Christopher "Chris" Hartley is one of the eight main protagonists and a playable character in Until Dawn. He was voiced and motion captured by actor Noah Fleiss.

Appearance

Chris is a young man with blonde hair worn in a faux-hawk style. He has blue eyes and black, rectangular-framed glasses. His left ear is pierced, though he doesn't wear earrings in it at any point in the game.^[1]

One Year Ago

Chris wears an unbuttoned red-and-gray flannel shirt, gray undershirt, a pair of jeans, and brown boots. In the remake, his face has also been covered in doodles by Emily and Jessica.^[2]

Until Dawn

A year later, Chris arrives on the mountain wearing a large, blue, hooded coat with an orange lining and a fur trim on the hood. Under the coat, he wears a green commando sweater, which is unzipped enough to reveal a denim-collared shirt over a white undershirt with the words "Merch. 1605" and "loosefit" on it.^[3] He wears a pair of blue jeans and brown boots. On his right wrist, he wears a black smartwatch.

While indoors, he typically takes off his coat. However, after his player segment in Chapter 7, he keeps his coat on for the rest of the game.

Damage and other changes

Chris’ minor changes in appearance are as follows:

• Bruised forehead: punched by the Psycho
• Bloody nose: failed to dodge a tree (Determinant)
• Injured ankle: fell on it wrong during his chase, causing a limp

Personality

• Original
• Remake

Chris is described in-game as protective, humorous, and methodical, the latter being changed to loyal in the remake. He loves technology, dislikes being anywhere without Wi-Fi access and dreams of being an app designer.^[4]

Chris has a passion for jokes and all things technological, both of which have earned him a reputation as the nerd of his friend group, yet it's a role he seems perfectly comfortable in filling. Chris is an affable guy and he takes his self-appointed post as the "class clown" of the clique seriously. His witty sense of humor is appreciated by his friends, but his tendency to repeatedly pull pranks can be off-putting after a while. Chris appears eager to impress others, whether it's with his humor, a demonstration of his shooting skills, the latest cutting-edge tech he's picked up, or complex theoretical concepts like the Butterfly Effect.

That latter aspect ties in to Chris' analytical mindset. Chris likes to gather information so he can make informed decisions. He is shown to be very observant as, when he finds clues like the Wanted Poster, Newspaper Fragment, Answerphone Message, Light from Below, or Threatening Letter, he's quick to piece together their interconnectivity as indications of a serious threat. Chris is also a natural skeptic of the occult. He ridicules the spirit board séance and is quick to dismiss the idea of a ghost by pointing out the illogicality of a spirit that would set up a Hidden Camera. Still, he doesn't make a display of his intelligence to be a know-it-all; rather, he wants his friends to benefit from his understanding.

According to Dr. Hill, Chris' greatest fear is failure. Emily shares this fear, but while she displays this trait with forms of aggression, Chris manifests it via inaction. This is reflected in his trouble confessing his real feelings towards his crush Ashley. This anxiety in being vulnerable with her has made him the target for teasing from Josh, and even Sam expresses frustration at his dithering. His fears are made most apparent during the events of Until Dawn. After his initial encounter with one of the Psycho's traps leads to a seemingly fatal encounter, Chris is left feeling devastated over his role in failing to save both of his friends.

Regardless, the events on Blackwood Mountain prove to be a true test of Chris' mettle. It becomes obvious that he is protective of his friends and cares for them. The events in the shed ignite a desire to get everyone else to safety during the rest of the night and instill a driven focus in his mind that helps him push past his normal limitations. This is seen as he repeatedly insists on finding Sam, risks his life to rescue Josh, and finally overcomes his apprehension and confesses his feelings to Ashley. Depending on the player's decision, he may also be ready to lay down his own life to save Ashley in one of the Psycho's traps.

However, because Chris' personality can be shaped and affected by the player's choices, it's possible for Chris to betray his protective nature and commit violence against his friends. After Chris admits his feelings to Ashley and vows to get her out of the dire situation they're both in, he can instead choose to shoot Ashley. Furthermore, while Chris knows about Josh's psychological issues and displays a sense of responsibility over his friend's well-being, he can knock him unconscious with a piece of lumber. The investigators will question Chris over this act should he survive until dawn.

Until Dawn

Biography

2015

Chris is a big lover of gadgets and seems to spend half of his life looking at his phone. He's never short of an app that can do this, that, or the other. He's loyal, analytical, and doesn't scare too easily. Chris spends a lot of time with Ashley. They are extremely close friends, though Chris would like her to be even closer...

Chris is very affable, even if his nerdiness puts some of the others off, and he comes equipped with a seemingly endless supply of dad jokes.^[4]

2024

With aspirations of becoming an app designer, tech-loving Chris is regarded as the nerd of the group. He's also witty, loyal and intelligent, although his fear of failure means he's unable to confess his true feelings to long-time crush Ashley.^[5]

Involvement

One Year Ago

• Original
• Remake

In the original game

Chris is first seen passed out drunk across from Josh at the kitchen counter, the two of them surrounded by bottles of alcohol. Because of this, Chris does not participate in the prank on Hannah.

In the remake

Chris did not partake in the prank against Hannah. Instead, he and Josh were drunkenly passed out. He can be seen on the couch, his face having been covered in scribbles by Jessica and Emily. The twins move Josh from the kitchen counter to the sofa perpendicular to Chris. After this, Beth warms herself by the fire and is startled when Chris shifts and drops a bottle. She looks at the drawings on his face and smiles as she sets the bottle back up.

Chapter 1

A year later, Chris returns to the lodge with the other group members. He is first seen at the cable car station. Sam finds a note he had written on the Blackwood Pines gate and, upon approaching the station, discovers his backpack on a bench. Inside the bag, his phone begins to buzz and Sam can either snoop on his text or zip up the bag. Either way, Chris comes up behind her, startling her. If she did not snoop, he is glad to see her, and if she did, he catches her in the act and tells her off for being nosy. He then takes her to a shooting range he has found, and when Sam wonders what a shooting range is doing here, explains that Josh's father thinks of himself as "Grizzly Adams."

