Cheshire (demon)

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Cheshire, also known as The Lost Outcast, is a mysterious demon that appears in the Bayonetta series. Taking the form of a large demonic cat that resembles the doll of the same name, Cheshire is an important presence within the story of the series.

Cheshire's first introduction is in Bayonetta 3 as the sole demon that can be called by Viola. Bound to Mab Dachi, the witch-in-training's sword, Cheshire aids Viola in combat when fighting against the forces of the Homunculi.

Cheshire later appears in the prequel Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon after accidentally being summoned by Cereza and bound to the doll that she carries with her. He helps her to fight the faeries of Avalon Forest on a journey to return him to Inferno and save Cereza's mother.

Descriptions[]

Bayonetta 3, Book of Infernal Demons[]

A somewhat rootless Infernal Demon that inhabits Viola's katana, Mab Dachi.

He has not entered into an official contract with Viola, and in fact it's unclear why he helps her at all when she still can't reliably complete a summoning spell, but he willingly appears from her katana whenever she calls on him for help.

Using the cat charm hanging from Viola's katana as a host body, he looks like some kind of theme-park mascot but it's unknown if that is his true form or somehow affected by design of the charm.

Cheshire's relationship with Viola seems to be more like that of good friends, rather than master and servant, but the mysteries of why he has taken a liking to her when she's still not a full-fledged witch, and why he refuses to return to Inferno and instead continues to stay in Viola's katana, still remain.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, Archive[]

A demon summoned by Cereza on the night of the full moon.

Traditionally, Umbra Witches use their hair as a medium to control their demons, but the ritual proved too difficult for Cereza, and the demon somehow found himself in Cereza's stuffed toy.

The demon, humiliated by such a vessel, demanded to be returned to Inferno immediately, but the inexperienced Cereza had no idea how to help. And being bound to the magical energy of whoever summoned him, he realised he was unable to separate himself from her. Reluctantly, he agrees to accompany her just until they find a way to send him home.

Having been just newly born in Inferno when called, he had yet to be given a name. Cereza decides to simply call him Cheshire, after the name of the stuffed toy he inhabits.

With his bone-crunching fangs and razor-sharp claws, Cheshire has confidence in his strength, and an itch to prove his superiority to others, jumping into battle whenever the opportunity arises.

He also just happens to have a notorious sweet tooth, especially for Inferno Fruit and Avalon Drops. With his keen nose he can usually discern any Avalon Drops Cereza might be hiding, and sometimes nabs a quick snack when she's distracted.

His demon nature would normally make him care only for destruction, but be it due to the hugs and affection that Cereza shows his medium, he feels an inexplicable fuzziness towards Cereza he can't understand.

At first, his teamwork with Cereza is shaky. Cheshire is especially frustrated with the cowardice she shows during their first encounter with the Jabberwock. And even though it was a trap created by the faeries, attacking the illusion of Cereza's mother sends a shock to Cereza so great a significant rift is born between them, sending them on their separate ways.

Though not one to prefer the company of others, his time apart from Cereza gives him the chance to reflect on their journey, and fills him with strange feelings of concern and sorrow, both emotions demons were assumed unable to experience.

After watching the bravery Cereza is capable of during his rescue and the care she shows sacrificing her hair to heal his wounds, Cheshire finally begins to accept Cereza as someone he relies on, and a bond between the two grows.

With Cereza, Cheshire is able to forge an irreplaceable bond of friendship most demons never experience. As of now, he is probably thrashing around Inferno, going wherever those brilliant claws lead him. Though he still might not be able to admit it, surely he is someday hoping for a fateful reunion.

Story[]

Bayonetta 3[]

Cheshire first appears when Viola is explaining the details of the Homunculi invasion to Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Rodin. Seeming mischievous in not following Viola's orders, he forces her to chase him as Bayonetta notes that he shares a name with both her childhood toy and her nickname for Luka. Cheshire later aids the witches in reaching the island of Thule, using his bicycle to fly them there. Though not taking a major role in the overall story afterward, Cheshire appears in numerous battles to finish off the Homunculi Viola fights on her journey through the Multiverse.

The Book of Infernal Demons explains that Cheshire is not actually contracted to Viola like Bayonetta's demons, and instead chooses to stay in the Human World to aid her rather than return to Inferno. This is proven shortly after Viola is transported to the alternate Egypt, stranded in the desert and temporarily separated from Cheshire after losing the sword he is bound to. Following their eventual reunion, the young witch passes out from the extreme heat of the desert and prompts Cheshire to carry her on his back through the sands to find fresh water and save her.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon[]

After deciding to journey into the Avalon Forest following her failure in performing a summoning spell in her training, Cereza summons Cheshire in order to ward off a group of faeries who attack her. However, without her hair to act as a medium, the demon has no choice but to use her stuffed toy as a body.

In contrast to his jovial and mischievous personality in Bayonetta 3, Cheshire is instead openly angry at being called by the young witch and tries to find his own way back to Inferno through the forest. However, he soon finds that his power and strength wane the further away he gets from Cereza, forcing him to return to her. With the knowledge that he cannot harm Cereza due to the nature of how he was called from Inferno, Cheshire begrudgingly agrees to aid her in her quest to find a way back home.

