This article is about the weapons dealer Rodin. You may be looking for his angelic version, his demonic version, or the weapon.Rodin is a weapons dealer, a bartender, and the proprietor of the Gates of Hell. He is a renowned demon weaponsmith and is responsible for creating Bayonetta's sets of pistols, Scarborough Fair and Love Is Blue. He is a fallen angel and tells Bayonetta that he will trade her items from his shop for halos that she collects from the Angels she kills, claiming they are worth a fortune 'downstairs'.
If Bayonetta brings him a golden LP, Rodin uses its angelic melody to lure the demonic creatures of Inferno out of their lairs so that he can craft weapons out of them. He seems to become very tired and heavily injured after doing so, suggesting Rodin must fight them in order to create these weapons.
Rodin returns in Bayonetta 2as one of the new playable characters for the Tag Climax multiplayer mode.
There is a place beloved by wanted men and rogues, where money and power rule all. It is where I have established my office. Those who call this place by its given name are instantly identified as newcomers, as the tired hands of this rathole all call it by a single name only – The Dump.
Bloody battles and dirty disputes over money are an everyday occurrence here, and the concept of concern for one’s fellow man was long since lost on The Dump’s denizens. What the people here are after, what they love to see, is not of this world.
They thirst for the uproar only the occult can inspire. The appearance of a spectre, a man being devoured by a demon… these are the snacks they eat as they drink and cavort in The Dump’s numerous watering holes. It is this place that I have come on my pilgrimage in search of a grasp on reality.
The Dump is a wretched hive for all sorts of scum and villainy; home to everyone from black market business men, to informants, and devil hunters in between. But amongst them all, one man is particularly strange. His name is Rodin, proprietor of “The Gates of Hell” bar. His front may be that of a bartender, but rumor has it he is actually an arms dealer. Of course, if a man such as myself were to visit his establishment, there is no way all of his secrets would be laid bare; however, I can tell just by the air around him that he is a dangerous man. Unlike the standard assortment of thugs in this place, his is a sort of danger on a truly different level. According to my colleagues, if one carries enough clout here, Rodin is known to provide a gun or blade should the fee prove satisfactory.
That is all I have been able to wring out of people here. There are also rumours that if you enter the bar from some sort of hidden entrance, he will provide you things money cannot buy… Or so sayeth the gossips in this occult obsessed town. They even go so far as to say these things are not made via normal means, but are weapons made from materials available only in Inferno.
In The Dump there are enough rumours to rot one’s ears, and if I hadn’t seen the fresco of the Trinity of Realities, a staple of the Vigridian religions, on Rodin’s wall, I would have dismissed talk of him as nothing more than these tall tales. In any case, if I am to fully investigate this man’s secrets, I will surely be able to obtain the truth I so desperately seek.
However, aimless sniffing around in this town is a great way to wind up dead. I’ll have to be prudent and not leave things to chance.
Powers & Abilities
As an immortal demon, Rodin has the abilities of superhuman strength, some level of invulnerability, and levitation. He also has the unique ability to open portals to the deepest depths of Inferno. As a very brilliant and creative weaponsmith, he can create many kinds of weapons with the souls he captures from Inferno with incredible powers. In addition, he's able to perform pyrokenesis to produce purple fires from his fingers to light up his cigar. He is also shown to be able to create a shockwave which can knock over angels.
In Bayonetta 2, Rodin is shown to be a powerful combatant, only fighting bare-handed. Also included is his ability to make giant materializations of his fists similar to Wicked Weaves, shooting lasers from his eyes, and creating shockwaves.
In Bloody Fate he is shown to be able to summon weapons he has created, which he does to give Bayonetta both the Elfin Knight and Scarborough Fair.
Quotes
Bayonetta
"Next time you wanna lay hands on me, you better make sure I'm dead."
"GO!!!"
"Beautiful!"
"If it ain't my good buddy, Enzo. How about you get outta here? You die and I'm gonna have to back in that hole chasin' after the money you owe me."
"Enzo, her drinks are goin' on your tab, buddy. You dead-beat motherfucker."
"Hey, check this out: "Whadda ya buyin'?" Hehehe, heard that in a game once."
"No matter how much you ask, I'm not puttin' a chainsaw on your arm. Now, what do you want?"
"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."
"You really wanna make a deal with the devil?! ... Relax, I'm just fuckin' with ya."
"You here for business, or pleasure? Either way, I'll hook you up."
"You die and I'm gonna have to go back to that hole chasin' after the money you owe me."
"Another LP? Workin' me to the bone. But no need to pity me, I was bored anyways. Let me go whip some things into shape for ya."
"Hey, if you think you've got enough halos to afford it, how about you show me some love. With enough of those shiny little loops, I can get back to the real me, the old me. Let's get this party started. Shit's gonna get real.
"I gotta hand it to you. You sure let me have my fun. I never thought a girl would beat my ass so hard. But I gotta admit, I kinda liked it. You win... This time, baby."
Bayonetta 2
"Something's up. The balance of powers that keep things in check don't feel right, does it?"
"Dead witches get dragged to hell. It is what it is. Jeanne's gonna wander Inferno sufferin' for eternity. Them's the breaks. 'Cause I don't see no way of saving a soul lost in Hell."
