Bayonetta (character): Difference between revisions

Bayonetta's [[beehive hairstyle]] in the first game was an aspect Shimazaki insisted on, using it as an alternative to the usual pointed hat seen on witches. However, despite concerns, Kamiya had no qualms about the hairstyle one way or another. She was additionally given glasses at Kamiya's insistence, intended to differentiate her from other female characters as well as give her a "sense of mystery and intelligence", thoughalthough Shimazaki attributed it to possibly his preference for women with glasses.<ref name="b-design"/> Her guns were modeled after a [[derringer]] pistol, in order to remain convincing and familiar, as well as to make her weapons "capable of rapid fire; a simple, rugged gun". Kamiya approved the idea, on the grounds that he felt the weapon would look "hot" in a female hand.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://platinumgames.com/2009/06/10/the-weapons-of-bayonetta/ |title=The Weapons of Bayonetta |publisher=PlatinumGames, Inc. |access-date=August 3, 2009 |date=June 10, 2009 |author=Kotegawa, Muneyuki |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815050649/http://platinumgames.com/2009/06/10/the-weapons-of-bayonetta/ |archive-date=August 15, 2009 }}</ref> Holsters were additionally considered for her feet, however the developers discarded the idea after feeling it wasn't feminine.<ref name="G4"/>

For ''Bayonetta 3'', the character's English voice was recast, a decision originally attributed by co-director Yusuke Miyata to "various overlapping circumstances"; Tanaka returned to reprise her role in Japanese.<ref name="B3voice"/> Taylor contested Miyata's statement on Twitter, alleging that the reason for leaving the role was Platinum offering her a flat rate of $4,000 for the role; an amount she found "insulting" given the series' commercial success. Her statements, combined with responses to it, prompted online controversy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/bayonetta-voice-actor-hellena-taylor-says-she-didnt-reprise-the-role-in-bayonetta-3-as-she-was-only-offered-4000|title=Bayonetta Voice Actor Hellena Taylor Says She Didn't Reprise the Role in Bayonetta 3 as She Was Only Offered $4,000|author=Bankhurst, Adam|website=[[IGN]]|date=2022-10-15|access-date=2022-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015173622/https://www.ign.com/articles/bayonetta-voice-actor-hellena-taylor-says-she-didnt-reprise-the-role-in-bayonetta-3-as-she-was-only-offered-4000|archive-date=2022-10-15|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/hideki-kamiyas-twitter-account-restricted-amidst-bayonetta-3-vo-controversy/|title=Hideki Kamiya's Twitter account restricted amidst Bayonetta 3 VO controversy|author=Middler, Jordan|website=[[Gamer Network#Editorial websites|Video Games Chronicle]]|date=2022-10-16|access-date=2022-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016175608/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/hideki-kamiyas-twitter-account-restricted-amidst-bayonetta-3-vo-controversy/|archive-date=2022-10-16|url-status=live}}</ref> However, several investigative reports disputed the story, with sources claiming that Taylor was offered a rate of $4,000 per session, for a total of 5 sessions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-18/bayonetta-3-voice-actor-s-pay-dispute-overshadows-nintendo-game|title=A Tense Pay Dispute Overshadows Nintendo's Upcoming Bayonetta 3|author=Schreier, Jason|website=[[Bloomberg News|bloomberg]]|date=2022-10-18|access-date=2022-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019020756/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-18/bayonetta-3-voice-actor-s-pay-dispute-overshadows-nintendo-game|archive-date=2022-10-19|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Andy |date=2022-10-18 |title=Sources dispute Bayonetta voice actor's claims over pay offer |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sources-dispute-bayonetta-voice-actors-claims-over-pay-offer/ |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=Video Games Chronicle |language=en-GB |archive-date=2022-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018201725/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sources-dispute-bayonetta-voice-actors-claims-over-pay-offer/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The role was given to [[Jennifer Hale]], a veteran voice actress known for her work in the ''[[Mass Effect]]'' and ''[[Metal Gear]]'' series. Commenting on fan concerns surrounding the change, Miyata stated that Hale's performance was "way beyond what we could have imagined.".