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Balder. Please take care of Cereza... our dear, sweet child will awaken to her potential... She will awaken to the Eyes of the World... ― Rosa's last words.

Rosa was an immensely skilled and powerful Umbra Witch who was both the wife of Balder and beloved mother of Bayonetta. Imprisoned for defying her clan and breaching an ancient tenet from her union with Balder, she was one of the figures responsible for inadvertently triggering the Clan Wars.[1]

Rosa first appears in Bayonetta during flashbacks and makes her full appearance in both the story and as a playable character in Bayonetta 2. A variant of her from within the multiverse also appears during the events of Bayonetta 3.

She also appears in Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon where her daughter is searching for a way to rescue her from imprisonment.

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An Umbra Witch unparalleled in skill, thought to possibly be the strongest in the entire history of the clan. Mother of Cereza.

Falling in love with a Lumen Sage, she broke the sacred vows of the Umbra and bore a child with him, resulting in her eternal imprisonment.

She has never revealed why she would go against Umbran teachings and have forbidden relations with a Lumen, but she has accepted her isolation without the slightest resistance, despite all the power she possesses. This has led many to think she understood and agreed to the consequences of her actions before even taking them.

Some of the Umbra even sympathise with her plight, overlooking her daughter Cereza sneaking to her cell, or even finding chances for the two to meet.

Cereza's precious stuffed toy was made by Rosa from whatever she could gather. Before being moved to an even further prison, she would often sing lullabies as Cereza would rest against the steel bars of her cell, showing nothing but the deepest maternal love for her precious daughter.

Appearance

Rosa closeup

Close-up view of Rosa

In Bayonetta, Rosa is only seen in Bayonetta's memories. Initially before her imprisonment, she wore a long black dress with a pointed hood and a face mask obscuring her mouth. In concept art, her hair is light brown. She also wears a butterfly mask which she eventually gave to her daughter.

In Bayonetta 2, Rosa sports a design that is an extension of her prison outfit, named the Robes of Banishment. They consist of a black bodysuit with red and gold accents and various loose belts on the limbs. Her hood extends into a split veil and she has chains tied around her neck and wrists. She also wears her rose-shaped Umbran Watch around her neck. The full description in Tag Climax explains Rosa's robes are woven from her own hair, just like Bayonetta's.

In Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, it is revealed that she has a beauty mark on the right side of her chin (in contrast to her daughter's found on the left).

Gameplay

Rosa can be unlocked as playable character in both the Story and Tag Climax modes of Bayonetta 2 by completing the game on 3rd Climax/Hard difficulty.

Alternatively, Rosa can be unlocked earlier at her cheat door found at the start of Chapter 2. This small door is along the right side after the bridge/Muspelheim and just before the small plaza and has an ornate decoration above it next to a breakable green restaurant menu. By tapping three times on the door via the touch screen to make the screen zoom out, enter Up, Down, Up, Right, Left, X, B, Y, A to get a purchase message. Rosa costs 1,000,000 Halos to unlock.

In gameplay, Rosa controls identically to Bayonetta in regards to aspects such as a five dodge limit and triggering Witch Time. She has her own unique Wicked Weaves to represent her pact with Madama Khepri, and also has her own versions of Beast Within to use in traversal. However, Rosa does possess specific traits that help differentiate her from the other playable characters.

All of Rosa's attacks do 3x the damage in comparison to Bayonetta's and her version of Umbran Climax puts her at the controls of the Umbran Armor instead of granting Infernal Weaves. However, Rosa also takes 3x the damage from enemy attacks as a trade-off, meaning that she can be easily defeated if players aren't careful. Rosa is also unable to use any other weapons besides her Unforgiven set of pistols, which share their moveset with Scarborough Fair and All 4 One.

Rosa has no access to any additional costumes, but can still equip all unlocked accessories except for the Earrings of Ruin.

History

Bayonetta

Rosa gives Cereza her watch

Rosa gives Cereza her Umbran Watch.

