YMMV / Bayonetta 3

• Adorkable: Viola. She may look intimidating, but the edgy punk rocker look is mostly only skin-deep. Being a witch in training, she's a lot more wet behind the ears than Bayonetta and Jeanne, such as when she botches a landing from on high and gets her pants lit on fire. Her frustration at her misfortunes, and at Bayonetta's unwanted nickname of "Kitty", helps the humour of these moments to land and makes her come off as endearing in spite of being a capable Action Girl in her own right.
• Angst? What Angst?: Bayonetta's reaction to knowing Jeanne's death seen by some as anticlimactic and muted considering all the trouble she went through in Bayonetta 2 over her death, to the point that she even spent a good chunk of the game journeying through literal Hell to rescue Jeanne's soul.
• Audience-Alienating Ending: Between Bayonetta and Luka's Relationship Upgrade being viewed as clumsily-handled, Bayonetta herself dying and going to Inferno and the klutzy Viola being named her successor after only one game, the game's ending was not well-received by a notable proportion of players.
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: In the finale, versions of Bayonetta based on those from 1 and 2 show up to aid the "Prime" Bayo in the fight against Singularity. Beyond the general justification of the game introducing The Multiverse, there was no indication that these versions of Bayonetta were all different variants instead of just a linear chronological progression of the same character, nor any indication that these two variants even existed at all. To make matters even more confusing, the three Bayos eventually merge into a single being for a phase of the fight before the 1 and 2 variants disappear without any fanfare, neither event being explained in any regard.
• Complete Monster: Singularity is the most monstrous foe ever faced by the Umbra Witches. An Artificial Human, Singularity destroyed his home universe with his army, the Homunculi, before growing aware of the multiverse. Seeking to impose his will upon all existence, Singularity launched a multiversal invasion to butcher thousands of universes and eradicate all life within. Becoming aware of Bayonetta as one of the few able to oppose him, Singularity would kill her countless times over the multiverse to take her soul and power. Coming to the "Prime" universe, Singularity began to rain death and destruction on numerous cities before trying to eradicate all existence as he had done thousands of times before.
• Contested Sequel: Bayonetta 3 quickly proved the most divisive entry in the series among fans. One camp enjoys the game for its fine-tuned combat, varied locales and diverse gameplay. But on the other hand, one camp dislikes it for its perceived overreliance on Gameplay Roulette, a plot considered to be undercooked in many respects and a highly-controversial ending. While many fans consider this game to be the weakest in the trilogy, whether or not it’s good in its own right remains up for debate.
• Creepy Cute: Cheshire is a giant cat demon with More Teeth than the Osmond Family and Extra Eyes who overall looks like the lovechild of Totoro and Tim Burton's take on the Cheshire Cat going through a punk phase. Yet between his goofy mannerisms and eagerness to help out Viola whenever she's in need, you can't help but wanna hug the fluffy, infernal feline.
• Die for Our Ship: A number of fans were unhappy with the game canonizing Bayonetta being with Luka due to Viola revealing their relationship in the end and that she's their daughter, sinking those that were fans of Bayonetta/Jeanne. It doesn't help that Luka was already a divisive figure to begin with from the previous two games due to his somewhat perverted Handsome Lech personality, which some fans found creepy, as well as his association with slapstick comedy, which many found annoying. So while he does go through some Character Development in that area over the course of the series, the more hostile Bayonetta/Jeanne fans hold him to his prior behavior and view him as a full-blown creep.
• Ending Fatigue: The game's final boss Singularity flat-out has too many phases, each separated by about a collective half-hour of cutscenes that serve to drag out the fight far longer than it reasonably should. The fact said fight leads into the already-controversial ending does not help matters. Said ending also drags too, with ANOTHER completely different boss fought after the first credits followed by the traditional pole dance credits (mixed with the bonus verses from the last two games) then another mid-credits scene, then the infamous dance before the game finally calls it quits.
