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x BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger x
x Plot Guide x
x by Yedokai x
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Disclaimer
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This FAQ is copyrighted by me and is intended for personal use only.
It is not to be used in any way, in part or in whole, without my express
written permission.
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Credit
------
( Arc System Works )
For continuing to make fighting games that transcend the genre
( James Nguyen )
For going to all the trouble of transcribing the dialogue of almost the
entire game in his GameFAQs FAQ; it was an invaluable resource in my
research and saved me countless hours
( Wikipedia )
Has been a great resource, providing information regarding mythology
and real-world terms
( GameFAQs )
For providing an excellent resource for gamers around the world who want
advice, information, or just want to gab about their favorite games
( GameFAQs forum users )
For providing a sounding board for my own theories, for encouraging me to
further analyze certain aspects of the plot that I otherwise might not
have, and keeping me honest
( Jose Bonilla )
Contributed the fact that Iruma is a mistranslation of Ikaruga.
( JGarcia )
Reminded me that the NOL building is likely empty to foster an easy merge
for Ragna and Nu-13
( Matheus Mildemberg )
Contributed the translation for Mucro Algesco
( Mike J )
Told me that 9 is bad luck in Japanese culture
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Version History
---------------
( January 17th, 2010 - v.095 )
Extremely minor update. I haven't had time to add the new sections I
want to, but so many people had emailed me with contributions that it
would be rude of me to not update the FAQ to include them. Added
information provided from Jose Bonilla, JGarcia, Matheus Mildemberg, and
Mike J, which is all summarized above in the Credit section.
( August 25st, 2009 - v.095 )
The first version of the guide is released. It contains a glossary,
a timeline, character facts, cultural references, significant quotes, and
analysis sections.
In the future, I am considering adding a section containing Arakune quotes
and possible interpretations. Some plot analysis fields are stubs and
have yet to be filled out.
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Foreword
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I love a good story, and as luck would have it Calamity Trigger has an
excellent story. It is told in a beautifully artistic way, picking and
choosing where it will provide the player with a tidbit of valuable
information, spreading them thin throughout the entire experience, reinforcing
the player with new pieces just often enough to keep them intrigued and
thirsting for more.
Of course, that being the case, it can be very hard to make any sense of what
is really going on. The story struck a chord with me, so I started taking
notes. This document is the result of those notes, initially created to
allow me to grasp the story I love so much as well as I could, and now
provided to the you because I want everyone to be able to enjoy the
intricasies of the game as much as I do.
As part of my attempt to propogate and encourage the truths held by the story,
I will do my best to distinguish between fact and theory, and any theories
presented will be adequately supported by evidence. This is probably obvious,
but brace yourself for spoilers.
Also, please note that I have written this over the course of several months,
and that being the case there may be some contradictions left from old theories
that have long-since evolved into new ones as I learned more. If you happen
to find anything, call me out on it!
Enjoy!
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Table of Contents
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1. Glossary
2. Timeline
3. Character Facts
4. Cultural References
5. Analysis
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Glossary
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----These are terms that pop-up in BlazBlue that----
( Academy )
A Military Academy for future NOL operatives. Most students get in due to
the status of their parents as opposed to merit.
( Amaruga )
A place that Valkenhayn imports some tea from - and we never hear of again.
( Armagus )
Fusions of magic and technology.
( Ars Magus )
Magic. A spell is called an Ars.
( Azure Grimoire )
People refer to it as the Azure Grimoire, but it really doesn't seem to be
a grimoire at all. Though its actual function is never explicitly stated,
its power is significant enough to be on everyone's radar, though Kokonoe
states that it is the "weakest".
( Beast-men )
Also sometimes called "human-likes", they are humanoid but have features
similar to animals such as ears and tails. They are discriminated against
by those with less progressive ideas. It is unknown whether beast-men are
a product of magic or whether they have always existed, as sometimes is the
case with anime worlds.
( Black Beast )
The Black Beast appeared 100 years ago, covering the world in seithr and
killing half the world's population. Rampaging for roughly ten years, it
was unstoppable as technology and nuclear weapons had no effect on it.
However, once humanity learned to use magic they had the upper hand and
the Black Beast didn't stand a chance. The Black Beast is depicted as a
giant black being with red eyes and fangs and as many as eight heads.
The Black Beast is created when Ragna and a Saya clone mix their blood
together.
( Bolverk )
Noel's Nox Nyctores. Usually it takes the form of a pair of handguns, but
it can transform itself into other types of ballistic weaponry as well.
Without Bolverk, Noel seems to suffer a mental break down, so it is likely
that she has become addicted or at least dependent upon it. Noel claims
that she herself doesn't fight; Bolverk does the fighting for her. Noel
claims to have had Bolverk for a long time and says that she doubts she
is in control. Bolverk pierces space, detonating an Armagus-based blast
wherever it is aimed. Bolverk communicates to Noel that Carl and Nirvana
are dangerous. Carl refers to them as "Arcus Diabolus Bolverk."
( Boundary )
The realm of the dead.
( Cauldron )
Any of several portals connecting to the Boundary; they distort time.
( Dark War )
Also called the First War of Magic, this is the war that humanity fought
for roughly ten years against the Black Beast. There was a period during
the war when the Black Beast stopped its rampage and went quiet. It was
then that the Six Heroes, who previously had been fighting separately,
banded together and taught humans how to use Ars Magus. Humans then
combined magic with technology to create Armagus, and together with the
Six Heroes they defeated the Black Beast. Roughly half of the people
on earth died during this war, and the world was covered in seithr.
( Edge )
A place where there is no air, light, or darkness. Not even time exists
there, though it does pass outside of the Edge. It is said that a few
hours in the Edge will drive most people mad. The Edge is a secluded part
of the Boundary. After the Dark War, Hakumen was sealed here until
roughly 90 years later when he was recovered by Kokonoe.
( Eye )
The one who inherits the true Azure.
( First War of Magic )
See Dark War
( Gates of Sheol )
The spiral-like gates covering a Cauldron.
( Great War )
See Dark War
( Grimalkin )
A derogatory name used by Hakumen in reference to Kokonoe or Jubei. Note
that this is not the name of a species; it is a term from the 16th-18th
centuries in reference to an evil-looking cat. Grimalkin were associated
with the devil and witchcraft and were considered to be familiars.
Malkin alone is an obsolete word for cat.
( Grimoire )
A book that instructs the reader on the use of Ars Magus; there are also
"Grimoire Armagus", which explain the use of Armagus. Though people say
that Ragna has the Azure Grimoire, it is not a book.
( Harlequin )
A name used by Rachel when making fun of Hakumen; a harlequin is a masked
comical character or buffoon (similar to a jester).
( Ikaruga )
A country with an Asian-like culture. The Ikaruga Federation appeared
several decades after the institution of the Librarium to fight against
the dictatorship. An experiment occuring in the Central Hierarchical
City of Ikaruga is what created Noel; the city was destroyed by Nox
Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi, interrupting the process and destroying
Noel's Murakumo armor. The destruction of this city was a turning point
in the war, and eventually Ikaruga fell when Jin Kisaragi assassinated
the country's leader, Lord Tenjo. Now Ikaruga has been entirely destroyed
and many of its previous inhabitants have ended up in Kagutsuchi's
Ronin-gai.
( Ikaruga Civil War )
Also known as the Second War of Magic, this battle was the first during
which humans used the power of Armagus against each other. Due to the
disparity between those who could wield Armagus and those who couldn't,
the Ikaruga Federation waged a war against the totalitarian Library.
