Grøh

Grøh
Grøh as he appears in Soulcalibur VI.
Biographical Information
Birthplace	Norway, Kingdom of Denmark (present-day Norway)
Birthdate	18th November
Age	Unknown
Status	Unknown
Alignment	Neutral Good
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Height	181 cm (5'11¼")
Weight	82 kg (181 lbs)
Blood type	A
Weapon Information
Weapon	Double saber
Weapon name	Arondight Replica
Fighting style	Aval dual-swordsmanship
Relationships
Family	Best friend: Curtis (Deceased) Master: Orzal (Deceased)
Series Information
First game	Soulcalibur VI
Appears in	Soulcalibur VI
English voice actor	Xander Mobus
Japanese voice actor	Takahiro Sakurai

"A storm is coming!"

— Grøh

Grøh (グロー, Gurō) is a brand new character in the Soul series of fighting games. He appeared in the game Soulcalibur VI, which marks his debut appearance in the new Soul series as a whole. He is the first Norwegian character depicted in the series.

He is nicknamed The Agent in Black (黒衣の密使, Kokui no Misshi^?).

Biography

Soulcalibur VI

 The mysterious Aval Organization was a secret group with origins rooted in ancient times. They say the group came about when the King used the Spiritual Sword to defeat his cursed counterpart and, with his dying breath, entrusted the blade and his unfinished mission to them.  Each new generation has taken on the group's mission to rid the world of "outsiders" - those bound by the cursed sword

One such member was Grøh, about whom little is known save for that he was a fearsome warrior. Though his fighting style is shrouded in mystery, he is believed to have wielded two swords. Some also say he kept a certain technique close to his chest…

The Aval Organization’s top priority was terminating the wielder of Soul Edge, Nightmare. Even though they employed the ace up their sleeve in the form of Grøh, he was unable to accomplish his mission. Deeply wounded, he was pushed to the brink of death—the blow from Soul Edge had resulted in his soul being half-consumed by evil. And yet, he thought, perhaps he could use his terrible fate to fulfill his mission… He would control the evil within him, and only ever unleash it to the extent that he could maintain a grip on his own consciousness. Then, when his mission was complete, he would take his own life.

It was a cold yet logical path, the only way he could envisage going forward. He would fight fire with fire. Unfortunately, righteousness can manifest itself in the cruelest of ways. When his friend was transformed into a Malfested, Grøh had no choice but to end his life with his own two hands. With the organization having fallen into chaos, Grøh felt the burden of responsibility squarely on his own shoulders. If only he had been able to subdue Nightmare, and do something about Azwel’s secession… And yet, despite his belief in the organization, the organization in return would never recognize him as one of their own, because the evil in his body made him an “Outsider.” He had to keep his condition a secret, or fear losing his life.

Maintaining a delicate relationship with the Aval Organization, Grøh vowed to succeed in his latest mission: terminating Azwel...

Main Story

With other members from the Aval Organization, Grøh followed Kilik and his companions as they headed west to face Nightmare. While the monk was alone, the warrior in black fought Kilik to test his strength. When Kilik seemingly passed the test, Grøh gave him information that Nightmare was based in Ostrheinsburg, and that Soul Edge was growing stronger. He then took his leave as Xianghua was approaching.

Later, when Kilik, Xianghua and Maxi were ambushed by Astaroth, Grøh arrived and offered to guide the first two to Ostrheinsburg. He then departed from them as they were about to enter the room where Nightmare was waiting.

Other Soul Chronicles

Just when Soul Edge was about to regain all of its power, Grøh infiltrated Ostrheinsburg but was caught by Astaroth. He lost to the golem and was forced to retreat.

Libra of Soul

Sometime after Azwel’s betrayal to the Aval Organization, Grøh pursued him to the east and encountered the Conduit and sensed their unusual powers. He then ordered Dion and Natalie to keep an eye on them. But Grøh ended up working alongside the Conduit to close many astral fissures scattered throughout Asia and Europe. Although they found Azwel in Fygul Cestemus’ underground temple, the researcher managed to escape and Grøh was ordered to find Kilik and attest his power.

