BioShock Wiki

Welcome to the BioShock Wiki. Log in and join the community.

READ MORE

BioShock Wiki
Register
Advertisement
BioShock Wiki

Big Sister doesn't want you playing with me...
Little Sister[src]

Eight years after the events of BioShock, the Big Sisters are post-pubescent Little Sisters who had become unstable and confrontational in Rapture's environment. They interact with, manage, and protect Little Sisters. Their extreme level of powers go far beyond that of normal Plasmid users and might be attributed to their growing bodies adapting to the ADAM slugs implanted in their bodies as children. Thus, they have a much greater natural affinity for the powers that ADAM creates.

History[]

As the Little Sisters grew older in Rapture, the physical and mental conditioning forced on them had a terrifying aftermath on their bodies. Although they could no longer produce ADAM themselves, their exposure to the substance made them grow taller than most normal girls their age and granted them incredible strength. The mental conditioning given to them by Dr. Yi Suchong, which once tricked them into seeing Rapture as a beautiful utopia, slowly drove them insane and made them highly aggressive.

One more problem with the pubescent girls was that traces of Plasmids found in the ADAM they recycled began to show in the girls' genes, allowing them to use these dangerous powers against anyone who crossed them. As more and more of the Little Sisters began to turn into these feral beasts, Gilbert Alexander decided to use new mental conditioning methods and advanced diving suits to convert the girls into a new form of protector. These 'Big Sisters' (a name chosen by the Little Sisters) would not only protect the younger ones but also retrieve any ADAM stolen from the Rapture Family.

Characteristics[]

The Big Sisters are unusually tall and gangly since they are at the stage of sprouting from youth to adulthood.[1] Documents from There's Something in the Sea described the Big Sister as 6' 10" (2m 8 cm) tall and having a shoe size of only 7.5. (38 EU and 5 British).

Each Big Sister wears a diving suit reminiscent of those of the Big Daddies, but with their own distinct aesthetic. These suits were designed by Alexander himself, as heard in the Big Sister audio diary. A Big Sister helmet consists of a large sphere with two portholes. Big Sisters are able to withstand immense water pressure and can be seen venturing outside of Rapture as the Big Daddies do, and are able to swim about.

Big Sisters are formidable beings possessing great agility and Plasmid powers. They wield large, wrist-mounted needles on their left arms. These are used primarily for melee attacks and extracting ADAM in a manner similar to a Little Sister's extracting needle, which allows the Big Sister to regain health in combat from Splicers. Big Sisters are the only creatures in Rapture shown to seriously damage the exterior glass windows of the city, something that the weapons used by the player and residents of Rapture cannot do.

The Big Sisters' role is to accommodate, protect, and transport Little Sisters, and they have a cage-like basket on their backs to carry the Little Sisters. The Little Sisters appear to frequently travel with the Big Sisters, and they have taken to decorating their refuges by adorning their cage-baskets with bows and ribbons and drawing childish doodles on the Big Sisters' oxygen tanks.

There's Something in the Sea[]

Photobigsister

A photo of a Big Sister taken in There's Something in the Sea.

Main article: There's Something in the Sea

Roughly eight years after the events of BioShock, the Big Sisters began successfully abducting dozens of children from around the world and ferrying them to Rapture for conversion into the next generation of Little Sisters. These children were primarily found in the coastal regions bordering the Atlantic Ocean, guaranteeing the Big Sister an easy escape once their targets had been secured. Though the mysterious kidnappers were reported by horrified parents throughout the world, the authorities were powerless to stop them and unable or unwilling to see the worldwide abductions were connected. However, the red lights from the Big Sisters' lamps did get the attention of several UFO watchers around the world, resulting in a brief trend of watching for "inexplicable red lights under the ocean." They also got the attention of conspiracy theorist Mark Meltzer, who spent much of this time studying the kidnappings, charting the course of each abduction from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

Towards the end of There's Something In The Sea's first chapter, Mark took a more active role in documenting the activities of the mystery kidnappers. At one point he managed to take a photograph of one of the Big Sisters (who he named "The Traveler"). Unfortunately, this only resulted in the "Traveler" kidnapping his daughter, Cindy. Mark's attempts to rescue her eventually drew him even deeper into the conspiracies surrounding Rapture, and back into contact with the Big Sisters once again. At one point, Mark was able to ambush one of the Big Sisters and throw a net over it, only for the Big Sister to easily slice its way to freedom and escape, shattering most of Mark's ribs and breaking his leg in the process.