The player then takes control of Chris in a tutorial, in which he shoots bottles, sandbags, and cans. Next, an option to shoot a squirrel comes up. If he takes this opportunity, it upsets Sam and damages their relationship status, also causing a crow to attack Sam and scratch her forehead. When they spot the cable car descending, they head inside the station to wait, and Chris has an opportunity to explore.

After the two enter the cable car, they discuss Josh's mental health and whether or not returning to the mountain was the correct thing to do. Chris explains to Sam how he became friends with Josh in third grade and references the Butterfly Effect, the defining mechanic of the game.

Once they arrive at the top of the mountain, Chris and Sam get stuck in the cable car. Jessica opens the door for them, and Chris jokingly states that, had they been stuck in there for much longer, he would have chewed off his own leg. He then snags the letter Jessica is holding. If Sam had snooped on his phone earlier, he will defend his actions by saying that he is just doing what Sam taught him.

He notes that the letter is for Mike, the class president, and teases Jessica. In response, Jessica can either hold her ground or explain that she and Mike are in a relationship. Before Chris and Sam leave for the lodge, Jessica states that she wants to stay behind to greet anybody else that comes up, and Chris makes one last comment on how she is most likely just waiting for Mike.

Chapter 2

Chris and Sam meet up with Josh, and the three walk up to the lodge while Josh and Chris talk, Chris complaining about the lack of cell service on the mountain. The trio spots Ashley and Matt at the stoop and greet them. Chris and Josh go to open the front door, and Chris can either make conversation about the new relationship between Matt and Emily, or ask about Josh's well-being after the loss of his twin sisters.

Josh declares that the front door is frozen shut, and Chris suggests getting in through a window. On the way to the side of the lodge, he stops to chat with Ashley and can either make a confident comment or an unsettled one about everyone reuniting after the tragedy. He may also have brief conversations with Matt and Sam. While searching for a point of access, Chris and Josh talk about Chris' relationship - or lack thereof - with Ashley. Josh presses Chris to ask her out, and Chris may react positively or defensively to Josh's persistence. If Chris idles on the way to the window, he will begin to talk about his phone again, to Josh's annoyance.

After Chris climbs up to the window, he falls over the sill and into the garage. A light bulb in the workshop suddenly blows out, so Josh throws Chris a lighter and comes up with the idea of unfreezing the lock using a can of deodorant in the bathroom along with the lighter, making a flamethrower. Chris explores the lodge, discovering various clues. He may also approach the door where Ashley and Sam are waiting and banter with Sam. Upon retrieving the deodorant from the bathroom, he is startled by a wolverine hiding under the sink. The same wolverine scares him again after he unfreezes the lock. It rushes out the door, and Josh and Sam tease Chris for his skittishness as they all enter the lodge.

Later in the chapter, Josh tasks Chris and Ashley with finding a spirit board as a means of entertainment. After Sam and Josh turn on the boiler, Chris - dressed in a monk costume and hockey mask - chases them through the basement. After revealing himself, he states that he couldn't resist the prank after discovering all of the film props that were stored down there. When the three of them regroup with Ashley, Chris reveals that he has found the spirit board.

Chapter 3

The chapter starts as Chris, Josh and Ashley prepare for the séance. Chris explains how the séance works, and ultimately treats it as a joke, much to Josh's frustration. He hands the role of medium over to Ashley, given that she's a "recent convert." They eventually discover that they are communicating with one of Josh's dead sisters, and it leads them to believe that the truth behind the twins' disappearance is hidden somewhere in the library. The pointer then flies off of the board, and Josh goes into a fit of panic, trying not to believe what he just saw. He then accuses Chris and Ashley of tricking him in order to help him cope with the loss of his sisters and storms off in anger.

After going over what happened, Chris and Ashley decide to investigate the library where they find a secret room hidden behind one of the bookcases. At first, neither wishes to enter, but Chris eventually steps inside to look around. There he finds a picture of the twins with a disturbing message scrawled on the back. He has the option to show it to Ashley. If he does, they agree that they should bring this to Josh's attention, and if he didn't, Ashley wonders why the "ghost" led them there. Either way, Chris will start to piece together that there might be a killer hiding in the area. Suddenly, they hear Josh screaming from the kitchen and run to his aid. Ashley opens the door but is yanked inside, and Chris - eager to help her - slams the door in. Dazed, he enters the kitchen and sees Ashley knocked out on the floor. At that moment, the Psycho appears and knocks him out with a punch. The scene ends with Chris passed out on the floor while the Psycho drags Ashley away.

Chapter 4

Chris wakes up on the kitchen floor with a large bruise on his forehead and realizes that Ashley and Josh are missing. He searches around and discovers Ashley's coin purse as well as a blood splatter on the wall. He follows the evidence outside and takes a path which leads him to a large shed where he finds the missing duo tied up to a wall with a saw blade on a track rigged up in front of them.

The Psycho starts talking through a speaker box and instructs Chris to pull the lever in the direction of the person he wants to save. Regardless of how he chooses, it will always turn in Josh's direction, violently bisecting him. He is then allowed inside to untie Ashley, and he tells her not to look at Josh's corpse. Once back outside, they meet up with Emily and Matt, struggling to inform them of what happened in their panicked state. Emily suggests that Ashley and Chris look for Sam back at the lodge while she and Matt look for help.

Chapter 5

Ashley, Chris and Josh will be briefly mentioned by Matt and Emily, while the couple discuss Josh's death and the mystery surrounding it.

Chapter 6

Chris and Ashley discover in the lodge that Sam is missing, and head down into the basement to search for her. During this, they reflect on Hannah's disappearance, get spooked by a "ghost" and investigate fake clues set up by the Psycho. Eventually they find either an unconscious Sam or a dummy dressed in her clothes lying in a seat, and this lets the Psycho steadily sneak up on Chris and knock him out with gas.

