History Characters / Metro2033

'''Metro 2033 Characters''' | [[Characters/Metro2034 Metro 2034 Characters]] | [[Characters/MetroLastLight Metro: Last Light Characters]] | [[Characters/Metro2035 Metro 2035 Characters]] | [[Characters/MetroExodus Metro Exodus Characters]] ([[Characters/MetroExodusAuroraCrew Aurora Crew]]) | [[Characters/MetroMajorFactions Major Factions]] | [[Characters/MetroExodusMutantsAndParanormalPhenomena Mutants and Paranormal Phenomena]]-]]]]]

[[redirect:Characters/{{Metro}}]]

Character page for the ''Metro'' novels and video games.

[[foldercontrol]]

! Introduced in ''Metro 2033''
[[folder: Artyom]]
!!Artyom
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/artyomlastlightcestlavie.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Oleg Mirochnikov (''Metro 2033''), Christopher L. Parson (''Last Light'', ''Redux'')

The PlayerCharacter of ''Metro 2033'' and ''Last Light'', Artyom has lived most of his life in the underground Metro tunnels. He is soon called to adventure, however, to warn the rest of the Metro of the mysterious Dark Ones.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: In the ''Metro 2033'' book, Artyom is an ActionSurvivor who has almost no fighting experience when leaving the [=VDNKh=] station (''Exhibition'' in the games) and is only able to survive because he's a good shot, is relatively unaffected by psychic phenomena, has much more experienced companions helping him along the way and [[spoiler:The Dark Ones are watching over him]]. In the game, though many of these weaknesses still apply to Artyom, he's a OneManArmy from the get go, who is able to mow down hundreds of men and mutants on his own, though he [[ButtMonkey still gets his ass kicked a few times]].
* TheAtoner: In ''Last Light'', after [[spoiler:most of the Dark Ones are killed]].
* ButtMonkey: Suffers quite a bit of abuse in the games, being captured a couple times, attacked by mutants, falling or getting knocked off railcarts, and having platforms/stairs giving way beneath him.
** Taken UpToEleven in ''Metro 2035'' book, which consists mostly of Artyom getting beaten, shot, irradiated, betrayed and laughed at until he is near to becoming insane.
* CassandraTruth: In ''Metro 2035'' nobody believes his claims that there is life outside the metro and most people instead believe that he has gone completely insane. [[spoiler:Many people around him are aware that he is right, but they are part of the conspiracy that tries to hide the existence of outside world.]]
* TheChosenOne: [[spoiler: He finds out in ''Last Light'' that he was chosen by the Dark Ones to help them communicate with humanity, after one of them saves his life when he was younger. Too bad [[ThePoorlyChosenOne they ended up choosing their Chosen One poorly]]]]
* CuriousQualmsOfConscience: [[spoiler: He carries out his orders faithfully and skillfully in order to save his home station, but as he watches the missiles incinerate the Dark One's nest in the (canon) bad ending of 2033, he feels like he has only made a horrendous mistake.]]
* DirtyBusiness: Artyoms narration, at least in the first game, is mournful. He doesn't enjoy the sheer amount of killing that is forced upon him, even if he ends up being [[OneManArmy really really good at it]].
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Played with. In ''Last Light'', he's viewed by everyone as the savior of the Metro, but everyone acknowledges that he's still inexperienced, since he's only been a [[spoiler:Ranger]] for several months.
* FailureHero: In ''Metro 2035'' he suffers one failure after another and [[spoiler:ultimately fails to achieve his overarching goals.]] He exhibits shades of this in other installments as well, but his failures generally bring him closer to his goals.
* FingerlessGloves: Wears them in his default outfit in the first game.
* TheFaceless: We never see Artyom's face without a gas mask or something covering it. The book also invokes this by giving only very few details about his appearance.
* HappilyAdopted: For a given value of "happily" - it is a CrapsackWorld after all - but Artyom had a healthy relationship with his foster father.
* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:In the bad ending of ''Last Light'', he blows up D6 to stop the Red Army.]]
* HeroicMime: Outside of the beginning-of-level narrations and verbal sounds, he never says anything in-game.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: InUniverse. Homer promises to immortalise Artyom in his writings by portraying him as a classical hero and glossing over his shortcomings and failures.
* HurtingHero: The weight of [[ChosenOne responsibility on his shoulders]] and the guilt from [[ThePoorlyChosenOne failing to live up to said resposibility]] make Artyom pretty miserable.
* MadeASlave: Twice, in fact. In the ''Metro 2033'' novel he loses a bet and is forced to work as a janitor for a year, though he does manage to break out early. The second time, in ''Metro 2035'' he gets captured by the Fourth Reich and is forced to perform hard labor, until he gets lucky and breaks out once again.
* MadeOfIron: Survives multiple falls and getting beat up...[[CutscenePowerToTheMax in cutscenes]].
* MeaningfulName: Artyom is the Russian masculine form of the Greek name Artemisios, relating to Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. She obviously had to have excellent aim, as Artyom himself is said to have by Hunter... but two of the possible Greek cognate words for "Artemis" can also be read as "safe" or "butcher". In the novel ''Metro 2035'', Artyom also selected his last name, Chyornyj ("black") based on his actions in ''2033''.
* MistakenForBadass: In ''2033'', he is often mistaken as a Ranger. This ends when he eventually becomes one in the second game.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Realizes that the Dark Ones were actually peaceful after most of them are killed at the end of ''2033''.
* NoSell: For whatever reason, Artyom isn't affected by psychic phenomenon the same way that other humans are. This frequently proves to be a vital skill for him on his journey [[spoiler:and is the reason that he became the ChosenOne for The Dark Ones, as he was the only person who didn't get unintentionally [[MindRape Mind Raped]] when trying to communicate with them]].
* OneManArmy: All Rangers are this by nature. You can choose to play Artyom as one.
* OnlyOneName: Only Artyom's first name is used in the games. The novel ''Metro 2035'' gives his full name as Artyom Alekseyevich Chyornyj, which Artyom adopted himself.
* OrphansOrdeal: Even when he was HappilyAdopted, having to live without real parents has never been easy for Artyom. He practically worships his dead mother and admits in ''Last Light'' that he would sell his soul if it could make him just remember his mother's face [[spoiler:and the reason he went to botanical gardens the day he let The Dark Ones inside the metro was that he wanted to remember the moment he spent with his mother there before the war. The Dark Ones saw the pain that Artyom was in and took pity upon him, becoming the closest thing to family he has besides Alex.]]
* TheParagon: If you don't kill gratuitously and spare your defeated enemies, the Baby Dark One eventually grows to see you as this.
* ThePoorlyChosenOne: Unfortunately, he does ''not'' have a good track record as a savior, even though many people in the metro view him as such.
** He is initially seen as a savior by the Dark Ones, as he's the only one who can communicate with them is able to unite them with humanity, [[spoiler:but he ends up bringing about the downfall of their species. He fares a little better in the Redemption ending of ''Last Light'' where he is finally able to redeem his previous actions against them by liberating the remaining members of their species from D6.]]
** In the book, he also winds up as this when The Polis Council falsely believes he is their chosen one who can magically find and retrieve them a mystical book of great power. As it quickly turns out, this is nothing but their religious mambo jambo and the task turns into a SuicideMission that Artyom barely survives.
* {{Ranger}}: Officially becomes one by the time ''Last Light'' rolls in.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:At the end of ''Metro 2035'', after discovering the truth about the rest of the world, and seeing that the Metro residents are too complacent to care, he and Anna leave Moscow, setting up the plot for ''Metro Exodus''.]]
* SecularHero: He doesn't believe in any kind of gods or afterlife and is very sceptical of every religion he learns about.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In the English dub, his name is Romanized as ''Artyom'', since the Cyrillic ''ё'' letter contained in his name has a ''yo'' sound in it. However in German and Finnish versions of the book, his name is instead Romanized as ''Artjom'' since his pronunciation sounds closet to ''jo'' in those languages, while the Swedish language version turns his name into ''Artiom''.
* TookALevelInBadass: As you play through the first game, Artyom goes from getting his ass kicked in almost every encounter to fighting on an even level with the resident [[BadassNormal Badass Normals]]. [[spoiler:He eventually becomes a Ranger in the second game.]]
* TookALevelInJerkass: He is ''much'' more unpleasant in ''Metro 2035'' than in any of his previous appearances. Not that this is surprising after all he's been through.
* TouchedByVorlons: The reason he can understand the Dark Ones. [[spoiler:He accidentally allowed them to enter the Metro as a child.]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Kind of. [[spoiler:When he was young, he and two of his friends opened a sealed door leading to the Botanical Gardens, allowing the Dark Ones to enter the Metro.]]
* WasItReallyWorthIt: After the missile strike on the Botanical Gardens, he begins to have second thoughts, wondering if the Dark Ones were actually trying to make peace. He's grown to regret his actions by the second game.
* YourDaysAreNumbered: In ''Metro 2035'' he gets struck with a bad case of radiation sickness which slowly, but surely brings him closer to death. [[spoiler:The Invisible Watchers manage to at least postpone his demise, though nobody knows for how long.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Hunter]]
!!Hunter
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_vdnkh_hunter.png]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SteveBlum (''Metro 2033'')

A friend of Artyom's stepfather, whom Artyom sees as a mentor figure. He's also a member of the Rangers. While the game canon leaves his ultimate fate ambiguous, he returns in the ''Metro 2034'' book.
----
* TheAce: Several characters state that he is the best soldier the Rangers, and by extension, the entire metro has to offer.
* AxCrazy: He's an highly unstable alcoholic by the time of ''Metro 2034'' after The Dark Ones awakened the bloodlust he had been hiding.
* BadassLongcoat: In the books, he wears a brown leather trench coat produced in metro.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: He's desperately trying to keep the murderous instincts The Dark Ones awakened in him at bay. Hallucination that he has in Polyanka station clearly showcases that he is loosing this battle
--> '''Sasha''': ''I know that Hunter can be stopped. He has two sides... I've seen both. One wants blood, the other to protect people!(...) Simply the one inside, who kills people, is deceiving the other one. It tells him, that he has no other choice. One is tormented by hunger the other by longing... That's why Hunter is so eager to get to Tulska - both of his sides are! We have to separate one from another. We have to show him there is a choice...''
* BloodKnight: It's heavily implied in the ''Metro 2034'' novel that he joined the Rangers to satisfy his bloodlust.
* BreakoutCharacter: He received much more focus in ''Metro 2034'' thanks to his popularity.
* CatchPhrase: ''If it's hostile, you kill it''.
* DayInTheLimelight: In ''Metro 2034'', where he serves as the {{Deuteragonist}} of the story.
* DeathByAdaptation: In the novels, he is revealed to have survived his encounter with the Dark Ones. In the ''2033'' game, he appears to be dead, or at least missing.
* DoNotGoGentle: Even if the Dark Ones really are superior to humanity, he very much intends to die fighting them.
* TheGhost: He's mentioned to have survived The Battle of D6 in ''Metro 2035'' and is mentioned several times by Artyom and [[spoiler:Sasha]] in their conversation, but never makes an appearance in the book.
* IfIDoNotReturn: He tells Artyom to head for Polis station and look for a man named Miller if he doesn't come back. He doesn't, and Artyom decides to fulfill Hunter's wishes, driving the main plot.
* TheMentor: The first of several to Artyom and also probably the most influential one of them all. It's implied that he's the one who taught him on how to properly handle firearms and aim. Artyom even mentions in ''Metro 2035'' that he owes everything in his current life to Hunter and his teachings.
* NeverFoundTheBody: If he died, we never know it.
* OneManArmy: In ''Metro 2034'' he frequently ends up fighting and winning against overwhelming numbers of enemies and is mentioned to be capable of defending entire sections of a metro station that would regularly take 15 men to guard properly.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Becomes one in the ''Metro 2034'' novel after his encounter with the Dark Ones.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: His disappearance early in the first game drives the rest of the plot.
* UncertainDoom: He heads off to search the area after the Dark Ones attack Exhibition at the start of ''2033'', but never returns.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He shares Miller's view of eliminating any potential threats to metro's survival as quickly and swiftly as possible, even if there is a potentially better solution available.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Alex]]
!! Alex/Sukhoi
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/20160821225947_1.jpg]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KirkThornton (''Metro 2033'')

Artyom's stepfather, and the head of Exhibition station.
----
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The head of Exhibition station, who happens to be really good at handling an assault rifle and killing a few dozen Nosalises.
* FantasyForbiddingFather: Tries to discourage Artyom from joining the Rangers, seeing their lifestyle as dangerous.
* HonoraryUncle: Artyom only ever refers to him as "uncle".
* ParentalSubstitute: Adopted Artyom after his mother's death.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Eugine]]
!! Eugine
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_vdnkh_eugene_1.png]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Mark Ivanir (''Metro 2033'')

One of Artyom's childhood friends. He accompanies him to Riga station as part of a supply caravan.
----
* BusCrash: [[spoiler: The last Artyom sees of him is in Riga. By the time of ''Last Light'', Artyom states that he died sometime after parting ways with him.]]
* ChildhoodFriends: With Artyom. [[spoiler: He was even one of two people that accompanied him to the surface back when they were kids.]]
* TheCameo: He appears in ''Last Light's'' prologue [[spoiler: as one of two children accompanying the young Artyom]].
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: He's just killed off unceremoniously between the events of ''2033'' and ''Last Light'', with no explanation. In the book, he was killed by the dark ones while Artyom was on his way to Polis.]]
* KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler: It's mentioned in ''Last Light's'' prologue that he died sometime after arriving at Riga with Artyom.]]
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: He initially uses a duplet, which he later gives to Artyom when nosalises attack their caravan.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Bourbon]]
!!Bourbon
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burbon_2_m33r.jpg]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Sven Holmberg (''Metro 2033'')

[[caption-width-right:350:''Some people call these demons, I call them bitches!'']]

