Big Daddy

A Big Daddy with his Little Sister.

“...he, a lumbering palooka in a foul-smelling diving suit...”

― Andrew Ryan

Big Daddies (originally named Protectors, and occasionally referred to as Mister Bubbles, or Mister B, by Little Sisters) are genetically enhanced human beings who have had their skin and organs grafted into an enormous diving suit, with Alpha Series being an apparent exception to the grafting process, but still heavily spliced. Their primary purpose is to protect Little Sisters while they escort them around Rapture.

Aside from the Alpha Series, Big Daddies communicate by uttering haunting sounds similar to that of whale calls. Alpha Series communicate with low, inhuman grunts and roars. For easier interpretation (as stated in the Deco Devolution art book), production model Big Daddies have a bio-luminescent chemical substance which filled the helmet, displaying its state of emotion or mind. Big Daddy helmets have three light colors: green indicates the Big Daddy is hypnotized and friendly, yellow indicates awareness but indifference to his environment, and red indicates rage towards assailants. If the first few attempts to drive away potential threats prove futile, Big Daddies will become enraged. Alpha Series, from BioShock 2, are always in an enraged state due to prolonged separation from their Little Sister (this excludes subjects Delta and Sigma owing to their unique circumstances.)

History

Big Daddies were originally created by Dr. Yi Suchong to serve as Rapture's maintenance workers and to help in later construction projects; Rosies riveted panels and windows and Bouncers drilled deep sea rocks for expansion of the city.

As the demand for ADAM increased and could not be met from the method used with the available Little Sisters, Suchong proposed the idea of recycling the raw genetic material directly from the corpses of dead Splicers, instead of exclusively producing it with Little Sisters in their laboratories. With the genetically-modified girls at great risk when out on the streets gathering ADAM on their own, the "Protector Program" was initiated to bond them to the hulking Big Daddies, turning the latter into Protectors who would respond aggressively to any threat encountered by the Gatherers. Suchong suggested this idea to Andrew Ryan, knowing that becoming a Big Daddy was a "one-way street", but he fretted about being able to find suitable candidates. Ryan gave assurances that it would not be a problem. Although the true identities of the candidates were unknown, many were exiled criminals, the criminally insane, and political dissidents imprisoned in Persephone, which was under the management of Sinclair Solutions. Augustus Sinclair had already been contracting prisoners out to Fontaine, and later to Ryan Industries, for test subjects in the research labs of Point Prometheus and at Fontaine Futuristics. Candidates from The Rapture Family in the prison were selected by Dr. Sofia Lamb, imprisoned at Persephone herself at that time, and acting as a psychiatrist for the inmates to curry favor, sending members of her own following for conversion.

Experiments were conducted by Dr. Gilbert Alexander in the research laboratories of Fontaine Futuristics. The first protector prototypes bonded to Little Sisters were called the Alpha Series, previous Plasmid test subject from Sinclair Solutions. Alexander took inspiration from a common nickname for the Protector Program candidates, "Big Daddies", and engineered a conditioned bond between the Protectors and their charges which would mimic, through mental and physical restraints, the emotional bond between a father and his daughter, the "Pair Bond." This bond ensured that the Protectors would guard their charges at all times, and not wander away from the girls, otherwise they would slip into a coma. After many unsuccessful attempts, the first candidate from the "Protector Program" to be successfully Pair Bonded was Subject Delta, a deep sea diver formerly known as "Johnny Topside" who had discovered and entered the city by accident. In a short time, the Alpha Series failed to be practical as Protectors. They only protected a single specific Little Sister, and if they were lost to Splicers or rescued by Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, that rendered the Protectors useless, sending them into a coma or making them suicidally aggressive, and even after being reprogrammed, they were only usable as mere foot soldiers. With these unsuccessful results, the Alpha Series was ended. The remaining Alpha models were deactivated and in the following years kept in holding at Fontaine Futuristics, Minerva's Den and Persephone.

