History Characters / PapersPlease

* IdentityImpersonator: EZIC wants you to let the real Kordon Kallo in while also confiscating his passport, then use the confiscated passport for the impersonator they've sent to the checkpoint, where they can take control of the situation in their own terms.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: It's presumed that EZIC disposes of him to make sure he won't make it to the talks if you steal his passport and give it to the impersonator so that an IdentityImpersonator can impersonate him.

* IdentityImpersonator: EZIC wants you to let him in while also confiscating his passport, then use the confiscated passport for the impersonator they've sent to the checkpoint, where they can take control of the situation in their own terms.

* AssInAmbassador: Acts as one for the upcoming talks regarding the terrorist attack in the previous day. If he's rejected, had his passport confiscated, or a combination of the two, he'll call you out and deem you a "barbarian".
* IdentityImpersonator: EZIC wants you to let him in while also confiscating his passport, then use the confiscated passport for the impersonator they've sent to the checkpoint, where they can take control of the situation in their own terms.
* {{Jerkass}}: As if the [[AssInAmbassador previous trope]] doesn't tell you enough.
* KillAndReplace: EZIC tasks you to let him enter the country but confiscate his passport, so they will manipulate the talks to their own ends and take care of the real Kallo to make sure everything goes smoothly.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: It's presumed that EZIC disposes of him to make sure he won't make it to the talks.

* PreMortemOneLiner: If the December 24 audit exposes your involvement with EZIC, thus getting you sentenced to death...

* KillAndReplace: Implied. Kallo is an important diplomat, so simply replacing him with a look-alike during the talk would cause jeopardy within their operation because he can interrupt the impersonator and cause the entire operation to be for nothing, and ''worse'', unraveling their operation in other countries altogether. It's highly suggested that the other agents within the country have arranged his assassination beforehand to ensure that the operation goes smoothly.

Occasionally, there will be terrorist attacks that threaten the order within the West Grestin border (mostly from Kolechia, but possible transgressions within the country exist), inevitably cutting the day short. They can occur in a scripted schedule or be randomly generated to appear after processing several entrants prior. There are three types of terrorists: A single grenadier climbing over the border wall and lobbing an explosive towards the guards before going down, a squadron of motorcyclists from within the border that attack the guards before bombing your booth, and a suicide bomber that tries to smuggle their bomb into the border before killing themselves in front of the guards. Starting from the Day 16, you are given a standard-issue Tranquilizer gun to subdue the first two types of terrorist attacks, while the last one can be stopped by detaining them if you manage to scan their hidden explosives. Initially, only the suicide bombers were randomly generated. After you receive the tranquilizer, a grenadier might be randomly generated in day 20.

* NonStandardGameOver: Failing to take down the lower motorcyclist in time results in them lobbing a grenade at your booth, killing you instantly to the title screen.

* AchievementsInIgnorance: On Day 11, he ends up accidentally outsmarting the system in that he's cleared for entry as all his documents match...except his passport ID number has one less character than everyone else's. However, having an impossible ID isn't against the rules; it matches, so despite the blatant evidence of forgery, he's cleared for entry.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: He seems like a bumbling idiot with [[PaperThinDisguise incredibly half-baked schemes]], but he also appears to be a very well connected and profitable drug dealer. There's also the fact that no matter how many times you detain him, [[CardboardPrison he's always out again in a couple of days]].

* FriendInTheBlackMarket: Potentially to the Inspector. Not only can they accept bribes from him to turn a blind eye to his dirty business in [[spoiler:drug smuggling]], but Jorji can also tip them off about [[spoiler: a passport forger who may be able to help the Inspector and his family escape from Arstotzka if they should need to, even offering his own Obristani passport to the Inspector]]. He'll also [[spoiler:come back on the penultimate day, if he was let in at least once, and drop off a large monetary gift--which may prove crucial in getting the Inspector's family out of the country alive.]]

* FunnyForeigner: Gives off this vibe, being both the main source of comedy relief and having the [[YouNoTakeCandle most broken speech pattern]] out of all the recurring characters. His actual nationality is unclear however, as there's every implication that the passport he's using is either a very good forgery or the result of a bribe. Given that he's the applicant who gives you the Obristan token, it's implied he really is from there.

* KarmaHoudini: Nothing ever seems to stick to Jorji. He always comes back after a few days even after being detained for smuggling drugs. This means he somehow also managed to get ''out'' of the country in between.

'''Jorji:''' [[spoiler:Is drugs]]!

