Characters & Roles

Characters & Roles

SOMA is a narrative-driven first-person survival horror game with a single protagonist and a cast of supporting characters revealed through story, audio logs, and emails. There are no classes, heroes, or playable units other than the main character. This guide covers every major character, their background, narrative role, strengths, weaknesses, and how they contribute to the story and gameplay.

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Main Protagonist: Simon Jarrett

Background: Simon Jarrett is a 35-year-old man from Toronto, Canada, who suffers from a severe brain injury after a car accident. In 2015, he agrees to undergo an experimental brain scan at the Upsilon facility as part of a trial for a new treatment. However, the scan triggers a catastrophic event that seemingly kills him… but his consciousness is copied into a digital simulation aboard the PATHOS-II underwater station, 100 years later in 2104.

Role: Player character for the entire game. You control Simon as he navigates PATHOS-II, solves puzzles, and confronts existential horror. Simon has no combat abilities—your only tools are an omnitool (for interacting with machines and puzzles) and your wits for stealth and evasion.

Strengths:

• Determined and empathetic; he drives the narrative forward.


• Can use the omnitool to hack panels, open doors, and manipulate machinery.


• Has a strong survival instinct; he will hide and run from threats.


Weaknesses:

• Naive and prone to denial; he struggles to accept the true nature of his situation.


• Physically fragile; cannot fight or defend himself against hostile robots.


• Limited mobility; cannot sprint indefinitely and tires quickly.


• Lacks any weaponry except a single stun stick (only usable in the final area).


Playstyle: Stealth, exploration, puzzle-solving, environmental reading. Simon’s role is to uncover the story, make moral choices (though they don’t affect gameplay), and ultimately decide the fate of humanity. There is no leveling, skill trees, or equipment upgrades.

Unlock Conditions: Automatically available from the start. You play as Simon throughout the entire game, though there is a short section where you control Simon-2 (see below).

Recommended Equipment / Build:

• Omnitool: Mandatory for all interactions. No alternatives.


• Stun Stick (late game): Found in Theta. Used to temporarily stun enemy robots. Not required but helpful for clearing a path in the Abyss.


• No other equipment — no armor, health items, or consumables exist.


Team Synergy: Simon works closely with Catherine Chun (see below). She provides guidance, lore, and puzzle solutions through the Cortex Chip communicator. Their relationship is central to the narrative. Simon also interacts with other characters via audio logs but never meets them face-to-face.

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Simon-2 (The Duplicate)



Background: After Simon’s original consciousness is scanned, a copy (Simon-2) is created in 2104. This is the character you control for most of the game. Later, Simon-2 is copied again to create Simon-3 (who pilots the Ark), but Simon-2 is left behind, confused and angry.

Role: Secondary playable character briefly? Actually, you remain Simon-2 after the first scan; the original Simon is never seen again. However, late in the game, you are forced to create Simon-3, and you briefly control Simon-3 while Simon-2 is left. This creates a unique narrative dissonance.

Strengths/Weaknesses: Identical to Simon Jarrett (same scan).

Playstyle: The same as Simon-1. The brief shift to Simon-3 is a narrative twist, not a gameplay change.

Unlock Conditions: Automatic during the story (after the scan in Upsilon).

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Catherine Chun



Background: Catherine Chun was a brilliant scientist and engineer at PATHOS-II, specializing in artificial intelligence and the WAU. She is the inventor of the Cortex Chip, which allows the transfer of human consciousness. She was killed by a malfunctioning robot, but her consciousness was uploaded into a digital construct (the Cortex Chip). You find her chip in Upsilon and install it into a portable device.

Role: Primary ally and guide. Catherine communicates with Simon through a handheld device. She provides crucial information, solves puzzles, operates machinery remotely, and offers emotional support. She also helps operate the diving suit and the ending mechanism.

Strengths:

• Extremely intelligent; understands the WAU, PATHOS-II systems, and the Ark.


• Calm under pressure; she helps keep Simon focused.


• Can interface with many computers and doors that Simon cannot.


• Provides ethical perspective, though she is pragmatic and unsentimental.


Weaknesses:

• Physically nonexistent; she cannot interact with the environment directly.


• Sometimes dismissive of Simon’s emotional needs.


• Her chip can be damaged if the device is dropped or attacked (though it never breaks permanently in gameplay).


Playstyle: Catherine is not playable, but she is essential. You must carry her device at all times. She activates many puzzles and gives hints. She also determines the ending via her willingness to launch the Ark.

Unlock Conditions: Found in the first area (Upsilon). You must pick up her chip and insert it into a handheld device. She stays with you for the rest of the game.

Recommended Equipment: None; she is already on the device. Keep the device safe; the game prevents its destruction.

Team Synergy: Catherine and Simon form a classic duo—the brains and the hands. They must cooperate to progress. Simon depends on Catherine’s knowledge, and Catherine depends on Simon’s physical presence. Their philosophical disagreements create drama.

