History Trivia / SoulSeries

* RelationshipVoiceActor: Creator/RyokoShintani (Xianghua in ''IV'') and Creator/YukariTamura (Talim) were together in ''Anime/GalaxyAngel''.

* PlayingGertrude: Present with the Alexandra sisters. Until ''Soulcalibur IV'', elder sister Sophitia was voiced by Creator/MichikoNeya (b. 1965), with her four-years-younger sibling Cassandra being voiced by Creator/ReikoTakagi (b. 1973) since her ''SCII'' debut. However, with Sophitia being [[TheOtherDarrin recast]] to Creator/ChieNakamura starting in ''IV'', Cassandra's VA is now the older of the pair... and by approximately the same age gap separating Sophie and Cass. [[note]]Most sources give Nakamura's birth year as either 1978 or 1979.[[/note]]

** Meanwhile, the Hoshino-led Project Soul tried its hand at [[AuthorsSavingThrow rectifying some of the controversy]] [[TheBusCameBack by bringing back several of the omitted warriors]], but their marketing was centered around [[SexSells sex appeal]], and in volumes far beyond previous installments; even ''Soulcalibur V'' wasn't as blatant, and two of its posters featured [[MaleGaze nothing but]] Ivy's [[ThongOfShielding barely covered ass]] and [[PrettyInMink fur-wrapped]] [[AbsoluteCleavage breasts]]. Neither ''Lost Swords'' nor ''Unbreakable Soul'' were received favorably by the fanbase, and Hoshino would also leave the team in 2017, making it hard to gauge his impact on the franchise as a whole.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The [[GuestFighter special guests]] in each game starting from ''II'' make it clear each game was a product of their time:
** ''Soulcalibur II'' had [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] in his ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' appearance, with his ending even showing him using the eponymous instrument. In later years, his appearances in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' [[WolverinePublicity became the primary ones used in marketing for their respective eras]] (much like the Hero of Time before them).
** ''Soulcalibur III'' featured [[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} KOS-MOS]] as a pseudo-guest character through the "Type X" parts found in Create-A-Soul. ''Xenosaga'' would later be CutShort in 2006, and would be overshadowed by ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' in later years, with KOS-MOS being relegated to cameos in games like ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2''.
** ''Soulcalibur IV'' included [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Galen Marek/Starkiller]] (only known as "The Apprentice" in-game), who was there primarily to promote the then-upcoming ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed''. Considering that game came and went, and was denounced as non-canon once Creator/{{Disney}} bought out the series, it sticks out like a sore thumb much like the ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters [[FishOutOfTemporalWater themselves]] in that game.
** ''Soulcalibur V'':
*** The guest fighter was [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Ezio]], who was the mascot of the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' games at the time of release, coming off of [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII a successful]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood trilogy]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations of games]]. A year later, Ezio would have to share his mascot status with [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag Edward Kenway]], and neither of them have appeared in a mainline entry to date (though Ezio would appear in a ''VideoGame/ForHonor'' {{crossover}} event held in December 2018/January 2019).
*** Similar to the KOS-MOS custom parts in ''III'', ''SCV'' would also feature [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Devil Jin]] as a hidden Create-A-Soul discipline for custom characters. The character received a redesign alongside all other ''Tekken'' characters in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'', so his appearance in ''Soulcalibur V'' mainly pulls from his playable debut in ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' in terms of influence.
** Present but downplayed in ''Soulcalibur VI''.
*** The game's first guest, [[VideoGame/TheWitcher Geralt of Rivera]], likely owes his inclusion to the immense popularity of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'', which also managed to become [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff an oversight sensation in Japan circa 2017]] -- one year prior to ''VI''[='s=] release. However, Geralt would go on to appear in other Japanese-developed games like ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' and ''VideoGame/DaemonXMachina'', while the ''[[Franchise/TheWitcher Witcher]]'' franchise would receive even greater mainstream recognition with [[Series/TheWitcher2019 its 2019 Netflix live-action series]].
*** The game's second guest, [[VideoGame/NierAutomata 2B]], arguably comes closest, serving as the face of the collective ''Franchise/{{Drakengard}}''[=/=]''VideoGame/NieR'' series after ''Automata'' became a BreakthroughHit and one of the biggest games of 2017. This led to 2B being its representive character in ''SCVI'' despite hailing from a futuristic setting with technology levels far beyond that of the ClockPunk seen in the ''Soul'' series. Much like Geralt, though, ''Automata'' and its cast enjoy enduring popularity, leading to not only future collaborations in other games (such as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', which even turned 2B's Player 2 colors from this game [[CanonImmigrant into an actual character]]), but an internationally released VideoGameRemake of the original ''[=NieR=]'' and an [[TheAnimeOfTheGame animated adaptation]] of ''Automata''.
*** The game's third guest, [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Haohmaru]], released at the end of March 2020 as part of the game's second season of DLC, no doubt riding off the coattails of ''[=SamSho=]''[='s=] own resurgence with its 2019 installment. On the other hand, Haohmaru is noted to be an inspiration for Mitsurugi (making his inclusion a {{heartwarming|InHindsight}} example of ExpyCoexistence) and while ''[=SamSho=]'' [[Timeline/SamuraiShodown occurs]] at a much later point of (Japanese) history compared to the ''Soul'' series (similar to how Ezio hails from [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance a period of time]] that predates the events of ''SCV'' and the series as a whole), Haohmaru is generally seen as a perfect fit for the series' MagicRealism setting and aesthetics (again, similar to Ezio).

