SkullGirls World

Skullgirls (JP: スカルガールズ Sukarugāruzu) is a downloadable 2D fighting game developed by Lab Zero Games (formerly Reverge Labs), and published by Autumn Games and Konami. It was released on PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network in North America on April 10, 2012 and on Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade a day later worldwide on April 11, 2012. The game would later release in Europe on both platforms on May 2, 2012. A PC version of the game was released via Steam on August 22, 2013, with all purchases coming with a frequently updated beta version known as the Skullgirls ∞Endless Beta∞. All Skullgirls females are 18 years old or older.

Fukua Personality Her personality is not clearly defined as her lines are recycled from Filia's and she does not speak for most of her Story Mode, other than to express her desire to "become" Filia (note that her story mode is a joke story mode and shouldn't be taken as canon in any way). It is possible that she has some masochistic inclinations as Fukua is one of the two characters in the game (The other being Black Dahlia) who is shown smiling in her Blockbuster finished portrait.

Squigly Personality Squigly is graceful, calm and well-mannered, but tough and determined to complete her mission. Her past experience with a Skullgirl gives her a unique perspective and a greater understanding of the situation over most. She is particularly close to her parasite Leviathan who has been by her side especially since the day she died and was revived by her mother. If it weren't for him, Squigly wouldn't be able to think for herself as one of the Skullgirl's undead minions. At one point, she was a fan of Eliza's performances before finding out about her true nature in the latter's story

Filia Basis info Origin Samson's location on Filia's head gives her the appearance of a futakuchi-onna, a monster from Japanese folklore with a second mouth on the back of its head. However, when in her usual stances, Samson’s hair can have a spiky appearance that makes her resemble a Harionago. Both creatures are humanoid female hair-based yokai. Name Filia is based on fiber and the Latin word for "daughter". Coincidentally, it can also be a reference to protein filaments, which are long chains of proteins found in hair. The name could also come from "philia" the Greek word for platonic love given her nice and friendly nature. It was also inspired by the name of Millia Rage from Guilty Gear. Design Filia's most apparent physical feature is Samson, who takes the form of Filia's dark hair, with several short bangs slightly covering her forehead and multiple tentacle-like locks of hair propagating outward from the back. Samson's eyes and teeth are situated opposite of Filia's face but are still visible when viewing Filia from the front. Curiously, Samson's shape bears a striking resemblance to her late mother's haircut. The look and color of her hair is a result of Samson's possession, as are her red eyes. She has a curvy figure, although it's implied that she is slightly overweight due to Samson's eating habits. Her school uniform consists of a white button-down collared shirt, a short black necktie, a pleated black miniskirt, black thigh-length leggings, and dark brown loafers. She wears a black leotard, which connects to her skirt. She occasionally wears a white mushroom hat adorned with a black ribbon and bow. As she is turning into a Skullgirl, her skin becomes more pale, her hair becomes brighter purple and her eyes gain the characteristic half-skull pupils. Prior to being possessed by Samson, she is shown in flashbacks to have a slighter figure, blue eyes, and blonde hair kept back with a headband.

Cerebella Basis info Name Cerebella is a feminine take on the word cerebellum, which is the part of the brain responsible for motor control. However, this is her stage name given to her by the circus. In the "Limited Run Games" physical copy of Skullgirls it is revealed that Cerebella's name is Cassandra Veranos, coincidentally sharing the initals as her voice actress Christina Vee. Design Cerebella has light brown skin and mint green hair color, tied up in a sharp ponytail. She wears purple eye-shadow as well as matching mint-green lipstick and nail polish. She has a small purple diamond tattooed on her left cheek. Her eyes have alternatively been portrayed as being black or purple. Her outfit is befitting that of a performer: a bright orange strapless low-cut mini-dress, with a band of cloth with an orange and black triangle pattern around her upper-arms, billowing cream sleeves and maroon appendages on the cuffs, and a black choker. She wears black thigh-length boots, with an orange diamond pattern along the length of each boot, that are pointed at the ends (similar to medieval crakows) and have a skull sitting each bridge. Her underwear is shown to be white. With Vice-Versa in its dominant form atop her head, her resemblance to a jester becomes more apparent. Her ethnicity is meant to be the equivalent of Brazilian in Skullgirls and in her reference sheets she is referred to as a tomboy. In her earlier incarnation of Skullgals and the early Skullgirls lore itself, she was a thief in a circus gang, who were rivals of the Fishbone Gang as the Medici Mafia didn't exist at that time.

Peacock Basis info Peacock's dialogue and animations reference multiple cartoon eras, but chiefly feature golden age of animation era cartoon violence and slapstick. Name Her true name is Patricia Watson, while she herself came up with Peacock. The word "peacock" is the more commonly known name of the peafowl, but is actually the term for the male bird. The name Patricia is derived from the Latin word "patrician" and means "noble", which could be seen as ironic given her violent and choatic personality. Watson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Walter". It should be noted that Walter means "ruler of the army", which accurately describes her relationship with her gang. Being once close friends, Marie continues to address her as Patricia. Her gang typically refer to her as "boss". Design Her natural eye color used to be green before they were gouged out by slave traders. The Argus System is Peacock's only means of sight, as the ones on her face are actually empty eye-sockets. The holes left are also a visual pun: Due to her design being based on American cartoons, her eye-sockets could easily be interpreted as though they are natural eyes; drawn in the style of a 1930's cartoon character. The joke is how similar styles of drawing can offer different perceptions on how something looks. Her references are similar to the 30's such as Mickey Mouse. Her outfit consists of a tall top hat and a dress with frills, both her hat and dress are a matching shade of purple. Her mechanical hands are covered with large gloves, a classic trait of old cartoon characters. She also has sharp metallic teeth that she uses as a bear trap, which she apparently uses metal polish to clean instead of regular toothpaste. Her legs are also mechanical, and she wears a pair of brown boots that have secret boosters to propel herself forward. Her outfit in the flashbacks in Marie's story mode show her wearing a T-shirt of Annie and a pair of shorts. Although original designs showed her in a maid dress matching Marie's, but this was changed once Marie's story mode was worked on. Her cartoon revolver bears resemblance to the Smith & Wesson Model 29, a .44 Magnum revolver made famous by Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. In older design concepts, Peacock was intended to be a more "demented type" character, originally being envisioned as a scarred, sociopathic individual due to her experience as a slave. At one point, she was considered to be a boss alongside Marie. Her design was changed to be more 'cartoony' and lighthearted. These design documents also included references to her abilities being part magic with spells being carved onto her bones.

Marie Basis info Name Her nickname "Bloody Marie" comes from "Bloody Mary" and may be derived from either the alcoholic drink or the infamous nickname for Mary I of England. Bloody Mary is also a folklore legend, consisting of an apparition summoned to reveal the future. Originally, this ritual encouraged young women to walk up a flight of stairs backwards, holding a hand mirror and candle in a dark house. It was said that the ritual would reveal the face of their future husband in the mirror. However, if they saw a skull or the face of the Grim Reaper, they would be destined to die before marriage. Modern interpretations of the legend involve chanting her name three times in a dark room with a mirror, lit by a candle in order to summon her. She would appear, either friendly or evil, and could scream at, curse, strangle, steal the soul, drink the blood, or scratch the eyes out of participants of the ritual. Her last name Korbel is a reference to a famous champagne drink made in California. Design She used to have brown hair and blue eyes prior to becoming the Skullgirl. She wears a Victorian maid uniform that she found in the manor that served as the makeshift orphanage she and Patricia lived in. It was formerly a nobleman’s house, so they made do with the clothes that were available, i.e. maid uniforms. Marie took care of housework and “clicked” better with the maid uniforms. By wearing it, she appeared more grown up and the other orphans listened to her more.

