Larry Da Vinci

Larry Da Vinci
Full name:	Larry Da Vinci
First appearance:	LittleBigPlanet 2 (2011)
Latest appearance:	The Journey Home (2015)
Portrayed by:	Robbie Stevens

“	Oof, wait a sec. I'm not as young as I used to be in my youth.	„
— Larry Da Vinci, "The Temperamental Baketress"

Larry Da Vinci is a major character in LittleBigPlanet 2, and the creator curator of Da Vinci's Hideout. Later, in LittleBigPlanet 3, he reappeared in term one of the Popit Academy as its professor, and finally in the Journey Home as the pack's primary creator curator. An aged, short-tempered, and forgetful inventor, Da Vinci is the de facto leader of the Alliance rebelling against the Negativitron, and a frequent face during Sackboy's adventures.

History

LittleBigPlanet 2

Larry Da Vinci makes his first appearance in LittleBigPlanet 2, serving as the first creator curator of its story mode. Once the Negativitron arrives in Craftworld, Da Vinci and his colleague Avalon Centrifuge organize an Alliance to fight back against the Negativitron and its army of meanies. Seeking recruits, Da Vinci narrowly saves Sackboy from the Negativitron's clutches, before returning him to the safety of his hideout. Once secure, Da Vinci and Avalon bicker over introductions as Sackboy prepares to prove himself worthy of the Alliance's ranks. Once Avalon departs back to his home up in Avalonia, Da Vinci prepares a training regimen for Sackboy, culminating in a battle against Da Vinci himself.

With Sackboy deemed capable of joining the fight against the Negativitron, Da Vinci congratulates the new recruit, before introducing the next step of their plan, collecting a Sackbot army from Victoria's Laboratory. Da Vinci and Sackboy make the trek to Victoria's Laboratory on foot, which proves physically taxing on Da Vinci's geriatric form, and leads to the Negativitron beating the two to the laboratory. Victoria Von Bathysphere flees her house as the Negativitron captures, mutates, and destroys much of the army. Da Vinci suggests Sackboy help Victoria reclaim her home from the meanie cakes swarming within it, and the three travel back inside in pursuit of Victoria's brainwave machine. After shutting down the machine, the Negativitron returns, possessing it and causing it to spring to life. Despite Victoria's distress towards the destruction the Negativitron has caused, Da Vinci commands Sackboy to permanently retire the machine.

After doing so, Da Vinci realizes that what remains of the Sackbot army travel mindlessly into the Factory Of A Better Tomorrow, their brains still possessed by the Negativitron. Although downtrodden at Victoria's refusal to join him, Da Vinci and Sackboy leave her laboratory behind to meet the factory's manager, Clive Handforth. While Clive grovels amongst the ruins of his factory, Da Vinci inquires persistently about the situation regarding the Sackbot army. Once Clive finishes his recollection of his factory's fate, the three head inside, traveling through the wreck to recover what Sackbots remain from the devastation. Once all the Sackbots have been accounted for, Clive, Sackboy, and the army flee from a possessed Copernicus; Da Vinci emerges after Clive deals the final blow.

With the Alliance back on track, and the Sackbot army in hand, Da Vinci sets course for Avalonia to get the team trained up under Avalon's watch. Da Vinci and Avalon reunite, before resuming their dispute over the Alliance's purpose and leadership. Da Vinci steps back to let Avalon take over Sackboy's training, but the group are interrupted by repeat attacks by the Negativitron, which halt their training and eventually cause Avalonia to fall. Da Vinci aids in recovering the divided army, and the Alliance makes a last-ditch effort to ride Huge Spaceship out of Avalonia. After Huge Spaceship crash lands, Da Vinci concludes that Dr. Herbert Higginbotham is the only creator curator able to repair the damages cause by the Negativitron. Avalon sends Clive and Sackboy out on a rescue mission to restore Dr. Higginbotham from the meanie-induced insanity that led to his containment in Eve's Asylum.

