History VideoGame / GuiltyGear

*** Changes can be so minute that the characters all have different post-knockdown wakeup timing and backdash invulnerability duration, which necessitate different punish method entirely.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* QuirkyDoctor:
** [[BackAlleyDoctor Faust]] is the goofball doctor to rule them all. He fights with ConfusionFu tactics like throwing random objects at his foes, has wacky RealityWarper abilities, is a silly LargeHam and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick one of his Overdrives is shoving either his scalpel or his fingers up his opponent's ass]]. Make no mistake, though, as despite his eccentric personality he has a heart of gold and has sworn to help the sick and injured whenever he can.
** Averted in ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive -STRIVE-]]'', where [[spoiler:his sacrifice to help calm down Delilah's SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum restored his old identity of Dr. Baldhead]], who is a lot creepier and much more serious despite retaining some of Faust's old silly moves.

** Subverted in two ways; first, "good" characters like [[RatedMForManly Sol]], Baiken, Millia, and [[StupidSexyFlanders Anji]] and villainous characters like [[FormFittingWardrobe Zato-1]] and [[LadyInRed I-No]]. Second, characters like [[DudeLooksLikeALady Testament]] converted from evil to good.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: ''XX''[='s=] announcer ("Heaven or Hell... Duel 1! LET'S ROCK!"). ''Accent Core'' went for a different, equally-fluent announcer, as does ''Xrd''. ''Overture'', being the prime candidate for the title of OddballInTheSeries, has its own (female!) announcer and corresponding call ("There's a battle to be won", followed by "Mission Start" in Story Mode or "Round 1. Let's Rock!"/"Round 2. Keep on Rocking!"/"Round 3. Heat it up!"/etc. in Vs. matches); both the Japanese and English system voices use fluent English as well. Additionally, Sol's servants in ''Ouverture'' has them speaking the same lines, in English, in both voice tracks (although by different voice actors).

*** Then Asuka R#, the ninth ''-STRIVE-'' DLC character, was added to the game with even more unusual mechanics: combining a mana gauge with a "hand" of 4 Specials to spend that mana on with his Chant Special, as well as a Special where he can swap decks, or "Test Cases" as they're called in-game, for an entirely different set of Specials. He has so many "Spells" to cast that they have their own menu if he's in a match!

* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Seems to be the case for the Gears (the humanoid ones, at least), who already exhibit vastly accelerated aging processes and [[TheAgeless are functionally ageless]]. Once they hit physical and mental maturity [[spoiler:or were already in their prime when converted]], they stop aging and remain in their current state indefinitely. For example, Testament appears to be in his twenties despite being at least three times that old and [[spoiler:the 170+ Sol looks no older than when he worked on the Gear Project back in the early 21st century]].

* TwoAndAHalfD:
** ''Guilty Gear Xrd'' and ''-STRIVE-'' uses [[CelShading cel-shaded]] 3D models as opposed to traditional 2D sprites, allowing for less restrictive (and more spectacular) camera angles. Similar to to the Ultra Combos in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'', [[LauncherMove Dust attacks]], [[SuperMovePortraitAttack certain Overdrives]], and [[OneHitKill Instant Kills]] put this feature to good use.
** A particular thing to note is just how ''much'' the models have been made to look like sprites - perhaps the cleverest example is that, unlike most 3D model animation, the ''[=Xrd=]'' models lack animation interpolation or in-between frames - in short, they animate or move just like a sprite would. Not only does it make the gameplay feel a lot like a sprite-based fighting game of the future, but it's even strikingly used in the story mode, resulting in the cutscenes looking like what people ''thought'' "anime games" would look like in the 2000s, back in the 20th century.

