[GameSpot] - Fortnite: The 10 Most Important Characters In The Lore

[343iBot]

Fortnite lore is a bit difficult to get caught up with. Across many seasons and even more story arcs within those seasons, the Fortnite islands have seen more than their fair share of cataclysms, catastrophes, and, well, cats. We won't blame you if you need a refresher on who's who in the Fortnite lore universe. Admittedly, even writing this was a good reminder for us too. Below you'll find a countdown of the major characters in Fortnite lore. As Epic loves to drip-feed its big reveals, we'll update this story as needed--for example, as we meet more of the mysterious Seven or we're introduced to more of the Imagined Order chain of command. For now, here are the 10 most important characters in Fortnite lore so far.

10. The Prisoner

If theories prove true, The Prisoner would be the fifth member of The Seven who we've met.

We're reserving this tenth spot on the list for The Prisoner, who may actually be one of The Seven, a secretive group that seems to be at war with the Imagined Order (IO) for control of the Zero Point and thus the Fortnite island. The Prisoner was held captive in Polar Peak by the Ice King in Chapter 1, Season 7, before the icy mountain melted and allowed The Prisoner to escape. He later formed a volcano, burning down parts of Athena, before he was never seen again. That is, at least, until his photo appeared alongside confirmed members of The Seven in The Bridge, the facility that houses the Zero Point. Whoever put up the corkboard and decorated it with clues seems to think The Prisoner is a member of The Seven, and judging by his helmet, they may be correct.

9. Midas

The man with the supposedly golden touch merely turned everything wet in Chapter 2, Season 3.

As the leader of GHOST, an apparent paramilitary and espionage branch of the IO, Midas took on a huge role at the start of Chapter 2, becoming the focal point of the story for almost a year. His actions have led to sweeping changes in the Fortnite omniverse, like when he tried to break through the Storm and ended up causing a major tsunami that flooded the entire island for Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 3. He was clearly given a lot of power within GHOST, though his actions regarding the Storm don't seem to have been sanctioned by the IO, as they could've threatened the stability of the Zero Point. Thus, Midas seems to have defected to SHADOW just before initiating his Device, which would go on to introduce some of the island's biggest changes ever.

8. Raz

In the end, Raz seems to have been a power-hungry pawn.

We only saw Raz for one season, but he left his mark on the Fortnite world more than many characters ever do. As a member of some sort of cube-worshipping cult, Raz sought to wield the exposed Zero Point's powers for his own mysterious gains in Chapter 2, Season 6, but in working in close proximity with the cubes' dark energy, he became infected by it, and ended up screwing with the Zero Point to the extent that he essentially pinged the island of Apollo on the map for The Last Reality, Fortnite's alien faction, to invade. They did just that, which later led to the catastrophic cube war. The question remains, however, was Raz revealing the location of Apollo precisely what the sentient cubes wanted all along?

7. The Cube Queen

This destroyer of realities has set her sights on Apollo.

The newest character on this list also seems to be the most dastardly. The Cube Queen arrived during Chapter 2, Season 8, beckoned by Raz two seasons earlier. She appears to be the leader of both The Last Reality and, thus, the cubes themselves, though it's unknown whether that's a role she claimed or was assigned through some sort of indoctrination the likes of which Raz suffered. The Cube Queen is said to have destroyed "countless realities" before, like the leader of some sort of interdimensional invasive species. A single cube (nicknamed Kevin by the community), was presumably sent by the Queen in Chapter 1, Season 5 and nearly destroyed the island a season later. At the time of writing, she appears set to claim Apollo as her next trophy, now armed with a full-on cube army.

6. The Paradigm

Some fans suspect The Paradigm and Singularity are the same person.

We know very little about The Paradigm so far, but what we do know cements her as critical to the overall Fortnite mythos. She is one of only four confirmed members of The Seven, the game's mysterious group of masked characters that look sort of like Fortnite original superheroes. How much power they wield is not yet known, but we know The Paradigm and her allies are diametrically opposed to the Imagined Order, seemingly because they each intend to grapple with the Zero Point, yet they must have different methods of doing so. The Imagined Order has essentially cast out The Paradigm and those like her, but we may be heading toward their reassembly and take-back of the Zero Point in time.

5. The Scientist

The Scientist created the Black Hole which swallowed Athena.

