Guybrush and Murray?

[Rosefull]

I've been pondering this for a while, and I wanted to get some opinions. What is the nature of the relationship between Guybrush and Murray?

 

At times they seem to be friends. Guybrush often refers to Murray as "pal" and "buddy," and Murray does help him escape from the crypt in CMI. He also calls Guybrush his best friend at the end of the game, but that might just be because he wanted to be chosen as a prize instead of the anchor. Plus, whenever they run into each other, Guybrush at least seems happy to see Murray, more like an old friend than a rival. He even helps Murray out more than once by transporting him, and Murray has mentioned that he and Guybrush could work together (though he later admitted that it was only because Guybrush had mobility).

 

At other times, they're very mean to one another. In TMI, Murray only agrees to vote Guybrush into the brotherhood after thinking that he'll be tortured upon entering. And Guybrush does throw Murray into the ocean on more than one occasion throughout the series. And he chose the anchor over Murray in the carnival, when if he really cared, he probably could have saved Murray as well. Not to mention Murray's constant death threats, but that's just a part of his character. Murray never seems too pleased to be in Guybrush's company, anyway. He greets him with a sort of reluctance or anger, not in a friendly manner.

 

Personally, I think that they have a strange sort of friendship, in a sense. It seems like a kind of friendly rivalry. Like, they're technically enemies, but they have fun taking each other down, and it's become more of a private game than real hatred. I like to believe that if worst came to worst, they'd be there for each other.

 

So, what do you guys think? Are they friends? Enemies? "Frenemies?"

[Monkey Mania]

Guybrush just finds Murray amusing and pities him. Not really an enemy. Murray has an ego and doesn't want to admit he likes Guybrush, so he acts like his enemy.

[Haggis]

Murray still has delusions of grandeur from his time in LeChuck's army. He realizes he's not really all that fearsome, being just a skull, but he pretends he still is a scary demonic pirate. It's a bit like those dictators who must know deep down that what they're doing is really stupid, but they can't go back without losing face and continue down a path of madness.

 

I don't think he necessarily likes Guybrush, he just needs a human being to help him out. Of course, he'd never admit that, so he covers up his shame with a lot of evil rhetoric. As for Guybrush, I think he does indeed find Murray amusing, like Monkey Mania says. In short, I'm not sure if they could really be considered friends, but they sure make an interesting duo.

[Rosefull]

Murray still has delusions of grandeur from his time in LeChuck's army. He realizes he's not really all that fearsome, being just a skull, but he pretends he still is a scary demonic pirate. It's a bit like those dictators who must know deep down that what they're doing is really stupid, but they can't go back without losing face and continue down a path of madness.

 

I don't think he necessarily likes Guybrush, he just needs a human being to help him out. Of course, he'd never admit that, so he covers up his shame with a lot of evil rhetoric. As for Guybrush, I think he does indeed find Murray amusing, like Monkey Mania says. In short, I'm not sure if they could really be considered friends, but they sure make an interesting duo.

Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. I've always thought that Guybrush likes Murray a lot more than Murray likes Guybrush.

[Gabez]

I think probably frenemies. I think they like each other, and would be sad if one of them died (or, in Murray's case, was destroyed forever), but part of the appeal to their friendship is that they use each other. And banter.

[Rosefull]

Haha, yeah, that's more of what I thought originally.