Reginald[7] (21 July[8]), better known as Ren, is a character in Oxenfree and a childhood friend of the main protagonist, Alex. He plays in a band called the Redheaded Bedwetters.
Biography
Ren is a middle child and has two sisters: the older, Allison, also nicknamed "Allie", and the younger, 13-year-old Ellie. He lives in Camena, near Clarissa, and in front of a pizzeria named "Alfredo's," which Ren claims has the best pizza.[9][10]
Alex and Ren have been best friends since childhood.
Not much is known about Ren before the events of Oxenfree, but at some point after Michael's death and before the beginning of the game, his band had a concert in a stable in Salem, for which Alex skips a school placement aptitude test to bring Ren a new amplifier. Ren also mentions having a therapist.
He is the only one to be truly excited about the island party, asking Alex to bring her handheld radio so they can tune into what Ren calls the "weirdo caves."
Appearance
Ren is short, with wavy blonde hair and thick eyebrows. He has black plug earrings and wears a collared shirt with green pants and sneakers. He also carries an orange backpack in-game.
Personality
- Alex's oldest friend. Wryly intelligent, a bit of a stoner, and easily excitable about even the faintest possibility of fun; one of the few people that Alex considers a "peer." He plays bass guitar in a garage band, and his greatest accomplishment in life so far is being the best in his group at video games. Think Jason London from "Dazed and Confused" or Big Pete from "The Adventures of Pete & Pete."[11]
He is a recreational drug user.
Relationships
- Alex
Alex and Ren have been best friends since childhood, to the point where the two have seen each other naked in a tub as babies and it wasn't weird at all because they were so young.
He trusts Alex a lot and will confide in her a lot of his feelings and will expect her help often. He generally is the more optimistic one of the duo, and due to his easily excitable demeanor, will drag Alex into a lot of situations.
When playing a round of "Marry, Screw, Kill" during the game of Truth or Slap, Alex can choose to marry Ren as they are already friends so there would be no "surprises" (by which he is pleased as he would be a "stay-at-home husband"), sleep with him because knowing each other would make it less weird (to which he responds with "I knew those bass lessons would come in handy."), or kill him if left with no other options (which causes Ren to complain and jokingly declare the situation misandry).
- Michael
Ren is one of the only people who will not blame Alex for Michael's death. It could be implied that Ren knew Michael pretty well because of his friendship with Alex, but it is never stated whether or not they had a relationship in general.
- Jonas
Jonas and Ren have a pretty neutral relationship at the beginning of the game. However, as the game progresses, they will start blaming each other for the events that unfold. Jonas is generally annoyed that Ren is often stoned in-game, while Ren will only be antagonistic to that. If Michael is resurrected in the game and Jonas is no longer Alex's step-brother, Ren is the person who invites Jonas to Edwards Island after Jonas moves into the town.
- Nona
While it is unknown when Ren developed a crush on Nona and the circumstances of it, a lot of the game surrounds Ren and Nona's relationship. While Nona is apprehensive about the idea at first, she may eventually change her mind and be open to dating Ren because she quite likes him. He finds her adorable and cares a lot about how she feels.
- Clarissa
While Ren and Clarissa do not interact much in-game, he will generally feel like Clarissa has a better handle on things. The two may be friends only because of their relationship with Nona.
Endings
Ren and Nona are dating
Ren and Nona will continue to date even after graduating High School, though they will go to different universities, and as a result, have a long-distance relationship.
Ren and Nona are not dating and Ren is still Alex's friend
The island will change Ren's feelings towards Camena and the general area, so he ends up in a university in California. If not alienated, Alex will state that Ren is starting another band called "Drunk Talk."
Ren and Nona are not dating and Alex alienated Ren
The island will change Ren's feelings towards Camena and the general area, so he ends up in a university in California. If alienated, Alex and Ren will not talk as much anymore and Alex will not know what he is up to.
Trivia
- According to his birthdate, he is a Cancer.
- Ren mentions that he needed a babysitter until he was 14, and is terrified of werewolves.
- Ren seems to have a fondness for history and literature as he knows a good bit about the island's history, as well as mythology as he often makes references to creatures and figures such as the Hindu deity Vishnu ("Thank Vishnu!").
- He watches Little House on the Prairie.
- He once pulled Alex into a broom closet to show her a broom that he swore looked like Abraham Lincoln.
- He once mocked a kid named Andrew Finnegan about a junior high dance in the middle of gym class as a joke.
- Ren's sister Allie worked at the Parks and Facilities office on Edwards Island for a couple of years. Part of her job was delivering Maggie Adler's mail every day. When taking him to Main Street, Ren mentions that Allie has commented on how "old" the island makes you feel.
- In the first picture he takes with Jonas and Alex on the ferry, he does not have earrings.
Gallery
References
- ↑ REN: My sister Allie worked at the Parks office in town.
- ↑ Radio: I just want to give a holler to my... my nephew Ren.
- ↑ REN: And wait--wait that means you’d kill me? Out of everyone here! Your best friend!
- ↑ Maria: —Bedwetters, which… I don’t know if we’re going to be allowed to play that anymore, sorry, Ren.
- ↑ REN: Our high school has a radio station and Carly, she’s a friend of ours, she’s filling in because Reggie got mono from some track runner or something.
- ↑ CLARISSA: I’m friends with Nona and I’m downgrading Ren to like a creepy neighbor.
- ↑ CLARISSA: Reginald! I hear you over there!
- ↑ Night School Studio post on Twitter.
- ↑ CLARISSA: I’m friends with Nona and I’m downgrading Ren to like a creepy neighbor.
- ↑ REN: Jonas, there’s a pizza place across the street from my house that’s like the best. New York, Chicago, they can all go and play with their butts for all I care cause nobody can touch Alfredo’s, swear to God.
- ↑ Backstage Oxenfree Casting.