Robert Lutece

Lore & Background

Robert and Rosalind Lutece were originally described as the game world's equivalents to Nikola Tesla. In their primary timeline, Rosalind is a physicist who developed the technology enabling Columbia's flight. She met Robert, her male counterpart from another universe, whom she called her "brother." Together, they utilized a machine at Rosalind's residence to create "tears," fissures in time and space connecting alternate realities. Initially working for Father Zachary Hale Comstock, they devised a plan to secure an heir for the sterile leader. However, upon realizing Comstock intended to use their daughter, Elizabeth, to commit genocide on the "Sodom below," they turned against him. Comstock sabotaged their machine in retaliation, killing them both. They survived but entered a quantum state of flux, allowing them to travel freely between universes while remaining unaffected by phenomena within any single one.

In Their Own Story

The Luteces introduce themselves by transporting Booker DeWitt from the sea to a lighthouse that grants access to Columbia. Throughout his journey, they appear randomly, often finishing each other's sentences due to their shared consciousness across dimensions. In an early scene, Robert presents a sandwich board with tally marks showing a coin has come up heads 122 times out of 122 flips. Players can also find voxophones containing Rosalind's personal messages that piece together the extent of their involvement in Columbia's history. The narrative culminates in the revelation that Booker DeWitt is actually an alternate version of Comstock, taken from another reality by the Luteces to prevent him from becoming the tyrant who fathers Elizabeth. In BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea, they are shown orchestrating events like the Vox Populi revolution and guiding a repentant Comstock.

Reader's Guide

Robert Lutece serves as a guide who embodies the game's themes of "constants and variables." Unlike typical NPCs, he is not bound by linear time or death. Voiced in unison with Rosalind by actors Oliver Vaquer and Jennifer Hale, the pair recorded their lines simultaneously to capture their unique dynamic of finishing each other's thoughts. While they offer cryptic advice, their actions are driven by a desire to correct the timeline and ensure Elizabeth's freedom from Comstock's control. Their visual design, featuring red hair and contemporary clothing inspired by the "Gibson Girl" and "Arrow Collar Man" archetypes, sets them apart from the rest of Columbia's cast, reflecting their true nature as time travelers. Though they appear to be deceased after the machine sabotage, their quantum state allows them to persist as observers until their mission is complete.

Did You Know?

• Robert and Rosalind are not related by blood; they are parallel universe versions of the same individual.
• Oliver Vaquer originally auditioned for a project codenamed 'Icarus' before learning it was for BioShock Infinite.
• Robert's initial design included facial hair, which was removed during final development.
• The coin Robert holds has landed heads 122 times out of 122 flips.
• Both voice actors recorded their dialogue at the same time in separate booths to allow them to play off each other's delivery.