Ivy
From the Soulcalibur Wiki
| Isabella Valentine | |
|---|---|
 Ivy, as she appears in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny | |
| Birthplace |  British Empire, London
(under Elizabeth I at the time) |
| Birthdate | December 10, 1559 |
| Age | 28 (Soulcalibur), 32 (Soulcalibur II-Soulcalibur IV) |
| Height | 5'10 |
| Blood type | Soul Edge |
| Weapon | Snake Sword |
| Weapon name | Valentine (named Ivy Blade in Soulcalibur) |
| Fighting style | Unrelated Link |
| Family | Grandfather, Philip de León
, deceased Adoptive parents, deceased Father, Cervantes de León Mother, deceased Former master, Nightmare |
| Appears in | Soulcalibur Soulcalibur II Soulcalibur III Soulcalibur Legends Soulcalibur IV Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny |
| First game | Soulcalibur |
| English voice actor | Renee Hewitt (Soulcalibur II) Lani Minella (Soulcalibur III-Soulcalibur IV) |
| Japanese voice actor | Yumi Tôma (Soulcalibur-Soulcalibur III) Kanako Tôjo (Soulcalibur Legends & Soulcalibur IV) |
Isabella "Ivy" Valentine (イザベラ・バレンタイン - アイヴィー, Izabera Barentain - Aivī) is a character in the Soul series of fighting games. She appears in Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, Soulcalibur III, Soulcalibur Legends, Soulcalibur IV, and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. Since her first appearance, she has became one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in the franchise.
Ivy is considered an "evil" character because of her Machiavellian philosophy but her motivations are more in line with those of the "good" characters; she wishes to destroy the Soul Edge but will do so at any cost. So, she is considered to be neutral.
What lies in her soul is Deliverance.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Ivy was raised in the home of the Valentines, prominent nobles in London, England. However, her father Count Valentine, died a madman and was driven to insanity having squandered the family fortune with his obsession for alchemy in pursuit of the Soul Edge. Soon after the fall of the Valentine family, her mother fell gravely ill and told Ivy, on her deathbed that she had been found on their doorstep years ago and was adopted but Ivy had no interest in finding her biological parents. Ivy eventually learned about her father's search for Soul Edge in his secret diaries and began to follow in his footsteps, thus becoming an alchemist herself. In her research, Ivy had learned that Soul Edge was evil and vowed to destroy him. She succeeded in creating a weapon suited for this purpose through ancient sorcery, but her sword was completely devoid of life. She drove herself to great frustration and rage trying to bring life to "Ivy Blade", but no amount of alchemy or witchcraft would succeed. One night she was able to summon a deformed hand, which breathed life into her sword. During her journey she crossed paths with the Azure Knight, Nightmare, and his companions, the golem Astaroth and Aeon Calcos (Lizardman); discovering that Nightmare was the one who gave life to Ivy Blade. Because of this, she agreed to help them in a ceremony to summon souls, oblivious to the fact that she was part of Soul Edge's plan.
Eventually, she began to feel guilty for taking the lives of innocent people and was repulsed that the other members of her group even took joy in it--especially Astaroth. When trying to escape from the group in Ostrheinsburg Castle's underground passage, Astaroth caught up with her, revealing to her that the sword Nightmare was holding had been Soul Edge all along and the only reason she had been allowed to join their group was because the sword had instructed Nightmare to keep her nearby in case anything would happen to him, so that she might be a spare host for the sword's evil intentions. Astaroth defeated her in battle and was about to murder her when Kilik, Xianghua and Maxi, stormed into the castle. As he left to deal with them, he commanded his clay golems to finish her off. But she managed to defeat them all, albeit just barely.
