User blog:DevinMarston/PE Proposal: Richard Perkins (Detroit: Become Human)

During my proposal for Zlatko, someone suggested this character should be proposed as well, due to also being under the PE category. So here's my next proposal for Richard Perkins from Detroit: Become Human.

What's the Work
Detroit: Become Human is an adventure game released on May 25th, 2018. The plot follows three androids: Kara, who escapes the owner she was serving to explore her newfound sentience and protect a young girl; Connor, whose job is to hunt down sentient androids (or "Deviants"); and Markus, who devotes himself to releasing other androids from servitude. The story and fate of these three characters depend on your choices.

Who is He / What Has He Done
Richard Perkins is an FBI Agent sent to handle the Deviant android threat. He is extremely good at his profession, though his colleagues aren't very fond of him and have given him the nickname "The Jackal" due to his ice cold personality and showing no emotion outside of his job. However, he is shown to have a sadistic side to him, and takes great enjoyment in killing people (especially the Deviant androids he's been sent to deal with).

Perkins takes over the investigation into the Deviant crisis after the protagonist Connor and his partner Hank are removed from the case. However, Connor will sneak into the evidence room (circumstances depending on his relationship with Hank) and figure out the location of the Deviant headquarters known as Jericho. It's here that Perkins commits his first heinous act by following Connor and sending squads of U.S. soldiers and FBI agents to attack Jericho and kill all the Deviant androids they find inside; regardless if they surrender. In order to save his people from being massacred, protagonist and Deviant leader Markus evacuates and detonates Jericho, forcing Perkin's men to abandon the base and retreat.

During the final battle in Detroit between the humans and androids, Perkins appears again to negotiate with Markus, which the latter can accept or refuse. If accepted, Perkins will meet with Markus and tell him that U.S. forces are about to wipe out Markus' group, but if Markus surrenders, he and his people will be spared. He also brings up Markus' lover North, and threatens to kill her along with the rest of the androids if he refuses. If Markus takes the deal, Perkins will send out some military trucks to pick the androids up.

However, it's here that Perkins commits his worst and most despicable act. Once Markus tells Perkins that he did what they agreed to, Perkins will reveal he lied to Markus and never intended to spare any of them; and the androids he picked up are getting sent out to be destroyed. He then proceeds to kill North and then Markus, but not before mocking his foolish choice to believe him and telling him that he screwed up.

Heinous Standard
Perkins is right next to Zlatko as one of the most evil characters in the game; arguably even worse. He takes genuine, sadistic enjoyment in his task to eliminate the Deviant androids, as shown in his attempted massacre at Jericho (even telling his men to kill any androids that try to surrender) and when he promises Markus that he'll spare his followers, his friends and his lover if they surrender; only to reveal he lied and kill them all anyway.

Mitigating Factors
None. His excuse is that he's "just following orders" to handle the Deviants, but that doesn't justify the sadistic methods he chooses to accomplish said orders.

Final Verdict
He gets an easy "Yes" from me.