Bayonetta (real name Cereza) is the eponymous main character and protagonist of the Bayonetta series. She is a coquettish and mysterious Umbra Witch, who possesses a remarkable talent for the Bullet Arts and is the bearer of the Left Eye, that oversees the darkness.
In the first game, after a 500 year slumber in a coffin submerged at the bottom of a lake, Bayonetta battles against the angelic hordes of Paradiso in order to discover the truth about her past and what she has forgotten during her sleep. In the sequel, Bayonetta now fights to rescue Jeanne, her clan sister who was taken to the realm of Inferno. With the help of Rodin, her demonic weaponsmith and proprietor of The Gates of Hell bar, she is hounded endlessly by hosts of angels along the way.
Bayonetta
The story of Bayonetta begins in a graveyard in the present day. Bayonetta, disguised as a nun, acts out a funeral ceremony in order lure the angels of Paradiso to her in order to fulfill her contract with Inferno. Casting aside her disguise, she is able to subdue them with ease with the help of Rodin. After her skirmish, Bayonetta travels with Enzo, a black market information broker, back to Rodin's bar in hopes of getting some answers regarding the Eyes of the World and the half that she carries in her watch. However, during the drive, the pair are ambushed by the crashing of a military plane and Bayonetta promptly takes to battle. There, she comes face to face with a mysterious young woman who possesses similar weaponry and magical abilities to her. Despite the two of them working together in order to fend off the angels, the stranger disappears without an answer, though Bayonetta remarks that she seems to remember her from somewhere.
Back at the Gates of Hell, Rodin comments how the fight with the mysterious woman seemed to set up to be coincidence and promptly gifts the witch with Scarborough Fair to prepare her for the journey ahead. Meanwhile, Enzo informs Bayonetta of the information he has managed to procure regarding the Eyes. The Right Eye showed itself briefly on the black market before it was withdrawn and its origin was traced back to the small European town of Vigrid. Convinced that reuniting the two gemstones will regain her lost memories, Bayonetta sets off across the globe to find them.
Upon arriving in Vigrid, Bayonetta is pursued by the angels everywhere she travels and encounters a number of faces from her past. She is first greeted by a mysterious voice who tries to assure her that it is watching her and making sure she will come to no harm. She also encounters the mystery woman numerous times who reveals herself to be called Jeanne and Luka, a journalist who claims Bayonetta is the one responsible for his father's death. Including her battles with the angels, she also comes face to face with and defeats the Cardinal Virtues one by one, who all hint that at her connections to the past war 500 years ago that sent both the Umbran Witches and Lumen Sages to ruin.
Bayonetta also meets a young girl called Cereza, seemingly lost from her home and who mistakes Bayonetta for her mother. Though she is not comfortable with the situation at first, Bayonetta comes to care for the child a great deal, especially as her memories seem to hint that she may genuinely be the girls' parent. After a fight with Iustitia at the airport, Bayonetta gifts Cereza with a ribbon from her hair, along with the advice to never lose something she loves. In this case, Cereza's own watch, a present she claims her mother gave her on her birthday. The girl vows never to take the watch off and wears it around her neck.
Though further battles and gradual reveals of her past life, Bayonetta meets Jeanne one final time at the Isla Del Sol. Jeanne reveals the truth at long last. 500 years ago, a law between the Witches and Sages compelled them to stay separate as the intersection of both light and dark would bring destruction. However, a child was born between a Witch and Sage in violation of this tenet: Bayonetta. Her birth sent the clans into a spiral of chaos and brought about their eventual extinction. The two witches fight all across the island city and Bayonetta is finally able to best her opponent for good. Jeanne reveals that the pair of them used to be friends as children and that she sealed Bayonetta away in her coffin all those years ago in order to keep the Left Eye safe from the forces of Paradiso. Before narrowly saving Bayonetta from an incoming missile strike at the cost of her life, she refers to her old friend by her true name, Cereza.
Bayonetta reaches the top of the Ithavoll Tower to confront the person behind her journey; the last of the Lumen Sages and her own father, Balder. Balder explains that Cereza is actually Bayonetta's younger self brought from the past to the present and that the experiences the girl had in this time zone would help to reawaken Bayonetta's memories in the present. He also reveals that the Eyes of the World are not gemstones, but people and that Bayonetta herself is the Left Eye whilst he is the Right. She engages in battle with him and despite having to use all of her strength to defeat him, she eventually shoots him down in the forehead with the lipstick formerly belonging to her mother. With Cereza safe, Bayonetta uses the portal Balder has in his office to return the girl to her real time and reminds her that there is nothing she cannot do.