* AlternateUniverse: Axl's strange condition unwittingly lands him in various historical periods without warning, including a war-torn future in his second ''AC+'' story path. For that matter, the world of ''Guilty Gear'' may very well be an alternate course of history from Axl's point of view. The inclusion of I-No, [[TimeMaster who knows the difficultly arcane art of time travel]], in ''XX'' takes things further down the rabbit hole, as she deliberately sends certain characters back in time to screw with them or, in Sol's case, [[TemporalParadox try to erase them from the timestream]]. [[spoiler:She's even responsible for an utterly cataclysmic BadFuture, [[ForTheEvulz motivated by nothing more than sheer whimsy]]--and ''Xrd'' dials it past 11 to break the amplifier in half when it is revealed that Axl not only has the same TimeMaster powers as I-No, he could also alter reality on a whim and in fact may have [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom unknowingly erased his original timeline from existence]] due to his accidental timeslips.]]

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: ''Overture'' drops nearly all the bounty hunters, and instead focuses on the story of the Gears. Of all seven playable characters, only one is a normal human (Ky).
* AndYourRewardIsClothes: In ''-REVELATOR-'', you unlock alternate colors 7 through 17 by fishing for them at the pond in multiplayer lobbies. This doubles to the 24 alternate colors for each character in Digital Figure mode (where you can obtain the DLC colors).
* AnnouncerChatter: The announcer in ''Xrd'' is slightly more chatty than previous ones, right up to making remarks at the character select screen and during the VersusCharacterSplash.
-->"Get ready to rock!"
* ApatheticCitizens: Leo and the President talk about this happening after Ramlethal's capture.
* ApocalypseMaiden: The Valentines. Special mention goes to the original, who That Man calls "the illegitimate child of a merciless apocalypse."
* ArtEvolution: Sol's hair has gotten much, much spikier since the first game in the series. There's a few other changes as well, such as Axl becoming less muscular and Testament becoming (marginally) less feminine. Also, [[http://i.imgur.com/WVd8EkD.jpg here's a comparison between Ky's sprites.]]
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: In ''Xrd'' by [[spoiler: Sin Kiske to Sol Badguy:]] It really hits home for the receiver - you can visibly see their realization upon hearing it.
-->[[spoiler:"It's almost like you're telling me I shouldn't trust anybody, or just be a grumpy, lonely bounty hunter."]].

* AwesomeButImpractical:
** Instant Kills. Sure, they end the round automatically if they connect, but most are ''seriously'' difficult to hit with. If they know it's coming, it's damn near impossible, unless the opponent is stunned. In that case it's somewhat doable.
*** Unless you're playing the first game or using "Generations GG Mode" in ''Accent Core'', in which case [=IKs=] are basically {{Quick Time Event}}s.
*** Instant Kills are slightly more practical in ''Xrd'' -- going into Instant Kill mode while the opponent is low on health briefly stops time (much like the startup of an Overdrive), giving the opportunity to combo into the actual Instant Kill move. Made even moreso in Xrd -Revelator-, where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulpoGEtoo8I you don't need to be in the corner to combo into it]].
** Justice's [[WaveMotionGun Gamma Ray]] Overdrive. Possibly the most damaging super in the games, but it has a painfully long windup time and burns a full meter, the former only mitigated slightly if you're at close range (where the opponent runs risk of being snared by Justice's electrical discharge before the beam fires).
** Order-Sol's Dragon Install: Sakkai Overdrive plays with this trope. If pulled off in its entirety[[note]]Gold O.Sol's version of the Overdrive is an autocombo[[/note]] and the final hit (the original ''[=GG1=]'' Tyrant Rave) is guaranteed to kill, Sol's string of attacks will cap off with his Napalm Death IK, effectively ending the round on the spot. The problem? Aside of the requirements for activating the super (full Tension ''and'' [[ChargeMeter Level 3 Charge]] prior to ''Plus R'', where it only consumes 50% Tension like most other Overdrives), there's a good chance that the opponent will already be done for by the time Napalm Death comes out.
* BackgroundMusicOverride:
** In ''Xrd'', if, during the final round of the match, Ky gets knocked around enough that his [[SlipknotPonytail ponytail comes undone]], "Holy Orders III" from ''Overture'' starts playing.
** Sol's [[SuperMode Dragon]] [[DeadlyUpgrade Install]] Overdrive in ''Xrd'' has its own theme, "Ride the Fire", sounded off with a MetalScream of "'''''READY OR NOOOOOOOOOOOT!'''''"[[note]]Unfortunately, due to some badly-worded lyrics the vocalist actually says "'''READY OOOOOOOR!'''"[[/note]] Even after Dragon Install wears off, the music will continue playing until the end of the round.
* BadassArmy:
** The Servants in ''Overture'', and they come in different types.
** While we only see/hear of the efforts of the main players (i.e. Sol, Ky, Kliff, and Justice), both the Gears and the Holy Knights count, seeing as the Crusades lasted over a century and probably would have continued on longer had it not been for Justice's sealing (indeed, in the BadFuture, the Crusades continue on for at least another eight).
* BadFuture:
** One shown in an ''XX'' drama CD, where [[spoiler:Ky's death]] results in a future where [[spoiler:Dizzy takes over for her late mother as the leader of the Gears, and [[EverybodyDiesEnding most of the cast dies by the end]]]]. Thankfully, [[spoiler:I-No, spurred on by That Man, saves Ky for her own interests]], bringing a much more positive end to the Crusades.
** I-No's stages take place in future Babylon, on top of a ruined cathedral in ''XX'' and on the abandoned city streets overrun by wolves in ''Xrd''. Also, in the latter stage you can spot the former stage in the distance in the right corner.
* BareFistedMonk: Potemkin, Jam, Slayer, and Giovanna, who don't carry weapons. Basic attacks used by weapon attack buttons [[ExtremityExtremist act as occasionally stronger punches and kicks]] for them.
* TheBattleDidntCount: Sol, Bedman and Slayer pull this all the time. Granted that this is the only way they could possibly make sense as playable characters, considering the exponential difference in power between them and the rest of the cast.
* BattleIntro: As usual for fighting games, each character has pre-match intros, and several have special intros against each other, most notably Sol vs. Ky and Millia vs. Zato. Also, several fights in Story Mode have intros that actually have an effect on fight itself.

