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| {{in-universe|date=April 2023}}{{DISPLAYTITLE:Nightmare (''Soulcalibur'')}} | |||
| {{Infobox character | {{Infobox character | ||
| | name = |
| name = Nightmare | ||
| | series = ] | | series = ] | ||
| | image = SiegfriedNightmare.png | | image = SiegfriedNightmare.png | ||
| | image_size = 270px | |||
| | caption = Siegfried and Nightmare in '']'' | |||
| | |
| caption = Nightmare from '']'' | ||
| | |
| firstgame = '']'' (1995) | ||
| |designer=Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG-vETVBWUU&t=1m49s |author=Namco Bandai Entertainment America |title=SoulCalibur V - Behind The Game |website=] |date=6 July 2011 |accessdate=2023-04-26 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425164431/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG-vETVBWUU&t=1m49s |archivedate=2023-04-25 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> | |||
| | designer = Nightmare: Aya Takemura <small>(''Soulcalibur II-IV'')</small> <br/> Takuji Kawano <small>(''Soulcalibur II-IV'', ''Legends'')</small> | |||
| | voice = |
| voice = {{Collapsible list|title=]|Ted D' Agostino {{small|(''Soulcalibur II'')}}<ref name="behindthevoiceactors.com2">{{cite web |title=Nightmare Voices (Soulcalibur) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Soulcalibur/Nightmare/ |website=Behind The Voice Actors |access-date=16 September 2019|postscript=. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of the title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.}}</ref><br>Patrick Ryan {{small|(''Soulcalibur III'')}}<ref name="behindthevoiceactors.com2"/>}}{{Collapsible list|title=]|] {{small|(''Soulcalibur I-II'', ''VI'')}}<ref name="behindthevoiceactors.com2"/><br>] {{small|(''Soulcalibur III'')}}<ref name="behindthevoiceactors.com2"/><br>] {{small|(''Soulcalibur Legends'', ''IV'')}}<ref name="SCL">{{cite video game | developer=] | title=] | publisher=] | scene=Ending credits, 9:33 in, VOICE OVER ACTORS (Japanese) | year=2007}}</ref><ref name="behindthevoiceactors.com2"/><ref name="brokendestiny">{{cite video game | developer=] | title=Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny | publisher=] | scene=Ending credits, 5:23 in, VOICE OVER ACTORS JAPANESE | year=2009}}</ref><br>] {{small|(''Soulcalibur V'')}}<ref name="behindthevoiceactors.com2"/>}} | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{nihongo|'''Nightmare'''|ナイトメア|Naitomea|lead=yes}} is a ] and the ] in the ] series of video games. The evil possessor of {{nihongo|]|ジークフリート・シュタウフェン|Jīkufurīto Shutaufen}}'s body, he later becomes an entity entirely separated from Siegfried in '']'' onward. Nightmare is the living incarnation of Soul Edge and a vessel for ]. | |||
| ⚫ | Nightmare first appeared in one of the possible endings and as an alternative skin for the Siegfried character in the game '']''. In the sequel '']'', he was given a name and featured as a central character. Ever since then, Nightmare has been a major antagonist, with his ownership of Soul Edge making him the objective of many other characters in the story. Nightmare has served as a recurring ] in contrast to the ] role played by Siegfried, as well as serving as Siegfried's archenemy until '']'', where Graf Dumas (actually Raphael Sorel) becomes the new host for Nightmare/Soul Edge/Inferno. In '']'', which serves as a reboot, Siegfried is once again Nightmare/Inferno's host once more. | ||
| Siegfried is a young German knight that, driven mad after unknowingly killing his father, becomes possessed by the evil sword Soul Edge and physically transforms into the demon known as Nightmare. Though Siegfried does temporarily regain his sanity after Nightmare is defeated by ] in '']'' (only to be taken over by Soul Edge again shortly after), it is not until after the events of '']'' that he is freed from the sword's control entirely and went on to pierce the cursed sword using Soul Calibur. He then seeks atonement for the atrocities he committed as Nightmare. In their final confrontation in '']'', Siegfried successfully destroyed Soul Edge and freed himself from the evil power. | |||
| Nightmare has appeared in all the sequels to ''Soulcalibur'' with visual differences between each game. His fighting style was altered from '']'' to ''Soulcalibur III'' after Siegfried became a separate character. | |||
| ⚫ | Nightmare first appeared in one of the possible endings for the Siegfried character in ''Soul Edge''. In the sequel ''Soulcalibur'', he was given a name and featured as a central character. Ever since then, Nightmare has been |
||
| ==Conception and design== | |||
| ⚫ | == Appearances == | ||
| ⚫ | {{expand-section|date=September 2023}} | ||
| During the development of ''Soulcalibur'', Nightmare's helmet went through several iterations with an aim to give a sense of "pressure" and "emit an atmosphere that terrifies anyone who sees them."<ref name="sc1-artbook"/> The finalized design was modeled after a unicorn, while his armor implemented imagery of a dragon, which the development team felt symbolized "evil, chaos and power".<ref name=tweet>{{cite tweet |title=This is the concept art of Nightmare. The armor is a refinement of SC1's "unicorn" inspired design. His armor is decorated with a dragon, a symbol of evil, chaos and power. The final image was clear from the beginning. So his design was finished on quickly. #SOULCALIBUR Early |user=Soulcalibur |number=1318029410688065538 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706153854/https://twitter.com/soulcalibur/status/1318029410688065538 |archivedate=2022-07-06}}</ref> Early drafts of his design took inspiration from a ], with a lion's head on either his shoulder or chest, and one design featuring a snake in place of his right arm, and considered the idea of either head breathing fire or being able to bite opponents. They instead shifted took a more traditional look of a "]" with a large mutated arm gripping his sword. Said mutated left arm originally took inspiration from a fiddler crab, giving what the developers felt was a "heteromorphic" appearance to the character. While in the concept artwork Nightmare is depicted with his left arm mutated to hold the sword, in some early designs fused with the sword itself,<ref name="sc1-artbook"/> in the final design his right arm is mutated instead, despite still wielding his sword with his left.<ref name=tweet/> | |||
| As for the weapon itself, while at one point they considered a coiled lance, most iterations kept the large ] sword Siegfried had used in the original ''Soul Edge''. Though there were concerns that early sketches of it being too big, the development team noted that by the final they made it even larger. Earlier drafts of it were given red pores and veins, meant to resemble a plant and to let one "feel the beauty even in the midst of fear" when looking at it, while elements such as a mouth and eye were added to give it a more organic appearance.<ref name="sc1-artbook">{{cite book |title=Legend of Soulcalibur |language=Japanese |publisher=Honored |author=Namco |date=1999 |isbn=9784877196608 |pages=128–131}}</ref> | |||