** He ends up meeting with people that deal with forging immigration papers, and they're eventually good enough to let him pass at least once. [[spoiler:He eventually offers this to the Inspector and his family, as a chance to escape the audit if they've done something wrong]].

** One time you detain him, he will claim he paid good money for one of his fake passports. [[spoiler: He ultimately lets you know where to get a few for yourself and your family once he learns about your upcoming audit and that your passports have been taken away.]]

-->'''Jorji''': Is ok, I understand. [[spoiler:{{Drugs are bad}}]]. Not good for kids.

-->'''Jorji''': Arstotzka so great! Passport not needed.

A border security guard who is stationed on the Arstotzkan side of the border. He was also born in the same district as the Inspector and claims to have many things in common with him. Sergiu served in the Six Year War and found a girlfriend in Kolechia; whom you can deny or grant access into the country.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: If you save him from a devastating terrorist attack and [[spoiler:let Elisa in, he'll get reassigned to a presumably safer post and [[BabiesEverAfter plans to start a family with her]].]]

* VideoGameCaringPotential: Helping and Saving him from all the terrorist attacks. It's quite difficult especially in certain points, but he'll thank you for your assistance. He's so thankful that if you let Elisa pass through the checkpoint and make sure that he stays alive, he will send you some of his savings (equal to 100 credits) the next night.

* BadBoss: If you earn one citation, he questions your ability. He even tries to force you to break the rules in his favour. And he clearly believes that shit rolls downhill since you still get cited if you decide to do so.

** If you haven't made any mistake when he visits, he has this to say. Of course, considering you have to turn away a mother from seeing her son and separate a refugee couple to avoid any mistake, [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame you may not want his approval after all.]]

* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Orders you to let in a foreign woman he's romantically involved with even though she does not have the correct paperwork. Rejecting her will make him look weak so he gives you a small chewing out the next day. However, if you ''detain'' her, he will falsely accuse you of stealing property and have you arrested.

** If you give him the [[spoiler:[[LaResistance EZIC]] notes as evidence]], he will have you arrested. However, it's very likely based on [[MyCountryRightOrWrong protocol]] and [[ProperlyParanoid suspicion]] than straight-up spite. Alternatively, [[SecretTestOfCharacter he's testing your loyalty and your intelligence]]. After all, a loyal buffoon is still a buffoon, but a cunning snake could make a difference between life and death. [[spoiler:Considering what you can really do, he had the right to be suspicious of you.]]
* FalseReassurance: Near the end of the game, he arrives at the booth without warning to tell you he'll be personally conducting a review of your background and activities on the job as concisely and clinically as possible. [[spoiler:If you've been nothing but loyal to Arstotzka and haven't helped EZIC at all, this becomes Subverted as the ministry even chooses to overlook any discrepancies they might come across because of this]].

* PragmaticVillainy: As long as you didn't help EZIC at all, he'll gladly keep you around despite your deal with Calensk, deliberately overlooking documents and any screwing around with certain immigrants which he likely found out about. As far as he's concerned, you're 100% loyal to Arstotzka.

* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: They try and [[spoiler:demolish the border on the final day. If you helped them sufficiently, they'll carry on to take over the country. Depending on what else you do, you'll either join their ranks and get better housing for your family or executed for betrayal.]]

* TheStoolPigeon: [[spoiler:Of the Lacerated Larry type. If you reach the end of Day 31 without having done enough EZIC tasks to trigger the "New Arstotzka" endings, or if you reach that point but then shoot their agents before they can blow up the border wall, during the audit the next day M. Vonel tells you that one of the EZIC members they interrogated confessed to your involvement with them, [[DownerEnding which leads to you getting executed]].]]

One of the first member of the order you met. While the name and nationality is static, everything else will be randomly generated.

* ButThouMust: It's pretty much required for you to give them the note the previous hooded agent has given you, but [[SubvertedTrope that doesn't count as the criteria of helping EZIC]], and thus you can still get ending 20.

Two agents, male and female, that you need to approve into the border in order to fulfill the criteria of helping the EZIC. Both are Arstotzkan native that enters the border with their ID card missing. Their appearance is randomly generated, [[spoiler:highlighting the decoder correctly will reveal their names, indicating they are the one you should let in]]. In Stepheni's case, she will help you sort out things when you accepted EZIC initial gift of [=$1.000 or $2.000 if the previous one is not accepted=], which causes some anomaly within your earnings.

* SchmuckBait: Serves as part of this. Stepheni will only be needed if you chose to take the bait, as in the [=$1.000=] credit gift. And while she'll help you sort things out within the government inquiries regarding the anomaly within your earnings, all of your money will still be confiscated.

