Cliff is a character in Death Stranding in direct opposition to Sam. He is implied to be the main antagonist of the game.


Story
Cliff is said to be an antagonistic, rival figure to Sam.

At some point, Cliff attends to a Bridge baby, saying that he will always be with it, before singing it a lullaby. He then assures it that it will one day be able to explore all of the world, and that it may travel wherever it desires, even to the moon.

Abilities
Cliff is capable of controlling skeletal, glowing-eyed soldiers through a series of black cables emerging from the black liquid around the world. They are shown to follow all of his orders without hesitation.

Notes
Cliff is a heavy smoker. Hideo Kojima had not initially planned for Cliff to be a smoker, but after seeing Mads Mikkelsen smoke during a film break, decided to give Cliff the actor's habit.
According to Kojima, when he first mentioned his interest in casting Mikkelsen in Death Stranding, Nicolas Winding Refn recommended Keanu Reeves as a potential prospect for the role.