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{{sidebar/character
 
{{sidebar/character
 
| title = Rust Cohle
 
| title = Rust Cohle
| image = [[File:Rust Cohle 2012.jpg|250px]]
+
| image = <tabber>
  +
|-|1995 = [[File:Rust Cohle 1995.jpg|250px]]
  +
|-|2012 = [[File:Rust Cohle 2012.jpg|250px]]
  +
</tabber>
 
| caption =
 
| caption =
 
| fullname = Rustin Spencer Cohle
 
| fullname = Rustin Spencer Cohle
 
| alias = <small>'''Nicknames''':<br>Crash (by Iron Crusaders)<br>The Taxman</small>
 
| alias = <small>'''Nicknames''':<br>Crash (by Iron Crusaders)<br>The Taxman</small>
 
| status = Alive
 
| status = Alive
| age =
+
| age =Late 40s to early 50s
| birthdate =
+
| birthdate =1960s
 
| birthplace = <small>Texas,<br>[[United States|United States of America]]</small>
 
| birthplace = <small>Texas,<br>[[United States|United States of America]]</small>
 
| deathdate =
 
| deathdate =
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| marital = Divorced
 
| marital = Divorced
 
| spouse = <small>'''Ex-wife''':<br>[[Claire Cohle]]</small>
 
| spouse = <small>'''Ex-wife''':<br>[[Claire Cohle]]</small>
| children = <small>'''with [[Claire Cohle]]''':<br>[[Sofia Cohle]] (d.)</small>
+
| children = <small>'''with [[Claire Cohle]]''':<br>[[Sophia Cohle]] (d.)</small>
 
| sigothers = <small>'''Ex-girlfriend''':<br>[[Laurie Spencer]]<br>'''Ex-lover''':<br>[[Margaret Hart]]</small>
 
| sigothers = <small>'''Ex-girlfriend''':<br>[[Laurie Spencer]]<br>'''Ex-lover''':<br>[[Margaret Hart]]</small>
 
| others =
 
| others =
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}}
 
}}
   
{{Quote|In the beginning, there was only dark. You ask me, the light's winning.|'''Rust Cohle''' to [[Martin Hart]]|Form and Void}}
+
{{Quote|We are things that labor under the illusion of having a self; an accretion of sensory, experience and feeling, programmed with total assurance that we are each somebody, when in fact everybody is nobody. |'''Rust Cohle''' to Detectives [[Maynard Gilbough|Gilbough]] and [[Thomas Papania|Papania]].|Form and Void}}
   
'''Rustin Spencer "Rust" Cohle''' is a Louisiana State homicide detective. Along with his partner, [[Martin Hart]], he is one of the main characters in [[season 1]] of [[True Detective]].
+
'''Rustin Spencer "Rust" Cohle''' is a Louisiana State homicide detective. Along with his partner, [[Martin Hart]], he is one of the two protagonists in [[season 1]] of [[True Detective]].
   
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
 
===General===
 
===General===
Rust is a talented but troubled detective, dedicated to his work and renowned for his ability to get confessions from criminals. He carries an unusually large ledger which he uses to keep notes and sketches of crime scenes, earning him the nickname "The Tax Man" from his colleagues.
+
Rust is a talented but troubled detective, dedicated to his work and renowned for his abilities, most notably his ability to get confessions from criminals. He carries an unusually large ledger which he uses to keep notes and sketches of crime scenes, earning him the nickname "The Tax Man" from his colleagues.
   
