A.B.A

There's a lot that I don't know about the outside world. But as long as I can walk along with you, that's enough for me.
― A.B.A^[src]

A.B.A is a recurring character in the Guilty Gear series, who made her debut in the spin-off Guilty Gear Isuka. She is an artificial life-form, or homunculus, from Frasco who lived in complete isolation for years before going out to the world. Her weapon as well as husband (according to her) is the key-shaped axe Paracelsus.

Design[]

A.B.A has sunken green eyes and greyish skin. Her attire is strange, as it mainly consists of blood-drenched bandages that cover her body, ankles, right elbow to hand, and neck.

In Isuka and XX, she has neck-length orange-red hair which covers one of her eyes, typically her right. She wears an off-white skirt with a studded black lower trim, a mortice key acting as the buckle of its studded belt. Hanging loosely over her chest and back are two rectangular pieces, resembling her skirt and styled akin to a pair of shorts, connected by four red strings: two over her shoulders and two on her sides. She wears wears light gray shoes and a single black fingerless glove—its back covered by a red lock—on her left hand. A black key-shaped screw protrudes from her head,^[7] with the key's bow on her right and its bit on her left.

In Strive, her hair is now waist-length and is dyed green,^[8] with the key now sprouting on the opposite direction. She wears a white hairband to hold her bangs back, though one strand falls over her face. Her outfit remains mostly the same with slight changes, including the bandages being looser. Her skirt-like top is now properly sown together and has elbow-length sleeves, resembling an off-the-shoulder top. Both pieces are tagged with the brand "HOHENHEIM". Her glove is now completely black, while the black mortice key now hangs to slightly to the side of her skirt, no longer serving as a belt buckle. A.B.A also now wears greenish-gray nail polish and platform boots.

Personality[]

A.B.A is best described as "extremely shy",^[2] being timid around anyone she does not know, which is nearly everyone.^[7] Having spent the first ten years of her life isolated from the rest of the world,^[3] A.B.A lacks confidence^[9] regarding anything in the outside world^[2] and possesses an almost pathological distaste for competition and confrontation.^[3]

Despite her cowardice,^[5] as an artificial being, A.B.A was born with a wealth of logic,^[2] which she believes makes her better than ordinary humans. Consequently, she approaches others with a high-handed attitude,^[2] even if her actions don't always match it, and shows an inability to cooperate with others that often gets in the way of her goals.^[7] To assert herself,^[2] A.B.A insists on using complex and advanced linguistic constructions that reinforce her superiority.^[3] At the same time, she does not have any hostility or malice towards others, and has the minimum level of compassion and affection that human beings possess.^[2]

It is only when Paracelsus—through whom she has found purpose in life, and for whom she has a pure love^[2]—is involved that A.B.A becomes jealous and possessive.^[7] Determined as she is to help her "husband" find a new body,^[7] A.B.A has a subconscious fear that he would leave her if he had a human body.^[10] Rash and anxious^[9] with a tenacious will,^[10] A.B.A isn't good at listening to what others have to say, not even Paracelsus.^[11][9]

Story[]

Background[]

Created in a laboratory inside the manor known as Frasco,^[7] A.B.A is the culmination of years of research by a doctor^[5] called Paracelsus^[12] who had spent his entire life towards trying to make an artificial life-form.^[5] But as A.B.A's awakening approached, the doctor was forcibly^[2] taken away by an military organization that had eyed him for his technological skills.^[5] When she first opened her eyes, the manor was sealed off from the outside, so she spent the first ten years of her life in total isolation. Escape from the research lab was possible, but A.B.A was still incomplete.^[7] Knowing that life without the laboratory's advanced facilities would be challenging, she became devoted to collecting keys.^[2]

For reasons unknown, one day A.B.A decided to leave Frasco for good, and explore the world outside.^[7] It was at this time that A.B.A came face to face with Flament Nagel,^[2] a battle-axe and relic from the Crusades^[13] that was lying forgotten in a some ruins.^[14] Due to his resemblance to a key,^[12] A.B.A immediately fell in love with him; taking the axe as her "husband"^[5]—despite him vehemently disagreeing^[12]—, she renamed him Paracelsus^[7] after her creator^[12] and vowed to find him an artificial body,^[7] like her own.^[5] Her search apparently led A.B.A to travel all over the world,^[13] simply making their way through peaceful cities much to Paracelsus' frustration due to his yearning for blood-soaked battlefields.^[14]

One day,^{[note 1]} A.B.A and Paracelsus were tracked down by Slayer,^[14] who was curious about the axe's whereabouts after their encounter years before.^[15] Unhappy with his current situation, Paracelsus begged Slayer to take him from A.B.A; Slayer refused,^[14] but A.B.A took umbrage with him as a "thief" and challenged him despite Paracelsus's warning that she was no match for Slayer.^[11] She lost the fight, but Paracelsus acknowledged her as his wielder.^[16]

Guilty Gear XX[]