In the end, the Library destroyed the Ikaruga Federation.
( Imaginary Space )
A white void where Noel and Nu can sometimes be found; according to Rachel,
who can also enter this space, it is near the Boundary.
( Iruma )
A mistranslation of Ikaruga. A place where Litchi says seithr escalated
indefinitely, comparing it to a phenomenon in Kagutsuchi related to the
Gates of Sheol.
( Jotunheim )
A place where Sector Seven apparently threw certain test animals, this
place is only mentioned in Arakune's audio diary.
( Kagutsuchi )
The 13th Hierachical City where most of Calamity Trigger takes place.
It is apparently build similarly to all of the other hierarchical cities,
to the point where Ragna is able to find his way around relatively despite
having never been there before.
( Lao Jiu )
A tiny panda that lives on Litchi's head and holds her hair in place.
( Murakumo )
An Anti-Sankishin unit comprising of floating swords and armor that Saya
clones are equipped with. Sometimes people refer to the combination of
the clone and the armor simply as Murakumo. Hakumen states that it is
"a blade meant to cut God," and says that the sword must be destroyed.
( Nirvana )
A Nox Nyctores shaped like a human-sized metal marionette that Carl
travels with. Nirvana is a weapon created during the Dark War. Carl
believes her to be his sister Ada, while others believe that she is just
controlling his mind. Of the Nox Nyctores, she seems to be the most
talkative, almost constantly in a dialogue with Carl that only he can hear.
Hazama says that she dampens the user's sense of fear, but puts great
strain on their mind while supressing their emotions except for their
hunger for battle. Nirvana tells Carl in several different timelines that
Rachel is "dangerous" and is very cautious of Valkenhayn, though he says
that they are no longer enemies. Valkenhayn refers to Carl as being
Nirvana's current master. Nirvana was never designed to harm humans.
Tager says that Nirvana is the property of Sector Seven. Carl compares
Nirvana to Tager, implying that neither really feels like a person via
their similarities. Rachel suggests that Carl can liberate Nirvana if
he has a more powerful Nox Nyctores. Tager says that Nirvana can't be
allowed to exist, and many people seem to have a negative opinion of it,
which contrasts with a lack of such opinions towards other Nox weapons.
At the very least, Nirvana is not simply using Carl, as in one timeline
she sacrifices herself to protect him.
( Novus Orbis Librarium )
Also known as the Library (derogatory), this world-wide organization
was formed after the Dark War to regulate the use of Armagus. Eventually
it became a dictatorship; presently, defying them is punished by the
death penalty. Most people will do everything they can to avoid coming
in contact with the Librarium.
( Nox Nyctores )
Weapons that apparently choose their owners in some way; they are in some
way sentient and can communicate with others, though in general this seems
infrequent and tends to be exclusively with their masters. The NOL
provided Jin and Noel with their Noxes.
( Occam )
Rachel makes a reference to Mr. Occam; she is playfully eluding to "Occam's
Razor", a principle stating that an explanation of any phenomenon
should make as few assumptions as possible. In laymen's terms, this can
be summarized as "the simplest explanation that takes all variables into
account is preferable".
( Praetorian Guard )
The Librarium's top military unit.
( Private )
Kokonoe mentions using her Private to take care of any problems, then
leaves us guessing.
( Second War of Magic )
See Ikaruga Civil War
( Sector Seven )
A small confederation of like-minded scientists whose goal is to banish
all magic; instead of using Ars Magus, they tend to use science and
technology, though there is no rule against them using magic. Operating
in the shadows, Sector Seven is the only organization that uses science
in its pure form, as opposed to Armagus. Kokonoe implies that Sector
Seven was behind the Ikaruga conflict. Sector Seven aims to kill the
seithr at its source, though they do not explicitly state what this source
is.
( Seithr )
A substance that fuels magic; high concentrations of it are lethal to most
people, though many of the main characters in BlazBlue have constitutions
that allow them to survive it. The Black Beast is what caused seithr to
cover the world because it could only operate within it. Seithr is
everywhere in the world now; it is the most dense at low altitudes, while
there is less of it higher up. Using magic consumes seithr in the area,
and it takes time for the displaced seithr to be replenished. Getting
too much seithr in your system will cause an addiction, which starts to
deteriorate the body. According to Litchi, there is only one species
that does not get sick due to over-exposure of seithr. Jubei calls
siethr the "Beast's remains" and says that they aren't going away.
( Six Heroes )
The mysterious six whom banded together in humanity's greatest time of
need; they taught humans how to use magic and helped fight in the battle
against the Black Beast, eventually defeating it. Hakumen was their
leader; the other two confirmed members are Jubei and Nine.
( Susano'o )
A Sankishin unit that Hakumen has somehow become attached to; it cannot
be separated from him. According to Hakumen, his soul is encased in an
"undying shell". Something about being attached to the unit has caused
Hakumen to lose his humanity. There are implications that the Susano'o
unit is at least partially mechanical. Noel says, "Dark...Susano'o..." at
one point in the story. The Japanese translation for this, however, is
"Hell's Susano'o" or more literally, "the kingdom of death's Susano'o".
( Take-Mikazuchi )
Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi is a coffin-shaped satellite above the
earth. When it opens, a black, humanoid head protrudes, firing a powerful
beam at the terrestrial target. It can only be fired every four years.
Take-Mikazuchi was used to destroy the Central Hierarchical City of
Ikaruga, and it is also used to destroy Kagutsuchi near the end of every
timeline. It is unknown who exactly controls it, though the implication
is that it is controlled by either Terumi or the NOL. Rachel refers to
it as "young one", and a statement by Kokonoe implies that it was created
towards the end of the civil war.
( Takama-gahara )
Something that can be activated; Hakumen mentions it vaguely and briefly
when talking to Jubei about Terumi. Whatever it is, it recieves all of
the data from a phase (timeline) when the world is destroyed; that being
the case, whatever it is, it must persist throughout all timelines
without being "reset".
( Tamagahara )
A translation error only found in the English script; this is meant to be
Takama-gahara.
( Tsukuyomi )
A Sankishin unit that Rachel claims has absolute defense; she uses it to
defend Kagutsuchi against Take-Mikazuchi.
( Ur-sword )
The giant blade that Nu-13 is capable of summoning.
( Yukianesa )
The Nox Nyctores held by Jin, Yukianesa is a sword with ice powers.
Yukianesa's ice erodes life. Like other Noxes, it has a consciousness of
its own; at one point it floods Jin's mind with memories, though it is
unknown whether these are Yukianesa's memories or Jin's memories.
Yukianesa seems to recognize Nu-13 as a significant threat. A save file
refers to the sword as "Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa".
--------
Timeline
--------
----The few events that we know precise or rough dates for----
( AD 2099/12/31 )
The day that the Black Beast and Jin arrive in the past; the beginning
of the next loop's timeline.
( AD 2110/01/01 )
By now the Dark War is over and Hakumen has been sealed in the Edge.
( AD 2120/??/?? )
The latest possible date that the Ikaruga Civil War could have started.
( AD 2194/12/25 )
Scientists in the Central Hierarchical City of Ikaruga create Noel;
Take-Mikazuchi destroys the city before their experiment is completed.
( AD 2196/05/04 )
Noel and Jin meet for the first time; at this time they are both in
the Academy.
( AD 2196/??/?? )
Noel and Jin again cross paths and have visions; Noel sees Jin as Hakumen,
while Jin sees something else.
