- "My swordplay is peerless!"
- — Raphael
Raphael Sorel (ラファエル・ソレル Rafaeru Soreru?, French: Raphaël Sorel) is a fictional character in Namco's Soul series of fighting games. First appearing as the protagonist of Soulcalibur II, he has returned as a starting character for Soulcalibur III, Soulcalibur IV, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny and Soulcalibur V and as an unlockable in Soulcalibur: Lost Swords. Raphael is well known for his fencing style of swordsmanship and his mocking, contemptuous persona. In Soulcalibur III he is nicknamed "Dark Lord". In Soulcalibur IV is called "Lord Of The Night" and "Creature Of The Night" by other characters.
What lies in his soul is Domination. In Soulcalibur V's promotional material, he's referred to as Wandering For His Lost Love.
Appearance[]
Raphael appears as a fairly young man of French noble descent, having blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. In his first appearance, he wore an indigo jacket with black lining and red inner workings, matching gloves and black pants with red highlights. Tied around his waist is a long red sash. In Soulcalibur III, the influence of Soul Edge had changed his body to resemble something of a vampire, featuring paler skin and red coloured eyes, part of his hair swept up with another styled in a fringe that covers half his face, and a slightly more muscular build. He then wore a green jacket with a collared cape, both which feature red inner workings and gold lining with an armor plate beneath. In Soulcalibur IV, he wore a mostly black ensemble featuring a two-tailed high-collared coat with gold lining and an elaborate white frill decorating with a bat emblem on it, making him resemble Castlevania's Alucard. His eyes remained red.
As of Soulcalibur V, it appears he has not aged at all. The outfit he is wearing has a very similar silhouette to his Soulcalibur II costume with the addition of a black widebrimmed hat. He also wears his bat ornaments upside down. The reason for this is still unknown and might never be explained, but it can be surmised the widebrimmed hat is in reference to the Vampire Hunter D artwork done by Yoshitaka Amano. Like D, Raphael is vampiric in nature and, as of Soulcalibur V, can be assumed to be a tormented figure.
Biography[]
Soulcalibur II[]
Raphael, the young master of the Sorel family, grew up with the rapier and medicine as his playmates. His cool, unemotional demeanor created many enemies, but his quick and precise decision-making and execution skills solidified the foundation of his family amongst the nobles. Unfortunately, Raphael was cast out one day when he made a critical mistake; during the Evil Seed incident, he had killed a noble in self-defense: a noble that had long supported their family. Outraged by this, his own family cast him out, and even aided the town in the pursuit of Raphael.
Raphael hid himself in an impoverished town to escape from his pursuers. There he met a little girl named Amy, who hid the weakened Raphael from his enemies. For the little girl, helping Raphael was only a simple deed motivated out of spite for the soldiers. For Raphael, however, it marked the first time he owed his life to someone else. He felt emotions that he had never experienced before, and Amy became an irreplaceable presence in Raphael's life.
Convinced that the chaos of the war was no place to live a meaningful life, Raphael took Amy and left the poverty-stricken town. But even with the new surroundings, he could not get Amy to open her heart to the world.
One day, in the library of the mansion he acquired under dark pretenses, Raphael found a letter with references to the Evil Seed. It wasn't long before he made the connection between Evil Seed and Soul Edge.
What if such a sword were thrust into the hands of the pathetic nobles? It would all be worth it if the petty, war-mongering nobles could be eliminated to secure a meaningful future for Amy. But in order to accomplish his goal, Raphael needed Soul Edge; he was determined to obtain the sword by any means necessary.
In his quest for Soul Edge, Raphael faced off against Nightmare in the land of Ostrheinsburg.
Nightmare won.
His body weakened, his breath haggard, and his consciousness fading, he looked up to see the giant, ghastly sword wielded by the embodiment of a nightmare. He muttered Amy's name; for an instant, an emotion that was neither anger nor pride flared up inside him, and he overcame his pain and forced his body to move. The desperate strike he unleashed hit its mark, piercing the center of Soul Edge. That was all he remembered. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was the sight of his opponent writhing in pain.
