How old is Guybrush exactly?

[Flah]

Something has been bugging me. And it's shaped like Morgan Leflay. She claims that she's been following Guybrush Threepwood's piratey exploits all her life, ever since she was a little child. Though, to be honest Morgan doesn't look incredibly young, compared to Guybrush.

I would guess that Guybrush is, at most, in his early twenties. And he likely started pirating on Melee Island at age sixteen at the earliest (the standard age for a callow youth with a fantastic destiny ahead of him). He's certainly not scarred nor grizzled enough to have been a pirate for that since then. And he's still got his boyish good looks. In the Monkey Island continuity, we can be fairly sure that the events that have taken place so far have spanned over a period of no more than ten years. Likely even less than that.

So the question I have to ask is... Isn't Morgan a little bit well-developed for someone in her early teens?

[PecanBlue]

I figured he was 19 in MI2 (due to slip of the tongue to the librarian) and 22 in MI3. (though I could be wrong about that) I assumed if several years passed from there he would in his late twenties or early thirties in Tales.

I'm sure there's a better way to explain it though, I just assume things from hints in the games.

[Ash735]

I thought Guybrush is suppose to be around 30 in Tales, he's 20 in CMI, EMI takes place three months later and Tales, in joke or not, refers to them being on adventures for the past decade, so he's close to 31.

We can actually map this out, His card says he's 20 in CMI, he lies and says 21 in MI2 (Legal Drinking Age), so if we go from that twenty in CMI, take off Three Months (according to Stan in TOMI) to lead back to MI2. If he's still 20 in MI2, then he must be around 21 in EMI, plus that decade makes him 31. :)

[Flah]

Huh, I guess I missed the bit that mentioned they've been swashbuckling for the past decade. I stand corrected. The world makes sense again.

[PecanBlue]

Oh, I don't remember the card in CMI at all. I just took Elaine's "he abandoned me for three years" in Tales to mean she was talking about what happened after Guybrush fell into the pit in MI2 and went missing.

[Ash735]

The SCUMM Actors Guild Card :p, that three years would more likely explain the time between MI1 and MI2, as time has obviously past quite a bit between those games, Stan says the time between MI2 and CMI is Three Months "The guy who locked me in my own coffin for Three Months!" and the time between CMI and EMI is also Three Months (as mentioned by the catapult operator about why Elaine was declared dead).

Taking into account his 19 slip in MI2, Three Months pass to make him 20 in CMI, another Three Months in EMI makes him nearly 21 in a way. That would make Guybrush just 16 years old in MI1!

[Mataku]

in MI3 he says he's 20, and has a card that states that, so there.

[Guinea]

Guybrush might be in his mid twenties or approaching 30.
He looks a bit older in this game than in the previous ones, too.

[Rather Dashing]

I thought Guybrush is suppose to be around 30 in Tales, he's 20 in CMI, EMI takes place three months later and Tales, in joke or not, refers to them being on adventures for the past decade, so he's close to 31.
I thought this too, but I think Jake said that the comment actually was referring to the events from Secret of Monkey Island onward.

[Irishmile]

late 20s He was in his late teens when we first saw him and as others mentioned at the start of ToMI he mentions a decade of pirating..... So roughly my age now..... how cool is that?

[eatonjb]

Just an FYI, Stan mentioned that he was wearing that coat for 20 YEARS!

wonder what that means..

[Ash735]

That he's clearly a liar as he doesn't wear it in MI2 or EMI but variants of them instead ;)

[balin2k]

i thonk im TOMI he is around 30. MI1 i think he is 19 and MI2 is 21 and MI3 about 23 and 23 in EMI and 7 years apss till TOMI. well that is my guess.

[pilouuuu]

32 just like me :-D

[Jake]

I thought this too, but I think Jake said that the comment actually was referring to the events from Secret of Monkey Island onward.

That was my read on it at least, that their "decade together" was an approximation of their total time knowing each other. I don't think Guybrush is 30, for instance.

[Spadge]

For me, he's no more than 24 in TOMI. And he was 17/20/20/21 in previous games. Not based on anything but my gut feeling and common sense. Someone mentioned 7 years passed between EMI and TOMI, but I think that was more of a joke, because TOMI was 7 years late. :D

32? That's way too old for Guybrush. By the time he's 32 he'd probably be retired and have a couple of kids.