He awakens to find himself and Ashley strapped to chairs, with one of his hands purposefully unrestrained so that he can pick up the gun on a table in front of him. Saws above them activate and slowly descend on the pair, and the Psycho tells Chris that he must make a decision to either shoot himself or Ashley, stating that whoever lives gets to be free. Depending on whom Chris aims at first, Ashley will either beg him to kill her to save himself or plead for him to spare her life. He also has the option of not firing the gun at all.

Chapter 7

The gun Chris was given only had blanks in it, and did not pose any danger to himself or Ashley. The saw blades stop descending before they reach the pair. As Mike, Sam, and the Psycho all show up for a big confrontation, the Psycho reveals his true identity: Josh.

Josh reveals that he has played one massive revenge prank on everyone as payback for their prank on Hannah. After Sam and Mike release Ashley and Chris, Mike knocks Josh out and binds him, believing Josh was also responsible for Jessica's death. Mike and Chris escort Josh outdoors to the shed, despite his protests. Chris will be furious if Josh punched Ashley (had she stabbed him with a pair of scissors), and returns the favor by punching him in the face on the trip, stating he should never hit a girl. After they tie him to a support pillar, Josh provokes Mike by asking about Jessica and will provoke Chris as well if Chris had not chosen to save Josh from the death machine earlier. Then, Chris has the option to knock Josh out or disarm Mike who has pointed a gun at Josh. Mike tells Chris to return to the lodge to check on everyone else, while Mike guards Josh for the night.

Chapter 8

We see Chris again when either Emily and/or The Stranger shows up at the lodge. If Emily survived her encounter in the mines, Chris will question her about what happened, before The Stranger can be heard knocking on the lodge's door, prompting Chris and Mike to investigate. The Stranger will barge in and proceed to inform the group about the Wendigo curse. Chris starts to get worried after Mike realizes he left Josh all alone in the shed. Even though Josh put them in danger, Chris still feels obliged to find him because he is his best friend, so he helps the Stranger locate Josh. Depending on how Chris behaved in the Chapter 6 saw trap, Ashley may kiss him before he leaves or stare at him coldly before locking the door behind him.

When the Stranger and Chris arrive at the shed, they discover that Josh is missing and quickly decide to return to the lodge. However, they are ambushed by the Wendigo. The Stranger will always be killed. If successful in all of the shooting events (a failure results in Chris' death), he'll run back to the lodge for shelter. What happens next depends on the Chapter 6 saw trap as well:

If he survives, he will reunite with the others in the basement and will explain that the Stranger was killed by the Wendigo, and will witness the hysteria that ensues if it is discovered that Emily was bitten. He takes a cautious stance in the debate, stating that he does not want to see what the Wendigos can do again.

Chapter 9

Chris appears again when he, and the rest of the group, decide to follow Mike through the tunnel to the Sanatorium. Because of his injured leg, he feels as if he can't go on, and Ashley can inquire if he'll be alright or claim that they won't leave him.

If he stays with the group, he will survive no matter what. If he decides to stick behind, Ashley leaves a message for Chris when they go through the manhole into the caves, and there is an opportunity where Chris can follow the voice of Jessica in the tunnels.

• If Ashley died in the trap, he will find her bloody beanie lying on the ground next to the trap door and break into tears. If he then decides to open the trapdoor, the Wendigo will appear in front of him and closes it before decapitating him in the same manner as the chase in the woods.
• If he ignores the trapdoor after finding the beanie, the Wendigo grabs him from the ceiling and decapitates him.
  • Regardless, if Chris stayed behind and Ashley died afterwards, Chris will be killed on either path.
• If Ashley did not open the trap door but Chris does, he gets decapitated by having his neck twisted off.
• If he ignores the trapdoor when Ashley hadn't died or ignores the voice completely, he will regroup with Ashley (and possibly Emily), saying he thought he heard Jess. He will not meet Sam due to Sam already agreeing with the group that they should be heading back while she finds Mike.

Chapter 10

If he has survived this long, his safety is finally ensured. He will make an appearance alongside the other survivors that have also made it in the finale. No matter what the player does in this section, Chris will always make it out of the lodge first before the explosion, unlike Emily, Mike or Ashley.

Credits

• Original
• Remake

Original

Remake

Chris, along with any others who survived, is questioned by the police about his experiences throughout the night after he's picked up by the helicopters.

• If Chris survived, he will always be questioned about the Stranger. The police appear to believe that the Stranger attacked Chris and that one of Chris' friends defended him by killing the Stranger. Chris ardently denies both these accusations. He defends the Stranger, stating that the he saved his life. He also notes, regretfully, that he watched him die.
• If Chris hit Josh in the shed, the police will bring it up and question why he did it even though Josh was restrained. Chris tries to defend his decision and explain that the situation was confusing.
• If Sam, Mike, Jessica, Matt, Emily, and Ashley have all died, he will be asked by police about Josh's whereabouts and mournfully tell them that he must have been taken down into the mines by the Wendigo.

Chris will also be mentioned in the interviews by Ashley if she survived the night while he didn't. Her dialogue changes depending on whether Chris shot Ashley or not.

• If Chris did not shoot Ashley and he died before dawn, Ashley will break down, voicing disbelief at the thought of Chris being dead, and say that they never got the chance to be together.
• If Chris shot Ashley and he died before dawn (either at the door or on the path), Ashley will tell police that she "couldn't move" and she "was so scared." She'll then say that she witnessed the Wendigo tear Chris apart in front of her.

Possible Deaths

Killed Victims

• A squirrel (Intentional, direct, determinant)

Chris can shoot a squirrel at the shooting range in Chapter 1, upsetting Sam and causing her to get attacked and wounded by a crow.