Soulcalibur III[]
He should have been dead. Yet, for some reason, the Azure Knight had left without delivering the final blow. Raphael dragged his grievously wounded body back to his mansion. He spent several days on the brink of death, but he eventually recovered. At this time, however, he did not notice the evil energy radiating from the wounds he had received from Soul Edge—energy that was now eating into his body. The phenomenon of malfestation—he had come across this terminology during his research into the cursed sword. By the time that word flashed through his mind, it was already too late. The symptoms even spread to Amy, who had nursed him back to health. Likely she had been infected when she came into contact with his blood...
Raphael escaped with Amy to Wallachia, a distant land in Romania, where they took shelter in a castle ruin that stood in the mountains.
Amy had been transformed into a being that could not interact with the normal world. Raphael decided that he would change the world for her. His plan, woven from threads of madness, proceeded slowly but surely, infecting nearby lands with evil energy.
But one day, an incident occurred in which some people who had been transformed to evil returned to normal by the power of a Holy Stone. Threatened by this object, Raphael decided to go on a journey to discover the true nature of the "Holy Stone" and obliterate it from this world.
Just as he made his decision, an army appeared at the base of the castle. They had noticed the abnormality of the area and come to attack its source.
Raphael bid farewell to his beloved Amy and descended below to the world that refused to accept them.
Soulcalibur IV[]
To Raphael, Amy was everything. He even schemed to turn the whole world evil—to "malfest" it—for the sole purpose of creating a world Amy could call home. But the Holy Stone caused his plans to unravel by bringing some of the townspeople he had transformed back to their senses.
That meant a power even greater than the evil sword must exist. He needed another way to accomplish his goals, and so he vanished into the darkness to find it. After extracting some useful information from the creatures of the dark, he arrived at an answer: he must find a tribe that called themselves the "guardians of the spirit sword." Though themselves lost in the darkness of history, they had continued to pass down their lore: the story of Soul Calibur, the one weapon that could stand against the cursed sword Soul Edge.
This was the answer he had been seeking! Raphael looked heavenward, up at the night sky. Countless lights darted across his vision, and he followed them until they vanished over Ostrheinsburg, where he had once confronted Soul Edge. The series of lights were proof that the cursed sword was reviving. If Soul Calibur was once again fated to stop it, then it would inevitably appear there, at the castle.
Raphael now waits for Soul Calibur to appear so he can obtain her for himself and create the ideal world for himself and his beloved daughter.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny[]
(Non-Canon)
In the Gauntlet mode, he kidnaps Hilde to make her Amy's pet in Chapter 8-1. But the player (depending on who you're playing as), Dampierre and Cassandra capture him in Chapter 8-3. They reach his castle on Chapter 9-1, where Jacqueline and a doll of Amy(?) are waiting for his arrival, and his punishment. While the player fights the doll, he and Dampierre are getting along quite well.
Soulcalibur V[]
How long had he been dreaming? How long had he climbed that endless spiral staircase? Somehow, he knew her room was at the top...
France had been devastated by war, and Raphael, head of the once-proud Sorel legacy, was devastated by a betrayal that cost him everything. But then he met someone, someone who took him in and sheltered him in his hour of need, and suddenly none of it mattered. Her name was--
"Amy!"
He awoke with a start to find himself in a dark dungeon cell, thick with grime and the stench of death. He had no memory of how he had gotten there, but that wasn't important—he had to find Amy.
When Raphael burst out of the prison, everything outside looked different than he remembered...but no matter. This world was but a fleeting dream, destined to be transformed into a new and better place—a world twisted to the needs of he and his beloved.
"Don't worry, Amy... I'll be with you soon."
A force of madness was loose upon the world, a man who would stop at nothing to find his beloved.
The Artbook confirms that Raphael died after the events of Soul Calibur IV and that his body was used to make the reincarnation of the Azure Knight Nightmare, but Soul Edge had to rewrite some of Raphael's memories due to his strong willpower. Nightmare as Graf Dumas had some of Raphael's personality and his cunning strategies, which causes Nightmare to try to take over the world rather than destroy everything on sight. To this end he uses an army of Malfested and exploits politics to his advantages. It's unknown how Raphael appears in the story but it implied that after he was freed from Soul Edge's influence he regained his body and discarded the Azure Knight armor to look for Amy.
Soulcalibur: Lost Swords[]
Former nobility of France. Though he brims with intelligence, he is also considered cold and calculating. In losing against the Azure Knight, he ends up being transformed into a vampire. He aims to use the cursed sword's power to protect his foster daughter Amy.
