Talk:Bayonetta 2/@comment-189.250.83.96-20150112013557/@comment-1661895-20150112020539

That's...kind of the point. Balder in the first game isn't actually Balder because he has been corrupted by Loptr's soul, turning him into the crazed religious madman we saw originally. Balder in the sequel is more of a real character, fleshed out and given more of a backstory and general expansion because he has no such corruption. He's hardly a puppet, we see him for who he really is.

Bayonetta is fully aware of his importance to her when she sees who he is (especially near the conclusion of the game when he reveals he knows who she is too). Besides, if Balder had simply stayed as a masked vigilante throughout the game, there would be no pay off as to who he is (which is the entire appeal to him being masked).