Siegfried Schtauffen
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| Siegfried Schtauffen | |
|---|---|
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| Game series | Soul series |
| First game | Soul Edge |
| Voice actor(s) (English) | Ted D'Agostino (Soul Calibur II) Crispin Freeman (Soul Calibur III) |
| Voice actor(s) (Japanese) | Nobuyuki Hiyama |
| In-Universe Information | |
| Age | 23 |
| Birthplace | Ober-Getzenberg, Germany (Holy Roman Empire at the time) |
| Birthdate | February 6, 1568 |
| Blood type | A |
| Weapon | Zweihänder |
| Weapon name | Faust (Soul Edge) Requiem (later games) |
| Fighting style | Original Style |
| Family | Father, Frederick (killed by Siegfried) Mother, Margaret |
Siegfried Schtauffen (シーグフリート"・シュタウフェン Shīgufurīdo Shutaufen) is a fictional character designed for the Soul Series of fighting games. Siegfried made his first appearance in Soul Edge and has returned for Soul Calibur and Soul Calibur III. He can also be seen in Soul Calibur II as an unlockable costume for his temporary alter-ego, Nightmare.
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[edit] Biography
The biographies of Siegfried Schtauffen and Nightmare are the same up until the last paragraph, where they become separate and are able to co-exist simultaneously.
During the late sixteenth century, the oppressed peasants of Germany were revolting against the Holy Roman Empire. With its forces weakened by the Italian Wars, the German peasants finally had a fighting chance. One of the champions of the people, a brave knight named Sir Frederick Schtauffen, met and fell in love with a woman named Margaret while on campaign; and they spent the night together. When Frederick returned after nine months of battle, he rejoined Margaret, having given birth to a son, whom he named Siegfried, after the famous hero. Over the course of the next ten to fifteen years, Frederick spent a lot of his time teaching his son swordsmanship.
Embarking on a foreign crusade, Frederick promised Margaret that he would return; unfortunately, without his father's guidance, Siegfried began to socialize with an edgy clan of teenagers, and he soon became the leader of their band of thieves known as "Schwarzwind," meaning "black wind." In a misguided act of national pride, the band devised a plan to attack the knights who ran away from the crusades, as they were bound to carry valuable possessions, and were too cowardly to deserve respect in any case. That night, the "Schwarzwind" ambushed a group of war-weary soldiers, too tired to retaliate. Siegfried even managed to kill the commander himself; but as he held the commander's severed head in triumph, the moonlight shone on its face, and Siegfried screamed as he realized he held the head of his own father. In mere seconds, Siegfried's mind had broken upon which point he ran straight into the forest, becoming more and more insane as he ruminated over his previous acts, until he came to a point at which he psychologically convinced himself that his father's murderer was actually someone other than himself. Hearing rumours of the invincible Soul Edge, Siegfired came to believe his father's killer could only be killed with said weapon.
He traveled first to Ostrheinsburg Castle, the refuge of the noble Sir Stefan, who he believed to be the possessor of the Soul Edge; and he joined in its forces as a Landsknecht, rising in its ranks with the hopes of acquiring Stefan's self-proclaimed legendary blade. During a siege on the castle, Siegfried saw an opportunity to take Sir Stefan's prized possession, the sword Grimblade, and killed him, running off with it into the Black Woods nearby the castle; but the sword held no power. Frustrated, he continued to search for weeks for the Soul Edge, growing increasingly more insane for its power as time passed. He finally managed to come across the legendary weapon Soul Edge, lying beside the defeated corpse of the dread pirate, Cervantes de Leon. But as he reached for it, the corpse lit up in a hellish blaze of fire and attacked him. Siegfried raised his zweihänder and defeated the fiery Inferno, breaking his sword in the process, earning the right to wield the Soul Edge for himself.