In denial of Astaroth's story, she decided to ask Nightmare for the truth directly when Taki confronted her. She attacked Taki in her frustration but was too weary and was defeated again. Taki, familiar with the energy of Soul Edge, affirmed Astaroth's story in telling Ivy that her snake sword had been infused with some of Soul Edge's power. Sensing the evil aura surrounding Ivy's entire being, she proceeded to tell Ivy that the last time she had felt such evil was when she had defeated the previous owner of the evil sword, Cervantes. Ivy had the blood of evil in her, as she was Cervantes' daughter. Shaken by the horrible truth, Ivy sealed herself away in her laboratory. After four years of soul searching, Ivy returned with a renewed drive to destroy Soul Edge and everything connected to him, including Cervantes and eventually herself. There would be no hope for those seduced by the sword and no cure besides her death. Her resolution would result in spilled blood, both guilty and innocent; but nothing could sway her determination. She renamed her sword which shared her fate, Valentine. Over the course of her journey, her snake sword began to change. Seeing her becoming more unstable than she had ever been, she returned to Valentine Mansion to investigate. On her way back, she stopped at an academic city in England to buy texts and books of secret arts from around the world; and she read over them extensively upon her return, especially one volume that was of particular interest to her. It was much older than the other books, and contained detailed descriptions and accounts regarding the nature and origin of the Soul Edge. This was the deepest information written about the sword she had ever known. But within the texts she learned of a second spirit sword, the holy blade Soul Calibur, which restrained the power of the evil sword and lent her power to fight against him. The story was hard to believe to her, but the description was so precise that she eventually accepted it as truth.
After a month of work, she had managed to decipher every single detail concerning the Soul Calibur's description, and was totally convinced she existed. She fell into a hypnotic state of thought, interrupted by the sound of the laboratory door opening. Startled, she looked to the entrance, where an enigmatic dark-skinned man was standing. She firmly demanded his identification, but he quietly answered her only with another question as to whether or not she had read the book. Ivy grabbed the book and, taking her distance, drew her weapon. From seemingly nowhere, the man had produced a large scythe. They began their fierce combat immediately, each deflecting every deadly strike that the other had produced. But her sword's instability began to show herself, leaving a slight opening in her defense; and she was struck down with a heavy blow. She managed to regain her distance, but the book was no longer in her hand. The man had picked it up, calling it a mistake from his past, and then proceeded to set it on fire. He dropped the burning book on the floor, and the flames spread with unusual fervor, separating her from him. As he turned to leave, she called for him to stop. He only turned around to tell her that if she wished to know everything about the swords, she must seek out the knight she knows so well. The enigma known as Zasalamel disappeared behind the curtain of flames. The fire destroyed her research & burned her mansion to the ground. She cursed the man for how he treated her, but strangely felt that everything he had said was true. Ivy was determined to find the truth. If the Soul Calibur existed, she would obtain her for herself.
In Soul Calibur IV, Ivy searched for a way to destroy Soul Edge when she heard of Soul Calibur from a great empire, but she wasn't able to wield her because she had the blood of the cursed sword in her veins. So she went back to her mansion and began creating an artificial soul that she would use. But then she was attacked by Cervantes, and he consumed almost all of her soul.
Fortunately for her, Ivy used the artificial soul that she made to save her life. But her research was incomplete, and death would soon come to her. Even so, her sword still responds to her because she still has a fraction of her soul. And since she's now more pure with her artificial soul, she might be able to wield Soul Calibur.
So Ivy now sets on what might be her final journey to destroy Soul Edge once and for all.
[edit] Personality
Ivy is considered evil by many due to her Machiavellian philosophy. She only wanted to acquire Soul Calibur by any means to severe her bond with Soul Edge which she was connected to. When facing her opponents, she spites them with dramatic words and she takes advantage of her unique weapon, in which she invented. Beneath her cold demeanor is a heart that wants freedom from a cursed life that will do whatever it takes to be free. Overall, she is a neutrally-aligned character.
[edit] Endings
[edit] Soulcalibur
Ivy: But... It can't be...
Through her battles, her premonitions proved to be true. Although evil had been destroyed, the sword will not die. The cursed blood that flowed through her veins was the sword's life source. However she felt no hesitiation in coming to terms with the truth.
Ivy: I feel as though a burden on my soul had been lifted...