One of the agents you have to let into the border in order to fulfill the criteria of helping the EZIC. Her appearance is randomly generated, [[spoiler:however highlighting the cipher to her passport reveals the word [=E-Z-I-C=] in top-to-bottom order]]. Like every other agent after Corman Drex, she will be missing her ID card.

* JerkassWithAHeartOfGold: For all its tyranny, Arstotzka will punish rapists and murderers. Either they will be executed or suffer the same horrors of a communist prison. [[spoiler: Keep this in mind when you meet Dari Ludum and Simon Wens...]]

* DiplomaticImpunity: They actively defy this, expecting diplomats to be arrested if they appear in the criminal bulletin or even if their paperwork is bad enough to invite detainment.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: When you let her in, she states that the 'Man in Red' is not a threat. The Man in Red is presumed to be Khaled Istom if he's denied entry or another assassin if he's let through or got killed off successfully prior.

** For a totalitarian regime with bureaucratic focus, they do seem lax on assigning such positions, with a labor lottery giving anyone the opportunity to work in positions like border inspection. In a scenario like this, such work is entrusted to those undergoing enough training or nepotism.
** It's quite notable that they have an actual free press that criticizes their policies and earnestly reports international affairs, instead of trying to control the narrative to keep their influence.

* DiplomaticImpunity: They actively defy this, expecting diplomats to be arrested if they appear in the criminal bulletin, or even if their paperwork is bad enough to invite detainment.

** Expressing even a hint of disloyalty will earn a sentence to forced labor or execution. When searching for any leads into investigating EZIC, [[spoiler:giving them the document with their symbol is enough to arrest you]]. Violate Dimitri's direct orders to only display ''official'' wall hangings with other decorations, and you're fined for the first time and sentenced the next.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The border's guards aren't the best shots despite their job, missing most of their shots during crucial moments. It's usually [[ItsUpToYou the Inspector and his Tranquilizer gun]] that has to put the terrorist attacks down.

** The increasingly convoluted paperwork and their crueler violations of privacy have some kernel of merit to them after considering the factors that call for them, such as the polio outbreak and contraband.
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: Life in Arstozka is hell, and the government does everything it can to keep the population in check, yet it still manages to be one of the richest and liberal countries, since most other countries are outright totalitarian police states or failed states that can't provide even the most basic of necessities to their citizens.
* NotCompletelyUseless: The border guards [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy miss most of the shots they make during terrorist attacks]], but there's still those very rare moments where they'll successfully hit their targets and leave you with slightly less to worry about. [[DownplayedTrope It's such a small chance of happening]] that you're still doing most of the security work, however.

* UncertainDoom: There's no elaboration on what happens to those detained by the guards. At the very least, [[spoiler:Jorji can escape with his life through his connections, but remains on the criminal bulletin after it]].

* BodyguardingABadass: When the Inspector is granted permission to use the Tranquilizer gun and rifle, he proves to be a better shot than the guards stationed at the border. More often than not, they're not the ones taking the terrorists out: the Inspector is.
* BribeBackfire: Perspective-inverted: Can be invoked on several immigrants who try to pay you for approval. You can usually take the money and detain them anyway. [[YouBastard Many will call you out as they're being led away.]]

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Jorji submits his "Cobrastan" passport, the Inspector can ignore the obviously crude fake and instead cite him for missing entry ticket. [[DownplayedTrope He will still point out]] that Cobrastan is not a real country after handing it back, though.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Implied as both the Ministry of Information ''and'' Income are performing a full audit on him for the past twenty years, enough to warrant the Inspector fleeing to Obristan. An option that remains until the last day, for fear they'll discover more about certain "anomalies". They also don't have any kind words for their home village of Nirsk when talking to Sergiu.

** Sergiu mentions that the both of them are from Nirsk. When he mentions that he hasn't seen the place in many years, the Inspector informs him that "it is a shit-hole, as before."
** On the day that introduces the criminal bulletin, one of the first entrants is listed and to be detained immediately. The inspector can't help but point out the convenience.

** During the 25th day when you're hanging your son's painting on a wall, an entrant will bash on it. There are great odds of them having incorrect papers, so you can deny him and they will say this line;

* DisproportionateRetribution: The detainment function, which sends entrants into the custody of Arstotzka's guardsmen, can be applied to smaller offences, such as misprints and typos on certain documents. This is somewhat justifiable, as by then, a raid on official documents occurred, causing an increase in accurate forgeries and a desperate government crackdown. Entrants often lie about the typos when called out on them, making their detainment more justifiable as well especially when the lies are proven.

