Sir Topham Hatt

## Sir Bertram Topham Hatt

**Sir Bertram Topham Hatt** (aka "**The Fat Controller**", often shortened as "**Topham**" or "**Hatt**") is a major protagonist and one of the quintessential human characters in *Sodor Monsterverse*. He is credited as one of the first of mankind to have successfully befriended and trained monsters in the modern age - one of his most recognized accomplishments was assembling a group of steam locomotive dinosaurs known as the Steam Team, who all trust and respect him as an equal.

## General information

### **Physical appearance**

Sir Topham Hatt is a stout and slightly chubby gentleman who is often depicted shorter than or of similar height to a majority of workmen on Sodor. His eyes are a dull brown color. His attire usually consists of a black tailcoat with grey trousers, a cream-colored waistcoat, and a necktie. His most iconic accessory is a top hat - sometimes with a trim of varying color (usually grey, blue or red) - which is almost always worn on, though when taken off Hatt is revealed to be bald.

### **Personality**

Sir Topham Hatt is a stern yet fair person who generally plays a role in providing protection for the people of Sodor - his family included. He greatly trusts a majority of the dinosaurs - most often the Steam Team in particular, as they were first monsters he ever bonded with. Despite him normally being shown in a serious light, Hatt isn't afraid to have a little fun and spend quality time with friends and family.

Topham is typically the one who is obligated to take the initiative in order to settle conflict down in assertive fashion. However when the circumstances turn out to be beyond his control (brutal confrontations especially), he would usually resort to receiving help from one or a few of the dinosaurs. Hatt is also somewhat of a klutz on occasion. In several dangerous scenarios, the monsters (or sometimes the workmen) are prompted to catch or pull him back before he may potentially injure himself in the process, much to their chagrin.

### **Abilities**

#### **Leadership**

Though he is frequently overshadowed by them in terms of the sheer obvious differences in size, strength and fighting ability, Sir Topham Hatt was able to employ strategic plans, gather data, and rally many monsters or people as a collective group to help defeat powerful enemies such as Diesel 10 in 1960 and the Androids in 2005.

#### **Hand-to-hand combat**

Starting from the Heisei era onward, Sir Topham Hatt sprouted a desire to try and fight alongside the monsters, in that he would start putting practice into combat instead of having repeatedly force himself to back down and retreat in the face of brutal conflict. Although as opposed to formal training, he practiced fighting with dummies and targets, even having some of the Steam Team as teachers to help him sharpen his overall adaptability and competency in a fight. Hatt improved in his capabilities by a fairly reasonable amount throughout the remainder of the 1990's as well as the early 2000's, to where he proved successful at blocking, dodging and countering attacks, as well as tossing down opponents taller than himself over the shoulder - which was a probable nod to the monsters comically throwing foes larger and/or heavier than themselves.

#### **Other skills**

While not exactly dedicated in the arts, Hatt shows an ability to draw defined objects decently well.

### **Weapons**

#### **Cane sword**

Within the same era, Hatt began training with a sword (which was disguised as a cane) as a means to help fend for himself and defend his family from danger. The sword itself overall resembles a traditional European backsword, whilst possessing a black hilt as well as a golden guard and pommel. The blade was forged using a combination of a strong metallic alloy as well as the collected properties that made up a monster's claws. Because of the unique materials used, the blade possessed a bright silvery appearance and was able to stab and slice cleanly through tough objects as such as steel with surprising ease.