Big Sister



"Big Sisters are the new gatekeepers of Rapture: Born from Little Sisters, they don costumes much like their former protectors--the Big Daddy. However, these lithe, broken, mysterious creatures are worlds different from the hulking beasts that inspired their design, and everything from the way their armor appeared to how they cocked their head had to tell the story of their creation."

- Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2 - Introduction to the Big Sister chapter

The Big Sisters are post-pubescent Little Sisters that have become unstable in Rapture's environment. Eight years after the events of BioShock, they are charged with maintaining the ecological balance in Rapture. Their extreme level of powers, far beyond normal Plasmid users, can be attributed to their bodies adapting the ADAM created in their bodies as children while they were still developing. Thus they have a much greater natural affinity for the powers that ADAM creates.

Characteristics
The Big Sisters are unusually tall and gangly, since they are at the stage of sprouting from youth to adulthood. Documents from There's Something in the Sea described the Big Sister as 6' 10" tall, and having a shoe size of 7.5.

Each Big Sister wears a diving suit reminiscent of those of the Big Daddies, but with their own distinct aesthetic since each is assembled from scavenged items rather than manufactured. These suits were designed by Gilbert Alexander, as heard in the Big Sister Audio Diary. A Big Sister helmet consists of a large sphere with two portholes. Despite their limited amount of armor, Big Sisters can withstand the pressure required to venture out of Rapture and into the ocean.

Big Sisters are formidable beings that are known for their agility and Plasmid powers. They wield large, wrist-mounted needles on their left arms, which are used primarily for melee attacks and extracting ADAM in a manner similar to a Little Sister's extracting needle and allows the Big Sister to regenerate health in combat from Splicers. Big Sisters are the only creatures in Rapture known to be able to damage the exterior glass windows of the city, something that shooting bullets, grenades, a drill or any other weapon have failed to do.

The Big Sisters were meant to accommodate, protect, and transport Little Sisters, and they have a cage-like basket on their backs for such purposes. The Little Sisters appear to frequently travel with the Big Sisters, and they have taken to decorating their refuges by adorning their cage-baskets with ribbons, and scrawling childish doodles on the Big Sisters' oxygen tanks.

There's Something in the Sea
Roughly eight years after the events of BioShock, the Big Sisters had been traveling to the surface world from Rapture to abduct little girls all over the world, presumably to transform them into a new generation of Little Sisters. Various individuals began to show interest in the abductions and started an intensive and exhausting investigation. Among these individuals was a man by the name of Mark Meltzer, who began tracking patterns in the abductions. This investigation eventually ended with Mark entering Rapture to find his abducted daughter, Cindy.

BioShock 2


Big Sisters are one of the main enemies in BioShock 2. Their role is to keep tabs on Subject Delta's movements for Sofia Lamb, and to punish him when he interferes with the Little Sisters. Big Sisters can often be seen swimming in the ocean outside of Rapture, but they will only attack Subject Delta after the player has saved or harvested a certain number of Little Sisters (usually all the Little Sisters in a level).

After the player invokes the wrath of a Big Sister, there will be a set amount of time before she arrives at the player's location. This gives the player a little time to set up traps and prepare for the battle or to buy ammunition and health from local vendors. Confrontations with these enemies are difficult, but the corpses of Big Sisters contain valuable items, including ADAM.

Attacks
Big Sisters have been observed to perform six different attacks:


 * Stab: A Big Sister's basic attack. When at melee range, she will jab her ADAM syringe into the player, dealing a high amount of damage.
 * Charge: When at a distance from the player, a Big Sister will run towards Delta at a high speed, dealing minor damage and minor knockback, as well as temporarily disorienting the player.
 * Fire Barrage: Occasionally, a Big Sister will fire three large exploding fireballs in quick succession, dealing high damage.
 * Telekinetic Pummel: Occasionally, a Big Sister will use an advanced form of Telekinesis to lift every nearby object around them, pull them towards her and fire them at the player, with the amount of damage depending on the size of the object. If the object is large enough, it will push the player back, temporarily disorienting them.
 * Drain: When low on health, Big Sisters will run towards a wandering Splicer, impale them with their ADAM syringe and drain their health. This gradually recharges the Big Sister's health, but leaves her vulnerable. Attacking her while she is draining a Splicer will cause her to drop her victim, killing the latter in the process.
 * Teleport: Big Sisters possess a unique version of the Teleportation Plasmid used by Houdini Splicers. The energy ripple seen when they disappear is purple as opposed to red, and they can teleport much farther. They are seen using this ability in a handful of scripted situations throughout the game, and they may also use it to reach the player from a distance during battle.