** Dimitri, the {{Jerkass}} supervisor, demands that his lover Shae Piersovska be let through, regardless of whether or not she has the right papers. She won't, and the Inspector can defy his boss' wishes with her denial. Dimitri will be furious, yet know he can't do anything about it since the Inspector is just doing his job. Should he go too far with a ''detainment'', however, [[spoiler:Dimitri sends him to forced labor on false charges]].

* FeaturelessProtagonist: While his face is technically shown in a family photo that can be acquired late game, all of his features other than his beard remain obscured in it. Outside of this, he is never depicted onscreen.
* FelonyMisdemeanor: Spotting a typo on the entrant's birthday or the ID number on documents can be enough to warrant an entrant's detainment. Other typos give the Inspector the ability to interrogate the entrant about them, demand fingerprints, demand a strip search, or reject the entrant.
* ForTheEvulz: The Inspector can ask for the arrest of certain entrants for pettier reasons. This includes the Arstotzkan football player so that they can ''keep his poster'' and the person that gives the love letter on the grounds that they were approved but wanted the note back. When a man tries to leave his watch as collateral, the Inspector has the option of detaining him just so he can steal it.
* FriendOrIdolDecision: Comes across several of these, such as an immigrant whose papers don't check out in contrast to her husband's, but risks getting killed if she returns to Antegria.

* KickTheDog: There will be entrants begging to be let through the border so that they can escape a cruel fate from wherever they came from, reunite with their loved ones, and more, and this usually results from them not having the proper paperwork. Sticking to the rules and trying to avoid citations will result in their denial.

* MysteriousPast: Did ''something'' to warrant being placed under an audit looking into the last 20 years of his life by both the ministries of Information and Income, but what exactly it was is never gone into. He's also a suspiciously skilled marksman, and can fire a gun with greater accuracy than either of the guards stationed at his checkpoint.

* NervesOfSteel: His first reaction to [[spoiler:finding a bomb in the Inspector's booth]] is to laugh at how crudely made it is, and then calmly tell the Inspector [[spoiler:how to dismantle it]].

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: He's the only Guard with a green uniform, whereas everyone else is wearing blue.
* CommonalityConnection: One of the talking points that he brings up is him and the Inspector both being from the village of Nirsk. He admits that he's not familiar with it after so many years, and the Inspector snarks that it's still terrible. Sergiu is willing to agree.
* DentedIron: The war between [=Ars-Kolech=] slowly deterred his aiming skills. If you're not careful or not fast enough, he will die as quick.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: If you save him from a devastating terrorist attack and [[spoiler:let Elisa in, he'll get reassigned to a presumably-safer post and [[BabiesEverAfter plans to start a family with her]].]]

* ShellShockedVeteran: Implied. He mentions that Kolechia was a hellhole when he was fighting there and his soldiering skills have deteriorated because of his time there.

* VideoGameCaringPotential: Helping and Saving him from all the terrorist attacks. It's quite difficult especially in certain points, but he'll thank you for your assistance. He's so thankful that if you let Elisa pass through the checkpoint and make sure that he stays alive, he will send you some of his savings (equal to 100 credit) the next night.

** Officially, lowly border inspector of a checkpoint for immigration. Unofficially, [[spoiler:the catalyst and a potential agent for EZIC that can play a key role in their operations to overthrow Arstotzka's current government]].

* BadBoss: If you give him the [[spoiler:[[LaResistance EZIC]] notes as evidence]], he will have you arrested. However, it's very likely based on [[MyCountryRightOrWrong protocol]] and [[ProperlyParanoid suspicion]] than straight-up spite.
** Alternatively, [[SecretTestOfCharacter he's testing your loyalty and your intelligence]]. After all, a loyal buffoon is still a buffoon, but a cunning snake could make a difference between life and death. [[spoiler:Considering what you can really do, he had the right to be suspicious of you.]]

* TheNapoleon: Inverted. He's on the shorter side, standing a little over 1.5m, but he's an even-tempered individual.

* BenevolentConspiracy: While it is debatable on [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters what their motives are and if they really mean what they say]], there's no denying that they take good care of those that help them and worry about innocent civilians. There's just enough material present to argue that they at least ''want to'' be a force of good.

* ShoutOut: His name is a reference to Messof, aka Mark Essen, developer of ''VideoGame/{{Nidhogg}}'' and ''VideoGame/Flywrench''.

