- "Wherever you go, on sea or land, you can't ever hide, from Largo LaGrande!"
- ―Largo
Largo LaGrande was a Pirate and LeChuck's right hand man.
For a time he was in unofficial control of Scabb Island. Many pirates on Scabb Island feared him for his old connection to LeChuck more than his own merit. He bullied the inhabitants, took large amounts of their earnings and enforced an expensive embargo which left many pirates landlocked.
Traits and lifestyle[]
- "I roughs-up what needs roughing-up on this island!"
- ―Largo
Largo was a short, but very aggressive individual who used his past role as LeChuck's man to scare people into submitting to his tyranny. Despite this, LaGrande did not particularly like LeChuck, calling him a 'bloated old fool' and a 'creep' behind his back. The respect and loyalty he has for the undead pirate seems to stem from the power and respect it earns him from others. Despite his size he was very strong. Notably, The Innkeeper said that he ate like thirty men.
His "usual" favorite drink was a green one, possibly Phlegm and Tonic.
He kept a toupee, most likely he was actually bald or at least partially (this is somewhat confirmed in The Curse of Monkey Island when Guybrush uses the Ventriloquism Book on Captain Rottingham and can say "Make me balder than Largo LaGrande"). He had been known to also wear it as evidenced by the dandruff flakes left on it.
He also wore a Pearly-white bra under his shirt, suggesting that he is a crossdresser.
Background[]
He was the grandson and successor of Marco Largo LaGrande. By reputation, they had much in common.
He served as LeChuck's first mate when he was still alive and remained a loyal ally even after LeChuck's death. Apparently Largo was away during LeChuck's last expedition to discover The Secret of Monkey Island where he was killed, explaining how he remained alive.
After the destruction of LeChucks spirit form, LaGrande spent much time searching for any scrap of surviving essence in order to resurrect him.
The Largo Embargo[]
LaGrande lived in a hotel room in the inn on Scabb Island. It is presumed that he did not pay for the privilege. The room was a mess of left overs and an unkempt bed.
Largo imposed an embargo tax on all ships arriving and leaving Scabb Island. It was so expensive that no pirates in the area could afford it. This eventually led to no one docking or leaving at all in order to avoid it. Captain Dread was forced to end his ship chartering business after making port on the south of the island.
Disgruntled pirates tried to sabotage Largo to force him to leave. Mad Marty left pins in Largo's clothes. The Barkeeper slipped laxatives into Largo's drinks. Wally B. Feed threw rocks through Largo's window. Fink sent him a nasty letter.
Dealings with Guybrush Threepwood[]
- "Where do you think YOU'RE going fancy-pants?"
- ―Largo LaGrande on spotting Threepwood
On their first meeting, LaGrande stopped Threepwood as he entered Woodtick claiming that he was crossing a toll bridge. When Threepwood refused to pay, LaGrande dangled him from the bridge and robbed him of his considerable wealth. He told him that there were no police on the island to help him, and that he was the only form of authority around.
Guybrush has an unpleasant first meeting with Largo.
As Threepwood explored the town its occupants revealed their hatred of LaGrande and several suggested that someone should build a voodoo doll of him. The Voodoo Lady told Threepwood all about the process and what ingredients were needed to make a doll.
Threepwood entered Largo's room at the Swamp Rot Inn and stole his toupee that contained dandruff fragments. Through balancing a bucket of swamp mud on the door of Largos room he soiled Largo's clothes and then collected them from the Woodtick Laundry. Guybrush was able to collect some of LaGrande's spit from the wall of the Bloody Lip bar. Finally he dug up a bone of Largo's grandfather from the Scabb Island Cemetary. Threepwood then had the Voodoo Lady construct the doll. He confronted LaGrande in his room and used it to scare Largo off the island.
During the confrontation, Threepwood boasted about having destroyed LeChuck. This gained LaGrande's interest, him having believed that the Voodoo Lady had killed him. Threepwood produced LeChuck's Beard as proof that it was he who did it. LaGrande stole the still-alive beard from Threepwood and took it for use in resurrecting LeChuck.
Confusion As To Who Ran Him Off The Island[]
Though Threepwood was responsible for finally forcing LaGrande to leave, whether it was due to his attack or because he had to take LeChuck's Beard to be reunited with his body, the inhabitants of Scabb all believed different stories.
- Woody was led to believe that Mad Marty's plan of leaving pins in Largo's underwear had been successful.
- The Barkeeper believed that it was his laxatives that he had been slipping into Largo's drinks that was the cause.
- Wally B. Feed assumed his throwing rocks through Largo's window had driven him out.
- Bart and Fink believed Largo had been frightened away by a nasty letter Fink had sent him.
In LeChuck's Fortress[]
After being reanimated LeChuck charged Largo with the duty of stopping Threepwood collecting the four map pieces of the Big Whoop treasure. LaGrande was unsuccessful in stopping Threepwoods progress, seemingly making no moves against him. However, he reported back to LeChuck whenever Guybrush gained a map piece suggesting that he had been spying on him. After Threepwood found the second map piece, LeChuck ordered Largo to go after him personally or die. He most likely collected the ingredients necessary to build a voodoo doll.
LaGrande came up with the idea to kidnap the cartographer that Threepwood needed to mend and decipher the map. He was involved in building the torture chamber for use on Threepwood and his cartographer ally Wally B. Feed.
When Threepwood escaped and blew up the fortress, Largo was never seen again.
He was presumed dead, though there was a distinct possibility he survived the explosion as Threepwood, Feed, and LeChuck all did.
Trivia[]
- He is named after the town of La Grande, Oregon, where the Monkey Island Designer Ron Gilbret grew up in.
- grande means "big, great" in some Romance languages (and English in some contexts); specifically "La Grande" would mean "the big one" in French, Italian "The Great", (like Alfredo il Grande, where IL is for masculine and LA for feminine)etc. largo has also the connotation of "large, wide, broad" and sometimes "long" in Romance languages, while it also means "length" in Spanish. The coupling of the two words as name and surname create an ironic effect because of Largo's short stature
- In The Curse of Monkey Island, when Guybrush has the Ventriloquism Book and uses it on Captain René Rottingham in The Barbery Coast, one of the quotes he may say is, "Make me balder than Largo LaGrande."
- The Planet Threepwood restaurant chain references LaGrande with its Largo's Lemonade beverage in Escape from Monkey Island.
- In Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 2, "The Siege of Spinner Cay," Guybrush whistles Largo's Theme from LeChuck's Revenge while waiting for Anemone to get some bait.