Bayonetta 3 has been available for a little over a week now, and since the game is fairly short, it's safe to say that most hardcore fans of the franchise have already finished it. Others that have yet to finish the story may have noticed some discourse about the Bayonetta 3 ending online and could be wondering why there seems to be so much negativity aimed at it. For those that don't care about spoilers, here is why the Bayonetta 3 ending is causing so much controversy in the community.
WARNING: Major Bayonetta 3 spoilers follow
To discuss why the Bayonetta 3 ending is causing so much controversy, it's first necessary to explain exactly what happens in it. Bayonetta 3 is a multiverse story where an evil entity is bouncing from one world to the next and killing that world's versions of Bayonetta and Jeanne. It all leads up to a climactic showdown where the Bayonetta from Bayonetta 3 finds herself teaming up with the Bayonetta from the first two games. This confirms that players have been playing as a different Bayonetta in all three games, which is something that may drum up controversy in and of itself, though is not the reason why people are so upset.
Bayonetta 3 Ending Explained
After Bayonetta 3's final boss fight, Bayonetta essentially dies and is dragged to Inferno (the Bayonetta franchise's version of Hell) along with Luka. In the aftermath, new character Viola continues working with Gates of Hell shopkeeper Rodin, completing various jobs. She dons Luka's scarf and Bayonetta's glasses, and in fact, becomes the franchise's new Bayonetta, replacing the character that has defined the franchise since its inception.
Needless to say, having Viola become the new Bayonetta has not sat well with Bayonetta 3 fans. Viola is a divisive character as it is, with some fans taking issue with her combat style compared to Bayonetta and finding her personality to be grating. Others like Viola but still aren't happy about her becoming the new Bayonetta, while others still have no problem with the ending and don't mind that she will seemingly replace Bayonetta in the franchise moving forward.
The decision to make Viola the new Bayonetta has been hugely controversial, but how the ending went down in general has not sat well with fans. Bayonetta and Luka become love interests of sorts at the end, and it's revealed that Viola is the daughter of alternate versions of them. Some have said this development was unearned, particularly when it comes to the Bayonetta and Luka romance.
Considering the reaction to Bayonetta 3's ending, it will be interesting to see where PlatinumGames takes the franchise from here. It's been said that it may take nine Bayonetta games to tell the full story, but Bayonetta 4 has not been announced at the time of this writing.
Bayonetta 3 is out now on the Nintendo Switch.
