Angels of Paradiso

==Summary==
The Angels of Paradiso, in particular the Hierarchy of Laguna, make up the primary antagonistic force in the first Bayonetta. They appear to be closely affiliated with the Lumen Sages, battling alongside them during the Clan Wars and hundreds of years later are seen aiding the Masked Lumen Sage in combat against Bayonetta in Bayonetta 2.
All Angel seem to share certain characteristics: marble-like skin, gold and ivory armor, and frequently extravagant golden halos made of light. The extravagance of their halo is closely affiliated to their sphere of influence within Paradiso, with lower ranking Angels having rather simplistic halos and higher ranking angels such as the Auditio having multiple halos, each of which can be up to several hundred feet across. Angels that are often felt or seen by humanity, such as the Affinities appear humanoid and closely resemble modern depictions of Angels, while many others, such as the Enchants frequently appear to be much more exotic, resembling wheels. Even higher ranks appear as things that are not traditionally affiliated with angels, such as ships or cars. Other Angels, such as Fearless and Fairness appear to simply be angelic beasts.
Like humans, most Angels are physical beings that are able to exist in Paradiso or Purgatorio, being able to influence the human world from either. Some Angels, however, such as Joy, are said to have broken completely free of physical bonds. As a result, Joys are able to manipulate their physical body at will, allowing them to transform into a wide array of beings, and even mimic Bayonetta's weapons and attacks.
Despite the positive feelings that most Angels govern and exude, the Hierarchy of Laguna itself is single-minded and sinister. Acting as Father Balder's personal supernatural army, the three spheres of the Hierarchy blindly follow every order given to them by superior beings, such as the Auditio, even if this means harming innocent people or acting as mere fodder against powerful enemies. This makes it difficult to judge if they are not-sentient beings, deprived of free will or simply totally obedient; the lowest angelic ranks are born from the souls of self-sacrificed humans, thus hinting that the Hierarchy are tied to the human race in a way far more disturbing than mere devotion. The four Auditio are, contrarily, extremely intelligent and cunning; even if most angels manifest basic emotions like fear, the Cardinal Virtues are prone to express contempt and anger and also -if it's true that they cast down The Infinite One only for resenting his power- envy: all feelings that belie the status of such ancient spiritual beings.
Even if most humans perceive Angels as blurred light, the types of Angel seen in both games have physical bodies with evident biology, though the function of the biology is utterly alien when compared to earthly forms, Angels appear to have a similar dependence on internal organ structure. Massive trauma, vivisection, or beheading an angel can all lead to the Angel's destruction. To protect these inner-organs all Angels appear to have an exoskeletal structure made of gold and marble. Whether this protective layer is a biological part of them, or simply something similar to an ornate set of armor that lay over their internal body is unknown. Despite appearing as stone and metal, the skin is readily pliable, able to bend and stretch similar to skin, as the Angel moves. Many angels also appear to have human faces that are non-threatening and child-like in appearance. However beneath these beautiful and non-threatening appearances are monstrous features like gaping maws or slanted-pupil eyes. This disguise can be a strange quirk of the angels themselves or, since Sapientia said outright that human beings are cowardly and unreliable, it may just be a ruse to further give the impression of caring guardians of mankind.
==Powers and Stats==
Tier: | , likely | 
Key: Third Sphere | Second Sphere | First Sphere
Name: The Angels of Paradiso, the Hierarchy of Laguna
Origin: Bayonetta
Age: Varies, some are several thousand years old, beings like Rodin and Jubileus are billions of years old
Classification: Angels
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Immortality (Type 1), Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Light Manipulation, Statistics Amplification (Can increase their speed in order to keep up with Bayonetta's own amplifications) Portal Creation, Magic, Teleportation (Via Portals), Can walk on walls, Flight, Energy Projection, Fire Manipulation, Berserk Mode, Skilled with a variety of weapons such as Swords, Spears, Halberds, Flails, Hammers, Whips, Bows, Darts, Shields, and Weaponized Instruments, Can shapeshift into a drill or a sword, Forcefield Creation, Can make one fall deeply in love (Via Arrows), Electricity Manipulation, Memory Manipulation, Can ensnare enemies in a magic coil and steal magic, Can travel between Paradiso, Purgatorio, and the Human World at will, Can become invisible and intangible to anything that isn't in Purgatorio or Paradiso | All previous abilities plus Skilled with a variety of weapons such as Axes, Halberds, Maces, Tridents, and Rocket Launchers, Can spit slime to immobilize enemies, Magma Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation, Sound Manipulation, Ice Manipulation, Life Force Absorption, Can summon meteors, Probability Manipulation (Fairness can administer miracles.) Resistance to lava | All previous abilities plus Air Manipulation, Can split into three separate entities or combine into an immensely more powerful version of Beloved, Extendable sword, Can summon a hail of explosive golden arrows, Can create walls of lasers, Shapeshifting, Skilled Marksman, Can mimic weapons and fighting styles of whoever they're fighting, Regeneration (Mid, Joys can regenerate from being shot in the head), Incorporeality, Abstract Existence (Type 2; Angels are given form by the fears, doubts, and prayers mankind bases its faith on. No matter the era, new angels will always be born as long as those concepts exist) Weather Manipulation (Temperantia can control tornadoes.) Water Manipulation (Sapientia is responsible for the tides and tsunamis) Resistance to Time Slow/Time Stop
