Normal Mode is the name for the arcade mode of Guilty Gear. It features the 10 main playable characters in a series of fight during the Second Knight of the Holy Order Selection Tournament. While the first 8 fights are randomized, the 9th and 10th final fight will always be against Testament and Justice respectively.
If the player were to play as either Sol or Ky without losing any fights, Baiken can be fought as the game's hidden character.
Sol is the winner for the tournament and was the one who killed Justice, making his ending the most canonical out of the other playable characters. However, the endings for the other Guilty Gear characters contains particular events that later affects them in future canonical Guilty Gear games (eg. Eddie overtaking Zato. Thus, every ending in Normal Mode contains particular canonical affairs, even if the other characters weren't the one who killed Justice. Baiken, Testament, and Justice are the only characters to not have their own endings.
Storylines[]
Axl Low[]
Chipp Zanuff[]
Dr. Baldhead[]
Kliff Undersn[]
Ky Kiske[]
After reaching the end of the tournament, Ky Kiske demands Testament to show themselves, as he was aware of the evil permeating the tournament. Testaments then shows themselves, complimenting Ky's intelligence. As Ky knew of his plans to resurrect Justice. With Ky knowing of Testament's plans to revive Justice, Ky responds how a Gear reject like them would've made this mistake. Testament pronounces that they will make Ky the last blood sacrifice needed, and Ky declares that he will kill Testament.
After defeating Testament, the Gear commented on how the fable hero would bring the end of the human race. They continue on to the confused Ky with declaring that they will be the final blood sacrifice needed to resurrect Justice, with the first Gear proceeding to wake up. Out of options, Ky prepares himself to fight against Justice.
After defeating Justice, the Gear is disbelieved on being defeated once again. Ky denounces her, stating that this world has no place for evil. Bewildered, Justice inquires Ky on the statement as she affirmed her goal was just to fight for her own existence. Confused as well, Ky tells her that couldn't be her reason for waging war on humanity. Justice proceeds to explain herself; a weapon created by humans to kill other humans without a consideration for her own mind & soul. If she was to refuse, Justice said that she would've been dismantled. Leaving Ky speechless, Justice continues that she was just a slave born into the world, with the former Crusader being here to destroy her. Justice comments on how humans would've always loathed her and how she was powerless to do nothing but to live on and fulfill her assigned duty to kill, as it is her "justice". Ky angrily belittles Justice's goal as a delusion, responding with justice is the order of the world that God ordains and wishes for. He further declares that he will defeat anybody or anything that would attempt to deprive the world's freedom. After hearing this, Justice tells Ky that he should meet her creator, wondering if his unwavering justice would continue on if he were to see him. Ky hears this and proceeds to question Justice about his identity, but was too late as Justice was passing away. Before dying, Justice tells Ky that even after her death, Gears will continue to live on if her creator still lives. Left perplexed, Ky was left with no knowledge on the identity of Justice's creator and questions God if he was doing the right thing.
May[]
Millia Rage[]
Potemkin[]
Sol Badguy[]
After reaching the end of the tournament, Sol demands Testament to reveal themselves, with the latter appearing before him. Sol tells Testament that they won't get away a second time, leading to Testament to reveal their true plans for organizing the tournament. With needing one more blood sacrifice, Testament proceeds to fight Sol, but not before Sol calling their plans "trite".
After defeating Testament, Sol demands them to reveal Justice's location, to which Testament reveals that they will be the last sacrifice needed to bring her back. With Justice reawakening, Testament soon finds out that Sol was also a Gear, leaving them speechless as to why Sol would go against Justice before passing out.
After defeating Justice, she is angry at the prospecting of losing to Sol again. After Sol replies with him stating that he won't stop after all Gears are wiped out, Justice demands to know how he was able to disobey her orders. Sol then questions Justice what binds him to her, with Justice answering with how she was the first Gear to be produced with their own will. Sol explains how Gears manufactured after her have no will on their own due to being production models, thus being able to do nothing but to obey Justice, leading to Sol to further revealing to Justice that he was the prototype Gear. Being forged by the will of greedy humans, Sol describes other Gears and himself as defining examples for all that's wrong in the world, making it his goal to never stop until he has destroyed every Gear. After hearing this, Justice starts to recall the Gear Project and laments how she could've forgotten Sol. With a ratting chuckle, Justice wished that she could've talked one last time with just "the three of us" before drawing her last breath. Seeing Justice passed before him, Sol declares that he won't rest before his boss lies writhing in agony before him. Staring at his bloodstained hands, Sol prayed for the grotesque sacrifice lying at his feet.