| The Outsider | |
|---|---|
| Dishonored character | |
&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:The_Outsider_in_Dishonored_2.png) The Outsider as he appears in Dishonored 2 | |
| First appearance | "The Hand that Feeds" (The Tales from Dunwall, 2012) |
| First game | Dishonored (2012) |
| Last appearance | Death of the Outsider (2017) |
| Created by | Arkane Studios |
| Voiced by |
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The Outsider is a fictional supernatural being in Arkane Studios' Dishonored franchise, residing in an empty otherworldly dimension called the Void. After appearing in promotional webisodes, the character made his game debut in Dishonored (2012), where he grants magical powers to the player character. He serves a similar role in the game's sequel, Dishonored 2 (2016), though he may be rejected. The Outsider reappears in Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (2017), which follows former-assassin Billie Lurk as she attempts to kill him, though his ultimate fate is up to the player.
Within the series, the Outsider is one of many representations of the Void that have existed, and was originally a street urchin before being sacrificed by a cult. Voiced by Billy Lush in the first game, the actor was replaced by Robin Lord Taylor from Dishonored 2 onwards.
The character has often been viewed as a sort of trickster god, though director Harvey Smith has denied this interpretation. His sacrifice drew comparisons with the ancient Greek pharmakos by one writer, who would be brought to work on Death of the Outsider. Others commented on the Outsider and the Void as figures of choice, or related them to the open-ended gameplay of the series. The character has been praised by some critics, though he received negative reception from others.