Attack Potency: Unknown | City level, likely Country level (Beloveds can casually slaughter groups of Third Sphere Angels such as Affinities with a single attack, Urbane is capable of reducing entire civilizations to ash with one swing of its arm) | Multi-Continent level (Resplendence is the Angelic equivalent of Insidious, Inspired are only slightly weaker than Resplendence, Braves are described as having the most physical strength of all normal angels, Valiance casually cleaved an Insidious in two with a single attack and is described as being capable of cutting through anything in Paradiso or Inferno, Valor is equal to and regularly fights alongside Valiance, Joy can transform into a near perfect copy of Bayonetta, Gracious & Glorious can destroy the world with a small fraction of their power, and Glamor is the most powerful normal Angel in the Hierarchy and is described as being the Angel closest to God)
Speed: Unknown | Massively Hypersonic+ (Fearless utilizes natural lightning in combat), higher with Statistics Amplification | Massively Hypersonic+ (Should be superior to their 2nd Sphere counterparts) with Massively FTL+ combat speed and reactions (Should at least be able to react to Irenic, an Angel with First Sphere wheels), higher with Statistics Amplification 
Striking Strength: Unknown | City level, likely Country level | At least Multi-Continent level
Durability: Unknown | City level, likely Country level | At least Multi-Continent level
Stamina: Superhuman
Range: Standard Melee Range to Thousands of Kilometers depending on the Angel
Standard Equipment: Varies depending on angel, some don't wield weapons while others wield spears, swords, and other equipment
Intelligence: Varies, most of the lower-ranking angels display very little intelligence, higher tiers are capable of efficiently commanding armies, and the Deas have thousands of years of experience
Weaknesses: Lower-tiers are weak and not very intelligent, most high-tiers have exploitable weaknesses or weak spots, Jubileus needs the Eyes of the World to be fully resurrected
Species:
The Hierarchy of Laguna, and much of Paradiso's apparent residents seems to be divided into four separate "spheres", or ranks. Each of these spheres has its own sub-ranks, with lower ranking spheres and lower sub-ranking within each sphere appearing much more commonly than the members of higher spheres. In general, many members of higher ranking spheres are much more powerful despite being fewer in number.
Third Sphere: 
The third sphere is the lowest ranking Sphere of Influence, with many of its members making up the Hierarchy's shock troops and most of its standing army in general. They are most numerous rank, but also generally the weakest.
Angels
Numerous and pitifully weak, even among the other Third Sphere Angels, members of this sub-rank are simply known as "Angels", with no further title or attributed importance, even in their name. Among the other members of Laguna they appear to be of expendable, with higher ranking Angels such as Beloved readily slaughtering them in droves if it would mean hitting the enemy. This rank includes:
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|-|Affinity="Servants of Heaven that populate the lowest of the angelic hierarchy, a Third Sphere rung known simply as Angels. Humans with deep faith often feel these angels closest to their hearts. Descending from the heavens upon their pure white wings, it is believed that the glimmering halo atop an Affinity's head lights the path for those who have lost their way. Humans who are deemed worthy of entering the angelic hierarchy are made to kill themselves in ritualistic fashion. Then their souls become Affinities, further bolstering the forces of Paradiso. The religious articles they equip are all tools used to further their conviction to protect the righteous and can become powerful weapons used to strike down those with sullied hearts."
Affinities come in a variety of types, each wielding a different weapon and having some unique attacks. They have very low health and are quite weak compared to most other Angels, though they can be overwhelming in numbers. When at low health and on the verge of dying they tend to do a war-cry and go into a berserk state.
*Affinity A: The most common type of Affinity, it carries a long golden staff that has a circular, spiked headpiece at its top. When preparing to swing, the top of the staff begins to spin, making a distinct high-pitched ring.
*Affinity B: The ranged support of most groups of Angels. It carries a trumpet, which it uses to fire pink and gold orbs of celestial energy at Bayonetta from far away. When it's about to launch an attack, it blows on its trumpet, giving an audible cue that a ranged attack is incoming. 
*Affinity C: The Angel's "heavy artillery", it carries with it a sousaphone, which wraps around its body and prevents it from flying. It attacks with a slow but powerful sweeping beam that arcs across the entire battlefield. 
*Affinity D: The heavy hitter of the Affinities. It carries a large black and gold flail, which it will spin over its head for a moment before attacking.
*Affinity E: The most difficult of the Affinities to combat effectively. It carries a black halberd, and is wreathed in flames that cause enemies to flinch and take damage if they tries to hit them with melee attacks. They can only be damaged with ranged attacks or fire. 
|-|Cachet & Compassion="Belonging to the lowest rank of angels, these two angels are said to have been sacred weapons brought to Paradiso after the heroes they traveled with came to the end of a long journey. Charged with protecting the gates of Paradiso, their powerful blades deal swift justice to anyone who carelessly trespasses into the divine realm." 
