The Voice

*"The jailer is the key. Kill him, and you'll be free."* -The Voice

**The Voice** is a mysterious figure who claims to be an inmate in the prison. He frequently contacts The Stranger to tell him about the prison, the Guardians, and how to escape.

The Voice's tone is hushed, and his words are often cryptic. However, he is a valuable ally to the stranger by informing him about his upcoming foes, the prison he is held in, and the beauty of the world beyond.

## Appearance

The Voice's face is never seen. He wears a purple rabbit head with large, menacing red eyes that obscures much of his head - though his mouth and jaw can occasionally be seen. He wears a black shirt and dark cloak, along with pink trousers and a blue belt. He is always seen carrying a strange device that appears to be a microphone with several heads connected to a long pole.

## Story

***Important plot details ahead! Read at your own risk.***

The Voice is first seen freeing The Stranger, and explaining that to gain freedom, The Stranger must kill his jailors. Before each of the Guardians, The Voice reveals a bit of information about them in the hopes it'll help The Stranger.

The Voice himself seems to know a great deal about the prison - far more than that of what a typical inmate would be expected to know. He expresses many varied opinions about the Guardians; he seems to have respect for The Edge and The Burst, while he harbors much contempt for The Song and The Beat. He feels pity for the more damaged Guardians like The Strap and The Scale.

It is eventually revealed through dialog that The Voice is in fact **The Architect** who designed the prison, and in turn, the Seventh Guardian. The Voice explains that he tried for a very long time to find a way out of his prison without killing the Guardians or freeing The Stranger, but there was no way out.

A hidden cutscene can be accessed to find out what becomes of the Voice upon completing the game. Once on the surface, The Stranger can find The Voice near a beach with a small girl who looks similar to him in skin tone and posture, carrying a purple rabbit doll. The Voice describes The Stranger as his "only chance" to see his daughter again. The player is left to realize that The Voice's devotion to see his daughter again led him to free The Stranger, knowingly risking the world.

The Voice seems both grateful and concerned, fully aware that The Stranger is corrupting the very earth around him. His words allude to how he hoped The Stranger's journey would "change him", possibly hoping that his destructive tendencies had faded. He also alludes to the existence of the true final boss, and leaves The Stranger by saying "What does matter is what you are going to do."

## Abilities

Despite his supposed status as a Guardian, The Voice is never seen engaging in combat. In his own words, he is "no fighter". His most extraordinary skill is the apparent ability to teleport, based on how he randomly appears in different locations between camera cuts as The Stranger walks to the boss. He also does not appear to be affected by gravity, and is capable of standing on walls and ceilings (and occasionally even levitating), though he does not do this often.

It is likely The Voice dislikes violence or perhaps is just not revealing his combat capabilities to the Stranger. In the seventh room of the prison (his own), he claims to have defeated the Guardian inside already for the Stranger, calling it his "contribution to our escape". However, observant players will come to realize that The Voice is lying, and that he is in fact that room's Guardian.

## Trivia

* In an interview, the story was said to be influenced by the story of Daedalus and the Minotaur, where Daedalus found himself trapped in his own labyrinth and had to free the Minotaur to find his way out.