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Inferno (インフェルノ Inferuno) is the overarching antagonist of the Soul series as the final boss and main villain of the first three video games. He first appeared in Soul Blade under the name SoulEdge, he later appeared in; Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition and Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul. He also appeared in Soulcalibur V as a costume for Cervantes in Legendary Souls mode. He is playable in Soulcalibur II with the use of Action Replay and is available for play on both the original Dreamcast version, and the Xbox Live port of Soulcalibur. He returns as an unlockable character in Soulcalibur VI.

In Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition, he is non-playable and serves as the penultimate boss of Standard Mode, fought before Abyss, Night Terror or another player's Legend Mode character.

He is the controlling force behind Nightmare, possessing Siegfried in Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur II, and becoming the second incarnation of Nightmare in Soulcalibur III after Zasalamel creates an artificial body for him, allowing him to walk freely without needing a host.

He was eventually defeated when the armor was destroyed by Siegfried in the end of Soulcalibur IV. However, after seventeen years, a new Azure Knight rises through the host, Graf Dumas.

Appearance[]

In his first appearance, in Soul Blade, Inferno appeared similar to Cervantes, wearing the same chestplate, jacket, boots and gloves, but the rest of his body was entirely composed of purple flames and his head was a devilish skull. His alternate color schemes include traditional orange flames, blue flames, and green flames.

In Soulcalibur, he returns the fiery composite appearance but his head has taken on a half-dome shape and has developed hardened limbs with claws and two-toed talons with electricity surging around them. This is finished off by what appears to be a scarf of fire on his back. Following the console version, this was removed. As a playable character however, he is given a flexible, somewhat metallic sheen, as if to appear as crystallized magma, due to processing problems that prevented the original version from being playable.

In Soulcalibur II, he is given a more tangible appearance with his entire body being a composite of bone and exposed flesh and is as tall as Astaroth In his head and chest is Soul Calibur herself lodged deep within his body. Transformed by Inferno's influence, she contains an eye and wings sprouting from above the hilt. Flames still cover his entire body but they can now be knocked off although they will still linger on.

In Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition, his flames are still red in color, he has Metallic Feet, Metallic Shin Guards, Metallic Armor, Metallic Gauntlets and Metallic Skullheads.

In Soulcalibur VI, he features a mixture of his Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur II designs as a tall demonic skeletal monster with crimson flames engulfing his body. He also has a fully defined skull with glowing eyes and horns.

Weapons[]

Soul Edge[]

Inferno uses Soul Edge, his own body, as his weapon to protect himself. In Soul Blade and Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition, being in the form of dual longswords, most of his moves are reminiscent of Cervantes.

Although he uses other characters' weapons in Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur II, in both games, when encountered as a boss, he starts using the Soul Edge in its regular form wielded by Nightmare.

Soulcalibur VI[]

The cursed sword Soul Edge has maintained the form of Siegfried's weapon, the Zweihänder. However, whether it has done this intentionally or not is unclear.
Inferno is the true form of Soul Edge, and what makes it so fearsome is its deep knowledge of fighting techniques, which allow it to use any weapon style with a phenomenal degree of skill. Though its power defies standard means of measurement, if you are comparing only skill with weaponry, it easily transcends that of any of its previous vessels.

All Weapons[]

Soulcalibur[]

Inferno was the embodiment of Soul Edge, and memories of the warriors it defeated were crystallized within it. Inferno used the warriors' memories and incorporated them into its own style of fighting. Inferno was even able to create weapons from memory and form them from its body.

The anguish of defeated warriors fueled the brilliance of Inferno's disturbing crimson flames. When Inferno's weapon becomes enveloped with that flame, the world would know the meaning of true fear and despair.

Longsword and Pistol Sword[]

In Soulcalibur V's Legendary Souls mode, when Inferno (as an alternate costume for Cervantes) is fought, he utilises The Master as his weapon.

Critical Edge[]

Cursed Roman Fire: Inferno (Cervantes) brandishes his pistol sword and shouts "Get ready! Now die!" and fires off a powerful blast. If timed right, it can also hit off the ground as well.

Dark Reconquista: Purgatory: Inferno's Critical Edge is the same as Nightmare's, due to them having a near identical moveset.

