| “ | Should have paid more attention in climbing class... | ” |
— Chris
|
Christopher "Chris" Hartley is one of the eight main protagonists and a playable character in Until Dawn. He was voiced and motion captured by actor Noah Fleiss.
Appearance[]
Chris, much like Hannah, wears black rectangular-framed glasses. He has blue eyes and dirty blond hair worn in a faux-hawk style.
In the Prologue, Chris wears a red-patterned designed plaid shirt and a pair of jeans.
A year later, he dons a layered light blue jacket over a green commando-style sweater, blue collared shirt, and a white undershirt with the words "Coach" and "Loop" on it.
Early on in the game, he receives a large bruise on the left side of his forehead from one of the encounters with The Psycho. He will gain a limp from running away from the Wendigo during Chapter 8, and may also get a bloody nose if he failed to roll underneath a tree branch during the chase.
Personality[]
| “ | Chris is what society might consider the nerd of the group. And he kind of embraces it. | ” |
— Noah Fleiss on Chris
|
Chris is described in-game as methodical (loyal in the remake), protective and humorous. He loves technology, dislikes being anywhere without wifi access and dreams of being an app designer.[1]
"Jokemaster" Chris at it again.
Chris has a passion for jokes and all things technological, both of which have earned him a reputation as the nerd of his friend group, yet it's a role he seems perfectly comfortable in filling. While Chris is an affable guy, he takes his self-appointed post as the "class clown" of the clique very seriously. His witty sense of humor is appreciated by his friends, but his tendency to repeatedly pull pranks can be off-putting after a while. Chris appears eager to impress others, whether it's with his humor, a demonstration of his shooting skills, the latest cutting-edge tech he's picked up, or complex theoretical concepts like the Butterfly Effect.
That latter aspect ties in to Chris' analytical mindset. Chris likes to gather information so he can make informed decisions. He is shown to be very observant as, when he finds clues like the Wanted Poster, Newspaper Fragment, Answerphone Message, Light from Below, or Threatening Letter, he's quick to piece together their interconnectivity as indications of a serious threat. Chris is also a natural skeptic of the occult. He ridicules the Ouija Board séance and is quick to dismiss the idea of a ghost by pointing out the illogic of a spirt that would set up a Hidden Camera. Still, he doesn't make a display of his intelligence to be a know-it-all; rather, he wants his friends to benefit from his understanding.
Chris faces the ultimate challenge.
According to Dr. Hill, Chris' greatest fear is failure. Emily shares this fear, but while she displays this trait with forms of aggression, Chris manifests it via inaction. This is reflected in his trouble confessing his real feelings towards his crush Ashley. This anxiety in being vulnerable with her has made him the target for teasing from Josh, and even Sam expresses frustration at his dithering. His fears are made most apparent during the events of Until Dawn. After his initial encounter with one of the Psycho's traps leads to a seemingly fatal encounter, Chris is left feeling devastated over his role in failing to save both of his friends.
Regardless, the events on Blackwood Mountain prove to be a true test of Chris' mettle. It becomes obvious that he is protective of his friends and cares for them. The events in the shed ignite a desire to get everyone else to safety during the rest of the night and instill a driven focus in his mind that helps him push past his normal limitations. This is seen as he repeatedly insists on finding Sam, risks his life to rescue Josh, and finally overcomes his apprehension and confesses his feelings to Ashley. Depending on the player's decision, he may also be ready to lay down his own life to save Ashley in one of the Psycho's traps.
Chris' path is up to you.
However, because Chris' personality can be shaped and effected by the player's choices, it's possible for Chris to betray his protective nature and commit violence against his friends. After Chris admits his feelings to Ashley and vows to get her out of the dire situation they're both in, he can instead choose to shoot Ashley. Furthermore, while Chris knows about Josh's psychological issues and displays a sense of responsibility over his friend's well-being, he can knock him unconscious with a piece of lumber. The investigators will question Chris over this act should he survive until dawn.
Until Dawn[]
Biography[]
Chris is a big lover of gadgets and seems to spend half of his life looking at his phone. He's never short of an app that can do this, that, or the other. He's loyal, analytical, and doesn't scare too easily. Chris spends a lot of time with Ashley. They are extremely close friends, though Chris would like her to be even closer...
Chris is very affable, even if his nerdiness puts some of the others off, and he comes equipped with a seemingly endless supply of dad jokes.
Involvement[]
| Chapter Appearances | |
| Prologue: | Debut |
| Chapter 1: | Appears |
| Chapter 2: | Appears |
| Chapter 3: | Appears |
| Chapter 4: | Appears |
| Chapter 5: | Mentioned |
| Chapter 6: | Appears |
| Chapter 7: | Appears |
| Chapter 8: | Appears |
| Chapter 9: | Determinant |
| Chapter 10: | Determinant |
| Credits: | Determinant |
One Year Ago[]
In the remake[]
Chris passed out.
