Tyler Ronan (born on March 7, 1994) is one of two protagonists of the adventure narrative game Tell Me Why by Dontnod Entertainment. He is the identical twin sibling of Alyson Ronan. Tyler is a trans man.
Growing up and coming to terms with his childhood, Tyler and his sister wish to understand why his memories are different from Alyson’s memories.
Appearance[]
Tyler has short brown hair in an undercut and light eyes. He has a short beard and is usually seen wearing a jean jacket with a phoenix on the back, a grey sweater labelled “Fireweed”, jeans, and boots.
As a young child, Tyler had longer hair in a bobbed cut. At some point he got a haircut, ending up with short curlier hair.
Personality[]
Due to his difficult upbringing, Tyler has trouble trusting people, same for Alyson, his twin sister. He is outgoing and polite, but has a tendency to shut people out when they get too close or bring up a sensitive subject. Tyler describes himself as a terrible actor, and isn’t afraid to call people out when they behave intolerantly.
Tyler loves nature and aspires to be a park ranger one day. [1] He worked extensively to improve Fireweed Residential Center‘s outdoors program, and plans to apply for a job as a ranger at Denali. Tyler is strongly against violence towards animals, and has been ever since he was a child. Tyler also dislikes hunting, especially when it’s done illegally or excessively.
Early Life[]
Up until age ten, Tyler lived with his mother, Mary-Ann Ronan, and his sister Alyson. Mary-Ann was an eccentric and odd mother to her children, but she also had a vivid imagination and helped Alyson and Tyler create the book of goblins.
As a child Tyler started to realize that while he was assigned female at birth, he identifies as male. Tyler wrote about these feelings in his diary, and was frequently angry at Alyson and Mary-Ann for calling him his birth name. Tyler asked Aly and presumably others around him to call him Ollie, his first chosen name.
Tyler often got into arguments with Mary-Ann. Unlike Alyson he often acted up and screamed at Mary-Ann for breaking her promises and not listening to him. Tyler felt that Mary-Ann was unable to accept his needs and that her denial of his requests were personal, though this is likely not true.
One day after playing outside with Alyson, Tyler returned to their room to find that his diary was gone. Tyler immediately confronted Mary-Ann about his missing diary and informed his mother that he knew she stole it. Mary-Ann misgendered Tyler multiple times in a misguided attempt to comfort him, and Tyler ran out of the room and cried in the hallway. He assumed that this meant that Mary-Ann had read all about his gender identity in his diary and did not accept him.
On March 1 2005, Tyler asked Alyson to cut his hair short for him. She did so, and Tyler was delighted. Tyler told Alyson that he felt more like her brother than her sister, and Alyson told him she would look out for him no matter what. Tyler excitedly went to show Mary-Ann his haircut, but couldn‘t find her in the house. Tyler walked outside to look for Mary-Ann and saw the shed door was open.
Tyler approached the shed door. Inside, a very distressed Mary-Ann was fiddling with a gun and talking to herself. Tyler called for her. Mary-Ann spun around, pointing the gun at Tyler. Upon seeing Tyler, she said, "No. This is all wrong." Tyler ran away, afraid Mary-Ann was trying to hurt him because of his gender identity. Mary-Ann yelled “wait” to Tyler, and began pursuing him with her gun pointed at him.
Tyler yelled for Alyson through the Bond as he ran away from Mary- Ann. He tripped once, and in his panic saw the Mad Hunter from the Book of Goblins. Eventually, Mary-Ann cornered Tyler in the dock, and either stated that she was going to kill him while pointing the gun at him or lowered the gun and told him she wouldn’t hurt him.
Alyson stabbed Mary-Ann from behind before she could do anything to Tyler. Tyler rushed over to Alyson, where she had collapsed on the ground repeating “I killed my mother”. Tyler told Alyson that he was the one that had killed Mary-Ann; that’s what they would tell the police.
Tyler is taken to the Delos Crossing Police Station with Alyson. He tells a shaken Alyson that she needs to tell them that he killed Mary- Ann, and tells the police that Mary- Ann attempted to kill him, and he stabbed her in the side with a pair of scissors before she fell into the lake.
