Ser Manuel

Ser Manuel
"For it is I, Ser Manuel! Heed my words and I shall show you how to survive this accursed labyrinth."
Map Icon:
Dialogue:	Ser Manuel/Dialogue
Unlock:	Slay Blockner and speak to Ser Manuel in the Halls of Knowledge
Location:	The Halls of Knowledge Lower left area of The Breach (Once avenged) Randomly in Secret Rooms (As Monster Manuel)
Aliases:	Manny Monster Manuel The Great Manuel Old Knight Tutorial Knight (Internal) fool of an assistant Manfred (Internal) Tut Knight(Internal)
Voice: Normal: tutorialknight Monster Manuel: owl
"*siiiggh* You need a refresher on how to master the Gungeon? From I... SER MANUEL?"
Location:	The left side of the Underbreach The Halls of Knowledge
Dialogue:	Ser Manuel/Dialogue
Aliases:	Manny Monster Manuel The Great Manuel Old Knight Tutorial Knight fool of an assistant Manfred (Internal)

Ser Manuel is a character who appears in Enter the Gungeon, Exit the Gungeon, and Enter the Gungeon: House of the Gundead, in the role of both NPC and Boss.

Function

In all games in which he appears, Ser Manuels primary role is to tutorialise the player, which he performs from Chamber 0, the Halls of Knowledge. Passing through each of his trials, the player is taught how to interact, dodge roll, use blanks, use active items^ETG, and fight.

In Enter and Exit the Gungeon, Ser Manuel concludes the tutorial with one final challenge, facing him in single combat as the boss of the Halls of Knowledge. Defeating Ser Manuel proves the players skill and readiness to Enter or Exit the Gungeon.

Enter the Gungeon^ETG

The Old Knight's Shield, Ser Manuels former shield, can be found in a secret room within the Halls of Knowledge, accessible by breaking a cracked wall using a blank. Speaking to Ser Manuel after defeating him while holding this crest will spark recognition, and prompt him to inform the player of his tragic past and his death at the hands of his former friend Blockner.

Ser Manuel will request that the player visit vengeance upon Blockner by finding him in the Gungeon, and killing him. After this interaction, Blocker can be found in the Black Powder Mine. Slaying Blockner and returning to Ser Manuel rewards the player in item unlocks (see Related Unlocks).

Monster Manuel^ETG

In Enter the Gungeon, after slaying Blockner and informing Manuel that his vengeance has been delivered, Ser Manuel can appear rarely in secret rooms throughout the Gungeon wearing an owl costume, under the pseudonym 'Monster Manuel'. Interacting with 'Monster Manuel' gives the player a free item or gun.

Enter the Gungeon: House of the Gundead

In Enter the Gungeon: House of the Gundead, Ser Manuel does not culminate the tutorial in a bossfight, however he does regularly fire bullets at the player to teach them important mechanics such as dodging and blanking.

Behaviour

Ser Manuel
Statistics and Information
Health:	100
Location:	Halls of Knowledge
Diginomicon Entry (XtG)
Get Schooled
A helpful, if long-winded, ghost. A firm adherent of the Dodge Roll, Manuel believes in the ancient teaching method of extended lecture.
Drunkard Dialogue: "Oh, have you seen that misguided spirit? ...Ser Manuel. He's stuck in those halls, lost. Sad, really. Hah hah..."

This section refers to Ser Manuels behaviour as a Boss in both Enter and Exit the Gungeon, rather than his NPC behaviours.

Enter the Gungeon^ETG

Ser Manuel has two attacks, and an additional third behaviour related to his movement. All attacks are extremely simple to avoid, however, as Ser Manuel is not intended to be a difficult boss.

• Fires a ring of 16 bullets outwards, followed by a second ring of bullets.
• Rapidly fires bullets directly at the player.
• Teleports to a random area in the room.

Exit the Gungeon^XTG

Ser Manuel has only one attack, releasing a ring of bullets around himself in all directions. He will also periodically move to a position near the player, in an attempt to catch them off guard. Ser Manuel is not affected by gravity during this fight.

Related Unlocks

Enter the Gungeon

• Pea Shooter - Complete the tutorial by defeating Ser Manuel.
• Badge - Slay Blockner and return to Ser Manuel in the Halls of Knowledge.
• Betrayer's Shield - Slay Blockner and return to Ser Manuel in the Halls of Knowledge.

Exit the Gungeon

• The Trier - Begin the tutorial.
• The Rookie - Complete the tutorial by defeating Ser Manuel.
• The Villain - Repeatedly disobey Manuel's instructions during the tutorial.

Lore

Ser Manuel was a dungeon delving knight who travelled to the Gungeon with his adventuring partner, Ser Blockner, in search of The Gun. Shortly after arriving at the Gungeon, Ser Manuel was betrayed by Blockner, and shot in the back as they had barely passed the precipice of the fortress, in the Halls of Knowledge.
It is vaguely implied that the start of Blockners enmity for Ser Manuel was Manuel losing the Flying Disc.

