Doesn't Like Guns: Not for any philosophical reason, mind you - his electricity powers will cause the ammunition to explode, and Cole would rather his fingers stayed attached to his hands. Of course, he can also use this to disable turrets.
Power Incontinence: He can't use guns because the ammunition will explode if he touches them, and he can't drive because his powers ignite fossil fuels.
Super Drowning Skills: Justified. Cole's powers causes him to short circuit if he is even partly submerged.
The Ego: To Kuo's Super Ego and Nix's Id. Somewhere along the way in the sequel, he makes himself the peace maker and riot shield between his female counterparts, if only to move things along.
Walking Techbane: Subverted in that he works very well with electronics - the first application of his powers is charging the generators on Zeke's roof. It's gunpowder and fossil fuels that he finds hard to work with.
Good Cole
Being Good Sucks: Choosing the good road means you have to take hits for the team. A lot of hard hits for the team.
Fallen Hero: Can choose to abandon his morality to save himself and all other Conduits at the cost of the rest of humanity at the end of the second game.
Dark Messiah: In the second game, Evil Cole ends up becoming one of these when the Beast transfers his power to him.
Evil Makes You Ugly: As Cole continues his trip down the Karma Meter, his clothes get dirtier and his skin becomes paler and covered in black smudges, and eventually, his eyes turn white. In the second game, this is played far subtler: though the pale, veiny skin remains, the main changes are in the colour of his clothes and the layout of his tattoos.
Evil Is Easy: The game is much easier if you don't care about collateral damage.
The end of game has you fighting alongside the final boss, just destroying things, and ends with three simple volt attacks against Zeke.
Jerkass: Mainly in the first game; in the second game, he seems generally unconcerned with the consequences of his actions rather than actively malicious.
Redemption Equals Death: Can choose not to let humanity die at the end of the second game, but at the cost of every Conduit's life, including his own. Of course, given that you have to be good to choose the good ending, this means that before you can do this, you're saddled with the job of turning your reputation around, assuming you still have enough opportunities to do so.
The Social Darwinist: The evil ending of the first game gives him this position. Not quite so in the second.
From Nobody to Nightmare: Once a homeless man with just enough psychic powers to survive the streets of Empire City, now one of the top three gang-leaders in the area and capable of lifting a bus with his mind.
Humongous Mecha: Assembles one with his telekinetic powers to fight Cole.
The main antagonist of inFamous and the leader of the First Sons. His powers resemble Cole's, but are much more powerful. This is because he is actually Cole from the future, who has gone back in time as part of his plan to save the world from a destructive monster known as "The Beast".
A doctor working hard to help the citizens of Empire City to recover from the catastrophe, and Cole's girlfriend. She leaves him early in the game, as she believes him to be responsible for the Blast, which cost the life of her sister, Amy.
Ungrateful Bitch: Can feel like this when playing Evil. Justified, given how most of your actions make things worse for her (particularly with the water towers), but the conclusion of "Trish Reaches Out" is just cold.
What the Hell, Hero?: Making a deal with Kessler, and giving the Ray sphere to him.
Dallas a.k.a. The Voice of Survival
A government critical DJ who regularly hacks the TV broadcast in order to give news updates and survival tips to the citizens of Empire City. He blames Cole for the disaster, and tries to make all his actions look like crimes.
Unwitting Pawn: She was used by Kessler to his own ends. She doesn't take kindly to this fact.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She claims she serves the greater good. Though it's debatable whether or not she's being honest or justifying her self serving actions.
John White
An undercover FBI agent within the First Sons and husband of Moya, who has recently gone silent. Cole is ordered by Moya to search for him. He later contacts Cole, and explains that he is in fact working for the NSA and that he has never been married. He then recruits Cole to recover and destroy the Ray Sphere. However, as Cole carries out the second part of the plan, John is absorbed by the blast and is seemingly killed. He returns in inFamous 2, revealing himself as The Beast, having been empowered from the Ray Sphere at the same time it ripped his body apart atom by atom.
Not Quite Dead/Came Back Wrong: He was able to recreate his body after it was destroyed by the Ray Sphere in the first game. According to him, due to the pain, he went temporarily insane, which is why he attacks Cole at the start of the sequel.
The immensely powerful conduit whom Cole was told to prepare to fight against in the next game by himself from the future. Kessler failed to defeat him in his timeline and his plan was to help Cole be able to fight him, though Empire City is destroyed completely right in the beginning of the second game.
Tropes:
Affably Evil: Makes it clear that he bears humanity no ill will, and only turned to his unique method of activating conduits because he honestly thought it was the only way. He even apologises for attacking Cole once he's coherent enough to speak.
