Gaming
 

Hilde

From the Soulcalibur Wiki

Hildegard von Krone
Hildegard von Krone
Hilde, as she appears in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
Birthplace Holy Roman Empire Wolfkrone Kingdom, Holy Roman Empire (present day Germany)
Birthdate 13 August 1573
Age 18 (Soulcalibur IV)
Height 5'3 (160 cm)
Weight 50 kg
Blood type AB
Weapon Short Sword and Lance
Weapon name Glänzende Nova and Frischer Himmel
Fighting style Große Erbschaft
Family Father, King of Wolfkrone (victim of malfestation, now imprisoned by necessity)
Appears in Soulcalibur IV
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
English voice actor Julie Ann Taylor
Japanese voice actor Yūko Kaida

Hildegard von Krone (ヒルデガルド・フォン・クローネ Hirudegarudo fon Kurōne?), or Hilde for short, is a character in the Soul series of fighting games. Her first appearance was in the series' fifth installment, Soulcalibur IV. Hilde was first seen in a trailer advertising Soulcalibur IV, but because she was only visible for a momentary glance, it was unclear whether she was a character made using the Character Creation function or a new, mainstream character. Later, she was revealed to be a new character in a scan from Famitsu magazine, which also explained that she was the daughter of the ruler of a fictional European kingdom, Wolfkrone.

Director Katsutoshi Sasaki describes Hilde as "the 'most alluring'" female character in Soulcalibur IV, because she is "a brave and noble warrior who fights with cunning grace, using a short sword for quick attacks and a spear to do some serious damage from afar.”[1] Hilde's second outfit is an elegant blue dress with her long, red hair let down. It has been described as a beautiful, yet non-sexualized costume for a woman, which is very uncommon in the Soul series.

Hilde's first-player costume consists of a suit of armor decorated with a wolf motif; an unusually practical attire, given the Soul series’s reputation for mostly scantily-clad characters.[2] Hilde’s battle style, ‘‘Große Erbschaft’’, allows her to freely alternate between using her lance or her sword, depending on which button the player presses. Pressing the vertical-attack button controls Hilde’s lance, while the horizontal-attack button controls her sword.[3] Switching rapidly between these two weapons in moderation can properly assail an opponent from long range, and also dominate him or her in close-ranged environments.

What lies in her soul is Duty.

Contents

[edit] History

Hilde was born as the daughter of the king of Wolfkrone, a fictional European kingdom hidden in Germany. Her father, described as a formerly stoic, but kind-hearted, fair man, lost his sanity to the destructive rains of the Evil Seed, virtually transforming him into an animal. After he fell into madness, the king was sentenced to live out the rest of his days in an isolated chamber, located at the very top of the Wolfkrone castle tower. With the king driven to insanity, the kingdom turned to the remaining candidate for leadership, forcing Hilde upon the throne despite her young age. By gathering allies and power, Hilde was able to resist the invading forces of the Azure Knight.

As Hilde devoted much of her childhood to protecting and guiding Wolfkrone, she didn’t experience a true childhood, and was forced to handle the burdens of adulthood. Hilde disciplined herself, becoming emotionally and physically stronger over the passing years and leading her country on the front lines of the battlefield.

One day, Hilde learned that Soul Edge was slowly gaining power, and prepared her forces for battle. In the following days, Hilde and her soldiers came to the assistance of a troop of mercenaries traveling through Wolfkrone. Most of the mercenaries’ numbers had dwindled after they were attacked by the inhabitants of the ruined castle. Among the survivors was a woman who claimed to have encountered a man who intended to storm the cursed city alone. Hilde confronted this man, Siegfried Schtauffen, and offered her assistance in helping him destroy Soul Edge. Siegfried refused, saying that the battle was his alone, and that he didn’t want anyone getting in his way.

Hilde was surprisingly unaffected by Siegfried rejecting her proposal. She told her forces they would march at dawn. When Hilde and her army traveled out to defeat Soul Edge, they were greeted by a cheering crowd.

[edit] Soulcalibur IV ending

After the fight against Nightmare, Hilde destroys Soul Edge, quickly noticing that Siegfried is standing nearby. Hilde accuses Siegfried of being responsible for all the atrocities Soul Edge had created. Siegfried confirms the fact he was once Nightmare’s puppet. Hilde sees that he acknowledges his guilt without any hesitation. Siegfried then kneels with Soul Calibur beside him, and expresses his gratitude toward the fact Hilde eliminated Nightmare. He asks her to kill him, to put an end to the cyclical war between Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. As Hilde approaches, Siegfried braces himself for the killing strike, only for Hilde to lower her weapon and refuse to kill him. She says that warriors think not of themselves, but of others. Hilde also states that he has shown true valor while sacrificing everything to atone for his sins. And then, she knights Siegfried, declaring that she absolves him of his sins.

A text-epilogue states this: The rising sun pierces the name of Soul Edge. The Kingdom of Wolfkrone has proven victorious!

[edit] Fighting Style

Hilde has a unique battle style which deals with both long and short ranges; her sword is used for close range and the lance for long range attacks, and her signature charge attacks. Her charge attacks vary depending on how long the player holds the button. She has average speed but she has incredible strength in every attack especially her charge attacks. However, her charge attack combos are extremely difficult to perform because the player will have to hold the button for the preferred move after each attack and hold the button long enough to perform the desired move to chain the previous move to create a combo; so chaining charge combos from Hilde is extremely difficult but deals impressive damage to the opponent. Hilde is regarded as a low to top-tier character by the Soul Calibur community.