After completing his mission, he rejoined the Conduit in Athens and found Azwel as he was about to unleash his Ultimate Seed. When his ally was defeated, Grøh unleashed his Malfestation and fought Azwel. The battle ended when the two of them fell into a deep ravine. Because he was Malfested, Grøh was considered an Outsider by the Aval Organization.

Over the next year, Grøh roamed the land as the Black Demon. He was eventually confronted by the Conduit, who made a promise to stop him if he became Malfested. Grøh’s fate is determined by two factors: the direction in which the Conduit’s spirit scale is leaning towards, and the sword they used to defeat Azwel. Grøh will either die by the Conduit’s hands and will be buried (Evil/Soul Edge), or will be spared and make a promise to his comrade to use his powers for good (Good/Soul Calibur).

Physical Appearance

Grøh is a pale young man with white hair streaked with indigo. He wears his organization's signature eye patch, which contains a glowing blue part utilized for detecting Outsiders.  His overall attire is gray and black, while the gauntlet on his left arm (which prevents his ill-fitting) is also indigo. Grøh's Soul Charge activates Malfestation, causing his hair to turn red and soar, and his eyes to turn a glowing red.  His left arm is covered in scars from his wrist to his shoulder.  These scars glow during Soul Charge.

Costumes

Grøh's primary costume is the standard color of the Aval Organization: black clothes with purple accents.

Grøh's color 2 is white with gold accents. The gauntlet over his left arm, his shin guards, and the accents in his hair are now gold.

Grøh's color 3 is black and red. The accents in his hair are now black, his left gauntlet is red, and his shin guards are silver.

Grøh's color 4 is olive with copper accents. His hair is now brunet, gauntlet and shin guards copper, and he has a tanned skin tone.

Personality

Grøh is usually a taciturn young man who is all about business; carrying out orders and missions with unwavering conviction. Despite his standoffish nature, he is not without emotion or compassion for others, particularly his allies Curtis, Natalie, Dion and later the Conduit, the protagonist of Libra of Soul. He also served as a hero and inspiration to the Aval Organization as a whole. His relationship with the Conduit is noticeably much stronger; while initially suspicious of them, he grows to greatly respect them. Ultimately Grøh reveals to them not only his longing for home, but his most closely guarded secret of possessing malfested power, entrusting them to kill him should he lose his sanity. While Grøh hates outsiders, he is willing to test them to see whether or not they retain any shred of humanity. Grøh's usual business demeanor fades away completely whenever confronted with Azwel, his quiet tone erupting almost immediately into seething rage and contempt, ever since the incident involving the death of Curtis and the Aval’s leader Orzal. This anger manifests itself when Grøh willingly compromises his will in order to strike the said traitor down personally.

Although usually cold in nature, he is shown to have strong feelings for his best friend Curtis, his strong bond with him is one of the main reasons why he can control his Malfestation.

In the Good ending of Libra of Soul, Grøh feels indebted and very grateful towards the Conduit for saving him, and hopes to live by their example to use his powers for something other than simply completing missions.

Weapon & Style

Arondight Replica

Arondight, lauded as the pride of all knights, was wielded by many champions, and its power allowed them to achieve great deeds in battle. Alas, the sword has long been lost, and the one Grøh wield is an extremely well-made replica. That being said, it was forged using superlative techniques, and its sharpness equals if not surpasses the original.

The Aval Organization keeps many replicas of legendary swords such as Arondight, but insists that only one replica per sword be made. This is to ensure the swords remain symbols of the organization’s creed, pride, and glory. Accordingly, only the warriors whom the organization considers the best of the best to wield them. Arondight itself was bestowed upon Grøh by Orzal, the one who taught him swordsmanship.

Grøh’s dedication to his studies and training earned him a place as one of Aval’s Twelve. However, after his failure to deal with the Azure Knight, he lost his position within the organization. The infighting in Aval has delayed his punishment for now, and if Grøh hopes to protect his right to wield Arondight, he needs to once again prove just how strong he is.

Aval Dual-Swordsmanship

One of the fighting styles used by the Aval Organization’s combat personnel.

