Characters that are flawed and a little insane are way more relatable. If there’s one thing we love more than a picture-perfect hero, – it’s a chaotic antihero. And who could fulfill the role better than Travis Touchdown, the main character of the No More Heroes series?
The hack and slash of No More Heroes definitely left an impact with its quirky aesthetic and satire. Having this in mind, it’s not hard to see why Travis holds a special place in our hearts.
This is precisely why we’ve dedicated this article to the evolution of Travis Touchdown. Stick around if you’d like to find out why this badass antihero pulls on our collective heartstrings.
Source: https://youtu.be/5thR-N46-6o
Who is v, anyway?
Travis “No More Heroes” Touchdown is basically everything you want in a hero, and so much more. Essentially, his self-absorbed nature and satiric wits liken him to Deadpool. Travis Touchdown starts off as a 27-year-old assassin that somehow scores his mighty trademark Beam Katana in an online auction.
After he earns rank of 11 by the United Assassins Association, Travis decides to rise through the ranks, and covet the number one spot for himself. He soon discovers that if he were to stop killing, he’d end up becoming a target to other assassins. We can’t have that, now can we? Once he realizes there’s no way out, the man’s sole motivation becomes spite – he simply refuses to die.
Let’s be honest, Travis Touchdown is by no means a stereotypical goody two shoes, but he has his moments. He might be a violent crude, but he still managed to weasel his way into our good graces. The man might be an assassin, but he’s so incredibly down-to-earth, with normal dreams – hanging out with his cat Jeane, playing video games, and watching anime and wrestling.
What distinguishes Travis Touchdown from other antiheroes is the fact that he goes through character development along his journey, but never really steps out of the antihero archetype box.
Travis: No More Heroes – change since the 2007 game
Although we’ve already established that Travis isn’t really a good guy, he definitely went through some soul-searching over the years. As a result, this led to some serious character development.
Travis Has a Family
The first telltale sign that somebody is settling down is starting a family, which is precisely what happens over the blipped out period of No More Heroes. Travis Touchdown’s wife is none other than Sylvia Christel, his brother’s ex-wife. What’s more, we get to meet their kids, Jeane and Hunter, in the No More Heroes 3 post-credits scene. Since they’re from the future, we’re wondering if we might get a spin-off that revolves around the Touchdown twins.
Sparing His Targets
As previously stated, Travis’ goal throughout No More Heroes is rising to the top by taking out his competition. However, as time goes by, every execution starts to weigh heavy on Travis’ heart. As a result, he spares some of his targets like Midori Midorikawa, and Native Danger.
But, this isn’t the first time Travis has spared some of his victims. For instance, Travis spares Shinobu Jacobs way back in No More Heroes because she was too young to kill. As time passes by, their relationship evolves into sort of a master-pupil camaraderie and friendship despite her former crush on him. Since Travis did end up sparing her life, we might get to see Shinobu featured in another game, or she might even get her own spin-off.
Travis Dies – and makes it out of Purgatory
There’s a limited number of times you can narrowly avoid your demise. Another reason why Travis Touchdown is a walking contradiction – death catches up to him, yet somehow he returns among the living.
Speaking of near-death encounters, Suda51 actually considered offing Travis in the first game. Sylvia would have dealt the lethal blow, but luckily he changed his mind.
Only, Travis didn’t quite get to escape the clutches of death this time. When his brother, Henry Cooldown, executes him in No More Heroes 3, Travis ends up in purgatory. In this video-game-style limbo, Travis must work together with the fallen warriors inhibiting it in order to escape.
His Relationship with His Brother
Remember Travis’ brother, Henry Cooldown? Well, he returns in as one of the bosses in No More Heroes 3. Their relationship has always been a bit tempestuous, to say the least. This time, the situation escalates to the point where Travis and Henry are at each other’s throats, thirsty for the others’ blood. Blood might be thicker than water, but Henry’s actions against Travis determined his fate. Travis dealt the final blow, ending the feud once and for all.
Throughout the series, we’ve seen Travis take down the mightiest of assassins. What we see in No More Heroes 3, however, is a whole different ball game.
Earth’s Protector
One word can be used to describe both Travis and the series itself – unpredictable. Join Travis in No More Heroes 3 as he takes on the role of Earth’s protector, and fights to stop an alien invasion.
Travis Touchdown Voice Actor
Most of us are familiar with the Travis Touchdown voice actor, Robin Atkin Downes. Frankly, the English actor is a bit of a superstar in the world of live-action, video games and animation. On top of that, he even has his own YouTube channel that features videos of his various performances over the years and behind-the-scenes footage of his work. Did you know that he also voiced Miller from Metal Gear Solid V and the Medic from Team Fortress 2?
Travis Super Smash Bros Appearance
Nintendo included new Mii fighter DLC for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in addition to the previous DLC stage and characters. A number of the new costumes were based on Minecraft, such as the Creeper costume, Diamond Armor costume, and Pig costume. However, that wasn’t the only surprise.
Other gaming franchises also made their way into the game in the form of Mii costumes. Gii, the main character of The Tower of Druaga, multiple colors of Bomberman from the Bomberman franchise, and our favorite badass, Travis Touchdown, also appear in the game. Since Travis was highly requested, we’re certain that the Travis Touchdown Smash appearance definitely pleased a lot of No More Heroes fans.
What’s in Store for Travis Touchdown?
Goichi Suda, aka Suda51, creator of No More Heroes and Travis Touchdown’s adoptive father, says the series has reached its end with the release of No More Heroes 3. Furthermore, Suda51 describes his feelings on the matter as somewhat bittersweet. What he did mention, is that there’s a possibility that we’ll see Travis again someday. Au revoir until we meet again, Travis!