<ref name="B3voice">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bayonetta-3-director-confirms-jennifer-hale-as-the-new-voice-of-bayonetta/1100-6508037/|title=Bayonetta 3 Director Confirms Jennifer Hale As The New Voice Of Bayonetta|author=Fanelli, Jason|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=2022-10-05|access-date=2022-10-05|archive-date=2022-10-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005165109/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bayonetta-3-director-confirms-jennifer-hale-as-the-new-voice-of-bayonetta/1100-6508037/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In ''[[Bayonetta 3]]'', Bayonetta hears the call of a mysterious voice, pinpointing it to an ambush of homunculi. With Jeanne and Rodin's help, Bayonetta dispatches the army. At the Gates of Hell, they meet a young witch-in-training named Viola. She claims to come from an alternate universe, where its Bayonetta variant was killed by a mysterious and seemingly unbeatable enemy known as Singularity. Bayonetta, Jeanne and Viola travel to the island of Thule, which serves as a gate to the multiverse, to collect four Chaos Gears that can lead them to the Alphaverse, where Singularity lurks, while Jeanne goes to meet Sigurd, a doctor and scientist who has knowledge about the multiverse. Meanwhile, Viola pursues Luka, who has become a creature known as the Strider, in order to save him from his transformation's influence under his alternate variant, Dark Adam, also meeting another variant, Lukaon, the king of the faeries. After fighting her way past four alternate universes, meeting alternate versions of herself in the process, Bayonetta claims all four Chaos Gears and, with Jeanne and Sigurd, unlock the way into the Alphaverse. However, Sigurd reveals himself as a disguised Singularity, kills Jeanne, and traps Bayonetta and Viola in the Alphaverse, where Bayonetta fights Luka in his Strider form, freeing him from Dark Adam's influence with Lukaon's help, allowing Luka to become Arch-Adam, a guide for Arch-Eve. Bayonetta, identified as Arch-Eve Origin by Singularity, engages the entity in a final showdown. ThoughAlthough beginning to fall short against Singularity, Bayonetta makes a comeback with Jeanne, the alternate Bayonettas, and her past-game variants' spirits aiding her, defeating Singularity and restoring the multiverse. However, Bayonetta's Umbran Watch breaks, causing her to lose control of a summoned demon, knocking her soul from her body. Luka rescues Bayonetta as the two share a passionate kiss and are dragged together into Inferno. Afterwards, Viola defeats a spirit known as Dark Eve, who is revealed to be a remnant of the Bayonetta of the Alphaverse, awarding Viola her title as a final message from the Witch.

In ''[[Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon|Cereza and the Lost Demon]]'', Bayonetta's origin story was revealed six hundred years before the great Witch Hunts caused by Aesir. During her time training under Morgana, an exiled Umbra Witch, Cereza frequently experiences a dream that tells her of Avalon Forest, the home of the enigmatic soul-stealing Faeries that she has been strictly warned by her teacher not to venture into at any point. However, one such dream differs from the others and she sees the vision of a mysterious boy telling her to go into the forest to find a way to save her. One night, Cereza is allowed to try summoning her first Infernal Demon using a special brace provided by Morgana. However, the inexperienced witch cannot control the summon using her hair as a conduit properly and is nearly attacked before the demon dissipates. ThoughAlthough desperate to try again, Morgana comments that Cereza is not allowed due her failure and still needs to train harder. Disheartened, but remembering the words of the boy in her dream, Cereza decides to ignore Morgana's warnings and go into Avalon to become strong and save her mother. Taking the brace with her, the girl leaves that same night. Cereza's bravado is eventually whittled away the further she travels into the forest before she is suddenly attacked by Fairies. Knowing that she is no match for them on her own, she attempts to try the spell she had previously failed and summon a demon. ThoughAlthough she is able to complete the summoning, her inexperience with using her hair as a medium causes her to accidentally bind the demon to her stuffed cat. The demon is furious at this confinement and attempts to flee in order to find a way back to Inferno, but quickly discovers that the summoning drains him of his strength and power the further away he is from Cereza. Realizing her mistake, Cereza promises to find a way to send the demon back home if he accompanies her through Avalon to help her find the power she seeks. With no other choice, the nameless demon begrudgingly agrees, with Cereza christening him with the name "Cheshire" after the stuffed cat he inhabits. The two continue went on an adventure, following the tracks of a white wolf whilst conquering the dangerous creatures that lurk in the forest and destroying the four Elemental Cores hidden deep within the forest, where Cereza discovers confidence she never thought she had in herself and gradually overcomes her timid nature, while Cheshire's stubborn attitude eventually begins to soften as he looks at Cereza in a new angle. Suddenly, a faerie tries to lure Cereza into its grasp by disguising itself as her mother. Realizing this, Cheshire destroys the illusion, but Cereza's grief over her mother causes her and Cheshire to argue, deciding to part ways. Later, after seeing him captured, Cereza, concerned, swallows her pride and, with