First Contact
The first Big Sister the player battles (in Adonis Luxury Resort) cannot be defeated, nor defeated by. She will automatically leave after a set period of time, or sooner if the player's health is about to run out. Since she cannot be defeated, one could simply try to conserve health and ammo by keeping the sculpture in the middle of the room between the Big Sister and the player.

Before Fight

 * When the player hears a loud, discordant screech, it's a signal of an approaching Big Sister. She will not immediately appear, so the player will have around 30 seconds to prepare to fight her. Part of this preparation can be running to another room better suited to battling her. A Big Sister will screech about 3 times before she appears, blurring the player's vision as they sound.
 * Big Sisters mainly appear after dealing with the last Little Sister in the current level, so the player should prepare for a Big Sister fight before taking a Little Sister to a vent, or harvesting her. This also allows one to somewhat choose where they want to fight the enemy, depending on the vent the player goes to.
 * If the player has completed the level and then alerts a Big Sister, the player may leave the level with a Big Sister still pursuing them. The Big Sister will not pursue to the next level, leaving the player in safety. However, this is unadvised if the player wants, or requires, the ADAM reward off the Big Sister's body, or to research her.
 * If the player plans to use melee attacks, moving into a corridor can be advantageous to get in position for an ambush.
 * If a Big Daddy is in the area, it is highly recommended to either kill it, hypnotize it or find a different Little Sister Vent before starting the Big Sister encounter. While fighting a Big Sister will not turn a Big Daddy hostile, one can accidentally add a whole new level of difficulty to the fight if so much as a single stray bullet lands on the creature.
 * Alternatively, Big Daddies can be provoked into fighting by the player's side without need of Hypnotize. To do so, simply place the Big Daddy between oneself and the Big Sister. As the Big Sister approaches, she will most likely toss fireballs at Delta, which will likely hit the target in the middle. A Big Daddy at full health should be able to take about two-thirds of her health away before dying, more if the player (carefully) supports him. This also opens up the opportunity to research either the Big Sister or the Big Daddy in relative peace.
 * If the player intends to research the Big Sister (which is recommended, as there are so few opportunities to research them and the rewards are significant), be sure to switch to the Research Camera once the third scream sounds, then get a fix on her and start filming as soon as possible to maximize research and minimize vulnerability.

Ways to prepare for a Big Sister fight
 * 1) Recharge one's Health and EVE.
 * 2) Buy as many First Aid Kits and EVE Hypos as possible at the nearest vending machine.
 * 3) Hack every machine in the area (be extremely careful not to set off an alarm).
 * 4) Kill every Splicer in the area. (Splicers frequently respawn, so this isn't really possible.)
 * 5) Switch to the most adapted forms of ammo for the fight (see below).
 * 6) If low on ammo, immediately buy some at the nearest vending machine.
 * 7) Reload every weapon. Do this every time a weapon is used until the Big Sister arrives.
 * 8) Check every possible entry point until the Big Sister arrives. Set up traps at the one she is most likely to come from.

During a Fight

 * Big Sisters tend to jump around the scenery very often, so try to predict where they will land or aim ahead of them, so as to compensate for their speed.
 * Always try to exploit the scenery as much as possible: try to lure the Big Sister in the path of hacked Security Devices and, if she's standing on or near a potential environmental hazard (explosive, oil slick, water puddle, etc.), use it to one's advantage.
 * Big Sisters, like Big Daddies, have an air tank which, if hit, can be caused to leak oxygen in the form of a small gas cloud. Shooting the cloud will cause the tank to explode, dealing an enormous amount of damage to the Big Sister.
 * When in a situation where the Big Sister is charging, hit the melee button to stop her charge and temporarily disorient her.
 * Always move around when fighting a Big Sister. It is possible, although hard, to dodge most of her attacks, so staying on one's toes will save the player a considerable amount of First Aid Kits.
 * It is recommended to find a way to hinder her movement. Luring her into a cramped space will limit her movement and make her an easier target, although it will be harder to dodge her attacks.
 * If the player dies during the fight and is resurrected, they have a little time before the Big Sister returns.
 * Big Sister corpses yield 40 ADAM each, so always loot her no matter the circumstances.