| === ''Soul'' games === | |||
| ⚫ | {{ |
||
| With ''Soulcalibur V'', the character's appearance was changed dramatically, now designed with a bat motif in mind that designer Hirokai Kado suggested was significant, but did not clarify as to why. | |||
| In his '']'' debut, Siegfried is a 16-year-old former child of Frederick Schtauffen, a brave knight in the ] following the ]. Named by his mother after the legendary Germanic hero ], Siegfried had joined a band of brigands called the Schwarzwind after his father has had left on a foreign crusade, only to unintentionally kill his own returning father during an ambush. Driven insane by this act, Siegfried convinced himself that someone else was to blame for his father's death, thus embarking on a journey to find the legendary weapon known as Soul Edge and use it to take revenge. | |||
| ⚫ | == Appearances == | ||
| He traveled first to Ostrheinsburg Castle belonging to the noble Stefan, who he believed to be the possessor of Soul Edge; and he joined in its forces as a ], rising in its ranks with the hopes of acquiring Stefan's blade. During a siege on the castle, Siegfried saw an opportunity to kill Stefan, running off with his prized possession into the ], but the sword held no power. Frustrated, he continued to search for the real Soul Edge, growing increasingly more insane for its power as time passed. He finally managed to come across the real Soul Edge, lying beside the corpse of the corrupted pirate ] that lit up in a hellish blaze of fire and attacked him. Siegfried raised his mighty ] and defeated his lingering spirit, the fiery demon Inferno, breaking his sword in the process and earning the right to wield the Soul Edge for himself. But at the 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. Soul Edge tempted Siegfried to wield it with a promise to resurrect his dead father in exchange for gathering souls for its consumption. Not knowing that he is just being used, Siegfried agreed and started killing people to gather souls. Eventually, Soul Edge consumed him and Nightmare is born, transforming him into the Azure Knight. | |||
| Even though Nightmare originally debuted in '']'', its predecessor, '']'', featured a prototype of his character. In the home version, an extra character named "Siegfried!" was added as an unlockable character. "Siegfried!" was an alternate version of normal Siegfried taken from his no-input ending, where he was consumed by the cursed sword Soul Edge. This early version was much different from the former Nightmare, having crimson armor and a more flesh-like design, almost as if he were part of Soul Edge itself. He has no story nor ending, and only used Siegfried's Soul Edge without effects. In the conclusion of ''Soul Edge'', ] battled with the corrupted pirate ] and eventually came into possession of the Soul Edge with its lingering spirit, Inferno. Soul Edge tempted Siegfried to wield it with a promise to resurrect his dead father in exchange for gathering souls for its consumption. Not knowing that he is just being used, Siegfried agreed and started killing people to gather souls. Eventually, Soul Edge consumed him and Nightmare is born. | |||
| Allying himself with ], ], and ] in the city of Ostrheinsburg, Nightmare attempted to completely restore Soul Edge. However, the attempt failed when his castle was attacked by ], ], and ], causing his allies to abandon him. Nightmare was eventually defeated by Xianghua, which caused Siegfried to realize that he is the one who killed his father. This allowed him to temporarily break free from Soul Edge's control. He then hid the sword and himself out from civilization to atone his sins that he committed when he was consumed by Soul Edge. | |||
| In '']'', Siegfried is saved from the Evil Seed by a group sent by the Masked Emperor to investigate it. Once brought to him, the Emperor requested that he resurrect Soul Edge to defeat the ] Barbaros, who wielded Soul Calibur. The Emperor reminded the reluctant Siegfried of his father - who lived in the Empire's service and died protecting it - and he finally accepted the request, starting a journey alongside ] and court jester Iska Farkas. Siegfried travels around the world, gathering Soul Edge's shards and receiving help from ], ], ], ] and ], eventually forming a bond with them, despite the fact that they all wish to either take Soul Edge away from him or destroy it. Along the way, Siegfried manages to defeat several Guardians of the Soul Edge shards and restore Soul Edge's power. Using it, Siegfried defeats Barbaros. The Masked Emperor gets Soul Calibur and reveals that she planned to defend her people by annihilating all possible enemies with the combined powers of it and Soul Edge. However, she is unsuccessful in seizing Soul Edge from Siegfried, and an event seemingly similar to the Evil Seed takes place during their battle. He defeats Inferno when the demon tries to stop him in the form of Nightmare and succeeds in sealing Soul Edge, replacing it with the sword Requiem. Siegfried saves his allies, and together they march against the Empire's army. He confronts and defeats the Masked Emperor and stop her conquest. As he leaves her, Soul Calibur, and Soul Edge behind, Iska betrays him and takes both swords but Siegfried emerges victorious. As Iska dies he exclaims that in the end, all will betray Siegfried and that only those with power will prevail in the end, leaving those without it to suffer and ultimately die. As Siegfried leaves, he takes the unsealed Soul Edge with him again. | |||
| ⚫ | By ''],'' Soul Edge was able to take over Siegfried's mind. At first it was for short periods of time during his sleep, but eventually it took Siegfried's body completely and used him to cause destruction once more. ], a former French nobleman pursuing the blade for his own scheme, challenged Nightmare. He was defeated, but managed to pierce Soul Edge's eye with his rapier. This caused the sword to lose control over Siegfried, and allowed him to defeat Inferno and break free once again. Siegfried then discovered Soul Calibur, released from Inferno's body after its defeat, and impaled Soul Edge's eye with it. With both swords sealed, Siegfried abandoned his old armor and left with them. | ||
| In '']'', his group of followers (Astaroth, ], and Ivy) aided him in Soul Edge's quest to devour souls for a resurrection ceremony to be performed in his chosen stronghold, Ostrheinsburg. But as the ceremony was about to take place, both Aeon Calcos and Astaroth have been defeated, and Ivy had left after learning the truth of her past from Taki. Two young warriors confronted Nightmare: ] and ]. After a raging battle, the evil sword shattered and Siegfried regained some of his humanity and managed to briefly break free from Soul Edge's control. But along came the memories of the sins he committed when he was consumed by Soul Edge. 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. Siegfried meditated on all he had done and decided that if he was to be successful in his new resolve, he must distance himself from the civilized society so that he never kills again. He could not see his mother until he was fully redeemed. | |||
