THE OUTSIDER AND THE ELITE: POWER, WEALTH, AND VOID CONNECTIONS


I. THE ARISTOCRACY: INDIFFERENCE AND FASCINATION

[From The Outsider's dialogue regarding aristocrats]:

  • General Stance: When observing Dunwall's elite, The Outsider often displays:

    • Detached amusement at their pretensions
    • Particular interest when their privileged positions are threatened
    • Recognition of how their wealth isolates them from consequences
    • Little respect for wealth and status compared to interesting choices

  • Direct Commentaries:

    • On the Boyle Family: "The Boyles have deep pockets and deeper misgivings about the Lord Regent."
    • On aristocrats during plague: "Such privilege – these people never have to face the consequences of their actions."
    • On Karnaca's elite: "Money insulates them from the realities of the Duke's rule."

[From The Heart's revelations about aristocrats]:

  • When pointed at wealthy characters, The Heart often reveals:
    • Hidden cruelties beneath polished exteriors
    • Corruption, betrayal, and moral compromise
    • Emptiness and desperation despite material comfort
    • These insights suggest The Outsider sees through elite pretensions

II. THE BOYLE FAMILY: PATRONAGE AND PERIL

[From Lady Boyle's Last Party mission]:

  • Financial Connections: The Outsider notes:

    • "The Boyles' money has built half the city, and controls the other half."
    • "They've been instrumental in funding the Lord Regent's endeavors."
    • Their wealth directly enables the oppressive regime

  • The Outsider's Interest: He seems particularly intrigued by the Boyle sisters because:

    • Their wealth creates an illusion of security
    • The contrast between their lavish party and impending doom
    • The precariousness of their position despite their resources

[From player choices during mission]:

  • The Outsider comments regardless of approach:
    • If eliminated: "Lady Boyle is no more. Terrible things happen to the women in that family."
    • If spared: "I wonder if she'll thank you for sparing her life, or curse your name."
    • Shows his interest in how wealth cannot protect from certain consequences

III. LORD REGENT HIRAM BURROWS: POWER AND PARANOIA

[From Return to the Tower mission]:

  • Commentary on Leadership: The Outsider observes:

    • "The Lord Regent's rule has finally come to an end, though his fall began long ago."
    • "From a man of power to a man of paranoia."
    • Emphasizes how Burrows' wealth and position ultimately couldn't protect him

  • Rise and Fall: The Outsider seems fascinated by:

    • How Burrows orchestrated his rise through manipulation
    • His responsibility for the plague (originally targeting the poor)
    • The irony that his position as ruler accelerated his downfall

[From audio recordings and journals]:

  • Burrows exemplifies the type of powerful figure The Outsider finds interesting:
    • Self-made through ambition and cunning
    • Created his own downfall through hubris
    • Used wealth to insulate himself from consequences until he couldn't

IV. DELILAH COPPERSPOON: FROM SERVANT TO SOVEREIGN

[From Dishonored 2 narrative]:

  • Class Transformation: The Outsider shows particular interest in Delilah's journey:

    • Began as a kitchen girl in Dunwall Tower
    • Became one of the few Marked individuals
    • Ultimately seized the throne she once served
    • Represents dramatic class mobility through supernatural means

  • The Outsider's Comments:

    • "Delilah Copperspoon. Once a baker's apprentice in Dunwall Tower, now she's Empress."
    • "Born into a world that would not have her, that made her an outcast."
    • Shows recognition of how her class origins shaped her ambitions

[From Dishonored 2 backstory & DLCs]:

  • The Outsider gave Delilah his Mark despite (or because of) her lower origins:
    • Recognized her potential to upend the established order
    • Saw her resentment of aristocracy as a catalyst for change
    • May have specifically chosen her to challenge entrenched wealth and power

V. VERA MORAY (GRANNY RAGS): ABANDONED PRIVILEGE

[From Granny Rags' background & The Outsider's comments]:

  • Rejection of Wealth: The Outsider seems fascinated by Vera's transformation:

    • "She was beautiful once, and wealthy beyond measure."
    • "My dear Vera. After her husband dragged her around the Pandyssian Continent, she returned with new interests."
    • "She found beauty in the Void that she never found in salons and ballrooms."

  • From Aristocrat to Witch: Her journey represents:

    • Voluntary abandonment of wealth and status
    • Exchange of social power for supernatural power
    • Rejection of aristocratic superficiality for Void-based "truth"

[From collectible letters & diary entries]:

  • Vera's writings reveal her growing contempt for her former social circle:
    • "They dance and gossip while blind to the deeper truths all around them."
    • "My former friends visit less and less. They cannot comprehend what I have become."
    • "The Outsider sees more in me than all the lords and ladies of Dunwall combined."

