Sol Badguy

**Sol Badguy**, also known by his real name as **Frederick**, is the main protagonist of *Guilty Gear* and Ky Kiske's eternal rival. At first glance, he is an aloof bounty hunter, whose apparent laziness and gruffness belies his terrifying fighting ability, and the amazing genius and emotional depths beneath that brash exterior.

## Personality

Sullen and unrefined, Sol only speaks to others when absolutely necessary. This is reflected in everything he does, and his fighting moves, while rough and unpolished, are executed with absolute precision. He is known to be rude and impatient towards those who wish to interact with him, whether they are friend or foe. He is also quite stubborn when he is in pursuit of a goal or when he decides to take action regarding certain matters, never allowing the opinions of others to dissuade him once he's made up his mind. Overall, Sol is not a friendly man, but he is not an inherently evil one neither. He is an individual who prefers to convey his intent through actions than words. And while he cynically mocks those who speak of "justice", he has demonstrated a staunch sense of righteousness that motivates him to prevent anything that may potentially threaten the world and the peace that's been established after the horror of the Crusades.His actions have also proven that he is quite compassionate in contrast to his anti-social persona. He refused to harm neither Dizzy nor Solaria due to their innocence and kindness, despite the fact that they are Command-Type Gears who possess enormous power that puts them on equal footing with Justice and the ability to subjugate Gears to their whim; he even gave a Gear-Cell limiter to Solaria so she can control her power and rescued Dizzy when she was possessed by Necro and went on a rampage. He has spared Testament on several occasions despite being a powerful and dangerous Gear due to him being the son of his friend and mentor, Kliff, as well as out of mutual sympathy since they are both humans that were converted into Gears. He also takes in Sin at the behest of Ky and Dizzy so that he would not be placed in danger by the Conclave. He even offered a prayer for Justice's soul to find peace in the afterlife after he defeated her for the second time. He later comes to care greatly about Elphelt, in spite of his persistent wariness of her, and has vowed to save her from her role as a tool to the Universal Will, stating that he does not wish to lose any more loved ones.The reason behind his abrasive nature is explored significantly in Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-. It is revealed that he maintains an emotional distance towards others out of fear of loss and betrayal. Aria, his lover, died from a TP infection and he is forced to end her life for a second time when she is reincarnated as Justice. He was also betrayed by That Man, who was once his best friend and colleague, and forcibly converted into a Gear by him against his will. This is further compounded by his personal sense of guilt, as he feels responsible for the Crusades and remorse for having to eliminate Gears, sentient beings that his research gave birth to that became biological weapons against their will. This has led to a self-loathing mentality that prevents him from forming close relations with others or allowing himself to experience happiness. He also feels disgust over his Gear body, considering himself a monster.Ultimately, he fears that he will eventually become a danger to his friends and the world in general since he believes that the destructive tendencies of his Gear nature(which he acknowledges that it constantly urges him to kill and destroy everything around him) will encroach upon his humanity and inevitably turn him into an unstoppable monster that will wreak wanton havoc upon Earth, He has implied that that if he ever kills That Man, should he fail in finding a solution that can prevent his Gear nature from gaining dominance, he will commit suicide.As the series progresses, however, his clashes with many of the series characters slowly begin to change his outlook, especially his rival Ky Kiske; Sin Kiske, who he reluctantly takes as his apprentice and Elphelt Valentine, who he initially saw as a potential threat yet ultimately became someone he considers precious to him(though he would deny this outloud). During the final battle against St. Maximus Populi Ariels in Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- ,Sol admits to her that the world where he kept himself distant to others was worth saving and finally acknowledged that despite what he was and his fear of the future, he was no longer alone in the world.It is seen through the course of the series that Sol has much deeper emotional depths than he normally doesn't display towards people.

## Trivia

* It was originally unknown why Sol carries a violent vendetta against That Man. Fans have speculated that it is because he might've been a unwilling participant in the Gear conversion experiment. This was finally confirmed to be fact by Sol's remarks in Overture and an interview with Daisuke Ishiwatari in the GG2 Overture Material Collection. Others suspect that he is enraged at how That Man has used his research (as Sol is stated to be the lead scientist behind the "Gear Concept") to turn Gears into biological killing machines, which has resulted in the mass genocide of the human race, when the original purpose of Gear Cells was for medicinal benefits such as curing illnesses and increasing human longevity. Another idea is Sol may seeking retribution for his girlfriend Aria, who is hinted to be Justice, for possibly converting her into a Gear.  It is eventually revealed that all three of these factors contributed to his hatred for That Man.
* More recent official art shows Sol smoking. Additionally, he can arguably be heard lighting a cigarette in the GGX Drama CD.
* Sol is officially left-handed.
* Sol's clothing brand has always been "RIOT". Sin and Bridget also use the same brand. According to text in artwork, RIOT was established in 2134.
* In the official manga, Sol is shown to have a secret hideout near the Boston Seabed where it has a laboratory with a global mapping system. He also has a picture showing him, his former lover Aria, and That Man (whose face has been intentionally damaged). This is faintly referenced in Elphelt's Win Quote when she states that if she and Sol were a couple, he would always keep a picture of her with him.
* Including Sol, there are three more characters that play guitar: Axl, I-No and Johnny.
* Sol's bounty in Overture is higher than Dizzy's in GGX.
* Similar to Ky's "coconuts", one of Sol's moves, Gun Flame, is often misheard as "girlfriend".
* On the front of Sol's "Tyrant Wave ver. α", the exact same "eye" symbol that is on Venom's hair can be seen.
* Sol is a playable character in IO Entertainment Online Fighting Game "Lost Saga".
* Sol's BlazBlue counterpart is Ragna the Bloodedge. Both characters are wanted, have harsh attitudes and tempers, possess immense powers that they usually keep suppressed since they threaten to erode away their humanity and sanity if used heedlessly, and are the main protagonists of their separate series. They have a personal connection with the main villain (Hades Izanami possessing the body of Ragna's sister, Saya, and That Man being Sol's former best friend and employer). They also have strong rivalries with blonde swordsmen affiliated with law enforcement, however Ragna's rival is his brother, Jin Kisaragi and Sol's rival is Ky Kiske, Sol's former comrade. Though while Sol and Ky settled their differences and eventually became good friends(though their rivalry remains), Ragna and Jin are still antagonistic towards one another, even when fighting on the same side. Ragna also has a habit of dining/dashing from restaurants(mostly because of Taokaka) while Sol spends his time drinking at seedy taverns, which occasionally leads to brawls (mostly because of Axl). They are also known to be splendid cooks. They also have weapons that can transfigure into different forms: Ragna's Blood Scythe can take on the form of either a giant sword or energy scythe, and Sol's Junkyard Dog MK III has the ability to function as both a sword and a long-range energy gun/cannon.
* In -REVELATOR-, Sol has designed and created his own customized motorcycle called the "Fire-Wheel Mk.II", which is named after his Servant from Overture.