At the precise moment that Siegfried obtained the cursed blade, the Evil Seed emanated from him in a beam of light that rained across the entire world, leading only to death and destruction. At that moment Siegfried heard the voice of the wicked sword, who arranged a deal with him: Siegfried would help the blade to restore itself gathering souls, and Soul Edge would resurrect his father Frederick. Siegfried accepted and carried the blade into many slaughters, until he finally succumbed to the sword's restored powers, transforming into the Azure Knight, Nightmare.
During the following three years he gathered together a group of followers: the golem Astaroth, the lizard man Aeon Calcos, and Ivy. Each of them aided him in Soul Edge's quest to devour souls for a rejuvenation ceremony to be performed in his chosen stronghold, Ostrheinsburg Castle. But as the ceremony was about to take place, the clan was quickly laid to waste. Both Aeon Calcos and Astaroth were defeated; and Ivy left the clan after learning the shocking truth of her horrifying past from the Fu-Ma ninja, Taki. Two young warriors confronted Nightmare after slaying many golems: Kilik, owner of both the sacred staff Kali-Yuga and sacred mirror Dvapara-Yuga; and Xianghua, owner of Krita-Yuga, which revealed itself as Soul Calibur.
The battle between the swordsmen took place in a vortex of hellfire and evil energy summoned by Soul Edge. After a raging battle, the evil sword shattered, and Nightmare and Soul Edge fell into the collapsing void. With Soul Edge severely weakened, Nightmare regained some of his humanity. Along with lucidity came the horrifying memories of the sins he committed, as well as the fear and anger of those who were slaughtered by him. Moreover, he realized that he had been the one who murdered his father, and that his "resurrection" was only an illusion brought by his mind.
Expelled from the void into an unfamiliar place, Siegfried disappeared into the night-the evil sword still in his grip. But Soul Edge was weaker now, and splinters of itself were left in Siegfried's footsteps. Siegfried meditated on all he had done and eventually learned to accept responsibility for his sin. He planned to return to his mother, who had no knowledge of anything that occurred during or after that night three years ago; but just as he was about to knock on the door, he could hear his mother praying, and concluded that if he was to be successful in his new resolve, he must distance himself from society so that he never kills again. He could not see his mother until he was fully redeemed; but he knew he was not yet atoned for, for every time he awoke from a night's rest, he found his new zweihänder Requiem bloodied, and he was surrounded by the corpses of victims he had presumably murdered in his sleep.
Siegfried was aware that although he had regained his sanity and learned to accept his past sins from three years ago, he was not yet fully redeemed. He knew that the Soul Edge still held power over him, but now it used its strength in his sleep, and no matter how hard he tried not to fall asleep again, he would always eventually give in, and the darkness would continue to operate at night in his subconscious. He tried to forsake civilization as far as he could go so that no person could be corrupted by the dark energy of the Soul Edge, but to no avail.
Four years passed, and he had eventually assumed the azure armor for a second time, becoming Nightmare all over again, desperately pursuing fragments of the Soul Edge that he might fully restore it. As Nightmare plundered powerful souls and recovered shattered fragments of the sword, the cracks in Soul Edge healed one by one. His goal of reviving the evil sword edged toward completion. After some time, the azure knight returned to his old stronghold, Ostrheinsburg, as its bloodied land was a fitting stage for the restoration of the evil sword's true power.
In the ruins of the chapel a lone fencer (Raphael Sorel) appeared in search of Soul Edge. The two of them faced off, but at the end of the fierce battle Nightmare stood victorious. As he stepped forward to finish Raphael off, he muttered something incoherently.
Deep within Nightmare's eyes a faint light dwelled. It was the will of Siegfried. As he struggled to free his mind from the influence of evil, the spirit of the sword (Inferno) sneered at him. The two held a formless fight, as Siegfried struggled to take his body back while Inferno mocked him and his father.
The battle waging deep within his mind caused the azure knight to stand motionless. Beside him, the wounded body of Raphael trembled. Only Rapahel's great will enabled his gravely injured body to move. Drawing on his last strength, Raphael unleashed a desperate final blow upon his enemy. The strike pierced the center of Soul Edge.
