Raphael
From Soulpedia
| Raphael | |
| |
| Fullname | Raphael Sorel |
| Nickname | None |
| Voiced By | Paul Jennings/Yasunori Masutani |
| Weapon Type | English Sword Rapier |
| Weapon Name(s) | Flambert |
| Fighting Style | La Rapière des Sorel |
| Age | 32 |
| Birthdate | November 27 |
| Family | Cut all ties with real family
Foster Daughter |
| Birthplace | French Empire, Rouen |
| Height | 5'10 |
| Weight | 159 lbs. |
| Hair Colour | Blonde |
| Eye Colour | Blue SCII Red SCIII |
| Blood Type | A |
Raphael Sorel (ラファエル・ソレル, Rafaeru Soreru), is a character from the Soul series of fighting games, making his first appearance in Soulcalibur II, and returning in Soulcalibur III & Soulcalibur IV.
Contents |
[edit] Weapons
[edit] Flambert
This long rapier is an heirloom in the Sorel family. Before cutting
all ties with his family and leaving aristocracy, he managed to steal it.
[edit] Stages
[edit] Story
Raphael, the young master of the Sorel family, grew up with the rapier and medicine as his playmates. His cool, unemotional demeanor created many enemies, but his quick and precise decision-making and execution skills solidified the foundation of his family amongst the nobles. Unfortunately, Raphael made a critical mistake during the year of the notorious Evil Seed and killed an insane nobleman--a noble supported by his family. His family cast him out of their household and even aided the town in their pursuit of the murderer.
Raphael hid himself in an impoverished town to escape from his pursuers. There he met a little girl named Amy, who hid the weakened Raphael from his enemies. For the little girl, helping Raphael was only a simple deed motivated out of spite for the soldiers. For Raphael, however, it marked the first time he owed his life to someone else. He felt emotions that he had never experienced before, and Amy became an irreplaceable presence in Raphael's life.
Convinced that the chaos of the war was no place to live a meaningful life. Raphael took Amy and left the poverty-stricken town. But even with the new surroundings, he could not get Amy to open her heart to the world.
One day, in the library of the mansion he acquired under dark pretenses, Raphael found a letter with references to the Evil Seed. It wasn't long before he made the connection between Evil Seed and Soul Edge.
What if such a sword were thrust into the hands of the pathetic nobles? It would all be worth it if the petty, war-mongering nobles could be eliminated to secure a meaningful future for Amy. But in order to accomplish his goal, Raphael needed Soul Edge; he was determined to obtain the sword by any means necessary.
A grand, insane plan was brewing in his mind - all for the sake of a young girl.
[edit] Ending
Raphael realizes that the sword is evil, but he vows not to be possessed by it and returns to Amy. Nobody knows what happened next...
His ending description clearly states: "A solemn madness hones his blade. Love and betrayal slowly intertwine."
[edit] Canon Ending
Raphael fights Nightmare and loses.
On his quest for Soul Edge, Raphael eventually met up with Nightmare in Ostrheinsburg Castle. He faces the evil knight, but lost. His body weakened. His breath haggard. He looked up to see the giant, ghastly sword wielded the embodiment of a Nightmare.
"A...Amy..."
For an instant, he was filled with an emotion that was neither anger, nor pride. This emotion drove him to move. He trusted his sword, which hit its mark, piercing the centre of Soul Edge. That was all he remembered. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was his opponent writhing in pain.
He should have been dead, but the azure knight left without finishing him off. Raphael dragged his body wounded body back to his mansion, where he spent several days on the brink of death. But, he eventually recovered.
At this time, however, he failed to notice the evil energy radiating from his wounds that he received from Soul Edge. Energy that was changing his body. The phenomenon of "malignity transformation" - He has come across this term while researching Soul Edge. By the time these words flashed into the back of his mind, it was already too late. The symptoms had even spread to Amy, who had nursed him back to health. She had likely been infected by his blood.
No symptoms indicated their minds had been affected, but their skin lost it's colour, their eyes shone with an evil glow. During the day, they felt weak and sluggish. At night, they felt a powerful thirst. They were no longer human.
The nearby villagers learned of their symptoms. Thinking it was a plague, they attempted to drive away their lords. Furious, Raphael contemplated taking revenge on the peasants, but his priority was protecting Amy. Together, they left the south of France. It was a frustrating fate. This was the second time the evil sword had forced him to endure this kind of humiliation.