Valentine Basis info Name Valentine, as with all members of the Last Hope, is a code name based on a holiday; in this case being Valentine's Day. A holiday themed around love fits with her flirtatious persona. Her true name is Valerie and denotes "strength, health or boldness". Design Her design is essentially a combination of two fanservice tropes, the "naughty nurse" and the "sexy ninja". Valentine has blood red eyes with cross-shaped pupils, blue hair with several large bangs covering her forehead and right eye with tied up in a spiky pony tail, along with grayish skin. She wears a bandaged eye-patch over her right eye, which is heavily scarred over. She also has a thin, vertical scar running through the left side of her lips, which is typically covered by a white medical mask. Valentine has a slim yet curvaceous body, although her low fighting stance deliberately obscures her true stature. She wears a black fundoshi and concept art shows she has adhesive bandages over her nipples in lieu of brassiere. Her outfit is a cross between a nurse and a kunoichi: she dons a white, skin tight medical scrub top with pink cross buttons, a matching nursing cap and medical gloves. This is complete with a thin black choker, leg wrappings that end with a pink cross-shaped shuriken (her Dead Cross) near her knees and white flats. She has a brown medical hip bag at the small of her back that houses her defibrillator and bonesaw when not in use. Her numerous weapons include mementos taken from her fallen comrades: Christmas's scalpels, Patty's IV Polearm, Easter's bodybags, and Hallow's syringes. The "Graveyard Shift" palette is a hint to her appearance as a Skullgirl.

Ms. Fortune Basis info Name Her title is a play on the word "misfortune" and originally an indicator of her power to manipulate luck, although said ability has since been removed. The name Nadia means "hope" in a number of languages, although it is mainly cited as having Slavic origins. Design Nadia is a tan-skinned, lithe young woman with light blue eyes and white hair styled in a bob cut. Her Feral features include long dark cat ears, tail, clawed hands and feet and a prominent canine that usually shows over her lower lip. She has a clean scar on her left cheek, while those on her neck, biceps, forearms, thighs, legs and feet are larger and more jagged. She wears a thick black collar with a stylized cat bell that resembles the Life Gem, a light blue striped crop top with the underside of her breasts showing, a gray utility belt, black fingerless gloves, black hot pants and the remnants of her pantlegs (adjusted to appear a little more fashionable). In Skullgirls Mobile, it reveals that she used to wear full-length pants.

Parasoul Basis info Name Parasoul is a portmanteau of "parasol" and "soul". Krieg is German for "war", and follows the theme of the Renoir royal family's Living Weapon umbrellas being named after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Design Parasoul has straight lower back-length red hair with a bang covering her right eye and carrot orange eyes. She also has a slender figure. She wears a long sleeved black top, a matching skirt with light purple undies underneath and flat black shoes. The pistol Parasoul uses is a Luger P08, a German 9mm semi-automatic pistol used during both World Wars, and a replacement for the earlier Mauser C96. In earlier incarnations, she had an affinity with the Black Tree, a discarded concept from lore drafts. It was a magic tree owned by the Renoir family and it’s power would manifest through her right eye socket, which is normally hidden by her bangs. In current canon, the tree doesn't seem to exist and Parasoul has both eyes. The symbol that Parasoul wears on her necklace and has engraved into the side of her pistol is the Cross of St. Peter, also known as the Petrine Cross or simply as an Inverted Cross, which is a symbol of the Trinity. The necklace is identical to the one her mother wore.

Painwheel Basis info Name Her title is a portmanteau of the words "pain" and "pinwheel". There are mixed accounts as to the origins of Carol, her real name. By itself, it can be related to music and mean "joyous song". It can also possibly be derived from Caroline, which itself is a feminine form of the name Charles, which means "a free man", relating to her motivation of fighting for her freedom. Gae Bolga is a reference to a spear in Irish mythology Gáe Bulg which means "Spear of Mortal Pain/Death Spear". Buer Drive is a reference to the demon Buer who was said to be a demon leader who commanded fifty legions of other demons; it having the head of a lion and a body with five goat legs for multi-directional mobility. Design The blades attached to Painwheel's back bear a slight resemblance a Japanese shuriken throwing star, although their original design was closer to her namesake, the pinwheel. She has brown hair, and eyes that can be either black and red or brown. She is a relatively petite for her age, with scrawny arms and legs with nails lodged into her shoulders. When Painwheel is being introduced to her new class (in Filia's ending), she is seen carrying a cello case. It's been confirmed that the removable parts of Painwheel's Buer Drive are kept in here.

Skull Heart's The Skull Heart is a powerful sentient artifact that plays a major part in the Skullgirls story. Every seven years after its previous destruction, it reappears to grant a wish to a woman. The wish can be of incredible magnitude, but it comes at a great price. The Skull Heart often twists even selfless wishes into brutality, ending wars by causing even more destruction, bringing back a loved one as an undead minion, and in return inhabits the body of the woman who wished upon it, in time turning the woman into a Skullgirl. A murderous, extremely powerful woman corrupted by the Skull Heart, capable of raising corpses as mindless minions, bringing about destruction in an endless cycle with the purpose of one day ending the world. General information The Skull Heart was created by the Trinity, the trio of goddesses of the Skullgirls universe, crashing down into the Earth many many years ago with the goal of eventually ending the world. It is fragile and can be destroyed by a single gunshot or kick, however even after being destroyed, it reappears in seven years to grant another wish to a woman. Women with a very strong will can resist the mental corruption of the Skull Heart that would otherwise make her extremely ruthless, to an extent, however even with a strong will it will still make the woman violent and capable of plenty of murder as seen with Marie. However, Peacock tells her someday she will someday slip up and be just as bad or even worse than the people who wronged her, suggesting that one can only resist the Skull Heart temporarily. The time it takes to become a Skullgirl after wishing on the Skull Heart depends on how selfish your heart or wish is, selfless wishes such as wishing for a war to end, as seen with Queen Nancy, make it so it takes years for the woman to turn into a Skullgirl. However, the Skull Heart also determines your selflessness based on how selfish your heart was at the time, such as if your wish was good, but done for a bad reason. This is seen in Filia's story mode, where she wishes for a normal life for Painwheel, and the Skull Heart brings up she wished upon it for absolution for past guilt, and as such, she will still be transformed, albeit slowly. Black Dahlia's story mode provides some further insight into how the Skull Heart judges those who wish on it. In addition to the above-mentioned conditions related to selfishness, trying to make a benevolent wish on the Skull Heart will inherently ruin the outcome, as the artifact views such intervention as unnatural and incapable of doing good. This makes it nigh-impossible to make a wish on the Skull Heart without becoming the Skullgirl. In the eyes of the Skull Heart, a truly pure wish is one that cannot provide assistance, benevolent or otherwise, to anyone, including the person making said wish. It was confirmed by developers that no woman has ever wished upon the Skull Heart without becoming a Skullgirl as wishes are selfish by nature. Although it does seem to grant Dahlia's wish without much issue on her end. History It is unclear when the Skull Heart first appeared in the world, but it is known to have been created by the Trinity. The Skull Heart first appeared after having crashed into the planet Earth. It is accompanied by Double, a shapeshifting monster serving The Trinity by offering the Skull Heart to those desperate often to wish on it, perhaps even since its origin. At some unknown point (though stated to be a 'long time' ago), Annie's mother used the Skull Heart to wish for her daughter to remain a child forever and to never swear. While the circumstances of this event are scarcely known, the affair likely affected Annie in a negative respect seeing as she promotes Anti-Skullgirls propaganda. Fourteen years before the events of the game, Double delivered the Skull Heart to Selene Contiello, which led to the Medici Mafia coming after her. Seeing her family gunned down by the mob, Selene wished them back to life with the Skull Heart. The artifact twisted her wish by transforming her into a Skullgirl - thereby allowing her to bring back her family as undead minions. Seven years later, the Skull Heart was at the center of a massive war between three nations. It came into the possession of Queen Nancy, ruler of the Canopy Kingdom. She wished for the three nations to stop fighting, and the Skull Heart obliged - by transforming Queen Nancy into the most powerful Skullgirl the world had yet seen. The three nations were forced to unite against the Skullgirl before she destroyed the entire world. A few months before the events of the game, the Skull Heart resurfaced in the hands of Marie, an orphan girl who watched her best friend suffering under the abusive slavers of Rommelgrad. She wished to take revenge against the ones responsible for her friend’s slavery, becoming a Skullgirl in the process. After destroying the slavers, the newly-minted Bloody Marie began targeting anyone and everyone connected to the Medici Mafia, who backed the slavers. Due to her strong will, Marie was able to resist the Skull Heart's influence and focus on her wish. Role in Story Mode Most of the playable characters seek out the Skull Heart for various reasons - mainly to either use it or destroy it. At the end of Story Mode, each character gains possession of the Skull Heart after defeating Bloody Marie, and makes a choice on what to do with it. So far, Fukua's story is the only one that doesn't involve the Skull Heart at all.