The first of Artyom's companions. An explorer who knows the ins and outs of the Metro, who also happens to get into trouble often.
----
* AdaptationalHeroism: In the novel, Bourbon had no plans to pay Artyom, and in fact, planned to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness off him]] once they made it through the tunnels. The game Bourbon is grumpy, but nonetheless supportive of Artyom.
* CoolGuns: He has in his possession an AK-74 assault rifle, which, along with a hefty pay of [=MGRs=], he promises to hand to Artyom if he accompanies him to Dry Station.
* DeadpanSnarker: He's constantly cracking sarcastic comments.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: "Bourbon" is just a moniker. We never learn his real name.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his cynical and sarcastic demeanor, he is genuinely helpful and caring of Artyom. It comes to the point that [[spoiler: he risks his own life to save him.]]
* TheMentor: Teaches Artyom several important basic lessons on Metro survival during their travels from Riga all the way to Dry.
* MutualKill: He and the bandit leader both shoot each other at the same time when Artyom arrives at the end of Dry.
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: ''Last Light'' reveals he was captured by bandits and sent off to become slave labor in Venice.]]
* ReformedCriminal: Implied by his demeanor, and the fact that the bandits at Dry station are familiar with him.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: He is implied to have survived in the games, while he is truly dead in the original novels.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Artyom discovers in the novel that Bourbon wasn't planning to pay him, and would likely have killed him once they'd made it past danger.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Khan]]
!!Khan Aitmatov
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_khan.jpg]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Graham [=McTavish=] (''Metro 2033''), JB Blanc (''Last Light'')

[[caption-width-right:250:''You reap what you sow, Artyom. Force answers force. War breeds war. And death only brings death. To break this vicious circle one must do more than just act without any thought or doubt.'']]

The second of Artyom's companions. An associate of the Rangers who helps stations in peril such as Cursed. He is also known for his extensive knowledge of supernatural and mysterious events in the Metro.
----
* AmbiguouslyHuman: It's not clear what he is. He seems to understand a lot of supernatural phenomena that no one else does, and his origins are rather murky. Artyom puts it best in one of his diary entries:
--> "...I don't even really know what he is. A traveling philosopher? A wizard? A guest from a parallel dimension? How does he earn his living - by saving people or by killing them? He always makes me feel like I don't understand anything about life and world I'm living in. He shows me things I can't explain - and will never be able to. He makes obvious seem absurd, while the absurd becomes logical and natural..."
* AscendedExtra: He has a far smaller role in the novels than in the games, only appearing in the ''Metro 2033'' novel, and never again. In the games proper, he's a significant mentor figure to Artyom, and one of the key people involved in finding a way to prevent D6 from falling into the Red Line's hands.
* FirstNameBasis: In the novel, he gives his last name, but everyone primarily refers to him by his first name.
* TheMentor: Teaches Artyom about the unexplainable and supernatural phenomena on their way to Cursed Station, and advises him not to assume that everything is hostile.
* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler: He just disappears after the final battle in ''Last Light''.]]
* TheParagon: He encourages everyone to be more open-minded, especially in regards to the Dark Ones.
* PastLifeMemories: He claims to remember being Genghis Khan, among others.
* PromotedToPlayable: In [[spoiler: part of]] his namesake chapter of the ''Chronicles Pack'' DownloadableContent.
* SeenItAll: He's completely unfazed by most supernatural phenomena when passing through the Ghost and Anomaly-filled tunnels.
* SoleSurvivor: He's the sole surviving member of a group of Metro defenders, as he explains in ''2033'', and seen (and playable) in a flashback in ''Last Light''.
* TheStoic: Remains calm and composed in most of his appearances in ''2033''.
** NotSoStoic: In ''Last Light'', shows emotions such as concern and joy, especially with regards to [[spoiler: The Baby Dark One]].
* ZombieAdvocate: Apparently the only person in ''Last Light'' (sans Artyom) who thinks that the Dark One can save humanity rather than destroy it.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Andrew/Andrei the Blacksmith]]
!!Andrew/Andrei
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/20160831104540_1.jpg]]

An associate and friend of Khan, who also happens to be a weapons-making expert. He's also revealed to be smuggling refugees out of Red Line-controlled stations.
----
* AgeLift: Downplayed. In the original version of ''2033'', he looks like he's in his late 50s, with greying hair. In the ''Redux'' version of ''2033'', as well as both versions of ''Last Light'', he is shown to be balding and appears to be in his mid-60s.
* BigDamnHeroes: Saves you from the Reds when they have you surrounded.
* TheBlacksmith: As his name implies, he's skilled in building things, like weapons and railcars.
* TheEngineer: He's one of the most skilled engineers in the Metro.
* GadgeteerGenius: Created the Heavy Automatic Shotgun/Abzats, the Volt Driver/Hellbreath, and a powered railcar you can use in ''Last Light''.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: By ''Last Light'', he's revealed to have fled Armory Station, having been fed up with the way the Red Line began subverting the place.

[[/folder]]
[[folder: Ulman]]
!!Ulman
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_ulman.jpg]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Dave B. Mitchell

A member of the Rangers, who saves Artyom after he's captured by members of the Fourth Reich.
----
* BigDamnHeroes: Twice. He first saves Artyom by killing two Nazis threatening him, then later kills another one who finds Artyom inside Black Station, preventing him from alerting the entire base.
** Subverted in ''Last Light's'' Chronicles DLC, where, after helping to derail the train The Dark One and Artyom are on, is prevented from helping them due to debris blocking access to the rest of the tunnel.
* CharacterDevelopment: Goes from joking all the time in the first game to being bitter and cynical in the second game, though his original joking personality still shines through occasionally.
* DeadpanSnarker: ''All the damn time.''
-->(After rescuing Artyom from the Nazis) You know, one thing I like about the bad guys is that there's always a lot of discussion before they get around to pulling the trigger.
* DemotedToExtra: In ''Last Light'', he only appears in the prologue and final level, although he does get ADayInTheLimelight in the Chronicles DLC.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: He dies in both endings of ''Last Light'', either from the self-destruct of the [=D6=] base or being executed by the Communists.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The "Khan" level of the Chronicles DLC pack reveals that he was the reason the train The Dark One was on blew up. Thanks to him, Khan couldn't reunite with Artyom until much later, while the latter was forced to take a very risky detour involving Red Line soldiers and mutants.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: He doesn't joke as much in ''Last Light'', emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
* PromotedToPlayable: In the ''Chronicles [=DLC=]'', you get to play as him during part of Khan's chapter.
* TookALevelInJerkass: He's much less friendly in ''Last Light''.
* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: Alongside Vladimir, he aids Artyom and Miller this way during the final levels of the first game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Pavel]]
!!Pavel
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_ranger_pavel.png]]

A member of the Rangers of the Order. He is part of a two-man squad with Ulman when they save Artyom from execution by vengeful Nazis. The former tasks him with helping Artyom get to Polis to deliver Hunter's message to Miller.
----
* TheFaceless: Only in the original version. ''Redux'' shows him without his gas mask on.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Gets dragged off the trolley you're riding by nosalises, then blows himself up.]]
* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Blows himself up with a grenade when he gets dragged off by nosalises.]]
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Only shows up in a couple of levels before being killed.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Miller]]
!!Sviatoslav Konstantinovich Mel'nikov/Mel'nik/Miller
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_miller_profile.jpg]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Mark Ivanir (''2033'', ''Redux''), Jamieson Price (''Last Light'')

Head of the Order of the Rangers. He decides to help Artyom destroy the Dark Ones even when the Polis council refuses to help. To this end, he becomes the leader of an expedition to find the D6 bunkers, which are said to house a control center for [=WMDs=] said to be still operational.
----
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: In ''Exodus'', he seems to be joining Artyom on his journey eastward, unlike in ''2035'', when he opposed most of Artyom's actions
* AnArmAndALeg: In the good ending of ''Last Light'', he loses both of his feet, and is confined to a wheelchair. In ''2034'', he also loses one of his arms while searching for Hunter.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: To be expected of someone who leads a group of badasses.
* BadassBeard: In both games.
* ColonelBadass: Head of the Rangers, and, despite his age, still a badass soldier.
* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:He used to frequently beat his wife when Anna was a child, to the point that she eventually committed suicide. Miller's subsequent guilt over this lead to him becoming overprotective towards Anna.]]
* DubNameChange: The English translation changed his name from Melnik to Miller.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:He dies in the bad ending of ''Last Light'' when Artyom destroys D6.]]
* TheLeader: Of the Rangers as a whole, as well as the expedition in search of [=D6=].
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Being an OldSoldier of the former Soviet military, he seems to still hold a lot of pride and patriotism which shows through from time to time despite Russia having been blasted to bits like the rest of the world. During his "take back the world with fire and sword" speech in D6 upon seeing the preserved tanks and war machines stored there, one gets the impression he isn't talking about taking back the world from the mutants only...
* OldSoldier: Served in the Soviet military years ago.
* OverprotectiveDad: So much so that he didn't let Anna go to shower alone until she was ''thirteen''. [[spoiler:This is because he feels guilty for causing his wife to commit suicide through his constant DomesticAbuse.]]
* {{Ranger}}: He's the leader of an entire order of them.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Polis refuses to help Exhibition Station in ''2033'', making your entire journey through the game pointless, he decides to help you take down the Dark Ones regardless.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Miller... changed after the Battle of D6. He hasn't been able to get over the sorrow of losing half of his comrades and has become a paranoid wreck who refuses to accept his crippled state and [[spoiler:helps hunt down anyone who is suspected to have come from outside the metro in the fear of NATO retaliation]].
* TookALevelInJerkass: Is much more hostile to Artyom in ''Metro 2035'', seeing the latter's actions and beliefs as reckless.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Firmly believes in killing all the Dark Ones, regardless of their intentions.
** In ''Metro 2035'', it's revealed that [[spoiler:he's helping hide the fact that people in the rest of the world survived the apocalypse, believing that if the West found out, they'd come and finish them off.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Vladimir]]
!!Vladimir
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wadimir_m33r.jpg]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_vladamir.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Top: Vladimir in ''Metro 2033 Redux''; Below: Vladimir in ''Metro: Last Light'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Boris Kievsky (''Metro Last Light'')

A Ranger who specializes in weaponry and old technology. He's also one of the Rangers who accompanies Artyom in the search for [=D6=].
----
* TheCameo: Appears in the first level of ''Last Light'', as the one in charge of the armory in [=D6=].
* DemotedToExtra: In ''Last Light'', he only gets a cameo appearance in the first level.
* TheEngineer: Of Miller's team.
* GadgeteerGenius: An expert at handling electric locks, and Miller's go-to guy when dealing with military computers.
* OldSoldier: Implied to have served in the Russian Army alongside Miller.
* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: Once the Rangers manage to reach the control room, he fills this role for Artyom and Miller alongside Ulman.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Boris and Stepan]]
!!Boris and Stepan
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YuriLowenthal (Boris), Boris Kievsky (Stepan)

Two Rangers that accompany Artyom in search of [=D6=].
----
* KilledOffscreen: When you meet up with the team again after Boris' death, Stepan is gone, apparently killed by mutants.
* RedShirt: Both of them get killed, one after the other, in D6.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Neither of them really stand out in terms of character traits, and both get killed off pretty quickly.

[[/folder]]

! Introduced in ''Metro 2034''
[[folder: Homer]]
!!Homer
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/homerosmetronovel.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''I want to write down my story: from the end of the World to the end of my life.'']]