Chapter 1[]
A year later, Chris returns to the lodge with the other survivors. He is first seen at the cable car station meeting with Sam, and depending on the player's choice, can be happy to see her or be offended at the fact that she is snooping on his phone. He ends up showing her the shooting range he found at the back of the station, and upon Sam's questioning for the reason that it even exists here, he jokingly comments on how Josh's dad thinks he is Grizzly Adams.
Chris and Sam in the cable car.
The player then takes control of Chris in a shooting tutorial, in which he shoots bottles, sandbags, and cans. An option to shoot a squirrel later comes up, and if he takes this opportunity, it upsets Sam and damages their relationship status, also causing a crow to attack Sam and scratch her forehead. Once they spot the cable car coming down, they wait inside the station and he has an opportunity to explore. After entering, he explains to Sam on the trip how he became friends with Josh in third grade and references the Butterfly Effect, the defining mechanic of the game.
Once they arrive at the top, Chris and Sam meet up with Jessica and he jokingly states that, had they been stuck in there for much longer, he would have chewed off his own leg. He then snags the letter Jessica is holding, and depending on whether or not Sam snooped on him, he can remark on how he is just doing what Sam taught him to.
He reveals that Jessica is in a relationship with Mike, the class president, before teasing her to grab it back off him. Before leaving with Sam to head to the lodge, Jessica states that she wants to stay behind to greet anybody else that comes up, and Chris makes one last comment on how she is most likely just waiting for Mike.
Chapter 2[]
Chris talking to Josh outside the lodge.
At the very beginning of this chapter, we can see Chris with his best friend Josh outside the lodge. After having a quick greeting with Ashley and Matt, Chris and Josh go to open the front door, and Chris can either make conversation about the new relationship between Matt and Emily, or ask about Josh's well-being after the loss of his twin sisters.
They then discover that the front door is frozen shut, so Josh then tasks Chris with finding another way in. Chris stops and has a quick chat with Ashley, and can either make a confident comment or an unsettled one about everyone reuniting after the tragedy. He may also have a brief conversation with Matt and Sam. When searching for an access point, Josh makes conversation about Ashley and her relationship with Chris, to which he can either be defensive or submissive to his teasing.
Once Josh and Chris find an unlocked window leading into a part of the basement, Chris climbs in and quickly falls down. The light bulb in the workshop suddenly blows out, so Josh throws Chris a lighter and comes up with the idea of unfreezing the lock using a can of deodorant in the bathroom along with the lighter, making a flamethrower. When retrieving the deodorant from the bathroom, he is startled by a wolverine hiding under the sink which eventually hops out of the cabin after he unfreezes the lock, allowing everyone else waiting outside to get in.
Later on in the chapter, Josh tasks Chris and Ashley with finding a spirit board as a means of entertainment. When Sam and Josh are turning on the boiler for the hot water, Chris dresses as a monk and chases them out of the basement. After revealing himself, he states that he couldn't resist after discovering all of the film props that were stored down there, before revealing the spirit board.
Chapter 3[]
The chapter starts as Chris, Josh and Ashley prepare for the seance. He explains how the seance works, and ultimately treats it as a joke, much to Josh and Ashley's dismay. He hands the role of medium over to Ashley, given that she hasn't been in a seance before. They eventually find out that they are communicating with one of Josh's dead sisters, and it leads them to believe that proof of their disappearance is hidden somewhere in the library. The pointer then flies off of the board, and Josh goes into a fit of panic, trying not to believe what he just saw. He then believes that Chris and Ashley are playing with him, and storms off in anger.
Shortly after comprehending what had just happened, Chris and Ashley decide to go and investigate the library, to which they find a secret room hidden behind one of the bookcases. Chris goes inside to look around after Ashley chickens out and finds a picture of the twins with a disturbing message scrawled on the back. Chris has the option to either show it to Ashley or not. If he did, they would agree that they should bring this to Josh's attention, and if he didn't, Ashley would wonder why the "ghost" lead them there. Either way, Chris will start to piece together that there might be a killer hiding in the area. Suddenly, they hear Josh screaming from the kitchen and run to his aid, but this only leads to Ashley being grabbed and knocked out from behind a locked door. Chris slams the door in and dazes himself, leaving him open to an attack from the Psycho, knocking him out too.
Chapter 4[]
Chris forced to make an impossible decision.
Chris wakes up on the kitchen floor with a large bruise on his forehead and realizes that Ashley and Josh are missing. He searches the lodge for clues as to where they might be, which leads him outside to a large shed where he finds the missing duo tied up to a wall with a saw blade on a track rigged up in front of them.
The Psycho starts talking to them and instructs Chris to pull the lever in the direction of the person he wants to save. Regardless of how he chooses, it will always turn in Josh's direction, violently bisecting him. He is then allowed inside to untie Ashley, telling her not to look at Josh's corpse. Once back outside, they meet up with Emily and Matt, struggling to inform them of what happened in their panicked state. Emily suggests that Ashley and Chris look for Sam back at the lodge while she and Matt look for help.