In the Middle Ages, most of the organization’s knights wore heavy armor, and primarily made use of shield, lance, and long sword techniques. However, as time passed and the organization transitioned into a secret society, the armor and weaponry became lighter, and the techniques more practical for agents engaged in clandestine operations. The ideal for Aval’s unique weaponry and fighting style dates to this transitional phase, and the style underwent multiple revisions before reaching its final form.

Unlike standard sword styles, Aval’s twinblade swordsmanship often employs multiple consecutive slashes. This has a major disadvantage in that a careless practitioner runs the risk of injuring themselves. As such, it takes a lot of practice to use this style effectively. Aval twinblade swordsmanship also allows for the swords to be split in two and wielded separately. This tactic is one of the many ways a wielder can use to surprise their opponent, giving them the opportunity to string together a series of blows that lead to a final, deadly slash.

Grøh disliked just one thing about Aval’s signature fighting style, and that was that its moves were never named. Therefore, he decided to come up with his own. The more conservative members of the organization objected, but Grøh was able to win them over in a few ways. First, he explained that names would allow the techniques to be passed on more easily. Second, by writing an extraordinarily detailed text describing the moves, and thirdly, by extensively researching appropriate names based on the Aval Organization’s deep-rooted traditions. In battle, he often shouts out a technique’s name, in the hopes that nearby allies may better learn and appreciate them.

Critical Edge

Chevalier Mal Fet: Grøh unveils his left eye, and does an overhead slash, shouting "You will be erased!". He then throws his saber at the opponent, teleports on him, slashes the target with double sabers, exclaiming "It ends here!". Uniting the sabers and charging with his malfested power, he chants "Chevalier...", stabs the opponent and do a upward slash, finishing the recite "...Mal Fet!". The move does 9 hits and its an easy-to-use Critical Edge that balances versatility and reach. It can be used in air combos, and to punish enemy when missed an attack. This move is mainly useful for increasing combo damage. More notably, it deals increased damage during Soul Charge.

Weapons

• Arondight Replica
• Ithnan Scimitars
• Blade of Equilibrium
• Twin Dragon Tongues
• Scharfrichter
• Eksorcisme
• Primitive Cudgel