Protagonist of ''Metro 2034''. Homer is a former Metro technician now living in Sevastopolskaya Station. He named himself Homer after the author of Literature/TheIliad because of his wish to write in his style and he has made it his life goal to chronicle the events and history of the post-apocalyptic Metro. He returns in ''Metro 2035'' as one of Artyom's companions.
----
* LoveCannotOvercome: His wife left him between ''2034'' and ''2035'' because she couldn't handle constantly having to worry over his safety whenever he left his home station to chronicle the events around Metro.
* MoralityPet: Hunter is much nicer to him than he is to most other people, because he sees the part of himself he lost after getting [[MindRape Mind Raped]] by the Dark Ones in Homer.
* ParentalSubstitute: He ends up becoming something of a surrogate parent to Sasha after her father dies.
* SupportingProtagonist: ''Metro 2034'' is really story about Sasha and Hunter, but Homer serves as the point of view character who chronicles their story.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Sasha]]
!!Sasha
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sashametronovel.jpg]]

Daughter of the former leader of Avtozavodskaya Station who was banished after a Trotskyist revolution. She joins Homer and Hunter in their travels and the relationship between her and Hunter becomes the main focus of the story. Not to be confused with a similarly named character from ''Metro 2033'' video game.
----
* BreakTheCutie: The cynical world of Moscow metro does not end up treating poor Sasha well.
* MayDecemberRomance: She ends up falling in love with Hunter who is much older than her.
* MoralityChain: She is the only one who can keep Hunter's bloodthirst in check to some extent.
* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler: Last time we see her in the book, she is left in the flooding Tulskaya station as its hermetic doors are shut. Her body isn't found afterwards and she is presumed dead. ''Metro 2035'' reveals that she and three others managed to escape the station.]]
* {{Womanchild}}: She's 17 years old, but since she has spent the entirety of her life inside her home without meeting anyone but her father, she acts like a child and isn't aware of social norms.
[[/folder]]

! Introduced in ''Last Light''

[[folder: Anna]]
!!Anna Sviatoslavovna Mel'nikova
[[quoteright:238:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_anna.jpg]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Anna Graves

Miller's daughter, and the Rangers' best sniper.
----
* BabiesEverAfter: [[spoiler: With Artyom in both endings, although it's not explicitly shown in the good one.]]
** [[spoiler: He still ends up with her in the good ending, as the menu of ''Redux'' is set by the time Artyom himself is in his 50s.]]
** Subverted by both WordOfGod and the events of ''Metro 2035'', which reveal the baby to be non-canon.
* BrokenBird: [[spoiler:Combination of her father's DomesticAbuse, subsequent overprotectiveness and the time she spent in the Order have served as Anna's CynicismCatalyst]].
* ColdSniper: The best one among the Rangers, and isn't too friendly with Artyom at first.
* CripplingOverspecialization: While she is undoubtedly the best sniper for the Rangers, she isn't exactly the best at close-range combat, [[spoiler: as proven when Lesnitsky manages to subdue her with ease during the Reds' raid on the Ranger outpost.]]
* DamselInDistress: Is captured by Lesnitsky after the attack on the church.
* DefrostingIceQueen: She initially isn't very friendly to Artyom, only caring about killing the last Dark One. She apologizes to you when you meet her again at the Church.
* DudeMagnet: PlayedForDrama; Due to being an attractive looking woman in a highly male centric environment, Anna mentions in ''Metro 2035'' that she has been frequently sexually harassed by other Rangers throughout the years.
* EarlyBirdCameo: [[spoiler: The woman shown in the menu of the ''Redux'' version of ''2033'' is her.]]
* FauxActionGirl: Subverted. The main game makes it seem that she's this, but as shown in her level of the ''Chronicles'' DLC, she can easily wipe out a pack of Watchmen and a platoon of Nazi stalkers, provided they're at range.
* NeverASelfMadeWoman: She's the only female Ranger, and she's Colonel Miller's daughter.
* OfficialCouple: With Artyom.
* PromotedToPlayable: In her namesake level of the ''Chronicles Pack''.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: The reason she fell for Artyom was that he was the only relatively normal man who she could found a family with among a group of hardened killers.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: She is the only female Ranger, the only female main character (besides perhaps [[PosthumousCharacter Artyom's mother]]), and beyond that she is the only female shown to go about armed (either as a soldier, or as someone who needs to defend against mutants), which seems a bit odd in a setting this dangerous.
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: [[spoiler: In the bad ending of ''Last Light''.]]
* TokenRomance: ''Last Light'' doesen't spend much time developing her and Artyom's relationship and it feels like the two of them just kind of suddenly decide to have sex and fall in love with each other after meeting about three times. This is, however, averted in ''Metro 2035'' where their relationship problems are one of the central plot elements.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Pavel Morozov]]
!!Pavel Igorevich Morozov
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pavelmorozovll.jpg]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Mark Ivanir

A Red Line soldier who helps Artyom escape from the Nazi camp early in ''Last Light''. He turns out to be more than just a simple soldier, however...
----
* AffablyEvil: [[spoiler: Very friendly towards Artyom, even after betraying him. He's later revealed to actually be very reluctant in betraying and killing him, as the Baby Dark One reveals.]]
* BaldOfAwesome: Not an inch of hair on his head, and he saves Artyom and helps him get to Theater Station in one piece. However, he's also...
* BaldOfEvil: [[spoiler: After his betrayal of Artyom.]]
* TheCasanova: The dancers in Theatre are familiar with him, and you find him in the brothel in Venice.
* CoDragons: [[spoiler: With Lesnitsky.]]
* ChummyCommies: In comparison to a lot of his comrades, he comes off as a genuinely nice and likable person. [[spoiler: It's even revealed late in the game by the Baby Dark One that he was in fact reluctant to betray Artyom.]]
* CommissarCap: [[spoiler: He wears one after Artyom is captured and being dragged around Revolution Station.]]
* DraggedOffToHell: Probably not a literal example, but [[spoiler:the vision Artyom has while deciding Pavel's fate features him being dragged into darkness by disembodied hands amongst hellish screams.]]
* ExactWords: He promises Artyom that he'd allow him through Revolution Station. [[spoiler: He does keep his promise, albeit by having to betray him and hand him over to his superior Korbut for interrogation.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: Once you reach Theatre station, he has Artyom captured and brought to Revolution Station.]]
* FlunkyBoss: [[spoiler: Starts by sending troops after you during the battle in Red Square, only confronting you directly after they're all dead.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Bourbon in the first game. Both of them are your first major companion who functions as a guide to get to your destination. While Bourbon is a shiftless, grumpy drunkard who [[spoiler:almost sacrifices himself to save Artyom]], Pavel is a cheerful and consistently helpful man who [[spoiler: nonetheless reluctantly betrays Artyom out of blind loyalty to the Red line.]]
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He has a large scar near his left eye.
* MajorlyAwesome: [[spoiler: Turns out to be a high-ranking Red Line officer upon Artyom's capture in Revolution Station. And he proves to be a very good fighter, both during his times as a companion and as an enemy.]]
* MeaningfulName: He's named after Pavel "Pavlik" Morozov, a boy who reported his father to the Soviet government for illegal activities. Said boy was then murdered by his own family in retaliation.
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: [[spoiler: To the point that he's willing to cooperate in Korbut's plan in using bioweapons in order to bring order and peace to the whole Metro.]]
* PromotedToPlayable: In his respective level of the ''Chronicles Pack''.
* VerbalTic: Has quite a few. He tends to drop "S-s-suka!", "Tak-tak-tak-tak-tak!" and "Op-pa!" constantly in his speech.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Führer]]
!!Führer
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_fuher_profile.jpg]]

The unnamed Führer of the Fourth Reich.
----
* AdvertisedExtra: In much of the pre-release material, he's depicted as a significant threat to the Rangers and looks to be after the D6 bunker. [[spoiler: In the final game, he only plays a part in the beginning and towards the end, both times addressing a crowd of his followers.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: He preaches racial purity and despises genetic mutations, but it's rumored that his only child is a mutant, and that he's been hiding them and his wife from the public. [[spoiler:This rumor is confirmed to be true in ''Metro 2035''.]]
* NoNameGiven: Unlike Moskvin, we never learn his name.
* ThoseWackyNazis: He's the leader of an entire station of them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Korbut]]
!!Czeslav Andreyevich Korbut
[[quoteright:189:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/korbut_mll.jpg]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Andre Sogliuzzo

A Red Line General who's in charge of their army's intelligence bureau.
----
* AdmiringTheAbomination: [[spoiler: He knows about the surviving Dark One, and he plans on capturing it and raising it to use on his enemies. Bonus points for that same Dark One killing him in the good ending.]]
* BigBad: [[spoiler: He's the one really in charge of the Red Line, with Moskvin as nothing more than a pawn in his grander scheme.]]
* TheChessmaster: He skillfully manipulates Moskvin into killing his brother, then uses this as leverage to gain political power. He later has Lesnitsky steal a bioweapon from D6, planning to use it to wipe out most of the Metro's population, then forces Moskvin to go to the Polis Peace Conference as a distraction, while the Reds attack D6.
* CommissarCap: Wears one in both endings.
* DirtyCommunists: Definitely. [[spoiler: When you're willing to use biological weapons and force in order to bring order to the whole Metro, it definitely counts.]]
* DragonInChief: [[spoiler: He's the one who arranged Maxim Moskvin into power, and is pretty much running the Red Army through blackmailing the former.]]
* ExactWords: Tells Moskvin that his plan involves no bloodshed. [[spoiler: Instead, he decides to use biological weapons at his disposal in order to cause fear and eventual capitulation in the Metro.]]
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Has a pair of large scratch marks on the left side of his face.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: He dies in both endings of ''Last Light''. Either from the self-destruct sequence of [=D6=] or from the Baby Dark One.]]
* MadScientist: [[spoiler: One of his intentions is to capture the Baby Dark One, study it, and then raise it so that he can use it against the enemies of the Red Line.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: He convinced Moskvin to off his brother, and then uses his knowledge of this to blackmail him into having more power than he should.
* OhCrap: In both endings, where [[spoiler:he either realizes Artyom is about to blow up D6, or that the Baby Dark One he wanted to capture and use on his enemies is now about to kill him.]]
* OmnicidalManiac: His ultimate goal is to kill off most of the Metro population.
* RedRightHand: His right eye is redded out.
* TakeOverTheWorld: His plan is to have the Red Line take over the entire Metro.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Gives one to Miller [[spoiler: just before he's killed in both endings.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler: Knowing too much about him reveals that he's the BigBad and the real one in charge of the Red Line.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Lesnitsky]]
!!Lesnitsky
[[quoteright:234:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_lesnitsky.jpg]]
A Red Line officer under Korbut who's spying on the Rangers.
----
* AffablyEvil: Surprisingly this, on account that he actually keeps his word, and admits to his actual allegiance. Doesn't make him any less sinister though.
* BaldOfEvil: Not an inch of hair on his head, and serves under a ruthless regime.
* CoDragons: [[spoiler: He and Pavel are this to Korbut.]]
* DoubleAgent: A Ranger who's secretly providing information to the Red Line.
* TheMole: He's actually providing information on the Rangers to the Reds.
* RogueAgent: A rogue Ranger.
* VillainsNeverLie: Never once when you meet him does he ever deny his true allegiance.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Maxim Moskvin]]
!!Maxim Leonidovich Moskvin
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_moskovin.jpg]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Dmitri Diatchenko

Secretary General of the Red Line and head of the Communist Party.
----
* AbusiveParents: From his son Leonid's attitude towards him, Moskvin isn't the best father.
* BaldOfEvil: Has not an inch of hair on his head, and is the leader of an oppressive regime.
* CainAndAbel: He and his brother Andrey, the previous leader of the Red Line. [[spoiler: Turns out Korbut arranged the whole dispute between them, and Maxim clearly regrets doing the deed, as seen during the reveal sequence in his mind.]]
* EngineeredPublicConfession: [[spoiler: The Baby Dark One, with Artyom's help, makes him reveal Korbut's plans in front of the leaders of Polis, Hanza, and Reich, as well as his status as a pawn.]]
* FatBastard: Is noticeably more portly than most other people in the Metro.
* TheGhost: He is mentioned several times in ''Metro 2035'', but never makes an appearance.
* GoodHairEvilHair: Has a Hitler mustache, appropriately enough.
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Unlike Korbut, he believes in the "beat the shit out of them" method of interrogating prisoners.
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler: After the Baby Dark One enters his mind, he confesses that he poisoned his brother, the previous Secretary General. He also comes clean with Korbut's plans, and the Red Army's true intentions.]]
* {{Irony}}: He's the head of the communist party, yet he has a Hitler mustache. Probably also used to remind the audience that the Red Line and the Reich [[TheHorseshoeEffect aren't all that different from each other]].
* PuppetKing: While it initially appears that he's the one in charge of the Red Line, [[spoiler: Korbut starts blackmailing him and persuades Moskvin into allowing him to continue his top-secret operation.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: To Korbut. Downplayed in while he does agree with the unification of the Metro, and approves of Korbut's plan, he doesn't know the true extent of how far his General is willing to go until it's too late.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Baby Dark One]]
!!The Baby Dark One
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_one_mll.jpg]]

A baby Dark One found by Khan just before the events of the second game.
----
* AdaptedOut: Is not mentioned and does not appear to exist in the ''Metro 2035'' novel, which is a direct sequel to ''Last Light''.
* AuraVision: Like all Dark Ones, he's capable of sensing hostile individuals. He can temporarily give you this ability.
* BigDamnHeroes: In the good ending of ''Last Light'', [[spoiler:he and his fellow Dark Ones save Artyom and Miller from the Reds by causing them to fight each other.]]
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:In both endings, he and the other Dark Ones leave, promising to eventually return.]]
* IntriguedByHumanity: He's curious about how humans act and live.
* LastOfHisKind: Presumably of his entire race, [[spoiler:until he, Artyom, and Khan find out about the existence of a handful more in the [=D6=] bunker.]]
* LivingMacGuffin: He is sought after by both Artyom/Khan and the Red Line, [[spoiler:and becomes central in helping find a solution to the conflict late in the game.]]
* MoralityPet: He notes and questions your actions, particularly if you choose to kill everything you come across.
* SoleSurvivor: Of the missile attack on the Dark One Hive in the Moscow Botanical Garden.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Red Line Sniper]]
!!Red Line Sniper
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ss_bfbf749302d1999215c760da64c3d13b49f9b4031920x1080.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Promotional pre-release image of the Red Line Sniper.]]