Filia's Story Backstory Filia was once just an average schoolgirl, but one day woke up without any memories and a second mouth on the back of her head. She was now playing host to a Parasite named Samson, an unruly mop of demonic hair with incredible power. With no memories or anyone to turn to for help, if she ever hopes to piece together her past and survive the inevitable clash with the Skullgirl, Filia will need to trust this mysterious being. Filia used to be a schoolgirl, She was the daughter of Amelia and Marcus Medici. she met Samson along with his previous host, a dog he had named Dog thanks to Carol who found him in the streets. When Carol brought Samson to see if Filia could take care of him, Filia reluctantly agreed to keep him after he pledged to protect her and assured her that although a parasite, he wouldn't leave her for his own well being. Six months later, Carol had been abducted and Filia is guilt-ridden over disappearance. Despite Samson's best attempts to cheer her up, they only served to remind Filia of Carol. Immediately after, the Skullgirl Marie burst into their home, seeking revenge on the Medici Mafia. Despite Filia stating that they aren't like the rest of her family and they have had no contact with them in a long time, Marie did not believe her. Samson and Dog then appeared and Marie recognizes them (Saying "that dog"). She then decides to spare them but only if they leave the city. Later that night, Filia and her parents are packing up and getting ready to leave. Vitale and Ottomo arrive after the rest of the Medici Mafia were attacked. Seeing them packing, Vitale, enraged, questions why only Marcus' family, who had left the rest of the Medici family for a "trivial" matter, was the only one spared. Believing they're colluding with the Skullgirl he sends Ottomo to find Filia and Vitale then kills both Marcus and Amelia. Filia, hearing the gunshots, goes downstairs and finds her parents dead. Immediately after, she calls Samson for help, but he arrives too late as she is shot. After Ottomo defeats Samson, he and Vitale leave to report back to Lorenzo. Samson, realizing that Dog was actually killed in the fight, mourns and blames himself for not protecting him. After realizing that Filia was still alive but dying, Samson changes hosts to her, saving her life. After Filia wakes up, Samson says that he had no choice if he was to save her and because of what Vitale did to "not just her, but their family". Filia however, awoke with amnesia and did not remember anything, which surprised Samson. Skullgirls 2nd Encore Filia and Samson spend some time living on the streets, possibly in hiding from the Medicis, and often taking shelter with Samson's associates such as Yu-Wan. At some point, at a restaurant somewhere in the city, Filia is hit on by Riccardo, who is subsequently attacked and frightened away by Samson. Filia lightly scolds Samson, saying that he shouldn't be attacking people every time, even though Samson said that he deserved it. Filia and Samson then head out to find the Skull Heart so Filia can wish for her memories back. After defeating the Skullgirl, Filia takes possession of the Skull Heart. After much thought, she decides not to wish for her lost memories back; instead, she wishes for Carol (Painwheel) to return to her old self. Despite her good intentions, however, the Skull Heart declares that the wish is slightly impure, as Filia feels personal guilt over Carol's fate. Thus she is attempting to improve herself through the wish. As such, Filia is doomed to become the new Skullgirl, albeit slowly due to the nearly selfless nature of her wish. The Skull Heart tells Filia to make the most of her time before her transformation. Filia is next seen at school, where her class is introduced to the new student Carol - formerly Painwheel - who appears to be a normal (if slightly disfigured) girl. Filia smiles to herself, even as she feels the Skull Heart beginning to transform her. She and Carol then watch the sunset, best friends reunited at last. Relationships Samson is Filia's Parasite, whose being essentially replaces her hair and augments her overall strength. The two share a symbiotic relationship, and are shown to be on generally good terms with each other with Samson being both protective and supportive of Filia. Filia seems to have met Samson's acquaintance relatively recently, with her receiving amnesia upon becoming Samson's host. Reasons to how and why Samson got attached to Filia are kept vague, with the only known information being that it originates from an unknown event that occurred in her mysterious past. In her current state, Filia seems very reliant on Samson in their day-to-day life and seems to wholly trust him – likely a product of having no one else to turn to in hopes of regaining her memory and the knowledge of the ongoing threat of the Skullgirl. Likewise her loss of memories have left her with a very naïve personality, a trait that is implied to have been different before becoming a host to Samson. Despite the twosomes close relationship and necessity to live off one another, their companionship can be strenuous at times, almost exclusively at Filia’s expense. Samson’s general brash and rowdy personality in addition to his bluffing and gambling bother Filia frequently, with her having no power over his actions and her protests generally succumbing to no avail. Similarly she is subject to the side-effects of his parasitism, where the consequences of elements such as eating, drinking and pain are symbiotic between the two of them (the former solely effecting Filia as the host of the relationship). It is also implied that Samson could be hiding important facts from Filia as hinted on several occasions, such as being hesitant on the subject of Painwheel knowing Filia after their fight during Story Mode. Likewise, Parasoul’s defeat quote against Filia "You're… being used." and Leviathan’s Story Mode quote "I won't idly watch you bring doom to another host!" suggests that Samson's intentions towards Filia might be less honorable then on the outset and gives the notion that he has manipulated his previous hosts prior to attain his goals. Despite this, Samson has also shown genuine compassion for Filia and seems to have her best interests in mind – offering the option to stop the pursuit of finding the Skullheart if she so wishes during Squigly’s Story Mode (in spite of him seemingly pushing Filia towards it beforehand) and also attempting to defend Filia’s life at the end of Eliza’s Story Mode, even though Eliza’s intention is to replace Filia with a better vessel for him. In Filia’s unused alternate Story Mode ending, Samson also makes the implication that Filia had asked him to erase her memories in the first place. Samson furthermore provides shelter for Filia, persisting many of his contacts and “friends” to get him and Filia a place to sleep for the night, due to her not having a home of her own. In public he also typically remains hidden from sight due to knowing the prejudice parasites and their users receive (though it could be argued the latter two details would benefit Samson himself just as much as it would Filia). Carol "Painwheel" Filia has repeatedly stated that she has wronged her friend Carol, AKA Painwheel, in the past and felt really guilty about it. In her story mode, she was suddenly attacked by her and the two fight. After that, Painwheel told Filia that she was Carol, to Filia's shock. At the Grand Cathedral, Filia came to Painwheel's rescue and defeated Valentine and Double, showing that she truly cares for Painwheel's well-being. Another instance of caring for her is that she wished on the Skullheart to give Painwheel a normal life at the cost of her own. It has been said that Carol was one of Filia's true friends pre-Samson since many people were afraid to be with her due to being a Medici family member. When the two face each other in battle, Painwheel shouts at Filia to get away from her; It is ambiguous whether Painwheel wanted to keep Filia safe or doesn't want to see her. Abilities & Fighting Style Filia and Samson share a symbiotic relationship, and it is this relationship that forms the basis for their fighting style. Samson is able to attack from a distance by turning his tendrils into long tentacles with sharp razor-like ends. He can also attack from afar with hairball spit attacks. Filia herself coordinates with samson to perform team attacks, such as when she sticks her arm out so Samson can turn her hair into gator teeth. Filia has above average possibly superhuman endurance due to being bonded with Samson.