| ⚫ | In '']'', ] revived "Nightmare" in essence. Created as an avatar for a disembodied Inferno using the original armor as a shell, he pursued and eventually recovered his true body, Soul Edge. Nightmare also met ], who became his servant and manipulated others into protecting Soul Edge and sacrificing souls for Nightmare, to eventually become sacrifices themselves. Meanwhile, Zasalamel manipulated Siegfried, leading him to Nightmare, and wielding Soul Calibur, he clashed against Soul Edge. At the moment the swords struck a burst of energy was released; Siegfried was mortally wounded, while Soul Edge and its body were pulled into a warped dimension, eventually returning to Ostrheinsburg. | ||
| ⚫ | By '']'' |
||
| ⚫ | In '']'', Soul Calibur revived Siegfried, while Inferno restored Soul Edge fully and strengthened his hold over the animated armor that was Nightmare. Inferno then claimed the entire city of Ostrheinsburg as a vessel due to the fact that Nightmare lacked the capacity to contain his consciousness, and as a result, the city became cursed and many of its inhabitants were corrupted. Tira continued serving Nightmare and manipulating ], ] and others into serving Soul Edge, in order to weaken Soul Calibur and provide Nightmare with the strength necessary to destroy the spirit sword. Nightmare would then clash against Siegfried in a final duel, though his plans were interfered with the appearance of Algol and the Tower of Remembrance. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| As revealed in '']'', Soul Edge is shattered and Nightmare ceases to be during his final duel with Siegfried. However, the blade is brought back to life by pieces collected by its servants. Nightmare is reborn in the body of Raphael and assumes the alias of Graf Dumas. From there, Dumas works his way into the graces of the ] and is installed as the ruler of ]. Dumas ] to consume more souls and initiate a widespread search for the remaining fragments of Soul Edge. Unknown to him, his former servant Tira had been working to create a new Nightmare as she is not satisfied with Dumas. | |||
| ⚫ | In '']'', Soul Calibur revived Siegfried, while Inferno restored Soul Edge fully and strengthened his hold over the animated armor that was Nightmare. Inferno then claimed the entire city of Ostrheinsburg as a vessel due to the fact that Nightmare lacked the capacity to contain his consciousness, and as a result, the city became cursed and many of its inhabitants were corrupted. Tira continued serving Nightmare and manipulating ], ] and others into serving Soul Edge, in order to weaken Soul Calibur and provide Nightmare with the strength necessary to destroy the spirit sword. Nightmare would then clash against Siegfried in a final duel, though his plans |
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| Dumas manipulates one of his soldiers, ], into killing people corrupted by Soul Edge known as Malfested in exchange for help in his search to find his missing sister, Pyrrha. Patroklos revolts and flees from service. Dumas later discovers Patroklos and Pyrrha and reveals himself as Nightmare. He forces Pyrrha's hidden Soul Edge power to consume her, causing Patroklos to abandon her. Nightmare then initiated a war throughout Europe with his newfound power, but is eventually struck down and killed by ], a young man whom he previously tried to hunt. Though Pyrrha Omega kills Z.W.E.I., Inferno makes her the new host for Soul Edge. She is defeated by Patrokalos and both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur are sealed in the Astral Chaos. | |||
| Nightmare returned as a playable character in '']''. The game revisits the events of the original ''Soulcalibur'' and shows Nightmare possessing Siegfried once more. | |||
| Siegfried also appeared playable in '']'', where he is 40-years-old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201309/17039633.html|title=シリーズ最新作『ソウルキャリバー ロストソーズ』がF2PスタイルでPS3に登場|website=famitsu.com|language=ja|access-date=2018-08-17}}</ref> | |||
| '']'' serves as a rebooted timeline after the events of ''Soulcalibur V'', immediately taking place at the beginning of the second ''Soul'' game's reboot storyline, the original ''Soulcalibur'', rather than the beginning of ''Soul Edge''. Shortly after becoming Nightmare, Siegfried slaughters thousands of innocents in an attempt to resurrect his father, with Soul Edge mimicking Frederick's voice to manipulate Siegfried. Nightmare is eventually defeated by Kilik and Xianghua. After the Azure Knight's defeat, Siegfried reawakens in a nearby forest wracked with guilt over his memories of his atrocities as Nightmare and his role in his father's death. After facing off against multiple people who want revenge on him for Nightmare's crimes, his soul is partially purified by Sophitia, giving him the motivation to take down Soul Edge for good. After hearing the voice of Soul Calibur cry for help, he grips Soul Edge and becomes Nightmare once more to prevent Soul Edge from consuming Soul Calibur. He then waits for his chance to properly regain control of his body once more. Despite knowing what Soul Edge has been doing with his body while his soul is resting at nighttime, Siegfried gains the knowledge of where Soul Edge and “his” servants held their hostages are, entrusting some fellow opposing warriors like a now Korean taoist swordsman Hwang Seong-Gyeong the locations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/403/G040382/20180413016/|title=「ソウルキャリバーVI」，ツヴァイハンダーを操り戦う青年"ジークフリート"が公開。バトルアクションが確認できるPVも|access-date=2018-08-17|language=ja}}</ref> | |||
| === Other appearances === | === Other appearances === | ||
| Outside of the ''Soul'' series, Nightmare appeared in ] where the player can obtain him as an "ally" and use his armor along with Soul Edge. Soul Edge also appeared as an enemy in '']'' where its shards became ] and was fought as enemies, and made a cameo in '']''. A Sackboy costume of Nightmare was released as a DLC for '']''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.playstation.com/en-pl/product/EP9000-CUSA00762_00-LBPDLCNBSCCO0003|title=SOULCALIBUR™ Nightmare Costume – LBP™ 3|website=PlayStation™Store|language=en-PL|access-date=2018-08-18}}</ref> | Outside of the ''Soul'' series, Nightmare appeared in ] where the player can obtain him as an "ally" and use his armor along with Soul Edge. Soul Edge also appeared as an enemy in '']'' where its shards became ] and was fought as enemies, and made a cameo in '']''. A Sackboy costume of Nightmare was released as a DLC for '']''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.playstation.com/en-pl/product/EP9000-CUSA00762_00-LBPDLCNBSCCO0003|title=SOULCALIBUR™ Nightmare Costume – LBP™ 3|website=PlayStation™Store|language=en-PL|access-date=2018-08-18}}</ref> | ||
