The Ultimate Guide To The 50 Enemies Of The "BioShock" Universe

The BioShock series has so far hit on two incredibly unique locations: the underwater metropolis of Rapture, and the floating city of Columbia. They're separated by decades, miles and disparate founding philosophies. Really, the two cities couldn't possibly be more different.

But when it comes down to it, they have at least one thing in common: violent hordes of things that want to kill you.

From the splicers introduced in BioShock to the Big Sister that appeared only in BioShock 2, Rapture was truly a dangerous place. But how does it compare to Columbia, the quantum physics-powered sky-city feature in BioShock Infinite? Can a Handyman really compare to a Big Daddy? Who would win in a fight between a Vox Populi anarchist and a junkie splicer?

Those are the kinds of questions that might keep a hardcore BioShock fan up at night, and that's what prompted us to create this ultimate guide to the enemies of the BioShock universe. We tried to list them all, but if we left any off be sure to let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

BioShock / BioShock 2

Splicers come in different varieties like "thuggish," "leadhead" and "spider" splicers, but if you want to really discover who they are you have to look at their personalities. Prime among them is Toasty. He appears frequently in both Rapture-based games, and he's based on the concept of a frustrated ladies' man ashamed of his deformities.

BioShock / BioShock 2

The mask-wearing "Baby Jane" splicer is another common enemy who likes to charge at you and engage in close-quarters combat. She's a failed actress who thinks that her disfigurement won't stop her from being noticed by Andrew Ryan. Many spider splicers are based on the Baby Jane personality.

BioShock / BioShock 2

The machine gun turrets of Rapture can be a pain early on, but as soon as you discover the best ways to neutralize them they'll help you more often than they hurt you.

BioShock / BioShock 2

These security bots will come into play whenever an alarm is triggered, though if you can hack one and get it on your side it will stay with you for a long time—especially if you can manage to heal it.

BioShock / BioShock 2

The Bouncer is the iconic Big Daddy that most people think of first. Rightfully so, too—that drill is downright badass. Their existence guarding the Little Sisters is so sad you might actually hesitate before you attempt to take them down, though.

BioShock / BioShock 2

Rosie is the other most common type of Big Daddy in the first two BioShock games. The drill is replaced by a rivet gun (get it? Rosie the Riveter!), which makes her more dangerous at a distance.

BioShock

The wader is a religious zealot who went against the grain in Rapture's anti-theistic society. His cries to the almighty "Father" and the extra skin he seems to wear on his face make him all the more disgusting when he's charging at you.

BioShock

The Rosebud splicer model is one of the more tragic, which may be why they left her out of BioShock 2. She's a forlorn and deformed mother, and it's way too fucked up to take out violent splicers while they're looking for their lost babies.

BioShock

The plastered splicers only appear in one chapter of the original BioShock, but they're even scarier because they look like statues at first. It's only once they start moving that you realize you're in for a beating.

BioShock

The Pigskin splicer plays off the idea of athletes using plasmids as a sort of superpowered steroid. It's a neat concept, but then again it's a bit silly to have football players at the bottom of the ocean. We don't remember seeing any stadiums in Rapture.

BioShock / BioShock 2

The Elite Bouncer is a more powerful form of the Bouncer who gives so few fucks about blending in that it painted red stripes all over its armor. Who needs camouflage when you're this powerful? It also replaced its drill arm with a spinning harpoon—much more suitable for an aquatic city.

BioShock / BioShock 2

Like the Elite Bouncer, the Elite Rosie is a more powerful version of the standard Rosie with a recognizable red collar on its shoulders. Good thing, too, because you might want to think twice before approaching an Elite Rosie.

BioShock / BioShock 2

Houdini splicers are a unique type that can teleport around and use other offensive plasmids, which makes them extra dangerous. And that's saying something, considering all splicers are powerful, violent, drug-addled psychopaths.

BioShock / BioShock 2

Lady Smith is a splicer based on the concept of a racist, bigoted socialite. She was probably a bitch even before the rapture hit Rapture.

BioShock / BioShock 2

"Ducky" is the most common type of nitro splicer, enemies who hurl grenades and use fire to their advantage in BioShock and BioShock 2. He's based on the concept of a paranoid cop or an aging security guard.

