Chapter.13: Tomorrow & Rainy - New Characters in "DS2"

In the desolate lands where Timefall pours down, time never flows equally for all things. Some age and wither the moment a single raindrop touches them, some endure thousands of years of solitude within the peculiar timeline of the “Beach,” the boundary between life and death, and others have their life’s progression forcibly halted within the womb. In Kojima Productions’ DEATH STRANDING 2: On the Beach, the two extremes of the story’s core themes—“the evolution of life” and “the stagnation of the species”—are symbolized by two women introduced in this installment: Tomorrow and Rainy.

Their existence goes far beyond the framework of mere narrative drivers; they are the very manifestation of the “collapse of the laws of life” caused by the Death Stranding phenomenon, and humanity’s unconscious attempt to resist it. In this article, while logically separating facts (lore) and theories (speculation) drawn from fragmented information, interview logs, and environmental storytelling scattered throughout the game, we will thoroughly unravel the scientific and metaphysical causality they bear, as well as the subtleties of emotion flowing deep within. It is my hope that this analytical record, where intellect and sorrow intersect, will serve as a guide in exploring the true meaning of “connection” in a dying world.

1. The Pod of Emptiness and the Lost Future — The Origins of Tomorrow (Lou)

To unravel the true identity of the enigmatic woman known as Tomorrow, we must first trace back to her origins as “BB-28”—the harsh fate of a single baby whom Sam Porter Bridges named “Lou.” Her story begins even further in the past than the previous game, Death Stranding, rooted in the madness and tragedy of the 2050s.

1.1 The Seeds of Tragedy: The Atonement of Lucy and Neil Vana

[Fact (Lore)] Tomorrow (Lou / real name: Louise) is the biological daughter of Sam Porter Bridges and his late wife, Lucy, who was also his therapist. In the 2050s, the two were united through the treatment of Sam’s Aphenphosmphobia, and Lucy became pregnant with Sam’s child. However, because Sam possessed the unique constitution of a “Repatriate” who could repeatedly return from the brink of death, the fetus carrying his blood was targeted by the United Cities of America (effectively Bridget Strand / Amelie) as an extremely crucial subject for the early Bridge Baby (BB) experiments.

Intervening in this desperate situation was Neil Vana, Lucy’s childhood friend, who was involved in the illicit business of smuggling brain-dead pregnant women (Stillmothers) to Bridges. Lucy and Neil had once dated, and Neil still loved Lucy deeply. To protect her daughter, Lucy attempted to fake that the fetus was “Neil’s child,” but Bridges’ surveillance network ruthlessly saw through the lie. Cornered, Neil and Lucy attempted to flee with the baby, but they were captured by Bridges’ forces, and both lost their lives. At this time, Neil’s deceased body turned into a BT, and upon coming into contact with Sam, who rushed to the scene immediately after, a massive Voidout occurred. The satellite city was completely obliterated, and Lucy was reduced to ashes.

[Theory] This incident etched an immense, lifelong trauma and sense of guilt into Sam’s heart, making him believe that he “killed his beloved wife and blew up the city.” The true psychological reason he became extremely terrified of contact with others lies in the memory of this Voidout. On the other hand, the existence of the man named Neil Vana is a symbol of “fatherhood beyond blood ties,” a common theme in director Hideo Kojima’s works. Just as Clifford Unger in the previous game became a ghost wandering the battlefield for his son, Neil, too, despite not being the biological father who shared his blood, became a ghost who continued to protect the life (Lou) left behind by the woman he loved, commanding skeleton soldiers on his own Beach even after death. Neil’s self-sacrifice demonstrates the ultimate form of “unconditional love” in a world where the concept of family has been destroyed by the Death Stranding phenomenon.

1.2 The Concealed “BB-00” and a Fateful Reunion

[Fact (Lore)] The fetus, which appeared to have been incinerated in the Voidout, was actually secretly extracted from Lucy’s remains by the Bridges medical team. She was, in fact, “BB-00,” the first successful case of the BB program. However, to conceal the peculiarity of her origins (being the daughter of the Repatriate Sam) and the truth of the incident, she was kept stored in a pod for a long time. After 11 years had passed, she was given the new serial number “BB-28” and assigned to the Corpse Disposal Team. Then, whether by a twist of fate or the intentional placement by the President, she ended up in the hands of her biological father, Sam.