| In 2000, Epoch C-Works released a series of action figures based upon the original ''Soulcalibur'', amongst them Nightmare. The semi-posable figure came with equipable weapons from the title in the same package.<ref>. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07</ref> In 2003, ] released a Nightmare sculpture amongst a set of five based on characters from ''Soulcalibur II''. The immobile figure was modeled after his primary outfit and stood six inches tall with a base.<ref>. Spawn.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-02</ref> | In 2000, Epoch C-Works released a series of action figures based upon the original ''Soulcalibur'', amongst them Nightmare. The semi-posable figure came with equipable weapons from the title in the same package.<ref>. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07</ref> In 2003, ] released a Nightmare sculpture amongst a set of five based on characters from ''Soulcalibur II''. The immobile figure was modeled after his primary outfit and stood six inches tall with a base.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914021512/http://www.spawn.com/toys/product.aspx?product=1880 |date=2008-09-14 }}. Spawn.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-02</ref> | ||
| Siegfried and Nightmare both appear in ''Soulcalibur'' manga and make a guest appearance as cards in a mobile video game ''Outcast Odyssey'' and in many cards in '']''. They are also both featured on the official ''Soulcalibur VI'' arcade stick.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2018/06/13/115411.html|title=『ソウルキャリバー VI』デザインのアーケードスティックが登場！人気キャラクターをあしらったオリジナルモデル {{!}} インサイド|work=インサイド|access-date=2018-08-17|language=ja}}</ref> | Siegfried and Nightmare both appear in ''Soulcalibur'' manga and make a guest appearance as cards in a mobile video game ''Outcast Odyssey'' and in many cards in '']''. They are also both featured on the official ''Soulcalibur VI'' arcade stick.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2018/06/13/115411.html|title=『ソウルキャリバー VI』デザインのアーケードスティックが登場！人気キャラクターをあしらったオリジナルモデル {{!}} インサイド|work=インサイド|access-date=2018-08-17|language=ja}}</ref> | ||
| == |
==Promotion and reception== | ||
| In 2000, Epoch C-Works released a series of action figures based upon the original ''Soulcalibur'', amongst them Nightmare. The semi-posable figure came with equipable weapons from the title in the same package.<ref>. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07</ref> In August 2003, ] released a Nightmare ] amongst a set of five based on characters from ''Soulcalibur II''. The immobile figure was modeled after his primary outfit and stood six inches tall with a base.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914021512/http://www.spawn.com/toys/product.aspx?product=1880 |date=2008-09-14 }}. Spawn.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-02</ref> Nightmare's likeness was used as the basis for a costume for ] in '']'', as part of a ''Soulcalibur'' themed costume pack for the title.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP9000-CUSA00473_00-LBPDLCNBSCCK0001 |title=LittleBigPlanet™ 3 SOULCALIBUR™ Costume Pack |author=Sony Interactive Entertainment |website=PlayStation Store |accessdate=2023-04-28}}</ref> | |||
| In his debut, Siegfried appeared as a young man with short blond hair and blue eyes, covered in simple knight armor. Following his redemption in ''Soulcalibur'' and beyond, he retains the armor but his hair has grown longer, past shoulder length. During ''Soulcalibur"'' he also gains a long scar dashing over his right eye. In ''Soulcalibur III'', he returns with armor bearing the motif of a phoenix as well as feathers on his pauldrons. As of ''Soulcalibur IV'', his armor remains the same, but a second layer of crystalline armor covers with an intricate design and wields Soul Calibur instead of Requiem. He also gains a long blue scarf as well, completing the 'knight in shining armor' visage. His weapon in Soul Edge was originally Faust, a simple zweihander (two-handed sword) with a basic design, but swapped it for Requiem, a large blade with a flat end and a black lining in the center. He continues to use this sword from ''Soulcalibur'' all the way to ''Soulcalibur III'' and resumes its use in ''Soulcalibur V''. In ''Soulcalibur V'', Siegfried's appearance begins to take on the traits of his father, and has grown a stubble. His hair is swept up with a couple bangs hanging down and his scar still remains. In all games, he is left-handed. | |||
| ⚫ | The staff of ] praised him as the best character in the series, stating "Was there ever really any question? Not for us", and further praising his role as a playable "badass" villain.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901232936/http://www.ugo.com/games/soulcalibur-best-characters/?cur=nightmare |date=2008-09-01 }}. ]. Retrieved on 2008-08-29</ref> IGN listed him as a character they wished to see in '']'' as a playable guest villain, though noted he was also "too extreme" for the series.<ref>Thomas, Lucas M. (2007-06-27). . ]. Retrieved on 2008-09-13</ref> In a later article on the ''Soul'' series itself, they noted "a ''Soul'' game simply feels incomplete without an appearance by the warring personalities of Siegfried and Nightmare", and praised the contrast between Siegfried's ]ic figure and Nightmare's ]ic form.<ref>Schedeen, Jesse (2008-07-30). . ]. Retrieved on 2008-07-30</ref> In '']''{{'}}s 2009 list of best fighting game characters, Nightmare placed second.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=August 2009|title=Top Ten Best Fighting Game Characters|magazine=Game Informer|publisher=GameStop Corporation|issn=1067-6392}}</ref> | ||
| Usually a standalone character, Siegfried is an ] character in ''Soulcalibur.'' In ''Soulcalibur II'', he only appears as Nightmare's alternate costumes. The 2P costume is Siegfried mid-transition into Nightmare, featuring his human form with a grotesque dragon-like arm, a golden right eye and ruined armor based on his Soulcalibur design. Nightmare's bonus costume is Siegfried in standard platemail without any mutations to his body. | |||
| Even though Nightmare originally debuted in ''Soulcalibur'', its predecessor, ''Soul Edge'', featured a prototype of his character. In the home version, an extra character named "Siegfried!" (an alternate version of normal Siegfried taken from his no-input ending, where he was consumed by the cursed sword Soul Edge) was added as an unlockable character.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=April 1997|title=Soul Edge: The Basic Guide to Master Swordsmanship|journal=Computer and Video Games Freeplay|volume=12}}</ref> This early version has crimson armor and a more flesh-like design, almost as if he were part of Soul Edge itself; he has no story nor ending, and only used Siegfried's Soul Edge without effects. Nightmare has appeared as a playable character in all the main sequels to ''Soulcalibur'', visually different for each game. | |||