Recommended Weapons and Ammunition

 * Armor-piercing ammunition will deal extra damage against Big Sisters.
 * Upgrading the Drill so that it deals extra damage against armored enemies makes this a good choice versus Big Sisters, especially since the player will end up fighting this foe at melee range anyway. Having the Freezing Drill and Drill Vampire loaded makes this form of attack even more deadly.
 * Trap Rivets deployed in possible entrances are actually quite effective against Big Sisters, as they deal a decent amount of damage to anything that crosses their line of fire. One strategy is to line both sides of a nearby door frame with as many traps as the player has, then when she shows up, run through the door and let her follow. This will guarantee that she receives maximum damage from them. If the player has a friendly Security Bot, be aware that it can set off Trap Rivets (and Spear Trap Lines). When using this strategy, disable the bot nearby before the attack starts, then reactivate it when the traps are mostly, or all, gone; however, setting all the traps in a door frame will cause them to be wasted if a Splicer wanders in, so it is better to line them up horizontally close to the floor. This also keeps them from being set off by Bots.
 * Heavy Rivets for the Rivet Gun deal a large amount of damage, and count as armor-piercing ammo in this case.
 * Solid Slugs for the Shotgun deal a large amount of (piercing) damage and will remove more than a quarter (nearly half) of a Big Sister's health if the damage output is upgraded. Although Phosphorus Buck may do a lot of fire damage, it doesn't do a lot of damage against Big Sisters since it counts as Antipersonnel rounds.
 * Standard Spears and Rocket Spears for the Spear Gun both deal a very high amount of damage (especially the latter). However, it is extremely difficult to aim correctly with this weapon against this foe, so it is only recommended if the Big Sister is stunned or if the player is skilled at aiming.
 * The Launcher is quite an effective weapon since it doesn't require much accuracy and does a large amount of splash damage. It is recommended to use Heat-Seeking Rockets since they home in on the target and do a great deal of (fire) damage. If one is confident with their aim, they can also use Proximity Mines to stick near or on the Big Sister to do (piercing) damage.
 * Phosphorus Buck may also be useful as a distraction for recharging EVE and health.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Using Hypnotize 3 to befriend a Big Daddy will grant the player a powerful ally during the entire fight, and will help drain a significant amount of health from the Big Sister. One can also use this to distract the Big Sister, and let the two foes battle each other: not only does this make for an interesting piece of entertainment, but by the end the Big Sister will be severely injured, and the Big Daddy dead with no cost in ammunition and a relatively small cost in EVE. Even better, the player can hide behind the Big Daddy (as long as the player doesn't have Fire Storm, Ice Storm, Electrical Storm or Elemental Storm) and pray the Big Sister attacks the Big Daddy by accident. If a Big Daddy is not around, befriend an Alpha Series or even a Splicer—anything to distract her if even for a little bit. Players should be aware that Hypnotize can be used to cause her to attack another enemy, but not to join the player's side.
 * Electro Bolt will stun the Big Sister, allowing the player to lodge a couple of good hits (and possibly the Zap and Whack). This can also enable the player to reach more advantageous ground. At level three this Plasmid becomes the most powerful anti-Big Sister tool in one's arsenal: by firing a continuous stream of electricity, one will both stun the Big Sister during the entire procedure and continuously deal high damage whilst landing as many shots as the player desires for however long the player can keep firing the Plasmid.
 * Incinerate! will drain a large portion of a Big Sister's health over time, and doesn't require much accuracy to cast. It is recommended to cast it at the beginning of the fight, and use it again once the fire stops. Incinerate! 3 will fire a jet of flame making it useful to suppress fire with weapons whilst firing the Plasmid. The only problem with Incinerate! 3 is that Big Sister moves around quickly, and the amount of flame generated makes it hard to see where she is moving and to keep the flame on her, wasting a lot of EVE.
 * Insect Swarm will distract a Big Sister as well as deal her continuous damage while the player attacks with other weapons. It is quite useful to reload or change ammunition for said weapon or land a few easy shots before she attacks again.
 * Winter Blast will temporarily stun a Big Sister, as well as make her much easier to take down while frozen. However, don't forget that shattering a frozen enemy leaves no loot.
 * Target Dummy will not only temporarily distract a Big Sister, leaving her open to attack, but it can also be used to lure her into a trap (for example, one can place a Target Dummy on top of an environmental hazard or a prearranged trap). It is recommended to upgrade to Decoy 3 as when the Big Sister attacks the decoy, the damage will be reflected back onto her and convert that damage into health for the player.
 * Telekinesis is useful for blasting back the Big Sister's fire balls, stopping her attack and dealing a large amount of damage.

