Bayonetta (character)

Bayonetta
The character as she appears in Bayonetta
First game	Bayonetta
Created by	Hideki Kamiya
Designed by	Mari Shimazaki
Voiced by (English)	Hellena Taylor Joy Jillian (young)
Voiced by (Japanese)	Atsuko Tanaka Miyuki Sawashiro (young)
Motion capture	Stephanie Sheh (young)
Portrayed by	Penny Drake (promotion)

Bayonetta (Japanese: ベヨネッタ, Hepburn: Beyonetta^?), real name Cereza, is a fictional character and protagonist of the video game Bayonetta and its sequel, developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega and Nintendo respectively. She was created by Hideki Kamiya, designed by Mari Shimazaki, and is voiced by Hellena Taylor in English and Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese.

Bayonetta is one of only two surviving Umbran Witches, along with being the child of a Witch and a Lumen Sage. During the first game, she goes in search of her forgotten past, heading for her old home of Vigrid, and fighting the angelic forces of Paradiso on the way. She also appears as the protagonist of Bayonetta 2, and as a special guest character in other titles such as Anarchy Reigns, The Wonderful 101, and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

Reception of the character has been positive overall, with the common point of praise being her highly feminine image, which makes her both stand out among female characters in video games and go against several set conventions. However, her sexuality has also been a point of criticism and contention.