Benjamin J. Eldridge

Ben


Benjamin J. "Ben" Eldridge is a pre-War, male ghoul and the companion of Scarlett and Twig.

Background
Though nothing of Ben's life prior to the Great War has been revealed, the Ranger (James Eldridge) states that Ben was among the lucky few chosen to be admitted to Vault 7. After the vault's completion, but before the Great War, Ben married a nurse by the name of Clem. Clem was not on the list to be admitted to the vault and was thus turned away at the eleventh hour. Ben, enraged, murdered a Vault 7 staff member guarding the door and gave up his slot to Clem, reasoning that if he entered the vault covered in blood, they both would be executed. With Clem safely in the vault, Ben retreated into the wastes to await his fate.

His true age, place of birth, or how and when he became a ghoul are not known, nor are any details of his life after becoming a ghoul. It is safe to assume he was present for many of the notable events of the, and just as likely he found refuge in known ghoul encampments like Necropolis and Dayglow.

Larry tells him that they were together at the Stables in 2263, which Ben also claims to not remember. Based on Larry's actions during this conversation (selling Jet in a back alley in Eastwood), it is possible Ben was also running Jet with Larry in New Reno. At some point, Ben ended up indebted to Larry for an unspecified sum of caps (or favors).

Ben reveals in Season Two that he ran across Twig "stuffing his fat face in a Super-Duper Mart somewhere." He does not, however, reveal why he allowed Twig to travel with him, or why they rescued Scarlett.

Throughout the course of Season Two, Ben displays signs of becoming feral. He attempts to fight this, but eventually he is overcome and uses his last moments creating an opportunity for James and the others to escape a botched rescue attempt of Scarlett, Bonnie, and Larry. Leon impales him with a sword and he dies on the spot.

Personality
Ben is world-weary, incredibly cynical, and bitterly sarcastic. His disposition toward his companions is one of barely-concealed contempt. He is only shown smiling once in the series, and he is more often than not untoward and sardonic. He doesn't participate much when it come to solving problems in the battlefield, choosing instead to save his own skin. It could be said that Ben is lazy. Despite this, he displays significant intelligence and logic.

Ben has displayed a lower moral standing than his companions. For example, he chose to join whomever won a gun battle against mercenaries instead of helping out. In the first episode of the series, he stole the items his team was couriering and replaced them with worthless items. He was also willing to put his friends at risk for his own gain, offering up Twig to a group of raiders so that he and Scarlett could escape by saying, "Statistically, two thirds of us survive. I like those odds."

It is also hinted that his memory is starting to fade thanks to his age.

Appearance
Ben has suffered from ghoulification, which likely began due to the fact that he was not in a Vault when the bombs were dropped during the Great War. He wears a red long-sleeved dress shirt, a black vest, black pants, black gloves, and brown hiking boots. He also wears a gold ring on a ball-link chain about his neck, his wedding ring.

Ben's hair may or not be real. The creators have been coy on the subject of whether it is or not.



For the webseries, Ben's appearance has been modified to look more like a ghoul.

Ring
The ring Ben wears about his neck carries a great deal of significance. He is never seen without it, and a scene in the sixth episode (along with the drawing of him featured on the Season One poster) show him staring wistfully at it.

Closer inspection of the ring (as seen in the sixth episode) shows it to be a yellow gold band with a white gold setting containing five diamonds. It is his wedding ring, from previous marriage to a woman named Clem. The chain is a ball-link chain typically found on military dogtags, indicating possible military service.

The ring is very well maintained, having not been ravaged by tarnish or the harsh wastes. Its age and the fact that he still has it despite the numerous bandits and raiders encountered indicate its personal value.

Behind the scenes
Ben is portrayed by Los Angeles-based actor Aaron Giles.

At the Penny Arcade Expo East in 2012, Aaron revealed that the ring Ben wears is his own personal wedding ring. Said Giles, "The ring was a last minute addition because our wardrobe department could not make convincing teeth for the Merc Adventurer outfit Ben wears. I wanted to add something to the character that made him interesting, and add a bit of mystery to him."

Giles has stated that the process of putting on the make-up takes two hours, while the removal takes half that time.