However, upon returning to the present, Bayonetta is suddenly struck down with pain as Balder rises from their fight seemingly unhurt. Upon sending back Cereza, the girl never forgot Bayonetta's advice and continued to wear her Umbran Watch around her chest until she was grown up. When Jeanne tried to seal her away in the past, the ritual failed because of the watch and Bayonetta never lost her memories. Now fully restored, they awakened the Left Eye within her and she is promptly taken to the heavens in order to reawaken Jubileus, The Creator as part of Balder's plan.
Jeanne, having saved herself from death and broken free from Balder's mind control, follows the Ithavoll Tower's ascent into space to revive Jubileus and manages to break Bayonetta free from the giant statue that would serve as the goddess' body. With a reminder for her to finish this, Jeanne floats off into space and Bayonetta vows to do the deed. Balder is killed by the resurrection and the witch clashes with Jubileus in a final showdown that could decide the fate of the universe. Through her combat prowess and the help of Jeanne to summon Queen Sheba, Bayonetta sends Jubileus hurtling into the sun and plummets back to Earth with her friend in tow.
Some time later, Rodin, Luka and Enzo are all attending Bayonetta's apparent funeral after assuming she died in the descent. However, the nun overseeing the ceremony is revealed to be Jeanne and the funeral was another ruse to lure the angels there for another pact fulfilling fight. As the two witches fight on, Bayonetta places a bud of rosemary behind her ear and remarks how it signifies remembrance and also now suits her.
Bayonetta: Bloody Fate
Despite slight location differences and minor details, Bayonetta's story in Bloody Fate is much the same as the first game. She travels to Vigrid in the hopes that doing so will reawaken her lost memories and encounters all of the characters and angels that get in her way in her quest to do so. For a detailed overview of all the changes in Bloody Fate, see here.
Bayonetta 2
After the events of the first game and defeating Jubileus, Bayonetta is in the middle of doing some Christmas shopping whilst dragging Enzo along in tow to carry her wealth of presents. She meets Jeanne, who explains she was looking into something that relates to how both Paradiso and Inferno seem to be acting strangely in regards to things that happened in the previous game. A fly-over the city by the aerial acrobatics display team Platinum Stars is suddenly hijacked by angels and Bayonetta takes to the skies to battle them. Jeanne quickly follows suit on her own hijacked jet. The two witches team up to take down a larger angel and Bayonetta summons Gomorrah to finish it off.
However, something goes wrong. Gomorrah escapes from his portal, lashing out at Bayonetta who is only barely pushed out of the way in time by Jeanne. Jeanne takes the hit instead, knocking her soul loose from her body and, as part of a witch's contract, sending her soul down to Inferno. Despite being able to win against the demon, Bayonetta is left with her friend's lifeless body. At the Gates of Hell, Rodin explains that Jeanne is not truly dead as a soul needs to be completely absorbed by another realm in order to be permanently lost. Bayonetta asks about whether the real entrance to Inferno could be used to save her. Though Rodin doesn't feel optimistic of her chances, he gives Bayonetta Jeanne's Umbran Watch as a reminder of how much time she would have before it's too late. If Bayonetta is able to bring the watch to Jeanne's soul, then she can be revived in the human world once again. With this in mind, Bayonetta then grabs Enzo again to take her there. Along the way, she learns that the sacred mountain of Fimbulvent contains a portal to Inferno that has so far never been found by human hands. With no other choice and a determination to save Jeanne, Bayonetta travels to Fimbulventr to find the literal gates of hell.
Upon arriving in Noatun , the town at the base of Fimbulventr, Bayonetta quickly finds herself fighting off angels and then meets a mysterious boy. Though initially a little at odds with one another, the boy explains how Bayonetta needs his power in order to reach Fimbulventr and that he needs to head there anyway. Introducing himself as Loki, Bayonetta strikes a deal with him to protect him from their assailants if he will show her the way to the mountain. Their journey to the mountain suffers various setbacks from angels and demons alike and Bayonetta also finds herself facing off against a Lumen Sage who seems intent on killing her guide. Luka also shows up in Noatun, keen to help with his journalism skills in order to help her out. It is here that she is first told about the legend of Aesir.
Eventually, the pair of them reach the real Gates of Hell, only to be stopped in their tracks by the Masked Lumen and a spirit projection of Loptr, a mysterious being who seems to know about Loki's identity. Unable to prevent the Masked Lumen from attacking Loki, Bayonetta faces off against Loptr and manages to hold her own until he beats her back. Loptr then encourages her to 'see' with the power of the Left Eye and shows her a vision of the past using the Remembrance of Time. Bayonetta is shocked to see that her father was not responsible for the Witch Hunts and that he tried to save her mother from her death before he was snatched away. She also manages to see a figure resembling Loki as the murderer before she snaps back to the present. As Loptr explains that it is the truth as it really happened, the Masked Lumen prepares to strike Loki down. The boy fires his cards at the Gates behind them and tells Bayonetta to jump in with him to escape. She complies and wakes to find herself in Inferno. Realising she has little time to rescue Jeanne, she makes her way into its depths.
