| Thadeus Harlan | |
|---|---|
 The Thief-Taker General as he appears in Thief | |
|
Alias: |
Thief-Taker General |
|
Age: |
40 |
|
Occupation: |
The Watch Commander |
|
Affiliation: |
|
|
Status: |
Deceased |
|
Hair Color: |
Black |
|
Eye Color: |
Green |
|
Height: |
5' 8" (1.73 m) |
|
Voice Actor: |
Matthew Edison |
Thadeus Harlan (aka the Thief-Taker General) is the Head of The Watch and the right hand man of The Baron. He has made a career out of catching thieves and is regarded publicly as a hero, his reputation has earned him the title of 'Thief-Taker General'. In reality, he is a rottenly corrupt individual who squeezes the criminal element of the City into submission through the "Black Tax", abuses his own men, and callously strips the dead of valuables to line his own pockets.
Background
Thadeus Harlan was born in NRy802, though not much is known about his early life. Thadeus joined The Watch presumably at a young age where through his years of service he eventually gained the rank of commander. Thadeus upheld a decent reputation for apprehending thieves and criminals and thus was publicly hailed as a 'hero' due to his services and effectively earned the title of 'Thief-Taker General', and effectively became the right-hand man of Elias Northcrest.
Events of Thief
Personality and Characteristics
The General holds a vendetta against Garrett after an incident at the Northcrest Manor. Garrett inadvertently impaled the Claw through his leg to prevent himself from falling to his death, resulting in said leg's amputation. Garrett is also one of the few criminals in the City who doesn't pay the General's Black Tax, remarking that "You can't tax what you can't catch." This makes Garrett not only a symbol of defiance against the General, but someone who would be a prime example to the criminal element should he be hung by the neck. For these reasons, the General has put Garrett at the top of his hit list.
Physical Appearance
Skills and Equipment
The General's weapon of choice is a wrist mounted crossbow which he can arm with several unique bolt heads ranging from fire to blast. It mirrors the arrow heads that Garrett employs in his profession.
Bio
|
The Baron's right-hand man is in his late 30s and is the ruthless commander of the City Watch. He's more commonly known as the Thief-Taker General and strikes fear into the hearts of the lifters and blackhands in The City. Prior to the problems in The City, he upheld a decent reputation and was considered to be the ‘hero' of the Watch because of his apparent success at catching criminals. Yet behind the scenes the general is corrupt to the bone and extorts a fee known as the black tax on members of the underworld, in return for Watch 'immunity'. Those who don't pay soon find themselves at the end of a beating or the long drop of the noose. Although he works for the Baron, the Thief-Taker General is only really loyal to himself and demands respect from the men beneath him. His lust and greed for coin is remarkable. His power has grown considerably since the Baron became more and more obsessed with the progress of industry and the general has welcomed this opportunity to squeeze The City for profit harder than ever before. As the Thief-Taker's name would suggest, Garrett remains the General's ultimate prize. The master thief remains a painful thorn in his side and his obsession with the shadowy figure continues to fester deep within him. |
Trivia
- The Thief-Taker General's personality and traits appear to be very similar to that of Sheriff Truart in Thief II.
- "Thief-Takers " were publicly commissioned law men in Victorian London prior to the establishment of an organized police force. They were often extremely corrupt, abusing the powers given to them by the population. The most infamous one was Jonathan Wild , who was heralded as a public hero and known as the "Thief-Taker General" despite his numerous abuses of authority.
- Thadeus Harlan in many ways is the opposite of Garrett. Where as Garrett is a subtle and principled criminal, the General is a brutal and immoral authority figure. Even the way they steal from the population differs heavily, with the General robbing the dead in a soulless assembly line while Garrett is all technique, risk, and treats his profession like an art.
- He bares a striking resemblance to Daniel Day Lewis in Gangs of New York.
- It is implied during a conversation between him and Madam Xiao-Xiao that he is a paedophile.