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With Bayonetta 3 finally making its entry, fans have been treated to the latest and greatest in PlatinumGames' beloved hack & slash series. It is the third installment in the action-packed franchise featuring the beloved Umbran Witch Bayonetta. As such, there is a ton of lore to back it up.
While it isn't necessary to play the first two games to understand the latest story, it will definitely help enhance the gameplay experience. But for those who do not have the means to play the first two entries, worry not, we've got you covered.
Here is a rundown of the narrative leading up to Bayonetta 3
Where it all started:
The original game tells the origins of the titular witch. Awakened from her slumber under a lake, the 500+ year old amnesiac witch sets out to find the truth behind her past. Plenty of shocking revelations have surfaced. These range from the fact that she's the offspring between members of rival clans Umbran Witches and Lumen Sages, to her being the possesor of the Left Eye of the World - one of two incredibly powerful magical artifacts.
With NPCs like shopkeeper Father Rodin, informant Enzo, womanizer Luka, fellow Umbran Witch Jeanne and an odd little girl named Cereza, the journey takes wild twists and turns. Bayonetta cuts and slashes her way through hordes of angels to get to her goals.
Eventually she encounters Lumen Sage Balder who, it turns out, is not just the owner of the Right Eye but also her father. What's more, Cereza is a younger Bayonetta sent to the present by Balder to awaken the older Bayonetta's memories. This is so the sage can use his Umbran Witch daughter to awaken the creator Jubileus.
The events are followed by a fierce fight where Jeanne drops in to aid her, with the duo eventually emerging victorious.
The second game begins:
Six months later, Bayonetta is called to the front again to save humanity from an angel invasion, but things go awry as her own summoned demon Gomorrah attacks her. Jeanne once again puts herself in harm's way to protect Bayonetta but her soul ends up being dragged off to Inferno, a hellish realm.
Thus begins the journey of bringing her back, wherein a new face makes an appearance: Loki. Encountered on the path to the mountain of Fimbulventr, this young kid is an amnesiac and also on the run from the mysterious Prophet as well as Lumen Sage. The duo team up, seeking answers to their own questions while fighting both demons and angels. The visit to Inferno results in Jeanne being revived but things take a turn as Lumen Sage catches up, and turns out to be a younger Balder.
Trying to save Loki from him, Bayonetta ends up 500 years in the past before the events of the first game. Here she meets her mother Rosa but also Loptr, who is the Prophet aiming to seek out Loki. He is also the one who shows her a vision implying that Balder was not responsible for the witch hunts of the past, but she soon realizes that it is Loptr who kills her mother. Eventually reaching the mountain, it is revealed that Loptr and Loki were once a single entity known as Aesir who also created the Eyes of the World.
With young Balder at her side and Loki's help, they destroy the Eyes and defeat Aesier's physical body. As his soul tries to sneak away to another timeline where the Eyes exist, he is absorbed by the young Balder despite Loki's warnings that it would corrupt him.
The finale is here:
At this point, it should be very clear that the series is filled with time-travel shenanigans and the latest entry doubles down on this with multiple Bayonettas. A new threat has risen in the form of man-made bio-weapons called Homunculi, as well as an entity called the singularity. Teaming up with older characters and a new face called Viola, she must attempt to save the whole of humanity from destruction of a scale never seen before.
Which characters return for the newest game?
While not every single character from the past entrues is here, key faces make a return:
Bayonetta: The titular Umbran Witch is back and is the star of the show, even more so with her "selfs" from other timelines.
Jeanne: Her sidekick and fellow Umbran Witch receives a complete makeover this time around. Players will even be able to control her in a 2.5D stealth mini-game in the latest Nintendo Switch installment.
Luka: A freelance journalist keen on unraveling the truth, he is caught within the affairs of the supernatural after discovering his father was allegedly killed by her - leading to him being friends with Bayonetta throughout her adventure.
Enzo: An informant for the sassy Umbran Witch, he has been around since the first game. He is a fan favorite thanks to his comic nature.
Rodin: This badass arms-dealer was once an Angel but cast into Inferno, after which he set up his own bar called The Gates of Hell. He specializes in selling weapons and accessories to players and has occasionally stepped onto the battlefield to flex his insane magical prowess.
Bayonetta 3 is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
