Corvo Attano
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Corvo Attano is a fictional character and the
main protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
of
Arkane Studios Arkane Studios SASU is a French video game developer based in Lyon. It was founded in 1999, and released its first game, ''Arx Fatalis'', in 2002. The studio has created the popular Dishonored (series), ''Dishonored'' series as well as developi ...
' ''Dishonored'' series. He is the lead protagonist in ''
Dishonored ''Dishonored'' is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Set in the fictional, plague-ridden industrial city of Dunwall, ''Dishonored'' follows the story of Corvo Attano, bodyguard to th ...
'', one of two playable protagonists in ''
Dishonored 2 ''Dishonored 2'' is a 2016 First-person (video games), first person action-adventure game developed by Arkane Lyon and published by Bethesda Softworks for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It is the sequel to 2012's ''Dishonored''. After E ...
'', and has appeared in multiple ''Dishonored'' works, including a comic series, and the first published book of a trilogy of novels announced in 2016.


Concept and creation

The early development of the character was based on 17th century
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
attire, and was similar in appearance to that of the character
Garrett Garrett may refer to: Places in the United States * Garrett, Illinois, a village * Garrett, Indiana, a city * Garrett, Floyd County, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Garrett, Meade County, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Garrett, ...
from the game series ''Thief''. The original concept was abandoned as the universe developed into its eventual form, described as "whalepunk". Unlike other characters in the first game, Corvo remains silent during all conversations. Corvo was left deliberately "blank", allowing the player to decide on his motivations depending on their play style. During alpha, the developers experimented with giving the player some text input options, though this was not developed further. According to co-creators Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith, the choice to omit dialogue, in the original incarnation, was an attempt to allow players to develop his personality through their own actions, and avoid incorporating elements into dialogue which may conflict with those choices, explaining that an angry or revenge-driven Corvo may go against non-lethal play styles. Writer Austin Grossman felt that the personal relationship between Corvo and other characters helped make him a more relatable character than other silent protagonists. Corvo was initially not intended to be playable in ''
Dishonored 2 ''Dishonored 2'' is a 2016 First-person (video games), first person action-adventure game developed by Arkane Lyon and published by Bethesda Softworks for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It is the sequel to 2012's ''Dishonored''. After E ...
'', but was included alongside his daughter, Emily Kaldwin, due to nostalgia for the character by the development team. When designing his outfit for ''
Dishonored 2 ''Dishonored 2'' is a 2016 First-person (video games), first person action-adventure game developed by Arkane Lyon and published by Bethesda Softworks for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It is the sequel to 2012's ''Dishonored''. After E ...
'', developer Sergei Kolesov wanted it to make sense for his position in society while reflecting his return to being an assassin. They also gave him voice acting in the sequel, noting that they simply assumed aspects of the character in the first game. Corvo's personality was also made more assertive. Giving him a voice also creative narrative contrast, according to Harvey Smith, to Emily, explaining that they have different experiences due to multiple factors. He was voiced by
Stephen Russell Stephen L. Russell is an American actor, playwright, and theater director. He is best known for his video game voice roles as Garrett in the ''Thief'' series, Corvo Attano in ''Dishonored 2'', and various characters in '' Skyrim'' and the ''Fa ...
in ''Dishonored 2''.


Appearances

Corvo first appears in the 2012
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
''
Dishonored ''Dishonored'' is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Set in the fictional, plague-ridden industrial city of Dunwall, ''Dishonored'' follows the story of Corvo Attano, bodyguard to th ...
''. At the beginning of the game, he serves as the bodyguard of a character named Jessamine, the Empress of the game's fictional monarchy. When the empress is assassinated, Corvo is blamed for her murder. He is imprisoned and tortured for six months before escaping and becoming wanted and hunted by the people who assassinated Jessamine. He is accompanied by his daughter, Emily Kaldwin. In the second game, where Corvo is one of two playable characters, he appears 15 years older than at the conclusion of the first, and the story progresses with the other playable character, Emily, having now grown into adulthood. Corvo now serves as Emily's Royal Protector and Spymaster. As creative director Harvey Smith addressed the dilemma posed by the interaction between the two, saying Corvo was "wondering how long he can keep protecting his daughter ... He knows that someday somebody's going to come for her, because she's the Empress, and she needs to be able to stand on her own". Jessamine's purported half-sister, Delilah, serves as the game's main antagonist. Corvo appears repeatedly in the graphic novel ''Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives'', released by
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
. He also appears in the leading role in a comic mini-series by Gordon Rennie and Andrea Olimpieri, entitled ''Dishonored: The Wyrmwood Deceit'', released August 3 through October 19, 2016. The full set was also released as a graphic novel collection on November 29 of the same year. The series is set twelve years after the conclusion of the events of the first game, and centers on his attempts to find an apprentice to serve as his heir.
Adam Christopher Adam Christopher McGechan (born 2 February 1978 in Auckland, New Zealand), who writes under the name Adam Christopher, is a New York Times Bestselling novelist known for his genre fiction. Born in New Zealand, he moved to North West England in 2 ...
, ''Dishonored: The Corroded Man'', created by
Adam Christopher Adam Christopher McGechan (born 2 February 1978 in Auckland, New Zealand), who writes under the name Adam Christopher, is a New York Times Bestselling novelist known for his genre fiction. Born in New Zealand, he moved to North West England in 2 ...
, also features Corvo, who trains and fights alongside Emily while the gang responsible for Jessamine's assassination is reformed.


Reception

The character of Corvo Attano received critical acclaim. In 2013, ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' rated Corvo number thirty among "The 50 Most Badass Video Game Characters Of All Time". TGN named him sixth on their list of all-time best video game assassins, calling him a "perfect mix of silence and aggression", while Tim Horton of Creative.co, and senior writer for ''Now Loading'', named him seventh in his same list for ''Movie Pilot''. In their book, ''The Dark Side of Game Play'', Mortensen, Linderoth, and Brown examine Corvo and his in-game actions as a motif revolving around vengeance. As they phrase the moral delimma posed by the character's actions: "Virtuous Corvo would not pursue personally motivated revenge but might find his actions justified due to the offenses committed". They continue, emphasizing that vengeance is, "connected to a dark emotion because it is associated with a negative and often powerful sensation about wanting and believing that retaliation will make up for the injustice caused". Robert Rath, writing for '' The Escapist'', saw Corvo as a man tested and tempted by a demonic figure (the Outsider). Corvo is provided by the Outsider the tools and, with the Heart, the justifications for killing, with the gameplay incentivizing taking a more violent approach. Rath sees a low chaos Corvo as "a good man who holds onto his morals as the world beats him down", in contrast to the higher chaos Corvo who gives into his "baser instincts". In another article Rath, with contributions by Dr. Stephen Banks of the
University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...
, looked at Corvo's actions through the lens of British 18th and 19th century honor culture. They note that Corvo, despite being former Lord Protector, and the truth of his ousting being fully believed by Loyalist, is nonetheless referred to by first name even by servants, and in many ways treated like a servant, sent to run errands. His social status as an outcast was useful to the Loyalists initially. They continue: "Corvo does all the tasks the blue bloods of the Loyalist Conspiracy are unable to perform because it might sully their reputations". Finally they conclude that:


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Attano, Corvo Action-adventure game characters Fictional assassins in video games Bethesda characters Dishonored (series) Fictional bodyguards in video games Fictional prison escapees Fictional swordfighters in video games Fictional wrongfully convicted and accused people Male characters in video games Shapeshifter characters in video games Video game characters introduced in 2012 Video game characters who are psychics Video game characters who use magic Vigilante characters in video games