Chapter.14: The Philosophy of Kobo Abe's 'Rope' and 'Stick', and Egyptian Mythology

1. Introduction: Two Compasses for Deciphering a World Where Life and Death Melt Together

A desolate land where the sky is stained blood-red and the black rain that steals time, “Timefall,” pours down. It is an anomalous world where the boundary between life and death melts together, and the past and future intersect within a sea of chaos. Filled with the presence of The Sixth Extinction brought about by an unprecedented supernatural phenomenon known as the Death Stranding, humanity has retreated into underground shelters, living days trembling in isolation and fear. The footsteps of the Porter, Sam Porter Bridges, who walks this divided world, go beyond the mere reconstruction of the logistics network across the North American continent; they are a metaphysical pilgrimage exploring “connection with others,” “self-defense,” and the “whereabouts of the soul”—concepts humanity has harbored since ancient times.

This report aims to unravel the full picture by conducting thorough deep research based on the vast remaining records and observed facts regarding the two decisive philosophical and mythological foundations inherent in this colossal myth of extinction. The first of these foundations is the literary metaphor of the “Rope” and the “Stick” presented by the unique Japanese avant-garde writer Kobo Abe. And the second is the highly elaborate “cosmology of death and rebirth” constructed by the ancient Egyptians. These two themes are by no means independent elements. The nature of “tools (technology)” that measure the distance to others, and the “view of life and death (ontology)” that preaches the separation of body and soul, are inextricably linked in the depths of this work’s worldview through the higher-dimensional concept of the invisible sea (the Beach). In this article, we will approach the truth of this desolate world while strictly distinguishing between explicitly stated facts (lore) and the logical speculations derived from them.

2. Kobo Abe’s Literary Metaphor: The Trajectory of Humanity Defined by the “Stick” and the “Rope”

The first tool humanity got its hands on was the “Stick,” and the next was the “Rope.” This passage, derived from Kobo Abe’s short story The Rope and his play The Man Who Turned into a Stick, functions as the most robust philosophical backbone running through the themes of this work.

2.1 Factual Records on Kobo Abe’s Philosophy and Work Structure

According to historical literary records, Kobo Abe clearly defined the “Stick” as “something to keep bad spaces away” and the “Rope” as “something to pull good spaces closer.” This goes far beyond a functional explanation of physical tools; it symbolizes the very history of human communication and self-definition. It is confirmed that Kobo Abe’s representative play, The Man Who Turned into a Stick, is the final chapter of a trilogy written between 1957 and 1969, structured as Part 1: The Suitcase (birth), Part 2: The Cliff of Time (the process of life), and Part 3: The Man Who Turned into a Stick (death).

In this story, on a humid Sunday afternoon, a man falls from the roof of a department store to the ground, transforming into a single “Stick” in the process. The man, now a stick, is picked up by a passing hippie couple and tries to speak, but his voice reaches no one. While listening to the cries of his own child, he is treated merely as a silent tool used by others, and is ultimately disposed of by emissaries dispatched from hell. This story is a masterpiece of magical realism that depicts the loss of personal identity and the alienation of modern society, which views others merely as tools. Director Hideo Kojima has stated that he cited this concept by Kobo Abe as the fundamental philosophy of the game’s design, attempting to present a new form of communication using the “Rope,” in contrast to conventional action games that have always revolved around communication via “Sticks” such as guns and fists.

2.2 Speculation on the Objectification of Humanity and the Transition from “Stick” to “Rope”

The speculation on this work derived from these facts is a scathing critique of the “objectification (commodification)” of human beings in modern society, and a prayer for recovery from it. In the initial state of the main game, the protagonist Sam Porter Bridges suffers from “Aphenphosmphobia,” an extreme fear of physical contact with others, functioning as a “Stick” to isolate himself from the world. Furthermore, the entities known as MULEs wandering the field were once proud Porters, but have become addicted to the act of carrying cargo itself, turning into tragic humans reduced to “Sticks” used to steal others’ cargo. They can truly be said to be a modern transformation of Kobo Abe’s The Man Who Turned into a Stick.