Profile[]
Soulcalibur II[]
Raphael, the young master of the Sorel Family, grew up with the rapier and medicine as his playmates. His cool, unemotional demeanor created many enemies, but his quick and precise decision-making and execution skills solidified the foundation of his family amongst the nobles. Unfortunately, Raphael was cast out one day when he made a critical mistake.
Raphael hid himself in an impoverished town to escape from his pursuers. There he met a little girl named Amy, who hid the weakened Raphael from his enemies. For the little girl, helping Raphael was only a simple deed motivated out of spite for the soldiers. For Raphael, however, it marked the first time he owed his life to someone else. He felt emotions that he had never experienced before, and Amy became an irreplaceable presence in Raphael's life.
Convinced that the chaos of war was no place to live a meaningful life, Raphael took Amy and left the poverty-stricken town. But even with the new surroundings, he could not get Amy to open her heart to the world.
One day, in the library of the mansion he acquired under dark pretenses, Raphael found a letter with references to the Evil Seed. It wasn't long before he made the connection between the Evil Seed and Soul Edge.
What if such a sword were thrust into the hands of the pathetic nobles? It would all be worth it if the petty, war-mongering nobles could be eliminated to secure a meaningful future for Amy. But in order to accomplish his goal, Raphael needed Soul Edge; he was determined to obtain the sword by any means necessary.
A grand, insane plan was brewing in his mind--all for the sake of a young girl.
"A vice begins by choice. But through things such as heredity, intelligence, and mental exhaustion, this choice becomes something inexplicable, or is refined into something criminal."
-Jean Cocteau, Opium, Journal D'une Désintoxication
During the 16th century, France was amidst religious strife. Raphael, the young master of the Sorel Family, grew up with the tumultuous age as his cradle, the scheming of noble families as his lullaby, and the rapier and medicine as his playmates. His cool, unemotional demeanor created many enemies, but his quick and precise decision-making and execution skills solidified the foundation of his family amongst the nobles.
Unfortunately, Raphael made a critical mistake during the year of the notorious Evil Seed catastrophe. He discovered too late that one member of nobility supported by the Sorel clan became insane from the effects of the Evil Seed. Consequently, Raphael gave his enemies the justification to come after him. To make matters worse, treacherous members of his family who were thrust into the conflict surrendered quickly and offered to hand over Raphael in order to protect themselves.
Raphael hid himself in an impoverished town to escape from his pursuers, which included his family members. But accustomed to a life of privilege without want, Raphael could not bear the cold and hunger he suffered in the slums. He most certainly would have died if it were not for a little girl named Amy, who hid the weakened Raphael from his enemies.
For the little girl, helping Raphael was only a simple deed motivated out of spite for the soldiers. For Raphael, a man who until then lived by his own means, it marked the first time he owed his life to someone else. He felt emotions that he had never experienced before, and Amy became an irreplaceable presence in Raphael's life.
Raphael's exposure to life in the slums made him see the world in a whole new light, and realize the meaninglessness of everything. Nobles quarreled constantly and only thought of their petty interests and self-preservation. And the commoners, tired of constant warring, had given up hope. The world was filled with people whose soulless, meaningless lives made them no better than the dead.
Convinced that the chaos of war was no place to live a meaningful life, Raphael took Amy and left the poverty-stricken town. Avoiding war-torn lands, they moved to a town in the countryside. But even with the new surroundings, he could not get Amy to open her heart to the world. Even though her life in the slums strengthened the 10-year old girl's wariness of life and gave her a tenacious will to live, it erased any sense of hope she had for the future.
Assuming a false name, Raphael befriended a rich noble to obtain the means to take care of the young girl. He employed his cunning to gain the trust of the lord and those around him. And when the opportunity arose, Raphael poisoned the noble and spread word that the "lord had left on a long journey."
One day, Raphael found a letter with references to the Evil Seed- the turning point in his life - in the mansion library. He was fascinated by the information, and it wasn't long before he made the connection between the Evil Seed and Soul Edge.
Soul Edge- a demonic blade that promises power in exchange for one's sanity.
What if such a sword were thrust into the hands of the pathetic nobles? They would undoubtedly fight feverishly for the weapon, and ultimately destroy themselves. Commoners would be unfortunate victims of the war, but their existence mattered little, for they were no better off then the dead. It would all be worth it if the petty, war-mongering nobles could be eliminated to secure a meaningful future for Amy.