** [[https://soulcalibur.wikia.com/wiki/Cut_Characters From the early era, there were a ton of designs that didn't see the light of day.]] However, some feature concepts that may have evolved into future characters, such as a grim reaper-like figure (who may have evolved into Zasalamel), a scantily-clad woman with a whip (who would become Ivy), a feathered man with a rapier (Raphael) and perhaps the record, a girl using a dual-sided weapon that would evolve into the male Grøh two decades later. There's also some odd designs in general, like a kid controlling a large puppet, a female version of Voldo, a woman with what looks to be a ''chainsaw'' of all things, and a girl who'd weaponize ''playing cards''. Also, a Yoshimitsu prototype had him appearing as a ''literal skeleton''.

*** Cervantes: Creator/TakashiNagasako -> Jin Urayama

*** Seong Mi-na: Creator/HoukoKuwashima -> Creator/SanaeKobayashi -> Creator/ChinatsuAkasaki. Her original VA was Creator/HekiruShiina, who was replaced by Creator/YukoMiyamura in the console port of ''SE''.

* GodNeverSaidThat: A persistent fan rumor, which even circulated through video game blogs like [[https://web.archive.org/web/20061031174023/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/02/09/dante-joins-the-soul-calibur-3-lineup/ Joystiq]], states that [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] was supposed to be a GuestFighter in ''III'' though [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNUFJNKZxzE there is no evidence]] suggesting the devil hunter's inclusion was ever in the works. ''SCIII'' producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama, stated in [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/28/no-online-for-soulcalibur-iii a March 2005 interview]] that the game would have no guests (a claim reiterated on [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928195434/http://www.soularchive.jp/SC3/wat01e.htm the now defunct Soul Archive site]]), and later specifically singled out Dante as not making the cut (along with Necrid) in another interview featured in ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' #195 from September of that same year. When asked about the origins of this rumor, ''EGM'' reports Yotoriyama to have answered "the internet" while laughing.

** ''Soulcalibur II'' was one for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, despite being multiplatform, mainly because [[JustHereForGodzilla it had]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] in it.

** The gap between ''V'' and ''VI'' is the longest in series history, spanning almost ''seven years''.
** In another sense, as ''VI'' is more of a sequel to the original ''Soulcalibur'' games (and ''Soul Edge'') than the SoftReboot that was ''V'', one could say it's been ''ten years'' since the last "main" installment ''Soulcalibur IV''.

