Garrett is a

player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...

and the

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 st ...

of the

stealth game A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses ''stealth'' to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow th ...

s series ''

Thief Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

''. The character was introduced in '' Thief: The Dark Project'' in 1998. Multiple publications praised his character as one of top

antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...

es in video games and even as one of gaming's best characters overall.

Appearances

As a child, Garrett was recruited into the Keepers but later left the organization, went into business for himself as a thief, and now uses his Keeper skills to steal from the rich. Using his skills to steal and kill on his way to get the big part of his mission In '' Thief: Deadly Shadows'' a large scar runs down one side of his face, the result of Viktoria plucking out one of his eyes in '' Thief: The Dark Project''. During the second and third games Garrett sees with a prosthesis mechanical eye, a piece of Mechanist technology given to him by the Hammerites at the end of ''The Dark Project''. The mechanical eye incorporates a

zoom lens A zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed-focal-length (FFL) lens (see prime lens). A true zoom lens, also called a parfocal lens, is one ...

. At the end of ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'', Garrett catches hold of a small child trying to pick his pocket, and their conversation is almost identical to that between his mentor Artemus and child Garrett. A completely new character with same name appears in the new ''

'' which was released in 2014. This Garrett is described as being a new version of the original.

Reception

The character was very well received by critics. In 1999,

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

included him on the list of top ten heroes in gaming, stating how "over the course of his adventures, Garrett emerges from under the

misanthropic Misanthropy is the general hatred, dislike, distrust or contempt of the human species, human behavior or human nature. A misanthrope or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings. The word's origin is from the Greek words μῖσ ...

facade as a character with a noble heart, whose immoral ways are reluctantly justified by an immoral talent that's well suited to his immoral world". GameSpot also chose him as one of the 64 contenders in the 2009 user poll "All Time Greatest Video Game Hero". In 2010, '' games™'' listed him among the greatest ever game characters, commenting that "few main characters are as cynical and mysterious as Garrett" and adding that "it's Garrett's unique skills and upbringing that make him such a fascinating character". In 2011, ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' ranked him as the 29th greatest video-game character, calling him to "a medieval

Han Solo Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...

type" and adding that it is "his

sardonic To be sardonic is to be disdainfully or cynically humorous, or scornfully mocking. A form of wit or humour, being sardonic often involves expressing an uncomfortable truth in a clever and not necessarily malicious way, often with a degree of sk ...

amorality that shines through most of all, ensuring Garrett a place as one of gaming's most appealing anti-heroes". In 2008, '' PC Zone'' ranked him as PC gaming's ninth best character for his "wonderful" situational sarcasm, calling him a "medieval Sam Fisher of sorts" and contrasting him with

Marcus Fenix Marcus Michael Fenix is a fictional character and the primary protagonist from the first three games in the ''Gears of War'' video game series. He first appeared in the first game of the series, released in 2006. Appearances Video games Fenix d ...

(who was ranked as ninth worst). That same year, Garrett got an honorable mention on the list of the best

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...

Heroes by '' 360 Magazine'' along with a comment that Garrett "was highly unfortunate not to make the final 50" in the user poll. In 2012,

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

featured him among gaming's most notorious anti-heroes, calling him "a true badass and

anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...

, combining a ruthless exterior with an unshakeable sense of honor". GameSpy's Mike Sharkey called Garrett a noticeable omission from the 2011 ''

Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

''s top 50 video-game characters. Also in 2012,

GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...

ranked this "not exactly

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

" as 35th "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, also calling him "a pioneer of sorts, paving the way for the myriad other thieves and assassins of our time". In a 2021 list published by ''

PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...

'' staff, Garrett is ranked among the most iconic characters in PC gaming.

References

{{Use mdy dates, date=March 2013 Action-adventure game characters Adoptee characters in video games Fictional archers Fictional criminals in video games Fictional characters with disfigurements Fictional professional thieves Fictional swordfighters in video games Fictional traceurs and freerunners Male characters in video games Orphan characters in video games Science fantasy video game characters Thief (series) Video game characters introduced in 1998