Tyler and Alyson are separated, and Tyler is sent to Fireweed Residential Center. There, he finds an accepting community where he can grow and mature in a safe environment.
Chapter 1: Homecoming[]
Long Time No See[]
At the beginning of the chapter, Tyler takes one last look around his room at Fireweed Residential Center, his home for the past ten years. Tyler packs up his Crafty Goblin figurine and exits the room.
Tyler steps out of the residential center and reunites with his twin sister Alyson. The two hug. Alyson drives them to the ferry as they chat, and they drive on to the ferry to Delos Crossing.
The Crossing[]
While on the ferry, Tyler and Alyson speak about their past ten years and the scenery they pass by. Alyson presents Tyler with a ring, a present from her adoptive uncle Eddy Brown. Tyler, who dislikes Eddy for keeping him and Alyson apart for seven years, has the choice between accepting the ring (but not wearing it), declining the ring, or throwing the ring into the lake. After this Alyson calls home to check in, and Tyler explores the ferry.
Tyler can investigate the one other car on the ferry, speak to Alexander Gershwin, look around, and speak to Alyson some more. Eventually the ferry arrives in Delos Crossing, and Alyson and Tyler drive to their childhood home.
A Big Wooden House[]
When they arrive at the old house Tyler seems almost excited to be back at the site of the twins’ childhood adventures. After looking around a bit, the twins try the front door only to realize that the locks have been changed. Tyler notices that they can get in through some loose boards leading to a space underneath the porch, they just need a tool to pry up the boards. The twins see a selection of tools in the shed, but can’t reach them without the keys.
At this moment Tyler and Alyson start to feel a strange feeling and see a memory of their younger selves doing chores via a mysterious power of theirs, the Bond. They see another memory of their younger selves getting into an argument over Tyler’s rambunctious behavior, and younger Tyler telling Alyson that he’s hidden the keys to the shed under the “Silent Frog”. In the present, Tyler and Alyson go up to the three frog statues and try to remember which one was the silent one.
If he guesses correctly, Tyler will pretend to have chosen the wrong frog for a moment just to prank Alyson. He then unlocks the shed and picks up a wrench. Tyler can also pick up some birdseed to leave at a birdhouse outside the house.
Tyler pries away the slats cutting off the under- porch area and steps in. After smacking his head on a low beam, Tyler realizes that he and Alyson can communicate telepathically over their “Bond” or “voice”, a skill that they hadn’t used in their ten years apart. Alyson guides Tyler through the section under the porch, and he can find among other things a Mad Hunter figurine and the twins‘ old treasure chest, full of plastic plates, cutlery, and fake food. Eventually, Tyler finds the hatch leading up to the house itself, and pulls himself up.
After a moment to take it all in, Tyler lets Alyson in through the front door. The twins explore the house, reminiscing about their childhood and Mary-Ann. However, Tyler doesn't feel fully at home until he steps into their bedroom, which is full of all their childhood things. It's here Tyler rediscovers the Book of Goblins. He also has a flashback of the day he lost his diary. He accused Mary-Ann of stealing it, which she did not deny. Mary-Ann promised to protect Tyler no matter how hard he fought against her. She also misgendered him, saying he would always be her little girl.
Tyler and Alyson head for Mary-Ann's bedroom where they plan to search for the diary. However, the door is locked by a puzzle that must be solved using the Book of Goblins. Alternatively, Tyler can break in the door and bypass the puzzle. Searching the room, Tyler finds his diary in a desk drawer. Alyson also finds a book on the desk titled, "Raising Your Transgender Child." Tyler is upset by the discovery, finding it difficult to believe Mary-Ann was trying to support him. He steps outside to get some air.
Uninvited[]
Alyson joins Tyler on the back deck of the house. The twins discuss their confusion over Mary-Ann's actions. Tyler wants to ask questions around town about their mother. He needs to know if it was possible Mary-Ann accepted him. He asks Alyson to wait on the house sale while they figure things out.
