Oddworld Lore: Toby (Oddworld: Soulstorm)

Oddworld Lore: Toby The Mudokon is a video about Oddworld lore by pupbenny that takes a closer look at Toby The Mudokon from Oddworld: Soulstorm and it's DLC Toby's Escape where he is portrayed as an incredibly intelligent but quick to panic member of the Mudokons that helps Abe against the Magog Cartel by driving their FeeCo Depot train.
Sources & Resources:
oddworld.fandom.com/wiki/Toby...
Oddworld was created by Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna who founded Oddworld Inhabitants which has produced many games, Including Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath and Oddworld: Soulstorm. I find the Oddworld lore fascination and hope to bring the Oddworld universe to life by telling the story of it and it's characters, creatures and locations so that they can be explained and theorised about by delving into Oddworld theory and the lore of the universe of the Oddworld games!
17:21 17-12-2021 8227

[@Brianna-eo8nu]

11:46 There is one mention of Toby in the old quintology… sort of… In a 2011 entry of Dear Alf, Alf is asked by a fan; *”So Alf, if you or Abe could bring someone back from the dead, who would it be?”* To which Alf responds “My friend Tobey from RuptureFarms, who took “early retirement” one day and never came back. I miss you, pal!” Granted, the name is spelt slightly different, but to me implies that Toby (or here, “Tobey”) existed in the old quintology. If not, then it would sure be a pretty wild coincidence! However, from the question itself to the “early retirement” line from Alf, it’s heavily implied that Tobey died in the old quintology timeline. It’s also worth noting that Alf describes tobey as a friend of his and insinuates he and Alf worked together at RuptureFarms before Tobey’s “early retirement”. However, in the Toby DLC, it’s made clear that Alf and Toby only just met during the train hijacking, due to Toby bring assigned alone to the boiler room back at RuptureFarms. Knowing this implication gives their friendship in Soulstorm this meta bittersweet quality; the Alf and Tobey of the old quintology were best friends at RuptureFarms before Tobey’s life was cut tragically short, never to join Alf in escaping to freedom with Abe and the other mudokons. While in the new quintology, Alf and Toby escape RuptureFarms, but are complete strangers to one another before the events of Soulstorm, never having worked in the same places at the factory and having that close friendship they had in the old quintology. Then again, they did seem hit it off immediately once Toby told his escape story to Alf, so I guess they’re just destined to be best buddies no matter the timeline! :’) Edit: unlike other oddworld fans out there, I remembered to add a source for this dear Alf related info! The question and answer above is from Dear Alf August 2011 (volume 2): magogonthemarch.wordpress.com/dear-alf-august-2011-volume-2/

[@pupbenny]

Good catch! I really like the way this adds that added layer to Alf and Toby's relationship, like you said, that they were friends in the old timeline. That's actually really nice.

[@adrianaslund8605]

Glukkons probably noticed he was a savant early on. Maybe genetically different. But very easily manipulated. Making him an asset.

[@mckayleepugmire9947]

He reminds me of my uncle. Not on the spectrum, but a quiet man who can fix anything. He's a mechanical genius

[@krassstink2786]

This is also true in real life corporate life where a manager may stick a skilled employee somewhere where they wont get promoted but where they can do skilled labor.

[@kieranwalker7830]

Toby is actually one of my favorite characters. He's so innocent and unassuming yet possesses intelligence that assists Abe and Alf, He is definitely coded to be Neuro Divergent with his anxieties and hyper fixations

[@Nov-5062]

I can only imagine your sheer, raving excitement when realizing that instead of this icky, disrespectful Vykkers dlc, you recived the honor of experiencing the incredible tale of your favorite Oddworld character.

[@pupbenny]

I almost died from glee.

[@Barakon]

Why not both?