A unnamed Red Line sniper, who is the protagonist of the Faction Pack DLC mission "Sniper Team". His mission is to infiltrate the now-reinforced Black Station and kill all Nazi troops standing in his way.
----
* ColdSniper: One of the best in the Red Line, who never speaks a single line during his respective mission, and who manages to kill an impressive number of Reich stalkers.
* TheFaceless: His face is never shown, and even if it was shown, it's obscured by a gas mask.
* HollywoodSilencer: The VSSK Vychlop he uses has a built-in silencer that makes almost no noise whatsoever.
* OneManArmy: He manages to wipe out an entire base of heavily-armed Reich troopers with just a handful of weapons. Bonus points for doing all of this silently.
* TheQuietOne: Outside of his mission's introductory cutscene, he is never heard speaking.
* StealthExpert: He has to be, since his mission involves sneaking into a heavily-guarded Nazi base without alerting any of them.
* VillainProtagonist: He's a member of the Red Line, the main antagonists of the main story of ''Last Light''.
* WeaponOfChoice: He prefers a modified [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VKS_sniper_rifle VSSK Vychlop]], a prewar sniper rifle with an integrated silencer.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hans]]
!!Hans
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mll_hans_profile.jpg]]

A Shock trooper of the Fourth Reich, and the protagonist of the Faction Pack DLC mission "Heavy Squad". He and a handful of other Reich Shock troopers are tasked with reinforcing the Frontline and repelling a massive Red Line attack.
----
* {{BFG}}: Both the Gatling he starts with and the Hellbreath he uses later in the mission count, as they can kill even Heavy troopers in one hit.
* TheFaceless: He's shown wearing a gasmask in the ending cutscene of his mission, so we never manage to get a glimpse of it.
* GatlingGood: One of his weapons is a Gatling, a minigun made from scraps, which he uses to devastating effect on the attacking Red Line soldiers.
* MoreDakka: His job is to lay down as much firepower as possible in order to buy time for Nazi reinforcements to arrive.
* OneManArmy: He manages to repel an entire Red Line offensive, including a ''tank'', with the weapons at his disposal.
* VillainProtagonist: He's a member of the Fourth Reich, arguably one of the most hostile, if not the most hostile faction, in the Metro.
* TheVoiceless: Unlike the Red Line sniper, he's never heard speaking, even in the introduction of his respective mission.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ranger Trainee]]
!!Ranger Trainee

A Ranger recruit assigned to the Kshatriya Team, who are tasked with retrieving artifacts from the Great Library.
----
* ArmorIsUseless: Averted. The Heavy Armor that he can purchase protects him from all kinds of damage, even allowing him to tank an attack from a Librarian.
* TheFaceless: Unlike Hans nor the Red Line sniper, who at least get shown in third-person, we never get to see this guy looks like.
* NewMeat: He's a new recruit aspiring to be part of the Polis Kshatriya.
* {{Ranger}}: What he's aspiring to be.
* TookALevelInBadass: During the start of his level, he's merely a raw recruit using subpar equipment. By the end of it, he can wield far more powerful weapons, possess much better suits for exploring the library, and possibly have killed a few dozen librarians.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Spider Lair Stalker]]
!!The Stalker
[[quoteright:331:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spiderlairstalkeraproximation.png]]

An unnamed Stalker who, as part of a 3-man team, strives to look for abandoned military bases scattered throughout the Metro.
----
* BolivianArmyEnding: [[spoiler:His respective level ends just as a Watchman is about to pounce on him.]]
* TheFaceless: We never get to see his face during the Spider Lair level.
* KillItWithFire: Among his arsenal includes a lighter, incendiary grenades and a flamethrower, all of which he uses to fight back against the spiderbugs infesting the base he's trapped in.
* NoNameGiven: We never learn his name.
* OutOfTheFryingPan: [[spoiler:While he manages to successfully escape the spider-infested missile base, once he's on the surface, he's cornered by a pack of Watchmen. It's unknown if he survives.]]
* SoleSurvivor: Of the Stalker team he was part of.
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler:The last we see of him is when he finally makes it to the surface, just as a Watchman is about to pounce on him.]]

[[/folder]]

! Introduced in ''Metro 2035''

[[folder:Lyokha]]
!!Lyokha/Aleksei Zvanariov
[[quoteright:308:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyokhametro2035.png]]
A young man living in Riga station who joins Artyom and Homer as an Intermediary in their trip to Theatre station. As the story progresses, he becomes Artyom's sidekick and protege.
----
* AmusingInjuries: While the severity of his injuries is never downplayed, they are much more commonly Played for Laughs with him, than they are with Artyom.
* HumiliationConga: His visit to the Mendeleyevskaya station. First, he gets hungry and decides to go eat, but it turns out that the only food he can get from the station is a raw egg covered in feces that he has to drink through a straw. Then he drops his bullets in water and when trying to look for them underwater, his hand gets cut by shattered glass and then he almost gets shot by Hanza guards when he's looking for help to his injury and he very nearly bleeds to death due to his injury before he arrives to Tsvetnoi Boulevard.
* ButtMonkey: He shares Artyom's terrible luck and quite possibly even surpasses it.
* ThePigPen: He's described to smell absolutely terrible because of his job in the Riga station, which involves him carrying pig feces over to Exhibition.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: He ends up joining the Fourth Reich's Iron Legion after Letyaga manages to convince him about their anti-mutant agenda. [[spoiler:Only it turns out that he has a tumor that ends up sending him straight into a concentration camp.]]
* TheToothHurts: His teeth get shattered during his and Artyom's assault on the [[spoiler:Hanza's radio jammers above ground]] and he has much trouble speaking for the rest of the novel.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Letyaga]]
!!Letyaga
A veteran ranger who fought alongside Artyom in the Battle of D6. Two of them have been loyal friends ever since.
----
* ABNegative: He shares Artyom's blood type, which saved his life in the Battle of D6 after he was wounded.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: He is clearly a very close comrade of Artyom and they virtually consider each other BloodBrothers after the above mentioned blood transfusion in D6.
* TakingTheBullet: He saved Artyom this way during the Battle of D6.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dietmar]]
!!Dietmar
Nazi officer who Lyokha and Artyom meet in Tsvetnoy Bulvar and who recruits both of them to the Iron Legion.
----
* TheChessmaster: He's the one who orchestrated Reich's invasion of Theater station.
* DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs: He justifies his plan to invade Theater station by claiming that Red Line is planning to take the station in a few days anyways and the Reich thus has the right to protect the station from communism. [[spoiler:Of course this is just a flimsy excuse and after Artyom tells him that the Red Line is having a severe famine due to a mold epidemic in their mushrooms and is not in the condition to invade the Theater, he has no intentions of calling the attack off since he was already aware of the mold epidemic and it was even part of his plan.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He is very critical of the Fourth Reich's former racial policies against non-whites and states that it is stupid to judge people simply based on their ethnicity.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's very polite and friendly to Artyom, even when he's forcing him to accept a SuicideMission at gunpoint or sending him into a concentration camp.
* KilledOffScreen: [[spoiler:He dies fighting against the reds in Theatre station while Artyom is enslaved in Pushkinskaya.]]
[[/folder]]

! Introduced in ''Metro Exodus''

[[folder: Giul]]
A woman in her twenties living in Caspian Desert, a region surrounding Caspian Sea before the nuclear attack vaporized the sea and terraformed the region into desert. She had been fending off against raider group known as Munai Bailer, who had enslaved her people.
----
* MilitaryBrat: She is the daughter of a military officer, whose station in Caspian bunker allowed her to survive the war.
* TokenMinority: Among the mostly-Russian Rangers, she is one of the few Central Asians who joined the group.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Baron]]
The leader of Munai Bailer, who had enough vehicles and weapons to take over the population of Caspian region. Currently, the recent coming of Rangers had caught his attention to take it over while still hunting down Giul.
----
* AristocratsAreEvil: His title, "The Baron", further emphasized his cruelty and tyrannical rule in the Caspain Desert.
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He enslaved the local population and enforced his control through fear and his own brand of religion that workship his group as "fire gods".
[[/folder]]

