History NightmareFuel / SoulcaliburVI

** What truly makes this chilling is the AdaptationalVillainy Tira undergoes in this course of history. In her debut, Tira's character profile notes that she was so emotionally traumatized by having to kill [[ParentalSubstitute her Mother Bird]] in a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_burial Sky Burial]] that it gave birth to [[MoodSwinger her trademark mental instability]] [[note]]which would later become [[SplitPersonality Jolly and Gloomy]] after her soul was torn apart in the aftermath of the clash between the soul swords between ''III'' and ''IV''[[/note]], suggesting that, on some level, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Tira really did see her Parent Bird as a mother figure]]. Here, Tira is already so unhinged that her psyche had split in two quite sometime before the events of the game, and she went through with the student-teacher DuelToTheDeath without ''any'' hesitation or misgivings. (It doesn't help that ''VI'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath describes]] the Sky Burial as [[EyeScream gouging out the victim's eyes]] and carving very specific marks into their mutilated body.) And if that wasn't bad enough, Tira also spares no thought in killing ''every other fledging assassin in her own nest'', who might as well have been her surrogate siblings, as well as the ones in competing nests. And this was ''after'' she watched many more children starve to death during the organization's "Hatching" process. The original Tira, though a ''very'' cruel and manipulative figure, had some sympathetic elements to her character and backstory, perhaps enough to qualify as a JerkassWoobie. ''This'' Tira, however, takes the "bloodthirsty killer" angle of her character [[UpToEleven to new heights]], to the point that she comes across as ''even more'' heartless and sadistic.

* Soul Edge is pure evil as always. It's an ArtifactOfDoom with a mind of its own, and has an [[EyesDoNotBelongThere eye]] right on it. The sword lives to cause more death and destruction, and by god does it succeed. Nightmare is described as slaying innocent lives as if they were merely stocks of corn.

* Astaroth leads an army of lizard folk on Kilik and Maxi. Repeat, ''a giant golem leads a bunch of evil, savage reptiles on a rampage''. This was probably not the only such case of this happening.

* Tira is only [[TeensAreMonsters 17]], and is a vicious and psychotic murderer who was raised that way [[ChildSoldiers in her youth]] by the [[MurderInc Bird of Passage]]. She left the Bird of Passage not because she didn't want to kill, but because she didn't want to kill ''for them''. When she was adopted, and made some kind of attempt to live a normal life, her instincts kicked over a fit of petty rage and she ''murdered her family in cold blood''. But the real kicker? Her reaction wasn't a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment, but rather [[LackOfEmpathy the complete opposite]].

** What truly makes this chilling is the AdaptationalVillainy Tira undergoes in this course of history. In her debut, Tira's character profile notes that she was so emotionally traumatized by having to kill [[ParentalSubstitute her Mother Bird]] in a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_burial Sky Burial]] that it gave birth to [[MoodSwinger her trademark mental instability]] [[note]]which would later become [[SplitPersonality Jolly and Gloomy]] after her soul was torn apart in the aftermath of the clash between the soul swords between ''III'' and ''IV''[[/note]], suggesting that, on some level, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Tira really did see her Parent Bird as a mother figure]]. Here, Tira is already so unhinged that her psyche had split in two quite some time before the events of the game, and she went through with the student-teacher DuelToTheDeath without ''any'' hesitation or misgivings. (It doesn't help that ''VI'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath describes]] the Sky Burial as [[EyeScream gouging out the victim's eyes]] and carving very specific marks into their mutilated body.) And if that wasn't bad enough, Tira also spares no thought in killing ''every other fledging assassin in her own nest'', who might as well have been her surrogate siblings, as well as the ones in competiting nests. And this was ''after'' she watched many more children starve to death during the organization's "Hatching" process. The original Tira, though a ''very'' cruel and manipulative figure, had some sympathetic elements to her character and backstory, perhaps enough to qualify as a JerkassWoobie. ''This'' Tira, however, takes the "bloodthirsty killer" angle of her character [[UpToEleven to new heights]], to the point that she comes across as ''even more'' heartless and sadistic.