[GuruGuru214]

The only explicit references to his age are in the second and third games. He was 19 in Monkey Island 2 (Phatt City Library, trying to get a card), had a birthday during the three months he was trapped in the Carnival of the Damned, and was 20 in Curse (SCUMM Actor's Guild card, Carnival of the Damned).

As Curse starts at night and the daylight in each area loops around through a full day and back to morning at the end, it's possible that the events of that game unfolded over one day, but perhaps not. Either way, I doubt the events of that game took 9 months, so if Guybrush and Elaine were on their three month honeymoon for the duration of the time between Curse and Escape, Guybrush must have still been 20 in Escape.

Now, if Telltale is pulling an Indiana Jones and making the amount of time that passed in the real world between games the same as the amount of time that passed in-game between games (and they seem to be), that would make Guybrush 29 now.

Also, if Elaine's reference to leaving her for three years is indeed an indication to the time between the first and second games, that would make him 16 in Secret and might also explain why she was so pissed off at him in Monkey 2.

[Miaharpy]

The only explicit references to his age are in the second and third games. He was 19 in Monkey Island 2 (Phatt City Library, trying to get a card), had a birthday during the three months he was trapped in the Carnival of the Damned, and was 20 in Curse (SCUMM Actor's Guild card, Carnival of the Damned).

As Curse starts at night and the daylight in each area loops around through a full day and back to morning at the end, it's possible that the events of that game unfolded over one day, but perhaps not. Either way, I doubt the events of that game took 9 months, so if Guybrush and Elaine were on their three month honeymoon for the duration of the time between Curse and Escape, Guybrush must have still been 20 in Escape.

Now, if Telltale is pulling an Indiana Jones and making the amount of time that passed in the real world between games the same as the amount of time that passed in-game between games (and they seem to be), that would make Guybrush 29 now.

Also, if Elaine's reference to leaving her for three years is indeed an indication to the time between the first and second games, that would make him 16 in Secret and might also explain why she was so pissed off at him in Monkey 2.

.... That actually makes sense! Good job!

[GuruGuru214]

.... That actually makes sense! Good job!

Thanks. I seem to have a real talent for overthinking things. :D

[Epic Kiwi]

I wonder how old Elaine is, then. She was the governor of Melee Island in MI1, and if Guybrush was only 16... robbing the cradle, anyone?

[Irishmile]

it was a different time.

[Epic Kiwi]

liek omg no cuz monkey island was all a dream and hes been in a mental hospital the whole time

Point taken. I still wonder how old she's supposed to be, though. Not that it really matters.

[Zepheera]

Regardless of how old Guybrush is, and I concur that he must be somewhere between 26 and 31 years old as of this game, I've noticed that groupies/fangirls (or just about anyone for that matter) tend to exaggerate when confronted by, and gushing to, their hero.

Morgan could be just 18 and have been following his career since Secret, which would have made her about 8 years old, easily classified as a little girl. I've noticed that teenagers and young adults in general tend to refer to their past selves as "little" up to about 12 years.

Obviously, this is definitely debatable and contains a lot of supposition, but Guybrush could be just 26 (inferring from the decade statement and taking into account the ages mentioned in the early games). Morgan could be 22, if he started his exploits at 16, while she was 12, this could fit into the logic of Morgan's hero worship story while still leaving them fairly close in age.

[Zepheera]

It's fairly recent that the age of majority and marriage was limited to 18 being the acceptable age to marry.

Just take a look at as recent as a little over 100 years ago.

Laura Ingalls Wilder was 10 years younger than her husband. She WAS 18 when she got married, but at that time it was not unusual for women to get married as early as 15 or 16.

As time has gone by, the age of majority has gone up. Maybe in another 150 years, you'll be considering a child until you're 30 and the average life span will be 110 years

[PecanBlue]

In the case of Elaine's age, I don't know how politics would work in this universe, but maybe her age doesn't really matter and she immediately took over governor after her grandfather was pronounced dead or whatever. (assuming she was the only heir) I'm a bit sketchy on the details anyway, but since I'm sure she's a bit older than him, 18 or 19 in the first game would be my only safe guess.

