- "Just stay back, or I'll kill you!"
- — Pyrrha
Pyrrha Alexandra (ピュラ・アレクサンドル, Pyura Arekusandoru; Greek: Πύρρα Αλεξάνδρα) is a character in the Soul series of fighting games, making her first appearance in Soulcalibur, in Sophitia's ending, and again in Soulcalibur III (in Tira's default ending). However, she made her first playable appearance in Soulcalibur V as the deuteragonist of the game, with her brother, Patroklos, being the protagonist.
In Soulcalibur V's promotional material, she is referred to as She Who Fights Destiny.
In Soulcalibur: Lost Swords' promotional material, she is referred to as The Bringer of Woe.
History
Pyrrha is the daughter of Sophitia and Rothion, the older sister of Patroklos, the niece of Cassandra and Lucius, and the granddaughter of Achelous and Nike. When a mysterious customer gave Rothion a peculiar metallic fragment, the household went out of control, with the children fighting violently over what their father just received, while Sophitia was experiencing the aftermath of her previous wounds she sustained in her first battle against Soul Edge. Awhile after her younger sister, Cassandra, set off on her quest, Sophitia made her decision to get involved in order to save her children. When she arrived at Nightmare's former stronghold, she had an encounter with a green clad girl, who wanted to 'play' with her children. Upon returning home, Sophitia found them safe, for now. The girl in green met up with her again, saying that she would be back for them when the time is right. Sophitia knew that she had to stop her, especially with both Pyrrha and Patroklos' lives at stake.
In Soulcalibur IV, it is revealed that Tira had abducted Pyrrha, and it was said that she could not live without the influence of Soul Edge. This is the reason why Sophitia made the difficult decision to become a servant of the evil sword and sacrificed her life in order to save Pyrrha.
Soulcalibur V
Pyrrha never knew her true family, and those who cared for her she never knew for long. Like her friends, or the elderly couple who cared for her - everyone close to her died mysteriously. As she was passed from one family to another, she learned well how to avoid conflict. Even when those around her turned their back on the "bringer of woe," all she would do is apologize.
Driven from the city, she was captured by slavers and sold to a nobleman's son named Jurgis. He took her in as a servant, but for the first time in her life she felt her mind and heart were at ease. It was no surprise that the two fell in love. When the day came that Jurgis proposed to her, Pyrrha thought that she must be the happiest woman alive.
...But then it happened again. That very night, Jurgis was found dead, his corpse brutally disfigured. Pyrrha was immediately imprisoned for the murder, and her tearful denials fell on deaf ears. "Why does this keep happening to me?! It wasn't me. It wasn't me..."
And so it was that, when Tira appeared to seduce her, Pyrrha's heart was far too fragile to resist...
Cursed Blood
The body of Sophitia Alexandra was once struck with fragments of the evil sword upon Soul Edge's destruction, but one fragment was impossible to remove and was left alone. That piece was buried close to her heart, and she could die from damage to the heart if attempted to remove.
That piece of the cursed sword continued to emit evil energy within Sophitia. Three years later, Sophitia gave birth to her first child, Pyrrha. Having undertaken all the evil energy flowing in her mother's body, Pyrrha was born as a child with a powerful evil aura. Later, Sophitia had to transplant her last shard of Soul Edge in Pyrrha's body in order to save her daughter, as Sophitia supposed that was the only way to save her child when Soul Edge was destroyed by Siegfried. It was no one else but Tira who convinced her that Pyrrha couldn't live without the presence of the evil sword.
The fragment of the cursed sword increases in power by devouring the souls of opponents killed by Pyrrha. Forced by Tira, Pyrrha has already claimed the souls of others several times. Now Pyrrha's body, whenever a destructive emotion flares up, is corrupted by an overflowing of evil energy.
Personality
Pyrrha seems weak willed, reluctant to fight her opponents. On occasion, she even seems to regret winning (she cries after the battle, saying This... can't be my fault!). The way she fights combined with her quotes make her participation in the battles look very forced, which is unlike any other character in the game. This is due to her having grown up being seen as a bad omen. She taught herself to avoid conflict and apologize even as others turned their back on her. She has a sweet, somewhat fragile and sad personality. Her gentleness is reminiscent of Sophitia when she was young, who later on became tougher because of the turmoil and her involvement with the swords.
In the spin-off Soulcalibur Pachislot, while is still meek and shy, Pyrrha has notably become more confident; being able to stand up to Tira, saying she is no longer a tool, and knocking out Dampierre when he attempts to look up her skirt. Rather than being reluctant, Pyrrha smiles more often, and many of her battle and victory quotes express her more cheerful personality.