Bayonetta finally makes her way into an infernal palace made of plant-life with some help from Rodin, eventually coming into conflict with the demoness Alraune. The demon has taken Jeanne's soul for her own in order to become more powerful and eventually rise up through the struggle for power that rages in Inferno. Realising that Bayonetta is an Umbra Witch as well as the fact she has a pact with Madama Butterfly, Alraune savagely attacks but is eventually no match for Bayonetta's powers. Before the witch can deal the final blow, Rodin interevenes and instead seals Alraune in a new weapon for Bayonetta to use. Bayonetta finally rescues Jeanne's soul and reunited it with the watch. When her friend doesn't initially wake up, Bayonetta falters and pleads with her to open her eyes. To her relief, she has made it and Jeanne begins to return to her body. As she leaves, Jeanne warns Bayonetta that something big is going to happen to world. With her mission complete, Bayonetta turns her attention back to Loki, who she realises is being attacked by the Masked Lumen. Intervening in their fight, the Masked Lumen reveals his true identity as a younger Balder and the pair fight once again. Just as he has gained the upper hand, Loki reappears and lets out an uncontrollable shockwave of blue energy, sweeping up Balder and Bayonetta into it.
Bayonetta finds herself 500 years in the past in Vigrid, during the Witch Hunts. To her shock, she meets Rosa alive and well and the two witches team up to fight back against the influx of angels determined to destroy their sanctuary. Aiding her mother in combat with both her powers and an Umbran mech armour, Bayonetta meets the younger version of Loptr. It's here that she realises her mother's eventual murderer would be Loptr, not Loki, and she instantly takes to battle. However, she is blasted away in an explosion and finds herself in the Crescent Valley. Balder, who has been transported back in time with her, meets with her and the pair enter the sanctuary to find Loptr having just killed Rosa. Bayonetta, realising that Loptr is the true enemy of Balder and not Loki, opens a portal back to her time and implores her father to follow her. As she leaves, she whispers 'Mummy...' under her breath in a final farewell to Rosa.
In the present day, with the help of a revived Jeanne in a fighter jet, Bayonetta and Balder make it to Fimbulventr to witness the older Loptr having taken hold of Loki. Loptr explains that he and Loki are two halves of the same soul and that together they were originally Aeisr. However, the good part of Aesir had split them apart when he had divided his power into the Eyes of the World. Loptr, the evil half of Aesir, had decided to take the Eyes back for his own use and to regain Aesir's power to rule over the realm. After Balder has the Right Eye taken from him, Bayonetta fights back valiantly against Loptr, but is ultimately subdued and has the Left Eye removed. Loptr, now having gained the power of his original self, mocks human free will, but Bayonetta scoffs at the motion and takes to battle again. With some help from Loki, who uses his remaining power to destroy the Eyes and weaken Loptr back to his original state, Bayonetta and Balder summon together and bring forth a fusion of Jubileus and Queen Sheba. The hybrid kicks at Loptr, propelling his physical body out to the ocean where a Jeanne-summoned Gomorrah lies in wait.
As Loptr's soul tries to escape to the spirit realm to be reborn elsewhere and try his plan again, Balder intervenes and absorbs the evil half, despite warnings from Loki that Loptr will poison his thoughts with pure evil intent. Bayonetta pleads her father not to do this and Balder reveals that he knew she was Cereza all along. He makes Bayonetta promise to be the one to stop him should he ever stray from his path thanks to Loptr and she obliges in his request to call him "Daddy" once more. She cries after him when he is transported back into his time, finally realising that he was not to blame for his schemes with Jubileus. Loki, having now done what he set out to do, begins to fade away. Bayonetta asks whether she'll see him again the boy replies that they may do so in the future when he is reborn again.
Several days pass since the events at Fimbulventr and Bayonetta and Jeanne are enjoying another shopping trip to take advantage of the after holiday sales. As the pair witness Luka helping Rodin out with advertising his bar, a woman and a baby in a pram walk by just as one of Loki's cards flutters out of it. Implying that his return would be sooner than she thought, Bayonetta then remembers that she completely forgot about Enzo. Upon realising that she left him flying a plane, Enzo returns in that plane with angels in pursuit. Despite her annoyance at ruining another dress, Bayonetta takes to the plane wings with Jeanne to fight against their aggressors as always.