[@patrickempson7366]

I think he’s being guided by the old spirits because of the knowledge he knows. It’s like sense Abe is a vessel for the elders he’s seeing it and basically is on board too with Abe

[@davidarri9115]

Toby has a natural talent, it is the only explanation to explain how it is possible that he saved himself. A bit like an Abe2.0 under his shyness there is a lot of courage, I'm sure that if he let Abe give him some lessons on how to throw grenades, he could give the Magog Cartel a lot of trouble, he was rescued by the lights because he didn't he was an automaton like all the other mudokons, just like Abe, he had a brain and the Glukkon, just to avoid possibly encountering the same problems they were having with Abe at that moment, locked him up. He and Abe (also Alf) make a great team. Once again, it is shown that on Oddworld it is precisely those who are shy and insecure who are able to do great things.

[@pupbenny]

Yeah, that's very true! Oddworld seems to be about underdogs being able to do great things, that the establishment wouldn't expect.

[@TheRojo387]

Just thank the gods that Toby wasn't the dickhead that nicknamed Abe "stitch lips". That one I've been referring to as "Thoth" this whole time. I've been slammed for comparing him to a demon.

[@AliTheMudokon]

When Lorne confirmed that Toby had autistic behavement, i just now realised that he's VERY relatable to myself. Just like Toby, im also a silent person who doesnt talk alot, but when i do its something important that i want to say, most of the time i always work alone all by myself and also been seen as a smart, important and a special person from what people had describing me as. Personally Toby is the 2nd fictional character that coincidentally feels relatable to me. The first one being Lillie from the Pokemon sun and moon anime, because she had that fear of touching pokemon, which is the exact same type of fear that im dealing with now(zoophobia) But i think Toby is so far, the only fictional character that i have seen, who has the closest relatable personality, and that makes me love him even more🥰

[@Dollydarlinghomeent]

I didn't know you also had autism! I do too! I also hope you're feeling better. By the way, my old OC from 2019 happens to have autism and anxiety. She's an 11 year old Vykker named Harley who doesn't have malicious content like her uncles and instead is secret friends with Abe. Like I said, 2019. I can't wait to add her to my Gacha videos once I get around to it.

[@xandan1668]

He released the Paramites Scrabs and Elum so he's alright in my book. Oh and when he slaps his head when Alf asks if the keeper is hot. Oh I know his voice let me refresh your memory. "His scarred hand branded on moons odd face, this hero may free the mudukkon race, with skin of blue and spirit guids too, only he can save our bones from brew, but should he fall to glukken yoke, mudukkon nation be doomed to croak!"

[@ronweaslee7065]

That’s exactly what I was thinking of for Tobys voice too! Good catch!

[@pupbenny]

Yeah, that narrator definitely sounds it could've been him!

[@pupbenny]

Incidentally, a happy Christmas to all of you at home.

[@ivangenc]

Merry Christmas! :)

[@Directo13]

Thanks man. And a merry Christmas to you too

[@phoebeelizaa]

Merry Christmas!!

[@mr.g-sez]

merry christmas!

[@Dollydarlinghomeent]

I was rather touched when I found out that Toby was meant to represent a person with autism and anxiety, mainly because I have autism and anxiety. Reminds me of an OC I made back in was it 2019? A young child female Vykker named Harley, adopted by Headley as a baby after her parents died from a disaster. With an upbringing like that, she's polite, kind and well-mannered but has her irrational fears of balloons and toilets. I did say 2019, didn't I?

[@lucydrop9674]

As someone with anxiety who is also on the spectrum I agree hearing that actually made me really like Toby

[@KopperNeoman]

Such things only work if you need to be told explicitly that it's "representing" stuff. Toby's just Toby.

[@unoriginalhazard]

@@KopperNeoman correct.

[@Molluck_the_Glukkon]

I am a person with that as well. It can suck. 😢

[@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051]

You like the 'autism genius' portrayal they always do for autism?

[@cjdejesus3468]

In my opinion he's adorable

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

Toby's sippy straw is adorable

[@10RexTheWolf01]

It's amazing how passive aggressive this whole thing is and this is his first ever appearance.

