Alan Wake 2 features the appearance of Ahti, a character who Control players will have run into before. But just who is he and how can a Finnish janitor find Alan Wake in the Dark Place? Here’s Alan Wake 2’s Ahti explained, with spoilers for both it and Control.
Here’s Who Alan Wake 2 and Control’s Ahti Appears to Be
Ahti first appears in Remedy’s Control, as a janitor or rather the janitor of The Oldest House, home to the Federal Bureau of Control. The FBC are in charge of combating and containing paranormal threats, not unlike the SCP Foundation. They operate out of the Oldest House, a largely featureless New York skyscraper that wasn’t built, it was discovered.
When Jesse first encounters Ahti, he’s mopping the floor and points her in the direction of a supposed job interview. Speaking English interspersed with Finnish, he explains that if she’s hired he’ll be working for him.
Jesse discovers that The Oldest House has been compromised by an entity known as The Hiss, which she goes on to combat. She encounters Ahti several times, with him offering slightly cryptic advice. He gives her his cassette recorder which she uses to help get her through a maze within The Oldest House.
Alan encounters him in the Dark Place, this time with a mop, but he can’t just be some janitor, right?
Related: Do You Need to Play Alan Wake 1 & Control Before Alan Wake 2?
Here’s Who Ahti Really Is
Despite appearing to be just a janitor, Ahti is a supernatural entity whose motives seem mostly benevolent. Yes, he’s the janitor of The Oldest House but he was there when the house was discovered, no-one employed him.
It’s tempting to see him as a friendlier version of Half-Life 2’s G-Man, but he could be much, much more powerful than that game’s briefcase-carrying interloper.
Right from the moment you meet him in Control, it’s clear he’s not just a man and, possibly never was a man. He can hear Jesse’s internal conversations and it appears that when he gives Jesse his cassette player he’s loaning her some small piece of his power.
The FBC is aware of his presence but when they tried to video him, the video tape they created mesmerised people. Yes, just a recording of Ahti counts as an Object of Power/Altered Item, the game’s equivalent of an SCP.
In Finnish mythology, Ahti is a folk here though there’s also a sea god called Ahto, so make of that what you will. And the FBC refers to him as Entity A-001.
Compared to Control, Alan Wake 2 gives him less screen time. But the advice and aid he provides Alan Wake is invaluable and it implies that Ahti goes where he thinks he’s needed.
So, Ahti is a supernatural being, likely beyond human comprehension and I hope that Remedy never reveals his true origins. And that’s Alan Wake 2’s Ahti explained.
If you’re looking for more, check out if you should play as Saga or Alan in Alan Wake 2.