Weapons
Bayonetta is able to use a variety of weapons that can be used in combination with one another, ranging from firearms to melee based equipment. Her signature set of weapons is a collection of four magical guns that she can fire from both hands and feet as part of the Bullet Arts. In the first game, she wields Scarborough Fair. In the second, her guns are Love Is Blue.
For a more detailed list of the weapons she can use in both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2, see Weapons.
Personality
For most of the first game, Bayonetta can be seen as a calm character whose approach to her deal with Inferno is one of casual disregard. Often treating her weapons as mere tools to get the job done, save for her favorite set of guns, she appears to enjoy her situation as a way to vent her hidden sadistic nature. She rather enjoys fighting angels in a playful yet brutal manner and she maintains her cool even when up against powerful angels such as the Auditos. At the beginning of the game, she comes off as callous and nonchalant towards the other characters, though later on becomes much more caring and concerned for their well-being. This is seen mostly after she claims not to care much about children, but becomes attached to Cereza. Bayonetta also cares about her clan deeply the more she remembers, coming to despise her father for influencing the Witch Hunts. Bayonetta tends to enjoy using her sexuality as a means to an end in more instances than not, especially when it comes to teasing Luka by scaring him or by sensually playing with him. These traits are generally carried over into the anime film Bloody Fate, although some of her softer aspects are exemplified.
In the second game, Bayonetta has built up her former friendship from the past with Jeanne once again and seems to enjoy having an ally to help her out with her contract. However, as demonstrated when a demon summon goes wrong, she is not slow to turn against her demonic 'pets' if they do not follow her instructions. Her determination truly shows itself when she is willing to travel to Inferno itself if it means being able to rescue her friend. Much like with her encounters with Cereza in the first game, Bayonetta shows a degree of protection towards the mysterious child she encounters and is visibly shocked, but quick to adjust to the presence of a Lumen Sage reappearing.
Appearance
Bayonetta
Bayonetta's appearance in the first game
Bayonetta is portrayed as a tall, beautiful, young woman with a slender but curvy figure much like the other Umbra Witches in her clan. She has black hair wrapped into a beehive-like hairdo and gray eyes with a mole located at bottom of her left cheek close to her lips. Her main attire is composed of a skin-tight suit made out of her hair that has a rose design on the abdomen with long white gloves, black and gray heels, thin gold chains, three small belts strapped on each arm, and a pair of gold, cat-shaped earrings. Her signature look is made from her glasses that have the design of butterfly wings close to the lenses.
Bayonetta wears an Umbran Watch over her bust that contains a red jewel thought to be the Left Eye. Four metal symbols are attached to her hair, three of them in the shape of the crescent moon and the other is the symbol of the Umbra Witches. Bayonetta also has a hair ribbon wrapped around her hairdo that extends down to to her legs, covered in demonic language. At the end of the game, she wears a rosemary flower in her hair.
Because of her hair based fighting techniques, Bayonetta's outfit becomes more revealing when she uses Wicked Weave techniques. Her suit's inner section remains running up the middle and back of her body and her hair drapes over her chest to cover it, but the rest of the suit and the sleeves of hair vanish and trail outwards from her head in a spiral of hair and gold chain used to summon the demonic limbs. When summoning full demons, the entire suit disappears and leaves behind her gloves, shoes and watch.
Bayonetta also has alternate outfits that can be bought at The Gates of Hell. Some outfits are composed as Umbran Elegance, which only appear when activated and when using the weapon related to the elegance (Durga, Kulshedra, Odette, Lt. Col. Kilgore, and Sai Fung). Others can be worn using the Super Mirror once that, and the individual costumes are bought. She can even dress up as famous Nintendo characters Link, Samus Aran and Princess Peach in new costumes, featured in the Wii U port of the first game.
Bayonetta: Bloody Fate
Bayonetta's appearance in Bloody Fate is very similar to her appearance in the first game with a few slight differences. Her earrings have changed to golden crescent moon shapes with red jewels at their tops and the medallions hanging from her 'sleeves' of hair have been removed. The black pattern around her wrists has also changed to a simple ring of black and the extra loop of leather above her shoes has been removed as well. Apart from these changes, she still retains her former outfit's major features.
Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta's new look in Bayonetta 2
In the sequel, Bayonetta retains the use of a skin tight black suit, though the designs of the previous suit have been radically altered. The gold chains have been removed and replaced with thinner silver ones and jagged patterns resembling roses and thorns are placed along her thighs and stomach. Her gloves have changed to include a dark blue colour on the palms with a Renaissance-style flair added onto each wrist. A similar flair is also around the collar on her neck. The backs of her legs feature a diamond pattern than run from her upper thighs down to her heels, which expose her skin and her shoes feature a new design of black and silver linings with silver figurines somewhat resembling Madama Butterfly-or another female figure-along the back. The former sleeves formed by her hair have now become a cloak that drapes over her shoulders and front with points on top of either shoulder. Both the cloak's medallion decorations and her earrings have changed to form a blue triangle-like pattern with hexagons. Her glasses are of a new design based upon the imagery of rosemary and her Umbran Watch now hangs from a chain on her chest from the collar.