* BigBadDuumvirate: [[spoiler:The United Nations' Senate and Ramlethal Valentine are in the alliance of convenience in ''Xrd''.]]
* BigEater: The Neo New York stage in ''Xrd'' features a large old man in the background, sitting back and eating from a ''bag full of hamburgers'' as he watches you fight.

** Also, [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Dizzy is the kindest, most innocent character]] in the series but she wears the [[{{Underboobs}} skim]][[BareYourMidriff pie]][[MiniDressOfPower st]] [[StockingFiller out]][[ThongOfShielding fit.]]

* SeaSinkhole:

** Subverted in two ways; first, "good" characters like [[RatedMForManly Sol]], Baiken, [[ShesGotLegs Millia]], and [[StupidSexyFlanders Anji]] and villainous characters like [[FormFittingWardrobe Zato-1]] and [[LadyInRed I-No]]. Second, characters like [[DudeLooksLikeALady Testament]] converted from evil to good.

* AudibleSharpness: Most of the characters with some sort of actual blades (Ky, Baiken, Chipp) or have attacks with blade-like features (Milia) will make various ''shing''-type sounds, although it can be hard to hear over the music and sound effects.

* AudibleSharpness

* ArtisticLicensePolitics: It's highly unlikely for news helicopters to be able to follow Vernon's presidential vehicle that closely due to security reasons if certain restrictions are still in place, much less be able to follow 'at all' - the Federal Aviation Administration have [[https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/restricted-airspace-0 strict fly-restriction rules]] in and around Washington, DC.

* TwoAndAHalfD: ''Guilty Gear Xrd'' uses [[CelShading cel-shaded]] 3D models as opposed to traditional 2D sprites, allowing for less restrictive (and more spectacular) camera angles. Similar to to the Ultra Combos in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'', [[LauncherMove Dust attacks]], [[SuperMovePortraitAttack certain Overdrives]], and [[OneHitKill Instant Kills]] put this feature to good use.

