After a long yet highly anticipated wait, Bayonetta 3 was finally launched to both celebration and criticism, but one criticism leveled at the game's ending overlooks its potential as the perfect swan song for protagonist Cereza as the titular Bayonetta. Both before and after its release, Bayonetta 3 had endured various challenges ranging from former voice actress Hellena Taylor alleging PlatinumGames attempted to underpay her to performance issues that appear to consistently ail most new releases on the Switch. However, besides these and other smaller-scale issues, it was Bayonetta 3's ending that split fans with a decidedly mixed reception.
To summarize, Bayonetta 3's ending culminated in Cereza exhausting her strength to defeat the game's antagonist Singularity, losing control of Gomorrah which knocks the soul from her body, ultimately forcing her to be reclaimed by Inferno. Though some fans felt this was a fitting end to a game that traversed the multiverse and demonstrated that there are countless stories to explore, others were unconvinced and suggested that Cereza's "death" and Viola replacing her were underserved. But whichever stance players take, they shouldn't dismiss how this ending neatly bookends Cereza as a character and the Bayonetta series to date.
Acknowledging That Bayonetta 3's Ending Has Its Flaws
While players might be divided on whether Bayonetta 3's ending was overall good or bad, it's important to recognize it has flaws that don't help it. For instance, fans who are critical of Bayonetta 3's ending argue that Viola is a poor replacement for the iconic Cereza. This stems from Viola's perceived underwhelming development as a clumsy hothead who barely makes it through scrapes, a stark contrast to the seductive and confident Cereza who immediately captivates players in every scene. While there's every chance PlatinumGames could rework Viola, what fans have seen so far has left them with a love-hate relationship.
However, it's equally important to recognize that Viola's characterization is not without intent, as the ending also reveals that Viola is the love child of Cereza and Luka from another universe. Her headstrong attitude is comparable to Cereza's unabashed confidence while her gracelessness is reflective of Luka and his own blundering personality. Further, Viola taking the mantle of Bayonetta could have broader implications than just PlatinumGames' future plans, as by focusing on Viola fans are missing Bayonetta 3's desired takeaway from its ending: to celebrate Cereza and give the future of Bayonetta new potential.
A Trilogy for Cereza And A Future for Bayonetta
Though a spin-off named Bayonetta Origins has since been announced, the three current Bayonetta games stand as an ideal trilogy that not only explores the series' expansive universe - or universes - but also its characters. As the protagonist across all three titles, Cereza was inevitably going to be the focus of this characterization, which saw her intrinsically linked to each game's plot. However, with each Bayonetta game increasing the stakes, so too did Cereza's development keep pace, taking her from knowing little about herself and her past to reconciling with friends and family and helping to protect others - even strangers - just to do good in the world.
Cereza's history matters then, not only because Bayonetta 3 is a continuation of this journey, but because this culmination is directly reflective of both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 which came before it. The two versions of Cereza who appear in Bayonetta 3's opening and penultimate battles demonstrate that the third game is emblematic of the Bayonetta series thus far. In this context, many parts of Bayonetta 3's ending parallel previous games, such as both Cereza's and Jeanne's souls being taken from their bodies to Cereza's self-sacrifice for Viola mirrors Balder's own. The passing of the torch to Viola, then, is symbolic of Cereza having completed her journey.
This shouldn't be seen negatively by players, as by "ending" the story for this particular version of Cereza as Bayonetta in just one multiverse of many, the series now has an opportunity to expand for future Bayonetta games. Already Bayonetta Origins shows both sides of this, proving the series can explore new ideas it wasn't able to before while still keeping Cereza as its protagonist. Therefore, Bayonetta 4 could see anyone lead the series, whether it's Viola, an already existing Bayonetta variant, or an all-new version instead. While Bayonetta 3 appears final, it has really just given Cereza the perfect trilogy while securing the series' prosperous future.
Bayonetta 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch.