• Epileptic Trees:
  • After the September 2021 trailer, many fans believe that the Bayonetta we see in the trailer isn't the original one, rather it's the time displaced Cereza from the 1st game. This is fueled by the fact that the Bayonetta seen in the trailer has the exact same hairstyle as Cereza and is voiced by Jennifer Hale instead of Hellena Taylor. On top of the implication that the original Bayonetta was curb-stomped and seemingly killed in the initial teaser. The release date trailer showing off a second Bayonetta and the press release revealing that multiple Bayonettas are involved has only increased this speculation, with many theorizing that the second Bayonetta in the trailer is the original Bayonetta.
  • Initially, fans merely joked that the figure at the end of the gameplay trailer is Vergil from Devil May Cry, but then astute viewers noticed what appears to be Cheshire dangling from the sword hilt, causing another surge of speculation if this mysterious figure may or may not be Bayonetta. The release trailer revealed it to be a completely new character named Viola, and she's essentially the Nero counterpart, complete with being Bayonetta and Luka's daughter in an alternate reality.
• Fanfic Fuel:
  • With The Multiverse in play, what type of adventures did the alternate Bayonettas go through prior to the events of the game?
  • Luka apparently being a Fairy King in one world is just begging for questions and fanfics about what that world is like how the fae interact with said world and how it connects to the Bayonetta. Better yet, given that Singularity calls him Arch-Adam like he calls Bayonetta Arch-Eve, this means that Luka is also important to the multiverse yet the only version of him that's ever seen in is Lukaon. What alternate Lukas were out there and how do they connect to their Bayos?
  • Just what Luka and Bayonetta's lives are like in Inferno, possibly serving Madama Butterfly, and just what adventures they may get up to in that strange, vast dimension where their presumably now immortal existences lead to all kinds of possibilities. Not to mention just how wild their romance might be now that the things that kept them apart no longer apply. Another common idea is for them to run into and even team up with Dante and Vergil after the events of Devil May Cry 5.
  • Since mortal souls consigned to Inferno eventually become demons, what Bayonetta's eventual demonic form will look like is ripe for fan speculation.
• Fan Nickname: Fans generally call the Bayonetta variants based on their places of origin and then adding the suffix -netta, hence we have Japanetta/Shibuyanetta (β1), Chinanetta (β2), Egyptnetta (β3) and Frenchonetta (β4).
• Fanon Discontinuity: Despite the game having been praised for its gameplay, the game's plot has been rejected by a good-sized portion of the fandom for several reasons, which include the controversial Relationship Upgrade between Bayonetta and Luka, the focus on the multiverse potentially Opening a Can of Clones, the implication that the Bayonettas in 1 and 2 are different incarnations, the bleak ending that sees Bayonetta and Luka get Killed Off for Real and dragged into Hell, and Viola becoming the next Bayonetta.
• Fan-Preferred Couple: Despite Bayonetta having a Relationship Upgrade with Luka, it is far more popular in the fandom to pair her with Jeanne. This is due to many fans feeling that they have better chemistry, the loads of Les Yay between them in other games, and Jeanne being a fan favorite character. This isn't helped by many considering the romance between Bayonetta and Luka in this game to be forced.
• Franchise Original Sin:
  • The series' use of slapstick, while not loved in past games, was usually considered tolerably amusing, whereas in this game, many of the scenes that feature Viola focus heavily on it, but a lot of audiences find it obnoxious and unfunny rather than Adorkable. One major difference is that in the past it usually happened to Luka and Enzo, who were secondary Badass Bystander characters with less focus, but in this case Viola is a main character who the audience is expected to root for and find cool.
  • The Unexpected Gameplay Changes were present in all three games, but were generally more tolerated in the first and second. This is because there were only a few per game and they were mostly kept to their own chapter, making it easy to play around them when replaying the game's levels. Bayonetta 3 made them more frequent and interspersed among "regular" chapters, allowing less of the unbroken hack and slashing even when selecting individual levels, and causing more complaints about them as a result.
• Game-Breaker: Due to the overhaul of the combat system with Demons and weapons,3 allows the player to create some hilariously broken setups:
  • Baal's song is one of the most damaging attacks in the game. Equip the Conqueror's Reins to keep her from rampaging, have her sing all four parts of her song, and the ensuing toxic rain will kill most normal encounters and heavily damage tougher enemies.
