Eugine

"Woo-hoo! Artyom, free at last.. Well for as long as the ride takes us, anyway."

- Eugine Eugine (Russian: Евгений; pronounced Yevgyeniy) is a citizen from Exhibition and a friend of Artyom.

Overview
He is the first seen at the start of the level "Exhibition", where he is singing to Artyom to wake him for the caravan to Riga. He isn't seen until the end of the level where Artyom gets into the caravan. In the next level, "Chase", he is sitting next to Artyom and is armed with a Kalash (at the roadblock) and a Duplet, which he uses to shoot a nosalis when it jumps onto the cart. After this, he gives Artyom the shotgun and operates the cart. He is last seen at Riga, drinking vodka with Artyom and Boris.

In the intro of Metro: Last Light, Artyom states that Eugine has died. However, the reason for his death is unknown, possibly under the same circumstances as the book.

In Metro Exodus, Eugine briefly appears in the Eternal Voyage ending. After Artyom passes away from radiation poisoning, he wakes up aboard a darker version of the Aurora. Eugine opens the door to his cabin but is irritated that Artyom doesn't recognize him and walks off.

Novels
In the original Metro 2033 he is named Zhenya (Женя), which is a shorter form of Eugene/Evgeny, and is an old childhood friend with Artyom. He, along with Artyom and Vitalik the Splinter, once snuck out to the surface at night and unlocked the door leading to Botanicheskiy Sad, in turn allowing the Dark Ones into the Metro. He also tells many stories to Artyom telling tales of a magician and a man that could be Khan. For an unknown reason, Zhenya's name is "Zhenka" towards the end of the English translation. Factually, "Zhenka" is another, more vulgar, shorter form of that name.

Zhenya, in the novel, was attacked by the Dark Ones a week before Artyom returned to VNDKH, and died the day before his return, which disheartened Artyom. In The Gospel According to Artyom, Artyom states that Zhenya/Eugine's death was the final straw and motivation for him to destroy the Dark Ones.

It's confirmed, in Metro: Last Light, that he, along with Vitalik, were killed before Artyom arrived at Ostankino Tower.

In Metro 2035, Artyom often converses with 'Zhen' much to the amusement of his companions. Artyom is aware that Zhenya is dead, but talks to him rather than himself.

EugeneЖенькаЖенька