Welcome to the third article of Smashboards Character Analysis! These articles will not be looking at why a character is or isn’t likely, so please do not expect that going in. Instead, they will focus on how a character might play in Smash and how their series might be represented within the boundaries of the Fighter’s Pass.
”Sol Badguy Ignites the Fire!” Smashboards’ Sol Badguy Character Analysis
Introduction to Guilty Gear and Sol Badguy
Sol Badguy is, for all intents and purposes, the main character of the Guilty Gear series. The Guilty Gear series first debuted on the Playstation in 1998 but was recently ported to the Switch in May 2019 along with Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus R. While it doesn’t have the same legacy as Street Fighter or Fatal Fury, it has earned its place within the fighting game community. The series is noted for including many new features never seen before in a fighting game including mechanics to reduce lag animation, insta-kill moves, and even penalizing players for being too defensive or inactive. The series also has a host of unique and interesting characters with a diverse set of designs and gimmicks. Among all these characters; Sol Badguy is, bar none, the most important character in the game.
Sol Badguy is a bounty hunter with immense strength who is capable of wielding the powerful sword Fireseal which generates flames. The sword was later upgraded to Junkyard Dog MK III. He has lived quite a long time and that’s because he isn’t a normal human. He once was, but he was transformed into a Gear (not the Metallic nor Solid variety) which is an bioorganic being with immense power and an enhanced lifespan.
Gears act purely on destructive instinct, but those who were originally humans can suppress their instincts. Sol created a headband to help contain his power, though the seal seems to be slipping gradually. His original appearance was thinner and less muscular than his most recent appearance, so perhaps this was intentionally done by the developers. Currently, he travels the world along with his companion, Sin Kiske who is the son of his rival, Ky, in search of bounties and Gears to destroy.
Sol Badguy Character Overview
Sol Badguy is a pseudo-swordsman with a mixture of sword, punching, and kicking attacks with an affinity for fire. He is quite a tall character, shorter than Ganondorf but taller than Ike. He could be considered a heavyweight due to his large body frame with a weight class of around 117, putting him between Ganondorf and Charizard. However, unlike many heavyweights, he is surprisingly fast with a value at 2.27 dash speed. This places him between Mewtwo and Greninja.
He has high damage output but not on par with other heavyweights like Bowser and Ganondorf. This makes him quite unique as a quick-hitting heavyweight with powerful attacks. Much like Ryu, Ken and Terry, he always faces the direction of his opponent and has command inputs for his specials which increase the damage.
He has a gimmick called the Tension Meter. Sol gains Tension while attacking, moving, jumping, and more. However, he will lose Tension when he stands still, doesn’t attack, is damaged or if he shields too often. The Tension Meter can be used to access particular moves and techniques, including his Dragon Install move. Sol Badguy is a truly fearsome opponent with access to enhanced power, movement, attack speed, and defense.
To summarize, Sol Badguy is a close-range fighter with attacks that are perfect for pressuring opponents, avoiding approaches, and closing gaps. Guilty Gear is a game that focuses on the technical aspect of fighting games so his moveset has been crafted to reflect this.
Sol Badguy Specials and Final Smash
Neutral Special: Gun Flame/Gun Flame Feint/Dead Angle Attack/Dragon Install
Gun Flame is Sol Badguy’s Neutral Special. When activated, Sol Badguy slams his sword into the ground which causes several flame geysers to shoot up in a line. When Gun Flame connects, it launches opponents high up in the air and does more knockback than actual damage. Much like Terry and Lloyd in his analysis article, the aerial version of Gun Flame changes with a shorter traveling distance. Similar to Ryu, Ken, and Terry, there is a command input variation that makes the attack stronger with a larger hitbox. This command input is
+ Special.
Sol Badguy can also perform Gun Flame Feint which causes him to perform the startup animation of Gun Flame but stops prior to releasing it. Gun Flame Feint cuts any blast animation and puts Sol Badguy in a state where he can combo directly into another attack. To perform it, press backwards immediately after hitting the Special prior to releasing the fire blast and that will initiate the feint attack. Alternatively, a command input version does the trick with the command input being
+ Special. This version doesn’t have any differences however.