Neither Cachet or Compassion have many offensive abilities, but can be dangerous in big numbers. Compassion can extend a blade from their bottom end and using it in sweeping and stabbing motions but can be stunned with simple attacks. Cachet has a couple more abilities including a dangerous charge attack that replaces the blades of Compassion. They can also sink into the ground and stab the drill upward in an attempt to catch the enemy off guard. When they're fought together, Cachet command the Compassions into lining up and attacking. Killing the Cachet leader causes the remaining Compassions to disperse around the battlefield. 
|-|Dear & Decorations="With limited spiritual powers, this angel is spotted comparatively frequently within the physical, human world. Dears, with their dignified faces, are surrounded by the countless childlike faces of their Decorations. Capriciously firing arrows, they are often mistaken for Cupid. It is said that one of their arrows, shot through the heart of a believer, can be as infatuating as the goddess of love."
*Dear: Larger and stronger than Decorations, Dear still have the most basic of combat skills when compared to other angels. They will charge up with energy before performing any of their offensive skills, giving plenty of warning before they make their move. Their first attack is a simple spinning headbutt rush towards the opponent that travels a very limited distance. Their second attack pulls in energy and then folds the alabaster layer over their face away to launch an orb of energy. Their final skill is the ability to summon a small wreath of Decorations, which they can use to generate a large white shield around them. The Decorations and the shield will block incoming attacks for the Dear. During this state the orbs of energy that the Dear launches cause much more damage.
*Decorations: Even more basic than Dear, Decorations have only two basic attacks on their own, a simple spin headbutt attack similar to the one Dear uses, only being weaker and traveling even shorter range, and an attack that causes them to latch onto the opponent's head and bite them. 
|-|Enchant="An Angel shaped like a cart wheel. The impetus behind this fateful form was the Creator's desire to craft an Angel designed to compel humanity to continue its struggle and feel no satisfaction at surpassing others. Enchants protect the field of God from human encroachment and are further responsible for passing communication to Paradiso and correcting the trespasses of humanity."
Enchants are fast and use fire as their main element. They are capable of splitting themselves in half and rushing opponents to electrocute them, or merely ramming them to set them ablaze.
|-|Acceptance="Among the nine ranks in the angelic hierarchy, Acceptance belongs to the bottom of the Third Sphere called Angels, the hierarchy's lowest rank. It appears to those who are moments away from death in a half-human, half-pegasus form with glittering wings. Characterized as the symbol of death and acceptance, various legends tell of Acceptance solemnly placing the souls of the dead upon its back and carrying them away, ignoring their past deeds and any pleas for a second chance."
Acceptance is similar to Affinity, being a basic enemy that uses relatively simple attacks. They usually appear in groups of 3 or more, or as backup for stronger enemies. There are two types that can be fought. 
*Acceptance A: One of the most common angels first encountered, Acceptance A uses a spear for attacking with thrusts and wide slashes.
*Acceptance B: Using a harp-like weapon that acts as a bow, Acceptance B is a ranged enemy and will launch a volley of arrows at from a distance.
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Archangels
The stronger grunts of the Third Sphere Angels. Members of this sphere usually appear in pairs or threes, and are frequently supported by six or more Affinities or other members of the Angel sub-rank. Compared to most higher ranks they are still quite weak however, and higher ranking Angels don't seem to regard them with very much importance. In combat their larger size and greater range of attacks makes them more dangerous than the lower Angel rank, and though they are also much more durable, they can be taken out in very much the same way with very little trouble. This rank includes:
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|-|Applaud="While still a member of the Third Sphere, Applauds are one step above Affinities, and thus known as Archangels. Occupying the eight position within the nine-level Angelic Hierarchy, Archangels are still considered close to the physical world, and often come into contact with human kind. It is said that devoted prayer on the part of believers can call upon a flock of angels to come to one's aid."
Applauds are similar to Affinities, but larger, stronger, and much more durable. Their increased size gives them much farther reach than Affinities and by extension are more dangerous. 
*Applaud A: The more powerful of the two Applaud types. It carries a segmented weapon that can work as a bow or a pair of chain-swords. When at range it will attach the two weapons together at their hilts and form a bow, which it will use to shoot golden arrows at its enemy. When it pulls apart its bow, it will hold the weapons like a pair of swords, and will completely change its style of attack and begin to swing its blades in wide slow arcs, charge up and spin-dash across the battlefield to damage enemies directly, or stab its two swords into the ground and unleash a line of impaling spines from the ground. 
*Applaud B: Acts much the same as a larger and more durable Affinity A. It carries the same golden staff with a rounded blade at its top. Like Affinity A, its staff makes an audible ringing as the blade at its top begins to spin before it attacks. It does, however, have a few skills unique to it, namely its ability to spin its staff quickly to parry incoming bullets and having a similar dash to Applaud B. It can also wield golden keys in combat, when wielding such a weapon it will mimic an Ardor's dash attacks, and generally does much higher damage while also being more aggressive. 
|-|Accolade="A large angel belonging to the Third Sphere, tasked with commanding the lowest-ranking angels. Accolades are adept at using many of Paradiso's weaponry, including swords, spears, hammers, and whips. They use these to instill fear into the hearts of all those who doubt the might of God. Accolades have long lived in legend; at times, they were said to have answered the prayers of the most devout followers by temporarily bestowing upon them one of these divine instruments."