Tyler goes back into the house to find Sam Kansky with a shotgun pointed at him. Sam demands to know who has trespassed on "his" property and begins counting down from 5. When Tyler gives his name, Sam says he doesn't know him. Thankfully, Alyson arrives and tells Sam Tyler is her brother. Sam makes some ignorant and transphobic comments about Tyler’s gender identity. Tyler can challenge Sam's views or say he's just trying to be himself. Sam leaves, and the twins head to Vedi Veni Vecchi's to talk to Tessa.
Rashomon[]
On the way in, Alyson introduces Tyler to Michael. The two discover they share a love of fishing. Tyler receives an offer to room with both Alyson and Michael in Juneau.
Inside the store, the twins encounter Tom Vecchi who is surprised at Tyler's transition but remains polite, saying he hadn't expected such a dapper young man. Tyler plays off Tom's awkwardness with a joke, saying he showered that morning. Tyler explores the store, bemoaning the existence of canned ham and $30 birch syrup. If Alyson takes too long, Tyler will pick up snacks and drinks but not the candles or cleaner Alyson was looking for.
Tessa arrives at the store, and Tyler asks her if Mary-Ann ever discussed him being a boy. Tessa denies it, and the twins experience a memory of Mary-Ann and Tessa arguing. However, each twin has a slightly different variant, and Tyler asks Alyson to trust his version in which Mary-Ann became angry with Tessa.
Whichever version Alyson chooses, the twins ask Tessa about the argument but she doesn't recall. Tyler has the idea of listening to the song Mary-Ann and Tessa played regularly at the store in the hope of unlocking further memories. The plan works. The twins view a memory in which Tessa gave Mary-Ann some expensive candies in exchange for help around the store. In another, Tessa gave Mary-Ann a pamphlet for a youth camp specializing in conversion therapy.
Alyson does most of the talking with Tessa, but Tyler becomes angry about the youth camp, asking if Tessa realizes what's done to children in those camps. He's also surprised when Tessa tells him Mary-Ann didn't approve of the camp and wanted Tyler to become "whatever perfect little butterfly was in that cocoon."
If the player chooses the wrong dialogue options with Tessa, the twins don't get anything from Tessa and she asks them to leave to the store. However, Tyler is certain Tessa's defensiveness is proof enough. He takes heart in the fact his mother supported him even though he's still conflicted that she attacked him.
To Serve And Protect[]
The twins arrive at the police station and experience memories of the night their mother died. Both of them are shaken, and Tyler admits he doesn't understand how Alyson was able to visit the station once a week when he's only been here 10 minutes and he's already a mess.
Tensions between Tyler and Eddy Brown are tense. Tyler won't shake Eddy's hand when they first meet and his responses to Eddy's attempts at light conversation are strained. When Eddy won't let the twins see their mother's police file, Tyler slams his fist on a desk. He admits he's salty Eddy kept him and Alyson apart. Eddy brings up that Tyler wouldn't let Alyson see him for three years after he turned 18. Tyler tells him that Alyson understands and asks her for confirmation.
Chapter 2: Family Secrets[]
In the morning, Tyler and Alyson go around their childhood home deciding what to keep, sell, and trash. As they clean, Sam arrives at the house. He apologizes to Tyler for his transphobic behavior the day prior, and offers him a pocket knife. Sam gives Alyson a fish and some other food items. The group decides to go check on the house’s power. Tyler and Sam struggle with the shed door, leading to the handle being broken off.
Alyson fixes the fusebox and the power to the house is restored. Sam leaves, and as the twins step out of the shed they see a memory of Eddy Brown and Mary-Ann getting into an argument.
Tyler tells Alyson that he remembers the incident a little differently. Alyson must choose to believe her own memory of the incident (Mary-Ann was upset and sad) or Tyler’s (Mary-Ann was angry). No matter which memory Alyson chooses to believe, the twins realize that Eddy was lying about not seeing Mary-Ann for months before her death, and decide to go to the police station to ask him about it.
On their way to the station, Alyson and Tyler stop at a small park by the road. Tyler walks up the trail while Alyson takes a call from their real estate agent, who has found a potential buyer for the Ronan home. Alyson can either take or reject this offer. Tyler will be upset by the former and thankful for the latter.