( AD 2196/11/15 )
Litchi is still with Sector Seven. Kokonoe discovers Hakumen's existence
in the Edge. Tager says, "just when we thought this civil war was
coming to an end."
( AD 2197/03/20 )
Someone listens to Arakune's audio diary.
( AD 2199/06/27 )
Litchi has been in Kagutsuchi for half a year and the Kaka clan has
agreed to help her track Arakune.
( AD 2199/12/25 )
Bang's ninjas in Ronin-gai hear about Ragna; Bang decides to capture him.
( AD 2199/12/26 )
The Kaka elder wants to talk to Tao about getting reward money for the
village.
( AD 2199/12/28 )
Carl finds out that Ragna is in Kagutsuchi and starts heading there.
( AD 2199/12/31 )
"The End of Time." The Black Beast is created in Kagutsuchi's Cauldron,
pushing itself and several others 100 years into the past. Take-Mikazuchi
destroys Kagutsuchi. The world ends.
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Character Facts
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----Facts regarding the various characters----
( Arakune )
He was once a Sector Seven scientist working under Kokonoe. At the time
he and Litchi were good friends, if not lovers. He longed for the wisdom
of the Boundary; he learned a great many things during his research, but
exposed himself too greatly to the Boundary (Litchi says he must have gone
near its gates), which has cost him his humanity. He has since escaped
from Sector Seven, making his home in the Library's underground waste
facility in Kagutsuchi, where the NOL puts things that the rest of the
world isn't supposed to see.
Arakune is capable of regeneration and a shape-shifting; he also houses
many large insects within his body. Arakune still lusts for information,
but he also seems to be compelled to feast on souls. He clearly knows a
great deal more about what is going on in the world than most characters,
but the loss of his humanity has made him excitable and difficult to
understand; when communicating, Arakune speaks in multi-layered metaphors,
often referring to things in ways others would have no way of
interpretting.
According to a researcher looking over his memorandum, Arakune was after a
"thing", and he suggests that the documents Arakune left behind will be
vital in understanding it. Being near the Boundary has taught Arakune what
death feels like, so he is able to recognize the sensation. He does not
seem to like Kokonoe, saying that she neglected him and got in his way.
Ragna notes that Arakune is harnessing power from the Boundary. Somehow,
Hakumen knows how to kill Arakune without allowing him to regenerate.
Of interest as well is Arakune's room at Sector Seven, from when he was a
human. In this room, a researcher feels like he's being stared at and
hears sounds; he also found it difficult to talk. There is a presence
there..
( Bang Shishigami )
We don't know much about Bang's youth, but considering his age he likely
grew up in the midst of the Ikaruga Civil War, eventually becoming a
powerful ninja under Lord Tenjo, Ikaruga's leader. He walked in on Jin
Kisaragi just after he had killed Lord Tenjo; in an instant Jin had
scarred Bang's face and frozen him in ice, clearly out-classing him. He
holds a grudge against Jin for this.
Bang has since relocated, along with a good deal of Ikaruga's old populace,
to Kagutsuchi's Ronin-gai, and is a respected community leader there. He
also leads a group of ninjas with the goal of protecting their people and
someday striking back against the Library.
Bang follows his master's teachings, which instruct him to never kill. He
works as a vigilante to get by in the hopes of raising money to rebuild
Ikaruga. Bang strives for a just world and is eager to help those in
need. He is a bit old-fashioned as well as slow, which causes him to
frequently misjudge situations. At times he can be a clutz, but he really
is a skilled ninja.
Bang is in love with Litchi, though he is very shy and usually does not
express his feelings to her; instead he ends up being a bit of a stalker.
He is very jealous about her interactions with any other males, and tends
to sub-consciously rationalize this as suspicion.
Despite the fact that Ragna the Bloodedge is destroying Library branches,
Bang decides that his first priority is to protect the people from this
dangerous man and sets out to capture him.
Rachel says that Bang is in possession of a Nox Nyctores, though it is
unknown where he got it or what exactly it is; most players seem to
suspect that it is the giant nail that he carries on his back.
Bang is one of the only people Hakumen acknowledges and respects; this is
due to Bang's strong spirit and will as well as his understanding of his
own limitations.
Bang's birthday is 1/1.
( Carl Clover )
A child prodegy who attended the Military Academy, at which time Noel
and Jin were his seniors. He has since left the Academy, now traveling
with Nox Nyctores Nirvana, who he calls Ada and believes to be his sister.
He says that his father caused his sister to become Nirvana and is in
search of the Azure Grimoire in order to make his sister normal again. He
will go to any length to meet this end, sometimes with sadistic glee.
Of the Nox Nyctores, Nirvana is the most talkative; Carl and Nirvana are
constantly speaking to one another. Though many people suggest that
Nirvana is manipulating Carl, she appears to genuinely care about him,
sacrificing herself to save him in certain timelines. Carl is reminded
of his sister by Litchi's heart.
Carl seems paranoid and doesn't understand the concept of good will,
looking upon it with suspicion. Similar to Noel, he breaks down entirely
if Nirvana is destroyed or taken from him. Rachel suggests that he could
have been great, but that both fate and his own actions have prevented
his true potential from being realized.
Carl was born in Australia on 5/5, and his hobbies are playing the violin
and chess.
( Hakumen )
At some point after traveling back in time, Jin became Hakumen by fusing
with the Susano'o unit. Unlike Jin, Hakumen has given himself a purpose;
he seeks justice and does not allow his valuse to be compromised. He is
incredibly strong, such that even 20% of his power is enough to overwhelm
most members of the cast. His weapon is a long nodachi, which may or may
not be a part of the Susano'o unit.
Hakumen is one of the Six Heroes from the Dark War, and Jubei himself says
that Hakumen was the star of the show. When the beast is defeated, Hakumen
chastizes humanity, saying they need to repent for their sins; Hakumen
knows the origin of the Black Beast was the future, and that it is
humanity's fault that it was sent back. However, this upsets the people,
who feel they are merely victims, and they in some way trapped Hakumen
in the Edge.
Hakumen existed there for 90 years before Kokonoe discovered him and tried
to retrieve him; however, even once retrieved he was only 20%
substanciated, meaning he was not at his true strength. Kokonoe is
interested in using Hakumen as a tool to research the original "units"
that lied dormant within the Boundary; she also plans on using him as bait
for Terumi.
Hakumen has lost his humanity and seems to be missing a good deal of his
original body; Hakumen is much taller than Jin and has a more muscular
build, and there are hints that he is even a cyborg in some way. We can be
sure, however, that Hakumen still has Jin's original face (though he does
not have eyes), as Ragna recognizes him when he takes his mask off.
In general, he is cold and logical, believing himself to be true justice;
he states that it is his fate to balance karma's scales. He has an
amazingly strong will, which is what allowed him to exist in the Edge for
so long without going insane (he also has a device in his body that was
capable of sustaining him during his 90-year stasis there). His ego, as
well, is extremely powerful, to the point where it interferes with
Kokonoe's substanciation process. Similar to Tager, Hakumen seems to have
lost or repressed many of his memories from when he was human.
After being retrieved, Hakumen travels to Kagutsuchi of his own will,
intent on killing Ragna in order to prevent the Black Beast's rebirth. He
regrets feeling that he needs to kill his brother, and seems to plan on
dying in the process.
He treats Jubei as an equal and as a friend, though he is not exactly kind
and refers to him as Grimalkin. He also sees Terumi as an enemy and a
threat, and was apparently part of a process that sealed him in some way
years ago.
