Travis Touchdown

Travis Touchdown
Also known as	Mr. TD Crownless King King of the Gamers
Age	27 (NMH) 30 (NMH2) 39 (TSA) 41 (NMH3)
Nationality	American
Family	Sylvia Christel (wife) Henry Cooldown (brother) Jeane (half-sister) Jeane (pet) Jeane Touchdown (daughter) Hunter Touchdown (son) Scott (grandson)
Occupation	Assassin
Affiliation	United Assassins Association (formerly)
Status	Alive
Weapon	Beam katana
First appearance	No More Heroes
Played by	Robin Atkin Downes Kazuya Nakai (select JP releases)

Travis Touchdown is the protagonist of the No More Heroes series. He is a consumer of various nerd and otaku subcultures as well as an amateur assassin.

Appearance and Personality

Travis Touchdown is an American man of average height and build. He has black hair, which he spikes up, and blue eyes. He typically wears sunglasses, a red leather jacket, a graphic t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. In Travis Strikes Again, Travis switches to a purple jacket. Travis clips his beam katanas to his belt when not in use.

Travis Touchdown is a crude, unapologetic otaku with a bloodthirsty streak. Though he initially becomes an assassin for quick cash, he very soon becomes accustomed to killing, even glorifying in it. He is initially selfish and short-sighted; he cares very little for the consequences of his career as an assassin, focusing only on revenge, the satisfaction he gets through violence, and the chance to be number one. Travis also has the tendency to be gullible and easily influenced by sex or his own impulses. Past the facade, however, Travis is a person who feels trapped by his own circumstances. True to the common theme of Kill the Past, Travis is always at odds with his past: throughout his appearances, he is made to choose between accepting the role the past has in his life, or continuing to either run from it or remain passively within the cycle of violence he has created for himself.

Additionally, Travis is not completely without remorse. Over time, he grows to resent the United Assassins Association for treating death as a tool, to the point that he seeks to collapse the entire system and leave his life as an assassin behind. Furthermore, he has his own code of honor. Travis views all fights as a test of strength between two fighters, respecting his opponents and showing a distaste for needless killing. He often shows hesitance to kill younger opponents, and previously showed reluctance to kill women, going back on forth on whether he feels comfortable doing so over time.

In spite of these faults, Travis is shown to be both a loyal friend and a man of his word. He is persistent and pursues all goals he sets for himself without fail, from becoming #1 in the UAA to collecting all the Death Balls in Travis Strikes Again. Finally, though he has few close allies, he cares for them genuinely and will stop at nothing to fight on their behalf.

History

Backstory

Travis Touchdown's past is intentionally left vague and even contradictory over the course of the No More Heroes series. It is revealed that he has two long-lost siblings: twin Henry Cooldown (apparently raised in Ireland) and half-sister Jeane (the product of an affair between Travis' father and her mother). As a child, Travis, Henry, and Jeane ran away from their serial killer father and fled through the snow for days, building an igloo to escape the cold. They eventually reached a road, when they were surrounded by cars and heard the sound of "locks". They were taken by adults and tied up, with Henry being brainwashed and separated to another family. Travis seems to have also had his memory wiped, and does not remember his relation to Henry or Jeane. Jeane was secretly raised in a "rotten apartment" where their father regularly molested her. Travis had no knowledge of this, viewing his father (according to Jeane) as a "hard-working family man" and eventually falling in love with Jeane. One summer night, she violently kills his parents out of revenge, leaving Travis to find a bloody Jeane standing over their mangled bodies. Travis suppresses this traumatic memory, seeming only to recall it while drunk.

As he grew up, he apparently traveled to Calgery, Alberta, Canada to train with the wrestler M.S.. At another point, he lived in Tokyo where he regularly bought records at a particular record shop. One day, he found the owner had closed the shop and men in black were packing up the records, much to his disappointment.

No More Heroes

At some point, Travis moves into Motel NO MORE HEROES in Santa Destroy, adopts his cat Jeane, then wins the beam katana Blood Berry on an online auction. He meets Sylvia Christel at the Death Match Bar one night; she overhears his drunken rambling and offers to help him get even with Jeane. Travis agrees, assassinates 11th ranked hitman Helter Skelter, and joins the United Assassins Association. After killing Rank 10, Death Metal, Travis realizes that he has become a target for assassins beneath him in rank and has become trapped in the world of assassins. He only agrees to continue ascending the ranks when Sylvia teases the promise of sex once he reaches Rank 1. Strangely, before Sylvia convinces him, he mentions her "promise", indicating that he is still subconsciously aware of his quest for revenge against the murderer of his parents.

