History Characters / BioshockInfinite

* AmbiguousDisorder: A lot of their character traits, such as trouble with empathy, their monotone voices, fixation on a small range of subjects (quantum physics) and occasionally rigid behaviors can come off as autistic. Robert is also seen stimming in one of Columbia's kinetoscope films.

* LadyMacbeth[=/=]MoreDeadlyThanTheMale: A downplayed example. Rosalind is the instigator in creating the trans-dimensional technology that caused all the trouble in the first place simply because she wanted to meet her male self, but she's also a fatalist who doesn't really care what people do or try to improve their lives. Robert, meanwhile, is more emotional and idealistic, forcing Rosalind to help him repair their mistake of separating [[spoiler:Booker and Anna]] on the threat of leaving her if she didn't help.

* {{Expy}}[=/=]{{Foil}}: She's a perfect counterpart to Atlas, the freedom fighter of Rapture in the previous games;

* OverprotectiveDad: How he comes off in the final product due to his role in raising young Elizabeth, fittingly for a Big Daddy {{Expy}}. Lampshaded by Rosalind Lutece in the DLC:
--> ''Fink's bird is a repulsive creature. But I suppose a prison needs a guard. What surprised me is not how the girl has imprinted upon the monster. After all, one might observe a baby chimpanzee to accept a wire replica for its mother. But I did not expect the brute to be capable of forming an attachment in return. Perhaps it could prove to be a better father than the [[spoiler:two]] she has known.''

* AdvertisedExtra: The creature appears in many of the game trailers and early game concepts had it as a recurring boss of the game, similar to Nemesis in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3'', and the player would decide on whether or not to attack Songbird or hide from it, which would affect Booker's relationship with Elizabeth and the overall ending. However, none of this is in the final game -- it only appears in a few scripted events, is never actually battled in game, and in the end [[spoiler:is easily killed by Elizabeth without a fight]].

* CoolMask: Unlike the Splicers in Rapture, who wear masks to hide their deformities, the many soldiers wear masks for protection.

* CoolMask: Unlike the Splicers in Rapture, who wear masks to hide their deformities, the soldiers sometimes wear masks to intimidate opponents.

* HeavilyArmoredMook: Toward the end of the game, the soldiers start wearing bulky leather armor, allowing them to take much more damage.

* NoIndoorVoice: Will loudly shout random Bible quotes during battle.

* PipePain: The melee units affiliated with the Vox carry what look like rusted metal pipe fragments.

* TheAtoner: How they view themselves. They've taken the death of the Lady Comstock ''personally'', lashing large coffins to their backs and vowing not to rest until "the Lady's killer is in chains". Enemy chatter indicates that this vow is wearing on their already tenuous sanity.

* GiantFlyer: Songbird is ''huge''. In fact, it makes a Big Daddy looks like a mouse in size comparison. During one of its encounters, Songbird's ''head'' could barely fit through a door. It's remarkably agile for its size and the fact it was apparently built in the late 1890s. [[spoiler:Episode Two of ''Burial at Sea'' reveals that this is because Songbird is actually a fusion of technology from 1890s Columbia ''and'' 1950s Rapture, created in conjunction with the Big Daddies.]]

* GiantFlyer: Essentially a Big Daddy with wings and a bird-themed helmet rather than a diving bell. It's remarkably agile for its size and the fact it was apparently built in the late 1890s. [[spoiler:Episode Two of ''Burial at Sea'' reveals that this is because Songbird is actually a fusion of technology from 1890s Columbia ''and'' 1950s Rapture, created in conjunction with the Big Daddies.]]

->''"This is what they want, brothers... To keep you so hungry, you can't speak but to beg... To keep you so ignorant, you can't think of solutions to all your problems... To keep you chasin' that almighty Silver Eagle, so you can buy everything they're sellin' to keep you down, brothers... But Daisy Fitzroy says there's another way... Another way comin' real soon..."''

->''"This is what they want, brothers... To keep you so hungry, you can't speak but to beg... To keep you so ignorant, you can't think of solutions to all your problems... To keep you chasin' that almighty Silver Eagle, so you can buy everything they're sellin' to keep you down, brothers... But Daisy Fitzroy says there's another way... Another way comin' real soon...

