Shooting the Other in The Evil Within 2 is analogous to Raiden throwing away dogtags with the player's name. However, Metal Gear Solid 2 rejected the player outright. Its decision against us was final. The Evil Within 2 develops the player/character relationship in step with its theme, healing.

Sebastian's Other represented the corrupting aspect of the player/character relationship from The Evil Within. Through the Anima episodes, Sebastian and the player re-enacted incomplete memories of The Evil Within, just as he re-enacted incomplete memories of the house fire. As soon as Sebastian denies his weakness, we discover what he had edited out — his and the player's strength.

The revolver symbolizes the healed player/character relationship. The gun had special significance in The Evil Within. Sebastian groped for his revolver when he awoke in The Sadist's butcher shop, but he found only an empty holster. Its absence signalled his weakness. When he recovered the revolver, it gave him and the player their first success in STEM, bonding them through power rather than fear.

The revolver has metanarrative value because the player gets to wield it as well. When Sebastian puts a bullet through the player's point of contact, the player receives, not punishment or rejection, but enhanced strength. Our rejection gives us the most powerful standard sidearm in the game.

The Evil Within 2 communicates healing through the same metanarrative techniques that signalled Sebastian's dependency. As before, our memory serves as a proxy for Sebastian's emotional state. The revolver uses the old reticle from The Evil Within, a five-point target distinct from the new crosshair reticle. We recognize Sebastian as powerful now by remembering our power from the game.

Sebastian demonstrates his changed character every time he uses the revolver. Unlike other sidearms, he fires the revolver using a risky, one-handed stance. When he reloads in combat, he flourishes before snapping the cylinder back in place. Both actions communicate self-confidence and faith in his power to fight back.

When Sebastian kills his assumed weakness, which resulted in dependency on the player, he burns away the dead weight that we bring to The Evil Within 2. He does not burn away us. We remain, his partner in strength.