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Dominique Baldwin

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“ An exorcist dispatched by the church, she supports Miriam as the shopkeeper. She speaks in a posh way, but she treats everyone kindly. While the church believes Miriam and Gebel to be demons, Dominique trusts them as human beings. In order to foil Gebel's ambitions, she asks her old friend Johannes to summon Miriam. „
~ Description from Ritual of the Night

Dominique Baldwin is a recurring character in the Bloodstained series. She was introduced as a major support character in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and later returned as a playable character in Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2.

In Ritual of the Night, she is an exorcist sent by the Church and an old friend of Johannes. She is also this game's shopkeeper, stocking on various goods and weapons to support Miriam on her quest inside Gebel's castle. She is eventually revealed to be the main antagonist of the game. She was voiced by Fryda Wolff in the English version of the game and by Kaori Mizuhashi in the Japanese version.

She is playable in the Classic Mode II DLC, Dominique's Curse. There, she navigates Limbo to acquire demonic power in the hope of escaping the underworld and get revenge for her banishment.

In Curse of the Moon 2, she is one of the seven playable characters and an ally to Zangetsu. There, she is capable of wielding a spear against her foes.

Dominique, alongside Gremory and Gebel, also serve as the true, final boss for Stage 5 of Classic Mode, if the difficulty selected is either Normal and Hard.

History[]

Ritual of the Night[]

Dominique makes her first appearance when Miriam and Johannes arrive in Arvantville. She introduces herself as an old friend of the latter and works with the pair in a supporting role by selling Miriam items in a makeshift supply post found in the shelter beneath the village. She also offers to buy any excess shards from Miriam on the supposition that she may be adversely affected if she collects too many for her to handle. Dominique has also hired the demon hunter, Zangetsu, to infiltrate the Hellhold castle and hunt for the alchemist Alfred. During one of her conversations with Miriam, she reveals that her parents were also exorcists but they perished in combat when demonic forces first appeared ten years due to the actions of the Alchemy Guild, while the young Shardbinder had yet to awaken.

Even though she offers aid and advice to Miriam while she looks for a way to stop Gebel, Dominique mysteriously disappears from her supply post after Miriam breaks Gremory's hold over Gebel shortly before he succumbed to his curse. Anne, a little girl that Miriam and Dominique rescued earlier, manages the store in the exorcist's stead from that point forward, implying that the two spent so much time together that Anne was able to learn how to run it effectively. Off-screen, Dominique confronts Alfred and mortally wounds him, taking the Liber Logaeth for herself.

When Miriam finally confronts Dominique in the Glacial Tomb, she proudly reveals her true colors, having implanted a crystal into herself to become a Shardbinder. Though she is an exorcist for the Church, her faith in God was shattered by the demonic invasion, and in renouncing God, she has chosen to side with the very creatures that killed her parents. Miriam does not take kindly to Dominique's betrayal and calls her out for her arrogance, yet she is indifferent to the Shardbinder's attitude. The two women battle each other in open combat, but unfortunately, Dominique used this to buy her time to summon Bael, the king of demonkind, to assist her. Though she merges herself with the powerful demon, she is ultimately defeated and seemingly killed in the process.

Like most of the other bosses, if Dominique is defeated without taking any damage, an extra, purely honorary Boss Medal (the Dominique Medal) will be rewarded.

Dominique's Curse[]

In Dominique's Curse, it is revealed that she survived the battle with Miriam and now travels Limbo while afflicted with a crystal curse. She eventually manages to confront and defeat Bael, although her precise fate depends on the ending:

  • In the Bad Ending, she finds herself back in Limbo, and ends up becoming the Queen of Demons.
  • In the Bitter Ending, she ultimately escapes from Limbo, but is unable to lift her Crystal Curse, and ends up dying upon returning to the mortal plane of existence.
  • In the True Ending, she escapes Limbo while having been seemingly cured of her Crystal Curse. However, she is left amnesiac as a result, and ultimately is discovered by Miriam.

Non-canon modes[]

Dominique appears in Classic Mode after Miriam defeats Gebel in Stage 5. As Gebel is dying, she announces her presence by saying that Miriam leaves her no choice, and then teleports into his throne room with a laughter. She relies on magic attacks (including a variant of the Va Ischa) in the ensuing battle and flies around the throne room in a ball of light to evade Miriam's attacks. Her final defeat ends the mode. Dominique makes no appearance in Easy Mode, so Gebel is the final boss on that difficulty level.

