| “ | A small number of dissidents again repeat the mistakes of the old world. Striking as we celebrate the benevolent savior who time and again offers only friendship and compassion. Yet these trivial actions could never break the bond between humanity and the Elders. | „ |
| ~ The Speaker at the 20th anniversary of Unification Day. |
The Speaker is the secondary antagonist of XCOM 2.
He is the public face of the ADVENT Coalition, relaying announcements to the world on behalf of the Etherals and twisting the heroic deeds of XCOM into tales of terrorists refusing to accept the benevolent new world that ADVENT has brought.
He is voiced by Brandon Keener, who also played Jason Nelson in Criminal Minds.
Appearance[]
The Speaker is a thin man in a sleek, black suit resembling a priest's cassock. The right lens of his round sunglasses displays text information to the Speaker, likely just notes with what he is supposed to say in his broadcast. Although human in appearance, the Speaker has darkened spots on his neck similar to reptilian scales, heavily suggesting that he is actually a perfected version of the Thin Men encountered in XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Personality[]
Befitting of a propaganda mouthpiece, the Speaker is very dramatic and expressive in his mannerisms. He consistently portrays the governments of the old world as inefficient and corrupt in contrast to the era of harmony and prosperity ushered in by ADVENT, offering nothing but praise for the wisdom of the Ethereals. As shown in his messages to XCOM during the final mission, the Speaker truly believes humanity is far better off under ADVENT's rule than being left to their own decisions. He is fully aware of the Elder's true plans for humanity and considers it an act of ascension into something greater.
Biography[]
For 20 years after XCOM lost the war against the alien invaders, the Ethereal leaders of said invasion force subjugated humanity and established a new government controlling every country in the world known as the ADVENT Coalition. While the Elders themselves faded into the background and ruled from the shadows, the Speaker appeared to give humantiy the divine messages and instruction from their "liberators". Every year the world celebrated Unification Day, the day the old world fell and gave way to a new world free of conflict, but small resistance networks still existed that fought the alien regime from outside the cities.
XCOM lost the war, but a few of its original members were still active and succeeded in rescuing the XCOM Commander from the clutches of ADVENT, who had been used as a biological computer increasing the efficiency and tactical intelligence of the ADVENT troops. Following his rescue and reinstatement as leader of the resistance, ADVENT started to increase its efforts in rooting out opposition. While XCOM was in contact with one of the resistance havens, the transmission was interrupted by the Speaker announcing to the world that these fringe elements would no longer be tolerated, followed by the haven being attacked by ADVENT forces with no intent of taking prisoners.
As XCOM continued to fight and aid other rebels while trying to stop the mysterious Avatar Project that the Elders were directing all efforts in completing, the Speaker's broadcasts gradually started to become more frustrated and hostile. This eventually culminated in the death of one of the Elders, after which they decided to enter the final stage of the Avatar Project: converting all non-essential human life into biomass, disguised as a new breakthrough in gene therapy. Before the Speaker could make the announcement however, XCOM hijacked ADVENT's communications tower and used it to display the horrors of ADVENT's actions for all of humanity to see. The crowd immediately turned on the Speaker, but he managed to escape.
Riots broke out all across the globe and ADVENT's grasp on Earth began to slip away, an opportunity that XCOM used to make a desperate assault on the Elder's stronghold. During the final mission the Speaker attempted to reason with the XCOM Commander via a direct transmission and tried to convince them to return to the Elder's side, but his words as well as those of his masters fell on deaf ears. Despite their best efforts, XCOM succeeded in destroying the stronghold and ending ADVENT's reign. The Speaker himself is never encountered or heard from again, leaving his fate uncertain.
Trivia[]
- The Speaker's voice and appearance are distinctly masculine, yet his seemingly being a perfected Thin Man calls his true gender into question. The Thin Men were genetically altered Vipers, humanoid snakes that are all biologically female.
External Links[]
- The Speaker on the XCOM Wiki
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 Villains
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