Maxwell/NPC

"Say pal, you don't look so good. You better find something to eat before night comes!"

- Maxwell

Maxwell (William Carter) is an NPC that appears during the beginning of the game, telling the player to start gathering food to not starve, before disapearing into smoke. He looks very tall and sinister, is wearing a dapper tuxedo and is holding a cigar while talking to the player. He is the main antagonist of the game, and is the one who transfers all Characters to the world of Don't Starve. During exploration players can find Maxwell Statues or Chess Biomes themed after him.

Origin
In 1901, before the main events of the game, William Carter boarded a ship from London to the US, with hopes of proceeding a career as a magician in New York. After his acts appeared to be a flop and was in debt from unpaid magic props, William decided to move on to San Francisco, California. After a train accident, William discovers a blueprint for an Obelisk which seemed to contain knowledge of powerful magic, and eventually deciphered it to understanding. William then started to incorporate this knowledge into his magic acts, and became known as "The Amazing Maxwell".

Maxwell later met Charlie and she performed with him as a female assistant during his magic shows, all of which seemed very successful. As time went on, Maxwell seemed to start thinking irrational thoughts and possibly began to go insane, after carving nonsensical words and symbols into his apartment walls. Eventually, Maxwell and Charlie performed their big final act, where Maxwell would pull a shadow out of a book. During the act, Maxwell put his hand into the book, but instead of pulling something out, something inside of the book was pulling him. After breaking free, both Maxwell and Charlie are grabbed by shadow hands and are captured by Them. The exacts details of what happened next are unknown, but ultimately Maxwell was put on the Nightmare Throne and Charlie was turned into the night monster. About 20 years later in the game's setting, the events of the Forbidden Knowledge video take place. In the video, Maxwell appears and communicates with Wilson through a radio, offering him secret knowledge, which Wilson gladly accepts, and Maxwell began streaming huge amounts of information into his head. Wilson then began building a mysterious machine with the knowledge given to him. When the machine was finished, he was hesitant to pull the start lever until told by Maxwell to 'DO IT'. As Wilson pulled the switch the machine began rising and taking shape, showing a silhouette of Maxwell. Demonic hands then rose from the floor and pulled Wilson into a mysterious world of wilderness.

Adventure Mode
Maxwell will only appear again in Adventure Mode. Maxwell will come to greet players at the beginning of each world, like in Sandbox, but now he is wearing a dapper cloak instead of a tuxedo. He will say different things in each World and will get angrier and angrier as you progress. Maxwell's anger seems to weaken him; as he becomes more furious, he starts to deform.

In the last Chapter of Advenutre Mode, "Epilogue", players will finally confront Maxwell. They will be teleported to a dark and dead wasteland, with a hallway in the center. At the end of the road, players will reach Maxwell's Hall. A deformed Maxwell is sitting in a large chair with a phonograph nearby playing music. When meeting Maxwell, he will start talking, telling the player that when he got here there was nothing but dust, and "them" and that he doesn't know what they want, that they are just watching. If the player attacks Maxwell, then the throne protects him (a lightning will strike the player and destroy their weapon), and Maxwell tells the player that the throne will not allow it. He then tells the player that he has been around here for a long time, and that the player can stay around and keep him company, or to put the key in the box.

Speech
When players approach Maxwell in the throne, he will say a line. Players have to click on him to read all the lines. Once he says all the lines listed below, excluding the Gramaphone ones, all he will say is "...".


 * 1) "Is this what you were expecting?" / "Is this how it ends?"
 * 2) "Forgive me if I don't get up."
 * 3) "You've been an interesting plaything, but I've grown tired of this game."
 * 4) "Or maybe They've grown tired of me."
 * 5) "Heh. Took them long enough."
 * 6) "They'll show you terrible, beautiful things."
 * 7) "It's best not to fight it."
 * 8) "There wasn't much here when I showed up."
 * 9) "Just dust. And the Void. And Them."
 * 10) "I've learned so much since then. I've built so much."
 * 11) "But even a King is bound to the board."
 * 12) "You can't change the rules of the game."
 * 13) "I don't know what they want. They... they just watch."
 * 14) "Unless you get too close... Then..."
 * 15) "Well, there's a reason I stay so dapper."
 * 16) "What year is it out there? Time moves differently here."
 * 17) "Go on, stay a while. Keep us company."
 * 18) "Or put the key in the box. It's your decision."
 * 19) "Either way, you're just delaying the inevitable."
 * 20) "Reality is like that, sometimes."
 * 21) "I think I've said enough."
 * 22) If the Gramaphone is turned off, then Maxwell will say... "Thank you, I've been listening to that song for an eternity."
 * 23) If the Gramaphone is then turned back on, Maxwell then states... "I suppose I deserve that."
 * 24) If the player activates the hidden Teleportato, Maxwell will say... "Don't you think I've tried that?"
 * 25) If the player attacks Maxwell he will say... "The throne won't allow that. I've tried."

Trivia

 * Maxwell's name is a reference to the scientific thought problem "Maxwell's demon"
 * If the player examines Maxwell (NPC), each character has a quote.
 * Wilson - "I hate that guy."
 * Willow - "He is so condescending."
 * Wendy - "I feel a strange kinship with him."
 * Wolfgang - "A fancy suit is no match for my muscles."
 * Wickerbottom - "What a rude gentleman."
 * WX-78 - "HE IS UNKNOWN."
 * Wes - "..."
 * Maxwell - "Looking good!"
 * Woodie - "Why does he hate me?"
 * Wigfrid - "Arrg! Is that the antagönist tö my saga?"
 * Webber - "That jerk tricked us."
 * Given his past as a magician, his name may be a reference to Charles Carter, a stage magician who performed in the early part of the 20th century
 * In the William Carter puzzles, twins are mentioned. It is theorized that Abigail and Wendy are these twins. This theory is supported by what Wendy says when she examines Maxwell.
 * As of the "All's Well That Maxwell" update, upon exiting the game, a popup says: "Maxwell will miss you!", instead of: "Wilson will miss you!".
 * In the games Alpha, Maxwell shared the same voice as Wilson, except with a lower pitch.
 * The rose that Maxwell wears on his lapel is the same one that Charlie used to wear in her hair. This is reinforced by the scene in which the two are pulled into the Don't Starve world ("grand finale") and directly after ("resumptus").