GUILTY GEAR XX: THE MIDNIGHT CARNIVAL
PLOT FAQ
   (v3.0, 10-05-03)
by Edward Chang (chang.459@osu.edu)

Version History
v3.0 (10-05-03)
   Huge update. Added info from the Xtra Manga, as well as the glossary in
   the back of drafting artworks.

v2.5 (9-03-03)
   Working on a major update, added all of the drama CDs to "canon" sources,
   major addition to questions. Added a "Miscellaneous" section.

v2.0 (7-12-03)
   Corrected URL. Added tons of information from the Guilty Gear novels.

v1.1 (2-28-03)
   Added questions about "fake Outrages", Sol, I-No, the Assassins, forbidden
   magic,addition to the timeline.

v1.0 (2-24-03)
   First version.


Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Frequently Asked Questions
   -- Gears
   -- Magic/Technology
   -- History/Government/Organizations
   -- Sol/Frederick
   -- Ky *NEW*
   -- Dizzy
   -- That Man/Justice/I-No/Raven
   -- Other Characters
   -- Miscellaneous
3. Timeline
4. Unanswered Questions
5. Glossary *NEW*
6. Credits


1. INTRODUCTION

This is a Plot FAQ for Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival and by
extension, the entire Guilty Gear series of games. The purpose of this FAQ
is to answer all the commonly asked questions about the game's storyline
and to clear up misconceptions that have propagated around the net due to
negligence, misinterpretation, or straight out lying.

Because I am advocating all the information in this FAQ as "canon", I will
cite the information I have listed here. The following sources were used
to make this FAQ and are considered canon.

Release date and when applicable, serial numbers are shown.

Games
Guilty Gear: The Missing Link (May 1998)
Guilty Gear X: By Your Side (Arcade ? 2000, Console December 2000)
Guilty Gear X+: By Your Side (November 2001)
Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival (Arcade May 2002, Console December 2002)
Guilty Gear XX #Reload (Arcade ? 2003, Console July 2003)

Books/Mooks
Guilty Gear Complete Bible (May 1998) (ISBN 4-7966-1347-1)
Guilty Gear X Slash Encyclopedia (August 2000) (ISBN 4-7577-0184-5)
Guilty Gear X Drafting Artworks (January 2001) (ISBN 4-7577-0301-5)
Guilty Gear XX Burst Encyclopedia (June 2002) (ISBN 4-7577-0934-X)
Guilty Gear XX Complete Guide (February 2003) (ISBN 4-7973-2294-2)
Guilty Gear X Novel Lightning the Argent (January 2001)(ISBN 4-7577-0276-0)
Guilty Gear X Novel The Butterfly and her Gale (August 2002)
   (ISBN 4-7577-0714-2)
Guilty Gear Xtra Manga Hoshi Furu Sora no Nagaki Ude (Sept 2003)
   (ISBN 4-06-349148-X) *NEW*

CDs
Guilty Gear X Drama CD Volume 1 (10-24-2001) (SCDC-132)
Guilty Gear X Drama CD Volume 2 (11-21-2001) (SCDC-137)
Guilty Gear XX Drama CD Side Red (7-16-2003) (KDSD-10)
Guilty Gear XX Drama CD Side Black (8-20-2003) (KDSD-14)

Websites
Official Guilty Gear website (http://www.guiltygearx.com)

If two canon sources conflict on a point, the newer one is considered
"correct". The sole exception is for the American translations of the games,
as I have no access to them and therefore I have no way to tell if they
have been translated accurately. Thus, all of the games are considered 
canon by way of their original Japanese version only.

No other sources are considered "canon" for the purposes of this FAQ. That
means, do not email me and say "the info in your FAQ is wrong" if your source
is a doujinshi, fanfic, random picture, or forum post you found on the web.

With that said I can and probably will make mistakes, so if there is some
info that you feel is mistaken or omitted from this guide, please feel
free to contact me and let me know.


2. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here I will answer in question-and-answer format many of the confusing
aspects about the Guilty Gear series' plot. At the end of each entry there
will be a citation showing where I got the info from. Abbreviations are as
follows:

GG - the original video game Guilty Gear
GGX - the original video game Guilty Gear X
GGX+ - the original video game Guilty Gear X+
GGXX - the original video game Guilty Gear XX
#R - the original video game Guilty Gear #Reload
CB - the Complete Bible
SE - the Slash Encyclopedia
BE - the Burst Encyclopedia
DA - the Drafting Artworks
CG - the Complete Guide
LA - The "Lightning The Argent" novel
BG - The "The Butterfly and her Gale" novel
V1 - Drama CD Vol. 1
V2 - Drama CD Vol. 2
SR - Drama CD Red
SB - Drama CD Black
WS - the official Website
XM - the GG Xtra Manga *NEW*

The questions in this section are rougly organized according to category.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GEARS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. What is a Gear?
A. Gears were created by mankind as a means to further evolution. Gears
aren't really a species of their own; they are "altered" species, and
whales and elephants can be made into Gear-types. Of course, humans are
included in this list as well. In 2016, the first human subject to undergo
the change into Gear was the American Frederick. He and the researchers
all disappeared shortly after. Many Gears run on instinct and turn out
to be little more than killing machines, but some - especially those
derived from human subjects - are able to retain their free will.
(DA pg. 225)

