Guilty Gear Strive embraces dandyism with Slayer
Guilty Gear Strive’s Season Pass 3 is going out with a bang. The fourth and final character is the charming vampire, Slayer.
Assassin. Husband. Vampire.
Players can get their hands on Slayer on May 30, 2024. Like other DLC characters, Slayer can be purchased individually for $6.99 or acquired along with the entirety of Season Pass 3 for $24.99. Coming alongside Slayer is the “Amber Fest with Kind Neighbors” stage.
Guilty Gear Strive will be the third appearance for Slayer, with Guilty Gear XX (2002) and Guilty Gear Xrd (2014) beforehand. It’s been a decade since we’ve last seen the Nightwalker, but time is merely a formality for the likes of Slayer and Nagoriyuki.
Unlike A.B.A and her love, Paracelus, Slayer doesn’t have an accompanying Starter Guide video at the time of this writing. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t pore over his announcement trailer.
I love the amount of personality crammed into each Guilty Gear character and Slayer is no exception. The controlled fashion in which he crosses his arms and keeps a perfect posture with his attacks speaks to his principled stance on dandyism. The line about having gotten good at holding back reinforces that Slayer is a man seeking entertainment and sport, rather than a bloodthirsty monster. The amount of little details is what really makes Strive stand out.
Then there’s the inclusion of his lovely wife, Sharon. I am here for healthy, devoted relationships in any form of media. Seeing her sitting there sipping tea at the beginning of a match and then materializing from his overcoat at the end is all sorts of heartwarming.
I’m a fan of how he moves about the stage, hovering amidst a cloud of bats. It’s very reminiscent of Darkstalkers’ Morrigan. The trailer culminates in Slayer taking a bite out of Sol Badguy and regressing to a more youthful appearance, sans mustache and full beard.
All in all, I’m excited to try him out next month. Though Strive is my first foray into the world of Guilty Gear, it’s turned me into a lifelong fan. I can’t wait to see who we get when Season Pass 4 launches.