** Azwel's master plan to reach the "next level" of human evolution is to create an ''even more powerful version of the Evil Seed,'' called the '''Ultimate Seed'''. After lots of enthusiastic research conducted within the ranks of the Aval Organization, Azwel goes on a mad chase to acquire fragments of the cursed and spirit swords, consume enough power from the astral fissures, then proceed with his ceremony and combine their powers to unleash his product onto the world. Based on the arised suspicions from Zasalamel and the Aval Organization, what he proclaims as the "salvation" of his beloved human race is anything but, and [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt had the Conduit not stopped Azwel from getting this close to succeeding in his plan...]]

* Early on in Libra of Soul, you can take on a sidequest near Ostrheinsburg. In it, you come across the aftermath of a carnage left by Nightmare, the narration describing it [[{{Gorn}} in surprisingly graphic detail]] alongside other unsettling sounds, giving off a very eerie atmosphere. Throughout it all, your character feels a rising sense of dread as you carry forward, and you eventually come face to face with the Azure Knight himself finishing off his latest victim. The fight itself pits you against him at Level 60, requiring you to defeat him with a [[LimitBreak Critical Edge]]. Nothing else can finish him off. By that point, you're likely about half his level, so it ''will'' likely be a difficult fight. Afterwards, you're left with a choice: fight again or flee. If you do flee, the Azure Knight will give chase, barely out of reach, and you end up running until dawn breaks. You quickly conclude that no mere mortal can take up arms against him, and only sheer luck let you live. If you do fight to the death, however, Nightmare wins easily enough. Just as he goes for the killing blow and prepares to devour your soul, he mysteriously vanishes and you miraculously survive, leaving you to ponder if he was real and whether or not you were still alive. The fight and the accompanying narration emphasize just ''why'' Nightmare is considered TheDreaded.

* The story updates alongside Season 2's final DLC character Hwang have dropped a terrifying bombshell: '''Soul Edge has living, sentient fragments. In other words, ''offspring''.''' These beings were once many souls, until they eventually merged together to become amalgams. The amalgams wandered aimlessly throughout Astral Chaos, until the day Sophitia and Taki killed Cervantes. Suddenly, one of these amalgams became sentient, taking the form of a silver-haired boy who appeared as a hallucination to the traumatized, insane Siegfried and manipulated him into becoming Nightmare. When Nightmare was ultimately defeated by Soul Calibur, the amalgam that tormented Siegfried, along with several of its kin, awakened once more, but this time gained corporeal forms and were able to cross over into the physical world. Siegfried's tormentor, the silver-haired boy, was reincarnated into a girl named Iska Acht - a master manipulator and extension of Soul Edge's will. Acht's "brothers" and "sisters", her fellow amalgams, also serve to gather Soul Edge's lost fragments, each serving as one of the reborn Nightmare's attendants to those within his new inner circle.

* The story updates alongside Season 2's final DLC character Hwnag have dropped a terrifying bombshell: '''Soul Edge has living, sentient fragments. In other words, ''offspring''.''' These beings were once many souls, until they eventually merged together to become amalgams. The amalgams wandered aimlessly throughout Astral Chaos, until the day Sophitia and Taki killed Cervantes. Suddenly, one of these amalgams became sentient, taking the form of a silver-haired boy who appeared as a hallucination to the traumatized, insane Siegfried and manipulated him into becoming Nightmare. When Nightmare was ultimately defeated by Soul Calibur, the amalgam that tormented Siegfried, along with several of its kin, awakened once more, but this time gained corporeal forms and were able to cross over into the physical world. Siegfried's tormentor, the silver-haired boy, was reincarnated into a girl named Iska Acht - a master manipulator and extension of Soul Edge's will. Acht's "brothers" and "sisters", her fellow amalgams, also serve to gather Soul Edge's lost fragments, each serving as one of the reborn Nightmare's attendants to those within his new inner circle.

* The stage Motien Pass Ruins can come across as creepy. It hardly even looks like an actual place, just a square battlefield surrounded by rock spires. The sky is enveloped by black clouds with occasional flashes of lightning and a burning red to the west. Not helping is how foreboding the stage theme "Hidden Saga" is.