Fighting Style
Pyrrha's moveset is heavily based on her mother's and aunt's style (she also has moves that involve use of her buttocks, like Sophitia's Bottoms Up, and Cassandra's Hip Charge), however with her original moves, it's strongly suggested that Pyrrha has little to no experience in battle. This is most visible in her stance, her guarding stance and her clumsy throws, which are causing a lot of commotion in the community. This is unlike any other character in the game, since all of them are either martial artists, trained warriors, or practitioners of a self-created style. Also, like the rest of her family, she isn't the best at ranged combat. Despite these problems, she is generally considered as a high tier character.
Critical Edge
Trinity Strike
Pyrrha will shy away from her opponent and say "I can't!" — once again symbolizing her hesitance and unwillingness to fight. She then stabs her foe thrice with her sword and begs them to "please stop!"
Pyrrha's Critical Edge is considerably low on damage compared to other finishers and is unable to lead into combos. However, this attack benefits from being a combo finisher for her strikes that send the opponent into the air. Such as the "Seraphim Meteor" "Jet Stream Rush" "Ascension" or even the "Plasma Blade."
Her Critical Edge also has a Guard Impact which activates if the opponent steps and attacks her.
Weapon Arts
Unveiled Persona: This Unblockable Attack once belonged to Pyrrha Ω and now it is turned into a Break Attack, which always leads to a Guard Burst if the opponent is guarding. At first, there's an animation, in which Pyrrha swings her sword and draws the shield closer to her face, saying "Please, go away", and then she delivers a blow. The attack is followed by a red mist covering the ground, sometimes it appears shortly after the blow and even when the attack fails. The range of this Weapon Art is medium, the damage is not very serious. It's easy to create a combo with it, as it works nicely, when the opponent is on the ground, in the air, or standing still, and in any case the opponent will be stunned, enabling you to add some hits. But its main drawback is that it can easily be stopped by the coming attack right after the animation, so you'd better not use it as a starter, to be on the safe side. As it can only leave the opponent slowly falling to the ground in the stunned state or lying on the ground stunned, wall combos can't be started by it, but it can be performed several times in a row. Although, only after performing the first Unveiled Persona on a not-stunned standing opponent, you'll be able to create a combo on a heavily stunned enemy on the ground after the second one, otherwise the second hit will undo the stun.
Evangelic Fate: That's Pyrrha's most damaging version of Angel's Strike. The move hasn't changed at all since Soulcalibur V, except that now at its very beginning Pyrrha's in sequins of respective color, her sword shines blue during Angel's Strike and then it has one additional hit, when Pyrrha starts to tear her sword in colored flame out of the opponent, saying "I'm...sorry!", whereas her regular Angel's Strike attack with just input is always followed with a yellow flame. So there are three hits in this attack, though her movements haven't been altered. In case the opponent is guarding, it will be punished the same way, as her normal Angel's Strike attack. If the full Weapon Art is performed successfully, it will be still impossible to create a combo after it or to make the opponent hit the wall. However, it is extremely useful in combat, due to several facts. Firstly, it has an incredibly long attack range. Pyrrha pushes forward in the strike, reaching the opponent even when he's far away. Secondly, it starts so swiftly, that the opponent doesn't stand a chance to stop it. In spite of not being followed by a Guard Impact, as her regular Angel's Strike in Soulcalibur: Lost Swords, it always hits the opponent, if he's not in a guarding state at the moment of the Weapon Art activation. At last, it can still deal some damage, when the opponent is in the middle-air or lying stunned on the ground. Under these conditions it will have the same effect, as her just input version of Angel's Strike, but will be more damaging. When this occurs, you'll be able to add another Evangelic Fate on the opponent of the ground as a combo, but only once. This can be very helpful, when you're running out of time, since more than a half of total damage of this attack accounts for the first hit. It can turn into an endless combo (until you run out of Weapon Arts of course) with the help of Twin Step Somersault. If performed on the standing opponent, the first strike will stun him, though when it hits in mid-air, the enemy won't be stunned. Sadly, it fails on lying idly opponents and when it is performed on a standing opponent during his last Soul Burst (if he has only one, than it will work the same way) and the first Evangelic Fate's hit leads to a Soul Break, then Pyrrha will simply take out her sword with a sigh without performing the rest of the Weapon Art.