Pressing Shield + Special causes Sol to perform Dead Angle Attack which acts as a countering move. He performs a pose, catches a melee attack, and performs a powerful counterpunch with a small damage multiplier. This takes 25% of the Tension Meter and is represented as a green color on the bar.
Finally, Sol can access Dragon Install via his neutral special once a command is inputted. The command for Dragon Install is: + Special. This can only be accessed when the Tension Bar is at 75% or yellow. This attack causes Sol Badguy to overflow with power which grants him temporary increase in strength, speed, jump, and defense while also reducing the lag in his attacks. It also significantly changes some aspects of his four specials. Dragon Install typically lasts for 20 seconds before it vanishes which causes Sol to enter into a temporary helpless state in the air or to crouch to the ground. If he takes damage, it lessens the timer slightly.
When in Dragon Install, Gun Flame does not travel forward but has a much larger and higher hitbox with amazing launching ability. When unleashed, the blast is directed at an upward diagonal angle and deals multiple hits. It is a great anti-approach option as it occupies space and erects a hitbox in front of Sol. There isn’t a Gun Flame Feint version for Dragon Install. Kirby has access to both Gun Flame, Gun Flme Feint, and Dragon Install as well as the Dragon Install versions of both moves when he swallows Sol Badguy.
Side Special: Fafnir/Air Dash/P.B.B.
Sol Badguy engulfs his fist in fire and then dashes forward while punching. Fafnir does high damage when it connects and blasts the opponent away. It doesn’t reach as far as Little Mac’s Neutral Special but it does help close the distance quickly. When the command input is implemented, he deals far more damage and travels farther. This command input is + Special. Both versions require a few seconds to charge before unleashing it. The Dragon Install version propels him even further with enhanced blast range.
When performed in the air, Sol Badguy’s Side Special becomes Air Dash. Sol will perform an air dash to the direction the control stick is pointed. If the player inputs the control stick backwards, Sol Badguy does a back air dash while still facing forward. He can perform more than one but there is significant lag after entering out of an air dash so it’s not entirely practical.
Timestamp: 00:12
During Dragon Install, Sol releases P.B.B. which is a powerful energy blast that does multiple hits of damage before launching the opponent. P.B.B. can only be performed in the air and will cause Sol to rush forward. Upon catching the opponent, he delivers a mighty blast of crimson red energy which rips into the opponent and then launches them. If the attack doesn’t catch the opponent, it just becomes an enhanced Air Dash. The command input for P.B.B. is + Attack when facing the opponent.
Up Special: Volcanic Viper
Sol Badguy turns backwards as he jumps up and slashes his sword upwards as it bursts into flames. Volcanic Viper a good anti-aerial attack that clears a path for Sol as he travels upwards. It has less recovery than other Up Special attacks with almost zero horizontal recovery in exchange for its attack output. Upon reaching the pinnacle of the attack animation, hitting special once against initiates a strike down kick by Sol with can knock the opponent down. The command input is + Special. During Dragon Install, Sol Badguy rushes upwards while engulfed in fire-like energy. It has higher traveling momentum and deals more hits compared to before.
Down Special: Bandit Resolver/Bandit Bringer/Kudakero/Roman Cancel
Sol’s Down Special is Bandit Revolver involves Sol jumping forward in an ascending arch and performing a downward kick that can spike or meteor smash the opponent. It can also be used as a recovery move. The command input is + Attack but is only able to be performed in the air.
Slightly holding down the Down Special or inputting + Hold Attack changes it to Bandit Bringer which consists of Sol jumping forward and performing a downward punch with his fist engulfed in fire. It deals a large explosion upon contact and has excellent downward attack range that can spell trouble for those below
When the down special is performed in the air, it changes to Kudakero. It functions similar to airborne Falcon Kick with Sol crashing down at an angle while engulfing his foot in fire, causing an explosion upon landing or making contact with the opponent. This explosion can cause potential collateral to nearby opponents. It does between 12-16% damage plus 5-8% collateral damage. This is dependent on where Sol kicks the opponent and how far they are from the blast. The command input for it is + Attack.
The Dragon Install version for Bandit Revolver produces an even larger explosive kick with a streaking every trail to boot. Air has a wider arch and allows Sol to double jump out if it should go over the ledge. The Bandit Bringer produces a massive flaming punch with a hit box that extends in front and behind Sol. The Dragon Install version of Kudakero causes a larger explosion with a vacuum effect. It also has added particle effects which makes the attack more dazzling. Care is needed when performing this attack as both versions can cause a Sol Badguy-icide if he goes over the ledges.
