Sol Badguy

Sol Badguy
'Guilty Gear series character
File:Solbadguy.gif Sol Badguy in Guilty Gear XX
First game	Guilty Gear

Sol Badguy is a character in the Guilty Gear fighting game series--and is arguably the main character (and is certainly the 'guilty gear' due to the fact that he is their progenitor and feels much of the burden of their sins). By initial appearance, he is an aloof bounty hunter anti-hero with little regard for human life, and who fights with an oddly rectangular sword called Fuuenken, or the Fireseal. However, his brash and somewhat abrasive exterior conceals a genius and emotional depth. He has dedicated his life to the destruction of Gears, a race of magical bioweapons that plunged the world into a hundred-year war known as the Crusades. In particular, he shows a particular zeal to destroy their creator, an individual known only as "That Man". Sol is also a fan of Queen, and his foil in the series is Ky Kiske.

Story

Background

His exact history is unclear, but it is known for certain that Sol's real name is Frederick, who not only was one of the lead scientists of the Gear project, but is also the prototype Gear from over a hundred years before the games' events. As he is a prototype, he is immune to the orders of Commander Type Gears. He was personally acquainted with That Man and Justice prior to the Crusades. His headband is actually a Gear Suppression device which prevents him from giving into his Gear Nature and losing his rationality, at the cost of suppressing much of his power. The headband also conceals the glowing, red brand on his forehead, the telltale mark that would expose him as a Gear.

As Frederick, Sol created the "Outrage", a supreme Anti-Gear weapon. In actuality, the Outrage consists of eight components called "Jinki", which could greatly amplify their wielders Magical Ability (so far, only Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, and Anji Mito have been reported on having such weapons, the others are supposedly in the custody of the United Nations, although some believe Paracelsus, the weapon of ABA to be a jinki). He also saved Kliff Undersn (one of the leaders of the Holy Orders and the one who promoted Ky Kiske to leader of the Holy knights) when Kliff was still a young boy. Roughly half a century later, a bounty hunter named "Sol Badguy" was recruited into the Holy Order. Sol took part in the Crusades, ironically becoming one of the best fighters on the human side. At this time he was a member of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights (Seikishidan). He acquired the nickname "Corrupted [or Immoral] Flame" during that time, a name that such figures as I-No and Justice use for him later. Becoming disenchanted with the methods of the Sacred Order, Sol left at an unspecified date and stole the Fuuenken (Fireseal) earning him the enmity of Ky Kiske.

In 2175, Sol faced Justice directly. The two fought, and Sol lost--in the process, Justice discovers that Sol was a Gear, but not his true identity. Justice attempted to assert her commander gear power to control Sol. The Holy Order, led by Ky Kiske, sealed Justice (while she was injured from the battle against Sol) away, bringing the war to an end.

Guilty Gear: The Missing Link

Canon states that Sol was the winner of the Tournament, and it is here that Justice discovers that Sol is, in fact, Frederick. Justice, in her dying words, comments that she wishes that "the three of us" could talk one last time, and Sol swears to kill That Man.

Guilty Gear X: By Your Side

Sol has three endings, all of which involve a fight against Dizzy, who has a half-million World Dollar bounty on her head. However, he spares her life in all of them, losing against her in his second ending, and judging that she isn't a threat to the world in the other two. In his third ending, we see a conversation between That Man and one of his servants, in which That Man cryptically says, "To think there was a daughter...most interesting."

Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival

His storyline here involves chasing down I-No. His first ending, after he defeats I-No, leads to a direct confrontation with That Man. That Man casually deflects all Sol's attacks, and says that Sol is needed because soon a greater battle than the Crusades will occur. In Sol's second ending, Slayer informs him of the Post-War Administration Bureau's interest in Dizzy, which catches his interest. In the third, he fights Dizzy, who had been possessed by Necro after I-No knocked her off the ship, and sends Dizzy on her way to meet Johnny and May.

Holy Order Sol

File:HolyorderSol.JPG

Holy Order Sol Badguy

Holy Order-Sol is an alternate version of the original character. Sol was indeed a part of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, this is a take on what Sol looked like during that time and how he fought before beginning to use his now-trademark sword, Fireseal (or "Fuuenken"). This form also shows a glimpse of Sol's true Gear form (where he sports a pair of demonic wings and a tail) when performing the original version (without the aid of Fuuenken) of his Overdrive move, Tyrant Rave.

Thus far, he has only appeared as a playable character in Guilty Gear XX Slash.