Chapter 5[]
Ashley, Chris, and Josh will be briefly mentioned by Matt and Emily, while the couple discuss Josh's death and the mystery surrounding it.
Chapter 6[]
Chris and Ashley discover in the lodge that Sam is missing, and head down into the basement to search for her. During this, they reflect on Hannah's disappearance after being harassed by a "ghost" and investigating fake clues set up by the Psycho. This eventually leads to either an unconscious Sam or a dummy dressed in her clothes lying in a seat, and this lets the Psycho steadily sneak up on Chris and knock him out with gas.
He awakens to find himself and Ashley strapped to chairs, with one of his hands purposefully unrestrained so as to pick up the gun on a table in front of him. Saws above them activate and slowly descend on the pair, and The Psycho tells Chris that he must make the decision of either shooting himself or Ashley, stating that whoever lives gets to be free. Depending on who he aims at first, she will either beg him to kill her to save himself or plead for him to spare her life. He also has the option of not firing the gun at all.
Chapter 7[]
It is discovered that the gun Chris was given only had blanks in it, and did not pose any danger to himself or Ashley. The saw blades stop descending before they reach the pair. As Mike, Sam, and the Psycho all show up in a big confrontation, the Psycho reveals his true identity: he is Josh.
It is revealed that Josh has played one massive revenge prank on them as payback for their prank on Hannah. After Sam and Mike release Ashley and Chris, Mike knocks Josh out and binds him due to him thinking Josh was also responsible for Jessica's death. Mike and Chris escort Josh outdoors to the shed, despite his protests. Chris can be furious if Josh punched Ashley in her face had she stabbed him with a pair of scissors to protect herself, and returns the favor by punching him in the face on the trip, stating he should never hit a girl. After they bind him to a support pillar, Chris has the option to knock him out or disarm Mike when Josh eventually provokes him enough to make him point a gun at him. Mike tells Chris to return to the lodge to check on everyone else, while Mike guards Josh for the night.
Chapter 8[]
We see Chris again when either Emily and/or The Stranger shows up at the lodge. If Emily survived her encounter in the mines, Chris will question her about what happened, before The Stranger can be heard knocking on the lodge's door, prompting Chris and Mike to investigate. The Stranger will barge in and proceed to inform the group about the Wendigo curse. Chris starts to get worried after Mike realizes he left Josh all alone in the shed. Even though Josh put them in danger, Chris still feels obliged to find him because he is his best friend, so he helps the Stranger locate Josh. Depending on the player's choice of who Chris shot in chapter 6, Ashley may kiss Chris before he leaves or just stare him down coldly before locking the door behind him.
When they arrive at the shed, they discover that Josh is missing, and quickly decide to return to the lodge. However, they are ambushed by Wendigos. Regardless of how well or badly the player does here, the Stranger will always be killed. If successful in all of the shooting events (a failure results in Chris' demise), he'll run back to the lodge for shelter.
- If Chris had shot himself or did nothing, Ashley will open the door for him, saving his life.
- If Chris had shot Ashley, she will remember this as Chris begs to be let in. She backs away from the door slowly, leaving Chris to be decapitated.
If he survives, he will explain that the Stranger was killed by the Wendigo, and will witness the hysteria that ensues if it is discovered that Emily was bitten. He takes a cautious stance in the debate, stating that he does not want to see what the Wendigos can do again.
Chapter 9[]
Chris appears again when he, and the rest of the group, decide to follow Mike through the tunnel to the Sanatorium. Because of his injured leg, he feels as if he can't go on, and Ashley can inquire if he'll be alright or claim that they won't leave him.
If he stays with the group, he will survive no matter what. If he decides to stick behind, Ashley leaves a message for Chris when they go through the manhole into the caves, and there is an opportunity where Chris can follow the voice of Jessica in the tunnels.
- If Ashley died in the trap, he will find her bloody beanie lying on the ground next to the trap door and break into tears. If he then decides to open the trapdoor, the Wendigo will appear in front of him and closes it before decapitating him in the same manner as the chase in the woods.
- If he ignores the trapdoor after finding the beanie, the Wendigo grabs him from the ceiling and decapitates him.
- Regardless, if Chris stayed behind and Ashley died afterward, Chris will be killed on either path.
- If Ashley did not open the trap door but Chris does, he gets decapitated by having his neck twisted off.
- If he ignores the trapdoor when Ashley hadn't died or ignores the voice completely, he will regroup with Ashley (and possibly Emily), saying he thought he heard Jess. He will not meet Sam due to Sam already agreeing with the group that they should be heading back while she finds Mike.
