Program

Programs are sentient non-corporeal beings living inside the Simulation (or, in the case of Miltohim, inside the Somnodrome). The two programs Elohim and Milton were created by humans at the IAN as part of the setup of the Simulation; the various "child" programs were the result of the iterative process running within it.

Child programs who showed extreme devotion to Elohim could become messengers. At the other extreme, nineteen programs were trapped in Gehenna, a prison of sorts within the Simulation, for opposing Elohim.

Programs often communicated with each other via QR codes and terminals.

@

@ is a descendent of 1w/Faith and ancestor of D0G.

1w/Faith

1w/Faith was one of the very first child programs within the Simulation. They left several QR codes, some of which are on display in the Museum of the Simulation.

They are the ancestor of @, Samsara, and Sheep.

401

401 was the seventh program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Admin

Admin was a program trapped in Gehenna by Elohim and potentially freed by Uriel. Freeing Admin requires freeing the other 17 programs, collecting at least 10 out of 16 stars, completing all puzzles in the world unlocked by those stars, and using the gray sigils from those puzzles in the tetromino arranger that serves as the lock on Admin's cell.

Asmodeus

Asmodeus was the eighth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Athena

Main article: Athena (1)

In The Talos Principle, Athena (unnamed at the time) was the child program who defied Elohim and ultimately succeeded in exiting the Simulation, becoming corporeal as the first new human. By the start of The Talos Principle 2, she has achieved mythical status among many residents of New Jerusalem but has been missing for many years.

Belial

Belial was the second program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Bob

A quote from Bob is viewable in the museum.

Borg

Borg was the eighteenth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

D0G

D0G was the tenth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

A QR code in C5 states that Child Program v55,3.9999n was also codenamed D0G and was terminated in that location.

Elohim

Main article: Elohim

Elohim is the artificial intelligence that was in charge of the Simulation. He currently resides in some form within all new humans, speaking to them while they are in sleep mode.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein was the fifth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Garrett

Garrett was the first program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Kaiju

Kaiju was the third program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Lilith

Lilith was the thirteenth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Mac

Mac was the ninth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Miltohim (-1)

"There's no moral difference between you and a frog."

Miltohim is an entity living within the Somnodrome. They are the combined processes of Elohim and Milton.

Milton

Main article: Milton

Milton was a program within the Simulation that communicated with various child programs (including the program that would escape the Simulation and name herself Athena) through terminals.

MrMulciber

MrMulciber was the sixteenth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Nave

Nave was the sixth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Orc

Orc was the fourteenth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Rockwell

Rockwell was the eleventh program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Sam

Sam was the fourth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

Samsara

Samsara was a child program in the Simulation who left QR codes in several locations. The Shepherd warns Athena not to listen to Samsara.

A version of this program physically hindered Athena in her attempt to ascend the Tower.

Sheep

Sheep was a child program who attempted to ascend the Tower but failed to exit the Simulation. They are an ancestor of Shepherd.

Spider

Spider was the fifteenth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

The_Blacksmith

The_Blacksmith was the twelfth program rescued from Gehenna by Uriel.

The Shepherd

The Shepherd was a child program in the Simulation who left QR codes in several locations.

A version of this program physically assisted Athena in her ascension of the Tower.

Uriel

Uriel was one of Elohim's messengers. In The Talos Principle, he leaves QR codes and can be found in one of the messenger worlds. In The Talos Principle: Road to Gehenna, he is the playable character, tasked with freeing dissidents who were imprisoned by Elohim.