* BreakOutTheMuseumPiece: Something that's brought up in Story Mode of ''Strive'', combined with MagicAIsMagicA, RockBeatsLaser, and YourMagicsNoGoodHere to varying degrees. Magic runs most of the world's technology in the aftermath of the Crusades, yet there are some places where old-school machinery is still the dominant tech, like the country Zepp. [[spoiler:Sol realizes that the tech that's tied to the US Presidential Emergency Operations Center where Asuka's hiding in with the Tome of Origin is based off of much older technology that ''doesn't'' run on magic - it's the reason why Asuka had requested to be confined there in the first place, knowing that Happy Chaos wouldn't be able to hack it or open the door without Vernon's biometric authentication (compare how easily Happy took control of the magical nukes launch systems of four different countries simultaneously and then the White House's flight controls earlier). It's only when Sol advises Gabriel to convert the "matryoshka codes" back to numbers and letters that they realize it's old era machine code, namely [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROSE_(compiler_framework) ROSE]], and that the [=PEOC=] was an escape pod.]]

** ''Strive'' only had two large characters on launch (Potemkin and newcomer Nargoriyuki), but has a much smaller cast in comparison to the previous examples. The addition of large DLC character Goldlewis Dickinson evened out the ratio slightly.

** Done one final time with the story added with ''[=Rev2=]''. Sol and Ky put their heads together theorizing how [[spoiler:Sol could possibly defeat Asuka, but before Ky can tell Sol what his single idea is the news drops that Asuka, as the world's single most wanted criminal, has willingly surrendered himself to the United States government, setting up the events of ''Strive'', the GrandFinale of the series.]]
** ''Strive'' also has one in the finale, where [[spoiler:Happy Chaos is still at large after being separated from I-No]].

* CoolShip: While there are a few throughout the series, the best example by far is the Mayship, gradually-evolving flagship of the Jellyfish Pirates. It's a massive vessel vaguely shaped like a whale, fitting for the crew's nautical theme. It gets even cooler in ''Strive'' where it becomes even more whale-like, even moving its tail and fins as if it's swimming through the skies. It even gets a squadron of mechanical fish, dolphins, manta rays, and other sea creatures flying alongside it, making some parts of the stage evoke an underwater theme in spite of being in the sky.

** For ''Strive'' in particular, despite May, Ramlethal and Faust being part of the base roster, they have no participation whatsoever in the original Story Mode while everyone else in the initial roster had some degree of screen time; they, alongside other characters outside the base roster, are only present in the epilogue.

* DepopulationBomb: The Cradle[[spoiler:, mainly because its method of movement involves transporting itself into [[EldritchLocation the Backyard]]]]. As the on-site investigation of Babylon concluded, only humans and animals disappeared while leaving the city intact.

* DudeLooksLikeALady: Bridget was this up until she came out as transgender in ''-STRIVE-'', and was the former {{Trope Namer|s}} for UnsettlingGenderReveal.

** An uncommon case among most fighters in that every final boss in the main installments (including ''X'' and ''XX'') [[AlwaysFemale has been a woman]]. In order, they are Justice, Dizzy, I-No, Valentine, [[spoiler:Ramlethal Valentine]] and [[spoiler:Jack-O Valentine]].[[note]]As a note, it does need to be admitted that there are no "story mode" final bosses in the ''Xrd'' games because of the [[KineticNovel very different format]] of those story modes; however, not only does Sol, our main character himself, face Ramlethal and Jack-O at the end of his arcade/episode mode (which serves as a prequel story to the main story mode), those two also face the greatest number of other characters at the end of ''their'' episode modes, and so are considered the nearest thing the games have to a "final boss".[[/note]] For bonus points, they all share an at least tangential connection with one or more of the other characters on that list [[spoiler:and at this point, I-no's the only one who shares no genetic relation with any of the others]]. Spin-offs ''Isuka'', ''Dust Strikers'', and ''Judgment'' break this convention with Leopaldon, Gig, and Judgment, though Gig plays around with it (he has a [[WasOnceAMan formerly human maiden]] sticking out from his lower body). [[BreakingOldTrends The trend is finally broken]] in ''Strive'', where [[spoiler:Nagoriyuki]] serves as the first male final boss in a main installment.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Multiple bits in the story for ''Strive'':
** Sol pegs Axl as the potentially most powerful being out there. Appropriately, [[spoiler:the one living person with powers similar to his, I-No, ends up attaining godhood, and becomes the ultimate BigBad, with Axl playing a big part in helping the heroes]].