Relationships

Hannah and Beth

Chris is best friends with Hannah and Beth’s brother, Josh. He is one of four characters - the others being Sam, Josh, and Beth - to not have taken part in the prank on Hannah. Despite this lack of involvement, he still tries to apologize to the twins during the séance. In the old hotel, Chris tells Ashley that he doesn’t understand what Hannah was trying to do during the night of the prank. However, he will stand up for Hannah if Ashley is dismissive of her and call Ashley’s statement harsh. He is somber as he and Ashley watch Hannah in the prank tape. Hannah, as a Wendigo, can mercilessly kill Chris by decapitation.

Chris and Beth were on good terms, as he was her third highest non-familial relationship after Sam and Jess. In the remake, she briefly interacts with Chris. While passed out on the couch, he drops a bottle, startling her. As she kneels to pick up the bottle, she smiles at him, presumably because of the doodles Emily and Jess had drawn on his face.

In Beth's stats, Chris ranks below Hannah, Josh, and Sam, but above the rest.

Ashley

See Ashley and Chris for more information.

Chris and Ashley are study partners who have a mutual crush on each other. Initially, they are too anxious to admit their feelings for each other. Depending on the player's choices you can either have them presumably start a relationship or betray one another. Together, the two explore the lodge and old hotel while attempting to solve the mysteries behind The Psycho. They sometimes experience conflict due to Ashley’s belief in ghosts and Chris’ skepticism, but he encourages her to keep going, saying that he’s there for her.

Chris' protectiveness towards Ashley is also shown in the gun trap, shortly before they discuss their true feelings. If Ashley had been punched by the Psycho, Chris is furious, threatening to “murder [the Psycho’s] fucking face off." After Josh reveals himself as the Psycho, Chris punches him, asking why he had to hit Ashley.

In the gun trap, Chris is given an option to shoot himself, shoot Ashley, or do nothing and let a saw kill them both. If Chris attempts to sacrifice himself for Ashley or if he does nothing, then Ashley will tell him to "come back safe" and kiss him before he leaves to rescue Josh. If Chris dies after this point, Ashley will be distraught and mourn for him during the credits. However, if Chris decides to shoot Ashley to save himself, she will keep him locked out of the lodge which causes the Wendigo to kill him. If this happens, she will tell Mike that she was "too late." In the safe room, she brushes off Sam's concern. In the remake, instead of waiting in front of the door, she is farther away, thinking. She hesitates but then decides to help Chris and is unable to open the door in time before he is killed. She cries when he dies.

Later, Chris and Ashley travel through the mines with Sam and possible Emily. Here, Chris will ask Ashley to leave him behind due to an injury he has sustained. She can do so or insist he comes with them. If he stays behind and Ashley is killed in the mines, he can potentially find her beanie and cry for her before he is killed himself.

In Chris’ base stats, Ashley is tied with Josh for first. In Ashley’s base stats, Chris is ranked first.

Emily

Emily and Chris are members of the same friend group, but don’t seem particularly close. However, in the remake, a digital photo shows that Emily and Jessica had pranked Chris by drawing on his face as he slept, indicating that Emily does sometimes act playfully towards Chris. They share the same fear: the fear of failure.

Chris is interested in Emily’s relationship drama and asks Josh about what’s going on with her, Mike, and Matt. Later, he can optionally ask Matt about his (Matt's) relationship with Emily. Chris and Emily first interact after Josh’s “death,” when Chris and Ashley run from the shed and cross paths with Emily and Matt. Emily will suggest that Chris and Ashley get everyone else together while she and Matt go for help. In response, Chris may accuse her of only wanting to save herself, though Emily argues she doesn’t want to be hasty and get more people killed.

Chris and Emily show instances of concern for each other. If Emily arrives at the lodge after her chase, Chris will hurry to help her inside and ask her about her experiences. When he arrives back in the safe room after attempting to save Josh, Emily will show concern, and she will be distressed if Chris dies on his way back. If she was bitten and Chris is alive at that point, he will support the idea of Emily leaving the basement, due to not wanting to face another Wendigo after only just surviving one. However, he will react poorly if Mike decides to shoot Emily; his relationship with Mike will drop severely.

In Emily's base stats, Chris is tied with Ashley and Josh, above Jess, but below Matt, Mike, and Sam. In Chris' base stats, Emily ranks above Jess and Matt, but below the rest.

Jessica

Jessica is among Chris’ lowest relationship statuses, and likewise Jessica does not seem to be charmed or humored by him. However, in the Prologue of the remake, Jessica and Emily are shown to have playfully pranked Chris by drawing on his face while he was passed out. During the main story, Chris tries to snoop into Jessica’s private life by snatching a letter—intended for Mike—from her. He teases her for it, and Jessica may either call him a “tool" or explain what the letter means. Later during the night, Mike tells the rest of the group that Jessica has died, and Chris appears saddened, telling Mike he’s sorry. If Chris separates from the group in the mines, he will hear "Jessica's" voice calling out. He may follow it in response, showing that he does care about her wellbeing.

In Chris’ base stats, Jessica is tied with Matt for the bottom rank. In Jessica’s base stats, Chris is ranked second-to-last, before Emily.

Josh

See Chris and Josh for more information.

Chris is Josh's best friend, and they have a long history together, having met in third grade. Their relationship is brotherly and playful, and Josh has given Chris a nickname, “Cochise.” In chapter one, Chris shows concern for Josh, telling Sam that the group's reunion is the first thing he's seen Josh excited for in a while. He may also express his concern to Josh himself who will brush Chris off but gain a relationship boost with him. They often joke around, and Josh encourages Chris to ask Ashley out. In response, Chris can laugh at Josh’s jokes and tell him he’s probably right or tell Josh to cut it out.

As the Psycho, Josh torments Chris. In the death machine trap, he forces Chris to choose between himself [Josh] and Ashley. Either way, Josh is “killed” and Chris tries to avoid talking to Ashley about it, though he later says that he is still thinking about Josh’s death. When Josh reveals himself as the Psycho, Chris is angered and claims Josh is off his meds. However, he’ll remind Mike that Josh is sick.