Despite Dominique's secretly villainous nature, she is the second of three hunters that bosses are pitted against as playable characters in Boss Revenge Mode. The battle is set in the Glacial Tomb and she fights like in the main game, but she is not visibly affected by the Crystal Curse and no summoning ritual is happening in the background.

Curse of the Moon 2[]

At the start of the game, Dominique drops Zangetsu from a paraglider in The Dragon's Silhouette before flying off. Later, before the Drago-Symbiote can land one final desperation attack against Zangetsu, she drops down from above and stabs the monster in the head. Afterward, she fights alongside Zangetsu in his journey to reach the demon castle.

The two eventually encounter Lubius and emerge victorious. Lubius attempts one final attack, but is defeated at the hands of Robert. The man heavily distrusts Dominique, but at the insistence of Zangetsu, his old comrade, he reluctantly works alongside her.

It was later revealed she was intending to let Mephisto possess her in a sacrificial effort to ensure its permanent demise, though she eventually started getting second thoughts. Fortunately, Zangetsu was able to slay the demon without harming Dominique. Afterward, they learned of an impending invasion of Demons from the moon, led by the archdemon Sariel, and resolved alongside Zangetsu's allies from earlier to go to the moon to stop the demons, including Sariel. It is implied this effort left everyone stranded on the moon afterward.

Personality[]

Dominique initially appears to be a soft-spoken, level-headed, humble, and hospitable individual that provided shelter to Anne and frequently accommodated Miriam's needs whenever she stopped by her supply post during her journey in the demonic castle. True to her background in exorcism, Dominique showed empathy for the young shardbinder by advising her not to abuse her powers, lest she suffer the same fate as Gebel. This was a way to encourage Miriam to turn to her to dispose of unneeded shards and develop a sense of trust. Dominique was also shown to be bitter toward the demons that were summoned because they were responsible for the deaths of her parents. Rather than let her hatred consume her, she decides to avenge them by hunting for the Liber Logaeth herself so it would not be used for evil intent again. Later on, Dominique was revealed to have knowledge of Anne's dream to become a storekeeper herself, so she mentored her on how to look after her supply post should she be gone for a prolonged period of time. This indicates that she is supportive of those she deemed worthy.

Dominique's true colors began to surface after Gebel was freed from Gremory's influence not long before he succumbed to the Crystal Curse - she had been manipulating the events all along in pursuit of power. Although she successfully tricked her own allies, she was not above backstabbing them if it meant achieving her personal ambitions. This was emphasized when she enlisted Zangetsu's help to hunt down Alfred while Miriam would deal with Gebel, keeping it a secret that they were both being duped in the process. Furthermore, she inflicted a mortal wound on Alfred to personally retrieve the Liber Logaeth, but at the cost of the two heroes seeing through her ruse moments before the elderly alchemist passed away. When Miriam finally confronted Dominique over her actions, she reveals that the death of her loved ones in addition to feeling abandoned by God left her feeling nihilistic. She holds no pity whatsoever for innocent lives as long as their deaths brought her closer to achieving the power she sought out. Dominique's arrogance had, however, left her prone to underestimating how fast Miriam would catch on to her real intentions. This flaw in her character led to her undoing. During her time in Limbo, she was left vengeful of Miriam for her role in being sent there, and was motivated to escape Limbo in part so she could have a chance at exacting revenge. However, she ultimately couldn't go through with it due to gaining amnesia upon escaping.

In Curse of the Moon 2, she largely has the same personality traits that she does in Ritual of the Night. The only difference is that her positive characteristics are heavily implied to be genuine instead of an act. For example, she intended to stop the demon Mephisto and was even willing to let herself be possessed and slain by Zangetsu's blade if it ensured that Mephisto would be killed, though due to developing bonds with him and her fellow allies, she was ultimately reluctant to follow through with her sacrifice. Additionally, the Zanmatou, a blade that only rends the souls of the wicked, left Dominique unharmed while Mephisto was destroyed.

Role[]

Ritual of the Night[]

In her introductory appearance in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Dominique mainly plays the role of merchant and has a supply post located beneath what remains of Arvantville, where Miriam can either buy or sell any collected items (weapons, armor, consumables, etc.) in exchange for gold. In addition, Miriam is able to sell any extra Shards she feels she won't need. There even is a Discount Card available among the wares that will lower all following purchases by 10%.

After Gebel's death, Dominique will abandon her post and Anne takes over her shop-keeping duties for the rest of the game. Fortunately, Miriam can still sell her shards to the young girl since she claimed Dominique taught her how the process is done.

