Who he is
Wheelchair Guy is the oldest character in the game. The community wiki records that he was the first character created for Happy Wheels, in 2006 — four years before the game launched — and that he started life as an experiment in making a ragdoll fall down a hill.
He rides a jet-powered wheelchair, which is exactly as badly conceived as it sounds and is the reason he is the game’s mascot.
What he can do
| Input | On the wheelchair | After ejecting |
|---|---|---|
| Up | Accelerate | Straighten arms and legs |
| Down | Slow / reverse | Curl into a ball |
| Right | Lean right | Straighten legs and press arms forward |
| Left | Lean left | Push all joints up except the head |
| Z | Eject | — |
| Shift | Rotate the jet clockwise | Raise arm 1 and leg 2 |
| Ctrl | Rotate the jet counter-clockwise | Raise arm 2 and leg 1 |
| Space | Fire the jet | Grab |
The distinguishing feature is not the jet itself, it is that the jet can be rotated. Shift and Ctrl aim the thrust, which means Wheelchair Guy can fly, climb and correct mid-air in ways no other character can. It is the highest skill ceiling in the roster.
Strengths
- Air control that nothing else has. Directional thrust means a mistake mid-jump can be corrected rather than fatal.
- Speed on open ground. The jet outruns every wheeled vehicle.
- Height. Angled correctly, the jet reaches places Segway Guy’s jump cannot.
Weaknesses
- He tips over constantly. The wheelchair is narrow and the character is top-heavy, which makes ordinary bumps dangerous.
- He is fragile. Small impacts cause serious damage.
- The jet eats level geometry. Thrusting into a ceiling or a spike is a self-inflicted wound, and it happens often while learning.
How to actually play him
- Small bursts, not held thrust. A short pulse is a correction. A held burst is a launch you cannot steer.
- Rotate before you fire. Aiming the jet while already moving is how most Wheelchair Guy deaths start.
- Treat the ground as a suggestion. The character works best when he spends as little time in contact with it as possible.
- Eject to finish. After ejecting, Up and Down straighten or curl the body, which is how a limbless Wheelchair Guy can still slide over a finish line.
Achievements connected to him
- Fully Mobile — beat three featured levels with Wheelchair Guy.
- Jetsetter — hover for 10 seconds with the rocket chair. This is his signature unlock and the one that teaches jet control properly.
Full list on the achievements page.
Related characters
- Segway Guy — the forgiving alternative.
- Explorer Guy — the other “specialised traversal” character.