"I can't stop you trying to use 'em, but I don't think you got a chance down there."
"Time's almost up. Bayonetta, you'd better start creating miracles."
"Welcome to the Gates of Hell. We've lit our prices on fire, so there won't be hell to pay... C'mon. I gotta say some cheesy shit sometimes."
"Diplomacy has failed. Thank goodness capitalism still has its place in hell. Let's do business."
"Being a demon lets me read minds... You're thinking, "Shut up and take my halos." Let's do this."
"New shop rules: No shoes. No shirt. No service. Hair doesn't count. Just kidding'! What'll it be?"
"The world famous Rodin's. Where demons and gunsmithing go together like chicken and waffles. Hehe... Sorry. I'm mad hungry. What can I do ya for?"
"You got halos. I got items. Welcome to the foundation of a barter economy."
"Hey... Gimme a minute. I'm playin' this crazy game, and I gotta sprinkle some magic powder on a chicken... (finishes playing) Alright. What can I do for you?"
"Time to do business. What's your pleasure?"
"Damn, woman! I thought I told you to chill?"
"Shiiett... Where'd that come from? Credit where credit is due, you just put your foot straight up my ass. You won this time, but remember, the devil always gets his due."
Taunts
"Enjoy Hell."
"Abandon all hope, ye who fight me."
"Let the games begin!"
"I dont take requests."
"You try to run, waste of time though."
Character Selection/Tag Climax
"This'll cost ya."
"Let's have some fun..."
"Time to let my hair out."
Gallery
For more pictures and screenshots of Rodin, click here.
Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Rodin appear as secret unlockable playable characters in The Wonderful 101.
Super Smash Bros. Wii U/ 3DS
Rodin appears In Super Smash Brothers as a trophy along with Jeanne, Bayonetta, and Cereza.
Trivia
Rodin's name is inspired by Auguste Rodin, a sculptor who made a statue called 'The Gates of Hell' in honor of poet Dante Aligheri's "Inferno" portion of "The Divine Comedy", which is also the name of his bar.
If the player or their respective partner dies as Rodin in Tag Climax, Rodin's body will be suddenly sealed inside a giant block of ice. This is a reference to Satan in Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem "The Divine Comedy"; in which Satan is described as being sealed/imprisoned waist deep in ice due to his treachery against God.
His battle quote, "abandon all hope ye who fight me", is another clear reference to Dante's Inferno in which Inferno's description is, "Abandon all hope ye who enters here".
Rodin is described as a fallen angel and possesses a very similar role to Lucifer/Satan/the Devil of Christian tradition. This is further exemplified by his original angelic form as Father Rodin as well as his true demonic form as Rodin, The Infinite One.
All of the character art for Rodin at the concept level originally depicted his name as "Mephisto"; the name of a German folklore demon most prominently mentioned in the Faust legend and occasionally has been used as another name for the Devil himself. Appropriately, Rodin's role is broadly similar to the traditional devil: a fallen angel who is thwarted and punished from trying to conquer Heaven (and is feared by it) who rules his own "sub-basement" location after his punishment, and jokes about the "deals" he provides Bayonetta.
Throughout the game, Rodin makes references to various other video games.
Telling Bayonetta that he won't attach a chainsaw to her arm is a reference to MadWorld, a game also developed by Platinum Games.
Imitating the Merchant's infamous "Whudya buyin'?" quote from Resident Evil 4's merchant (minus the "stranger" tidbit and claiming that he "heard it in a game once").
Expressing a desire to be a "bald space marine," a clichéd stock character found in many sci-fi shooters.
The Gates of Hell advertisement as seen in MadWorld.
The homerun shot Rodin performs in the prologue during the fight against the angels was to be a tribute to Sadaharu Oh, a Japanese baseball legend known for his homeruns. Also similar to "Home Run God", a move used by the protagonist of God Hand.
His comment on .45s might be a reference to Dante's handguns "Ebony & Ivory" which are of that caliber.
A running gag that occurs in both games is that large objects would always hit Rodin's head and shatter, with Rodin seemingly unaffected and unscathed. He shrugs it off without even noticing.
Another running gag for Rodin is that he would light his cigar by flipping his thumb and the thumb will glow a purplish flame.
Madworld, released when Bayonetta was still in development, had an ad for The Gates of Hell in the subway.
By giving Bayonetta the weapon "Rodin", a pair of rings to be worn on the wrists and ankles, Rodin did technically end up attaching a chainsaw to Bayonetta's arm, though not willingly.
He did so once again in Bayonetta 2, by giving her the Salamandra weapon.
When Rodin returns from Inferno, the blood on his face resembles that of God of War's Kratos' tattoo.
When Rodin's eyes are shown glowing red through his shades, his expression resembles that of Resident Evil antagonist Albert Wesker when he becomes enraged or superhuman.
In the final cutscene of the Prologue, if you pay attention in the background of the real Gates of Hell, you'll see all of the obtainable weapons in the game not yet possessed by demon souls. When you obtain a weapon from Rodin, the corresponding weapon isn't seen anymore in the back when shopping.
Rodin's appearance in The Wonderful 101 marked the first time he was made available as a playable character.
One of Rodin's lines parodies a line from Futurama, specifically the line "Shut up and take my money", although in his case, he swaps out "money" for "halos".