Gameplay[]

Soul Edge[]

Most of Inferno's attacks are derived from that of Cervantes'. Inferno can be unlocked by either clearing either Arcade Mode or Time Attack Mode as the other ten characters using only their primary weapons or playing for twenty hours total.

Soulcalibur[]

When playable in Soulcalibur, Inferno randomly switches between every characters fighting style between each fight. When fought in Soulcalibur II, Inferno will switch between any of the in-game warriors fighting styles when enough of his health has been taken away.

By default, Inferno uses Nightmare's style and weapons though he has a couple of exclusive attacks such as Roy D'Effrayeur which causes him to float in the air curled up in a fetal position with his weapon(s) extended and begins to spin around before charging forward in this state and Roy D'Angolmois, a low spinning lunge identical to Cervantes' Iceberg Circular with the added effect of acting as a grab. If it connects, he spirals high into the air with his weapon impaled into the opponent's gut and then comes back crashing down before pulling it out.

To unlock him on the Dreamcast, Edge Master must first be unlocked. The player must then purchase both of Inferno's profile pictures, both of Kilik's, and the first of Xianghua's (this will unlock Xianghua's third costume). Then the player must clear Xianghua's Arcade Mode in her third costume and score at least one perfect K.O. on Edge Master along the way. Clearing Arcade Mode this way will unlock Inferno. In contrast, all characters in the Xbox Live Arcade version, including Inferno, are playable from the start.

Soulcalibur II[]

Inferno is playable in Soulcalibur II with the use of a cheating device such as Action Replay. He retains his "Roy" moves, but their inputs have been changed to A+B+G plus Up or Down and gains a new powerful throw (Up A+G). While he operates fine in the PS2 version, he is a bit unstable in the Gamecube version. For instance, he will never properly copy who he is fighting. He will copy their style but will always use Nightmare's weapon and this extends to the Extra modes where he will simply use the corresponding weapon/model slot. The game is also likely to crash if he is copying Ivy's style due to its unique physics and structure. In Weapon Master mode, the Inferno model will not load up. Instead, it uses the selected character's model, but they will be covered in flames like normal and use their own voice set. In addition, should Inferno lose a portion of his health, the game will attempt the weapon switch, but the computer opponent will do the animation instead and Inferno will do the time out animation of whoever character he is copying and will continue to loop until the game is reset.

Inferno also uses Charade's Character Exhibition, but if attempted on other characters, their model will glitch about as body parts will elongate to the torso area until the animation finishes up where the parts assemble.

Soulcalibur III[]

Inferno is non-playable in Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition. He serves as the penultimate boss (fought before Abyss, Night Terror or another player's Legend Mode character) that can be fought in Lost Cathedral - Ruin. He uses a fighting style that's similar to Cervantes' but with minor differences such as not having any gun-related moves, having Inferno's Roy D' Effrayeur attack (which is given the input of ↑ B+K), and having a different taunt (which is the same animation as that of Cervantes/Inferno's Soul Charge animation).

Soulcalibur VI[]

Returning as a unlockable playable character in Soulcalibur VI, possibly the strongest incarnation in the series yet, playing like a permanently Soul Charged Nightmare with some of his own tricks. His signature attacks from Soulcalibur, Roy D' Angolmois and Roy D' Effrayeur also return alongside his Up+A+G throw from Soulcalibur II (now called Reign of Doom and the input command simplified to A+G). Expanding his moveset potential is the introduction of Vile Glare, a dashing teleport that doubles as a Revenge counter and Void Star, a teleport into a flying position, similar to Night Terror. The majority of his moves can be transitioned into either stance, massively increasing his combo potential as these stances have their own range of devastating finishers that hit from differing positions and range. His Reversal Edge attacks are all unblockables, allowing him to smash through guard attempts with impunity. His special attacks in particular are immensely powerful, with Roy D' Effrayeur being able to nearly deplete an entire life bar if all hits connect. While he has no bonuses in Soul Charge, the lack of augmentations are inconsequential due to the many advantages and priorities he has over any character, promoting a high-speed aggressive play style with little to no risk.

In the 2.0 update, Inferno was given a new Soul Attack, Annihilation Bringer, as did the rest of the cast. Owing to his power, Inferno uniquely has the ability to use his Soul Attack even while he is Soul Charged.

Stages[]

Catastrophe (SB)[]

A place where time and space don't exist. One can see rests of ships and ruined houses floating in the background. Only red embraces the skies.