His research would eventually bring him to Rapture where he'd come face to face with Big Sisters once again.

BioShock 2[]

1d613ea4

The Big Sister appears.

Main article: BioShock 2

Big Sisters are significant enemies in BioShock 2. They are seen observing Subject Delta's movements for Sofia Lamb and come to punish him when he interferes with the Little Sisters. Big Sisters can often be seen swimming in the ocean outside, but they will only attack Subject Delta after the player has saved or harvested a certain number of Little Sisters (usually all the Little Sisters in a level).

Confrontations with the Big Sisters are typically difficult. Once the player invokes the wrath of a Big Sister, there is a delay before she arrives. This time can be used to prepare for the battle, to set up traps, or buy ammunition and health from local vendors. If the player saved or harvested the last Little Sister of a level right before the end of the level, it is possible to flee from battle and escape before the confrontation with the Big Sister escalates. However, the corpses of Big Sisters contain valuable items, including ADAM.

Abilities[]

Big Sisters have been observed to perform six different abilities:

  • Melee: A few of Big Sister's basic attacks. When at melee range, she will either jab her ADAM syringe into the player, Grapple them, or, if the player is behind her, turn around and stab them.
  • Charge: When at a distance from the player, a Big Sister will run towards Delta at a high speed, dealing minor damage and minor knockback, as well as temporarily disorienting the player. This attack has a chance of causing the Big Sister to Grapple player, causing her to stab them 2-3 times before leaping backwards.
  • Fire Barrage: Occasionally, a Big Sister will randomly fire three or four large, exploding fireballs in quick succession, dealing high damage.
  • Telekinetic Pummel: Occasionally, a Big Sister will use an advanced form of Telekinesis to lift every nearby object around them, pull them towards her and fire them at the player, with the amount of damage depending on the size of the object. If the object is large enough, it will push the player back, temporarily disorienting them.
  • Drain: When low on health, Big Sisters will scream loudly, spawning a Splicer nearby, impale them with their syringe and drain their health. This gradually regains the Big Sister's health but causes her to be vulnerable. Attacking her while she is draining a Splicer’s ADAM will cause her to drop the Splicer.
  • Teleport: Big Sisters have developed the ability of Teleportation. The energy ripple seen when they disappear is purple, and they can teleport great distances. They are seen using this when they are stuck, when the player moves from one area in a level to another, or in scripted events.
  • Burst: The Big Sister will create an expanding visible ring of force that will damage the player when it hits. This Reflection ring has a relatively short distance, so the player can move to avoid this attack. It can be activated when Delta uses the Electro Bolt, Incinerate, or Winter Blast Plasmid on her, and the Burst will also hit other enemies close to her; if a Big Daddy is fighting her, then the attack will cause him to fight the player if the Big Daddy is still alive after the Big Sister is defeated.
Damage Table
Melee/Drain Grapple Charging Perch Throwing Objects
Damage 55 90 90 90 50
added effects Is used in the drain action before entering the animation, this also doubles as her basic attack. A headbutt attack done only at close range. a Higher damage melee attack, can be interrupted with a stun but is hard to outrun. Prompted by her climbing up to a perch, this attack only has a chance of happening though, so just watch out. Can be grabbed with

telekinesis and thrown back

stra shoot her during the drain to interrupt it. Don't get too close, this does disorient for a very short amount of time. Keep a stun plasmid on hand or set a trap between you and the big sister beforehand. Can be the easiest to dodge as she can't relocate her landing spot, still it's fast so watch out! can be blocked with an item held with telekinesis unless the item held is destructible.
Damage Table
Fireball Burst
Damage 45 50
added effect Burns for 12 damage over 4 seconds different effect dependent on plasmid cast at sister

applies burn with 8 damage over 4 seconds. ice and electricity freeze and stun for 1.25 seconds

strategy The fireballs, while faster than Houdini Splicers, are still slow enough to outmaneuver. Side strafe the damage is the best you can do to avoid them. Unlike the Houdini splicers though, Big Sisters can't move while throwing fireballs, so take advantage. Don't hit her with any elemental plasmid until you can get away from her, or hit her from far enough away you won't be hit by the Burst

Strategy[]

First Contact[]

Big sister adonis

The Big Sister encountered in Adonis Luxury Resort.

