Bayonetta (Japanese: ベヨネッタ, Hepburn: Beyonetta) is an action and adventure game series created by Hideki Kamiya. The games are developed by PlatinumGames, owned by Sega, and published by Nintendo since 2014. The franchise began in 2009 with the first game, Bayonetta, followed by sequels: Bayonetta 2 (2014) and Bayonetta 3 (2022). A prequel titled Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon was released in 2023. The games feature the main character, a witch who uses dual pistols, has shooters in her high heels, and has long hair that can change magically into a supernatural weapon. The series has received strong praise from critics and is considered PlatinumGames' most important series. It is also one of Sega's most well-known game franchises.

Video games

The first game in the series was directed by Hideki Kamiya, who made the Devil May Cry game and worked on the Ōkami franchise while he was at Capcom. It was the third game in Platinum's four-game agreement with Sega. The game was released in Japan on October 29, 2009, and released worldwide in January 2010 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game received mostly positive reviews when it came out. Over 1.35 million copies of the game were sold. Although it was Platinum's most successful game at that time, the company was not happy with how many copies were sold. A remastered version of the game with improved graphics, such as anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering, SSAO lighting, and better texture and shadow quality, was released for PC in April 2017. The game was later made available on Nintendo Switch in 2018 and was included with Vanquish for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in February 2020.

Bayonetta 2 was announced in 2012 during a Nintendo Direct event for the Wii U. Fans were upset because the game would not be available on other platforms. Platinum was originally working with Sega to make the sequel, but Sega canceled the project during development. Nintendo then took over the project. According to producer Atsushi Inaba, the game would not have been possible without Nintendo's funding and support. Sega remained as a consultant for the game. The game was directed by Yusuke Hashimoto, and Hideki Kamiya had a supervisory role. The game was released in 2014 and received very positive reviews. Sales for the Wii U version are not fully known, but by March 2018, Nintendo reported that the Switch version sold 400,000 copies in its first nine weeks, compared to 300,000 copies sold for the Wii U version during the same time. As of December 2021, the Switch version had sold 1.04 million copies worldwide.

A third game in the series was announced by Nintendo at The Game Awards 2017. A gameplay trailer was shown during a Nintendo Direct event in September 2021. The game was released for Nintendo Switch on October 28, 2022, and received positive reviews from critics and fans. The game won the Best Action Game award at The Game Awards 2022. It also includes a playable teaser for a game called Cereza and the Lost Demon as a secret level and unlocks a special skin after completing it.

A prequel game that follows Cereza as a young girl was announced by Nintendo at The Game Awards 2022. It was released for Nintendo Switch on March 17, 2023.

Bayonetta appears as a downloadable character in Sega's multiplayer fighting game Anarchy Reigns and as a special guest character with Jeanne and Rodin in Nintendo's action game The Wonderful 101. She is also a downloadable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Both games include a stage based on the falling Umbra Clock Tower from the Bayonetta games. Rodin was also added as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.

An action and shooter game in a 16-bit style that can be played on the internet, called 8-Bit Bayonetta, was released on February 16, 2015, and later on Steam on March 31, 2017.

Other media

An anime movie based on the first video game, called Bayonetta: Bloody Fate, was made by Gonzo and released in 2013 through a collaboration with Sega.

In 2014, Udon Entertainment published a book titled The Eyes of Bayonetta, which included a list of her abilities.

Reception

The video games Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2, and Bayonetta 3 each received good reviews from critics on a website called Metacritic. Bayonetta 2 was considered for the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2014, but it did not win. Instead, the award went to Dragon Age: Inquisition.