| Siegfried Schtauffen |
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Siegfried Schtauffen is the main Protagonist designed for the '''''Soul'' Series''' of Fighting Games . Siegfried made his first appearance in '' Soul Edge '' (''Soul Blade'' in North America) and has returned for '' Soul Calibur '' and '' Soul Calibur III ''. He can also be seen in '' Soul Calibur II '' as an unlockable costume for his temporary alter-ego, Nightmare . BIOGRAPHY The biographies of Siegfried Schtauffen and Nightmare are the same up until the last paragraph, where they become separate and are able to co-exist simultaneously. Before Soul Edge During the late Sixteenth Century , the oppressed peasants of Germany were revolting against the Holy Roman Empire . With its forces weakened by the Italian Wars , the German peasants finally had a fighting chance. One of the champions of the people, a brave Knight named Sir Frederick Schtauffen, met and fell in love with a woman named Margaret while on campaign; and they spent the night together. When Frederick returned after nine months of battle, he rejoined Margaret, having given birth to a son, whom he named Siegfried, after the famous hero. Over the course of the next ten to fifteen years, Frederick spent a lot of his time teaching his son swordsmanship. Embarking on a foreign Crusade , Frederick promised Margaret that he would return; unfortunately, without his father's guidance, Siegfried began to socialize with an edgy clan of teenagers, and he soon became the leader of their band of thieves known as "Schwarzwind," meaning "black wind." In a misguided act of national pride, the band devised a plan to attack the Knight s who ran away from the Crusades , as they were bound to carry valuable possessions, and were too cowardly to deserve respect in any case. That night, the "Schwarzwind" ambushed a group of war-weary Soldier s, too tired to retaliate. Siegfried even managed to kill the Commander himself; but as he held the Commander's severed head in triumph, the moonlight shone on its face, and Siegfried screamed as he realized he held the head of his own father. In mere seconds, Siegfried's mind had broken upon which point he ran straight into the forest, becoming more and more insane as he ruminated over his previous acts, until he came to a point at which he psychologically convinced himself that his father's murderer was actually someone other than himself. And in this newfound delusion for revenge, Siegfried decided that his father's murderer must only be defeated by a specific weapon so that the vengeance would remain all the more satisfying; that weapon was the Soul Edge . Nightmare Born He traveled first to Ostrheinsburg Castle, the refuge of the Noble Sir Stefan, who he believed to be the possessor of the Soul Edge; and he joined in its forces, rising in its ranks with the hopes of acquiring Stefan's self-proclaimed legendary blade. During a siege on the castle, Siegfried saw an opportunity to take Sir Stefan's prized possession, the sword Grimblade, and killed him, running off with it into the Black Woods nearby the castle; but the sword held no power. Frustrated, he continued to search for weeks for the Soul Edge, growing increasingly more insane for its power as time passed. He finally managed to come across the legendary weapon Soul Edge, lying beside the defeated corpse of the dread Pirate , Cervantes De Leon . But as he reached for it, the corpse lit up in a hellish blaze of fire and attacked him. Siegfried raised his Zweihänder --appropriately named Faust --and defeated the fiery Inferno , earning the right to wield the Soul Edge for himself. At the precise moment that Siegfried obtained the cursed blade, the Evil Seed emanated from him in a beam of light that rained pain and despair across the entire world, leading only to death and destruction. But Siegfried was concerned only with his own quest, to bring his father, Sir Frederick Schtauffen, back to life with the power that the Soul Edge had promised him and to avenge his father's murderer--even though he was the murderer himself but had forgotten due to self-induced psychological Brainwashing . He thought that if only he could devour enough souls, his father would be resurrected; and by the time he finally remembered that it was he who had actually killed his own father, the sword had totally enslaved him with its power. In his first three years as the azure Astaroth , the lizard man Aeon Calcos , and Ivy , the unknowing daughter of Cervantes De Leon . Each of them aided him in the Soul Edge's quest to devour souls for a rejuvenation ceremony to be performed in his chosen stronghold, Ostrheinsburg Castle. But as the ceremony was about to take place, the clan was quickly laid to waste. Aeon Calcos had been defeated by Rock for kidnapping his foster son, Bangoo; Astaroth had been killed by Maxi for murdering his crew in an Indian port town; and Ivy was considering abandoning the clan after learning the shocking truth of her horrifying past from the Fu-Ma Ninja , Taki . Nightmare did succeed in resurrecting his father, but as Nightmare battled viciously with Kilik's holy Bo Staff Kali-Yuga, he came to the realization that this resurrection was merely an illusion of his own weakened soul, and he was too distracted to invest his full energy into the fight. Kilik eventually defeated him. Siegfried Returns The battle between the swordsmen took place in a vortex of hellfire and evil energy summoned