Angel Ascension: This is a mix of Sophitia's Angel Press and the second part of Pyrrha's Seraphim Meteor, which is a Break Attack. The first strike knocks the opponent down to the ground and the second, which is about twice as damaging as the first one, makes him fly. During the attack Pyrrha says "Please, stop!". The first move has a rather short range, while the second is a fair mid-range attack. The combination doesn't stun the opponent, enabling you to do serious damage by following combos. It starts quickly enough to catch the opponent with the first strike in the air whenever possible, but it's a shame, the range won't let you do it sometimes. It perfectly works on the stunned opponent as well, but the first attack misses in case he's stunned on the ground. Despite a quick start, it can be interrupted by the opponent's attacks. If the first attack misses or the opponent is guarding, the second strike is performed anyway, but most of the time it is side-stepped, and you are punished. It's a piece of cake to trigger the Weapon Art in the middle of a combo, so there's no need to start with it. By the way, the first knocking attack can make the opponent hit the wall, if caught while standing, but the second one, in contrast to its Soulcalibur V version, will never cause a wall hit. This attack provides a great combo opportunities after it, although using Guardian's Judgement, which is most commonly used after Seraphim Meteor in Soulcalibur V, isn't a good idea already, as its second strike tends to miss in mid-air.You can also repeatedly use this move one after another, but it's important to wait until the enemy falls on the level where the first hit will get him and still without touching the ground, which is not the simplest thing to do.
Guard Ascension: This is her single Ascension attack with some new changes. The movement itself is the same, there's no animation added, and Pyrrha says "Fall!", as during this attack in Soulcalibur V. But now the opponent flies up high in front of the character, not behind her as usual. That provides good combo possibilities both before and after the opponent hits the ground. In addition, the move is effective in mid-range, as Pyrrha steps forth during it, there are no more sidesteps. Feel free to activate it randomly, as under no circumstances it can be stopped by the opponent's attack. And yet, it starts too slowly to continue a combo with it, only few moves of her can be turned into a combo by this Weapon Art, e.g. Elk Strike and counter version of Reverse Mirage. It doesn't hit the opponent of the ground either. After the move the enemy will never be stunned or hit the wall, and this attack can hardly be used to continue a wall combo, but at least, you certainly won't be punished, if the opponent guards against it. It can be perfectly used several times in succession with the same opportunity to extend a combo at the end.
Trinity Strike: That's her Critical Edge from Soul Calibur V with some extended features. There are three stabbing hits, with the last strike is the most damaging one and the second hit is a bit weaker than the first one. During it Pyrrha says: "I can't... Please stop!". It doesn't stun the enemy and it has middle range. Now there's no the slightest chance of being interrupted by enemy's attacks after activating it and actually, this is the only new feature added to this attack. It can pretty easily extend a combo, even a wall combo, but there's nothing to be added after it's performed. It still can't hit enemies on the ground. If the entire move misses, only the first hit is performed, but if it's blocked she'll strike three times and then she can be punished after the third one, so it's still unsafe to use it whenever you like. The first strike delivered to a standing opponent can cause a wall hit, but in this case the rest of the move can miss. The most enjoyable and unusual use of it in SoulCalibur: Lost Swords is after the move called Twin Step Somersault, which is not damaging itself, but throws grounded opponents in the air. However, if the distance between you and the opponent is too big, the second stab may miss. If that happens, the third strike will not be performed. Unfortunately, it may miss not only when the enemy touched the ground, but also when he's in not high enough in the air.
Physical Appearance
Despite being the older sister of Patroklos, Pyrrha's appearance is more reserved and youthful than her brother. She bears a strong resemblance to her mother, Sophitia. Pyrrha is quite beautiful, with shoulder-length blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin with rosy cheeks, pink lips, small freckles and a blue ribbon on her right side of her head. She wears an elegant white dress with long leather brown and white boots, a brown shirt and gloves. Overall, her outfits seem to follow a chained-heart theme as both her 1P and 2P costumes have several (real or stylized) chains as well as stylized hearts on it. This becomes most obvious with her 1P costume's armlet, which shows a heart in a birdcage, surrounded by chains. The same pattern is recurrent in Pyrrha's 2P costume's skirt.
Weapons
- Omega Sword & Elk Shield
- Gladiatrix
- Aeneas
- Soul Edge
- Baker's Daughter
- Brave One
- The Master
- Blade of Angels
- Crystal Rod
Stage
Theme Music
Soulcalibur V
- "Wings of Sorrow"
Quotes
Soulcalibur III
- What's your name? — spoken to Tira, in her Left/Default Ending.
- Hey, what's that thing you're holding, miss? — spoken to Tira, in her Left/Default Ending.
Soulcalibur V
- I'm sorry... I have no choice.
