Guilty Gear Strive made a few changes to the formula and has caught on surprisingly well. It’s the first game in the series to hit 1 million sales. That might be a drop in the bucket compared to Dragonball FighterZ’s 6.6 million+, but for a relatively niche, original property, Arc System Works’ original brawler has been on an upswing.
It also means there’s a new audience getting into the hard rockin’ anime fighter, clicking with its cast, and reading its lore. So, when Arc System Works revealed Guilty Gear X2’s Bridget would be returning to Strive, there may be a lot of people who don’t know what her deal is. Or at least might recall them for the curious memes around her status, as it were. So, let’s clear the air and reveal just what the deal with Bridget is.
6 They Were Inspired by Chrono Crusade
Despite their look, Bridget isn’t a nun. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be any religious connection in her character or backstory at all. Ky Kiske and Leo Whitefang are Guilty Gear’s defenders of the faith. So, why is Bridget making a habit out of wearing a habit? It’s said to be a reference to Rosette Christopher from Chrono Crusade.
Their look is very close, if not identical, to the Order of St Magdalene’s New York Branch Exorcist. Rosette’s big plot was that she was looking for her missing brother Joshua, and Bridget embarks on a similar search for their twin brother in their alternate ending in XX Accent Core. However, that story wasn’t brought over for Strive. In fact, their lore would probably get a tut-tutting from the nearest abbey.
5 Their Backstory
Bridget was born as one of a set of twins in an English village. The village had a superstition where the birth of twin boys caused bad luck. One had to be killed or exiled to prevent misfortune. So, as a protective measure, the twins’ parents brought Bridget up as a girl. She took to it well for her parents’ sake, though she could tell they felt guilty about it.
To prove the village’s superstition wrong, she set off into the world. Her plan was to raise a fortune and bring it back with her. They tried all sorts of odd jobs, like working at Jam Kuradoberi’s restaurant to trying to form an entertainment troupe with Venom and I-No. But, they had the most success with their first vocation: tracking down bounties and bringing them in.
4 They’re a Bounty Hunter
It seems odd for a kiddy-looking teen to enter the same line of work as Sol Badguy. Then again, even back in 2002, Guilty Gear was known for weird character designs. Before he became the series’ equivalent of Ray Stantz from the Ghostbusters, Zappa debuted alongside Bridget as a guy possessed by multiple demons at once that did the fighting for him.
Bridget is a more formidable fighter than they look, lacking only in experience and refinement. Their main weapon is their yo-yo, which can change size at Bridget’s will, produce bombs, circular saws, and act as makeshift skates to move faster. They come in handy for close-up attacks, keeping opponents at bay, or bringing them in closer for punishment. That’s not to mention their other, weirder fighting tool.
3 Their Teddy is a Lethal Weapon
Bridget rarely goes anywhere without their trusty teddy, Roger. As in, it’s literally a plush bear, not some giant beast friend like Tekken’s Kuma. However, it isn’t some Earthbound-like punching bag either. It comes in just as handy as their yo-yo.
The bear can lunge ahead of Bridget with punches, cycle in place with a burning wheel attack, or simply grow bigger and drop on the opponent like a sack of bricks. It follows the pace of Bridget’s yo-yo, so don’t skimp on it. Mastering their yo-yo will lead to rewards from Roger. It’s their reliable, furry killing machine.
2 They Inspired a Monster in Disgaea 2
It’s been about 20 years since Bridget’s original debut. The whole gender confusion thing became their trademark until Strive settled it for good. While they weren’t the most popular Guilty Gear XX character, they did get referenced in a few other games.
The most notable reference was in Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories, as the party can come across a very feminine-looking plant monster called Bridget. It’s only after one of the player’s members hits the beast that their male identity becomes known. Har har har.
1 Their Gender Is…
Before Guilty Gear Strive, Bridget’s design was a little more controversial. Maybe. Depends on who is asking. Back in Guilty Gear X2, they identified as their birth sex but preferred women’s clothing and mannerisms as per their upbringing. This unconventional approach to gender expression led to some confusion among the rest of the cast. Most notoriously was their 3rd ending in X2’s Story Mode, where Johnny tried chatting her up, only to cringe with embarrassment when he learned they were a boy.
Guilty Gear Strive has aimed to update with the times, like revealing fan favorite character Testament as non-binary. Strive’s original guide and bio for Bridget on their website keenly avoided the use of set pronouns one way or the other, like in this article too. Their story mode sweetly has Bridget coming to terms with their identity after some encouraging words from Ky Kiske and Goldlewis Dickinson. So, what’s their conclusion? Play the game to find out!
Guilty Gear Strive is available on PC, PS4, and PS5.