Q. Who created Gears?
A. Somebody simply known as "That Man" (Ano Otoko). He was actually just
one of several people on the Gear Project, but he is the one who created
Justice and is therefore the person responsible for the current trouble
with Gears. Oddly enough, the few times he does appear he seems apologetic
about creating Gears, only saying that it is necessary to save the world.
Also, Drama CD Black makes it clear that he doesn't intend for Gears to
overrun mankind or rule the world. It is clear that he knows Frederick (Sol), 
and recently it's been revealed that he also knows or at least knows of 
Slayer.
(GGXX, SB)

Q. Why are Gears such a threat, if they were created as a means for
mankind to further evolution?
A. The process of making a Gear can cause a Gear to lose its own will and
run on instinct. When a "command-type Gear" (such as Justice) is around,
these instinct-running Gears can be directed towards certain ends, such
as attacking humans. As a matter of fact, this is precisely what happened
to Testament. Also, the fact that Gears are stronger and more powerful
in magic or magic-like abilities leaves open the possibility that they
will be used as weapons, though they were not created for the sake of
being weapons.
(DA pg. 225, GGXX)

Q. Are Gears no longer a threat?
A. With the death of Justice, the "command-type" Gear, Gears are supposedly
unable to move of their own volition anymore. However, there is evidence
that Dizzy may have some of the same properties that Justice did, which is
what makes Dizzy so powerful and dangerous - the fact that Testament has
volition could be an indication of that. 
In Lightning the Argent, it is revealed that Dizzy is not the only self-aware
Gear; there is a full-blooded Gear named Solaria, created by the Blackard
Company for the purposes of taking control of Gears and using them as
weapons. However Solaria was rescued from the Company and she is currently
living freely under the auspices of the International Police (via Ky Kiske).
Solaria does not appear to be a command-type Gear.
(GGXX, LA)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAGIC/TECHNOLOGY
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. What is magic? What is ki?
A. Magic is a source of incredible energy that began to be studied seriously 
by humans in the 21st century. There are five elements of magic: fire,
lightning, water, wind, and ki. The first four are now well understood and
can be ampilified and controlled, but the use of ki remains unknown. Ki 
has its origins in the Orient. Testament is known to control some sort of
magic, and the wielders of Jinki can also control magic to some extent.
Axl too, for some reason, has been observed to use something similar to magic
of the fire element. As for ki, some fighting masters of the Orient, such
as Jam Kuradoberi, can use it; Kliff Undersn was the first non-Asian to be
able to use ki, and now Chipp Zanuff has mastered its use as well.
(DA pg. 227, GGXX, CG pg. 294, BG)

Q. What is the Outrage? *REVISED*
A. The Outrage was a weapon designed by Frederick to fight against Gears. Its
purpose is to function as an amplifier for magical powers that could be
harnessed by man. However, the potential of the Outrage was unknown, so it
wasn't created as one part - it was created as eight component pieces,
each of which is known as a "Jinki" (Divine Implement or Tool). The eight
Jinki are the Fuuenken (Fireseal Sword), Fuuraiken (Thunderseal Sword),
Zessen (Stopping Fans), Senga (Flashing Tooth), Ekitoku (Increasing Fervor),
Kojouhaku (White on the Lake), and two that are unnamed. Note that aside
from the first three, it's not clear that the Jinki are even weapons by
themselves.
Note: In the GGXtra Manga, Bernard pronounces jinki as "shinki" and Zessen
as "Zetsusen". The kanji used are identical, however.
(CB pg. 103, DA pg. 225, 231, although romanizations are guesses on my part)

Q. Who has the Jinki?
A. The Jinki are under the care of the United Nations. However, three of
the eight Jinki are currently in the possession of some of the Guilty
Gear cast. Ky Kiske, as current head of the Holy Order, has the Fuuraiken.
Sol Badguy (formerly Frederick) has the Fuuenken. Anji Mito has the
Zessen. NO OTHER CHARACTER has a Jinki.
(DA pg. 225, BE pg. 16, 19, 40, GGX+, GGXX)

Q. Who has "fake Outrages"?
A. There is no such thing as fake Jinki. It is a popular fan notion that
That Man, in response to Frederick creating the Outrage, created "fake
Outrages". This is untrue and it doesn't even make sense, as the individual
weapons are called Jinki, not Outrages - the Outrage is simply a huge
anti-Gear weapon. By that same token, Venom/Johnny/Robo Ky do not have
"fake Outrages" as fans have suggested. In short, there is no official
support in any of the canon sources for the existence of "fake Outrages".
(all sources)

Q. What are the "forbidden beasts"?
A. The forbidden beasts (kinjuu) are based on Gear technology. However, they
were developed by the Shuusen Kanrikyoku into an anti-Gear weapon. One of
the first was given as a test case to a man named Zato-1, and this spurred
Zato's rise in the assassin syndicate until he managed to become the
syndicate's leader.
(GGXX)