Cerebella's Story Backstory The biggest sensation in the Cirque des Cartes, Cerebella is a tumbling, soaring dynamo of star power: throughout the Canopy Kingdom, she’s admired for her enormous strength and alluring curves. Sadly, this acrobatic orphan only desires the attention of one man, mobster Vitale Medici, who took her in and became the closest thing to a father she’s ever known. While inherently good, Cerebella serves the mafia as a leg-breaker when not performing in the circus. Cerebella is the only person capable of controlling her powerful Living Weapon hat, Vice-Versa, so Vitale is stingy with his affections to keep her fighting in his corner. Cerebella originates from one of the countries that got turned into No Man's Land, she has had Vice-Versa since birth, most likely an heirloom passed down by her biological parents (her mother being a living weapon smith). She was taught how to use the knives that she keeps in her shoes by Black Dahlia. In her Skullgirls Mobile origin story, "The Main Attraction", she is selected by Regina as a candidate for her first job for the Medicis assigned by Black Dahlia, alongside Feng and Beatrix. She completes the first test, an obstacle course made by Hubrecht, with ease, but struggles with the second test where she must open a complicated puzzle box to retrieve a fragile item for Taliesin. Frustrated with a minute to spare, she simply breaks open the box, destroying the object. However, she manages to play it off as if it were intentional with Taliesin congratulating her for noticing that he never said it she had to give it to him in one piece. After Beatrix sabotages Feng's attempt by stealing the item hidden inside her box, Cerebella attempts to console Feng by offering to buy her hot chocolate later, and after lashing out Feng makes Cerebella promise that if she gets the job she won't become self-centered like Beatrix. For the final test, Cerebella must fight Beatrix one-on-one until one is KO'd or leaves the ring. Cerebella is delighted to see Vitale show up to spectate and she tells him she will win. However, during the fight Beatrix launches a flurry of knives not at Cerebella, but at Vitale, causing Cerebella to leave the ring to protect him and lose the match. Cerebella takes the loss gracefully, and Feng invites her for the hot chocolate she promised earlier. However, Vitale tells Black Dahlia to give the job to Cerebella, not only because she saved his life, but also because she would have clearly been the victor had Beatrix not acted as she did. 2e Story After defeating Marie, Cerebella obtains the Skull Heart but decides not to make a wish just before Ms. Fortune makes an attempt to steal it. Cerebella stops the attempt by catching her in Vice-Versa's hands with Ms. Fortune still screaming threats against the Medici Mafia. She claims that she won't stop as long as the Life Gem still flows through her veins, which rings out to Cerebella. Using Vice-Versa's strength, Cerebella crushes Ms. Fortune's body into nothingness and reveals the Life Gem. Soon after, Cerebella (as well as Vice-Versa) are seen in a bunny costume sitting on Vitale's lap with him congratulating her on a job well done. She does, however, regret her actions somewhat pondering if it really was worth it. Abilities & Fighting Style Cerebella is the master of Vice Versa; its giant arms grappling and throwing foes around the screen like ragdolls. Cerebella herself is a talented acrobat and has no trouble adjusting her body to suit Vice Versa's needs. She is vicious with punches and kicks and contains hidden blades in the heels of her boots for a nasty surprise. Vice Versa is capable of turning rocks or projectiles into diamonds. Cerebella herself has plenty of strength, but Vice Versa has the ability to negate a lot of weight.

Peacock's Story Backstory Once a war orphan slave named Patricia, Peacock’s body was gruesomely mutilated by slave traders that captured her. She was rescued by Dr. Avian’s Anti-Skullgirls Labs, and rebuilt with a reality-defying arsenal of biomechanical weaponry: the Argus System augmented her body, and the Avery Unit gave her access to unprecedented weaponry. Alas, they couldn’t do anything for her mind: Peacock’s damaged psyche and abiding love of cartoons shaped her new “toys” into a terrifying gang of cronies, who she has no qualms using to paint the town red… with blood. Terrifying as she is, she may be the kingdom’s best bet against the Skullgirl. Patricia once lived in Rommelgrad, when that country got turned into no man's land she ended up in a makeshift orphanage along with Marie (although it's unconfirmed whether they knew each other beforehand), which was originally the castle of the kindly Gigan man Mr. Hilgard. Patricia spent her time at the orphanage lounging around the TV, often not getting along with the others. At some point after that, the castle was raided by slave traders who worked under the Medici Mafia. Patricia and Marie escaped, with the former distracting and letting herself be captured so the latter can find help. Once captured, Patricia was quick to defy to her slavers, but was quickly mutilated to be set as an example to the others, leaving her eyes were gouged out, and maimed. One year prior to the events of Skullgirls, Lab 8 teamed up with Lab 0 and the Last Hope to infiltrate the Medici warehouse said to be containing Rommelgrad's refugees. Although Valentine and the rest of her gang safely rescued the refugees, there was very little Valentine could do to heal the injuries done to Patricia's body and was even willing to abandon her as a casualty of war. Big Band, however, believed that Dr. Avian would be of help and took the girl back to the Anti-Skullgirl Labs. The doctor informed him that Patricia would adapt well to her new eyes and that she would be walking in no time. Patricia became insistent on becoming an ASG soldier after the impression left on her by Lab 8's team. Despite that, Avian was wary about giving her too much power, while admitting her compatibility with the Avery Unit is strong. After some tests, Patricia's Argus System and Avery Unit were completely installed, and the combination proved to make her more powerful than the scientists had anticipated. Instead of being able to bend only space, Patricia could also bend other aspects of reality, spawning Tommy and Andy during her training. Eager to sign up for Lab 8's team, she assigned herself the name "Peacock". She later vanished into the city with her gang, causing Lab 8's crew to worry immensely about her safety and condition after her surgery, and Stanley insisted that Big Band find her as soon as possible. Following her trail, Big Band stumbled upon an ice cream stand from which Peacock and her gang ate all of the ice cream except for Rocky Road. He considered this a clue, but later assumes that she was merely stress eating due to all the strange new occurrences happening to her all at once. He finally arrived at a movie theater, where he found the "clown car" that Peacock was said to have driven away in. As the vehicle appeared damaged, he burst into the theatre, assuming that the Medici may have returned for her. Peacock is revealed to be perfectly fine, having gone around the town because she felt she needed a break from the labs. The two begin to hit it off; although Big Band tells her she could have taken a break without causing property damage, they begin to connect through what they like most in a movie. 2e Story After defeating the Skullgirl, which turns out to be her best friend Marie, Peacock destroys the Skull Heart, though the skull heart claimed her act to be "foolish" and that this will "not be over". She and Marie have a friendly conversation before Marie disappears from the world, and Peacock vows to take revenge on the people who made both their lives miserable. She is seen confronting the true head of the Medici family and his own secret weapon (Black Dahlia) and the two duke it out. Abilities & Fighting Style Her arsenal consists of two synthetic parasites, the Argus System and the Avery Unit, and her "gang", which includes Avery, Andy Anvil, Tommy Ten-Tons, George Bomb, and Lonesome Lenny as well as a variety of modified objects and weapons taken from Lab 8. The Avery Unit has the power to summon objects and weapons from Lab 8 and gained the ability to distort reality as a side effect of Peacock’s insanity. She can’t create things out of thin air, but rather modify Lab 8’s range of specialized arsenal. Her power is still growing so she may be able to summon more things in the future. The Argus System is composed of her arms and also function as her eyes, the "arm eyes" can be detached and can float around, as well as shoot Z-Rays at the precise wavelength needed to disrupt the Skullgirl's essense.