The twins arrive at the police station. They speak to various people in the station, who tell them that Eddy is in a bad mood. Eddy refuses to speak to them, so Tyler and Alyson decide to look for evidence in the police archives room and Eddy’s office. The officers would notice if Tyler and Alyson just went upstairs, so they decide to cause a distraction. Tyler can either knock over some files, turn off the lights, or pull the fire alarm to give Aly a chandle to get upstairs. From there Tyler goes outside and enters the police station through the upstairs fire exit, which Alyson opens for him. The siblings go into Eddy’s office and find their case file code. They can also find an invoice from Fireweed that shows Eddy was paying for Tyler's care, and an acceptance letter for Alyson from drama school. Alyson says Eddy told her she hadn't gotten in and that she shouldn't be surprised as he's lied before.
Alyson and Tyler enter the archive room. Tyler looks for their file while Alyson stands guard. He can find a variety of information about the night of Mary- Ann’s death, from information about Tessa contacting CPS to the twins’ 911 call that night. However much information Tyler finds, he’s eventually interrupted when Eddy catches him in the police archive.
Eddy explains that he won’t press charges, telling them they are lucky they are family. Tyler tells Eddy he saw their file where Eddy alerted child services about Mary-Ann, and Eddy consents to talk in his office.
Eddy explains the winter before Mary-Ann's death was especially harsh. Everyone in Delos Crossing was struggling, but Mary-Ann struggled most. When Tessa came to him about child neglect, he was obligated by law to report it, even if he didn't agree. After learning child services planned to pursue the case, Eddy broke protocol to warn Marry-Ann that things weren't looking good.
Tyler urges Eddy to take responsibility to Marry-Ann's death, and Eddy admits he's spent years questioning if he should have done something different. He apologizes to the twins for withholding information from them, stating he wanted to save them from unnecessary hurt. He recognizes he made a mistake but states he has tried his best and being a father is tough job. He tells Tyler he'd like to be a father figure to him.
If Tyler forgives Eddy, he will wear the ring Alyson offered in chapter 1. Tyler can then talk to Eddy about the Fireweed payments.
If Tyler does not forgive him, he will called Eddy "chief" and tell him it is time to move on. Eddy will suggest to Alyson that they get dinner together - just the two of them.
Tyler and Alyson decide to go to the General Store to speak with Tessa Vecchi. They can’t find her, but have a short conversation with her husband To,.
After Alyson and Tyler finish speaking to Tom, Michael asks if Tyler and Alyson want to help him close up the store, and tells them that Tessa went to the graveyard. Michael says that they can help him close up at the store and then go to the graveyard with him, as he wants to visit his uncle’s grave.
Michael goes to the storage room to take inventory and asks Tyler to help him while Alyson works behind the counter. Tyler joins Michael, who asks him to count various items in the storage room such as cans of tomato sauce and jugs of bleach. After these two requests, Michael asks Tyler to take a look at a sketch he’s done of Tyler.
Michael asks Tyler to count the number of Tom Vecchi plushies in a box, and once Tyler answers Michael throws a plushie at him. This begins a plushie fight in the storage room. Michael can win or lose this fight, depending on the player’s actions as Tyler. After this Michael sits down in his and Alyson’s break area of the storage room to actually write up the inventory list. Tyler looks around the break area before sitting down as well.
While sitting in the break area Tyler and Michael can speak about various things, including a poster for a band, a poster for a LGBT+ group, and the Vecchi’s. Michael is flirtatious throughout the conversation, and Tyler can choose to accept his compliments or stay distant.
Alyson arrives from the counter and asks if Michael and Tyler are ready to go. The group heads to the cemetery.
Chapter 3: Inheritance[]
TBA
Epilogue: Lock-Up & Go[]
In this ending, Tyler is clearing out the house after it has finally sold. He plans to meet Alyson and Michael in Juneau where they are rooming together. Tyler and Michael are in a relationship or just friends depending on player choices.
Upon leaving the house, Tyler calls his old mentor, Aaron, and tells him he was right about grief coming in circles. Tyler says he stood on the porch staring at the fog and his mother "tumbled right out" of him but it felt good to remember.
