[Spoilers] The Story of The Hyper Light Drifter Explained and Analysed [SPECULATION]

[Javerlin]

Edit 22/09/2019: After much deliberation, I have decided to take this post down. I feel as though this post has stifled discussion around a game with themes and stories I would like to be discussed more. If I could go back in time I wouldn't have pushed some ideas I had so forcefully. As such I feel like this post is not, and was never, fit for purpose. I know that taking this post down now is not likely to have much effect on the lore zeitgeist of this game, but I feel this is necessary.

I see many of the ideas that were posited in this thread being repeated as though it were canon. I have, since time of writing, changed my mind on much of what I had written especially the details. As such I have removed the post. I think there is a slightly outdated version floating in the depths of the steam forums if you really wish to read this post again.

If at any point I re-write this post I will link to it from here.

[Ruego Al Alba]

Any idea why the Drifter is leaking blood out of his chest instead of coughing up the rest of it in the final scene?

I always figured that the Drifter was "purged" after the Immortal Cell was destroyed. No more cell means no more sickness, right? It was only by Judgement's influence that he and the Pink Drifter got sick in the first place, and from what I've played through it's only Drifters who get sick.

[SonoTheScrubLord]

thump
+1000

[Javerlin]

Автор сообщения: Rosenkreuz

Any idea why the Drifter is leaking blood out of his chest instead of coughing up the rest of it in the final scene?

I always figured that the Drifter was "purged" after the Immortal Cell was destroyed. No more cell means no more sickness, right? It was only by Judgement's influence that he and the Pink Drifter got sick in the first place, and from what I've played through it's only Drifters who get sick.

Unfortunately, purging the cell might mean curing the sickness for some, but for our drifter. Killing the immortal cell is the last thing the drifter does

If you get beat ng+ you get a little graphic of the HLD's skeleton underneath that rock he rests under at the end. To me this means he's dead once and for all. Though he may have cured others with the disease like the bison

There are more than just drivers that get the sickness

The pink drifters story hints that his wife and child also had the sickness. There is also a bison in the arena that claims to see the visions

As for why blood comes out of chest at the end? I think you're right and that he has cleansed the world of the immortal cell. However he was too late to save himself and the blood coming out of his chest signifies that his heart has stopped and that he is dead. It's important to remember the weight that is given to heart related imagery in this game.

[Javerlin]

Автор сообщения: Void_Incarnate

Автор сообщения: JucyJigglers

Thank you very much for your time in reading this.

It was my pleasure. Literally.



Well, organic beings have a drive for self-preservation because it confers an evolutionary advantage (generally, and not always, and not all organisms prioritize self preservation).

But an AI might prioritize fulfilling its Prime Directive over survival, even a corrupted AI. Whatever its original programming was, that would be another area of pure speculation.

It's also possible that Anubis is both an AI and a God, a la Asimov's The Last Question.

Yep that would explain to me why Anubis would go down, but not how the sickness spreads. And I was looking for an example to describe this theory to to people. I was looking through films trying to find one where a machine becomes a God. Should have looked at Asimov I forgot he was a sci-fi genius.

[Javerlin]

Hey guys a new video theory went up, made by somone on YouTube, check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgRe79q2tzo&ebc=ANyPxKp6NQQswv8C7PK6VKqDhKkullRlw_v2WRiWnXFryqx9_p0Tx0RnkHQhyItEhSJzZHk25z5G3czsEoDTa7rMFkt5DUjNDA

Seems like he's mixed and matched a lot of theories from Reddit and used my name for the librarians (yay). Glad someone put the time and effort together to make a YouTube video on this and even link the subreddit below.

[QuantumLeap215]

I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this, or if it's just a fluke in the first place, but at the end of the game after defeating Judgement and stabbing the Immortal Cell and before the cutscene begins, the Drifter is slowly walking away from the Cell and coughing up blood. When he approaches the statue that appears at the beginning and a few other points in the game, he shuffles over and sits down at the base. So between when he sits and the beginning of the cutscene, I've always noticed one specific rock that appears to be falling straight toward the Drifter. Not sure if this is just a coincidence or if it's actually relevant, but it might be that the Drifter wasn't killed by his illness in the end, but by the debris that was falling.