The biggest noticeable change to Bayonetta, however, is her hairstyle. As opposed to the beehive-style hairdo in the first game, she now has her hair appear shorter similar to a pixie cut. At E3 2014, director Yusuke Hashimoto confirmed that Bayonetta did not actually cut her hair, but was able to give it its current appearance along with her new outfit thanks to her magic being able to control its look.
The development team mentioned how Bayonetta's new suit was supposed to look like leather in a pre-release trailer, but the E3 2013 trailer confirmed that it is still spun out of her own hair when she uses her Wicked Weaves and summons Infernal Demons. The suit disappears in much the same way as the first when using Wicked Weaves, with the middle of the suit remaining whilst the rest of the hair forms in a spiral of black and silver chain. Though still revealing it all when summoning fully manifested demons, Bayonetta is able to retain her suit after such a summoning and is able to continue fighting with all of her previous look intact.
It has been confirmed that Umbran Elegances have returned, with at least Kafka and Rakshasa having them. The Raksasha Umbran Elegance removes the midriff of Bayonetta's costume and gives her a veil covering her mouth along with some sort of hair accessory, giving the outfit a more Indian-inspired spin to go with the blade's basis. The hair left behind during Wicked Weaves also now resembles a bikini, with a skirt resembling the veil covering her bottom half during such occasions. The Kafka Umbran Elegance on the other hand gives her a green hat capped with yellow feathers, as well as a red scarf around her neck. This makes her bare a liking to Robin Hood, likely due to Kafka's role as a bow and arrow.
Abilities
Bayonetta
Bayonetta has an unprecedented skill for the Bullet Arts and shows near mastery of a new weapon whenever she picks it up. She is a highly proficient combatant, able to effortlessly slay the many angels sent to kill her and even defeat the Auditio without exerting much effort. She has even bested Jeanne in combat on several occasions.
She also possesses immense superhuman strength and endurance, shown on numerous occasions of being able to kick a building and send it flying like it weighed nothing, send a crashing satellite flying with one hit, throwing around things as big as Fortitudo (then proceeding to rip off one of his dragon heads) or heavyweight vehicles and being hit head-on by a building and only staggering back slightly.
Bayonetta has superhuman speed and agility, performing somersaults, back flips, etc. with ease. She also appears to be extremely perceptive, able to dodge attacks from all directions through anticipating her enemy movements in battle.
Like other Umbra Witches, Bayonetta can use Witch Time, Witch Walk (the ability to walk on vertical surfaces during full moons), Wicked Weaves, Torture Attacks and Beast Within (the ability to change into animals; a panther for speed, a bird for temporary flight and bats to avoid attacks).
If facing against larger opponents like the Auditio, Bayonetta is able to unleash a "Serious Mode". Now with long flowing hair from her hairdo rather than her sleeves, she is able to unleash a Wicked Weave with every attack she performs and cause immense damage to her foes. With the Climax Brace equipped, Bayonetta is able to use "Serious Mode" permanently.
Bayonetta also showcases other abilities that are not used in regular combat. In "The Broken Sky", she is shown to have a cryokinetic ability while in Witch Time by moulding rainwater into a spear then blowing on it to freeze it. In "The Lumen Sage", after she defeats Balder, she shows the ability to travel through time by bringing Cereza back to her proper timeline (though probably through similar means as Balder did since she uses a window that he had in his tower as a doorway). She can also enhance and hotwire vehicles with her magic, seen when she uses her middle finger to hijack a motorcycle and make it reach amazing speeds. She can also perform an Infernal Kiss during the end of a verse.
If she is crushed by the Golem in its ball form (or any other large ball-shaped object), Bayonetta will be comically flattened and will lose a very small bit of health. It is very likely that she has the ability to do this to herself in order to reduce the pain and impact, as any of the angels crushed by the Golem stay 3D and take a lot of damage.
Bayonetta also serves as the final boss of the Lost Chapter: Angel Slayer, Verse 5. She uses the same techniques and moves that Jeanne does in fights with her, but her Wicked Weaves do more damage and are faster in comparison
Bayonetta 2
In Bayonetta 2, Bayonetta's mastery of the Bullet Arts has improved. With new movements and attacks to accompany her, her combat style has become more violent and fast-paced, the speed of her various flips and movements having increased compared to her exploits in Vigrid. She is also able to fire more bullets during her attacks and through more of her guns at once towards the enemy.
