Nightmare (Soulcalibur)
| Nightmare | |
|---|---|
| 'Soul series character | |
| File:NightmareArtwork.jpg | |
| First game | Soul Calibur (Though he did appear in Soul Blade as one of Siegfried's extra costumes, "Siegfried!".) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alignment | Evil |
Nightmare (ナイトメア Naitomea) is a fictional character designed for the Soul Series of fighting games. Nightmare made his first appearance in Soul Calibur and has returned for both Soul Calibur II and Soul Calibur III. This character originally appeared in Soul Blade as "Siegfried!", an extra costume for Siegfried that was actually used to represent Siegfried's possession (by Soul Edge) in Siegfried's ending.
Biography
The biographies of Siegfried Schtauffen and Nightmare are the same up until the last paragraph, where they become separate and are able to co-exist simultaneously. Nightmare is a completely different personality spawned within Siegfried from Soul Edge's consciousness and Siegfried's evil aspects. Nightmare may also be Inferno and Night Terror.
During the late sixteenth century, the oppressed peasants of Germany were revolting against the Holy Roman Empire. With its forces weakened by the Italian Wars, the German peasants finally had a fighting chance. One of the champions of the people, a brave knight named Sir Frederick Schtauffen, met and fell in love with a woman named Margaret while on campaign; and they spent the night together. When Frederick returned after nine months of battle, he rejoined Margaret, having given birth to a son, whom he named Siegfried, after the famous hero. Over the course of the next ten to fifteen years, Frederick spent a lot of his time teaching his son swordsmanship.
Embarking on a foreign crusade, Frederick promised Margaret that he would return; unfortunately, without his father's guidance, Siegfried began to socialize with an edgy clan of teenagers, and he soon became the leader of their band of thieves known as "Schwarzwind," meaning "black wind." In a misguided act of national pride, the band devised a plan to attack the knights who ran away from the crusades, as they were bound to carry valuable possessions, and were too cowardly to deserve respect in any case. That night, the "Schwarzwind" ambushed a group of war-weary soldiers, too tired to retaliate. Siegfried even managed to kill the commander himself; but as he held the commander's severed head in triumph, the moonlight shone on its face, and Siegfried screamed as he realized he held the head of his own father. In mere seconds, Siegfried had snapped and ran straight into the forest, becoming more and more insane as he ruminated over his previous acts, until he came to a point at which he psychologically convinced himself that his father's murderer was actually someone other than himself. And in this newfound delusion for revenge, Siegfried decided that his father's murderer must only be defeated by a specific weapon so that the vengeance would remain all the more satisfying; that weapon was the Soul Edge.
He traveled first to Ostrheinsburg Castle, the refuge of the noble Sir Stefan, who he believed to be the possessor of the Soul Edge; and he joined in its forces as a Landsknecht, rising in its ranks with the hopes of acquiring Stefan's self-proclaimed legendary blade. During a siege on the castle, Siegfried saw an opportunity to take Sir Stefan's prized possession, the sword Grimblade, and killed him, running off with it into the Black Woods nearby the castle; but the sword held no power. Frustrated, he continued to search for weeks for the Soul Edge, growing increasingly more insane for its power as time passed. He finally managed to come across the legendary weapon Soul Edge, lying beside the defeated corpse of the dread pirate, Cervantes de Leon. But as he reached for it, the corpse lit up in a hellish blaze of fire and attacked him. Siegfried raised his zweihänder and defeated the fiery Inferno, earning the right to wield the Soul Edge for himself.
At the precise moment that Siegfried obtained the cursed blade, the Evil Seed emanated from him in a beam of light that rained across the entire world, leading only to death and destruction. At that moment Siegfried heard the voice of the wicked sword, who arranged a deal with him: Siegfried would help the blade to restore itself gathering souls, and Soul Edge would ressurect his father Frederick. Siegfried accepted and carried the blade into many slaughters, until he finally succumbed to the sword's restored powers, transforming into the Azure Knight, Nightmare.
During the following three years he gathered together a group of followers: the golem Astaroth, Lizardman (Aeon Calcos), and Ivy. Each of them aided him in Soul Edge's quest to devour souls for a rejuvenation ceremony to be performed in his chosen stronghold, Ostrheinsburg Castle. But as the ceremony was about to take place, the clan was quickly laid to waste. Both Aeon Calcos and Astaroth were defeated; and Ivy left the clan after learning the shocking truth of her horrifying past from the Fu-Ma ninja, Taki. Two young warriors confronted Nightmare after slaying many golems: Kilik, owner of both the sacred staff Kali-Yuga and sacred mirror Dvapara-Yuga; and Xianghua, owner of Krita-Yuga, which revealed itself as Soul Calibur.
