Andrew Ryan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born Andrei Rianofski near Minsk in the Russian Empire, Ryan fled following the October Revolution of 1917. His early life mirrored that of Ayn Rand, instilling a deep disdain for communism and Tsarist autocracy. After immigrating to the United States, he amassed immense wealth as a business magnate until government and religious interference disillusioned him. Using his entire fortune, Ryan secretly constructed Rapture in the 1940s and 1950s to create a society free from state scrutiny. However, his idealism clashed with human nature when con man Frank Fontaine exploited Rapture's freedoms. As Fontaine grew powerful, Ryan attempted to control him, leading Fontaine to fake his death and return as Atlas. A brutal civil war ensued, which Ryan eventually won using genetic pheromones to enslave the populace. Victorious but paranoid, he ruled with increasing ruthlessness, impaling the bodies of betraying allies outside his office as warnings while the city crumbled around him.

In Their Own Story

In 1960, Jack arrived in Rapture, initially perceived by Ryan as a government agent from the KGB or CIA. The conflict took a tragic turn when it was revealed that Jack was actually Ryan's illegitimate son, conceived during an affair with stripper Jasmine Jolene in 1956. Unaware of the pregnancy at the time, Ryan discovered Fontaine had stolen the embryo and used Dr. Yi Suchong to genetically accelerate Jack into adulthood. Enraged by this violation, Ryan murdered Jolene. Jack was sent to the surface as a sleeper agent, engineered with Ryan's DNA to bypass security and programmed with the mental command "Would you kindly?" to obey any order. When they finally met, Ryan revealed Jack's past, mocking him as a slave and a disappointment. Using the phrase "Would you kindly?", Ryan ordered Jack to kill him. Under mental compulsion, Jack was forced to take his father's life with a golf putter.

Reader's Guide

Andrew Ryan serves as the ideological architect of Rapture and its primary antagonist in BioShock. Unlike traditional villains, he is driven by steadfast ideals inspired by Objectivism and the Art Deco movement, believing in human dominance over the universe. He appears primarily through radio transmissions and audio diaries, with only one physical encounter in the first game. His influence extends to BioShock 2 via diaries and a 1958 New Year's Eve speech in the multiplayer mode announcing Jack's arrival. In Burial at Sea, he is mentioned for sinking Fontaine's department store and offers Elizabeth a job before sending his police after her. Ryan possesses no supernatural powers; instead, he relies on wealth, rhetoric, and genetic pheromones to control the city. His defining moment remains the confrontation in 1960 where he chooses death over submission, ordering his own son to kill him to prevent Jack from achieving Fontaine's goals.

Did You Know?

• Andrew Ryan's name is a deliberate semi-anagram of author Ayn Rand's name to establish a thematic connection.
• Ryan commits suicide by forcing the player character, his own son Jack, to kill him with a golf putter using the phrase "Would you kindly?".
• The voice actor Armin Shimerman's performance earned BioShock the "Best Use of Sound" award from IGN.
• In BioShock 2 multiplayer, Ryan delivers a New Year's Eve speech in 1958 and later announces Jack's arrival to the public.
• Ryan's appearance was visually based on actor Vincent Price, while his philosophy drew inspiration from Howard Hughes and Ayn Rand.

Origins and Ideological Foundations

Andrew Ryan, born Andrei Rianofski in a village near Minsk within the Russian Empire, came from a middle-class Russo-Jewish family. The October Revolution of 1917 compelled him to flee Russia and immigrate to the United States, an experience that fueled his hatred for communism and Tsarist rule. In America, he became an immensely wealthy business magnate but grew disillusioned by governmental and religious interference in his affairs. Disgusted by these external controls, Ryan used his entire fortune to secretly build Rapture, a city where society would be shaped entirely by his ideals of individualism. Director Ken Levine based the character's philosophy on Ayn Rand, even making "Andrew Ryan" a semi-anagram of her name to establish a connection. His vision was visually and conceptually tied to the Art Deco movement, representing a belief in human dominance over nature.

The Fall of Rapture and Civil War

Rapture's stability collapsed due to conflicts with Frank Fontaine, a conning businessman and smuggler who entered the genetics industry. While Ryan initially defended Fontaine's exploits, he eventually moved to control the man as his power grew. Fontaine faked his own death and reemerged as Atlas, rallying the populace against Ryan in a civil war that plunged the city into chaos. Ryan emerged victorious by utilizing genetic pheromones to control the remaining inhabitants, but the victory left him paranoid and ruthless. Former allies who betrayed him were executed and their bodies impaled outside Ryan's office as a warning. Despite the devastation, Ryan refused to compromise his ideals, ruling with increasing tyranny while holding onto hope that Rapture would rise again.

The Confrontation and Genetic Betrayal

The narrative climax occurs when Jack arrives in 1960, initially mistaken by Ryan for a KGB or CIA agent. The truth revealed during their meeting is that Jack is Ryan's illegitimate son, born from an affair with Jasmine Jolene in 1956. Unaware of the pregnancy at first, Ryan later discovered Fontaine had paid Brigid Tenenbaum to obtain the embryo. Upon learning this, Ryan brutally murdered Jolene. The child, named Jack, was genetically accelerated by Dr. Yi Suchong under Fontaine's orders to be a sleeper agent. Jack, physically an adult but aged only two at conception, was sent to the surface with a note using the phrase "Would you kindly?" to hijack a plane and crash it near Rapture. When Ryan confronted Jack, he revealed this history, calling him a disappointment and a slave before forcing him to commit patricide.

Legacy and Creative Impact

Andrew Ryan is widely praised as one of the top video game politicians, ranked ninth by Electronic Gaming Monthly. Voiced by Armin Shimerman, his performance contributed significantly to BioShock's success, earning the game "Best Use of Sound" from IGN. Critics have compared him to figures like Howard Hughes and Walt Disney, while Rapture itself is likened to Galt's Gulch in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The character's design draws inspiration from Vincent Price, and his philosophy reflects the Art Deco belief in human dominance. Director Ken Levine described Ryan as a character driven by ideals, contrasting him with Frank Fontaine. The scene where Ryan forces Jack to kill him was considered the "ultimate insult" and took considerable time to develop, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining linear plots while delivering emotional impact.