This is an overall description of this mode. For further information on the equipment and classes available in the games, go to Character Creation.
Create-A-Soul (Soulcalibur III), Character Creation (Soulcalibur IV, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny) or simply Creation (Soulcalibur V) is a mode in the Soul series. First introduced in Soulcalibur III, it allows the player to create their own fighter as well as new costumes for existing characters. However armor parts at standard are limited and additional armor parts must be unlocked to customize your character.
General[]
Soulcalibur III[]
An example of created character in Soulcalibur III: Sesshoumaru from the Inuyasha series.
The first step in the creation of your character is to choose their gender: male or female. Then you have to choose various jobs, each of which is divided into different disciplines. Once chosen, the mode brings you to the creation itself.
The first tab allows you to select various parts of equipment to dress your character, but you can also choose the "All" line, which gives you a pre-made character consistent with any job. The second one allows you to change the color of the pieces of equipment you first chose. The third tab gives you the opportunity to change your character's face, body color and voice. The last tab is used to give your character a name and to finally save them.
Soulcalibur IV[]
In Soulcalibur IV, character creation was given more options to help make the perfect character. The first two steps are quite the same as in Soulcalibur III, except you can't choose a job for your character, but rather a style, meaning the moveset of a character present in the series.
You are then asked to change the default characteristics of your character, such as the alignment (good or evil), orientation towards attack, defense, etc., and the default armor or your character. This will allow the game to create a starting point for your creation. The first tab allow you to select various parts of equipment to dress your character, but you can also choose the "All" line, which gives you a pre-made character resembling a samurai, a soldier, and many more possibilities. The next tab is used to change the color of the parts you previously chose. The third tab concerns your character appearance: you can change the color of the underwears, the skin color, the hair and its color, but also the face, the voice and its pitch, and the physique and muscularity. The fourth tab allows you to change your character's weapon or style. The fifth tab is used to equip skills on your character, giving them boost during special battles. The last tab serves to change the character's name and save them, but also to test your character, to change the background and the pose they take.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny[]
The character creation is really similar to the one in Soulcalibur IV, except all clothes are now genderless and can be worn by anyone. The last tab also allows you to take a picture of your character, which will appear on the selection screen.
Soulcalibur V[]
Soul Calibur V includes more advanced editing options, including different heights for created characters, editing separate parts of the body [1] as well as being able to make an overweight character [2], change the color of the weapon, use female clothing on male characters and vice-versa, add patterns to the clothing and the weapon, add accessories (such as horns [3], elf-like ears, scars [4] or stickers [5][6]), add make-up [7] and also change the color the weapon effects. Most of these weren't available in the previous games. Most pieces of equipment from Soul Calibur IV and Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny return with an updated look along with hairstyles as well. Character voice pitches makes a return with a new "malfestation" feature which allows your created character to have an evil voice similar to Nightmare or Abyss.
Unlike in previous games, hairstyles from the 1P costumes of the current main characters will also be available for created characters. [8]
There is one Create-A-Soul only fighting style. It is the Devil Jin style, used by Katsuhiro Harada in quick battle.
Equipment[]
Equipment is not only a matter of looks, it also has other purposes.
Soulcalibur III[]
In Soulcalibur III, the equipment the player uses affects the character's alignment and mood, which determine their dialogue and tone. Weapons provide stats and special abilities.
Soulcalibur IV[]
In Soulcalibur IV, the equipment the player uses affects the character's attack and defense power, as well as its maximum HP. The equipment also determines the character's Power, Gauge, Boost, Special, and Impact values, which determine the skills with which the character can be equipped. Weapons provide stats and special abilities.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny[]
In Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, equipment doesn't affect the character.
Soulcalibur V[]
Equipment is purely aesthetic and has no special effect in gameplay. All weapons have the same stats and "ultimate" weapons such as Soul Calibur are little more than a skin.
Created characters in game modes[]
The created characters are mainly used in the Versus mode. However, they can be used in other modes.
In Soulcalibur III, the created character, referred to as The Cadet, can be used in the Chronicles of the Sword mode. Also in Quick Play mode within Soul Arena depending on the created character's alignment they will fight a specific character like a destinated battle before facing Abyss. Fire (Nightmare), Water (Seong Mi-na), Wind (Ivy), Lightning (Siegfried).
In Soulcalibur IV created characters are also playable in Story Mode. When they defeat a default character, the latter will travel with you until a certain point of the story. Depending on the partner you get, the final encounter will be modified. Thus, if you travel with Maxi, Talim or Setsuka, you will encounter Algol. If you travel with Rock, the final boss will be Nightmare, and Cassandra will lead you to Siegfried.
Soulcalibur VI[]
Create-A-Soul returns in Soulcalibur VI. It has been heavily expanded, now allowing the player to create original characters based on one of 16 playable races. Aside from the standard human option, races include outcast (humans with animal features like ears), lost souls (winged), lizardman, mummy, automaton, shapeshifter, colossus, hidden village clan, malefic, lost souls (horned), revenant, darksider, and three separate versions of malfested (regular, mutated (updated regular malfested), and fully transformed). The game also features a new Libra of Soul story mode that focuses on the created character and their journey for the Soul swords. However, some of the races have only one gender exclusives, currently the lizardmen, malefic, darksider and fully transformed malfested being exclusively males.
With Geralt of Rivia's style being available, it is the first time that a guest character's fighting style is usable by created characters. Same goes for 2B’s outfits, other than her fighting styles.
Trivia[]
- In Soulcalibur III, Soul of Olcadan's and Soul of Abyss's disciplines are not available for character creation; however, the Sword Master class can use all non-"Soul of" disciplines.
- In the same game above, while winning the battle, hold one of the buttons (Circle, X, Square, Triangle, L1, L2, R1, or R2) to change the character's victory quote. The quote depends on the alignment of the character as well as the button pressed.
- In Soulcalibur V, changing height will change the power and range, low characters will have more strength but with less range and high characters will have longer range but less strength.