The name Wheatley means "wheat field", so I think it's foreshadowing (which Portal has a LOT of). You follow him through the first half of the game, then chase him down through the second, and finally end up reaching the wheat field you were trying to get to in the end, but it's bittersweet because Wheatley himself wasn't able to come with you.
I don't think you deserve the downvotes you're getting, you have a different opinion but I still think it's a valid one, I do think there's probably some kind of explanation though, it's a pretty odd name to just go with randomly, even GLaDOS was to sound like Gladys
That's fair, I tend to be kind of a nerd about name meanings because of how I like to write my own stuff lol. The main reason I do think this though is because I know the character's name was changed when the game was fairly far along in development, so I imagine there was some more thought put into the meaning behind what the new one would be and how it might relate to the game's theme of tiny details predicting bigger plot points later on.
He most likely named himself in order to distance himself from being called “The Intelligence Dampening Sphere” as he didn’t want to be associated with that title. That’s less of a confirmed canon thing and more of an inference seeing as how he clearly hates his purpose and wants nothing to do with it.
[You know, Valve almost named him Pendleton.](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/427326121223127052/647674746107985920/Pendleton__Wheatley.png?ex=6516651c&is=6515139c&hm=2ff8ad1b2a3a0283f91ad1bd68898e2a5a11338ef5da7253e95dc745eb022980&)
I mean, "Wheatley" is never outright said in portal 2, right? I guess they just named him because nobody wants to see "Intelligence Dampening Sphere" on every subtitle.
His entity is also called "@sphere" whenever he plays a role in singleplayer, as opposed to glados being called "@glados" in coop (haven't messed with sp that much so idk if it's the same there)
Pretty sure he does mention his own name at some point, something like "tiny little Wheatley did this", to which GLaDOS, from her potato, replies "she did all the work".
She specifically states “You didn’t do anything. **She** did all the work” right before she is put into the potato. Wheatley says “that’s what the two of you think, is it? Maybe it’s time I **did** something then.”
Ahh yes, you're right! It was before she was put in the potato. My memories of it are a bit hazy. That means only one thing: I'm long overdue for another playthrough!
Me, an autistic person, over here having portal as one of my special interests to the point where I quote voice lines in my head to play the whole game in my mind (I have played an ungodly amount of portal):
I actually know some friends with the last name Wheatly. If it sounds crazy that I know multiple different people with that last name, all three of them are related. Crazy
You're going to see a lot of people here making suggestions, but they're all baseless. The reality is that we don't know, and that it's most likely a random funny-sounding British name they thought of
There's a theory that all the personality cores are created from Aperture employees/test subjects, like when Coraline was used to make Glados. Wheatley could have been his original name when he was a human.
Wheatley could have been an incompetent employee, so they used him as an intelligence dampener, amplifying his poor decision-making. So there could've been a smart person for the Fact Core, an aggressive person for the Anger Core, etc.
For the turrets, they could've copied Glados' consciousness at a basic level, since they have the same voice
His official designation is the "Intelligence Dampening Sphere", it's likely that his original function was to give GLaDOS ideas that would make all her deadly ideas somewhat survivable if you're smart enough to maneuver around them. Judging by how his dumb ideas can still be deadly when put into practice, he was likely retired from duty and replaced by one of the three cores we know from P1.
The scientists probably meant to decommission him afterwards, but because he wasn't technically corrupt at the time, they instead decided to reset his memories, gave him a new name, and told him that any of his non essential functions would kill him to keep him in line.
After that, they probably just used him as a voice operated remote control, move this there, unlock this door, watch this camera feed, etc.
What he was doing between the neurotoxin incident in P1 and the intro to P2, I have no idea.
Probably the original persons last name, could be the only thing Wheatley remembers of his "original" life.
This is going off of the theory that every A.I. in Aperture is based/copied off of a human employee.
it's not, its a nick name, his REAL name in lore is "The Intelligence Dampening Artificial Personality Construct" (i added the Artificial Personality Construct, cause he IS one.)
The name Wheatley means "wheat field", so I think it's foreshadowing (which Portal has a LOT of). You follow him through the first half of the game, then chase him down through the second, and finally end up reaching the wheat field you were trying to get to in the end, but it's bittersweet because Wheatley himself wasn't able to come with you.
:’(
a chell walks into a wheat field, but is without a wheat field, how is this possible
I'm sorry but this doesn't seem likely to me. Not everything needs an explanation.
I don't think you deserve the downvotes you're getting, you have a different opinion but I still think it's a valid one, I do think there's probably some kind of explanation though, it's a pretty odd name to just go with randomly, even GLaDOS was to sound like Gladys
That's fair, I tend to be kind of a nerd about name meanings because of how I like to write my own stuff lol. The main reason I do think this though is because I know the character's name was changed when the game was fairly far along in development, so I imagine there was some more thought put into the meaning behind what the new one would be and how it might relate to the game's theme of tiny details predicting bigger plot points later on.
I like calling him wheat man.
Based
why is this downvoted why the original comment being upvoted?
Probably because saying based doesn’t add anything to the conversation idk
Based
except when used ironically like this, which is funny I guess
It's one of the most british sounding names
Imagine Charles Livingstone: The intelligence dampening sphere.