by Soul Edge. After a raging battle, the evil sword shattered, and Inferno, Nightmare and Soul Edge fell into the collapsing void. With Soul Edge severely weakened, Nightmare regained some of his humanity. Along with lucidity came the horrifying memories of the sins he committed, as well as the fear and anger of those who were slaughtered by him. Moreover, he realized that he had been the one who murdered his father. Expelled from the void into an unfamiliar place, Siegfried disappeared into the night-the evil sword still in his grip. But Soul Edge was weaker now, and splinters of itself were left in Siegfried's footsteps. Siegfried meditated on all he had done and eventually learned to accept responsibility for his sin. He planned to return to his mother, who had no knowledge of anything that occurred during or after that fateful night three years ago; but just as he was about to knock on the door, he could hear his mother praying, and concluded that if he was to be successful in his new resolve, he must distance himself from society so that he never kills again. He could not see his mother until he was fully redeemed; but he knew he was not yet atoned for, for every time he awoke from a night's rest, he found his new Zweihänder Requiem bloodied, and he was surrounded by the corpses of victims he had presumably murdered in his sleep. Siegfried was aware that although he had regained his sanity and learned to accept his past sins from three years ago, he was not yet fully redeemed. He knew that the Soul Edge still held power over him, but now it used its strength in his sleep, and no matter how hard he tried not to fall asleep again, he would always eventually give in, and the darkness would continue to operate at night in his subconscious. He tried to forsake civilization as far as he could go so that no person could be corrupted by the dark energy of the Soul Edge, but never to any avail. Four years passed, and he had eventually assumed the azure armor for a second time, becoming Nightmare all over again, desperately pursuing fragments of the Soul Edge that he might fully restore it. As Nightmare plundered powerful souls and recovered shattered fragments of the sword, the cracks in Soul Edge healed one by one. His goal of reviving the evil sword edged toward completion. After some time, the azure knight returned to his old stronghold, Ostrheinsburg. The land, which had once tasted the blood of many , was a fitting stage for the restoration of the evil swords true power. A lone fencer from the French empire, Raphael Sorel appeared in search of Soul Edge. He wielded a rapier in his left hand. The two of them faced off in the ruins of the chapel, and the place became alive with flying sparks. At the end of the fierce battle, Nightmare stood victorious. The evil incarnate stepped forward to finish off his opponent. The wounded Raphael muttered something incoherent. Deep within the eyes set in the dark helm dwelled the faint light of a soul that was not that of a murderer. It was the will of Siegfried, the man who had been seduced by the evil blade. Siegfried struggled, as if trying to fight off a nightmare. The spirit of the evil sword sneered at him. "Your strikes were weak. Fragile. Pathetic. Just like human souls." "Silence... I will not obey you anymore. I will atone for what I have done..." "The depth of human greed astounds me. You still seek forgivness, after all you have done?" "No! But one must reflect on one's sins and move onward." "...Even if the path ahead leads only to darkness? Only death awaits in the end." "It is because it is infinite that people cling to the joys of life?" "...Can you not hear them--the wails of the souls that were swallowed unto the abyss by your hand?" "I am eternally sorry for what I have done... But listen to me!" "...He sought death. He revered it. Death is beautiful. Your father, too, knew its allure." "Yes. If I could, I would return to that time--" "...He must perish. You shall cast his body into the darkness. He shall stagnate and rot, steeped in despair, as you squeeze the final gasp from his lungs!" "No! That's an illusion! I can see it... I can see the proud way he faces his end!" Siegfried Redeemed The battle waging deep within his mind caused the azure knight to stand motionless. Beside him, the wounded body of the fallen Raphael trembled. Only Rapahel's great will enabled his grave injured body to move. Drawing on his last strength, Raphael unleashed a desperate final blow upon his enemy. The strike pierced the center of Soul Edge. Nightmare let out an inhuman cry. Inside him, the crazed, wounded mind of the evil sword clawed at his consciousness. As he stood with an iron will against the raging storm, the time had come. The eyes that crimson by evil were washed away, and the flame of life relit. He who had been lost to the cursed sword for so long had reclaimed his body as his own. In response to the rapidly weakening evil, light poured out like the coming of the dawn... When it was all over, Siegfried thought back in a daze over what he had done. It had been a reflexive action. A sword appeared along with the light. As if guided by something, he took the sword in his hand and drove it into the evil eye that was the core of Soul Edge. That sword was the holy sword Soul Calibur , which had been trapped by the power of the evil sword. The blow, however, was not enough to destroy the evil sword. The evil energy of Soul Edge had quieted, but the