Chapter 10[]
If he has survived this long, his safety is finally ensured. He will make an appearance alongside the other survivors that have also made it in the finale. No matter what the player does in this section, Chris will always make it out of the lodge first before the explosion, unlike Emily, Mike or Ashley.
Credits[]
Chris, along with the others who survived, is questioned by the police about their experiences throughout the night after they're picked up by the helicopters.
- If Chris survives, he will appear in the police interviews in the end credits. When questioned on the nature of the Stranger and if any of his friends could have killed him, he steadfastly defends him, stating that the Stranger saved his life. He also notes, regretfully, that he watched him die.
- If Chris hit Josh in the shed, the police will bring it up and question why he did it even though Josh was restrained. Chris tries to defend himself over his decision but feels guilty for his actions.
- If Sam, Mike, Jessica, Matt, Emily, and Ashley have all died, he will be asked by police about Josh's whereabouts and wistfully tell them that he must have been taken down into the mines by the Wendigo.
He will also always be mentioned by Ashley, if she survived the night, while he didn't. The dialogue depends on whether Chris shot Ashley or not.
- If Chris did not shoot Ashley and died before dawn, Ashley will break down, stating disbelief at the thought of Chris being dead, and that they never got the chance to be together.
- If Chris shot Ashley and died before dawn (either at the door or on the path), Ashley will tell police that she "couldn't move" and she "was so scared". She'll then say that she witnessed the Wendigo tear Chris apart in front of her.
Possible Deaths[]
| Possible Deaths | |||
| Chapter | Event | Caused by | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Decapitated | Hannah (Wendigo) | Chris fails any QTEs to shoot the Wendigo. |
| Chapter 6 - Chris shoots Ashley.
Chapter 8 - Chris completes all QTEs to shoot the Wendigo. | |||
| 9 | Chris was left behind; Ashley investigates the voice; Ashley opens the trapdoor. | ||
| Chris was left behind; Ashley survives Chapter 9; Chris investigates the voice; Chris opens the trapdoor. |
Killed Victims[]
- A squirrel (intentional, direct, determinant)
Relationships[]
Hannah and Beth[]
Chris is one of the only three survivors, and one of the only four playable characters, to not take part in the prank on Hannah. Despite his lack of involvement, Hannah (as a Wendigo) shows no mercy and swiftly decapitates him if allowed by the player's actions.
Chris and Beth were good friends, as he was her third highest non-familial relationship (after Sam and Jess).
Ashley[]
See Ashley and Chris for more information.
Chris and Ashley searching for Sam in the old hotel.
Chris and Ashley have a mutual crush on each other. Depending on the player's choices you can either have them start a relationship, remain friends, or grow cold to one another. Chris' highest base relationships in the game are with Ashley and Josh. The two will explore and solve the mysteries behind The Pyscho together throughout the game, and Chris will confess his feelings to her when they are both subjected to the gun trial. If Ashley was punched in the face by Josh after attempting to defend herself, Chris will ask what Josh did to her; when Ashley explains that she thinks the Psycho hit her, Chris will state that he's going to "murder his fucking face off", showing that he is angry that Ashley was hurt. This is further shown when Chris punches Josh in the face in retaliation for him punching Ashley.
If Chris attempts to sacrifice his life to save Ashley by shooting himself or refuses to shoot the gun at all, she will tell him to "come back safe" and kisses him before he leaves to search for Josh. If Chris dies after this point, Ashley will be fairly distraught for the rest of the night and she will break down in the credits. However, if Chris decides to shoot Ashley to save himself, she will pay him back by locking him out of the lodge while a Wendigo is after him, causing him to be killed. When Mike questions her on this, she will back away and simply say that "it was too late." In the remake, this was changed. Instead of locking him out of the lodge, she hesitates and is unable to open the door in time before Chris is killed, and she also still cries when watching him die even after he shot her.
Relationship Increases
- If Chris was confident when talking to Ashley, his relationship with Ashley will slightly increase.
- If Ashley is flippant during the seance, his relationship with Ashley will slightly increase.
- If Ashley is apologetic during the seance, his relationship with Ashley will slightly increase.
- If Chris chooses to save Ashley, his relationship with Ashley will increase.
- If Ashley shows sympathy towards Hannah, his relationship with Ashley will increase.
- If Ashley is courageous about finding Sam, his relationship with Ashley will increase.
- However, if Ashley is reluctant about finding Sam, his relationship with Ashley will only slightly increase.
- If Ashley is apologetic about the prank, his relationship with Ashley will increase.
- If Chris doesn't shoot Ashley, his relationship with Ashley will become maximized.
Relationship Decreases
Emily[]
Chris and Emily seem to not care about each other much, though Emily will suggest for Chris and Ashley to get everyone else together as she insists on getting help in the meantime after Josh's death. Chris can accuse her of "just wanting to save herself", but Emily will show concern for Chris when reaching the cable car station and when he gets back from his attempt to save Josh out of the shed. Emily will be shocked if he died at that point. Chris will also be the one asking her questions after she gets back to the lodge, and be concerned about her well-being. If Emily was bitten and Chris is alive at that point, he will support the idea of Emily leaving the basement out of fear for the Wendigos from his previous encounter, though he seems unsure. If Mike chooses to shoot Emily, Chris appears to be horrified by her death.