Available services:

  • Purchase
  • Sell
  • Sell Shard

After Dominique leaves, she can be found again in the Glacial Tomb, where Miriam fights her.

Attacks[]

Ritual of the Night[]

  • Whip: Dominique lashes Miriam with a glowing strip of cloth like a whip. She may do this while standing still, as a jump attack, or after a backstep.
  • Rocket Dive: Dominique double jumps into the air before diving down diagonally covered in a blue aura.
  • Elbow Slam: She rushes toward Miriam and hits her with her elbow, the spot glowing as she attacks. If it connects, Miriam will be sent flying into the wall or opposite side of the arena.
  • Teleport: Dominique transforms into a purple orb, rebounding off the floor and ceiling to land in another location, somewhat like Reflector Ray. The orb hurts Miriam on contact.
  • Summon Spirit: She summons three Spirits to chase Miriam. These do not count as enemies and cannot be harmed; they must be avoided until they disappear on their own.
  • Draconic Rage: Dominique summons a dragon, which slams its claw down on the ground and spreads fire around the point of impact.
  • Riga Storӕma: Dominique casts the spell, calling up several pillars of flame throughout the arena.
  • Riga Dohin: She casts the spell, shooting fireballs several directions, creating lingering explosions on impact.
  • Va Ischa: Dominique fires out off five ice shards in front of herself, each higher than the last.
  • Va Schia: Dominique drops several large ice chunks down across the arena.
  • Tis Raiff: Dominique casts the spell, firing off five beams of light aiming at Miriam's current location.
  • Tis Rozaïn: Dominique fires out two beams of light, one aimed at Miriam's location, the other in opposite direction. They move to track Miriam as she moves herself, closing in on each other.

Curse of the Moon 2[]

  • Spear: Dominique's main weapon. Boasts above average reach, but slightly slow attack speed.
  • High Jump: Dominique, like Miriam, has a higher jump height.
  • Vertical Strike: Using her spear, Dominique can attack directly above her.
  • Hopping Strike: While in mid-air, Dominique can aim her spear downward. It does little damage, but can bounce off of enemies and other obstacles.
  • Healing Plant: One of Dominique's sub-weapons. By throwing a seed at the ground, a plant with a health-restoring fruit can be grown.
  • Electro Crawler: One of Dominique's sub-weapons. A ball of lightning is fired upward, which splits upon hitting an enemy or the ceiling. The split balls pierce through enemies and destructible obstacles.
  • Rising Wind: One of Dominique's sub-weapons. A small twister is shot forward, then rises directly upward if an enemy is above it.
  • Impact Lance: One of Dominique's sub-weapons. After some initial windup, Dominique slams the ground with a lance, sending her upward a considerable height, as well as hitting enemies directly below.
  • Resurrection Anthem: A unique sub-weapon that can only be found at special candles. When activated, Dominique sings a holy song, leaving herself incredibly vulnerable. If it successfully finishes, all allies are revived, and already living allies have their HP fully restored. This sub-weapon is consumed after use.

Quotes[]

Ritual of the Night[]

  • "As you can see, I know a thing or two about expelling demons."
  • "And the Church you, Miriam. Thank you for guiding her here, Johannes."
  • "Hello, Miriam. I appreciate your patronage."
  • "Hello! How can I help you?"
  • "What are you looking to buy?"
  • "What are you looking to sell?"
  • "Thank you. I'll be here if you need me."
  • "Thank you. Come back any time."
  • "Did you forget something?"
  • "I can buy back shards, if you like."
  • "Is this right?"
  • "Thank you."
  • "Then we have a deal."
  • "Did you forget something?"
  • "My, my, you're giving me a lot of attention on this visit."
  • "I have something new to offer you."
  • "Can I help you with something else?"
  • "Have anything you would like me to buy back?"
  • "Cease this at once, Zangetsu!"
  • "How many times do I have to tell you? Our enemies are the demons and those in league with them?"
  • "But Miriam is not like them. She is fighting for us, at great personal risk."
  • "And do I look as weak? Look closer."
  • "I want you to know that I trust you, Miriam-and nothing anyone says could ever sway that trust."
  • "Well, I have heard tales of a demon train-one so prestigious that only a handful of the brethren of the dark may use it."
  • "What a coincidence. A message arrow just arrived from Zangetsu: "In the temple of rainbow glass, seek the demon carrying a stone statue in tribute.""
  • "Even the trickiest creatures have a weakness. You find it. Now is there anything else you need from me?"
  • "Is there anything else you need?"
  • ""In this chamber where the bell tolls, seek the demon woman basking in blood." A female vampire, perhaps?"
  • "Someone has been putting ideas in your head."
  • "I would have preferred you not see that."
  • "All that matters now is that I gain control of the Liber Logaeth and prevent it from being used for evil again."
  • "The gifted ones are always the hardest to manage. So what can I do for you?"
  • "Relax. You look too serious."
  • "What if the lord we grovel and pray before is a lie, and our faith draws power from some other nameless, unspeakable thing? If so, I wash my hands of it. Because God can rot. I decided to seek a higher power. The power to slay gods."
  • "Smart girl. I like that. But your crystal was too clean, too pure. So I made sure you would obtain shards and acclimate yourself to demonic power. Then Gremory could possess you, after the battle with Gebel had worn you down."
  • "No demon is too powerful for me to summon, even if I cannot keep it here forever."
  • "You leave me no choice! Bael, I summon thee to my side!"
  • "You leave me no choice!" (before casting a spell)
  • "Repent!" (before casting a spell)