** ''Soulcalibur III'' featured [[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} KOS-MOS]] as a pseudo-guest character through the "Create-A-Soul" mode. ''Xenosaga'' would later be CutShort in 2006, and would be overshadowed by ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' in later years, with KOS-MOS being relegated to cameos in games like ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2''.
** ''Soulcalibur IV'', which features [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Galen Marek/Starkiller]] (here called "The Apprentice") as a GuestFighter, who was there primarily to promote the then-upcoming ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed''. Considering that game came and went, and was denounced as non-canon once Creator/{{Disney}} bought out the series, it sticks out like a sore thumb much like the characters themselves in that game.
** ''Soulcalibur V''[='s=] guest fighter was [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Ezio]], who was the mascot of the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' games at the time of release, coming off of [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII a successful]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood trilogy]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations of games]]. A year later, Ezio would have to share his mascot status with [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag Edward Kenway]], and neither of them have appeared in a mainline entry to date. Similar to the KOS-MOS custom parts in ''III'', ''SCV'' would also feature [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Devil Jin]] as a hidden Create-A-Soul discipline for custom characters. The character received a redesign alongside all other ''Tekken'' characters in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'', so his appearance in ''Soulcalibur V'' mainly pulls from his ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' appearance in terms of influence.

* CreatorsPest: Namco threw [[DesignatedHero Patroklos]] [[TheScrappy Alexander]] under the bus during their 2015 popularity poll, saying that they were "impressed" that the hero of ''SCV'' placed so low, even below characters like [[JokeCharacter Dampierre]]. For the record, he placed #37 out of 45 characters with only 32 votes received out of over 10000 that were cast. Sure enough, ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' turned out to be a reboot that returns to the original setting of the series, and Patroklos was among the first characters (alongside the other ''V'' newcomers) that were confirmed to be cut from the game. The original timeline--but the events of ''V'' in particular--is then treated as a BadFuture and [[spoiler:both Zasalamel and Cassandra are entrusted to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong]]. Additionally, [[spoiler:Cassandra is given the honor of naming Sophitia's firstborn, and decides that if the child is a boy, he should be named Deucalion (though this would actually affect Pyrrha--the less controversial sibling of the two--unless the impending timeline changes somehow affect the birth order of Sophitia's kids).]]

* ExecutiveMeddling: The reason we didn't get to see Project Soul's vision for ''V'' come to fruition. A few years in, Namco cut PS's funding and staff and then forced Project Soul to release ''SCV'' early in order to capitalize on the relatively weak end-of-January market. WhatCouldHaveBeen, indeed...
* ExiledFromContinuity: The main reason Necrid never appeared after ''II''. The rights to the character are shared between Namco and Todd [=McFarlane=], creating copyright issues that prevent him from returning in future games.

* GodNeverSaidThat: A persistent fan rumor, which even circulated through video game blogs like [[https://web.archive.org/web/20061031174023/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/02/09/dante-joins-the-soul-calibur-3-lineup/ Joystiq,]] states that [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] was supposed to be a GuestFighter in ''III'' though [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNUFJNKZxzE there is no evidence]] suggesting the devil hunter's inclusion was ever in the works. ''SCIII'' producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama, stated in [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/28/no-online-for-soulcalibur-iii a March 2005 interview]] that the game would have no guests (a claim reiterated on [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928195434/http://www.soularchive.jp/SC3/wat01e.htm the now defunct Soul Archive site]]), and later specifically singled out Dante as not making the cut (along with Necrid) in another interview featured in ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' #195 from September of that same year. When asked about the origins of this rumor, ''EGM'' reports Yotoriyama to have answered "the internet" while laughing.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Due to the Franchise/StarWars license expiring, all DLC for ''Soulcalibur IV'' were removed from digital stores. And the game is one of the few Namco fighting games not on Xbox One backwards compatibility for the same reason.

** ''Soulcalibur'' was this for the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}}, being a launch title and a PolishedPort of the original arcade version that is widely considered to be one of the best-looking, if not ''the'' best-looking game of its time, and is one of the highest-rated games on Metacritic. Anyone who didn't buy a Dreamcast for ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was likely buying it for this.