The battle between the swordsmen took place in a vortex of hellfire and evil energy summoned by Soul Edge. After a raging battle, the evil sword shattered, and Nightmare and Soul Edge fell into the collapsing void. With Soul Edge severely weakened, Nightmare regained some of his humanity. Along with lucidity came the horrifying memories of the sins he committed, as well as the fear and anger of those who were slaughtered by him. Moreover, he realized that he had been the one who murdered his father, and that his "resurrection" was only an illusion brought by his mind.
Expelled from the void into an unfamiliar place, Siegfried disappeared into the night-the evil sword still in his grip. But Soul Edge was weaker now, and splinters of itself were left in Siegfried's footsteps. Siegfried meditated on all he had done and eventually learned to accept responsibility for his sin. He planned to return to his mother, who had no knowledge of anything that occurred during or after that fateful night three years ago; but just as he was about to knock on the door, he could hear his mother praying, and concluded that if he was to be successful in his new resolve, he must distance himself from society so that he never kills again. He could not see his mother until he was fully redeemed; but he knew he was not yet atoned for, for every morning he would find the corpses of his victims lined around his body.
He knew that Soul Edge still held power over him, but now it used its strength in his sleep, and no matter how hard he tried not to fall asleep again, he would eventually give in, and the darkness would continue to operate at night in his subconscious. He tried to forsake civilization as far as he could go so that no person could be corrupted by the dark energy of Soul Edge, but to no avail. Four years passed, and he became Nightmare all over again, desperately pursuing fragments of Soul Edge so he might fully restore it.
As he plundered powerful souls and recovered shattered fragments of the sword, the cracks in Soul Edge's surface healed one by one. His goal of reviving the sword was nearly complete, and he returned to his old stronghold, Ostrheinsburg, to restore the blade to its true power. But just as he was about to begin the ceremony, he was interrupted once again, this time by a lone fencer (Raphael). At the end of the fierce battle, Nightmare stood victorious; but just before he administered his finishing blow, the will of Siegfried Schtauffen emerged deep within his mind and attempted to fight off Soul Edge's influence for a second time. The battle between two forces waged in one mind, caused the azure knight to stand motionless in distraction. Unknown to him, the fallen body of Raphael had been conjuring up all of its remaining strength to unleash a desperate pierce into the center of Soul Edge's eye. Nightmare let out an inhuman cry, and as the will of Soul Edge desperately clawed to keep its grasp on the azure knight, the time had come for Siegfried Schtauffen to re-emerge and reclaim the body as his own.
Finally re-emerging and reclaiming his body, Siegfried quickly thought back in a daze over all he had done; it had been a reflexive action. Just then, a sword had appeared within the light: the holy sword Soul Calibur. It had been trapped inside the Soul Edge all this time, waiting for a force strong enough to free it for its fateful battle to occur. As if guided by a mysterious force, he grabbed the Soul Calibur by its hilt and drove it into the evil eye that was the core of Soul Edge.
At this point, the biographies of Nightmare and Siegfried Schtauffen become separate and are able to co-exist simultaneously.
In that instant, no one noticed the evil will of the cursed sword, Inferno, flowing out of Soul Edge. The evil soul flowed into the armor of the former Nightmare, desperately trying to manipulate its bodiless host to devour more souls. But the absence of a physical body held the spirit's potential back tremendously, and it was unable to move. All it could do was resign itself to its current fate and wait for an opportunity to arise. Some time later, a man bearing a large scythe (Zasalamel) visited Ostrheinsburg Chapel where the armor remained. He could read what had happened by studying the armor and the evil energy hanging in the air. The spirit of the evil sword had an unspoken conversation with him; and Zasalamel agreed to aid the sword in its resurrection. Performing an ancient ritual, using powerful words to distort the laws of nature, the energy of the weakened sword was woven together and bound to the remains of the ominous azure armor of Nightmare, armour which has struck fear into countless men, women, children and even knights with the status of veteran. The revived being clad in azure armor stood without a trace of damage remaining. Out of its hand oozed a tremendous sword which resembled the previous incarnation of the Soul Edge. But Zasalamel had plans of his own, and with his newfound control over the will of the sword, he ordered the entity to create havoc in the name of Siegfried Schtauffen. The azure knight soon started slaughtering once again, claiming countless souls by itself. But more and more souls would not be enough, and the spirit knew that it was in desperate need of stronger souls. Ultimately, the raging Inferno regained its independence and decided to free Soul Edge on its own as rumors of the azure nightmare spread throughout Europe once again.