( Jin Kisaragi )
Like many younger brothers, Jin adored his older brother, Ragna. He grew
up in the orphanage with Ragna and Saya, but became jealous of the
attention Ragna was giving Saya when she became sick. Context implies that
around this time Jin met Terumi, and Terumi in some way passed on to Jin
the information that Ragna would become the Black Beast and that it was
Jin's destiny to stop it. Jin then accompanied Terumi as he burned down
the orphanage, cut off Ragna's arm (though it's uncertain who did the
cutting), and kidnapped Saya. Ragna was left for dead.
We don't know what happens to Jin after that, but somehow he joins the
Kisaragi family and attends the NOL's Military Academy. He excels,
joining the student council and being well-regarded by his classmates, but
he is not very good at interacting with other people. He is kind of out
of it, and often life passes him by without him even realizing it. He
graduates and quickly becomes a Major of the 4th Division of the
Praetorian Guard. At some point prior to his graduation, he recieves the
Nox Nyctores sword, Yukianesa.
Jin's squad battles in the Second War of Magic, and eventually Jin himself
is responsible for ending the civil war when he kills Ikaruga's Lord Tenjo;
this labels Jin as the "Hero of Ikaruga".
There are only two things that are capable of piquing Jin's interest; one
is his brother, Ragna, and the second is his sister, Saya. In the Academy,
Ragna meets Noel; she bears a striking similarity to Saya, which shocks
Jin and makes him curious, but he doesn't find out anything else and just
ends up being a bit mean to her in many of their interactions.
When Jin hears news that Ragna might be alive, it hits him hard. Jin
still loves his brother, but at the same time he knows that he has to kill
him. The conflict between these two staggeringly powerful emotions
make Jin a bit unstable, to say the least. He disobeys orders by heading
to Kagutsuchi on foot, intent on finding and killing Ragna.
However, in all timelines, Jin is unable to stop the end of the world, and
ends up diving into the Cauldron after his brother. The distortion sends
him back 100 years where Rachel finds him and encourages him to become
a "real hero", likely setting him on his path to becoming Hakumen.
Jin's birthday is 2/14, and he is English. He loves vintage motorcycles.
( Jubei )
Jubei is the strongest creature on earth and one of the Six Heroes. He
is a short cat with two tails, an eye-patch, and a sword which he appears
to at least sometimes wield in his mouth. Rumors say he could take an
entire army division by himself, and he is capable of stopping Tager's
punch effortlessly with a single paw. Jubei is usually out wandering
the world.
He and Nine are the parents of Kokonoe, though Jubei actively avoids being
detected by her; he says he has his reasons. At some point in his life
he also trained Ragna as his student, and Ragna calls him "master". He
states that he helped Ragna out due to his understanding of why Ragna
has so much hatred.
Jubei's DNA was used to create the Kaka clan, and he occasionally drops
by to see how they are doing; Tao affectionately calls him "cat person"
despite her own feline qualities. He is considered a great leader of the
Kaka clan, and is the person most respected by the Kaka.
Jubei tells Hakumen that Terumi is back and on the move, and seems to
acknowledge this as a problem. This exchange also shows that Jubei has
the ability to read thoughts.
( Kokonoe )
The child of Jubei and Nine, she is the greatest scientific mind of the
era. She seems to have inherited some unique magical powers from her
mother. She also has a pair of curious white marks on her forehead.
Kokonoe works for Sector Seven, though she seems to have her own agenda.
In every timeline she discovers the time loop of her own accord; she is
also aware of Rachel and her efforts to end the loop, though communication
between the two suggests that Kokonoe will be more influential in ending
the loop than Rachel.
Kokonoe holds a serious grudge against Terumi, and is determined to "get
the bastard"; she has asked Rachel to let her handle it, and Rachel
respects these wishes.
Kokonoe's is typically rude and short with others. Tager is her assistant,
and despite his above-average intelligence she is very dismissive of him.
She tends to look upon everything and everyone as a test subject. However,
she does have a soft side, which she rarely exposes. She apparently gets
very upset when her father is mentioned.
Kokonoe is apparently in hiding somewhere, in a place even Rachel cannot
locate.
( Litchi Faye-Ling )
Litchi is a former Sector Seven scientist; during her time at the Sector,
she was good friends or lovers with another scientist. That scientist,
however, got too close to the Boundary and became Arakune. Litchi then
took an undisclosed item from the Boundary, which gave her power, and left
the Sector without warning to find Arakune, in hopes of returning him to
normal.
Her search lead her to Kagutsuchi, where she has set up shop in Orient
Town as a doctor. The people there love her because she is both kind and
beautiful. She often heads down below the city to the Kaka village; the
Kaka clan has agreed to provide her with any information they can
regarding Arakune, who frequently attacks their village, in exchange for
her help in trying to diagnose and combat the problem that prevents their
population from growing. She also teaches the Kaka children, who love
studying, and the entire Kaka village adores her.
When Litchi encounters Arakune for the first time, she is frequently
unable to get through to him, though sometimes she is able to elicit her
name from him. Sometimes she decides to put him out of his misery, while
sometimes she leaves and strengthens her resolve to cure him.
Litchi's birthday is 7/7.
( Makoto )
A female beastman with squirrel ears and a big puffy tail. She is a friend
of Noel and Tsubaki's from the Academy and is very energetic and talented.
( Nine )
One of the Six Heroes, she is a member, if not the founder, of the witch
bloodline. She is responsible for teaching humanity to use Ars Magus
during the Dark War. She and Jubei are Kokonoe's parents. Apparently she
had some sort of interaction with the Edge, as Hakumen uses Kokonoe's
manipulation of the Edge as an indicator that Kokonoe is the daughter of
Nine.
( Noel Vermillion )
Noel is the 12th clone of Saya, model Mu-12. She was created in an
experiment occuring in the Central Hierarchical City of Ikaruga in the
midst of the Ikaruga Civil War. However, before the experiment could
conclude, Take-Mikazuchi fired an Ars that destroyed the entire city.
Noel was alive, but her Murakumo armor had been destroyed.
Noel was found and ended up being adopted by the Vermillion family, a
once-noble family that was having trouble making ends meet. Noel was
incredibly grateful to her adoptive parents, which is why she joined the
Academy; she thought that if she did better than anyone else that she
could repay her parents by restoring the Vermillion name. To do this,
Noel studied hard, even opting to stay at the Academy dorms during
holidays, rather than returning to her family like the other students.
Noel did end up doing well at the Academy; her synchronization rates
with Armagus were the highest ever recorded. The NOL requested that she
be placed in Major Kisaragi's squad 6 months before she would have
graduated, and she accepted, becoming a Lieutenant and recieving the
Nox Nyctores weapon Bolverk.
Then in the year 2199, Jin Kisaragi disobeys orders by heading to
Kagutsuchi; Noel is ordered to bring him back. She meets up with Hazama,
who is actually Terumi, who does what he can to manipulate her actions
to achieve his desired end.
Noel is very timid and unsure of herself; however, she always does her
best to be the NOL officer that she feels she should be. She absolutely
loves fluffy animals. Her single pet peeve is her small breasts, and
when mentioned she gets very defensive and sometimes violent.
Noel does not actually fight; she lets Bolverk do the fighting for her,
which leaves her thoughts free to wander while any battles go on. She
wonders whether she is really in control still, or if Bolverk is. She has
become dependent on Bolverk, and when stripped of it breaks down and cries.
Bang notes that she has no killing intent and doesn't even seem to have
a presence, as if she was air.