| Siegfried's blade is powerful and has long range, but it has a slow swing. In addition to standard attacks, Siegfried fights with multiple ]. This allows him to mix up his attacks, allowing him to play mind games with his opponent. Mastering the stance changes will allow the player to maintain control over the battle and perform damaging combos against the opponent. ] recommended Siegfried in ''Soulcalibur IV'' for both beginners and experts of the series due to his easy combos despite his slow movements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/soul-calibur-knight-shining-armor|title=Soul Calibur 4 Character Spotlight: Siegfried|website=1UP.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717235709/http://www.1up.com/features/soul-calibur-knight-shining-armor|archive-date=July 17, 2012|access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref> | |||
| Nightmare's moveset before the events of ''Soulcalibur III'' was nearly identical to Siegfried's (barring a couple of exclusive moves in each moveset). However, Nightmare's fighting style was altered after Siegfried was freed from Inferno's influence between ''Soulcalibur II'' and ''Soulcalibur III''. Siegfried retained a majority of his old moveset while Nightmare's new moveset became a brutish twist of Siegfried's moveset. Nightmare's moveset relies far less on stances and mindgames and focuses more on overwhelming the opponent with strong blows and otherworldly might. As such, Siegfried is seen as a technical stance character focused on mindgames and mix ups while Nightmare is an aggressive rushdown character focused on punishing his opponent's mistakes with his raw power. Despite ''Soulcalibur VI'' being a reboot that takes place during the events of ''Soulcalibur'', Nightmare and Siegfried retain these differences in their movesets. | |||
| == Derived characters == | |||
| === Inferno === | |||
| ]'']] | |||
| Inferno is the physical manifestation of the cursed sword Soul Edge's own soul and the true antagonist within ''Soul'' series, where it mostly started out as the final boss in ''Soul Edge'' (originally listed as '''"SoulEdge"''') until ''Soulcalibur II'', including the reboot/retelling game ''Soulcalibur VI''. It fights using the attack style of other fighters from its memories of past battles and will switch to a random one at the start of each round. Though it exists in its own dimension, Astral Chaos (a realm where time and space never exist), it has used duplicity such as in the case of tricking Siegfried into expanding its will, and in more extreme cases utilized Cervantes' flaming corpse and later the remnants of Nightmare's armor to create an avatar for itself. Within Astral Chaos, Inferno can manifest itself as a flaming and mostly skeletal body for itself, creating weapons to match whichever fighting style it currently uses, particularly Siegfried's being its primary likeness at most part. | |||
| Inferno, along with Soul Edge is destroyed by Siegfried at the end of ''Soulcalibur IV'', though its will continues to live in the leftover shards of Soul Edge and later manifests itself in a new Soul Edge. However, after the new Nightmare was slain, Inferno choose Pyrrha as its new host until being defeated by her brother and Soul Edge along with Soul Calibur were both sealed away in the astral chaos. Its will and power has, directly and indirectly, affected several other characters in the series, such as the Evil Seed event that caused many to turn somewhat evil or insane. It has also caused the creation of several life forms or modification of them, such as Ivy's sword, Charade, ] and ]. | |||
| In ''Soulcalibur VI'', Inferno's gameplay is similar to his original ''Soul Edge'' counterpart, as being more of an enhanced version of certain Soul Edge wielders than as a mimic fighter; in this case, its main alter-ego Nightmare instead of Cervantes. Due to his final boss role despite being an unlockable character, Inferno is banned from online matches and official tournaments. | |||
| === Night Terror === | |||
| {{nihongo|Night Terror|ナイトテラー|Naito Terā}} is the secret final boss of ''Soulcalibur III'', replacing the normal final boss Abyss if certain requirements are met. Its appearance has been a mystery as it is not player-controllable, is given very little mention in-game (its profile only stated that it is the result of Soul Edge and Soul Calibur fusing with Nightmare's remains), and does not appear or mentioned in future games. The official artbook of ''Soulcalibur V'' mentions the creature as the personification of "Catastrophe" residing in Astral Chaos who is so powerful that even Soul Calibur's creator, Algol, avoids confronting it. | |||
| Night Terror utilizes a complete version of Soul Edge as its weapon with a fighting style simply referred to as "Memories of Nightmare?". It borrows many moves from Nightmare, albeit greatly amplified, including having greater range and power or becoming unblockable. Notably, Night Terror is the only character in the history of the series who cannot be defeated by ring outs; whenever it is knocked off the stage, it simply flies back using its wings. | |||
| ==Reception== | |||
| Siegfried's overall reception in the series has been positive. Outlets such as ], ] and ] commented positively on his redesigns for ''Soulcalibur IV,''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/playstation-3/reviews/132205.Soul-Calibur-IV/|title=Soul Calibur IV review|work=GamePlanet|access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/soulcalibur-iv-updated-impressions/|title=Soulcalibur IV - updated impressions|date=August 24, 2007|work=GamesRadar|access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref> and ''Soulcalibur VI''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-13-heres-siegfried-and-his-massive-sword-in-soulcalibur-6|title=Here's Siegfried and his massive sword in Soulcalibur 6|work=]|date=13 April 2018|access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref> ] has too praised Siegfied for an appealing design and a powerful yet graceful fighting style while listing him together with Nightmare at a top of their top ten list for the series in 2008, where they both were called "a perfect representation of the series' core conflict," and opining that "a Soul game simply feels incomplete without an appearance by the warring personalities of Siegfried and Nightmare."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/895/895160p10.html|title=Soulcalibur: The Top Ten Fighters|author=Jesse Schedeen|work=]|date=2008-07-30|access-date=2011-11-08}}</ref> In 2013, '']'' ranked Siegfried/Nightmare the best character in the series, citing his duality as the reason that makes the character "one of the most fascinating characters in the entire series."