Ludwig Kessler

Ludwig Kessler
Country of Origin	Germany
Date of Death	March 16, 1946 Wulfburg, Germany (player-determined)
Age	30's to 40s
Hair	Black
Sex	Male
Nationality	German
Race	Caucasian
Occupation	Allies/OSA Ally Kreisau Circle Member German Resistance Leader William J. Blazkowicz's ally
Fate	Alive Deceased: Reanimated into a Shambler, then killed by B.J. (player-determined)
Relative(s)	Sophie Kessler (wife, deceased)
Portrayer	Urs Remond
Appearance(s)	Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

"If you chose to do nothing because you feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things, you might as well be an ant."

―Kessler to Blazkwoicz.

Ludwig Kessler is a character in Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, who is based on the original Kessler (from Return to Castle Wolfenstein). In the original game Kessler did not have a known first name.

The developers have changed much of the previous character's appearance, personality and backstory.

Background

Kessler's wife Sophie was hanged by the neck for distributing leaflets against the German government at Berlin University. He became an Allied agent, using his tavern in Paderborn to hide Allied spies and a young Jewish fugitive, Annette Krause.

Kessler is Richard Wesley and B.J. Blazkowicz's contact in Castle Wolfenstein to find the folder for Wilhelm "Deathshead" Strasse's location. When they cannot find the folder in the castle, Kessler radios to them to return to Paderborn. Only B.J. makes it back alive.

Kessler is either killed and reanimated as a Shambler, or is saved by B.J. as Annette is killed. If Kessler lives he later messages B.J about hijacking a zeppelin and flying off to Berlin to spread flyers around for as long as he can.

Behind the scenes

The player can read Kessler's backstory in his cellar in Paderborn, including a leaflet written by his wife, Sophie. The leaflet is written in the style of those distributed by the White Rose, a real German student resistance group led by Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans, both of whom were executed.

Some of the differences between both versions of Kessler is that while he "remembers B.J.'s voice", however, he doesn't recognize him initially. B.J. also introduces himself as if he has never directly met him before, but only over radio (as B.J. had contacted him for the first time when he tried to find Helga's documents in Castle Wolfenstein).

Gallery

Kessler with Annette and B.J. on a rowboat.