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Sprites[]

Artworks[]

Trivia[]

  • Dominique is a French name derived from the Latin word Dominicus, "belonging to a lord". The root of the name is Dominus, meaning "lord" or "master". While the French form is usually translated as "of the Lord" as in the Abrahamic God, this serves as a sidelong reference to her ties to Bael, as the demon Bael's name was inspired by deities addressed by the Semitic honorific ba'al, meaning "lord".
  • Her renunciation of God and her desire for power in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night are possibly nods to Mathias Cronqvist, an antagonist in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence that swore off Humanity after the death of his wife and became the infamous main villain of the series since then.
  • She shares her surname, Baldwin, with Morris Baldwin, a vampire hunter from Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. However, it is also possible that this is coincidental, as Baldwin is a well known family name.
  • There are several signs throughout Ritual of the Night that Dominique is secretly evil, with varying degrees of subtlety:
    • Despite her warnings that overuse of the shards will accelerate the corruption of Miriam's body, they have no impact on her morality. During Miriam's final confrontation with her in the Glacial Tomb, she admits that she wanted Miriam to absorb shards so that she would be more vulnerable to possession by Gremory, and persuaded her to sell shards to her so that she could use them herself.
    • Her response to Zangetsu, reminding her of the many people who have lost their lives to the demons, is a dismissive "And do I look as weak? Look closer". In the Glacial Tomb, when asked if she realizes how many people have died because of her alliance with Gremory, she coldly responds with "They deserved to die because they were weak, and more will follow until I obtain all I desire".
    • There is a portrait of her in Todd's room, which implies that she knows more about the castle that Gebel summoned than she lets on. It is eventually revealed that she orchestrated Gremory's mind-controlling of Gebel.
    • In the Underground Sorcery Lab, she asks Miriam if she has seen Zangetsu, but when Miriam reveals that she and Zangetsu temporarily fought together aboard the train, her response is panicked. She explains that she sent Zangetsu to the underground sands and is annoyed that he disregarded her request, but Zangetsu eventually tells Miriam that Dominique has also been deliberately trying to keep her, him and Alfred separated because combining the information they individually knew would expose her treachery.
  • During her introduction in Ritual of the Night, there is a blooper where she says "Yes, the Church sent me. As you can see, I know a thing or two about expelling demons". However, the text-dialogue leaves out the second sentence and Dominique's mouth isn't animated when she says it. As a result, players may accidentally skip this sentence without realizing that it exists.
  • Dominique's pole vault jump using her spear in Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is identical to Eric Lecarde's in Castlevania: Bloodlines.
  • When Shūtarō Īda instructed Yuji Natsume on what type of character to design Dominique as and placed the order, Natsume initially presented him with a young girl design. When Shutaro froze at the unexpected result, Natsume claimed it was just a joke and showed him a design more similar Dominique's final one. But with a laugh, Shutaro recalled that Natsume's eyes indicated it wasn't a joke.[3]
  • Dominique is the only playable character in the series with a surname.
  • Unused audio against Miriam suggested that Dominique was supposed to be playable in the main story.

References[]

  1. ↑ Bloodstained: Voicing The Game - Part 1
  2. ↑ Development Update #55 - Get to Know the Japanese Voice Actors at Kickstarter (September 14, 2017).
  3. ↑ 4Gamer.net report on the Yokosuku 2D Action Festival 2023

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