Regardless of his colleague's progress, Suchong was also working on a bond of his own creation, without success. When Jeremiah Fink, an industrial tycoon from Columbia's reality who previously used trans-dimensional Tears to steal Rapture's technological advancements, worked on his own kind of Protector based on Suchong's work, the Songbird, he also found himself at an impasse when trying to bond the creature to a single child, Elizabeth. He contacted Suchong in 1958 through a Tear the scientist was actively studying at the former Silver Fin Restaurant in Fontaine's Department Store, and they both came to the agreement of sharing their research in order to reach their mutual objective. However, Songbird accidentally bonded itself to its test subject, and Fink chose to put an end to his partnership, eventually closing his Imprinting Studies labs at Fink Manufacturing. Suchong, who got the short end of the bargain, was still looking for the solution in genetic compatibility. Using the Lutece Device still left in his possession, he intended to steal a DNA sample of Fink's bonded test subject. His research was put on hold when the City Council closed the department store, turning it into a prison for Fontaine's criminal gang. His Tear device was eventually damaged by vandals, but could still be remotely controlled from his clinic and secret laboratory at Artemis Suites, Apollo Square. On December 31, Suchong finally acquired the DNA sample from Elizabeth herself (ironically unknown to him the same test subject who once bonded to Songbird) who had repaired the Trans-Dimensional-Device and gone to Columbia to recover a Lutece Particle.

Two weeks later, the Civil War initiated by the bombing of the Kashmir Restaurant's New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball led to a panic and an ADAM shortage as citizens spliced heavily in an attempt to arm themselves. This caused the need for functioning Protectors to be more important now more than ever.

Suchong's attempted genetic bonding method proved a failure, frustrating his struggle to complete his Protection Bond while the Big Daddies kept ignoring the girls. A solution became evident where the hulking creatures would start caring when the girls provided the raw ADAM for them to survive. A Bouncer model bonded this way to two Little Sisters in Suchong's own laboratory. He failed to notice the change of behavior in the Protector, and carelessly slapped one of the two Little Sister out of frustration during a recording of his failed results. This triggered the aggressive response of the Bouncer, who then impaled Suchong with his drill to the scientists own desk. The bond had worked at the cost of Suchong's life.

This breakthrough led to the bonding of Bouncer and Rosie Big Daddies to Little Sisters, and Pheromones were used to make the girls attracted to the Big Daddies and not be afraid of them as they had been previously. With the bonding now completed the pair were officially deployed into the public spaces of Rapture. The Memorial Museum at Point Prometheus was changed to the Proving Grounds, and used for Big Daddy training. As the Big Daddies and LIttle Sisters were sent out onto the streets of Rapture, citizens responded to them in different ways, many were met with disgust. The Big Daddy's  intimidating appearance and aggressive conditioning caused fear among the populace and resulted in several unfortunate accidents. Confrontations with Splicers and well-meaning citizens prompted Andrew Ryan to broadcast public address announcements to warn against approaching the Big Daddies and Little Sisters. Ryan tried to combat public dislike of the Protector Program by spinning the Big Daddies as "Knights In Shining Armor", created to protect Rapture against the "Parasites". As the violence on the streets became more extreme, elite versions of the Bouncer and Rosie were created to help defend Little Sisters in the more dangerous areas of the city. Ryan even commissioned for a third model of Protector to be created by Rapture Central Computing using the help of the Thinker, and so The Lancer, considered to be the most advanced Big Daddy so far, was created along with the new Ion Laser weapon. Despite the new protector being finished, it never left Minerva's Den, as Reed Wahl sealed off the entire facility from the rest of Rapture.

By the end of the civil war in 1960, many Big Daddies had fallen to the attacks of Splicers and Atlas' rebels, and littered the corridors of Rapture. However more remained active, roaming from one vent to another to call on Little Sisters to start another cycle of gathering. Years after the death of Andrew Ryan and after Sofia Lamb took control over Rapture, ADAM gathering continued until the remaining Little Sisters in Rapture were too old to be able to process the raw genetic material. The remaining Big Daddies continued to maintain the city in a viable state, as per their original design. The older Sisters were then turned into Big Sisters by Dr. Alexander, one of the few remaining scientists at Fontaine Futuristics. He conditioned them as enforcers and provided them with diving suit gear similar to those of Big Daddies, producing a new fear for the Splicers. In 1967, Lamb, requiring new Little Sisters and the ADAM they produced, sent Big Sisters out to kidnap girls from the surface.

Evolution of Splicers over the years made them more effective in ambushing Big Daddies. This forced Alexander to create a new model of Protector, designed to effectively dispatch larger groups of enemies, the Rumbler.

In 1968, Brigid Tenenbaum returned to Rapture to free the new Little Sisters, foiling Lamb's plan of perfecting her Utopia, and to find a cure for ADAM. With the help of Lamb's daughter and former Little Sister, Eleanor, and the artificial intelligence still monitoring the city's automatiom, The Thinker, she reactivated two Alpha Series: Subject Delta, Eleanor's former pair-bonded Protector, and Subject Sigma, previously Charles Milton Porter, the initial creator of The Thinker. Both Alpha Series regained part of their humanity and free will, which helped them complete their own objectives, Delta guided by Sinclair, and Sigma by The Thinker, who was impersonating Porter. Their opponents, a genetically mutated and insane Alexander, Sofia Lamb and Reed Wahl, reactivated other, broken, Alpha Series and used them as soldiers to stop the rogue Protectors. The last known Alpha Series created was Sinclair (Subject Omega,Ω), done by Sofia Lamb to fight Delta as part of her escape plan which failed.