the wolf's help, ventures into the faeries' castle, rescues and makes up with Cheshire, and the two work together to defeat the faeries' ruler, Púca. Soon, the two reach the deepest part of the forest, where the boy Cereza saw in her dreams, named Lukaon, explains that, like Cereza, he was cursed for being the half-blood son of a faerie and a witch. Cereza sympathetically agrees to help him, but grows torn when Lukaon explains that he needs a demon's essence to free himself from the curse. Refusing to put her friend in harm's way, Cereza refuses to give up Cheshire, but Lukaon decides to rely on force and use Cheshire to rid himself of the curse. Luckily, Cereza manages to rescue the demon, thoughalthough Lukaon steals the elemental powers Cheshire gained from the Cores. The two combine their strength and engage Lukaon in battle, take back the elemental powers, and defeat him. However, soon after, Púca returns for payback, amassing his faerie army for cavalry. Cheshire, carrying the weakened Lukaon, and Cereza narrowly escape the forest before being saved by Morgana, who discovers the boy, but instead of saving him, she angrily turns to Cereza and Cheshire, revealing herself to be Lukaon's long-lost mother, as well as sending other failed Umbran disciples before Cereza to retrieve Lukaon from the forest, unleashing her magical power upon them to avenge her son. At first feeling doubtful of her abilities to combat her mentor, some words of encouragement from Cheshire spur Cereza to fight on, manifesting the Witch Time to take Morgana by surprise and defeat her, destroying her Umbran Watch and knocking her soul from her body. After tearfully bidding farewell to Lukaon, Morgana's soul is dragged down into Inferno--aInferno—a fate that eventually befalls every Umbra Witch--andWitch—and Cereza and Cheshire share a farewell of their own before Cheshire uses the portal made from Inferno's denizens and returns home. Cereza, after her mother wishes her luck in a dream, leaves home the next day to find her next adventure.

Bayonetta was mostly well received upon her debut. In their review of the first game, the staff of ''PSM3'' praised how well the character held the player's attention, stating that while every line she spoke "dripped" with sexual innuendo, "it's all very tongue in cheek". Additionally despite considering her one of the sexier characters they'd seen in gaming, "you're never asked to seriously consider Bayonetta as a sex object", and instead she poked at gaming conventions for how silly they were. Comparing her to prominent sex symbols in gaming at the time such as [[Lara Croft]] they felt she approached the subject matter better, and further described her as "one of the most memorable, likeable characters in the history of games".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=230324 |title=Bayonetta Review |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |access-date=February 6, 2010 |date=December 22, 2009 |author=Staff| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100209095234/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=230324| archive-date= February 9, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> ''[[GameSpot]]''{{'}}s Mark Walton also praised her, stating, "[D]espite suffering crotch shots and blatant innuendos …[Bayonetta] remains one of the most charismatic and powerful heroines in the medium. [...] the sexualisation here serves to empower, not to belittle."<ref name="GSpot">{{cite web|date=October 13, 2014|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bayonetta-2-review/1900-6415911/|title=Bayonetta 2 Review|author=Walton, Mark|work=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=October 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014025932/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bayonetta-2-review/1900-6415911/|archive-date=October 14, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sae K. Kim of ''[[GamePro]]'' on the other hand complained that the character's "overt sexuality and frantic anime-inspired shenanigans" hampered her appeal in his view, comparing her to a "skilled magician who is terrific at sleight of hand" but feeling that she overly relied on a "heavily overproduced stage show complete with burlesque dancers and a rocking soundtrack" for her presentation. As a result in Kim's eyes she fell flat as a protagonist, and while he acknowledged many would find appeal in her appearance and "vampish" approach he had preferred for her overt nature to be toned down.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/213319/bayonetta/ |title=Bayonetta Review |magazine=[[GamePro]] |access-date=February 6, 2010 |date=December 21, 2009 |author=Kim, Tae K. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231020308/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/213319/bayonetta/ |archive-date=December 31, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> While Arthur Gies of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' praised ''Bayonetta 2'' for giving the character "some much-needed development as a human being who cares about things other than herself", he was significantly concerned about other aspects of her depiction, such as gratuitous camera angles that were "frequently provided as an implicit reward for doing well. … It's sexist, gross pandering, and it's totally unnecessary." He felt that such issues "cause[d] an otherwise great game to require a much bigger mental compromise to enjoy".