Marie's Backstory Marie hails from an area outside of the Canopy Kingdom known as No Man's Land, a wasteland that used to be a country but fell during the war with the Canopy Kingdom. Along with her friend Patricia (who would later become the Anti-Skullgirl weapon Peacock), Marie was orphaned during the war and forced into slavery by a group funded by the Medici Mafia. She became the Skullgirl in the late summer, meaning she has been the Skullgirl for the past few months, as the game takes place in autumn. She is currently in the "middle stages" of the transformation process of becoming a Skullgirl. Role Seven years after the war, Marie obtained the Skull Heart through unknown means. She used it to punish the slavers who had tormented her and Patricia, but transformed into the Skullgirl in the process. However, her strong will allowed her to resist the influence of the Skull Heart and continue her quest of vengeance - having disposed of the ones who enslaved her and Patricia, she turned her attention towards their sponsors: the Medici Mafia. After arriving in New Meridian, Marie set up base in the catacombs of the local cathedral. She joined forces with the mysterious Double, although the exact nature of their meeting is still unknown. Marie also came into conflict with The Last Hope and wiped them out. The sole survivor, Valentine, was coerced into joining the Skullgirl as her second elite minion. Some time later, Marie discovered that a number of people around the Canopy Kingdom were seeking her out, each for their own reasons. She waited in the catacombs beneath the cathedral for anyone bold enough to challenge her, but the true version of events remains unknown. Relationships Peacock Despite having a corrupted mind, she still cares for her friend Patricia. They knew each other before the war, becoming closer by being survivors (For example, Patricia getting broken by their slavers). In Double's story, she insists that Double leave Peacock alone, as she "made a promise" to her. When Peacock faces Marie, she is somewhat upset about having to fight Marie, but was still willing to take her down. Peacock later decides to carry on Marie's wish of taking down the Medici. In Valentine's story, Marie orders Valentine to destroy Project Peacock; it is possible that, in that story, she didn't yet know that Project Peacock was Patricia. In Big Band's story, Marie is reluctant to fight Peacock, but is forced to do so in order to be able to continue her goal of slaughtering the Medici. Even after defeating Peacock, she refuses to kill her due to their strong friendship in the past. It is also revealed that Patricia had saved Marie's life while at the orphanage at some point, with Marie's story revealing that Patricia helped her escape from the raiding slave traders. Double Double serves Marie as one of her primary enforcers. However, Double's true agenda is to ensure that Marie carries out the will of the Divine Trinity, a task that Marie resists due to her strong will and grudge against the Medici Mafia. This leads Double to occasionally act outside of Marie's orders, although she generally submits to the Skullgirl's will if directly commanded. In Double's story, Marie's resistance to the Skull Heart's influence ultimately leads to her demise at Double's hands, as the Trinity decides that their plans are being inhibited by their lack of control over the Skullgirl. Valentine After defeating her in battle, as well as killing off the Last Hope and presenting their remains to her, Marie forces Valentine to become her second enforcer, sending her out on several missions during the various characters' stories. When Valentine reveals herself to be a traitor to Marie's cause in her own story, Marie admits that she expected Valentine's treachery from the beginning, and that she only cared that she could be used to destroy Anti-Skullgirl Lab 8. Medici Mafia Marie has a very strong hatred for the Medici Mafia because of all their previous misdoings and misdeeds to Patricia. But of course, the one she despises the most is their leader Lorenzo. Filia and Samson Marie claims that Filia has Medici blood in her, and as such, she must kill Filia and Samson as well. In Filia's origin story, Marie was going to kill Filia and her family, but Samson had fought her off. Marie had recognized Samson and Filia, but couldn't remember from where and when. With that, she spared Filia and her family on the condition that they leave New Meridian. Abilities & Fighting Style Boss Battle Bloody Marie is the final boss of Skullgirls Arcade and Story modes (with the exception of Squigly's, where she is the penultimate opponent, and Fukua's, Eliza's, Annie's, and Black Dahlia's Story Modes). Fought in an arcane arena formed by the Skull Heart itself, she will move through three forms as her health is depleted. Marie is largely static, only floating around slightly (especially in her third form). She cannot be grappled into Blockbusters. Her attacks consist of summoned minions and flying demon-skulls, but her later forms introduce a massive black figure that she uses to attack the challenger and push them back. All of her attacks can be blocked for chip damage. She is quite difficult to fight even on Easy difficulty, due to her wide variety of "cheap shots" that can do a hefty amount of damage. Her Tension Bar does not work in the same way regular characters' does, in that it only marks which form she is at, and has no other use. Her spam does not count for infinite combos, and as such, the combo escape cannot be used on her. On the other hand, she is the only character in the game whose IPS/Undizzy burst inflicts damage. Marie cannot be grappled, though the scratch damage from the initial grappling is still dealt. Blockbusters that involve grappling (i.e. Cerebella's Ultimate Showstopper and Squigly's Daisy Pusher) are obviously ineffective during this battle.

Valentine's Personality As her bio suggests, very little is truly known about Valentine apart from her service as a Last Hope operative and servant of the Skullgirl. Her motive to join the Skullgirl was chiefly out of self-preservation, but also in the hopes of researching the powers that control the Skull Heart behind enemy lines. Despite taking orders from higher powers, Valentine's actions are largely influenced by her own personal agenda. What precious little that is known about Valentine is evidenced in her story mode and combat dialogue. She often comes across as impersonal and condescending, with little emotional fluctuation. She does not hesitate to resort to murder and, aside from feeling slight guilt toward Painwheel, has no real morality. An interview with Alex Ahad states that despite her demeanor Valentine "acts like a jerk" to conceal her good intent and emotions. It should be noted that in her origin story from Skullgirls Mobile she is very capable of showing genuine concern for those around her such as the Last Hope, the No Man's Land survivors/refugees which included a mutilated Patricia, and Carol before she became Painwheel, going as far as to ask Brain Drain for another, more suitable candidate. During the Last Hope’s mission to rescue a group of child refugees Valentine goes against Christmas' orders and puts her mission on hold in favor of applying immediate medical attention to those in need. Christmas even acknowledges Valentine's act of kindness, calling her generous, seemingly overlooking her insubordination in favor of this. As mentioned prior Valentine had a tendency to go against orders from her superiors to pursue what she feels is right. Patty refers to Valentine as an overachiever with a big ego. Easter, though jokingly, backs this claim up. Valentine has shown a fondness for medical science and learning, and often refers to her own actions as parts of "experiments" or "research". This is especially apparent when she encounters Ms. Fortune, and becomes intrigued to Ms. Fortune's paradoxical existence to the point of attacking her with the intent of cutting her open. Combat dialogue between Valentine and Parasoul hint that the two knew each other in the past (though this is never elaborated in any story mode). Despite working for Brain Drain, she hates him, so much so that she became an assassin just to kill him. She also seems to despise the Medici Mafia and anything related to them mainly because of their criminal activities and because of the fact they are the main reason of the corruption in the city. Outside of working for Brain Drain, she's a very straightforward person and her flirtatious act is more or less a part of her kunoichi technique. Backstory Valentine had a rough childhood and entered to the labs early on, for training purposes. Valentine lost her eye in the incident that destroyed Lab 7. The cross in her remaining eye is a result from the lab's experimental drug test, as the team were not only in charge of the tests but test subjects themselves. The scar on the lips of Valentine are not from the attack on Lab 7, but a different event not yet determined. Valentine’s “superhuman” feats can be attributed to her ninja skills, and she is able to exceed certain human limits due to Lab 7’s modifications. Her counter animation is most likely an illusion or a body double. Valentine used to be second-in-command of the Last Hope before the rest of the group were wiped out; prior to this incident Christmas was the leader. Valentine got along with the Last Hope members, getting along with Hallow the best. She also had a small rivalry with Christmas. Story Valentine is the only survivor of the Last Hope, a group of special Anti-Skullgirl Labs operatives. Before meeting their end at the hands of the Skullgirl, the Last Hope worked for the mysterious Lab Zero and performed duties ranging from reconnaissance and sabotage to advanced research. Now Valentine dutifully serves the Skullgirl, carrying out her will from the shadows. She keeps to herself, so much of her true nature and personality are unknown. Abilities & Fighting Style Valentine fights like a classic ninja, using acrobatics, a variety of hospital-themed weapons, and a few ninjutsu-based techniques. Her fighting style emphasizes air attacks and combos to compensate for the fairly low damage output of her individual strikes. Valentine's primary weapon is a large bonesaw holstered in the pack on her waist. The large crosses on her legs can be used as throwing stars or enhancements to her kicks, being able to move along her legs and spin rapidly. Another of Valentine's weapons is a large IV pole with sharp points on both ends, which she can use to slash and stab her opponents. She also has a seemingly-unlimited supply of scalpels and syringes to use on her enemies, as well as a number of chemicals that can be delivered through the latter.

