The following is a character sheet for I Cannot Drown and the tropes associated with the characters. Because of the lack of dialogue and confirmed names for multiple characters, certain character details are still unknown.
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Main Characters (Unmarked Spoilers)
Ume
Ume's current menu portrait.
The main character of I Cannot Drown who is trapped in a hole with no way out except by going in deeper.
- Affectionate Nickname: Fuku refers to her as "Miss Stardust."
- Asshole Victim: Before the start of the game, she had her soul ripped out of her body and placed into a nightmare world created from her memories, leaving her there to rot for eternity, while her immortal body was destroyed. This was done to imprison a malicious Humanoid Abomination who killed children and mermaids, among others, with no remorse, making it hard to feel sorry for her. In the Her Memory ending, she is then slaughtered by the Memory of Ivy and forced to repeat the whole journey from the beginning — which also comes across as karma and stops her from escaping to kill more innocents.
- The Bad Guy Wins: In the Coming Revival ending, she successfully escapes her memory prison, is revived by her cult in the real world, and resumes her terrorizing of innocent people, beginning by devouring two captive mermaids.
- Big Bad: She is the Villain Protagonist who was imprisoned in the cave, her memory realm, to stop her from eating people, and she wants to escape to continue her rampage.
- Blood from the Mouth: Has blood coming from her mouth in the menu portrait for the Hunger effect.
- Big Eater: Implied by the Hunger effect and how Ume eats the insides of a mermaid when interacting with one while using the effect.
- Burn the Witch!: Becomes a burning corpse after using the Burning Effect.
- Came Back Wrong: Seems to take the form of a living skeleton after being brought back to life in the Coming Revival ending.
- The Cameo: A portrait of her briefly appears in one of the hidden endings of Lily's Well.
- Cool Mask: The Mask effect gives Ume a Noh mask that allows players to see hidden objects.
- Fate Worse than Death: Before the game's start, Ume had her soul taken out of her body and imprisoned within a world created from her own memories, both good and bad. Her immortal body, meanwhile, was dismembered so that her soul couldn't return.
- Flower Motifs: Wears a red spider lily in her obi with many more being seen alongside her.
- Greater-Scope Villain: In Lily's Well, it is indicated that the College of Azoth cult serving as the antagonist group is the same cult she created, as evidenced by a portrait of Ume in their headquarters and the presence of a member known as Mifuyu (who Ume mentions in her conversations with Fuku), making her this for that game as she never personally appears.
- Healing Factor: Ume can snap her neck and set herself on fire and be no worse for wear once she unequips her effects. Justified due to the dreamlike environment, but conversations with Fuku reveal that Ume always had this ability.
- Hot Witch: She takes a beautiful appearance with her default state and with multiple effects despite being dead for hundreds of years.
- Humanoid Abomination: Becomes one when using the Hunger effect. Conversations with Fuku suggest that Ume herself is also one, or at least dabbles in magic that produces similar results.
- Improbable Weapon User: Uses a large shard of glass as weapon while using the Glass Effect.
- In-Series Nickname: "Miss Stardust," courtesy of Fuku.
- It Was a Gift: According to a conversation with Fuku, the red spider lily tucked in her obi is a decoration from her mother. The mask effect was also a gift from a grateful traveler that Ume modified.
- Kimono Is Traditional: Wears a black kimono even with most of her effects.
- Lady of Black Magic: Used magic while alive to manipulate her own cell growth.
- Malevolent Masked Woman: A Humanoid Abomination and Wicked Witch who is capable of equipping a creepy Noh mask.
- Medium Awareness: Shows awareness of the players within the secret changelog code.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Gains more limbs when using the Hunger effect as well as the ability to kill mermaids.
- Mystical White Hair: Her hair turns white when using the Eigetsu Haiyu Effect.
- Non-Human Head: Has her head replaced with a red spider lily when the Higanbana effect is used.
- Prim and Proper Bun: Her normal appearance has her with a tightly braided bun.
- Playing with Fire: Can light some flammable objects on fire with the Burning effect, but the effect itself has Ume lit on fire herself. The effect also increases Ume's movement speed.
- Purple Is Powerful: Her kimono's real color is revealed to be purple in the Coming Revival ending.
- Reality Warper: The world outside of her hole is created from Ume's memories and thoughts.
- Really 700 Years Old: Implied to have been born in ancient Japan, but became immortal after eating a mermaid.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: She had her soul ripped out of her body and trapped within a world created from her memories in order to stop her from eating mermaids.
- Slasher Smile: Gains one when using the Smile effect.
- Suddenly Speaking: Despite being silent for most of the game, she speaks during her conversations with Fuku and the Anomaly, providing some background information on various aspects of the game.
- Tailor-Made Prison: The world, known as a Phantasmagoria Prison according to the Pink Woman, is a prison created by Ume's memories after her soul was sealed away.
- Villain Protagonist: Ume is revealed in her conversations with Fu to be a Humanoid Abomination, Wicked Witch, and cult leader who killed and ate many innocents in life, and was imprisoned in the cave to stop her rampage. The “cave” is a realm made of her memories, which she seems to escape to start killing again, and in order to progress, she murders four children and two mermaids.
- Wicked Witch: She is known as the Stardust Witch and is a cult leader who kills and eats children and mermaids, among other beings.
- Would Hurt a Child: She is able to stab the Lich of Halloween and the students of White Pearl Academy, all appearing as children. Given that the cave is made of her memories, this implies she killed children in the real world as well.
