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Everdusk Company
Sergeant Abraham Burden
- "Ecuk's neutrality and worshipping of justice, science and truth over all things. I can respect that."
The main character. Sergeant Burden is member of an infiltration unit that is currently investigating the Xenolifers at the behest of the Everdusk Company.
- Ambiguously Human: While he can die of injuries, he apparently doesn't need to eat or drink, has a completely unbreakable morale, his medical profile at Everdusk is confidential, the Medusea Virus has inexplicably no effects on him and while he gets tired by intense effort (such as digging out the rubble in Chapter 3), he can walk through the entire desert in Chapter 5 without ever needing to rest. We never discover what he is exactly, it could be a side-effect his his numerous time loops.
- Dead Person Impersonation: The real Abraham Burden dies during Chapter 5. Since the player character doesn't have an identity, Jack gives him Abraham's dogtags and identity.
- Determinator: Nothing will stop him from completing his tasks. Thanks to a "Groundhog Day" Loop, he literally can't.
- Doom Magnet: His history with Xenolifer often puts others in dangers way.
- Driven to Suicide: Kills himself in Chapter 4 if all his crewmen die. He also throws himself off into space in Chapter Seven, claiming that he's sick of being forced to make the hard decisions over and over. It doesn't work.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Goes only by "Sergeant" in Chapter 5.
- Fate Worse than Death: Burden is thrust to many different situations, all varying degrees of pain. We find out in the end that no matter what he does, he's stuck in "Groundhog Day" Loop, repeating the events of the game over and over and the player is given no explanation why.
- A Father to His Men: Downplayed, the crew certainly looks up to Burden but they do question his decisions and morals at times.
- Gallows Humor: Jack notes that he tends to make a lot of jokes about cannibalism. It could be lingering memories from his time-loops of his time in the frozen world where he could had had to kill some of the survivor so the rest of the team could have food.
- Heroic Spirit: Burden's spirit is always being tested by the gods, he never breaks.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Jack, who features in almost all chapters.
- Identity Amnesia: Burden is just a name given to him by Jack. We never do find out what his real identity is, or if he even has one.
- The Leader: His leadership (and survival) skills are said to be legendary. Let's see if you can live up to that.
- Meaningful Name: Burden. He has a lot on his shoulders.
- No Name Given: His true identity. The only thing we can be sure of is that he was formerly a Sergeant of Everdusk, but each time loop has him forget everything he's ever experienced. The identity of Abraham Burden is that of a former Sergeant that killed himself due to guilt.
- Perpetual Motion Man: Never gives himself anything when dividing food and water between his companions and never gets tired or exhausted from going without. He can suffer from injuries in Chapter 2, and fatigue in Chapter 3, though.
- Pragmatic Hero: Despite the actions he's taken, his intentions have always been morally good.
- Rage Against the Heavens: Downplayed, more of a cold hatred than rage, but he certainly thinks the "Groundhog Day" Loop of his existence is some sort of sick divine joke.
- Shirtless Captives: When Burden is a prisoner in Chapter 2, he is shirtless.
- Shoot the Shaggy Dog: He actually manages to remember that he's stuck in a time loop. The kicker? It's always in the climatic final battle between him and Liam, so its too late to actually change the whole situation.
- The Unfettered: Normally calm and idealistic, but when something happens to put the mission at risk there's very little he won't sacrifice to uphold it.
- Would Hurt a Child: Considers harming Eddie an option in order to break his parents willpower.
Corporal Jack Maslow
- "This is your concept of mercy Burden? This looks far worse than a shot in the back of the head to me."
The soldier of Sergeant Burden's crew, who accompanies him while infiltrating the Xenolifers and beyond.
- Artificial Limbs: If he gets his arm chopped off in the 2nd mission.
- An Arm and a Leg: Possible in Chapter 2. Although if it happens he gets a new one he's much happier with.
- The Big Guy: Has the second highest body mass in the squad, after Donald who's far less muscular, and has the second-highest dig power, after Br4nd-On the robot. Notably, he was born on one of the most inhospitable planets we've seen, so it makes sense he'd be in good physical condition. When shirtless in Chapter 2, he's positively ripped.
- Black Dude Dies First: He is the first main character who can die without you being forced to redo the mission, and can, in fact, die on 4 different occasions throughout the game. In the same playthrough even. The other main characters can at most die twice, though this is partially due to them being featured in fewer missions than Jack.