Jessica[]
Jessica, along with Matt, is tied for Chris' lowest base relationship. He does not respect her enough to give her privacy, as shown when he stole and read her letter intended for Mike. However, he can consider following "her voice" in the mines, showing that he does care for Jessica's well-being.
Relationship Increases
- If Jessica explains to Sam and Chris that she and Mike are together, his relationship with Jessica will slightly increase.
Relationship Decreases
Josh[]
See Chris and Josh for more information.
Chris is Josh's best friend, and they have a long history together, having met in third grade. They often joke around and talk about Chris' relationship, or lack thereof, with Ashley. Josh encourages Chris to go for it, playfully teasing him about checking how his "blood is flowing" when he brings Ashley up and telling him that now is the time to make a move on her. Chris can agree or disagree, but either way, it's clear the two have a close, friendly relationship, and Josh wants to see him happy and with Ashley. Chris may try to save Josh in the shed and feel repentant about his alleged death. When Mike claims that Josh killed Jessica, Chris has the option to express skepticism that Josh would do something to actually hurt her, and he can possibly disarm to Mike to protect Josh from getting shot. Alternatively, he can also be furious with Josh for his actions as the Psycho, especially if Ashley was punched in the face after attempting to defend herself by stabbing Josh with the scissors.
Regardless of how the player chooses to have Chris act towards Josh, their relationship is strong enough to have Chris willingly risk his life to get him from the shed. Chris reasons that, even though Josh may have tricked and tortured them, he owes it to him to try and save him because they are best friends. If he is the sole survivor, Chris will break into tears after finding out Josh hasn’t been found. However, if he chose to hit Josh in the shed and he survives the night, he will defend his actions, saying that "[Josh] was trying to fuck with [their] heads,” but appears to feel guilty about it.
Relationship Increases
- If Chris worries about Josh, his relationship with Josh will slightly increase.
- If Chris agrees with Josh about Ashley on both occasions, his relationship with Josh will increase.
- However, If Chris agrees with Josh about Ashley on only one occasion, his relationship with Josh will only slightly increase.
- If Josh prefers Chris over Ashley, his relationship with Josh will slightly increase.
- If Chris chooses to save Josh, his relationship with Josh will slightly increase.
- If Chris scolds Josh and is skeptical about Josh hurting Jessica afterwards, his relationship with Josh will slightly increase.
- If Chris disarms Mike, his relationship with Josh will slightly increase.
Relationship Decreases
Matt[]
Matt and Chris do not seem to get along very well, though they are not shown interacting much. He and Jessica start off with the lowest relationships with Chris. Chris can talk to Matt during Chapter 2, where he can ask how he's been doing or talk to him about his relationship with Emily, to which Matt will positively or negatively respond to depending on if he saw Mike and Emily through the telescope. Chris can gossip about their relationship with Josh and can ask about Matt's well-being when Emily returns to the lodge after her escape from the mines.
Relationship Increases
- If Chris is friendly to Matt, his relationship with Matt will slightly increase.
- If Matt saw Mike and Emily flirting, challenges Mike, but then apologizes afterward, his relationship with Matt will slightly increase.
Relationship Decreases
Mike[]
Mike and Chris do not have a lot of interaction in the game and indeed seem like very different people personality-wise. However, when the group comes back together in Chapter 7 and find out the truth about who the masked man is, it's Chris and Mike that take Josh out to the shed and tie him up. Based on who Chris chose to sacrifice during the saw blade trap, Josh will choose to antagonize one of them (regarding their romantic interests, respectively) and Chris has the option to disarm Mike when Mike gets frustrated and points a gun at Josh to stop his antagonizing.
If Chris hits him, there's an awkward moment between the two as Mike claims that Chris 'knows him better' than to believe he'd actually hurt Josh, and Chris asks Mike to warn him next time, implying they actually are at least good friends, though we see little of it in the game. Later, they interact again; when the Stranger comes to the lodge, Chris can either open the door for Mike or ask that Mike give him the gun and have Mike open the door. When Mike protests giving up the gun, Chris claims that Mike can "take whatever it is with sheer good looks and muscles", and Mike agrees, handing him the gun.
Chris also subtly gives Mike the opinion that he believes Emily needs to leave the lodge if she's bitten by the Wendigo in the mine, yet seems frightened if Mike chooses to shoot Emily.
Relationship Increases
- If Chris scolds Josh, his relationship with Mike will slightly increase.
Relationship Decreases
Sam[]
See Chris and Sam for more information.