[[caption-width-right:192:''"Daisy Fitzroy says there's another way."'']]

-->''Not happy with your pay? Well, be of good cheer. History tells us the {{painter|s}} [[Creator/GeorgesSeurat Seurat]] would take no money for his art! Why, that UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington would only accept the presidency if he were paid a single dollar a year! So, don't let money come between you and your craft!''

-->''Not happy with your pay? Well, be of good cheer. History tells us the painter Seurat would take no money for his art! Why, that UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington would only accept the presidency if he were paid a single dollar a year! So, don't let money come between you and your craft!''

* WearingAFlagOnYourHead: Uniforms in white and blue, of course, and the higher-level female cops actually go into firefights ''dressed as Lady Liberty'', spiked metallic mask and all.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Fink outright admits in private that he doesn't buy an ounce of Comstock's rhetoric, and certainly doesn't see him as a divine or holy figure (one Voxophone hints he's actually an atheist). Certainly nothing wrong with that viewpoint, especially given what a monster Comstock is, but Fink takes complete advantage of Columbia's theocratic governmental structure. He actually persuaded Comstock to find an excuse to treat non-whites as lesser citizens in Columbia purely so he'd have a basis for how to exploit and mistreat his workforce. He also has no trouble exploiting peoples' loyalty and divine viewpoint of Comstock to get the best deal for himself.

* TheInsomniac: If he really does follow the schedule set by the large clock in his room exactly, then that would imply he only sleeps for a few hours a day. The evidence of him also having [[TheAlcoholic alcoholism]] may be related to this.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Fink outright admits in private that he doesn't buy an ounce of Comstock's rhetoric, and certainly doesn't see him as a divine or holy figure (one Voxophone hints he's actually an atheist). Certainly nothing wrong with that viewpoint, especially given what a monster Comstock is, but Fink takes complete advantage of Columbia's theocratic governmental structure. He actually persuaded Comstock to find an excuse to treat non-whites as lesser citizens in Columbia purely so he'd have a basis for how to exploit and mistreat his workforce. He also has no trouble exploiting peoples' loyalty and divine viewpoint of Comstock to get the best deal for himself
* HiddenDepths: In Burial at Sea, Elizabeth explores Fink’s tower and finds a giant clock with a huge segment labeled “WORK”, much smaller ones “PRAYER” and “TRAINING”, and the smallest being “LEISURE” and “SLEEP”. Your first thought is that this is for Fink’s workers with a 16-hour workday and deprivation of any meaningful rest and recreation. Then you realize it’s Fink’s own timetable. His bed is small, facing a myriad of security screens and surrounded by telephones. The leisure room is filled with diagrams and other work-related stuff, and the only item related to leisure is a confiscated film projector with Fitzroy’s propaganda. The guy may be despicable, but it's evident he puts himself through the same torturous labor he enforces on his own workers.

->''"Elizabeth. Isn't that a lovely name"''

->''"Pavlov made a dog salivate. We'll make this one weep"''

->''"Sweet mother of Columbia, why do we worship three symbols in your memory?"''

-->'''Slate:''' The Fitzroy woman and I are comrades of necessity. I doubt all the men who reddened Caesar's toga would still be seen breaking bread together in peacetime.

* TheOmnipresent: They were [[spoiler:scattered across space-time by their accident]], gaining the ability to appear wherever they wished. The metaphysics can be studied for ages, which is a good thing, because they aren't going anywhere soon... Although the whole experience makes poor Robert's head spin ("Had to have had been?" [[TimeTravelTenseTrouble "I don't think the syntax has been invented yet."]])
* OppositesAttract: Despire being BirdsOfAFeather, there are subtle differences in their personalities; Rosalind is more serious, while Robert is more of a goofball. Not to mention that, as Rosalind puts it, where she sees ''King Lear'', Robert sees only a blank page -- she is a fatalist, while Robert is more optimistic. Rosalind is far more intellectual and dispassionate, while Robert is more moral and idealistic.

* EmptyShell: [[spoilers:The bad future version of Elizabeth]] exposed them to their alternate selves in order to break apart their minds and free will, [[spoiler:in a similar vein to how it happened to herself at Comstock's hands in that future]]. All that's left of these former citizens are crazy, broken shells that attack intruders on command.