The fetters of her curse were broken and thus began a new unholy quest.
[edit] Soulcalibur II
Her oath her destiny, Ivy killed everything that stood in her way. At the end of her bloody, infernal journey, she destroyed the loathsome, evil blade. Now, only she and her beloved sword possessed the cursed blood. Forsaking others, she chose a life of solitude to wither away in obscurity, accompanied only by her sword.
[edit] Soulcalibur III
Ivy, sword in hand, gets ready to destroy Soul Edge. Right when she is about to attack, a ghost of Ivy grabs her arm from behind her and stops her from striking. The ghost then trys to force Ivy to grab Soul Edge, even though she refuses to.
Input Ending Ivy breaks free of the ghost's grab, extends her sword into a whip, and with one mighty slash, she destroys both the ghost and Soul Edge simultaneously. The screen fades to white, and then shows Ivy kneeling on the ground. She spots the last remaining piece of Soul Edge, the eye, and smashes him, saying "bastard!".
No Input Ending The ghost successfully makes Ivy grab Soul Edge. As Ivy grabs the sword, she drops her own. Ivy is then shown kneeling down, hands both on Soul Edge, weeping. "So there's no way for me to do this?" she says.
[edit] Soulcalibur IV
As a defeated Nightmare stumbles around, a bright light is seen up above. Soul Calibur then comes flying down and strikes Nightmare, killing him. As the crystals begin to encase Nightmare's body, Ivy is suddenly stricken with pain. "So I'm the same as him." she says unwillingly. As crystals start to encase Ivy's body from the feet up, Ivy says to herself, "With the blood of the evil sword in my veins and the countless atrocities I have committed, this is a fitting death." Right before the crystals are about to cover Ivy's head, her sword extends herself, wraps herself around Ivy, and saves Ivy from death. The sword herself shatters into segments in the process. The light shining from Soul Calibur fades, suggesting that she has now become silent. Ivy picks up one of the fragments of her sword and asks her, "My sword, are you telling me to live? Is there still something that I can do?" Ivy then tells herself, "Whatever it is, I will find it." She then walks away.
The text-only epilogue reveals that her new soul lights the path to the future. She severed her bond with the cursed sword and has now started a new life.
[edit] Fighting Style
Ivy has a unique fighting style that utilizes both short and long range attacks thanks to her magical sword. She is also one of the characters that switch stances along with her sword's length whether it can be coiled, whip, or a sword state. Her speed is average and her kicks too. Her throws deal good damage but her two signature throws Summon Suffering and Calamity Symphony deal better damage. Her weaknesses are her low attacks, which can be easily guarded or evaded. Another weakness is that when Ivy switches stances, she leaves an opening for an attack from the opponent; so the best strategy to counter this weakness is that switch stances (or sword states) in a safe range and take advantage of that range since she can attack in great distances. Her two signature throws, Calamity Symphony and Summon Suffering, are regarded by the Soul Calibur community as the hardest moves to perform. Overall, Ivy is regarded as a low to top-tier character.
[edit] Weapons
- Valentine
- Mirage Blade
- Wiseman Mace
- Dream Blade
- Chained Flail
- Viper Edge
- Alraune
- Demon Tail
- Soul Edge (Complete)
- Kaleidoscope
- Soul Calibur
- Prototype Ivy Blade
- Magical Sausage
[edit] Stages
[edit] Valentine Mansion (SC)
With his vast wealth from the profit of trades Count Valentine used his fortune and lifeline of personal contacts to built his great mansion. It was designed to be purely modern and the near daily parties held in the ballroom and its expensive rose marble floors were proof of the Valentine's prosperity. However the Valentine's eventually fell into ruin as Count Valentine was possessed by the mysteries of Soul Edge. He did anything to obtain the sword and scattered his wealth. The Valentine's fortune vanished, the cheerful laughter from the grand halls disappeared and the servants and maids left. What came into Isabella's mind as she stood in the dark and empty room?