Rust is aloof; at one point his partner Martin Hart says that he "wasn't big on talking except when you wanted him to shut up." He seems to prefer living by himself and it doesn't appear that he has ever been able to sustain a relationship for longer than a few years. Rust is not prone to material desires and his apartment is bare, with only a simple bed and books on various sex crimes. He suffers from insomnia, which may partially be a consequence of his past drug use. Later in life we see him to be a degenerate alcoholic.
+
Rust is aloof; at one point his partner Martin Hart says that he "wasn't big on talking except when you wanted him to shut up." He seemingly prefers living by himself, and he presumably hasn't been able to sustain a relationship for longer than a few years. However, few details about his marriage to Claire Cohle are revealed. Rust is not prone to material desires and his apartment is bare, with only a simple bed and books on criminology. He suffers from insomnia, which may partially be a consequence of his past drug use. He has suffered from an alcohol addiction before the events of the series, but has managed to quit drinking during the first part of the series, although he occasionally drinks to numb the pain caused by losing his daughter. In the lead up the events surrounding his undercover work with his former biker gang, Rust picks up drinking heavily. By the time he and Marty are reunited Rust admits that he has spent the last decade stone drunk albeit functioning.
   
Rust shows disappointment and anger at Marty when he cheats on his wife. He visits Marty's house to "mow his lawn" when he is away. He enjoys eating dinner with Marty's family and talking with Marty's wife, Maggie Hart.
+
Even though Rust prefers to stay out of other peoples business, Rust doesn't hesitate to show his disappointment and disgust towards Marty after he cheats on his wife, clearly disagreeing with his ways. At one time he visits Marty's house to mow his lawn when he is away, much to Marty's annoyance. Whether he did this with the intent of making Marty uneasy is unclear, but Marty clearly implies that he sees it as an invasion of his private life, and later accuses Rust of "creating tension". He seemingly enjoys eating dinner with Marty's family and talking with Marty's wife, Maggie Hart, whom he has a positive relationship with, for most of the series.
   
 
===Early life===
 
===Early life===
Born in Texas, Rust and his family moved to Alaska when he was young, where he grew up. He went on to marry a woman named [[Claire Cohle|Claire]]. The two had a daughter, who was killed in a vehicular accident that led to Cohle's divorce and addiction to alcohol. Cole transferred from robbery to Narcotics, he became addicted to drugs, specifically a combination of heroin and cocaine which is known as an Eight-ball. At some point he shot a meth head with his nine millimeter handgun for injecting his infant daughter with crystal meth. The state attorney gave Cohle one way out of jail, basically be their deep undercover narco puppet or take prison time. Cohle went undercover for four years, and in February 1993 he killed three cartel members and was shot three times with a .25 caliber handgun. During his recovery, he was committed to a mental hospital in Texas. Upon his release, he was offered retirement with full pension, but he declined that offer in favor of transferring to a homicide division. His superiors then transferred him to Louisiana. In Louisiana, he lives alone and has no friends, living only for his work. He tries to remain sober, but he occasionally falls off the wagon because of the stress of his job and his grief for his daughter. Cohle is also prone to auditory and visual hallucinations.
+
Rust was born in Texas, but later moved with his father to Alaska, where he spent most of his childhood. He later leaves Alaska and goes back to Texas, supposedly because he prefered the temperature and weather-conditions there. He went on to marry a woman named [[Claire Cohle|Claire]]. The two had a daughter, Sophia Cohle, who was tragically killed in a car accident. The loss of his daughter quickly led to Cohle's divorce as well as his addiction to alcohol. Cohle transferred from robbery to narcotics, and eventually became addicted to cocaine, and possibly other narcotic substances. At some point during his time in narcotics, he killed a meth-head for injecting his infant daughter with crystal meth. The state attorney gave Cohle the choice of either going to prison for first-degree murder, or agreeing to be their deep undercover narco, for an unspecified period of time. Cohle was forced to spend four years undercover, and in February 1993 he killed three cartel members and was shot three times with a .25 caliber handgun. During his recovery from the gunshots as well as his substance addictions, he was committed to a mental hospital in Texas. Upon his release, he was offered retirement with full pension, but declined that offer in favor of transferring to a homicide division. His superiors then transferred him to Louisiana. In Louisiana, he lives alone and has no friends, family or relationships, only living for his work. He tries to remain sober, but occasionally fails to do so, mostly because of his grief for his daughter. Cohle is also prone to auditory and visual hallucinations, as a result of his substance-abuse during his days as an undercover narco.
  +
  +
=== The Yellow King case ===
  +
Louisiana 1995, a young lady is found under a tree naked and wearing only a blindfold and a "crown" made of deer antlers, posed as if praying to the large solitary tree. A twig latticework, like a Cajun bird trap, is found beside her body. The woman is identified as Dora Kelly Lange, a former prostitute. Cohle is already convinced that this is not the killer's first victim, stating that it's too specific.
   