The first Big Sister the player battles (in Adonis Luxury Resort) cannot be defeated and she will automatically leave when a certain amount of time has passed attacking Delta. Since she cannot be defeated, one should try to conserve health and ammo by keeping the sculpture in the middle of the room or other objects between the Big Sister and the player. If the player is careful in avoiding her, it is possible to complete the battle without losing any health or having to use weapons or Plasmids. The first real battle with a Big Sister occurs at the end of the Ryan Amusements level, after obtaining the Incinerate! Plasmid.

Before the Fight[]

  • When the player hears a loud, discordant screech, it's a signal of an approaching Big Sister. She will not immediately appear, so the player will have around 30 seconds to prepare to fight her. Part of this preparation can be running to another room better suited to battling her. A Big Sister will screech about 3 times before she appears, blurring the player's vision as they sound.
  • If the player has enough time, running back to an area with player-friendly hacked turrets and other security bots could help turn the tide of battle. Just make sure to constantly draw attention from the Big Sister or disable her through Plasmids, as she can easily destroy security bots. Using Security Command 2 or 3 would also be very wise as having two personal flying security bots would boost the player's damage output as well as conserve ammunition. Also consider deploying a couple of Mini-Turrets via the Hack Tool.
  • Big Sisters mainly appear after dealing with the last Little Sister in the current level, so the player should prepare for a Big Sister fight before taking a Little Sister to a vent, or harvesting her. This allows the player to somewhat choose where they want to fight the enemy, by selecting the vent they use.
  • If the player has completed the level and then alerts a Big Sister, the player may leave the level with a Big Sister still pursuing them. The Big Sister will not pursue to the next level, leaving the player in safety. However, this is unadvised if the player wants, or requires, the ADAM and other rewards off of the Big Sister's body, or to research her.
  • If the player plans to use melee attacks, moving into a corridor can be advantageous to be in position for an ambush.
  • If a Big Daddy is in the area, it is highly recommended to either kill it, hypnotize it or find a different Little Sister Vent before starting the Big Sister encounter. While fighting a Big Sister will not turn a Big Daddy hostile, one can accidentally add a whole new level of difficulty to the fight if so much as a single stray bullet hits them and making them hostile towards the player.
  • Alternatively, Big Daddies can be provoked into fighting by the player's side without the need of Hypnotize. To do so, simply place the Big Daddy between oneself and the Big Sister. As the Big Sister approaches, she will most likely toss fireballs at Delta, which will likely hit the target in the middle. A Big Daddy at full health should be able to take about two-thirds of her health away before dying, more if the player (carefully) supports him. This also opens up the opportunity to research either the Big Sister or the Big Daddy in relative peace.
  • If the player intends to research the Big Sister (which is recommended, as there are so few opportunities to research them and the rewards are significant), be sure to switch to the Research Camera once the third scream sounds, then get a fix on her and start filming as soon as possible to maximize research and minimize vulnerability.
  • Big Sisters can still see Subject Delta while under the effects of Natural Camouflage so it is not recommended to just stand in one spot.

Ways to prepare for a Big Sister fight:

  1. Recharge one's Health and EVE.
  2. Buy as many First Aid Kits and EVE Hypos as possible at the nearest vending machine.
  3. Hack every machine in the area (be extremely careful not to set off an alarm).
  4. Kill every Splicer in the area. (Splicers frequently respawn, so this isn't really possible.)
  5. Switch to the most adapted forms of ammo for the fight (see below).
  6. If low on ammo, immediately buy some at the nearest vending machine.
  7. Reload every weapon. Do this every time a weapon is used until the Big Sister arrives.
  8. Check every possible entry point until the Big Sister arrives. Set up traps at the one she is most likely to come from.

