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"The lesson will be taught in due time, Aloy. Until then, we wait." This article contains heavy spoilers. Read ahead with caution.
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- "I snap a lot of necks in VR...! ...but that certain tremor as life fades from the eyes... ooh! No holo quite gets it."
- ―Erik Visser
Erik Visser is a major antagonist in Horizon Forbidden West. He served as the enforcer of Far Zenith, and the right-hand man of Gerard Bieri.
Appearance[]
Erik has silvery-white metallic hair, and has a distinctive garment like the other two "primary" Zeniths to distinguish him from Verbena Sutter and the eight other unnamed survivors; in his case, metallic form-fitting purple armor with gold veins shot throughout. Erik has a towering build, standing well over a head taller than Gerard.
History[]
Life in the Old World[]
Erik Visser was the founder of a profitable private military company, First Imperator. Under his leadership, First Imperator developed a reputation as a gang of "cutthroats". Even as governments abandoned human combatants in favor of automated warfare, Erik found success in clienteles that required a more personal touch,[1] such as hostage rescue.[2] There were rumors that Erik personally hunted and killed his own targets on occasion merely for the thrill of it.[1]
At some point, Erik joined Far Zenith. He was among those who escaped the Faro Plague aboard the Odyssey to the Sirius system.
Life on Sirius[]
Thanks to various pharmaceutical and genetic treatments, Erik was granted physical immortality, allowing him to survive for centuries. He indulged in virtual reality simulations to sate his bloodlust, going on countless violent rampages, although Tilda believes his satisfaction decreased over time, making him more and more bloodthirsty over time.[1]
When Nemesis destroyed their civilization, Erik was one of thirteen Zeniths that managed to escape to the Odyssey.
Life after Sirius[]
Gerard devised a plan to steal a copy of GAIA on Earth before escaping to a random planet orbiting a random star and use GAIA to to terraform it for themselves.[3] To this end, they created a clone of Elisabet Sobeck, Beta, to access old Zero Dawn facilities that required Sobeck's Alpha Clearance.
At Gerard's order, the Zeniths constructed a base on Earth on an island off the coast of the Tenakth Clan Lands. As it was constructed in close proximity to the Valley of the Fallen, Erik ordered the Zenith AI, Julius, to manage the machine lures to draw Zero Dawn machines to kill any nearby Tenakth; personally, Erik wanted to handle the base security himself but Gerard reminded him to remain focused on their mission.[4]
Horizon Forbidden West[]
Erik in Horizon Forbidden West.
Tilda, Erik, Gerard and Beta searched numerous facilities in search of a GAIA backup until they arrived at LATOPOLIS, the facility where HADES was perfected. After Beta found a GAIA backup, albeit lacking the sub-functions, the four discovered the existence of another Elisabet clone, Aloy. Considering her to be a threat, Gerard ordered Erik to kill Aloy despite the protests of Tilda. Erik's shielding made him invulnerable to any attack from Aloy, but he failed to take his opponent seriously. Upon realizing the fight was unwinnable, Aloy destroyed the mountings of the RECLUSE SPIDER suspended from the room's ceiling, sending it crashing into the platform where she and Erik stood, and enabling her to escape into the water below. Erik assumed her dead in the fall, but nonetheless sent Specters to search for any trace of her.[5]
Gerard deduced that Aloy would be going after HEPHAESTUS, as it was the subfunction most important to GAIA's completion. Once a power surge was detected at Cauldron GEMINI, Gerard, Tilda and Erik broke into the facility to confront Aloy and retrieve GAIA. After Gerard quickly incapacitated Aloy, he sent Erik to get Beta and kill Varl. Though he tried to fight the Zenith, Erik's shields remained invulnerable to Varl's attacks and he was helpless to stop Erik as he lifted him up, asked "Now we're having fun, right?" and executed Varl on the spot. Erik then grabbed Beta and flew away with her. While Gerard ordered Tilda to collect GAIA and HEPHAESTUS, she betrayed Far Zenith, using a surge of energy to blind Gerard and Erik before escaping with Aloy.[6]
Erik's death at the hands of Zo.
Erik and the other Zeniths were getting ready to leave Earth when Aloy and her allies attacked their base. Erik went to confront them along with the other Zeniths, but Sylens used a device to disable their shields. Without their shields, the Zeniths weren't able to fight off the machines while Erik and Gerard escaped the fighting. When Aloy attempted to follow them through an elevator, Erik ambushed her and the pair engaged in a second fight. Without his shields, Erik was defeated by Aloy. Falling to his knees, Erik mused to himself on how he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel pain. Erik was then stabbed in the back by Varl's lover Zo with his spear, who mockingly asked Erik "Now we're having fun, right?" before he died.[7]
Personality[]
Erik's defining trait was vicious sadism. While already somewhat bloodthirsty during the time of the Old Ones, centuries of living out his killing fantasies in simulations worsened this to an alarming degree.
Like the other Zeniths, Erik was arrogant due to his advanced technology and protection. This proved to be his fatal flaw, as he underestimated the resilience of Aloy's group.
When Aloy mentioned to Tilda how the Quen revere Erik, Tilda was confident that the Quen would be disappointed to meet him in person, though she is certain he'd likely bask in their adoration.[1]
Battle stats[]
Stats[]
| Level | HP | Helmet HP | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 3500 | 1300 |
|
Attacks[]
| Attack Type | Damage | Trigger Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sting | 194 Melee | 5m - 9m | A forward thrust with a sword that extends as he attacks. |
| Long Range Sting | 194 Melee | 9m - 13m | Jumps forward and performs a Sting attack. |
| Energy Slam | 194 Melee
25 Melee (Energy Crystals)
|
12m - 16m | Leaps into the air while charging his weapon and slams it into the ground, creating a damaging area in a cross shape. |
| Back Slice | 145 Melee | 0m - 7m | Uses sword to slice behind him. |
| Grab | 379 Melee | 0m - 5m | |
| Sword Combo | 97/97/145/194 Melee | 4m - 8m | A 4-hit combo that throws shards forward with the last hit. |
| Energy Blast |  300 Shock
|
0m - 4.5m | Levitates while charging energy and releases it in a powerful blast. |
| Plasma Shots |  145 Plasma
145 Ranged |
15m - 100m | Shoots multiple Plasma projectiles. |
| Shards Rifle | 145 Melee
145 Ranged |
15m - 100m | Shoots shard projectiles at a high rate. Shards explode after a short delay after impact or if target steps on them. |
| Shock Mines | 25 Shock per second
|
15m - 100m | Shoots multiple Shock Mines. Can be destroyed by targeting the emitter. |
Trivia[]
- Erik is the only human boss character in Horizon Forbidden West to be fought twice,[5][7] as opposed to being fought once.
- Erik does not appear to bleed after being stabbed by Zo: instead, a pale liquid spurts out instead of blood.
- During the fight in LATOPOLIS, Erik whistles notes from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King.
- Erik Visser appears to draw inspiration from Erik Prince, the real-life CEO of the controversial private military company, Academi (formerly Blackwater).
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dialogue with Tilda van der Meer after completing The Wings of the Ten.
- ↑ Jeeva Rescued by First Imperator
- ↑ Dialogue with Tilda van der Meer during Singularity.
- ↑ A Benefactor Called! Fantastic!
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Death's Door
- ↑ GEMINI
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Singularity