Ms. Fortune's Story Backstory A feline feral, Nadia Fortune is the last surviving member of the Fishbone Gang, a notorious band of otherwise Dagonian thieves. Their last mission ended in tragedy: a failed attempt to steal the mysterious Life Gem from Lorenzo Medici resulted in their grisly murders. Before meeting her own doom, Ms. Fortune swallowed the Life Gem and managed to digest it. The Gem’s power immortalized her entire body, making it truly undying even after being dismembered. Now hiding in the shadows of Little Innsmouth, Ms. Fortune plots to avenge her fallen comrades. It's been stated by the devs that Fortune as a child was always with the gang. She was an orphan, and learned the art of thievery from them. She was always causing trouble. Sometime before the events of the game, Ms. Fortune stole and ate the prized Life Gem of the Medici, chasing Lorenzo to order Dahlia to kill her and the others. The gang were all brutally slaughtered by the hitwoman, with only Nadia surviving thanks to her bonding with the gem. Now she seeks to avenge her friends from the mafia. Skullgirls 2nd Encore After defeating the Skullgirl, Ms. Fortune obtains the Skull Heart. While she considered wishing for her old friends in the Fishbone gang to be brought back from the dead, she thinks that her new friends are enough for her, so she destroys the Skull Heart. When she returns she is informed that her friend Minette had been abducted along with other young girls in the Little Innsmouth area. She is told by Irvin, a local detective, that the Medici family was involved in the kidnappings. So the two decide to go after the Medici family and save the girls. Abilities & Fighting Style Befitting her feline traits, Ms. Fortune is an agile fighter with sharp senses and sharper claws. Her true strength, however, is drawn from the Life Gem that she swallowed prior to her "death". The gem gave her nearly-unlimited regenerative abilities, allowing her to recover from numerous injuries that would kill normal beings (such as decapitation and dismemberment). When she was a young orphan, she learned the art of thievery from the Fishbone Gang. In addition to her regenerative powers, Ms. Fortune also has precise control over her own body parts, an ability that figures heavily into her fighting style. She can extend her muscles and tendons to add force to her blows or give her attacks greater reach, release jets of blood from her legs to propel herself on the ground and in the air, and even detach her limbs completely to strike opponents and set up surprise attacks. One of her signature tactics even uses her own head as a projectile or bludgeon before leaving it on the ground to act as a secondary attacker. She also has the ability to stiffen her tail for use as a katana-like blade, either attached or detached from her body. She can also harden her body parts such as her ears and tail to use as weapons. which is actually a Feral special ability.

Parasoul's Story Few know the terrors of the Skullgirl as intimately as Parasoul does: seven years ago her own mother became the Skullgirl that nearly destroyed the world. This tragic past has made her fiercely protective of both her country and her family, and these two priorities frequently come into conflict. Parasoul is now the crown princess of the Canopy Kingdom and leader of its elite military squad, the Black Egrets. Wielding the living umbrella, Krieg, she fights with grace, poise and cunning to defend her family honor and destroy the Skull Heart so no one can repeat her mother’s terrible mistake. When she was a teenager, her mother turned into the skullgirl and she participated in taking her down alongside her father, Big Band and Ileum, with many other characters and factions helping out but without interacting diectly with Parasoul. The resulting fight ended up stopping the grand war, at the cost of her father losing his head and going missing, causing her to become the face of the kingdom instead. Skullgirls 2nd Encore After defeating Marie the Skullgirl, to save Umbrella who got too close to the Skull Heart and would die in its explosion if Parasoul were to destroy it, Parasoul wishes that her sister will never become the Skullgirl. Thus, causing Parasoul to become the next Skullgirl. In preparation for this eventuality, she orders the soldiers that she will personally train her sister Umbrella , in order for her to be able to combat what Parasoul is destined to become. They were last seen in a fencing lesson. Abilities & Fighting Style Parasoul is a strategic fighter on the battlefield, her living weapon Krieg is capable of shedding Napalm Tears that can be dropped around when Parasoul shoots it with her luger or twirls it around which she can then detonate later. She can temporarily float in the air with Krieg and any tear that explodes while she still floats propels her upward. Also, her soldiers are more than eager to help her gain the upper hand by defending her from projectiles, dragging her opponents away, or just shooting them from afar.

Painwheel Story Backstory Once a normal schoolgirl named Carol, Painwheel was kidnapped by Valentine and delivered to the Anti-Skullgirls Labs’ secretive Lab Zero. There she was implanted with the synthetic Buer Drive and Gae Bolga parasites and infused with experimental Skullgirl blood, transforming her into the monster she is today. Violent and unstable as a result of these experiments, as a precaution she’s mentally controlled by Lab Zero’s powerful psychic director, Brain Drain. Fueled by rage, she draws her power from her pain and fury. Despite that, the soul of that scared young girl still lives on inside this monstrous body, desperately fighting off the onslaught of voices that would control her. Once a normal schoolgirl named Carol, Painwheel lived in Maplecrest with her parents. She was friends with Filia despite her Medici heritage and she's the one who found Dog and Samson. At some later point in time she was found in a Medici slave camp along with no man's land refugees, it is currently unknown what happened between her normal life and her appearance there but its known Filia feels responsible for what happened (though it's also not known how responsible she actually is). When The Last Hope rescue the refugees Valentine comes across Painwheel, and, finding her blood suitable for their next experiment, takes her back to Lab 0 under Brain Drain's orders with the intent to turn her into an anti-Skullgirl weapon. After Valentine delivers Painwheel to Lab Zero, she is implanted with the synthetic Buer Drive and Gae Bolga parasites and infused with experimental Skullgirl blood, transforming her into her current state. She was also implanted with some kind of mind control device. Soon after she was transformed and had her newfound abilities tested by Lab 0, she was sent by Valentine to deal with a Medici operation (who apparently had a recent run-in with Big Band). Painwheel seems to recognize the name "Medici", but carries out her mission. Afterward, she tells Valentine that she wants to stop, and Valentine reveals that the Medicis were actually the ones who kidnapped her months ago (It's unknown whether Valentine is being truthful here or if she's lying to get Painwheel to continue). Painwheel still resists, and Valentine decides to let her leave, telling Brain Drain that she's performing a test. Painwheel travels to Maplecrest, which she recognizes as her previous home, and feels calm. When she arrives at her home, she fears her parents won't recognize her and attempts to remove her mask to no avail. Brain Drain calls her back to the lab, and, terrified of her parents seeing what she has become, she laments her fate and returns. 2e Story After defeating Marie and destroying the Skull Heart, Painwheel goes home to face her parents (in her current monstrous form) hoping they would still accept her as their daughter- however, the adults are horrified upon seeing her and shun her because of her appearance. A heart-broken and despondent Painwheel goes off and is confronted by Brain Drain, and she swears she will come after him as her eyes turn into skulls like Marie's. Umbrella's story Painwheel has a minor role in Umbrella's story, where the princess undos Painwheel's mind control due to her powers. The two slowly bonded, and helps out the Black Egrets during their fight with Marie. In the ending, she is recovering from her surgery and is having a sleepover with her friends. Abilities & Fighting Style Fueled by rage, she draws her power from her pain and fury, she has two synthetic parasites she can use: her Buer Drive to fly and use as an aditional limb and Gae Bolga which allows her to eject spikes from her body. She can also contort her body in unnatural ways to fight more effectively. She also has an electic theme throughout her different attacks which may be due to her skullgirl connection (It's worth noting Umbrella has an electric themed attack and she also has a connection to the skullgirl). Despite her using her rage to fight and other characters encouraging her to do so the devs have stated that she'd be stronger if she "calmed her heart."

