Grim Fandango Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Olivia Ofrenda is a resident of Rubacava and the owner of The Blue Casket. During the game, she becomes romantically involved with Nick Virago, Maximino, and Hector LeMans (sometimes simultaneously). She is remembered for her coldly indifferent attitude towards the men in her life, as well as her role of femme fatale, betraying Manny Calavera at the game's climax.

Background[]

Olivia is the owner of The Blue Casket, a club in Rubacava that serves as the premiere hangout for the town's assortment of beatniks. Olivia is herself something of a beatnik, dressing in a long, grey trenchcoat and always wearing circular sunglasses and a purple beret. She also is usually seen smoking a long cigarette. At the club, she frequently entertains her clientele by reading her poetry at the open mic. She also lives in a room next to the kitchen.

At the start of Year 2, Olivia is dating Maximino, the town's resident mobster. She is also cheating on him with Maximino's private attourney, Nick Virago. While Maximino is clearly deeply in love with Olivia, going so far as to name two airships after her, it is clear that Olivia is not romantically attatched to either man.

Maximino named his airship, the Olivia I, after her. The airship infamously crashed on the cat-racing track during a race, causing Maximino to commission the construction of the Olivia II.

Her personality is very aloof and slyly indifferent, and she always speaks in a very smooth tone. While she appears to have no romantic feelings for her various lovers, she does seem to enjoy the thrill of dating top criminals. At one point, Manny asks why she is cheating on Maximino with his closest friend, to which she replies that Manny "wouldn't get it." Manny then notes that such an affair is extremely dangerous, after which Olivia says slyly: "I was wrong. You do get it."

Though she and Manny are both owners of clubs in Rubacava, they are on friendly terms, and later on, become allies in the revolt against Hector LeMans.

Role in Year 2[]

Nick virago 2

Nick and Olivia

When the player is introduced to Olivia, she is seen suggestively exiting her bedroom with Nick Virago; by this point, the player may or may not be aware that Olivia is "officially" dating Maximino. Lola, who loves Maximino and intends to prove that Olivia is cheating on him, snaps a photo of Nick and Olivia kissing and runs off. Knowing that Maximino will likely kill him if he finds out, Nick chases her out of the club. Olivia, however, couldn't be less concerned, stating that Maximino would never hurt her since "he loves me." She also states in a conversation with Manny that Lola is doomed because "she fell in love with Maximino. That's the one mistake I never made."

Olivia is never directly involved in any of the puzzles in Year 2, but can be interacted with on several occasions. Manny can ask her to recite one of her poems on stage at the club, though the first time she will hesitate. If Manny attempts to convince her further, she will proceed before he is even finished with his sentence.

Olivia recites several poems at the mic, which are all met with respectful snapping from her beatnik comrades. If Manny keeps asking her to recite poems, she'll eventually (every fourth time) recite a special one, accompanied with an ellaborated animation. This poem is the only part of the game where the words "grim fandango" are uttered.

An additional poem, entitled "The Rusty Anchor," can be accessed only if the player shows her the paper with the words "Rusty Anchor" on it; she will also add "Manny, I didn't know you were familiar with my early work." At the poem's conclusion, Manny will comment that he has no idea what it meant.

If Manny chooses to recite a poem at the mic (after which he is hissed at by the club's patrons), then asks Olivia to recite a poem, she will recite the exact same poem the player pieced together. Manny will accuse her of stealing his poem, to which she says it was merely an "homage."

Role in Year 4[]

In Year 4, when Manny returns to Rubacava, Olivia is one of the few characters from Year 2 who make a return appearance. She seems genuinely happy to see Manny, but upon learning that he intends to go to El Marrow to kill Hector LeMans, she insists on tagging along.

During a cutscene, Olivia tells Manny and Meche about the ways that El Marrow has changed in recent years, and informs them that Hector has taken over the entire town. She speaks very highly of Salvador Limones, and upon meeting him in the L.S.A.'s secret headquarters, volunteers to personally accompany him on a dangerous mission, stating that she's "wanted to be of service to your cause for years," a sentiment shared by her beatnik clientele. She and Salvador go off, alone, while Manny, Meche and Eva attempt to infiltrate Hector's office.

The player has the option of using the radio on the desk next to Eva, in which case Salvador will answer from his car. Olivia can be heard suggesting that they shut the radio off for some privacy, which he does. Any further attempts by Manny to radio Sal are met with silence.