Stages

Soulcalibur VI

Snow-capped Showdown

Quotes

Soulcalibur VI

• "Understood." — Character Selection, 1P
• "The target is mine." — Character Selection, 2P
• "Do not hold back! However I will..."
• "My mission is what matters. Not you."
• "Outsider encountered. Neutralizing threat." — Spoken when starting a fight against the Malfested
• "Try to resist... your inevitable fate." — Spoken when starting a fight against Kilik
• "All I have to say is, 'die'." — Spoken when starting a fight against Azwel
• "Do your best. Just know, I shall not hold back." — Spoken when starting a fight against Hilde
• "Separate."
• "Part."
• "Depart."
• "A storm is coming!"
• "Endless Quest!"
• "It's over."
• "Game over."
• "Don't move!"
• "Dispel."
• "Not a chance."
• "Charge!"
• "Bleed."
• "Fear my blade!"
• "This will hurt."
• "Going anywhere?"
• "I know your game."
• "Weak."
• "You failed."
• "You are done!"
• "Show me your strength!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Kilik (offensive quote)
• "Is that all you have?" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Kilik (defensive quote)
• "Take this."
• "Fervor!"
• "Engaging."
• "How about this?"
• "Maintain order."
• "Scarlet Sleeve!"
• "I have you."
• "Too slow!" — Spoken during Morgause's Mischief
• "Nuisance!" — Spoken during Morgause's Mischief against the Malfested
• "Rue your weakness! — Spoken during Sir Gareth's Zest
• "Gallatin Eclipse!"
• "Is that all?" — Spoken during counter Ascending Thrust
• "Crumble!" — Spoken during Dolorous Stroke
• "Order... must prevail!" — Spoken during Dolorous Stroke against the Malfested
• "Roar for me... Arondight!" — Spoken during Arondight's Roar
• "Obvious!" — Spoken during Reversal Edge deflection
• "Useless!" — Spoken during Reversal Edge deflection
• "Time for a test." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge (offensive quote)
• "You cannot resist." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge (offensive quote)
• "I thought so." — Spoken when dodging Reversal Edge
• "So naive." — Spoken when dodging Reversal Edge
• "Try avoiding this!" — Spoken during unsuccessful Reversal Edge
• "Increasing speed." — Spoken during unsuccessful Reversal Edge
• "Well, what now?" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge with enemy on low health (offensive quote)
• "Shift into counter attack." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge on low health (offensive quote)
• "I shall end this!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge with both sides on low health (offensive quote)
• "I shall succeed!" — Spoken when winning Reversal Edge on low health
• "I grow weak!" — Spoken during unsuccessful Reversal Edge on low health
• "Not quite!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge (defensive quote)
• "I shall not concede!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge (defensive quote)
• "Reckless!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge with enemy on low health (defensive quote); also spoken during Merlin's Counsel (different tone)
• "Come at me, outsider!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against the Malfested (offensive quote)
• "You shall not leave alive!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against the Malfested (defensive quote)
• "You'll pay for all you've done!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Nightmare (offensive quote)
• "Ever the monstrous wretch!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Nightmare (defensive quote)
• "I have no information about this." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Voldo (defensive quote)
• "That hairstyle needs investigating." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Maxi (defensive quote)
• "Pay with your life!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Azwel (offensive quote)
• "Damn you!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Azwel (defensive quote)
• "Your attacks are too rigid." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Hilde (offensive quote)
• "I need to pace myself." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Hilde (defensive quote)
• "I've met another with your same aura..." — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge against Amy (defensive and offensive quote)
• "You will regret this!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge on low health (defensive quote)
• "Reflect on your ignorance!" — Spoken when activating Reversal Edge with both sides on low health (defensive quote)
• "This is it!" — Spoken when winning Reversal Edge