Fuku
Fuku
A bird that can be found in the sea surrounding the sandbar. You need the Ama effect equipped to find them. They write to Ume telling her that she needs to find the effects to escape the cave.
- Art Shift: They are a photorealistic bird.
- Exposition Fairy: The conversations with Fuku help shed light on some (but not all) of the mysteries found in the game.
- In-Series Nickname: In your first conversation with them, they say that you can call them "Fu."
- Lack of Empathy: Knows about how Ume was in life, but doesn't show any concern.
- Mysterious Watcher: They watch Ume from afar for their entertainment and to satisfy their curiosity.
The Anomaly
The Pink Lady
The Pink Lady up close
A strange woman covered in corals hidden deep within the world outside the hole. She is one of the few talking characters that can be found.- All-Powerful Bystander: She seems to have more control over the Phantasmagoria Prison than Ume, although she is still limited by effect usage. Despite this, she still left the prison in order to be revived.
- Art Shift: She is fully colored when found up close in the Coming Revival ending's hidden route.
- Berserk Button: Gets very angered if players use the Fungus Effect to return to her room after being kicked out.
- Death Seeker: Implied to be this from Fuku's dialogue regarding her.
- Emotionless Girl: Stops showing emotions after being revived in the Coming Revival ending's hidden route.
- Exposition Fairy: Gives more information on the outside world and why Ume was originally trapped.
- The Ghost: Only mentioned by Fuku and in the decoded changelog message making her normally not seen in-game. Finding the pink spell circle after killing the beach mermaid properly introduces her.
- Immortal Immaturity: Speaks very rudely to Ume normally and is referred to as a brat by Fuku.
- In-Series Nickname: Is referred to as Pink Lady, Pink Girl, and other variations while her real name is never revealed. The credits additionally refer to her as "The Anomaly".
- Only Known by Their Nickname: See In-Series Nickname
- Precision F-Strike: Yells "GET THE FUCK OUT." at Ume if players use the Fungus effect to return to her room after being kicked out.
- Really 700 Years Old: She is said to have the ability to turn back time in the physical world. This time manipulation however doesn't affect the in-game world, causing both her and Ume to be trapped for hundreds of years from their perspective.
- Slasher Smile: Sometimes flashes one within her room while talking to her.
- Walking Spoiler: A lot of the information around her is connected to the game's hidden lore, making it difficult to discuss her without spoiling anything.
Cave Residents
Save Rabbit
The rabbit on its red ball in the starting area.
A small rabbit that exists in the cave alongside Ume. Interacting with it allows players to save their game.- Bunnies for Cuteness: Despite the nature of the game, the save rabbit has no malice and just exists as a cute save point.
- Save Point: Serves as the game's only save point.
Effect Mermaids
The Higanbana effect mermaid.
A variety of mermaids that appear in jugs as Ume collects more effects. Each is themed around a different effect, but cannot be interacted with.- Cool Mask: An oni mask is worn by the mermaid representing the Mask effect.
- Cute Monster Girl: The majority of them have cute appearances alongside their mermaid tails. The others, however...
- Flower Motifs: The Higanbana effect mermaid is plastered with red spider lilies to fit with the effect.
- Gotta Catch 'Em All: As Ume collects the effects, the mermaids are also being collected.
- Living Shadow: Like with the Eigetsu Haiyu effect itself, the mermaid representing the effect is some kind of shadow creature with a mermaid-like appearance.
- Mushroom Man: The Fungus effect mermaid appears to be part mushroom as well as mermaid.
- Our Mermaids Are Different: They all represent the various effects collected by Ume and live in wide jugs.
- Slasher Smile: A large smile is plastered onto the face of the Smile effect mermaid.
- Stewed Alive: The fate of the Burning effect mermaid.
Inhabitants from Outside the Hole
Skeleton Woman
The skeleton woman in the red spider lily field.
A woman made of bones carrying a lantern. She gives Ume the Higanbana effect.
- Dem Bones: Is an animate skeleton woman.
- Friendly Skeleton: She is the giver of the Higanbana effect and doesn't show any threat to Ume.
- Kimono Is Traditional: Wears a kimono while strolling through the red spider lily field.
- Youkai: Her appearance is based on the legend of the Hone-onna youkai.
Shrine Fox
The fox in the snowy graveyard.
A fox that resides near a shrine and a grave yard. It gives Ume the Burning effect.- Asian Fox Spirit: It is a mystical fox spirit that has multiple tails and implied to be what sets Ume on fire for the Burning effect.
- Playing with Fire: Has some control over fire to light Ume on fire.
Armless Girl
Close up shot depicting the Armless Girl in the highway forest.
A girl found throughout the game with twin buns and no arms. Killing all of the students in the forest will allow her to give Ume the Right Leg of the Immortal One.- Bullied into Depression: She can be found crying in the forest by the highway. Looking into the bonfire by the forest's entrance shows a backpack burning inside, likely hers with the girls having put it inside.
- Giant Poofy Sleeves: Her school uniform features these.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Shows excitement after Ume kills all of her classmates in the forest.
- You Shall Not Pass!: She is one of the NPCs blocking Ume from the Hunger Effect's location.
Memory of Ivy
Memory of Ivy's overworld sprite
A woman in a gas mask that wields two sickles and chases Ume when nearby. In the Her Memory ending, she kills Ume in a movie theater and forces her to start the game from the beginning.- Ax-Crazy: Begins to chase Ume in order to kill her whenever she's nearby.
- Cool Mask: Wears a gas mask that completely obscures her face.
- One-Hit Kill: Instantly reduces Ume to a corpse upon contact.