Double's Story After capturing Filia and Cerebella, Double is sent to Anti-Skullgirl Lab 8 in order to destroy their research. Against Marie's wishes, she engages and defeats Peacock, claiming that Marie's old friend has become too great of a threat to their goals. Unbeknownst to Marie, Double captures Peacock, believing her to be another potential candidate. Following the destruction of Lab 8, Double continues her hunt for more candidates, capturing Parasoul, Painwheel, and Ms. Fortune. She then returns to the cathedral, defeats Valentine who she knew would betray her, and confers with her masters about her next move. On their orders, Double descends to the catacombs and confronts Marie, who appears to have realized her alleged servant's intentions. Declaring that the Trinity are tired of Marie's refusal to follow their agenda, and brushing off Marie's pleas for a little more time to finish off the Medici Mafia, Double engages the Skullgirl in a fierce battle. Despite Marie's incredible power, Double ultimately emerges triumphant, reclaiming the Skull Heart she had bestowed to Marie. Musing that Marie was able to prevent the Skull Heart from fully controlling her, Double confers with the Trinity one last time. After receiving her new (unknown) orders and claiming that she has already found the suitable candidate, she proceeds to dispose of her gathered candidates (who have apparently been judged unsuitable to become Skullgirls) by absorbing them into herself. After this, the screen is cut to the world where the Trinity live, where Aeon and Venus seem to watch on via a "joystick machine" where a copy of Skullgirls is being played. They claim that they can trace the "branching threads of fate of another world" via this machine, and "each branch is a history that might have been", however, "there is a timeline where all threads converge, including their own", before they head off to have dinner with "mother". Other Stories Double appears in all of the other characters' Story Modes as one of the foes they must overcome to reach the Skullgirl. Unless otherwise noted, she appears in the penultimate battle, fighting alongside Valentine in a two-on-one battle against the player character. Filia's story After Filia saved Painwheel from being shut down by Valentine, Double tells Filia that the Skull Heart can answer the questions about her past and then some with her wish. After warning Filia that the Skullgirl Marie is waiting in the catacombs of the Grand Cathedral, she and Valentine started to fight the schoolgirl to see if she is worthy of claiming the sought-after artifact. Double and Valentine did not appear later in the story after they were defeated in battle. Cerebella's story Double first battles Cerebella by mimicking her form and fighting alongside Valentine. When this fails to stop the performer, Double reverts to her true form and battles Cerebella by herself. After being defeated again, Double reveals Marie's location to Cerebella, hinting that she could use the Skull Heart to achieve her heart's desire. (It is unclear if Double knows about Cerebella's constant struggle to win Vitale's favor or not.) Peacock's story Double confronts Peacock when the latter first meets Marie in the wake of Anti-Skullgirl Lab 8's destruction. After failing to defeat Peacock while mimicking her form, Double retreats with Marie to the Grand Cathedral. When Peacock arrives in pursuit of Marie, Double joins Valentine in attacking the peppy cyborg, only to be defeated again. Ms. Fortune's story After Ms. Fortune defeated Valentine in a fight, Double warns Valentine that Marie needed her at the Grand Cathedral. At the cathedral, Ms. Fortune confronts the two in search of the Skull Heart. When Valentine wanted to conduct experiments on Ms. Fortune, Double tells her the spry feline is a potential candidate of becoming a Skullgirl. Ms. Fortune continues her way after defeating the two. Parasoul's story When Valentine kidnapped Umbrella at the Streets of New Meridian after learning her unique bond with the Skullgirl, Parasoul goes after her. However, Double, taking Parasoul's form, gets in her way and the two fight. After she was defeated, she warns the princess that Umbrella will probably become the next Skullgirl and her bond that Valentine mentioned is potentially more dangerous than previous Skullgirls. After Molly located Umbrella and Marie at the Grand Cathedral, Parasoul and the Black Egrets were confronted by Double and Valentine before they started their search. As Parasoul was incensed with the villainous duo, Double notifies her that time is running out and says her mother Queen Nancy would be disappointed with way she acted. With the help of the Egrets, Parasoul defeated the duo. Painwheel's story Double was present in the Grand Cathedral when Painwheel arrived, seeking revenge on Valentine. At the latter's insistence, Double left the two combatants to battle one-on-one. As such, she was not present to see a defeated Valentine offer words of encouragement to Painwheel and send her creation to the catacombs to battle Marie. Valentine's story In the beginning, Double appears alongside Marie threatening Valentine after they killed the other members of the Last Hope. Later on, she sees Valentine's drop her ruse when the ninja nurse prevented her from killing Painwheel. She tells her that the Trinity does not look kindly on her traitorous ways. Valentine beats her in a fight and confronts Marie in the catacombs. Squigly's story An unexpected consequence of Double delivering the Skull Heart to Selene Contiello was the transformation of Selene's daughter (Sienna, a.k.a. "Squigly") into a free-willed undead bonded with the parasite Leviathan. Fourteen years later, the unlikely duo would become an obstacle to the Trinity's plans when they infiltrated the Grand Cathedral in search of the Skull Heart. Double appears to recognize Squigly when they meet, noting that she had "a second chance" to serve the Trinity, but chose to reject it. Double was not present when Squigly and Leviathan defeated Valentine and battled Bloody Marie, but she ambushed the duo following their victory over the Skullgirl. To Double's surprise, her attack was thwarted by the arrival of Filia and Samson. Double attempted to turn Squigly against Filia by revealing her as a Medici (and thus, belonging to the family that killed the Contiello and stitched Squigly's mouth shut), but Squigly ignored the bait, declaring that she wanted Filia's actions to speak for her instead of the monster that tried to harm her. After being defeated by the girls and their parasites, Double revealed that she was the one who gave Squigly's mother the Skull Heart. Despite this, she insisted that the Medici were to blame for the death of the Contiello, as Lorenzo was the one who stitched Squigly's mouth shut (as a warning to anyone who sought to challenge the Medici). Ultimately, Double's words failed to move Squigly, and she was incinerated by Leviathan's dragon breath. Big Band's story After catching wind of Lab 8's destruction from Dr. Avian, Big Band rushes over there to check on the inhabitants. Upon arriving at the lab, Big Band encounters Double, who takes his form and chides him for his existence. After being defeated, Double retreats back to the Grand Cathedral. After realizing that Valentine was behind the damage, Big Band heads to the Grand Cathedral to confront her and Double. After defeating them, Big Band heads off to confront Marie. Eliza's story After Marie was defeated, Double attacks the unsuspecting Eliza, while Horace and Albus do their best to protect her. Consumed with rage due to Eliza killing Aeon and Venus, Double (whom Eliza addresses as Queen Lamia) tries to kill her at her most vulnerable position. Fortunately for Eliza, the blood that dripped on the blue veins on the ground allowed her and her servants to escape to Gehenna. Enraged by this, Double goes after them and prepares to kill them for good. There, she is able to use the blood to power herself up and face Double. Double continues shouting threats, but Eliza is not phased by them. Upon Double's defeat, Eliza escapes with Albus and Horace in tow and destroys the Skullheart. Beowulf's story She first appears to Beowulf in her Sister Agatha disguise when he appeared at the church and showed her that Grendel's arm was acting up. She advised him to lose the arm, but Beowulf decides to make a comeback and fight against the Skullgirl. Realizing she could use him, Double took the form of Zane and became Beowulf's manager, having him fight various members of the cast so she can later take them into her body. She later turns herself into Beowulf and attempts to demoralize him in the ring by revealing that his fight with Grendel was staged. When Beowulf confronts Zane afterwards, Double reveals her true self and takes him to Gehenna with the rest of her captured prey, which not only includes the three other people had had battle earlier, but also members of Lab 8, the Black Egrets Cirque des Cartes, and even D. Violet and Scythana. They are all rescued by Annie, who defeats Double while Beowulf fights Marie. Annie's story While not stated, it is implied that she aided Valentine in her fight against Big Band and Squigly, but she eventually leaves once she senses the Skull Heart has been destroyed. From there, she greats Annie within her domain. She calls the girl a fool to challenge her alone, with her only ally being her parasite Sagan. While Annie boldly states she doesn't need anyone else, the only reason she was able to defeat the Skullgirl so soon was become of her other allies. She then takes the form of Ben Birdland and Sienna Contiello both when they were still normal humans, and what they have became after the terrible things that happened to them. She muses that she would hesitate in fighting them, but Annie tells her to put that theory to the test. But after beating the replicas of Big Band and Squigly, she asks Double if that was the only trick up her sleeve. However, she tells her as it is not as the place they are in is a part of her. She then reveals that she is able to make copies of herself and sends them out to kill Annie. And even after beating the doubles of Double, the shapeshifter remains unfazed, as she states there is more to come. Annie declares that she will find a way to end both the shapeshifter, and the skull heart for good, but this cause Double to point out she is burdened with a great task, but knows this wasn't how it was for her long ago. She then begins to retell Annie's backstory to her by taking the form of her back when she was still a normal girl, who loved the world she lived in and enjoyed staring at the stars. While Annie tells her to stop, Double ignores her and keeps going. She next states her mother would do what ever it took to protect her, and made a wish on the Skull Heart that she would never be tainted by the wicked adults of the world. Double admits it was one of the most purest wishes she had ever heard, and yet despite this, a wish of purity isn't pure. And she does so why turning into her mother both as a human, and as a skullgirl. Annie then fibs about not listening nor does she care about who she pretends to be. Double points out that despite all she has done for the people of this world and warning them of the dangers of the heart, there will always be someone who ignores these warnings. She remarks how the wish remains in effect as she was the one who chose to loose hope in them. She also states she has bathed in the violence and aggression of this world, and yet it seems to be the only thing she cares about anymore as she has became a jaded cynic. But out of all she things she wants to kill, Double points out she is the one at the top of her death list. Her apathy and wrath have made her become worse then the very adults she despises. And then finishes her speech by turning into her mother and telling her that she is so disappointed in her, while addressing by her real name: Annabella. This causes Annie to loose it furiously telling Double to stop. But instead, she sucker punches her and puts the girl at her mercy. She then ask Annie if she has any final prayers, but Annie just responds with telling Double to get it over with. Double then proceeds to strike Annie, only for Aileen to push her out of the way much to Double's confusion. Just then, Florence and the real Big Band come to her aid much to her surprise. However Aileen, tells her that she decided to face Double and Marie all by herself, just so the y wouldn't get hurt. But she points out she isn't the only one fighting this fight, as she inspires them to be better and keep going against all odds. Double tells Aileen that her talk is pointless has her idol has fallen from grace, and she will die with her. But she is instantly proven wrong as Annie becomes empowered and remarks on all of all of the hopes and dreams in the world. The very things that she fights for is the ones who have them. Enraged after being defeated for the third time, Double causes all of Gehenna to tremble and collapse in one last attempt to kill Annie. She notices that Annie still wants to finish her off, and wonders if she would put the very people that defended her in danger. Annie decides to save her friends instead, and they soon escape from the collapsing cavern. However, it is later shown she also survived and is now disguised as a janitor at Annie' studio. While quietly declaring that every star falls eventually. Umbrella's Story While she doesn't face Umbrella directly, she is mentioned by Adam stating they were ambushed by a shapeshifting monster who separated Parasoul from the rest of her troops. She likely doesn't interfere because she believes that Umbrella would be the most powerful of Skullgirls, even more so then her own mother. Abilities & Fighting Style Double takes full advantage of her shapeshifting abilities in battle, freely shifting her mass into various weapons and appendages. In-game, she prefers to morph into the forms of other characters in order to perform one of their attacks (including some that were dropped from their movesets during development). Some of her abilities involve using the form of one character to begin an attack before shifting into a different character to utilize their attributes as a follow-up. Double's shifting abilities enable her to manifest multiple separate bodies that she can control, as well as enormous forms that far exceed her usual mass. However, she appears to be unable to imitate certain supernatural abilities (such as the fiery "tears" of Krieg). Double can mimic anyone's voice, and is capable of talking normally to appear as, for example, a nun or a stranger at a party, in order to spread rumors about the Skull Heart.