But in order to accomplish his goal, Raphael needed Soul Edge; he was determined to obtain the sword by any means necessary.
A grand, insane plan was brewing in his mind- all for the sake of a young girl.[1]Soulcalibur III[]
In his quest for Soul Edge, Raphael faced off against Nightmare in the land of Ostrheinsburg, but lost the fight. Before losing consciousness, Raphael unleashed one last desperate strike, which pierced the center of Soul Edge.
He should have been dead. Yet, for some reason, the Azure Knight had left without delivering the final blow. He received treatment back at his mansion, but soon realized that he had been infected by the evil sword's energy. Although he still had his sanity, he was clearly no longer human. Amy also became infected while treating his injuries.
Raphael escaped with Amy to a distant land in eastern Europe, where they took shelter in a castle ruin that stood in the mountains.
Amy had been transformed into a being that could not interact with the normal world. Raphael decided that he would change the world for her. His plan, woven from threads of madness, proceeded slowly but surely, infecting nearby lands with evil energy.
But one day, an incident occurred in which some people who had been transformed to evil returned to normal by the power of a "Holy Stone". Threatened by this object, Raphael decided to go on a journey to discover the true nature of the "Holy Stone" and obliterate it from this world.
Just as he made his decision, an army appeared at the base of the castle. They had noticed the abnormality of the area and come to attack its source. He would need to drive off these fools, first.
"Amy, I won't be back for a while. Be a good girl while I'm gone." Raphael bid farewell to his beloved Amy and descended below to the world that refused to accept them. The expression on the face of the reticent girl who watched him leave said nothing of what lay hidden in her heart.
That surface that tells the heavens it hath an end cannot persuade me I have any.
-"Religio Medici," Sir Thomas Browne
In his quest for Soul Edge, Raphael faced off against Nightmare in the land of Ostrheinsburg.
Unfortunately, he lost the fight.
His body weakened, his breath haggard, and his consciousness fading, he looked up to see the giant, ghastly sword wielded by the embodiment of a nightmare.
"A...Amy..."
For an instant, an emotion that was neither anger nor pride flared up inside him, and he overcame his pain and forced his body to move. The desperate strike he unleashed hit its mark, piercing the center of Soul Edge.
That was all he remembered. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was the sight of his opponent writhing in pain.
He should have been dead. Yet, for some reason, the azure knight had left without delivering the final blow. Raphael dragged his grievously wounded body back to his mansion. He spent several days on the brink of death, but he eventually recovered.
At this time, however, did not notice the evil energy radiating from the wounds he had received from Soul Edge--energy that was now eating into his body. The phenomenon of maglinity [sic] transformation--he had come across this terminology during his research into the cursed sword. By the time those words flashed through the back of his mind, it was already too late.
The symptoms even spread to Amy, who had nursed him back to health. Likely she had been infected when she came into contact with his blood...
No symptoms appeared to indicate that their minds had been infected, but evil blood pulsed through their bodies nevertheless. Their skin lost its color, and their eyes shone with a wicked light. During the day, they felt weak and sluggish, and when night fell, they felt a powerful thirst. The two of them were no longer human...
Before long, the people living nearby had learned of their strange behavior. They must have thought it was some sort of a plague, for they attempted to drive away their lord. Furious, Raphael contemplated taking revenge on the peasants for their impudence, but his priority was protecting Amy. He put aside thoughts of retribution and, together with Amy, left southern France.
It was a frustrating fate. This was the second time that the evil sword had forced him to endure this kind of humiliation.
"I shall make use of my fate, even this!" Raphael swore to himself. Raphael arrived in Eastern Europe. Taking advantage of the war that had spread throughout the land, he purchased a castle ruin in the mountains and began a life apart from the outside world.
Raphael had no intention of living life on the run forever, however. Amy had been transformed into a being that could not interact with the normal world. So, what he needed to do was to change the world! His plan, woven from threads of madness, proceeded in secret. The evil plague spread, starting with the area around the castle, soon moving on to nearby villages and the neighboring city. Eventually, this country, then this continent, then the entire world would change...
His plan appeared to be proceeding smoothly. But one day, an incident occurred in which some people who had been transformed to evil returned to normal. It seemed that something called a "Holy Stone," which a visitor had brought to this land, was the cause....