Q. What are the "forbidden magics"?
A. The forbidden magic (kinju - note this is written with different
characters than kinjuu) are magic rituals that are deemed unsafe for humans
to practice. The reason is that because human understanding of magic is
still yet incomplete, practice of these rituals may cause unintended
side effects, including virus-like effects and harm inflicted to the
wielder. Nevertheless, sometimes these magics get practiced, and there have
been hints that the Assassin Syndicate has practiced this.
(DA pg. 225, GGXX)

Q. What is the "Hi-Deigokutsuipou"? *REVISED*
A. This is the term for the "six forbidden magics". They have been forbidden 
because practitioners of it are at a huge risk for aftereffects; however 
because of the power they can grant it is still practiced. Zato-1, for
instance, gave up his powers of perception as the "password" for the
Fifth Forbidden Magic, "Shokusei Kagejin", and in exchange received the
power to control shadows. (Note: GGXX seems to conflict with this description,
saying that the Shuusen Kanrikyoku bestowed the Eddie, a Gear-derived kinjuu,
onto Zato-1.). Millia Rage of the same syndicate underwent the Sixth
Forbidden Magic, "Angra", but what aftereffects it may have on her are still
unknown.
(DA pg. 226, GGXX)

Q. What is "blacktech"? *NEW*
A. Blacktech is the technology of the old world that has since fallen into
disuse since the discovery of magic. The basis of definition of blacktech
seems to be any technology that harms people or the environment, although
some seemingly innocuous things like data discs appear to be blacktech,
while explosives do not. Einstein's mass-energy equation (i.e., nuclear
power) is most definitely blacktech, as are guns. Though most of the world
fears blacktech and has made it illegal, the continent of Zepp in fact
celebrates blacktech, insisting that man is wrong to shun old technology
and that it is the motive, not the machines, that can be used for evil.
(V1, V2)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY/GOVERNMENT/ORGANIZATIONS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. What happened to Japan? What happened to the Japanese? *REVISED*
A. It was destroyed by an attack of Gears, under the command of Justice (and
therefore indirectly That Man) in 2074 A.D. This was the incident that set
off the Holy War and the formation of the Holy Order.
The remaining Japanese now live in the Japanese Colony, an area which has
been magically sealed off from the rest of the world. Time seems to pass
oddly within it; in certain sections it is always spring, and in others,
summer. However, there is some indication that the Japanese Colony is less
a preservation facility than it is a place to store 'dangerous items' and
keep them away from the rest of the world.
(DA pg. 231, XM)

Q. What is the Shuusen Kanrikyoku/Postwar Management Bureau? *REVISED*
A. The Shuusen Kanrikyoku is a mysterious organization that is behind
the events of GGXX. According to Ky, they were around during the Holy War
(and were not a secret organization then) but were supposed to have been
disbanded. They are a separate entity from That Man and his organization,
and their goals also seem to be different. During GGXX, their goals seem
to be the capture and/or elimination of Gears, those of Japanese descent,
and those who can use "ki". Their ultimate goals are unknown.
In the Xtra Manga, an agent of the SK, Geena, appears to be after the
Zessen.
(GGXX, XM)

Q. What is the Assassin Syndicate?
A. The Assassins are a shadowy group of, what else, assassins. Some among
them have battle prowess similar to Gears, while there are also
reports that the practice of kinju (forbidden magic) has taken place
within the syndicate. The syndicate was originally founded by Slayer,
purportedly to "punish those outside the law", but he grew tired of life on 
Earth and "retired" to his castle. Many years passed and eventually, either 
because of the practice of kinju (DA) or because of the involvement of the 
Shuusen Kanrikyoku (GGXX), Zato-1 became he leader of the syndicate. He 
had associated with him an underling, Venom, as well as a member of still 
undefined relationship to him, Millia. However Zato-1 lost control of the 
shadows and eventually passed away. The current status of the Syndicate is 
in question; Slayer wants it dissolved, since it has lost its original
purpose, whereas Venom wants to take it over in Zato-1's memory.
The Syndicate has its hands in politics; it's certainly able to influence
the politics of A Country (formerly the United States) and evidence points
that the Syndicate may in fact be based in A Country.
(DA pg. 225, GGXX, BG)

Q. What is Zepp?
A. When the potential of magic was realized in 2010, the use of science
became obsolete. However, some decided that technology still had its uses.
These people founded the floating continent of Zepp. Currently Zepp floats
around in the sky, constantly changing location; people on the ground fear
it as a country that uses "Black Tech". Zepp recently had a slave uprising
and revolution, and currently they are led by President Gabriel.
(BG)

Q. What happened to the USA?
A. The US is currently known simply as "A Country". It seems to be less
powerful than formerly, and it, like many other nations, is firmly under
the yoke of the United Nations. As of 2181, the leader of the USA is a 17
year old girl, Erica Bartholomew. However, like former presidents of the
USA, she's a puppet of the Assassin Syndicate. By 2182, Erica has forged
an alliance with President Gabriel of Zepp for the purpose of reducing
the Syndicate's influence on politics.
(BG)

Q. What is the Holy Order? *NEW*
A. Mankind's last hope in the Holy War, it was an organization of the world's
best fighters founded in 2074 to combat Gears in the Holy War. Its former
commanders include Kliff Undersn and Ky Kiske. After the sealing of Justice,
the Holy Order was disbanded. However with the rumors of Justice's revival,
an unofficial "Second Holy Order" came together and sponsored a tournament
that eventually led to Justice's death. Currently, the Holy Order is once
again no longer functioning, with its former members serving in a number
of capacities.
(DA pg. 226; LA)