[@eleos-7845]

I think the dlc, where you will die a lot due to Toby not being able to double jump, got to him. 😅

[@10RexTheWolf01]

@@eleos-7845 Well what's to expect, he isn't the main character and Abe didn't double jump until THIS game. In fact, he wasn't able to possess scrabs and paramites until the 2nd game.

[@eleos-7845]

@@10RexTheWolf01 I guess in that way, whether intentional or otherwise, Toby is meant to emphasize Abe’s own significance by making us miss playing as him

[@Gibbysannxx1711]

10:35 underrated impression of Alf. Pretty spot om

[@pupbenny]

Haha, thank you.

[@Ninjaheiro]

He sounds like the character reading the“poem” in exodus

[@pupbenny]

Yeah, that's true!

[@joethunderfox6762]

3:29 I like trains

[@Reddest1000]

Merry Oddmas Pupbenny :) Edit: Also Toby Has To Be The Best Character Ever Made. Also Can't Wait For The Next Chapter For Oddworld. I Hope Alf and Toby Might Meet Munch For The First Time

[@kaylabrownell1268]

Toby drinking his brew from a straw is something I'd do. Soulstorm brew is VERY sticky and probably doesn't want it to drip onto his him because like me, sticky textures bug me to death until I can wash myself.

[@juanisol8275]

Interesting analysis! I hope in future they get more deep about this hidden lore and Oddworld quintology is on the road! Happy hollidays everyone!!

[@pupbenny]

Added bits to this video last minute after watching Lorne's Q & A haha.

[@fadeinfadeout.]

Are you still working on that Bonewerkz video? 😊 Still lookin forward to watching it and finishing off the Exoddus trilogy

[@pupbenny]

@@fadeinfadeout. Yeah I need to do that haha. I hate not completing things and I definitely saw it as a trilogy, so hopefully I'll get around to it soon. :) It's on a 'priority list' of videos I want to do, so hopefully it should get done soon. :) Apologies for the long wait!

[@10RexTheWolf01]

Now thinking of it his voice does remind me of the backstory in Exoddus.

[@madisonatteberry9720]

Well, most of what Toby knows isn't that surprising, regardless if he was born into slavery or not. In a world of secrets, people talk, and in a world of corporations, people talk, the Glukkon's probably had a few high or mid up people, who would know a little bit more of the Cartel's more inner workings, have secret meetings in the boiler room, where security may have been lower then elsewhere, probably some place in Feeco Depot where two or more Glukkon's would meet in a 'safe area' or an area that is open, and though that seems ignorant to do so, actually is a sort of good idea as an open area is a double edged sword, if you can see them, they can see you, as well having listening devices would be of little use, unlike having a.....'sensitive' conversation in an enclosed space. These Glukkon's would talk of their dealings of the sectors that they are in and 'privet' conversations of higher end Glukkon's. Toby was probably doing his job, and just simply overheard a few talk of things that he probably should not have heard. When found out, and the fact the Glukkon's have become convinced that their labor would not raise up against them, or use that 'sensitive' information against him, found his abilities to focus, listen and learn quickly very useful. So perhaps one of the Glukkon's made a deal to have him transferred to Rupturefarms, and saw how well he did on his own, that extra staff was not needed, thus more money in that Glukkon's pocket and no longer needed resources, and kept Toby where he was as, yes, he was a good worker, but also needed to be kept an eye on in case the head boss of Rupturefarms started to ask questions of why this Mudokon was placed in the boiler room, alone, who placed him there, and why? Toby, being that good worker, would probably be honest as the questions came from the top, so he needed to be watched- Until the factory blew up that is and that Glokkon died within it.

[@pupbenny]

Yeah, that's true, that'd make a lot of sense! It'd be interesting if we got to see things like this, really in-depth backstories for these characters, told like this. There's definitely extensive explanations that could told, and I wonder if Oddworld Inhabitants would do that kind of thing if they ever made a TV series set in RuptureFarms as they've spoken about potentially doing if they can. It would be really great to see these stories unfold!