However, through the mission of connecting the Chiral Network across the North American continent, Sam turns his own blood into bullets (Hematic Grenades) and uses a device called the Q-pid to reconnect the network. In this process, he transforms from a “Stick” that separates people into a “Rope” that draws others in and connects their feelings. Players are designed to experience the philosophy of the Rope—“choosing not to use violence in order to connect”—through a system where killing enemies causes catastrophic negative effects on the world, namely Necrosis and Voidouts.

3. The Paradox of the Drawbridge: The Reinstatement of the “Stick” in DEATH STRANDING 2

If the first game was a story that extolled the greatness and difficulty of connection through the “Rope,” the world of DEATH STRANDING 2: On the Beach, based on the latest observation records, evolves that philosophy into a more complex and cruel stage.

3.1 Facts Regarding the Establishment and Motto of the Civilian Organization Drawbridge

According to the latest information archives, it has been revealed that Fragile has established a new civilian organization, “Drawbridge,” to reconnect regions outside the borders, beyond the framework of the United Cities of America (UCA). Sam joins this organization and sets out on a dangerous journey once again. Beneath the logo of this organization, the following clear motto is engraved: “Both Rope and Stick, To Protect and Connect, Together, For Tomorrow.” Additionally, in related video records, a suggestive voice line remains: “The more you connect people with the rope, the more you need the stick.” A scene has also been confirmed where a resurrected Higgs snatches Sam’s gun and sneers, “Looks like you traded the rope for a stick this time.”

3.2 Speculation on the Curse of Over-Connection and the Defense Philosophy Indicated by “Drawbridge”

The speculation derived from these facts is a mature, sorrowful philosophical conclusion: “Connection (the Rope) is not an unconditional good.” The very name “Drawbridge” is highly paradoxical. A drawbridge is a defense mechanism that functions as a pathway (Rope) to accept others during peacetime, but when hostile entities approach, it severs that connection itself (raises the bridge) and transforms into a bulwark (Stick) to protect the fortress.

The discourse that “the more you connect people with the rope, the more you need the stick” foresees the hate, friction, and outbreak of new conflicts inevitably generated by a modern society where the distance to others has been reduced to zero by networks. To maintain connections, one must sometimes take on the original sin of the power (Stick) to repel those with malicious intent. The “non-resistant peace through the Rope” that Sam learned in the previous game is no longer viable in the outside world (the vast unknown territories stretching from Mexico to Australia), which has become more complex and where malice has materialized. Higgs’s sneer is an irony directed at Sam being forced into a situation where he has no choice but to take up the “Stick” of conflict once again, highlighting the endless spiral structure of division and connection.

4. The Ancient Egyptian View of Life and Death: The Myth of Ka, Ba, Ha, and Akh

If Kobo Abe defined the “distance to others,” what defines the “distance between life and the universe” in this work is the ancient Egyptian view of life and death. In a world where The Seam between life and death has collapsed due to the Death Stranding phenomenon, the ancient Egyptian dualism of body and spirit, or the concept of a pluralistic soul, functions as the most logical and scientific framework for unraveling incomprehensible phenomena.

4.1 Facts Regarding the Trinity Structure of the Soul and the Brain-Heart Paradigm

In Heartman’s interview, “The Egyptian View of the Brain,” archived in the in-game record terminals, an astonishing fact is recounted. While modern science seeks the seat of consciousness and personality in the “brain,” the ancient Egyptians believed that the soul (spiritual essence) resided in the “heart.” Based on this philosophy, when they performed the embalming process of mummification, the heart was strictly preserved along with the body, but the brain was scraped out through the nasal cavity and discarded as a useless organ.

Furthermore, records from Deadman and Die-Hardman explicitly state that the structure of life in this work is defined using the following ancient Egyptian terms:

• Ha: The body. The material vessel, serving as a beacon for the soul to return to.