Accolades are members of the Third Sphere and serve as Archangels in the Hierarchy; these angels are one step above their blue counterparts Acceptance. Accolades appear as 4 different variants, each with their own distinct armor and weaponry to combat. 
*Accolade A: With red colored armor, Accolade A uses a lance weapon like Acceptance does. 
*Accolade B: Accolade B wears green armor and wields a pair of Greatswords. Accolade B's attacks are stronger than Accolade A's but are still easily telegraphed. 
*Accolade C/D: Wearing armor comprised of more yellow and golden hues with slight different in detail, Accolades C and D are the most durable of the Accolade variants. Accolade C wields a Greathammer whilst Accolade D uses a pair of shields that block attacks.
|-|Enrapture="Though eighth in the angelic hierarchy, Enrapture was born many eons ago and is now considered the oldest angel to have ever existed. Given the task of leading humans to bliss by speaking directly to their spirits, it is said that the concept of faith did not exist until Enrapture's creation. There are many theories debated as to why this angel possesses its strange form of two human bodies seamed at the torso; perhaps, their shape is meant to exceed the bounds of human understandings, or maybe, in the depths of meditation, a monk approaching enlightenment caught a glimpse of this angel while its form was refracted between dimensions."
Enrapture acts as a spellcasting angel that never appears alone, it will always stay at range to remain safe as the other angels in the group fight. If the enemy is in close range to Enrapture, it may attempt to swing at them with its staff. It can also fire glowing orbs of energy from a distance and attempt to cast a magic coil to ensnare and incapacitate enemies. Enrapture's second-most powerful spell is the ability to steal the enemy's magic. Enrapture will start spinning its staff around before purple orbs representing Bayonetta's magic are stolen from her. However, Enrapture's most powerful and dangerous ability is the power to enrage its comrades as if they were affected by a taunt or Gaze of Despair. Enrapture must channel to maintain this spell, so any damage will interrupt the effect. If there are two Enraptures on the field, one will usually use this ability first. Additionally, the enrage effect will not affect other Enraptures. Near death, Enrapture may attempt to lunge at the opponent in a suicide attack, dealing a portion of damage. 
|-|Fidelity="Considered a creature of the sea due to its fish-like body and multiple tentacle-like arms, Fidelity departed from the ocean to impart humanity with their primeval memories. Those who forgot their past and begin to disrupt the serenity of life are often dragged by this angel to the darkest depths of the ocean. The ocean is a sacred place, the area of Earth that is closest to Paradiso, as the intense water pressure of the depths means it has remained untouched by human hands since the beginning of time. A large celestial veil covers the sea's expanse, and until this day there has never been a human who has witnessed the seas in their entirety."
Fidelity uses its tentacles to create blades of red light, which it then uses to slash at its enemies. Despite its aquatic appearance, Fidelity can appear on land or underwater where it either swims or walks on the ground with its tentacles. 
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Principalities
The strongest of the Third Sphere Angels, with some of them even being comparable to Second Sphere ranked Angels, members of the Principality sub-rank are the highest ranking members of the Third Sphere and seem to serve as specialized shock-troops. This rank includes:
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|-|Ardor="The highest ranking member of the Third Sphere, Ardor are christened with the rank of Principalities. Presiding over the protection of the masses from evil spirits, they are equipped with a shield and armor of proof. Wielding the power of Paradiso on those who encroach upon happiness, Ardor are recipients of much adoration from those seeking salvation."
Though Ardors appear similar to Applauds, they are much quicker, more powerful, and much more durable. They swing their swords in long cleaving attacks with surprising speed. Though they cannot fly, they are much more agile on the ground than other humanoid Angels, and have numerous attacks which they can use in close distance. Their primary attack is a set of three sword swings, the first attack is an incredibly fast sword-thrust, which sets up for its slow sweeping attack, with the final attack being a spin-slash that is quick, powerful, and has deceptively long range. The Ardor can also perform a long-dash attack, in which they will hold their sword over their head for a moment before dashing forwards while accompanied by beams of light, this attack does significant damage and allows the Ardor to close distance easily. In addition to these two attacks, the Ardor can also perform a jumping strike, leaping up and then swinging its sword down vertically as it falls. In addition to these direct attacks the Ardor can also use its massive shield to defend against bullets and counter melee attacks. After sufficient damage the shield will shatter. Once its shield is broken, the Ardor becomes much more aggressive. Its attacks will become much faster and the Ardor itself will usually sprint to keep enemies in melee range. It also has a tendency to enter a berserk state once its shield has been shattered. 
*Ardor B: A more dangerous variant of the normal Ardor, like Affinity E it is wreathed in flames and can only be damaged with ranged attacks or fire. 
|-|Irenic="If humans were truly able to see Angels, they would never expect an Angel to appear as an automobile. However, it goes without saying that Irenic has existed since long before even the concept of history; Irenic is charged with spreading the message of Divine Will across Paradiso, and is most commonly depicted as a boxy form with four wheels capable of achieving great speeds. Faster than even the wind, it can cross Paradiso, thousands of times larger than the human world, in nary a single day. Irenic is first known to have appeared before humanity in the mid-18th century, coinciding with the start of the Industrial Revolution and the development of the first steam-powered automobiles."