Q. What are the Jellyfish Pirates? *NEW*
A. A group of sky pirates led by Johnny, they serve in a Robin Hood-esque
manner, attempting to help out the poor people of the world. Many of the
members are girls orphaned during the Holy War whom Johnny has adopted, May
and April presumably among them. Their newest recruit is Dizzy, whom Ky
entrusted to Johnny in order to keep her away from prying eyes and to
support the 'official' explanation that Dizzy is now dead.
Each known crew member is named closely after a month; Janice, the black
cat; Febe, the record-keeper; March, the youngest, who always carries her
stuffed penguin; April, May's best friend, the pilot; May; June, the
purple-haired girl with a sextant in hand (possibly a navigator?); July,
an eyepatched girl with a sword; Augus, a swift fighter; Sephy, who cleans
the deck; Octy, a girl with hidden eyes and telescope in hand; Novel, a
girl wo always rides a giant red mecha; Dizzy (December), and Leap (Leap
Year), the cook.
Whether the known crew members are all female because of Johnny's taste, or
whether ALL the crew members are in fact, female, is still unknown.
(SE pg.108, DA pg. 225, V1) 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOL/FREDERICK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Who is Frederick? Who is Sol?
A. Frederick is the man who became the prototype Gear, in 2016. After
undergoing his transformation, he donned his headgear, which is actually
a Gear Cell Control-type device (to suppress his Gear nature) and
disappeared. However, he kept "That Man", one of the researchers of the
Gear Project and the creator of Justice, in his sights. When That Man
began work on Justice, Frederick began work on the Outrage. He also saved
Kliff from a Gear attack when Kliff was only 6.
Decades later, Kliff recruited a certain "Sol Badguy" into the Holy Order.
It was this Sol that was responsible for the sealing away of Justice (in
Justice's Story Mode Ending in GGXX), and after Justice's escape five
years later, the destruction of Justice (in GG). Presenting himself as
a bounty hunter, he nevertheless revealed himself to Justice as the proto-
type of Gears, and therefore, as Frederick. Later on, he began hunting
other Gears, though once he found Dizzy, for reasons still unexplained
he did not kill her as he had killed others.
(DA pg. 226, 229, GG, GGX, GGXX)

Q. Why is Sol often called "Haitoku no Honoo"?
A. Haitoku no Honoo means in this context "Corrupted Flame", not "Flame of
Corruption" (as it is referring to the fact that Sol/Frederick has
been "corrupted", not that he corrupts others). This relates to the whole
title of the series, "Guilty Gear", as Sol can be described as both the
"Guilty Gear" and the "Corrupted Flame" for having worked on the Gear
Project. Who first bestowed the name on him is unknown, but when Justice and
Sol meet at the end of the Holy War, even before Justice knows that Sol is
a Gear, she calls Sol by this name.
(GGX+, GGXX)

Q. Were Sol and I-No ever romantically involved?
A. No. Drama CD Side Red shows that the first time Sol and I-No met was in
2173, during the Holy War, and Sol in fact tries to kill her as soon as 
he meets her. I-No was not working with That Man during the Gear Project,
and thus there would have been no 'time frame' where Sol and I-No could've
been romantically involved. (The source of this popular fan rumor appears
to be I-No's intro vs. Sol, "Gobusata, *bleep*yarou", which means "You
haven't written, asshole". However, Gobusata is in no way limited to former
lovers, and in spoken context, as opposed to letters, it simply means "long
time no see".)
(SR, SB)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KY *NEW*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Who is Ky?
A. Formerly a captain, then commander, of the Holy Order during the Holy War,
and now captain of the International Police Force. He was apparently
orphaned in the Holy War at the age of ten; he then met Kliff, who, seeing
the potential the young boy had, told him to come back to him in five years
if he really wanted to fight. He did.
Ky turned out to be a pivotal figure in the Holy War; in an alternate
history where Ky was killed in the Battle of Rome, mankind eventually lost
the Holy War. This future was averted through the unlikely intervention of
I-No, who travelled back in time and saved Ky's life, giving rise to the
current timeline.
(LA, SR, SB, XM)

Q. What makes Ky so special?
A. Ky possesses not only an extreme intelligence when it comes to battle
tactics, but also innate magical power. Lightning the Argent reveals that
even with the Fuuraiken in hand, lightning is one of the hardest elements
to control, and only Ky has been known to be able to shape the lightning
and send it out as a projectile (AKA, Stun Edge). At the same time he
possesses a rather stubborn nature in the name of justice and compassion,
and (much to the annoyance of the Shuusen Kanrikyoku) he is not above
investigating his own superiors if he feels they are in violation of justice.