Induction and Conditioning Process

From the time of its founding, maintenance of Rapture required trained divers in reinforced suits to walk outside along the sea floor to repair leaks and reinforce the city's structure. By the time of the Protector Program's tests, certain former citizens of Rapture had been genetically altered with ADAM and permanently sealed inside the special diving suits to become what were eventually called Big Daddies. They were genetically modified and conditioned in the research labs and facilities of Point Prometheus. Protector training was eventually done in the Proving Grounds.

The candidates for induction into the Protector Program went through voice box modification and pheromone application, which attracted the Little Sisters to the Big Daddies. After those, the candidates' skin and organs were grafted and integrated into their suit, to become one functional unit. The subjects were then placed in large vats of some yellow substance, and eventually reduced to will-less servitors. 

Through Gene splicing, the humans inside the heavy suits were given enhanced strength and agility.  Their suit exoskeletons contained the life support machinery needed to keep them alive during their duties, to allow a Big Daddy to lift heavy weights and do other strenuous tasks, and to help resist the cold deep ocean pressure. In BioShock, Big Daddies have been seen doing maintenance repairs both inside and outside in the ocean.  Big Daddies were also programmed to periodically return to facilities like Hephaestus for routine maintenance check-ups.

Big Daddy Types

So far, there are five main types of Big Daddy protectors, including two elite versions for only the Bouncer and Rosie. Of the five protectors, only four are functional and protect the Little Sisters, with only the original Alpha Series as non-functional protectors, with the exception of Subject Delta and Subject Sigma.

Introduced in BioShock

Bouncer

A Bouncer render.

Bouncers are clad in a very distinct heavy diving suit, the entire torso of which is covered by a thick metal carapace. The head protrudes directly forward from the upper chest area, and is encased in a hemispherical helmet studded with eight lit portholes.  A large, fully-functional conical drill is attached to the right arm just forward of the elbow, and is used for powerful melee attacks. The Bouncers get their name from their will to protect their bonded Little Sisters.

Both a regular and a red striped Elite version with a harpoon-like drill appear in BioShock and BioShock 2.

In the BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea DLC, the Bouncer could use the drill as a grappling hook to get around easier and also to get closer to those that threaten a Little Sister. It is a new feature for that tool/weapon not seen in previous games. This is explained with a note found in Suchong's clinic stating that the the gasses that project the drill make the subject unstable.

Rosie

A Rosie render.

Rosies are clad in a basic heavy flexible fabric diving suit, the upper torso of which is covered by a high-gauge metal carapace. The head is guarded by a thick metal diving helmet welded to the torso carapace, and has three large lit portholes. They wield large Rivet Guns and Proximity Mines at long range, and use the Rivet Gun for powerful melee attacks as well.

A red striped Elite version is present in the original BioShock.

Introduced in BioShock 2

“Big Daddies represent BioShock: They are iconic fixtures in Rapture. In BioShock 2, you step into the shoes of the first Big Daddy and assume the role of one of the most feared beings within the city walls. Designing new Big Daddies posed a significant challenge: Not only did the team have to design a playable Big Daddy, but they also had to create other Big Daddies that would still present a significant threat to you, despite the fact that you now also wield a drill.”

― Deco Devolution Artbook - Introduction to Big Daddy chapter

Eight years after the events of BioShock, Sofia Lamb is in control of Rapture and she and her followers have produced new Big Daddies to help protect the Little Sisters. Bouncers and Rosies return to the sequel, along with three new types.

Rumbler

A Rumbler render.

The Rumbler is the newest type of Big Daddy, and debuts in BioShock 2. Designed by Gilbert Alexander, his arsenal includes deployable Mini-Turrets and a shoulder mounted RPG that shoots non guided rockets. This Big Daddy type seems to be more mobile than the other two types, although less armored. Its combat style gives it an advantage in open spaces, unlike its two counterparts, and it seems to fare well in long to mid-range combat. Its attacks are designed to keep the player on the move, and it can quickly turn the environment to its advantage and give the player as little cover as possible. A very formidable foe to say the least.

Alpha Series

An Alpha Series render.

