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If you need to learn how to talk to a lady, ask your mum.
„
~ Bayonetta taunts her enemy.
Cereza, better known as Bayonetta, is the titular main protagonist of Bayonetta series. She is the magical, hybrid daughter of Balder, a Lumen Sage, and Rosa, an Umbra Witch.
Sealed away for 500 years after being stabbed in the heart by Jeanne, Bayonetta awakens in the 21st century with no memories other than the fact that she is a witch. As she attempts to investigate her past, she becomes a mercenary hunting the Angels of Paradiso and the business partner of a demonic arms dealer named Rodin.
In most of her appearances, she is voiced by late Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese. In the English versions, she was voiced by Hellena Taylor in the first two games and by Jennifer Hale in the third, the latter of whom also voices Samus Aran in the Metroid Prime series. As Cereza, she is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro in Japanese and by Angeli Wall in English.
Bayonetta slightly is rude, snarky, loves to engage in combat, and has an affinity for guns. Bayonetta carries herself with an air of sophistication, always dressed in extravagant outfits and stylishly dancing even in the heat of battle. Likewise, Bayonetta is downright sadistic towards her enemies, frequently dispatching with medieval torture devices such as iron maidens, guillotines, and vices, all while smiling and relishing in their pain.
One of the most notable (and controversial) aspects of Bayonetta's character is her overt sexuality. Bayonetta's outfits, while stylish, are also highly revealing and provocative. On top of that, she frequently poses in a blatantly sexual manner, makes constant innuendos in her dialogue, and flirts with anyone and everyone around her, particularly Luka Redgrave and Rodin, and even with the brainwashed Jeanne. However, this sexuality is not a negative trait, as it is primarily just an avenue for Bayonetta to physically express herself and exert her confidence; she's largely uninterested in actual relationships (save for Luka, who she develops genuine romantic feelings for) and seems to view flirting as a way to show affection to her friends. Her relationship with Jeanne does seem to blur boundaries between sisterhood and romance, although mainly on Jeanne's side.
“
Don't worry. It's always scary the first time you see them.
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~ Bayonetta comforting Cereza.
However, beneath her sarcastic, flirtatious exterior lies a genuine heroine who wants to protect others. As early as the first game, Bayonetta shows signs of a conscience by saving her friend, Enzo, and even Luka (her enemy at the time) from Angel attacks for no self gain. She also decides to protect a little girl named Cereza out of genuine kindness (unaware that Cereza is a young version of herself), attempting to comfort the child when she's scared.
Despite her claims of disliking children, she established a maternal role in each game, with Cereza (unknowingly her past self), Loki (a fragment of chaos god Loptr), and Viola (a daughter of one of her multiversal variants). Bayonetta initially tries to distance herself from each child, begrudgingly starts protecting them from danger, briefly palms them off to another guardian who is typically Luka, reunites and gradually becomes fond of them, and ultimately providing them with a mother's love, as she develops genuine affection and concern for their well-beings.
Her relationship with her parents was complicated due to her years of amnesia and learning that the last Lumen Sage was her father, Balder, aiming to destroy reality to remake it. However, upon regaining her memories, she realised how much her mother loved her and kept memories of her for comfort and contentment. When meeting a younger version of her father, Bayonetta was hostile due to his future self's villainous turn, however, she learned that he was a good person and did genuinely love her and her mother, and his future evil was due to Loptr's soul corrupting him, a fate he chose as to save his daughter, thus despite brevity, Bayonetta was reassured by the fact that her parents were both heroes and wanted the best for her, and never considering her to be the abomination that the Umbra Witches and Lumen Sages considered a child born from combining the bloodlines.
As the series progresses, Bayonetta becomes more openly heroic, risking her life to prevent Jubileus's remains from destroying Earth in the first game, going to save Jeanne from Inferno in the second game and eventually sacrificing herself to stop Singularity in the third.
Other Appearances
Samurai & Dragons
Bayonetta appears in the SEGA All-Stars DLC Pack as a card that can be used to boost character stats.
Anarchy Reigns
Bayonetta appears as a playable character in DLC for this 2013 beat 'em up. Here, she retains most of her innate powers from her home series, including Witch Time.