Over 500 years before the events of the game, Rosa fell in love with the Lumen Sage, Balder, and they conceived a daughter, Cereza. The birth of their child breached a long held law between their two clans that stated "the intersection of light and dark will bring calamity to this world". Upon being discovered, Rosa was imprisoned by her fellow Witches, whereas Balder was exiled from his clan. Cereza was kept in the custody of the Witches, though she was raised an outcast. In the few times they could see each other, Rosa was a loving mother to Cereza, often singing Fly Me to the Moon to her at night and creating her Cheshire doll.[1] For one of her birthdays, Rosa gave Cereza her Umbran Watch.

Balder and Rosa as they confront Fortitudio

Rosa meets Balder once more.

After the conclusion of the Clan Wars, the Witch Hunts soon followed. In a battle at the Witches' European home of Vigrid, Rosa was injured, coming to believe that her long lost lover was responsible for instigating the Hunts as revenge for being exiled from the Sages. However, she was able to reunite with Balder, where he explained that he had been tricked by the forces of Paradiso into triggering the Witch Hunts for their own gain. Sensing that Balder was about to be struck by a figure in the shadows, Rosa protected him, but suffered a fatal wound. In her dying moments, she told Balder to promise to watch over their daughter.[2]

In that same moment, a mysterious force seized Balder, snatching him away just before Cereza and Jeanne entered the chamber. Seeing her mother dead, Cereza would lose the will to fight and was subsequently sealed away by Jeanne to ensure that Paradiso could not obtain the Left Eye.

500 years later, Cereza (now called Bayonetta) uses Rosa's lipstick, a present from Balder to symbolize their love, to shoot the Sage in their final confrontation before the resurrection of Jubileus.

Bayonetta: Bloody Fate

In the anime adaptation of the first game, Rosa's history is similar to its original version, but her death is expanded on in a few ways. Bayonetta and Jeanne both find a dying Rosa amidst the ruins of their home and piles of dead Witches as a maniacal Balder floats menacingly over the scene, having seemingly done the deed done himself. Rosa pleads with her daughter to set Balder free from the madness that has gripped his soul upon being exiled from the Sages and gives Bayonetta her lipstick before passing away. Like in the original game, Bayonetta uses that lipstick as a bullet to kill Balder in their final battle.[3]

Bayonetta 2

Due to Loptr's manipulations of time by bringing Balder to the past as well as Loki's own accidental manipulations due the Remembrances of Time, Rosa's history is slightly changed from its original flow of events.[2]

Bayonetta 2 - Rosa fending off angels and using Witch Time

Rosa fighting the forces of Paradiso.

After Bayonetta arrives in the past during the Witch Hunts, she stumbles upon Rosa who has been freed from her confinement to battle alongside her clan. Dispatching the angels easily, Rosa is surprised to recognize her daughter as an adult, but is unable to say more as they are attacked. With more angels surrounding them, the mother/daughter duo fend off the angels. As Worships appear, Fortitudo also emerges and engages the two witches. With teamwork, both of them manage to throw Fortitudo away from the battlefield.[2]

Bayonetta Rosa One of a Kind

Rosa stand side-by-side with Bayonetta after the destruction of the Clock Tower

Moving throughout the Umbran home in Vigrid, Rosa and Bayonetta call upon the usage of the Umbran Armor, fighting off the powerful Auditio Sapientia and Iustitia, as well as the Worships. As they both reunite after their battle with Iustitia, Rosa and Bayonetta witness Fortitudo blow up the Umbran Clock Tower, with Rosa distraught that the symbol of the Umbra way has been destroyed. The pair then find themselves fighting angels amidst the top of the falling ruins of the Clock Tower itself. After an attack from an Inspired, the ruins are destroyed and the pair are separated from one another.[2]

Bayonetta 2 - Rosa speaks her last words of Balder

Rosa speaks her last words to Balder, asking him to protect their daughter.