Also, can anyone explain her reference to the timeline in court? I just replayed the game and I'm sure she actually said "then he left me hanging over a pit and went to look for the treasure of Big Whoop. I didn't see him for three years after that." This sounds like she's talking about the events near the end of MI2; I can't see how it relates to something that happened in between MI1 and MI2. If Guybrush is 19 in MI2 and 20 in MI3, how does her suggestion of three years make sense?

[Irishmile]

My wife is Asian... some of her sister's got married to older men when they were just teenagers... different culture.

[GuruGuru214]

I wonder how old Elaine is, then. She was the governor of Melee Island in MI1, and if Guybrush was only 16... robbing the cradle, anyone?

Elaine's always been depicted as being fairly close to Guybrush in age, and I'm not so sure about the three years bit. I really doubt he was just 16 in Secret. My guess is he was at least 18 in that game.

Also, I don't have any memory of the three years line, so I'm just going off of what others have said for that. I can't see it referring to the MI2/Curse gap. I mean, even in the Monkey Island universe, three years is a long time to survive in a coffin without food or water. Plus Elaine was poxed at the time and spewing all sorts of nonsense (assuming the line was said during this game. I honestly don't have any idea when she's supposed to have said it). I'm definitely more inclined to believe Stan on that than Elaine.

[FitzoliverJ]

From what I personally have seen:

in MI2, Guybrush is 19. Since Largo's been on the track of the mystical beard of LeChuck for "years", Guybrush was probably 16 in MI1 (although allegedly the game manuals put just a month between the two games).

In CMI, I gather Guybrush claims 20, consistent with other indications in the game (eg Wallys subscription to LeChuck's pirating course) that a year has passed snce MI2. However, in TMI Stan says it was only three months, and Elaine says it was three years.

EMI is meant to be three months after CMI, but obviously that's not true. Obvoiusly Guybrush and Elaine postponed their three-month honeymoon in order to settle down living together in the mansion, get Timmy, move Guybrush's stuff into the mansion, rebuild the interior of the mansion, move the SCUMM bar..... :D OK, but let's say he's still 20.

A 'decade' of adventures in TMI seems reasonable to date from Elaine giving up all her political appointments to become a full-tiime pirate at the end of EMI - so, TMI must be tennish years later, Guybrush about 30 years old

[puzzlebox]

I wonder how old Elaine is, then. She was the governor of Melee Island in MI1, and if Guybrush was only 16... robbing the cradle, anyone?

Tutenkhamun was 9 years old when he became pharoah, Henry the Young King was crowned at the age of 15, and even the current British monarch Queen Elizabeth II began her reign at the relatively young age of 25. Given the time period of Monkey Island, I think it's perfectly plausible that Elaine is no older than 20 in SMI.

[pilouuuu]

Ok, just reading all you said and my personal gut is that Guybrush is in his late 20's or early 30's and Elaine is probably one year older than him.

[Ash735]

In CMI, I gather Guybrush claims 20, consistent with other indications in the game (eg Wallys subscription to LeChuck's pirating course) that a year has passed snce MI2. However, in TMI Stan says it was only three months, and Elaine says it was three years.

It can still fit in regards to Stan comment, Guybrush could of been 19 years old and 11 months in MI2, add three months on to that and you get 20 years old and two months. I just gather that Elaine is bad with her time keeping or an easy script error, Three Months and Three Years are close, just one word wrong.

[Takun]

It could all just be a simple case of "just a phrase" too yknow. Lots and lots of evidence and facts but it's our beloved Monkey Island, not the hunt for Obama's birth certificate. Most people I know who say "follow something their whole lives" is a grey area that can be anywhere from "watching a movie of them at age 5" to "discovering them on the still-young internet at age 13". If Morgan has been following Guybrush all her life, it still wouldnt mean too much. If he was 15 in the first game and it's been about 13-15 years since then, then our Morgan could easily be in her early twenties.

As far as Guybrush's age, wasn't there some article saying that it had been (like real time) 10 years since MI4, and Guybrush has spent the entire time crafting the cutlass? That'd make him about 31 I'd say.

[GuruGuru214]

Also, if Elaine's reference to leaving her for three years is indeed an indication to the time between the first and second games, that would make him 16 in Secret and might also explain why she was so pissed off at him in Monkey 2.

