- "All I know is I don't want to be here. I want to go back to my family. Whatever's there, whatever I was taken from. I wanna remember."
- — Chuck to Thomas, The Maze Runner
Charles (better known as Chuck) was a Slopper who befriended Thomas in the Maze. He was basically Thomas' best friend and the little brother he never had. He was named after Charles Darwin.
Biography
The Fever Code
In The Fever Code, Thomas and Teresa first met Chuck while on their way to rendezvous with Newt, Minho, and Alby. Chuck, who was about seven or eight, was sitting in the hallway, crying, and when he saw them, he begged them not to tell anyone that he was out of his room. He also told them that WICKED was forcing him to call himself Charles. Thomas immediately nicknamed him Chuck.
Over the next few years, Chuck became like the little brother of the group. When the Maze Trials began, Chuck was initially excited by the thought of going into the Maze eventually; but once he witnessed the death of George on the viewing screens, he was extremely upset and his enthusiasm all but vanished. When he was finally put in the Maze nearly two years later, Chuck and Thomas had a very emotional goodbye, with Chuck telling the older boy that he would miss him.
The Maze Runner
In The Maze Runner, Chuck was the last Greenbean before Thomas and the last one welcomed by Nick. He was the first Glader to befriend Thomas, to show actual interest in him and to actually talk with him. The two became good friends, and when Chuck came to the Slammer to visit Thomas, the latter promised to get Chuck home to his parents.
When Chuck entered the Griever Hole with Thomas and Teresa during the Gladers' attempt at escape, he was the first one to figure out that Teresa had to push the button right when the Grievers were about to attack them. After all of the Gladers escape through the Griever Hole, they encounter Gally, who throws a knife at Thomas. Thomas could only stand there, too startled to do anything. Right when the knife was about to collide with him, though, Chuck dove in front of the knife, which stabbed him in the chest, and died in Thomas' arms.
The Death Cure
In The Death Cure, although Chuck obviously does not make a physical appearance, it is confirmed that WICKED was not only controlling Gally when he threw the knife, but was also controlling Chuck to make him jump in the way of the knife. It turned out that it was all just one of the Variables designed to be an interaction for not only Thomas and the other Gladers who witnessed it, but also for Chuck during his last few moments.Physical Appearance and Personality
Chuck was about twelve or thirteen years old. He was described as short and pudgy, with long brown hair and blue eyes on a flabby face. He is referred to by Newt as a "wee little fat shank." Though in the movie, Chuck has curly brown short hair and brown eyes and was a chubby kid.
Chuck was a mischievous Glader who loved to prank people in the bathroom before bedtime, which he demonstrated to Thomas on his first night in the Glade by tapping on the bathroom window before suddenly popping his head up and screaming as loud as he could. Because Chuck was presumably the youngest in the Glade, everyone else treated him like a nuisance, with the exception of Thomas. He has been also described by Thomas as being a quirky, excitable kid, funny, and seemingly innocent enough.
Trivia
- In the movie, Chuck dies from a bullet wound instead of a knife wound.
- Chuck is presumably the youngest Glader.
- In the Maze Runner files, Ava Paige said she controlled Gally to kill Chuck to spare him from an even worse death, showing that she didn't want to have to force him to go through the harder Trials.
- In the Death Cure film, Gally carves Chuck's name on the memorial rock at the Safe Haven.
Quotes
- “No. Well, I mean, I know I must have them. And wherever they are, I'm sure they miss me. But I can't miss them back because I don't remember them." The Maze Runner (film)
- “I used to cry. Every night.” The Maze Runner (book pg 193 chapter 30)
- “Like a pants-wettin’ baby. Almost till the day you got here. Then I just got used to it, I guess. This became home, even though we spend every day hoping to get out.” The Maze Runner (book pg 193 chapter 30)
