Samuel Vimes
Category:Discworld characters\nHis Grace the Duke of Ankh Commander Sir
Samuel Vimes of the
Ankh-Morpork City Watch is a
fictional character in
Terry Pratchett's
Discworld series. He first appeared in the novel
Guards! Guards!.
Character background
Sam Vimes was born in Cockbill Street in the poorest area of the city below the Shades. It was so poor that there wasn't much crime – though Sam was part of a street gang with Lupine Wonse (later secretary to Lord Vetinari). At school he was blackboard monitor for a whole term once.
Sam's father's name was Thomas. His mother told the young Sam that he was run down by a cart, but this was apparently untrue. Whatever happened to him, she raised the young Sam on her own.
The City Watch (Ankh-Morpork's police force) apparently runs in the Vimes family. It has been suggested that Sam's father was a Watchman, and he is the descendant of Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes, the Watch Commander who led the rebellion against the last king.
Sam Vimes was about 16 when he enrolled in the Watch about 30 years ago, in which he was part of the rebellion against mad Lord Winder. It was around this time he was taught all he knows by Sergeant-At-Arms John Keel, which is where his cynical outlook on life (and, paradoxically, his firm belief in justice) comes from. (However, in current history, Keel was in fact Sam himself flung back in time 3 decades. See Night Watch.)
The Watch
During the first 25 years of his term in the watch Sam rose to Captain of the Night Watch as it dwindled to a tiny stub – while the power of the Thieves Guild grew. This insult to Sam's sense of justice and other events led to heavy drinking which probably came near to killing him. All that changed when Carrot Ironfoundersson came to the city. This man who had been raised by dwarfs joined the Watch and set out to help the city. Around the same time a dragon assaulted the city (not a swamp dragon, a real, big dragon) and the watch was instrumental in its defeat.
Later they took on new staff in the form of a werewolf, a dwarf and a troll and were instrumental in ending an attempt on the Patrician's life. As a reward the Watch was rapidly revived and became very important in the city. Vimes, who was on the point of retiring following his marriage to Lady Sybil Ramkin, was given the resurrected rank of Commander, putting him in charge of the Night Watch and the Day Watch. He also (to his disgust) received a Knighthood.
Sir Samuel took a great interest in the restructuring of the Watch, placing new Watch Houses where they were needed, creating a plain clothes division (named the Cable Street Particulars, after the secret police of Winder's day. Vimes [unlike Captain Carrot] sees the necessity for "invisible" Watchmen, but thinks people should remain suspicious of the idea) and supervising the creation of a Watch Academy and forensic alchemy section. He also prevented yet another attempt to overthrow the Patrician.
Vimes as Duke of Ankh
He was later involved in preventing a pointless war with Klatch, and was once more "rewarded" with an unwanted title, in this case Duke of Ankh-Morpork. He now finds himself in the awkward position of despising the ruling classes of the city, while actually being one of them.
Somewhere in the middle of all this he also acquired the nickname "Old Stoneface", which he shares with his regicidal ancestor. (He also shares it with Oliver Cromwell, who shares many similarities with Suffer-Not-Injustice, and Judge Dredd; Sam Vimes and Dredd were both partially inspired by Dirty Harry.)
His role as Duke of Ankh largely involves diplomacy, although he occasionally finds the opportunity to use some policework (as in, for example, his visit to Überwald in The Fifth Elephant). His role as Commander largely involves paperwork, and Carrot is too efficient for him to need to do any "proper" police work himself. In some ways he found it something of a relief when, in Night Watch, he was transported back to the Ankh-Morpork of his youth, and became a sergeant in the inefficient, paperwork-free Watch of that time. Night Watch also claims that he is off the list of people the Assassin's Guild will take out contracts on.
Recent developments
Sam Vimes is, much to his own horror, becoming a politician. However, he remains a copper in his soul. Being a significant figure on the (Disc)world stage just means he finds bigger crimes.
He and Sybil have one son, Sam Jr.
Vimes also was involved with the war effort in Monstrous Regiment.
