it to turn his enemies into "extras" (which included the people who were involved in his fallout from Hollywood) later using Valiant Video Enterprises as a front to distribute snuff films. He tells Cash where to go and sometimes gives special instructions on murdering certain people. Dialog at certain points indicate that he is possibly masturbating to Cash's murder spree, though as the game progresses, stealthy executions begin to lose their effectiveness in that regard for the Director, and that effectiveness is instead brought on by fire fights. He hides deep within his mansion where Cash confronts him, mutilating and killing him using a chainsaw. His voice was provided by the British actor Brian Cox who played Hannibal Lecter in the movie "Manhunter".

upporting characters

The Reporter

A reporter who has been researching Starkweather's activities for some time, and it is hinted that Starkweather is on to her. Cash must lead back to her apartment so she can collect evidence on the snuff ring, protecting her from the police force along the way. If she is left on her own too long she will come running to find Cash, which puts them both in danger. She is last seen on the news doing a news bulletin exposing Starkweather's snuff film ring. A bonus soundfile of an audio transcript from the "Manhunt" website reveals that the aftermath has put her in a state of mental paranoia, unable to cope with witnessing so much violence and the whole concept of people willingly participating in such a depraved sport for the amusement of others. She is being interviewed by a doctor who says the reporter was found wandering the streets with a knife in her hand. Her name begins with "Rob."

Ramirez

A Hispanic military-type with one eye and leader of the Wardogs, Ramirez is seen giving orders to various gangs throughout the game. Cash himself encounters Ramirez at the apartment building with the Wardogs. Ramirez has orders to make sure that Cash is killed, and by the end of the scene only one will be left alive. Ramirez is later killed by Cash as he attempts to request reinforcements.

The Tramp

In one scene Cash must lead the tramp through the city to the cemetery, protecting him from gang members along the way. He is an alcoholic homeless man and is constantly swigging liquor. He seems oblivious to the danger he is in. Bonus material in the game suggests that he is Kenneth Jesperson, the former leader of the Smileys who has the secret identity of Scarecrow.

Gary Schaffer

Though he never appears in person in the game, he is the chief of the Carcer City Police Department, and is in collusion with Starkweather. Upon the discovery of Starkweather's snuff film ring, and his involvement in it, the reporter claims that he plans to plead "not guilty" at what is presumably his upcoming trial. He is also mentioned in Grand Theft Auto 3.

The White Rabbit

Found at the end of the asylum, he is a man in a white rabbit suit who holds the key needed to escape the asylum. The rabbit is a homage to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". The Rabbit is supposed to be the end of the line for Cash, and after he is killed, Starkweather stops giving Cash directions, effectively betraying Cash.

Piggsy

Found dwelling in Starkweather's attic, this fat insane man believes he's a pig and wears the skin of a pig over his head and upper body. Other than that he is naked (his penis is rendered as part of the character model, though shadowed out in the game but can still be seen). He uses a blunt chainsaw to kill his victims, signed with an X (because he is illiterate). He was Starkweather's main star before Cash, and is the final boss in the game. Also, he is the only character in the game that can locate Cash in the shadows, by "sniffing" him in the air. Piggsy is a take-off on the famous fictional character "Leatherface," the villain of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", although one might refer to Vincent Smith in "Motel Hell", in which Smith wears a pig's head in the final scene and wields a chainsaw. It takes three executions before Cash can go in for the final kill, which takes place just outside Starkweather's room.

Gangs

The Hoods

The Hoods are "weekend warriors" who are mostly in the hunt for money, and thus not as aggressive as the other gangs. They consist mostly of off-duty police officers and local thugs whose appearance consist of generic, dark colored street clothing, as well as balaclavas and tights worn over their heads (hence the name of the gang). They are generally unorganized and unfocused, and do not always work together, making them easy to pick off one by one. They can often be heard speaking about various subjects which have nothing to do with the hunt on hand and complaining, thus further evidence that the Hoods are underestimating the danger they themselves are in. They are the first gang Cash encounters, thus the easiest to overcome, and are far less disturbing than the gangs encountered later in the game.

The Skinz

A gang comprised of white supremacists, they are often heard shouting derogatory racial remarks about Cash's supposed "mudblood" and mixed-breed heritage. They are armed with knives, nail guns and metal baseball bats and are found throughout the junkyard. Some members have the stereotypical white power skinhead look wearing form fitting t-shirts, army boots, shaved heads and suspenders, while others wear a goalie mask for intimidation, and are covered in tattoos.

The Wardogs

A group of war veterans, hunting enthusiasts, and survivalists who are among Starkweather's most efficient killers, using tactics of flanking, baiting, and full frontal assaults. They are outfitted in camouflage along with ghille suits, combat boots, and face paint, although some wear scarves over their faces, and carry tranquilizer rifles, machetes and knives. In one mission, they go so far as to kidnap Cash's relatives, and will shoot them for each time Cash is spotted. Much of their skill can also be attributed to Ramirez, who heads the Wardogs. The Wardogs are the only gang encountered twice in the game. They are first encountered after Cash as dealt with the Skinz in the junk yard and is moved into the zoo by the Cerberus. Their surviving members are later encountered again once Cash escapes from the Darkwoods Penitentiary after dealing with the Smileys.