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/11/best-soul-calibur-characters-series/sie|title=The 20 Best Characters of the "SoulCalibur" Series | author=Knight, Rich | date=November 29, 2013 | work=] | access-date=January 13, 2014}}</ref> In a preview of ''Soulcalibur V'', Siliconera said the franchise would not be same without Siegfried or Nightmare.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.siliconera.com/2011/05/11/a-clearer-look-at-patroklos-soulcalibur-vs-protagonist-and-the-new-siegfried/|title=A Clearer Look At Patroklos, Soulcalibur V's Protagonist, And The New Siegfried| date=May 11, 2011| work=Siliconera | access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref> The Gamer listed him as the 12th most powerful ''Soulcalibur'' character in 2017, praising his role and impact in the series.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thegamer.com/soulcalibur-the-8-weakest-characters-and-7-who-are-powerful-af/|title=A Soulcalibur: The 8 Weakest Characters (And 7 Who Are Powerful AF!!) | |||
| | work=The Gamer |date=7 July 2017 | |||
| | access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref> | |||
| GameAxis Unwired expressed mixed thoughts about the character in ''Legends'' due to the fact he is the only playable character at first as the rest are unlockable. Additionally, the lack of his relationship with Nightmare not being featured as usual earned criticism.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=February 2008|title=GameAxis Unwired|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qOoDAAAAMBAJ&q=siegfried+soulcalibur&pg=PA45|access-date=May 13, 2018|magazine=GamePlanet}}</ref> Expressing disappointment by the lack of famous characters in ''Soulcalibur V'', ] noted that at least Siegfried's return might at least encourage him to play the game, citing lack of interest with the new cast.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/soulcalibur-v/1171699p1.html|title=The Interrogation Room: Soulcalibur V | |||
| | date=June 8, 2011| work=GameSpy | access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref> | |||
| Nightmare has received praise both as an aspect of Siegfried and as a series villain, and has been described as "one of the most memorable fighting-game villains in history."<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912144659/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/soulcalibur2/charactercloseup.htm|date=2008-09-12}}. Xbox.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-02</ref> '']'' noted his size and appearance alongside Astaroth's as standouts in the series, adding "they offer characters made for the sort of player who would have preferred ] to ], or ] to ]."<ref>Spiegler, Mark (2000-04-20). ]. Retrieved on 2008-11-23</ref> Others have been critical of the character's strength, such as ''JIVE Magazine'' which described him as one of several "total crutches for mediocre players" in ''Soulcalibur II''.<ref>McGarvey, Steve (2003-09-25). . ''JIVE Magazine''. Retrieved on 2008-08-30</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| In a 2002 poll by ] prior to the release of ''Soulcalibur II'' regarding their favorite character, Siegfried placed ninth with 2.5% of the tally, tied with Mitsurugi.<ref name="ps2.ign.com">. Retrieved on 2008-08-02</ref> In ]'s 2015 poll, Siegfried was voted the sixth most popular characters from the series, followed by Nightmare.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.3djuegos.com/noticia/152834/0/soul-calibur/personajes-mas-populares/|title=Talim es coronada como la protagonista más popular de la franquicia Soul Calibur|work=3DJuegos|access-date=2018-08-17|language=es}}</ref> | In a 2002 poll by ] prior to the release of ''Soulcalibur II'' regarding their favorite character, Siegfried placed ninth with 2.5% of the tally, tied with Mitsurugi.<ref name="ps2.ign.com">. Retrieved on 2008-08-02</ref> In ]'s 2015 poll, Siegfried was voted the sixth most popular characters from the series, followed by Nightmare.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.3djuegos.com/noticia/152834/0/soul-calibur/personajes-mas-populares/|title=Talim es coronada como la protagonista más popular de la franquicia Soul Calibur|work=3DJuegos|access-date=2018-08-17|language=es}}</ref> | ||
| In a retrospective of how his design evolved between the along the course of the series, Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku stated "When I was a little gaming baby playing SoulCalibur II, Nightmare’s demonesque appearance and weird sentient sword freaked me out." She added that while his armor design in ''Soulcalibur'' wasn't very interesting, "it didn't have to be: his torso sized claw and gory sword said what it needed to say." Describing his ''Soulcalibur II'' appearance as his "signature look", she praised the additions of his long red hair and extra organic detail added to Soul Edge, and stated the return to element of this look in ''Soulcalibur V'' as looking "very '']'' here". Lastly, she was critical of his appearance in ''Soulcalibur VI'', saying the development team had "sacrificed grit for glitz in his design—he's way less scarier than he's ever been.<ref>{{cite web |last=D'Anastasio |first=Cecilia |title=How SoulCalibur's Nightmare Has Changed Over 20 Years |date=2018-01-30 |website=Kotaku AU |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/01/how-soulcaliburs-nightmare-has-changed-over-two-decades/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129234105/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/01/how-soulcaliburs-nightmare-has-changed-over-two-decades/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 29, 2018 |accessdate=2023-04-26}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| * {{Commons category-inline|}} | |||
| {{Soul characters}} | {{Soul characters}} | ||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Siegfried and Nightmare}} | |||
| ] | |||
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Latest revision as of 06:14, 26 December 2024
 | This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (April 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Nightmare | |
|---|---|
| Soulcalibur character | |
 Nightmare from Soulcalibur III | |
| First game | Soul Edge (1995) |
| Designed by | Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano |
| Voiced by |
English
|
Nightmare (Japanese: ナイトメア, Hepburn: Naitomea) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Soulcalibur series of video games. The evil possessor of Siegfried Schtauffen (ジークフリート・シュタウフェン, Jīkufurīto Shutaufen)'s body, he later becomes an entity entirely separated from Siegfried in Soulcalibur III onward. Nightmare is the living incarnation of Soul Edge and a vessel for Inferno.