* MarthDebutedInSmashBros: ''Soulcalibur IV'' introduced "The Apprentice." This person would one day star in his own game, ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed''.
* NoPortForYou: Though Namco fighting games had been Playstation exclusives at that point (including the series' first game ''Soul Blade''), ''Soulcalibur'' was only released as a Dreamcast exclusive because it was, at the time, the only console powerful enough to run it. By the time the PS2 came out, the development team was already working on Soulcalibur II, so they decided to skip porting the first game. It did eventually get an XBox Live Arcade release, but is still unavailable to Playstation users.
** ''Soulcalibur II HD Online'' was brought to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, bringing with them both Heihachi and Spawn for both platforms. The lack of the game on ''any'' Nintendo platform (either the Wii U or the Switch) means that Link, the only remaining bonus fighter, is forever tied to his original [=GameCube=] appearance.

** ''VI'' continued the trend, though [[RoleReprise mostly remained consistent]] with the previous three installments.

*** Tira: Katie [=McNulty=] -> Creator/KateHiggins ([[YouLookFamiliar the previous voice]] of Talim and Natsu)

*** Rock: Minoru Inaba -> Creator/ToruOkawa. Additionally, Rock's VA in the preceding games games was Takashi Nagasako.

*** Taki: Creator/FujikoTakimoto -> Sachiko Kojima -> Nanako Mori
*** Xianghua: Creator/AyaHisakawa -> Creator/RyokoShintani -> Creator/AyaSuzaki

*** Hwang was voiced by Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa and Wataru Takagi in the arcade and console versions of ''Soul Edge'', respectively. Takagi would continue to voice Hwang in the original ''Soulcalibur'' (possibly due to DivergentCharacterEvolution between Hwang and Mitsurugi, who was already voiced by Morikawa), only for the role to be recast to Naoki Imamura when Hwang reappeared in ''III'' and its ''Arcade Edition'' revision.

** ''Soulcalibur V'', being the first game whose creation was not led by Yatoriyama, definitely had this feel. His successor, Daishi Odashima, was noted to be a tournament player back during the days of the original ''Soulcalibur'' and an avid fan of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII: 3rd Strike''. His envisioning of the revival of ''Soulcalibur'' involved the decision to carry out a 17-year TimeSkip (one admitted to be arbitrary by Odashima himself), which replaced many longstanding and popular veterans with {{younger|AndHipper}}, more {{anime}}-inspired [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute successors]] (many of whom were criticized for being [[FlatCharacter one-note]]), and the story revolved around [[DesignatedHero Patroklos]], son of Sophitia, in his quest to save his sister Pyrrha. Many pointed out that it felt more like personal {{fan fiction}} becoming reality, as opposed to being a true sequel to ''Soulcalibur''. (He ''did'' want to call it ''Soul Edge 2'', after all.) ''SCV'' also [[AuthorAppeal relied heavily on]] ''Franchise/StreetFighter''-influenced mechanics, most notably the inclusion of [[ManaMeter meter]] and [[LimitBreak Supers]] and alterations to the [[PunchParry Guard Impact]] mechanics, changes that proved controversial. Odashima would leave Project Soul after the game's lukewarm reception, with Masaki Hoshino taking his place as the new series director.

* SerendipityWritesThePlot: Due to the litigation trolling from Tim Langdell and Edge Games over use of the word "edge" as it pertains to video games, Namco opted to name the sequel to ''Soul Edge/Blade'' to "''Soulcalibur''" and invented a new sentient sword (the Soul Calibur) to give meaning to the title. That sword has become a prominent player in the series as a result, being the antithesis to Soul Edge's status as the BigBad (albeit for reasons not necessarily in the interests of the world either). An attempt was made to revert back to the "''Soul Edge''" name prior to ''Soulcalibur V'' but it was shot down due to the brand being too established under its current title.
* StillbornFranchise: ''Soulcalibur V'' was meant to be the start of a new direction for the series, and then-head Daishi Odashima planned for follow-ups that would've adhered to that game's status quo. In fact, ''V'' was originally going to be called ''Soul Edge 2'' in order to signify it. However, due to a combination of backlash over the game's story, setting and characters, the series going on a [[SequelGap hiatus for many years afterwards]], Odashima himself leaving the team less than two years after ''V'', and a general sentiment that the series needed to [[RevisitingTheRoots return to its roots]] to survive, this did not come to be. ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' would eventually be made, but the game [[ContinuityReboot hit the reset button]] specifically to escape the direction ''V'' was going to take the series and return to the setting that ''V'' was trying to shed, which Okubo outright admitted was ''because'' the series was on thin ice after ''V''.