Chris and Mike decide to keep Josh outside. On the way to the shed, Chris will punch Josh if Josh had punched Ashley prior. Though he is furious with Josh, he can still be skeptical that Josh killed Jessica. Josh is confused and frustrated by Chris’ attitude towards him and tells him that they’re partners. But, if Chris had said he was going to save Ashley in the saw trap, Josh will remember this and antagonizes Chris. When Mike threatens to shoot Josh, Chris can hit Mike, knock Josh out, or do nothing.

Regardless of prior choices, Chris will always risk his life to retrieve Josh from the shed. If Chris had hit Josh, he will express regret, saying he won’t let anything else happen to him. If he didn’t, he will say he needs to help Josh because he’s supposed to be his best friend. If Chris is the sole survivor, he will learn that Josh hasn’t been found and express sadness, telling the police to search the mines. If he chose to hit Josh in the shed and survives the night, he will defend his actions, saying that "[Josh] was trying to fuck with [their] heads."

Based on player choice, Josh may tell Hill that Chris is his least favorite among the group. If he does, Hill will wonder if Josh believes Chris deserves what he is about to do to him. Later, Hill will angrily question Josh why he despised Chris, as he was his best friend.

In Chris’ base stats, Josh is tied with Ashley for first place. In Josh’s stats, Chris is in first place.

Matt

Chris and Matt are members of the same group of friends. Though they rank low in each other’s stats, they often interact amiably during the game. In the remake of the game’s Prologue, a photo indicates that Chris and Matt spent at least some time together at the Washington Lodge party. In Chapter 2, Chris can ask how Matt’s been doing, or talk to him about his relationship with Emily. Matt will respond positively or negatively, depending on if he saw Mike and Emily through the telescope. Chris can gossip about Matt and Emily's relationship with Josh.

After seeing Josh bisected in the first trap, Chris and Ashley run into Matt and Emily. Matt listens to Chris and tries to calm him down. When Emily returns from her chase, Chris can ask her where Matt is and appears bothered if Emily insults Matt.

In Chris’ stats, Matt is tied with Jessica for the lowest relationship. In Matt’s stats, Chris is tied with Mike and Josh for the lowest relationship.

Mike

Mike and Chris have a decent relationship. In the remake's Prologue, they are shown to have spent some time together at the Washington Lodge party. They appear in a photo together, along with Sam, Josh, and Matt. A year later, Chris playfully teases Jess about her letter to Mike, saying "seems like someone has a lil' crush on our good friend and dear class president Michael Munroe," and can refer to Mike's break-up with Emily and new relationship with Jess as "drama."

Chris and Mike get along but also struggle to coordinate. They team up twice: once after Josh reveals himself to be the Psycho and again when the Stranger arrives at the lodge. After the Psycho's identity is revealed, Chris and Mike take Josh out to the shed and tie him up. They, for the most part, back each other up. However, Chris may argue to Mike that he has trouble imagining Josh doing anything to hurt Jessica, but Mike will shut this down. In the shed, Mike will eventually lose his temper at Josh and point a gun at him. Chris has the option to disarm Mike, hit Josh, or do nothing. If Chris disarms Mike, Mike will angrily claim that Chris knows him better than to think he’d shoot Josh. If Chris hits Josh, Mike will also react poorly, developing a sense of distrust towards Chris. Later, when the Stranger knocks, Chris tells Mike that he has his back. Together, they go to the door where one of them will open it and one will aim a gun. If Chris hadn’t hit Josh and wants the gun, he claims that Mike can "take whatever it is with sheer good looks and muscles,” and Mike agrees, handing him the gun. If Chris hit Josh earlier, Mike will refuse to give Chris the gun. Chris can also volunteer to take the door instead, and Mike will cover him.

If Chris dies during his chase or by Ashley not opening the door, Mike will be horrified. If Chris is alive in the safe room and Emily has been bitten, then Chris vaguely agrees with Mike that Emily should not be with them, saying that he does not want to see another Wendigo. However, if Mike shoots Emily, Chris’ relationship with him will dramatically drop. If alive, Chris will go with the others to warn Mike about the Wendigos in the Sanatorium. Because he is injured, Chris suggests that the group leave him behind so they can reach Mike more quickly.

In Chris’ base stats, Mike is tied with Emily for the second-to-last place, coming before Jessica and Matt. In Mike’s stats, Chris is tied for third with Josh and Sam, coming before Matt and Ashley.

Sam

See Chris and Sam for more information.

Sam and Chris are good friends, which is seen throughout the game as they joke around and show concern for one another. Both Sam and Chris have histories with the Washington siblings—Sam as Hannah’s best friend and Chris as Josh’s best friend. In the remake of the Prologue, they are seen having a good time in a photo together, along with Josh, Matt, and Mike. Chris is the first person Sam sees on her way back up to the mountain, a year after the Prologue. Before taking the cable car to the lodge, they can potentially bicker (over Sam snooping in Chris’s phone and/or Chris shooting a squirrel). However, their relationship is often playful: Sam affectionately punches Chris in the shoulder while in the cable car, Chris goofs around with her when he sees her standing at the lodge window, and he pranks Sam and Josh while they are in the basement. Like Josh, Sam is interested in whether or not Chris will ask Ashley out.

The two look out for each other throughout the night. After Chris and Ashley escape the death machine trap, they search for Sam in the lodge and old hotel. Chris explains that is worried about Sam and cannot leave her if she’s in trouble. He urges Ashley on until they find either Sam or a dummy dressed as her. Later on, Sam may check on Chris once he comes back from his chase. If Chris is killed before returning to the lodge, Sam will be shocked and saddened. It is possible that they will be the only two who make it to the rock wall in the mines, in which case, Sam will ask Chris to go back to the lodge alone and he will reluctantly agree.

In Chris’ base stats, Sam follows Josh and Ashley who are tied. In Sam’s relationship meters, Chris is tied with Ashley, Emily, Josh, and Matt, and he is ranked above Jess and Mike.