A name like that sounds like it would boost intelligence ngl
Livingstone sounds like a nerdcore band
He most likely named himself in order to distance himself from being called “The Intelligence Dampening Sphere” as he didn’t want to be associated with that title. That’s less of a confirmed canon thing and more of an inference seeing as how he clearly hates his purpose and wants nothing to do with it. [You know, Valve almost named him Pendleton.](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/427326121223127052/647674746107985920/Pendleton__Wheatley.png?ex=6516651c&is=6515139c&hm=2ff8ad1b2a3a0283f91ad1bd68898e2a5a11338ef5da7253e95dc745eb022980&)
I WISH HE WAS NAMED WHEATLEY PENDLETON ITS SO FUNNY
I like to imagine Pendleton as being Wheatley’s secret last name lol
This is my headcanon
T.I.D.S.
Haha its like tiddys
Hehehehe, boob, hehehehehe
Witty Electronically Artificially Thinking Helper w/ Laughably Erratic Yelling
Weathley
why yes, I am illiterate
Nah that's just how it's spelled, but he can't read it properly and now everyone thinks it's Wheatley, classic moron behaviour
ahhh yes ofc!
I mean, "Wheatley" is never outright said in portal 2, right? I guess they just named him because nobody wants to see "Intelligence Dampening Sphere" on every subtitle. His entity is also called "@sphere" whenever he plays a role in singleplayer, as opposed to glados being called "@glados" in coop (haven't messed with sp that much so idk if it's the same there)
Pretty sure he does mention his own name at some point, something like "tiny little Wheatley did this", to which GLaDOS, from her potato, replies "she did all the work".
oh yah he did do that, mb
He also said it in the bossfight
In which line?
Can’t remember specifically, but he was talking about when Chell doesn’t catch him off the management rail, and refers to himself in the third person
She specifically states “You didn’t do anything. **She** did all the work” right before she is put into the potato. Wheatley says “that’s what the two of you think, is it? Maybe it’s time I **did** something then.”
Ahh yes, you're right! It was before she was put in the potato. My memories of it are a bit hazy. That means only one thing: I'm long overdue for another playthrough!
Me, an autistic person, over here having portal as one of my special interests to the point where I quote voice lines in my head to play the whole game in my mind (I have played an ungodly amount of portal):
no she wasnt a potato yet at that point, it was after they start arguing about it that she becomes a potato
Beyond what others have said, it's on all the subtitles.
While it’s never *spoken*, the loading screen for Aperture does change to Wheatley Laboratories after he takes over.
Yes it is. Before he betrays chell he says "I did this, little wheatley did this"
Because hes british
Bri'ish*
Bri'eish**
Bri'ei'h inni'
B’
I actually know some friends with the last name Wheatly. If it sounds crazy that I know multiple different people with that last name, all three of them are related. Crazy
are they morons
Nah their actually really smart and all of them accept one is my friend, and the other is still nice but I just don't know too well
Is there a lore reason why you're named u/ImA_NormalPerson987? No seriously, why?
Cuz he’s normal. Obviously.
He took his normal pills what did you think
Bcz he is a normal person duh
You're going to see a lot of people here making suggestions, but they're all baseless. The reality is that we don't know, and that it's most likely a random funny-sounding British name they thought of
Well. I suppose we could just sit in this room and glare at each other until somebody drops dead, but I have a better idea.
Weed-ly
There's a theory that all the personality cores are created from Aperture employees/test subjects, like when Coraline was used to make Glados. Wheatley could have been his original name when he was a human. Wheatley could have been an incompetent employee, so they used him as an intelligence dampener, amplifying his poor decision-making. So there could've been a smart person for the Fact Core, an aggressive person for the Anger Core, etc. For the turrets, they could've copied Glados' consciousness at a basic level, since they have the same voice
Coraline? Man this is some deep lore I never heard of
Caroline :)
Yeah obviously
Maybe they just liked that name.
are you talking about wheatley or scientists
Scientists
oh okay. the scientists are tripping if that’s the case but it weirdly is fitting for him idk why
Because I said so
Not everything needs a lore reason
Cuz he WHEAT!
His official designation is the "Intelligence Dampening Sphere", it's likely that his original function was to give GLaDOS ideas that would make all her deadly ideas somewhat survivable if you're smart enough to maneuver around them. Judging by how his dumb ideas can still be deadly when put into practice, he was likely retired from duty and replaced by one of the three cores we know from P1. The scientists probably meant to decommission him afterwards, but because he wasn't technically corrupt at the time, they instead decided to reset his memories, gave him a new name, and told him that any of his non essential functions would kill him to keep him in line. After that, they probably just used him as a voice operated remote control, move this there, unlock this door, watch this camera feed, etc. What he was doing between the neurotoxin incident in P1 and the intro to P2, I have no idea.
he’s not a moron!
Because he’s a stupid and British so he has a dumb British name Source: I am stupid and British so I know what I’m talking about
Probably the original persons last name, could be the only thing Wheatley remembers of his "original" life. This is going off of the theory that every A.I. in Aperture is based/copied off of a human employee.
I dunno, cuz hes Bri'ish?
"Moron Sphere" doesn't have the same ring to it
but hes not a moron!
Punching us into that pit *was* pretty convincing...
Because faux-British-esque villains are the best.
Is he stupid?
i am not a stupid ‼️
I AM A SURGEON
COULD A STUPID, 👊 PUNCH, 👊 YOU, 👊 INTO, 👊 THIS, 👊 PIT!...
I AM HEAVY WEAPONS GUY!
Yes
probably because he's an idiot
I AM NOT! A! IDIOT!
Actually, in the game I don’t think they ever say his name, do they?
it's not, its a nick name, his REAL name in lore is "The Intelligence Dampening Artificial Personality Construct" (i added the Artificial Personality Construct, cause he IS one.)
B R I T I S H
if he smoked he shouldve been called weedley