Irenics are car-shaped angels that only appear in the Route 666 chapter. Their only attack consists of dropping obstacles, though their armor is weak and can be destroyed within a few hits. However, they are usually supported by having an Affinity on top. The more dangerous variant carries a Joy. 
|-|Allegiance="Allegiance belongs to the Principalities, ranked seventh in the angelic hierarchy and part of the Third Sphere. While Third Sphere Angels are the most common type encountered in the physical realm, Allegiance, clad in solid gold armor, appears only during times of strife between Paradiso and the human world, in order to purge the armies of evil spirits. Legends exist of Allegiance appearing before the King of feudal nations who have prayed for the emergence of a hero; however, there are also stories of Allegiance seeing through the evil in these kings' hearts and instantly reducing their throne to rubble."
Like it's smaller counterparts of Acceptance and Accolade, Allegiance maintains the centaur theme, but is covered completely in thick golden plated armor. It possesses an extra set of arms and wields a long golden sword and shield. Allegiance can utilize both of its weapons in different ways. As mentioned before, its sword can separate into segments like a whip, giving it a huge amount of range with its standard slashes and stabs. It can also embed the sword into the ground, causing the tip to explode upwards in a burst of flame. The shield it carries can also split apart and be used in two different ways. Allegiance can either spin the segments around itself to provide additional protection or it can target them around the enemy where they will hover in place for a few moments before firing at them.
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Second Sphere: 
Appearing more rarely, Second Sphere Angels are powerful and can be dangerous to even Umbra Witches. They commonly appear with support from many Third Sphere angels, such as Affinity, but can also appear in pair or threes. They are divided up into three sub-ranks.
Powers
Living up to their name, members of the Power sub-rank are hulking creatures that deal massive amounts of damage. Their attacks are wide-reaching and can cut a swath of destruction across the battlefield with ease. This rank includes:
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|-|Beloved="Beloved is a member of the Second Sphere class Powers, ranked sixth in the angelic hierarchy. Its status is more that of a spiritual being, but it is also burdened with destroying the enemies of Paradiso. While still considered amongst the lower classes of angels, Beloved's power is of a far higher order than that of a human, and even those with strong spiritual powers are seldom afforded the chance to meet this being. Excelling in combat, Beloved are known for brilliant exploits in demonic battles."
Beloved are slow but powerful fighters with giant axes that give them great range. All Beloved have a large pulsing red node on their back and come in several different varieties. 
*Beloved A and B: Both carry a massive black and gold axe. However, the A has a child face while the B has a teenage face. Their basic and most common attack is a long sweeping 180 cleave. They also have an overhead vertical version of this attack that they will use if the enemy jumps high enough out of their reach. Their second set of attacks are executed if the enemy is behind them, if on the ground near its legs, the Beloved will reach down and attempt to grab them. Its second attack in this set is when the enemy is in the air behind it. The Beloved will stand up straight and quickly turn 180 degrees in an attempt to backhand them. Its final attack is a stomping walk where it will attempt to crush its enemy under its heels. 
*Beloved C: An even larger version and of Beloved that is more durable, powerful and has a old man face. It wields a much larger halberd-like axe and can use it to perform all the attacks of the basic A and B variation Beloveds. In addition, it also has tremendous magical power and is able to summon meteor storms. It can also channel a massive beam of golden light from its forehead.
*Beloved D: A more technologically advanced looking Beloved. It wears black armor and a set of night-vision looking goggles over its face, and instead of a massive Axe it is equipped with a large rocket launcher.
*Beloved E: A variant of Beloved A who carries two golden tomahawks. 
|-|Kinship="Kinship, as one of the Second Sphere Powers charged with defeating evil beings, is responsible for transporting the forces of Paradiso onto the battlefield. Leading countless Angels to the front lines, catching sight of Kinship's magnificent flying appearance is analogous to many as the arrival of true happiness. It is thought that Kinship is the angelic manifestation of the ark that saved a foolish human race from the devastating flood described in the Book of Creation within the scriptures of Ithavoll."
During normal gameplay, Kinships fly around and attack by launching a salvo of homing missiles, attached to the sides of their bodies are claws which they only use if the enemy is on top of them or another Kinship, their final and most devastating attack is their ability to shoot a laser at the enemy.
|-|Belief="Belonging to the Second Sphere, Beliefs are considered a Power, the sixth rank of the angelic hierarchy. Their sturdy, dominating size makes them an ideal candidate for giving orders on the front lines during wars with the Inferno. The gigantic snakelike right arm of Beliefs has caused them to often be depicted in legends as hideous creatures, but in reality, this feature is meant to be a divine whip for binding evil with its unwavering faith."
Belief, despite its tremendous size, is an exceptionally fast angel that is able to keep up pace with a bullet train through running alone. It uses its tentacle arm to carry out a variety of different melee attacks as well as grab onto objects. The mouth it possesses can spit out a sticky green slime that freezes enemies in place for a brief moment. The tentacle can also grab enemies and slowly drain their health until it smashes them back into the ground. 
|-|Worship="Ranked sixth in the angelic hierarchy, Worship is a Second Sphere Power with the body of a giant warship. In contrast to Kinship, a Power used for transporting angelic armies across the battlefield, Worship uses the divine power of God to decimate his enemies. Worship's entrance into the fray is a sign that the battle is reaching its climax. Past followers of Laguna believed to sacrifice their souls and become part of the ship was to receive the highest form of bliss."