! Major Factions

[[folder:The Rangers of the Order]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spartalogo.jpg]]
''[[caption-width-right:250:If not we, then who?]]''
Based in Polis Station, The Rangers of the Order are a neutral entity in the Metro, willing to help any station in trouble free of charge.
----
* AdaptationExpansion: In the first book, they are simply referred to as ''stalkers'' and the organization itself doesen't receive that much attention. In the video game, they receive much more attention, the organizations MO is explored in dept and they are the central focus of the plot along.
* BadassArmy: All are well-trained and equipped, with many implied to be former members of the Soviet/Russian military.
* BloodKnight: A lot of their members prefer killing enemies rather than taking them prisoner.
* ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: Most of them are said to be or implied to be former Russian Spetsnaz.
* FormerRegimePersonnel: As stated above, a lot of their members are heavily implied to be former Russian Army soldiers, particularly Spetsnaz.
* HeroicNeutral: They seek to help any station in need or in danger, whether it be a mutant threat, a Reich or Communist takeover, etc.
* TheOrder: They're also known as this.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: They really like to make it a point on how badass they are, especially in the beginning of ''Last Light''.
* {{Ranger}}: Obviously.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Polis]]
[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/67987532245805317073.png]]
Polis is a collection of four interconnected stations located in the center of the metro: Arbatskaya, Alexandrovsky Sad, Biblioteka Lenina and Borovitskaya, located below what used to be the Moscow Library as well as the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation building. They are one of the most powerful factions in the whole metro in terms of military power as well as prosperity, and they are completely unsurpassed by any faction in terms of knowledge and education, which is why many metro dwellers consider them humanity's last hope. As its name suggests, Polis is built on the ideals of Greek city states and is governed by a platonic style semi-religious class society where people are divided according to their occupation.
----
* BadassArmy: Their army, The Polis Kshatriya, is one of the most powerful in the metro and many of their members are part of the Rangers.
* AllPowerfulBystander: Despite their military prowess and and plentiful resources, Polis prefers not to interfere with the affairs of other stations, even if those affairs are something that can threaten the entire metro.
* CrapsackOnlyByComparison: Polis is a class society, yes, but compared to everything else in the metro, it's practically a {{Utopia}}.
* DemotedToExtra: They only have a very small role in the game adaptions.
* MagicVersusScience: Played With; their society is largely formed around pre-war scientists and intellectuals, yet their society is very religious, likely because they can't rationally explain all of the phenomenon in the metro anymore.
* ShiningCity: They are the last remaining bastion of knowledge in the entire metro and are viewed by other stations with either envy or admiration because of this and their high living standards. While they aren't quite as rich as Hanza, their wealth is ''much'' more equally distributed, allowing even their lower classes to enjoy luxuries that no other station in the metro can provide, such as proper housing, electronic computers, 24/7 lighting and plentiful food.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Red Line]]
[[quoteright:249:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/redlinelogo.jpg]]
A Communist faction residing in the Metro, consisting of the Sokolnicheskaya (Red) Line stations. Built on Communist ideals, they have the largest population of all the Metro factions, and frequently antagonize the other factions.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: In the original version of ''2033'', Red Line soldiers at the Frontline had no body armor, wore ragtag and non-standard uniforms, and were generally poorly equipped compared to the Nazis. In ''Redux'' however, regular soldiers now have access to body armor, have generally better equipment, proper uniforms, and now have Heavy troopers guarding the barricades.
* AscendedExtra: In the original ''2033'', the Red Line only appeared in two levels. By ''Last Light'' they take center stage from the Nazis early on, when it's revealed that they plan on [[spoiler:capturing D6's arsenal of bioweapons, as well as attempting to procure the surviving Dark One]].
* BigBad: Of the second game.
* BigBrotherIsWatching: The Red government is known to pay citizens to watch their neighbors.
* {{Conscription}}: How they get many of their soldiers.
* DirtyCommunists: Obviously. Life under them really sucks. It's really telling when you have entire trains of refugees who want out coming through on a regular basis.
* EliteMooks: Their equivalent to the Nazi stalkers and Rangers, and are just as heavily armed and competent as them. They're encountered late in ''Last Light'', on orders from Korbut to hunt down Artyom and capture The Dark One.
* HateSink: They are just as hated among the metro dwellers for their actions as the Fourth Reich is and the only group who is willing to work with them at any capacity are the Trotskyists who only seem to work with them because [[EnemyMine they both hate fascists]].
* PoliceState: The Communist government keeps a close eye on its citizens, paying them to keep an eye on their neighbors.
* ThePoliticalOfficer: Their Commissars definitely count. They'll shoot anyone suspicious at first sight, friend or foe.
* PunchClockVillain: Like the Nazis, some of the Red soldiers aren't particularly interested in the conflict, only in it for the money or benefits.
* TankGoodness: They get their own armored trolleys in the second game, based on old steam locomotives.
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Last Light'', their soldiers are much better equipped and trained, even possessing a number of armored vehicles like the Nazis.
* WeHaveReserves: Many of their troops are poorly-trained conscripts, used as cannon fodder to swarm enemy positions. They have the largest population in the entire Metro, so they have plenty of new recruits to spare.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Fourth Reich]]
[[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fourthreichtexture1.png]]
''[[caption-width-right:255:Metro for the pure race!]]''
A Neo-Nazi fascist faction within the Metro, having taken up residence in Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya, and Pushkinskaya stations. Basing their society on Nazi ideals, they are often at odds with the Communist Red Line.
----
* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Their members, being descendants of real life Russian Neo-Nazis, despise anyone who isn't a "pure" slav. This translates to having them killed on the spot.
* BigBadWannabe: They have plans of cleansing the entire Metro of "undesirables", but they posses neither the resources nor the manpower to achieve anything on that scale. Throughout the series they assume the role of secondary villains at best and end up [[spoiler:destroying their own faction with no outside help.]]
* BoomerangBigot: They are a group of Russians who support an ideology that ''explicitly'' calls death for the "subhuman" slavs. This gets lampshaded in the first novel.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: Their stations in a nutshell. They're relatively nice places to live...if you meet their requirements for "genetic purity". Those who don't get sent to concentration camps or worked to death as slave laborers.
* DemotedToExtra: In ''Last Light'', other than capturing Artyom and [[spoiler:the Baby Dark One]] at the beginning, they have no significant involvement in the plot.
* DoomTroops: Their soldiers.
* FinalSolution: Pretty much their MO on handling any and all enemies, whether they be Reds or anyone considered "subhuman". Of course, they orchestrate these through [[HellholePrison concentration camps]].
* GasMaskMooks: All Nazi soldiers wear gas masks unique to their faction.
* GratuitousGerman: They throw many German words into their speech.
* HateSink: Their actions are considered absolutely deplorable by everyone in the metro and no faction is willing to work with them.
* HellholePrison: Pushkinskaya a.k.a. Schiller station which serves as a concentration camp for the undesirables.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:In ''Metro 2035'', all of their stations are taken out by a massive flood they accidentally caused, leaving the chances of the faction surviving very unlikely.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: Their attempts to expand Pushkinskaya through slave labor end up with [[spoiler:nearly all their territories getting flooded and the entire faction effectively ceasing to exist]].
* LegionOfLostSouls: Due to the Reich's low manpower, they attract people from other stations to join their foreign volunteer army known as the Iron Legion. [[spoiler:This also serves as a steady supply of slaves, as anyone who is detected to have either mutations or tumors gets immediately sent into a concentration camp after the initial medical examination.]]
* NoSwastikas: Despite the Nazi imagery, they don't actually use the swastika in game, instead using the Moscow Metro "C" sign. In the novel and beta, they use a Triskelion-style Nazi flag, roughly similar to the symbol used by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaner_Weerstandsbeweging Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging]].
* PoliceState: They're constantly patrolling their citizens for mutations, or checking that they meet their standards (in height, physical features, etc.).
* PragmaticVillainy: By the events of ''Metro 2035'', they have significantly loosened up their tight racial standards to attract more fighters from other stations into the Iron Legion and the focus of their ideology has shifted from white supremacy to the extermination of all mutated humans.
* PunchClockVillain: If you listen to their conversations, you can find that some of the soldiers have doubts about fighting for them, and many talk about their families or escaping somewhere better.
* PuttingOnTheReich: They have adopted Nazi ideals and apparel, though their salutes and addresses are a bit different (i.e. they have a closed fist salute instead of the standard Hitler salute).
* TheSocialDarwinist: They value genetic purity, culling off any citizens with deformities.
* TrailersAlwaysLie: They were heavily featured in the pre-release marketing material for ''Last Light'', giving the impression that they would be the main villains, even though they actually got DemotedToExtra in the game.
* TankGoodness: They have at least two "Panzers" (armored trolleys with large guns mounted on top).
* ThoseWackyNazis: A post-apocalyptic Russian Neo-Nazi movement, engaged in their own little version of WWII's Eastern Front.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: They believe that by conquering the entire Metro, they will bring unity to its population.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hanza]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hansa.png]]
The Hanseatic League, or "Hanza", is a faction composed of the Koltsevaya, or Ring-Line stations of the Moscow Metro. They are considered the richest of the Metro factions, with an economy focused mostly on trading with the other factions, as the Ring Line serves as one of the few relatively-safe routes in the post-apocalyptic Metro.
----
* CapitalismIsBad: ZigzaggedTrope. While a lot of their members are known to be corrupt and/or are fueled by greed, they are also shown to be one of the most well-off, stable, and secure factions in the series. Also, a lot of their merchants will gladly provide Artyom with additional supplies, provided they get paid a hefty amount. In ''Last Light'' they provide some measure of medical relief to the Oktyabrskaya station affected by the [[spoiler: Red Line]] plague, but that's because they don't want it to spread to the rest of the metro.
* {{Eagleland}}: Their society heavily resembles Gilded Age[=/=]Interwar period United States; a rich land of opportunity where people flock in the hopes of earning a better life, but also a land of wide scale economic inequality where many aren't able to reach their dreams of a better life.
* {{Greed}}: The primary MO of most soldiers and merchants seen, although how much it affects them varies between individuals.
* IndenturedServitude: They are shown practicing this in ''Metro 2033'' novel.
* MerchantCity: Most of the stations they control are this. Market Station is called this for a reason, with most of the station composed of stands selling an array of goods.
* ProudMerchantRace: So much, that they won't allow outsiders to enter the other Ring Stations sans Market.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: A lot of their citizen's motives revolve around earning as much money and making a good buck as much as possible.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:'''SPOILER FACTION''']]
!!Invisible Watchers
A secret group that controls all major factions of the metro behind the shadows and keeps the existence of the outside world a secret.
----
* AristocratsAreEvil: They aren't nobles per say, but they are former members and descendants of Russia's ruling elite and oligarchy, who keep living conditions in the metro miserable for the sake of keeping onto their power and ensuring relatively good living conditions for themselves.
* TheConspiracy: For years, they have been the true rulers of the metro who decide what the population should and shouldn't know.
* DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: Above all, actions of the Invisible Watchers are motivated by their desire to hold onto their power.
* EpiphanicPrison: They have effectively turned the entire Metro into one of these. Even as the mutant populations and the radiation levels have drastically dropped above ground, they manage to keep the population under control through their fear of the outside world, and only Artyom and Anna show willingness to leave the metro behind.
* GreaterScopeVillain: If not for their conspiracy, the Red Line and the Fourth Reich likely wouldn't even exist and they certainly wouldn't be waging conflicts as readily as they do.
* ManBehindTheMan: They secretly control Polis, Hanza, Fourth Reich, Red Line and the Rangers.
* LeaveNoWitnesses: They run a very tight no witness policy when it comes to the outside world and anyone who is known or suspected to have knowledge about it will quickly find themselves as a political prisoner of the Red Line.
* TheRemnant: They are what remains of the Russian government and military high command in the metro.
* WalkingSpoiler: Everything about the faction is a massive spoiler for those who haven't read ''Metro 2035''.
* WarForFunAndProfit: They have started every major conflict in the metro for the sake of population control and strengthening their own grip on the factions.
[[/folder]]

! Mutants

[[folder:Giant Amoebas]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/giantamoebae.jpg]]

Strange spherical amoeba-like creatures found inhabiting the D6 bunker. They are spawned from strange "pores", pulsating creatures that stick to walls and floors.
----
* ActionBomb: The Amoebas themselves run up to you and explode.
* BlobMonster: As the name implies.
* MookMaker: The amoeba pores.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Demons]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mlldemon.png]]

Winged bat-like creatures found on the surface. They are extremely aggressive, attacking humans and other mutants alike.
----
* DeathFromAbove: Frequently attack humans on the surface. They're really tough and really dangerous.
* GiantFlyer: Large and winged.
* LightningBruiser: They move quickly, and can soak up a lot of damage.
* SuperPersistentPredator: Two particular Demons - one in the Library, and another on the Tower - will relentlessly pursue you until killed or driven off.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Librarians]]
[[quoteright:248:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/metrolastlightlibrarian2.png]]

Giant humanoid creatures encountered in the Moscow State Library. They are extremely intelligent and extremely dangerous, but it is possible to avoid fighting them by staring them down. They come in two variations: regular Librarians, and Black Librarians.
----
* ArtifactMook: Averted, you only fight them in the Library levels.
* BadassBookworm: It is implied in ''Last Light'' that they are capable of reading the books found in the library.
* BerserkButton: Don't turn your back on them or shoot them, or they'll attack immediately.
* KillerGorilla: Their faces and posture imply they are mutated gorillas.
* LightningBruiser: Really large, really fast, really strong.
* MadeOfIron: Can take a large number of bullets before going down.
* SavageSetpiece: Unlike the other mutants, they aren't interested in killing you unless provoked, and even then, you can successfully stare them down without violence.
* StaringDownCthulhu: Stare them down long enough and you can avoid fighting them.
* UndergroundMonkey: Black Librarians are only found in the library's basement.
* WasOnceAMan: It's implied they may have once been people. Or they're mutated gorillas. It's theorized in-universe the reason you can stare them into compliance is that looking into human eyes reminds them of the humanity they lost.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Nosalises]]

Nosalises are the most common mutants encountered in the underground. Resembling heavily mutated moles, they are often encountered in large numbers. They come in several different variations.
----
* BlindedByTheLight: Due to their adaptations to see in the dark, Plated Nosalises are blinded by Artyom's flashlight.
* OurGhoulsAreCreepier: These ghouls are mutated moles.
* UndergroundMonkey: Comes in several variations.
** Dark Nosalises: Can take and deal more damage than regular nosalises. Encountered in the levels near the end of ''2033''.
** Winged Nosalises: Can jump further and move faster, and possesses a sonic attack that can stun the player, but can't take as much damage.
** Albino Nosalises: Only encountered in the Dungeon level in ''2033''.
** Plated Nosalises: Only encountered in the Caves level in ''2033''. They are much stronger and can take more damage than standard nosalises, but are blinded by your flashlight.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Plated Nosalises are scared away by Artyom's flashlight.
* ZergRush: Often attack in large groups.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Lurkers]]

Quadrupedal mutants that resemble giant naked mole rats or dogs. They are mostly encountered within the Metro, where they reside in holes within the tunnels.
----
* FragileSpeedster: They're really fast, but can't take much damage.
* RodentsOfUnusualSize: They look like mutated rodents.
* TunnelKing: They like to hide in and pop out of tunnels and holes.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Liana]]

Mutated plant-like creatures found inhabiting the surface.
----
* CombatTentacles: They use their tentacles to whip at passersby.
* InvincibleMinorMinion: You can't truly kill them. If you shoot them they curl up for a few seconds but then get better. Since they're immobile, it's hardly a problem.
* {{Planimal}}: Implied, they bleed red when shot.
* PlantMooks: Mutated plants.
* WhenTreesAttack: They appear to be heavily mutated vines or trees.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Shrimp]]

Mutated crustaceans. They are often found in or near bodies of water. Female shrimps look like regular non-mutated shrimp, except with no eyes and a giant sucker mouth, while male shrimp look a lot like plate-armored creatures with toothed mouths. A handful of Bog Shrimps are also encountered as boss creatures.
----
* BizarreSexualDimorphism: Female shrimp have giant mouths and no eyes, but otherwise, look just like oversized regular shrimp. Male shrimp look like a cross between a praying mantis and a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} xenomorph]].
* EyelessFace: Female shrimps have no visible eyes, with just a huge sucker-like mouth.
* ForeignQueasine: They apparently taste delicious when eaten with beer.
* GiantEnemyCrab: Mutated shrimp.
* LampreyMouth: Female shrimps have this.
* UndergroundMonkey: Comes in several variations.
** Hatchlings: Juvenile Shrimp. They scavenge dead bodies, but are otherwise harmless.
** Amphibians: Larger, heavily armored shrimp. Only found on the surface.
** Bog Shrimp: Giant armored shrimps found on the surface. You only fight one alive, but it is much more dangerous than the other Shrimp variants.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Watchmen]]

Quadrupedal mutants that resemble dogs. They are often encountered on the surface.
----
* HowlingToTheNight: They howl when they spot you, signaling an imminent attack.
* SavageWolves: They certainly resemble wolves in appearance and behavior.
* ZergRush: Often attack in packs.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Spiderbugs]]
Giant mutated arachnid-like creatures that inhabit dark and abandoned underground areas.
----
* AnimalisticAbomination: Artyom theorizes they may not be mutants created by radiation, but rather a race of underground monsters that existed since times immemorial and used to shun humanity, but now that they sense humanity is dying, they grow bolder and seek to reclaim the surface.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: Are only vulnerable when flipped onto their backs.
* BewareMyStingerTail: Male spiders have stingers.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Giant mutated spiders.
* CobwebJungle: Cobwebs can be found everywhere in tunnels where they've taken up residence.
* GiantSpider: Not ''gigantic'', but much larger than a normal spider.
* ImmuneToBullets: Their armored upper sides cannot be damaged by bullets.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Light actually ''hurts'' them.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Like the plated nosalises in the original game, they are weak to light, except this time, it can even kill them when exposed to long enough.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Biomass]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/biomass.jpg]]