However, he has another move mapped to his Down Special which is Roman Cancel. When the Meter is red (roughly between 50-70%), he can use Roman Cancel which greatly reduces animation ending lag on all moves. Roman Cancel will replace Kudakero if the Tension Bar is past 50%. However, Kudakero can still be performed if the command input is used This allows Sol Badguy to combo into attacks effectively and quickly. When activated near an opponent, it slightly slows down the character’s movements with the duration depending on the type of Roman Cancel.
At 50%, he can perform a Yellow Roman Cancel which signifies it started at the beginning of an attack animation. The Purple Roman Cancel costs around 60% and has the shortest duration but is activated during the later half of the attack duration making it an important after combo tool. Finally, the Red Roman Cancel takes 70% of the Tension Gauge. It has the longest slowdown duration time and can be initiated when an attack connects to the opponent and the opponent is within the hitstun animation.
Knowing which kind of Roman Cancel to do, how much tension is costs, and how to use it in a situation is extremely important to make it work. All three types have different uses and can drastically change the gameplay when used. Knowing how and when to use these a Roman Cancels could turn the tide of a match and even help decide the winner. A poorly placed Roman Cancel could spell certain doom while a successful Roman Cancel could mean certain victory.
Final Smash: Tyrant Rave ver.β./Branding Breach
Timestamp:00:07
Sol Badguy will rush forward and punch the opponent. If the opponent is below 100%, it becomes his Overdrive which is Tyrant Rave ver.β. A small animated cinematic pulled straight from the game shows up and Sol Badguy punches the opponent once with a flaming punch which stuns them. He then uses his sword and delivers an extremely powerful blast which launches opponents.
Timestamp: 1:49
If the opponent is above 100%, the Final Smash becomes the Insta-Kill move, Branding Breach which transitions to an animated cinematic Final Smash which is basically a Smashfied version of its original version. Sol unlocks and revs up his sword which causes energy to burn through it. He slams the sword into the ground which causes fire to shoot up and he then rushes forward and strikes the opponent. This causes a burst of energy to shoot up through the opponent and then bursts out with a high reaching explosion which destroys the environment around. The Final Smash is an automatic KO to any opponent above 100% much like Bayonetta’s Infernal Climax and Zelda’s Triforce of Wisdom. If the match ends on Branding Breach, the victory screen is pulled straight from the source material with the classic DESTROYED banner and voiceover.
Timestamp:
00:11
In addition to Sol Badguy having two Final Smashes, he can also perform these Final Smash’s while in Dragon Install with Tyrant Rave ver.β dealing more damage with a wider hitbox and range as a result. While in Dragon Install Mode, it releases a torrent of red energy that engulfs a size a bit larger than Samus’s Zero Laser. Branding Breach is only affected by Dragon Install during its start up with the attack having a wider range.
Classic Mode: Mission Mode
In Guilty Gear Xrd, there exists a Mission Mode which tasks the player with completing missions for rewards. Sol’s Classic Mode takes these missions and adapts them to Smash. In the Mission Mode, players had a prompt to complete the mission. This was adapted this into Smash by giving out a bonus for completing a condition. All stages are on Final Destination or Battlefield forms and all matches except for Match 6 are Stamina Matches.
Round 1 - Vs.
Unova Pokemon League
Condition: Use the Dash Attack, Fafnir, or Ground Viper to close the gaps and get in close and personal.
References Mission 1 which required the opponent closing gaps using the Dash attack. The opponent is Marth which slightly resembles Ky Kiske, the opponent in Mission 1.
Round 2- Vs.
Shadow Moses Island
Condition: Successfully counter an opponent's aerial attack with an anti-aerial attack.
Based on Mission 7 where players had to counter an opponent’s jumping attack with their own aerial based attacks. The opponent is Meta Knight which is a slight nod to Faust because of the mask.
Round 3 - Vs.
Momentos
Condition: Perform at least 8 good throws and defeat the opponent using a throw.
Based on Mission 10 which required players to perform a dash and grab attack. While the opponent didn’t fight back, the Smash version does and it’s Donkey Kong, a character known for good grabs. DK also slightly resembles Potemkin in both size and strength.