Raphael tried to touch the faintly glowing stone, but quickly drew back his hand in pain. His palm was blistered as if it had been burned. He destroyed the stone in a fit of rage. After calming down, he wondered whether other Holy Stones or objects with similar powers existed. He felt threatened by this prospect. He could not allow anything that threatened Amy or her world to exist.
Raphael decided to go on a journey to discover the true nature of the "Holy Stone" and obliterate it from this world.
Just as he made his decision, an army appeared at the base of the castle. They had noticed the abnormality of the area and come to attack its source. He would need to drive off these fools first.
Soulcalibur IV[]
To Raphael, Amy was everything, He had even schemed once to turn the whole world evil--to "malfest" it--for the sole purpose of creating a world Amy could call home. But the Holy Stone had caused his plans to unravel by bringing some of the townspeople he had transformed back to their senses. That meant a power even greater than the evil sword must exist. He needed another way to accomplish his goals, and so he vanished into the darkness to find it.
After extracting some useful information from the creatures of the dark, he arrived at an answer: he must find a tribe that called themselves the "guardians of the spirit sword." Though themselves lost in the darkness of history, they had continued to pass down their lore: the story of Soul Calibur, the one weapon that could stand against the cursed sword Soul Edge. This was the answer he had been seeking!
Raphael looked heavenward, up at the night sky. Countless lights darted across his vision, and he followed them until they vanished over Ostrheinsburg, where he had once confronted Soul Edge. The series of lights were proof that the cursed sword was reviving. If Soul Calibur was once again fated to stop it, then it would inevitably appear there, at the castle.
Draped in moonlight, Raphael began to cackle. He would give Amy her perfect world, and none of the fools who flocked toward the sword would be able to stop him. Any star with the insolence to try to outshine the moon was fated to be extinguished!
He looked heavenward. The full moon—exceptionally bright—shone down on him alone, the chosen one. Deep in the darkness of the forest, he had at last found a means of achieving his great purpose. He had sought Soul Edge once, as well as a Holy Stone with the power to banish evil, but this new force was far more formidable than either of those. The spirit sword Soul Calibur had stemmed Soul Edge's evil countless times before; surely he could use its power to create a perfect world!
To Raphael, Amy was everything. He had even once schemed to turn the whole world evil, to "malfest" it, for the sole purpose of creating a world Amy could call home. But a greater power had coursed his plans to unravel; it started when some of the townspeople he had transformed began to come to their senses. Malfestation was a product of Soul Edge's power; if its effects were being undone, that could only mean there existed something stronger than the evil sword. Soul Edge was no longer adequate for seeing his plans through to fruition. he needed to find another way! And thus, after routing the forces surrounding the town, he had vanished into the darkness in search of this greater power, which he had learned was called the "Holy Stone."
As he searched for this stone, or something similar to it, Raphael kept his ears open for any information. But the local rustics were too busy with making ends meet to possibly concern themselves with the sort of power he desired, and eventually he had washed his hands of them. He had next tried approaching those who traveled from land to land, hoping for news from the outside. He had even questioned people like himself, those who had been chased from their towns and forced to live in the forest; feared and alienated for their inhuman knowledge. Their affinity for the dark would have made them even more susceptible to Soul Edge's effects over the past few years; surely they must possess some useful information.
Here the shards of the cursed sword Raphael had been collecting proved helpful. Using the shards as bait, and resorting to force when necessary, he slowly closed in on those he sought, until at long last, he had found them: descendants of an ancient tribe thought to have died out some time ago, who called themselves the "guardians of the spirit sword." Ashamed that their existence had been forgotten by history, they lived meager lives even as they prayed for the day they could return to the outside world. However, they were at risk of dying out, grand ideals and all; and as for the spirit sword, why, that had been lost to them long ago. They did, however, continue to be guardians of lore. They told Raphael all about Soul Calibur, the one weapon that could stand against evil sword Soul Edge. This was the answer he had been seeking!
A mad grin crossed his face then, and his sword flashed crimson. The guardians had no further reason to live; he would inherit the spirit sword's power in their place. And thus these people, who had lived in secret for so long, were relieved of their task. Raphael looked heavenward, up at the night sky and an eerily sanguine moon.