Awakening in a Chest, nobody answered Manuels calls for help. Following his death, Ser Manuel returned as a spirit, condemned to haunt the Halls of Knowledge and the Gungeon at large for all eternity.
Manuel fell into a years-long period of sadness and self doubt, believing that his dodging techniques were flawed. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that for his spirit to find rest, he needed to train a champion in the art of the dodge roll, to determine once and for all if his technique was sound, and to avenge his death by killing Blockner.

When the Gungeoneers arrived, they proved themselves to be the champions Manuel needed, mastering the art of the dodge roll and, after discovering Manuels corporeal remains and cast off Shield, were entrusted by the old ghost to enact his vengeance upon his murderer. With their success, and Blockners death, Manuel contemplated learning to perhaps forgive Blockner.
Additionally, Ser Manuel chose to delve into the Gungeon himself, seeking further revenge on the place itself which was the root of his travails. As part of this endeavor, he donned an animalistic disguise, dressing up as a legendary beast known as an 'Owl-Barrel' and adopting the pseudonym 'Monster Manuel'.

During the events of Exit the Gungeon, Ser Manuel has moved the Halls of Knowledge and his tutorial operation to the Underbreach, below the Forge, where he continues his duty of teaching Gungeoneers what they must know to survive, albeit with exhaustion. When not teaching in the Halls of Knowledge, Manuel can be seen lounging on a deck chair with a coconut drink, evidently treating his avenged afterlife as a retirement.

Associated Items

Item	Relevant Text	Notes
Old Knight's Helm ETG	"Once worn by a knight with an unusually large head."	Found next to his physical remains, the Old Knights helm is Ser Manuels former helmet.
Old Knight's Shield ETG	"The shield of Ser Manuel, emblazoned with his House sigil, the Cup of Knowledge. There is a diagram on the back illustrating how to strap on a shield and examples of when to raise it. Remarkably free of wear."	Found next to his physical remains, the Old Knight's Sheild is Ser Manuels former shield. This is the first and only mention of the "Cup of Knowledge" as well as Ser Manuels knightly house. The line "Remarkably free of wear" is in reference to Ser Manuels favouring of the dodge roll. Since he does not use his shield to block attacks, and rather dodges them outright, the shield is barely worn.
Ser Manuel's Revolver ETG	"This revolver was brought to the Gungeon by a fearless adventurer whose true quest is still unknown."	An unobtainable gun which is exclusively wielded by Ser Manuel during his bossfight in Enter the Gungeon. While this gun has a unique Ammonomicon description, it can never be viewed in an unmodified game, and as such its canonicity is questionable. If this text is considered canon, it would cast doubt on Ser Manuels true motives for entering the Gungeon.
Rolling Eye	"Despite his many failings, Ser Manuel is one of the finest dodge rollers ever to enter the Gungeon's halls."	Ser Manuel is mentioned in the description of the Rolling Eye. It is not immediately apparent why this text is stated in the description of the Rolling Eye specifically, as the item has no other apparent connection to Ser Manuel.
Flying Disc XTG	"A shield brought by either Blockner or Ser Manuel to the Gungeon. At the start of one summer Manuel lost it in a place too high for the young men to reach with an overzealous throw. They remained enemies for life."	A former possession of either Blockner or Ser Manuel It is vaguely implied that Ser Manuel losing the Flying Disc was the inciting factor in Blockners hostility and ultimately his betrayal.

Notes

• Ser Manuels name, along with his in-game function, is likely a pun on "User Manual", or instruction booklet.
• Ser Manuels skeleton can be found in a secret room within the Halls of Knowledge.^ETG
• Ser Manuels story about waking up inside a Chest after being shot in the back by Blockner is a reference to the player respawn mechanics in co-op mode, where players can resurrect their dead teammates from Revival Chests.
• The name "Monster Manuel" may be a reference to Dungeons & Dragons, where the bestiary game books featuring various creatures are referred to as "Monster Manuals".
  • It may also be a reference to the original Binding of Isaac, wherein an item called the Monster Manual (Itself referencing Dungeons and Dragons) was mispelled as 'Monster Manuel'.
• Beating Ser Manuel in his boss fight for the first time will reward the player 10 . Beating him without taking damage rewards 20 .^ETG
• Ser Manuel dressing up as an owl creature may be a reference to classical owl symbolism dating back to Ancient Greece. The Owl a symbol of the wisdom goddess Athena, and as such represents wisdom and vigilance.
  • The creature that Manuel states his costume is modelled off, an 'Owl-Barrel', is a reference to the Owlbear creature in Dungeons & Dragons.

See also

• NPCs
• Bosses