 
===Later Years===
 
===Later Years===
Cohle was partnered with [[Martin Hart]] in 1995. The two worked various cases, mostly revolving around the Yellow King cases together until 2002, when Cohle had an affair with Martin's [[Margaret Hart|wife]]. The two had a falling out and wouldn't speak again until 2012.
+
Cohle was partnered with [[Martin Hart]] in 1995. The two worked various cases, most prominently the Yellow King case, together until 2002, when Cohle had an affair with Martin's [[Margaret Hart|wife]]. The two had a fall-out and wouldn't speak again until 2012.
   
The two reconnected due to Rust's continuing pursuit of the Yellow King case. The two make their way to Errol Childress, a vile and big part of the case. Rust and Martin pursued Childress and were both wounded, but Rust managed to kill him with a shot to the head.
+
The two reconnected due to Rust's continuing pursuit of the Yellow King case. Rust convinces Marty to join him by insisting that Marty has a debt to the victims, and later by showing him the taping of the ritualistic murder of Marie Fontenot. The two eventually find their way to [[Errol Childress]], the man behind the Dora Lange murder, the Lake Charles murder, and likely many others. Rust and Martin pursued Childress into "Carcosa", a series of tunnels filled with Cajun traps, childrens clothing, and most notably a shrine presumably dedicated to the fictional character "The Yellow King". Errol managed to wound both Cohle and Hart, but Rust managed to kill him with a shot to the head.
   
After healing up at the hospital, the two left, with Rust informing Martin of his near-death experiences and him feeling a connection to his dead daughter. Rust received a new faith in life and managed to be optimistic about the future.
+
After healing up at the hospital, Rust informed Martin of his near-death experiences and him feeling a connection with his dead daughter, and also his father. Rust opened himself up to a new faith in life and, in the end, seemed to be optimistic about the future.
   
 
==Behind the Scenes==
 
==Behind the Scenes==
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===Appearances===
 
===Appearances===
 
{{Season 1 appearances|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes}}
 
{{Season 1 appearances|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes|yes}}
 
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohle, Rustin Spencer}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohle, Rustin Spencer}}
 
[[Category:Americans]]
 
[[Category:Americans]]
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[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Season 1 characters]]
 
[[Category:Season 1 characters]]
  +
[[Category:Detectives]]
  +
[[Category:Homicide Detectives]]
  +
[[Category:Louisiana State Police]]
  +
[[Category:Main Characters]]

Revision as of 18:56, 23 March 2020

Template:Sidebar/character

"We are things that labor under the illusion of having a self; an accretion of sensory, experience and feeling, programmed with total assurance that we are each somebody, when in fact everybody is nobody. "
Rust Cohle to Detectives Gilbough and Papania.[src]

Rustin Spencer "Rust" Cohle is a Louisiana State homicide detective. Along with his partner, Martin Hart, he is one of the two protagonists in season 1 of True Detective.

Biography

General

Rust is a talented but troubled detective, dedicated to his work and renowned for his abilities, most notably his ability to get confessions from criminals. He carries an unusually large ledger which he uses to keep notes and sketches of crime scenes, earning him the nickname "The Tax Man" from his colleagues.