<ref name="Polygon">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/13/6957677/bayonetta-2-review-wii-u|title=Bayonetta 2 review: Heaven and Hell|author=Gies, Arthur|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=October 13, 2014|access-date=October 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013072648/http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/13/6957677/bayonetta-2-review-wii-u|archive-date=October 13, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' stated that, although "Bayonetta's default design shows how to walk the tightrope between sexy and sexualised", certain optional costumes "range from the respectable to the cringeworthy.".<ref name="Edge">{{cite magazine|title=Bayonetta 2|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=[[Future plc|Future Publishing]]|location=[[Bath, Somerset|Bath]]|pages=100–103|issue=272|date=November 2014}}</ref>

In 2018, [[Lady Gaga]] expressed her love of the character, referring to her as "tough.".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/of-course-lady-gaga-loves-bayonetta-1830659772|title=Of Course Lady Gaga Loves Bayonetta|last=Jackson|first=Gita|website=Kotaku|date=26 November 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609081924/https://kotaku.com/of-course-lady-gaga-loves-bayonetta-1830659772|archive-date=2019-06-09|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, Lady Gaga released a music video for "[[Rain on Me (Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande song)|Rain on Me]]" containing several references to Bayonetta.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Henry|first=Jasmine|date=2020-05-25|title=Lady Gaga 'Rain on Me' Music Video References Bayonetta|url=https://gamerant.com/lady-gaga-rain-music-video-song-bayonetta/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=Game Rant|language=en-US|quote="Lady Gaga's music video for Rain on Me, featuring Ariana Grande, seems to have several references to video game protagonist Bayonetta."|archive-date=2021-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214182000/https://gamerant.com/lady-gaga-rain-music-video-song-bayonetta/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lady Gaga's "Rain on Me" Music Video Appears to Include a Bayonetta Homage|url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/lady-gaga-rain-on-me-music-video-ariana-grande-bayonetta-reactions/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=GAMING|language=en|archive-date=2020-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603202040/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/lady-gaga-rain-on-me-music-video-ariana-grande-bayonetta-reactions/|url-status=live}}</ref> The style of small glasses worn by Bayonetta became a fashion trend in the mid-2020s, inspired by the "[[geek chic]]" trend of the 2000s, and became known online as "Bayonetta glasses".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nesvig |first1=Kara |title=Bayonetta Glasses Are Back Big Time for 2024 |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bayonetta-glasses |website=[[Teen Vogue]] |access-date=10 August 2024 |date=2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Roby |first1=India |title=Suddenly, Everyone In Fashion Needs Prescription Specs |url=https://www.nylon.com/fashion/bayonetta-glasses-trend-miu-miu-2023 |website=[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]] |access-date=11 August 2024 |date=28 November 2023}}</ref> They were first popularized by model [[Bella Hadid]] in early 2024, when [[Google]] searches for "Bayonetta glasses" also peaked.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Munzenrieder |first1=Kyle |title=Bella Hadid Is All In On 2024's 'Bayonetta Glasses' Trend |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/bella-hadid-office-siren-bayonetta-glasses |website=[[W (magazine)|W]] |access-date=10 August 2024 |date=3 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Hannah |title=Are We Entering a Geek-Chic Glasses Renaissance? |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/geek-chic-bayonetta-glasses-renaissance-gabbriette-bella-hadid-miu-miu |website=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] |access-date=10 August 2024 |date=18 January 2024}}</ref>