[@madisonatteberry9720]

@@pupbenny It would be interesting, but making a show would be so damn difficult, especially for a video game. You'd need the right 'everything' and 'everybody' to make it. Kind of like how Fallout would be difficult to make into a movie or mini-series. Its 'chose your own adventure game' style would not fit, is what you're watching cannon? No, but most will revile questions, then what's the point if it won't show up in future games? Oddworld could probably make it work, provided, the original creator is heavily involved and they stick to the games story wile telling others. Then there's the issue of funding and who you allied with to create it, for example and currently, the 'still in production' show Hazbin Hotel had some controversy with the changing of voice actors and changes that have delayed it and people are loosing interest. The rumors I've heard is that the Actors guild is not happy that 'their' people are being chosen for the voice acting, and the studio A24 is caving in against the creator, Vivzipop, wishes. I would say just crowd fund the whole thing, like with her other show Helluva Boss, but crowd funding, in my view, can also be a little bit unreliable. People want something, until they're asked to put their money into it.

[@NotASpyPootis]

@@madisonatteberry9720 and now we have an even better example, the halo show. oddworld was a dying series which managed to get revived, what we surely don't need is something like the current halo tv show but i'm confident this could be a bit better regardless

[@madisonatteberry9720]

@@NotASpyPootis I have not seen the Halo show, had no interest in seeing the Halo show, and from the review from people like Eckheartsladder and Mr. H, I am happy I have not seen that show. If I were to make a show, based on some franchise.....oh, wait, unfortunately all the ones I would want to make a show off of, are already ruined, I was going to say Command and Conquer, and finally have a bridge between Red Alert and the original, E.A. ruined those games. And the other one was a Star Wars story. Something like Rouge Squadron, but set in the Clone wars, with non-clone personnel fighting for the Republic. But instead of including established characters, with the exception of a few, just make my own.

[@NotASpyPootis]

@@madisonatteberry9720 eh, unfortunately most stuff just goes like this, and ironically try guessing which kind of game gets the best show? but of course it's league of legends with their bloody arcane, i hate that it's good purely because it just feels salty, people were all saying it would be the arcane of halo and oh, look at that, it isn't.

[@ivangenc]

Haha, props for editing that asdf movie bit

[@pupbenny]

Ha, thanks! I wasn't sure if people would get the reference haha! I remember watching those videos when I was younger.

[@lucydrop9674]

@@pupbenny that was so great laughed my ass off cause I was thinking that and then that popped up haha

[@IronHorsefan1869]

Toby is Oddworld's Railfan

[@fadeinfadeout.]

Merry Christmas PupBenny, and to all other Oddworld fans. I Hope you all have a Odd Christmas. 🎄

[@alanabyss9246]

Toby is a adorable little bean who likes trains

[@Abebabe413]

WHAT IF HE GETS TO THE BOILER?

[@ronweaslee7065]

THE BOILER?

[@pupbenny]

@@ronweaslee7065 THE BOILER!?

[@Darkinu2]

What are we going to do?

[@elijahgrimm8052]

Also, Toby and Alf are jacked. Like, muscled up Mudokans. It's no wonder they had Toby working on his own, he's wreck house if he got angry and went on a tear. No Squig would have survived, no Glukkon left with unbroken arms. Behold the face of retribution, and know that his name is TOBY

[@EldritchDoodler4828]

(Edit: I literally wrote this part *just* before I watched 7:42 and onwards, so this is going to be a bit obvious now lol) My theory is that Toby was moved *from* the Depo to the boiler, due to his differing intelligence and coordination compared to his fellow workers- hence he’d have knowledge of both the train lines *and* how to drive them. This scared the Glukkons into moving him somewhere isolated to prevent him becoming a risk. Another theory is that- neurodivergence is a rare occurrence with the species, but Toby *is* one of those rare examples, and as a result- has a different personality in comparison to a majority of the mudokons we’ve seen who are usually pretty aloof, in addition to having a specialism in learning specific skills and information via his curiosity and/or naivety.