Round 4 - Vs.
Pilotwings
Condition: Use Recovery moves such as Volcanic Viper and Air Dash to get back to the stage at least 8 times after being knocked away.
Based on Mission 19 where players had to use the Air Recovery to recover from being hit into the air. The stage is one that requires players getting back to the stage with King Dedede being great in aerial matchups. This stage is its normal form.
Round 5 - Vs.
Dracula’s Castle
Condition: Use one of the Tension Gauge attacks to stop an opponent’s combo at least 4 times.
References Mission 21 where players had to use Burst to disrupt a combo. The opponent is Bayonetta who is a combo-oriented fighter. Both Bayonetta and I-No carry witch motifs.
Round 6 - Vs.
Eldin Bridge
Condition: Use a Final Smash once.
Based on Mission 25 which requires players to outlast the opponent’s attacks. It is a Timed Match and the opponent has infinite stocks. Ryu is considered “Mr. Fighting Game”.
Final Round - Vs. Sol Badguy
Final Destination
Condition: Defeat the opponent using the Branding Breach Final Smash before the opponent does.
Based on Mission 52, the last available mission that requires comboing into an Insta-kill. The opponent is Sol Badguy who obviously can use Branding Breach as well.
Entrance Animation
Sol Badguy’s entrance animation could be taken directly from Xrd where he spits out a bullet for his sword, catches and loads it, and then says a quote like “You wanna live pal, you better don't hold back.”
Victory Animations
Much like Joker, Sol Badguy has victory animations all based on his victory screens in Guilty Gear. Also like Joker, they are situational which means they come out when a certain aspect is met. He has two normal victory screens: one where he turns to walk away, cracks his neck, and turns to look at the camera while saying something like “Don't give me that look. ...Not bad, though.”
The second is him standing with his back turned to the camera and, instead, a written quote at the bottom.
If Sol Badguy wins a match with his Final Smash, Branding Breach, Sol Badguy will turn to the camera as a raging inferno swirls around him and he says something like “Learn how to fight, or don't even try.”
The situational victory screens are if he wins a fight while in Dragon Install. When he wins, it shows a close up of his face and he swipes his hands down and comes out of Dragon Install while saying a quote like “It’s time to finish this.”.
Timestamp: 1:09
Finally, when winning with both Dragon Install active plus ending with Branding Breach, Sol Badguy’s back is turned to the camera but he stands up, turns around, and faces the camera while in Dragon Install. He also says something like “You're still just medium rare.”
Timestamp: 2:43
Taunts
This is a new section that was added which focuses on Sol Badguy’s Taunts. In particular, let’s focus on his Disrespect Taunt where he performs a thumbs down. This goes along with one of many quotes directed to any one of the characters present on screen in a sarcastic and demeaning tone:
To: “It’s that fat plumber guy”
To: “Crazy bouncing frog”
To: “The privileged Princess”
To: “A pink Nightmare”
To: “Farting Gasbag Mouth Breather”
To “Posh Boy Band Wanna-be Drop Out”
To: “Part Secretary, Part Dog, Part Weirdo”
To: “Mr. Hide-in-a-Cardboard Box”
To: “That one Blue Turd”
To: “Some edgy silent swordsman”
To: “My kind of woman”
To: “Gothic Whip Sword Marth”
Victory Theme
Taken from “Decision” which is the victory screen music for Xrd - REVELATOR.
Alternate Costumes
Red - Based on Sol’s appearance in Guilty Gear Strife
Orange - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Green - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Blue - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Black - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Yellow - Based on a pallet swap in Judgement
White - Based on Ragna the Bloodedge from BlazBlue
Gray - Based on Order-Sol, a younger version of Sol Badguy when was was apart of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights.
Conclusion
That finishes Part 1 of the Sol Badguy and Guilty Gear analysis. It would be absolutely amazing to see Sol Badguy go toe to toe with FGC legends like Ryu, Ken, and Terry. Guilty Gear is a fighting series that continues to bring fresh air into the tried and true fighting game formula. Sol Badguy and, by extension, Guilty Gear mechanics would be a welcomed and interesting addition to Smash.
