- “The geekiest kid in school just became the biggest, buffest adventurer you've ever seen, but he'll learn that true courage and confidence can't be programmed.”
- —Jumanji movie website[1]
Dr. Xander "Smolder" Bravestone is one of the five selectable playable characters in the video game version of "JUMANJI". In "Welcome to the Jungle", he was the chosen avatar of Spencer Gilpin. In "The Next Level", Spencer deliberately played the game on his own so he could feel the same experience he had before from playing as Bravestone, but he was initially forced to take the avatar of Ming Fleetfoot instead, while Bravestone was given to Spencer's grandfather Eddie Gilpin instead, but Spencer soon was later back into his avatar again while Ming Fleetfoot was given to his grandfather.
Information
When he was a boy, Xander's parents were murdered by the dastardly Jurgen the Brutal. Within the world of "JUMANJI", Bravestone is an international explorer and famed archaeologist, well known in both the realm of "JUMANJI", and across the seven continents for his courageous exploits. After he saved Franklin "Mouse" Finbar's life from a warlord in Peru, he has never left Dr. Bravestone's side. He was also a former colleague of Professor Van Pelt. During the Jaguar Shine Adventure, after receiving a letter from the field guide Nigel Billingsley, he arrived in "JUMANJI" with his companions to answer the call for aid to lift the curse. When Jurgen the Brutal returned to steal the Falcon Jewel, Nigel sent Dr. Bravestone a new letter to call for help, so that he and his crew would return to complete the Mountain Fortress Adventure and save the land of "JUMANJI", once again.
His symbol on the player select screen is a compass, reflecting his role as an archaeologist, explorer, and adventurer.
As a character within the video game version of "JUMANJI", Smolder Bravestone is gifted with several gaming advantages. Thanks to his impressive physical superiority, he is very strong and tough which allows him to go head-to-head with enemies, is very good at climbing trees, and can run very fast and can easily outpace Mouse Finbar and Shelly Oberon. Being a weapons valet, Finbar keeps weapons in his backpack for Bravestone to use, especially a boomerang. Hence his nickname, "Smolder", he has a sort of dramatic intensity about him that can make him seem attractive when saying certain things. He is also naturally courageous in the face of danger, but since any personality traits from human players are still reflected by him, this is a partially flawed trait as Spencer Gilpin is easily frightened by anything.
Although Bravestone was originally the only character without a specific weakness in the Jaguar Shrine Adventure, the official site added generosity to his weakness statistics. In the Mountain Fortress Adventure, he is vulnerable to attracting attacks by the crime boss Switchblade, who hates Bravestone for flirting with his wife if the group enter "The Oasis". Regardless of having no apparent weakness, he is not invincible and can still be killed by any conventional gaming hazards.
Character Stats
| "Strength" / "Weakness" | Welcome to the Jungle | The Next Level |
|---|---|---|
| "Speed" |  |
|
| "Climbing" | |
|
| "Boomerang" | |
|
| "Smoldering Intensity" | |
|
| "Fearless" | |
|
| "None (Generosity)" | |
 |
| "Switchblade" | |
|
Trivia
- His symbol on the 2017 film's closing credits next to his actor's credit is a Squirrel, referencing Spencer's fright of the Squirrel at the Vreeke House and when being spooked by another Squirrel at the Jaguar Shrine.
- He has similarities to Indiana Jones from the Indiana Jones series and Rick O'Connell from The Mummy series. Dwayne Johnson's first film role was The Mummy Returns.
Gallery
Concept artwork