Chaos (SC)[]

Chaos is a desolate land created by Inferno and filled with hellfire. According to legend, this land is made in the image of the place where the demonic blade Soul Edge shows his true self. This place is the physical manifestation of the pain and suffering caused by Soul Edge as he consumes the souls of his victims. However, those who gaze upon these lands may only recognize this as the mesmerizing, beautiful colored lights that shift and dance in the air. This is the final destination for those who pursue Soul Edge.

(Note: Known as Gap of the World in the arcade version).

Tartaros (SC II)[]

Also known as Hellfire, it is a deserted lava ground with a desolate landscape. Unlike other arenas, Tartaros has no edges and thus ring outs are impossible.

(Note: This stage is named Chaos in Soulcalibur VI's Museum Gallery)

Lost Cathedral - Ruin (SC III: AE)[]

(Note: Inferno uses this stage before Abyss appears.)

The Adrian (SCV)[]

Inferno (as the Legendary Souls version of Cervantes), uses this stage when fighting him in Legendary Souls.

Astral Chaos: Tide of the Damned (SCVI)[]

If fate be a flow, it is a merciless, all-consuming, and muddy river.
The Astral Chaos holds the full collection of Soul Edge's many memories of battle. This realm could be a creation or a living thing, it matters not; all that enters is drawn into a gravitational well of chaos. The fragments of blurred memories spiral ever towards the center, and once there, they become firmly fused with the other memories already ensnared inside. Once this writhing, turbulent accumulation of recollections reaches critical mass, it bursts forth in a violent torrent of power. The stronger the soul of a warrior, the more the chaos will try to pull them in. Even the rare few who are able to maintain their sense of self in this strange place may find that, should they stay too long, they are trapped within. To lose oneself in this plane is to submit to chaos.

Theme Music[]

Soul Blade

  • "World Atlas Collapsed" (Arcade)
  • "Doubtful Judgment" (Khan)
Soul_Calibur_Original_Soundtrack_-_Immortal_Flame_(Inferno_Theme)

Soul Calibur Original Soundtrack - Immortal Flame (Inferno Theme)

Immortal Flame

Soulcalibur

  • "Immortal Flame"
Soul_Calibur_II_-_Hellfire

Soul Calibur II - Hellfire

Hellfire

Soulcalibur II

  • "Hellfire"

Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition

  • "Catastrophe" (shared with Abyss)

Soulcalibur V

  • "The Storm Bringer" (Cervantes' theme; Legendary Souls)

Soulcalibur VI

  • "Myriad Souls"
  • "The Evil Flame" (Soul Chronicle, Libra of Soul)

Trivia[]

General[]

Soul Blade[]

  • Inferno appeared as the final boss bearing the name SoulEdge. Here he appears as a being composed of fire wearing Cervantes' boots and gloves and possessing the same fighting style, albeit with a few moves of his own, such as a gap-closing dash and a teleporting overhead strike, which would later become a normal part of Cervantes's  movelist. He is playable in all modes except Edge Master Mode.

Soulcalibur[]

  • Most of his voice clips are named after the Seven Deadly Sins.
  • Inferno's costume differs on who is using him. When the CPU uses him in Arcade Mode, he is a head, a pair of arms and legs attached to body of pure hellfire. When selected by the player, he becomes a humanoid seemingly made out of crystallized lava. The CPU costume is called Blazing Inferno (炎のインフェルノ Honō no Inferuno?) on the Soulcalibur website[1].
  • Inferno is the only character who does not use a weapon in the VMU screen. While Edge Master is equipped with the sword he is usually depicted with in artworks, Inferno simply disperses his flames when attacking.
  • His "Destined Battle" is against Nightmare. However, he has nothing to say when confronting him and starts out the cutscene already in a fighting stance when copying certain characters
  • He lacks a kata in the Exhibition Theater, his usual spot in the character select screen replaced by a dual-wielding nunchaku version of Maxi.
  • His weapon trail color in the arcade version was the same as Edge Master's.

Soulcalibur II[]

  • Inferno will always start the battle using the same moveset as the player's character, except when the player is controlling one of the three bonus characters (four including Necrid), in which case Inferno simply copies Nightmare's moveset.
  • In the final mission of the Weapon Master mode, Inferno uses the Soul Edge versions of Nightmare, Cervantes, and Raphael. In the Extra version he uses the Soul Calibur weapons, using Talim, Nightmare, and Xianghua's styles. He is also referred by his original name as SoulEdge in this version instead of the main antagonist Veral.

