A cheerful young man in a pirate coat stands on a rock above a tropical beach, arm raised in a bold declaration, a ship on the horizon.

Original artwork, not a still

Guybrush Threepwood

My name is Guybrush Threepwood, and I want to be a pirate!

— The Secret of Monkey Island • 1990

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

One sentence of hopeless confidence sets up the whole game: the hero has a dream, no qualifications and a name nobody takes seriously. Guybrush's sincerity is the joke and the charm, and the line became the series' calling card, mimicked as a greeting by fans and echoed in later games, where he keeps introducing himself as a mighty pirate.

Context reviewed

In context

Spoilers for The Secret of Monkey IslandShow the scene

The Secret of Monkey Island opens on Melee Island with a young man who has just arrived and has one ambition. Guybrush introduces himself to the island's Blind Lookout and announces that he wants to be a pirate. The Lookout sizes him up and replies that he looks more like a flooring inspector. The Lookout then sends him to the Scumm Bar, where the Pirate Leaders set him the three trials of swordfighting, treasure-hunting and thievery that make up the first act.

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