Sander Cohen

Lore & Background

Before Rapture's fall, Cohen was a pillar of its artistic community, controlling Fort Frolic by Andrew Ryan's decree. However, as the civil war ravaged the city and audiences vanished, Cohen descended into madness. He began killing his disciples, including Kyle Fitzpatrick, Martin Finnegan, Silas Cobb, and Hector Rodriguez, photographing their corpses to build his 'Masterpiece,' a tetraptych called the Quadtych. His domain, Fort Frolic, became a twisted gallery where human victims are encased in plaster as sculptures. Cohen's emotional state is intrinsically linked to his environment; lights turn purple when he speaks or red if the player attacks his art. In BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea, set before the city's collapse, a still-sane but unstable Cohen reveals involvement in human trafficking targeting Little Sisters and previously employed Elizabeth as a songstress.

In Their Own Story

When Jack arrived at Fort Frolic in 1960, he was trapped by Cohen after the bathysphere to Hephaestus was submerged. Forced to acquiesce to Cohen's demands, Jack witnessed the murder of disciple Kyle Fitzpatrick and was ordered to photograph the corpse. The task expanded: Jack had to kill three other former proteges—Martin Finnegan, Silas Cobb, and Hector Rodriguez—who had displeased or betrayed Cohen. Once all four photographs were placed in the Quadtych installation, Cohen revealed himself, allowing Jack to proceed. If spared, Cohen welcomed Jack into his luxury apartment in Mercury Suite, inviting him to look around before a final confrontation with dancing Splicers. In Burial at Sea - Episode 2, Elizabeth reveals her past employment as a songstress for Cohen months after arriving in Rapture.

Reader's Guide

To navigate Sander Cohen's domain, players must enter Fort Frolic, the game's seventh level, and follow his specific instructions to survive. The primary objective is completing the Quadtych by eliminating three targets: Martin Finnegan, Silas Cobb, and Hector Rodriguez, in addition to photographing Kyle Fitzpatrick upon first meeting him. Players can choose to kill Cohen immediately after the photos are placed or spare him and encounter him later in Mercury Suite. Environmental clues indicate his instability; attacking his artwork triggers red lighting and aggressive responses. Audio diaries reveal Cohen's regret about moving to Rapture and hint at his internal conflict regarding his sexuality, confirmed by creator Ken Levine as gay. The level design, led by Jordan Thomas, uses restored power to bring the semi-abandoned space to life, mirroring Cohen's psyche.

Did You Know?

• Sander Cohen's name and traits were influenced by American entertainer George M. Cohan, though he was written as an untalented songwriter.
• His pencil moustache evokes surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, while his pancaked make-up was inspired by Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
• T. Ryder Smith recorded voice lines for a cut 20-foot-tall 'Freudian monster bunny' version of Cohen intended for BioShock 2, visualized as the Trojan Horse crossed with a rabbit.
• Ken Levine confirmed via a 2016 tweet that he intended Sander Cohen to be a gay man, hinted at by terms like 'old fruit' and 'section eight'.
• To commemorate BioShock's success, 2K Boston employees received 6-inch scale models of Cohen designed by Robb Waters.