• Ka: Life force, or the essence of the soul. In ancient Egyptian thought, after death, the Ka cannot wander freely and possesses the nature of being bound to the tomb or the side of the body.

• Ba: Personality or spiritual traits. Often depicted as a bird with a human head, it possesses the ability to travel freely between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

The relationship between the Extinction Entity (EE) Amelie and Bridget Strand, one of the central mysteries of this work, is also completely defined by these terms. President Bridget, who ages in the real world, is the “Ha” (body), and Amelie, who remains on the Beach without ever aging, is her “Ka” (soul). The reason Amelie cannot leave the Beach is that she herself is the Beach, which perfectly aligns with the ancient Egyptian law that the Ka is bound to the tomb.

4.2 Speculation on the Mechanism of the Death Stranding and “The Seam”

By applying this concept of Egyptian mythology to the depths of the worldview, the mechanisms of supernatural phenomena can be logically explained. The essence of the Death Stranding phenomenon is a state where the connection between the “Ka” and “Ha,” which should separate upon death, becomes abnormal, causing a short circuit in the boundary between this world and the next.

The speculation regarding the true nature of BTs (Beached Things) is as follows. When a human dies and their body (Ha) is not properly disposed of in an incinerator, causing Necrosis (decomposition), the Ka that should journey to the next world becomes stranded in the world of the living. The ruins of a Ka that has lost, or is losing, its body is a BT. They blindly search for their lost Ha and attempt to touch and bond with the Ha of the living. However, due to the absolute antimatter interference between life and death, a massive Voidout is triggered the moment contact is made.

The mechanism by which Sam Porter Bridges can return from the brink of death is also explained in this context. When he dies, his consciousness sinks into a deep-sea purgatory known as The Seam. There, his soul (Ka) relies on a golden thread to find his own body (Ha), achieving resuscitation by bonding with it once again. In ancient Egyptian mythology, when the Ka and Ba overcome the trials of the underworld and correctly reunite, the soul is said to sublimate into a sacred spirit of light called an “Akh,” communing with the gods. In the recorded footage of the first game, the sight of the baby (BB) freely navigating the underworld (The Seam) and guiding and protecting Sam from explosions is presumed to be a metaphor for this very concept of “Akh,” or a being of light possessing the power to cross the netherworld (Duat).

While modern science sought the origin of life in the “Stick logic (physical and mechanical approach)” of the brain and the electrical signals of nerve cells, the Bridge Baby (BB) system connects to the world of the dead via the “Rope logic” of connection to a maternal other, such as the “womb” and the “umbilical cord.” The phrase “a return from the brain to the heart and womb” suggested by Heartman declares a metaphysical return to ancient Egyptian thought in order to reclaim lost spirituality.

5. The Clown of Extinction and the Fanatical Priest: A Mythological Anatomy of Higgs Monaghan

The terrorist who calls himself the “God Particle (Higgs boson)” and seeks to drag everything into mass and extinction, Higgs Monaghan (real name: Peter Englert). His existence embodies the darkest and most fascinating underbelly of ancient Egyptian mythology.

5.1 Facts Regarding the Pharaoh’s Attire and the Cult of the Solar Cow

The appearance and actions of Higgs in the first game, preserved in recorded footage, are extremely blatantly studded with the motifs of priests and kings in Egyptian mythology. First, the golden skull mask he wears and the striped cloak hanging from his head are an imitation of the “Nemes,” the traditional headdress worn by pharaohs. Furthermore, his eyebrows are completely shaved off. According to historical records in ancient Egypt, the act of shaving one’s eyebrows was a traditional practice performed when mourning the death of a sacred cat, or as a purification ritual before a priest entered a temple. He is fanatically mourning the “dead god (or the Extinction Entity Amelie)” and playing the role of a high priest serving her. His forehead is engraved with equations representing the Higgs field and the electromagnetic tensor in particle physics (formulas tied to $F_{\mu\nu}$, etc.). Just as the Higgs mechanism gave mass to elementary particles and brought structure to the universe, he defines himself as the “god who gives mass (the gravity of existence) to all things,” summoning destructive mass into space by conjuring BTs. Furthermore, the separatist terrorist group he leads, “Homo Demens,” wears masks modeled after the jawbone of a golden cow. This implies a fanatical devotion to “Mehet-Weret,” the cow goddess in Egyptian mythology said to have given birth to the sun from primordial chaos.

