Sigrun Engel is a character in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. As Irene Engel's daughter, her life has been torture, living under her mother's cruelty and witnessing firsthand what the Nazis do to "inferior" races.
She eventually joins B.J. and the Resistance in their fight against the Nazis.
History[]
Sigrun is the daughter of Frau Irene Engel and an unnamed father. She was born in June of 1942 in Nazi Germany, four years before the United States Army's assault on Deathshead's Compound.
Sigrun has experienced nothing but cruelty and abuse from her mother, who chastised her physique, sympathy, and open-mindedness. This has made Sigrun sensitive, frightened, disturbed, and lacking hatred towards opponents of the Nazi regime. Irene was also controlling towards Sigrun, arranging her marriage to the son of the Head of the Secret Police in Berlin. Sigrun states to Set Roth that she knows little about him except that he sweats a lot, plays golf all the time, and smells of onions, which she hates.
In June 1956, two days before her 15th birthday, Sigrun met Adolf Hitler with her mother. Hitler judged Sigrun for her weight, and her mother slapped her for humiliating her in front of Hitler and not being able to suck in her cheeks. It's noted that there are tear stains on her diary pages, implying she cried after the event.
Sigrun's diary also held secrets, which Irene considered "nasty" thoughts, presumably Sigrun's sexual fantasies, and mocked her for writing in her diary in English rather than German. Because of her abuse, Sigrun self-medicates with food, hiding snacks in her room. She also didn't like hurting others, presumably being a pacifist.
After Bubi's death in 1960, Sigrun was promoted to second-in-command by Irene, but her rank mattered little to her mother, who openly abused her in front of Nazi soldiers. During her time, she followed her mother and wanted to gain her approval by being present amid the atrocities committed by the Nazis.
At some point in time, Sigrun was present at various atrocities committed by the Nazi occupation in the United States, including the Yosemite massacre, the burning of the Baltimore ghetto, and an unknown incident at Nashville. Sigrun stated that she had not personally committed any of the atrocities, but failed to step in to stop her mother, Frau Engel, from having them carried out.
The New Colossus[]
Sigrun first appears with her mother after capturing Caroline Becker and Fergus Reid/Probst Wyatt III on top of the Eva's Hammer. Irene denigrates her daughter for not doing her exercises, and calls her a disgrace of her bloodline, but orders her aboard the Ausmerzer as she calls out William J. Blazkowicz. Sigrun appears at Blazkowicz's capture and witnesses his humiliation by her mother, who then proceeds to execute Caroline.
Sigrun stops her, citing the promise she made to release them, but Irene mocks her daughter for failing to keep her own promises to lose weight and avoid sweets, and mentions reading her diary. Irene forces Sigrun to grab the axe and kill Caroline, being goaded by her mother and the Nazi soldiers. Unable to do so, Irene executes Caroline and uses the severed head to taunt Blazkowicz and Sigrun. Having had enough of the abuse and cruelty, Sigrun lunged at her mother and gave Fergus/Wyatt a pistol to kill the Nazis. She was stopped by the Super Soldier and saw her mother cowardly run away, but she continued to attack the door with the axe. Sigrun sombrely apologizes for her mother’s behavior, and that there was nothing she could have done, before informing Fergus/Wyatt that she knows military secrets and how to detach the Ausmerzer's claws from their U-Boat, leading to her defection from the Nazi Party.
Going to the Eva's Hammer, Sigrun attends Caroline's wake and discusses Die Käfer with Set Roth. At the helm, Sigrun asks to help the Resistance on their mission to Manhattan. While B.J. gets Grace Walker into the Kreisau Circle, Sigrun is given a work station by Anya Oliwa to make herself useful to the group, she also remarks to B.J. that Bombate came to her aid to fix the station since it was damaged in the attack. In the Kreisau diner, Sigrun is antagonized by Anya on being at her mother's side despite the atrocities she and the Nazis committed. Upset, Sigrun continues to eat and apologizes to B.J. on her actions if the player stays after the confrontation. Sigrun appears during the mission briefing for Roswell and shows interest in the technology Set mentions is there, leading Grace to accuse her of sending intel to Berlin. Upset, Sigrun leaves as B.J. reprimands Grace's attitude and states that she is "good people", despite being a former Nazi.