** The original ''Soulcalibur'' saw the introduction of the series' incarnation of [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Yoshimitsu]], voiced by Creator/NobuyukiHiyama--the voice of Siegfried/Nightmare. It wouldn't be until three games later that this trope remained in effect, as Nightmare and Yoshimitsu respectively were not recasted until ''III'' and ''IV'' (as shown above).

** ''Soulcalibur II'' had [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] in his ''Ocarina of Time'' appearance, which his ending even showing him using the eponymous instrument. In later years, his appearances in ''Twilight Princess'', ''Skyward Sword'', and ''Breath of the Wild'' became the primary ones used in marketing for their respective eras.
** ''Soulcalibur III'' featured [[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} KOS-MOS]] as a hidden guest character through the "Create-A-Soul" mode. ''Xenosaga'' would later be CutShort in 2006, and would be overshadowed by ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' in later years, with KOS-MOS being relegated to cameos in games like ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2''.
** ''Soulcalibur IV'', which features [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Galen Marek/Starkiller]] (here called "The Apprentice") as a GuestFighter, who was there primarily to promote the then-upcoming ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed''. Considering that game came and went, and has been denounced as canon once Creator/{{Disney}} bought out the series, it sticks out like a sore thumb much like the characters themselves in that game.
** ''Soulcalibur V'''s main guest fighter was [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Ezio]], who was the mascot of the ''Assassin's Creed'' games at the time of release, coming off of a successful trilogy of games. A year later, Ezio would have to share his mascot status with [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag Edward Kenway]], and neither of them have appeared in a mainline entry to date. As for the hidden guest fighter [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Devil Jin]], the character received a redesign alongside all other ''Tekken'' characters in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'', so his appearance in ''Soulcalibur V'' mainly pulls from his ''Tekken 5'' appearance in terms of influence.

** A bonus character named [[http://www.soularchive.jp/tmr/souledge/sophitia/soph_cha.htm Azola]] was planned for the first game -- as a palette swap of Sophitia. During development, she was scrapped and her design just became Sophitia's 2P costume. This explains why the first game is the only time Sophitia's 2P costume is a brunette. Azola eventually appeared in ''IV'', as a Create-a-Soul character that features in Sophitia's story and uses her weapon style.

** When ''Soul Edge''/''Soul Blade'' was renamed to ''Soulcalibur'' for the subsequent second game, the original plan was that ''every'' game would have a ThemeNaming based on swords as opposed to {{Numbered Sequel}}s. They would instead be marked by the word "''Soul''" in each title. However, ''Soulcalibur'' became such a runaway success beyond their original expectations that they ultimately kept the ''Soulcalibur'' name for every subsequent game because of how recognizable it is.

** According to ''II''[='=]s localization producer, Nao Higo, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud Strife]] was originally supposed to be the guest character for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 version of the game. However, the deal with Creator/SquareEnix fell through at the last minute, resulting in Cloud being replaced with the internally-owned [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Heihachi]].
** Project Soul originally wanted a ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' character, likely Kasumi, to be exclusive to the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} version of ''Soulcalibur II'' as the ''DOA'' series was exclusive to the brand at the time, but couldn't get the rights due to then-Team Ninja head honcho Tomonobu Itagaki's [[DuelingWorks feud]] with Namco over the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' series. As a result, they got ComicBook/{{Spawn}} to be the Xbox guest character, since they were already partnered with Todd [=McFarlane=] to create ''Soulcalibur II'' action figures and OneShotCharacter Necrid. After Itagaki left Team Ninja, ''Dead or Alive'' and ''Soulcalibur'' joining forces through guest characters would eventually materialize in ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi 3 Ultimate''.