  • The Umbran Clocktower's ability to grant Witch Time on command is insanely useful, especially since as long as the bell goes off the full duration is granted. Canceling out of that to another demon while attacking allows you to then regain magic and keep spamming it! Rodin's damage output with its Punch-Kick-Kick-Kick combo in particular creates a loop wherein you effectively have infinite Witch Time. With this tactic, higher difficulties and the Witch Trials become a cakewalk
• Good Bad Bugs: A glitch involving using Alruna and Kraken’s R move allows you to defeat Devil Rodin in seconds. This was eventually patched out with the 1.2.0 update.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • In Platinum Games’ previous game Astral Chain, Legions going on a rampage when the limiter ran out of power was a story element that had no actual effect on gameplay, as they would simply disappear when their energy ran out. In this game, which can be considered a successor of sorts, demons can go on a rampage and attack you if they take too much damage.
  • A popular meme within the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community is the joke that Joker is Bayonetta's long lost son due to the numerous similarities between them. This becomes especially funny in this game as we meet several alternate Bayonettas, including one who lives in Shibuya, which also serves Persona 5's primary setting, and one who's a supernatural Phantom Thief. The game also features Viola, who is the daughter of an alternate Bayonetta.
  • In the second game, Bayonetta is displeased at losing two (presumably expensive) dresses to angel attacks. Here, Bayonetta starts off wearing a (presumably cheaper) sweater-and-jeans ensemble, before switching to a stylish dress that's only made out of a drape she yanks off a wall. It's almost as if she's gone bankrupt from all her torn dresses that she decides to be more thrifty on her threads.
• I Knew It!:
  • Some fans have predicted that Jennifer Hale is the new voice of Bayonetta instead of Hellena Taylor months before it was officially confirmed by Platinum.
  • With Viola's appearance, some fans had theorized that she was Bayonetta and Luka's daughter, due to her having Cheshire the cat doll, her "My name is Viola!" reaction anytime Bayonetta calls her "kitty," her love of lollipops, and her clumsiness.
• Les Yay: During the alternate Egypt like section of the game, this version of Jeanne and Bayonetta seem to be incredibly close to one another. With Desert Jeanne as the memory fades away affectionately and gently placing her hand on what was likely Desert Bayonetta's cheek before fading away. Arch Eve Origin Bayonetta unconsciously reaches out for Jeanne's vanishing image.
• Memetic Badass: The Lappy mascot in the September 2021 trailer, or whoever was wearing the costume is very notable due to pretending to shoot the two monsters who had just killed the soldiers trying to stop them, and doesn't even flinch or move when they're about to be killed by one of them and Bayonetta knocks them away just in time.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • "Progressing well."^ExplanationBecause of how the game has gone so long without any substantial updates as to how much progress is being made, the vague answers to questions about it given by Nintendo and Platinum have become memed to death.
  • There is (no) news.^ExplanationA Twitter account would reliably tweet a photoshopped picture of Bayonetta and Jeanne sitting at a news desk with the caption "There is no news" every day starting February 2020, due to the silence surrounding the game's status. When the game finally reappeared at the end of the September 2021 Nintendo Direct, with our first look at gameplay and a 2022 release date, they tweeted a second picture that night with the new caption stating "There is news."
    • There is too much news. ^ExplanationSeveral weeks before the release of the game, Hellena Taylor, Bayonetta's VA from the previous two games, posted a video on Twitter calling for a boycott of the game after claiming that she was underpaid for the role. The fanbase was thrown into a massive furor, with many initially siding with Taylor due to many other recent incidents of voice actor mistreatment, while others questioned if she was telling the truth, not helped by a poorly-worded tweet from Hideki Kamiya accusing Taylor of lying. Things only calmed down once an article revealed that Taylor was offered much more than she claimed, which Taylor later confessed to the veracity of. The confusion over the situation caused many people to look back fondly on the time where there wasn't any information on the game, as opposed to being swept up in controversy.
  • Featuring Vergil/Nero from the Devil May Cry series.^ExplanationThe introduction of Viola in the 2021 trailer was just the outline of a person who looked quite a bit like Vergil (short, slicked-back white hair and wielding a katana), and given the fandom overlap between Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, this quickly inspired many a meme. Following the Release Date Trailer, the character was revealed in greater detail, and it rapidly became clear that she had more in common with Nero (young, brash, and hot-tempered) than she did with Vergil, so the memes shifted accordingly made more apparent when it was later revealed that Viola was Bayonetta's daughter, just like Nero was Vergil's son.