Sigrun later appears after B.J. is given a new body; she will apologize for her mother's actions but has an urgent need to pee. Sigrun is eventually accepted by Grace's members after they see her sitting with B.J. in the diner, playing a game of high dice. Around this time, she begins a relationship with Bombate, having sex in a submersible and caught by B.J., Anya, Grace, and Fergus/Wyatt.
Sigrun is later seen at B.J.'s 50th birthday party, and sees Bombate talking with Mary Sue, leading her to hug him and be shrugged off. Grace asks her to keep her Nazi eyes on decryption of the ODIN codes, but Sigrun declares that she is no longer a Nazi. Later on, Sigrun learns of Bombate's relationship with Mary Sue, whom she slaps and tells of her relationship with Bombate. After the party, Sigrun is seen telling the group of the code to take the Ausmerzer, only to be called a Nazi once again by Grace. Angered, Sigrun slaps Grace and chokes her, ordering her to stop calling her a Nazi. Sigrun then tells Bombate that she loves him, but will use him for pleasure only since he doesn't have the same feelings. Wanting to leave, Grace stops her and shows respect towards Sigrun, due to Grace achieving her goal of getting Sigrun to stand up for herself and getting it in a fashion she did not expect, and tells her she is coming with them. Sigrun tells the group how to take over the Ausmerzer, but states she doesn't want to be at her mother's death and stays on the airborne platform by Grace's wishes.
Appearance[]
Sigrun is a young German woman with fair skin, light blond hair and blue eyes. She is fat and also very strong, as she is able to very easily slap Grace with such force that the latter is staggered, and lifts her off the ground by the neck. She wears a dark blue skirt and a white collar shirt and tie, covered by a black leather jacket. Following her defection to the Resistance, she wears a white buttoned shirt with a green striped blouse and a gold medallion.
Personality[]
Despite being a Nazi, at least on paper, Sigrun Engel is fair and good natured, and lives in absolute fear of her mother, who relentlessly and publicly humiliates her for all manner of imperfections, including her appearance, sensitivity, naiveté, lack of discipline and love of food, especially sweets, to the point where she apparently has her men regularly search her private belongings. As a general's daughter, Sigrun has a ranking position aboard the Ausmerzer and has the authority to command her mother's troops, but she is highly reluctant to do so - in turn, her nominal subordinates treat her with mockery or indifference, while Irene herself actively encourages them to humiliate her. Growing up in this atmosphere leaves Sigrun perpetually nervous and submissive to bullying behavior - but only up to a point. After being subject to enough constant humiliations, she is prone to eventually snapping and displaying surprising force of character and strength - strong enough to pin down Engel, who is taken completely by surprise and begins to panic, and hold Grace up by the neck with one hand. In the latter case, Grace had been aware of this trait and goaded Sigrun into standing up for herself and firmly denouncing her past, finally earning her respect.
Given her proximity to high-level military operations, Sigrun is not ignorant of the atrocities of the Reich she nominally serves, and over the years her Nazi affiliation has become a source of extreme self-hatred - many of her undesirable habits, in particular her appetite and daydreaming, are escapisms from her suffocating life. She is clearly much happier to be aboard the Eva's Hammer, despite effectively being hunted by her own forces. While making the best of being surrounded by her former enemies, the only thing she refuses to tolerate is Grace continually calling her a Nazi, eventually leading her to a violent outburst where she screams at Grace, with more desperation than anger, that she does not have the right to call her "someone less than yourself! As someone less than human! Say it! SAY I'M NOT A NAZI!".