Weapons
-- Soul Edge (Male)
Some call it the "Sword of Heroes", others the "Sword of Immortality". Although the details of this legendary sword changed while the rumors spread around the world, its nature is unmistakably evil. The evil sword is said change forms to accommodate its wielder's fighting style and experience. Whenever the sword is bathed in blood, its single eye appears enraptured. It can control its wielder to commit grotesque crimes in order to consume souls, but its true purpose and intents remain unknown. After the events surrounding its defeat at the hands of two young warriors, the sword has been severely weakened. But still its power remains as a great force. In the present Soul Edge is now in a dormant state, sealed alongside its polar opposite, Soul Calibur, in what is known as the "Soul Embrace".
-- Soul Edge (Phantom)
After Nightmare was granted a new body, he used his memories of the sword alongside his great strength and will, and materialized this weapon from his body. It seems like a phantom memento of his origin. Nothing is really known about this sword. It is still capable of absorbing souls in order to maintain Nightmare's new shell, but it is dwarfed in comparison to the genuine Soul Edge in terms of power.
This sword is created in a way similar to how Charade and Inferno create their own weapons (from their bodies), further hinting at Nightmare's relation with Inferno.
Stages
-- Ostrheinsburg Castle (SC)
Ostrheinsburg Castle rises high with the deep forests of Mittelberg in Germany behind it. Constructed by a renowned independent knight named Sir Stefan, this castle's defenses consisted of quadruple castle walls considered as being impregnable.
However, after Sir Stefan was killed in a war, the remaining soldiers loyal to him were summarily executed and the women and children were taken away as slaves. After thieves plundered it thoroughly, this castle became a tragic ruin that reeked of death. It became a place where none dared to visit.
-- Ostrheinsburg Chapel (SC2)
The broken wall of the chapel reveals a somber view of the castle
ruin looming in the distance. The ruin is what remains of Ostrheinsburg
Castle that bore witness to the clash between Soul Edge and Soul Calibur
four years previous.
This chapel was the epicenter of the events surrounding Nightmare
that transpired a few years before then. No one has dared to visit this chapel ever since,
but mysteriously, some say that the chapel bell can be heard once in a
while. Rumors say that the bell rings itself in honor of the chosen warriors.
(Note: Nightmare shares this stage with the Guest Characters Heihachi, Link and Spawn)
-- Lost Cathedral (SC3)
Penis It resembles many others, yet is like nothing else. A magnificent palace
of water that seems to contain every form of architecture known to Europe. No
one knows who made it, or where it is located. However, it is said that only
those with a strong will and a willingness to bet their own lives can reach it.
The great volume of water that flows through it is always circulating and
pure, and it is said that it cleanses those who come here to pray.
Siegfried seeks a showdown with Soul Edge and atonement for his own sins.
Pursuing him, Nightmare, too, reaches this place. Will this holy palace of
water be the end of both their journeys?
(Note: Nightmare shares this stage with Siegfried)
Character Analysis
In Soul Calibur, Nightmare stands as a powerful character. Nightmare's main advantage is his great strength in attacks, as he's only surpassed by Astaroth. He also has an excellent poking game and wake-up game. He has 3 different stances, that are effective but have delay execution times. Though Nightmare's most suited to long-range combat, he has many attacks that works at closer ranges. Despite his strengths, Nightmare has his main weakness in his overly slow movements and attack, and with it his lack of combos and pressure options. Nightmare's style is best used offensively, since he has several mix-ups that, combined with his pokes, keeps the opponent into a guessing game.
In Soul Calibur II, Nightmare is considered a mid-upper tier character, but most people who are good with Nightmare consider him a top-tier one. Although he has power, he is sluggish, meaning he has difficulty keeping up with the like of Xianghua, his ability to string combos together seamlessly through his multiple fighting stances can make up for the apparent lack of speed. He also lacks the initiative of characters such as Xianghua and Yoshimitsu. Though he has great range, most of his moves at great distances are unsafe. His ideal range was mid. At close range he can knock people back really quickly with his kicks or "bashes" with his shoulder.