[Theory] While the operational lifespan of a normal BB is considered to be about one year at most (within 365 days), the fact that Lou survived in a pod for over 11 years proves that she was not just a mere BB, but possessed the resilient vitality of a “Repatriate” inherited from her father, or an extremely strong connection to the Beach. The reason Lou was able to continue living even after being taken out of the pod at the end of the previous game is likely because she had already broken free from the realm of death (her function as a BB) and latently possessed the ability to “repatriate” to the world of the living.

2. False Protection and Defense Mechanisms — Sam’s Madness and the Empty Pod

From the early to middle stages of the story in DS2, players are shown an exquisitely constructed “madness” through the perspective of the protagonist, Sam. This is one of the gimmicks that most symbolizes the psychological horror and sorrow of this work.

2.1 The Attack and the Emergence of the “Phantom”

[Fact (Lore)] At the beginning of the story, the shelter near Mexico where Sam and Lou were hiding is attacked by an armed group wearing red masks (later revealed to be a cult led by the resurrected Higgs Monaghan). Fragile attempts to flee while holding Lou, but cornered and on the verge of falling to a vicious bullet, she uses her DOOMS ability to forcibly jump Lou’s body and soul to the “Beach.” However, upon returning to the shelter, amidst the brutally destroyed scene, Sam witnesses a phenomenon where “Lou, having become a BT, enters the BB pod.” From then on, during his grueling exploration of the Australian continent, Sam constantly carries this BB pod on his chest, continuing his journey while receiving support such as BT detection (activation of the Odradek).

[Fact (Lore): The Truth in Chapter 16] Upon reaching Chapter 16, “Tomorrow,” a heartless truth is revealed. Throughout Sam’s journey across Australia, the BB pod he had been carrying was “empty” the entire time. The support, such as BT detection and communication, was secretly operated behind the scenes by “Dollman,” a former puppet man aboard the DHV Magellan. Lou’s body did not exist in the world of the living; she had been transferred to the Beach the whole time.

[Theory] Why did Sam continue to hallucinate the figure of his beloved daughter inside an empty pod? This is a severe case of psychological “Denial” and a defense mechanism born from intense PTSD. For Sam, who (believed he) had once lost his wife and child to a Voidout, the reality of having his daughter taken away right before his eyes once again meant the complete collapse of his psyche. Therefore, his brain rejected reality, obsessively continuing to project an “invisible, yet certainly present connection” into the empty pod. The reason the crew of the DHV Magellan (Fragile, Deadman, and others) played along with Sam’s madness, and Dollman continued to support him from the shadows, was likely out of fear that telling him the truth would completely shatter Sam’s mind, thereby derailing the very mission to connect humanity. This heartbreaking structure of lies depicts the cruel theme of this work: how humans attempt to maintain their sanity by relying on “fictional connections” in a desolate world.

3. Time Distortion on the Beach — The Golden Chrysalis and the Birth of Tomorrow

Lou, who was blasted to the Beach by Fragile’s desperate jump, experiences phenomena there that deviate from the physical laws of the world of the living.

3.1 Neil Vana’s Beach and the Golden Chrysalis

[Fact (Lore)] The Beach that Lou arrived at after being transferred was that of Neil Vana, a ghost who could be called her “shadow father.” Neil’s soul, continuing to hold his vow to Lucy in his heart, fiercely protected Lou within his own domain. On his Beach, Lou is enveloped in an object resembling a “Golden Chrysalis” and is laid to rest, isolated from external threats.

[Fact (Lore)] On the Beach, the speed at which time flows is fundamentally different from that in the world of the living. A few months in the world of the living equates to a vast amount of time—years or even decades—on the Beach. Affected by this intense Time Dilation, the infant Lou grew rapidly within the chrysalis, transforming into a beautiful adult woman, “Tomorrow.” In Chapter 5, “Conflagration,” when Sam steps into Neil’s domain, she emerges from the chrysalis and reveals her adult form for the first time.

[Theory] The metaphor of the “Chrysalis” indicates the biological process of “Metamorphosis.” Inside a chrysalis, the cells of a larva completely dissolve into a mushy liquid state before being reconstructed into an entirely new organ system. It is speculated that Lou being enveloped in the golden chrysalis on the Beach was not merely a matter of aging, but functioned as an incubator to remake her into a “new humanity (an evolved form of Homo Ludens)” so that humanity could survive The Sixth Extinction. Furthermore, this phenomenon incorporates a sci-fi interpretation of time dilation (or time acceleration near a singularity) in Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Just as Higgs described the time he was trapped on the Beach as feeling like “thousands of years,” the Beach is a metaphysical black hole-like space where individual consciousness and entropy are complexly intertwined.