Bayonetta has also obtained the power of the Umbran Climax. When activated, which requires a full magic gauge to do so, she is able to use Wicked Weaves for all of her attacks for the duration of her magic gauge being used, similar to her use of "Serious Mode" against the Auditio. The damage and range of her attacks increases and she is able to fully manifest the Infernal Demons as finishing attacks against her foes.
Attacks
Wicked Weaves
In addition to her guns, Bayonetta can manipulate her hair with demonic arts to achieve several superhuman feats using the power of Madama Butterfly.. When she jumps, she can create butterfly-like wings on her back that allow her to float for a short amount of time. While fighting her opponents she can use her hair to pummel enemies with weaves shaped like giant fists and high-heeled shoes of Madama Butterfly.
In Bayonetta 2, a new variant of the Wicked Weaves were introduced. Called Infernal Weaves, Bayonetta is able to fully manifest demons like Malphas and Madama Butterfly as finishing moves in her attacks whenever she has activated Umbran Climax.
Climax Attacks
When Bayonetta has beaten certain powerful enemies into submission, she can summon monstrous attacks with an ancient chant that calls an Infernal Demon from Inferno to destroy her opponents. Depending on the opponent and chant, different demons will come to her aid.
Torture Attacks
When she has obtained enough magic, Bayonetta can torture the angels she faces by summoning various cruel devices that were once used on Umbran Witches in the Witch Hunts. Examples of the devices used include guillotines, iron maidens, wooden horses and hanging chain bear traps. In Bayonetta 2, her repertoire of torture includes spike trap cages, a redesigned bear trap and a treadmill that leads to a wall of spinning blades.
Gallery
- For more pictures and screenshots of Bayonetta (character), click here.
Appearances in Other Media
Anarchy Reigns
Bayonetta appears as a playable character in the game Anarchy Reigns (Max Anarchy in Japan), an online beat 'em up developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega.
The Wonderful 101
Bayonetta in The Wonderful 101
Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Rodin appear as secret unlockable playable characters in The Wonderful 101.
Trivia
- Bayonetta is voiced by Hellena Taylor in all of her English appearances and was initially the only voice for Bayonetta upon the first game's initial release in Japan. Hideki Kamiya explained in an interview that he wanted a British accented voice actor for Bayonetta, because witches were more of a European myth than Japanese. Bayonetta's Japanese voice actress for the Wii U version of Bayonetta, Bloody Fate and Bayonetta 2 is Atsuko Tanaka who also shares her voice with Trish from Devil May Cry, Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost In The Shell and Hibana From Kunoichi.
- Bayonetta claims to have a fondness for stuffed animals, most likely carried over from her younger self's toy Cheshire.
- When Bayonetta says "Let's rock, baby!" when fighting Iustitia, she is making a reference to Enrique from Death by Degrees, who says this in the intro of the first game, and Dante in the first Devil May Cry game.
- When the Lost Chapter of the first game is unlocked, the post that Bayonetta makes is very similar to Trish's in the Devil May Cry logo.
- Before fighting Fortitudo in the Chapter IV of the first game, Bayonetta says "Flock off, feather-face!". During particular combos in both games, she will also say "Flock off!". This is a reference to the first Devil May Cry where Dante says the same thing to Griffon before fighting him.
- In a scene during Chapter III of the first game, Bayonetta surfs on a wave of lava and says "Dancin'-a-go-go, baby!" which is a reference to Viewtiful Joe, another game from Hideki Kamiya.
- Bayonetta's watch contains the numbers 14111219. It represents the year/month/date of Bayonetta's birthday, which is December 19, 1411.
- The opening scene of the game shows the Umbran Elder stating that Bayonetta must be kept away from the dark arts of the Umbra Witches, but would be raised amongst them. However, as the daughter of both an Umbra Witch and Lumen Sage, it can be assumed that Bayonetta had the capability to gain either of their abilities. This is later hinted at further by Rosa's dialogue in Bayonetta 2 where states that Bayonetta had the potential to inherit both of the Eyes of the World.
- The ribbons that Bayonetta initally wears in her hair read the word "BAYONETTA" in demonic script, which is supposed to hint where she got her modern alias from. According to Enzo in Bloody Fate, the name "Bayonetta" was given to her by Rodin. The ribbons were originally supposed to be the things that bound the hands and feet of dead Witches in their resting places, as shown in the Eyes of Bayonetta artbook.
- Bayonetta's ability to weave her magic through her hair is a reference to an old European belief that women with long hair were more likely to be targeted by incubi, which later evolved into the idea that witches used their hair in magic.
