The following article describes Theories and Speculations regarding the events and characters of Life is Strange: Before the Storm.
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Chloe's Dreams[]
- Much has been discussed, about Chloe's Dreams, but in spite the controversy some facts are undeniable. The dreams seem to be precognitive to some degree, with a guiding thematic and also revolve around William and Max's absence, reflecting Chloe's own fears of abandonment and Chloe's relationship with Rachel.
The Forest Fire[]
- A lot of theories surround the forest fire, from the moment of ignition to the moment of extinction. Soon after Rachel kicking the trash can, she screams, in that very instant, the wind seems to obey her will, (a fitting moment since Rachel plays "Prospera" in "The Tempest"), and turns a little park fire into the enormous forest fire present in all three episodes, until the moment Rachel is stabbed, the fire becomes extinct shortly after, to the amazement of two seasoned firemen present in the hospital.
The Lucid Dream[]
- Near the end of Episode 3, Chloe, suffers a hallucination or a lucid dream, about William and the value of truth. This scene has given rise to several theories, from the nature of William's presence to the nature of the experience itself. Some theories point to the possibility that Chloe just dozed off behind the wheel and entered a dream state, other point to the idea that Chloe is finally coming to terms with her abandonment issues and William is just a hallucination produced by Chloe subconscious.
Rachel[]
- Some fan theories suggest that Rachel possesses some kind of power. The event that starts the forest fire is ambiguous, but to some, further supports this theory. When Rachel screams in anger, the wind seems to obey her will, making the fire reach extreme proportions in mere seconds. This could simply have been intended as a visual metaphor to mirror Rachel's anger towards her father in the surrounding landscape, but the ambiguity in this moment, coupled with the unnatural storm that appears in the original game, could imply her action was something more.
The Raven[]
- The raven ominous presence in all three chapters of Before the Storm, has given birth to some strange theories about the animal presence, from Spirit Animal, to bad omen, to unnatural observant, the only facts clear about the raven are; the bird follows Chloe around, even in her dreams, during all three episodes and only leaves in the end of Episode 3.
The Tempest[]
- The choice of "The Tempest" for the play portrayed by Blackwell students in Before the Storm, as given rise to many fan theories; from the themes of the play itself, ranging from magic, to betrayal, to revenge, to family and forgiveness, to the fact that Rachel is bound to play "Prospera", a female version of the main character of the play, who is a sorcerer that amongst other powers, has the ability to summon the storm at the start of the play.
Rachel and Frank[]
- The relationship between Rachel and Frank as given rise to many theories, and two ambiguous moments, in Before the Storm, have further contributed to this. The moment at the Old Mill, when Frank defends Rachel and Chloe out of the blue and the junkyard awkward exchange of looks between the pair, moments before Frank intervenes again to save Rachel and Chloe from injury or death at hands of Damon Merrick.