Amplifier Artifact: Acts as this for Cole during the evil ending; so long as Cole remains in the Beast's immediate vicinity, his battery cores are in a state of constant recharge and his static thrusters allow him to fly.
Miles To Go Before I Sleep: In the Evil Ending, the Beast admits to being deeply tired of killing, and that he would have preferred to remain dead if he hadn't had a mission to complete — hence the reason why he transfers his power to Cole.
Pulling Themselves Together: Most of the attempts at killing him result in these kind of moments. Also, this was actually how the Beast was first created: when the Ray Sphere accidentally disintegrated John White, he gradually put himself back together again, cell by cell — becoming the Beast in the process.
Super Empowering: Comes in three flavours: #1 He can awaken the powers of potential conduits just like the Ray Sphere does. #2 He can supercharge the already existing powers of conduits. #3 He can transfer all of his own power to another conduit.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: His purpose is the creation of conduits in order to stop the spread of the plague, even if it results in normal humanity dying out.
Introduced in In Famous 2
Lucy Kuo
An NSA agent who assists Cole in preparation for stopping the Beast.
Face Heel Turn: It turns out that she would rather join the Beast, letting millions die, than to sacrifice herself. You fight her in the middle of the final boss battle.
Before the end, she admits this and encourages Cole to kill the Conduits, herself included.
I Just Want to Be Normal: Choosing Nix over her in the Power Exchange decision results in a particularly venomous rant about this.
Last Name Basis: Of every single character in the game, only Wolfe refers to her first name, and that's only in the Dead Drops, where he'd be more or less required to. No one ever says it to her face, even Wolfe; this gets especially ridiculous, as Kuo herself calls him a "father figure".
The Spock: To Cole's Ego and Nix's Id. As stated in the trailer and the game itself, Kuo is the voice of order among the three and provides arguments to do good deeds. This is averted crazily in the end.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Whenever someone else suggests achieving a goal by trying to help people and get them to fight by your side willingly, Nix doesn't just scoff at it but acts like they're crazy for even thinking of it. From what she tells us of her childhood, she probably hasn't met too many nice people in her life.
The Id: To Cole's Ego and Kuo's Super Ego. She's generally a twisted sadist, but it's justified given her past and lifestyle. Unlike Kuo, this is only slightly averted in the end because her only reason for opposing the Beast is revenge for her "babies".
I Just Want To Stay Special: One of the reasons why she sides with the humans instead of the conduits. She fears that when everybody has powers, her own powers won't be special anymore and she will just be a nobody again.
The charismatic leader of The Militia and the self-appointed ruler of New Marais. He uses his army to hunt and kill Conduits, who he has labeled "deviants".
Blessed with Suck: His Conduit talents manifest as turning into a gigantic abomination against God and man whenever his emotional or physical state overwhelms his will, and making people into smaller versions of said abomination. By the way, all the abominations are flesh-eating and close to completely uncontrollable.
Fantastic Racism: He wants to commit genocide on Conduits, considering them to be monsters. How ironic.
Hollywood Exorcism: One mission towards the end of the game shows that he apparently has a habit of performing his own brand of exorcisms on Conduits. However, this exorcism is just his setup for transforming them into the Corrupted.
Hypocrite: He is literally and metaphorically the biggest monster in the series.
Insane Troll Logic: Bertrand has a very well-concealed version of this; his stated reason for setting the Conduits up for genocide is that, as "creations of science," they don't fit into the divine plan. In reality, he was more than happy to be one until it turned out that the only power he'd gained was a hideous and uncontrollable transformation into a monster. So, in his reasoning, if he had become a monster by activating his powers, then all Conduits, active or otherwise, were monsters.
Personality Powers: The corrupt, over-the-top, self-aggrandising preacher who turns half the city into Cole's enemy has the power to transform into an Eldritch Abomination and convert other people into monsters.
Villainous Breakdown: During one of Wolf's dead drops, Bertrand has a full-blown temper-tantrum when he discovers the nature of his powers, complete with furious accusations, death threats, anguished pleas to God, broken glass, and a loud and angry shout of "I AM NOT HAPPY!"
Dr. Sebastian Wolf
A scientist who had worked with Kessler and the First Sons. Cole seeks him in New Marais for assistance in stopping the Beast.
Leader of the rebellion movement against Bertrand's militia.
Tropes:
Dirty Old Man: As well as spending quite a bit of time apparently distracted by Kuo's ass, he also mentions his fondness for cat fights when Kuo and Nix start arguing.