The Wonderful 101
Bayonetta is a secret unlockable character in the 2013 action-adventure game The Wonderful 101, which was directed by Bayonetta's own creator, Hideki Kamiya. She can be unlocked by either obtaining Platinum ranks in every stage or by inputting a cheat code after beating the game.
This version of Bayonetta is primarily a gunner, using her Scarborough Fair guns. Her gun capacity increases with the number of combos she obtains.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS & Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Bayonetta makes her debut in the Super Smash Bros. series as the final DLC fighter in February 2016, after being voted for the roster via the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot.
Here, she retains most of her abilities from her home series, being an overwhelmingly powerful combo fighter able to use guns for long-distance attacks. Due to the kid-friendly nature of the series, some of Bayonetta's more provocative attacks and animations were altered and/or censored. She also received her own stage, the Umbra Clock Tower.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Bayonetta returns as an unlockable fighter in the base game for Ultimate. Here, while her attacks are largely the same, she has been considerably nerfed in order to keep her on the same level as rest of the game's roster, although future updates would buff her attacks to make her more balanced.
Character Relationships
Jeanne - Childhood Best Friend/Former Rival/Clan Sister
No more crying, little one. If there are two things I hate, they are cockroaches and crying babies... Though a crying baby cockroach would be truly dreadful.
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~ Bayonetta harshly but amusingly trying to comfort young Cerzsa
“
I feel like a fucking celebrity in this town!
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~ Bayonetta
“
Tentacles! Why did it have to be tentacles?!
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~ Bayonetta's disgust at Iustia's appendages
“
Don't fuck with a witch.
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~ Bayonetta prior delivering what she believed would be a fatal shot into Balder's head
“
New 'do, dead you.
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~ in Bayonetta 2 and SSB4
“
Don't make me beg!
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~ Bayonetta
“
You've played enough hide and seek, my scurrying little friend!
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~ Bayonetta
“
Now than you mention it...I still haven't quite figured out how a broke, bumbling wise guy managed to turn himself into a semi-respectable family man.
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~ Bayonetta
“
You want to touch me?
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~ Bayonetta
“
Is that all you've got?
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~ When activating her Witch Time spell
“
Try to keep up!
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~ Bayonetta
“
You're making it easy!
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~ Bayonetta
“
Think you've got a chance?
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~ Bayonetta
“
Miss me, baby?
„
~
“
Let's dance, boys!
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~ in Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2
“
Now that you mention it...I still haven't quite figured out how a broke, bumbling wise guy managed to turn himself into a semi-respectable family man.
„
~ Bayonetta on Enzo
“
Ah! You want to play with Bayonetta?
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~ when selected in Bayonetta 2 in Tag Climax.
“
I've got a fever and the only cure is more dead angels.
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~ Bayonetta's longer taunt against enemies.
“
You've been naughty!
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~ When getting a Pure Platinum Verse
“
PDI BARMA
„
~ When summoning Madama Butterfly
“
So close...
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~ When activating her Witch Time spell
“
Mamma-mia!
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~ When using Chain Chomp's Umbran Elegance
Trivia
Her childhood cat plush and nickname for Luka is Cheshire, a reference to the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.
People assumed that Bayonetta's beehive hair and glasses were inspired by 2008 US Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, however, this was false, since the game and character had been developed prior her short-lived relevance in public arenas, plus typically Japanese developers don't follow foreign politics unless it is related to their game stories.
Other than her four primary guns, most of her alternate arsenal are based on various pop culture, with bonus boosters in the form of perfumes that provide a cosmetic change to reinforce the reference.
For example, her Kilgore bazookas and perfume provide her an outfit inspired by American military officer attire, which is a reference to Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore from war film Apocalypse Now.
Hellena Taylor would later reveal that the reason why she didn't provide the voice of Bayonetta in Bayonetta 3 is due to being offered only $4,000 in the role, which was subsequently disputed, although it was never clarified if she was intentionally misleading or made a mistake bad enough that Platinum could completely destroy her reputation in retaliation for her issue - upon voicing it originally, it caused some presumably unintended side effects of fans harassing Hideki Kamiya on Twitter so much that he abandoned the account.
Regardless, it was set back for the ongoing protest from voice actors about being disproportionately underpaid for work in video games that make millions, of which they do make mere thousands.
Heroes
Heroes