Soulcalibur III[]

  • Although Inferno only appears in the Arcade version of Soulcalibur III, Will O' The Wisp bears some similarities to how Inferno appeared in older games: Will O' The Wisp is a bundle of flames that appears in a shape of a human who cycles through other characters' movesets every round.

Soulcalibur IV[]

  • In Sophitia's ending, a male demonic voice talked to Sophitia. It is possible that the voice is indeed Inferno's.
    • However, in Voldo's ending, the normal male voice provided by Yuri Lowenthal is used instead.

Soulcalibur V[]

  • Inferno appears as a bonus costume for Cervantes.
  • In Chapter 19 of the Story Mode, Pyrrha Ω says: "He needs souls, many souls. He needs human souls!", is possible that she is referring to Inferno.

Soulcalibur VI[]

  • Soulcalibur VI marks the first time in over a decade since Inferno was made available for player use
    • It is also the first time that Inferno receives a full body official 2D illustration
  • Because of Inferno's power, he cannot be used in online multiplayer and official tournaments.
  • This is the first game since Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition where Inferno is not a mimic character.
    • In the two games where Inferno is not a mimic character—that is Soul Edge and Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition—Inferno's moveset is based off of Cervantes'. In Soulcalibur VI, it is instead mostly derived from Nightmare's moveset.
  • Unlike the other characters, Inferno has no entry for his Combat Lessons for Adept and beyond, owing to his ease of use.
  • He is the only character to not have his fighting style being available for custom characters.
  • With Azwel, they are the only characters to not have colorable weapons.
    • Moreover, he is the only character to have only one weapon. This is certainly due to his Boss status.

Etymology[]

"Inferno" means "Hell" in Latin, which justifies his form of fire and his position in the history. It's noted that even the names "Inferno" and its counterpart "Elysium" are opposites ("Elysium" mean "Paradiso" and "Inferno" would mean "Tartarus").

Soulcalibur Manga Comic[]

References[]

