The Critical Finish is a powerful move introduced in Soulcalibur IV and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. However, in Soulcalibur V it is replaced with the Critical Edge. To perform a Critical Finish, the opponent must be in Soul Crush. This is achieved by draining the Soul Gauge using attacks and guard impact until the gauge flashes red. After a few more attacks, usually strong types, the opponent will reel backwards and a flash of red light appears momentarily in which the player can press L1/LB to activate the Critical Finish. There is only a small time frame in which to enter the L1/LB command which means the player will have to be quick.
If a Critical Finish is used to win a match, then the character will do a unique victory pose and in addition the winning BGM will be different from usual.
Due to his small size, Critical Finishes will perform differently on Yoda. Instead of their normal Critical Finish, they will slash him and perform a slow down version of one of their unblockable attacks.
List of Critical Finishes
| Character | Critical Finish |
|---|---|
| Algol |
Wasat Almeisan: (Japanese: ワサト アルメイサム, Wasat Almeisam) He says "This is the end, now fall!" and sweeps the opponent with both Soul swords. Before they fall, he says "This is true power!" and shoots them midair repeatadly with his arm cannons and knocks the opponent down, killing them by crushing them on his throne. At the end of the attack, he says "All mine!" |
| Amy and Scheherazade |
Thousand Roses: (Japanese: サウザントローズ) Starts with a kick ballet dance and delivers several rapid stabs and one final, heavy blow. Scheherazade also does this, though her Critical Finish has feathers in the background, while Amy's has rose petals. Amy also finishes by saying, "Pathetic." If she performs this on Raphael, she will instead say, "Does it hurt?" |
| The Apprentice |
Dark Force Attack: He says "You're in my way..."and then Force blasts the opponent into the air, then jumps after them, performing a series of spinning aerial lightsaber attacks to knock them higher, then finishing them with an irradiating Force Repulse. If he is fighting Darth Vader, he will begin by saying "This will end it!". |
| Astaroth, Rock, and Ashlotte |
Eternal Damnation (Astaroth and Ashlotte), Roar of the Brave Earth (Rock): (Japanese (Astaroth): アズ・パルグリア, Az Palgria, Japanese (Rock): ブレイブアースタトゥー, Brave Earth Tattoo) Headbutts the opponent twice to knock them to the floor, slams his weapon into the opponent, scurries them around the area, and then launches them away. Astaroth and Ashlotte perform a different pose than Rock at the end of the move. They stomp their weapon into the ground, causing an image of their cult's emblem to appear. Rock slams his weapon into the ground and then raises it victoriously, summoning a symbol to appear that resembles a tusked animal and an elephant can be heard. At the start of this attack, Astaroth will say "Don't be so cocky!" Rock will say "Gaia", and Ashlotte will say "Bring peace to those without guidence". |
| Cassandra |
Final Crush: (Japanese: ファイナルボトムズ, Final Bottoms) She says "Here we go!" and slashes her opponent with her sword, knocks the opponent over with her backside, jumps onto them backside-first on the head (asking "You like this kind of stuff?"), and then, after she places her shield under her bottom, slams her bottom into the head, shooting hearts everywhere. |
| Cervantes and Shura |
Tartarus Griet: (Japanese: タルタロスグリエット, Tartaros' Griet) He says "This is the end!" and slams the opponent to the floor and lifts them high up, then teleports up to shoot them back down. |
| Dampierre | Dampierre's World: (Japanese: ダンピエールの世界, Dampierre's World) His critical finish starts with him telling his opponent the tale of his daughter who is fatally ill, and how he could not cover the costs for his daughter's medical treatment. The conversation is fast-forwarded comically while pictures in thought clouds of what happened appear. After the tale, the opponent is left piteous as he/she drops a coin in Dampierre's hand, seemingly "donating." The word "Critical Finish" shows as Dampierre is laughing with his back to his opponent, who is then crying over Dampierre's tale, while at the same time saying "Le Bello's weapon is his silver tongue!" |
| Darth Vader |
The Empire's Wrath: Throws his opponent in the air, then a red force aura appears underneath Vader and his opponent as he stops them in mid-air with the Force, then he attacks them by controlling his lightsaber with the Force, slicing them rapidly and continually, and finally he throws his lightsaber to make a powerful blow, killing them. |