Though having grown up in a racialized world, Sigrun herself harbors no racial prejudices - indeed, she finds black people in particular an exotic curiosity rather than a source of disgust, and has to ask Anya to clarify if they are even allowed on board the Eva's Hammer. Despite her misgivings, she finds Bombate attractive and begins a sexual relationship with him - though she is crushed to realize it was nothing more than a one-off stand instead of a romantic relationship, Sigrun again shows her newfound strength of character by declaring him 'too stupid' to love her back and announcing her intention to move on, notwithstanding mentally using his body for her own personal pleasure "from time to time".
While a poor soldier (indeed, she considers herself a pacifist), she is technically minded. She is drafted into mechanical jobs aboard the Eva's Hammer, to her chagrin. However, her meticulous operational knowledge of the Ausmerzer gives the Resistance critical insight into how the Eva's Hammer was being tracked, and later allows them to avoid the Ausmerzer's defenses and override its security systems. She is a lover of music, particularly pop-groups like Die Kafer, using their music as stress relief, and like many German girls of her generation considering them attractive. She also likes to sing, and has a high, operatic voice that is ill-appreciated by a busy Set Roth.
Relationships[]
Irene Engel[]
Sigrun is Frau Engel's daughter, and the complete antithesis of her mother. Despite becoming her second in-command following the death of Bubi, Sigrun is frequently abused by her mother at every turn. When Irene sadistically toys with the captive BJ and his allies, Sigrun cuts all ties with her mother and the Nazi party. Furthermore, Irene also becomes scared of her own daughter as she unwilling to face Sigrun face-to-face after Sigrun stood up to herself and pinned Irene down with a fire axe.
- "Can I stay here? I just can't be part of what must be done"
- ―Sigrun asks Grace to spare her the attendance in the execution of her despicable mother.[src]
Despite her hatred for the Protector of the American Territories, her pacifist nature doesn't allow her to participate in her cruel mother's demise, although she acknowledges Irene's death is necessary and poses no objections.
William J. Blazkowicz[]
Despite being at odds with her mother and the Nazis, BJ comes to see Sigrun as a valuable source of information and possibly a kindred spirit, having suffered abuse at the hands of his father in his childhood. Sigrun shows great trust and respect to B.J., and probably considers him her first friend on the Eva's Hammer, as he will often defend her against Grace and shows support by sitting with her in the Kreisau diner. In addition, she was happy to see him alive after he returned with a super soldier body. Sigrun allows B.J. to kill her mother after what she put him and her through.
Bombate[]
As with the other members of the Resistance, Bombate easily takes a liking to Sigrun in spite of her past affiliation with the Nazis. By the time the Resistance reaches New Orleans, he takes their relationship to a completely different level. While Sigrun genuinely loves him, Bombate does not feel the same and goes so far as to cheat on her with Mary Sue. The next day, Sigrun calls him out after bringing Grace to her knees and tells him she does not need him to be happy, though she will "mentally use [him]" (i.e., masturbate to him).
Grace Walker[]
- "Don't you ever call me... a Nazi again. I am not a Nazi. You do not have the right to label me as something I am not. As someone less than yourself. As someone less than human. Say it! Say I'm not a Nazi!"
- ―Sigrun to Grace while choking her.[src]
Grace sees Sigrun as a Nazi, calling her this when acknowledging her presence, much to Sigrun's chagrin. When Sigrun stands up to Grace by slapping her and forcing her to apologize for calling her a Nazi, Grace finally accepts her. It's assumed that Grace did this on purpose to see if Sigrun can stand for herself, as Grace did this to BJ with a fake grenade.
Anya Oliwa[]
Sigrun's relationship with Anya is strained slightly, as the latter frequently asks her why she didn't stop her mother's atrocities. That being said, Anya does show kindness by giving Sigrun a work station to make her feel useful.
Fergus Reid[]
- "I don't know, lass. Can you?"
- ―Fergus' to Sigrun on helping B.J.'s mission to New York.[src]
Though Fergus initially distrusted Sigrun due to her background, he showed no ill-will towards her since she saved his life on the Ausmerzer. Despite holding her at gunpoint before they escape, he defends her when he is getting his prosthetic arm, and has no problem with her helping the group.