BioShock / BioShock 2

The Breadwinner is a ruthless entrepreneur and businessman who likely came to Rapture to get rich. Naturally he fell victim to plasmids (you know how rich dudes love doing coke? Now imagine if coke gave you superpowers).

BioShock / BioShock 2

The "Dr. Grossman" splicer concept is the character model used in the medical pavilion level of the original BioShock and, most notably, for the plastic-surgeon-gone-mad villain Dr. Steinman. He loves performing surgery so much that he'll give you a quadruple bypass whether you want it or not.

BioShock 2

The "Crawler" spider splicer appears only in BioShock 2. It appears to be extra deformed, even by splicer standards; it's got what looks like a fin on its head, and its fingers are so disfigured that it can easily hang upside down from the ceiling.

BioShock 2

The Brute was a new type of splicer introduced in BioShock 2. The powerful, hulking enemy provided some nice variation for players who were sick of fighting normal splicers all the time. Thanks to its Bane-like size and strength, the Brute splicer is about as powerful as an Alpha-series Big Daddy.

BioShock 2

The Big Sister is what you get when a Little Sister grows up. Agile and powerful, they're strong with plasmids due to being exposed to Adam all their lives.

BioShock 2

The Alpha series of Big Daddy was the first version created, though it wasn't introduced to players until BioShock 2. A sort of prototype, it's not quite as powerful as its later, better-designed brethren. That said, they are able to use some plasmids due to their history of being test subjects.

BioShock 2

The Rumbler was another new Big Daddy model introduced in BioShock 2. With its shoulder-mounted grenade launcher, it's even better at long-range combat than Rosie and her rivet gun, though it also has inferior armor.

BioShock 2 ("Minerva's Den" DLC)

The "Buttons" splicer personality type was created for the "Minerva's Den" DLC for BioShock 2. He's equally obsessed with murder and computer programming, despite BioShock 2 taking place way too early in the century for true computer nerds to exist yet.

BioShock 2 ("Minerva's Den" DLC)

Heady is another splicer introduced in the "Minerva's Den" DLC. For an aging businesswoman, she packs quite a punch. Her shotgun does, too.

BioShock 2 ("Minerva's Den" DLC)

The Lancer is the only new Big Daddy type introduced in "Minerva's Den," the DLC for BioShock 2. It has some unique attacks as far as Big Daddies go, with a laser cannon and a blinding flash ability.

BioShock Infinite

Johnny Law is the first hostile force you'll encounter in the floating city of Columbia, and they'll be the first victims of Booker's skyhook melee attacks. It's okay, though—these racist asshats aren't exactly a force of good in the BioShock universe.

BioShock Infinite

After the cops, you'll quickly find that the Columbian citizens themselves pose the greatest threat in the early chapters of BioShock Infinite. They'll turn on you in a split second, and though some will run and hide, others will pull a piece on you and try to take you down themselves.

BioShock Infinite

The automaton turrets in BioShock Infinite come in multiple flavors, including machine gun and rocket turrets. On higher difficulties they can be a real pain, they thankfully they can also be possessed or pulled in from another world to fight on your side.

BioShock Infinite

The Motorized Patriot appears harmless at first, but you'll have to start worrying once they begin coming to life. Their resemblance to George Washington shouldn't stop you from blasting the weak points on their backs, or they'll take you out in no time with their massive crank guns.

BioShock Infinite

If BioShock Infinite has an equivalent to the Big Daddy of past games, then the Handyman is it. It's probably the most difficult foe you'll face, and the human-steampunk-robot hybrid androids keep popping up at the worst times. They have electric and melee attacks, and they can leap fully across most environments. If that's not enough, just wait until you have to fight them alongside a dozen other enemies.

BioShock Infinite

The Fireman is the first really tough enemy you'll face in the game, and on harder difficulties he will positively cream you. Their exploding fireballs do serious damage, though you'll be glad to encounter them later in the game when they start dropping lockpicks.

BioShock Infinite

The Fraternal Order of the Raven is like the KKK, but…but…okay, so they're basically the KKK. Rumor has it they used to be Lady Comstock's personal guard, but with her gone they didn't quite know what to do with themselves. Naturally they started worshipping John Wilkes Booth. Naturally.

BioShock Infinite

The crow is a daunting enemy who will teleport around and re-appear behind you to take you down with melee attacks. Thankfully he doesn't have a gun, and the massive coffin strapped to his back (the Fraternal Order of the Raven worships the coffin, because they're weird like that) makes him slower than he could be.

