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Robert Thatcher is a main character and major supporting protagonist of the 2002 natural horror film Sabretooth. He is a professional big-game hunter and tracker, who apparently hunts all over the world.
Background[]
Little is known of Thatcher's background, other than that he grew up to be a professional big-game hunter and tracker for hire, who hunted animals, like man-eaters, all around the world. He had a relationship with Dr. Catherine Viciy in the past, which ended in failure thanks to the latter's self-centeredness. He also apparently met and may have worked for her superior, Anthony Bricklin, as in the film, the two seemed to know each other.
Sabretooth[]
Robert Thatcher made his debut in the film at the home of Anthony Bricklin, the superior of his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Catherine Viciy, who wanted to hire him to help then find what was supposed to be a big African lion(in truth, it was a cloned Smilodon fatalis(saber-toothed tiger). Though he was surprised at the presence of such an animal in California, Thatcher confidently claimed he could find it, before nearly deicing to pass on the job when Bricklin and Viciy wanted to come with him. He changed his mind very willingly, however, when Bricklin offered him $50,000 to do the job on their terms, which were that the job be a secret and that they capture the animal alive. Later, all gear up for the expedition into Sierra Nevada, Thatcher lamented on how late Bricklin, Viciy, and their zoologist, Kara Harmon were, before being given a syringe pole and tranquilizer by Harmon. Leading the group into the moutains, they eventually find the trail of the saber-tooth, with Thatcher realizing its size to be much larger than Viciy had told him. Notified of a cabin nearby by Bricklin, the group investigate it, discovering a dead man's remains inside. Though Thatcher told Viciy to call the police, she only threw his satellite phone away. After he began to argue with Bricklin about his contract agreement, Thatcher conversed about with Harmon about the saber-tooth, declaring he knew lions as wella s she did, before being convinced by Viciy to allow at least a day to capture the saber-tooth before getting help. Later that night, He and Viciy discussed their past relationship, with him telling her it failed because their was no room in her life for anyone but herself. Afterwards, Thatcher decided to work along the ridge to try and spot another campfire. Hearing some commotion just before getting back, Thatcher learned that Harmon had been dragged away by the saber-tooth, pursuing them after handing Bricklin his pistol. After getting back, he informed them of Harmon's death, that the saber-tooth was now a man-eater, reclaimed his pistol, and went to bed.
The next morning, Thatcher told Catherine he intended to kill the saber-tooth anyway he could and for her to stay out of his way. Continuing to track the saber-tooth, Thatcher confirmed that it had been by the lake nearby the previous night, before Catherine noted seeing campers footprints. After seeing another print from the saber-tooth, Thatcher estimated its weight at at least 500 pounds. Continuing tracking on into the night, Thatcher found more human footprints from the campers, afterwards showing Viciy where the saber-tooth's tracks were corresponding with the human ones, before splitting. Though Viciy wanted to follow the saber-tooth, Thatcher decided they would follow the campers to warn them. Later, they were all alerted by a scream of one of the campers as he was killed by the saber-tooth. Informing Viciy and Bricklin that he would be away until daybreak and instructing them to stay and set the bear traps and mark them, Thatcher left to find the campers. The next day, he found Casey Ballenger, the leader of the campers(really a group of trainee guides) and one of friends, Leon Tingle, informing them of their lost member, Jason's death, as he had found his body. After having them show him to their camp, Thatcher asked if an approaching man, Trent Parks, was with them, the latter screams about the death of another trainee and about seeing a saber-tooth, to Thatcher's disbelief, and he afterwards tried to tell Casey that the cat was an African lion, which Trent disputed. Deciding to go after it, Thatcher instructed Casey and her trainees to a nearby mine to wait for him, promising to return. When he found the saber-tooth, Thatcher was stunned to see it was what Trent said instead of what Viciy had told him. Before he could kill it, Viciy and Bricklin arrived, and she scared it off.
Angrily arguing with Viciy about her deceit, Thatcher was fired for violiting his contract, but the saber-tooth quickly reappeared and knock him over, disarming him of both his rifle and pistol when he drew it, before attacking Bricklin and slowly killing him, allowing him and Viciy to make a run for it. However, he realized that all their weapons were left behind and they went back, Thatcher armed with his boot knife. Recovering his rifle, he asked Viciy if she had seen his pistol(she stole it before they ran), before pointing out that the cat's tracks led towards the mine, which they followed. Arriving, Thatcher made Viciy look on the site of Leon's dead body, killed by the saber-tooth, disgustedly rejecting her pleas of forgiveness. When Casey told him the beast had Trent cornered, Thatcher handed Viciy his rifle after she seemed concerned it might get away if he missed and told her to kill it if got out of the mine, before going with Casey to a hole in the top of the mine and preparing his syringe pole. After he couldn't get his arm back far enough to throw it, he allowed Casey to do so for him, and he instructed Trent out carefully after only some of it got in the saber-tooth. It recovered fast, however, and, reclaiming his rifle and instructing Viciy, Casey, and Trent to the lake, Thatcher confront the saber-tooth and tried to kill it, only to discover that Viciy had unloaded his rifle, much to his shock. Retreating back down the hill, Thatcher got his foot caught in one of Bricklin's unmarked bear-traps. Soon, he was found by Casey and Trent, who helped him along after he had the latter's use his knife to cut a couple of saplings. Finding Viciy at the lake, he told Trent to make sure there was no way down as Viciy had said and struck her down for almost getting him killed. After Casey revealed she knew a way down, Thatcher told Viciy he would now kill her saber-tooth, only for her to draw his pistol on him.
Thatcher tried to convince her to hand over the gun, before Trent kicked it out of her hand, being shot through the shoulder in the process. The saber-tooth then arrived, and Thatcher helped Trent and Casey get to high rocks, meanwhile Viciy was attacked by her own creation while trying to ward it off. Though he heard her cry out for help, Thatcher failed to reach her in time, and she was killed. Telling the two senior guides to climb higher, Thatcher tried to stab the saber-tooth, but it broke his spear. Casey drew its attention, and he told her to toss him the last spear, before throwing his at its head. When it leaped at him, Thatcher braced the spear and caused it to fall on it, before tossing the prehistoric cat over the cliff to its death. Afterwards, they travelled back down the mountain.
Skills[]
Thatcher is a very experienced and skilled big-game hunter, having hunted all over the world, even for man-eaters. He was quite knowledgeable about any game he would hire on to hunt or catch, and was a quick thinker, devising the use of saplings sharpened into spears as replacement weapons to kill the Smilodon fatalis after Dr. Catherine Viciy unload his rifle. Thatcher was also very strong, able to easily life 120 pounds in an instant, and toss the 500 pound Smilodon over a cliff after bracing the he stabbed it with. He was also an exceptional tracker, capable of easily trailing any game, even the prehistoric Smilodon, all around Sierra Nevada.
Personality[]
Robert Thatcher is a very tough-spirited man, but has a caring sense to him as well, as he has great value for human life and shows loyalty to any team he happens to be a part of, even if he dislikes them. Thatcher had a relationship with Dr. Catherine Viciy, the film's main antagonist, in the past, which ended badly thanks to the latter's selfishness. He appears to have a love of money, that being the reason he accepted to contract to help Anthony Bricklin and Viciy find their proposed lost African lion, with the payment being $50,000, though he didn't love it more than human life.