VI. DUKE LUCA ABELE: CORRUPTION OF INHERITED WEALTH

[From Dishonored 2 content]:

  • Decadence and Decline: The Outsider observes:

    • "Duke Luca Abele, living a life of privilege while Serkonos starves."
    • "His father was respected, but the son has squandered that legacy."
    • Shows disdain for inherited wealth without character

  • Contrasting Rulers: The Outsider highlights:

    • Difference between earned power and inherited privilege
    • How Abele's excesses accelerated Serkonos' decline
    • The hollowness behind his extravagant displays of wealth

[From Duke's mansion environmental storytelling]:

  • The opulent surroundings contrasted with evidence of:
    • Sadistic entertainment at others' expense
    • Hoarding of resources during public suffering
    • Use of wealth to enable vices rather than virtuous actions
  • These contrasts receive implicit commentary from The Outsider

VII. JINDOSH AND TECHNOLOGICAL WEALTH

[From Clockwork Mansion content]:

  • Intellectual Capital: The Outsider comments on Jindosh's different form of wealth:

    • "Kirin Jindosh. His wealth comes not from inheritance but from his mind."
    • "He sees the world as a collection of puzzles to solve, including people."
    • Shows more respect for this type of earned status

  • Technological Progress: Different relationship with:

    • Innovation as a form of power different from traditional wealth
    • Technology as an attempt to replicate Void-like capabilities
    • Scientific ambition as a parallel to supernatural ambition

[From The Heart & environmental details]:

  • The Heart reveals Jindosh's wealth is built on:
    • Exploitation of workers and test subjects
    • Government contracts for weapons
    • Patents and intellectual property
  • This represents a more modern form of wealth accumulation that The Outsider observes with curiosity

VIII. MARKED ONES: AVOIDING THE WEALTHY

[From pattern analysis of Marked individuals]:

  • Selection Bias: Notably, very few truly wealthy individuals receive his Mark:

    • Daud - street urchin turned assassin
    • Corvo - bodyguard, not aristocrat
    • Emily - privileged but seen by The Outsider since childhood
    • Delilah - servant raised to wealth, not born to it
    • Granny Rags - only after abandoning her wealth
    • The Lonely Rat Boy - impoverished child

  • Implied Preference: This pattern suggests:

    • A preference for those who have experienced life's harsher realities
    • Disinterest in those cushioned by privilege
    • Interest in those positioned to significantly disrupt power structures

[From The Outsider's selection criteria comments]:

  • "I choose those who interest me. The wealthy rarely do – they have too much to lose to make truly fascinating choices."
  • "When survival is guaranteed, the true test of character remains untaken."

IX. SOCIAL COMMENTARY: THE OUTSIDER'S CRITIQUE OF WEALTH

[From thematic analysis of The Outsider's dialogue patterns]:

  • Implicit Criticism: Throughout the series, The Outsider implicitly critiques:

    • The insularity wealth creates from real-world consequences
    • How money serves as false protection from chaos
    • The tendency of the wealthy to exploit others
    • The illusion of permanence wealth creates

  • Chaos as Equalizer: He often notes how quickly wealth becomes meaningless:

    • During plague outbreaks
    • During political upheavals
    • When supernatural forces intervene
    • These observations suggest a view of wealth as ultimately ephemeral

[From environmental storytelling & narrative outcomes]:

  • Wealthy districts are often shown:
    • Falling to the same chaos as poor districts, just later
    • Protected by corruption and violence rather than legitimate means
    • Harboring the same human weaknesses despite material advantages
  • The Outsider's commentary highlights these patterns

X. THE ABBEY OF THE EVERYMAN: INSTITUTIONAL WEALTH VS. OUTSIDER WORSHIP

[From Abbey of the Everyman lore & The Outsider's comments]:

  • Institutional Power: The Outsider observes the Abbey's wealth:

    • "The Abbey grows rich on the fears of the people."
    • "Their gold buys influence, their influence brings more gold."
    • Emphasizes the cycle of wealth and religious authority

  • Underlying Irony: He notes the contradiction:

    • The Abbey condemns Outsider worship but accumulates wealth and power
    • They fight "corruption" while engaging in corrupt practices
    • Their wealth often comes from exploiting the fears they themselves cultivate

[From comparative imagery & symbolism]:

  • Visual contrasts throughout the games:
    • Ornate, gold-filled Abbey buildings vs. simple hidden shrines
    • Overseers' elaborate uniforms vs. cult followers' simple garb
    • Official Abbey ceremonies vs. secret ritual gatherings
  • These contrasts emphasize the difference between institutional wealth and grassroots worship

The relationship between The Outsider and the wealthy elite of the Empire of the Isles is characterized by a complex mix of indifference, fascination, and subtle critique. Unlike traditional supernatural entities that might be drawn to power and wealth, The Outsider consistently shows more interest in individuals experiencing significant change or making difficult choices, regardless of their economic status.

His perspective on wealth seems to be that of an ultimate outsider – one who sees its temporary nature and the false security it provides. While he doesn't actively oppose the wealthy or support revolution for its own sake, his pattern of Marking individuals often serves to disrupt established power structures, intentionally or not.

The Dishonored series itself presents wealth as a form of insulation that ultimately fails when confronted with the chaos of plague, political upheaval, or supernatural intervention. The Outsider's commentary throughout the games reinforces this theme, suggesting that true character is revealed not by what one has, but by what one does when everything they have is threatened.

His relationships with formerly wealthy individuals (like Vera Moray) or those who rise to wealth (like Delilah) seem more meaningful than his interactions with those born to privilege, perhaps reflecting his own origins as a street child who was sacrificed partially because no one of means would miss him – a background that may inform his apparent skepticism toward the inherent value of wealth and status.

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