During a Fight[]

Big Sister

A Big Sister in Siren Alley.

  • Big Sisters tend to jump around the scenery very often, so try to predict where they will land or aim ahead of them, so as to compensate for their speed.
  • The stun-slam-stun-slam sequence of using Electro Bolt plus critical-strike Drill attacks known to work on Big Daddies can also work on a Big Sister, however don't be too close to the Big Sister when firing Electro Bolt; they frequently fire a short-range AoE electric blast when hit by it which can damage you.
  • Always try to exploit the scenery as much as possible: try to lure the Big Sister in the path of hacked Security Devices and, if she's standing on or near a potential environmental hazard (explosive, oil slick, water puddle, etc.), use it to one's advantage.
  • Big Sisters, like Big Daddies, have an air tank which, if hit, can be caused to leak a gaseous chemical in the form of a small gas cloud. Shooting the cloud will cause the tank to explode, dealing an enormous amount of damage to the Big Sister.
  • When in a situation where the Big Sister is charging, hit the melee button to stop her charge and temporarily disorient her.
  • Always move around when fighting a Big Sister. It is possible, although hard, to dodge most of her attacks, so staying on one's toes will save the player a considerable amount of First Aid Kits.
  • It is recommended to find a way to hinder her movement. Luring her into a cramped space will limit her movement and make her an easier target, although it will be harder to dodge her attacks.
    • For example, the Little Sister vent located at the J. Fischer Gallery in Dionysus Park is at the end of a very long, thin, dead-end stairwell with only one possible path of entry (a Big Sister will never attempt to hop onto the second-floor balcony at the top). If you keep track of Big Sister attacks and know you're due for another one the next time you rescue/harvest a Little Sister at a vent, you can fill the stairwell with a long string of unavoidable explosive barrels, proximity mines, and trap spears/rivets.
  • It is a bad idea to try to retreat during a Big Sister fight in order to recover, using hit-and-run attacks as one might during a Big Daddy fight. Big Sisters are much faster than Big Daddies as well as more agile, and thus will be able to catch up with you quite easily. Moreover, Big Daddies might eventually give up chasing you after a certain distance and time, but as a rule, Big Sisters will never stop hunting you. By far the most important reason not to use hit-and-run attacks against a Big Sister is because she might use the pause in the fighting to assault a nearby Splicer with her needles, absorbing more ADAM from their blood and healing from any damage you did in your previous attack run (sometimes new Splicers will actually auto-spawn in the Big Sister's path if you leave her alone long enough, specifically to serve this self-healing feature).
  • If the player dies during the fight and is resurrected, they have only a short time before the Big Sister returns to attack them. So it is best to exit the Vita Chamber as soon as possible.
  • Big Sister corpses yield 40 ADAM each, so always loot her no matter the circumstances.
  • Just like Big Daddies, Big Sisters can be killed with the Winter Blast's "shatter" effect while still leaving a corpse to be looted. This means that the player can continually use Winter Blast to disable Big Sisters for easy kills without having to worry about losing loot.

Alternate Strategies[]

  • You can use the Hypnotize Plasmid on her to make her attack a Big Daddy, or hide behind him so that she attacks him by accident. This will bring down her health and also give you a free Big Daddy to loot. Note that even with Hypnotize 3, you can only enrage the Big Sister, not befriend her.
  • If you have the Fountain of Youth tonic and a body of water and two hacked bots, you can kill the Big Sister without using any ammo or eve. Here's how: Stand in the water and use the Winter Blast Plasmid on the Big Sister as often as you want and you will never run out of EVE. This will keep the Big Sister frozen while the bots attack her. The bots will keep falling down as her reflection attack knocks the bots down, but they will get up. It takes about 5 minutes but you can kill her without using any resources.
  • Of course, you can also lure her near a camera and get bots to attack her. If there's no camera, hack something in a red zone to call bots and then use the Security Command Plasmid on the Big Sister.
  • Use the Decoy Plasmid to avoid attacks when in danger.
  • Continuously Drill Dashing the Big Sister will not only deal good damage but will shortly disorient her. Unfortunately, it uses a large amount of Drill Fuel.
  • Repeatedly freezing the Big Sister with Winter Blast will allow you to defeat her with ease (Big Sisters will not be obliterated when killed while frozen).
  • Hitting a Big Sister with Electro Bolt will paralyze her for a few seconds, allowing the player to use weapons to decrease her health when she is immobile.