Sometime after October^{[note 2]} 2181,^[17] traveling with her beloved, A.B.A searches for a way to give him a body ("...That is the proof of my love.").^[13] In one path, Slayer tells her that the Post-War Administration Bureau may have the means to accomplish her goal; despite fierce opposition, she manages to find a device that gives Paracelsus a human body, only to keep him shackled due to her worry that he will go somewhere without telling her.^[18] In another, she also ends up at the bureau's facilities, but Crow pits her against a Justice copy; impressed by her prowess, Crow makes a deal with A.B.A to capture Dizzy—which she does—and, in exchange, transfers Paracelsus' personality into a Robo-Ky. However, the device malfunctions, leaving Paracelsus trapped in a robot head until Crow fixes the device.^{[19][note 3]}

Guilty Gear -Strive-[]

Around December 2187,^{[note 4]} the recent changes to Paracelsus^[3]—his sludge^[9]-like state a result of A.B.A's own fear and obsession that Paracelsus may leave her—bewilder her, putting a strain on their relationship.^[3]

While visiting Heaven's Edge, A.B.A and Paracelsus find Testament, whose inquiries rub A.B.A the wrong way^[9] due to accurately surmising that, if her obsession continues as is, Paracelsus won't be able to hold any shape before long.^[3][9] Accepting the influence she has on him, A.B.A reconsiders her approach to their partnership.^[3] An encounter with Elphelt Valentine leads to some misunderstandings, but in one path, A.B.A—aware that they are "unhealthy"—dejectedly decides to part ways Paracelsus. However, he reflects that, while their relationship has been manipulative (on both ends), he isn't interested in separating but on meeting halfway as "partners", or at least give it a try.^[9]

Abilities[]

As a Homunculus, A.B.A has a more advanced physiology than that of human, being able to quickly adapt to her environment, easily regenerate necrotic tissue, and control her telomeres to achieve a longer lifespan.^[21] However, and perhaps due to being incomplete,^[2] she has the habit of taking blood to subsist,^[11] needing normal blood for transfusions.^[3] Apparently she is able to recover from any damage as long as she does not run out of blood, including reattaching a severed arm by simply aligning it.^[11] A.B.A is also far more durable than she looks, remaining relatively unscathed after Slayer's All Dead despite landing miles away.^[11] She can also manipulate her own bandages.

Flament Nagel—renamed Paracelsus—is A.B.A's weapon, a key-shaped demon^[13] axe that is, in fact, a Magical Foci.^[12] Able to turn the blood in which he baths into power,^[15] he can interfere with his wielder's mind and control their thoughts and emotions, but is unable to exert this ability on A.B.A due to her tenacious will. In fact, her thoughts are formidable enough to change his form, shifting him farther from his original axe shape day by day.^[10]

Gameplay-wise, A.B.A uses blood transfusion packs to temporarily power herself up. While transformed, she becomes more powerful and begins dripping blood, in addition to losing health by performing actions. In order to regain the spent health, she can use more blood to revert to normal.

Music[]

• Quicksilver - Guilty Gear Isuka  
• Keep In Gates - Guilty Gear XX  
• Symphony - Guilty Gear -Strive-

Quotes[]

Allusions[]

• A.B.A's name can be taken as a reference to the Swedish pop group ABBA, or to the common musical form expressed as A-B-A, or even to blood types.
• The name of A.B.A's creator, her weapon, and clothing brand in Strive are all in reference to Theophrastus von Hohenheim, more commonly known as Paracelsus, a Swiss philosopher famous for his contributions to alchemy and the creator of the concept of Homunculi.
• The door that appears during Darkness of Ignorance has a similar shape to that of the Gate of Truth from the manga Fullmetal Alchemist.
• Her theme "Symphony" takes vocal cues from Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall".
• Her Keeper of the Key attack in Strive is most likely a reference to the two-part album Keeper of the Seven Keys by German power metal band Helloween.

Trivia[]

• During her isolation, keys symbolized her desire to open a path into a new world.^[5]
• In cover art for Isuka, the word "ALICE" appears on red tags on her skirt and glove, and is engraved onto the back of her glove.
• A.B.A is one of the few people able to see S-Ko, Zappa's vengeful spirit, clearly.^[13][22] The others are Slayer and Anji Mito.
• Shortly after her reveal for Strive, a fan claimed that A.B.A's hair color changed due to it being made of copper (similar to how her blood contains mercury) and undergoing oxidization.^[23] The theory spread online and reached the attention of A.B.A's voice actress Anna Brisbin^[24] and even the developers themselves, who dismissed the rumour. As it stands, A.B.A dyes her hair due to being into fashion and beauty, experimenting so as to find her own identity.^[25]
• Her Strive artwork contains an error. The embroidery on Paracelsus' strap is mirrored, appearing as "HOHEИHEIW". Flipping the image horizontally and reading it upside down shows "HOHENHEIM" properly, matching A.B.A's sleeve.
• A.B.A's favourite colour is turquoise blue,^[3] a blue so clear one can peer into its depths, much like the waters of Heaven's Edge.^[9] She has dyed her hair as part of this fixation.^[3]

Gallery[]

External links[]

• ギルティギア　イグゼクス　アクセントコア【キャラクター】｜アバ
• A.B.A | CHARACTER | GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- | ARC SYSTEM WORKS
• Dustloop Wiki - GGACR/ - GGST - A.B.A Overview

References[]

Notes[]

Citations[]