-->:''Comstock took my body away... wasn't even sick!''

[[folder:Boys of Silence]]

The mysterious (and creepy) guards of [[BedlamHouse Comstock House]]. If they detect an intruder, they raise the alarm and cause all nearby enemies to attack you.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Not quite to the same extent as the ''inmates'' of Comstock house, however.

* DemotedToExtra: The featured Heavy Hitters trailer implied they'd be scattered throughout the game on the streets of Columbia. Instead, they only appear in one level towards the end of the game; you only encounter about five. It was also implied you could kill them if you were stealthy enough, but in the final version, hitting them just alerts them to your presence before they vanish.
* EnemySummoner: When he detects you he calls in enemies to fight you.
* EyelessFace: The helmets have giant ear horns and no visible eyes. Yet, the Boys of Silence use a light to spot any intruders.

* MakeMeWannaShout: To summon other enemies. When they detect you, they emit a piercing shriek that alerts anyone around to your presence.

* RealityWarper: Able to pull in minions from other dimensions via Tears.

* VillainTeleportation: The Boys of Silence have a limited ability to open Tears of their own, allowing them to escape if threatened.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Frosty Splicer]]
!!Frosty Splicer
[[quoteright:169:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frosty_splicer.png]]
An enemy exclusive to the ''Burial at Sea'' DLC, these Splicers have consumed a massive amount of the Old Man Winter Plasmid, turning their bodies into ice.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bioshock_cop.PNG]]

* HotScientist: Purposely done - their character designer [[http://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2013/06/06/interview-in-conversation-with-claire-hummel-concept-artist-bioshock-infinite/ based them on]] the ideals of commercial beauty at the time -- Robert is an Arrow Collar man and Rosalind a Gibson Girl.

[[caption-width-right:287:"So I say, be... the bee!"]]

* DirtyCommunist: His pin morphs into a hammer-and-sickle the moment he turns hostile in the 2010 demo. Probably an early form of tear sickness.
* TheGhost: Was removed from the game despite being a major character in the trailers. The citizens still talk about him though, and his [[spoiler:flayed scalp]] makes an appearance in the final game, so most likely he is just behind the scenes.

* AssholeVictim: When Booker deactivates the Siphons at Comstock House, Elizabeth opens a Tear to an open field ravaged by a tornado which sucks both him and Pettifog, killing them.

* AssholeVictim: See Powell's entry above.

A Chinese gun manufacturer who has secretly agreed to supply guns to the Vox Populi.

* ButtMonkey: No matter what version of him Booker and Elizabeth encounter, he is never afforded much of a happy ending.

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JenniferHale and Oliver Vaquer

[[folder:Preston Downs]]

* {{Expy}}: He's essentially the Columbian version of Diane McClintock from Rapture, as an AllegoricalCharacter representing the city itself and its shifting viewpoints due to the power struggles between their respective opposing factions. Namely, he starts off as a common Founder-alligned citizen until the gravity of the conflict comes knocking at his door and wakes him up to the real consequences of the conflict, leading him to sign up with the opposers as the Vox Populi rise in power.

[[caption-width-right:266:''Will you be cleansed?'']]

Johnny Law is the first of the hostiles you'll encounter. They carry truncheons, pistols, or even Sky-Hooks. Interestingly for Columbia's gender dynamics, many of them are female and many of the female officers are highly ranked and obeyed without question.
---

* KillerCop: They show absolutely zero hesitation in executing suspects.
* OldFashionedCopper: It's nineteen-twelve. They aren't enlightened.

* RabidCop: They certainly do a whole lot of yelling.
* StarterVillain: As a group; They are only fought in the Raffle Square before vanishing and being replaced by soldiers. [[SchmuckBait That is, unless you decide to steal stuff in Soldier's Field or the Finkton Docks]].

The most common foe you'll face. Many of them are from the Founders' army, but others are disenfranchised troops led by Cornelius Slate, and still others are militant rebels of the Vox Populi.

!!Automatons
[[quoteright:266:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bioshockautomaton.PNG]]
Mechanical machinations that serve as a means of security for Columbia.

* BottomlessMagazines: They never seem to run out of ammo.

