The Duelists are two characters found in the Haunted Mansion.
Contents
History
Background
The duelists were two upper-class gentlemen in the 18th and/or 19th century. For unknown reasons they would engage in a gentlemen's duel through the use of flintlock pistols. Both men would seemingly die at the other's hand in this duel but become ghosts in the afterlife. Portraits of the men would be hung in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion (set in New York in the Magic Kingdom and New Orleans in Disneyland), possibly implying that they were affiliated with the estate in life.
Appearances
The Haunted Mansion
The duelists are seen in the Great Hall scene of this attraction with their ghosts emerging from their portraits and shooting at one another before disappearing.
Haunted Mansion Holiday
In the seasonal Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay, the duelists shoot at Zero as he floats by around a Christmas-tree.
Other Appearances
Film
The duelists make a cameo in this film, here appearing in the graveyard of Gracey Manor. The two appear as ghosts who shoot at one another causing one another's hat to fly off their respective heads.
Video-Games
The Haunted Mansion (video game)
One of the duelists appears as one of the, "Six friendly ghosts" in this video-games connected to the death certificate collecting side-quests.
Printed-Materials
The Ghost Gallery
In the 1990s, cast-members of the Haunted Mansion in Walt Disney World created a backstory for the attraction as a means of answering guest questions. All of this backstory was recorded on paper and while unofficial, has since influenced both the original Haunted Mansion's official and semi-official features as-well as adaptations based on the Haunted Mansion.
Within this story, the duelists were named Etienne Lalaurie and Antione Germaine with the two having been best-friends. Each would come to be infatuated with Master Gracey's mistress Madame Leota who chose to manipulate the two into fighting one another for her hand (and amusement). The two shot one another in their duel and with their dying breaths vowed revenge on Leota.
The Grim Gazette
In this faux newspaper, the duelists are named Paul and Edward Flint with the two being brothers whose sibling rivalry climaxed in their duel.
Disney Kingdoms
In Disney Kingdoms: The Haunted Mansion, the duelists are antagonists who hunt the protagonist Danny Crowe for interfering with the plans of their master, "The Captain".
Trivia
- Versions of the duelists are seen in changing-portraits in Phantom Manor's portrait corridor in Disneyland Paris. This portrait shows an unidentified duelist outside of Ravenswood Manor in Thunder Mesa, engaging in a duel with Henry Ravenswood. Unlike the original portraits' gag, this portrait changes to show Ravenswood turning before mark is called and shooting his opponent in the back.
- The duelist on the left reuses the mould of the Auctioneer from Pirates of the Caribbean.
- Technically the duelist on the right moves backwards first which would indicate that the one on the left might be the victor on technicality.
- A member/affiliate of the Gracey family in Walt Disney World's family plot has a character identified as Mr. Sewell who was, "Victim of a dirty duel" which has lead some to speculate that he may have been one of the duelists. Due to the affiliation with him as having been victim of a dirty duel this has also lead to the theory that he is the Phantom Manor duelist.
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