Q. Who is Robo Ky? Who is Kuro Ky? Who is Gear Ky? *MOVED*
A. Robo Ky is a robot double of Ky created by the Shuusen Kanrikyoku, for
purposes unknown. However his purpose in GGXX seems to be the capture of
the Japanese or people who are able to use "ki". In #Reload he gets a
massive makeover, and he seems to have more of a personality - he's quite
egotistical, and perhaps even rebellious against his masters, but still
his purpose is unknown.
Kuro Ky is a fan-creation. He is an "evil" or "dark" version of Ky who
appears in many a Japanese fanfic or fanart. There is no official basis for
Kuro Ky. (Kuro means "black" in Japanese).
Gear Ky is a mistaken name for Robo Ky. This name is misleading because
Robo Ky is not a Gear. The origin of this name is probably actually a
shortening of "Guilty Gear Ky", as in GGX(+) enabling Guilty Gear Mode
made Ky Robo Ky.
(GGXX, #R)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIZZY
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Is Dizzy a Gear? Is Necro a Gear? Is Undine a Gear?
A. Dizzy is a half-Gear, half-human. Her Gear heritage allows her
phenomenol physical and intellectual growth rate as well as gives her her
wings and tail. Necro and Undine aren't in and of themselves Gears, but
rather an extension of Dizzy's Gear nature. The Burst Encyclopedia
describes them as her "Guardian Spirits"; the Drafting Artworks refer to
them as "Systems".
(BE pg. 47, 208, DA pg. 228-229)

Q. Is Necro a servant of That Man?
A. No, no, and no. I don't know where this rumor came up, but there are
several proofs against it. Most recently, in one of Slayer's endings in GGXX,
he refers to The Man's "Three Servants" - Raven, I-No, and Justice. There is
no "room" for Necro. More convincingly, both the GGXX Mook and the
Drafting Artworks reveal that Necro (and Undine as well) were 
brought into existence by Dizzy's Gear Nature at the same time as she got
wings and a tail. The Drafting Artworks even refers to him as a kind of
"system" (perhaps an immune system with an attitude?) rather than a separate
entity.
(DA pg. 229, BE pg. 208, GGXX)

Q. Who are Dizzy's parents?
A. At long last, Drama CD Side Black revealed that Dizzy's mother is Justice 
(of course, this means that Justice is female). Some have argued that this 
is the 'alternate future' presented in that Drama CD, but the fact remains 
that Dizzy is Justice's daughter in that future, and therefore it's highly 
unlikely that Dizzy is anybody else's daughter in the 'correct' future. 
(After all, changing the mother would change the genetic makeup of a person, 
and changing somebody's genetic makeup would make a totally different 
person). This makes a lot of sense as well, as Dizzy is the only known 
command-type Gear currently alive (the only known one previously was 
Justice).
The question remains as to who Dizzy's father is. Since Dizzy is only
half-Gear, her father must be human, not Gear. This makes it very unlikely
that Sol is her father, despite hints in XX Story Mode that he may be. (It's
possibly that his protectiveness over her is out of duty, not paternal
love.)
(GGX+, GGXX, SB)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THAT MAN/JUSTICE/I-NO/RAVEN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Who is That Man?
A. That Man is the creator of Justice and one of the foremost researchers
on the Gear Project. Little else is known about him. He knows Sol/Fredrick
from before, but his goals and aims are a mystery. Recently, he's been
shown to be apologetic about creating Gears (for example to Baiken in one
of her GGXX endings) and has hinted that Gears, in particular Justice, had
to be made in order to save the world from some great danger. What exactly
that danger is is unknown.
(GGXX)

Q. Who is Justice?
A. The command-type Gear created by That Man. Most Gears lose their minds
and become killing machines by instinct when transformed, but Justice was
originally human and so retained intelligence and free will. She was also
bestowed with a "command ability" - that is, her very presence allowed her
to control other Gears contrary to the orders given to them by their
respective governments. Justice led the Gears in the Holy War but was sealed
away by Sol and Ky in 2175. Five years later, thanks to the involvement of
Testament, she was released from his seal and once again threatened another
Holy War, but was this time killed for good by Sol.
(GG, GGXX, LA, SB)

Q. Is Justice male or female?
A. Female. Though for a long time, all official sources made a point not to 
use gendered pronouns when referring to her, Side Black finally revealed 
that Justice was female via Dizzy, who refers to her several times as 
"mother". Outside that context, Fujita Kazue (the voice actress of Dizzy) 
says explicitly in her comments on Side Black that Justice was Dizzy's 
mother.
(SB)

Q. Who is Raven? How is he related to Axl?
A. Raven is one of the servants of That Man. Since he did not appear until
GGXX (and also in the GG novel), little is known about him. However, in GGXX
it is revealed that he, like Axl, timeslips, and in fact he and Axl are
"parallel existences", which is the cause of the time slipping in the first
place. Note that That Man does not call them the same person, and they do
not share the same voice actor. Axl and Raven are probably not the same
person, but they are somehow linked, and That Man reveals that the reason
is because of something Axl will do in his future.
Whatever he is, he seems to be immensely powerful; Sol attempts to burn him
in the Lightning the Argent novel, yet he simply shrugs it off and
regenerates his skin. He is also able to go toe-to-toe with Faust in an
extradimensional battle easily.
(GGXX, LA)

Q. Who is I-No?
A. I-No is an enormously powerful human being who is currently working for 
That Man. She does not seem to be a Gear, and she was not involved in the 
original Gear Project. Most importantly, she has the power to travel through 
time, and indeed she was responsible for the major change in history that 
spawned the current GG universe (see the timeline below for details). There 
are some indications that she may also be able to erase memories. She 
agrees to work for That Man out of sheer curiosity and entertainment, but 
her loyalty to him seems absolute.
(GGXX, SR)