Recommended Weapons and Ammunition[]

  • Armor-piercing ammunition will deal extra damage against Big Sisters. This includes Heavy Rivets, Solid Slugs and Armor Piercing Rounds.
  • Upgrading the Drill so that it deals extra damage against armored enemies makes this a good choice versus Big Sisters, especially since the player will end up fighting this foe at melee range anyway. Having the Freezing Drill and Drill Vampire loaded makes this form of attack even more deadly.
  • Trap Rivets deployed in possible entrances are quite effective against Big Sisters, as they deal a decent amount of damage to anything that crosses their line of fire. One strategy is to line both sides of a nearby door frame with as many traps as the player has, then when she shows up, run through the door and let her follow. This will guarantee that she receives maximum damage from them. If the player has a friendly Security Bot, be aware that it can set off Trap Rivets (and Spear Trap Lines). When using this strategy, disable the bot nearby before the attack starts, then reactivate it when the traps are mostly, or all, gone; however, setting all the traps in a door frame will cause them to be wasted if a Splicer wanders in, so it is better to line them up horizontally close to the floor. This also keeps them from being set off by Bots.
  • Heavy Rivets for the Rivet Gun deal a large amount of damage and count as armor-piercing ammo in this case.
  • Solid Slugs for the Shotgun deal a large amount of (piercing) damage and will remove more than a quarter (nearly half) of a Big Sister's health if the damage output is upgraded. Although Phosphorus Buck may do a lot of fire damage, it doesn't do a lot of damage against Big Sisters since it counts as Antipersonnel rounds. The "Electrified Shells" upgrade will stun a Big Sister in a way similar to hitting them with Electro Bolt, making them do even more damage in bodies of water.
  • Standard Spears and Rocket Spears for the Spear Gun both deal a very high amount of damage (especially the latter). However, it is extremely difficult to aim correctly with this weapon against this foe, depending on the area, so it is only recommended if the Big Sister is stunned or if the player is skilled at aiming. Trap Spears can also be used offensively against Big Sisters for high electric damage, so try to squeeze them into use when fighting in bodies of water.
  • The Launcher is quite an effective weapon since it doesn't require much accuracy and does a large amount of splash damage. It is recommended to use Heat-Seeking Rockets since they home in on the target and do a great deal of (fire) damage. If one is confident with their aim, they can also use Proximity Mines to stick near or on the Big Sister to do (piercing) damage. One may also want to upgrade the launcher so it does not do any damage to the user, if one aims closer than further away.
  • Phosphorus Buck may also be useful as a distraction for recharging EVE and health. The player does need to take the delay in the Buck going off however, but with enough lodged in, it can do huge damage, though one should use this explosive ammo type in areas with minimal or no bodies of water to get the full effect.
  • Mini-Turrets prove effective in that they will distract the Big Sister, and it can do a lot of damage over time, with incredibly high accuracy, even over long distances.

Recommended Plasmids[]

Bioshock-2-Siren-Alley-Trailer 12

A Big Sister struck by Electro Bolt.

