After a wait of almost five years since its reveal, and eight since the last game, Bayonetta 3 released with a whole coven of Bayonettas in tow. The game is dramatically changed from previous entries, from controlling your demons to a whole new character. However, the story has stirred up quite a few more people than usual.
The story of Bayonetta 3 focuses on the multiverse, and all the versions of Bayonetta and her acquaintances that exist there. This is all to fight against the Singularity that wants to condense all these universes into one and take that power. Such a premise brings up plenty of questions, and the ending doesn't answer them all by any means.
8 Why Aren't There Any Multiverse Viola's?
The Bayonetta games have always opened in a rather bombastic fashion with missions known as Records Of Time. These missions take place at some later point in the game, a vision of things to come. In Bayonetta 3, this is technically true, taking place in one of the many multiverses, though not the exact event as occurs later.
Thing is, you see this scene again with the Bayonetta you play as during the game, and can assume it happens plenty of times with other Bayonettas too. We see plenty of other versions of Jeanne, Enzo and even another Luka, yet never another Viola. Everyone from the realm of Chaos should exist in the multiverse, but for some reason, there's only one Viola.
7 Why Is There No Mention Of Balder?
The Bayonetta games have always been about family. It can be somewhat easy to miss it across all the over-the-top action and convoluted storytelling, but it's there. Bayonetta caring for her younger self, the death of her mother and her broken relationship with her father. Even her closeness with Luka.
In Bayonetta 3 though, Balder isn't so much as mentioned, let alone appears. This is made all the more unusual by the fact that there is a multiverse version of her mother Rosa in France, Papillion D'Ombre. Yes, Balder was trapped in a timeloop, but that was only in one universe, not all of them.
6 Where Was Loki During All Of This?
Bayonetta 2 played it safe in many respects. It was small steps towards polishing the game rather than dramatic alterations like the sequel. One thing it played heavily with was the timeloop introduced in the original. In this regard, after everything was said and done, Loki disappears, claiming that maybe Bayonetta will see him again someday.
You don't see him again though. It's fair that they might not have wanted to touch on older characters that weren't central to Bayonetta, though his parting words felt like the perfect chance for even a cameo. On top of that, it's a little odd that the god of the realm of Chaos didn't make an appearance when his domain was being condensed by an outside force.
5 What Exactly Are Arch-Eve And Arch-Adam?
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Exploring the multiverse in Bayonetta 3 is one of the greatest thrills in the game. Seeing the weapons they excel with, what demons they've contracted, what their place is in the time and part of the world they're in. The Singularity tends to refer to Bayonetta in these worlds as Arch-Eve.
At times though, the Arch-Eve isn't Bayonetta. In Egypt for example, it's Jeanne. The Arch-Eves then can be seen as the protectors of the world. Where do Arch-Adam's fit into this though? For all intents and purposes, they seem to be Luka and exist solely to guide Bayonetta, yet we see so few of them that it's hard to see exactly what they're meant to represent.
4 Do The Destroyed Multiverses Return After The Ending?
Throughout the game, you see the various multiverses being destroyed by The Singularity in their quest to condense it into one all-powerful universe. In fact, they're pretty successful at this too, leaving Bayonetta and Viola with very few universes left in which to gather Chaos Gears to travel to the Alphaverse.
In Bayonetta's final fight against The Singularity, she summons dozens of other Bayonettas, including the ones consumed by The Singularity. Though Bayonetta herself actually dies in the ending of natural causes, it is implied some people, like Enzo's family, are returned. Does this mean the other multiverses and those consumed by it are returned?
3 Wait, Is Bayonetta Really A Family Name?
Throughout the series, Bayonetta has always been the main character. Her name is in the title, after all. Of course, the point has always been made that her actual name is Cereza, and is a name only those closest to her can use. Bayonetta is used more like a professional name, in that sense.
Bayonetta 3 adds an extra wrinkle to this though. By the end of the game, Bayonetta comes to the conclusion that Viola is her daughter in another reality, and says her training is complete and is worthy of a new name. In a post-credits scene, we see Viola taking on contracts from The Gates of Hell, with Rodin saying he needs to use the family name on her. Bayonetta. Sure, it was never actually said where the name Bayonetta came from, though this does imply her name is Cereza Bayonetta, which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
2 Which Bayonetta Are You Really Playing As?
The first Bayonetta game dealt with the titular character trying to regain her memories after centuries of slumber. This has her unwittingly helping a child who just so happens to be herself pulled out of time by her father, Balder. This is the last mention of this rendition of Bayonetta, a part of her past strictly relegated to history.
The multiverse of course puts this into question. The Cereza taken out of her own time may well be from another universe rather than just the past, a leading theory running up to the game's release. In the ending, Bayonetta in her design from the first game appears and says "You didn't cry while I was gone, did you?" This is the same line she says to the young Cereza in the original, yet that Bayonetta and the Bayonetta in her sequel design seem to be from two different universes, muddying the waters.
1 Where Did Cheshire Come From?
Many of the demons you encounter in Bayonetta 3 were heavily featured in previous games. The mascot Gomorrah, the very tall Madama Butterfly and the walking Devil May Cry reference, Phantasmaraneae. Viola has her own, brand new demon at her disposal, the clumsy, whimsical Chesire.
In the grand scheme of things, it's obvious Chesire is inspired by Bayonetta's own Chesire doll that Viola has hanging from her sword. Chesire even inhabits the doll. Thing is, she didn't contract him like Umbran Witches are supposed to. He's there willingly. The game makes a point out of him being an odd presence, but it's never actually said where he came from, other than he's 500 years old, the same as Bayonetta herself.