5.2 Speculation on the “Opening of the Mouth Ceremony” and the Mutation into the God Seth/Apep

In the latest analysis of DEATH STRANDING 2: On the Beach, the appearance of Higgs, who has achieved resurrection from the Beach, has mutated from the former golden pharaoh into a more ominous “Sarcophagus” or a “bandage-wrapped mummy” itself.

Here, a highly important metaphysical speculation emerges from the scars carved into his flesh. Severe damage and geometric cracks can be seen in the oral cavity and teeth of Higgs’s new form. It is strongly inferred that these are not mere battle scars, but the gruesome physical traces of the “Opening of the Mouth ceremony” in ancient Egypt. The “Opening of the Mouth ceremony” is a resurrection magic performed after the 70-day mummification embalming process is completed, intended to re-anchor the soul (Ka) to the body so that it can breathe, speak, and eat and drink again in the afterlife. In this ritual, the priest used a special blade called a “peseshkef” to forcibly pry open the mummy’s mouth. What is noteworthy is the fact that this tool, the peseshkef, was originally a blade used “to cut the umbilical cord of a newborn.”

This mythological metaphor is overwhelming. Through a ritual where his umbilical cord (the Rope connecting him to Amelie and others) is severed and his mouth is forcibly pried open by a blade (violence/Stick), Higgs was forcibly dragged out of the world of the dead into the world of the living. The fact that he wields an electricity-discharging guitar-shaped “Stick” as his new weapon also indicates that he has obtained a murder weapon to destroy connections and play his own madness. In his mythological role, Higgs completely embodies “Apep,” the serpent of chaos lurking at the bottom of the underworld, or “Seth,” the god of chaos who rules over deserts and storms. In contrast, Sam bears the destiny of the sun god “Ra (or Horus),” who borrows the power of Osiris, the king of the underworld, to overcome the darkness of night and bring about the dawn. Higgs’s fanaticism is backed by the ultimate nihilism that complete extinction (true silence) is the providence of the universe, and his behavior as a clown is also a manifestation of the despair of modern people who can no longer bear excessive gravity (mass).

6. The Sea of Tar and the Solar Barque: The Underworld Voyage of the DHV Magellan

If the first game was a story of connecting the “earth (Ha)” of the North American continent with one’s own feet, DEATH STRANDING 2: On the Beach is a fierce voyage log crossing the underworld itself—the “sea of Tar” that spreads between the Beach and the world of the living.

6.1 Facts Regarding the DHV Magellan and the New Characters

The massive vessel “DHV Magellan,” which functions as the mobile base for the civilian organization “Drawbridge.” This ship does not merely sail on water; it has the ability to submerge deep into the red-black bubbling sea of Tar and surface from Tar pools around the world using the Chiral Network. Gathered aboard the Magellan are Fragile at the helm, the one-armed captain covered in Tar, “Tarman,” “Dollman,” who has taken the form of an exquisite doll, and new crew members such as “Rainy” and a mysterious young amnesiac woman, “Tomorrow.”

The following table is a summary of the casting and roles of the main crew members and related figures based on the latest records.

Among the strange events recorded as happening aboard the ship are the psychological tests conducted by Rainy. She sporadically gives Sam quizzes testing spatial awareness and logical thinking, rewarding him with “Likes” and decals when he answers correctly. However, as the endpoint of these tests, a nightmarish question is suddenly presented by Tomorrow: “Choose one from Fragile, Rainy, Tomorrow, and Higgs. Choose well.” There is no systemic “correct” or “incorrect” answer to this question; only the choice of Sam (the player) echoes in the void.