* FriendInTheBlackMarket: Potentially to the Inspector. Not only can they accept bribes from him to turn a blind eye to his dirty business in [[spoiler:drug smuggling]], but Jorji can also tip them off about [[spoiler: a passport forger who may be able to help the Inspector and his family escape from Arstotzka if they should need to, even offering his own Obristani passport to the Inspector]]. He'll also [[spoiler:come back on the penultimate day, if he was let in at least once, and drop off a large monetary gift--which may prove crucial in getting the Inspector's family out of the country alive.]]
* FriendlyEnemy: He seems to approach his time with the Inspector as like a game, always being open and cheerful [[spoiler:and even helping them out in a crucial period]]. The feeling appears to be mutual, with the Inspector forgoing the usual "Papers, Please" line to instead greet Jorji on a FirstNameBasis.

[[/folder]]

* CommieLand: WordOfGod calls Arstotzka a communist state, though it is never referenced as such in-game, and the country's economic system is never explained. But in regards to its aesthetics and government, Arstotzka closely resembles a Soviet state in the final stages of decay, plagued by infighting between incompetent bureaucracies, increasingly oppressed by SecretPolice, choking under arbitrary and constantly changing rules, and staffing their ministries via labor lottery.

* CommieLand: Arstotzka is a Communist state in the final stages of decay, plagued by infighting between incompetent bureaucracies, SecretPolice, choking under arbitrary and constantly changing rules, and staffing their ministries via labor lottery.

** Alternatively, [[SecretTestOfCharacter he's testing your loyalty and your intelligence]]. After all, a loyal buffoon is still a buffoon, but a cunning snake could make a difference between life and death. [[spoiler:Considering what you can really do, he had the right to be suspicious at you.]]
* JumpScare: He's already waiting for you at the booth, without any notice nor warning whatsoever.
* PetTheDog: Perform well for the month in serving Arstotzka, and he'll recognize and reward your diligence by overlooking any past suspicious activities.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Surprisingly for a secret police officer. Menacing aura aside, he is right in believing that government agents aiding terrorists is unacceptable in ''any'' country. So long as you haven't done that, he's more than willing to overlook your more minor transgressions. Even in the 'Too Honest' ending where he arrests you, it is mentioned that they will audit your recent activities rather than immediately executing you for treason, so [[RayOfHopeEnding there might be a chance the Inspector would survive]].

* EagleLand: This county is commonly thought to represent the United States with its name and symbol especially with most of its passport-issuing city names being American-style names like Shingleton and Great Rapid. However, it does have some similarities with Yugoslavia which is situated in a similar geographic region and had access to advanced western technologies thanks to UsefulNotes/JosipBrozTito staying neutral in the Cold War and because its polio outbreak is similar to the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Yugoslav_smallpox_outbreak 1972 Yugoslav smallpox outbreak]].

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Their aggressive guards and punishments don't look too bad when applied to the most ruthless criminals.

* GoryDiscretionShot: Whatever he did to Simon, it was merely described by the official as a "confusing mess".
* KickTheSonOfABitch: He intends to rip Simon Wens limb from limb after his spree as a serial child killer claimed the man's daughter. You have the option to let him do so or not.

* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: Burn their gift of 1000 credits, and they'll send ''[[SerialEscalation 2000]]'' under the belief that you weren't pleased. They don't realize that a meager border inspector with thousands of credits to his name would land him in trouble.

* DiplomaticImpunity: They actively defy this, expecting diplomats to be arrested if they appear in the criminal bulletin.

** After so many terrorist attacks at the border, the government gives the Inspector access to a tranquilizer gun to deal with any threats.

[[caption-width-right:250:Possibly the friendliest guy you'll ever meet at the checkpoint. Even if he ''is'' a [[spoiler:drug smuggler]].]]
A peculiar fellow who comes to the Grestin border checkpoint several times. He's one of the few entrants that will give you a collectible token by fulfilling their tasks, which in Jorji's case, is letting him enter during the first 11 days.

* BadassBureaucrat: He might be a paper-pushing border control officer, but put a rifle in his booth, and he can singlehandedly prevent terrorist attacks and even completely protect his other comrades.

* BullyingADragon: There are quite a few times where entrants will berate and insult the Inspector, who has the power to approve or deny their entry and even have them detained, though they're usually saved by the fact that he can't simply make such decisions without following the rules. However, if the entrant is particularly rude ''and'' they don't have their papers in order, they'll be in for a world of hurt.