Q. Is I-No a Gear? Is Raven a Gear?
A. Interestingly enough, I've never seen official references that these two
individuals are Gears. And they may very well not be - they could be, just
like That Man, "different". (Of course we don't know if That Man himself
has undergone the Gear transformation or not either). However, in Side Black,
I-No identifies herself as human, and in that situation (talking to That
Man) she has no reason to lie.
(SB)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER CHARACTERS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Who killed Chipp's master Tsuyoshi? 
A. A member of the Assassin's Syndicate known as Volf. Volf was a direct 
subordinate of Venom. However, failing to kill President Erica Bartholomew 
and/or Chipp, he was killed by Venom.
(BG)

Q. Why did the Syndicate kill Tsuyoshi?
A. Tsuyoshi was formerly a member of the Syndicate. However, he was a member
of the Syndicate as an undercover secret agent in the service of the
International Police. His cover was blown, and thus the Syndicate put out
hitmen after him. While escaping, Tsuyoshi ran into Chipp and took him 
under his wing.
(BG)

Q. Who turned Testament into a Gear?
A. The Shuusen Kanrikyoku, as revealed by Slayer in one of Testament's GGXX
Story Mode paths. Why they turned him into a Gear, especially now that their
current goals seem to be finding anti-Gear powers, is unknown.
(GGXX)

Q. Who is the girl/spirit that hangs around Testament?
A. The relationship between the girl (named in the mooks simply as 
"Succubus") and Testament is not quite known, although in his Instant Kill
in XX Testament does say "Keiyaku ni shitagare!" (Obey the contract!),
which implies that she, like other things involved with Testament, has
been summoned by him. Many sites/fans/doujinshi claim that her name is
Zio - however, I have never seen in any of the canon sources a name other
than Succubus for her.
(BE pg. 45, 130, GGXX)

Q. Is Baiken a Gear? *REVISED*
A. No. The reason this rumor propagated is because Japan was destroyed
many decades before GGXX and therefore if Baiken were born in Japan she
would be much much older than she appears - and longetivity is a hallmark
of Gears. However, no official info states that she was born in Japan -
rather, she is of Japanese descent, and likely was born in one of the
government's Japanese colonies. Also, many people confuse Gears with
Robots, and claim that Baiken's many parts make her a Gear. This is not
true, as Gears aren't necessarily mechanical in any way - Justice's
battlesuit was just that, a suit. (Revision 1.1 note: On second search,
I can't find anything that says that Justice's appearance is a battle
suit. I will keep looking but for now take this with a grain of salt. It's
certain, however, that Gears can be totally organic - there is no "robotic"
requirement for Gears).
The Xtra Manga also appears to revise the timeline; it says that Baiken
lost her family, her arm, and her eye not in the destruction of Japan, as
was previously assumed, but in the middle of the Holy War itself. Thus
there is no 'necessity' for Baiken being much older than she appears.
(BE pg. 33, XM)

Q. Is May a Gear?
A. No. The reason behind this rumor is the fact that she can carry around
a giant anchor with ease. However, this is simply circumstantial evidence
and the fact is that many fighting game characters are unrealistic. A better
explanation is that May, as a Japanese, has expressed some sort of use of
"ki" in her super strength.
(BE pg. 21)

Q. Who is Faust? Is he Dr. Baldhead?
A. Most likely. Though there has never been an official source that says
outright that Faust and Dr. Baldhead are the same person, there are too
many connections to ignore. In GGXX Venom almost calls Faust by this name.
(BE pg. 5, GGXX)

Q. Who killed the girl that Faust was operating on before he went insane?
A. A representative of the Assassin's Guild, although who exactly it was
is unknown. The one who hired the Guild was a rival of Faust's, although
Venom reveals that he was merely a puppet, and the true people behind
it were once again the Shuusen Kanrikyoku.
(GGXX)

Q. Who is S-Ko?
A. S-Ko is the vengeful spirit that possesses Zappa. In life, she had
been betrayed by her lover, and therefore she committed suicide by
throwing herself into a well. She thus hates men as well as women
in love. A rumor had gone around that S-Ko is the girl that Faust had
been operating on that was killed, but this is patently untrue, as the
Burst Encyclopedia clearly delineates her life and demise.
Recently a theory has popped up that S-Ko is the spirit of Megumi, whom
Axl "abandoned" after timeslipping from the 20th century. This might
explain Axl's ending with Zappa/S-Ko and how he suddenly wonders how
Megumi is doing. Still, there is no official evidence for this, just
hints that it might be true.
(BE pg. 13, GGXX)

Q. Who is the woman who appears in Axl's Bentengari move?
A. The answer is quite simple - its Benten, the Buddhist goddess of music
and the arts. She is often portrayed with a musical instrument, and indeed,
when she appears briefly in Bentengari she's holding a biwa (a Japanese
instrument similar to a lute).
(GGXX)