• "You are finished!" — Spoken when winning Reversal Edge
• "Destruction of Logres!"
• "Path to Avalon!"
• "Guinevere's Indiscretion!"
• "Get out... of my sight." — activating Soul Charge
• "You shall... be destroyed!" — activating Soul Charge on low health
• "You cannot beat... my strength!" — activating Soul Charge while fighting Kilik
• "To fight the Azure Knight... You must surpass me!" — activating Soul Charge while fighting Hilde
• "You shall pay... for the lives of my allies!" — activating Soul Charge while fighting Azwel
• "No... mercy!" — Spoken during Brocéliande's Splendor
• "This duel is my mission!" — Spoken during Brocéliande's Splendor against the Malfested
• "Special attack!" — Spoken during Sir Garlon's Wile
• "Evade!" — successful Guard Impact
• "Surely not." — upon missing a Guard Impact
• "What?" — upon missing a Guard Impact on low health
• "It can't be!" — upon missing a Guard Impact on low health
• "Unexpected." — upon missing a Guard Impact on low health
• "I must endure." – Recovery roll on low health
• "This won't happen again!" — upon suffering a Ring Out
• "Happy now?!" — upon suffering a Ring Out a second time
• "Unbelievable." — Spoken during Guard Crush
• "Such power." — Spoken during Guard Crush a second time
• "I have... failed." – standing KO
• "Camlann's Lament!"
• "You outsider!" — using Camlann's Lament throw against the Malfested
• "Lohengrin's Courage!"
• "Die, Azwel!" — using Lohengrin's Courage throw against Azwel
• "Nimue's Embrace!"
• "Sire Balin's Swords"
• "Astolat's Echo!"
• "Swords United!"
• "Insurgent!"
• "Demon King Slayer!"
• "Coup de main!"
• "Calamity's Collapse!"
• "Calamitous Judgment!"
• "Speed up!"
• "Destructive Order!"
• "Wasteland!"
• "Limitless!" – Spoken during Kill Order
• "I shall leave no trace."
• "Go forth, Guilt Seeker!"
• "Lightning slash!"
• "Camelot's Ruse!"
• "I'm not done yet." — at Decisive Round
• "I shall give it my all." — at Decisive Round for both sides
• "I see you are a threat." — at Decisive Round against the Malfested
• "Show me what you have!" — at Decisive Round against Kilik
• "I shall never forgive you!" — at Decisive Round against Azwel
• "You've gained more experience." — at Decisive Round against Hilde
• "Futile. Cease this now." — Taunt
• "I have... the answer!" — Taunt against Kilik or the Malfested
• "Wretch. What are you?" — Taunt against Voldo
• "What? Is that it?" — Taunt after opponent's KO
• "You will be erased!" — activating Critical Edge
• "Allow me to demonstrate." — activating Critical Edge on Hilde
• "It ends here!" — midway through Critical Edge
• "Chevalier... Mal Fet!" — conclusion of Critical Edge
• "Curse your weakness." — at the end of Critical Edge
• "Stand up!" — at the end of Critical Edge against Kilik
• "As reported." — at the end of Critical Edge against the Malfested
• "Traitor!" — at the end of Critical Edge against Azwel
• "Atone for the sin of weakness." — at the end of K.O. Critical Edge
• "Not bad, but you've still a way to go." — at the end of K.O. Critical Edge against Hilde
• "Extermination complete. Proceeding to the next mission."
• "My information is sound. No surprises here."
• "Begone. You are no threat to me."
• "You should be pleased I saw you as a threat."
• "Rot away. Your fate is decided." — Spoken after victory against Kilik
• "You shall be judged... in Hell." — Spoken after victory against Azwel
• "You've become stronger. It is well to shout out your attack names, but there are risks. First... it interrupts your breathing, which can be dangerous. It also alerts the opponent to the technique you will use. The greatest risk is it may disrupt your concentration, which--...Hey. Are you listening? Why are you laughing?!" — Spoken after victory against Hilde
• "Let order seep into your soul." — Spoken after victory against the Malfested
• "I concede." — Spoken when lost via Time Out
• "I did not expect this outcome." — Spoken when lost via Time Out to the Malfested
• "You were the one." — Spoken when lost via Time Out to Kilik
• "I lost... to you?!" — Spoken when lost via Time Out to Azwel
• "Your existence is a danger..." — Spoken in Libra of Soul Story Mode to the Conduit
• "I am not going to win like this..." — Spoken in Libra of Soul Story Mode to the Conduit
• "Hmph. Win or lose, I don't care. I'm here..." — Spoken to Azwel during Libra of Soul Story Mode
• "...because I despise you. That's it."
• "The rest is in your hands." – Spoken to the Conduit before fighting Azwel
• "Ngh... Kill me!" — Spoken in Libra of Soul Story Mode to the Conduit
• "Forgive me." — Grøh's last words to the Conduit in Libra of Soul Story Mode