* The story updates alongside Season 2's final DLC character Hwnag have dropped a terrifying bombshell: '''Soul Edge has ''living, sentient fragments''.''' These beings were once many souls, until they eventually merged together to become amalgams. The amalgams wandered aimlessly throughout Astral Chaos, until the day Sophitia and Taki killed Cervantes. Suddenly, one of these amalgams became sentient, taking the form of a silver-haired boy who appeared as a hallucination to the traumatized, insane Siegfried and manipulated him into becoming Nightmare. When Nightmare was ultimately defeated by Soul Calibur, the amalgam that tormented Siegfried, along with several of its kin, awakened once more, but this time gained corporeal forms and were able to cross over into the physical world. Siegfried's tormentor, the silver-haired boy, was reincarnated into a girl named Iska Acht - a master manipulator and extension of Soul Edge's will. Acht's "brothers" and "sisters", her fellow amalgams, also serve to gather Soul Edge's lost fragments, each serving as one of the reborn Nightmare's attendants to those within his new inner circle.

** What truly makes this chilling is the AdaptationalVillainy Tira undergoes in this course of history. In her debut, Tira's character profile notes that she was so emotionally traumatized by having to kill [[ParentalSubstitute her Mother Bird]] in a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_burial Sky Burial]] that it gave birth to [[MoodSwinger her trademark mental instability]] [[note]]which would later become [[SplitPersonality Jolly and Gloomy]] after her soul was torn apart in the aftermath of the clash between the soul swords between ''III'' and ''IV''[[/note]], suggesting that, on some level, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Tira really did see her Parent Bird as a mother figure]]. Here, Tira is already so unhinged that her psyche had split in two quite some time before the events of the game, and she went through with the student-teacher DuelToTheDeath without ''any'' hesitation or misgivings. (It doesn't help that ''VI'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath describes]] the Sky Burial as [[EyeScream gouging out the victim's eyes]] and carving very specific marks into their mutilated body.) And if that wasn't bad enough, Tira also spares no thought in killing ''every other fledging assassin in her own nest'', who might as well have been her surrogate siblings, as well as the ones in competiting nests. And this was ''after'' she watched many more children starve to death during the organization's "Hatching" process. The original Tira, though a ''very'' cruel and manipulative figure, [[MonsterSobStory had some sympathetic elements to her character and backstory]], perhaps enough to qualify as a JerkassWoobie. ''This'' Tira, however, takes the "bloodthirsty killer" angle of her character [[UpToEleven to new heights]], to the point that she comes across as ''even more'' heartless and sadistic.

** What truly makes this chilling is the AdaptationalVillainy Tira undergoes in this course of history. In her debut, Tira's character profile notes that she was so emotionally traumatized by having to kill [[ParentalSubstitute her Mother Bird]] in a Sky Burial that it gave birth to [[MoodSwinger her trademark mental instability]] [[note]]which would later become [[SplitPersonality Jolly and Gloomy]] after her soul was torn apart in the aftermath of the clash between the soul swords between ''III'' and ''IV''[[/note]], suggesting that, on some level, Tira really did see her Parent Bird as a mother figure. Here, Tira is already so unhinged that her psyche had split in two quite some time before the events of the game, and she went through with the student-teacher DuelToTheDeath without ''any'' hesitation or misgivings. (It doesn't help that ''VI'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath describes]] the Sky Burial as [[EyeScream gouging out the victim's eyes]] and carving very specific marks into their mutilated body.) And if that wasn't bad enough, Tira also spares no thought in killing ''every other fledging assassin in her own nest'', who might as well have been her surrogate siblings, as well as the ones in competiting nests. And this was ''after'' she watched many more children starve to death during the organization's "Hatching" process. The original Tira, though a ''very'' cruel and manipulative figure, [[MonsterSobStory had some sympathetic elements to her character and backstory]], perhaps enough to qualify as a JerkassWoobie. ''This'' Tira, however, takes the "bloodthirsty killer" angle of her character [[UpToEleven to new heights]], to the point that she comes across as ''even more'' heartless and sadistic.

