The Death Stranding cast and character roster is just one of the ways that Hideo Kojima's new title innovates on video games as a whole, bringing together one of the most impressive teams of talent a release has ever collected. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Death Stranding cast has been one of the game's major talking points in the leadup to its release and now, with consumers finally able to see the work that went into bringing each character onto the screen, it's set to become an even bigger draw to the title.
Death Stranding has divided critics when it comes to reviews, with some proclaiming it an easy Game of the Year 2019 winner while others have found a lot of fault with its narrative and environment, going so far as to describe it as bloated or over-hyped. It does appear, however, that the game has accrued more positive feedback than not, and many of those who have found Kojima's first release since his departure from Konami palatable have praised the Death Stranding cast and characters as a huge draw to the game world. With stars like Norman Reedus talking up the game and some of the video game industry's finest in Troy Baker doing the same, the appetite for more information on just who makes up the main cast of Death Stranding and what their roles are has only grown.
That's why Screen Rant has assembled a complete Death Stranding cast and character guide, detailing each main character's actor, their role within the game, and some quick information about who their characters are. This guide is written with full knowledge that many players haven't been able to complete Death Stranding yet, so it will also remain as spoiler-free as possible, with only information found within the first few chapters of Death Stranding to help form a foundation about who each actor is portraying.
Norman Reedus - Sam Bridges
The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus portrays Death Stranding protagonist Sam Bridges throughout the game. Sam Bridges is a porter for the Bridges delivery service, which transports valuable goods to and from the few human settlements left in America - now referred to as the United Cities of America. Sam is also a central figure in unraveling the mysteries behind humanity's impending extinction, and he is a DOOMs sufferer, meaning he has powers gifted to him by humanity's new connection to The Beach. In Sam's case, this makes him a repatriate, a rare kind of DOOMs affliction that allows him to resurrect himself after death at a terrible cost.
Mads Mikkelsen - Clifford Unger
Hannibal's Mads Mikkelsen occupies one of the primary antagonistic roles within Death Stranding as Clifford Unger. Unger is ex-military and mysteriously seems to have control over The Beach, at least to a certain extent. Past trailers showed off Clifford rising out of the tar - the sludge that comes when BTs bridge their world into the human world - and commanding a small unit of skeleton soldiers. Clifford Unger is a character that gets a fair amount of development towards the end of Death Stranding, so players will need to be patient to wait to learn more about him, but they'll be happy once they do.
Lindsay Wagner - Amelie
Lindsay Wagner portrays Amelie, who has a close relationship to Sam as his sister. Amelie is not directly present in the beginning of Death Stranding because she was sent across the entire UCA in order to form the baseline of the Chiral Network, a country-wide communications and fabrication system that would greatly reduce the dangers of living in a post-Death Stranding world. Amelie is stuck in the far west, and Death Stranding's early journey centers around connecting settlements along the way while retrieving Amelie, who is being threatened by terrorists who occupy much of the territory she finds herself in.
Lea Seydoux - Fragile
Spectre and Bond 25's Lea Seydoux is Death Stranding's Fragile, a fellow DOOMs sufferer to Sam and the first character he meets during the game's prologue. Fragile has the ability to teleport between locations thanks to her high level DOOMs abilities, which enable her to navigate through different people's Beaches to reach her destination. She's most notable for her leather jacket, which produces spikes when she detects high concentrations of Chiral matter, and her umbrella, which is more than just protection from Timefall. Fragile's role in Death Stranding is one of the most subtle but interesting representations of how humanity moves on from the apocalypse, and she steals the show in nearly ever scene she's present in.
Troy Baker - Higgs
Troy Baker, a video game voice actor whose body of work includes The Last of Us, Persona 4, and Batman: Arkham Origins, is the unsettling Higgs in Death Stranding. Higgs appears very early into the game, suddenly showing up during one of the most tense and frightening introductory moments to hold a finger to his mask, indicating Sam and his companions should be quiet. He's involved with the terrorist group that has been hounding Amelie, and he appears well equipped, sporting a Bridge Baby as well as what appear to be some strong DOOMs abilities. Higgs is another major antagonist during the narrative of Death Stranding. His relationship to Sam, Amelie and Fragile unfolds over the span of the entire game and he's easily one of the most interesting presences on screen whenever he's there.
Guillermo del Toro/Jesse Corti - Deadman
Deadman in Death Stranding is portrayed by Guillermo del Toro but voiced by Jesse Corti, and he's one of the most affable characters in the game, exhibiting less of the grim outlook that characterizes many of the other people Sam meets during his travels. Deadman is the accurately named character whose very existence harbors a dark secret that can make him difficult to understand, but he's also the foremost expert on BBs, meaning Sam will spend a lot of time discussing the "hardware" with him. He's a key member of Bridges whose inquisitive mind will take him to some interesting places during Death Stranding.
Margaret Qualley - Mama
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's Margaret Qualley is Mama in Death Stranding, another Bridges technological expert who helps shape the future of humanity with her prowess. In the beginning of the game, she mostly appears over communications networks, guiding Sam as he begins to gain access to more tech and weaponry as the story progresses.
Tommie Earl Jenkins - Die-Hardman
Go Jetters' Tommie Earl Jenkins is Death Stranding's Die-Hardman, and the man behind the mask is immediately one of the game's most captivating figures. He's functionally the leader of Bridges and he will consistently push Sam forward during his mission to reconnect the UCA, serving an almost Navi-like role to help motivate Sam onwards. He's also another character to keep an eye on as the narrative unfolds.
Nicolas Winding Refn - Heartman
Director Nicolas Winding Refn takes on the role of Heartman, a character who voluntarily structures his life so that his heart stops beating for 3 minutes every 21 minutes. If that's not interesting enough, he's also the game's foremost expert on Beaches, the abstract concept made real location that bridges the gap between the human world and the next. Heartman's theories about the Death Stranding and the other mysteries, like BTs, are always fascinating, and he's the go-to source for Death Stranding lore during the game.
Of course, there are plenty of minor Death Stranding cast and character members who fans will want to keep an eye out for as well. There are a lot of Kojima's friends occupying these sorts of roles, including a memorable cameo from Conan O'Brien in an otter suit.
Death Stranding is available now on PlayStation 4 and releases summer 2020 for PC.