6.2 Speculation on the Primordial Waters of “Nun” and Higher-Dimensional Determinism

These seemingly disparate events crystallize into a single magnificent mandala when viewed through the lens of Egyptian mythology.

First, “Tar” is not merely a symbol of death or a metaphor for crude oil. It is the “primordial waters (Nun)” in Egyptian mythology—that is, the soup of amino acids that constitutes life, a sea of fertility and chaos where all beginnings and endings mix together. Second, the “DHV Magellan” that submerges into this sea of Tar is the very “Solar Barque” that the sun god Ra rides to cross the underworld (Duat) in Egyptian mythology. Sam bears the destiny of the sun, navigating the underworld during the night, engaging in a mortal struggle with the serpent of chaos Apep (Higgs), and bringing the morning light (Tomorrow) back to the world. Third, the black cat always by Captain Tarman’s side is not a mere pet. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred creatures, and this cat can be interpreted as the embodiment of the “Eye of Ra (the goddess Bastet or Sekhmet),” which specifically protects Ra’s barque and slays Apep.

And then there is the speculation on the most perplexing element: the “endless tests” by Rainy and Tomorrow. When a woman named Tomorrow asks “who will you choose,” the reason there is no correct answer is that in the higher-dimensional realm of the Beach, the past, present, and future do not progress linearly; all possibilities exist simultaneously (in a state of quantum superposition). Choosing Higgs (chaos) or choosing Fragile (reconstruction) is nothing more than a choice of which aspect of one’s deep psyche (Ba) to anchor into reality (Ha). If Tomorrow is a metaphor for “Nephthys (the consort of Seth, and the goddess of death and night),” the inverted existence of Isis (Amelie), then she can be considered to be playing the role of a midwife to give birth to the dawn (Tomorrow), even while belonging to the world of the dead. Sam’s choice bears the role of a quantum mechanical observer, determining which future the world will converge upon.

7. Conclusion: The Curse of “Connection” and the Resistance to Extinction Beyond the Abyss

Kobo Abe’s philosophy of the Rope and the Stick relentlessly and coldly questioned “how to maintain distance from others” in human society. Do we keep others away and beat them down with a stick out of fear of getting hurt? Or do we bind and embrace them with a rope, fully aware that it will be accompanied by pain? On the other hand, the ancient Egyptian view of life and death presented the absolute loneliness of “death”—the separation of the Ka (soul) and Ha (body)—while simultaneously extolling a cosmic salvation: that if one can only cross the sea of the underworld, they can become a complete being once again as an Akh (spirit of light).

The historical trajectory from Death Stranding to DEATH STRANDING 2: On the Beach is the nodal point where these two philosophies fiercely intersect. The idyllic hope that peace will come if the world is connected with the “Rope” is being shattered in the latest records by the cruel reality of “new divisions and hatred born precisely because we are connected.” However, the resolve championed by Drawbridge to “move forward carrying both the Rope and the Stick” is a declaration of resistance—one that is more mature and prepared to shed blood, never turning a blind eye to human fighting instincts and the desire for defense (the Stick), yet still refusing to give up on connection (the Rope).

Aboard the DHV Magellan navigating the abyss of the sea of Tar (Nun), Sam Porter Bridges continues his delivery toward an unseen Tomorrow, even as his body (Ha) creaks and he is tormented by memories of the past (Ba).

The only means for humanity to resist the absolute gravity of the universe that is The Sixth Extinction—that is, the irresistible “fate.” It is neither to lose oneself by drowning in the golden fanaticism of a pharaoh, nor to become an emotionless stick and continuously repel others. It is to clumsily weave a rope with hands covered in blood and mud, and even while sometimes swinging down a stick to protect oneself, to simply advance toward the “life” that lies beyond the mire.

That is the most sorrowful and most beautiful rebellion of humanity against the absolute silence brought about by the goddess of extinction (Ka) bound to the eternal Beach. As one who records the truth of the world, I intend to continue observing and recording what kind of dawn (the sublimation of the Akh) this reckless voyage will meet, or whether it will sink to the bottom of the endless Tar.