  • "Naive Angels Mode"^ExplanationAfter the release of the second trailer, it was revealed that an optional mode would be available which toned down the adult content so to avoid any awkward reactions from family members or the like. Alongside fans praising the setting so they can play without embarrassment, others joked they would leave it off regardless or other absurd scenarios like Bowser Jr. using it to not upset his father like the memetic Parental Controls video they starred in.
  • Singularity's Weave Snatching Adventure. ^ExplanationSingularity throughout the game has been killing various Bayonettas and Jeannes throughout the universes, each of them with different designs for their clothes and hairstyles. When Singularity has been revealed to have taken the place of Dr. Sigurd, who is bald, fans have been joking that Singularity was killing the various Bayonettas so he could take their hair for himself.
• Memetic Psychopath: Gomorrah ended up acquiring this attribute from fans as they not only killed Jeanne in the second game, but also permanently killed Bayonetta, and Luka by extension who chose to be dragged down to Inferno with her, in an out of control rampage in the game's ending, with fans joking that if someone were to try to summon them again, Gomorrah would just rack up another point to their Hero Killer status, with hopes that Viola won't attempt to summon the demonic dragon.
• No Such Thing as Bad Publicity: Despite Hellena Taylor's call for a boycott of the game, sales of the game would ironically end up increasing thanks to the controversy bringing light to it, to the point that pre-orders of the game would end up selling out on most Amazon retailers. This sales increase is likely at least in part due to how her calls for a boycott were founded on false information that she admitted to in a Twitter thread, with people buying it because she told them not to do so.
• Older Than They Think: The game's plot focusing on numerous alternate selves of the main character coming together from parallel timelines within The Multiverse drew some flak for seeming cliche and derivative in the wake of the The New '20s abounding with media based around such premises, and for potentially overcomplicating the story and/or cheapening any permanent consequences.^note For reference, 2022 alone saw the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, MultiVersus, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Sonic Prime, with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Flash (2023) following in 2023. However, time travel and alternate universes have always been a major feature of the Bayonetta franchise's storylines, although not quite in the same way.
• One-Scene Wonder: Baal Zebul, due to several notable features unique to her solo appearance in the game. First of all, unlike the other Deadly Sin summons, she doesn't turn into a more gigantic or hideous version of her toad self but instead a gorgeous Cute Monster Girl acting like The Ojou that she is while spouting classy Pre-Asskicking One-Liner. Then, her "battle" segment is a rhythm game not seen anywhere else in the game. The theme of this battle, "Fertile Rondo", is an epic Symphonic Metal with her fantastic soprano voice, and related to that, Platinum went the extra mile of having separate singers for the English and Japanese dubs. Lastly, unlike the other Deadly Sin summons, she massacres legions of demons and homunculi with her voice alone without laying a finger on any single enemy. Add all this to Baal's friendliness earlier in the game, and Baal Zebul becomes one of the most memorable side characters in the game.
• Play the Game, Skip the Story: While it has some technical issues, on a gameplay front, Bayonetta 3 is regarded to be a great action game that improves upon many of the flaws in Bayonetta 1 and 2, while having a very satisfying and free flowing combat system, as well as some extra variety in the form of Viola. The story on the other hand, has seen a more contested response from fans and critics, with many finding aspects of it, such as the multiverse plot potentially Opening a Can of Clones, the Relationship Upgrade between Bayonetta and Luka, Bayonetta's death at the end, and Viola becoming the next Bayonetta, amongst other aspects, to be underdeveloped and/or unsatisfying.
• Replacement Scrappy: While Viola is liked-to-tolerated as a character in isolation, the ending and its Sequel Hook of her taking over as the titular Bayonetta after the previous namesake was killed off in a way most fans considered cheap caused a significant chunk of the audience to resent her afterwards. It really doesn't help that her gameplay and levels are seen as significantly less fun than Bayonetta's, that her character is perceived as overly reliant on slapstick, and a general sense that she's not a Shout-Out to Nero so much as a lazy ripoff.
