It’s not surprising that there are a ton of celebrity cameos featured alongside Death Stranding’s star-studded cast. With popular actors like The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus as the protagonist Sam Porter Bridges, Mads Mikkelsen as Cliff Unger, Léa Seydoux as Fragile, and more, there’s no shortage of celebrities in the genre-defying adventure game.
From comedian and late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien to PlayStation head Hermen Hulst, there are twelve famous characters that players can interact with as they go through the story of the game. While some of them play a crucial part in the main narrative, others have smaller roles and are rarely spotted unless fans know where to find them.
12 Conan O’Brien
Former Late Night host, writer, and comedian Conan O’Brien makes a short appearance as The Wandering MC who stays in the home of The Cosplayer. It’s thankfully not a dramatic role by the comedian, who instead makes players laugh with lame jokes and an absurd conversation about otters. Players get the Otter Hood after interacting with him, which improves Sam’s water movements. It’s not too surprising to see him in the game, as he has expressed an interest in the industry and even started a segment called Clueless Gamer, which was arguably one of the more popular sketches on his show.
11 Daichi Miura
The massively popular Japanese singer and songwriter, Daichi Miura, plays the role of the Musician in the game. He can be found southwest of the Distribution Center and will give Sam a harmonica to help soothe BB. The musician has been in the music industry for over a decade, starting out in the band Folder and then becoming a solo artist. He’s known for hit songs like “I’m on Fire” and “(Re)play,” as well as his work on the opening theme to Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, “EXCITE.”
10 Hirokazu Hamamura
Hirokazu Hamamura appears as the Collector in the game with who players can interact if they go south of the Distribution Center in the Central Region. The Collector is obsessed with hoarding old consoles and thanks Sam for his help in growing his collection.
Hamamura is the CEO of Famitsu group and Enterbrain. It’s fitting that the former editor-in-chief of the popular magazine, Famitsu Weekly, makes a joke about getting Sam into the “Hall of Fame” in Death Stranding. His character is actually telling the truth here, as the magazine awarded the game with a rare perfect score shortly after its release.
9 Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Somewhere southeast of the Distribution Center in the Central Region, players will encounter the Film Director, who is aptly based on the film director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts. Sam delivers items to the prepper in exchange for some cool sunglasses, an upgrade for the Odradek, and new colors for a cap.
Vogt-Roberts helmed the popular recent King Kong movie, Kong: Skull Island, as well as other films like The Kings of Summer and Nick Offerman: American Ham. He’s currently working with Hideo Kojima in putting together a highly anticipated live-action adaptation of Metal Gear Solid.
8 Tommy Wirkola
Players can find Tommy Wirkola’s character, Phillip North, in the far upper west north part of the map. He’s the Head of Distribution at the Distribution Center there and will thank Sam for his help by gifting him an assault rifle, spare ammo, and some backpack accessories.
Wirkola is the talented director responsible for the horror-comedy film, Dead Snow, as well as the hit-action horror movie, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. He’s currently working on three new films, including an adaptation of the comic series, Irredeemable.
7 Sam Lake
Fans of Remedy Entertainment’s games will spot a familiar face in the southern part of the Central Region. Here, Sam Lake lends his likeness to the Veteran Porter who has a deep distrust of the United Cities of America. Players who successfully convince him to join the network will receive three holograms and a nifty backpack accessory. Lake is best known for his work as a game writer and founding member of Remedy. He’s contributed to games like Alan Wake, Control, and Max Payne. In fact, the titular Max Payne’s face is based on Lake’s.
6 Edgar Wright
Players who head to the south of Lake Knot City will stumble upon a Distribution Center run by Thomas Southerland. This character is based on the English film director, Edgar Wright, who plays the role of a former porter who moved up in the ranks. He gives Sam a few beers and a long-range truck to thank him for his help.
Wright helmed the popular films, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Baby Driver. Most may know him for writing and directing the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which gave fans the likable characters from Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End.
5 Geoff Keighley
Geoff Keighley’s character is simply known as Ludens Fan in Death Stranding. He can be found in the Eastern Region of Capital Knot City. The NPC is obsessed with collecting memorabilia related to a pre-Stranding figure called Ludens, who he believes can help reduce chiral contamination. He rewards Sam with a backpack and new gear colors for his hard work.
Keighley is best known in the video game industry as the host of The Game Awards and for being the former co-host of G4tv.com. He also used to write a well-known column called “The Final Hours” for GameSpot back in the early 2000s.
4 Manabu Makime
Just south of the Distribution Center in the Central Region, players will meet the Novelist’s Son, who is inspired by the Japanese novelist, Manabu Makime. The prepper has a fascinating fixation for growing gourds, as he thinks he can discover new cryptobiotes in his crops. He gives Sam a backpack accessory and gear colors for helping him with his research. The novelist and essayist is known for his books like Princess Toyotomi and Toppin Parari no Pootaro. Some of his works like Battle League Horumo and The Great Shu Ra Ra Boom have their own film adaptations.
3 Errolson Hugh
The head of Central Region’s Weather Station is aptly named Alex Weatherstone, an NPC based on the fashion designer Errolson Hugh. Sam’s task is to convince him to join the UCA, and he’s rewarded with a Chiral Bandwidth upgrade and a talisman if he manages to persuade Alex.
Hugh is the brilliant designer behind the brand, ACRONYM. He’s popular in the fashion industry for his innovations around techwear and collaborations with big brands like Nike. The designer even created apparel based on Death Stranding before its release, with a notable piece being a stylish jacket based on Sam’s clothing in the game.
2 Junji Ito
The young NPC called the Engineer can be found in the plains of the Central Region. The character, which is modeled after Junji Ito, has a compelling narrative about trying to rebuild what was lost after the Stranding. As a reward for helping him with this process, he gives Sam new power skeleton designs and a few smoke grenades.
Ito is a legendary manga artist who is known for his notable works like Uzumaki and Gyo. Junji Ito’s disturbing and scary creatures and well-crafted narratives have earned him a massive cult following throughout the years. His large fanbase is a testament to his significant contribution to the horror genre.
1 Hermen Hulst
Just southwest of Lake Knot City, players will meet an NPC based on the PlayStation head himself, Hermen Hulst. His character, the Craftsman, is a prepper who discovered early on that killing leads to Voidouts. He advocated for the use of nonlethal weapons and asks for Sam’s help in improving these items. Sam receives some grenades, holograms, and permission to rest in the Craftman’s shelter for his efforts.
Aside from being the head of PlayStation’s Worldwide Studios, Hulst was also the co-founder and Managing Director of Guerilla Games. Two of the holograms he gives Sam in Death Stranding are actually Easter eggs from Guerilla’s Horizon Zero Dawn – fans will instantly recognize the Tallneck and the protagonist, Aloy, from the popular RPG.
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