Hoban Washburne
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| Firefly character | |
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| Hoban "Wash" Washburne | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Born | Late 25th century |
| Homeworld | Unknown |
| Occupation | Pilot of Serenity |
| Notable relatives | Zoe Washburne (wife) |
| Portrayed by | Alan Tudyk |
Hoban "Wash" Washburne is a fictional character who originated in the science fiction television series Firefly. He later appeared in the comic book series Serenity: Those Left Behind, a sequel to the television series, and the film Serenity, itself a sequel to the comic. Played by Alan Tudyk, Wash serves as the pilot of Serenity, a transport ship captained by Malcolm Reynolds. He is married to the ship's first mate, Zoe.
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[edit] Early life
Raised on an unnamed planet with pollution so thick the stars were not visible, Wash became a pilot in part to see the sky beyond his home. According to the Serenity novelization (which is not considered canon), Wash was second in his class. Mr. Universe, Wash's friend in flight school, was top of the class, since he hacked the records. In order to buy Wash's silence (and save himself from a threat of bodily injury at the hands of Wash), Mr. Universe offered Wash his services whenever they were needed.
[edit] Unification War
On the commentary on "War Stories", Tudyk says that he believed Wash served in the Unification War. According to him, Wash served as a pilot during the war, although he did not specify which side. However, Tudyk believes his ship was shot down after a single flight and he was put in a POW Camp, where he spent the remainder of the war entertaining the other prisoners with shadow puppets. He makes a reference to shadow puppets in the Firefly episode "The Message".
[edit] After the war
Wash then travelled widely, visiting odd worlds where, for example, juggling goslings was the principal form of entertainment. His skills as a pilot grew, and by the time Wash met Malcolm Reynolds, his reputation had grown to the point where he was actively courted by multiple captains in search of a good pilot (Mal tells Zoe that Wash has a list of recommendations "as long as [his] leg" when Zoe expresses her distrust of Wash). Wash accepted Mal's offer, and in the course of time, fell in love and eventually married Reynolds' second-in-command, Zoe. This pairing is especially ironic, given that Zoe's first impression of Wash was one of immediate dislike and distrust (though it is hinted in Out of Gas this dislike may be due to his mustache). The two have a passionate and strong relationship, despite Wash's occasional concern over Zoe's strong personality and her tendency to assume the more aggressive, traditionally male role in the marriage, a concern compounded by Zoe's fierce loyalty and devotion to Mal.
A laid-back guy with a dry and occasionally whimsical sense of humor, Wash tends to represent the pragmatic, cut-and-run opinion in any shipboard debate, and often serves as the calming influence in heated arguments. His actions sometimes appear cowardly (or at least less than heroic), but Wash has proven his resolve and willingness to both put himself in harm's way and do violence on behalf of his friends on many occasions. His loyalty to his fellow crew is unshakable, as is shown when he insists on rescuing Mal from the clutches of the crime lord Adelei Niska in "War Stories", despite having been severely tortured by Niska himself to the point of barely being able to stand.
As a pilot, Wash's flying style oscillates between near panic and a Zen-like calm. The attitude he conveys seems to be in inverse proportion to the degree of danger he believes he and the ship are in at any particular moment, acting the most calm when facing the greatest danger. His mantra, which he quietly recited in the movie Serenity during a highly stressful situation — "I am a leaf on the wind; watch how I soar" — has become a favorite quotation among fans, although Wash apparently does not know what it means.
Wash keeps a collection of toy dinosaurs in the ship's cockpit and plays with them during lulls in the action. Tudyk has described Wash as "the Space Xander" referring to the character's similarities with Xander Harris from Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[1]
In the 2005 film Serenity, Wash dies near the end of the film when a harpoon launched by a Reaver ship impales him, killing him instantly. His shipmates erect a memorial to him (it is unclear if this is a tomb, as well) on Mr. Universe's moon. It appears from the movie's final scenes that River Tam then takes up his duties as pilot of Serenity (under the supervision of Mal Reynolds), at least in the beginning; as a tribute to Wash the collection of toy dinosaurs remain on the pilot's station of the bridge.
[edit] Name
It is unknown as to why he prefers to be called Wash, rather than by his given name Hoban Washburne, even by his wife Zoe. The Serenity film novelization has Mal confront this point in his narrative. His reasoning is simply "why would anyone call themselves Hoban?"
[edit] External links
| The Firefly series | ||
| Episodes | Serenity | The Train Job | Bushwhacked | Shindig | Safe | Our Mrs. Reynolds | Jaynestown Out of Gas | Ariel | War Stories | Trash | The Message | Heart of Gold | Objects in Space |
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| Spin-offs | R. Tam sessions | Serenity: Those Left Behind | Serenity | |
| Characters | Derrial Book | Jayne Cobb | Kaylee Frye | Malcolm Reynolds | Inara Serra River Tam | Simon Tam | Hoban Washburne | Zoe Washburne | Minor characters |
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| Terminology | Moons and planets • The Alliance • Blue Sun • Unification War • Serenity Reaver • Browncoat • Firefly slang • Companion |
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