Relationships

• Considers Azwel his arch-nemesis, after betraying Aval. Before Azwel revealed his true colors, he once saved Grøh’s life after his left side was injured and infected by Soul Edge.
• Best friends with Curtis; was forced to kill him when he became Malfested.
• Student of Orzal.
• Commanding Officer of Dion and Natalie.
• Rival and situational ally of Kilik.
• Situational ally of Chai Xianghua; appears to know that her Krita-Yuga is secretly Soul Calibur.
• Defeated and Malfested by Nightmare.
  • Remembers Siegfried's atrocities as Nightmare.
• Defeated by Astaroth, who thwarted his attempts to infiltrate Ostrheinsburg.
• Works with the Conduit to stop Azwel's plans, if the Conduit spares him by using Soul Calibur to cleanse him, it becomes clear that Grøh respects them and sees them as a friend.
• Ally of Hilde and, by extension, the Wolfkrone Kingdom.

Trivia

• Grøh is the first brand new character to be revealed in Soulcalibur VI, and the first new character introduced in the new timeline.
• He is the first Nordic character presented by the series. He's from Norway, which was under Danish dominion at the time the Soul series is set.
• Grøh's name is actually an old German-derived word serving as a codename for him within the Aval Organization. The use of a Scandinavian "slashed o" — Ø — instead of a plain "o" was Grøh's doing, as an indication of his feelings for his homeland.
  • In actuality, his name is pronounced /gʁø/ (Greu).
• Curtis is possibly one of the few to know Grøh's real name.
• His line "Chevalier mal fet!" is a reference to the book written by T.H. White, "The Ill-Made Knight", which talks about the adventures, perils and mistakes of Sir Lancelot, who calls himself the "chevalier mal fet" which translates to "Badly knighted knight."
• Grøh's weapon, Arondight Replica, draws its name from Lancelot's sword, Aerondight/Arondight.
  • Also, Grøh's fighting style, Aval dual-swordsmanship, seems inspired by Avalon, the legendary island in Arthurian tales.
• As the main story of Soul Chronicle features mostly the major default fighters from original Soulcalibur, Grøh appears to be replacing Voldo, who was originally one of the major default fighters in that game.
• When Grøh fights Siegfried, his intro, victory, time out, decisive round, and Reversal Edge quotes are the same that he uses against the Malfested.
  • It is very likely that Grøh recognizes Siegfried as Nightmare, since they are the same person.
• Grøh is the second character to use his Malfestation for good. The first being Kilik.
  • He is also behind Kilik, the second character to have mastered its power.
• While the fate of Grøh was initially unknown due to the two separate endings of Libra of Soul, Hwang's Soul Chronicle confirms the "good" ending to be canon, as Wilhelm questions Aval if they will continue to gather more information on him, implying that he is still alive during this time. This is further confirmed through the Aval After-Story documents in the Museum Section, in which Grøh has been stated to have gone missing.
• Grøh serves as the sub-boss in the Normal Arcade mode, and as the final boss on Hard.
• Grøh is the second character in game to have a longer victory dialogue with the next few lines not included on the subtitles, the first being Azwel. Though in his case only if he wins against Hilde.
• The concept of a character wielding twinblades was attempted multiple times before in the past. These designs included a young girl that also wielded grenades that was proposed during Soulcalibur’s development and Edgardo, a character who was originally going to appear in Soulcalibur III but couldn't due time constraints. Soulcalibur VI’s Art Director, Hideo Yoshie, expressed his happiness on Twitter on being finally able to add a twinblade-wielding character into games.
• Grøh's english voice actor is Xander Mobus who has previously voiced Joker in Persona 5, Abigail in Street Fighter V, the main announcer in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, among many others. His Japanese voice actor is Takahiro Sakurai who has many extremely notable roles including Cloud Strife in the Final Fantasy franchise, Lucifer in Granblue Fantasy, Rohan Kishibe in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Dragon Shiryu in Saint Seiya, Griffith in Berserk and hundreds more. Coincidentally Griffith was previously voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa who is the Japanese voice actor for Mitsurugi as well as the voice actor for Sephiroth, the primary antagonist for Cloud Strife.
• Grøh's illustrations include the emblem of the Aval Organization and the World Tree, which is divided in two by light and shadow. It symbolizes the mythology of his birthplace in Scandinavia, and Grøh's own situation living in a world between black and white.

Gallery

Soulcalibur VI

Groh Background

Promotional artwork by JUNNY

Player 1 color

Player 2 color

Player 3 color

Player 4 color

Colour 1

Colour 1 (Armour Broken)

Colour 2

Colour 2 (Armour Broken)

Colour 3

Colour 3 (Armour Broken)

Colour 4

Colour 4 (Armour Broken)

One of Grøh's portraits from Hilde's Soul Chronicle mode, before his left eye gets scarred

Another of Grøh's portraits from Hilde's Soul Chronicle mode, before his left eye gets scarred

One more of Grøh's portraits from Hilde's Soul Chronicle mode, before his left eye gets scarred

Illustration by Hiroaki, made to celebrate Grøh's birthday.

Universal Fighting System

Aval Twinblade Swordsmanship card by Carlos Semper

Agent in Black card by Carlos Semper

Video

SOULCALIBUR VI - PS4 XB1 PC - The Agent in Black (Character announcement trailer)

SOULCALIBUR VI - PS4 XB1 PC - Grøh showcase (Developer Diary) (subs available)