| Andrew Ryan | |
|---|---|
| BioShock character | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Andrew_Ryan.png) Andrew Ryan in BioShock (2007) | |
| First appearance | BioShock (2007) |
| Created by | Ken Levine |
| Voiced by | Armin Shimerman |
| In-universe information | |
| Origin | Minsk, Russian Empire |
| Nationality | Belarusian |
Andrew Ryan is a fictional character in the BioShock video game series developed by Irrational Games. He is the secondary antagonist in BioShock, and also appears in its follow-ups BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea. Ryan is portrayed as an idealistic business magnate in the 1940s and 1950s, aiming to create an underwater city called Rapture to avoid government oversight and scrutiny. As civil war erupts in Rapture, Ryan's utopian vision collapses into a dystopia, leading him to become reclusive and paranoid. After winning the war, he becomes increasingly ruthless in his control over the city's remaining inhabitants.
The character of Ryan was created by Ken Levine of Irrational Games, drawing inspiration from real-life figures like Ayn Rand, Howard Hughes,[1] and Walt Disney.[2] Critics have praised Ryan, with Electronic Gaming Monthly ranking him ninth on their list of top ten video game politicians.[3] He is voiced by Armin Shimerman, whose voice acting contributed to BioShock's success and earned the game "Best Use of Sound" from IGN. Ryan has been compared to various real-life and fictional figures, and the world of Rapture has been likened to the setting of Galt's Gulch in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged.
- ^ Gillen, Kieron (20 August 2007). "Exclusive: Ken Levine on the making of Bioshock". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ "PC Gamer". PC Gamer. GP Publications. 2007. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- '^ Scott Sharkey, "EGMs Top Ten Videogame Politicians: Election time puts us in a voting mood,” Electronic Gaming Monthly 234 (November 2008): 97.