Okay, I finally saw that line in context tonight (I think I went straight for the sponge the first time I played chapter 4), and it's definitely intended to be referring to the MI2/Curse gap. Given that Stan wouldn't have survived in a coffin for three whole years, plus Elaine's tendency to exaggerate while poxed, I'm sticking with Stan's three months and saying that we have nothing at all to indicate his age in Secret.

[Toothless Gibbon]

Given that Stan wouldn't have survived in a coffin for three whole years

But he would for 3 months?!?!

[GuruGuru214]

Yeah, three months is also a long time to survive in a coffin, but it's not much less plausible than having business cards made up while locked inside that coffin, and it's much more plausible than three years.

[jmm]

That's easy: here's an equation

2^((pi*(n+m)/s)
Age = V*-------------------
h+H

where
n = number of pixels in the original Guybrush sprite 1 while idle (from MI 1)
s = number of times Stan moved his arms on all MI games (up to MI 5)
m = number of times Elaine thought about Guybrush
V = Voodoo Lady's constant of unknown, doom and foretelling
h = number of "har" "spoken" by LeChuck
H = number of "har" written on screen in the non talkie versions

You'll have to find the V constant though, by some oddity I have forgotten after asking the Voodoo Lady...

[Avistew]

I'm sorry, I know it's an old thread, but I was about to start a new one on this same subject and I thought using this one might be better?

I'm inclined to believe Stan when he says he was locked in the coffin for three months (survived by eating a previous corpse if I remember correctly. Doesn't explain how he kept hydrated but that's cartoon logic for you).

I too was wondering about the "three years" Elaine mentioned...
But I'm going to say that she's poxed and pissed, so she's mixing up her timeline (seems more likely than Stan thinking he was locked in a coffin for 3 months when it was 3 years).

And since sometimes when you complain about someone, you say things out of order...
I'm going to say she didn't see him for 3 months after the Big Whoop thing, but she also didn't see him for three years between secret and revenge (or less but she exaggerated, could be a bit over two years for instance), and she just got herself mixed up while complaining.

So... I would say Guybrush would be 16-17 in the first game, then we know he's 19 in the second, 20 in the third (the two ages that are given in-game), then three months pass so he has to still be 20, and since they adventured for about ten years together he'd be around 26 in Tales.
Morgan might be 20 or so, meaning she'd be 10 at the time of Secret, and followed Guybrush since then.
Elaine I always pictured as older than Guybrush by at least a few years but I'll agree there is nothing definite about that since her age is never given anywhere.

Does anyone has other theories and/or do we have any official word about the "three months" vs "three years" thing?

EDIT: oh, and about Stan and his jacket. I'd say he's exaggerating more than lying. He wear a different jacket in MI2 due to it being coffins (so he chose more... funeral colours) but I think he really means he's had that jacket for about 20 years, even though he didn't wear it non-stop.
He also says his mojo comes from the pattern, so I'd say he became a salesman about 20 years ago. If he started as early as Guybrush that would make him ten years older than him, or 26 in Secret and 36 in Tales. But he could also have started later and be more around 30 in Secrets and 40 in Tales.

I think that's all for the recurring characters. I wouldn't try to figure out the Voodoo Lady's age because she probably uses voodoo, and Murray is already dead so that's irrelevant.
And LeChuck, well he died too. I'd say human LeChuck was probably the age of LeChuck when he died rather than the age he would be if he was still alive.

[apenpaap]

I'm sorry, I know it's an old thread, but I was about to start a new one on this same subject and I thought using this one might be better?

I'm inclined to believe Stan when he says he was locked in the coffin for three months (survived by eating a previous corpse if I remember correctly. Doesn't explain how he kept hydrated but that's cartoon logic for you).
HE ATE A CORPSE? :eek: :eek: :eek: I never heard that! That's gross.

I too was wondering about the "three years" Elaine mentioned...
But I'm going to say that she's poxed and pissed, so she's mixing up her timeline (seems more likely than Stan thinking he was locked in a coffin for 3 months when it was 3 years).