Appearance[]

In both of his appearances, Cheshire is a cat-like demon with an uncanny resemblance to the doll of the same name.

In Bayonetta 3, Cheshire has a purple fur coat, while his belly is striped yellow and orange red, with a strip of yellow hair on the top of his head. He has stout limbs ending in long red claws, and his left ear is notched or missing. His head has a left cyan-colored eye, which is actually a jewel and a black right eye that has multiple red rings on it, several smaller red eyes that surround the pair, and a large mouth of sharp teeth and vibrant colors within in the shape of a grin, as a reference to his namesake. His tail is typically small and stumpy, but can grow into an opposable limb as needed. Cheshire wears a scarf with flower designs and a silver bell. He has the ability to spit up a seemingly limitless number of random objects, such as a Penny-farthing bicycle or a pipe.

In Bayonetta Origins, Cheshire is much more bestial in his design. Now walking around on all fours, he bears an even stronger resemblance to the doll he has taken as a body, complete with large black stitching across the middle of his face and along his front limbs. His large teeth and claws are a deep red color, and he bears the symbols of crescent moons found on other Infernal Demons on his shoulders. Though he doesn't have a tail, his scarf now trails and flows behind him. Cheshire's body can also undergo transformations based on the Elemental Core that he is currently using, changing his overall color scheme and adding in accessories based around the chosen element.

Abilities[]

In Bayonetta 3, Cheshire has the ability to store things in his gut and later barf anything he desires out. Cheshire can elongate his claws to lengths that make them resemble swords, as well as extend his stumpy tail into a flexible and prehensile fifth member with claws and use it to grab anything that would otherwise be out of reach. Despite having a rather chubby body with stocky limbs, Cheshire is incredibly agile and nimble, able to jump many times his height and contort himself to deliver attacks. Cheshire also has the ability to fly using his penny farthing bicycle to ride though the air. He also seems to be able to change his size at will, as he was shown to be a bit shorter than the Gates Of Hell counter when first seen, but is later shown big enough for Viola to fit comfortably in his paw after she and Bayonetta arrived on Thule. Cheshire seems to have an affinity with fire, since he can coat his limbs and claws in flames during attacks and breathe out huge plumes of flames after taking a puff of his fire pipe. Whether this is a natural power developed by Cheshire, a result of his connection with the Mab Dachi sword, or a result of his absorption of the Fire Core is unknown.

In Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, where he is different to the one in the third game, he can crush a Faerie in one bite. In the course of the game, he gains different elemental abilities following the absorption of each core. When he gained the power of the Wood Core, he could use his tongue to grab hooks; in Stone form, he can make a powerful stomp; in Water form, he can squirt water and swim; and in Fire form, he can blast fire balls that can melt ice.

Gameplay[]

Bayonetta 3[]

Cheshire's limbs can be summoned to aid Viola in battle, acting as a version of Wicked Weaves that slash at enemies with his claws depending on the move being used. Most notably, Cheshire is Viola's only option for her variant of the Demon Slave ability.

Unlike using the ability when playing as Bayonetta, Cheshire cannot be directly controlled and instead automatically attacks foes with claws and streams of fire from his pipe for the duration of his summoning. While he can move around to chase enemies, he is tethered to Mab Dachi and cannot move that far from where Viola throws it in the ground. Also unlike Bayonetta, Viola is still able to move and attack while Cheshire is active, but must do so unarmed, meaning she is unable to activate Witch Time. Cheshire can be summoned as part of the Wink Slave and Assault Slave skills.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon[]

Cheshire is controlled using the Right Joy-Con controller. While Cereza binds enemies with her magic, Cheshire acts as her main source of offence and attacks using physical strikes with his claws to defeat enemies. Cheshire can also be powered up using different Elemental Cores to grant him new abilities, such as a damaging water spray or a vine to break enemy shields, which aid in both puzzle solving and combat.

At any time when exploring, Cereza can recall Cheshire back into his doll form and then unleash him when needing his powers. There are some paths that Cheshire cannot follow Cereza down due to obstacles like narrow walkways or the presence of rosemary, requiring the player to navigate both him and Cereza separately to progress.

Etymology[]

Cheshire's name is derived from the character from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat. The origins behind the phrase are unknown, although many have suggested it is a reference to Cheshire, the birthplace of Carroll. A theory to the name is that Carroll was inspired by a 16th century carving of a grinning cat that can be found on St. Wilfrid's Church in Grappenhall, which was nearby Daresbury, Cheshire.

Gallery[]

Bayonetta 3[]

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon[]

Renders[]

Artwork[]

Trivia[]

Cheshire's visual design in all of his appearances is based on Bayonetta's childhood doll, notably seen in the possession her child self from the original game.
While all other languages refer to him as "Cheshire", he is called "Chouchou" in French, chou being a common adjective to describe particularly cute animals or pets.

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