| Hilde |
Warrior's Honor: (Japanese: ターゲスアンブルフリート, Tages Ambelfried / Day Gait Peace) She says "Victory shall be mine!" and stabs the opponent with her spear, sheathes her sword to free her other hand, then stabs the opponent again with both hands, this time impaling them. She then launches the opponent upwards using her spear and then throws it into the opponent, blowing them out of the arena. Adding some sort of praise to her enemies, "You were a worthy opponent, farewell!" |
| Ivy |
Grand Alchemy: (Japanese: 大いなる再験 [リ エイコーン], Great Repeated Omen [Re-Acorn]) Whips the opponent, says "Taste the power of my blade - shred apart!" and starts an alchemist spell to trap the opponent in a ball, splits the blade up into small pieces, and shoots them into the opponent. She then asks "Does it hurt?" |
| Kilik |
Ling Sheng Su: Dynastic Phoenix: (Japanese: 臨勝寺秘蔵禁技・真行鳳翼覇, Rin Shou Ji Hizou Kin Gi: Shin Gyou Hou Yoku Ha) He shouts "Ling Sheng Su Bo!", then stabs his opponent in the stomach with enough force to wind them, charges his staff, then leaps in the air (As you hear a Phoenix's Cry) to smash the opponent's head into the ground. He gets up and rests his staff horizontally with both hands below the stomach and says calmly "Nothing personal". However, if used on Yoda, |
| Kratos | Rage of the Gods: (Japanese: レイジ・オブ・ゴッズ) Using the Blade of Olympus, he slashes his opponent thrice, jumps on the opponent and stabs them with the sword, pulls the blade out again, and kills the opponent with a heavy, final strike. But if performed on Sophitia, Kratos says "I am the god of war!" |
| Lizardman |
Drilling Tornado: (Japanese: アルティメットテリブルトルネード, Ultimate Terrible Tornado) Uses his tail to attack his opponent by spinning like a fan, dives into the air and spins down to his opponent, drilling into them with his horn to kill them. |
| Maxi |
Rising Dragon of the Zodiac: (Japanese: 玄斗・束ね宿星淬ぎ昂龍, Gento: Tabane Shukusei Niragi Kouryuu) He says "It's over!", batters his opponent, saying "Feel the sting!", and uppercuts them. As they fall, he jump-kicks them away (as he calls out his attack name: "Rising Dragon of the Zodiac!"). |
| Mitsurugi |
Demon Slayer: (Japanese: 悪鬼ヶ据物斬, Akki ga Suemono Giri) He says "Try this!" and performs four quick slashes that briefly ignites the opponent and kills them instantly as he asks them "See that?". |
| Nightmare and Kamikirimusi |
Evil Seed: (Japanese: イヴィルスパーム, Evil Sperm) Uppercuts his opponent in the air and slams Soul Edge into the floor, and a red energy sphere surrounds him. The opponent falls down, is drawn into the sphere momentarily, and then is launched out of it. This move presumably drains the opponent's soul. |
| Raphael |
Pale Moon Dust: (Japanese: ペイルムーンダスト) He says "My turn now..." and stabs his opponent saying "On your knees!". He bites their neck greedily, leaning on them and starts sucking their blood, vowing to make them one of his minions. He wipes his mouth and considers making them Amy's pet. The dialogue is different when performing the move on Amy--the minion speech is omitted, and instead of the pet speech, Raphael merely says "Mmm...Sweet nectar!" after wiping his mouth. |
| Seong Mi-na and Angol Fear |
Seong's Blazing Heaven's Wheel: (Japanese: 成式奥義裂煌天輪儀, kana: Son-shiki Ougi Rekkou Tenrin Gi) Smashes the opponent into the air, spins with her blade to injure the opponent, and slams them back down. She then lands on them and her blade stakes them through the heart. Then jumps back up, twirls the staff back into her fighting stance. |
| Setsuka |
Divine Shadow Strike: (Japanese: 神詠・玉葛ノ陰薙ギ, kana: Tenrin: Azusa Yumi, Shin'ei: Tamakazura no In'nagi / Divine Verse: Tamakazura's Cutting Down Shadows) She says "Now it ends!" The screen grays out as she runs toward her enemy and says "Depart!" and slashes horizontally. A line runs through the middle of the screen; one second later the screen splits and Setsuka taunts "You won't even know what hit you" as she prepares to sheath her blade (While the opponent is starting to feel pain). As soon as she sheaths it, they fall over dead. Flower petals begin to fall as she says "Yet another opponent unworthy of my blade." |
| Siegfried |
Soul Conviction: (Japanese: コンヴィクションキャリバーン, Conviction Caliburn) He shouts "Get ready!", then uses his sword to knock the opponent in the air and brings them down. He then powers up Soul Calibur by raising it into the sky, yelling "Prepare to die!" (preceded by a battle-cry in the Japanese). As the foe stands up, he slashes his blade through them vertically, sending crystals everywhere as the opponent drops dead, consumed by blue flames. |
