The Spelunker, or Classic Guy as he is known as in Spelunky 2, is the protagonist of Spelunky who descends into the mysteriously shifting caverns beneath the desert in search of fame and fortune.
Name[]
"The Spelunker" was an eponymous name given to the player character as the star of Spelunky; a game about spelunking.
As of Spelunky 2, this iteration of the spelunker had finally been given the name of "Classic Guy". Before this, he had no canonical name. As a result, there are a number of nicknames for him created by the fandom:
- Iowa Jack - A parody of the name Indiana Jones, whom the character is based on.
- Indie - Independent games like Spelunky are colloquially known as "indies", which also happens to be Indiana Jones' nickname.
- Derek - After Derek Yu, the creator of Spelunky.
Background[]
According to Spelunky 2, Classic Guy lives in a parallel universe to Spelunky 2 and Spelunky HD, living in a world of large, flat blocks of colors.
He is unlocked in Spelunky 2 by completing the game the hard way by defeating Hundun in its Hideaway found in the deepest portion of the Sunken City. The odd nature of the Sunken City may explain how Classic Guy was able to cross between universes and become a playable character in Spelunky 2, bringing his pixelated whip, ropes, and many sounds with him.
Classic Guy is only capable of talking in bleeps and boops, responding to people who attempt to talk to him with phrases like "!!!" or "...". He reacts particularly strongly to seeing the version of him in the Spelunky 2 and HD universe, saying "!!!!!".
Apart from crossing between universes in Spelunky 2, Classic Guy's background is mostly only speculated by fans.
However, there is also a little information about him that can be deduced from the inner monologues generated in the opening cutscene of the game. These sometimes allude to a deceased father, whose last words presumably referred to the caves. It is possible that finding the Giant Idol was his father's ambition, and Spelunky Guy undertakes this quest in his honor.
Additionally, there is reference to a faded photo that he keeps in his pocket, a treasured memento of someone he refers to only as 'her'.
This may refer to the Damsels found in the caves, but given his propensity to sacrifice them or otherwise treat them with relative indifference, it seems that the girl in the photo is someone he was more fond of, whom he lost a long time ago and doesn't expect to see ever again.
He also has apparent beliefs in polytheism and destiny.
Abilities[]
Spelunky Guy starts each game armed with a whip, 4 bombs, and 4 ropes, which he uses along with his mountaineering skills to navigate the caves.
He is highly resourceful, capable of picking up and using a wide range of other items and utilizing them in inventive ways to dispatch enemies and evade traps.
Highly athletic, he is capable of running, jumping, climbing, swimming, crawling and dying hilariously in many, many, many ways.
Success in Spelunky requires that you use the Spelunky Guy's basic range of abilities inventively and in clever combinations.
Other characters with similar capabilities include the Damsel (once the Changing Room has been unlocked) and the Tunnel Man (once all four Challenge Rooms have been unlocked).
Trivia[]
Spelunky Guy is about 5'5, a bit shorter than a block in the game.