Armored soldiers who carry grenade launchers or rocket-propelled grenades.

* ArmorIsUseless: Sure, they wear bulky blast armor. But it can so easily be shot off.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}s: They, like the soldiers, will shout random Bible quotes during battle.
* CoolGuns: They carry a Pig Flak, Hail Fire, or Barnstormer.
* CoolHelmet: Some of the Founder Beasts have golden lion helmets, while Vox Beasts wear helmets in the shape of bull heads.

* MightyGlacier: It takes some effort to bring them down... [[spoiler:unless you use Possession on them.]]

* UniqueEnemy: The very first Beast you see wears the same uniform as Slate's troops.

--> '''''"BURN IN THE NAME OF OUR PROPHET!"'''''

Heavily-armored members of Columbia's military. Equipped with the Devil's Kiss Vigor, they are often sent into situations that ordinary police officers or soldiers cannot handle alone.

* AxCrazy: '''''YOUR FLESH WILL BLACKEN AND CHAAARRRR!''''' They have a tendency to spout many fire related threats, and sometimes even shout nonsense that has nothing to to do with the situation at hand.
* ClingyCostume: They have been sealed into those suits. Their exact appearance underneath is unknown, but it's implied that the suit helps keep them alive.

* {{Expy}}:
** They are very similar to [[VideoGame/StarCraft the Terran Firebats]] and [[{{TabletopGame/Warhammer 40000}} Fanatics from Warhammer 40K]].
** Thematically, they also call to mind the firemen from Literature/{{Fahrenheit 451}}, specifically, being charged with purging socially undesirable things. The game version is rather less discriminate than their namesake, however.

* OneWayVisor: Presumably they can see out, but from the outside it looks mirrored. This is TruthInTelevision with welding masks. The mask is very reflective so the sparks from welding don't blind the welder with light alone.

--> '''"No rest! No rest until the Lady's killer is in chains!"'''

Elite members of the Fraternal Order of the Raven, the Zealots of the Lady and their underlings are a religious movement that demonize UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln for his role in ending slavery in America and venerate his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, as a saint. While she was alive, they also worshipped Lady Comstock, hence their name; they blame themselves for failing to prevent her untimely death, and have sworn to vanquish the enemies of Columbia in their Lady's name. Furthermore, their devotion to blackbirds has led them to adopt the Murder of Crows Vigor as their weapon of choice, making the cultists challenging foes. Up close, they wield deadly swords to supplement their Vigor powers.

* AxCrazy: They're quite clearly mad, carrying around coffins and occasionally talking to the late Lady Comstock.

* {{Expy}}: Imagine a Houdini Splicer with ''Insect Swarm'' instead of ''Incinerate!''; dressed in a BlackCloak and spouting ReligiousHorror instead of a more personal brand of crazy nonsense.

* TheKlan: Strongly reminiscent of them, particularly with their hooded uniforms.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: The Fraternal Order of the Raven takes this to an extreme -- they're a turbo-charged, super-powered, government-sanctioned Ku Klux Klan.

-->''[[AC:"The Lord judges. '''I act.'''"]]''

A "Heavy Hitter" enemy that resembles a clockwork president. Originally designed as tour guides, they were given ridiculously unnecessary amounts of armor and firepower to help combat foreign spies, and now serve as mobile tanks.

* EvilIsHammy: Their dialogue in general seems to be this way.

* PropagandaMachine: A literal one, embodying all of Columbia's values: cacophonic jingoism, raw militarism, and historical white-washing (pun intended).

-->'''"I miss my old body! It was so... ''so warm!'' "'''

Handymen are primitive {{cyborg}}s employed in Columbia as brute labor. They are created from the merging of a crude exoskeleton (with the proportions of an ape) and human bodies, most of them unwilling. Due to the imperfect nature of the process, most "Handymen" have lost their sanity and are in constant pain.

!!Main Characters

!!The Founders

--> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/LauraBailey

->''"To those who loved me, I was the most generous of souls. There was no pain I would deny them. No betrayal I would not gladly give. And when I had scorched the hearts of all who loved me, the Prophet said, 'There is nothing you can do for which I will not forgive you, for God has granted me sight, and through His eyes, even you are loved.'"''