Finding herself in Crescent Valley after narrowly losing a fight against Loptr, Bayonetta rushes to the sanctuary and arrives too late to stop him from fatally injuring Rosa. Balder arrives alongside her, realising that Loki, who appears similar to Loptr's young form, is not responsible for the murder of his lover. As Bayonetta pleads for Balder to return to the present, Rosa uses her final moments to once again ask Balder to protect Cereza before she dies.[2]

Abilities

Rosa was a formidable and powerful fighter, capable of dispatching and physically overpowering multiple groups of angels with incredible ease in both hand-to-hand combat and a mastery of the Bullet Arts. She is described as possessing fighting techniques that surpass other Umbra Witches and leaves even the likes of Bayonetta speechless.[4] Although the chains she wears were intended to suppress her magical power, Rosa was able to use numerous magical abilities including levitation and Witch Time at will. As with all the Umbra, she can see into Purgatorio.[2]

Rosa's infernal contract is with Madama Khepri, a demon said to be the Protector of Time and likely the one who granted Rosa her extreme control over Witch Time itself. She is also able to summon a number of other Infernal Demons using her hair in battle.

Quotes

Bayonetta: Bloody Fate

  • "Please, Cereza, you must save him... He is imprisoned by a blinding madness, it's destroying him... Please, save his soul..."
  • "I will always love you, my Balder."

Bayonetta 2

  • "Balder... This war is not your doing."
  • "It's been twenty years since I last saw you... but I kept it safe all this time. The present you gave me... the symbol of our love."
  • "Your face will be the last thing I see. Thank you..."
  • "We will be overrun soon. Gather at the clock tower. We must defend it with all our strength."
  • "Y-You..."
  • "The symbol of the Umbran way... No... There's no way that this could have been his plan!"
  • "This is simply the benefit of training!"
  • "As long as there is light, the shadow remains cast."
  • "Nothing can contain me!"

Taunts

  • "Darkness triumphs!"
  • "Come to mummy!"
  • "Darkness is the absence of light."
  • "Nothing can contain me!"
  • "Want some?"
  • "I stand for the Umbra Witches, overseers of darkness."
  • "You're not even a challenge."
  • "What? Looking for more?"
  • "Where is your honour?!"
  • "No need to hold back!"
  • "Come at me!"

Activating Witch Time

  • "Oh my!"
  • "Well, well!"
  • "Unimpressive!"

Wicked Weaves

  • "Drown!"
  • "Burn!"
  • "Fly!"
  • "Goodbye!"
  • "Leave me!"
  • "Wonderful!"

Character Selection/Tag Climax

  • "I will take care of this!"
  • "I will not lose!"
  • "The Umbra never fail."

Gallery

Bayonetta

Bayonetta: Bloody Fate

Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

Trivia

  • "Rosa" translates to rose in Spanish, fitting with her daughter also having a true Spanish name.
  • The lipstick that Bayonetta shoots at Balder in Bayonetta and Bayonetta Bloody Fate has an inscription on it reading "Balder and Rosa: With Love Until the End of Time".
  • Rosa bears a strong resemblance to Bayonetta's design in the first game, hence why the young Cereza confuses her grown-up self for her mother.
  • Rosa's birthday is April 13, 1380. The Japanese home video release date for Bloody Fate was on Rosa's pre-retconned birthday, February 14, 1385.
  • The poses Rosa strikes in her renders for Bayonetta 2 are the same as Bayonetta's renders from the first game.
  • In the opening stages of Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2, it is possible to get a Bronze or Silver trophy that takes the form of an Umbra Witch bearing a striking resemblance to Rosa. In his commentary, Hideki Kamiya stated that this is intentional as the characters that usually take the place for those trophies (Luka & Cereza in Bayonetta, and Luka & Loki in Bayonetta 2) have not yet been introduced. The statue is used to avoid potential spoilers.
  • Although Rosa can be turned into a child when facing Resentment, she lacks a unique child model, and instead uses Cereza's.
  • If one starts a new game as Rosa, she can briefly wield the Handguns, marking the only time she can wield a weapon other than Unforgiven.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Bayonetta
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Bayonetta 2
  3. Bayonetta: Bloody Fate
  4. Eyes of Bayonetta 2 - "...exhibiting a fighting technique that far surpasses the other witches of her clan, and leaves even Bayonetta speechless"
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