Potemkin

**Potemkin** (ポチョムキン, *Pochomukin*) is a character in the *Guilty Gear* series. He was a former slave in the empire of Zepp, and was a supporter of the democratic revolution that took place. He is currently a member of Zepp's elite presidential guard.

## Character Design

Potemkin is a dark skinned, muscular man. He has brown hair that he ties up in a ponytail, and brown eyes. He also wears red battle gauntlets that he uses in battle. Potemkin's design also has him wearing blue jeans and red toed brown boots. On his left arm he has a barcode tattoo. In the original Guilty Gear, Potemkin wore a slave collar that would explode should he attempt to remove it, though he was able to remove it when President Gabriel told him he could.

In *Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-*, Potemkin's design has changed drastically, as he now sports a green body suit with grey spiked shoulder pads. He also wears a metal helmet with a decorative orange ponytail, and his eyes are the only things that are visible as most of his face is covered.

## Personality

Despite his appearence, Potemkin is actually a very intelligent calculating individual who dislikes fighting, only doing it when absolutely necessary. He is also generally kind to others, and is capable of keeping his patience even when the person he's speaking to isn't being necessarily friendly.

## Powers & Abilities

Due to a unique genetic mutation, Potemkin possesses extraordinary durability, strength and power. He is capable of descending from Zepp (located 100,000 feet above the surface) to ground-level without injury. It is also known that throughout the series, he never exhibits his full strength thanks to a limiter-collar placed upon his body during his slavery. The only time he disengages the limiter is during the original Guilty Gear timeline set before I-NO alters the past, where he is capable of devastating entire battalions of Large-Class Gears with merely the shockwaves emanated from his punches(which are stated and shown to have the same explosive force as his Instant Kill move, Magnum Opera). Daisuke Ishiwatari has stated that as Potemkin's strength continues to grow, he would eventually have to equip a special limiter that would constrain his entire body in order to regulate his power. This occurs in Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-.

He was also capable of throwing Gears the size of large buildings with ease, as shown in REVELATOR.

## Musical Themes

* **In Slave's Glory** - *Guilty Gear*
* **Burly Heart** - *Guilty Gear X*
* **Burly Heart II** - *Guilty Gear XX*
* **Megatona Furioso** - *Guilty Gear XX ♯Reload* Korean OST
* **Riches in Me** - *Guilty Gear Isuka*
* **Engage** - *Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-*
* **Armor-clad Faith** - *Guilty Gear -Strive-*

## References and Allusions

* Potemkin's name may originate from the Soviet Battleship Potemkin.
* The name of Zepp empire may originate from a Russian car tires company

* His attack "Hammer Fall" references Swedish power metal band HammerfFall.

* His Instant Kill "Nuclear Hammer" may be a longshot reference to the song "Neutron Hammer" by Australian black metal band Spear of Longinus.
* His main themes in Guilty Gear X and XX sound very similar to the songs Kashmir by Led Zeppelin and Wake Up by Rage Against the Machine. As well as Hold the Line by Toto.

* Potemkin has many mecha homages in his moveset. Potemkin's Heat Knuckle and Heat Extend moves could be references to Domon Kasshu's Erupting Burning Finger technique from G Gundam. His Gigantor Bullet super is extremely similar to GaoGaiGar's Hell and Heaven finishing move.

## TMNT X Pokemon

Potemkin handles the plans along with Chloe Montes. Helpful, he's always there to help someone in need. Chloé Bourgeois takes advantage of his helpfulness by making him do everything for her.

## Trivia

* If one listens closely to Potemkin's *Guilty Gear XX* stage theme and looks closely at his fighting stance, he is actually moving to the beat of his own theme.
* In Potemkin's ending for *Guilty Gear*, when he removes his slave neck collar, his ponytail reaches down his back. In later artworks and sprites, He has turned his ponytail into a bun.
* One of Faust's Special Moves (**What's Next?**) and its Overdrive version (**Super What's Next?**) involves Faust dropping small-sized dolls of some characters. Potemkin is one of these characters, and both Faust and Potemkin are even voiced by Takashi Kondou as well (making it a voice actor allusion gag).
* In *Guilty Gear Xrd*, Potemkin's throw is based on his alternate throw from GG1, which was performed identically to a normal throw, but with K instead of HS.
* It is speculated by the fandom that Potemkin may be Gabriel's son based on Slayer's victory quote in Arcade Mode upon defeating Potemkin: "Strength and conviction do not always bring victory.  Like father, like son, I suppose."