Author’s Note: What do you think about Sol Badguy and Guilty Gear getting into Smash? As a Guilty Gear fan, does his moveset correctly represent Sol and the series? What would you have added? And of course, please look forward to Part 2 where we cover additional Guilty Gear content includes stages, music, and spirits!
”Sol Badguy Ignites the Fire!” Smashboards’ Sol Badguy Character Analysis
Introduction to Guilty Gear and Sol Badguy
Sol Badguy is, for all intents and purposes, the main character of the Guilty Gear series. The Guilty Gear series first debuted on the Playstation in 1998 but was recently ported to the Switch in May 2019 along with Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus R. While it doesn’t have the same legacy as Street Fighter or Fatal Fury, it has earned its place within the fighting game community. The series is noted for including many new features never seen before in a fighting game including mechanics to reduce lag animation, insta-kill moves, and even penalizing players for being too defensive or inactive. The series also has a host of unique and interesting characters with a diverse set of designs and gimmicks. Among all these characters; Sol Badguy is, bar none, the most important character in the game.
Sol Badguy is a bounty hunter with immense strength who is capable of wielding the powerful sword Fireseal which generates flames. The sword was later upgraded to Junkyard Dog MK III. He has lived quite a long time and that’s because he isn’t a normal human. He once was, but he was transformed into a Gear (not the Metallic nor Solid variety) which is an bioorganic being with immense power and an enhanced lifespan.
Gears act purely on destructive instinct, but those who were originally humans can suppress their instincts. Sol created a headband to help contain his power, though the seal seems to be slipping gradually. His original appearance was thinner and less muscular than his most recent appearance, so perhaps this was intentionally done by the developers. Currently, he travels the world along with his companion, Sin Kiske who is the son of his rival, Ky, in search of bounties and Gears to destroy.
Sol Badguy Character Overview
Sol Badguy is a pseudo-swordsman with a mixture of sword, punching, and kicking attacks with an affinity for fire. He is quite a tall character, shorter than Ganondorf but taller than Ike. He could be considered a heavyweight due to his large body frame with a weight class of around 117, putting him between Ganondorf and Charizard. However, unlike many heavyweights, he is surprisingly fast with a value at 2.27 dash speed. This places him between Mewtwo and Greninja.
He has high damage output but not on par with other heavyweights like Bowser and Ganondorf. This makes him quite unique as a quick-hitting heavyweight with powerful attacks. Much like Ryu, Ken and Terry, he always faces the direction of his opponent and has command inputs for his specials which increase the damage.
He has a gimmick called the Tension Meter. Sol gains Tension while attacking, moving, jumping, and more. However, he will lose Tension when he stands still, doesn’t attack, is damaged or if he shields too often. The Tension Meter can be used to access particular moves and techniques, including his Dragon Install move. Sol Badguy is a truly fearsome opponent with access to enhanced power, movement, attack speed, and defense.
To summarize, Sol Badguy is a close-range fighter with attacks that are perfect for pressuring opponents, avoiding approaches, and closing gaps. Guilty Gear is a game that focuses on the technical aspect of fighting games so his moveset has been crafted to reflect this.
Sol Badguy Specials and Final Smash
Neutral Special: Gun Flame/Gun Flame Feint/Dead Angle Attack/Dragon Install
Gun Flame is Sol Badguy’s Neutral Special. When activated, Sol Badguy slams his sword into the ground which causes several flame geysers to shoot up in a line. When Gun Flame connects, it launches opponents high up in the air and does more knockback than actual damage. Much like Terry and Lloyd in his analysis article, the aerial version of Gun Flame changes with a shorter traveling distance. Similar to Ryu, Ken, and Terry, there is a command input variation that makes the attack stronger with a larger hitbox. This command input is
+ Special.Sol Badguy can also perform Gun Flame Feint which causes him to perform the startup animation of Gun Flame but stops prior to releasing it. Gun Flame Feint cuts any blast animation and puts Sol Badguy in a state where he can combo directly into another attack. To perform it, press backwards immediately after hitting the Special prior to releasing the fire blast and that will initiate the feint attack. Alternatively, a command input version does the trick with the command input being
+ Special. This version doesn’t have any differences however.Pressing Shield + Special causes Sol to perform Dead Angle Attack which acts as a countering move. He performs a pose, catches a melee attack, and performs a powerful counterpunch with a small damage multiplier. This takes 25% of the Tension Meter and is represented as a green color on the bar.