And since sometimes when you complain about someone, you say things out of order...
I'm going to say she didn't see him for 3 months after the Big Whoop thing, but she also didn't see him for three years between secret and revenge (or less but she exaggerated, could be a bit over two years for instance), and she just got herself mixed up while complaining.
I agree with this.

So... I would say Guybrush would be 16-17 in the first game, then we know he's 19 in the second, 20 in the third (the two ages that are given in-game), then three months pass so he has to still be 20, and since they adventured for about ten years together he'd be around 26 in Tales.
Morgan might be 20 or so, meaning she'd be 10 at the time of Secret, and followed Guybrush since then.
Elaine I always pictured as older than Guybrush by at least a few years but I'll agree there is nothing definite about that since her age is never given anywhere.
I agree with this too, except that it sounded more like 10 years since they had been adventuring together, which would be Curse, not Secret. So Guybrush would be 30 in Tales.

Does anyone has other theories and/or do we have any official word about the "three months" vs "three years" thing?
Since Guybrush says he's 19 in Revenge and 20 in Curse, there can't be 3 years between them, but three months could be, so I'd say your explanation is right.

oh, and about Stan and his jacket. I'd say he's exaggerating more than lying. He wear a different jacket in MI2 due to it being coffins (so he chose more... funeral colours) but I think he really means he's had that jacket for about 20 years, even though he didn't wear it non-stop.
There's no reason to assume he started shortly before Secret. He could have been in business and weasring his jacket for 6 years already then.


I think that's all for the recurring characters. I wouldn't try to figure out the Voodoo Lady's age because she probably uses voodoo, and Murray is already dead so that's irrelevant.
And LeChuck, well he died too. I'd say human LeChuck was probably the age of LeChuck when he died rather than the age he would be if he was still alive.

I always picture LeChuck in his fourties or maybe fifties.

[Avistew]

There's no reason to assume he started shortly before Secret. He could have been in business and weasring his jacket for 6 years already then.

Or 10 is the "ten years adventuring" start at Secret. But yeah, that's what I think too.

About Stan surviving in the coffin, I honestly can't say I'm 100% sure, but I seemed to remember that was what happened. I think I read it somewhere or other, that could be wrong. I'm probably going to play Curse again soon so I'll tell you about that then.

EDIT: I think I might have read it on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Monkey_Island#Stan)

Stan ends up in a crypt on Blood Island and manages to survive by feeding on the remains of a previous corpse until Guybrush frees him in The Curse of Monkey Island a year later.

Of course, considering it's wikipedia (and that they say "a year later" but that could be due to his age going from 19 to 20), that doesn't mean anything. That could just be someone's theory, or that could be something Stan says if you question him in Curse. Does anyone know more about that?

[Uzrname]

So... I would say Guybrush would be 16-17 in the first game, then we know he's 19 in the second, 20 in the third (the two ages that are given in-game), then three months pass so he has to still be 20, and since they adventured for about ten years together he'd be around 26 in Tales.Umm actually I think he's a tad older in the first game. Although not certain, I think I've read somewhere that he was 19 or so in SMI. There were three years that passed between SMI and LCR, putting him at 22 (however, inside Phatt Island library he says he's 21 upon making the library card). There is at least sixth months between LCR and SMI, so that would make him still 22 years old in CMI. In EMI, however, his age has never been pointed out since we're not sure how long their honeymoon was. But let's say it was also 5-6 month, so that would put Guybrush at 23 years old in EMI. Subsequently, in Tales he already comes from a "year long" adventure as he states, but Elaine says there was an interval of three years between Tales and CMI, therefore, Guybrush must be something like 24 or 25 years old.

As for Elaine, she's a little bit older than him. I think, though unsure again, she was 22 in SMI. So that would put her, with the same count, at 27-28 in Tales. And Morgan, yeah, I think she's barely 20.