[Javerlin]

Автор сообщения: QuantumLeap215

I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this, or if it's just a fluke in the first place, but at the end of the game after defeating Judgement and stabbing the Immortal Cell and before the cutscene begins, the Drifter is slowly walking away from the Cell and coughing up blood. When he approaches the statue that appears at the beginning and a few other points in the game, he shuffles over and sits down at the base. So between when he sits and the beginning of the cutscene, I've always noticed one specific rock that appears to be falling straight toward the Drifter. Not sure if this is just a coincidence or if it's actually relevant, but it might be that the Drifter wasn't killed by his illness in the end, but by the debris that was falling.

It could be so, the only evidence I can see against this is that his skeleton can be seen rock free in the NG+ load screen. Though this dosn't mean that wasn't killed by falling debris, all we know for sure is that he died under the rock. Only thing that makes me think it was his illness is that you can no longer use health packs or dash after defeating judgement. It could be a combination of both.

What's worth noting also is that the alt drifter is not sick and dosn't die at the end of the game.

[Ruego Al Alba]

Автор сообщения: JucyJigglers

Автор сообщения: QuantumLeap215

I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this, or if it's just a fluke in the first place, but at the end of the game after defeating Judgement and stabbing the Immortal Cell and before the cutscene begins, the Drifter is slowly walking away from the Cell and coughing up blood. When he approaches the statue that appears at the beginning and a few other points in the game, he shuffles over and sits down at the base. So between when he sits and the beginning of the cutscene, I've always noticed one specific rock that appears to be falling straight toward the Drifter. Not sure if this is just a coincidence or if it's actually relevant, but it might be that the Drifter wasn't killed by his illness in the end, but by the debris that was falling.

It could be so, the only evidence I can see against this is that his skeleton can be seen rock free in the NG+ load screen. Though this dosn't mean that wasn't killed by falling debris, all we know for sure is that he died under the rock. Only thing that makes me think it was his illness is that you can no longer use health packs or dash after defeating judgement. It could be a combination of both.

What's worth noting also is that the alt drifter is not sick and dosn't die at the end of the game.

The alt drifter?

[QuantumLeap215]

I'm confused too. Who is the Alt Drifter? The Pink Drifter? Or do you play as a different Drifter in NG+?

[Javerlin]

Автор сообщения: Rosenkreuz

The alt drifter?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHENXLNcoH8

The kickstarter exclusive alternative character. She is not infected with the disease and simply leaves after killing judgement. She also experiances no visions.

[Javerlin]

however she does see the Jackal ingame like we did before seeing the pink drifter. (Though this may just be for gameplay reasons).

[QuantumLeap215]

Yeah, I'd figure that would just be bothersome to code out for an exclusive character. This is really intriguing me now. Who could the Jackal Drifter be?

[Javerlin]

Автор сообщения: QuantumLeap215

Yeah, I'd figure that would just be bothersome to code out for an exclusive character. This is really intriguing me now. Who could the Jackal Drifter be?

Well there is a "bug" not sure if it is a bug, where (if you own her) you can find her in the south during a normal game. This coupled with the fact she dosnt expose any flesh leads me to bleive she's maechanical in some part. Either she's a robot or she's a cyborg. More likley a cyborg.

The other thing she could be is jsut a normal drifter who picked up a cool techno mask and battle dorid companion. She jsut follows the clues without the help of anubis's vision. Perhaps becuase she knows about the core somehow, or perhaps because she's after some sweet loot.

Only thing is I think we should assign some significance to her being able to see the jackal becuase it is in the game, wheather intentionally or not.

[QuantumLeap215]

Jackal Drifter definitely sounds better than Alt Drifter though, right?

And if "she" doesn't show any skin, why do we assume "she?" It could be a man or be like Undertale and be totally genderless. Honestly, we don't even know for sure that the Drifter is a man. We just assume that.

And I do agree that the Jackal Drifter must have some significance, both because of the Jackal and that it's in the game at all.

[Javerlin]

Автор сообщения: QuantumLeap215

Jackal Drifter definitely sounds better than Alt Drifter though, right?

And if "she" doesn't show any skin, why do we assume "she?" It could be a man or be like Undertale and be totally genderless. Honestly, we don't even know for sure that the Drifter is a man. We just assume that.

And I do agree that the Jackal Drifter must have some significance, both because of the Jackal and that it's in the game at all.

The devs call her a she and the drifter a he. She could see the Jackal if she was made in some part in the labs becuase she's linked to the IC but in a different way? Or perhaps a cybernetic element stops her from becoming ill?