** ''V'', whilst praised for its great gameplay and visuals, was met with criticism (justifiably so) for the fact that the Story Mode only concentrated on and showcased the fate of a handful of characters. Even Arcade Mode has no endings for any of the characters, leaving a good deal of storyline elements [[LeftHanging hanging]]. Annoyingly, when this was brought up in an [[http://train2game-news.co.uk/2012/03/27/train2game-interview-soulcalibur-v-game-director-daishi-odashima/ interview]] with game director Daishi Odashima, he stated that "Our first plan on the storyboard was that we had every character's story, and actually we do have it in the studio, but time-wise, man power-wise we weren't able to do it and only one fourth of what we planned to do is in the game"...

** Creator/HitomiNabatame (Japanese) and Heather Hogan (English) voiced Amy in ''III'' and ''IV'', and then voiced Viola in ''V''. During an Amy-centric livestream in March 2019, Project Soul would [[IKnewIt confirm]] the generally agreed theory that Amy is Viola (with the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen original plan]] being to [[RedHerring mislead players into thinking they were indeed separate characters]]), retroactively elevating this example to an instance of RoleReprise.

* FanNickname:
** There are quiet a lot of these made up by the fandom -- "Sieg/Sieggy," "Soph/Sophie," "Cass/Cassie," "Raph," and "Mitsu" are some prominent examples. Xianghua is often just called [[OneLetterName "X"]] due to the difficulty in spelling and pronouncing her name.
** Courtesy of [=8WayRun=], Cervy Beards for Cervantes. It hasn't quite caught on outside of their forums, however.
** As a carryover from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', Yoshimitsu is usually called Yoshi for short, but his [[LegacyImmortality successor]], Yoshimitsu the Second from ''SCV'', is alternatively known as Yoshi II or, [[PunnyName for extra punnage]], [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Yoshimitwo]]. (You can thank [=8WayRun=] for that last one, by the way.)
** The quartet of Maxi, Natsu, Xiba and Leixia in ''V'' has been nicknamed [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo The Scooby Gang]].
** Also in ''V'', fans came up with "Patsuka/Petsuka" for Alpha Patroklos (who uses Setsuka's iaijutsu and was originally trained by her in-canon) and "[[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow Oprah]]" for Pyrrha Omega.

** ''Soulcalibur III'' featured [[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} KOS-MOS]] as a hidden guest character through the "Create-A-Soul" mode. ''Xenosaga'' would later be CutShort in 2006, and would be overshadowed by ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' in later years, with KOS-MOS being relegated to cameos in games like ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2''.

* NoPortForYou: ''Soulcalibur II HD Online'' was brought to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, bringing with them both Heihachi and Spawn for both platforms. The lack of the game on ''any'' Nintendo platform (either the Wii U or the Switch) means that Link, the only remaining bonus fighter, is forever tied to his original [=GameCube=] appearance.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: ''Soulcalibur IV'', which features [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Galen Marek/Starkiller]] (here called "The Apprentice") as a GuestFighter, who was there primarily to promote the then-upcoming ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed''. Considering that game came and went, and has been denounced as canon once Creator/{{Disney}} bought out the series, it sticks out like a sore thumb much like the characters themselves in that game.

*** Edge Master's VA starting in ''V'' is Creator/KoujiIshii, replacing the [[AuthorExistenceFailure late]] Creator/DaisukeGori.

** ''Soulcalibur II'' was this for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, despite being multiplatform, mainly because [[JustHereForGodzilla it had]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] in it.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/YukariTamura is widely known as the voice of [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Nanoha]] since 2004, but before that, in 2002, she voiced Talim.

* FranchiseKiller: ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV'' only barely subverted this. After the backlash and middling sales for its many changes, Namco initially didn't think the series was worth keeping around until convinced by Motohiro Okubo to greenlight another game. That game, ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', is a ContinuityReboot that undoes everything ''V'' tried to do. The reception and sales were positive enough that it saved the same series ''V'' nearly killed off.