Despite its size, Worship is not a difficult enemy to face off against. The angel will attempt to use projectile attacks for the most part, consisting of energy bullets, laser attacks and the cherubim missiles. When up close, the faces on its side will peel back to reveal a monstrous set of jaws that lunge and bite at the enemy. 
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Virtues
Extremely deadly, even in comparison to higher ranking angels, members of the Virtue sub-rank are fast, powerful, durable, and incredibly aggressive. This rank includes:
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|-|Fairness="A Virtue charged with the administration of miracles, it is wrapped in flames when appearing in the physical world, a power emblematic of its courage. A torrent of flame blazing as bright as the sun, these flames become the light that burns away darkness from those who receive the graces of a Fairness. However, for those out of the angel's good graces, they are the fire and brimstone of destruction."
Slow moving, but incredibly powerful, their deceptively slow walking pace belies their agile attacks and dashes. Despite being wreathed in flames like Affinity E and Ardor B they do not cause harm when attacked with melee hits, and can be damaged normally like any other Angel. Fairness usually appear in pairs with either another Fairness, or more commonly their electrical counterpart, Fearless. Fairness can launch a ranged blast of lava. If in melee range, the Fairness will first dart backwards before firing, and the projectile itself flies incredibly fast, making it difficult to evade once fired. Despite having this ranged attack the Fairness will rarely use it, instead it will usually opt to use one of three different dash attacks. The first of these attacks is a simple short-leap forwards with its mouth open. If this attack lands, the Fariness will bite down on the opponent with its jaws, and whip them back and forth once before tossing them to the side and slamming them into the ground. The second dash is a variation of the first, save that it's used when the enemy is in the air. The third and final dash is a reckless charge. The Fairness' final attack has a long visual cue where it will set itself in place and do a howling roar up at the sky. This attack causes no direct damage, but the noise will cause the enemy to grab their ears in agony, effectively stunning them in place.
|-|Grace & Glory="Grace, draped in flame, and Glory, controller of lightning, are the twin escorts of the Creator. They share a wild disposition and are often depicted as gods of war, heroically leading the soldiers of Paradiso into battle, with their giant claw-like weapons being symbols of their ferocity. Humanity recognizes the increased spiritual power of twins, a power that comes from the blessings of Grace and Glory."
Grace and Glory almost always appear together. They are incredibly powerful melee fighters, using their combination of agility and strength to chain together highly damaging attacks. Though they have a very similar fighting style there are some difference between them. Grace is the power fighter of the two, its attacks are a bit slower, and it uses wider sweeps and tends to drag its claws along the surface of the ground before swinging. Its unique attack is a powerful tornado-like spin, using its elemental claws to create an inferno of quick twirling slashes as it moves like a spinning top. Glory tends to be much more mobile on the battlefield, sliding back and forth to dodge incoming attacks before striking. Its attacks are also more agile, with is usually sliding along with striking, giving it deceptively long reach. For Glory's unique attack it falls back and charges its claws with lightning for a moment before leaping a few feet into the air and then slamming them into the ground below as it lands; this sends arcing blue lines of electricity in all directions outwards. In addition to their slightly different fighting styles both Angels have the ability to extend their claws by using elemental bonds as a tether, drastically increasing the reach of their attacks. They also fight smartly, being that if one of them is near death it will begin to hang back and let the other distract the opponent as it prepares more powerful attacks out of harm's way. 
|-|Urbane="The changes of a new era will always give birth to new angels. This is because angels are given form by the fears, doubts, and prayers mankind bases its faith on--feelings which change with mankind's material obsessions. As a notably advanced being even compared to other angels, Urbane, a Virtue in the angelic hierarchy, is said to be shaped by the subconscious fears of humans. In modern eras, he often appears as a giant with a ball and chain on each of his arms. Urbane's power to reduce the triumphs of civilization to mere ashes with a single swing of his arm most likely reflects the subconscious fears man harbors toward both the natural world and their own society."
Urbane is a fire based elemental angel, seen mostly in its primary forms of attack. Its limbs end a mace like weapon, being able to sweep it out a frontal arc, ram the weapon into the ground or fire the ball & chain from the air. A rarer but much more damaging attack is where it shoots a powerful laser from its head after a brief charging period.
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Dominions
The highest ranking members of the Second Sphere. Like Virtues, members of this sub-rank are deadly and brutally powerful, though they are also the least frequently encountered of the Second Sphere Angels. Their attacks are varied, have incredible range, and are extremely fast. In comparison to their Virtue counterparts they are similarly durable, but generally deal much more damage per hit. This rank includes:
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|-|Fearless="Fearless are classified as Dominions, the fourth rank amongst the hierarchy of angels. Controlling the lightning feared by many as the instrument of divine justice, Fearless make known the majesty of God to the masses. Almost all of the naturally occurring lightning in the world is a result of the actions of these angels. It is said that divine wrath against gluttons is released in the lightning's flash, as the thunder signals Heaven's roar."