Nightmare is a stance-based character, having a total of five, through which he can transition seemlessly by either manual control or through attacking. One of his staple attacks is his primary launcher Sky Splitter (a.k.a. 3[B]), which goes into Night Back Stance, followed by Terror Stomper (B). Since Nightmare is relatively slow and does not have strong pokes, his game is based on provoking and punishing mistakes. Nightmare has a strong wake-up game due to his ability to mixup Sky Splitter, throws, and low attacks.
In Soul Calibur III, like Siegfried, Nightmare is quicker, but his damage has been reduced. Nightmare also possesses a new stance called "Grim Stride", which includes him running forward a bit, and making a total of 3 stances. Nightmare doesn't have many launchers anymore, which makes it hard to do air-combos. The usual laucher command (3B) is replaced with a downward attack. Many say that he is now mid-tier.
Trivia
- Nightmare appears in Soul Blade as "Siegfried!", a secret costume for Siegfried, but its design is a lot different. He wore red armor, and appeared to be one and the same with Soul Edge. He used "Soul Edge (Cocoon)" as weapon, which is the 2P weapon design of Soul Edge in Soul Calibur and Soul Calibur II, and one of his extra weapons in Soul Calibur III. Although he doesn't have a story, his level is set to be SoulEdge stage.
- The group Nightmare formed with Astaroth, Lizardman and Ivy was called the "Schwarzstrom" (German for "Black Storm").
- Nightmare has always been a body controlled by Soul Edge. Although the blade has been wielded by many men (Cervantes and Siegfried among them), they just served as "hosts" controlled by the blade. In this way, Soul Edge is a parasite. In Soul Calibur III Soul Edge finally has its own body. However this new body it receives is unstable, and it's forced to devour souls not only to grow in strength, but also to merely sustain the body.
- Nightmare's new Joke Weapon is a Giant Squid. His original Joke Weapon (the Galley Oar) has been handed to Siegfried.
- The Slayer's Helm and Slayer Tasset parts from Create-a-Character mode are parts used in Nightmare's 2P costume in Soul Calibur.
- It should be noted that Inferno is not a body, merely Soul Edge's "soul". It can only make itself visible inside the Chaos realm it creates.
- Soul Edge (Nightmare) became self-aware during the time Siegfried held the blade.
- Since Nightmare is Soul Edge, Nightmare is roughly the main antagonist of the series. He's also the oldest character in the story, even older than Zasalamel, because Soul Edge was created long before Zasalamel was born. The hosts Soul Edge has had, however, have been of various ages.
- Nightmare treats Tira as a servant in his Tales of Souls mode in Soul Calibur III, though it is revealed that he plans to kill her eventually. It is unknown whether the "bad" ending for Tira's Tales of Souls (in which Soul Edge takes her as a host) will be considered canon.
- Nightmare's Tales of Souls shows that Nightmare doesn't need to either eat or drink to survive, since when he reaches the Labyrinth he's not carrying food provisions like the other characters. Even though he doesn't need to eat or drink to sustain his life, he talks of the souls he devours as a "nourishment" for him.
- In Tales of Souls, near the end of any character's path, even his own (unless the player character went to the underground labyrinth and fought Zasalamel instead), Nightmare will face off against Siegfried, and the winner will face the player's character next. Since this happens in every characters' Tales of Souls, and is shown in the Game Credits, its possible this battle will be made canon in the next game.
- In Siegfried's ending in SCIII, three Nightmares appear; it is unknown if this is one of Nightmare's powers or if Siegfried merely hallucinated it.
- In Soul Calibur III, Nightmare's weapons and fighting style are available under the discipline Soul of Nightmare to characters created under the Barbarian class.
- Nightmare's nickname in Soul Calibur is "Azure Nightmare". He's also known in the story as the "Azure Knight". An unofficial nickname for him in Soul Calibur III is "Incarnate Fear".
- Nightmare's Destined Battle in Soul Calibur is Sophitia and in Soul Calibur II and Soul Calibur III his Destined Battle is Raphael. He's also the Destined Battle of the Created Characters of good/cheerful alignment.
Series' Appearances
- Soul Edge: Version II / Soul Blade (Home Versions only as Siegfried Schtauffen's secret costume, "Siegfried!")
- Soul Calibur
- Soul Calibur II
- Soul Calibur III
- Soul Calibur III: Arcade Edition