- I have to fight.
- Well then, best of luck. - spoken when engaging in battle against Patroklos.
- Patroklos, I'll give it my all - spoken when engaging in battle against α Patroklos
- I don't want to kill. Please, no! - spoken when engaging in battle against Tira.
- This is wrong.
- Pardon Me.
- Fall!
- Are you in pain?
- Leave me alone!
- I can't die! -Spoken when getting up on low health.
- I'll do my... Best! - Spoken while performing a throw on Patroklos or α Patroklos.
- Patroklos... Forgive me! - spoken while performing a throw on Patroklos or α Patroklos.
- Someone... Help! - Spoken while performing a throw on Tira
- Why?!
- No! - Spoken when knocked out.
- I'm so sorry!
- I'm weak...
- I don't wanna die.
- I don't... want this!
- But, I blocked it! - spoken during a "Guard Burst".
- It's shaking?! - spoken when hit by a tremor.
- I'm gonna die! - spoken when caught in a throw or Yoshimitsu's Critical Edge.
- Hurts! - Spoken during Algol's Sadalsuud Markab
- That must hurt...
- Please forgive me!
- Forgive me!
- Don't!
- Please don't!
- Please stop!
- I can't... please stop! — spoken during her "Critical Edge".
- Here I... go!
- Oh God... this can't be my fault!
- I'll remember you. You fought well.
- Not my fault... You brought this on yourself!
- My head! It hurts...
- I'm sorry!! — spoken during a Ring Out.
- I don't want to fall! — spoken during a Ring Out.
- Hit!
- Don't... Take them! - Spoken while performing a throw on Nightmare.
- Over here.
- Stand still!
- Please hit!
- Go away!
- I-I can't fight anymore. — spoken when she lost in battle story mode or when timed out against Tira.
- No! I failed... - Spoken when timed out.
- I don't deserve a family. - Spoken when timed out against Patroklos or α Patroklos.
- I-I'm Sorry! — Taunt
- I'm sorry! I'm weak! - Taunt against Patroklos or α Patroklos.
- Don't hate me!
- Patroklos!! — spoken when defeated by Patroklos.
- Patroklos, have I gotten any better? - Spoken after defeating Patroklos ot α Patroklos.
- I'm sorry! I can't take any more of this! — spoken after defeating Tira in battle.
- I have to do something! - spoken in story mode.
- No, no if wasn't me! - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- I would never do this to the people of the city. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- No, I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to die. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- I want to live. Please go away. - spoken in story mode to Bad guys.
- Just, stay back or I'll kill you! - spoken in story mode to Bad guys.
- I have to fight to stay alive! - spoken in story mode to Bad guys.
- Tira, I killed someone again. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- What are you saying? But I'm human. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- No, I'm not a malfested. I'm~ - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- I haven't, but I~ - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- I'm sorry, so sorry. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- Please forgive me. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- I don't want to kill anymore. I don't. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- Really? I have a family? - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- But I can't, I~ - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- Yes. I~ thank you. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- You're... Patroklos? - Spoken in Story Mode when she meets her brother for the first time.
- I'm sorry. - spoken in story mode to Tira.
- I... um, I'm sorry. - spoken in story mode to Viola.
- You'll have to get through me first! - spoken in story mode to Nightmare.
- Stop hurting me, stop rejecting me, stop killing me! - spoken in story mode to Nightmare.
Etymology
Pyrrha means "fire" in Greek. The choice of her name might be a reference to a Pyrrhic victory. Pyrrha shares her name with a figure in Greek mythology. In the Creation of Man, Pyrrha is wife to Deucalion, who are found by Zeus to be the only humans worthy to live and destroy the rest of humanity with a flood. In order to repopulate the Earth, Pyrrha and Deucalion are told to throw stones over their shoulders, which then grew into a host of men and women.
Relationships
- Granddaughter of Achelous and Nike.
- Daughter of Sophitia and Rothion.
- Niece of Cassandra and Lucius.
- Older sister of Patroklos.
- Was abducted by Tira when she was only a child in Soulcalibur IV.
- Though, she appears to be unwilling to work with her in Soulcalibur V, Pyrrha considers Tira to be her only friend.
- Fiancée of Jurgis until his murder.
- Dampierre sold her to the slave market.
- Became Pyrrha Ω in order to defeat Nightmare, saving her brother's life.