Nightmare let out an inhuman cry. Inside him, the crazed, wounded mind of the evil sword clawed at his consciousness. Siegfried stood with an iron will against the raging storm, and finally restored control. He who had been lost to the cursed sword for so long had reclaimed his body as his own. In response to the rapidly weakening evil, light poured out like the coming of the dawn...
When it was all over, Siegfried thought back in a daze over what he had done. As he looked around, he sighted a sword that appeared along with the light. As if guided by something, he took the sword in his hand and drove it into the evil eye that was the core of Soul Edge. That sword was the holy sword Soul Calibur, which had been trapped by the power of the evil sword.
The blow, however, was not enough to destroy the evil sword. The evil energy of Soul Edge had quieted, but the holy sword, still piercing cursed sword, had gone silent too, as if it had lost its power.
At this point, the biographies of Siegfried Schtauffen and Nightmare become separate and are able to co-exist simultaneously.
"This isn't enough..." Forcing his exhausted mind into motion, as he began to think. He threw off his detestable armor and smashed it into pieces. Then, picking up both swords, he left that cursed land. "I will seal away Soul Edge for all eternity and atone for my sins. This I swear!" His bloody fate would not release him so easily, however. From time to time, the feeling of that grotesque arm rose from the depths of his memory. The residue of the nightmare tormented him. Those seeking revenge on Nightmare would occasionally appear in his path. Each time he was forced to fight them, his mind was wracked with guilt. Moreover, Siegfried did not realize that another dark omen was on the horizon. Indeed, there was no way for him to know that the azure knight would soon be revived...
[edit] Weapons
-- Faust
The Zweihänder Siegfried always carried during his mercenary days. It's probable that the Faust was the very same sword that he used to kill his father, Frederick. It was broken during his brutal encounter with Inferno in the Spanish port.
(Note: Soul Calibur 2's Weapon Gallery states that the cursed power of Soul Edge restored Faust)
-- Requiem
The Zweihänder Siegfried used after freeing from Soul Edge' influence. He carried this sword on a journey of atonement, but eventually he lost his will again and Nightmare changed it for Soul Edge again. After Siegfried retook his body, he armed himself with Requiem again. It has a thick blade and a sturdy design, and quite resembles a Zanbato.
[edit] Stages
-- Ostrheinsburg Castle (SE)
The castle owned by the knight Sir Stephan, who claimed it to be invincible. Now his claims are hard pressed, as the castle fell to the Marqui Andre' siege and his powerful cannons. The battlegrounds are drenched with blood as men slay each other. Siegfried is a mercenary on Sir Stephan's side, but in reality he's seeking his legendary sword "Grimblade", believing it to be Soul Edge.
-- City of Water (SC)
The City of Water, also known of the pearl of Italy, is a maze palace on water constructed by connecting countless islands across a lagoon with over 400 bridges. During the Renaissance, Venice monopolized all the merchants' rights and with this power stretched its colonization into northeast Italy as it expanded into its golden age. As a city it was adorned with gorgeous mansions, fine works of art, master pieces of architecture and it was heralded as a Mecca for intellectuals of the time. The people admired this city as if it was an illusion. Some came to the city chasing dreams; other attracted by its beautiful art and landscapes. And now Siegfried comes...
-- Lost Cathedral (SC3)
It resembles many others, yet is like nothing else. A magnificent palace of water that seems to contain every form of architecture known to Europe. No one knows who made it, or where it is located. However, it is said that only those with a strong will and a willingness to bet their own lives can reach it. The great volume of water that flows through it is always circulating and pure, and it is said that it cleanses those who come here to pray. Siegfried seeks a showdown with Soul Edge and atonement for his own sins. Pursuing him, Nightmare, too, reaches this place. Will this holy palace of water be the end of both their journeys?