Like their blazing cousins, Fairness, Fearless are dog-like war beasts. Having an affinity for lightning, Fearless are a bit faster than Fairness, but their attacks do less damage. They can attack by pouncing, launching their tails, firing bolts of lightning, or letting out a stunning shriek.
|-|Harmony="Within the Second Sphere Dominions, whose name imparts feelings of control, sovereignty, and governance, the angels named Harmony stand as a special symbol of peace. When appearing in our world, it is said that humans experience their presence as an auroraesque light; however, when viewed from Purgatorio, one would see Harmony embracing humans within their outstretched, fin-like wings. Often pictured holding a trident and floating through the skies, Harmony are tasked with the defense of the Heavens, even within Paradiso itself."
Harmonies are aerial manta ray-like entities with two arms and insect wings. They usually attack in packs of five or six. Their attacks consist of charging their tails or claws with electricity and sweeping at the and summoning three balls of electricity.
|-|Gravitas="A Dominion in the Second Sphere of angels. The name Gravitas means stern and severe, so this angel is often depicted as steep, uninhabited mountains forever frozen in ice. His extreme cold has been unpenetrated for eons, and it shows no change through the passage of time. Gravitas awaits silently for an opponent willing to sacrifice everything to face him."
Gravitas is an ice based elemental angel, seen mostly in its primary forms of attack which it shares with Urbane. Its limbs end a mace like weapon, being able to sweep it out a frontal arc, ram the weapon into the ground or fire the ball & chain from the air. A rarer but much more damaging attack is where it shoots a powerful laser from its head after a brief charging period.
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First Sphere:
The most powerful of the three Spheres of influence, they are fiercely powerful and durable, with some of them being able to mimic Bayonetta's style of fighting flawlessly. These beings serve as mini-bosses late into Bayonetta with some of them only appearing on harder difficulties.
Thrones
Members of the First Sphere. They are inhuman in appearance, and serve as mini-bosses. They are very rarely encountered in numbers greater than one at a time. This rank includes:
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|-|Inspired="Inspired are members of the angelic First Sphere, in the rank known as Thrones. Those in this class are spiritual beings of the highest order, never meeting directly with humanity. Works of art have depicted them as flaming wheels; however, artists of true inspiration have pictured Inspired as a long snake-like body encircling upon itself. It is often thought that Inspired act as a wheel, holding up the chariot of the beloved God. In truth, Inspired are actually fighting alongside their angelic cohorts, randomly swallowing up the followers of darkness." 
Inspired appear throughout the game as minibosses. They move quickly through the air, making it difficult to hit them. Inspired can spit fireballs at Bayonetta while in the air or if the player is far away from them, within melee range they can whip their bodies around or attempt to bite. 
|-|Resplendence="Forged by divine hands using the brilliance of the sun itself, Resplendence resides in the First Sphere class Thrones, ranked third in the angelic hierarchy. Resplendence's radiant form can overturn the laws of nature, turning night to day as it simply peers over the horizon. Among those who gaze into its luminous presence, the pious weep and bow before it, while it sears the eyes of those who lack faith, throwing to the ground in submission"
Resplendence takes on the appearance of a gigantic, angelic airship with golden metallic wings. Adorned with holy decoration and multiple faces, it is the largest angel amongst the forces of Paradiso, dwarfing even Sapientia. It is also incredibly strong as the impact between itself and Sapientia merely scratches its surface. Though not fought directly, Resplendence does reveal that it has the ability to fire a massive beam of explosive flame from its central mouth.
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Cherubim
Specializing more in brutal strength and direct combat, members of the Cherubim rank are deadly combatants, so much so that even though they rarely appear along side other types of Angels. This rank includes:
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|-|Braves="It can be said that Braves are capable of carrying God upon their shoulders. Moving in groups of three, each Brave wears the halo of the Second Sphere Powers upon its head; however when necessary, Braves can combine three of their bodies into one true form, a First Sphere Cherubim. Boasting the most brute strength of all the inhabitants of Paradiso, an unknown number of evils have faced judgment at the hands of Braves." 
Braves act exactly like smaller, faster Beloved. Given the chance, they can combine into a single, much faster Beloved angel. However, if this occurs, the same rules apply. The Beloved can be attacked in its back to weaken it, just like any other. They carry large, spear-axe combination weapons. When used, they act just like the Beloved's axe. 
|-|Valience="Valiance is a First Sphere Cherub considered particularly ascendant as a spiritual being even among the other angels. Physical shape means little to the angels of this rank; they exist in a metaphysical form that demonstrates the majesty of God. The most ambitious and brave of the Cherubim, there are some sources that believe Valiance first arrived on Earth thousands of years ago, riding a comet of God's wrath that destroyed everything in its way. Valiance's sword, the Valiantium Blade, is said to have the power to cut in two anything in Paradiso or Inferno, and is prophesied to one day assist a team of over a hundred heroes in saving humanity from an invading evil."