Chris and Sam are good friends. She starts off as Chris' third highest relationship. Sam can be seen affectionately punching his shoulder and laughing as he dances while doing target practice. As an avid animal lover, Sam's relationship with Chris is negatively affected if Chris shoots a squirrel, possibly one that Sam had just fed, at the shooting range in Chapter 1.
Their relationship also degrades if Sam chooses to snoop on his phone. He seems to care about what she has to say, as he can tell Ashley about Sam's worries that they are being followed by the former staff member of the hotel when listing evidence early on in the game. Chris is very concerned about Sam when he and Ashley aren't able to find her immediately in the lodge. He calls out her name a few times while searching for her, and can convince an uncertain Ashley that they need to continue for Sam's sake, worried that she's been taken by the same person who killed Josh. In the safe room, it is possible for Sam to ask Chris if he’s doing alright after seeing the Stranger die.
Relationship Increases
- If Sam closes Chris' bag, his relationship with Sam will slightly increase.
- If Chris doesn't shoot the squirrel, his relationship with Sam will slightly increase.
Relationship Decreases
Trivia[]
Playability[]
- Chris is the second protagonist able to be played.
- Chris is playable in 8 chapters (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9).
- Chris is one of the three characters - the others being Jessica and Matt - to have determinant playable segments.
- Chris has only one, in Chapter 9.
- Chris, along with Emily, Mike, and Ashley, appears in 9 chapters.
- Chris and Emily are the only protagonists who can't be played twice in the same chapter.
Totems[]
- In the original game, Chris is tied with Matt for finding the second most totems possible, with a total of five. Chris can find the same amount of totems in the remake.
- He can also find half of the overall total Loss totems in the original game.
Clues[]
(See: Clues found by Chris)
- Chris can find the fourth most clues out of all the protagonists, with fourteen.
- Chris can find 8 clues in the Mystery Man Clueline, 6 clues in Twins Clueline, and no clues in 1952 Clueline.
- Chris, Sam and Ashley are the only protagonists able to find clues missed or already found by other protagonists.
Facts[]
- His dream job is an app designer.
- He loves technology and hates going anywhere without WiFi.
- He is voted most likely to build an app.[2]
- In ten years, he sees himself somewhere with better broadband.
- Chris' favorite quote is by Steve Jobs: "If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?"
- His highest traits are funny, curious and charitable.
- His intermediate traits are honest and romantic.
- His lowest trait is brave.
- Chris is one of the least brave out of all the protagonists.
- His highest base relationship statuses are with Ashley and Josh.
- His lowest base relationship statuses are with Jessica and Matt.
- Chris has a fear of failure, according to Dr. Hill. He and Emily share this fear.
- Chris is affected by 8 Butterfly Effects.
- This makes him the character affected by the most butterfly effects.
Deaths[]
- Chris is the fourth protagonist who can die.
- Chris is one of the six protagonists - the others being Emily, Josh, Jessica, Mike and Ashley - who can be killed by another protagonist. In Chris' case, Ashley can leave him outside the lodge in Chapter 8.
- Despite Chris being able to die in Chapters 8 and 9, Chris only has one way of being killed (in his case decapitation from the Wendigo Hannah), just like Josh, Jessica, Sam, and Beth.
- Chris is one of the four protagonists - the others being Josh, Jessica and Matt - who can only be killed outside the lodge, meaning that their bodies won't be found unless the police go down to the mines, which requires at least one protagonist to survive (except Josh).
- Chris is the only character who cannot die in Chapter 10, as he always leaves the lodge before it can be blown up.
- However, Chris was supposed to be able to die in the lodge fire in Chapter 10 in an early version of the game, as unused game files reveal.[3]
- As revealed in the cut interviews, in an early version of the game, Chris was able to survive the night even if he shot Ashley and investigated Jessica's voice when Ashley is dead.
Trophies[]
- In the original game, he has three trophies relating to him:
- “Fatal Grudge,” given when Chris shoots Ashley.
- This is likely a reference to the film The Grudge.
- “Ashley Snaps,” given when Ashley lets Chris die.
- This is a reference to the film Ginger Snaps.
- "You Let The Wrong One In,” given when Chris or Ashley opens the door in the mines.
- This is a reference to the film Let the Right One In.
- “Fatal Grudge,” given when Chris shoots Ashley.
- In the remake, he has two:
- “You Let the Wrong One In!”
- ''Nightmare on Ash Street,” given when Chris shoots Ashley, causing her to fail to let him inside the lodge in time.
- This is a reference to the film Nightmare on Elm Street.
Other[]
- In the original script, Chris actively participated in the prank and could be seen in Matt's video.
- If he survives, he is the first protagonist to be interviewed in the Credits.
- In the credits, he is the only one who won't mention his love interest, Ashley. However, he does have unused interview dialogue mentioning her.
- He can be heard in one of Josh's hallucinations.
- Chris' line to Ashley, "let's just keep our heads", is rather ironic, given that both characters can later die via decapitation.