- Cluster F-Bomb: Drops one during the introduction in anger at Xenolifer for leaving them on an alien planet.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: Possible in Chapter 2 when on the rack.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Burden, having been with him for seven years by the end of the game.
- Heroic Spirit: Of the team, he is the one who will take the longest to break down psychologically, and demands the least when it comes to food. Not surprising, considering he was raised on a desert planet where water is incredibly sparse and it's always day, meaning if you try to sleep outside of shelter, you're essentially committing suicide.
- Old Soldier: Feels his age in the DLC.
- Shirtless Captives: Like Burden, he's shirtless in Chapter 2 while being tortured.
Sarah Gaynor
- "Why do they hate us so much to abandon us to our death on this frozen planet?"
The psychiatrist of Sergeant Burdens crew and Donald's wife.
- Amicable Exes: She and Donald in the DLC. She's more over it than he is, but she is still quick to praise him when he thinks of things she doesn't.
- Chickification: A plot point in the DLC, as one of the Op'maun shrines allows the player to change into an Alternate Universe where Donald and Sarah never divorced. This makes Sarah less useful with guns (at the expense of making Donald lose much less stamina).
- The Heart: Technically also The Smart Guy, not only being a psychiatrist but also an expert in brain genetics, her role in the team is keeping everyone's morale up and she's notably a bit more friendly than Dr. Zenész (who is by no means cold, but rather more focused on the mission) and often stresses the important of talking to your squad and keeping them happy.
- Irony: She has the lowest maximum morale rating in both the original version and the full game's fourth Chapter, despite her gameplay role being boosting of morale.
- The Load: In Chapter 4. Her morale is much lower than anyone else's, her pep talks take 3 out of 5 actions of the day, and doing things such as feeding her raw meat can send her into a panic easily.
- These Hands Have Killed: Discussed in conversation with Liam, Jack, and Donald. She admits she hasn't killed anyone yet, and Donald admires that. Liam agrees, saying she shouldn't look forward to having blood on her hands.
- Took a Level in Badass: In the interim, Sarah learns how to fight from Jack. Liam claims she's even better with weapons than he is.
Donald Gaynor
- "Yeah, how noble… I don't give a fuck"
The engineer of Sergeant Burdens crew and Sarah's husband.
- Amicable Exes: With Sarah after the story ends. He can get back together with her in the DLC.
- The Engineer: He's there to handle maintenance on the ship, the team's equipment as well as Br4nd-On. He's also the best repairman in the group and is one of the two members of the group who can handle the defibrillator and repair the radio.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: He considers himself inferior to Dr. Zenész because the doctor made so many wonderful things. Zenész himself disagrees, as he considers Donald's Br4nd-On to be superior to anything he ever made. He also doesn't consider himself a hero, as he admits the fate of the universe doesn't interest him, but he'll help because it interests Sarah.
- The Load: In the DLC chapter, since he loses stamina very quickly and is the worst shot with weapons. At least he can tell you how long until the next rest area. Averted in the alternative timeline in which he and Sarah are still married. Here his stamina is just as good as Liams.
- Mission Control: In the DLC episode, his job is to discuss how long it is between checkpoints.
- Mr Fix It: If it's a machine, Donald can make it sing. Notably, he can repair robots, run an electric cardiogram-type machine, and repair the broken radio better than anyone.
- Nerd Glasses: Has pretty thick coke-bottle frames. Notably, he's the second-weakest of the people who can dig in Chapter 3, and the easiest to tire in the climb in the DLC.
- Took a Level in Cynic: Donald has always been fairly dismissive, but as a young man, he jumped at the idea of saving the world and making it a better place. In the DLC chapter, his divorce from Sarah has made him care very little about the world.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Donald will cite this if he refuses to reunite with Sarah via Op'Mauhn technology.
Doctor Paul Zenész
- "Nothing good can be achieved through terrorism."
The doctor of Sergeant Burdens crew.
- Eccentric Millionaire: Billionaire, actually, but likes the idea of being considered eccentric. The only reason Liam could fund the mission in the DLC was because Zenész foot the bill.
- Feeling Their Age: His stamina drains quickly in the DLC episode, and he ascribes that to being over 70.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: He's the only one who smokes, and he does it in a sophisticated gentleman fashion. Most notably, this object is something called an eternal cigarette, which has no nicotine in it. It's just an oral fixation for him.