[apenpaap]

Umm actually I think he's a tad older in the first game. Although not certain, I think I've read somewhere that he was 19 or so in SMI. There were three years that passed between SMI and LCR, putting him at 22 (however, inside Phatt Island library he says he's 21 upon making the library card).
He's 19 in Revenge. When he gets the library card he says he's ninete- er, I mean twenty-one.
There is at least sixth months between LCR and SMI, so that would make him still 22 years old in CMI. In EMI, however, his age has never been pointed out since we're not sure how long their honeymoon was. But let's say it was also 5-6 month, so that would put Guybrush at 23 years old in EMI.
In Tales, Stan says there were 3 months between Revenge and Curse, and in Escape both Guybrush and Elaine say their honeymoon was 3 months a couple of times.
Subsequently, in Tales he already comes from a "year long" adventure as he states, but Elaine says there was an interval of three years between Tales and CMI, therefore, Guybrush must be something like 24 or 25 years old.
In Tales it is said Guybrush and Elaine have been pirating together for ten years. Though whether that means ten years since Secret or ten years since Curse/Escape is not clear.

[Uzrname]

He's 19 in Revenge. When he gets the library card he says he's ninete- er, I mean twenty-one.
I think that's a joke reference to his age in SMI. But in LCR the Big Whoop story happens three years before the game setting, and we all know LeChuck was already undead in SMI, so my guess is that 2 years passed there, and SMI was 1 year after Big Whoop, so it all sums up.

In Tales, Stan says there were 3 months between Revenge and Curse, and in Escape both Guybrush and Elaine say their honeymoon was 3 months a couple of times.However, in the beginning of CMI, when Guybrush writes his blog, he says "i've been stranded for half a year now after being part of Big Whoop", plus three-four months of his honeymoon make it about 1 year or so between LCR and EMI.

In Tales it is said Guybrush and Elaine have been pirating together for ten years. Though whether that means ten years since Secret or ten years since Curse/Escape is not clear.Yeah. But that might also refer to real-time count, with EMI being released 10 years ago. As it might not. I think it's at the player's discretion. And personally I wouldn't say Guybrush is 30 in Tales, personally he doesn't even look 25 to me. Plus, Guybrush says he had a year-long adventure for the Cutlass of Kaflu. But there may have been other adventures before.

[apenpaap]

I think that's a joke reference to his age in SMI.
It's possible, but I can't remember his age being named anywhere in Secret. I may have missed it though. But the nineteen years old also makes sense as he is twenty in Curse, and Stan says there were three months between Revenge and Curse.
However, in the beginning of CMI, when Guybrush writes his blog, he says "i've been stranded for half a year now after being part of Big Whoop"
No, he doesn't. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCcHa2iTQ_A&feature=PlayList&p=123737194F83FC1C&index=0&playnext=1)


Yeah. But that might also refer to real-time count, with EMI being released 10 years ago. As it might not. I think it's at the player's discretion. And personally I wouldn't say Guybrush is 30 in Tales, personally he doesn't even look 25 to me. Plus, Guybrush says he had a year-long adventure for the Cutlass of Kaflu. But there may have been other adventures before.

Yeah, the exact amount of time between Escape and Tales is pretty vague. There is at least one more adventure between the two: the one where LeChuck becomes a killer walrus.

[Uzrname]

Well, if you consider him being 17 in SMI (btw that would make sense for "you're too young to drink" jokes), then add ten years to it (since Tales must be referring to the first time they've met on Melee), then that would make sense to me for Guybrush to be 27 or 28 years old. But if so, Elaine must then be 30.

[purple_monkfish]

I always saw Elaine as being in her 20s in the first game... with Guybrush in his teens. 16 or 17 maybe.. but I definitely have always assumed Elaine was a good bit older than he was.

[GuruGuru214]

Morgan might be 20 or so, meaning she'd be 10 at the time of Secret, and followed Guybrush since then.

I'ma say she's at least 21. Bartenders in the Caribbean seem to be pretty good about carding, even if they're lax on making sure the ID is actually valid.

As for Guybrush, I've said all I have to say on that. He's 19 in MI2 and 20 in Curse, anything other than that is speculation, though you can take a pretty good guess at his age the rest of the time.

[Jen Kollic]

I'ma say she's at least 21. Bartenders in the Caribbean seem to be pretty good about carding, even if they're lax on making sure the ID is actually valid.

Personally I think Morgan's about 19. As Guybrush has proven, it's not too hard to get a fake ID in the MI world.

I think Guybrush is 17 or 18 in Secret, as already mentioned we know he's 19 in MI2 and 20 in Curse. I also agree with the theory that Tales takes place 10 years after Secret, which would make him 27-28. And I do think that Elaine is a bit older than him so yeah, she'd be about 30 in Tales.

