Who was The Captain in Frostpunk 2, explained

Contents

• Everything you need to know about the Captain in Frostpunk 2
  • Who was the Captain in Frostpunk 2
  • What was the Captain's mission in Frostpunk?
  • Where happened before we see the Captain in Frostpunk 2?
  • What happens to the Captain in Frostpunk 2

The Captain in Frostpunk 2 is an infamous character and the former Steward of New London who played a significant role in Frostpunk 1. He is a powerful character who has shaped the lore of the Frostpunk universe and the way Frostpunk 2 begins. His rule has influenced much of the civilization in the aftermath of the Frost and left spots darker than the oil that fuels the blessed Generator.

So, who was the Captain in Frostpunk 2?

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Everything you need to know about the Captain in Frostpunk 2

Who was the Captain in Frostpunk 2

The Captain rebuilt a beacon of the British Empire in Frostpunk 1 (Image via 11 Bit Studios)

The Captain was a military leader tasked with an expedition to the North to rebuild the British Empire after the global climate catastrophe. Before diving further into the Captain and his origins, it is essential to know the setting and context of the world before Frostpunk 2.

In the 1880s, a major climate collapse occurred that sent the world into an eternal winter. The British Empire and the remnants of the government charted a plan of sending military and civil groups to the vast coal deposits in the North Pole. This would serve as a base of operations and a source of Fuel for the large Generators - devices that could power and Heat entire cities.

Before arriving at the North Pole, the Captain was a regular military man. The events in New London shaped the regular soldier into a beacon of Hope with almost God-like reverence.

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What was the Captain's mission in Frostpunk?

The Captain's mission was to use coal reserves to power the Generator and rebuild the British Empire (Image via 11 Bit Studios)

The Captain was tasked with leading an expedition to settle near the Generator in a crater due Southwest of Winterhome - a city players can decide to settle or salvage in Frostpunk 2. The Captain arrived in a Land Dreadnought, the wrecks of which serve as a Generator and source of Fuel in Frostpunk 2.

After the Captain arrived near Winterhome, he set up New London in a crater near the Generator in the southwest. He took command of the few men with him, and through his grit and determination, he restarted the dormant Generator, spreading Heat in the area. The Captain organized endless shifts, built shelters, and essentially turned the barren Generator into the skeleton of what would become New London.

The Captain and his men were soon supplemented with more survivors, and after raising signal balloons, the City saw a massive influx of settlers. This increased the pressure on Heating and Food, resulting in scouts setting out into the Frostland to look for other communities or settlements.

As the scouts kept exploring, they came across the dead American and British Generator Cities, with thousands of bodies frozen to death. Even Winterhome, which was supposed to be the beacon of Hope, had fallen - only New London roared against the Frost.

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What happened before we see the Captain in Frostpunk 2?

The Captain in Frostpunk 2 built the City of New London using a tyrannical rule (Image via 11 Bit Studios)

As time progressed in Frostpunk 1, players had two choices - either enforce strict order and discipline or establish a new faith that worshipped the generators and build their entire loyalty around the City. Sounds familiar? Well, that is how the Stalwarts originated - from the Captain's vision of stability and his religious conviction that the City is everything.

His acts make him a messiah of New London and he became the City's pathfinder, paving the way forward. Perhaps the decline started during the Great Storm when the Captain took barbaric measures like working miners to their deaths or forcing workers to continue harvesting during whiteouts.

The deteriorating condition was exacerbated by the Stalwarts, who transformed from a mere Faith to a band of enforcers shaped by the military ways of the Captain. His mismanagement of the City during the plague in the aftermath of the Great Storm massively soured his position with the populace.

Perhaps the final nail in the coffin was the mismanagement in tandem with lies to Outpost 11, where his tyrannical behavior finally made them act against him. The Captain becomes the unseen antagonist of On The Edge, the final DLC of Frostpunk 1.

This is evidenced in Frostpunk 2 when you come across a research station with piles of dead bodies and Stalwart uniforms. The Stalwarts ask you to hush the matter and hide it from public records forever. It essentially sheds some light on the actions of the Captain in Frostpunk 2.

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What happens to the Captain in Frostpunk 2

The Captain in Frostpunk 2 is dead (Image via 11 Bit Studios)

Although there is no confirmation about what happens between Frostpunk 1 and the appearance of the Captain in Frostpunk 2, the epilogue sheds some light. Frostpunk 2 begins with a woman wheeling an old man in a wheelchair as he narrates his story. Through his narration, we find out that he is the Captain from Frostpunk 1, who was controlled by the players in the previous game.

The Captain in Frostpunk 2 speaks about his expedition to the North Pole and how he set up a base here for survival. The woman, identified as the Steward, lets the Captain know that the time for survival is over and now, they must expand. As the largest colony in the Frostlands, it is up to them to rebuild society. The Steward takes the Captain to a large window where he oversees the city he has built.

In the end, the Steward takes the Captain out to the cold, where the Frost embraces him and entombs him forever. The ending is debated as some players think the death is symbolic, and the Steward is a metaphorical representation of death itself- representing the end of an era and the beginning of the next, sealing the fate of the Captain in Frostpunk 2.

On the other hand, some of the more creative fans of this post-apocalyptic City builder believe that the Steward is the champion of the new society. He steps up to put an end to the Captain in Frostpunk 2 for the disarray and desolation that New London was headed towards. This can also be evidenced by the fact that your first act as the Steward in Frostpunk 2 is to restart the generator and look for a Fuel source.

Regardless of why he died - the Captain in Frostpunk 2 is dead, and you, the player, take on the Steward's role to make sure the City stands - just like you took on the Captain's role in Frostpunk 1. Remember, the City must not fall.Also read: All districts in Frostpunk 2