A giant mass of...biomass that has taken up residence on D6's nuclear reactor.
----
* BlobMonster: Its incarnation in ''Redux'' especially, due to attacking you with the same biomass it's made of.
* BrownNote: The biomass is heavily implied to have been responsible for a phenomenon where anyone who looked at the stars in Kremlin would mindlessly begin to run towards them. Presumably this was a luring tactic used by the Biomass to catch prey. Notably, after the biomass is killed and the Rangers take over D6, the Kremlin stars stop having their psychic effect and player can look at them in ''Last Light'' without any harmful effects.
** The biomass' psychic abilities are further demonstrated in the novel where anyone near it has a compulsion to walk towards it and get consumed. It manages to kill 3 people this way before Miller, Artyom and the others wake up from its psychic effects after it consumes a child.
* CombatTentacles: Uses its tentacles to try and knock down the crane you're riding in. In ''Redux'', this is averted, due to the tentacles being replaced in favor of a radioactive slime attack.
* ItCanThink: It's apparently quite intelligent, and will attempt to destroy the crane Artyom is operating, as if it knows how the reactor operates and that Artyom can hurt it this way.
* KilledOffscreen: When you defeat it in ''2033'', it's not dead, just weakened. The Rangers have managed to kill it by the events of ''Last Light'', after taking over D6.
* MeatMoss: A meaty creature that thrives on radiation.
* MookMaker: Has several amoeba pores that spawn Amoebas.
* PsychicPowers: In the novel, the biomass has some kind of psychic power that attracts people and compels them to throw themselves in the biomass where they're [[EatenAlive swallowed and digested]]. It's heavily implied that this is the reason why looking at the stars on top of the Kremlin makes you run inside the building, never to be seen again.
* NuclearNasty: It appears to live off the reactor's radiation.
* WasOnceAMan: It's implied to be the after product of the biological weapons that were used against Kremlin.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Nosalis Rhino]]
[[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rhino2.png]]

A huge female nosalis that attacks you in ''Last Light''.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: Its back and head are vulnerable.
* BullfightBoss: As its name implies. You can trick it into smashing into support beams.
* FlunkyBoss: Attacks with the support of regular nosalises.
* KingMook: A nosalis brood mother.
* TacticalSuicideBoss: It'll just keep charging into the walls and pillars without regard for its own welfare.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Bear]]

A mutated bear that resides on the surface.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: Her back is vulnerable when she's being attacked by Watchers.
* BearsAreBadNews: Obviously. The mother bear is extremely resistant to gunfire.
* BodyHorror: Like all mutants, but most notable is the bear's seemingly-exposed spine.
* MamaBear: A literal example. She's trying to protect her cubs from Watchers. You can choose to help her, or let them kill her.
* MightyGlacier: Really strong, but really slow.
* NonMaliciousMonster: As the baby Dark One notes, she's just trying to defend her cubs.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Dark Ones]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/metrolastlightdarkone1.png]]

A strange species of humanoid mutants residing in the Moscow Botanical Gardens. They are feared by the Metro citizens for their unusual psychic powers. They are possibly descended from humans who evolved to adapt to the post-apocalyptic surface world.
----
* AdaptationalHeroism: The first book leaves it more ambiguous whether The Dark Ones are indeed intending to live in symbiosis with humanity or if they are just planning to use their psychic powers to turn humanity into a SlaveRace. This is best seen, when Artyom [[spoiler:asks them would humanity really live with them as equals or would their co existence be just a form of forced servitude for humanity. The Dark Ones instead deflect the question, leaving it up to the audience to decide what their true intentions are.]]
* BrownNote: Their psychic powers can drive humans insane, intentionally or unintentionally, by mere proximity.
* ClashOfEvolutionaryLevels: [[DiscussedTrope Brought up]] in both the novel and the game by Hunter and Alex/Sukhoi. The Dark Ones are referred to as ''Homo Novus'', the [[EvolutionaryLevels next step in evolution]] that will make humanity obsolete and eventually extinct. Unlike several examples where this is HollywoodEvolution, it's {{Justified}}: for starters, the Dark Ones are actually able to thrive on the [[DeathWorld surface]], whereas humans can only (barely) survive in the metro, and the Dark Ones utterly wipe the floor with human soldiers in combat. They are simply more adapted to survival than humanity.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite their freakish appearance and powers, they just want peace with humanity.
* EmptyShell: This is what they do to humans if they come in contact with them. [[spoiler: It's not actually malicious]].
* EndangeredSpecies: In ''Last Light'', [[spoiler:after most of them were killed in the missile strike at the end of ''2033'']].
* HumanoidAbomination: They are humanoid creatures with incomprehensible powers.
* HumansArePsychicInTheFuture: They evolved from heavily mutated humans, and have psychic powers strong enough to drive people mad.
* MadeOfIron: Even without the psychic powers making them extremely dangerous foes, they're apparently very though to gun down.
* ObliviouslyEvil: All they want to do is make peace with humanity, but their powers are strong enough to drive most normal people insane.
* OnlyFatalToAdults: Children are unaffected by the psychic influence of Dark Ones. In a twist, they will inherit this resistance when they grow up if they have interacted with a Dark One in their youth.
* PsychicPowers: Have the ability to psychically influence humans. Even their ''ghosts'' have strange powers.
* RememberTheNewGuy: {{Inverted}}. In ''Metro 2035'' barely anyone mentions the Dark Ones and those who do view them as largely unimportant. Artyom himself seems to be under the impression that the Dark Ones [[spoiler:had been all killed by his hand, seemingly forgetting how they saved him in ''Last Light''.]]
* TouchedByVorlons: [[spoiler:Artyom met a Dark One in his childhood during a trip to the surface. This encounter meant that he's highly resistant to paranormal phenomenon and he can communicate with or resist the Dark Ones]], whereas normal adults have their mind destroyed.
* TheUnfought: [[spoiler:They are never encountered as gameplay enemies]].
* WasOnceAMan: [[MultipleChoicePast Maybe]]. They may have evolved from humans who remained on the surface after the nuclear apocalypse or they may have been the result of scientific experimentation before the war [[spoiler:which would explain why there is a bunch of them locked up inside D6]].

[[/folder]]

! Paranormal Phenomena

[[folder: Ghosts]]

The Metro is haunted by the ghosts of those who lost their lives within the tunnels. They are usually only visible if one shines a flashlight at them.
----
* AndIMustScream: Their entire existence seems to be this.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: According to Khan, the apocalypse destroyed both heaven and hell, leaving the ghosts nowhere to go but to haunt the places where they died.
* ElectromagneticGhosts: Their presence interferes with your flashlight and night-vision goggles, rendering them unusable for a while.
* LivingMemory: They are forced to repeat their final moments forever.
* LivingShadow: They take this form, and are only visible when light is shined on them, or out of the corner of your eyes.
* NonMaliciousMonster: As the baby Dark One notes in ''Last Light'', many ghosts are just lonely and scared, latching on to anyone living who passes by.
* NPCRoadblock: In the first game, some of them block Artyom's way, requiring Khan's assistance to pass them.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Living shadows that relive their last moments repeatedly. Touching one will seriously injure, if not kill, you. Ghosts can even be of mutants or inanimate objects, like ''trains''.
* WhisperingGhosts: Another sign that they're nearby is inaudible whispering.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Anomalies]]

Anomalies are strange orbs of electricity encountered within the Metro tunnels. Little is known about them, except that they are extremely dangerous, shocking anyone who gets near.
----
* BigDamnHeroes: Each time they show up, they helpfully electrocute a number of mutants attacking you. PlayedWith in that it doesn't care about rescuing Artyom, it just moves around randomly killing everything [[ExactWords that moves]].
* TheDreaded: Feared by mutants and humans alike. Even your Ranger companions are afraid of them.
* LivingMotionDetector: Well, for a given value of "living". [[CoolOldGuy Khan]] advises Artyom not to move when the Anomaly is around, and this saves their lives. It apparently only kills things that move.
* ElectromagneticGhosts: They seem to be attracted to large amounts of electricity, as Khan notes in the ''Last Light'' DLC.
* ShockAndAwe: They periodically release large bursts of electricity.
* WillOTheWisp: They certainly resemble them.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: "The Great Door"]]

An unusual phenomenon that attacks Artyom and Bourbon when they fall into a drainage room at the beginning of the Lost Catacombs level of ''Metro 2033''. It takes the form of a giant shadowy "door" that tries to draw people in.
----
* EldritchAbomination: We have no idea what it is, except that it tries to kill anyone who falls into its room.
* GeniusLoci: A possible example, considering it has led a number of other explorers to their deaths in the same room. It may be actively malevolent, or else [[BlueAndOrangeMorality completely detached from human morality]].
* HellGate: It may be a reference to one, seeing as it kills anyone who falls victim to it.
* IntoxicationEnsues: Falling into the Great Gate's room causes you to suffer hallucinations, and in Bourbon's case, he starts ranting about the door "singing".
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Is it a malevolent spirit, or just a hallucination caused by the toxic gas in the room?

[[/folder]]

[[folder: "The River of Fate"]]

Another anomaly of the post-apocalyptic Metro system introduced in the Khan level of ''Metro Last Light''. It's apparently dangerous to most people, but it helps Artyom on its journey by granting his wish to "undo his fate" and atone for the destruction of the Dark Ones..
----
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: It's described as amoral despite its massive influence on reality around it.
* DemBones: Skeletons in the vicinity can somehow ''move'' thanks to its power.
* EldritchAbomination: A relatively benevolent one by Metro standards, it's not dangerous (to Artyom and Khan at least) and even helps the former on his quest.
* EvilPhone: Not quite evil, but Artyom can pick up a ringing phone in a nearby tunnel and hear the voice of his long dead mother.
* GeniusLoci: It has the power to grant wishes. According to Khan it's somehow dangerous to most people.
* MakeAWish: Grants those, as long as they're related to [[YouCantFightFate fate]] or [[TheAtoner forgiveness]].
* RealityIsOutToLunch: Diving in the river can take you to a different place and time, and help you "change" your fate. The area around the river is similarly anomalous, with phones where one can hear the voices of the dead, and skeletons that move.
* RockOfLimitlessWater: Where the water comes from and where it goes isn't clear, but considering the general ''weirdness'' of the place this is fairly minor.
* YouCantFightFate: Subverted. It actually helps Artyom somehow change his future.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: "The Darkness"]]

"The Darkness" is a strange phenomenon in some areas that prevents you from using any electronic light sources, hence the name.

* ElectromagneticGhosts: Its presence disables your flashlight and night vision goggles. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Somehow it doesn't affect your night vision ''scopes'' or your]] LaserSight.
* NothingIsScarier: It has no visible presence except its interference with your electronics.
* TentativeLight: Its presence in the game is to create a creepier atmosphere by disabling your stronger lights, forcing you to advance slowly by the flame of your lighter and pay attention to the environment.

[[/folder]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: He is very critical of the Fourth Reich's former racial policies against non whites and states that it is stupid to judge people simply based on their ethnicity.

! Major Factions

[[folder:The Rangers of the Order]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spartalogo.jpg]]
''[[caption-width-right:250:If not we, then who?]]''
Based in Polis Station, The Rangers of the Order are a neutral entity in the Metro, willing to help any station in trouble free of charge.

* AdaptationExpansion: In the first book, they are simply referred to as ''stalkers'' and the organization itself doesen't receive that much attention. In the video game, they receive much more attention, the organizations MO is explored in dept and they are the central focus of the plot along.
* BadassArmy: All are well-trained and equipped, with many implied to be former members of the Soviet/Russian military.
* BloodKnight: A lot of their members prefer killing enemies rather than taking them prisoner.
* ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: Most of them are said to be or implied to be former Russian Spetsnaz.
* FormerRegimePersonnel: As stated above, a lot of their members are heavily implied to be former Russian Army soldiers, particularly Spetsnaz.
* HeroicNeutral: They seek to help any station in need or in danger, whether it be a mutant threat, a Reich or Communist takeover, etc.
* TheOrder: They're also known as this.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: They really like to make it a point on how badass they are, especially in the beginning of ''Last Light''.
* {{Ranger}}: Obviously.

[[folder:Polis]]
[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/67987532245805317073.png]]
Polis is a collection of four interconnected stations located in the center of the metro: Arbatskaya, Alexandrovsky Sad, Biblioteka Lenina and Borovitskaya, located below what used to be the Moscow Library as well as the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation building. They are one of the most powerful factions in the whole metro in terms of military power as well as prosperity, and they are completely unsurpassed by any faction in terms of knowledge and education, which is why many metro dwellers consider them humanity's last hope. As its name suggests, Polis is built on the ideals of Greek city states and is governed by a platonic style semi-religious class society where people are divided according to their occupation.

* BadassArmy: Their army, The Polis Kshatriya, is one of the most powerful in the metro and many of their members are part of the Rangers.
* AllPowerfulBystander: Despite their military prowess and and plentiful resources, Polis prefers not to interfere with the affairs of other stations, even if those affairs are something that can threaten the entire metro.
* CrapsackOnlyByComparison: Polis is a class society, yes, but compared to everything else in the metro, it's practically a {{Utopia}}.
* DemotedToExtra: They only have a very small role in the game adaptions.
* MagicVersusScience: Played With; their society is largely formed around pre-war scientists and intellectuals, yet their society is very religious, likely because they can't rationally explain all of the phenomenon in the metro anymore.
* ShiningCity: They are the last remaining bastion of knowledge in the entire metro and are viewed by other stations with either envy or admiration because of this and their high living standards. While they aren't quite as rich as Hanza, their wealth is ''much'' more equally distributed, allowing even their lower classes to enjoy luxuries that no other station in the metro can provide, such as proper housing, electronic computers, 24/7 lighting and plentiful food.