3.2 Tar Powers and Elle Fanning’s Physicality

[Fact (Lore)] The grown Tomorrow, as a powerful DOOMS carrier (or an entity close to an Extinction Entity) inheriting the blood of a Repatriate, has acquired extremely unique abilities. She can freely manipulate the black Tar (the sediment of past deaths), which is the symbol of the Death Stranding phenomenon. In the game’s combat scenes, she uses the Tar to perform teleportation and high-speed movements against mechanical robot soldiers, supporting Sam with overwhelming power. Additionally, Tomorrow’s character model, voice, and performance capture are provided by Hollywood actor Elle Fanning.

[Theory] Tar is normally a “swamp of death and despair” for humans in the world of the living, dragging them down if touched. However, for Tomorrow, who grew up on the Beach and embodies the boundary between life and death, the Tar is like the “Amniotic fluid” of a mother’s womb, becoming a sea of networks in which she can freely swim around. What is interesting is the fact that director Hideo Kojima, after observing Elle Fanning’s actual movements and acting (performance capture), significantly rewrote the script and added new scenes to match the unique gestures and emotional expressions she produced. This is a unique production process where it is not “Fanning playing a character,” but rather “the character itself assimilating with Fanning.” It can be said that Tomorrow’s elegant yet somewhat otherworldly and sacred atmosphere was directly extracted from her physicality.

4. Stagnant Life and Miraculous Precipitation — Rainy’s Hardships

While Tomorrow symbolizes “time acceleration” and “evolution,” the young woman Rainy (played by Shioli Kutsuna), who supports Sam as a crew member of the DHV Magellan, is an entity that embodies “time stagnation” and the “history of persecution” in the world of Death Stranding.

4.1 Persecution and Solitude as the “Witch of Timefall”

[Fact (Lore)] Rainy was born with an extremely unique and troublesome DOOMS ability: whenever she steps outside, she forcibly generates “Timefall” in her surroundings. Timefall, which forcibly advances the time of whatever it touches, bringing aging and deterioration, is the most terrifying natural phenomenon for humanity. Because of this, she grew up facing severe discrimination and persecution from the people around her since birth, branded as “The witch who brought the timefall.” Abandoned even by her biological parents and ostracized by society, she volunteers for the “Surrogacy program” promoted by the United Cities of America as a last resort to find meaning in her existence. However, even while pregnant, the persecution from the crowds did not stop. She was pelted with stones, and just as she was on the brink of despair and prepared to take her own life, she was rescued by Fragile and welcomed as a member of Drawbridge (the crew of the DHV Magellan).

[Theory] Rainy’s gruesome upbringing highlights the sociological pathology of how easily humanity, when faced with unprecedented disasters or incomprehensible phenomena, seeks a “scapegoat” and falls into collective madness. Timefall itself is nothing more than a widespread physical phenomenon brought about by Chiralium, but people sought comfort by directing the brunt of their fear toward a comprehensible target: “a single peculiar girl.”

Her reason for volunteering for surrogacy is extremely poignant. It was none other than because she wanted to prove to the world, and above all to herself, that she was not a “cursed existence scattering death and aging,” but a “mother” capable of nurturing another’s life within her body.

4.2 Corefall: The Phenomenon of Entropy Reversal

[Fact (Lore)] The masses called her the “Witch of Timefall,” but that was a product of ignorance, seeing only the surface of her abilities. When Rainy stands outside and generates a storm of black Timefall, a precipitation of an entirely different nature is observed only within a very limited radius of 1.5 meters from her body. That is “Corefall.” Corefall possesses properties completely opposite to Timefall, holding the miraculous power to “De-aging,” “repair,” and “heal” whatever it touches, returning it to a past state. Her colleague on the DHV Magellan, Dollman (a former human currently inhabiting a puppet’s body), regularly goes outside with Rainy to bathe in her Corefall like a “shower,” thereby preventing his own deterioration and maintaining his condition.

[Theory] Corefall holds extremely important scientific and metaphysical significance in the worldview of this game. The Death Stranding is a state in which the increase of entropy (the fundamental law of the universe where all things move toward disorder, i.e., aging, collapse, and death) has run rampant. Rainy’s Corefall is nothing other than a localized phenomenon of “Negative Entropy” against this absolute law.