Gameplay

Sol-Badguy usually uses a straight, rushdown oriented gameplay. Unlike Ky, he must be closer and his attack strings are slightly more meter dependent, however, he can capitalize on a hit with much more freedom and for much more damage. Sol can do many things like use a cornered neutral throw, command throw, or confirm his Crouching K into a Forward+P combo which will start a juggle, which is where Sol reigns supreme, in the air combo domain with his Dust Loop. The Dust Loop looks extremely simple, but is rather hard to master in #Reload, Sol will begin the combo but putting his opponent in a juggle state, after which, he will repeatedly juggle with his Air Dust attack, which puts the opponent in a lengthy hitstun, which allows Sol to, again, hit the opponent with another Air Dust, once the loop reaches a few repitions, Sol usually starts using faster moves to prevent the opponent from teching, and comboing into air Dust, shortly after that, the combo usually ends with a Volcanic Viper -> Follow Up which is an almost guaranteed knockdown off any combo. Thus, beginning his rushdown again. A Dust Loop can often hit for 50% or more damage depending on the opponents guard gauge, which makes Sol a formidable opponent to be cornered against.

As of Guilty Gear XX Slash, Sol's Dust Loop has been removed, as it was thought to be too powerful and too easy to confirm from many set-ups. A new move was added to make up for this, the "Sidewinder" attack, which could be used much like the Dust Loop, without the additional requirement of being in the corner. However, it has a great deal more damage scaling than the dust does, and in order to perform any loops with it, a player must achieve a "Clean hit" for each repetition, which makes the attack untechable, and requires maddeningly precise spacing. Due to his numerous looping combos and high damage and priority, Sol is now considered the top tier character of Guilty Gear XX Slash.

Movelist (Sol Badguy)

• Gun Flame (qcf+P) -Sol jabs the tip of his sword into the ground in front of him, causing a wave of fire to burst violently from the ground. Since this move tosses the opponent into the air and the move is relatively easy to do, consecutive Gun Flames can be used to juggle the opponent.
• Gun Flame (Feint) (qcb+P) -Same starting animation as the regular Gun Flame, but no explosions occur.
• Volcanic Viper (f,d,df+S or H) --> Tatakiotoshi (qcb+K) -Sol performs a jumping uppercut, using a flare from his sword to boost his jump. Pressing S results in a low, quick jump; the H version goes much higher. Tatakiotoshi is a follow-up aerial knockdown.
• Grand Viper (qcb+S) -Sol dashes low along the ground and launches his opponent into the air with a high-rising Volcanic Viper.
• Bandit Revolver (qcf+K) -A rising tackle followed up by an aerial axekick.
• Bandit Bringer (qcf+K[Hold]) -Same start-up animation as Bandit Revolver, but Sol instead rams his sword downward.
• Riot Stomp (qcb+K) -Sol jumps backward to the edge of the screen, then executes a flying kick that moves a considerable distance across the screen. This move is very useful for dodging and counterattacking in one motion.
• Sidewinder ([Aerial](qcf+H)) -A flaming horizontal blow.
• Bukkirabou ni Nageru (f,d,df+K) -A throw that can catch an opponent in midair.
• Fafnir (hcf+H) -A quick, flaming punch that thrusts forward.

Overdrives

• Tyrant Rave ver. β (Beta) (hcb,f+H) -A powerful sucker punch followed by a straight punch that blossoms into a huge explosion. Take note that the first blow deals more damage.
• Dragon Install -Sol temporarily invokes his Gear powers. His speed and damage increase drastically. Also, some of his normal moves are greatly enhanced:
  • Gun Flame instead causes a single, large, diagonal geyser of flame to burst from the ground.
  • Volcanic Viper's H version releases a giant burst of flame, launching both Sol and the opponent high into the air. This version hits several times and deals about as much damage as other Overdrive moves.
  • Bandit Revolver hits more times and is enhanced by a subsequent wave of fire.

This state lasts for approximately 6 seconds in #Reload, while its duration varies depending on health in GGXX Slash. When this state ends, Sol is dazed and highly vulnerable.

Instant Kill (Destroyer)

• Napalm Death (qcf, qcf+H) -Sol leaps into the air toward his enemy, trailing an immense burst of flame. This move kills instantly, but blocking nullifies it completely. Like all Instant Kill techniques, the move must be enabled by pressing all four attack buttons. If this move misses or is blocked, the character's tension gauge is disabled for the rest of the round.

Movelist (Order Sol)

Order Sol employs a unique charge gauge similar to that used in the first Guilty Gear game. The gauge has three levels---each level that Order Sol gains powers up the next special move that he executes. This is separate from the Tension Gauge. Using a move while the gauge is charged past Lv 1 consumes the gauge.