  • Electro Bolt will stun the Big Sister, allowing the player to lodge a couple of good hits (and possibly the Zap and Whack). This can also enable the player to reach more advantageous ground. At level three this Plasmid becomes the most powerful anti-Big Sister tool in one's arsenal: by firing a continuous stream of electricity, one will both stun the Big Sister and continuously deal high damage whilst landing as many shots as the player desires for however long the player can keep firing the Plasmid, and in bodies of water, it is all the more effective.
  • Using Hypnotize 3 to befriend a Big Daddy will grant the player a powerful ally during the entire fight, and will help drain a significant amount of health from the Big Sister depending on the type of Big Daddy. One can also use this to distract the Big Sister, and let the two foes battle each other: not only does this make for an interesting piece of entertainment, but by the end the Big Sister will be severely injured, and the Big Daddy dead with no cost in ammunition and a relatively small cost in EVE. Even better, the player can hide behind the Big Daddy (as long as the player doesn't have Fire Storm, Ice Storm, Electrical Storm or Elemental Storm) and pray the Big Sister attacks the Big Daddy by accident. If a Big Daddy is not around, befriend an Alpha Series or even a Splicer—anything to distract her if even for a little bit. Players should be aware that Hypnotize can be used to cause her to attack another enemy, but not to join the player's side.
  • Incinerate! will drain a large portion of a Big Sister's health over time, and doesn't require much accuracy to cast. It is recommended to cast it at the beginning of the fight and use it again once the fire stops. Incinerate! 3 will fire a jet of flame making it useful to suppress fire with weapons whilst firing the Plasmid. The only problem with Incinerate! 3 is that Big Sister moves around quickly, and the amount of flame generated makes it hard to see where she is moving and to keep the flame on her, wasting a lot of EVE, potentially making Incinerate! 2 more useful by doing more damage, and causing a bomb to be thrown at her.
  • Insect Swarm will distract a Big Sister as well as deal her continuous damage while the player attacks with other weapons. It is quite useful to reload or change ammunition for a said weapon or land a few easy shots before she attacks again.
  • Winter Blast will temporarily stun a Big Sister, as well as make her much easier to take down while frozen.
    • If Winter Blast 2 or 3 is used to encase a Big Sister in a block of ice, then the block is thrown against a wall using Telekinesis, a curious effect occurs. Normally throwing an enemy encased in a block of ice will make them shatter into pieces, which leaves no loot (or a lunchbox will appear if the right Plasmid is equipped). However, it is impossible to shatter a Big Sister (or perhaps, they have so much health that this isn't an instant kill if done when they are at full health). Instead, after the block of ice shatters, the Big Sister will stagger back to her feet - but stand around stunned and dazed for over ten seconds. In this time she's an easy target and can be pumped full of time-delay weapons such as explosive buck and rocket spears.
  • Decoy will not only temporarily distract a Big Sister, leaving her open to attack, but it can also be used to lure her into a trap (for example, one can place a decoy on top of an environmental hazard or a prearranged trap). It is recommended to upgrade to Decoy 3 as when the Big Sister attacks the decoy, the damage will be reflected back onto her and convert that damage into health for the player.
  • Telekinesis is useful for blasting back the Big Sister's fireballs, stopping her attack and dealing a large amount of damage. It is also useful for catching the Big Sister's thrown objects, as well as being able to do more damage, and be able to throw small Splicers at her.

Recommended Gene Tonics[]

  • The Armored Shell line of Tonics will decrease any physical damage taken.
  • The Drill Power line of Tonics will deal extra damage when using the Drill.
  • Fountain of Youth works well with the Decoy Plasmid because it lets the player put out endless Decoys while Delta is standing in water. (EVE Saver may be required as well.) With Decoy 2 or 3, the player can actually kill a Big Sister using this strategy while taking no damage at all.
  • The Sports Boost tonic is useful for evading most of the Big Sisters attack such as the kinetic lift and fireball attacks.
  • Walking Inferno decreases fire damage taken, as well as increasing fire damage given. This is useful when dealing with the Big Sister's fireball attacks and when using the Incinerate! Plasmid.

Help Caption

A Big Sister combines the strength of a Big Daddy with the ADAM-draining abilities of a Little Sister. They are armored, deadly, and can survive out in the ocean, but are also able to drain ADAM from corpses to power Plasmid abilities. When a Little Sister is abducted by a Splicer, the Big Sisters are the last line of defense, emerging from the shadows to hunt down the attacker. The Little Sister is then returned to the system to start her work anew, or the ADAM itself is recovered from the offending Splicer.

Along with dashing and slashing attacks, Big Sisters may wield genetic abilities like Incinerate and Telekinesis. Big Sisters are incredibly agile and can jump up to perch on walls like a Spider Splicer, catching their target unawares.