Probst Wyatt III[]
Same to Fergus, Wyatt showed no ill-will towards Sigrun, telling the others to give her a chance after they escaped from the Ausmerzer. Wyatt shows himself to be joyful when she wanted to help, implying he holds her in high regards in comparison to most resistance members.
Mary Sue Ellington[]
Sigrun shows herself to be jealous of Mary Sue when she sees her talking with Bombate at B.J.'s birthday party. After learning of her affair with Bombate, she slaps her and after the party, talks with B.J. and mentions her dislike of the professor.
Trivia[]
- It is impossible for Bubi, her mother's lover from the previous game, to be her father. Bubi was only born 9 years prior to Sigrun's birth. Further, Irene and Bubi met only 7 years prior to the events of The New Order, when Sigrun would have only been 9 herself.
- Sigrun was indirectly mentioned in The New Order, where Bubi asked Irene about having children. Irene reveals she already had five children and no longer desires more, believing she has fulfilled her role as a mother.
- With her mother's fondness of German neopaganism common in Nazis at the time (ex. her use of names like, Odin, Hugin, Munin and Valhalla for the Ausmerzer's defense systems and passwords) it is likely that Sigrun is named after the Norse Valkyrie of the same name.
- She is the only German character so far that has a fondness for English language.
- She and B.J. share the same terrible childhood since both of them are victim of domestic abuse and racial hatred.
- Sigrun was confronted by Anya about her involvement in war crimes committed by the Nazis at Yosemite, Baltimore, and Nashville. She protested that she did not personally commit those acts but was only following her mother (and wanted her mother to be pleased with her). Incidentally, this sounds somewhat familiar to the "Superior Orders" defense (ie. "just following orders") invoked at the Nuremberg trials following WWII. This defense was rejected at the time but is controversial given the possible consequences for refusal to follow orders (Befehlnotstand). In Sigrun's case, it is also complicated by her status as a minor and whether she even had command responsibility at the time.
- Ironically, despite being mocked by Irene for her physical appearance, she is shown to possess considerable amount of strength, especially when she is enraged, as she was strong enough to overpower Irene by pinning her to the ground and choked Grace with one hand.
- Sigrun is the second former Nazi character to join BJ and the Resistance, the first being Klaus Kreutz.
- Both defected from the Nazis and joined the Resistance because of the party's cruelty and oppression of people around the world. However, Sigrun's reasons for defecting differ to those of Klaus, as he mainly left the Nazis because of a personal vendetta for murdering his wife and deformed child.
- She has a much more significant role and achievement than Klaus since thanks to her, B.J. and Fergus/Wyatt are able to escape death from Irene as well as the fact that her expertise and knowledge of Nazi military secrets enable the American Resistance Network to successfully initiate the Second American Revolution.
- While Sigrun's German is grammatically flawless, her voice actor speaks with a noticeable English accent, as opposed to every other German character in the game.
Gallery[]
| Organization | American Resistance · Black Revolutionary Front · Laserflop · Klasse Spielzeug · Kreisau Circle · Ku Klux Klan · Neumond · Scorpions · AXTO |
|---|---|
| Resistance | B.J. Blazkowicz · Anya Oliwa · Caroline Becker · Fergus Reid · Private Wyatt · Max Hass · Set Roth · Bombate · Super Spesh · Sigrun Engel · Grace Walker · Horton Boone · Mary Sue 'Professor' Ellington · Paris Jack |
| Nazis | Adolf Hitler · Adolf Zimmermann · Anselm Decker · Christoph Fischer · Irene Engel · Gruber · Helene Winter · Neydner · Orlando Mannheimer · Peter Trumbauer |
| Other | Jimmy Carver · Juna · Llewellyn Ewing · Rip Blazkowicz · Ronald Reagan · Rosa · Sabine Vogel · Zofia Blazkowicz · Shoshana |