Series' Appearances
- Soulcalibur (appears in Sophitia's ending as a baby)
- Soulcalibur III (appears in Tira's default ending)
- Soulcalibur IV (mentioned in Sophitia's Story Mode)
- Soulcalibur V
- Soulcalibur: Put Your Soul Under Blade
- Soulcalibur: Lost Swords
Trivia
General
- Pyrrha's English voice actress, Laura Bailey, is known for voicing several characters in both video games and anime. Such roles include Kainé from NieR, Chun-Li from Street Fighter IV, Omochao and Blaze the Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog, and Platinum the Trinity from the Blazblue series.
- It's possible that Pyrrha is a victim of what is known today as Stockholm syndrome in regards to her relationship with Tira, despite what Tira has put Pyrrha through.
- The baby carried by Sophitia in her Soulcalibur ending is Pyrrha.
- Both Pyrrha and Patroklos were seen in Tira's Soulcalibur III Good Ending, although just their heads and fair hair were visible.
- Pyrrha was only three years old at the time she was kidnapped in Soulcalibur IV
- Pyrrha is coincidentally the same height and similar age Siegfried was when he officially debuted as Nightmare, at 165 cm tall and age 19.
Soulcalibur V
- Pyrrha's titles in Quick Battle include Chicken, Angel's Dance, and New Generation.
- If you look closely at Pyrrha's hair accessory, it is similar to Cassandra's shoulder piece and ribbon in Soulcalibur IV, only much smaller.
- Pyrrha is wearing a cuff-link that bears the same symbol as Sophitia's belt accessories from her Soulcalibur IV 1P costume.
- Pyrrha's primary costume has many similarities to a bonus costume that was meant for Cassandra in Soulcalibur II.
- Pyrrha's theme music title "Wings of Sorrow" is likely a reference to the themes of Tira and Sophitia from previous games, "Wings of Despair" and "Wings of Faith" respectively.
- Pyrrha has the most unusual victory poses when compared to other characters. Rather than celebrating her victory, she is shown possibly succumbing more to her malfestation and feeling guilt over having harmed her opponent. Notably, she will say "My head! It hurts..." and faint, she will start crying saying "This... can't be my fault". At times she will also say "Not my fault... You brought this on yourself!" and run away.
- Pyrrha also has a few unusual intros, she will say "I have to fight" as she timidly walks back shaking her head in disbelief.
- The Designer's Note in Pyrrha's Soul Calibur: New Legends of Project Soul entry confirms that Pyrrha "only fights because she feels cornered and doesn't see any other way out." This would explain her reluctance and guilt before and after battles.
- Pyrrha's 3D render has been reworked - she now holds her sword closer to her shield and her left hand almost cannot be seen. Facial features have also been changed.
- Pyrrha's 2P hairstyle is similar to Sophitia's 1P hairstyle in Soulcalibur IV and she is wearing a crown of thorns. This is likely a reference to the ancient Greek custom for young wives to wear a wreath of thorny acanthus that symbolizes the need for the groom to be patient with his bride. The reason for this can be seen in her storyline, where Pyrrha was nearly wedded before the man was killed.
- Pyrrha's 2P costume appears to be a reference to the goddess-like figure who appears in Sophitia's Soulcalibur ending, specifically, the eyes, chains, and crown of thorns. Her outfit was based on the local fashion of the town she had lived in at the time, with some accessories and modifications given by Tira.
- She very briefly manages to wield Soul Edge without giving in to insanity, fighting back its influence through force of will. This is an achievement only matched by Algol (in canon) and Talim (non-canon).
- Similar to Sophitia in her artwork from Soulcalibur IV , Pyrrha is also crying in her 2P artwork from Soulcaibur V.
- In an early beta of the game, Pyrrha had Sophitia's taunt animation and Cassandra's 3B.[2]
Soulcalibur: Lost Swords
- She was described as "A balanced fighter who relies heavily on her shield to block and parry attacks".
References
- ^ New Legends of Project Souls profile
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubHT8_uFGIQ
External Links
Original Timeline Main Characters |
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Aeon (Lizardman) • Algol • Amy • Astaroth (Mass Produced) • Cassandra • Cervantes • Charade • Edge Master • Hilde • Hwang • Ivy • Kilik • Leixia • Li Long • Maxi • Mitsurugi • Natsu • Olcadan • Patroklos (α Patroklos) • Pyrrha (Pyrrha Ω) • Raphael • Rock • Seong Mi-na • Setsuka • Siegfried • Sophitia • Soul Calibur (Elysium) • Soul Edge (Inferno, Nightmare, Night Terror) • Taki • Talim • Tira • Viola • Voldo • Xianghua • Xiba • Yoshimitsu • Yun-seong • Zasalamel (Abyss) • Z.W.E.I. |