"I shall make use of my fate. Even this!" Raphael swore to himself. He arrived in Eastern Europe, took advantage of the war that had spread throughout the land, and bought a ruined castle in the mountains, beginning a life apart from the outside world.
Raphael had no intention of living his life in seclusion forever, however. He had become a creature incapable of interacting with the world. So, he needed to change the world! His plan, woven from the threads of madness, proceeded in secret. Starting with the area around the castle, moving on to the nearby villages, towns, and city. Eventually, this country, this continent, this world would change! His plan had been proceeding smoothly, but one day, there was an incident in which some people who had been transformed returned to normal. It seemed that something called the "Holy Stone," which a visitor had brought to the land was the cause. Raphael tried to touch the faintly glowing stone. but quickly drew his hand back in pain. His hand was blistered, as though burned. He destroyed the stone in a fit of rage. After calming down, he wondered if other stones, or objects with similar powers existed in the world. This was a threatening prospect. He would not allow anything that threatened Amy, or her world, to exist.
Raphael decided to go on a journey to discover the true nature of this "Holy Stone" and obliterate it from the world. Just as he made this decision, an army a appeared outside of his castle. They had noticed the abnormality of this region, and intended to attack the source. He would need to drive these fools off, first.
"Amy, I won't be back for a while. Be a good girl while I'm gone." Raphael bid farewell to his beloved Amy and descended to the world that refused to accept him. The expression on the face of the reticent girl who watched him leave betrayed no hint of what lay hidden in her heart.
[edit] Ending
Raphael is trudging home with Soul Edge. He's weak, probably because it's daytime. He falls down on the ground...
[edit] Input Ending
He gets back up, and continues walking. He gets home, and Amy is there. She's still evil. Their eyes are glowing. Raphael's purple as for Amy's is white. He tells her it's time to go to their own world.
[edit] Non-Input Ending
The scene shifts to Raphael's mansion. Kilik is purifying Amy. He asks her name, and she tells him. He tells her she doesn't have to worry any more. The scene shifts back to Raphael. He gets up and says that soon, they won't have to worry any more. That they'll have their own world.
[edit] Trivia
- Raphael made a critical mistake during the year of the notorious Evil Seed catastrophe. He discovered too late that one member of nobility supported by the Sorel clan became insane from the effects of the Evil Seed. Consequently, Raphael gave his enemies the justification to come after him. To make matters worse, treacherous members of his family who were thrust into the conflict surrendered quickly and offered to hand over Raphael in order to protect themselves. Raphael hid himself in an impoverished town to escape from his pursuers, which included his family members. But accustomed to a life of privilege without want, Raphael could not bear the cold and hunger he suffered in the slums. He most certainly would have died if it were not for a little girl named Amy, who hid the weakened Raphael from his enemies.
- The reason that Amy never opened up to the world, despite the fact that growing up in the slums made her appreciate what little she had, was that she had no hope for the future. She never thought that anything would ever get any better.
- Assuming a false name, Raphael befriended a rich noble to obtain the means to take care of Amy. He employed his cunning to gain the trust of the lord and those around him. And when the opportunity arose, Raphael poisoned the noble and spread word that the "lord had left on a long journey."
- Raphael is the Destined Battle for all three system exclusive characters.
- The Japanese version of Soulcalibur II makes a mistake regarding the fencing terms. No matter what language you speak, things said while fencing, like "En guarde," are always spoken in French. The Japanese voice, however, uses the Japanese words for these terms. Actually, some languages (like Portuguese) adapt the terms slightly. ("En guarde" to "Em guarda") However, Japanese is very different, so the words probably stay the same.
- Raphael's Critical Finisher in Soulcalibur IV makes him look like a vampire.
- From Soul Calibur II-III,he wanted Soul Edge but in Soul Calibur IV, he wants the Soul Calibur, in order for him to create a new world for Amy and himself.
[edit] Character Relationships
- Foster father of Amy.
- Unintentionally freed Siegfried from Soul Edge's control during his fight with Nightmare in Soulcalibur II.
- Defeated by Nightmare in Soul Calibur II.
- Defeated by Cassandra in Soul Calibur III.
- Shares a destined battle with Talim in Soul Calibur III
- Master of Auguste, Marienbard and Jacqueline in Soulcalibur IV.