** Despite being two different people [[LegacyCharacter sharing the same identity]], Yoshimitsu II shares both his Japanese and English voice actors (Creator/NorioWakamoto and Mitch Urban [[note]]Wakamoto took over from Creator/NobuyukiHiyama, who voiced Yoshimitsu from his ''Soulcalibur'' debut, in ''IV'', while Urban was part of the voice actor changing of the guard that occured during the dubbing of ''Soulcalibur III''[[/note]]) with his predecessor, making them somewhat difficult to distinguish apart from Yoshi II introducing himself as "Yoshimitsu the Second" (and reinforcing the implication that BecomingTheMask is in effect for each successive Manji Clan leader).

* CreatorsPest: Namco threw [[DesignatedHero Patroklos]] [[TheScrappy Alexander]] under the bus during the popularity poll, saying that they were "impressed" that the hero of ''SCV'' placed so low, even below characters like [[JokeCharacter Dampierre]]. For the record, he placed #37 out of 45 characters with only 32 votes received out of over 10000 that were cast. Sure enough, ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' turned out to be a reboot that returns to the original setting of the series, and Patroklos was among the first characters (alongside the other ''V'' newcomers) that were confirmed to be cut from the game. The original timeline is then treated as a BadFuture and [[spoiler:both Zasalamel and Cassandra were entrusted to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong]], and even beforehand, [[spoiler:Cassandra thought if Sophitia's child is a boy, he should be named Deucalion, not Patroklos.]]

** ''VI'' already showcases this in effect.

*** Rock: Minoru Inaba -> Creator/ToruOkawa. Additionally, Rock's VA in the preceding games games is Takashi Nagasako.
*** Seong Mi-na: Creator/HoukoKuwashima -> Creator/SanaeKobayashi -> Creator/ChinatsuAkasaki. Her original VA is Creator/HekiruShiina, who was replaced by Creator/YukoMiyamura in the console port of ''SE''.

*** Hwang is voiced by Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa and Wataru Takagi in the arcade and console versions of ''Soul Edge'', respectively.
*** Astaroth's original VA is Creator/BanjoGinga. The following games replaced him with Creator/RyuzaburoOtomo.
*** Edge Master's in VA in ''V'' is Creator/KoujiIshii, replacing the [[AuthorExistenceFailure late]] Creator/DaisukeGori.

*** Nightmare: Creator/FumihikoTachiki -> Kosei Hirota, then Creator/YasunoriMasutani in ''V''. Before ''III'' (and [[RoleReprisal once]] [[TheOriginalDarrin again]] in ''VI''), Nightmare shared the same VA as Siegfried (Creator/NobuyukiHiyama) [[SignificantDoubleCasting due to being one and the same with him]]. As Nightmare's new host in ''V'' is all but said to be Raphael in some form or another, the VA switch in that game follows a similar logic.

** ''V'' also has Siegfried sharing his English voice actor Creator/RogerCraigSmith with GuestFighter [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Ezio]], due to a RoleReprisal from [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed his own series]].
** For a certain value of "talking", in the [=GameCube=] version of ''II'', Nobuyuki Hiyama [[RoleReprisal reprises]] Link's battle cries as he did in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' (specifically Adult Link). As Hiyama already voices Nightmare (or rather Siegfried under the Nightmare identity) ''and'' Yoshimitsu, they end up sounding very similar.

** Creator/HitomiNabatame (Japanese) and Heather Hogan (English) voiced Amy in ''III'' and ''IV'', and then voiced Viola in ''V''. During an Amy-centric livestream in March 2019, Project Soul would [[IKnewIt confirm]] the generally agreed theory that Amy is Viola (with the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen original plan]] being to [[RedHerring mislead players into thinking they were indeed separate characters]]), retroactively elevating this example to an instance of RoleReprisal.

* BTeamSequel: ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV'' was the first game not created under the lead of founder Hiroaki Yatoriyama. Instead, it was led by Daishi Odashima, resulting in why ''V'' was so different from the other games in tone, story, and characters. Odashima would step down at an unspecified point after ''V'', replaced by Masaki Hoshino, who created the spin-off installments ''Lost Swords'' and ''Unbreakable Soul''. Then Hoshino himself departed from Project Soul sometime in 2017, leading ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' to be helmed by Motohiro Okubo, one of the producers of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}} 7''.