• Scrappy Mechanic:
  • The giant kaiju fights are loathed for being sluggish to the point of actively unfun to play through, despite the visual spectacle, and are the bane of anyone attempting to repeat levels for higher ranks.
  • Viola's Witch Time is loathed by a significant portion of the fanbase. On paper, it's just a variation of Bayonetta's Witch Time: The closer Viola is to being hit when she blocks, the longer the Witch Time duration is. Problem is, whereas Bayonetta can dodge to any direction including towards the enemy to immediately start whacking them, Viola's block pushes her away from the attacking enemy, which means that unless she parries an attack perfectly, what little Witch Time she gets will likely be wasted for simply closing the gap, negating any advantages it would've given (particularly catastrophic in Niflheim chapters where Viola must deal damage in Witch Time). Worse still, the block button is mapped on the same button for gap-closing dash (single-tap R for block, double-tap R for dash), so accidentally tapping one too many time will send her straight towards the enemy instead. Lastly, unlike Bayonetta who can dodge at virtually any moment, Viola's moveset includes throwing her sword either for her kick combo or summoning Cheshire, leaving her without the ability to even block. It was eventually patched to allow Viola a greater window (even giving her an equivalent to Bat Within) as well as a longer duration.
  • Bayonetta and Viola do not share health and magic upgrades. While ultimately there are enough upgrades scattered throughout the game to max out both characters, you're still stuck with the dilemma of either to split the upgrades leaving both characters under-maximized, or focus on upgrading one and leaving the other fragile for a long while.
  • Demon Masquerade can feel like this. It takes a long time of regular gameplay to build up the rage gauge, and when you finally use it, you'll often find that Masquerade Rage tends to deal heavy damage at the cost of tanking your combo, meaning that Pure Platinum hunters will likely be forced to use it strictly as a flashy Finishing Move, negating whatever advantage it may have in normal combat. There is one way to speed up increasing the gauge, but that is to take damage, something obviously medal hunters will never want. There's also the fact that it can only be activated when standing idle on the ground, making it hard to use following ground combos and impossible to use if you prefer aerial combat.
• Ship-to-Ship Combat: Bayonetta/Jeanne versus Bayonetta/Luka. The latter pairing had a good amount of Ship Teasing alongside Luka's Dogged Nice Guy attitude and slight Character Development, whereas others would argue that Jeanne had known Bayonetta far longer. ^note Although since the game is set in a multiverse, it doesn't preclude a Bayonetta having gotten together with her Jeanne in another reality
• Spiritual Successor:
  • To Platinum's Astral Chain and canceled Scalebound. Both games involve the protagonist summoning demons and/or partnering with giant kaiju sized monsters to help them fight in battle. Bayonetta can summon switch between attacks and pull out a "Just Frame" Bonus, exactly like in Astral Chain.
  • The plotline is considered very similar to that of Devil May Cry 5 due to a good deal of its premise and ending being quite similar. Both games feature three playable protagonists during the main story, one of whom is a punk-themed katana wielder and the child of the main characters, and both games end with the protagonists trapped in Hell for the forseeable future, possibly even permanently, while the younger character is expected to carry on their legacy.
• Strangled by the Red String: Bayonetta and Luka's Relationship Upgrade. After the first game portrayed them as a lighthearted Muggle–Mage Romance whose romance was built on Belligerent Sexual Tension and a lot of affectionate flirting, with Luka being a relatably dorky everyman figure, 3 reveals a variant of Luka to be the King of the Faeries, resonance with this distant variant and many dead variants allowing the formerly mundane Luka of Arch Eve Origin Bayonetta's world a newfound werewolf transformation and has their relationship with Bayonetta take a turn into a more tragic and melodramatic kind of romance at the very last second before ending Together in Death. Unfortunately, quite a few fans don't see him as having enough chemistry with Bayonetta to truly buy their relationship, or the seeming Character Shilling of Luka to justify it, and even a decent number of people who did like the pairing felt that its portrayal in this game was rushed or betrayed the main appeal of the ship. It's considered particularly glaring since the Alternate Timeline aspect of the story provides a good deal of opportunities to show other Bayonettas and Lukas at various stages their relationship to help justify the sudden tone shift or Luka's werewolf form in general, but this never happens.