holy sword, still piercing cursed sword, had gone silent too, as if it had lost its power. ''At this point, the biographies of Siegfried Schtauffen and Nightmare become separate and are able to co-exist simultaneously.'' "This isn't enough..." Forcing his exhausted mind into motion, as he began to think. He threw off his detestable armor and smashed it into pieces. Then, picking up the two swords, he left that cursed land. "I will seal away Soul Edge for all eternity and atone for my sins. This I swear!" His bloody fate would not release him so easily, however. From time to time, the feeling of that grotesque arm rose from the depths of his memory. The residue of the nightmare tormented him. Those seeking revenge on Nightmare would occasionally appear in his path. Each time he was forced to fight them, his mind was wracked with guilt. Moreover, Siegfried did not realize that another dark omen was on the horizon. Indeed, there was no way for him to know that the azure knight would soon be revived... WEAPONS -- Faust The Zweihander Siegfried always carried during his mercenary days. It's probable that the Faust was the very same sword that he used to kill his father, Frederick. It was broken during his brutal encounter with Inferno in the spanish port. (Note: Soul Calibur 2's Weapon Gallery states that the cursed power of Soul Edge restored Faust) -- Requiem The Zweihander Siegfried used after freeing from Soul Edge' influence. He carried this sword on a journey of atonement, but eventually he lost his will again and Nightmare changed it for Soul Edge again. After Siegfried retook his body, he armed himself with Requiem again. It has a thick blade and a sturdy design. -- Soul Embrace This weapon was created when Siegfried stabbed Soul Calibur into Soul Edge, the outcome of which was both swords fell silent. Siegfried does not utilize this weapon in battle, but he possesses it in hopes of finding a way to seal Soul Edge indefinitely. STAGES -- Ostrheinsburg Castle (SB) The castle owned by the knight Sir Stephan, who he claimed it to be invincible. Now his claims are hard pressed as the castle fell to the Marqui Andre' siege and his powerful cannons. The battleground are spilled with blood as men slew eachothers. Siegfried is a mercenary on Sir Stephan's side, but in reality he's seeking his legendary sword "Grimblade", believing it to be Soul Edge. -- City of Water (SC) The City of Water, also known of the pearl of Italy, is a maze palace on water constructed by connecting countless islands across a lagoon with over 400 bridges. During the Renaissance, Venice monopolized all the merchants' rights and with this power stretched its colonization into northeast Italy as it expanded into its golden age. As a city it was adorned with gorgeous mansions, fine works of art, master pieces of architecture and it was heralded as a Mecca for intellectuals of the time. The people admired this city as if it was an illusion. Some came to the city chasing dreams; other attracted by its beautiful art and landscapes. And now Siegfried comes... -- Lost Cathedral (SC3) It resembles many others, yet is like nothing else. A magnificent palace of water that seems to contain every form of architecture known to Europe. No one knows who made it, or where it is located. However, it is said that only those with a strong will and a willingness to bet their own lives can reach it. The great volume of water that flows through it is always circulating and pure, and it is said that it cleanses those who come here to pray. Siegfried seeks a showdown with Soul Edge and atonement for his own sins. Pursuing him, Nightmare, too, reaches this place. Will this holy palace of water be the end of both their journeys? (Note: Siegfried shares this stage with Nightmare.) CHARACTER ANALYSIS Siegfried, like Nightmare , is a mid- Tier character. His attacks do a decent amount of damage and have excellent range, though he isn't quite as fast as Nightmare nor can he play as good as a wake-up game. However, he does have an advantage in his many stances, giving him the ability to combo almost any of his moves into another one by using various hold inputs and button combinations. Players who played as Nightmare in Soul Calibur II may face a bit of a learning curve when adapting to either Siegfried or Nightmare in Soul Calibur III, as the SCII's Nightmare's attacks are divided between Siegfried and Nightmare's current incarnations. It should be noted, however, that Siegfried's play style, while still greatly changed, is truer to his (Nightmare's) old play style from Soul Calibur II. 70-80% of his attacks are the same as in SCII, the claw on his right hand is gone, he has acquired a new low-stance with new attacks and he is faster than in SCII, so players playing Siegfried will finally stand a chance against swift characters like Xianghua, Cassandra, etc. -but with the increased speed comes less damage. In the original Soul Calibur, Siegfried has an extremely powerful, very cheap combo where he slams his sword down on his opponent, lifts it up, slams it down again, and then rips in upwards, carrying its target some of the way. Siegfried can continue this for as long as you want, giving him a perfect match. The only way to avoid this is to use Seung Mina , who is fast enough to get out of the way, and with a long enough range so she can keep poking Siegfried without letting him start again. TRIVIA
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