* Early on in Libra of Soul, you can take on a sidequest near Ostrheinsburg. In it, you come across the aftermath of a carnage left by Nightmare, the narration describing it [[{{Gorn}} in surprisingly graphic detail]] alongside other unsettling sounds, giving off a very eerie atmosphere. Throughout it all, your character feels a rising sense of dread as you carry forward, and you eventually come face to face with the Azure Knight himself finishing off his latest victim. The fight itself pits you against him at Level 60, requiring you to defeat him with a [[LimitBreak Critical Edge]]. Nothing else can finish him off. By that point, you're likely about half his level, so it ''will'' likely be a difficult fight. Afterwards, you're left with a choice: fight again or flee. If you do flee, the Azure Knight will give chase, barely out of reach, and you end up running until dawn breaks. You quickly conclude that no mere mortal can take up arms against him, and only sheer luck let you live. If you do fight to the death, however, Nightmare wins easily enough. Just as he goes for the killing blow and prepares to devour your soul, he mysteriously vanish and you miraculously survive, leaving you to ponder if he was real and whether or not you were still alive. The fight and the accompanying narration emphasize just ''why'' Nightmare is considered TheDreaded.
* Cassandra's Soul Chronicle ends with her fighting her future self from the Original Timeline, who has been driven mad due to her prolonged exposure to the Astral Chaos and has taken on traits of a Malfested, complete with glowing red eyes and VoiceOfTheLegion.

* Early on in Libra of Soul, you can take on a sidequest near Ostrheinsburg. In it, you come across the aftermath of a carnage left by Nightmare, the narration describing it [[{{Gorn}} in surprisingly graphic detail]] alongside other unsettling sounds, giving off a very unsettling atmosphere. Throughout it all, your character feels a rising sense of dread as you carry forward, and you eventually come face to face with the Azure Knight himself finishing off his latest victim. The fight itself pits you against him at Level 60, requiring you to defeat him with a [[LimitBreak Critical Edge]]. Nothing else can finish him off. By that point, you're likely about half his level, so it ''will'' likely be a difficult fight. Afterwards, you're left with a choice: fight again or flee. If you do flee, the Azure Knight will give chase, barely out of reach, and you end up running until dawn breaks. You quickly conclude that no mere mortal can take up arms against him, and only sheer luck let you live. If you do fight to the death, however, Nightmare wins easily enough. Just as he goes for the killing blow and prepares to devour your soul, he mysteriously vanish and you miraculously survive, leaving you to ponder if he was real and whether or not you were still alive. The fight and the accompanying narration emphasize just ''why'' Nightmare is considered TheDreaded.

* Early on in Libra of Soul, you can take on a sidequest near Ostrheinsburg. In it, you came across the aftermath of a carnage left by Nightmare, the narration describing it [[{{Gorn}} in surprisingly graphic detail]] alongside other unsettling sounds, giving off a very unsettling atmosphere. Throughout it all, you felt a rising sense of dread as you carried forward, and eventually came face to face with the Azure Knight himself finishing off his latest victim. The fight itself pitted you against him at level 60, requiring you to defeat him with a [[LimitBreak Critical Edge]]. Nothing else can finish him off. By that point, you're likely about half his level, so it ''will'' likely be a difficult fight. Afterwards, you're left with a choice: fight again or flee. If you do flee, the Azure Knight would give chase, barely out of reach, and you ran until dawn break. You quickly concluded that no mere mortal can take up against him, and only sheer luck let you live. If you do fight to the death, however, Nightmare won easily enough. Just as he went for the killing blow and begin devouring your soul, he mysteriously vanished and you miraculously survived, leaving you to ponder if he was real and whether or not you were still alive. The fight and the narration emphasized why Nightmare was considered TheDreaded.

* Early on in Libra of Soul, you can take on a sidequest near Ostrheinsburg. In it, you came across the aftermath of a carnage left by Nightmare, the narration describing it [[{{Gorn}} in surprisingly graphic detail]] alongside other unsettling sounds, giving off a very unsettling atmosphere. Throughout it all, you felt a rising sense of dread as you carried forward, and eventually came face to face with the Azure Knight himself finishing off his latest victim. The fight itself pitted you against him at level 60, requiring you to defeat him with a [[LimitBreak Critical Edge]]. Nothing else can finish him off. By that point, you're likely about half his level, so it ''will'' be a difficult fight. Afterwards, you're left with a choice: fight or flee. If you do flee, the Azure Knight would give chase, barely out of reach, and you ran until dawn break. You quickly concluded that no mere mortal can take up against him, and only sheer luck let you live. If you do fight, however, Nightmare won easily enough. Just as he went for the killing blow and begin devouring your soul, he mysteriously vanished and you miraculously survived, leaving you to ponder if he was real and whether or not you were still alive. The fight and the narration emphasized why Nightmare was considered TheDreaded.