Finally, Sol can access Dragon Install via his neutral special once a command is inputted. The command for Dragon Install is:
+ Special. This can only be accessed when the Tension Bar is at 75% or yellow. This attack causes Sol Badguy to overflow with power which grants him temporary increase in strength, speed, jump, and defense while also reducing the lag in his attacks. It also significantly changes some aspects of his four specials. Dragon Install typically lasts for 20 seconds before it vanishes which causes Sol to enter into a temporary helpless state in the air or to crouch to the ground. If he takes damage, it lessens the timer slightly.When in Dragon Install, Gun Flame does not travel forward but has a much larger and higher hitbox with amazing launching ability. When unleashed, the blast is directed at an upward diagonal angle and deals multiple hits. It is a great anti-approach option as it occupies space and erects a hitbox in front of Sol. There isn’t a Gun Flame Feint version for Dragon Install. Kirby has access to both Gun Flame, Gun Flme Feint, and Dragon Install as well as the Dragon Install versions of both moves when he swallows Sol Badguy.
Side Special: Fafnir/Air Dash/P.B.B.
Sol Badguy engulfs his fist in fire and then dashes forward while punching. Fafnir does high damage when it connects and blasts the opponent away. It doesn’t reach as far as Little Mac’s Neutral Special but it does help close the distance quickly. When the command input is implemented, he deals far more damage and travels farther. This command input is
+ Special. Both versions require a few seconds to charge before unleashing it. The Dragon Install version propels him even further with enhanced blast range.When performed in the air, Sol Badguy’s Side Special becomes Air Dash. Sol will perform an air dash to the direction the control stick is pointed. If the player inputs the control stick backwards, Sol Badguy does a back air dash while still facing forward. He can perform more than one but there is significant lag after entering out of an air dash so it’s not entirely practical.
During Dragon Install, Sol releases P.B.B. which is a powerful energy blast that does multiple hits of damage before launching the opponent. P.B.B. can only be performed in the air and will cause Sol to rush forward. Upon catching the opponent, he delivers a mighty blast of crimson red energy which rips into the opponent and then launches them. If the attack doesn’t catch the opponent, it just becomes an enhanced Air Dash. The command input for P.B.B. is
+ Attack when facing the opponent.Up Special: Volcanic Viper
Sol Badguy turns backwards as he jumps up and slashes his sword upwards as it bursts into flames. Volcanic Viper a good anti-aerial attack that clears a path for Sol as he travels upwards. It has less recovery than other Up Special attacks with almost zero horizontal recovery in exchange for its attack output. Upon reaching the pinnacle of the attack animation, hitting special once against initiates a strike down kick by Sol with can knock the opponent down. The command input is
+ Special. During Dragon Install, Sol Badguy rushes upwards while engulfed in fire-like energy. It has higher traveling momentum and deals more hits compared to before.Down Special: Bandit Resolver/Bandit Bringer/Kudakero/Roman Cancel
Sol’s Down Special is Bandit Revolver involves Sol jumping forward in an ascending arch and performing a downward kick that can spike or meteor smash the opponent. It can also be used as a recovery move. The command input is
+ Attack but is only able to be performed in the air.Slightly holding down the Down Special or inputting
+ Hold Attack changes it to Bandit Bringer which consists of Sol jumping forward and performing a downward punch with his fist engulfed in fire. It deals a large explosion upon contact and has excellent downward attack range that can spell trouble for those belowWhen the down special is performed in the air, it changes to Kudakero. It functions similar to airborne Falcon Kick with Sol crashing down at an angle while engulfing his foot in fire, causing an explosion upon landing or making contact with the opponent. This explosion can cause potential collateral to nearby opponents. It does between 12-16% damage plus 5-8% collateral damage. This is dependent on where Sol kicks the opponent and how far they are from the blast. The command input for it is
+ Attack.The Dragon Install version for Bandit Revolver produces an even larger explosive kick with a streaking every trail to boot. Air has a wider arch and allows Sol to double jump out if it should go over the ledge. The Bandit Bringer produces a massive flaming punch with a hit box that extends in front and behind Sol. The Dragon Install version of Kudakero causes a larger explosion with a vacuum effect. It also has added particle effects which makes the attack more dazzling. Care is needed when performing this attack as both versions can cause a Sol Badguy-icide if he goes over the ledges.