The Innocentz

A gang of hoodlums (some apparently Satanists) located in the shopping mall and various other parts of the city. They are the first gang encountered who use guns (particularly revolvers and double-barreled shotguns), but are also armed with knives, hatchets, and sickles. The Innocentz have two different types of gang members: the Skullyz, a group of latino-style goths who wear skull masks and hoodies, and the Baby Faces, who are fat and wear bright flowered shirts and creepy, doll-like masks. The Skullyz seem to be high on drugs, and can be heard to mention peyote. They also can be heard muttering to themselves about a clairvoyant figure guiding them to kill Cash, along with curses and angry groans. The Baby Faces are criminally insane, rambling on crazily and are rumored to be pedophiles(sometimes they call out to Cash, trying to lure him out, telling him that they have "candy and baseball cards"). They tell Cash that they are his "daddy" and they believe that he was sent by Starkweather to "play."

The Smileys

Truly insane psychotics. They wear yellow smiley face masks, usually with things such as "kill" and "please stop me" scrawled messily across them. They are covered in tattoos and sometimes wear blouses and dresses. Many of them can be heard screaming and ranting, talking about a chaotic dinner party and an unfaithful drunken husband named "Barry", who it is implied they have killed for cheating (though it may be more likely that they themselves are Barry and murdered their wives after being driven to insanity). Some mumble on about their shoes being stolen by an imaginary dog, thus further evidence that the Smileys are bordering on total lunacy. The Smileys appropriately occupy the Darkwoods Penitentiary mental asylum. They are armed with meat cleavers, revolvers, handguns, sawed-off shotguns and SPAS-12 shotguns. The Smileys are the last gang that Cash encounters that are actually part of the scenes Starkweather is trying to gather for his snuff film. They are more brutal than the Skinz, more aggressive hunters than the Wardogs, and even more insane than the Innocentz, making them the most dangerous gang that is actually involved in the manhunt film.

Carcer City Police Department

After Cash evades the Wardogs for the last time, Starkweather has the chief of the Carcer City Police Department, Gary Schaffer, who is working for Starkweather, send out his men to capture Cash and the reporter. The CCPD could almost be considered innocent Starkweather's pawns as they have no knowledge of the snuff film ring, the chief's involvement in it, or even of Cash's true identity (they are under the impression that they're hunting a homeless person). There are hints that the police are quite brutal in their methods, being heard bragging about past "hobo hunts," complaining about "liberal" cops, and mentions of shooting first and asking questions later. It is also hinted that some of them are annoyed about being called to duty, as it dragged them away from their families and their beds. The police patrol the reporter's apartment. They are armed with nightsticks, revolvers, handguns, SPAS-12 shotguns, and sniper rifles. Normally they will chase after the player, but if they find one of their own dead, they will shoot on sight.

WAT Team

The SWAT Team is called in at the subway and the railroad yard. Armed with Desert Eagles, MAC-10s and SPAS-12 shotguns, they can take care of Cash fast. They also wear body armor and can take more bullets than the average cop. The quickest way to take them down is with headshots.

The Cerberus

A group of ex-spooks and mercenaries on Starkweather's payroll, they are the most dangerous enemy in the game. The Cerberus are equipped with Desert Eagles, SPAS-12 shotguns and M16 rifles, and will make short work of Cash. They usually work in groups, which makes it very hard to take them out. Over the course of the game, they ambush Cash and bring him to a new area, taking his weapons when they do so. They guard Starkweather's mansion and the surrounding grounds, and also make an appearance at the end of the asylum. Unlike the other gangs, who look upon Cash either with disdain, greed, hatred, or due to mental instability do not seem to care much, the Cerberus know what he is capable of (having watched him repeatedly and gruesomely kill many people in the course of a night) and some express fear or admiration of his abilities. Some however, still arrogantly believe that he is no match for them. Thus, they are much more careful than the gangs and even the police, and will use team tactics and excessive firepower to take him down if necessary.

The Monkeys

A maniac group of men in monkey suits appearing in the zoo in a bonus game, "Monkey See, Monkey Die." The story has it that they are indeed real monkeys and have an appetite for flesh due to banana shortage. They are extremely fearful, carry shotguns, and go berserk upon spotting the player or hearing noise.

Removed characters and gangs

Binbag

The leader of the Lost, not much is said about him, other than the fact he was originally intended to be a boss character for the Lost and very aggressive. He was dressed in trash bags, hence his nickname.

carecrow

Once the headhunter of the Smileys, Scarecrow was ultimately stripped of his rank following the unexplained "Piggsy debacle." He now desperately sleeps in the slums of the arena in the far off chance that he can confront Piggsy again and kill him to redeem himself. It is hinted that the tramp Cash must escort is in fact Scarecrow himself.

The Clowns

The most notable gang that was ultimately dropped from the game, they were described as being "as vicious as the hunt allows." They were supposedly replaced by the Smileys, as in the bonus content the description said the Smileys had been barred due to gross disobedience, and also mentioned a fierce rivalry between the Clowns and the Smileys (with the Smileys being the dominant hunters in the rivalry). They snort amphetamines, although it is debatable whether or not this would enhance their performance.

They are sponsored by James W. Gacy, head of Carcer City's art galleries and museums. It is notable that he has both the same initials and surname (Gacy) of real-life American serial killer John Wayne Gacy, nicknamed "The Killer Clown."

The Jury

Another gang that didn't make the final cut, the concept of a gang whose members don hockey goalie masks was recycled for the Skinz.

The Lost

The original Junkyard gang that was ultimately dropped from the game in favor of the Skinz (though this was not necessarily a replacement as the Skinz were already a confirmed featured gang at this time in development). They are depicted as resourceful, using anything in the Junkyard to their advantage, such as metal plating for armor, and lead pipes for weaponry (the pipe was also a dropped weapon that was shown in early artwork). Their armour assembled from scrap metal makes perfect camoflauge for their environment, but on the downside, their armour is also very heavy and noisy.

A biker gang named "The Lost" exists in Grand Theft Auto IV, also developed by Rockstar North.