| Sophitia |
Divine Palladium: (Japanese: アドベンドパラディオン, Advent Palladion) Slashes the opponent, jumps off them, and throws her sword into them. She then kneels and summons down a lightning bolt to strike the opponent. |
| Taki |
Blades of Vanquishment: (Japanese: 断魔斬朧剣) She says "Ougi", kicks the opponent's face, jumps off, and starts a ninja spell while saying "Hi-yah! You've lost!". She then triples herself and slashes the opponent before jumping in the air and launching down on the opponent, killing them, as she says, "Danma Zan Rouken!". |
| Talim |
Wind of Bliss: (Japanese: ウィンブロン 『マビリス』) Slashes the opponent vertically several times and lets a powerful wind sweep them up and fall back dead seconds later. |
| Tira |
Judecca Requiem: (Japanese: ジュデッカコーラス, Judecca Chorus) Vertically slashes her opponent, leaps on them, and kisses them passionately as they squirm, turning the screen dark gray, and causing a skull shape cloud to appear, and drains their soul. If she was "Jolly", Tira says happily "How was that?!" If she was "Gloomy", she'll say in an unsatisfied voice "Hmph... You don't interest me." |
| Voldo |
Great Gear of Madness: (Japanese: グレート・ギア・オブ・マッドネス, Great Gear of Madness) He attaches himself to his opponent from behind, who he sets on fire rolling around. Voldo then jumps up and slams the opponent to the ground. |
| Xianghua |
Torrential Chi Blast: (Japanese: 如河・珠麗練気功, kana: Joka: Shu Rei Ren Kikou, Rú Hé: Zhū Lì Liàn Qìgōng) Attacks her opponent rapidly with her feet and blade before delivering what appears to be a blue energy bubble explosion. |
| Yoda |
Force Judgment: He stabs his opponent in the gut, slices them vertically with a backflip, then throws his lightsaber into his opponent's chest, then jumps up and removes it from the opponent as they fall. |
| Yoshimitsu |
Glimpse of Heaven and Hell: (Japanese: 地獄極楽垣間覗き, Jigoku Gokuraku Kaima Nozoki / Peeping Between the Gap of Heaven and Hell) He says "Prepare thyself!", knocks his opponent to the floor, spins behind them, and says "Ascend". He then slices them down in a traditional samurai execution as autumn leaves fall from the sky and Japanese music plays. Occasionally a Japanese kanji appears on the screen after the opponent is slashed, and Yoshimitsu wipes his katana using his robotic hand while saying different phrases depending on the Kanji that appeared. There are 7 kanji in all. |
| Yun-seong |
Hong-style Prime Strike: (Japanese: 洪式極上撃, kana: Hon-shiki Gokujou Geki, Hóng Shì Jíshàng Jí / Hong-style Best Shot) He says "Yeah, this is it!", kicks the opponent in the air saying "Fly high!", and performs several attacks that make a Japanese sequence as he says the attack's name. He then poses and says "Perfect!" as the opponent explodes in the background, but is blown away by said explosion. |
| Zasalamel |
Gate of Meslam: (Japanese: ゲート・オブ・メスラム) He says "Go down!", then he binds his opponent to the ground and moves his fingers in several motions performing a spell, then "launches" them into a "Black Hole", then the camera pans around to his raised arm with his robes dangling. "Farewell!" he says. In Broken Destiny, he says "Can you feel the power of the abyss?" |
Trivia
- Critical Finishes are similar to Mortal Kombat's and Samurai Shodown/Samurai Spirit's "Fatalities", only a lot less gory, and may not always actually kill the opponent; instead, the finishing move may incapacitate the opponent, but still leave the opponent alive to face justice.
- Critical Finishes in Soulcalibur IV are slightly similar to Instant Kills in the Guilty Gear series and to the Fatalities from the Mortal Kombat series.
- All Critical Finishes have a name, it can be viewed as the first move of the "Multiple Buttons" section of the move list. This is evident, as, for example, Maxi shouts out "Rising Dragon of the Zodiac" while performing his, and the move is named Rising Dragon of the Zodiac.
- All created characters have the same critical finish as the style that they're modeled on, although what they say varies from the original (some don't even say anything but simply sigh in relief or fatigue).
- Dampierre's Critical Finish is the only Critical Finish that doesn't incapacitate or kill the opponent.
- In Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, during Setsuka's Critical Finish, the opponent does not utter a death cry once Setsuka sheathes her blade completely.
- Voldo's Critical Finish is named after his theme song in Soul Edge, called "Gear of Madness".
External Links
Videos
| Gameplay in Soulcalibur IV |
|---|
| Critical Finish | Equipment Destruction | Force Gauge | Skills | Soul Crush | Soul Gauge |