Trivia

Playability

• Chris is the second protagonist able to be played.
• Chris is playable in 8 chapters (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9), the most of any character.
  • He is the most playable protagonist, having 8 playable segments in total: one in Chapter 1 (21:11), Chapter 2 (22:00), Chapter 3 (23:19), Chapter 4 (00:41), Chapter 6 (03:11), Chapter 7 (03:41), Chapter 8 (04:23), and Chapter 9 (05:26).
• Chris is one of the three characters - the others being Jessica and Matt - to have determinant playable segments.
  • Chris has only one, in Chapter 9.
• Chris, along with Emily, Mike, and Ashley, appears in 9 chapters.
• Chris and Emily are the only protagonists who can't be played twice in the same chapter.
• Chris trails Mike and Sam with the third most playtime of all protagonists, at about 54 minutes (not counting his determinant Chapter 9 segment).^[6][7]

Totems

• In the original game, Chris is tied with Matt for finding the second most totems possible, with a total of five. Chris can find the same amount of totems in the remake.
  • He can also find half of the overall total Loss totems in the original game.

Clues

(See: Clues found by Chris)

• Chris can find the fourth most clues out of all the protagonists, with fourteen.
  • Chris can find 8 clues in the Mystery Man Clueline, 6 clues in Twins Clueline, and no clues in 1952 Clueline.
  • Chris, Sam, Matt and Ashley are the only protagonists able to find clues missed or already found by other protagonists.

Facts

• His dream job is an app designer.
• He loves technology and hates going anywhere without WiFi.
• He is voted most likely to build an app.^[8]
• In ten years, he sees himself somewhere with better broadband.^[8]
• Chris' favorite quote is by Steve Jobs: "If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?"^[8]
• His highest traits are funny, curious, and charitable.
• His intermediate traits are honest and romantic.
• His lowest trait is brave.
  • Chris is one of the least brave out of all the protagonists.
• His highest base relationship statuses are with Ashley and Josh.
• His lowest base relationship statuses are with Jessica and Matt.
• Chris has a fear of failure, according to Dr. Hill. He and Emily share this fear.
• Chris is affected by 8 Butterfly Effects.
  • This makes him the character affected by the most butterfly effects.

Deaths

• Chris is the fourth protagonist who can die.
• Chris is one of the six protagonists - the others being Emily, Josh, Jessica, Mike, and Ashley - who can be killed by another protagonist. In Chris' case, Ashley can leave him outside the lodge in Chapter 8.
• Despite Chris being able to die in Chapters 8 and 9, Chris only has one way of being killed (in his case decapitation from the Wendigo Hannah), just like Josh, Jessica, Sam, and Beth.
• Chris is one of four protagonists - the others being Josh, Jessica, and Matt - who can only be killed outside the lodge, meaning that their bodies won't be found unless the police go down to the mines, which requires at least one protagonist, excluding Josh, to survive.
• Chris is the only character who cannot die in Chapter 10, as he always leaves the lodge before it can be blown up.
  • However, Chris was supposed to be able to die in the lodge fire in Chapter 10 in an early version of the game, as unused game files reveal.^[9][10]
• As revealed in the cut interviews, in an early version of the game, Chris was able to survive the night even if he shot Ashley and if investigated Jessica's voice when Ashley had died.

Trophies

• In the original game, he has three trophies relating to him:
  • “Fatal Grudge,” given when Chris shoots Ashley.
    • This is likely a reference to the film The Grudge.
  • “Ashley Snaps,” given when Ashley lets Chris die.
    • This is a reference to the film Ginger Snaps.
  • "You Let The Wrong One In,” given when Chris or Ashley opens the trapdoor in the mines.
    • This is a reference to the film Let the Right One In.
• In the remake, he has two:
  • “You Let the Wrong One In!”
  • “Nightmare on Ash Street,” given when Chris shoots Ashley, causing her to fail to let him inside the lodge in time.
    • This is a reference to the film Nightmare on Elm Street.

Chapter Titles

Chris can affect two chapter titles: Chapter 4 and Chapter 8.

• To obtain Malevolence in Chapter 4, the player must say he/she disliked Chris, Josh, Ashley or Mike the most during Dr. Hill's fourth therapy session.
• To obtain Revelation in Chapter 8, the player must either shoot himself or do nothing during the gun trap in Chapter 6.
• To obtain Animus in Chapter 8, the player must shoot Ashley during the gun trap in Chapter 6.

