Millia Rage

Millia Rage
'Guilty Gear series character
File:MiliaRage.gif Millia Rage in Guilty Gear XX
First game	Guilty Gear

Millia Rage is a retired assassin, a character introduced within the Guilty Gear fighting game series. Millia participated in the first game of the series, Guilty Gear: The Missing Link, as well as every game thereafter. Easily noticeable by her long, "wild" hair and attractive nature, Millia is a favorite among fans of the series. Her weapon of choice appears to be her own hair, literally prehensile and able to change its size.

Story

Background

Born of Russian descent, Millia lost both of her parents at an early age. She was thereafter adopted into a nearby Assassin Syndicate, where she practiced in the art of Hi-Deigokutsuipou, or the "Six Forbidden Magics". Utilizing these dangerous arts requires the user to willingly sacrifice a portion of their living being in exchange for the power of the magic. Using the Sixth Hi-Deigokutsuipou, "Angra", Millia was granted a sentient being, similar to that of her own hair. Zato-1 practiced a similar technique, the Fifth Forbidden Magic, "Shokusei Kagejin", by sacrificing his sense of sight. It is never specified what Millia sacrificed.

Due to Zato-1's rise in power within the Guild, Millia betrayed her "comrade", sealing him within a dimensional portal. Millia abandoned the Guild shortly thereafter, finding no comfort in the cruel ways of an assassin. The Guild leader eventually escaped, enraged at Millia's actions, leading to an overall hatred of women.

Guilty Gear: The Missing Link

Whereupon hearing of Zato-1's escape from the dimensional prison, Millia uses the Second Holy Order's Fighting Tournament as a method of tracking down Zato, determined to end his life once and for all. Manipulated much like the rest of the cast, the bloodshed from the Tournament releases Justice from her slumber. However, she is promptly destroyed by none other than Sol Badguy.

Guilty Gear X: By Your Side

Still in search of Zato-1, Millia hears mention of a Gear with free-will. Panicked countries establish another "tournament", with a prize of 500,000 World Dollars to he who captures, dead or alive, the aforementioned Gear. Rage uses this as yet another chance to find Zato. Canonically, the former assassin finally finds Zato, seemingly ending his life. Unknown to her, Eddie takes control of Zato's body thereafter, having been slowly gaining control over Zato since the bonding with its master.

Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival

After the "death" of Commander Gear Dizzy, as well as Zato-1, Millia continued living in her familiar solitude. However, it was not long before she received sightings of a being similar to that of Zato's Forbidden Beast, Eddie. Encountering many familiar, as well as new, faces along the way, Millia once again confronts Eddie. However, according to the canon of XX, the most likely event to occur is that Eddie survived, or fled, the battle. His second ending, which involves the mocking of Zato's pupil Venom, has Eddie flying off into the night sky, therefore implying that Millia was unable to vanquish him.

Slayer, in XX, "reveals" to Millia that her hair is of the same origins as Eddie, though Millia replies that "she knows this better than anybody."

Relationships

Zato-1/Eddie

Comrades during her stay in the Assassin Syndicate, Millia was the one responsible for Zato's dimensional imprisonment. One of the major relationships throughout the story, Millia's hatred for Zato-1, and thereafter Eddie, will not cease until his utter demise.

It is suggested, due to Millia's ending (Guilty Gear XX: Midnight Carnival) about Zato-1 and having 'loved him', that she too may have been his lover. It is unconfirmed, especially since earlier games say even less on the subject.

During Guilty Gear X, as well as one battle during the story mode of Guilty Gear XX, Millia and Zato's background theme is Still In The Dark. The existence of such a specific theme only helps to clarify the importance of Millia's relationship with Zato-1.

Venom

Venom is the comrade of Zato-1. Taken into the Assassin Syndicate by none other than Zato himself, Venom holds him in the highest of regards, respect, and honor. Moreover, as stated in the latest drama CD, "Knight of Knives", Venom is indeed homosexual. Such would help to explain the extent of Venom's feelings for Zato, as they seemed more than platonic.

Millia observes Venom as a "lapdog" and nuisance, blinded by emotion and his love for Zato. Venom and Millia battle occasionally, though neither has yet to best the other. Venom blames Millia for the death of Zato, fueling his hatred for her even further.

Gameplay

Millia focuses primarily on speed and multiple mixups, based on positioning, high, low and throw. She is easily capable of putting opponents in situations where they must guess between at least 3 different ways to react. She also possesses the ability to do a large amount of damage which will knock down the opponent, making her very difficult to deal with once she has you locked down. Millia is one of three characters who possess a second air dash, the others being Dizzy and Justice. Very damaging air combos, including a loop involving her Jumping Hard Slash, can be made possible and elongated using her "Silent Force" attack.

Musical References

Millia Rage is named after the band Meliah Rage. Her Iron Savior, Emerald Rain, Silent Force, Winger, and Iron Maiden attacks are all named after bands. Her Bad Moon attack is named for Creedence Clearwater Revival's song "Bad Moon Rising". In her background story, Millia undergoes the 6th forbidden magic, "Angra", to gain control of her hair as a weapon, and this ritual bears the same name as the Brazilian heavy metal band Angra. Her special move Secret Garden is possibly named after the Irish-Norwegian, new age band, as well as the Bruce Springsteen song "Secret Garden". There's a possibility that her character is modeled after Blondie singer Deborah Harry, either visual or personality-wise.