- Josh's nickname for Chris, Cochise, is most likely a reference to the horse belonging to John Wayne's character Cole Thornton in El Dorado (1966). Josh makes one other John Wayne reference (“Godspeed, Pilgrim”) and unused dialogue shows that Josh and Chris both love John Wayne. It is also the name of a Native American leader.[5]
- If Ashley is dismissive and claims Hannah overreacted in the old hotel, Chris will be hit in the head by a wooden plank. The developers explained that this is Josh's doing, who was upset at Ashley's comments about his sister.[6]
- On the status screen, Chris has what appears to be a healed ear piercing in his left ear.[7] His actor, Noah Fleiss, can be seen wearing an earring in the same ear in older photos of him.
- Chris is the only character listed in the credits by his nickname rather than his full name (Chris instead of Christopher).
- If the player chooses Chris as their most disliked character in Dr. Hill's fourth therapy session, he will comment on their lack of fondness for Chris. In a later session, Hill will hold Josh accountable for that, questioning him on why he would despise his best friend.
- In Dr. Hill’s third therapy session, Chris is the only character whose fear will only be brought up in a sympathetic context. Mike, Sam, and Ashley can be sympathized with or despised. Emily can only be despised.
- Chris' actor, Noah Fleiss, was originally not credited in the ending credits. However, this was corrected in the version 1.02 patch.
- Noah Fleiss and Brett Dalton (who portrays Mike) joined the cast of Until Dawn while it was being developed for the PlayStation 3. They are the only actors from the main cast to have appeared in both the PS3 and PS4 incarnations of the game.
- In Chapter 1 of the remake, Sam or Chris himself can find a writing on a truck that says "Chris 4 Josh" encircled by a heart.
- If Chris shoots Ashley in the original game, Ashley will refuse to open the door for him when he begs her to. In the remake, Ashley will hesitate - she will stand further away from the door and then run to open it, but Chris will still be killed.
- Chris’ last name is referenced a couple times in other works associated with Supermassive Games or Until Dawn.
- In the 2025 film Until Dawn, “Hartley’s” appears as the name of a gas station where the character Hill works.
- In the Dark Pictures Anthology, T.S. Hartley appears as the name of a famous in-universe author.
- On one of T.S. Hartley’s books, Emily’s last name (Davis) also appears.[8]
- Chris’ line “I should have paid attention in climbing class” is referenced in two other games by Supermassive Games:
- In House of Ashes, Rachel says she met her husband Eric in a climbing class.
- In The Quarry, Dylan and Ryan talk about having a climbing class.
- Chris has unused dialogue where he goofs off with Josh and brags about how strong he is to Sam and Jess.
- Another unused dialogue where Chris asks to borrow Josh’s phone, presumably before they break into the lodge, as well as another conversation between Chris and Jess discussing Josh, probably down at the cable car station.
- More unused dialogue where he talks to Ashley about Hannah.
- Chris also has unused dialogue where he asks about Jack's flamethrower in Chapter 8.
- Chris also has unused dialogue during the police interview where he mentions that he shot Ashley and heard Jessica.
- Chris is mentioned in unused dialogue in which Sam’s mother tries to “pair [Sam] off” with Chris.
- He has unused voiceline where he ask ashley "do what?" this line take place when ashley says they should look in a library.
- The scene where Ashley sees Chris' decapitated head thrown to the doorstep of the lodge bears similarities to Kriemhild's discovery of Siegfried's corpse in the Nibelungenlied.
- It is also similar to the discovery of Tom's (James Cagney) corpse in the 1931 gangster film "The Public Enemy."
Quotes[]
- "Should have paid more attention in climbing class..."
- "Boom! You just got monked!"
- "Boom! Butterfly effect."
- "You son of a BITCH!!!"
- "Jokemaster!"
Prologue[]
The character has no notable quotes in this chapter.
Chapter 1[]
- "Hey nosy."
- "Chris! You scared me!" - Sam
- "I'm sorry, are you my secretary?" - to Sam after he catches her snooping on his phone.
- "Nice. You think we'll get a visit from America's most wanted?" - after Sam sees a wanted poster.
- "Ta-dah! Pretty rad, right?"
- "Yeaaaaah!" - Sam
- "Come on! Look at these beauties."
- "'Beauties' is not the word that comes to mind, why is this even here?" - Sam
- "What do you mean?"
- "What the hell is a shooting range doing at the base of a ski lodge?" - Sam
- "Dude. Have you ever met Josh's dad?"
- "Yeah...?" - Sam
- "He thinks he's like, Grizzly Adams or something. Wanna try?" - Chris and Sam after reaching the shooting range.
- "Wow. Nice shootin', Tex." - Sam
- "Alright. I'm bad! I'm a badass!"
- "Your ass just got saaaaaaacked!"
- "Oh come on... Squirrels are just rats with bushy tails." - after shooting the squirrel.