Though we can only speculate on the exact causes, Noel is a clone of Saya
who maintains an important part of Saya's essence that Nu-13 seems to lack.
This essence is the reason that Noel can inherit the true Azure. Noel
finally breaks the time loop when Saya's essence manifests, causing her to
save Ragna from falling into the Cauldron. With Nu-13 gone, the power of
the Azure must be inherited, and Noel recieves it, though she does not
know it.
Noel was born on 12/25, and she is Swiss.
( Nu-13 )
Nu-13 is the 13th clone of Saya, Ragna's (presumably) dead sister. She is
a cold and emotionless cyborg, speaking in a monotone voice and acting
only in accordance with her own protocols. The only time that she shows
any emotion is when she interacts with Ragna; at these times she becomes
bubbly and sexual, attempting to fuse with Ragna so that they can become
the Black Beast, which seems to be the entire purpose of her existence.
Nu-13 carries the memories of at least two other Saya clones, and it is
implied that Nu-13 herself is some sort of unique existence, rather than
just being a robot Saya. A rough way of putting it is that when you create
a Saya clone, you either get Nu or Noel.
That being the case, Nu has a consciousness even when she has not been
born yet...even when the world has been destroyed. Like Noel, she
can inhabit the Imaginary Space, as well as an unknown
Nu-13 contains a fragment of the true Azure, and in battle she fights with
the aid of her Murakumo armor. Nu-13 knows that she needs to mix her
blood with Ragna's and then fall back into the Cauldron with him; this,
according to her, makes her complete. In all timelines, she either
succeeds in doing this or doesn't need to because Noel does it for her.
She is so powerful that there is no timeline where she is actually
defeated.
However, in the final timeline, as Nu-13 and Ragna fall into the Cauldron,
Noel grabs Ragna's hand, leaving Nu-13 to fall into the Cauldron alone,
and potentially killing her. The "defeat" of Nu-13 marks the end of the
time loop.
( Rachel Alucard )
Rachel is the current head of the noble Alucard vampire family; when the
time loop finally ends, she is no less than 72,500 years old, as she has
experienced every moment of every single loop. As she has been watching
the same events roll out for so long, she is frequently and understandably
bored. She is hardly ever seen without her two familiars Nago, a
shape-shifting black cat, and Gii, a chubby red bat. She is hardly ever
nice to them. In contrast, she is always especially courteous to her
butler Valkenhayn.
Though she is a vampire, she has only ever bitten a single human; when a
young Ragna lay dying, bleeding to death because his arm had been severed,
Rachel saved him by passing on her vampirism to him so that he might live.
She is also responsible for encouraging Jin to become Hakumen at the
beginning of each time loop.
For some reason, Rachel says that she is not allowed to really interfere
with events; Ragna and Hakumen both make references to this as well. At
the same time, there seem to be certain things that she can do to
interact with others, though we are never given a good idea of what the
real rules are in this situation or why they exist at all. She seems to
attempt to push people in the right direction, if for no more reason than
to see how it affects the results of a timeline.
Rachel does not need to travel back in time to experience each time loop;
rather, she simply appears in the next time loop with all of the knowledge
she has gathered. In addition, she is capable of existing outside and
between timelines; that is, while each timeline contains its own version of
Jin, there is only a single Rachel in all of the timelines.
Rachel is capable of entering the Imaginary Space.
Like most others aware of him, Rachel has a deep dislike for Terumi and
wants him to be stopped.
Rachel's birthday is 10/31 (Halloween), and she was born in Transylvania.
( Ragna the Bloodedge )
Ragna grew up in an orphanage with his two younger siblings, Jin and Saya.
Saya became sick, so Ragna spent a lot of time taking care of her, which
didn't leave him with nearly as much time to spend with his needy younger
brother. One day Ragna ran back to the orphanage to find it on fire and
his sister laying injured on the ground; it was then that his arm was cut
off and he was left to die by Jin and Terumi, who left with the kidnapped
Saya.
However, Ragna did not die; Rachel Alucard bit him, which caused him to
become a vampire, saving his life. At some point Ragna's got a replacement
right arm which he thought was the Azure Grimoire, but was actually a
weakened or incubating form of the Black Beast. Also, at some point he
met Jubei, one of the Six Heroes, and became his student.
He is now known as Ragna the Bloodedge, and has the nickname Grim Reaper
(in Japanese, literally "death god"). He has had the largest bounty the
NOL has ever placed on anyone ever since he single-handedly destroyed a
Library branch, and is considered the most dangerous man alive. He has
destroyed many Library branches, killing two unfinished Saya clones in
the process, and intends to end the current government.
Ragna's birthday is 3/3.
( Saya )
Ragna and Jin's younger sister; she became sick as a child, which caused
Ragna to devote most of his attention to her, neglecting Jin. Terumi
burned down the church that she lived in and kidnapped her, leaving with
Jin. After that it is unknown what happened to her, though signs point to
her having passed away.
( Tager )
Tager is the result of implanting the genes of demons into a human host.
His large stature and red color due to this have given him the nickname
"The Red Devil". He fought on the side of Ikaruga in the Second War of
Magic before he died. Kokonoe found his body and "revived" him with
machinery, making him a cyborg; a machine attached to his brain is the
reason he can still function.
Tager is Kokonoe's assistant, and she can read his thoughts and even
control him at times. Though she is almost always cold to him, she
actually cares for and appreciates him. He acts as her hands in the
outside world, constantly running errands for her.
Despite his monstrous appearance, Tager is quite gentle and intelligent; he
only resorts to force when it is absolutely necessary. Tager isn't
supposed to have any memories from when he was alive, but his actions,
thoughts and words hint that he still has some of his humanity left. He
still seems to have a soft spot for Ikaruga and a dislike for its enemies.
Tager mentions that "since that day" he has had faith in Kokonoe.
Unbenknowest to him, Kokonoe has implanted a "causality phenomena weapon"
within his body. He also has a matter transference device within him that
leads to Kokonoe.
Tager's birthday is 11/23, and he likes building ships in bottles.
( Tenjo of Ikaruga )
Bang's master who was killed by Jin, and the previous leader of Ikaruga.
His death marked the end of the Ikaruga Civil War. He taught his students
never to kill, and was considered a hero by the people of Ikaruga. It is
unknown to almost all people, but his son is still alive, meaning
Ikaruga has an heir.
( Terumi)
Terumi is the main antagonist of Calamity Trigger, though this is not
fully-revealed until the end. As such, there are a lot of questions about
his origins and relationships with other members of the cast.
We know that Terumi was around at about the time that the Black Beast was
killed; before Hakumen was sealed in the Edge, Terumi himself was somehow
sealed, likely by Hakumen and Jubei, who consider him a threat.
However, at some point this seal was broken, potentially due to the
mysterious entity known as Takama-gahara. Terumi was able to find young
Jin and influence him to believe that Ragna was the Black Beast and that it
was Jin's destiny to destroy him. Terumi then burned down the orphanage,
killed those in charge of the orphanage, and kidnapped Saya; it is unclear
whether he or Jin was the one who cut off Ragna's arm.
At some point, he died, becoming a ghost. It is unknown when this
occured or who actually killed him.
Kokonoe has a bone to pick with Terumi, and says that Terumi will
inevitably show up wherever Hakumen is.
At times in the story he is seen as a ghost, while at times he is seen
as in the human guise of Hazama; it is unclear whether he is able to
freely switch between these forms or whether each only exists in certain
timelines, though context seems to suggest the latter.