Q. Is Venom gay?
A. Most likely. Tragically enough, it appears that his love for Zato was
unrequited, but he still shows the utmost devotion to him. Hints that his
loyalty to Zato is not just platonic in nature are shown in a few of his
GGXX endings, as well as some of his battle quotes. (If he receives the
Shigekiteki Zetsumeiken, AKA Scalpel Enema, from Faust, one of his lines
is "Nobody other than HE can do that!)
(GGXX)

Q. Are Sol and Ky gay?
A. The fairest answer to this popular fan notion is 'quite possibly'. 
Though there is no official evidence on the scale of Venom, Daisuke has
drawn several pictures of the two in provocative positions, such as one
in which Ky's hips are directly behind Sol. Drama CDs Side Red and Side
Black reveal that Sol and Ky's outward dislike for each other is just
on the surface, and in Side Red, in the alternate future in which Ky
dies, the disc ends with Sol crying over Ky's body. However, once again
there is no official proof either for or against, so the question remains
up in the air, at least until GGXXX.
(GGXX, SR, SB)

Q. How old are the characters? *NEW*
A. Most of the characters have never had ages assigned to them. Ky was 16
when he first assumed command in the Holy Order, so the present timeline
would put his age at around 25. Dizzy is reported as being three years old
(a point of some contention), and Sol was alive during the original Gear
Project, and is thus over one hundred and fifty. No other character has
ever had an official age assigned to them, though Daisuke has said in
interviews that Johnny is in his early 20s, and May is somewhere from
10-14. (An early source put May's age at 16, but this was a preliminary
character design; in it May was obviously much older, and this preliminary
character design was not used at all in the games.)
(GGX, GGXX)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISCELLANEOUS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Why isn't (insert source here) included in this FAQ? *REVISED*
A. There are several things in the Guilty Gear series that aren't included
in this FAQ. One is certain GG games, such as the short lived Guilty Gear
X v1.5, and the new Guilty Gear Isuka and Sammy vs. Capcom. These games either
do not have a story mode or they do not appear to have one planned, nor is 
there anything in them significantly different from the 'base' games of 
GGX and GGXX, and thus they have no bearing on this FAQ. 
Official doujinshi anthologies and 4-panel comics are likewise not included,
as they are drawn by other people, and there is no indication that Daisuke
had any hand in their production at all (not to mention most of them don't
have any serious bearing on the plot in the first place).

Q. There's a Guilty Gear MANGA? *REVISED*
A. Yes, the full title is "Guilty Gear Xtra". Daisuke is credited as being 
behind it, but the script is directly written by Kaihou Norimitsu (the 
writer of the GG Novels and the drama CDs) and it is drawn by Sumii Akihito.
The manga was serialized in Kodansha's "Magazine Z", and it lasts for
ten chapters. The chapters were all collected in a single volume (tankoubon)
that was released in September 2003.

Q. Sounds great! How can I get all these lovely books and things?
A. Most of these items are readily available on amazon.co.jp - simply
search by ISBN number provided and you should find it. Note that older
books (mostly the Arcadia ones, such as the Complete Bible, Slash
Encyclopedia, and Burst Encyclopedia) are out of print, and thus are not
in stock; you might not be able to get them unless you go to an auction
service like Yahoo Auctions or eBay. The CDs (both the Drama CDs
described here and the soundtracks) can probably be gotten off of
CDJapan (cdjapan.co.jp).
As for the games themselves, GGX and GGXX have official US releases and
can be bought from any retailer of PS2 games; GGX+, #Reload, and so on
must be imported through places such as yesasia.com or ncsx.com.


3. TIMELINE

Most of the timeline comes from Drafting Artworks, with additions made by
myself based on the GGX novels and drama CDs. Years marked with an
asterisk are part of the alternate future time loop created by I-No.

1945
After World War II, the United Nations is founded by many of the nations
of the world in order to preserve a global sense of community.

2010
The potential of magic is realized and magic begins to be studied as a
science. However the name of the person who first revealed the secrets of
magic has been lost.

2014
The "Gear Project", a project dedicated towards the evolution and
strengthening of mankind, begins. However its nature and full purpose are
unknown.

2016
Frederick, the first prototype in the Gear Project, escaped the laboratory
shortly after undergoing the Gear conversion. Along the same time the
rest of the laboratory personnel, starting with "That Man", diesappear -
the Gear Project grinds to a halt. Frederick, now no longer human, 
designs a Gear Cell Control Device in order to maintain a human appearance.

2073
That Man completes a "Perfect Gear" archetype, sort of the essence of
Justice, that is subservient to mankind. A certain major country restarts 
the Gear Project. Frederick, learning of That Man's plans, begins designing 
the Outrage.

2074
That certain major country attempts to use Gears to overwhelm other
countries. However, the Gear who possessed his own free will and incredible
strength, Justice, had been born. As planned by That Man, other Gears
became followers of Justice and turned against mankind. Gears attacked
and destroyed the country of Japan. This led to the formation of the
Holy Order and the beginning of the Holy War.

2099
A 6-year-old Kliff is saved from a Gear attack by Frederick.

2172
A certain "Sol" is recruited by Kliff into the Holy Order. Eventually, 
disenchanted by the Order's methods, Sol leaves at an unspecified date, 
taking the Order's treasured sword "Fuuenken" with him.