Appearances[]

BioShock 2[]

It is not known how many actual Big Sisters the player encounters in the game, as the same Big Sister might appear on more than one occasion. The player is attacked by and has to kill or escape from a total of seven Big Sisters, usually after a certain number of Little Sisters have been rescued or harvested. Excluding Eleanor Lamb in her Big Sister form, other Big Sisters are seen or heard twenty-six times in-game.

Adonis Luxury Resort[]

  • The first appearance of a Big Sister in the game is when the player encounters one jumping about over the swimming pool.
  • A Big Sister is seen as she carries away the Little Sister that speaks to Subject Delta after he injects himself with the Electro Bolt Plasmid.
  • Delta is first attacked by a Big Sister after a Little Sister speaks to him in the foyer.
  • One is seen in the corridor just before entering Demeter's Banquet Hall.
  • A Big Sister breaks the glass windows and floods Demeter’s Banquet Hall just after Delta enters.
  • One is seen swimming up from the sea bed to the top of a tall building just before Delta enters the Atlantic Express Maintenance Depot airlock.

Note: all of the above appearances are probably the same Big Sister that is keeping track of Delta as he progresses further through Rapture.

Atlantic Express[]

  • A Big Sister knocks the alphabet blocks down the steps to the Switching Hub on the way to the lift. This one is then seen at the top of the steps and jumps high up into the machinery and is lost from sight.

Ryan Amusements[]

  • A Big Sister is seen outside underwater through the large window by the Kitchen of Tomorrow in Hall of the Future.
  • One attacks after the Incinerate! Plasmid has been acquired in Hall of the Future. This is the first Big Sister that the player has to kill (or escape from by moving to the next level).

Pauper's Drop[]

  • A Big Sister is seen outside underwater through the large window after hacking the Door Control to get into Pauper's Drop from the Atlantic Express station at the start of the level.
  • One is seen outside underwater through four large windows by The Limbo Room in Skid Row.
  • A Big Sister attacks when the second Little Sister has been Rescued or Harvested.

Siren Alley[]

  • One attacks when the third Little Sister has been rescued or harvested.
  • A Big Sister is seen through the large window by the Atlantic Express sign when Delta leaves the flooded Siren Alley on his way to the Dionysus Park airlock.

Dionysus Park[]

  • A Big Sister is heard attacking Mark Meltzer just before entering the Chase and is heard on the Audio Diary left by Mark in the Chase Carousel.
  • A Big Sister is seen outside underwater through the large window of the Piano Bar on the way to the J. Fischer Gallery.
  • One attacks when the third Little Sister has been Rescued or Harvested.

Fontaine Futuristics[]

  • A Big Sister attacks when the third Little Sister has been Rescued or Harvested.

Outer Persephone[]

  • Two Big Sisters attack when Delta tries to enter the Quarantine Area chamber holding Eleanor Lamb.
  • A Big Sister screech is heard when Delta finds the last part of the Big Sister suit for Eleanor.
  • After acquiring all Big Sister armor parts, Eleanor puts on the suit to become a Big Sister.

Inner Persephone[]

  • Eleanor in her Big Sister form helps Delta in their escape from Rapture.
  • The last appearance of a Big Sister is when Eleanor, in her Big Sister uniform, saves or kills Sofia Lamb in Sinclair’s flooded escape vessel.

Minerva's Den[]

Two to five Big Sisters are seen or encountered.

Minerva's Den[]

  • A Big Sister is encountered after the player has dealt with all the Little Sisters.
  • Two Big Sisters can be seen swimming by the windows in the Lobby and New Accounts of Air-Tite Archives.
  • One is also seen swimming by the windows in the Warehouse.

Operations[]

  • A Big Sister is encountered after the player has dealt with all the Little Sisters.
Spoilers


Significant Big Sisters[]

Eleanor Lamb is the only Big Sister who retains her will (and sanity) due to her mother Sofia Lamb's efforts to break her Little Sister conditioning. Eleanor dons a Big Sister suit after teaming up with Subject Delta, and she displays the same abilities as other Big Sisters.