While there exists a force attempting to drive the world to extinction (Extinction Entity), it is thought that the force of homeostasis, by which life attempts to resist that extinction, manifested as a miraculous healing rain through the individual known as Rainy. Standing at the center of “The eye of the storm,” she is the embodiment of a solitary and beautiful sanctuary, capable of healing only those who draw near.

4.3 The Freezing of Life: Stillbaby Syndrome

[Fact (Lore)] Throughout the story, Rainy is constantly in a state of pregnancy, carrying a large belly. However, for a long time, it was impossible for her to give birth to a healthy baby. This is because she was trapped by a peculiar phenomenon known as “Stillbaby Syndrome.” This phenomenon completely halts the growth of the baby in the womb the moment it reaches the seventh month of pregnancy. The fetus is not dead; it literally becomes “Frozen in time” within the body. Natural childbirth is impossible, and if one attempts to forcibly extract it from the body using surgical methods such as a cesarean section, the fetus will die instantly. Not only Rainy, but many pregnant women around the world are afflicted by this phenomenon, plunging humanity into a desperate “stagnation of the species” where new life cannot be born. Doctor (played by Debra Wilson), a member of “Motherhood” aboard the DHV Magellan, conducts regular checkups on Rainy while continuing to wait for the day when the balance between the world of the living and the Beach is restored.

[Theory] There is a striking coincidence regarding this “curse of the seventh month” from the previous game. In the previous game, the death of Sam’s wife, Lucy, and the extraction of Lou (BB-00) from her womb also occurred exactly in the “seventh month of pregnancy.” Why do the fetuses stop growing? This is highly likely a phenomenon intentionally caused by the “Automated Porter Assistance System,” a massive system attempting to manage humanity. The true identity of the Automated Porter Assistance System is a gestalt entity where the souls of 4,000 humans who previously died in a Voidout have merged with a server. Their goal is to “prevent extinction (Last Stranding),” but their solution was to “remove humanity from the cycle of evolution and preserve (stagnate) them eternally in their current state.” The birth of new life (= the emergence of an unpredictable future and mutations) is a risk that threatens the stability of the system. Therefore, it can be interpreted that the Automated Porter Assistance System interfered with the cycle of life in the world of the living via the Beach, forcibly freezing humanity’s time. Rainy’s swollen belly was the very embodiment of humanity’s sense of entrapment, destined never to be delivered.

5. Comparative Analysis of Two Singularities — Time and the Entropy of Life

Tomorrow and Rainy are symbols of the opposing vectors of “evolution” and “stagnation” brought about by humanity in response to the unprecedented crisis of the Death Stranding. The table below shows a comparison of their unique phenomenological characteristics.

As this table clearly shows, the two are brilliantly symmetrical existences (mirror characters). While Tomorrow embodies “freedom from spatial constraints (liberation from Tar)” and “rapid growth toward the future,” Rainy embodies “bondage to time (Stillbaby)” and “restoration to the past (Corefall).” Through these two women, director Hideo Kojima depicts the grand trial and error of life regarding how humanity will regain its balance in a world where entropy is increasing.

6. The Melody of Poetry — The Acceptance and Resistance Signified by “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”

Within the harsh worldview of DS2, there exists an extremely important literary and musical motif that spiritually connects Tomorrow, Rainy, and Sam. That is the 1960s classic song by B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.”

[Fact (Lore)] In the game, this song is used time and time again. Not only does it play as non-diegetic (background) music in cutscenes, but there are also multiple scenes where characters actually hum this song within the in-game world. For example, after the quiz event with Rainy, before and after the nightmarish scene where Tomorrow appears and questions Sam, or when guiding Sam in desperate situations, the lyrics of this song, “Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head, but that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turnin’ red,” are presented with emphasis.

[Theory] In the world of Death Stranding, “rain (Timefall)” is the absolute symbol of death and aging that snatches everything away. However, the “rain” in this song is sung not as a curse to be avoided, but as “the hardships of life to be accepted.”

The intention behind director Hideo Kojima placing this song at the core of the story is profound. Sam, who continued to carry cargo while suffering from Aphenphosmphobia; Rainy, who possessed the healing of Corefall despite being pelted with stones and despised as the Witch of Timefall; and Tomorrow, who powerfully grew into an adult woman despite being thrust into the Beach, the world of death. They all continued to walk without ever stopping, even while being drenched by the relentlessly pouring “rain of fate.” Here lies the pinnacle of a poetic approach to how strong a “Resistance” human “emotions” and “optimism” can have against the scientific fear of extinction. Not to detest Timefall, but to sing while getting wet in the rain, believing in the “happiness that will come someday (Tomorrow).” That itself is humanity’s greatest weapon against The Sixth Extinction.