It was stunning. As Raphael savored their taste of bliss, countless lights darted across his vision. He followed their path until they vanished, and then he remembered what lay in that direction: Ostrheinsburg, where he had once confronted Soul Edge. He could sense evil from the lights weaving between the stars in the sky, and he knew exactly what it was. Soul Edge was reviving. If Soul Calibur was once again fated to stop it, then it would inevitably appear there.
Draped in moonlight, Raphael began to cackle. He would give Amy her perfect world, and none of the fools who flocked toward the sword would be able to stop them. Any star with the insolence to try to outshine the moon was fated to be extinguished![3]Soulcalibur V[]
It was such a long dream... running up a seemingly endless spiral staircase. Raphael knew her room would be at the top of the stairs.
France was ravaged by perpetual religious wars, and the head of the prestigious Sorel household, Raphael, had lost everything to a betrayal. But it was within the midst of this misfortune that Raphael met the one person for whom he would be willing to sacrifice everything: a young girl who hid him from a group of pursuers. Her name was... "Amy!"
Calling out his foster daughter's name so loudly that he woke himself from a deep and troubled slumber, Raphael found himself in a dark jail cell. Raphael couldn't remember how he ended up in this cell, and at that moment it did not matter, as his mind was preoccupied by the fretful notion that he had left Amy waiting for far too long.
In order to be reunited with his dear Amy, Raphael escaped from his cell. Though the outside world seemed different than he remembered it, that too was an insignificant detail to him. After all, as far as Raphael was concerned, the entire world needed to be remade into "Amy and Raphael's World".
"Amy... Have you been a good girl? I'll be with you soon..."
One man's mad search for his precious daughter had thus been unleashed upon the world.[4]
Fighting Style[]
Raphael is a fencer who wields an English sword rapier. His fighting style predominantly accommodates thrusting and slashing attacks, which he specializes in. Raphael is a relatively fast character in terms of attack speed, and as an added bonus many of his thrusting attacks have an added Guard Impact effect, or allow him to dodge attacks entirely via sidestepping and ducking under his opponent's weapon.
Although these thrust attacks are Raphael's main strength, they are very linear and can be sidestepped with relative ease. Raphael's range of horizontal strikes are much less diverse, and the same could also be said for his kick attacks. However, they are thankfully fast, and are therefore able to catch someone at the start of a pre-emptive evade. Despite their relative quickness, they do not provide the dodging features of his thrust attacks, which leave him open to counterattacks.
Raphael has a reasonable number of low attacks in his arsenal, most of which deal moderate damage and are hard to guard on reaction. Raphael's throw attacks have a noted long range, and are hard to avoid. Superficially, Raphael gives the impression of a very neat and technically correct swordsman in combat.
If played in the manner of a defensive player, using Guard Impact moves and dodge attacks rather than utilizing his speed, he is able to last for an extremely long time against opponents. This makes him one of the fighters, in SCIV, able to run out the clock by "blocking" attacks after the Soul Gauge runs low, which can prove nerve-racking, if not outright annoying, to other players.
Mastering Raphael's evasive maneuvers makes him a good "mind game" character, bested only by fighters actually meant for the job, like Cervantes, Yoshimitsu, and Voldo.
Soulcalibur IV[]
La Rapière des Sorel[]
The now-vanished Sorel family developed this fencing style for rapiers during the turmoil and tumult of mediaeval France.
The scheming Sorel family had always favored the long, thin rapier, handing down its own fencing style from father to son. In the chaotic noble society of the time, it was occasionally necessary to dispatch a political opponent or defend oneself from attack, and for this purpose it was useful to have a sword that could precisely pierce the chinks of armor that many people wore as part of their daily wardrobe.
Raphael was brought up in this world of betrayal and violence, and like all future heads of the Sorel family, he was trained in la Rapière des Sorel.
But it was a time of change, when heavy firearms were starting to appear and thick plate armor was becoming obsolete. Perhaps in this new era la Rapière des Sorel could show its true strength![3]
Soulcalibur V[]
La Rapière des Sorel[]
Raphael was unable to recall the terrible events that had led to him waking up in the dark cell under the castle. Every so often, his body was racked with intense waves of pain, only to be followed by faded images beyond his understanding.
Despite the fact that Raphael suffered from an extreme case of amnesia, his sophisticated sword techniques showed no signs of dulling. The complete arsenal of moves that was "La Rapière des Sorel" had become second nature to him due to the intense training he had endured. Every accurate stroke, every complex twist of finesse could be executed to perfection through sheer muscle memory.