Travis proceeds to move up through the ranks of the UAA. Notably, he spares Rank 8, Shinobu Jacobs. During their fight, Shinobu accuses him of killing her father Tim Jacobs, which he denies, having been a loyal student of Jacobs via correspondence tapes. Instead of killing Shinobu, he cuts off her right arm and vows to kill her when she has grown older and become stronger. He defeats but does not kill Rank 6, Holly Summers, and she accuses him of being unable to kill a woman; she kills herself with a grenade and Travis buries her on Bodyslam Beach. Travis first encounters Henry Cooldown when Henry steals his kill of Rank 4, Letz Shake. An infuriated Travis attempts to fight him, but Sylvia breaks up their fight long enough for Henry to disappear. His trainer, Thunder Ryu, is killed by Rank 3, Speed Buster. Travis is nearly defeated by Rank 2, Bad Girl, only winning when he impales her with his katana while she is beating him. Eventually, Sylvia's contact with Travis becomes sporadic. Travis calls the UAA, only to reach Sylvia's mother. She reveals that Sylvia is a professional con artist and the UAA does not exist. However, she encourages him to fight his last battle, as "a good man finishes what he started".

Travis continues and meets Rank 1, Dark Star. Dark Star claims to be Travis' father, but is promptly killed by Jeane. Jeane and Travis break the fourth wall commenting on the surprise twist; Jeane explains their past in a fast-forwarded sequence (so the game isn't delayed due to a jacked-up rating). Travis and Jeane then begin their final battle. Jeane punches Travis through the chest, but Shinobu appears, cutting off Jeane's arm and saving Travis' life. Jeane accepts defeat and Travis cuts her to pieces, wishing her rest and a "more pleasant" dream.

Later, Travis is attacked by an assassin in his motel room. In the true ending, he is rescued by Henry Cooldown, who reveals that they are twins and that he is Sylvia's husband. They duel in the motel parking lot. The fourth wall is again broken when Henry asks how Travis will tie up all the game's loose ends as the protagonist; together, they agree to find "the exit" to the game and clash swords. In a post-credits scene, a young girl named Jeane is seen viewing the image of Travis and Henry clashing swords before she is called away by Sylvia.

No More Heroes 1.5

It would later be revealed that Sylvia put a stop to Travis and Henry's fight. Travis withdrew from the ranks of the UAA, and came to be seen as a hero in Santa Destroy, with aspiring assassins beginning to idolize him as the city undergoes significant urban development, and assassination became entertainment for the masses.

In No More Heroes 1.5, Travis is seen leaving Beef Head after speaking to his close from Georgy Bishop. Outside, he is attacked by a group of thugs which he dispatches with his beam katana. Later, Travis attends the unveiling of a statue of himself, celebrating him as a hero who protected the city. Unbeknownst to him, Bishop sees a man in a nearby car who threatens him. Travis gets a call from one of his mentors, Randall Lovikov, who had been attacked by the same men. He tells him that the men are from the mafia, and that Travis is the target. He tries to tell him who is trying to destroy the city before the line is cut and Lovikov is killed. Travis brandishes his katana as the gang members approach his motel room. He breaks out of the front door, killing many of them. He meets the Quintet, a group of five hitmen. Travis is surprised to see a look-alike of himself, dressed in blue and wielding an identical katana. Travis quickly decapitates him, and watches as nearby buildings and his statue are leveled by explosives. One of the hitmen tells him that Travis is the one who started this war by killing. He chases after their car, but they retreat past a large gate which Travis is unable to cut through.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

On a snowy night in Santa Destroy, Travis was called to the roof of a building by Skelter Helter, the brother of his first victim. They fight, and Travis decapitates him, making his head fly through the air and land back on his neck. Sylvia arrives on a helicopter, telling Travis that he is now ranked 51st in the UAA's new rankings. Travis refuses to continue, but agrees when Sylvia entices him with the prospect of sex once again. Skelter Helter's re-attached head says that his fight was only part of his plan, and warned him that he'd be burdened with another's death, before killing himself. Back in his motel room, Travis finds Bishop's severed head in a bag, which was thrown through his window. He meets with Sylvia, swearing revenge. She reveals that the one behind Bishop's death is Jasper Batt Jr., the number one assassin. She directs him to his next fight with the 50th ranked assassin, Nathan Copeland.

Travis continues fighting assassins to climb the ranks. Notably he fights a rabid fangirl, Kimmy Howell, who he spares and asks to return after she's older. Travis meets Sylvia at the UAA office, who organizes a battle royale with multiple fighters, which can bring Travis to Rank 10. He reaches the basement of Destroy Stadium, where he finds the other participants wiped out by Dr. Letz Shake, who has captured Henry. After the battle, Travis is reunited with Shinobu, who returned from training overseas in Asia to assist Travis, and has already killed two of the top ten. Shinobu now views Travis as her Master, and has developed romantic feelings for him. She tries to make an advance at him, but he rejects her because of the situation making him feel creepy, making her leave saddened.

