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BEWARE. UNMARKED. SPOILERS.
The System / SUPERHOT
The thing that created the game you're playing. A Hive Mind with the goal of spreading its influence to as many humans as it can through the mind-shaping program of Superhot.exe.
- MIND IS SOFTWARE. BODIES ARE DISPOSABLE. THE SYSTEM WILL SET YOU FREE.
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Assuming it is an AI.
- Ambiguous Situation: Is it a rogue AI? An alien? An Eldritch Abomination? A Sentient Cosmic Force? The Illuminati? A metaphor? As long as you're guessing, the System has you where it wants you.
- Antagonist Title: The true name of the System is implied to be SUPERHOT, which the program Superhot.exe is named after.
- The Assimilator: The System's goal is to integrate as many human minds into itself as possible.
- Big Bad: The intelligence behind Superhot.exe, the titular tool for brainwashing its users into becoming its mindless drones, which uses very violent methods to enforce its dominance.
- Caps Lock: It always speaks in all capital letters, likely as a part of its subliminal messaging to establish the dominance and importance of its words.
- Didn't Think This Through: Its plan to shape the minds of its players into endlessly wanting more and more of it ends up working a little too well with Avar1ce, whose endless hunger for more content drives it absolutely crazy.
- Digital Abomination: Heavily implied. Some of Superhot.exe's behaviour and abilities seem to be above a standard rogue AI. And in some of its dialogue, the entity claims to be "as big as air" and "not created but discovered". It's hard to tell what's the truth though.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Superhot.exe is an extremely addictive program that makes you see things that may or may not be real and eventually traps your mind in an endless cycle of wanting more of it and nothing else, destroying your life and relationships in the process.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: The System makes it clear as day that Superhot.exe is NOT a game, but a tool for shaping the minds of those who play it. Of course, that doesn't deter any players from treating it like a game.
- The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: The System frequently uses this trope to establish dominance.
- Happiness in Mind Control: The System seems to believe its actions are "setting people free from themselves", which all humans really want.
- Manipulative Bastard: Necessary since it can't apparently outright Mind Control victims, but has to "tenderize" them first so they can be Brainwashed.
- Multiple-Choice Past: The "Truth" subsection of the beginning EULA has several totally not fabricated origins of the System made to keep readers busy from discovering the actual truth, whatever it might be. In general, the way the System and Superhot.exe works is purposely inconsistent and vague to add to the Mind Screw factor.
- The Omnipresent: Implied.Player: How big is SUPERHOT?System: HOW BIG IS AIR?
- Pyramid Power: In both SUPERHOT and VR, the System's center of power is represented by a pyramid. In both cases, though, it seems to be just another Red Herring and the pyramid is only symbolic. Why would it reveal its only possible weak point?
- Read the Fine Print: The beginning of SUPERHOT has an End User License Agreement that flashes across the screen so fast it's impossible to read in the moment, and by launching the game you agree to it. Said EULA grants the System ownership of all the user's physical and metaphysical possessions, the ability to harm or destroy these possessions in "retaliation" to anything it perceives to be a "threat", and full protection from any legal actions against it by the user, all lasting until and beyond the Natural End of Time.
- Reality Warper: Seems to have this ability, given that the simulations in Superhot.exe are real to some extent.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: It often uses this color scheme for its messages outside of Superhot.exe.
- Subliminal Seduction: SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT.
- Unreliable Narrator: Almost 100% of the things it says are some form of lies or deception, and it's also your only source of information.
- Would Hurt a Child: The Nindża is adolescent, and possibly a child.
Protagonists
Hacker
The protagonist of SUPERHOT VR. While playing Superhot.exe, they're recruited into a Hacker Collective with the goal of destroying the System once and for all. Or so it seems.
- Ambiguously Human: They have robotic-looking hands in the real world that don't seem to be gloves.
- Heroic Mime: The only protagonist who never speaks or communicates in any way, shape or form.
- Hero Protagonist: The only protagonist who seems to actually have a benevolent objective, that being to destroy the System.
- No Name Given: The only clue as to their identity is that their room in the real world is called "Hacker Room" in a Steam trading card.
- Psi Blast: Instead of the Hotswitch, they get the Mind Wave which is a long-range attack using both hands that explodes an enemy's head.
- Unwitting Pawn: Throughout the game they're led to believe they're on a mission to destroy the System, but the end seems to indicate that it was all a trick and they just became another mindless drone.
