Corvo Attano

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Corvo's development was rooted in 17th-century London attire, resembling the thief Garrett before the game adopted its unique "whalepunk" style. In Dishonored, he remains deliberately blank and silent to allow players to define his motivations through their actions; developers noted that an angry or revenge-driven Corvo might conflict with non-lethal playstyles. Writer Austin Grossman argued that his personal relationships made him more relatable than other silent protagonists. For Dishonored 2, Corvo was included alongside Emily due to developer nostalgia. Concept artist Cedric Peyravernay designed his new outfit to reflect his return as an assassin while fitting his societal position. Unlike the first game, he received voice acting in the sequel, voiced by Stephen Russell. Creative director Harvey Smith explained this created a narrative contrast with Emily, highlighting their different experiences. Corvo's personality was also made more assertive in this installment.

In Their Own Story

In 2012, Corvo first appeared as Jessamine Kaldwin's bodyguard until her assassination led to his imprisonment and six months of torture. Fifteen years later in Dishonored 2, an older Corvo serves as Emily's Royal Protector and Spymaster. Creative director Harvey Smith noted that Corvo questions how long he can protect his daughter, knowing she must eventually stand alone as Empress against threats like Delilah, Jessamine's purported half-sister who serves as the main antagonist. The graphic novel Dishonored: The Wyrmwood Deceit, released from August 3 to October 19, 2016, is set twelve years after the first game and centers on Corvo seeking an apprentice as his heir. In Adam Christopher's novel Dishonored: The Corroded Man, he trains and fights alongside Emily while the gang responsible for Jessamine's assassination reforms.

Reader's Guide

Corvo Attano appears in multiple works including a comic series and novels announced in 2016. His gameplay experience varies significantly between titles; he is silent in Dishonored but voiced by Stephen Russell in Dishonored 2. During alpha testing, developers experimented with text input options for his dialogue, but this was not developed further to preserve player agency over his personality. Critics have analyzed Corvo through various lenses: Complex ranked him number thirty among "The 50 Most Badass Video Game Characters Of All Time" in 2013, while TGN named him the sixth best video game assassin. In The Dark Side of Game Play, authors examine his actions as a motif of vengeance, noting that a "Virtuous Corvo" might find revenge justified due to offenses committed. Robert Rath describes a low-chaos Corvo as a man holding onto morals while the world beats him down, contrasting with a high-chaos version giving into baser instincts. Additionally, an analysis in The Escapist highlights how his dishonor made him a useful tool for the Loyalists, who found that he "didn't play by their elegant rules" to their eventual ruin.

Did You Know?

• Corvo was initially not intended to be playable in Dishonored 2 but was added due to developer nostalgia.
• The character's early concept resembled Garrett from the Thief series and featured 17th-century London attire before becoming "whalepunk".
• In the comic mini-series The Wyrmwood Deceit, released between August 3 and October 19, 2016, Emily Kaldwin searches for her kidnapped father, Corvo Attano.
• Stephen Russell provided voice acting for Corvo in Dishonored 2, a change from the silent protagonist of the first game.
• Developers experimented with text input options during alpha but abandoned them to avoid conflicting with player-driven play styles.