Nightmare first appeared in one of the possible endings and as an alternative skin for the Siegfried character in the game Soul Edge. In the sequel Soulcalibur, he was given a name and featured as a central character. Ever since then, Nightmare has been a major antagonist, with his ownership of Soul Edge making him the objective of many other characters in the story. Nightmare has served as a recurring antagonist in contrast to the protagonist role played by Siegfried, as well as serving as Siegfried's archenemy until Soulcalibur V, where Graf Dumas (actually Raphael Sorel) becomes the new host for Nightmare/Soul Edge/Inferno. In Soulcalibur VI, which serves as a reboot, Siegfried is once again Nightmare/Inferno's host once more.
Nightmare has appeared in all the sequels to Soulcalibur with visual differences between each game. His fighting style was altered from Soulcalibur II to Soulcalibur III after Siegfried became a separate character.
Conception and design
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2023) |
During the development of Soulcalibur, Nightmare's helmet went through several iterations with an aim to give a sense of "pressure" and "emit an atmosphere that terrifies anyone who sees them." The finalized design was modeled after a unicorn, while his armor implemented imagery of a dragon, which the development team felt symbolized "evil, chaos and power". Early drafts of his design took inspiration from a chimera, with a lion's head on either his shoulder or chest, and one design featuring a snake in place of his right arm, and considered the idea of either head breathing fire or being able to bite opponents. They instead shifted took a more traditional look of a "black knight" with a large mutated arm gripping his sword. Said mutated left arm originally took inspiration from a fiddler crab, giving what the developers felt was a "heteromorphic" appearance to the character. While in the concept artwork Nightmare is depicted with his left arm mutated to hold the sword, in some early designs fused with the sword itself, in the final design his right arm is mutated instead, despite still wielding his sword with his left.
As for the weapon itself, while at one point they considered a coiled lance, most iterations kept the large zweihänder sword Siegfried had used in the original Soul Edge. Though there were concerns that early sketches of it being too big, the development team noted that by the final they made it even larger. Earlier drafts of it were given red pores and veins, meant to resemble a plant and to let one "feel the beauty even in the midst of fear" when looking at it, while elements such as a mouth and eye were added to give it a more organic appearance.
With Soulcalibur V, the character's appearance was changed dramatically, now designed with a bat motif in mind that designer Hirokai Kado suggested was significant, but did not clarify as to why.
Appearances
Even though Nightmare originally debuted in Soulcalibur, its predecessor, Soul Edge, featured a prototype of his character. In the home version, an extra character named "Siegfried!" was added as an unlockable character. "Siegfried!" was an alternate version of normal Siegfried taken from his no-input ending, where he was consumed by the cursed sword Soul Edge. This early version was much different from the former Nightmare, having crimson armor and a more flesh-like design, almost as if he were part of Soul Edge itself. He has no story nor ending, and only used Siegfried's Soul Edge without effects. In the conclusion of Soul Edge, Siegfried battled with the corrupted pirate Cervantes de Leon and eventually came into possession of the Soul Edge with its lingering spirit, Inferno. Soul Edge tempted Siegfried to wield it with a promise to resurrect his dead father in exchange for gathering souls for its consumption. Not knowing that he is just being used, Siegfried agreed and started killing people to gather souls. Eventually, Soul Edge consumed him and Nightmare is born.
Allying himself with Astaroth, Ivy, and Lizardman in the city of Ostrheinsburg, Nightmare attempted to completely restore Soul Edge. However, the attempt failed when his castle was attacked by Kilik, Xianghua, and Maxi, causing his allies to abandon him. Nightmare was eventually defeated by Xianghua, which caused Siegfried to realize that he is the one who killed his father. This allowed him to temporarily break free from Soul Edge's control. He then hid the sword and himself out from civilization to atone his sins that he committed when he was consumed by Soul Edge.
By Soulcalibur II, Soul Edge was able to take over Siegfried's mind. At first it was for short periods of time during his sleep, but eventually it took Siegfried's body completely and used him to cause destruction once more. Raphael Sorel, a former French nobleman pursuing the blade for his own scheme, challenged Nightmare. He was defeated, but managed to pierce Soul Edge's eye with his rapier. This caused the sword to lose control over Siegfried, and allowed him to defeat Inferno and break free once again. Siegfried then discovered Soul Calibur, released from Inferno's body after its defeat, and impaled Soul Edge's eye with it. With both swords sealed, Siegfried abandoned his old armor and left with them.
In Soulcalibur III, Zasalamel revived "Nightmare" in essence. Created as an avatar for a disembodied Inferno using the original armor as a shell, he pursued and eventually recovered his true body, Soul Edge. Nightmare also met Tira, who became his servant and manipulated others into protecting Soul Edge and sacrificing souls for Nightmare, to eventually become sacrifices themselves. Meanwhile, Zasalamel manipulated Siegfried, leading him to Nightmare, and wielding Soul Calibur, he clashed against Soul Edge. At the moment the swords struck a burst of energy was released; Siegfried was mortally wounded, while Soul Edge and its body were pulled into a warped dimension, eventually returning to Ostrheinsburg.
In Soulcalibur IV, Soul Calibur revived Siegfried, while Inferno restored Soul Edge fully and strengthened his hold over the animated armor that was Nightmare. Inferno then claimed the entire city of Ostrheinsburg as a vessel due to the fact that Nightmare lacked the capacity to contain his consciousness, and as a result, the city became cursed and many of its inhabitants were corrupted. Tira continued serving Nightmare and manipulating Astaroth, Sophitia and others into serving Soul Edge, in order to weaken Soul Calibur and provide Nightmare with the strength necessary to destroy the spirit sword. Nightmare would then clash against Siegfried in a final duel, though his plans were interfered with the appearance of Algol and the Tower of Remembrance.
As revealed in Soulcalibur V, Soul Edge is shattered and Nightmare ceases to be during his final duel with Siegfried. However, the blade is brought back to life by pieces collected by its servants. Nightmare is reborn in the body of Raphael and assumes the alias of Graf Dumas. From there, Dumas works his way into the graces of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II and is installed as the ruler of Hungary. Dumas exploits the war with the Ottomans to consume more souls and initiate a widespread search for the remaining fragments of Soul Edge. Unknown to him, his former servant Tira had been working to create a new Nightmare as she is not satisfied with Dumas.
