He licked her. That’s usually the first thing people remember when you bring up Higgs Monaghan. In a game filled with ghost babies, umbilical cords, and Monster Energy drinks, Troy Baker’s performance as the "Man in the Golden Mask" still stands out as the most unhinged part of the whole experience. Honestly, it’s been years since the first Death Stranding dropped, and we’ve finally seen the full fallout of his character in the 2025 release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Troy Baker is everywhere. You’ve heard him as Joel in The Last of Us, Booker in Bioshock, and recently, his uncanny Harrison Ford impression in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. But Higgs is different. It’s the role where Hideo Kojima basically told him to turn the "theatre kid" energy up to eleven and never look back.
Most villains in gaming want to rule the world or seek revenge. Higgs? He just wanted to watch it all end because he thought the "big game" was over. He’s the ultimate nihilist with a Cape and a God Complex.
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Troy Baker Death Stranding: More Than Just a Mask
If you only played the main story of the first game, you might think Higgs was just a flamboyant terrorist. You’d be wrong. To really get what Troy Baker was doing, you have to dig into the lost journals found in the game’s post-game content.
The guy had a brutal upbringing. He was raised in a literal hole by an abusive uncle. Imagine being a kid and the only person you know tells you the world is dead and everyone outside is a monster. When he finally killed his uncle in self-defense and stepped outside, he didn't find a wasteland—he found a world that needed Porters. For a while, Higgs was actually a hero. He was a legendary delivery man, maybe even better than Sam.
But the "Chiral contamination" got to him. In the Death Stranding universe, spending too much time near the "Beach" or carrying too many packages through "Timefall" messes with your head. It’s like a mental rot. That’s where Baker’s performance gets nuanced. He isn't just playing "evil"; he's playing a man who is literally losing his mind to the atmosphere of a dying planet.
The Evolution of the Villain
Hideo Kojima and Troy Baker have a weirdly symbiotic relationship. Kojima loves actors who can "overact" in a way that feels intentional and cinematic. During the production of the first game, Baker famously said that Higgs was a "counterpoint to Sam." While Sam (Norman Reedus) is stoic and barely speaks, Higgs won't shut up. He breaks the fourth wall. He talks to the player.
When Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launched in June 2025, we saw this taken to a level that Kojima himself warned would make people "throw their controllers."
- The Joker Comparison: People call the DS2 version of Higgs "The Joker of the Beach." He wears clown-like makeup that mimics Amelie’s "tears of blood."
- The Weaponry: He uses an electric guitar that shoots lightning and doubles as a melee weapon. It's ridiculous. It's campy. It's peak Baker.
- The Motivation: He calls Sam "brother" now. He’s no longer just a terrorist; he’s a rival who feels a twisted sense of connection to the only other person who can survive the Beach.
Why the Performance Still Holds Up
Look, voice acting is one thing, but full-body performance capture is a different beast. If you watch the behind-the-scenes footage from Kojima Productions, you see Baker in a spandex suit with 64 dots on his face, screaming at a tennis ball on a stick. It looks goofy. But on screen, that translates into the subtle lip curls and the manic eye movements that made Higgs so unsettling.
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There’s a specific scene in the first game where Higgs takes off his mask. His face is covered in "DOOMS" scars. Baker plays that moment with this weird mixture of pride and exhaustion. He knows he’s a pawn for Amelie (the Extinction Entity), but he’s so desperate for a "connection"—the game’s biggest theme—that he’ll take a toxic connection over none at all.
What Most People Get Wrong About Higgs
A common complaint back in 2019 was that Higgs was "too much." Critics said he felt like he belonged in a different game. But by 2026, looking back at the complete arc through On the Beach, it’s clear he was the only character who truly understood the absurdity of their situation.
Sam is trying to save the world by delivering mail. Fragile is trying to rebuild a corporation. Higgs is the only one saying, "Hey, we're all ghosts anyway, let's have some fun before the lights go out." He represents the "lack of connection" in a game about building bridges.
Actionable Insights for Players
If you’re revisiting the series or jumping into Death Stranding 2 for the first time, keep these things in mind to fully appreciate what Troy Baker brought to the table:
- Read the Journals: Don't skip the data logs in the first game. They explain why Higgs went from a helpful Porter to a "God Particle" obsessed maniac. It makes his fight in the rain feel way more personal.
- Watch the Eyes: In the PS5 and PC "Director's Cut" versions, the facial animations are upgraded. Pay attention to Baker's eyes during the "pizza delivery" missions. Yes, he’s the guy ordering the pizzas. It’s petty and brilliant.
- Listen to the Voice Shifts: Baker famously uses a higher, more melodic register for Higgs than his natural speaking voice. It’s meant to sound performative—like Higgs is playing a character in his own movie.
Troy Baker’s Higgs remains one of the most polarizing and fascinating villains in modern gaming. He isn't just a boss fight; he's a reflection of what happens when the "strands" that hold us together finally snap.
Whether you love the guitar-shredding madness of his 2025 return or still have nightmares about that lick on Fragile’s neck, there’s no denying the impact. He’s 100 times more ridiculous now, just like Kojima promised, and gaming is better for it.
To get the full story, make sure you've completed the "High-Level" delivery requests in the central region of the first game, as these trigger the final pieces of Higgs’ backstory that lead directly into the events of the sequel.