Big Daddy
From BioShock Wiki
Big Daddies are the gargantuan, humanoid monsters that protect the Little Sisters as they prowl Rapture's dilapidated hallways. There are two variants of the Big Daddy; the Rosie and the Bouncer. The player must defeat them to obtain the ADAM from the Little Sister it is protecting, either by either harvesting or rescuing her. Big Daddies are the icons of BioShock. The protagonist of BioShock 2 is set to be the first Big Daddy ever created in Rapture.
Contents |
[edit] Types
There are two types of Big Daddy. Each variety must be photographed and researched individually. Each Big Daddy also appears as an "Elite" variety late in the game. Only one type of Big Daddy appears on each level. The order in which the different types appear is Bouncer, Rosie, Elite Bouncer, Elite Rosie.
[edit] Rosie
Rosies carry rivet guns, a reference to Rosie the Riveter, an icon of the 1940s. In addition to their powerful ranged attack, they occasionally throw Proximity Mines; as with all projectiles, these can be caught and thrown back with Telekinesis (once they deploy, they cannot be picked up and will remain until detonated). Also, Rosies can charge up to the player and hit him with their gun. Rosies usually carry cash (around 50 to 80 dollars), and searching the rivet gun will usually result with the gain of a Rubber Hose or Steel Screw, which can be used at a U-Invent machine.
[edit] Bouncer
The Bouncer is the iconic Big Daddy, with his many tiny portholed eyes and an oversized drill on his right arm. They can only perform melee attacks, but they can also charge the player at high speed, as well as stun the player from a distance. They're shorter, but stronger and faster than Rosies. The Bouncer's attacks are swinging at the player with its drill or fist, charging at the player which can be dodged, and slamming its drill into the ground, sending you into disorientation provided you are close.
[edit] Slow Pro
The Slow Pro FUM (f'cked up melee) was to have been the third type of Big Daddy, but was dropped from the final version of the game. It would have been slow-moving but could shoot powerful rockets from a launcher mounted on its right shoulder. For a melee attack, the Slow Pro would hit you with a hook that it carried on its left hand. In addition its shoulder mounted cannon could also be used as a sledge hammer in close range. (in refrence to its FUM title)
[edit] Prototype
Released on the cover for GAMEPRO magazaine, this is the Prototype Big Daddy slated to be the protagonist in BioShock 2. This Big Daddy is able to use plasmids and both the rivet gun and the drill. The drill can be used as both a weapon or something to scare the splicers. He also has what appears to be a camera or light mounted on his head. It has qualities of both the Rosie and the Bouncer. Unlike the other Big Daddies in the game, the prototype was able to think for himself after Tenenbaum broke the mind control that had put him into a slumber and also wasn't genetically altered to look after the Little Sisters. His EVE refill seems to be a lot quicker than Jack's was, and it appears to be refilled directly from the suit instead of injecting the EVE HYPOS like in the first game. The Rivet Gun has several different types of ammo, and is shown in gameplay videos to reload and switch ammo types far quicker than any weapon Jack ever used. When the Prototype Big Daddy kills another Big Daddy, he is given the option to adopt a Little Sister, which rides around Rapture on his shoulders. When an adopted Little Sister finds a corpse with ADAM, you are able to put her down and retrieve it. However, this attracts splicers that the player must keep away from the Little Sister as she harvests ADAM.
Other advantages of playing as a Big Daddy are having most of the tools (the Drill and Rivet Gun) of a production Big Daddy, increased speed and strength over the first games protagonist, using your helmet as a flashlight to illuminate darkened areas and the ability to survive in water, as you are encased in a diving suit.
[edit] Origins
Big Daddies are human beings who have had their skin and organs grafted into an enormous diving suit. The candidates also go through voice box modulation and pheromone application. This pheromone is what attracts the Little Sisters to the Big Daddies. They are then injected with a plasmid that effectively turns them into mindless drones with only one purpose: to protect and watch over the Little Sisters.
The Big Daddy was the brainchild of Dr. Suchong. Knowing that the Little Sisters would be at great risk if they were out on the streets gathering ADAM with no protection, Suchong sought to rectify the problem. Suchong presented his idea to Andrew Ryan, but with trepidation. Knowing that becoming a Big Daddy would be a "one way street" Suchong was worried about finding candidates. Andrew Ryan assured him that this would be no problem. It is unknown as to the identities of the candidates, but it is assumed that they are criminals or supporters of Fontaine.
Big Daddies are outfitted with the gear they were designed and programmed to wear. A log declares that Ryan was so cheap, he told the scientists to re-use the Big Daddy suits even though it was impossible to remove them, as the skin of the subject is removed so the suit can be directly steam-sealed onto the flesh. The organs of the subject are then directly grafted into the suit where needed, thus making it impossible to "re-use" the suits. Dr. Suchong commented that Ryan could "suck an egg" if he thought otherwise.
Using various plasmids, the humans inside the suits were outfitted with strength and agility, but with no humanity (or sanity) to lose. They're able to lift heavy weights with ease, seeing as their suits are made mostly of steel and various other machinery to keep them alive during their duties—and to resist pressure six miles beneath the ocean. Bouncers are subjected to far more splicing than the Rosies, and as such their heads have deformed to the point of grotesqueness, while Rosies wear a somewhat normal diver helmet.
Big Daddies communicate by haunting sounds similar to that of a whale's call. For easier understanding in the game, lights were added to the helmet to display what state the Big Daddy is in. Big Daddies have three known light colors, each for their current state. Green indicates the Big Daddy is an ally due to the "Hypnotize Big Daddy" plasmid. Yellow is the color most often seen in the game; it refers to the fact the Big Daddy is highly aware of his environment (looking out for danger, traps). A Red light is only seen when the Big Daddy has been provoked and is attacking a target.
It is hinted that Big Daddies have a variety of equipment, including steam-powered cutting tools, detachable drills (seen in game, both attached and detached), rivet guns, proximity mines, and rock-grabbing fist attachments, but most of these are never seen in-game, only through concept art, pre-release pictures, demos, and the diaries left behind by the citizens. Given the various construction tools available to the Big Daddies, the cheapness of their development and the tendency for any available items in Rapture to be reused or turned into something else, the Big Daddy suits were probably modified from divers' equipment left over from when the city was first built. One Big Daddy visible inside a glass tunnel during Jack's initial descent to Rapture also appears to be working on repairs to the structure and another walking around outside is seen in Neptune's Bounty through a window in the Fighting McDonagh's Tavern.
A diary in Apollo Square in Suchong's lab reveals that he was killed by a Big Daddy after hitting a Little Sister, showing that even their creators could not take the Big Daddies or Little Sisters lightly.
[edit] Video
[edit] Hunting the Big Daddy
| Enemies in BioShock | ||
| Organic | Thuggish Splicer · Leadhead Splicer · Nitro Splicer · Houdini Splicer · Spider Splicer | |
| Big Daddy (Machine) | Bouncer · Rosie | |
| Machine | Security Bot · Security Camera · Turrets | |