Avar1ce
The protagonist of SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete. After discovering Superhot.exe, they dive deeper and deeper into its rabbit hole in a desperate search for MORE content in the hopes of eventually making sense of it all and finding a true ending.
- Assimilation Backfire: The System gets people addicted to Superhot.exe by fulfilling whatever desires they have through it, whether it's something material, spiritual or they just really like playing the game. Avar1ce wants nothing but more Superhot content and goes to unprecedented lengths to get more of it, even more than the System can keep up with, leading to it just wanting them to go away.
- Catchphrase: MORE.
- Determinator: Despite all setbacks, risks and discouragement from the System, Avar1ce absolutely refuses to quit until they've discovered everything that Superhot.exe is hiding, and not even then. Whenever it seems like the end, they deny it and keep digging deeper. Even after the System forces them to give up all gameplay mechanics so they literally can't do anything, they STILL KEEP GOING. The ending of the game even forces you, the player, to wait for 8 HOURS STRAIGHTnote before you can continue. Avar1ce's Greed is so strong that even the System can't keep up with it.
- Drunk with Power: Their obsession for more content includes desire to unlock more powers and upgrades for killing enemies.
- Greed: Their Code Name is a synonym for it, and it's what powers them throughout the game.
- Horrifying the Horror: The System sometimes seems to be disturbed by Avar1ce's insatiable greed and the lengths they go to for more content, and by the end the System just wishes they would leave it alone.
- Meaningful Name: Avarice is a synonym for Greed, reflecting their insatiable desire for more SUPERHOT content.
- Power Copying: They eventually get the abilities of all three Minds, including one of their own which gets them more Hit Points.
- Seeker Archetype: Their initial motivation for diving into Superhot.exe's rabbit hole is to find the meaning behind the madness by piecing together every little Story Breadcrumb they can squeeze out.
Minds
In General
The human minds that the System has already brainwashed and integrated into its Hive Mind, now mindless drones addicted to Superhot.exe and eager to do whatever is told of them. They appear as invincible mini-bosses in Mind Control Delete.
- Ambiguously Human: After merging with the System and presumably destroying their bodies, calling them human would be a bit of a stretch.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Implied to be what happens to those who are fully assimilated into the System.System (02ALLEY secret): ...WE HOLD OUR OLD SHAPES FOR A TIME, UNTIL, LIKE A CAN OF CANDY BEVERAGE THROWN INTO THE OCEAN, OUR SHELLS DISSOLVE AND WE EXPERIENCE ALL.
- Code Name: Obviously they aren't actually named "Dog", "Ninja" and "Addict".
- Fatal Flaw: Each has one that led them to fall under the System's control. Dog has anxiety, Nindża has anger, and Addict has addiction.
- Hive Mind: Though they still have different personalities and abilities, they're all considered one with the System.
- Human Weapon: They're treated as this by the System.
- The Juggernaut: They can't be killed by any means, will relentlessly try to kill you for the entire level they appear in and are more powerful than normal Mooks due to their special abilities.
- Meaningful Name: Their Code Names all reflect their personalities and what drove them under the System's control. The Nindża, at least, is named after the fact he has a katana.
- Mini-Boss: They appear in the middle of levels in Mind Control Delete, can't be killed and have special abilities.
Dog
The first Mind encountered in Mind Control Delete. Unlike the System's other pawns who were controlled by some sort of wish fulfillment at the cost of free will, Dog was simply tortured and conditioned into Blind Obedience.
- BOUND BY ANXIETY
- all lowercase letters: Dog's thoughts are in all lowercase with no punctuation to reflect both its deteriorated intelligence and meekness.
- Behavioral Conditioning: Dog's .mem files imply this, in this case 'obey = food, warm, love, mistake = cold, hurts, empty'.
- Being Tortured Makes You Evil: The method the System used to brainwash it.
- Blind Obedience: Unlike the other Minds who always had something to gain from the System, Dog only wants to obey commands as a result of its torture.
- Driven to Madness: As a result of being tortured into obedience by the System, Dog's intelligence deteriorated to that of an animal and it only has a desire to obey the System's orders and kill.
- Lightning Bruiser: Dog only attacks with its bare hands and has a Flash Step charge attack.
- More than Mind Control: Through Behavioral Conditioning, Dog had its mind altered so all it wants to do is obey the System, though its intelligence drastically deteriorated as a result.