[@mrslinkydragon9910]

I like toby, glad u got to play as him!

[@pupbenny]

Yeah, I think it really helped players connect with him more, considering he wasn't in Soulstorm that much, it gave players a really good way to experience his backstory.

[@TheOrangeFox96]

I get the feeling Alf - adult, Abe - teenager and Toby - a kid... maybe he worked at fee co but kept getting in trouble cos he was inquisitive or remembers too much?! so hes put in the boilers out the way?

[@sbplankton_1999]

Merry Christmas!!!

[@terrynasonisasupervillain9017]

Nice

[@pupbenny]

Thanks Terry! :)

[@paul_benis]

Idk if anyone else noticed it but Toby's voice to me sounds like the Shaman from Munch with anxiety

[@pupbenny]

Ha, yeah there's a similarity!

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

Toby along with all mudoken's make me realize something Mudoken's are the most human like race in oddworld at least the parts we see at the beinging only the vykers have legs and arms like the mudoken's while the sligs only have arms and the glukkons are only kinda legs, the mudoken's should easily be able to overpower almost all of the other races it's only because sligs got 'pant's and 'flying harnesses that they are able to be equel to mudoken's without all that technology the mudoken's are superior which is kinda odd, considering. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the glukkons have ot keep the mudokens in slavery and constantly demean them to keep them in line, if the Mudoken's figured out they overpower all the other races physcially along with their magic powers like those of their tribel brethren, things would be insane think of every mudoken possesing all the sligs and glukkons...

[@tylerthomas9405]

This comment needs more likes!

[@emeraldeelentertainment8988]

Let's not forget the fact that Toby was manipulating both sides of the galactic war. Both the Republic and Separatists.

[@pupbenny]

That's true, I don't know how the heck I left out such important details about Toby in an Oddworld Lore video about him....

[@emeraldeelentertainment8988]

@@pupbenny And the deepest secret: his second name is "Fox". It's theorized he is The Knight, making dark fountains across Oddworld.

[@o_ver2.094]

@@emeraldeelentertainment8988 the cringe hurts

[@wobblewokgaming655]

Personally, I'm glad Soulstorm acts as a sort of soft reboot of the Oddworld Quintology. The entire series just became one massive clusterfuck of random story points, so this game being the start of a new story feels like the right choice to do. In this new game, RuptureFarms is still destroyed in a fiery explosion, but Abe doesn't get his hand scars until he gets to the Keepers Den and he doesn't get the ability to channel Shrykull until the Good Ending of the game, where as in the OG Abe's Odyssey, Abe gets them in them after overcoming the Trails of Scrabania and Paramonia and unlocks the ability to channel Shrykull shortly after. Meaning that he didn't use Shrykull to destroy the factory, rather they used explosives of sort and blew it to high heaven shortly before Abe and the slaves hightailed it outta there with some Brew. But he does know how to use his possession ability, as said by the Slig that pilots Mullock's blimp. So, in this reboot (going off of hints in the game), Abe escapes like the usual, gets found by the Mudokon Tribe, but instead of learning possession and going to Scrabania and Paramonia to prove himself worthy of channeling Shrykull, he simply learns possession, goes back to RuptureFarms, springs his fellow Mudokons, destroy the Farm and then Abe and his freed slave friends get the fuck out of dodge with a few boxes of Soulstorm Brew in tow.

[@pristinepastel]

@7:44 ….ANYWAYS SO I STARTED STIMMING!! 🥹

[@marvinmaddy8600]

3:25 I died 🤣🤣🤣

[@blueviper7501]

Wait a min can someone give a run down of every rapture farms product and their pros and mental cons that may (probably) help explain alot of things when it comes to the mudokons

[@pupbenny]

Well, the products that I know of are Scrab Cakes, Paramite Pies, Elum Chubbs (and smaller Elum Chubettes), Mudokon Pops, Meech Munchies.... and that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Not entirely sure about the pros and mental cons of them though.

