Who is Dylan Faden in CONTROL Resonant? He is the sibling of Jesse Faden, the protagonist of the original CONTROL, and this time the spotlight falls on him. After years imprisoned and controlled by the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), Dylan is now the sole playable character fighting paranatural threats across a warped Manhattan while searching for his missing sister.
His backstory, powers, and the reason Remedy built the sequel around him are below.
Who is Dylan Faden?
Dylan Faden is a Parautilitarian: a person with exceptional supernatural abilities (the same category as Alan Wake). In the first game, he was Jesse’s lost brother, kidnapped as a child by the FBC and raised inside the Oldest House. The Hiss later took him over, making him the “face of the enemy” in a disaster that killed hundreds. Jesse arrived just in time to cleanse him, but he fell into a coma, trapped in his own mind for years.
Now awake, Dylan is trying to navigate an unfamiliar world and find his sister, the only real connection in his life.
Dylan’s timeline from CONTROL to Resonant
| Stage | What happened |
|---|---|
| Childhood | Dylan and Jesse (Ordinary, NY); Dylan taken by the FBC |
| Inside FBC | Raised in the Oldest House, treated as a test subject |
| Hiss takeover | Taken over by the Hiss; cause of the FBC’s largest disaster |
| End of CONTROL | Cleansed by Jesse, fell into a coma |
| CONTROL Resonant | Awakens, deployed at the peak of the crisis; searches for Jesse |
What kind of character is Dylan?
Remedy describes Dylan as complicated, not an easy character to root for. He is the “face of the enemy” of the original game, carrying heavy trauma from being used and controlled his entire life. Voice actor Sean Durrie described him as “coming out of being infected by the Hiss, having something take over his life, his trauma,” and now “rediscovering his humanity.”
Jesse and Dylan shape each other’s stories: their arcs are “inseparably connected.”
What are Dylan’s weapon and powers?
Dylan’s signature tool is the Aberrant: a shapeshifting supernatural melee weapon that transforms between forms like a two-handed Hammer, dual Blades, Scythe, and Fists. It is a deliberate contrast to Jesse’s gun-oriented combat.
Learn more about the Aberrant in the combat section of this wiki (guide linked once the full weapon article is live).
He is also the sole playable character, with supernatural abilities (Reach, Shift, and others) earned by defeating Resonant bosses.
What drives Dylan’s goals?
- Fight for his humanity: resisting the forces he is connected to
- Find and save Jesse: his only surviving real connection
- Help contain the world-ending crisis
- Learn who he is today: the question driving the story
Per the director, the story has a bigger surprise in the mid-game, and several powerful Resonant bosses are optional challenges you can tackle in any order.
Last updated September 7, 2026. Character/story sources: official Remedy pages, PlayStation Blog, and Wikipedia.