7. The Collapse of the System “Automated Porter Assistance System” Binding the World, and the Unleashed Future

Heading toward the climax of the story, the distortions of the world that had tormented Tomorrow and Rainy move toward resolution along with the shattering of a massive conspiracy.

7.1 The Gestalt Entity “The President” and the Enforcement of Stagnation

[Fact (Lore)] “The President,” the mastermind behind the incidents, is not a single human being. It was a Gestalt Entity where the souls of 4,000 victims of a Voidout that previously occurred in the United Cities of America merged with the AI of the Automated Porter Assistance System on the Beach’s servers. Their ultimate goal was to prevent the extinction of humanity, but their approach was to “sever humanity from physical evolution and movement, keeping them alive as eternally unchanging souls (data).” Higgs, while superficially colluding with this Automated Porter Assistance System, was secretly plotting the “Last Stranding” to return the world completely to nothingness.

[Theory] The “eternal protection” presented by the Automated Porter Assistance System is ultimate stagnation. The “Stillbaby Syndrome,” where Rainy’s fetus is frozen at the seventh month, is also considered to be the result of the system rejecting humanity’s ability to give birth to the next generation and create the possibility (risk) of new evolution. Life is inherently built upon the continuity of entropy: getting hurt, aging, and dying. By rejecting the “world where one does not get hurt, does not die, but has no future” presented by the President (Automated Porter Assistance System), and with Sam defeating Higgs and the Automated Porter Assistance System, the world regained its original workings of life where “one gets hurt and ages, but new life is born.”

7.2 The Opening of the “Plate Gates” and Two Conclusions

[Fact (Lore)] In the final battle against Higgs, it was Tomorrow (Lou), having returned from the Beach, who utilized the power of Tar that was supposed to lead the world to its end, and instead fought to save Sam. After Sam completely connects the Chiral Network across the Australian continent and crushes the ambitions of the Automated Porter Assistance System, the crew of the DHV Magellan begin to walk toward their respective futures. With the balance between the world of the living and the Beach normalized, the Stillbaby Syndrome that had tormented Rainy is dramatically resolved, and with Doctor present, she finally gives birth to a healthy baby girl.

Then, the epilogue cutscene. In a devastated future timeline, Tomorrow, now an adult woman, reuses the BB pod she was once inside as a cargo container, and hangs the mechanical gloves she inherited from Fragile around her neck. As a new “Porter” following in her father’s footsteps, she stands before the “Plate Gates,” a massive portal opened by the connection of Australia, and steps forward alone toward another still-isolated continent (Europe, or perhaps Africa or Asia).

Conclusion: The Curse Brought by Connection, and the Resistance to Extinction Beyond It

The story of Tomorrow and Rainy in DEATH STRANDING 2: On the Beach is a profound hymn to humanity that goes beyond mere sci-fi gimmicks.

Lou, who was once treated as an experimental subject (weapon) and was merely “helpless Cargo” protected within the pod on Sam’s chest, survived the solitude of the Beach through the devoted love of a deceased man named Neil, and transformed into the very “future (Tomorrow)” that walks, fights, and connects the world by her own will.

Furthermore, Rainy, who was persecuted by the world and pelted with stones due to her Timefall ability, yet harbored the healing power of Corefall within, shattered the freezing of time known as Stillbaby and became a “mother” who brought forth certain new life with her own hands.

A connection (Strand) sometimes breeds the fear of losing loved ones (Sam’s Aphenphosmphobia), sometimes triggers collective persecution (Rainy’s witch hunt), and sometimes becomes a “curse” that binds the world to eternal stagnation (the managed society of the Automated Porter Assistance System). However, even so, humanity has no choice but to continue walking in search of connection. Because only at the end of that curse does the birth of new life (Rainy’s daughter) and the courage to step toward unknown continents (Tomorrow’s departure) exist.

The existence of these two women is the most beautiful and powerful form of “Resistance” that humanity can present against the cosmic violence of The Sixth Extinction. As a lore scholar, I strongly believe without end that, having overcome a history of great sorrow and scientific rampage, the rain pouring down on their backs is no longer the rain of death that snatches time away, but a rain of blessing that moistens the earth and nurtures new sprouts.