Sackboy, Clive, and Eve Silva Paragorica return to Avalonia with Dr. Higginbotham in tow, where he makes Huge Spaceship fully operational once more. Da Vinci coordinates the Alliance's preparation to exit into the Cosmos, but a last-minute hitch in their plans comes when Avalon is kidnapped by the Negativitron. Da Vinci inquires Dr. Higginbotham about whether Avalon still lives, to which he concludes that Avalon is in grave danger, stranded on the Negativitron's surface. As the Alliance prepares for a smooth trip through the Cosmos, the Negativitron intervenes once more, sending Huge Spaceship on a collision course with its planetary body. Da Vinci helps the Alliance escape Huge Spaceship's wreck but does not make it out himself. Crashed on the opposite side of the planet as Sackboy, Da Vinci and the rest of the creator curators await his return to shut down a force field trapping the remains of the ship. Once Sackboy disables the field, Da Vinci insists that the team search for Avalon, who is later found trapped inside a cage guarded by meanies. Once Avalon is set free from the clutches of a giant robot, he and the rest of the Alliance pursue the Negativitron's heart — the source of its life and power. Da Vinci and Victoria team up in the final battle against the Negativitron.

LittleBigPlanet 3

While not present in LittleBigPlanet 3's main story, Larry Da Vinci reappears as a professor at the Popit Academy, teaching the first term. Following the Negativitron's defeat and the Alliance's retirement, Da Vinci finds himself at a loss for what to do with his life before deciding to apply it to teaching the students of the academy.

The Journey Home

Awaiting the return of Sackboy and Bunkum's three heroes, Larry Da Vinci and Victoria Von Bathysphere host a reunion party in the Gardens. While Victoria bakes treat, Da Vinci puts himself in charge of delivering invitations to the other creator curators — a task he quickly forgets until Victoria reminds him. However, the dimensional doorway sending the four heroes back to Craftworld overshoots the Gardens, taking Da Vinci and the invitations with it. Now stuck on the other side of the planet in the Wedding, Da Vinci sends the heroes off to recover the lost invitations. Eventually, the group reunites back in the Gardens, where Da Vinci accounts for everybody present or absent before the party commences.

Development

As one of the first creator curators planned out for LittleBigPlanet 2, Larry Da Vinci's role as the leader of the Alliance remained relatively the same, albeit the sole member of the Alliance with the absence of Avalon Centrifuge from the team. While the final narrative frequently pits Da Vinci against Avalon in commanding the Alliance's decisions, this was not the case when the latter was written as the story's primary antagonist. Instead, Da Vinci and the rest of the Alliance would have been oblivious to Avalon's evil intentions as they pursued the Sucker; all the while unaware of his alter ego and reluctant cooperation while stringing along the Alliance. This would have culminated in Avalon's reveal as the true villain, where Da Vinci would have eventually reprimanded and "reeducated" him for his crimes. As LittleBigPlanet 2's story grew, so did Da Vinci's active participation in much of the Alliance's decisions and story arcs.

Visually, Da Vinci went through a minor design evolution throughout his time in development, with his early design sporting a beard that enveloped his entire body, as well as a moustache and, in some revisions, a walking cane and no 3-D spectacles. This design could be seen in pre-release material for the game, but is otherwise absent in the final product.

Da Vinci had a moderately larger role in LittleBigPlanet 3's story mode in early revisions for the game's narrative. In one placed directly after LittleBigPlanet 2, Da Vinci would have been one of multiple creator curators stranded in various alternate dimensions, where each would have to find their way back to Craftworld with the help of Sackboy.

General information

Physical appearance

Larry Da Vinci is an elderly curator constructed primarily from cardboard. His face is defined, with a large nose and protruding brow ridges all built from cardboard. Connected to his head is a workman's outfit, also made from cardboard, and he wears a pair of 3-D spectacles over his small, beady eyes; the rim of the glasses is painted white. Most of Da Vinci's body is covered in a flowing beard composed of paper strips glued to his face.

Personality

Larry Da Vinci is often forgetful and has a short temper, especially when interacting with Avalon. He keeps a close eye on Sackboy, mentoring them through a series of tests to see if they're fit for the Alliance.

When he's not bent on taking down The Negativitron, he shows gratitude for his colleagues. He is affectionate towards Victoria Von Bathysphere, who he's more than head-over-heels for.

Gallery

Main article: Larry Da Vinci/Gallery.

Trivia

• Da Vinci is the creator curator of three themes over the LittleBigPlanet series.
• Larry Da Vinci was sometimes referred to as Dave Inchi in early scripts for LittleBigPlanet 2.
• Commemorative portraits can be seen throughout Da Vinci's Hideout, suggesting that Da Vinci has long-standing relationships with every one of LittleBigPlanet 2's other creator curators, aside from Eve.
  • In Grab and Swing, Da Vinci recalls his time at "The Institute Of Inspiration". One particular portrait features Avalon, Clive, and Dr. Higginbotham in academic caps.