• Tainted by the Preview:
  • The teaser ending with the phrase "Now in development exclusively for Nintendo Switch." Much like with Bayonetta 2 being a Wii U exclusive, albeit not to the same extent, it upset some fans who were otherwise excited for the game. It got to the point where Hideki Kamiya addressed the issue on Twitter shortly after, and reiterated it when the game was re-revealed years later.
  • Some fans were not pleased when it was revealed that Bayonetta's long-time voice actress Hellena Taylor would be replaced by Jennifer Hale, especially given that much of Bayonetta's appeal comes from Taylor's performance. That being said, after some tweets from Taylor admitting she lied about most of her claims, and Hale giving a good performance (considering her already prolific acting career), most of it died down.
• That One Achievement: Finishing 12-9 without missing a single note. Some Perlucidae in the first segment require split-second switching to avoid missing them.
• That One Sidequest: Catching Umbran cats. Umbran frogs simply wait on their spots until you chance upon them (further helped by the fact that they croak more loudly the closer you approach), and while Umbran crows fly away from you if you get close, they have preset flight patterns and thus you can plan your capture route. Not so with the cats: Already they are often found in cramped spaces away from the main route, they always run away from you via whichever path that makes it difficult for you to catch them. This is especially infuriating for Viola; Bayonetta at least can abuse Umbran Clock Tower's on-demand Witch Time to catch the cats (which still has to take into account that you can't summon demons inside cramped space), but Viola must chase after them the hard way as she has no option to slow them down. And did we mention that all these animals are small, black and can only be seen from the glowing tear they carry?
• They Copied It, So It Sucks!: One of the most common criticisms of the game is that its ending is accused of ripping off that of Devil May Cry 5, but not as well-done. Like Dante and Vergil, Bayonetta, Luka and possibly Jeanne end up trapped in Hell, but the way by which they end up there is commonly regarded as Dropped a Bridge on Him and being far more depressing and cynical than the cautiously hopeful tone of DMC5's ending, and similar to Nero, Viola takes over the Bayonetta title, but because this is her first appearance and most of her scenes depict her as incompetent, fans didn't have as much time to warm up to her and thus regard the Passing Of The Torch moment as severely unearned.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
  • As noted a few times above, a common problem in relation to Viola is that she doesn't have that much time to shine on her own in the story, not getting to do much of personal significance compared to the other main characters, with some even considering her only actual role in the plot (Aside from taking part in helping Luka overcome his troubles in relation to his Strider form and Arch-Adam, and even then Bayonetta takes the reins for finishing up Luka's arc) is being an exposition device for multiverse-related stuff. She doesn't even get to be an ally in gameplay letalone playable for the final fight with Singularity. Meanwhile, Bayonetta took up most of the significant plot-related action in the war with Singularity. As a result, Viola's story arc ending with her becoming the next Bayonetta in Cereza's place has been marked to be rather unsatisfying or unearned by fans, even by those who are open to it, simply due to the fact she didn't get to do much leading up to this point.
  • During the final battle against Singularity, versions of Bayonetta based on the first two games appear for a phase to fight him off while the Prime Bayo catches her second wind. While the version from Bayonetta 1 is playable, complete with the old UI directly from the first game, the same does not apply to the version from 2, despite the game and version of the character being iconic to many players, especially those familiar with Super Smash Bros..
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
  • While the main plot involves the entire multiverse, the idea is underutilized to some, with the plot never exploring the alternate universes much, it also doesn't help that we do not see but an handful of them.
  • There are plenty of players who are rather disappointed how several major plot points of the game (Such as Singularity's origin and purpose, the origin of Luka's werewolf transformation, and Dark Eve and Dark Adam) are only explained through in-game bios and Story Breadcrumbs off to the side, rather than being brought up and shown in the story.
  • The fact that Bayonetta and Jeanne have gone from the final two Umbran Witches in existence to being joined by a third Witch of a new generation gets little more than a surface level acknowledgement from Jeanne due to the situation demanding the group focus on the multiversal threat and Bayonetta's other selves above all.

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