After defeating Rank 7, Ryuji, Travis tries to spare him, but he is gunned down by Sylvia, who reminds him that the fights are not a sport and killing his opponents is necessary. Henry, who had been in a catatonic state in Travis's motel, finally wakes up, returning the favor to Travis by defeating three more assassins. Travis receives a message from Henry telling him not to let himself get killed so they can finish their fight. Travis meets Sylvia again, who reminds him of her ending his fight with Henry, and that she and Henry are now divorced. Travis tells her that assassins aren't tools, and that once he is at the top again, the ranking fights will be over. After Travis kills Rank 2, Alice Twilight, he snaps at Sylvia, telling her assassins are alive, and that he's tearing down the UAA. A short time later, Sylvia appears outside of his room, and they have sex.

Travis finally confronts Jasper Batt Jr. in his penthouse office, learning that he is the relative of some of Travis's previous routine victims. Jasper reveals the severed heads of Shinobu, Henry, and Sylvia, and they begin fighting. However this is revealed to be a trick when Henry himself arrives to assist him. Jasper eventually takes on a gigantic parade balloon final form, after which Henry leaves the fight to him. Travis climbs the balloon and cuts it in half, killing Jasper. As he falls from the building he is caught by Sylvia on her motorcycle, who drops him off outside the motel and disappears.

Years later, Travis locates Sylvia working at the Heaven's Smile brothel, and begins anonymously visiting her through one of the brothel's peep show rooms. These meetings are shown throughout the game, as she recounts the story's events to him. On his final visit, Travis reveals himself to Sylvia, and she agrees to return to Santa Destroy with him.

Kurayami Dance

A man appearing similar to Travis briefly cameos in Chapter 3: Let Me Kiss You, seen in the crowd arriving in Kingdom Kurogane.

He appears again in Chapter 13: Revenger. While looking for Kaido Wataru, Nekoda and Baba search for an assassin he'd been introduced to in "The Promised Land". This turns out to be Travis' trailer, as seen in Travis Strikes Again. The two find Travis with his back turned and playing video games, mirroring the events of the first Travis Strikes Again trailer. Nekoda and Baba decide against fighting Travis. He remarks that Wataru has already become "a demon of revenge".

The 25th Ward: The Silver Case

In the #07 black out ending, "Kill Aoyama and Akama simultaneously", Uehara is sent to meet "Mr. TD". The events detailed in this ending closely mirror the plot of Travis Strikes Back, where Travis and Uehara gather the Death Balls.

The Outer Rim

A far future version of Travis appears in audio skits before "N.M.H. The Outer Rim Remix" and "IYOGIN" on The Outer Rim album, depicted alongside Sylvia Christel in an astronaut suit. 120 years after their marriage and 76 years after taking a shuttle into outer space, Travis and Sylvia have apparently both achieved immortality. Travis presents Sylvia with a music box found on a crater as a birthday gift, and N.M.H. begins. The song closes with Sylvia naming the miniature band inside the music box "The Outer Rim". In the skit before "IYOGIN", Travis and Sylvia discuss a dream Travis had in his sleep the previous night regarding his time in Tokyo. Sylvia replied that the men in black who closed the record shop were part of the UAA, although this claim makes little sense.

Official profiles

Travis Touchdown Born and raised in Santa Destroy. 27 years old. A Japanese anime otaku, he's also a fan of pro-wrestling and fighting moves. Uses his own brand of sword and physical skills to work as an assassin. (No More Heroes: Trading Card No. 130 profile)

Trivia

• Travis is inspired by Jackass' Johnny Knoxville and UFC fighter Josh Barnett.
• Many parallels exist between Travis and the protagonist of Suda51's favorite film, Paris, Texas, who is also named Travis: Travis Touchdown's son is also named Hunter, and the film's peepshow booth scene is referenced in No More Heroes 2.
• Travis' favorite porn is bukkake. Suda51 had previously stated that Travis lost his virginity to Sylvia Christel; however, he later contradicted this, saying that Travis lost his virginity to a friend's mom after getting fucked up at a party.
  • This is, bizarrely, supported by a photograph Travis owns in No More Heroes 2 and III of a woman under which is written "Billy's Mom". Any further information on Billy or his mother is currently unknown.
• Travis keeps a photograph of Jeane beside his answering machine through No More Heroes. In No More Heroes 2, the photo remains, but Jeane's face is scribbled out with pen.
• A picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an image of the Virgin Mary typically associated with Mexican Catholicism, can be seen on Travis' bedside table (behind a stack of porn magazines).
• Travis is said to have trained in the Hart Dungeon, which was a real pro-wrestling school located in Calgary, Alberta.

Appearances

• No More Heroes
• The Outer Rim
• No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
• No More Heroes 1.5
• Erotica Comic
• Kurayami Dance (unnamed)
• The 25th Ward: The Silver Case (remake, black out only)
• LET IT DIE (decal, mentioned through imposters)
• Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
• Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Mii costume/spirit only)
• No More Heroes III

Gallery

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  Travis in No More Heroes
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  Travis in No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
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  Travis in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
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  Travis in No More Heroes III