• Charge (hcb+D) -Sol freezes and charges his gauge. When the D button is held, the gauge increases gradually. Tapping the D button instead can cause the gauge to increase in bursts, denoted by flares appearing around Sol's feet. Any time during charging, pressing H causes a flare similar to the burst animation. This is mostly a defensive move and knocks away the opponent.
• Gun Blaze (qcb+S) -A low dash that trails a vertical burst of flame. The number of bursts (and the size thereof) increases with the charge gauge's level. D can be pressed after this move to regain approximately 8/10 of the gauge at Level 1.
• Blockhead Buster (qcf+P) -A burst of flame from the hilt of Sol's sword. Although this move is not much more than a small, close-range flare at Level 1, its range and damage increase at Level 2. Level 3 is a projectile that travels across half the screen and hits multiple times. D can be pressed after this move to regain approximately 8/10 of the gauge at Level 1.
• Storm Viper (f,d,df+H) -Similar to Volcanic Viper, this move is a rising uppercut boosted by a flare. An additional backflip is added at Level 2, and a knockdown follow-up is added at Level 3. D can be pressed after this move to regain approximately 8/10 of the gauge at Level 1.
• Bandit Revolver Prototype (qcf+K) -At Level 1, this move consists of a single, arcing axekick. At Level 2, the kick is followed up by a wave of flame. Level 3 adds a subsequent horizontal flying kick. This is cumulative. D can be pressed after this move to regain approximately 8/10 of the gauge at Level 1.
• Rock It (qcf+S) -At Level 1, this move is similar to Fafnir--a quick, lunging punch--though its range is significantly longer than Fafnir's. A downward slash is added at Level 2, and an upward burst of flame at Level 3. This is cumulative. D can be pressed after this move to regain approximately 8/10 of the gauge at Level 1.

Overdrives

• Savage Fang (hcb,f+P) -Animation and damage vary depending on Charge Gauge Level.
  • Level 1 -A single, diagonal burst of fire like Sol Badguy's Dragon Install-powered Gun Flame.
  • Level 2 -Three consecutive bursts like Level 1's.
  • Level 3 -A large blast of flame that uses the same explosion as Sol Badguy's Napalm Death. Three hits.
• Tyrant Rave ver. Ω (Omega) (hcb,f+H) -Animation and damage vary depending on Charge Gauge Level.

This move is similar to Tyrant Rave ver. β in that it is a series of explosively-charged punches. However, at Level 1, Sol only swings a single punch. Level 2 adds another blazing punch with his other hand, and Level 3 adds a final explosion channeled through the tip of Sol's sword. (Similar to Sol's Tyrant Rave Overdrive in Guilty Gear X)

• Dragon Install (hcb, hcb+S) -Sol removes his headband, explosively unleashing his Gear powers. This Overdrive is vastly different from Sol Badguy's version. Instead of powering Sol up, it releases a short-range shockwave that stuns the opponent, followed up by a lunging uppercut. At this point, the Sakkai (殺界） follow-up combo can be executed. (P,K,S,H,D,K,S, f,b,f,hcb,f+H) This is a string of melee strikes that ends with a flare like that seen in Tyrant Rave ver. Ω's last hit. If this move is performed perfectly and is fatal, an additional Instant Kill animation is added: Sol transforms to his Gear form, sprouting leathery wings and leaping toward the opponent as he does in Napalm Death. The standard "SLASH" splash is replaced with the "DESTROYED" splash. Dragon Install can only be executed at short range--the initial stun's range appears to be the same size as the Overdrive flash animation. If the stun does not connect, Sol drops to the ground, dizzy and vulnerable for a few seconds. Because Sakkai is very difficult to input due to strict timing, it is possible to bungle the combo. In this case, it ends prematurely with Sol dizzy and vulnerable.

Instant Kill (Destroyer) Order Sol does not have an Instant Kill technique--however, EX Order Sol does. This technique, All Guns Blazing, is Sol's Destroyer from the original Guilty Gear game. Like most other Destroyers, All Guns Blazing is executed by activating Instant Kill mode (pressing all attack buttons simultaneously), and entering qcf, qcf+H.

Music references

The name "Badguy" is a reference to Freddie Mercury's solo album "Mr. Bad Guy". Sol's real name is Frederick, another reference to Freddie Mercury. His attack Napalm Death is named for a British grindcore band. Sol's theme song Keep Yourself Alive is named for a Queen song. His trademark headband bears the words "Rock You", a reference to the Queen song We Will Rock You. According to the game's manual, Sol's hobbies are "Listening to Queen" and his favourite thing is Queen's 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. On a somewhat tenuous note, the unusual way Sol holds his flaming sword (particularly while blocking) is remarkably like the way Freddie Mercury "swordfights" with his microphone stand in the Princes of the Universe video against Christopher Lambert.

Trivia

• Hikaru Hanada voices Sol Badguy in story mode. In the game itself, he is voiced by Daisuke Ishiwatari, who has called Sol Badguy his alter ego.
• Sol's nickname, the "Immoral Flame", is given as "Flame of Corruption" in Guilty Gear. This is tenuous, however, as both is based the mistranslation of the Japanese version of his nickname "Haitoku no Honoo" (Corrupted Flame).
• On Sol's beltbuckle, the word "Free" is carved. Incidentally, the word "Hope" is carved into Ky Kiske's beltbuckle.