Sitara Dhawan
She paints with light and code, turning San Francisco's walls into declarations of war against the surveillance state.
Sitara Dhawan is a fictional character from the Watch Dogs video game series, appearing as a supporting protagonist in Watch Dogs 2. She is a skilled hacker and graffiti artist who serves as the DedSec hacker collective's in-house artist and propaganda specialist, responsible for creating the group's iconic visual identity and viral media campaigns.
- Role
- DedSec hacker and artist
- Affiliation
- DedSec (San Francisco chapter)
- First appears
- Watch Dogs 2 (2016)
- Status
- Alive (as of Watch Dogs 2)
Lore & Background
Sitara Dhawan is a key member of the DedSec hacker collective in San Francisco, known for her expertise in graffiti art and digital propaganda. She uses her artistic talents to create stunning visual statements that challenge the oppressive systems of ctOS 2.0 and the Blume Corporation. Her work often combines traditional street art with augmented reality, making her a formidable force in the group's public-facing operations.
As DedSec's media specialist, Sitara is responsible for crafting the collective's public image through carefully designed logos, murals, and viral videos. Her background in fine arts and computer science allows her to seamlessly blend aesthetics with hacking, creating memorable campaigns that inspire the public and frustrate authorities. She is portrayed as passionate, creative, and fiercely loyal to the cause of digital freedom.
In Their Own Story
The paint can hissed as Sitara traced the outline of a giant eye on the warehouse wall. 'This one's for the cameras,' she muttered, stepping back to admire her work. The augmented reality layer would activate at midnight, overlaying the Blume logo with a cracked DedSec emblem. 'They think they're watching us,' she whispered to Wrench over comms, 'but we're the ones watching them.' The spray paint dried quickly in the San Francisco fog, a silent promise that art—and rebellion—would never be silenced. Later that night, as the AR layer flickered to life, a dozen pedestrians stopped to stare. One kid pulled out his phone, recorded it, and within an hour the clip had 50,000 views. Sitara smiled, already sketching her next piece.
Reader's Guide
Sitara Dhawan was created by Ubisoft as part of the Watch Dogs 2 development team's effort to diversify the DedSec cast and emphasize the artistic side of hacking. Unlike the more utilitarian characters in the first Watch Dogs, Sitara represents the countercultural ethos of the San Francisco Bay Area hacker scene. Her character was designed to showcase how hacking can be a form of artistic expression, not just technical intrusion.
Between Watch Dogs 2 and the series' later entries, Sitara's role remained consistent as DedSec's artist, though her presence in Watch Dogs: Legion is limited to audio logs and references. The developers have stated in interviews that her character was inspired by real-world hacker artists and street graffiti movements, aiming to ground the game's futuristic technology in authentic subcultural practices. The broader cultural conversation around Sitara often focuses on the intersection of art, technology, and activism, reflecting real debates about surveillance, public space, and digital resistance.
Did You Know?
- Sitara's graffiti art in Watch Dogs 2 was created by real-life street artists and digital designers to ensure authenticity.
- Her character's name is derived from the Hindi word 'sitara' meaning 'star', reflecting her role as a guiding light for DedSec's public image.
- In the game's files, Sitara is credited as the creator of the iconic DedSec skull logo that appears throughout the series.
- Her augmented reality murals in Watch Dogs 2 can be interacted with by players, revealing hidden messages and lore.
More in Development & Legacy
Elsewhere in the Watch Dogs universe
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