- When playing as Jeanne in either game, the outfit that resembles Bayonetta's default look is referred to as a 'battle uniform' of the Umbra Witches. It can be assumed from this that Bayonetta's outfit is the usual outfit Umbra Witches would wear when in battle.
- Bayonetta's shadow is not her own, but resembles her demonic contract partner Madama Butterfly.
- In his commentary for the first game, Hideki Kamiya calls Bayonetta's "Serious Mode" one of the first tested basic designs for the character that was rejected because the hair would cloak the figure. During playthroughs, developers realized that Bayonetta has a hard time fighting big bosses with her usual attacks and thus, Serious Mode was born, where every attack creates a Wicked Weave; the older character design was then reused to spice the scene up.
- When in Beast Within form, a trail of black roses and skull-headed flowers are left wherever Bayonetta runs. This is seemingly a reference to Okami, where, depending on how fast Amaterasu is running, grass or flowers bloom in an identical manner.
- In his commentary, Hideki Kamiya mentions that at some point in development a teenage version of Bayonetta was present in the game, linked to an older version of Magic Gauge - the Gauge used to replenish with time, and if the player would use up all the orbs, Bayonetta would morph into this teenage version of herself. When the way the Magic Gauge works was changed, teenage Bayonetta was dropped too.
- In both games, you can never see Bayonetta without her glasses. In one of the cutscenes in the first game before fighting Temperantia, she does take them off, but her face remains off-camera. In his commentary, Hideki Kamiya mentions that one of the developers once said: "For Bayonetta, her glasses are like her underwear: never let yourself be seen without them".
- If Bayonetta shoots idly at a wall, she will start writing her initials and hearts with the bullets.
- When Bayonetta draws on Luka's face with the lipstick in the first game, she draws the circle similar to that of Amaterasu from Okami on his forehead, along with whiskers and an animal’s mouth.
- Bayonetta's ability to transform into a crow and a panther, are similar to a concept in Okami that had Amaterasu transforming into a dolphin and a falcon—although unlike Bayonetta, the idea did not appear in the final version of Okami.
- Bayonetta was going to be included in the Sega crossover kart-racing game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed as a playable character, but according to a forum post from the developers, she was scrapped because the developers had trouble trying to keep her in-character without the ESRB/PEGI rating potentially going up.
- Jubileus, The Creator roughly resembles Bayonetta, especially regarding Jubileus' wearing eyewear similar to Bayonetta's butterfly glasses, a similar hairdo and something similar to her Umbran Watch on her chest. According to Hideki Kamiya in the official artbook commentary, this design was intentional as Jubileus, Bayonetta and Queen Sheba are supposed to represent the most powerful beings in their respective dimensions.
- Bayonetta's intolerance of crying babies and cockroaches is referenced in The Wonderful 101, when one of the later bosses calls the titular superheroes "crying baby cockroaches".
- When questioned if Bayonetta and Jeanne were blood related, Hideki Kamiya stated that they are not related by blood but are just of the same clan. He elaborated that Bayonetta is of English descent whilst Jeanne is French.
- Bayonetta's long taunt in Bayonetta 2 is "If you need to learn how to talk to a lady, ask your mum." This is a reference to Hideki Kamiya, who frequently responds to questions asked of him on Twitter with "Ask your mom."
Quotes
Bayonetta
- "You've played enough hide and seek, my scurrying little friend!"
- "I'm sorry. I forgot to mention one of the reasons I hunt your kind. You're much too ugly not to put out of your misery."
- "You know, you're not nearly so ugly when you're screaming."
- "Yours is a face only a mother could love, and one I could never forget. If only I could remember where from…"
- "I'm not much for the talkative types. How about we have a little fun, instead? You did plan on having fun with me, right? There'll be plenty of time for pillow talk afterwards."
- "Bugger! And I didn't make any time for pillow talk."
- "Hello there, Cheshire!"
- "How odd. You seem to know where I'm going before I do. Yet you don't seem to know how to drive a car in a straight line."
- "Oh my… That was bloody amazing."
- "Another one looking to line his pockets. Huh, I'm beginning to see why Enzo is so fond of you.
- Rodin: "Real cute. But let's get one thing straight, your fights are yours alone. I'm only here to watch my handiwork in action. So don't get any bright ideas about coming to me for help."
- "No, you get one thing straight. I'm not the slightest bit interested in the fact that you made these guns. If you get in my way, I will, how do the Americans put it? Oh yes. Bust a cap in yo' ass."
- "I feel like a fucking celebrity in this town."
- "Don't worry. It's always scary the first time you see them."
- "Now, where are my new best friends? I suppose one of them is an adult, so they should be okay."