Anyone foolish enough to scoff at Raphael's swordsmanship as nothing more than the frivolous pastime of a blood-stained noble will soon find the tragic history of the Sorel household carved into their flesh.[4]
Endings[]
Soulcalibur II[]
Soul Calibur 2 - Raphael Ending HQ
Soulcalibur II Raphael's Ending
Raphael now knew the true nature of the sword said to drive men insane.
The man vowed not to be possessed by the blade and grabbed the hilt.
With Soul Edge firmly in hand, Raphael returned to the one he treasured the most.
No one knows what was spared and what was destroyed during that time....
Soulcalibur III[]
An infected Raphael is seen stumbling through the forest with Soul Edge in his hand. He then falls to the floor.
Soul Calibur 3 - Raphael - Ending B
Soulcalibur III Raphael's Ending B
Input Ending Raphael gets back up on his feet and continues on through the forest. The screen fades, and then shows a still sick Amy sitting on a table with books scattered on the floor. "Amy, I'm back." Raphael says as he enters the room. As he comforts Amy, he says "Now... let us go... to our very own world." Raphael and Amy walk out of the room.
Soul Calibur 3 - Raphael - Ending A
Soulcalibur III Raphael's Ending A
No Input Ending The screen fades to black, and then shows Kilik healing an ill Amy. As Kilik leaves the room, Amy looks out the window, waiting for Raphael's arrival. The screen fades to black once more, and then shows Raphael continuing through the forest saying "Amy, we're very close... Very soon, we shall have our own world."
Soulcalibur IV[]
Soul Calibur IV Raphael's Ending(JP)
Soulcalibur IV Raphael's Ending
Having obtained Soul Calibur, Raphael returns to Osthreinsburg with Marienbard and Auguste to create his new world for him and Amy. He says to the sword, "Now, Soul Calibur, create a new world for Amy and me!" After nothing happens, Raphael asks Marienbard, "Is Soul Calibur really the sword they claim it to be?" "Yes," she replies. He then realizes his mistake and kills the two servants at his sides using Soul Calibur. Raphael then says to himself, "As of right now, this world truly belongs only to Amy and me." He then asks his two dead servants, "So, why should the two of you even have been here? The mistake had been corrected!" Raphael then laughs triumphantly.
The text-only epilogue states that a new world was created.
Weapons[]
- Flambert
- Epee
- Stiletto
- Reiterpallasch
- Wo Dao
- Schweizer
- Holy Antler
- Estoc
- Amy
- Queen's Guard
- Soul Edge (Complete)
- Cane
- My Beloved
- The Ancient
- Royal Rapier
- Cup Hilt Rapier
- The Master
Critical Finish[]
Pale Moon Dust[]
He knocks his opponents back with a hit, stabs his sword into the ground, and attacks the opponent by biting their neck, reinforcing the idea that Soul Edge has turned him into a vampire. However, what he says varies depending on who he uses it on. Using it on someone other than Amy, he says (before he bites them), "On your knees! I shall make you one of my minions!" He then bites them on the neck, crouching over them while they scream. After vampirizing his opponent, he gets up, wipes his mouth, and says, "Perhaps I shall make you Amy's pet!" If he does this on Amy, he will say, "It's over!", and when he's through, he says, "Mmmm...sweet nectar."
Raphael also has a throw he can use in battle that is almost exactly like his critical finish, save for the speech elements. This move also changes depending on whether the opponent is male or female. If the former, Raphael doesn't bite their necks but places his hand on their abdomen area and drains a moderate amount of health from them. If it's the latter however, Raphael will bite them on the neck instead, shouting "Nice Try!" when he's through.
Critical Edge[]
Royal Vexation: Raphael begins his Critical Edge by saying "Now you'll see..." and performs an uppercut with his rapier. While the enemy is in mid-air, he shouts "...The extent of my power!", stabs them quickly three times and delivers a fourth finishing stab while rose petals fly about.
Weapon Arts[]
Weapon Arts are special moves in Soulcalibur: Lost Swords which act very similar to the Critical Edge system from Soulcalibur V.
- Bloody Funeral: That's Raphael's signature unblockable attack.
- Lunatic Rouge: This is a Brave Edge attack called Vicious Moon.
- Kudlak Howling: That's an automatically activated version of his Necro Form that provides a safe start, but in fact it's his SCIV move Howling Wolf.