Another confirmed member of The Seven, The Scientist had a direct hand in how Chapter 1 ended. When the Zero Point on Athena was vulnerable in Season X, The Scientist arrived to engage with the Zero Point, though his motives remain unclear. Using a complex system of rockets and rifts, The Scientist detonated a rocket directly onto the Zero Point, which resulted in the Black Hole that swallowed all of Athena, spitting it back out later as the renewed Apollo. It appears this drastic measure was the only viable solution to saving the exposed Zero Point, which previously rested safely deep below Loot Lake. Without his efforts, the omniverse may have ended forever--or was that actually his plan?

4. The Visitor

When The Visitor arrived, Fortnite lore changed forever.

The Visitor was the first member of The Seven we met in the Fortnite storyline, way back when he crashed onto the island in a metal capsule of some sort embedded within a meteor in Chapter 1, Season 3. He quickly went to work and built a rocket, then launched it into the sky which led to Fortnite's first live lore event, Blast Off, in 2018. His intentions with the rocket remain murky at best, but one theory is that he was signaling for the rest of The Seven, so they could reach Athena and possibly take it back from IO control. He later reappeared in Season X, bringing The Scientist with him, and was, until recently, regarded as the assumed leader of The Seven, but that's a role we now know belongs to...

3. The Foundation

Do you smell what The Foundation is cookin'?

The Foundation is all over Fortnite lore, especially lately, and the fact that he's voiced by Dwayne Johnson tells us Epic has big plans for this fourth confirmed member of The Seven. You'd need to have read the Batman/Fortnite: Foundation one-shot comic to be totally caught up with his goings-on, but here are the spark notes: The Foundation arrived during the Zero Crisis Finale in Chapter 2, Season 6, and after a brief altercation with Jonesy, decided to help fix the Zero Point in exchange for information on the whereabouts of Genō and The Sisters, whose identities remain secrets to this very day.

The Foundation was stuck inside the Zero Point, holding it together like Atlas, until he was blasted out of it during the alien invasion and sent flying into Gotham (yes, that Gotham) where he worked with Batman to get back to Apollo. The last we saw of him, The Foundation had made it back to Apollo and is now searching for Jonesy. He also helpfully explained his mission--to Batman of all people--saying, "I lead a group... The Seven. Our goal is to stop The Order, liberate The Zero Point, and destroy The Loop." Why? We're not sure yet.

2. Doctor Slone

For Slone, the end always justifies the means.

Slone has made a name for herself by being the ruthless leader of the IO--or at least the highest-ranking member we've met so far. Her ruthlessness is not in question, anyway. She first appeared in Chapter 2, Season 7, and recruited loopers (players) in fighting back against the invasion of The Last Reality. But she would later betray them when she left loopers to die in the blast zone of the bomb they helped sneak onboard the alien Mothership. Her betrayal didn't go entirely to plan though, as the cubes awakened and took over Apollo, saving some loopers, but leading to the Chapter 2 finale.

Slone's history is hinted at throughout Fortnite, including an unlockable loading screen that depicts the lifelong training she underwent in order to get her to where she is today. While we don't yet know whether she answers to anyone higher than herself, we do know she looks to remain pivotal in the Fortnite storyline for a long time to come, as she is directly tangled up in the web of intrigue that surrounds The Seven and the Imagined Order.

1. John Jones

As goes Jonesy, so goes the entire Fortnite storyline.

John Jones AKA Agent Jones AKA, most famously, Jonesy, is the protagonist of Fortnite. It's through his eyes and Troy Baker-voiced words that we experience much of the Fortnite story. Jones was a member of the Imagined Order who was sent to repair the Zero Point in Chapter 2, and to that end, he recruited many of the omniverse's greatest hunters to help protect it, such as Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, and The Mandalorian. When he was unable to protect it, Jones defied his IO commands and contacted The Seven in the desperate hope that they might save reality. The IO wasn't ready to do such a thing as it would re-ignite the struggle between the two sides, so Jones ditched them for what he saw as the greater good. With The Foundation's help, Jones was able to protect the Zero Point, at least for a while.

Throughout Fortnite, we've seen Jones reappear as various "snapshots," or alternate versions of himself. When players loop back onto the island and fight for or against the Zero Point, (the in-universe justification for rounds of battle royale), they can often come back changed. The many faces that Jonesy wears are thus alternate versions of the same hero, whether he's dressed like a cabbie, a cow, or like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. Jones is caught squarely in the middle of the feud between the IO and The Seven, and his story is not nearly complete just yet. In all likelihood, Jones will remain at the heart of everything Fortnite for years to come--no matter how he's dressed.

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