  1. ^ ソウルキャリバー. Archived from the original on 2000-29-09. Retrieved on 2023-09-08.
Soulcalibur Playable Characters
Introduced in Soul Edge CervantesHwangInfernoLi LongMitsurugiRockSeong Han-myeongSeong Mi-naSiegfriedSophitiaTakiVoldo
Introduced in Soulcalibur ArthurAstarothEdge MasterIvyKilikLizardman (Aeon)MaxiNightmareXianghuaYoshimitsu
Introduced in Soulcalibur II AssassinBerserkerCassandraCharadeHeihachiLinkLizardman (Generic)NecridRaphaelSpawnTalimYun-seong
Introduced in Soulcalibur III AbeliaAbyssAmyAureliaChesterDemuthGirardotGreedHualinLynetteLunaMiserOlcadanRevenantSetsukaStrife AstlarTiraValeriaZasalamel
Introduced in Soulcalibur Legends Lloyd Irving
Introduced in Soulcalibur IV AlgolAngol FearThe ApprenticeAshlotteDarth VaderHildeKamikirimusiScheherazadeShuraYoda
Story only: AzolaGerhildeHelmwigeShadow
Introduced in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny DampierreKratos
Introduced in Soulcalibur V Devil JinEzio AuditoreElysiumLeixiaNatsuPatroklos (α Patroklos)Pyrrha (Pyrrha Ω)ViolaXibaZ.W.E.I.
Introduced in Soulcalibur VI 2BAzwelGeralt of RiviaGrøhHaohmaru
Soul Edge/Soul Blade
Soul Edge (Blade)Soul Edge Official Fanbook ~Chronicle~Super Battle Sound Attack Soul EdgeSoul Edge Original Soundtrack - Khan Super SessionEdge Master Mode
Characters
CervantesHwangLi LongMitsurugiRockSeong Han-myeongSeong Mi-naSiegfried (Siegfried!)Sophitia (Sophitia!, Sophitia!!)SoulEdgeTakiVoldo
Stages
The Black Tail Inn's RemainsCatastropheThe ColosseumDesert PathEurydice Shrine - ArenaMoney Pit - The Secret TreasuryThe Narrow GorgeThe Old TempleOstrheinsburg Castle - WarThe Pirate FortressSeong DojoShrine of Confined DemonsUnknown Land
Soulcalibur
SoulcaliburLegend of SoulcaliburSoulcalibur: Spirit SwordSoulcalibur (Chinese Manhua)Soulcalibur Original Soundtrack
Characters
ArthurAstarothCervantesEdge MasterHwangInfernoIvyKilikLizardmanMaxiMitsurugiNightmareRockSeong Mi-naSiegfriedSophitiaTakiVoldoXianghuaYoshimitsu
Stages
The ColosseumChaosCity of WaterEmperor's GardenHarbor of SoulsHoko TempleKunpaetku ShrineMaze of the DeadMoney PitOstrheinsburg CastlePalgaea ShrineProving GroundsShrine of EurydiceSilk Road RuinTakamatsu CastleThe Adrian and The FortressValentine MansionWater Labyrinth
Soulcalibur II
Soulcalibur II (HD Online)The Art of Soulcalibur IIUnlockablesSoulcalibur II Original SoundtrackWeapon Master
Characters
AssassinAstarothBerserkerCassandraCervantesCharadeHeihachiInfernoIvyKilikLinkLizardmanMaxiMitsurugiNightmareNecridRaphaelSeong Mi-naSiegfriedSophitiaSpawnTakiTalimVoldoXianghuaYoshimitsuYun-seong
Stages
Egyptian CryptEgyptian RuinsEurydice Shrine GalleryHwangseo Palace - Phoenix CourtImperial Capital AyutthayaKaminoi Castle - Sakura-Dai GateLabyrinthLakeside ColiseumMoney Pit - Top TierOstrheinsburg ChapelPalgaea Shrine - Lowest LevelPirate's AlcoveSouth France Mansion - LibraryTartarosVillage of the WindXiwei Siege Ruins
Soulcalibur III
Soulcalibur III (Arcade Edition)UnlockablesSoulcalibur III Original Soundtrack - Legend of SoundsTales of SoulsSoul ArenaChronicles of the Sword
Characters
AbeliaAbyssAmyArthurAstarothAureliaCassandraCervantesChesterDemuthGreedGirardotHualinHwangIvyKilikLi LongLizardmanLunaLynetteMaxiMiserMitsurugiNightmareOlcadanRaphaelRevenantRockSeong Mi-naSetsukaSiegfriedSophitiaStrife AstlarTakiTalimTiraValeriaVoldoXianghuaYoshimitsuYun-seongZasalamel
Stages
Battle in the StraitChaos - Spiritual RealmClock TowerEgyptian TempleEurydice Shrine - Gate of the GodsGrand LabyrinthIndian PortJyurakudai VillaKunpaetku Shrine RuinLakeside ColiseumLing Sheng-Su Temple RuinLost CathedralLost Cathedral - RuinLotus GardenOld Toledo - Burning GalleryOstrheinsburg Castle - BattlementPalgaea Shrine - RuinsPirate RaidProving GroundsRomanian Valley - Castle SiegeSacred Mt. Fuji - Lava BedSecret Money PitSilk Road RuinUnderground Buddhist SanctumValentine MansionWater Mill Valley
Soulcalibur VI
Soulcalibur VISoul ChronicleLibra of SoulThe Art of Soulcalibur VISoulcalibur VI Original Soundtrack
Characters
2BAmyAstarothAzwelCassandraCervantesGeraltGrøhHaohmaruHildeHwangInfernoIvyKilikMaxiMitsurugiNightmareRaphaelSeong Mi-naSetsukaSiegfriedSophitiaTakiTalimTiraVoldoXianghuaYoshimitsuZasalamel
Stages
Astral Chaos: Tide of the DamnedCity Ruins: Eternal ApocalypseCursed Moonlit WoodsFaraway MeadowGairyu IsleGrand Labyrinth - Sealed CorridorIndian Port: Impending StormKunpaetku Temple: Serpentine BanquetMaster Swordman's Cave: Azure HorizonMaster Swordman's Cave: Wicked DepthsMotien Pass RuinsMurakumo Shrine GroundsOstrheinsburg Castle: Hall of the ChosenReplica Kaer MorhenShrine of Eurydice: Cloud SanctuarySilver Wolves' HavenSnow-Capped ShowdownSunken Desert RuinsWindswept Plains
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