(Note: Siegfried shares this stage with Nightmare.)
[edit] Character Analysis
In Soul Edge/Blade, Siegfried would rank as a lower tier character. Being one of the characters with the biggest range, he works best far from the enemy with his strong horizontals and uppercut moves, but when the opponent closes on him Siegfried lacks the options to defend himself, mostly due to his slow strikes and lack of decent vertical strikes, that turn him into a very linear character. His array of combination attacks are limited as he almost never can string a move after stunning his opponent, since he's pushed back out of the range of his attacks. Siegfried's strength lies strongly on the long range and control of the spacing.
In Soul Calibur, roughly 90% of Siegfried's movelist is shared with Nightmare, though both has physical differences. They are just equal in strength, but Siegfried is slighty quicker both in movements and strikes. Still Siegfried has a longer recovery time and is juggled more easily than his evil counterpart. Siegfried's playstyle focuses on offense, using mix-ups of high and low hits. Siegfried has a good collection of moves that works at either close or long range, and some useful short-range ones that force the enemy into a range game. Thought limited in juggles, Siegfried can become an unstopable force on close and mid-range combat.
In Soul Calibur III Siegfried is mainly considered a mid or an upper-mid tier character, though some skilled players view him as top tier. While his attacks have been noticeably weakened in comparison to his Soul Calibur incarnation, they still do above the average amount of damage (equal to that of Nightmare) and have excellent range. Unfortunately, he isn't quite as fast as Nightmare nor can he play as good a wake-up game; those who view him as a lower-mid tier character commonly point out these weaknesses. However, he does have an advantage over Nightmare in his many stances (a total of 4), giving him the ability to confuse his opponents by switching from stance to stance and perform combos more easily. He's also more adept at launching enemies into the air and achieving ring-outs than Nightmare is.
Players who played as Nightmare in Soul Calibur II may face a bit of a learning curve when adapting to either Siegfried or Nightmare in Soul Calibur III, as the SCII's Nightmare's attacks are divided between Siegfried and Nightmare's current incarnations. It should be noted, however, that Siegfried's play style, while still greatly changed, is truer to his (Nightmare's) old play style from Soul Calibur II. 70-80% of his attacks are the same as in SCII, the claw on his right hand is gone, he has acquired a new low-stance with new attacks and he is faster than in SCII, so players playing as Siegfried will finally stand a chance against swift characters like Xianghua, Cassandra, etc.
[edit] Trivia
- In Soul Blade, Siegfried had a secret costume entitled "Siegfried!", which made him appear as an early version of Nightmare in red armor. Originally, the developers of that game had considered using the alternate costumes as separate characters, but the idea was scrapped. Ironically, Siegfried is later made the 3rd Costume of Nightmare in Soul Calibur II.
- One of Siegfried's Extra Weapons is the Glam (mistranslation of Gram), the weapon who Sigurd/Siegfried used in the mythology to kill the dragon Fefnir.
- In Soul Calibur III, Siegfried's weapons and fighting style are available under the discipline Soul of Siegfried to characters created under the Knight class.
- In Tales of Souls, near the end of any character's path, Siegfried will face off against Nightmare, and the winner will face the player's character next.
- In Soul Calibur III, what appears to be a body suit beneath Siegfried's armor bears a coloration discontinuity; in the opening movie and concept art, the suit is depicted to be bright green, but in all other aspects of the game, it appears to be black in color.
- Siegfried's nickname in Soul Edge is "Innocent Darkside", and in Soul Calibur it's "A Soul in Purgatory".
- Siegfried's Destined Battle in Soul Calibur is Mitsurugi or Arthur, and in Soul Calibur III his Destined Battle is Raphael.
[edit] Series' Appearances
- Soul Edge
- Soul Edge: Version II / Soul Blade
- Soul Calibur
- Soul Calibur II (as Nightmare's second and third costumes)
- Soul Calibur III
- Soul Calibur III: Arcade Edition