The late wife of Comstock who supposedly gave birth to Elizabeth a mere seven days after conception. She is worshipped as a martyr after her (supposed) assassination at the hands of Daisy Fitzroy.

* HeelFaithTurn: Before she met Comstock, Annabelle Watson used to take advantage of many suitors.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: [[spoiler: Comstock kills her (and the Luteces) once she catches on that Elizabeth is not their daughter in order to keep that information from reaching the public.]]

* {{Leitmotif}}: A section of Mozart's Requiem is associated with her. [[spoiler:As the Siren, she sings a heavily distorted version of the song]].

--> '''Voiced by:''' Bill Lobley

The major leader of industry within Columbia. Though affable, his business practices are wildly unethical, to the point where he demands sixteen-hour work days and ruthlessly exploits the underclass of Columbia in the name of profit.

* AnimalMotifs: Jeremiah loves to employ them in his propoganda to keep workers in line. Workers are cattle, those in charge are lions, and those who don't work are hyenas. He also tells his employs to be like the bee, a constant worker.

The relentless mechanical guardian of Elizabeth. He resembles a cross between a dragon and a giant bird, and seems hell-bent on preventing Elizabeth from escaping Columbia.

* AchillesHeel: For all his impressive strength and resilience, Songbird's body was not designed to cope with constant water pressure; after diving into Battleship Bay in an attempt to pursue and kill Booker, the pressure at less than thirty feet is enough to actually fracture one of its eyes and force it to retreat. [[spoiler:In the finale, Elizabeth takes advantage of this weakness by teleporting the Songbird, Booker and herself to Rapture -- ensuring that Songbird arrives at the bottom of the ocean.]]

* {{Expy}}: In-universe, he was created based on Fink's observations of the Big Daddies of Rapture, which explains his need to protect Elizabeth, an alternate Little Sister. His eye color change is even identical. In terms of obsession and because of his mysterious past and transformation, he is similar to Subject Delta.

* DirtyCommunist: His pin morphs into a hammer sickle the moment he turns hostile in the 2010 demo. Probalby an early form of tear sickness.

->'''Voiced By:''' T. Ryder Smith

The founder of the Fraternal Order of the Raven, affiliated with the Founders Party.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: As expected from a [[TheKlan KKK]] {{Expy}}, he and his Order are heavily racist.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: As well as TheUnfought. He appears only on a single Voxophone recording. He may be either the priest at the Order sermon or the Zealot mini-boss shortly after (both of whom Booker dispatches quickly), but this is not confirmed.

->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/LauraBailey

A citizen of Columbia and a high-ranking member of the city's police.

* CigaretteOfAnxiety: She goes through half a pack waiting for the ambush.

!!Dr. P. Pettifog
->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/YuriLowenthal

!!Vox Populi

-->'''Voiced by:''' Kimberly D. Brooks

!!Cornelius Slate

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KeithSzarabajka

-->'''Voiced by:''' Vic Chao

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JenniferHale and Oliver Vaquer

Two mysterious twins who keep appearing before Booker in the most improbable of places.

* AlternateSelf: They are confirmed to be [[spoiler: alternate universe versions of each other.]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Richard Herd

* ForgottenFirstMeeting: [[spoiler: As it turns out, Booker and Witting previously met 20 years ago when the latter offered to baptize Booker and wash away his sins. Neither of them recognize the other when they meet again though Witting at least has the excuse of being blind]].

->''"Are you a Duke... or a Dimwit?"''

* EnsembleDarkHorse: Implied to be the case with Dimwit. One store clerk offhandedly mentions they have trouble keeping Dimwit merch in stock. Which means people love Dimwit [[WartsAndAll not despite, but because of his flaws]]... or parents have very low opinions of their children.

[[folder: The Interracial Couple]]

Present at the beginning of the game. The are presented at the Raffle Square. With the lucky winner having the "Prize" of throwing a baseball at them.

* BlackGalOnWhiteGuyDrama: Their crime? Being Romantically involved.
* DarkestAfrica: The stage they were displayed (and tied up) on, had wood cuttings depicting this

-->'''Voiced by:''' Courtnee Draper

[[folder: The Interracial Couple

[[/folder]]