[[folder:The Red Line]]
[[quoteright:249:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/redlinelogo.jpg]]
A Communist faction residing in the Metro, consisting of the Sokolnicheskaya (Red) Line stations. Built on Communist ideals, they have the largest population of all the Metro factions, and frequently antagonize the other factions.

* AdaptationalBadass: In the original version of ''2033'', Red Line soldiers at the Frontline had no body armor, wore ragtag and non-standard uniforms, and were generally poorly equipped compared to the Nazis. In ''Redux'' however, regular soldiers now have access to body armor, have generally better equipment, proper uniforms, and now have Heavy troopers guarding the barricades.
* AscendedExtra: In the original ''2033'', the Red Line only appeared in two levels. By ''Last Light'' they take center stage from the Nazis early on, when it's revealed that they plan on [[spoiler:capturing D6's arsenal of bioweapons, as well as attempting to procure the surviving Dark One]].
* BigBad: Of the second game.
* BigBrotherIsWatching: The Red government is known to pay citizens to watch their neighbors.
* {{Conscription}}: How they get many of their soldiers.
* DirtyCommunists: Obviously. Life under them really sucks. It's really telling when you have entire trains of refugees who want out coming through on a regular basis.
* EliteMooks: Their equivalent to the Nazi stalkers and Rangers, and are just as heavily armed and competent as them. They're encountered late in ''Last Light'', on orders from Korbut to hunt down Artyom and capture The Dark One.
* HateSink: They are just as hated among the metro dwellers for their actions as the Fourth Reich is and the only group who is willing to work with them at any capacity are the Trotskyists who only seem to work with them because [[EnemyMine they both hate fascists]].
* PoliceState: The Communist government keeps a close eye on its citizens, paying them to keep an eye on their neighbors.
* ThePoliticalOfficer: Their Commissars definitely count. They'll shoot anyone suspicious at first sight, friend or foe.
* PunchClockVillain: Like the Nazis, some of the Red soldiers aren't particularly interested in the conflict, only in it for the money or benefits.
* TankGoodness: They get their own armored trolleys in the second game, based on old steam locomotives.
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Last Light'', their soldiers are much better equipped and trained, even possessing a number of armored vehicles like the Nazis.
* WeHaveReserves: Many of their troops are poorly-trained conscripts, used as cannon fodder to swarm enemy positions. They have the largest population in the entire Metro, so they have plenty of new recruits to spare.

[[folder:The Fourth Reich]]
[[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fourthreichtexture1.png]]
''[[caption-width-right:255:Metro for the pure race!]]''
A Neo-Nazi fascist faction within the Metro, having taken up residence in Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya, and Pushkinskaya stations. Basing their society on Nazi ideals, they are often at odds with the Communist Red Line.

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Their members, being descendants of real life Russian Neo-Nazis, despise anyone who isn't a "pure" slav. This translates to having them killed on the spot.
* BigBadWannabe: They have plans of cleansing the entire Metro of "undesirables", but they posses neither the resources nor the manpower to achieve anything on that scale. Throughout the series they assume the role of secondary villains at best and end up [[spoiler:destroying their own faction with no outside help.]]
* BoomerangBigot: They are a group of Russians who support an ideology that ''explicitly'' calls death for the "subhuman" slavs. This gets lampshaded in the first novel.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: Their stations in a nutshell. They're relatively nice places to live...if you meet their requirements for "genetic purity". Those who don't get sent to concentration camps or worked to death as slave laborers.
* DemotedToExtra: In ''Last Light'', other than capturing Artyom and [[spoiler:the Baby Dark One]] at the beginning, they have no significant involvement in the plot.
* DoomTroops: Their soldiers.
* FinalSolution: Pretty much their MO on handling any and all enemies, whether they be Reds or anyone considered "subhuman". Of course, they orchestrate these through [[HellholePrison concentration camps]].
* GasMaskMooks: All Nazi soldiers wear gas masks unique to their faction.
* GratuitousGerman: They throw many German words into their speech.
* HateSink: Their actions are considered absolutely deplorable by everyone in the metro and no faction is willing to work with them.
* HellholePrison: Pushkinskaya a.k.a. Schiller station which serves as a concentration camp for the undesirables.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:In ''Metro 2035'', all of their stations are taken out by a massive flood they accidentally caused, leaving the chances of the faction surviving very unlikely.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: Their attempts to expand Pushkinskaya through slave labor end up with [[spoiler:nearly all their territories getting flooded and the entire faction effectively ceasing to exist]].
* LegionOfLostSouls: Due to the Reich's low manpower, they attract people from other stations to join their foreign volunteer army known as the Iron Legion. [[spoiler:This also serves as a steady supply of slaves, as anyone who is detected to have either mutations or tumors gets immediately sent into a concentration camp after the initial medical examination.]]
* NoSwastikas: Despite the Nazi imagery, they don't actually use the swastika in game, instead using the Moscow Metro "C" sign. In the novel and beta, they use a Triskelion-style Nazi flag, roughly similar to the symbol used by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaner_Weerstandsbeweging Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging]].
* PoliceState: They're constantly patrolling their citizens for mutations, or checking that they meet their standards (in height, physical features, etc.).
* PragmaticVillainy: By the events of ''Metro 2035'', they have significantly loosened up their tight racial standards to attract more fighters from other stations into the Iron Legion and the focus of their ideology has shifted from white supremacy to the extermination of all mutated humans.
* PunchClockVillain: If you listen to their conversations, you can find that some of the soldiers have doubts about fighting for them, and many talk about their families or escaping somewhere better.
* PuttingOnTheReich: They have adopted Nazi ideals and apparel, though their salutes and addresses are a bit different (i.e. they have a closed fist salute instead of the standard Hitler salute).
* TheSocialDarwinist: They value genetic purity, culling off any citizens with deformities.
* TrailersAlwaysLie: They were heavily featured in the pre-release marketing material for ''Last Light'', giving the impression that they would be the main villains, even though they actually got DemotedToExtra in the game.
* TankGoodness: They have at least two "Panzers" (armored trolleys with large guns mounted on top).
* ThoseWackyNazis: A post-apocalyptic Russian Neo-Nazi movement, engaged in their own little version of WWII's Eastern Front.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: They believe that by conquering the entire Metro, they will bring unity to its population.

[[folder:Hanza]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hansa.png]]
The Hanseatic League, or "Hanza", is a faction composed of the Koltsevaya, or Ring-Line stations of the Moscow Metro. They are considered the richest of the Metro factions, with an economy focused mostly on trading with the other factions, as the Ring Line serves as one of the few relatively-safe routes in the post-apocalyptic Metro.

* CapitalismIsBad: ZigzaggedTrope. While a lot of their members are known to be corrupt and/or are fueled by greed, they are also shown to be one of the most well-off, stable, and secure factions in the series. Also, a lot of their merchants will gladly provide Artyom with additional supplies, provided they get paid a hefty amount. In ''Last Light'' they provide some measure of medical relief to the Oktyabrskaya station affected by the [[spoiler: Red Line]] plague, but that's because they don't want it to spread to the rest of the metro.
* {{Eagleland}}: Their society heavily resembles Gilded Age[=/=]Interwar period United States; a rich land of opportunity where people flock in the hopes of earning a better life, but also a land of wide scale economic inequality where many aren't able to reach their dreams of a better life.
* {{Greed}}: The primary MO of most soldiers and merchants seen, although how much it affects them varies between individuals.
* IndenturedServitude: They are shown practicing this in ''Metro 2033'' novel.
* MerchantCity: Most of the stations they control are this. Market Station is called this for a reason, with most of the station composed of stands selling an array of goods.
* ProudMerchantRace: So much, that they won't allow outsiders to enter the other Ring Stations sans Market.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: A lot of their citizen's motives revolve around earning as much money and making a good buck as much as possible.

[[folder:'''SPOILER FACTION''']]
!!Invisible Watchers
A secret group that controls all major factions of the metro behind the shadows and keeps the existence of the outside world a secret.

* AristocratsAreEvil: They aren't nobles per say, but they are former members and descendants of Russia's ruling elite and oligarchy, who keep living conditions in the metro miserable for the sake of keeping onto their power and ensuring relatively good living conditions for themselves.
* TheConspiracy: For years, they have been the true rulers of the metro who decide what the population should and shouldn't know.
* DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: Above all, actions of the Invisible Watchers are motivated by their desire to hold onto their power.
* EpiphanicPrison: They have effectively turned the entire Metro into one of these. Even as the mutant populations and the radiation levels have drastically dropped above ground, they manage to keep the population under control through their fear of the outside world, and only Artyom and Anna show willingness to leave the metro behind.
* GreaterScopeVillain: If not for their conspiracy, the Red Line and the Fourth Reich likely wouldn't even exist and they certainly wouldn't be waging conflicts as readily as they do.
* ManBehindTheMan: They secretly control Polis, Hanza, Fourth Reich, Red Line and the Rangers.
* LeaveNoWitnesses: They run a very tight no witness policy when it comes to the outside world and anyone who is known or suspected to have knowledge about it will quickly find themselves as a political prisoner of the Red Line.
* TheRemnant: They are what remains of the Russian government and military high command in the metro.
* WalkingSpoiler: Everything about the faction is a massive spoiler for those who haven't read ''Metro 2035''.
* WarForFunAndProfit: They have started every major conflict in the metro for the sake of population control and strengthening their own grip on the factions.

! Mutants

[[folder:Giant Amoebas]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/giantamoebae.jpg]]

Strange spherical amoeba-like creatures found inhabiting the D6 bunker. They are spawned from strange "pores", pulsating creatures that stick to walls and floors.

* ActionBomb: The Amoebas themselves run up to you and explode.
* BlobMonster: As the name implies.
* MookMaker: The amoeba pores.

[[folder: Demons]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mlldemon.png]]

Winged bat-like creatures found on the surface. They are extremely aggressive, attacking humans and other mutants alike.

* DeathFromAbove: Frequently attack humans on the surface. They're really tough and really dangerous.
* GiantFlyer: Large and winged.
* LightningBruiser: They move quickly, and can soak up a lot of damage.
* SuperPersistentPredator: Two particular Demons - one in the Library, and another on the Tower - will relentlessly pursue you until killed or driven off.

[[folder: Librarians]]
[[quoteright:248:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/metrolastlightlibrarian2.png]]

Giant humanoid creatures encountered in the Moscow State Library. They are extremely intelligent and extremely dangerous, but it is possible to avoid fighting them by staring them down. They come in two variations: regular Librarians, and Black Librarians.

* ArtifactMook: Averted, you only fight them in the Library levels.
* BadassBookworm: It is implied in ''Last Light'' that they are capable of reading the books found in the library.
* BerserkButton: Don't turn your back on them or shoot them, or they'll attack immediately.
* KillerGorilla: Their faces and posture imply they are mutated gorillas.
* LightningBruiser: Really large, really fast, really strong.
* MadeOfIron: Can take a large number of bullets before going down.
* SavageSetpiece: Unlike the other mutants, they aren't interested in killing you unless provoked, and even then, you can successfully stare them down without violence.
* StaringDownCthulhu: Stare them down long enough and you can avoid fighting them.
* UndergroundMonkey: Black Librarians are only found in the library's basement.
* WasOnceAMan: It's implied they may have once been people. Or they're mutated gorillas. It's theorized in-universe the reason you can stare them into compliance is that looking into human eyes reminds them of the humanity they lost.

[[folder: Nosalises]]

Nosalises are the most common mutants encountered in the underground. Resembling heavily mutated moles, they are often encountered in large numbers. They come in several different variations.

* BlindedByTheLight: Due to their adaptations to see in the dark, Plated Nosalises are blinded by Artyom's flashlight.
* OurGhoulsAreCreepier: These ghouls are mutated moles.
* UndergroundMonkey: Comes in several variations.
** Dark Nosalises: Can take and deal more damage than regular nosalises. Encountered in the levels near the end of ''2033''.
** Winged Nosalises: Can jump further and move faster, and possesses a sonic attack that can stun the player, but can't take as much damage.
** Albino Nosalises: Only encountered in the Dungeon level in ''2033''.
** Plated Nosalises: Only encountered in the Caves level in ''2033''. They are much stronger and can take more damage than standard nosalises, but are blinded by your flashlight.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Plated Nosalises are scared away by Artyom's flashlight.
* ZergRush: Often attack in large groups.

[[folder: Lurkers]]

Quadrupedal mutants that resemble giant naked mole rats or dogs. They are mostly encountered within the Metro, where they reside in holes within the tunnels.

* FragileSpeedster: They're really fast, but can't take much damage.
* RodentsOfUnusualSize: They look like mutated rodents.
* TunnelKing: They like to hide in and pop out of tunnels and holes.

[[folder: Liana]]

Mutated plant-like creatures found inhabiting the surface.