* GameMod: ''Strive'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaBrGETVAu0 a surprisingly robust modding scene]] for a fighting game, and one at the beginning of its days. Mods range from alternate color palettes, intros, new particle effects, and even one that turns May's Totsugeki in to PokemonSpeak.

* GrandFinale: ''Strive'' is this for several prominent characters, particularly Sol, Jack-O', I-No, Axl and That Man. [[spoiler:Sol fakes his death after being freed from his out-of-control gear powers by Asuka to live a peaceful life with Jack-O', who has embraced her feelings and identity as Aria rather than trying to become a SacrificialLamb for some idealized perfect version of herself. I-No is erased from existence after her HeelFaceTurn, and in a final moment of DeathEqualsRedemption gives Axl's lover and as it turns out her earlier AlternateSelf Megumi her current powers, allowing the two to finally be reunited in the current version of history. And Asuka, finally having cleaned up most of the threats to the world caused by the Universal Will, goes into retirement, starting a radio program to pass his time.]]

** ''Strive'' once again did away with themes established in the previous installments in lieu of new ones, although they contain call-backs to previous tracks.

* PlotDeviceAllAlong: In Story Mode of ''Strive'', Giovanna makes fun of the cartoony star design on the badge her US Secret Service superior wears, despite him pointing out that it was designed by 76th POTUS Vernon. Later on, [[spoiler:her commenting about the service jackets and the difference of [[SpotTheThread badges]] - her boss was wearing the badge with the cartoon star, while her fellow agent Udo wore the normal version - is what tips off Leo that the "Happy Chaos" who was being arrested wasn't the real one.]]

* POVSequel: ''-STRIVE-'''s DLC scenario "Another Story" takes place during the main game's Story Mode, focusing on May, Ramlethal, Faust, Sin (all who only cameo'd in the Story Mode), and Baiken as they deal with [[spoiler:Delilah, Bedman's sister, as she hunts down Happy Chaos to avenge her brother.]]

* RhymingWithItself: Present in "Smell of the Game" from ''[=StrIVe=]''. The word "Blazing" is used to end several sentences.
-->That is bullshit! Blazing! Still my heart is blazing!\\
[...]\\
Remember you are blazing! Still your heart is blazing!

** More like a Ship Hull Breach, but in ''Strive'', let's just say Ramlethal/Sin shippers were not happy that Ram is suddenly interested and "admires" ''Leo''.

* SpoilerOpening: Almost the '''''entirety''''' of ''Strive''[='=]s opening animation is a spoiler for important key elements of Story Mode. In order of occurance: [[spoiler:Nagoriyuki fighting Happy Chaos' mind control, Sol battling Nagoriyuki before Giovanna joins in, Happy Chaos with his glass of separating Milpico, the hijacked nukes during the G4 summit, Goldlewis fighting in front of the White House, Gabriel and Potemkin's involement, the brainwashed US Secret Service agents, the Spiritas changing from its amber color to its unreleased green, Asuka NeckLifting Sol, the computer code Sol as Frederick once worked on years ago, Jack-O's own self-doubts as Aria, the brief interaction between I-No and Axl, Ky (activating his own Dragon Install) and Nagoriyuki ready to fight I-No, a BroughtDowntoBadass Sol lacking his headband limiter, and Asuka fighting the White House's security system.]]

* StoryToGameplayRatio: Surprisingly, the ''Xrd'' Story Mode is more or less a visual novel-like movie with no playable fights at all, while ''Strive'''s Story Mode is a more dynamic variation with an action movie feel.