Rust is aloof; at one point his partner Martin Hart says that he "wasn't big on talking except when you wanted him to shut up." He seemingly prefers living by himself, and he presumably hasn't been able to sustain a relationship for longer than a few years. However, few details about his marriage to Claire Cohle are revealed. Rust is not prone to material desires and his apartment is bare, with only a simple bed and books on criminology. He suffers from insomnia, which may partially be a consequence of his past drug use. He has suffered from an alcohol addiction before the events of the series, but has managed to quit drinking during the first part of the series, although he occasionally drinks to numb the pain caused by losing his daughter. In the lead up the events surrounding his undercover work with his former biker gang, Rust picks up drinking heavily. By the time he and Marty are reunited Rust admits that he has spent the last decade stone drunk albeit functioning.

Even though Rust prefers to stay out of other peoples business, Rust doesn't hesitate to show his disappointment and disgust towards Marty after he cheats on his wife, clearly disagreeing with his ways. At one time he visits Marty's house to mow his lawn when he is away, much to Marty's annoyance. Whether he did this with the intent of making Marty uneasy is unclear, but Marty clearly implies that he sees it as an invasion of his private life, and later accuses Rust of "creating tension". He seemingly enjoys eating dinner with Marty's family and talking with Marty's wife, Maggie Hart, whom he has a positive relationship with, for most of the series.

Early life

Rust was born in Texas, but later moved with his father to Alaska, where he spent most of his childhood. He later leaves Alaska and goes back to Texas, supposedly because he prefered the temperature and weather-conditions there. He went on to marry a woman named Claire. The two had a daughter, Sophia Cohle, who was tragically killed in a car accident. The loss of his daughter quickly led to Cohle's divorce as well as his addiction to alcohol. Cohle transferred from robbery to narcotics, and eventually became addicted to cocaine, and possibly other narcotic substances. At some point during his time in narcotics, he killed a meth-head for injecting his infant daughter with crystal meth. The state attorney gave Cohle the choice of either going to prison for first-degree murder, or agreeing to be their deep undercover narco, for an unspecified period of time. Cohle was forced to spend four years undercover, and in February 1993 he killed three cartel members and was shot three times with a .25 caliber handgun. During his recovery from the gunshots as well as his substance addictions, he was committed to a mental hospital in Texas. Upon his release, he was offered retirement with full pension, but declined that offer in favor of transferring to a homicide division. His superiors then transferred him to Louisiana. In Louisiana, he lives alone and has no friends, family or relationships, only living for his work. He tries to remain sober, but occasionally fails to do so, mostly because of his grief for his daughter. Cohle is also prone to auditory and visual hallucinations, as a result of his substance-abuse during his days as an undercover narco.

The Yellow King case

Louisiana 1995, a young lady is found under a tree naked and wearing only a blindfold and a "crown" made of deer antlers, posed as if praying to the large solitary tree. A twig latticework, like a Cajun bird trap, is found beside her body. The woman is identified as Dora Kelly Lange, a former prostitute. Cohle is already convinced that this is not the killer's first victim, stating that it's too specific.

Later Years

Cohle was partnered with Martin Hart in 1995. The two worked various cases, most prominently the Yellow King case, together until 2002, when Cohle had an affair with Martin's wife. The two had a fall-out and wouldn't speak again until 2012.

The two reconnected due to Rust's continuing pursuit of the Yellow King case. Rust convinces Marty to join him by insisting that Marty has a debt to the victims, and later by showing him the taping of the ritualistic murder of Marie Fontenot. The two eventually find their way to Errol Childress, the man behind the Dora Lange murder, the Lake Charles murder, and likely many others. Rust and Martin pursued Childress into "Carcosa", a series of tunnels filled with Cajun traps, childrens clothing, and most notably a shrine presumably dedicated to the fictional character "The Yellow King". Errol managed to wound both Cohle and Hart, but Rust managed to kill him with a shot to the head.

After healing up at the hospital, Rust informed Martin of his near-death experiences and him feeling a connection with his dead daughter, and also his father. Rust opened himself up to a new faith in life and, in the end, seemed to be optimistic about the future.

Behind the Scenes

Rust Cohle was portrayed by Matthew McConaughey in Season 1 of True Detective.

Appearances

Template:Season 1 appearances