[GuruGuru214]

I don't know, Morgan just feels older than that to me. Then again, I'm 22 and perceive myself as being less mature than a lot of other 22 year olds, so maybe my perception is off.

[harald]

I don't get why so many people are sure about Guybrush's age in LeChuck's Revenge. All we have to go by is a dialogue option that says "Ninet... uhh, twenty-one." (or something like that) in response to the librarian asking about his age. How is this a guarantee that Guybrush is 19? Maybe he was just throwing that number out, but changed it to 21 to be able to get a drink at the bar.

Truth is, the first time I played the game I thought he was about to say ninety - because, if I recall correctly, he says "ninet..." and not "ninete..." - and since then I have dismissed the line as another silly joke. Maybe that doesn't make sense, but I was young, English isn't my first language, and I'm sometimes incredibly thick. My point is that it could just be a joke, as could his guild membership card in Curse. Then again, all references to his age are probably jokes. :)

I always imagined him around 20 in Secret, quite a bit older in MI2 (22 or 23) and 25 in MI3. But those numbers are just how I originally perceived him, without Guruguru-lly over-analysing things.

Morgan is 22 or 23. That's what my gut tells me. I realise I'm not contributing much to the debate here, I'm just sharing my initial impressions. Sorry for the lack of substance. :p

[Uzrname]

Guys, don't base your deductions on legal drinking age. The whole story is supposedly happening during the piracy era (i.e. 1700 or so), it's unlikely there was ANY form of ID back then. So it's not actually proven you need to be either 18 or 21 to drink there.

Plus, it's only a joke.

But I still think Morgan's 20. Or 21 (if you still consider the drinking age limit).

[Avistew]

I still stick to the 19 and 20 being his only "canon" ages. The 19 could be a joke, but still, in MI3 he uses his real age to trick a pirate at the fair, and he's 20 at the time. I doubt he'd fake a card to make him appear younger than he is so I'm going to say that's his age in MI3. What with there being 3 months between 2 and 3, Guybrush still being 19 in MI2 makes sense, so I'm taking it as his real age and not a throwaway joke.

But I agree that everything else is purely speculation. I still think he could have been 16 or 17 in Secret (if we are to believe the reference to three years is a reference to the time between MI1 and MI2): if he celebrated his birthday between MI2 and MI3, then he could either have been 16 but almost 17 (then three years later he's 19 but almost 20), or had turned 17 recently (then by "three years later" Elaine might be referring to two years and ten months for instance, but not bothering being that specific).

[Uzrname]

I still think he could have been 16 or 17 in Secret (if we are to believe the reference to three years is a reference to the time between MI1 and MI2)Once again, that would make sense for him being 17 in SMI and 19 in LCR (two years between the games, actually).

It's him being 27 in Tales that I still can't quite cope with.

[Avistew]

It's him being 27 in Tales that I still can't quite cope with.

Well, someone had the theory that the "ten years" were a reference to the time since Escape came out rather than the time that elapsed in-game.
However, that wouldn't explain how Morgan could have followed Guybrush "since she was a little girl".

[Bagge]

Guys, don't base your deductions on legal drinking age. The whole story is supposedly happening during the piracy era (i.e. 1700 or so), it's unlikely there was ANY form of ID back then. So it's not actually proven you need to be either 18 or 21 to drink there.

Plus, it's only a joke.

Well, it's not just a joke, getting an ID card is a puzzle too.

There obviously were no government enforced drinking age in the carribean in the 18th century, but in the Monkey Island universe, or at least on Scabb Island, there is. It's likely to assume that that drinking age is 21 for two main reasons: First, All the answers you can give about your age to the librarian are "21", with various hesitations, indicating that Guybrush is lying. Secondly, the Monkey Island universe is not a historically correct representation of 18th century pirate life in the carribean, but rather a pastiche of that said era, intertwined with a Flintstones-like emulation of the modern world, and in California (where Lucasarts is located) and the rest of the US, the legal drinking age is 21.

[coolsome]

However, that wouldn't explain how Morgan could have followed Guybrush "since she was a little girl".

She's exaggerating cos she's a fan girl.