Olivia2

Artist rendering of Olivia

Betrayal[]

Upon taking Hector's suitcase of stolen Double N Tickets, Meche prepares to take the train to the Gate of the Ninth Underworld. After she is ambushed by one of Hector's giant ravens, Olivia pulls up in Salvador's car, instructing Manny to get in. Manny tells Meche and Glottis, who are fighting off the raven, to run and find help. After getting in the car, Olivia drives them away. Manny angrily says that they were supposed to have backup in case of an ambush, asking: "Where are all of Salvador's men?" Olivia coldly replies; "I don't know, he hasn't told me yet," and carelessly tosses Salvador's severed head on the seat next to Manny, though Salvador is still alive and greets Manny with a friendly: "Hola."

Olivia parks the car in The Meadow, next to Hector's Greenhouse. At this point, she forces Manny out of the car at gunpoint. Manny comes to the horrifying realization that the flowers in the Meadow are all people Hector has sprouted, after which Olivia states that Hector, whom she reveals is her boyfriend, makes a lot of enemies. She carelessly waits at the car with her gun, instructing Manny to walk up to the Greenhouse to meet Hector. Manny can attempt to approach her, but he will back off when Olivia waves her gun at him. If the player does this a few times, however, it will reveal some interesting lines of dialogue, including Olivia's most famous line: when Manny tells her she has bad taste in men, she smugly retorts that she "has a taste for really bad men. There's a difference."

After being shot by Hector but narrowly escaping death, Manny returns to the car. Olivia is searching through the briefcase of genuine tickets, frustratedly trying to locate hers, which she cannot find (suggesting she was an undeserving soul). Manny covertly approaches Salvador, who quickly informs him that there is a gun in the trunk of the car, but the key is on his body, which is in the meadow. He also asks Manny to say goodbye to Eva for him, and wishes him farewell as well, stating that he plans to bite down on a Sproutella tooth in his mouth that will instantly sprout himself and anyone around him. At this point, Olivia notices the two talking, and picks Salvador up. She demands to know what the two were talking about, before mockingly asking: "Huh, Sal? Got anything to share with the class?" Salvador responds with: "Only this: Viva la Revolucion!" He then activates his suicide tooth, sprouting himself instantly. Olivia is also sprouted directly in the face, and she runs offscreen screaming in pain. With Olivia's ultimate demise, Salvador's sacrifice allows Manny to retrieve the gun from the trunk, which he uses to kill Hector.

Trivia[]

  • Manny can show Olivia his letters from Salvador in Year 2.  Unlike the beatniks in her club, Olivia has no idea who Salvador is, and clearly has no interest in his "revolution."  After Manny notes that she isn't much of a revolutionary, she vows to "study up," if only to keep up appearances with her club's regulars.  This dialogue exchange is easy to miss during playthroughs, but if the player has heard it, Olivia's behavior in Year 4 will seem incredibly suspicious (she deeply praises Salvador's work and even tells him that she has wanted to serve his cause for years).
  • It is never stated for how long Olivia was dating Hector LeMans, and she could have easily been doing so at the same time she was seeing Maximino.
  • Lola's final words to Manny are a request to tell Olivia to improve her taste in men, or else she will end up sprouted like her. Olivia's taste in "really bad men" does not change, and eventually, this prediction comes true.
  • Maximino refers to Sanspoof as Olivia's favorite cat.
  • The final poem Olivia recites from her regular repotoire, about two lovers in the afterlife and their journey to the Ninth Underworld, is the only time in the game the words "grim fandango" actually appear.
  • When Manny attempts to enter Olivia's room in Year 2, she warns him by saying suggestively that she "hasn't cleaned up yet" after Nick's visit. In Year 4, she also denies him entry to her room, saying that she needs to get ready for the trip to El Marrow, leading Manny to comment: "One of these days, I'm going in there." It is unknown exactly what Olivia was hiding in there, or if there was anything at all.
  • In Spanish, ofrenda means "offering, sacrifice".
  • In the Spanish version of the game, Olivia speaks with an Argentinean accent.

Quotes[]

"That's cause she's doomed Manny! She fell in love with Maximino. That's the one mistake I never made." -Olivia after Manny expresses concern on Lola's wellbeing

Gallery[]

Achievements[]

Advertisement