[@poczuciehorroru]

Alf was the first playable mudokon other than Abe, not Toby, remember the DLC Alf's escape to New and Tasty

[@BozzLightyr]

You play as Abe still in Alf's escape though.

[@poczuciehorroru]

@@BozzLightyr Ah yes, my bad, we were preparing escape for alf, but as Abe, my mistake

[@immasword]

I like Toby but wow that dlc is insanely difficult for me like wow

[@GraceofGod247]

Oddworld lore on Boxing Day let's GOOOOO 😌🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@pupbenny]

Fun fact: I only found out on Boxing Day that they don't have Boxing Dat in America, which is interesting. I didn't know that!

[@thehyperverse]

Wait hold on there was downloadable content I didn’t know this

[@fun-epersonnproductions4002]

I honestly suspected that Toby was coded as someone on the spectrum.

[@user-dm6ot2lr2g]

I Love has a character ❤

[@BadMarriageKawagoe]

Bro Toby totally has the 'tism lol.

[@johnballentine6638]

The best mudoken in soulsto4m Is snoopy

[@cathleenmoyle1476]

We are not burning Toby alive! God Yule!

[@TheOrangeFox96]

'Toby death simulator' hahahahhaah

[@cheesecakebunny2002]

Wait I thought The Oddworld Fanbase hates Toby🤔🤨?

[@Nov-5062]

I don't think that wanting him to be devoured alive by a Scrab with rabies is considered "hate".

[@aussienimbat9988]

I wanna say something. I want this to be true.... Part of me feels that Toby might have Asperger Syndrome. I know some might think that is bad but it could be seen as something nice a good portrayal of such a thing where it's not a major focus but a subtle thing.

[@KopperNeoman]

Well, he's a mud, not a man, so he would have the equivalent. Be careful that the Magog don't come after you for using words they don't like.

[@KuariThunderclaw]

Honestly? Before it was mentioned him being designed based off of people on the spectrum, I was kind of seeing that as it reminds me a lot of myself in some ways as someone who is diagnosed as autistic (and specifically asperger's syndrome before it was wrapped up under autism) so given the intent behind the character and his specific traits? It's not an unreasonable thought.

[@egyptian_empire]

Umm Toby Yard Escape

[@filippoarena7839]

4:28 they updated them?

[@pupbenny]

Yeah, originally I recorded this video thinking it was still the no-texture pink squares, but then I realised 'wait a minute, didn't they update Soulstorm? I wonder if they fixed it' and I played it again and yeah, turns out they updated them. Had to last minute rearrange what I'd recorded to make it make more sense when I realised that so that part kind of sounds weird I think haha.

[@filippoarena7839]

@@pupbenny ah... Anyway have you noticed that at the end there was a creature who walked differently to the scrubs and paramites in the dlc? I did a zoom in that moment and i Think it was elum, if you don't belive me check the video "elum in soulstorm", i belive it's an easter egg

[@austinfain5788]

As a person on the spectrum I think he is like me Edit: I said that before I hit 7:50

[@johnballentine6638]

Why do people hate Toby so much? He isn't that bad

[@dragonzilla6482]

I think Toby may be a Mudokon who has some type of autism.

[@spacecorpse3212]

toby is nurodivergent

[@KopperNeoman]

That's a Vyyker word. Get in touch with Mud tribal roots and use older words like special, or even further back.

[@tezlaactual6582]

It's nice to have a positive representation of the autistism and a realistic view of the autistic hyperfixation and social issues

[@Magnaliscous]

i dont understand why you hate Toby so much, he seemed fairly in-offensive to me.

[@crazzytom7499]

toby is a girl