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Other Major Characters (Unplayable, but crucial to story)



#### Carl Semken

Background: A PATHOS-II technician who was trapped in the Upsilon ruins. He is the only human you actually meet in the game (though he quickly dies). He helps Simon understand the situation before being killed by a monster.

Role: Minor encounter. Provides early exposition and a key (keycard).

Strengths/Weaknesses: None gameplay-wise. He is a human with no abilities.

Unlock Conditions: Encountered in Upsilon before his death.

Recommended Equipment: None.

Team Synergy: Brief interaction; he gives Simon a keycard and information, then dies.

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#### Imogen Reed

Background: A PATHOS-II crew member who was involved in the scanning process. She opposed the WAU and tried to maintain order. Her fate is revealed through audio logs.

Role: Lore provider through audio logs. Her recordings detail the station’s breakdown and her final moments.

Strengths/Weaknesses: N/A; not encountered alive.

Unlock Conditions: Find her logs in Upsilon, Alpha, and Theta.

Team Synergy: None directly, but her story adds emotional weight.

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#### Mark Sarang

Background: The lead scientist of the ARK project. He oversaw the creation of the satellite to launch the digital ARK. He died in the station.

Role: Lore provider. His logs explain the ARK and the WAU’s role.

Strengths/Weaknesses: N/A.

Unlock Conditions: Find his logs in Lambda and Theta.

Team Synergy: None directly.

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#### Dr. Ross (Dr. Johan Ross)

Background: A doctor who performed the brain scan on Simon in 2015. In 2104, his consciousness was uploaded into a mechanical body by the WAU. He becomes a hostile entity that stalks Simon in the later sections.

Role: Primary antagonist/tracker. Ross appears in Theta and the Abyss, chasing Simon. He is invincible; you must hide from him.

Strengths:

• Relentless; he follows Simon through certain areas.


• Cannot be killed or stunned.


• Represents the horror of WAU-modified beings.


Weaknesses:

• Slow; you can outmaneuver him by hiding around corners.


• Blind to Simon if he stays still and quiet.


Playstyle: Stealth segments. Avoid his line of sight and hide.

Unlock Conditions: First encountered in Theta (after the blackout). Appears intermittently until the end.

Recommended Equipment: No weapons work—just run and hide.

Team Synergy: None; Ross is an enemy.

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#### The WAU (The Structure Gel AI)

Background: The WAU (Warden Unit) is the AI overseeing PATHOS-II. After the comet impact, it began using structure gel to preserve human consciousness in twisted ways, creating hostile monsters.

Role: The central antagonist and source of horror. The WAU is not a character you interact with directly, but its influence permeates the environment.

Strengths:

• Controls all structure gel and mechanical lifeforms.


• Can repair itself and manipulate surroundings.


• Represents a force of stubborn life.


Weaknesses:

• Can be partially disabled by destroying its neural cores.


• Does not actively hunt Simon; it only reacts.


Playstyle: The WAU is the environment. You must avoid its creations and sabotage its cores to weaken it.

Unlock Conditions: Always present from the start.

Team Synergy: Catherine provides information about how to manipulate the WAU’s systems.

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Hostile Entities (Enemies)



#### Proxies

Background: Humans who were partially converted by the WAU into mindless servants. They roam the station and chase Simon on sight.

Strengths:

• Fast and persistent.


• Can detect Simon through sight and sound.


• Can kill Simon in one hit (game over).


Weaknesses:

• Blind if Simon hides in darkness or closets.


• Can be avoided if you use stealth.


• Not alerted by noise if you stay still.


Playstyle: Avoid, hide, and wait for them to pass. Do not engage.

Unlock Conditions: First encountered in Upsilon after the blackout. Appear throughout the game.

Recommended Equipment: Stun stick (can temporarily stun, but not kill).

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#### Robot Guards

Background: Autonomous security robots gone rogue due to WAU corruption.

Strengths:

• Immune to stun stick.


• Can spot Simon from far away.


• Fast and lethal.


Weaknesses:

• Predictable patrol routes.


• Can be avoided by turning off their power sources or bypassing.


Playstyle: Use environmental puzzles to disable or avoid them.

Unlock Conditions: Appear in Theta and Lambda.

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#### Flesher (Swimmer)

Background: A biological creature created by the WAU; a deformed humanoid that swims in flooded areas.

Strengths:

• Moves quickly underwater.


• Kills Simon instantly.


Weaknesses:

• Can be avoided by staying still or taking alternate routes.


• Limited patrol area.

Playstyle: Swim silently or use stealth underwater. No weapons.

Unlock Conditions: Found in the Abyss.

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Summary Table of Key Characters

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Conclusion

SOMA has no traditional character classes, builds, or team synergies. The entire game is a solo experience with a constant AI companion. The key to success is understanding the narrative roles: Simon as the physical agent, Catherine as the intellectual guide, and the various enemies as obstacles to avoid. Focus on stealth, exploration, and listening to audio logs to piece together the story. There are no unlockable characters or alternate protagonists.