Like Subject Delta, other failed prototypes of the Alpha Series of Big Daddies survived. They have long since lost their Sisters, and have evolved into something vaguely like a Splicer. These are barely sentient monsters that attack anything near them. Like Delta, they can use Plasmids and regularly emit bursts of Electro Bolt, Incinerate!, and Winter Blast from their malfunctioning suits. They tend to use Launchers, Machine Guns, and sometimes Shotguns in addition to their Plasmids. Their armor is similar to Delta's, but more decayed with part of the arm exposed.

Their bonds were to be to a single Little Sister, with Delta being the first success.  Because of this, they are believed to not have undergone some of the modifications later Big Daddies have, such as the application of pheromones. There was no need due to their physiologically enforced bond to a single Little Sister. They were not fused into their suits (as Subject Delta could remove his helmet when he was ordered to by Sofia Lamb). Many of the Alpha Series subjects appear to have had incomplete or otherwise faulty bonds so that instead of slipping into a coma after losing their Little Sisters, they simply went mad.

Lancer

The Lancer with a Little Sister.

Minerva's Den, BioShock 2's final DLC, features a new type of Big Daddy. The Lancer is much slimmer, slightly taller, and more decorated than his counterparts. He holds an Ion Laser, and appears to be a finished version of the Deco-Rosie, as seen in concept art and as a statue in the main Single-Player campaign. This is the only type of Big Daddy the player encounters in the Minerva's Den campaign aside from the Alpha Series.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer

In the multiplayer segment of BioShock 2, the player is able to become a Rosie by picking up a Big Daddy Suit. As a Big Daddy, the player has access to the Rosie's Rivet Gun and Proximity Mines, as well as the ability to perform a stomp which stuns nearby enemies. In the multiplayer, Rosies have three different "moods," indicated by the light emanating from their portholes:

• Blue Light: Indicates that the Rosie is on the player's team, and as such is friendly to them.
• Yellow Light: Indicates the Rosie is unallied yet hostile. Yellow Lights only appear in free for all games.
• Red Light: Indicates that the Rosie is a member of the opposite team, and thus hostile to the player.

Significant Big Daddies

There are six "named" Big Daddies so far in the BioShock series:

• Jack, the main protagonist of BioShock, partially turned himself into a Rosie in order to follow Atlas.
• Knuckles, a friend of Louie McGraff, was apparently turned into a Rosie.
• Mark Meltzer, who was turned into a Rumbler after being captured by Sofia Lamb in BioShock 2.
• Subject Delta, the Alpha Series protagonist of BioShock 2.
• Augustus Sinclair, who was turned into the last Alpha Series, Subject Omega, after being captured by Sofia Lamb in BioShock 2.
• Subject Sigma, the Alpha Series protagonist of the Minerva's Den.

Popular Culture

For appearances of the Big Daddy outside the BioShock series, see BioShock in Other Media.

Gallery

Concept of Subject Delta.

Early concept of the Alpha Series 1.

Early concept of the Alpha Series 2.

Early concept of the Alpha Series 3.

Early concept of the Alpha Series 4.

Early concepts of the Alpha Series.

Concept of an Alpha Series, originally with a "Gamma" symbol.

Concepts of the "Demo Daddy."

Concept Art for a Deco-Lancer, as seen by Little Sisters.

Concept art for an alternate Big Daddy, as seen by Little Sisters.

Concept of the Little Sister's Big Daddy Doll.

A Deco-Lancer Statue seen by Little Sisters.

A Lancer.

Early Big Daddy concept art.

Big Daddy cartoon character seen in Plasmid instruction videos.

Fink's observation regarding Big Daddies #1

Fink's observation regarding Big Daddies #2

Replica of Big Daddy and Songbird.

Behind the Scenes

• BioShock 2 created an issue in continuity between the original game and the later installment in the series as that it depicted Dr. Suchong as having been killed by a Big Daddy before the 1958 New Year's Eve Riots, and his colleague Gil Alexander taking over the Protector program after his death and successfully bonding Subject Delta to Eleanor before the same event. In order to keep BioShock 2 in the continuity of the series, both Alexander's work as told in the second game and Suchong's as seen in Burial at Sea - Episode 2 are considered here as happening in parallel, since Suchong's death is the only discrepancy between the background of those two stories.
• One of the early version for the plot of BioShock 2 had Subject Delta responsible for Suchong's death, under the command of Sofia Lamb. She acted in order to give the control of the Protector Program to Alexander, who was already faithful to her. Moreover in this plot, the reason for Delta to travel to Persephone was not because of his mental restraining constraining him to remain close to his Little Sister, but to locate Sofia Lamb's ADAM supply she made from the new gatherings and without which he could not survive.

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