- Previous Player-Character Cameo: Though never outright stated, it's heavily implied to be the player character from the original SUPERHOT (though it's also possible that they are the Addict), who was repeatedly referred to as a "dog" in some levels. Particularly of note is one of the secret terminals:Player: Why do you call me a dog?System: AW LOOK. IT'S TRYING TO SPEAK.
- Tragic Monster: Through torture and Behavioral Conditioning, Dog was transformed from a functioning person into an animal completely dependent on obeying the System's commands and killing people for happiness.
Nindża
The second Mind encountered in Mind Control Delete. A young man plagued by deep hatred, addicted to Superhot.exe's katana mode. After murdering a hated classmate, he was expelled from school and diagnosed with mental illnesses. He sold his mind to the System in exchange for the deaths of everyone he felt had wronged him.
- BOUND BY ANGER
- Ax-Crazy: He quickly devolved into this after being exposed to Superhot.exe.
- Deal with the Devil: He gave up his mind to the System in exchange for the deaths of everyone he felt had wronged him.
- Enfant Terrible: Though his age isn't specified, he's established to be in school so he may be this.
- Freudian Excuse: He's heavily implied to have been bullied at school by a classmate named Michael who was unjustly pardoned after injuring his arm, and whom he later murdered in retaliation.
- Highly-Visible Ninja: He's the same bright red as every other Mook.
- Murder Makes You Crazy: He killed one classmate who had been bullying him in apparent self-defense, and later wishes death upon everyone else who expelled him from school and diagnosed his mental illness.
- Revenge: His primary motivation.
- Summon to Hand: His ability is to throw his katana and call it back to his hand.
- Throwing Your Sword Always Works: One of his attacks is to throw his katana at you.
- Vague Age: He's in school, but what grade isn't specified. He could be a teenager or even a child.
Addict
The third and final Mind encountered in Mind Control Delete. They're heavily implied to be the protagonist of the first SUPERHOT, who was persuaded into trying out Superhot.exe by a brainwashed friend and quickly grew hopelessly addicted to it.
- BOUND BY ADDICTION
- Descent into Addiction: The original SUPERHOT has this as the protagonist's Character Arc, and their appearance here shows the aftermath.
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: Has the Hotswitch ability from the first SUPERHOT, though it doesn't hurt the player when it's used on them.
- Hyperspace Arsenal: In Mind Control Delete, they can pull an assortment of guns out of nowhere and at will. Oddly enough, since the player never has the ability to store weapons like that in any of the games.
- Rogue Protagonist: They're heavily implied to be the protagonist of the first SUPERHOT game.
- Too Dumb to Live: In the first SUPERHOT, the System makes it clear that it knows where the protagonist lives and the fourth wall will not protect them. Despite this, they're already too far gone and continue to play Superhot.exe.
Enemies
In General
The Mooks you slaughter throughout each game.
- Ambiguous Situation: Are they real people? Are they constructs made by the System? Are they even your enemies?
- Artificial Stupidity: Bare-handed enemies will charge at you in a straight line when you have a gun.
- Good Colors, Evil Colors: They're your enemies and they're red, though their status as evil is very questionable.
- Hero-Tracking Failure: Averted. Enemies with guns actually know to shoot ahead of your movement, though you have Bullet Time powers so it doesn't help them much.
- Made of Plasticine: You can literally shatter their limbs like glass with your bare hands.
- Mooks
- One-Hit-Point Wonder: They die in one hit from anything other than your bare fists or thrown objects, and in VR, they can't even survive one hit from your fists.
- Rule of Three: In SUPERHOT and Mind Control Delete, you need to punch them three times in a row to kill them (unless you have a powerup or another modifier).
Basic
The normal enemy type, and the only enemy in SUPERHOT and VR.
- The Goomba: The weakest enemy type in Mind Control Delete due to lacking a gimmick.
- Mascot Mook: They're often at the front of marketing images for SUPERHOT games.
Glitched
Enemies with their weapons fused to them, meaning they're impossible to disarm and you can't retrieve their weapon when they die.
- Cyborg: They were originally called this.
Concrete
Enemies made of concrete with one limb made of flesh.
- Attack Its Weak Point: You generally have to hit the exposed limb to kill them, though the concrete can be destroyed with an upgraded punch or railgun.
Mushroom
Enemies that explode into Bullet Hell when they die.
- Action Bomb: They explode into a spray of bullets in every direction when they die.
- Festering Fungus: The name implies they have spiky fungus growing out of them.