Other

• In an early PS4 version of the game, Chris participated in the prank on Hannah.
  • In an early access demo of Until Dawn, the prank tape which he and Ashley watch in Chapter 6 shows him hiding under the bed.^[11]
  • Chris' doll in the dollhouse used to be placed in the guest room alongside the other participants, rather than passed out with Josh.^[12]
  • Cut dialogue in both the remake's files and the concept art book show Chris discussing the prank with the others in the opening scene, which at that point had taken place while the group was hiding in the guest room.^[13][14]
  • The game’s director, Will Byles, has revealed that the reason for Chris’ removal from the prank was due to a desire to have fewer characters being unpleasant in the Prologue, and to have a strong friendship between Chris and Josh.^[15]
• Chris and Mike are the only protagonists who can speak directly to every protagonist throughout the game.
• If he survives, he is the first protagonist to be interviewed in the Credits.
• In the Credits, he is the only one who never mentions his love interest, Ashley. There are, however, cut interviews of him talking about Ashley.
• Chris can be heard during Josh's hallucinations in Chapter 10, same as Mike, Ashley, and Sam (the latter only in the remake).
• Chris' line to Ashley, "let's just keep our heads," is rather ironic, given that both characters can later die via decapitation.
• If Ashley is dismissive and claims Hannah overreacted in the old hotel, Chris will be hit in the head by a wooden plank. Two developers explained that this is Josh's doing, who was upset at Ashley's comments about his sister.^[16]
  • During this scene, a video camera can be seen through a gap in the wall behind Ashley, also indicating that Josh was watching. Through freecam, the camera shows a still shot of Hannah from the original game in the guest room.
• Chris, Josh, and Ashley are the only characters who will be brought up again in the eighth therapy session if the player disliked any of them the most in the fourth therapy session. In Chris' case, Dr. Hill will ask how Josh could hate his best friend so much.
• In Dr. Hill’s third therapy session, Chris is the only character whose fear will only be brought up in a sympathetic context. Mike, Sam, and Ashley can be sympathized with or despised. Emily can only be despised.
• Chris' actor, Noah Fleiss, was originally not credited in the ending credits. However, this was corrected in the version 1.02 patch.
• Chris is the only character listed in the credits by his nickname rather than his full name (Chris instead of Christopher).
• Chris is the character that Will Byles, the director of the game, identifies with the most.^[17]
• Will Byles has stated that if Chris is killed on the way back from the shed, then the rest of the game does not make sense.^[18]
• Noah Fleiss, along with Larry Fessenden and Brett Dalton (who portray the Stranger and Mike, respectively), joined the cast of Until Dawn while it was being developed for the PlayStation 3. They are the only actors to have appeared in both the PS3 and PS4 versions of the game.
• In Chapter 1 of the remake, Sam or Chris can find a writing on a truck that says "Chris 4 Josh" encircled by a heart.
• Chris’ last name is referenced in other works associated with Supermassive Games or Until Dawn.
  • In the 2025 Until Dawn film, “Hartley’s” appears as the name of a gas station where Hill works.
  • In the Dark Pictures Anthology, "T.S. Hartley" appears as the in-universe author of the books Shroud of Innocence (appearing in Man of Medan and Little Hope) and The Yellow Cross (appearing in The Devil in Me).
    • On Shroud of Innocence, Emily’s last name (Davis) also appears.
• Chris’ line “I should have paid more attention in climbing class” is referenced in two other games by Supermassive Games:
  • In House of Ashes, Rachel says she met her husband Eric in a climbing class.
  • In The Quarry, Dylan and Ryan talk about having a climbing class.
• Chris has numerous pieces of unused dialogue, including (but not limited to):
  • Chris talking to Mike before the prank, claiming that Mike is wrapped around Emily's little finger.
  • Additional dialogue with Sam in Chapter 1, including more banter, more discussion about the Washingtons, and more lines about the Butterfly Effect.
  • More conversations between Chris, Sam, and Jessica at the cable car station, including an exchange between Chris and Jess about how Josh is doing, more jokes from Chris about his muscles, and some jokes about Chris and Sam's "date" at the shooting range. Chris may also claim the crow that attacked Sam only wanted to "give her a kiss."
  • More dialogue outside the lodge in which Chris asks to borrow Josh's phone and the two joke about him being a phone junkie.
  • Chris admitting to Ashley that he lied about not finding anything if he chose not to show her the threatening letter he found.
  • Slightly more dialogue between Chris and Emily after Josh's death – Chris asks to find the others and make sure they're okay.
  • Chris and Ashley talking about Hannah and Mike, commenting on Mike's womanizing tendencies, how he led Hannah on, and how he wasn't always faithful to Emily in an early version.
  • Chris telling Mike that he found Josh's medical file and that it didn't indicate he was dangerous enough to kill Jessica.
  • More dialogue between Chris and Sam if they're the only ones at the rock wall in Chapter 9.
  • More police interviews: one in which he admits to shooting Ashley and one in which he tells the interrogator that he found Ashley's headless body.
• Josh's nickname for Chris, Cochise, is due to the pair's shared love of John Wayne films, an interest they talked about in other unused dialogue. Certain references to John Wayne movies are still present in the final game such as Josh's "Godspeed, Pilgrim" line and this nickname.
  • In the film El Dorado, Wayne rode a horse named Zip Cochise.
  • The John Wayne film Hondo is based on the Louis L'Amour short story "The Gift of Cochise."
• In the remake Prologue, he is seen without glasses (as he has a pair drawn on). However, when looking at his actual model, it still features his signature glasses.
  • His doodles go as follows: Forehead creases, drawn-on glasses, a mustache, a goatee, bushy eyebrows, eyelashes (all in black marker), a stitching on his right cheek, a red butterfly on his left cheek and a heart with an A (which stands for Ashley) on the right side of his forehead. He also has red marker around his neck that foreshadows his cause of death – decapitation.
• Some unused dialogue features Sam's mother saying she likes Chris and trying to set Sam up with him.
• The remake has two different animations for Chris holding the gun to his neck: one for the vision shown in Guidance Totem #5, and one for the actual moment if he chooses to in Chapter 6.
  • The gameplay trailer for the remake also features a different animation for Chris holding the gun to his neck than either of the two animations present in the game.
• In an early PS4 build, Chris was featured with deep cuts and gashes of blood on his forehead, left cheek, nose and chin in Chapter 7 when bringing Josh to the shed. These facial injuries were presumably inflicted by the Psycho.^[19]
• The hockey mask Chris wears while chasing Sam and Josh in the basement could be referencing Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise.
  • In pre-release PS4 footage, the mask looked slightly closer to Jason's mask. There were more holes over the mouth, rather than the slit seen in the final version. The blue stripes and nostrils on the mask were also different.^[20]

Quotes

• "Should have paid more attention in climbing class..."
• "Boom! You just got monked!"
• "Boom! Butterfly effect."
• "You son of a BITCH!!!"
• "Jokemaster!"

Prologue

The character has no notable quotes in this chapter.

Chapter 1

• "Hey nosy."
  • "Chris! You scared me!" - Sam
  • "I'm sorry, are you my secretary?" - to Sam after he catches her snooping on his phone.

• "Nice. You think we'll get a visit from America's most wanted?" - after Sam sees a wanted poster.

