Malcolm Anthony Character Analysis in They Both Die at the End

Malcolm is one of Rufus’s best friends and a member of the Plutos (a group of friends who are also foster siblings) along with Rufus, Aimee, and Tagoe. He was orphaned and put into the foster care system at 13 years old, when an arsonist set fire to his house and the blaze killed his parents. Malcolm is extremely loyal and believes firmly in justice and kindness. He’s a supportive friend to Rufus and is instrumental in helping Rufus see that life is worth living after Rufus loses his parents and his sister, Olivia. However, his loyalty and sense of justice leads Malcolm to argue with the police when they come to arrest Rufus; he believes that Rufus doesn’t deserve to spend his End Day in prison. For Malcolm, the possible consequences are worth it. However, in part because Malcolm is black, six feet tall, and close to 200 pounds, and in part because Tagoe steps in too aggressively, the police arrest both boys. Malcolm has never been in a fight before, so this feels particularly unjust—though he admits in jail that if he figures out who killed his parents, he might get into his first fight. Officer Andrade later releases the boys from jail so that they can grieve and spend time with Rufus; Malcolm and Tagoe meet Rufus, Mateo, Lidia, and Aimee at Clint’s Graveyard. He’s supportive of Rufus’s new relationship with Mateo and doesn’t chase the couple after they run from Peck; he’s just thrilled that Rufus didn’t die in a senseless act of violence.

Malcolm Anthony Quotes in They Both Die at the End

The They Both Die at the End quotes below are all either spoken by Malcolm Anthony or refer to Malcolm Anthony. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

I don’t wanna think about any of that, I just wanna get to Aimee and say goodbye to the Plutos as the friend they know I am, not the monster I was tonight.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Aimee Dubois, Malcolm Anthony, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Tagoe Hayes

Page Number and Citation: 32

Explanation and Analysis:

I believe him. He’s not monstrous. Monsters don’t come to your home to help you live; they trap you in your bed and eat you alive. “People make mistakes,” I say.

“And my friends are the ones being punished,” Rufus says. “Their last memory of me will be running out the back door from my own funeral because the cops were coming for me. I left them behind... I’ve spent the last four months feeling abandoned by my family dying, and in a split second I did the same damn thing to my new family.”

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Aimee Dubois, Malcolm Anthony, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Tagoe Hayes, Vin Pearce, Rufus’s Parents, Olivia

Page Number and Citation: 173

Explanation and Analysis:

Graham is always on Andrade’s mind, and today is no exception, with these foster kids in the holding cell who are acting out because their brother is a Decker. You don’t need matching DNA for someone to be your brother, Andrade knows this. And you definitely don’t need the same blood to lose a part of yourself when someone dies.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham

Page Number and Citation: 291

Explanation and Analysis:

Andrade is doing his damn best to get that snuff channel terminated by the end of the year. No way in hell he can share a beer with Graham in heaven without getting this job done. Andrade wants to focus on his real work, not babysitting. That’s why he has their foster parents signing release forms this very second. Let them go home with firm warnings so they can sleep.

And grieve.

Maybe even find their friend if he’s still alive.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham, Jenn Lori, Francis

Page Number and Citation: 292

Explanation and Analysis:

You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. Some you’ll discover you should put behind you. Others are worth every risk.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Aimee Dubois, Malcolm Anthony, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Tagoe Hayes

Page Number and Citation: 334

Explanation and Analysis:

Malcolm Anthony Character Timeline in They Both Die at the End

The timeline below shows where the character Malcolm Anthony appears in They Both Die at the End. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...middle of beating Peck, who stole his girlfriend, when Death-Cast calls. Mateo’s friends, Tagoe and Malcolm, stare with terrified looks. Rufus thinks of his parents and sister, who died in the... (full context)

...because of Peck. He destroys Peck’s phone for good measure and tells him to leave. Malcolm asks Rufus about Peck’s gang connections, but Rufus insists that Peck is the “gang reject”... (full context)

Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon

...from a planet to a dwarf planet. Rufus has been at Pluto for four months. Malcolm’s parents died when he was 13, while Tagoe’s parents ran off. Rufus knew that Pluto... (full context)

Rufus, Malcolm, and Tagoe bike carefully past a Decker-friendly club called Clint’s Graveyard. They reach their foster... (full context)

...grabs his helmet, and leaves the light on when he leaves the room—he doesn’t want Malcolm and Tagoe to feel weird about entering. Malcolm, Tagoe, Francis, and Jenn-Lori are there; Rufus... (full context)

Francis speaks, and then Malcolm steps up. He says that Rufus matters more than most people. Tagoe cries and says... (full context)

Malcolm knows he isn’t dying today because he didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast, but his... (full context)

...to get Rufus arrested at his funeral. Peck insists that it’s not his fault that Malcolm and Tagoe are in jail. Aimee spits for Peck to leave her alone; Rufus has... (full context)

Rufus scrolls through Instagram. He’s certain that Malcolm and Tagoe are asleep, since they’re not texting back and they haven’t been on Instagram.... (full context)

...Lidia calling from her grandmother’s phone, but Mateo ignores it. Rufus tries again to call Malcolm and Tagoe, and then he FaceTimes Aimee. She picks up right before Rufus is ready... (full context)

...Rufus introduces Mateo, and says that things got crazy after Rufus left. She explains that Malcolm and Tagoe got arrested thanks to Peck. Enraged, Rufus storms away from Mateo, who looks... (full context)

...hard to contact him. Rufus insists that he’s done with Aimee, since her boyfriend landed Malcolm and Tagoe in jail. He insists he doesn’t have feelings for her and marches inside. (full context)

...Rufus through a chain-link fence. Rufus uploads a photo of some graffiti that he knows Malcolm would like as Mateo picks up a pair of shoes and says that this place... (full context)

...look on Rufus’s face when Rufus received the alert. In their holding cell, he and Malcolm are surprised that the cell smells like vomit but not urine. Tagoe takes off his... (full context)

...it’s the Plutos. Mateo explains to Lidia what this means as Rufus answers the FaceTime. Malcolm and Tagoe are surprised and overjoyed that Rufus is still alive. Mateo asks them to... (full context)

...hand, but he knows he has to hug his friends. Rufus hugs Aimee, Tagoe, and Malcolm in a group hug and says he loves them. They pull back, but Rufus hugs... (full context)

...away with Peck and his gang, hoping that they spend more time in jail than Malcolm and Tagoe did earlier. Aimee regrets her role in everything today, but she’s glad that... (full context)

...bed, Rufus scrolls through his phone and reads all the comments on his Instagram. Tagoe, Malcolm, and Aimee all leave heartfelt comments. Rufus texts them all that Mateo died, and he... (full context)