Prior to the Ray Sphere detonation, the Reapers were a very loose collection of drug dealers and petty criminals; however, after the quarantine was declared in Empire City and Sasha became their leader, the gang quickly took over much of the Neon District.
Brainwashed and Crazy: Thanks to Sasha's influence; captured citizens initiated into the gang are forcefed her mind-control tar until they are completely under her control.
Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Occasionally, the Reapers can be seen spitting or puking black fluid.
Water Source Tampering: One of the bigger plot points in the Neon District is that the Reapers are pumping Sasha's tar into the water supply.
The Dustmen
A gang largely comprised of homeless people, the Dustmen rule the Warren district in the wake of the disaster in Empire City. Working to serve the desires of their leader, Alden Tate, they have begun abducting engineers and construction workers to build a monument in his honour- and searching for the Ray Sphere.
Gang of Hats: They've taken to wearing masks and coats out of garbage bags (hence their other nickname: "Trashbaggers").
Giant Spider / Scary Scorpions: Lower-tier Dustmen Conduits build telekinetically-animated spider/scorpion-mechs the size of dogs for use in combat.
Golem: Evoked, given that both in-game hints and characters refer to the armourclad Boss In Mooks Clothing as a "golem."
Instant Armour / Humongous Mecha: The signiature weapon of high-level Dustmen Conduits, made out of any trash or scrap metal in the area and quickly assembled around the Conduit's body.
Mind Over Matter: Much like Alden, the Conduits employed by the Dustmen specialize in telekinesis, using it to create monsters and suits of armour out of trash and scrap metal.
Trash of the Titans: Under Tate's rule, a lot of the Warren has degerated into this- even moreso than any other district in Empire City.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Apparently, the professionals kidnapped to build the tower would be worked to death or executed when it was finished.
The First Sons
Not exactly a gang per se, the First Sons are actually a secret society of Conduits with a private army that's taken over Empire City's Historic District. With a history that can be traced all the way back to colonialSalem, branches all over America, and a heavy emphasis on the propagation and mastery of Conduit powers, they are also under Kessler's control, and directly responsible for the Blast.
Instant Armour / Energy Beings: Some of the First Sons Conduits can project giant energy-composed duplicates of themselves, both for attack and defence.
Invisibility: Some of their Conduits have mastered this.
Sliding Scale Of Shiny Versus Gritty: In sharp comparison to the Reapers and the Dustmen, the First Sons wear clean uniforms and use highly-polished weaponry and tech.
Surveillance Drone: These are actually encountered outside the Historic District, being used by Kessler to spy on other parts of the city.
The Militia
Established and organised by Joseph Bertrand, the Militia has been in control of New Marais ever since the Corrupted began attacking the city. Ostensibly in place to restore and preserve order until government assistance can arrive, the Militia are extremely repressive towards the citizens- especially Conduits, who Bertrand has declared war on.
Tropes:
Elite Mooks: As they don't use Conduits, the Militia employ heavily-armoured men with miniguns as elite infantry.
A race of monsters that emerged from the swamps following the hurricane, the Corrupted periodically attack the city in large packs. They are actually the victims of Bertrand's Conduit powers, used to fool the public into supporting him.
Tropes:
Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: Subverted- their origins are gradually explained, although they do show up largely unannounced.
A world-famous unit of South African mercenaries. Hired by Bertrand, they were given ice-based superpowers - extracted from Lucy Kuo - and put in stasis for later sale to dictators around the world; unfortunately they were accidentally released by Cole, resulting in them taking over the flooded areas of New Marais.
Tropes:
An Ice Person: All of them have ice powers to a certain extent: some of them can propel themselves across great distances by creating explosions of ice under them, while more advanced members tower over the battlefield on pillars of ice and freeze their enemies solid. The most powerful of the Vermaak protect themselves with giant suits of armour composed of solid ice- which eventually leads to them actually becoming ice.
Psycho for Hire: Averted- Wolf's dead-drops show that the Vermaak were perfectly stable prior to gaining superpowers; it took their transformation into Forced Conduits to bring them into the state of Blast Core-obsessed violence they're seen in.
Sanity Slippage: At least one of the mercenaries managed to retain his sanity, and even tried to aid Cole in stopping his former comrades. Sadly, as he grows more powerful, he also gets progressively more deranged, until he loses all control and has to be put down.
Vader Breath: At least one of the heavy infantry units spoke with this.
With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: As ordinary humans not physiologically equipped to handle Conduit powers, the Vermaak have been driven almost completely insane by their transformation into Forced Conduits.