At the very least, Terumi is one of the co-conspirators behind the time
loop; his aim seems to be to manipulate the course of events so that
Noel inherits the true Azure, thus allowing Terumi to become more powerful
(in some way) when he recieves her gaze. When Terumi gains this power, he
leaves.
Of the people aware of Terumi's existence (Rachel, Valkenhayn, Jubei,
Hakumen, Kokonoe, Ragna) all have extremely negative opinions of him.
( Taokaka )
Tao is a member of the Kaka clan, which resides in Lost Town below
Kagutsuchi; this town existed even before Kagutsuchi had been built. The
Kaka are a race of biological weapons based on the DNA of Jubei, the
strongest creature on earth. They were created during the Dark War to
help fight against the Black Beast. Their species has been designed to
always maintain a population of roughly 100, and if their numbers dwindle
significantly asexual reproduction becomes possible.
The Library forbids Kakas to come to Kagutsuchi, but Tao seems to
occasionally venture upwards anyway. Tao herself is a very simple-minded
and energetic girl who seems to have almost unlimited energy and stamina.
Like a cat, she enjoys food and napping, and is extremely prone to giving
in to her most base desires. Tao's claws are in some way magical, and the
use of them consumes seithr.
Tao was born on 2/22 in the Kaka village.
( Tsubaki Yayoi )
A friend of Noel's and Makoto's from the Academy. She grew up with Jin
and says the two of them are relatives; she now claims that Jin isn't the
same person as when they were growing up. Tsubaki tries to live her life
as an example for others. She is currently a First Lieutenant under the
NOL. Following the events that transpired when the time loop was finally
ended, Hazama gives her an assignment to assassinate Jin and Noel.
( Valkenhayn )
The butler in service of the Alucard family. He served the prior master
of the family and now serves Rachel. He is extremely proper and polite,
though his persona is a bit caustic and stern around Ragna; Ragna,
however, does not seem to know him. Valkenhayn never truly fights anyone
in Calamity Trigger, but his actions and attitude suggest that he is
likely a capable fighter.
Valkenhayn and Jubei know each other; Jubei at one point calls Valkenhayn
"Hellsing"; it is unclear whether this is a part of his name, a nickname,
or just a joking reference to the original vampire hunter. Terumi says
that he and Valkenhayn go way back, and in one timeline drops by just to
tell him that "the stars are moving". In another timeline, Valkenhayn has
a conversation with Nirvana, who is cautious of him; however, he tells her
that they are no longer enemies.
It is never stated, but it is likely that Valkenhayn is a vampire, as he
has two key things in common with Rachel. First, he is capable of
teleporting, which is an Ars Magus that people are often astounded by
(meaning it is likely unavailable to humans); Rachel is the only other
character with the ability to do this. The second is that he, like
Rachel, persists between timelines.
There are hints that Valkenhayn did things that he does not want to tell
others about during the Dark War.
-------------------
Cultural References
-------------------
----References from mythology, history, etc that are used as namesakes----
----These may or may not be important or applicable, but being aware----
----of some of them may lead to greater understanding of the plot.----
( Alucard )
"Dracula" spelled backwards.
( Bolverk )
The name Bolverk stems from Norse mythology; in the myth, Odin disguises
himself as a human named Bolverk to fool some giants and get a special
mead which gives inspiration to those who drink it.
( Clover )
A genus of about 300 species of plants in the pea family Fabaceae.
( Grimoire )
A book of dark magic.
( Hakumen )
A portmanteau of two Japanese words: haku, meaning white, and kamen,
meaning mask.
( Helsing )
In Bram Stoker's Dracula, Abraham Van Helsing is a doctor and vampire
hunter; this name, and adaptations of it, have since become widespread
throughout vampire-related media, with characters possessing this name
often being decendents of Abraham, the original vampire hunter.
( Ikaruga )
The native name for a black-and-white finch known as the Japanese
Grosbeak.
( Jotunheim )
In Norse mythology, this was the home of the hill and rock giants,
both of which were menaces to humans and gods alike.
( Jubei )
Yagyu Jubei is a very famous and romanticized samurai from fuedal Japan,
usually depicted as wearing an eyepatch.
( Kagutsuchi )
In Shinto mythology, Kagutsuchi is the god of fire. His birth kills his
mother, the goddess of creation and death. His birth occurs at the end
of the creation of the world and marks the beginning of death. His
father Izanagi immediately killed him, and from his blood was born
Takemikazuchi, the patron deity of martial arts. Takemikazuchi is said
to be the grandson of Amaterasu.
( Kain )
An alternate spelling of Cain. In the Bible, Cain kills his brother,
becoming the first murderer. The roleplaying game "Vampire: The
Masquerade" was the first to twist this story to make Cain the first
vampire and sire of all others to come, and since then other games and
media have run with this idea such that nowadays Cain has become a
fairly regular reference to vampirism.
( Kaka )
An endangered parrot species that inhabits New Zealand
( Kisaragi )
A traditional name for February in the Japanese calendar; its kanji
literally mean "wear more clothes" and "the rehabilitation of plants".
( Kokonoe )
In sumo wrestling, Kokonoe is one of several "names" for sumo elders
or coaches. Only one person can have each name at a time.
( Lao Jiu )
A Chinese musical, it's overall theme is "following your dreams vs living
a traditional lifestyle".
( Litchi )
The lychee is an oval fruit with a hard, scaly, red covering and a sweet
white edible flesh underneath. It grows on a Chinese tree known as
Litchi chinensis.
( Magatama )
Curved beads that first appeared during the Jomon period of Japan's
history. It's visual representation is that of a hitodama, or human
spirit. They were popular among ruling elites.
( Makoto )
A relatively common Japanese name meaning "sincerity".
( Mucro Algesco )
Latin words. Mucro means "sword" or "sword point", while alegesco means
"to become cold".
( Murakumo )
In Japanese, murakumo means "massed clouds". Kumo means spider, which
may be a play on the fact that the armor has 8 primary sword.
( Nine )
As a common number, nine has so many possible references that I can't
possibly list them all here; I recommend checking Wikipedia for a more
thorough listing.
In Norse mythology, nine is a very significant number in regards to magic.
There are nine worlds in Norse mythology, and thus there are nine magical
songs and eighteen magical runes. Odin himself discovered the runes by
hanging himself from the world tree, Yggdrasil, while impaled by his own
spear for nine days and nights in order to learn the wisdom that would
give him power in the nine worlds.
Nine is strongly associated with the Chinese dragon, a symbol of magic and
power. There are nine forms of the dragon, and it is described in terms
of nine attributes. It has nine children, and the number of scales it has
is divisible by nine; it has 81 Yang scales and 36 Yin scales.
According to Dante there are nine circles of Hell. In Greek mythology
there are nine muses. In Japanese, nine is considered bad luck.
( Nirvana )
In Buddhism, nirvana is a state of being free from suffering, mental
chains and confusion, and the otherwise endless cycle of rebirth.
( Noel )
When capitalized, it means Christmas. Otherwise the term refers to a
Christmas carol.
( Nox )
The goddess of the night in Roman mythology.
( Nu )
The 13th latter of the Greek alphabet; in the Greek numeral system it has
a value of 50. The character resembles a lowercase V, but is equivalent
to the modern alphabet's letter N. In physics, the character nu stands
for the frequency of a wave; like many other Greek characters, it is used
to represent a variety of other variables in other fields, though I won't
list them here because I don't understand them well enough; check
Wikipedia if you are interested. It is possible that Nu's name is a
pun on the word "new", as she heralds the beginning of a new timeline
and her birthday is 2199/12/31, New Year's Eve.