** What truly makes this chilling is the AdaptationalVillainy Tira undergoes in this course of history. In her debut, Tira's character profile notes that she was so emotionally traumatized by having to kill [[ParentalSubstitute her Mother Bird]] in a Sky Burial that it gave birth to [[MoodSwinger her trademark mental instability]] [[note]]which would later become [[SplitPersonality Jolly and Gloomy]] after her soul was torn apart in the aftermath of the clash between the soul swords between ''III'' and ''IV''[[/note]], suggesting that, on some level, Tira really did see her Parent Bird as a mother figure. Here, Tira is already so unhinged that her psyche had split in two quite some time before the events of the game, and she went through with the student-teacher DuelToTheDeath without ''any'' hesitation or misgivings. (It doesn't help that ''VI'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath describes]] the Sky Burial as [[EyeScream gouging out the victim's eyes]] and carving very specific marks into their mutilated body.) And if that wasn't bad enough, Tira also spares no thought in killing ''every other Chick in her own Nest'', who might as well have been her surrogate siblings, as well as the fledging assassins in competiting Nests. And this was ''after'' she watched many more children starve to death during the organization's "Hatching" process. The original Tira, though a ''very'' cruel and manipulative figure, [[MonsterSobStory had some sympathetic elements to her character and backstory]], perhaps enough to qualify as a JerkassWoobie. ''This'' Tira, however, takes the "bloodthirsty killer" angle of her character [[UpToEleven to new heights]], to the point that she comes across as ''even more'' heartless and sadistic.

** What truly makes this chilling is the AdaptationalVillainy Tira undergoes in this course of history. In her debut, Tira's character profile notes that she was so emotionally traumatized by having to kill [[ParentalSubstitute her Mother Bird]] in a Sky Burial that it gave birth to [[MoodSwinger her trademark mental instability]] [[note]]which would later become [[SplitPersonality Jolly and Gloomy]] after her soul was torn apart in the aftermath of the clash between the soul swords between ''III'' and ''IV''[[/note]], suggesting that, on some level, Tira truly did see her Parent Bird as a mother figure. Here, Tira is already so unhinged that her psyche had split in two quite some time before the events of the game, and she went through with the student-teacher DuelToTheDeath without ''any'' hesitation or misgivings. (It doesn't help that ''VI'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath describes]] the Sky Burial as [[EyeScream gouging out the victim's eyes]] and carving very specific marks into their mutilated body.) And if that wasn't bad enough, Tira also spares no thought in killing ''every other fledgling in her nest'', who might as well have been her surrogate siblings. The original Tira, though a ''very'' cruel and manipulative figure, [[MonsterSobStory had some sympathetic elements to her character and backstory]], perhaps enough to qualify as a JerkassWoobie. ''This'' Tira, however, takes the "bloodthirsty killer" angle of her character [[UpToEleven to new heights]], to the point that she comes across as ''even more'' heartless and sadistic.

* The [[SlasherSmile fa]][[NightmareFace ce]] Azwel makes when he loses to Grøh in his Chronicle Mode. Hell, not just that, but Azwel's demeanor in general. [[FauxAffablyEvil He talks to everyone as if they're his friend, even when making them suffer or watching them despair.]]

* Late in ''Libra of Soul'', you go to Norway to confirm whereabouts of Grøh, or at least the Black Demon that everyone is talking about...only to have a [[JumpScare rather terrifying and sudden encounter]] with a Malfested Grøh sporting a very nasty NightmareFace.

* Kilik, with the Evil Seed awakened, will kill anyone in sight, no matter how close they are. You could be his closest loved one, and you will still suffer his bloodlust should you be unfortunate enough to be in his way during this state.