In an editorial for ''[[The Guardian]]'' on female characterization, Ria Jenkins praised Bayonetta as a character who is "unapologetically feminine, sexual and confident. Dismissed by many as an objectified fantasy, she is a woman without compromise who refuses to be ashamed of her body." She noted that in contrast to Lara Croft, where Croft's sex appeal was secondary, in Bayonetta's case she utilized it as a powerful weapon. To this end, the character made many of the male cast, and per Jenkins' own suggestion some male players, uncomfortable, and helped illustrate her as "a power trip for and about women". Jenkins further stated that as a character her autonomy and control over her body and femininity helped distance her portrayal as one seen as pandering to the male audience, and demonstrated the fact she was a powerful woman as compared to being "powerful in spite of being a woman". Additional comparison was brought up between the character and her younger self, Cereza, and how it not only illustrated a maternal side of Bayonetta, but also drew a distinction between woman and child by giving them different names, "the sexed and non-sexed subject.". In Jenkin's view it allowed the subject to illustrate Bayonetta's growth as a character, whereas other portrayals of women in video games portrayed women as synonymous with vulnerability in Bayonetta's case she left hers behind.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/05/lara-croft-bayonetta-female-games|title=From Lara Croft to Bayonetta: what is a 'strong female character'?|work=The Guardian|date=5 August 2014|access-date=October 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022085338/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/05/lara-croft-bayonetta-female-games|archive-date=October 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

Leigh Alexander in an article for ''GamePro'' noted that while the character was sexually overt, she felt that Bayonetta could be seen as an empowering symbol for women. She noted that many of the thematic stylings that Hideki Kamiya had worked into his previous games such as ''Devil May Cry'' were also equally present in Bayonetta. While in those titles Alexander acknowledged the female characters were "strong, sexy women", they were in her eyes often reduced to eye candy, while in the case of Bayonetta the character used their sexuality as a source of strength, bringing the "video game sexy woman stereotype from object to subject, and it's tremendously empowering.". The framing of the game's world further helped support this, with the emphasis on strong women and the use of feminine imagery such as the "subtle grace of Bayonetta's butterfly-shaped shadow". Alexander further stated that while there had been debate on what exactly constituted an image of an empowering woman and that several had emerged in years prior, she felt it was "unfair to strip video game women of their sexuality completely", or moreso act as if the use of sexuality implied the character was being exploited. She added that the character's hypersexualization was intended to be " intentionally unrealistic", continuing a theme of unrealism common in Kamiya's works. She added that those treating a stylized female body as a personal affront overlooked the character's "particular brand of femininity", and that she felt Bayonetta not only an "innovative approach to the idea of female power", but also presented the first game that made her "directly conscious of how cool it is to be a girl.".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/213466/bayonetta-empowering-or-exploitative/|title=Bayonetta: empowering or exploitative?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607152912/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/213466/bayonetta-empowering-or-exploitative/|author=Leigh Alexander|date=January 6, 2010|publisher=Gamepro|archive-date=June 7, 2011|access-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref>

Johanthan Holmes of ''[[Destructoid]]'' on the other hand stated that such defense of the character surprised him after the game's release, feeling that a female character that "reinforces the idea that women need to self-objectify in order to get what they want isn’t doing much for feminism.". He further drew issue with Kamiya's own statements regarding the character and positive portrayals of femininity, calling the interpretation of her as an empowering figure "skewed". Instead he saw the character as an empty shell reflecting her creator's sexual fantasies and "misconceived notions of the female gender", further stating that if the character was male at least it would go against convention, but as it was he considered Bayonetta a step back for the portrayal of women in video games.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/bayonetta-dev-to-one-woman-all-other-women-are-enemies/ |title=Bayonetta dev: To one woman, all other women are enemies |first=Johnathan |last=Holmes |accessdate=2024-04-04 |date=2011-01-11 |website=[[Destructoid]]}}</ref> In a follow up article, he further decried what he saw as her unrealistic body proportions, stating she "does not look like an Earthling" due to her long legs. He further argued similar proportions applied to other video game characters would highlight the issues in her design, thoughalthough acknowledged his criticism was in no way a demand to change her design.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/what-if-other-nintendo-characters-had-bayonettas-proportions/ |title=What if other Nintendo characters had Bayonetta's proportions? |date=2014-06-21 |accessdate=2024-04-04 |first=Johnathan |last=Holmes |website=[[Destructoid]]}}</ref>