( Praetorian Guard )
In ancient Rome, the Praetorian Guard was a special force of guards that
guarded either the Emperors themselves or Roman generals.
( Ragnarok )
In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is the inevitable battle at the end of the
world many important gods, including Odin, perish. Ragna is the plural
of regin, meaning "gods" or "ruling powers".
( Ronin )
Samurai who have lost their masters. This happens when either they lose
the favor of their master or the master dies or is ruined. According to
the Bushido, a samurai was supposed to commit seppuku, a ritual suicide,
upon the loss of his master, so being a ronin was a great shame.
( Ronin-Gai )
A Japanese movie set in the Tokugawa period in the samurai terrorizing a
small country village are defeated by a bunch of otherwise despicable
ronin who stand up against the injustice. Ronin-gai means "Ronin Street".
( Sankishin )
In Shinto mythology, the Sankishin are the "Three Dear Gods". Tsukuyomi
is the moon god, Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun, and Susanoo is the
storm god. All three were created when Izanagi, a deity, washed his face
clean of the pollutants of Yomi, the underword.
In the myth, Susanoo was banished from Takamagahara (Heaven) after being
a jerk to Amaterasu. On earth, he went on to use his sword to slay an
eight-headed serpent called Yamato no Orochi after tricking it into
getting drunk and thus falling asleep. He then split open the tail of
tail of the serpent and found a sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and gave it
to Amaterasu as a reconciliation gift.
Both Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi live in Takamagahara; however, at one point
Tsukuyomi angered Amaterasu, who then moved to another part of the sky,
which is why they are never seen together.
( Saya )
A Japanese word for the scabbard, or sheath, of a sword or knife, which
is interesting because these are the etymological roots of the English word
"vagina"; it could be that this name is meant to be symbolic of Saya,
as well as Nu's, relationship with Ragna.
( Seithr )
An old Norse term for a type of sorcery or witchcraft.
( Sheol )
The "abode of the dead" in Hebrew mythology; often compared to Hades.
( Shishigami )
Roughly translates to "forest god"; a term that Japanese players would all
be familiar with.
( Tager )
William Tager is the name of a mentally disturbed man who murdered an NBC
technician and allegedly assaulted Dan Rather because he believed that
television networks were watching him and beaming messages into his head.
( Tao )
Pronounced "dao", Tao is a concept found in Taoism, Confucianism, and
ancient Chinese philosophy. The kanji itself translates to "way", "path",
or "principle". Philosophically, however, it signifies the fundamental
nature of the world. It is often referred to as "the nameless", because
neither it nor its principles can be adequately expressed in words; it
can, however, be known, just as its principles can be followed. Taoists
believe that it is ultimately useless to try to understand or control
Tao. Everything is a part of Tao, and it encompasses everything.
Tao is often compared to water, as it is clear, without color, and simple,
though all beings depend on it for life and nothing can stand in its way.
( Tsubaki )
Japanese for a flower known as a camellia, and a common name for Japanese
women.
( Ur )
A German prefix meaning original or primitive.
( Vermillion )
A bright red pigment, or a vivid reddish orange.
( Yayoi )
The Yayoi period is an era in Japanese history from roughly 500 BC to
300 AD; the period was named after the Tokyo neighborhood where artifacts
from this era were first discovered. The Yayoi period followed the Jomon
period.
( Yukianesa )
Yuki is Japanese for snow.
------------------
Significant Quotes
------------------
----Ominous quotes that hint at truths in Calamity Trigger----
Nu-13
"Restriction #666, released. Dimensional interference field deployed...
Murakumo Unit, activated."
Ragna
"Restriction #666, released. Dimensional interference field deployed...
BlazBlue... Uargh!"
Jin
"...Of course, I would have walked anyway."
Jin
"This door has been left open, and a scrap of cloth flutters in the wind."
Jin
"Everything is cold. Everything, at least, except for my right hand."
Jin (to Noel)
"That's right... I need to destroy you...! Just like... Last time...!"
Rachel
"Hazama...I still don't understand him..."
Hazama
"...him?"
Rachel
"I don't wish to ever see him again."
Hazama
"Well, neither do I...goddamn vampire."
Hakumen (to Rachel)
"...Let us meet again, in -his- era."
Kokonoe
"The enemy is...hmph. All the Library knows how to do is Ars Magus. So
what better way to fight them than with their own medicine...? I didn't
have a lot of time to set up this trap, so I took a shortcut and used an
Ars or two to exact my revenge."
Tager (referring to the Kagutsuchi Library Branch)
"I guess the basic construction here is very similar to the Sector."
Hakumen (to Tager, in the Edge)
"Very well. Then the eye shall bear witness to my power!"
Hakumen
"Ah, yes... My genesis...the beginning of my endless journey to defeat
every last one of you! Ragna the Bloodedge, you are first!"
Hakumen (to Ragna)
"I am ready for you, Black Beast. To destroy evil, I must defeat it at the
root, and that root is you!"
Nu-13
"I hold onto Ragna...and fall backwards...into the Cauldron. ...Into a
warm...eternal...world of...Azure..."
Rachel (to Nu-13)
"If the lead has forgotten her lines, the result cannot possibly be very
entertaining. I suppose the time has come to close the curtain."
Rachel (to Ragna)
"You still don't understand? Even after so many repetitions!? Don't you
see that your lack of conviction dooms this world to oblivion!?"
Rachel
"Indeed... Success comes rarely and never easily. I must congratulate
you. You did discover it much faster this time."
Kokonoe
"...I see. Then there might be hope for us yet..."
-TRUE ENDING QUOTES-
"Jubei watches Ragna's back as he stomps off into the clouds. With a final
farewell to his former student, the cat fades back into the seithr."
Jin
"What is this...? Why is there no one around? There're no signs of any
battles, either... You're not...my brother...? No, that can't be! What
the... What the hell is going on here?"
Ragna (to Jin)
"Mind your own business! (What is this strange sensation...!?)"
Jin (to Ragna)
"So, it's true... I'm a nuisance to you... Then, I guess we are, after
all-- I see... I guess...I'll have to kill you..."
Noel (in regard to Hazama)
"Why...Why did he say such a thing...? That man... "
Hakumen (to Ragna)
"The darkness that infects our world springs from you, a font of evil...
I shall staunch that flow... ...and put and end to you!"
A quick note:
Like all theories, these are works in progress, and light being shed on
certain facts or the introduction of other theories can and will cause
them to change over time. I greatly encourage the submission of your own
theories or explanations debunking the below theories!
( So, what's going on? )
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger doesn't make much sense until you understand
that a time loop is occuring, and even then it can be confusing if you
don't understand the mechanics of how time travel works in the BlazBlue
universe.
Time is linear; that's why you can write up a timeline. In this way, you
can represent time as a piece of string laid out on a table. Then if you
lay out more strings on this table parallel to the first string, you have
a representation of multiple timelines.
Now, let's talk about dimensions. The basic way that dimensions work is
that every next dimension creates a linearly infinite amount of the first.
So, a zero-dimensional object is a single point, and if you line up an
infinite number of points, you get a line, which is a one-dimensional
object. If you line up an infinite number of lines, you get a plane,
a two-dimensional object, and if you line up an infinite number of planes
you get three-dimensional space.
It can be tricky to conceptualize from here on out, but if you line up an
infinite number of three-dimensional spaces, you get time, the fourth
dimension. Finally, if you line up an infinite number of four-dimensional
spaces, you get multiple timelines or parallel realities.