- "You're absolutely delusional. If I leave her, he'll never shut up about it. And his whining is twice as irritating as anything the child could muster."
- "Another talkative type. I don't think I've got time to entertain your blather. I'd much rather hear it straight from your boss."
- "So where was I? Oh yes. Your kind invitation. I do hope you've prepared dessert as well. Oh what a lovely tea party! And dancing, too! Cereza, my dear, watch and learn!"
- "If there's two things I hate in this world, it's cockroaches and crying babies! Well, a crying baby cockroach would be truly terrible… So don't you dare cry."
- "Tentacles! Why did it have to be tentacles?!"
- "You know the rules: no cockroaches or crying babies."
- "Where the hell am I? I better have got frequent flyer miles for that flight."
- "Juu'nen hayain dayo!"
- "As long as there's music, I'll keep on dancing."
- "I can't help it if I like the little outfits. The toys are nice, too."
- “When you love something, never lose it. Understand, little one? You must keep it safe, close to your heart.”
- "Put your foot down, Cheshire! I'll take care of our little pest problem."
- "I've often seen a girl without lipstick, but lipstick without a girl!? Most curious, isn't it Cheshire?"
- "Come now, Cheshire. Look at me. Do I look like I have any interest in children? Now making them… Well, that's another story."
- "In the language of flowers, rosemary equates to remembrance… Suits me now, doesn't it?"
- "Do you naughty little angels deserve a good spanking?!"
- "Let's dance, boys!"
- "I should be a pole dancer!"
- "Don't fuck with a witch!"
Bayonetta 2
- "You know what I need? Some heels without guns."
- "A Lumen Sage… cheeky! No one bothered telling me any of your kind survived."
- "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."
- "You know, I try to avoid doing this in my Sunday best."
- "This is why I never buy anything on sale..."
- "Now it's time to be naughty."
- "I'm not one for pets who don't listen to their masters."
- "Let the real Santa take care of the presents. Now let's go."
- "I can't believe you, Enzo. I didn't know the in-flight service was exclusive to fat Italians."
- "Sorry, Enzo, this is where I get off. Say hi to the wife and kids for me!"
- "Jeanne...I'm on my way. Just behave yourself for a bit longer."
- "I'm afraid I don't have time to dance too long. A friend is waiting for me."
- "You seem to have skipped school the day they taught basic negotiation skills. You're supposed to negotiate from a position of strength, little one. Not just be a one trick pony."
- "More tricks, little magician? Maybe you've got more to offer than I expected. For the time being though, stay here and don't get frisky."
- "Just don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, Cheshire."
- "Where did you learn that trick, little one? I've never seen a witch--or a sage, for that matter-- pull off something like that."
- "Right, let's go. I've got a party and I've no intention of being late."
- "I don't recall asking for your permission. Oh, and I was wrong about our final destinations. Going down."
- "Fuck! The boy! Forgot about that..."
- "What kind of adult picks on little children?"
- "Trust me, little one, he's not my type."
- "Oh my… you're a Lumen Sage!?"
- "I think my friends and I might have had a falling out. Why would Infernals be after me...?"
- "Good to know some of you are keeping your part of the contract."
- "I came to pick up a friend. It's almost her curfew."
- "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the most persistent stalker I've met yet."
- "Wonderful!! That's the second dress in a month!"
Taunts
- "Your halo is mine!"
- "Bring it!"
- "You want to touch me?!"
- "Come on!"
- "I've got a fever, and the only cure is more dead angels!"
- "Let's dance!"
- "If you need to learn how to talk to a lady, ask your mum!"
- "New 'do, dead you."
- "Boring"
- "Don't make me beg."
- (when wearing the Chain Chomp weapon) "Mama-mia!"
Activating Witch Time
- "Nice try!"
- "Not quite!"
- "Can't touch me!"
- "Too late!"
- "So close…"
- "Almost!"
- "Is that all you've got?"
- "Got you!"
Character Selection/Tag Climax
- "Ah! You want to play with Bayonetta?"
- "You've got the right eye for talent."
- "Shall we?"
- "Did I hog the spotlight?"
Wicked Weaves
- "Die!"
- "Flock off!"
- "Kiss this!"
- "Boom!"
- "Twist!"
- "Smashing!"
- "Fire!"
- "Bingo!"
- "See ya!"
- "Excellent!"
Anarchy Reigns
- "Bad Boy..."
Character Relationships
- Jeanne - Childhood friend/Former rival/Clan sister
- Cereza - Younger self
- Luka - Ally
- Balder - Father/Enemy
- Rosa - Mother
- Rodin - Informant/Merchant
- Enzo - Informant
- Loki - Ally
- Masked Lumen - Rival/Enemy
External Links
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