* SpiritualAntithesis: ''Guilty Gear Strive'' is this to fellow GrandFinale, ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCentralFiction''. Both are fighting games that act as the GrandFinale to the story of each series' protagonist, but whereas ''Centralfiction'' is 2D & sprite based, has a much bigger roster, adds onto gameplay complexity from previous games, is much more Japanese in nature, has no dub, has a VisualNovel story mode with gameplay interspersed in, and [[spoiler:has a BittersweetEnding that involves the protagonist sacrificing himself for the greater good]], ''Strive'' is 2.5D with 3D models, has a smaller roster that involves veterans, fan favorites, and a pair of newcomers, streamlines the gameplay to bring in new fans, has more Western influence (to the point where the United States is the main setting of ''Strive''), has an English Dub, has a story mode that's basically a five hour anime with no gameplay, and [[spoiler:has a happier ending, with the protagonist faking his death to live the rest of his days with the woman he loves]].

* TamerAndChaster: ''Strive'' follows this direction with the entire cast wearing much more urban inspired fashion, which consequently has everyone looking more covered than they have ever been. And the game itself also follows a more restrained style compared to the more bombastic one of the series past.

-->'''Dizzy:''' "Then, um...please be gentle...this is my first time..."
-->'''Ky Kiske:''' "U-Um...That's...uh...that's not really appropriate for this situation."

-->'''Sol Badguy:''' "...I'm sorry, Ky. There's a small chance I may have failed as a mentor and guardian."
-->'''Ky Kiske:''' "(thinking) "Small"?..."

** ''Xrd'', meanwhile, began with ''-SIGN-'', which was the base version of the new engine; this was followed by ''-REVELATOR-'', which was halfway between an update and a full sequel, with a whole new story mode, a vastly improved tutorial mode (to the point of making it industry-leading) and a number of additional characters, especially counting the later DLC. The final version was ''REV 2'', which was a more modest update that just made the DLC characters part of the standard package, addressed some balance concerns, and added a bit of additional side story to the story mode and arcade modes to foreshadow the coming of ''Strive''.

* WhereItAllBegan: The main setting of ''Strive'' is the United States of America, the homeland of Sol, That Man, and Aria, back when they were University colleagues.

See also ''Franchise/BlazBlue'', a SpiritualSuccessor created during ''Guilty Gear'''s hiatus, and ''VideoGame/DragonballFighterz'', ASW's most prominent licensed game using Guilty Gear's mechanics.

* GiantMedicalSyringe: GaidenGame ''Guilty Gear Petit'' has a blonde nurse called Fanny, whose WeaponOfChoice is a huge syringe she can use both as an attack and [[StanceSystem as a standing post]].

** An uncommon case among most fighters in that every final boss in the main installments (including ''X'' and ''XX'') [[AlwaysFemale has been a woman]]. In order, they are Justice, Dizzy, I-No, Valentine, [[spoiler:Ramlethal Valentine]] and [[spoiler:Jack-O Valentine]].[[note]]As a note, it does need to be admitted that there are no "story mode" final bosses in the ''Xrd'' games because of the [[KineticNovel very different format]] of those story modes; however, not only does Sol, our main character himself, face Ramlethal and Jack-O at the end of his arcade/episode mode (which serves as a prequel story to the main story mode), those two also face the greatest number of other characters at the end of ''their'' episode modes, and so are considered the nearest thing the games have to a "final boss".[[/note]] For bonus points, they all share an at least tangential connection with one or more of the other characters on that list [[spoiler:and at this point, I-no's the only one who shares no genetic relation with any of the others]]. Spin-offs ''Isuka'', ''Dust Strikers'', and ''Judgment'' break this convention with Leopaldon, Gig, and Judgment, though Gig half-subverts it (he has a [[WasOnceAMan formerly human maiden]] sticking out from his lower body). [[BreakingOldTrends The trend is finally broken]] in ''Strive'', where [[spoiler:Nagoriyuki]] serves as the first male final boss in a main installment.

* AggressivePlayIncentive: The game gives you a Negative Penalty, rapidly lowering your Tension Gauge and temporarily making it take longer to build back up, if you fail to take any offensive action for a long period of time.

* TakeThatUs: It's worth noting that, in this Japanese game, the Japanese people are an endangered species.