Squigly's Backstory Squigly is the last "surviving" member of the Contiello, a famous line of opera singers and long-time clients of the Medici family. Fourteen years ago, tragedy befell Squigly’s family when the Medici Mafia came close to obtaining the Skull Heart. Lorenzo's top assassin, Black Dahlia, was ordered to murder Squigly and her parents by the Mafia - the very people who seemed to be some of their family's closest allies. It was during this incident that her mother had made the wish to bring back all the Contiello back to life, becoming the Skullgirl. Squigly would have been one of her minions if her father did not have Leviathan bond with Squigly as his new host. Going to Medici Tower, she then met Annie, Big Band, Panzerfaust and Deep Violet. She reluctantly agreed to help fight her parents. Upon succeeding, she and Leviathan fell "dead" once more due to the Skullgirl being gone. Big Band and Panzerfaust both agreed to keep the tale of what Squigly did secret. Lorenzo organized and attended the funeral of the Contiello himself, but it was during this time that he stitched Squigly's mouth together, in an attempt to hide his role in the fall of her family. Squigly was not resurrected during Queen Nancy's transformation into a Skullgirl, due to her being away in another land at the time and as such, her powers did not extend back to the Canopy Kingdom's deceased. Fast forward to the present: Bloody Marie's emergence has awoken Squigly from her long sleep. As part of the Skullgirl's undead legion, Squigly should have become nothing more than a mindless servant of the pale maiden. However, thanks to the powers of her Parasite, Leviathan, she is spared this fate. Having been passed through the Contiello family for generations, Leviathan is refined and dotes on Squigly like her father and previous host did. This long familial history has made Squigly's bond with Leviathan deeper and more fundamental than that of most Parasites, and allows them to work harmoniously both in and out of battle like synchronized dance partners. Their unique circumstance also seems to have given them abilities beyond this world, as well. Story After reawakening in New Meridian, Squigly sees Marie attacking an airship containing a fleeing Lorenzo Medici with part of a building. Her musings on Marie's apparent desire to protect the innocent bystanders while focusing her rage on the Medici Mafia were interrupted by the arrival of Parasoul and the Black Egrets, who identified her as one of the Skullgirl's minions. After fighting Parasoul off, Squigly fled the scene, but not before using an apparition-like copy of herself to suggest that the Canopy Kingdom princess should focus her attention on Marie and her active minions. After making her escape, Squigly noted that her powers seemed to have become stronger since she last used them, which Leviathan admitted was a sign of his imperfect ability to block the Skull Heart's influence. Squigly assured her Parasite that he was doing an admirable job by simply allowing her to live after death, but then discovered - much to her horror - that someone had sewn her mouth shut during her "sleep". Realizing that the Medici were to blame, Squigly and Leviathan set off to find Lorenzo and exact vengeance for the insult. Abilities & Fighting Style She and/or Leviathan use long-range attacks to prevent close range combat. However, their mid-air attacks are quite limited and short-ranged and need to be timed correctly. Most of her ground attacks while squatting are very slow and easy to be seen and spotted at any distance on the screen but each hit does massive damage. Whereas Filia and Samson have limited cooperation in the attacks, Squigly and Leviathan synchronize their attacks to move fluently. Squigly uses her voice (with the assistance from Leviathan) in battle to not only have the screen focus her and drag opponents towards her for her advantage, but also to produce a big projectile that resembles a musical note to deliver damage. She can also charge her moves with stances so they can become more damaging or last longer. The stances can be canceled into different attacks to throw opponents off their guard. Like Filia, Squigly does very little of any actual fighting, merely acting as a vector for Leviathan to lash out with his attacks.

Fukua Backstory One of Brain Drain’s less-socially-acceptable hobbies is cloning, and often he forces the souls of dead warriors to inhabit these clones. Fukua is the result of a fortunate – or unfortunate – Lab Zero accident: a union of two souls. One, a once-proud warrior known for her brute strength in close combat; the other a silent assassin who specialized in ranged weapons for her kills. Together as one, Fukua possesses the best of both specialties… but relationships formed under intense circumstances often don’t last. It's worth noting that this biography only exists to reference her origin as "zoner Filia" and "grappler Filia" mixed together. Story After a scene showing Filia asleep (in similar vein to Fukua's reveal trailer) the setting transcends to the contents of her nightmare. Starring Fukua, she battles every playable character (regardless of whether or not the consumer has purchased the DLC) in the games roster, excluding herself, in reverse order from when they were implemented into the game; beginning her quest against Robo-Fortune up until achieving her goal of besting Filia, the final boss. Ending With Filia beaten, Fukua dons a look-alike mask (implied to actually be Filia's skinned head, Samson and all), claiming she is now the true physical embodiment of Filia. The story ends with Filia waking up, spooked by her replacement, and traversing to her bathroom only to find her reflection suddenly transform into Fukua's. Shortly after the credits, Umbrella and Annie appear to the left and right of Fukua in the reflection, with the mirror cracking afterwards. (Note that at the time this story mode was made neither Umbrella nor Annie were in the game, having failed to achieve enough votes.) Abilities & Fighting Style Fukua is a physical clone of Filia (with her Parasite Shamone being a clone of Samson) who contains two souls: one who was the strongest at close combat, and another who was the strongest at ranged attacks. Since she is a clone of Filia, Fukua imitates her in combat too. However, she has a rather different fighting style from Filia, with her having unique attacks that look like modified Filia attacks as well as them having unique powers with Shamone being able to spit out energy balls and Fukua herself being able to produce energy clones. In her original trailer she lacked any of the energy related abilities she is slightly known for. Her energy ball attacks are just projectile hair ball attacks and while she can still project clones, none of the more energy-like ones appear. The attacks she has now appear to be added later when they decided to add her and modify her into the game.