Epilogue: A New Chapter[]
In this ending, Tyler and Michael are in a relationship depending on player choices. If together, Tyler has moved to Juneau and is enjoying his time there. If he and Michael are just friends, Tyler moves to Kodiak island. He tells Alyson he's enjoying his new life as much as she's enjoying hers.
Relationships[]
Alyson Ronan[]
Alyson is Tyler’s twin sister. The two are connected via a psychic link they call their “voice” or “The Bond”. This link allows them to share thoughts and feelings, communicate without speaking, and even relive memories from their past. The Bond was an important part of Tyler and Alyson’s childhood but disappeared after they were separated. Now that Tyler and Alyson have reunited and returned to Delos Crossing, their Bond seems to be back in commission.
As children, Tyler was always the wilder and more outspoken of the twins. This behavior often led to both Tyler and Alyson being punished, which made the twins get into frequent arguments as their mother’s mental state deteriorated. Despite this, the twins were always going on adventures together. Alyson accepted Tyler when he asked her to cut his hair and told her that he felt more like her brother than her sister. When Alyson stabbed Mary-Ann to stop her from killing Tyler, he immediately decided to take all the blame for the event; forcing Aly to tell the police that Tyler had killed Mary-Ann.
Tyler loves his sister and would do anything to protect her, but ten years apart have led to some strain in their relationship as they try to figure out what happened the night of their mother’s death. Throughout the game, the player makes choices that strengthen Alyson and Tyler’s bond (both “The Bond” and their relationship between them) that seem to have an impact on the ending of the game.
Mary-Ann Ronan[]
Mary-Ann and Tyler had a strained relationship at best. Tyler would often act out and berate Mary-Ann for not listening to him or following up on what she said she’d do. Despite this, Tyler genuinely cared for his mother and was extremely hurt when he believed that she would never accept him for who he truly is.
Michael Abila[]
Tyler meets Michael after returning to downtown Delos Crossing for the first time in ten years with Alyson. The two seem to get along instantly and bond over their shared passion for fishing. Throughout episode two, Michael continues bonding with Tyler. The two of them flirt often, especially when Tyler helps Michael in the storage room. Michael tells Tyler he really does want him to move to Junea because Tyler is "one of a kind." The player has the choice to accept his advances or let him down easy.
In Episode 3, Tyler must choose between keeping his relationship with Michael flirtatious or friendly. Depending on player choice the two can share a kiss during their afternoon fishing trip. During the epilogue if the player made romantic choices towards Michael as Tyler, the two may be shown in a romantic relationship or flirting.
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- Tyler prefers "uwu" to "owo".
- Tyler likes puns.
- Tyler enjoys fishing.
- Tyler seems to be either pansexual or an homosexual, he has stated that he's figuring out his sexuality. When Michael asks Tyler about sexuality, Tyler tells him that he hasn‘t really dated anyone before and that he hasn’t found the right person.
- He has not yet had top surgery and plans to do so after the house is sold.
- He previously chose "Ollie" as his name because it sounded similar to "Aly", Alyson's nickname. His deadname, or birth name, does not appear in the game.[2]
Behind the Scenes[]
- Tyler is voiced by August Aiden Black, who also is a trans man.
- To ensure that Tyler’s character would resonate with a wide and diverse audience of trans people, the Tell Me Why team worked closely with GLAAD. August Black, Tyler’s voice actor, also made significant contributions to the game's dialogue. During recording sessions, August provided edits to the script if he felt a certain line or moment did not do justice to Tyler’s story, making him an invaluable part of the creative process. August’s personal experiences also inspired key moments and lines of dialogue.[2]
References[]
See Also[]
Characters in Tell Me Why
| |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Characters | |||||||
| Alyson Ronan • Tyler Ronan | |||||||
| Supporting Characters | |||||||
| Michael Abila • Mary-Ann Ronan • Eddy Brown • Tessa Vecchi • Tom Vecchi • Sam Kansky | |||||||
| Minor Characters | |||||||
| Alexander Gershwin • Tina West • Joshua Greggs • Denise Wilson • Helena Torrez • Christian Holt • Kendra Harris-Guidry • Leo Ronan | |||||||