Recommended Gene Tonics

 * The Armored Shell line of tonics will decrease any physical damage taken.
 * The Drill Power line of tonics will deal extra damage when using the Drill.
 * Fountain of Youth works well with the Decoy Plasmid because it lets the player put out endless Decoys while Delta is standing in water. (EVE Saver may be required as well.) With Decoy 2 or 3, the player can actually kill a Big Sister using this strategy while taking no damage at all.
 * The Sports Boost tonic is useful for evading most of the Big Sisters attack such as the kinetic lift and fireball attacks.
 * Walking Inferno decreases fire damage taken, as well as increasing fire damage given.

Minerva's Den
Two Big Sisters appear in Minerva's Den after the player has dealt with the Little Sisters in both the Operations and Minerva's Den levels.

Significant Big Sisters
Eleanor Lamb is the only Big Sister who retains her will (and sanity) due to her mother, Sofia Lamb's, efforts to break her Little Sister conditioning. Eleanor dons a Big Sister suit after teaming up with Subject Delta, and she displays the same abilities as other Big Sisters.

Bugs/Glitches

 * Although difficult, it is possible to loot ADAM twice from a Big Sister corpse. Take the ADAM off her corpse, being mindful to leave at least one item on her. Then, do activities that will build enemy corpses or some other accumulation of active objects until her corpse becomes a Lockbox. Now, when looting her corpse, the player will gain a second ADAM reward.
 * In Dionysus Park, in the Piano Bar area, an unused Big Sister model can be seen outside one of the windows by getting up close and looking up. It never moves, and appears to be standing in reference pose.
 * In the Maintenance Area of Siren Alley, after the player has activated the pumps, if a player encounters a Big Sister and begins the fight with her, but submerges in water from Little Eden Plaza while they are still fighting, the Big Sister may instantly die when the area completely floods, or in rare instances she may survive to continue fighting the player in the completely flooded area.
 * In Adonis Luxury Resort, when the player encounters the first Big Sister and must fight her, she will occasionally continue fighting for a few seconds even after losing all of her health. This happens only when the player quickly depletes her health bar with high-power attacks.

Behind the Scenes

 * Originally, there was going to be only a single Big Sister that would be one of the main antagonists of BioShock 2, which would reveal to be Eleanor Lamb. However, the developers decided to change this to multiple Big Sisters, as they felt that the excitement of the Big Sister battles would be lessened if the player knew she would always escape before death in each encounter, along with the twist that felt predictable and fragmented for the player to have sympathy for the character. Despite the above, Sofia Lamb still refers to the Big Sisters in singular form in her quotes, treating them as a single entity. This is likely to instill fear in the Splicers, who would see "the" Big Sister as a single, omniscient being. Notably, Eleanor Lamb is referred to as the Big Sister in the description for the Summon Eleanor Plasmid, whereas enemy Big Sisters are simply referred to as a single entity in most of the menus. Little Sisters also refer to Big Sisters as a single being, as they sometimes say "More ADAM for Big Sister!"
 * Despite alterations to the original concept, Eleanor's appearance in the quarantine chamber of Outer Persephone was that of the suitless Big Sister, seen in the teaser trailer of BioShock 2 Sea of Dreams, and in the gallery. However, the last minute change for the Eleanor head clearly doesn't match the in-game character model's skin.
 * As seen in the above Gallery, the gauntlets of the Big Sister were altered before finalized in the current version. The left gauntlet would have originally been an attached bayonet instead of an extended syringe needle, with the right gauntlet strapless, and not containing a harpoon and wrench-like device.
 * The political/philosophical dystopia novel by George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, is referenced by Lamb's assertion that "Big Sister is always watching," an adaptation of the novel's famous line, "Big Brother is watching."