• "Ta-dah! Pretty rad, right?"
  • "Yeaaaaah!" - Sam.
  • "Come on! Look at these beauties."
  • "'Beauties' is not the word that comes to mind, why is this even here?" - Sam.
  • "What do you mean?"
  • "What the hell is a shooting range doing at the base of a ski lodge?" - Sam.
  • "Dude. Have you ever met Josh's dad?"
  • "Yeah...?" - Sam.
  • "He thinks he's like, Grizzly Adams or something. Wanna try?" - Chris and Sam after reaching the shooting range.

• "Wow. Nice shootin', Tex." - Sam.
  • "Alright. I'm bad! I'm a badass!"

• "Your ass just got saaaaaaacked!"

• "Oh come on... Squirrels are just rats with bushy tails." - after shooting the squirrel.

• "Boom! Butterfly effect."

• "I'm just doing like Sam taught me: other people's private thoughts are my own personal playground..." - Chris criticizing Sam for snooping earlier.

• "You mean Mike?" - Chris teasing Jessica.

Chapter 2

• "Man I feel like this mountain gets bigger every time I climb it..."

• "I should have paid more attention in climbing class..." - to Josh after falling clumsily to the ground while climbing in a window.

• "Boom! You just got monked!" - after pranking Josh and Sam in the basement.

Chapter 3

• "Look- There was something behind the books! What is that?" - Ashley.
  • "Is it a button?"
  • "Why would there be a button?" - Ashley.
  • "That's a good question."
  • "Should I push it?" - Ashley.
  • "That's what buttons are for, I guess."

• "Whoa... panel opens, head explodes!"
  • "Are we like, in a movie right now?!" - Ashley.
  • "Well, if we are, I hope it's a rom-com."

• "I think this might be what the spirit board wanted us to find-"
  • "The clue?" - Ashley.
  • "Yeah, it's a letter..."
  • "Let me see it." - Ashley.
  • "It's... a threat." - after finding a threatening letter.

Chapter 4

• "Ashley I'll get you out of this I won't let you die!" - Chris choosing to save Ashley during the Psycho's saw trap.

• "There's a maniac! And he was- there was a saw... and it was either him or Ash and I didn't know what to do! Cut right through him and spilling out fucking everywhere-"
  • "WHAT!? Oh my god Chris what?!" - Emily.
  • "I-I killed him!... I killed him...!"

Chapter 5

The character does not appear in this chapter.

Chapter 6

• "Nothing."
  • "But you did see it, Chris... for real." - Ashley.
  • "I saw....something. But where'd it go?!" - Chris and Ashley in the cellar after seeing a ghost.

• "This is so effed up!"

• "Great, so basically you're saying that we put a vulnerable friend in a terrible situation and essentially caused her to run away and never be heard from again?" - Chris talking to Ashley about their prank on Hannah.

• "I forgot you were such a willful participant." - to Ashley regarding the prank.

• "Oh crap. Look at that. Might be Sam's." - Chris after he sees the blood smears on the door.

• "Ashley... none of it was wasted."
  • "What do you mean?" - Ashley.
  • "Every second that I spent with you was the only thing I ever wanted to do with my time."
  • "What are you saying, Chris?" - Ashley.
  • "I'm sorry... I should have told you how I felt..." - Chris confessing his feelings to Ashley in the Psycho's gun trial.

• "Ashley, I'll get you out of this, I won't let you die!"

• "Aw, Jesus, Ash, what did he do to you?"
  • "...I think he hit me..." - Ashley.
  • "Shit. I'm gonna murder his fucking face off." - Chris discovering that Ashley was punched by the Psycho.

Chapter 7

• "Why did ya hit her man?! Huh?! Why'd you have to fucking hit her?!" - when escorting Josh to the shed, if Ashley was punched earlier.

• "You son of a BITCH!!" - Chris before knocking Josh out in the shed.

Chapter 8

• "If these things... Wendigos... are, or, were human... do they still have some aspect of humanity in them?" - while checking the shed with The Stranger.

Chapter 9

• "Oh God, Chris. Are you gonna be okay?" - Ashley if the player chooses to allow Chris to stay behind.
  • "Yeah, yeah! Just go on... I-I can't keep up with you macho ladies..."

Chapter 10

• "You manipulated us. You’re a coward!" - Josh’s hallucination of Chris, remembering what Chris said.

Credits

• "The old man... I, er... I don't know how to describe him I mean-"
  • "You said you thought he was stalking you at first. Did anyone else in your group think that?" - Interviewer.
  • "Well yeah-"
  • "Is it possible they could have killed him?" - Interviewer.
  • "What? No, no you don't understand. Don't you underst-"
  • "If he attacked you -" - Interviewer.
  • "He saved my life. And I watched him die."

• "And Josh?" - Interviewer.
  • "...what about him?"
  • "We haven't recovered his body." - Interviewer.
  • "The Wendigo."
  • "What?" - Interviewer.
  • "It's the only thing that makes sense. The Wendigo took him down into the mines."

Gallery

References

1. ↑ Chris' ear piercing
2. ↑ Seen in the digital camera photo.
3. ↑ T-shirt writing
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} According to his character profile in the Your Companion app.
5. ↑ PlayStation Store
6. ↑ Character Playtimes
7. ↑ Playtime clarification
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} According to his yearbook page in the Press Kit Edition of the game.
9. ↑ Chris' unused lodge death model
10. ↑ Chris' unused lodge death animation
11. ↑ Footage of Chris participating in the prank
12. ↑ Chris' doll when participating in the prank
13. ↑ Chris' voice lines when participating in the prank
14. ↑ Concept Art Book
15. ↑ Podcast interview with Will Byles
16. ↑ Mentioned in a Twitch stream
17. ↑ Until Dawn Media Day: Who do You Identify With?
18. ↑ Will Byles on writing cinematic branching
19. ↑ Robert Craig's ArtStation
20. ↑ Design changes during PlayStation 4 development

Characters
Protagonists
Sam	Mike	Josh	Ashley	Chris	Emily	Matt	Jessica
Supporting Characters
Hannah	Beth	The Psycho	Wendigos	Dr. Hill	The Stranger	Wolfie	Minor Characters