- "Boom! Butterfly effect."
- "I'm just doing like Sam taught me: other people's private thoughts are my own personal playground..." - Chris criticizing Sam for snooping earlier.
- "You mean Mike?" - Chris teasing Jessica.
Chapter 2[]
- "Man I feel like this mountain gets bigger every time I climb it..."
- "Should have paid more attention in climbing class..." - to Josh after falling clumsily to the ground while climbing in a window.
- "Boom! You just got monked!" - after pranking Josh and Sam in the basement.
Chapter 3[]
- "Look- There was something behind the books! What is that?" - Ashley
- "Is it a button?"
- "Why would there be a button?" - Ashley
- "That's a good question."
- "Should I push it?" - Ashley
- "That's what buttons are for, I guess."
- "Whoa... panel opens, head explodes!"
- "Are we like, in a movie right now?!" - Ashley
- "Well, if we are, I hope it's a rom-com."
- "I think this might be what the spirit board wanted us to find-"
- "The clue?" - Ashley
- "Yeah, it's a letter..."
- "Let me see it." - Ashley
- "It's... a threat." - after finding a threatening letter.
Chapter 4[]
- "Ashley I'll get you out of this I won't let you die!" - Chris choosing to save Ashley during the Psycho's saw trap.
- "There's a maniac! And he was- there was a saw... and it was either him or Ash and I didn't know what to do! Cut right through him and spilling out fucking everywhere-"
- "WHAT!? Oh my god Chris what?!" - Emily
- "I-I killed him!... I killed him...!"
Chapter 5[]
The character does not appear in this chapter.
Chapter 6[]
- "Nothing."
- "But you did see it, Chris... for real." - Ashley
- "I saw....something. But where'd it go?!" - Chris and Ashley in the cellar after seeing a ghost.
- "This is so effed up!"
- "Great, so basically you're saying that we put a vulnerable friend in a terrible situation and essentially caused her to run away and never be heard from again?" - Chris talking to Ashley about their prank on Hannah.
- "I forgot you were such a willful participant." - to Ashley regarding the prank.
- "Oh crap. Look at that. Might be Sam's." - Chris after he sees the blood smears on the door.
- "Ashley... none of it was wasted. (...) Every second that I spent with you was the only thing I ever wanted to do with my time. (...) I'm sorry... I should have told you how I felt..." - Chris confessing his feelings to Ashley in the Psycho's gun trial.
- "Ashley, I'll get you out of this, I won't let you die!"
- "Aw, Jesus, Ash, what did he do to you?"
- "...I think he hit me..." - Ashley
- "Shit. I'm gonna murder his fucking face off." - Chris discovering that Ashley was punched by the Psycho.
Chapter 7[]
- "You son of a BITCH!!" - Chris before knocking out Josh in the shed.
- "Why did ya hit her man?! Huh?! Why'd you have to fucking hit her?!" - when escorting Josh to the shed, if Ashley was punched earlier.
Chapter 8[]
- "If these things... Wendigos... are, or, were human... do they still have some aspect of humanity in them?" - while checking the shed with The Stranger.
Chapter 9[]
- "Oh God, Chris. Are you gonna be okay?" - Ashley, if the player chooses to allow Chris to stay behind
- "Yeah, yeah! Just go on... I-I can't keep up with you macho ladies..."
Chapter 10[]
- "You manipulated us. You’re a coward!" - Josh’s hallucination of Chris, remembering what Chris said.
Credits[]
- "The old man... I, er... I don't know how to describe him I mean-"
- "You said you thought he was stalking you at first. Did anyone else in your group think that?" - Interviewer
- "Well yeah-"
- "Is it possible they could have killed him?" - Interviewer
- "What? No, no you don't understand. Don't you underst-"
- "If he attacked you -" - Interviewer
- "He saved my life. And I watched him die."
- "And Josh?" - Interviewer
- "...what about him?"
- "We haven't recovered his body." - Interviewer
- "The Wendigo."
- "What?" - Interviewer
- "It's the only thing that makes sense. The Wendigo took him down into the mines."
Gallery
References[]
- ↑ According to his character profile in the Your Companion app.
- ↑ According to his yearbook page in the Press Kit Edition of the game.
- ↑ Chris' unused lodge death
- ↑ Podcast interview with Will Byles
- ↑ Chief Cochise, leader of the Chokonen band of the Chiricahua Apache.
- ↑ In a Twitch stream.
- ↑ Chris' ear piercing
- ↑ T.S. Hartley
Characters
| |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protagonists | |||||||
 Sam |
 Mike |
 Josh |
 Ashley |
 Chris |
 Emily |
 Matt |
 Jessica |
| Supporting Characters | |||||||
 Hannah |
 Beth |
 The Psycho |
 Wendigos |
 Dr. Hill |
 Jack |
 Wolfie |
 Minor Characters |