- Cranial Scrapper: This is his move from SCIV, but now he says "Stand up!" at the end.
- Royal Vexation: It's his Critical Edge attack with an invisible start.
Stages[]
- South France Mansion - Library (SCII)
- Romanian Valley - Castle Siege (SCIII)
- Ostrheinsburg Castle Throne Room (SCIV)
- Dark Capital Ostrheinsburg (SC:BD)
- Unknown Forest: Dark Night (SCV)
Theme Music[]
Soulcalibur II
- "No Turning Back"
Soulcalibur III
- "Endless Warfare"
Soulcalibur IV
- "Reing of Doom"
Soulcalibur V
- "Blood Thirst Concerto"
Gameplay[]
Soulcalibur IV[]
Tower of Lost Souls[]
Raphael appears in a few floors of Tower of Lost Souls, under the floors such as "Unbinding Wave" and "Solitary Princess". A Skeleton who uses Raphael's fighting style appears as a boss under the floor "Irritation To Ruin".
TOLS Ascend Mode
- Unbinding Wave (Floor 28)
- Solitary Princess (Floor 52)
- Partners
- Scheherazade (Unbinding Wave Floor 28)
- Amy, Elnathan & Dean (Solitary Princess Floor 52)
- Marienbard (Story Mode Stage 2-5 only)
- Skills On "Unbinding Wave"
- Switch Speed Up
- Appeal
- Nullify Ringout A
- Shave Damage S
- Skills On "Solitary Princess
- Appeal
- Impact Heal
- Auto Impact A
- Default Skills
- Hyper Mode
- Soul Gauge Boost C
- Strengthen Vertical
Quotes[]
- En garde!
- Coup...
- ... De grâce!
- No escape!
- Watch quietly and learn. — spoken to Link in his Destined Battle
- If you're eager to die, that's fine by me. — spoken to Heihachi in his Destined Battle
- Phantom! what do you want of me?! — spoken to Spawn in his Destined Battle
- So this is Soul Edge.
- You're too weak for that, aren't you? — spoken to Nightmare in their Destined Battle
- I'm not here to play, are we done?
- You have failed! But I will not!
- Do you really think you're right? How pathetic. — after Link was defeated
- Enough! Die already!
- You're not even worth killing.
- Well then let us dance.
- You're quite the rude one.
- You're revolting, go away.
- Damn you!
- To be honest, I'm irritated.
- Even beasts know when to give up.
- Tsk tsk tsk...
- No good!
- Begone!
- How sad!
- Die!
- What is happening? Impossible!
- You can not go against my blade.
- No problem, this is part of my plan.
Relationships[]
- Foster father of Amy.
- Unintentionally freed Siegfried from Soul Edge's control during his fight with Nightmare in Soulcalibur II.
- Defeated by Nightmare in Soulcalibur II. He shares a Destined Battle with the Azure Knight in Soulcalibur II.
- His plans of world domination were interfered by Kilik with the help of the Holy Stone before Soulcalibur III.
- Stole Cassandra's Soul Edge shard in the events prior to Soulcalibur IV.
- Shares a destined battle with Talim in Soulcalibur III.
- In Soulcalibur IV, Raphael has 3 followers:
- Auguste, a man with a wolf's mask. He fights in the style of Yun-seong.
- Jacqueline, a rose haired maid with a high pitched voice. She fights in the style of Taki.
- Marienbard, a dark green haired maid. She fights in the style of Zasalamel. In Raphael's Story Mode, she is the only follower that's playable.
- Does not enjoy Viola's presence in Soulcalibur V.
- Comes into conflict with Voldo in Soulcalibur V.
- Raphael and "Graf Dumas" are one and the same entity in Soulcalibur V
References[]
- ^ "Soul Calibur 2 - History - Raphael". Soulcalibur. Namco Limited. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ "SOULCALIBUR III". Soul Archive. NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Deats, Adam; Epstein, Joe (July 17, 2008). SOULCALIBUR IV Signature Series Fighter's Guide. BradyGames. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-7440-1006-0.
- ^ a b SoulCalibur: New Legends of Project Soul. Richmond Hill: UDON Entertainment Corp. February 2014. pp. 68-69. ISBN 978-1-926778-95-2.
| Original Timeline Main Characters |
|---|
| 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. |