It's not vital to be able to wrap your head around the above, but I find
that understanding that makes it easier to understand the concept of how
time travel and timelines works in BlazBlue.
A great deal of media portrays time travel as taking place in a single
timeline. So, for example, if you go into the past and cut off your arm,
this would effect the future and suddenly you wouldn't have an arm. This
isn't how time travel works in BlazBlue.
In BlazBlue, when time travel occurs, those time-travelling are sent to
an alternate timeline, meaning that nothing in the original timeline can
change.
Time travel occurs in BlazBlue when Ragna and either Noel or Nu-13 fall
into the Kagutsuchi Cauldron together. Ragna's fusion with one of these
Saya clones causes the awakening of the Black Beast. The Cauldron itself
naturally distorts time, and somehow the combination of these two factors
causes the area around the Cauldron to be propelled 100 years into the past
into an alternate timeline.
So, in every timeline on New Year's Eve, 2199, the Black Beast awakens,
travelling back in time; Jin also falls into the Cauldron, going back in
time as well. The Black Beast then appears in 2099 "from nowhere", covers
the world in seithr, and starts killing people. Rachel meets Jin and sets
him on the road towards becoming Hakumen and defeating the Black Beast.
While many events in the timelines are similar, they have significant
differences, and things change with each iteration of the loop.
( Why is time looping? )
The time loop was in some way created by the NOL and/or Terumi, though
it's always possible that there are other unknown entities that are
involved in the conspiracy as well. Data from each time loop is recorded
by an entity known as Takama-gahara, and by the time the loop has been
resolved there have been more than 725 iterations.
While we don't know how the time loop started, we can learn a bit about
why the time loop exists based on who stands to gain something from the
loops.
The NOL would not exist without the time loops; if the Black Beast didn't
appear and cover the world in seithr, there would be no magic, no Ars
Magus, and no NOL to manage them and hence control the world. At the same
time, it calls into question the how the time loops even began, since
without all of the events that lead up to a time loop, how would the loop
have begun the first time? Additionally, since individual timelines are
themselves not affected by time travel, there would be no benefit to
creating an alternate NOL when the existing NOL is already in power.
Of the characters we know about, Terumi is the most likely mastermind
behind the timeloop. At the end of the final timeline, when the loop is
finally broken, he gains power. Additionally, we know that he kidnapped
Saya originally, which implicates him as being in some way behind the
creation of her clones, which are crucial to the time loop.
It is worth noting that the Library branch in Kagutsuchi is always empty,
which makes it that much easier for Ragna to find Nu-13, implying that
the whoever is perpetuating the loops has some amount of control over
the NOL.
( What happens to the old timeline? )
There are only two possibilites. The first is that Nox Nyctores Gigant:
Take-Mikazuchi's beam destroys the world due to its precise positioning
above Kagutsuchi. Kagutsuchi has the deepest Cauldron of all the Library
branches, and it is possible that it is close enough to an important
foundational aspect of the earth's center that the beam is enough to
destroy the entire world at it's weak spot, similar to the Death Star.
The other possibility is that time distortion and time travel of the
magnitude that occurs when the Black Beast is formed is enough to royally
mess up time-space to the point where the timeline is entirely destroyed.
( Anything else about timelines? )
The time loop is an extremely lengthy game of chess between Rachel and
Terumi, who each are trying to end the time loop in their own way.
Terumi wants the time loop to end with Noel defeating Nu-13, and hence
inheriting the true Azure, which will then give him power.
Rachel wants the time loop to end with Ragna defeating Nu-13, which will
prevent time from looping again.
Both of these key players experience every time loop, poking and prodding
the different variables, trying to in some way manipulate the outcome they
desire into being realized.
Kokonoe is also a significant player in this game, and she sides with
Rachel, though she has her own motives. She clearly wants Ragna to
succeed, as she removes Hakumen from Ragna's path in almost every timeline.
Hakumen, while aware of the loop, is not a key player. He aims to end
the cycle by killing Ragna, which he is never able to do.
In the end, Terumi wins the game, though it doesn't play out exactly the
way he had planned. The use of Take-Mikazuchi forces Rachel to leave
Noel alone once she becomes the eye, meaning that Terumi has a chance to
have Noel look at him without Rachel interfering.
( Why doesn't Rachel do more? )
This is a significant question. Rachel is an extremely powerful being, and
it seems that if she wanted to she could kill Nu-13, kill Ragna, or do
other things that would end the time loop. There are two possible theories
as to why she is a spectator.
The first is that this is due to her position as a member of the noble
Alucard family; it is possible that as "supreme beings" of sorts there are
self-imposed rules as to how much they are allowed to interact with the
human world.
The second is that Rachel is, despite outward appearances, a very
sympathetic, compassionate person; she sees the plight of the humans in
the time loop and wants them to be able to triumph over it themselves.
Specifically, she has an attachment to Ragna; like Jubei, she may
understand Ragna's hatred and want him to be able to succeed himself,
rather than simply having a powerful being take care of his problems for
him. She exhibits this quality as well when she tells Kokonoe that she
will not interfere when Kokonoe tries to take down Terumi.
( What is the Azure? )
COMING SOON
( Is Terumi a ghost? Is he alive? )
COMING SOON
( Why is Jin crazy? )
Jin clearly has something wrong with him, but why? Often people suggest
that Yukianesa is the cause of this, but evidence suggests that this is
not the case.
Jin's "craziness" has almost nothing to do with Yukianesa, nor does his
apathy towards other people; note that he is anti-social in the Academy,
and even upon seeing Noel he doesn't flip out. The only times we see him
outside of the Academy with his sword is in flashbacks when he kills Bang's
master, and he doesn't seem crazy in that case either.
What makes Jin crazy? There are a few possibilities, but only one that I
feel wraps up all of the loose ends.
The main possibility is Jin's great love for his brother. In his youth, he
was attached at the hip to Ragna, a relationship that many brothers have.
However, when Saya got sick Jin felt left out and jealous. This, compounded
by the fact that he was only an emotionally immature child, made him an
easy subject to manipulate.
The current theory is that Terumi located Jin and told him the truth: that
Ragna would become the Black Beast, and that it was Jin's destiny to
destroy it. He may have told him other things, but that's all we can be
sure of.
This is why Jin is so out of it when his brother is dying in the past, and
this is why he feels a need to kill Ragna even in the future. At the same
time, he loves his brother, so he regrets what he must do. He lies to
himself, saying that his brother must know why it has to be this way...but
he still feels incredible guilt.
This great conflict in emotions is what makes Jin so unstable, beginning
when he finds out that the Grim Reaper is Ragna the Bloodedge, meaning his
brother is alive...and his destiny has yet to be fulfilled.
( Who is Nu-13? Who is Noel? )
COMING SOON
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Contact Info
------------
----branden DOT bean AT gmail DOT com----
Interested in contributing a theory? Care to correct me on something?
Want to lavish me with praise? You know where to send it.
If you do present theories, please support your argument! Cite the events
that made you think certain things, map out your thought process...whatever
it takes to communicate that your idea is founded in genuine facts rather
than just something you dreamed up.
Additionally, I'm always interested in receiving translations for things that
aren't in English!
Whatever the case, make sure you make the subject of your email the following:
BLAZBLUE PLOT
If your subject is not exactly that, your email will be filtered into my
trash automatically and I will never get to read it.
If you contribute anything, make sure you provide the name you want me to use
when I give you credit!
I hope you enjoyed this guide!
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x The seal of fate is now broken. Now it's up to you. x
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