Videos[]

Brigid TenenbaumHQ
"...if you're going to do such things, at least you should
do them properly."
Brigid Tenenbaum

This article, Big Sister , or a section of this article may require overall cleanup.
A video showing the Big Sister disappearing when Siren Alley floods.
Video about the character design of the Big Sister.
Video about the Big Sister Quotes Dialogue.

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

Promotional Material[]

In-Game[]

Bugs/Glitches[]

  •  Icon pc Although difficult, it is possible to loot ADAM twice from a Big Sister corpse. Take the ADAM off her corpse, being mindful to leave at least one item on her. Then, do activities that will build enemy corpses or some other accumulation of active objects until her corpse becomes a Lockbox. Now, when looting her corpse, the player will gain a second ADAM reward.[2][3]
  •  Icon pc Icon xbox Icon ps3 Icon mac In Dionysus Park, in the Piano Bar area, an unused Big Sister model can be seen outside one of the windows by getting up close and looking up. It never moves, and appears to be standing in reference pose.
  •  Icon pc In the Maintenance Area of Siren Alley, after the player has activated the pumps, if a player encounters a Big Sister and begins the fight with her, but submerges in water from Little Eden Plaza while they are still fighting, the Big Sister may instantly die when the area completely floods, or in rare instances she may survive to continue fighting the player in the completely flooded area.[4]
  • In Adonis Luxury Resort, when the player encounters the first Big Sister and must fight her, she will occasionally continue fighting for a few seconds even after losing all of her health. This happens only when the player quickly depletes her health bar with high-power attacks.

Behind the Scenes[]

Big Sisters are the new gatekeepers of Rapture: Born from Little Sisters, they don costumes much like their former protectors—the Big Daddy. However, these lithe, broken, mysterious creatures are worlds different from the hulking beasts that inspired their design, and everything from the way their armor appeared to how they cocked their head had to tell the story of their creation.
Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2 - Introduction to the Big Sister chapter[src]
  • Originally, there was going to be only a single Big Sister that would be one of the main antagonists of BioShock 2, which would be revealed to be Eleanor Lamb.[5] However, the developers decided to change this to multiple Big Sisters, as they felt that the excitement of the Big Sister battles would be lessened if the player knew she would always escape before death in each encounter,[6] along with the twist that felt predictable and fragmented for the player to have sympathy for the character. Despite the above, Sofia Lamb still refers to the Big Sisters in singular form in her quotes, treating them as a single entity. This is likely to instill fear in the Splicers, who would see "the" Big Sister as a single, omniscient being. Notably, Eleanor Lamb is referred to as the Big Sister in the description for the Summon Eleanor Plasmid, whereas enemy Big Sisters are simply referred to as a single entity in most of the menus. Little Sisters also refer to Big Sisters as a single being, as they sometimes say "More ADAM for Big Sister!"
  • Despite alterations to the original concept, Eleanor's appearance in the quarantine chamber of Outer Persephone was that of the suitless Big Sister, seen in the teaser trailer of BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams, and in the gallery. However, the last minute change for Eleanor's head clearly doesn't match the in-game character model's skin.
  • As seen in the gallery above, the gauntlets of the Big Sister were altered before being finalized in the current version. The left gauntlet would have originally been an attached bayonet instead of an extended syringe needle, with the right gauntlet strapless, and not containing a harpoon and wrench-like device.
  • George Orwell's classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four is referenced by Lamb's assertion that "Big Sister is always watching," an adaptation of the novel's famous line, "Big Brother is watching."

References[]

  1. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, quote by Jeff Weir, animation Supervisor at 2K Marin, on pg61.
  2. "Loot Reset glitch" forum topic at gamefaqs.com
  3. "Extracting extra ADAM from Big Sister" topic on the 2K BioShock 2 Forums
  4. "Big Sis Siren Alley flooded fight?" topic on the BioShock 2 Forums
  5. BioShock 2 was almost a semi prequel hybrid
  6. "BioShock 2: Why there's more than one Big Sister now" article on Destructoid.com
Advertisement