However, he has another move mapped to his Down Special which is Roman Cancel. When the Meter is red (roughly between 50-70%), he can use Roman Cancel which greatly reduces animation ending lag on all moves. Roman Cancel will replace Kudakero if the Tension Bar is past 50%. However, Kudakero can still be performed if the command input is used This allows Sol Badguy to combo into attacks effectively and quickly. When activated near an opponent, it slightly slows down the character’s movements with the duration depending on the type of Roman Cancel.
At 50%, he can perform a Yellow Roman Cancel which signifies it started at the beginning of an attack animation. The Purple Roman Cancel costs around 60% and has the shortest duration but is activated during the later half of the attack duration making it an important after combo tool. Finally, the Red Roman Cancel takes 70% of the Tension Gauge. It has the longest slowdown duration time and can be initiated when an attack connects to the opponent and the opponent is within the hitstun animation.
Knowing which kind of Roman Cancel to do, how much tension is costs, and how to use it in a situation is extremely important to make it work. All three types have different uses and can drastically change the gameplay when used. Knowing how and when to use these a Roman Cancels could turn the tide of a match and even help decide the winner. A poorly placed Roman Cancel could spell certain doom while a successful Roman Cancel could mean certain victory.
Final Smash: Tyrant Rave ver.β./Branding Breach
Sol Badguy will rush forward and punch the opponent. If the opponent is below 100%, it becomes his Overdrive which is Tyrant Rave ver.β. A small animated cinematic pulled straight from the game shows up and Sol Badguy punches the opponent once with a flaming punch which stuns them. He then uses his sword and delivers an extremely powerful blast which launches opponents.
If the opponent is above 100%, the Final Smash becomes the Insta-Kill move, Branding Breach which transitions to an animated cinematic Final Smash which is basically a Smashfied version of its original version. Sol unlocks and revs up his sword which causes energy to burn through it. He slams the sword into the ground which causes fire to shoot up and he then rushes forward and strikes the opponent. This causes a burst of energy to shoot up through the opponent and then bursts out with a high reaching explosion which destroys the environment around. The Final Smash is an automatic KO to any opponent above 100% much like Bayonetta’s Infernal Climax and Zelda’s Triforce of Wisdom. If the match ends on Branding Breach, the victory screen is pulled straight from the source material with the classic DESTROYED banner and voiceover.
00:11
In addition to Sol Badguy having two Final Smashes, he can also perform these Final Smash’s while in Dragon Install with Tyrant Rave ver.β dealing more damage with a wider hitbox and range as a result. While in Dragon Install Mode, it releases a torrent of red energy that engulfs a size a bit larger than Samus’s Zero Laser. Branding Breach is only affected by Dragon Install during its start up with the attack having a wider range.
Classic Mode: Mission Mode
In Guilty Gear Xrd, there exists a Mission Mode which tasks the player with completing missions for rewards. Sol’s Classic Mode takes these missions and adapts them to Smash. In the Mission Mode, players had a prompt to complete the mission. This was adapted this into Smash by giving out a bonus for completing a condition. All stages are on Final Destination or Battlefield forms and all matches except for Match 6 are Stamina Matches.
Round 1 - Vs.
Unova Pokemon League
Condition: Use the Dash Attack, Fafnir, or Ground Viper to close the gaps and get in close and personal.
References Mission 1 which required the opponent closing gaps using the Dash attack. The opponent is Marth which slightly resembles Ky Kiske, the opponent in Mission 1.
Round 2- Vs.
Shadow Moses Island
Condition: Successfully counter an opponent's aerial attack with an anti-aerial attack.
Based on Mission 7 where players had to counter an opponent’s jumping attack with their own aerial based attacks. The opponent is Meta Knight which is a slight nod to Faust because of the mask.
Round 3 - Vs.
Momentos
Condition: Perform at least 8 good throws and defeat the opponent using a throw.
Based on Mission 10 which required players to perform a dash and grab attack. While the opponent didn’t fight back, the Smash version does and it’s Donkey Kong, a character known for good grabs. DK also slightly resembles Potemkin in both size and strength.
Round 4 - Vs.
Pilotwings
Condition: Use Recovery moves such as Volcanic Viper and Air Dash to get back to the stage at least 8 times after being knocked away.