- The Load: In the DLC chapter. He's barely a better shot that Donald, tires very easily (and unlike Donald, there's no way to fix it). He offers some injections, but otherwise slows the party down.
- The Medic: Of a sort. He does not heal wounds, but rather is the only member who can quickly whip up antidotes out of local herbs as well as the second person who can use the defibrillator. He's also got some chemicals for the climb up the mountain in the DLC.
- Non-Idle Rich: He became rich selling his various creations in the interim between the game and the DLC. This was subverted though, as he was bored out of his skull and joined up with the old team because he didn't have much better to do.
- The Smart Guy: Expert in bacteriology and former chief of the Counterviral department of the Constellar Federation, he's the go-to guy to figure out purely biological problems. He also talks philosophy with Shaman on the journey up the mountain.
- The Stoic: A lot calmer and more soft-spoken than the others. Notably, on the 4th mission, while the other Freak Outs for low morale include Sarah crawling into a ball and crying and Jack dropping to the ground and shaking back and forth out of nervousness, Zenész's Freak Out is simply putting down his cigarette.
Br4nd-On
- "I'll do my best Sir."
The robot companion of Sergeant Burdens crew. A prototype built by Donald, he was designed to connect with humans on an emotional scale.
- Do Androids Dream?: In fact, yes, according to what Donald tells you. The robot model has an empathic module built in, meant to allow him to emulate human behaviour. However, what happened in most models was that the owner's personality eventually overrode the robot's, causing an existential crisis in the robot. The model was scrapped, though Donald keeps Br4nd-On around and wipes the module once a year to prevent any existential crisis.
- Heroic Sacrifice: He offers to pull one in Chapter 3, volunteering to connect the faulty power cables so that power would not be an issue. Burden disagrees, merely because the robot can haul more debris to dig themselves out than anyone else. The assault on the Matriarch plays this straighter.
- Robots Are People Too: Br4nd-On is fully sentient and Donald talks about him as though he were alive, which gets on Burden's nerves. Whether or not Br4nd-On is more disposable than a human crewmember ultimately depends on the player.
Marvin
- "Woof!"
A dog that accompanies Sergeant Burden
Xenolifers
Liam Feronh-Gau
- "I may be a suicidal hero, but I'm not a suicidal idiot."
Leader of the Xenolifer organisation.
- Anti-Villain: It's made very clear that Liam is not happy about what he does and tries to minimize casualties. Add to that his loyalty to his crew and the way he utterly trusts Abraham and Jack, and you've got yourself a terrorist you might just be inclined to agree with.
- Baddie Flattery: He's fond of Burden, and says so openly.
- Hero Antagonist: He's trying to be, certainly. From an omniscient viewpoint, he's right that the Constellar Federation needs to be stopped, but he's wrong in thinking that he can actually make a difference for the better.
- Hero of Another Story: He serves as the hero of the DLC chapter, when he teams up with Burden's old crew.
- He Who Fights Monsters: Abraham worries that Liam's ambition could turn him into the thing they try hard to fight against and tries to drive him in the right direction.
- Old Soldier: Much older around the time of the DLC.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He knows that he's doing bad things, but he believes that stopping the wide-spread slavery is worth the blood it might cost.
Shaman
- "They won't see me coming."
The technician in charge of hacking the computer during Xenolifers attack on the Holistic Empire
- Code Name: Since he was raised by aliens his true name isn't a human one, and the rest of Xenolifer refers to him by Shaman rather than attempt his real name. When his real name is revealed, he asks everyone else still refer to him as Shaman.
- Hollywood Hacking: He barely interfaces with technology. Justified in his case, as he uses Op'maun technology.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: His talents are unusual, no question. But he doesn't consider it magic.
- Skull for a Head: It's not clear whether or not it's a mask or makeup, but Shaman always wears it.
Claire
- "I won't allow that. I won't allow our future to be shaped by monsters."
One of Xenolifers top researchers, mother of Eddie and Frank's wife. Primarily concerned for her child and husband.
- Mama Bear: Averted. While she is very protective of Eddie, killing him will cause her to go into a catatonic state rather than attack you.
- Villainous Breakdown: Whether you believe she's a villain or not, shooting Eddie will cause her to break down and refuse to even interact with you.