* RunningTheAsylum: One could argue that a major factor in the series' [[{{Sequelitis}} steady decline]] has been the departure of its founder Hiroaki Yatoriyama and Project Soul's subsequent reshaping in the wake of his absence.

* GodNeverSaidThat: A persistent fan rumor states, which even circulated through video game blogs like [[https://web.archive.org/web/20061031174023/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/02/09/dante-joins-the-soul-calibur-3-lineup/ Joystiq,]] that [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] was supposed to be a GuestFighter in ''III'' but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNUFJNKZxzE there is no evidence suggesting the devil hunter's inclusion was ever in the works.]] ''SCIII'' producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama, stated in [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/28/no-online-for-soulcalibur-iii a March 2005 interview]] that the game would have no guests (a claim reiterated on [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928195434/http://www.soularchive.jp/SC3/wat01e.htm the now defunct Soul Archive site]]), and later specifically singled out Dante as not making the cut (along with Necrid) in another interview featured in ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' #195 from September of that same year. When asked about the origins of this rumor, ''EGM'' reports Yotoriyama to have answered "the internet" while laughing.

* GodNeverSaidThat: A persistent fan rumor states that [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] was supposed to be a GuestFighter in ''III'' but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNUFJNKZxzE there is no evidence suggesting the devil hunter's inclusion was ever in the works.]] ''SCIII'' producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama, stated in [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/28/no-online-for-soulcalibur-iii a March 2005 interview]] that the game would have no guests (a claim reiterated on [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928195434/http://www.soularchive.jp/SC3/wat01e.htm the now defunct Soul Archive site]]), and later specifically singled out Dante as not making the cut (along with Necrid) in another interview featured in ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' #195 from September of that same year. When asked about the origins of this rumor, ''EGM'' reports Yotoriyama to have answered "the internet" while laughing.

* GodNeverSaidThat: A persistent fan rumor states that [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] was supposed to be a GuestFighter in ''III'' but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNUFJNKZxzE there is no evidence suggesting the devil hunter's inclusion was ever in the works.]] ''SCIII'' producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama stated in [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/28/no-online-for-soulcalibur-iii a March 2005 interview]] that the game would have no guests, and later specifically singled out Dante as not making the cut (along with Necrid) in another interview featured in ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' #195 from September of that same year. When asked about the origins of this rumor, ''EGM'' reports Yotoriyama to have answered "the internet" while laughing.

** Meanwhile, the Hoshino-led Project Soul has tried its hand at [[AuthorsSavingThrow rectifying some of the controversy]] [[TheBusCameBack by bringing back several of the omitted warriors]], but their marketing is centered around [[SexSells sex appeal]], and in volumes far beyond previous installments; even ''Soulcalibur V'' wasn't as blatant, and two of its posters featured [[MaleGaze nothing but]] Ivy's [[ThongOfShielding barely covered ass]] and [[PrettyInMink fur-wrapped]] [[AbsoluteCleavage breasts]]. Neither ''Lost Swords'' nor ''Unbreakable Soul'' were received favorably by the fanbase, and Hoshino would also leave the team in 2017, making it hard to gauge his impact on the franchise as a whole.

** [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] was supposed to be a GuestFighter in ''III''.

** Creator/HitomiNabatame (Japanese) and Heather Hogan (English) voiced Amy in ''III'' and ''IV'', and then voiced Viola in ''V''. However, this is instead a RoleReprisal if the generally agreed theory that Amy is Viola ever turns out to be true.

* CreatorsPest: Namco threw [[DesignatedHero Patroklos]] [[TheScrappy Alexander]] under the bus during the popularity poll, saying that they were "impressed" that the hero of ''SCV'' placed so low, even below characters like [[JokeCharacter Dampierre]]. For the record, he placed #37 out of 45 characters with only 32 votes received out of over 10000 that were cast. Sure enough, ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' turned out to be a reboot that returns to the original setting of the series, and Patroklos was among the first characters (alongside the other ''V'' newcomers) that were confirmed to be cut from the game.