* CombatTentacles: They use their tentacles to whip at passersby.
* InvincibleMinorMinion: You can't truly kill them. If you shoot them they curl up for a few seconds but then get better. Since they're immobile, it's hardly a problem.
* {{Planimal}}: Implied, they bleed red when shot.
* PlantMooks: Mutated plants.
* WhenTreesAttack: They appear to be heavily mutated vines or trees.

[[folder: Shrimp]]

Mutated crustaceans. They are often found in or near bodies of water. Female shrimps look like regular non-mutated shrimp, except with no eyes and a giant sucker mouth, while male shrimp look a lot like plate-armored creatures with toothed mouths. A handful of Bog Shrimps are also encountered as boss creatures.

* BizarreSexualDimorphism: Female shrimp have giant mouths and no eyes, but otherwise, look just like oversized regular shrimp. Male shrimp look like a cross between a praying mantis and a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} xenomorph]].
* EyelessFace: Female shrimps have no visible eyes, with just a huge sucker-like mouth.
* ForeignQueasine: They apparently taste delicious when eaten with beer.
* GiantEnemyCrab: Mutated shrimp.
* LampreyMouth: Female shrimps have this.
* UndergroundMonkey: Comes in several variations.
** Hatchlings: Juvenile Shrimp. They scavenge dead bodies, but are otherwise harmless.
** Amphibians: Larger, heavily armored shrimp. Only found on the surface.
** Bog Shrimp: Giant armored shrimps found on the surface. You only fight one alive, but it is much more dangerous than the other Shrimp variants.

[[folder: Watchmen]]

Quadrupedal mutants that resemble dogs. They are often encountered on the surface.

* HowlingToTheNight: They howl when they spot you, signaling an imminent attack.
* SavageWolves: They certainly resemble wolves in appearance and behavior.
* ZergRush: Often attack in packs.

[[folder: Spiderbugs]]
Giant mutated arachnid-like creatures that inhabit dark and abandoned underground areas.

* AnimalisticAbomination: Artyom theorizes they may not be mutants created by radiation, but rather a race of underground monsters that existed since times immemorial and used to shun humanity, but now that they sense humanity is dying, they grow bolder and seek to reclaim the surface.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: Are only vulnerable when flipped onto their backs.
* BewareMyStingerTail: Male spiders have stingers.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Giant mutated spiders.
* CobwebJungle: Cobwebs can be found everywhere in tunnels where they've taken up residence.
* GiantSpider: Not ''gigantic'', but much larger than a normal spider.
* ImmuneToBullets: Their armored upper sides cannot be damaged by bullets.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Light actually ''hurts'' them.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Like the plated nosalises in the original game, they are weak to light, except this time, it can even kill them when exposed to long enough.

[[folder: Biomass]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/biomass.jpg]]

A giant mass of...biomass that has taken up residence on D6's nuclear reactor.

* BlobMonster: Its incarnation in ''Redux'' especially, due to attacking you with the same biomass it's made of.
* BrownNote: The biomass is heavily implied to have been responsible for a phenomenon where anyone who looked at the stars in Kremlin would mindlessly begin to run towards them. Presumably this was a luring tactic used by the Biomass to catch prey. Notably, after the biomass is killed and the Rangers take over D6, the Kremlin stars stop having their psychic effect and player can look at them in ''Last Light'' without any harmful effects.
** The biomass' psychic abilities are further demonstrated in the novel where anyone near it has a compulsion to walk towards it and get consumed. It manages to kill 3 people this way before Miller, Artyom and the others wake up from its psychic effects after it consumes a child.
* CombatTentacles: Uses its tentacles to try and knock down the crane you're riding in. In ''Redux'', this is averted, due to the tentacles being replaced in favor of a radioactive slime attack.
* ItCanThink: It's apparently quite intelligent, and will attempt to destroy the crane Artyom is operating, as if it knows how the reactor operates and that Artyom can hurt it this way.
* KilledOffscreen: When you defeat it in ''2033'', it's not dead, just weakened. The Rangers have managed to kill it by the events of ''Last Light'', after taking over D6.
* MeatMoss: A meaty creature that thrives on radiation.
* MookMaker: Has several amoeba pores that spawn Amoebas.
* PsychicPowers: In the novel, the biomass has some kind of psychic power that attracts people and compels them to throw themselves in the biomass where they're [[EatenAlive swallowed and digested]]. It's heavily implied that this is the reason why looking at the stars on top of the Kremlin makes you run inside the building, never to be seen again.
* NuclearNasty: It appears to live off the reactor's radiation.
* WasOnceAMan: It's implied to be the after product of the biological weapons that were used against Kremlin.

[[folder: Nosalis Rhino]]
[[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rhino2.png]]

A huge female nosalis that attacks you in ''Last Light''.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: Its back and head are vulnerable.
* BullfightBoss: As its name implies. You can trick it into smashing into support beams.
* FlunkyBoss: Attacks with the support of regular nosalises.
* KingMook: A nosalis brood mother.
* TacticalSuicideBoss: It'll just keep charging into the walls and pillars without regard for its own welfare.

[[folder: Bear]]

A mutated bear that resides on the surface.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: Her back is vulnerable when she's being attacked by Watchers.
* BearsAreBadNews: Obviously. The mother bear is extremely resistant to gunfire.
* BodyHorror: Like all mutants, but most notable is the bear's seemingly-exposed spine.
* MamaBear: A literal example. She's trying to protect her cubs from Watchers. You can choose to help her, or let them kill her.
* MightyGlacier: Really strong, but really slow.
* NonMaliciousMonster: As the baby Dark One notes, she's just trying to defend her cubs.

[[folder: The Dark Ones]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/metrolastlightdarkone1.png]]

A strange species of humanoid mutants residing in the Moscow Botanical Gardens. They are feared by the Metro citizens for their unusual psychic powers. They are possibly descended from humans who evolved to adapt to the post-apocalyptic surface world.

* AdaptationalHeroism: The first book leaves it more ambiguous whether The Dark Ones are indeed intending to live in symbiosis with humanity or if they are just planning to use their psychic powers to turn humanity into a SlaveRace. This is best seen, when Artyom [[spoiler:asks them would humanity really live with them as equals or would their co existence be just a form of forced servitude for humanity. The Dark Ones instead deflect the question, leaving it up to the audience to decide what their true intentions are.]]
* BrownNote: Their psychic powers can drive humans insane, intentionally or unintentionally, by mere proximity.
* ClashOfEvolutionaryLevels: [[DiscussedTrope Brought up]] in both the novel and the game by Hunter and Alex/Sukhoi. The Dark Ones are referred to as ''Homo Novus'', the [[EvolutionaryLevels next step in evolution]] that will make humanity obsolete and eventually extinct. Unlike several examples where this is HollywoodEvolution, it's {{Justified}}: for starters, the Dark Ones are actually able to thrive on the [[DeathWorld surface]], whereas humans can only (barely) survive in the metro, and the Dark Ones utterly wipe the floor with human soldiers in combat. They are simply more adapted to survival than humanity.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite their freakish appearance and powers, they just want peace with humanity.
* EmptyShell: This is what they do to humans if they come in contact with them. [[spoiler: It's not actually malicious]].
* EndangeredSpecies: In ''Last Light'', [[spoiler:after most of them were killed in the missile strike at the end of ''2033'']].
* HumanoidAbomination: They are humanoid creatures with incomprehensible powers.
* HumansArePsychicInTheFuture: They evolved from heavily mutated humans, and have psychic powers strong enough to drive people mad.
* MadeOfIron: Even without the psychic powers making them extremely dangerous foes, they're apparently very though to gun down.
* ObliviouslyEvil: All they want to do is make peace with humanity, but their powers are strong enough to drive most normal people insane.
* OnlyFatalToAdults: Children are unaffected by the psychic influence of Dark Ones. In a twist, they will inherit this resistance when they grow up if they have interacted with a Dark One in their youth.
* PsychicPowers: Have the ability to psychically influence humans. Even their ''ghosts'' have strange powers.
* RememberTheNewGuy: {{Inverted}}. In ''Metro 2035'' barely anyone mentions the Dark Ones and those who do view them as largely unimportant. Artyom himself seems to be under the impression that the Dark Ones [[spoiler:had been all killed by his hand, seemingly forgetting how they saved him in ''Last Light''.]]
* TouchedByVorlons: [[spoiler:Artyom met a Dark One in his childhood during a trip to the surface. This encounter meant that he's highly resistant to paranormal phenomenon and he can communicate with or resist the Dark Ones]], whereas normal adults have their mind destroyed.
* TheUnfought: [[spoiler:They are never encountered as gameplay enemies]].
* WasOnceAMan: [[MultipleChoicePast Maybe]]. They may have evolved from humans who remained on the surface after the nuclear apocalypse or they may have been the result of scientific experimentation before the war [[spoiler:which would explain why there is a bunch of them locked up inside D6]].

! Paranormal Phenomena

[[folder: Ghosts]]

The Metro is haunted by the ghosts of those who lost their lives within the tunnels. They are usually only visible if one shines a flashlight at them.

* AndIMustScream: Their entire existence seems to be this.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: According to Khan, the apocalypse destroyed both heaven and hell, leaving the ghosts nowhere to go but to haunt the places where they died.
* ElectromagneticGhosts: Their presence interferes with your flashlight and night-vision goggles, rendering them unusable for a while.
* LivingMemory: They are forced to repeat their final moments forever.
* LivingShadow: They take this form, and are only visible when light is shined on them, or out of the corner of your eyes.
* NonMaliciousMonster: As the baby Dark One notes in ''Last Light'', many ghosts are just lonely and scared, latching on to anyone living who passes by.
* NPCRoadblock: In the first game, some of them block Artyom's way, requiring Khan's assistance to pass them.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Living shadows that relive their last moments repeatedly. Touching one will seriously injure, if not kill, you. Ghosts can even be of mutants or inanimate objects, like ''trains''.
* WhisperingGhosts: Another sign that they're nearby is inaudible whispering.

[[folder: Anomalies]]

Anomalies are strange orbs of electricity encountered within the Metro tunnels. Little is known about them, except that they are extremely dangerous, shocking anyone who gets near.

* BigDamnHeroes: Each time they show up, they helpfully electrocute a number of mutants attacking you. PlayedWith in that it doesn't care about rescuing Artyom, it just moves around randomly killing everything [[ExactWords that moves]].
* TheDreaded: Feared by mutants and humans alike. Even your Ranger companions are afraid of them.
* LivingMotionDetector: Well, for a given value of "living". [[CoolOldGuy Khan]] advises Artyom not to move when the Anomaly is around, and this saves their lives. It apparently only kills things that move.
* ElectromagneticGhosts: They seem to be attracted to large amounts of electricity, as Khan notes in the ''Last Light'' DLC.
* ShockAndAwe: They periodically release large bursts of electricity.
* WillOTheWisp: They certainly resemble them.

[[folder: "The Great Door"]]

An unusual phenomenon that attacks Artyom and Bourbon when they fall into a drainage room at the beginning of the Lost Catacombs level of ''Metro 2033''. It takes the form of a giant shadowy "door" that tries to draw people in.

* EldritchAbomination: We have no idea what it is, except that it tries to kill anyone who falls into its room.
* GeniusLoci: A possible example, considering it has led a number of other explorers to their deaths in the same room. It may be actively malevolent, or else [[BlueAndOrangeMorality completely detached from human morality]].
* HellGate: It may be a reference to one, seeing as it kills anyone who falls victim to it.
* IntoxicationEnsues: Falling into the Great Gate's room causes you to suffer hallucinations, and in Bourbon's case, he starts ranting about the door "singing".
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Is it a malevolent spirit, or just a hallucination caused by the toxic gas in the room?

[[folder: "The River of Fate"]]

Another anomaly of the post-apocalyptic Metro system introduced in the Khan level of ''Metro Last Light''. It's apparently dangerous to most people, but it helps Artyom on its journey by granting his wish to "undo his fate" and atone for the destruction of the Dark Ones..

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: It's described as amoral despite its massive influence on reality around it.
* DemBones: Skeletons in the vicinity can somehow ''move'' thanks to its power.
* EldritchAbomination: A relatively benevolent one by Metro standards, it's not dangerous (to Artyom and Khan at least) and even helps the former on his quest.
* EvilPhone: Not quite evil, but Artyom can pick up a ringing phone in a nearby tunnel and hear the voice of his long dead mother.
* GeniusLoci: It has the power to grant wishes. According to Khan it's somehow dangerous to most people.
* MakeAWish: Grants those, as long as they're related to [[YouCantFightFate fate]] or [[TheAtoner forgiveness]].
* RealityIsOutToLunch: Diving in the river can take you to a different place and time, and help you "change" your fate. The area around the river is similarly anomalous, with phones where one can hear the voices of the dead, and skeletons that move.
* RockOfLimitlessWater: Where the water comes from and where it goes isn't clear, but considering the general ''weirdness'' of the place this is fairly minor.
* YouCantFightFate: Subverted. It actually helps Artyom somehow change his future.

* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: He doesn't fight you directly until you've killed all his henchmen.]]

* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler: Subverted. He betrays you not out of ungratefulness, but because of his obligation to follow his superiors' orders. He even tells Artyom that he still considers him a friend, and tries to console him as he's being dragged inside Revolution station.]]