Valiance is a knight-like figure that serves as a miniboss, its main weapon is the large two-handed sword it carries. Its uses a number of different types of attacks. The sword has multiple styles of attack. It has wide sweeping cuts, an overhead swing, a slash that cuts into the ground and on occasion it will also stab the ground if the enemy gets too close. When using its blade, Valiance will drop into a wide stance and swing thus exposing its back for a short time. For its slash, Valiance will take a step back then lunge forward slicing the ground as its blade moves forward. If the opponent runs directly under the angel it will jump up, flip the sword to angle downward then stab the ground; if Valiance grabs the enemy it will slam them into the ground then attempt to stab them. Its last type of attack is a large overhead swing that slams into the ground. Its secondary attacks are golden arrows and kicks/stomps. When Valiance uses the arrows they are launched in hail, after they land they will explode.
|-|Valor="As his name would imply, Valor is a warrior that regards bravery in the highest degree. Taking the form of a shield, he stands with Valiance at the front lines of Paradiso's wars against Inferno. It is said that when people are in need, a warrior clad in solid gold armor will appear to rescue them, carrying a sword and shield of incredible power. While fending off incoming evils with the shield, the warrior will eliminate its enemy with a single blow of its sword, claiming victory for those with a strong-held faith."
Much like Valiance, Valor resembles a knight-like figure, though this time covered in golden shiny armor with a cape attatched to the shoulders. Its face is embedded in the sun shaped shield it carries much like how Valiance's was in its sword. The sword Valor wields is also entirely golden and has the ability to extend to ridiculously long lengths, large enough to slice a large bridge to pieces with one swing. Valor uses its sword for the majority of its attacks and even rides on top of its shield like a surfboard. 
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Seraphim
The members of the Seraphim rank are some of the most dangerous enemies in the game and the highest ranking angels of the First Sphere. This rank includes:
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|-|Joy="Joys are members of the Seraphim class within the angelic hierarchy's First Sphere. These beings have broken free of any physical conception of form and have become truly spiritual. Their body is as free as a flowing river, and it takes shape only on a temporary basis. Joys may take the shape of the human feminine form, but can also shapeshift, or even separate into multiple sentient forms at will."
Joys are female-looking Angels that are very powerful high-rank soldiers of Laguna. Though they have no definite form, assuming any form which they wish, they seem to prefer their female form. They appear to act as doppelgangers to Umbra Witches, possessing many of their moves and abilities and because of this have an incredibly wide range of attacks and powers. Their weapons seem to be made of the same material as Golems and the various curtain-like walls scattered across Paradiso and Vigrid. These weapons has the ability to reform to many of Bayonetta's weapons. Joys are notable for their ability to multiply at will, splitting into two, with the new Joy having full health and the first keeping it's current health.
*Sword Configuration: Joys can form their weapons into huge sword formations. When using a sword they have a tendency to dash forward to close distance in a way that mimics Bayonetta's Stiletto technique when wielding Shuraba, except their version is much faster. Once in melee range they tend to exploit their sword's length with quick and wide horizontal attacks. They can also mimic Shuraba's Bullet Climax, causing them to spin several times with the blade outstretched. 
*Whip Configuration: Forming their weapon into a wide curled ribbon of metal, Joys use their whips in a manner that mimics Bayonetta's weapon Kulshedra. When using this form they readily exploit the range advantage it gives them, standing and attacking from behind other angels where it's safer.
*Ranged Attacks: Joys can also form their weapon into a set of pistols and fire a long slow arc of bullets in a sweeping motion across the battlefield in front of them. In addition to this gun-like formation, Joys will also summon large formations of needle-like feathers. When summoned the feathers will appear in one of two formations. The first is where they appear around the enemy for a moment before launching towards them in quick succession, and the second is where they will appear spinning around the Joy in a whirlwind before launching at the opponent. 
|-|Gracious & Glorious="Within the nine ranks of the angelic hierarchy, the highest ranking Seraphim are charged with governing the love and zeal of The Creator. The pure white armored Gracious and the black armor-clad Glorious are often sighted in pairs; however, their existence itself remains legend, subject to rumors of varied veracity. Supposedly gifted with incredible god-like powers there are no records of Gracious or Glorious appearing on the battlefield of evil; however, it is said this is because a mere taste of their power is enough to destroy the world, devastating all its path - both the record and the record-keeper."
Gracious and Glorious are essentially the same as Grace and Glory, but are much tougher. They deal more damage and can take more of it, and are slightly faster. 
|-|Glamor="Glamor, as a First Sphere Seraph, rests at the highest rank in the angelic hierarchy. Seraphim are the closest beings to God in existence and cannot be seen by humans in the physical world under any circumstances. 
Yet, since the dawn of history, there have been discoveries of statues depicting a six-winged snake traversing the heavens. Most likely these have some connection with The Book of Revelation, written by a Lumen Sage and found in the scriptures of Ithavoll. Of course, this means there must have been a sage capable of connecting to Paradiso and conversing with Glamor through spiritual means." 
Aside from his natural abilities of flight granted by its wings, Glamor has multiple offensive capabilities that include firing ice spikes from its dragon mouth, possessing enough strength to slice an aircraft in two and destroy parts of a city with its bulk alone. It also uses multiple sweeping bites forward and is remarkably agile for a creature its size. 
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==Notable Matchups==
Victories:
Losses:
Inconclusive:
Category:Characters
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