[edit] Egyptian Crypt (SC2)
This crypt lies underneath the old ruins that house the murals surrounding Soul Edge. The ruins have many mysteries, such as the Pharaoh's tomb, shrine of worship, and a seal to lock away some evil being, but the true goals of these structures remain unknown. One thing is certain, however--the entire structure, including the shrine at the entrance, was created using the very best technology available to ancient Egypt. It is clear that these ruins were of vital importance. Future generations have named this place "Crypt" out of convenience, but this structure has few features that warrant such a name.
[edit] Valentine Mansion (SC3)
The mansion of Count Valentine appears dark and abandoned, but a light flickers in one corner of the building. Ivy, adopted daughter of the late Count, now uses it as an alchemist workshop and a place for her experiments with magic. The Count had pursued Soul Edge as the key to immortality, but his daughter ascertained that what her father had sought was an evil sword that devoured souls. She swore to destroy him, and in this place the peculiar weapon dubbed the "Ivy Blade" was born. And now, having learned of the existence of a sword that opposes Soul Edge, Ivy has holed up in her room. There, she pores over her books, making use of all of her knowledge to research the spirit sword, Soulcalibur. Surely it will not be long before she sets out on a journey in search of further knowledge.
[edit] Ice Coffin of the Sleeping Ancient (SC4)
[edit] Tower of Remembrance - Spiral of Time (SCBD)
[edit] Trivia
- At one point, Ivy's SCIV artwork was touched up to cover up the bottom of her hanging breasts. This lead to possible speculation that it would carry over to the American version of the game.
- Ivy, at 5'10", is the tallest female character in the series.
- Ivy is nicknamed "Twisting Blade of Solitude".
- Ivy's left shoulder pauldron and earrings incorporate the Tudor Rose, a traditional heraldic symbol of England.
- According to Cassandra, in the Gauntlet mode in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, Ivy is a professor who has agreed to help Hilde's father from his ailment.
- It should noted that Ivy may have some Spanish heritage from her father, Cervantes.
- Ivy's 3P costume in Soulcalibur II resembled that of Anna Williams from the Tekken series.
- Ivy is the second fighting game character to use a whip sword (the first being Janne de Arc from SNK Playmore's World Heroes series).
[edit] Relationships
- Daughter of Cervantes de Leon, whom she loathes and was defeated by before Soulcalibur IV.
- Servant of Nightmare in Soulcalibur.
- Defeated by Astaroth in Soulcalibur.
- Defeated by Taki in Soulcalibur.
- Defeated Seong Mi-na in Soulcalibur.
- Defeated by Zasalamel before the events of Soulcalibur III.
[edit] Series' Appearances
- Soulcalibur
- Soulcalibur II
- Soulcalibur III
- Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition
- Soulcalibur Legends
- Soulcalibur IV
- Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
[edit] Gallery
[edit] Soulcalibur
 Ivy portrait from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy portrait from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy render from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy and Siegfried art from Soulcalibur |
 Mi-na and Ivy art from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy render from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy render from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy and Sophitia art from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur |
[edit] Soulcalibur II
 Ivy from Soulcalibur II |
 Ivy again from Soulcalibur II |
 Ivy again from Soulcalibur II |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur II |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur II |
 Ivy render from Soulcalibur II |
 Ivy render from Soulcalibur II |
 Ivy and Voldo art from Soulcalibur II |
[edit] Soulcalibur III
 Ivy from Soulcalibur III |
 Ivy render from Soulcalibur III |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur III |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur III |
 Ivy wallpaper from Soulcalibur III |
[edit] Soulcalibur Legends
 Ivy from Soulcalibur Legends |
 Ivy Wallpaper from Soulcalibur Legends |
[edit] Soulcalibur IV
 Ivy render from Soulcalibur IV |
 Ivy in Soulcalibur IV |
 Ivy's alternate costume in Soulcalibur IV |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur IV |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur IV |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur IV |
 Ivy art from Soulcalibur IV |
| 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 |