Dumas manipulates one of his soldiers, Patroklos Alexander, into killing people corrupted by Soul Edge known as Malfested in exchange for help in his search to find his missing sister, Pyrrha. Patroklos revolts and flees from service. Dumas later discovers Patroklos and Pyrrha and reveals himself as Nightmare. He forces Pyrrha's hidden Soul Edge power to consume her, causing Patroklos to abandon her. Nightmare then initiated a war throughout Europe with his newfound power, but is eventually struck down and killed by Z.W.E.I., a young man whom he previously tried to hunt. Though Pyrrha Omega kills Z.W.E.I., Inferno makes her the new host for Soul Edge. She is defeated by Patrokalos and both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur are sealed in the Astral Chaos.
Nightmare returned as a playable character in Soulcalibur VI. The game revisits the events of the original Soulcalibur and shows Nightmare possessing Siegfried once more.
Other appearances
Outside of the Soul series, Nightmare appeared in Seme COM Dungeon: Drururuaga where the player can obtain him as an "ally" and use his armor along with Soul Edge. Soul Edge also appeared as an enemy in Namco x Capcom where its shards became Charade and was fought as enemies, and made a cameo in Retro Game Challenge. A Sackboy costume of Nightmare was released as a DLC for LittleBigPlanet 3.
In 2000, Epoch C-Works released a series of action figures based upon the original Soulcalibur, amongst them Nightmare. The semi-posable figure came with equipable weapons from the title in the same package. In 2003, Todd McFarlane Productions released a Nightmare sculpture amongst a set of five based on characters from Soulcalibur II. The immobile figure was modeled after his primary outfit and stood six inches tall with a base.
Siegfried and Nightmare both appear in Soulcalibur manga and make a guest appearance as cards in a mobile video game Outcast Odyssey and in many cards in Universal Fighting System. They are also both featured on the official Soulcalibur VI arcade stick.
Promotion and reception
In 2000, Epoch C-Works released a series of action figures based upon the original Soulcalibur, amongst them Nightmare. The semi-posable figure came with equipable weapons from the title in the same package. In August 2003, Todd McFarlane Productions released a Nightmare sculpture amongst a set of five based on characters from Soulcalibur II. The immobile figure was modeled after his primary outfit and stood six inches tall with a base. Nightmare's likeness was used as the basis for a costume for Sackboy in LittleBigPlanet 3, as part of a Soulcalibur themed costume pack for the title.
The staff of UGO.com praised him as the best character in the series, stating "Was there ever really any question? Not for us", and further praising his role as a playable "badass" villain. IGN listed him as a character they wished to see in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable guest villain, though noted he was also "too extreme" for the series. In a later article on the Soul series itself, they noted "a Soul game simply feels incomplete without an appearance by the warring personalities of Siegfried and Nightmare", and praised the contrast between Siegfried's angelic figure and Nightmare's demonic form. In Game Informer's 2009 list of best fighting game characters, Nightmare placed second.
In a 2002 poll by Namco prior to the release of Soulcalibur II regarding their favorite character, Siegfried placed ninth with 2.5% of the tally, tied with Mitsurugi. In Bandai Namco's 2015 poll, Siegfried was voted the sixth most popular characters from the series, followed by Nightmare.
In a retrospective of how his design evolved between the along the course of the series, Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku stated "When I was a little gaming baby playing SoulCalibur II, Nightmare’s demonesque appearance and weird sentient sword freaked me out." She added that while his armor design in Soulcalibur wasn't very interesting, "it didn't have to be: his torso sized claw and gory sword said what it needed to say." Describing his Soulcalibur II appearance as his "signature look", she praised the additions of his long red hair and extra organic detail added to Soul Edge, and stated the return to element of this look in Soulcalibur V as looking "very Dark Souls here". Lastly, she was critical of his appearance in Soulcalibur VI, saying the development team had "sacrificed grit for glitz in his design—he's way less scarier than he's ever been.
References
- Namco Bandai Entertainment America (6 July 2011). "SoulCalibur V - Behind The Game". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Nightmare Voices (Soulcalibur)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 16 September 2019. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of the title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - Project Soul. Soulcalibur Legends. Bandai Namco Games. Scene: Ending credits, 9:33 in, VOICE OVER ACTORS (Japanese).
- Project Soul. Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. Bandai Namco Games. Scene: Ending credits, 5:23 in, VOICE OVER ACTORS JAPANESE.
- ^ Namco (1999). Legend of Soulcalibur (in Japanese). Honored. pp. 128–131. ISBN 9784877196608.
- ^ @Soulcalibur (October 19, 2020). "This is the concept art of Nightmare. The armor is a refinement of SC1's "unicorn" inspired design. His armor is decorated with a dragon, a symbol of evil, chaos and power. The final image was clear from the beginning. So his design was finished on quickly. #SOULCALIBUR Early" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2022-07-06 – via Twitter.
- "SOULCALIBUR™ Nightmare Costume – LBP™ 3". PlayStation™Store. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
- Nightmare (Completed) Package 1. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07
- Nightmare Soul Calibur II Archived 2008-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. Spawn.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
- "『ソウルキャリバー VI』デザインのアーケードスティックが登場！人気キャラクターをあしらったオリジナルモデル | インサイド". インサイド (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-17.
- Nightmare (Completed) Package 1. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07
- Nightmare Soul Calibur II Archived 2008-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. Spawn.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
- Sony Interactive Entertainment. "LittleBigPlanet™ 3 SOULCALIBUR™ Costume Pack". PlayStation Store. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
- Top 11 SoulCalibur Fighters Archived 2008-09-01 at the Wayback Machine. UGO.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-29
- Thomas, Lucas M. (2007-06-27). Smash It Up! Volume 2. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-09-13
- Schedeen, Jesse (2008-07-30). Soulcalibur: The Top Ten Fighters. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-07-30
- "Top Ten Best Fighting Game Characters". Game Informer. GameStop Corporation. August 2009. ISSN 1067-6392.
- Soul Calibur 2 -- New Screens And Character Info. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
- "Talim es coronada como la protagonista más popular de la franquicia Soul Calibur". 3DJuegos (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-08-17.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia (2018-01-30). "How SoulCalibur's Nightmare Has Changed Over 20 Years". Kotaku AU. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
External links
Media related to Nightmare (Soulcalibur) at Wikimedia Commons
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