*2173*
At the Battle of Rome, the Holy Order is handed a crushing defeat. Most
significantly, Ky Kiske is killed by a Gear. Just before dying, he entreats
Sol Badguy to take on the leadership position of the Order.

*????*
Johnny is killed in the Holy War. Command of the Jellyfish passes to May.
Justice is killed in the Holy War. Embittered, her daughter, Dizzy, takes
control of the Gears.

*2183*
I-No kills Baldhead, who never regained his sanity, and discovers on his
body the location of the Gear Plant, which he took from some soldiers he
'operated on'. She gives the information to Sol Badguy. Sol leads an all-
out attack on the Gear Plant, but they are no match for Dizzy. Testament
kills Potemkin, and Dizzy destroys the Jellyfish and fights with Sol.
Meanwhile, I-No sneaks into the now-abandoned Gear Plant and meets That
Man, who is being held captive by the Gears. That Man explains to I-No
that he never intended this kind of future when he created Gears.
Intrigued, I-No uses her power to jump through time to return to 2173 and
change history.

2173
I-No arrives back in time at the Battle of Rome and saves the life of Ky
Kiske. She then erases his memory (?) and officially joins That Man.

2175
With the sealing away of Justice, the long Holy War comes to an end. The
Holy Order is disbanded and mankind lives in peace.
(AKA Justice's Story Mode in Guilty Gear XX)

2180
Unease spreads around the world as rumors of a "Justice Revival" spread.
To quell the rumors and prepare for the worst, the countries form the
Second Holy Order and sponsor the Second Holy Order's Fighting Tournament
(AKA the first Guilty Gear game). Justice is destroyed by Sol and other
Gears lose their ability to act.

2181
The Blackard incident (Lightning the Argent) occurs, and a Gear with free
will known as Solaria is created by the company. However, Ky stops their
plan of using her as a command-type Gear, and she lives peacefully as a
human under the auspices of the Police force.
Rumors spread that in A Country a Gear with free will is found.
Panicked countries sponsor another fighting tournament with a bounty of
50,000,000 World Dollars to whoever can eliminate this Gear (AKA Guilty
Gear X). Sol defeats the Gear, Dizzy, but does not kill her. Ky meets
her soon afterwards and similarly does not kill her. Dizzy meets Johnny
and is adopted into the Jellyfish pirates. Dizzy is "officially" dead
and Jam claims the bounty.
A few weeks later a servant of That Man known as I-No begins stirring up
trouble... (AKA Guilty Gear XX).

2182
Events from The Butterfly And Her Gale occur. Chipp Zanuff finally gets
revenge against the man who killed his master, Volf of the Assassins.
Serving as the bodyguard of the President of the A Country (formerly the
US), Erica Bartholomew, Chipp helps to pass an official cutting-of-ties
between A Country and the Assassin Syndicate. A Country also allies with
Zepp.


4. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Q. How does Justice recognize Sol from the Gear Project in the first game,
if she wasn't created until 60 years after the original Gear Project?

Q. What is the giant monster that appears in the background of Nirvana and
also possibly in the GGX+ extra anime clip?

Q. How does Ky know what Justice's last words to him were if Sol was the
one who killed her?


5. GLOSSARY *NEW*

This glossary is taken mostly from the Drafting Artworks (225-229), with
additions and revisions made by myself. Entries that have already been 
answered above in the plot FAQ are omitted here; these are mostly
miscellaneous entries.

AFRO
The ultimate hairstyle that never fails to inspire passion and/or madness
in any who view it... that is the "afro".
In the Guilty Gear world, the mysterious traveling doctor Faust utilizes
the power of the afro in his final ougi. No matter whether human or Gear,
by his hands anyone can instantly gain the afro.

ANKI
Hidden weapons kept in the right arm of Baiken. They include an iron fan,
rotating blade, short sword, and so on.

DIMENSIONAL PRISON
The space in which Justice was sealed at the end of the Holy War. It
is protected by many magical seals.

RIOT
The maker of Sol Badguy's jeans. A reasonably-priced brand, Sol only wears
this brand of jeans. Since some of his own moves are named "Riot", he
certainly must be fond of it.
By the way, the maker of the assassin leader Zato-1's belt is "Priest".

SEALED PRISON
The prison in which Zato-1 was kept in, thanks to Millia's betrayal. It is
said that those who attempt to escape are visited by death.

SEIRONSHOU (SHEN LONG SHAO)
Kuradoberi Jam's restaurant, which she has opened as a result of her first
step towards the dream of world culinary reputation. As the character's
imply (Roasted Fresh Dragon), the restaurant embraces a dynamic, ultimate
style of cooking.
For the record, a cut-up dragon's body will return to life if left for a
certain amount of time, so it can be kept forever as a food stock. This
certainly is cost-effective cooking...


6. CREDITS
Thanks go to:
Calico, my partner in crime for many a Guilty Gear-related project
Roni, my partner in crime for THE Gear Project
Shamgi, Benandanti, M. Hoover, and J. Ravener for suggestions/corrections
Sammy, ArcSystem Works, and Ishiwatari Daisuke for another great game

This FAQ copyright 2002, 2003 to Edward Chang. Retransmission in any form 
without express permission of the author is strictly forbidden.