Hideo Kojima and Sony revealed the brand new trailer for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach during PlayStation State of Play 2024.
To the surprise of no one, it was wacky and ridiculous and awesome. But what might have surprised even the most ardent Kojima fans was just how wacky and ridiculous and awesome it was.
We got our first glimpse at gameplay and the story, as well as a host of new and returning characters. But there’s one character in particular that everyone is talking about. The living puppet in Death Stranding 2.
Around the trailer’s three-minute mark, Fragile (Lea Seydoux) introduces Sam (Norman Reedus) to her puppet friend.
Moving at a reduced frame rate, the puppet says “Sam, mind if I join you?” But who (or what) is the puppet in Death Stranding 2 and why are fans so interested in it?
Who is the puppet in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach?
The identity of the puppet in Death Stranding 2 is currently unknown. In a tweet posted shortly after the release of the new trailer, Hideo Kojima said: “Character names cannot be revealed just yet”.
There is an obvious reason for this – Kojima is a master at building hype and speculation for his games. Revealing the names of new characters would spoil the fun.
However, we do know that the puppet is modelled after film director Fatih Akin.
With that being said, the trailer does contain some clues about the what the living puppet is and how it will factor into the game.
Fragile explains to Sam that the puppet has “knowledge and experience” that will “probably come in handy down the road.”
Sam is apparently pleased to take the puppet along with him, and goes to tie him to the rear of his belt. In what could be considered a rib at God of War, the puppet reacts “Really, Sam? Your buttocks? What about shotgun? I prefer the driver’s seat.”
Later, when it is revealed that Higgs Monaghan (Troy Baker) survived the events of the first game, he speaks to the puppet, saying “Hey, buddy. Are you just another soulless little husk, huh?”
This upsets the puppet, who asks Higgs to let go. It then hisses and bares its teeth at Higgs, with its eyes turning red.
The puppet tells Higgs he is a “Pathetic guitarist” and asks where the rest of his band is.
Judging from the trailer, it’s clear the puppet will likely play a key role in DS2. I’d also wager that it is possessed by the soul of a currently-unidentified character, but we shall see.
Fans react to the DS2 puppet
Fan reaction to the puppet in the On The Beach trailer has been one of both intrigue and confusion.
X user @droneebee posted: “I’ve never played death stranding what’s going on, why is there a puppet”. Similarly, @ayfalt said: “I haven’t even seen the Death Stranding 2 trailer, all I’ve seen is this still of the Alan Wake puppet and already I’m confused”.
Others simply put the puppet’s inclusion down to typical Kojima weirdness: “me: wow death stranding is ambitious and weird and makes no sense. how can you expand on it? kojima: sidekick puppet rendered at stop motion frames”, said @girldrawsghosts.
Of course, it remains to be seen exactly how the puppet will fit into the game’s plot. However, it is possible that it will fulfil a role similar to Mímir in God of War.
Until the game’s release, which is currently unconfirmed, speculation will no doubt run rampant on social media about its role.
But one thing’s for sure with Hideo Kojima – expect the unexpected.
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