Frank
- "Mass murder? This is sacrifice!"
One of Xenolifers top researchers, father of Eddie and Claire's husband. Primarily concerned for his child and wife.
- Crusading Widower: Killing either Claire or Eddie will cause him to get more inclined to rebel rather than get scared.
- Papa Wolf: Downplayed. Kill his son and he'll be incredibly likely to rebel, as opposed to getting scared which is what happens most of the time when executing the hostages.
Ford
- "It is the powerful that shape the world, not the just."
- The Men First: He loves his fellow researchers, and will react badly if they are harmed.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Like most of Xenolifer, but he makes it very clear that, considering what he has seen throughout his life, he's absolutely certain that there's no other way to end slavery.
Wouter
- "Hell yeah I have! We're saving the world, man."
One of Xenolifers top researchers, the youngest of the team and primarily concerned with not getting beaten.
- Dirty Coward: He's usually the first one to give up his password, just hit him a few times and he'll break very quickly.
- Totally Radical: His conversations have some shades of this.
Eddie
The child of Frank and Claire, he is a toddler who functions as a bargaining chip (more or less) during the penultimate chapter.
- Children Are Innocent: Stays engaged with his handheld during a Hostage Situation, unaware of the severity of the situation.
- Morality Pet: Is this to the entire group. Hitting him, while drastically raising rebellion, greatly decreases morale.
- Video Game Cruelty Punishment: Killing him is not advised, as the negative outcomes greatly outweighs the positives.
Agent Amber
A former member of Xenolifers, Amber was the team's psychologist. Committed suicide before the game starts.
- Boom, Headshot!: How she offed herself.
- Go Mad from the Revelation: Realizing she was stuck in a "Groundhog Day" Loop did this to her.
- "Groundhog Day" Loop: Liam points out that, like Burden, she was living one.
- There Are No Therapists: Averted, she is one. Of course, she was driving herself insane.
Hollistic Empire
Irving
- "You get what you deserve thanks to your own strengths. Fuck equality."
A torturer who greatly enjoys his work, but has a tendency to be overzealous.
- Ax-Crazy: He really seems to love his job, and doesn't seem to particularly care if he accidentally kills Burden or Jack (only giving a "the boss isn't going to like this" type of reaction.) Notably, on one of the days, he brings out a literal ax.
- Cool Shades: Never seen without them.
- Faux Affably Evil: Will very quickly drop the act and go back to bashing your kneecaps in when he's done joking around.
- He tells Burden a story that he was once made to torture a cyborg, difficult given the cyborgs ability to switch off their pain receivers. Instead, he befriended the cyborg, which made the cyborg slowly release some personal details to Irving, which he promptly used to capture the cyborg's sister and rip her ribcage open in front of him.
- Second-Face Smoke: Does this to Burden right before smashing his knees in during the days with the hammer.
- The Social Darwinist: Supports the Empire because they don't believe in equality or human rights, thus allowing the strong to earn what they deserve on their own merits.
- Sunglasses at Night: Is never seen without his sunglasses. This is Lampshaded in one of Burden's provokes.
- Torture for Fun and Information: His hat. While he is an employee and understands what he is supposed to do, he does enjoy it too.
- Torture Technician: Of the sadistic kind. He certainly has a veneer of friendliness and just doing my job style, but he makes it clear that he considers his torture an art that he enjoys greatly, even performing it as a child on pet hamsters.
Alexander
A quiet man who serves as an assistant to Irving during torture sessions.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: He didn't remember torturing Jack when the two met.
- Enemy Mine: Jack found him sold as a slave in the interim after the game and the DLC.
- Made a Slave: He was sold as a slave before he was found by Jack.
- The Quiet One: Never says a single word, not even when Jack provokes him.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Is as shirtless as his captives.
Constellar Federation
Sergeant Abraham
- "If you feel you need to make any sacrifices, I give you full authority to do so- starting with me."
An old, crippled Officer who is technically the man in charge of the soldiers you encounter on Legin
- Driven to Suicide: He commits suicide after a while if you do not kill him yourself.
- The Load: He's useless to the team as he is, and he knows it. There's no way you can make it back to base camp with his missing leg. So he commits suicide so that everyone else can get on without him wasting their water and slowing them down.
- Meaningful Name: He's the original Abraham Burden. He lives up to his name.