BioShock Infinite

Columbia's security force is made up of elite soldiers that are under the direct command of Prophet Comstock himself. They worship Comstock so fervently that they'll even stand down completely at his order—lucky for you.

BioShock Infinite

The Songbird is the worst type of enemy: the kind that you can't actually fight, because he continuously pops up in cut scenes. His standard mode of operation involves destroying an entire zeppelin, giving Booker a concussion, and flying away mysteriously. Don't worry, though—we don't want to spoil anything, but let's say that the Songbird's conclusion is extremely satisfying.

BioShock Infinite

Slate's an old war hero who's resentful that Comstock has stolen all the glory from days past by fabricating his involvement in several battles. In retaliation, Slate sends the veteran soldiers under his command to "die a soldier's death" on Columbia. They won't hesitate to attack you, but they're rather sad at the same time.

BioShock Infinite

We're not sure what the official name for these guys is, but we like to call them "Gladiators" because of their extravagant armor. They come in different forms, carrying heavy weapons like RPGs and grenade launchers, and they're all difficult to take down thanks to the armor that protects their sensitive bits (head included).

BioShock Infinite

The Mosquito is a flying, machine gun-toting drone that's easy to take down, but has the advantage of being able to find you behind cover. You're never safe as long as there's one in the air, but luckily that goes for your enemies, as well, once you get one on your side.

BioShock Infinite

The residents of Shantytown—Columbia's poorest slum—are downtrodden and sick, but that won't stop them from pulling iron on you if you try to steal from them. We definitely felt bad killing these unfortunate souls for a few silver eagles.

BioShock Infinite

These massive defense turrets are similar to the rocket launchers housed on Columbia's biggest zeppelins. In other words, they are nothing to fuck with. Thankfully, they only appear in one area of the game, but you'll have a hell of a time trying to take them out with enemies zipping around the skylines on all sides.

BioShock Infinite

The slum of Shantytown has got its own police force, and its members are more hardened than the "Founder" police in the city's more prosperous neighborhoods. That's probably by necessity, as Shantytown is not an easy place to survive in.

BioShock Infinite

The Vox Populi begin life in BioShock Infinite as an underground freedom movement and wind up staging a full-on rebellion. But just because they're freedom fighters doesn't mean they won't shoot you if you cross them.

BioShock Infinite

The Motorized Emancipator (that's our own nickname for this bastard) is the rebellious Vox Populi's personalized version of the Motorized Patriot. Appropriately, it's got Abe Lincoln's visage instead of George Washington's. Inappropriately, it will still shoot the shit out of you with a gatling gun.

BioShock Infinite

The Vox Populi have their own version of the Handyman, too. Theirs is even scarier due to its peaked red hood. They're supposed to be freedom fighters, but they dress up their mascot like a bloody KKK member? Something's not right there.

BioShock Infinite

The Siren has a really bad habit of hanging out in graveyards and on battlefields and ressurrecting enemies you (or someone else) have already killed. That's a dick move, and the Sirens are hard enough to take down on their own.

BioShock Infinite

The ghosts brought to life by BioShock Infinite's Siren enemies don't have much health, but they pack just as big a punch as any other enemy, and the powerful Sirens will continue to resurrect them until you take out the Sirens themselves. In numbers they pose a huge threat.

BioShock Infinite

The Boy of Silence only pops up in one chapter of BioShock Infinite, but the tension he adds is palpable. Just because he's blind doesn't mean he can't see you, and if he does spot you he'll wake up his army of terrifying, helmeted puppets. Best to skirt around.

BioShock Infinite

These "puppets," as we like to call them, are harmless—until you're spotted by a Boy of Silence, that is. Then they'll come to life and attack—usually in packs of a dozen or so. Otherwise, though, they'll stand completely still as you pass right by them, behavior that's made even more unsettling by their creepy porcelain masks.

BioShock Infinite

These guards are found in one location late in the game, haunting a seemingly abandoned facility that, like them, outlived its use years prior to your arrival. That won't stop them from knocking you flat, though.

BioShock Infinite

The Motorized Prophet is the final mechanized heavy you'll encounter, and this one's got the face of Father Comstock himself. It's usually serving as the Prophet's personal guard or protecting something very dear to him.