[edit] Weapons

[edit] Glänzende Nova and Frischer Himmel

Glänzende Nova and Frischer Himmel are believed to have been wielded by the very first king of Wolfkrone. Other rumors claim that they are holy weapons tailored to destroy any uprising of evil. The original weapons were lost when the first king passed away, but replicas were created and passed down through the royal bloodline. At the coronation of each new king, the weapons are placed in his hands, and when in times of crisis the realm is threatened, they are given to the kingdom’s mightiest warrior.


They are a flag with a pike on its end and a dagger that appears to be either a misery cord or a horseman's sidearm.


The founding myths of Wolfkrone speak of a great warrior who battled Soul Edge after being given the spirit sword Soul Calibur by its guardian tribe. Much later, that warrior became king of the nation.

Hilde’s particular fighting art had been taught to generations of the Krone family, hereditary rulers of Wolfkrone. Legends claim that it was first developed by the founding king of the realm, According to Hilde’s official Soulcalibur IV biography, the Wolfkrone practitioners of the lance are threatened with extinction.

Glänzende Nova and Frischer Himmel were believed to be known as Grenzennova and Frischhimmel, respectively, possibly because of mistranslation. Glänzende Nova translates to, from German, "shining novelties", while its companion weapon, Frischer Himmel, means "fresh sky". Her fighting style, Große Erbschaft, means "great inheritance."

[edit] Other Weapons

[edit] Critical Finish

In Hilde's Critical Finish, she impales her opponent on her spear and shakes them into the air. As they fall, she tosses the now charged spear through them, sending them plummeting off screen.

[edit] Stages

[edit] Wolfkrone Monument (SC4/SCBD)

Not much is known about this stage aside from what can be construed from its visual appearance. The battle takes place on an enormous, circular platform, surrounded by wooden statues. Like the figures in a cuckoo clock, the statues are kept in constant, monotonous animation, playing music on their artificial instruments and dancing around the edge of the stage. Carousel horses hover behind the wooden statues, circling the ring. The stage consistently rotates. In the distance, the hills and mountains can be seen, along with (presumably) the Wolfkrone castle, and the enormous brass bells of a bell tower.

[edit] Quotes

[edit] Soulcalibur IV

  • "Righteousness is on my side, victory will soon follow."
  • "You're challenging to a duel? Very well. I accept."
  • "State your name, if you have any honor."
  • "I swear by my name, I shall be victorious !"
  • "Stand down! Do you know who I am ?"
  • "I refuse to bow to your logic."
  • "Victory shall be mine !"
  • "You were a worthy opponent. Farewell !"
  • "For the glory of the Krones !"
  • "Fight with honor."
  • "Here I come!"
  • "Stand down!"
  • "The time has come to show my courage."
  • "I shall test your words, your resolve."
  • "Don't touch me."
  • "You're open!"
  • "Suspicious characters, are you Nightmare's servants?"
  • "Silence! Fear he who wields the holy sword!" —In Sophitia's story mode
  • "How revolting! An ill omen!"
  • "Vile beast!"
  • "So then monsters have no honor!"
  • "Our swords and skills give us the strength to fight !"
  • "Death awaits, prepare yourself!"
  • "I am getting close. I must find their leader!" —In Hilde's story mode
  • "Feel the vengeance of my poeple!"
  • "An evil creature such as you deserves no mercy!" —In Hilde's story mode
  • "Now that I know who you are, I will not yield!" —In Siegfried's story mode
  • "We have our honor! I refuse to stand aside." —In Kilik's story mode

[edit] Trivia

  • Hilde's full name is derived from Old Germanic words hild and gard, meaning battle and protection respectively.
  • The symbol of Wolfkrone is, appropriately, the wolf, which adorns Hilde's armor.
  • In Hilde's Story Mode, Hilde is accompanied by her royal guard, Gerhilde, for the first two stages, but then she is unable to continue afterwards, and Hilde then goes on her own.
  • In the Story Modes of Astaroth, Voldo, and Lizardman in Soulcalibur IV, Hilde calls them a vile beast when they fight her.
  • In Scheherazade's Story Mode, Scheherazade brings Hilde along with her after she defeats the princess, some of her royal guards, and Siegfried on the fourth stage. This is so that Scheherazade can have a witness for the conclusion of her "story."
  • To explain the new features of Soulcalibur IV, Namco released an omake manga, in which returning character Cassandra "taught" Hilde about the game's features.[4]
  • In Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny's The Gauntlet mode, Hilde travels with the main character, Cassandra, and Dampierre on a quest to gather ingredients for a cure for her father, the King of Wolfkrone, who has fallen ill, and gives the main character advice during fights.

[edit] Relationships

[edit] Series' Appearances

[edit] Gallery

Hilde from Soulcalibur IV

Hilde's alternate costume in Soulcalibur IV

Hilde wallpaper from Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny

[edit] References

  1. ^ IGN: Soulcalibur IV Video 2142095
  2. ^ Soul Calibur IV keeps laying on the sexuality
  3. ^ Soul Calibur 4 Character Spotlight: Hilde
  4. ^ Soul Calibur 4 Omake (archive)(Japanese), English translation)(English)

[edit] External Links


Main characters in the Soul series
Algol | Amy | Astaroth | Cassandra | Cervantes | Charade | Dampierre | Edge Master | Hilde | Hwang | Ivy | Kilik | Li Long | Lizardman | Maxi | Mitsurugi | Necrid | Nightmare | Olcadan | Raphael | Rock | Seong Han Myeong | Seong Mi-na | Setsuka | Siegfried | Sophitia | Taki | Talim | Tira | Voldo | Xianghua | Yoshimitsu | Yun-seong | Zasalamel
Retrieved from "http://soulcalibur.wikia.com/wiki/Hilde"