Based on Mission 19 where players had to use the Air Recovery to recover from being hit into the air. The stage is one that requires players getting back to the stage with King Dedede being great in aerial matchups. This stage is its normal form.
Round 5 - Vs.
Dracula’s Castle
Condition: Use one of the Tension Gauge attacks to stop an opponent’s combo at least 4 times.
References Mission 21 where players had to use Burst to disrupt a combo. The opponent is Bayonetta who is a combo-oriented fighter. Both Bayonetta and I-No carry witch motifs.
Round 6 - Vs.
Eldin Bridge
Condition: Use a Final Smash once.
Based on Mission 25 which requires players to outlast the opponent’s attacks. It is a Timed Match and the opponent has infinite stocks. Ryu is considered “Mr. Fighting Game”.
Final Round - Vs. Sol Badguy
Final Destination
Condition: Defeat the opponent using the Branding Breach Final Smash before the opponent does.
Based on Mission 52, the last available mission that requires comboing into an Insta-kill. The opponent is Sol Badguy who obviously can use Branding Breach as well.
Entrance Animation
Sol Badguy’s entrance animation could be taken directly from Xrd where he spits out a bullet for his sword, catches and loads it, and then says a quote like “You wanna live pal, you better don't hold back.”
Victory Animations
Much like Joker, Sol Badguy has victory animations all based on his victory screens in Guilty Gear. Also like Joker, they are situational which means they come out when a certain aspect is met. He has two normal victory screens: one where he turns to walk away, cracks his neck, and turns to look at the camera while saying something like “Don't give me that look. ...Not bad, though.”
The second is him standing with his back turned to the camera and, instead, a written quote at the bottom.
If Sol Badguy wins a match with his Final Smash, Branding Breach, Sol Badguy will turn to the camera as a raging inferno swirls around him and he says something like “Learn how to fight, or don't even try.”
The situational victory screens are if he wins a fight while in Dragon Install. When he wins, it shows a close up of his face and he swipes his hands down and comes out of Dragon Install while saying a quote like “It’s time to finish this.”.
Finally, when winning with both Dragon Install active plus ending with Branding Breach, Sol Badguy’s back is turned to the camera but he stands up, turns around, and faces the camera while in Dragon Install. He also says something like “You're still just medium rare.”
Taunts
This is a new section that was added which focuses on Sol Badguy’s Taunts. In particular, let’s focus on his Disrespect Taunt where he performs a thumbs down. This goes along with one of many quotes directed to any one of the characters present on screen in a sarcastic and demeaning tone:
To
: “It’s that fat plumber guy”To
: “Crazy bouncing frog”To
: “The privileged Princess”To
: “A pink Nightmare”To
: “Farting Gasbag Mouth Breather”To
“Posh Boy Band Wanna-be Drop Out”To
: “Part Secretary, Part Dog, Part Weirdo”To
: “Mr. Hide-in-a-Cardboard Box”To
: “That one Blue Turd”To
: “Some edgy silent swordsman”To
: “My kind of woman”To
: “Gothic Whip Sword Marth”Victory Theme
Taken from “Decision” which is the victory screen music for Xrd - REVELATOR.
Alternate Costumes
Red - Based on Sol’s appearance in Guilty Gear Strife
Orange - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Green - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Blue - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Black - Based on a pallet swap in Xrd - REVELATOR
Yellow - Based on a pallet swap in Judgement
White - Based on Ragna the Bloodedge from BlazBlue
Gray - Based on Order-Sol, a younger version of Sol Badguy when was was apart of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights.
Conclusion
That finishes Part 1 of the Sol Badguy and Guilty Gear analysis. It would be absolutely amazing to see Sol Badguy go toe to toe with FGC legends like Ryu, Ken, and Terry. Guilty Gear is a fighting series that continues to bring fresh air into the tried and true fighting game formula. Sol Badguy and, by extension, Guilty Gear mechanics would be a welcomed and interesting addition to Smash.
Author’s Note: What do you think about Sol Badguy and Guilty Gear getting into Smash? As a Guilty Gear fan, does his moveset correctly represent Sol and the series? What would you have added? And of course, please look forward to Part 2 where we cover additional Guilty Gear content includes stages, music, and spirits!
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