Since her debut in 2009, the titular protagonist of the Bayonetta franchise has sported an iconic look. With her catsuits, gun high heels, dark hair, and signature glasses, Cereza - also known as Bayonetta - is an immediately recognizable witchy protagonist. Despite the staples that always feature in her wardrobe, Bayonetta's appearance and characteristics have changed across Bayonetta games since the series came out nearly 15 years ago.
Following the release of Bayonetta 3 in 2022, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is set to feature an adolescent Cereza years before she becomes the Bayonetta fans know and love. This prequel title features a fairy tale style, marking a striking departure from the style of the three main series Bayonetta games. It makes sense why the young Cereza is so noticeably different than Bayonetta is now, as Cereza's appearance and style has always changed to fit her growth as the games progress.
Bayonetta's Iconic Looks
Cereza's first appearance as Bayonetta is arguably her most recognizable costume. With a beehive hairdo and sleek black catsuit, the 2009 game offers a fairly streamlined look with very few accessories. She wears glasses, a pair of black frames with stained-glass butterfly wings on the arms, and her costume features buckled arm straps with long sleeves of hair dangling off her arms. This pared-down version of Bayonetta makes sense in the context of the first game, with her character battling amnesia after being sealed in slumber for 500 years, leading her to a more practical costume.
Bayonetta 2's take on Bayonetta features more color, but retains iconic features like her glasses and hair sleeves. Her catsuit remains skin-tight, but is lighter and features diamond cutouts all the way up both of her legs, and a frilly collar at the neck. With a short pixie haircut, new shoulder pads, and a cloak, Bayonetta's costume shows the change in her character: she has reclaimed her past and her power, with more strength and confidence. Both costumes from Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 are available as options in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
In Bayonetta 3, the protagonist is in her most overstated, regal costume yet. With long, braided hair that resembles the style she wore as a young Cereza and a skirt made of braids woven with red ribbon, this version of Bayonetta is more visibly feminine. She still wears a bodysuit, but it now features puffy sleeves and lace cutouts in the legs. She's also more accessorized in this costume, with gilded details on her braids, shoes, and sleeves, as well as golden medallions hanging from her skirt. This depiction matches Bayonetta's larger-than-life personality and attitude with less sexualized features, but still maintains her flirtatious energy and witch power.
Bayonetta's Characteristics Across Games
As an ancient Umbra Witch, Bayonetta possesses immense strength and magical prowess. In addition to superhuman strength, agility, and endurance, Bayonetta has skill in the Bullet Arts, allowing her to quickly master any new weapon. Bayonetta's signature technique, Witch Time, appears in every Bayonetta title and allows her to move extremely quickly, making enemies appear in slow motion. She also uses Wicked Weaves techniques in combat, making her hair a conduit to bring forth full demons or their limbs to attack for her in battle. These Wicked Weaves techniques make Bayonetta's hair iconic, and explain the skimpy costumes as she uses hair woven into her catsuits to summon monsters.
In Bayonetta 2, Bayonetta acquires Umbran Climax and Serious Mode, new techniques that allow her to enter into a hyper-focused, ascended power state. With those techniques, she continually manifest demon limbs and uses Infernal Weave powers to regain her health. In addition to her past techniques, Bayonetta can use Demon Masquerade in Bayonetta 3 to channel the powers of Infernal Demons through her body. Demon Masquerade allows Bayonetta to access immense power and even transform for benefits in combat and traversing the world.
Bayonetta's costume changes over time match her growth in power and character. Since her debut in 2009, Bayonetta has steadily acquired more confidence, magic, and tools, all leading up to the powerhouse that fans saw in Bayonetta 3. Because the next title, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, is a prequel that features Cereza before claiming her Bayonetta title, she will likely not wield many of the series' iconic dark arts. Yet fans can look forward to an expansion on the series' lore as the game explores some of Bayonetta's personality in her younger self.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon releases for Nintendo Switch on March 17.