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What is Guilty Gear?

Guilty Gear is a series of fighting games by Arc System Works, created and designed by artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. The first game was published in 1998, and has spawned several sequels. It has also adapted to other media such as manga and drama CD. Guilty Gear has generally received praise from video game reviewers for its highly technical gameplay, graphics, soundtrack, and for its characters. Another fighting game franchise by Arc System Works, BlazBlue, is considered a spiritual successor of the series.

Who is Daisuke Ishiwatari? Daisuke Ishiwatari photograph

Daisuke Ishiwatari is a Japanese video game developer, illustrator, musician, composer and occasional voice actor. Best known for creating the Guilty Gear series, he is responsible for designing the characters and storyline, and composing most of its music.

Who is Naoki Hashimoto? Naoki Hashimoto photograph

Naoki Hashimoto is is a Japanese singer who has provided the vocals for a number of songs in the Guilty Gear series since Guilty Gear Vastedge XT.

More Info
  • Daisuke conceived the original Guilty Gear before joining Arc System Works while he was in a vocational school.
  • Daisuke and Naoki worked on a song outisde of Guilty Gear called "Surrogate Life" for the game CHUNITHM CRYSTAL.
  • Naoki was the vocalist for the trash metal band 'Outrage' but left in 1999.
  • The series is well-known for its detailed anime-style graphics, colorful characters, technical gameplay, and the numerous references to hard rock and heavy metal music that serve as inspiration for its characters and soundtracks.
  • The series has two iconic phrases "Heaven or Hell" and "Let's Rock", which are said by the announcer at the start of almost every battle.
  • The title ‘Guilty Gear’ could be a metaphor that means "humans are creatures that cannot stop fighting.”
  • According to Daisuke Ishiwatari, the series' story theme revolves around seeking the answer to the question, "What does it mean to be human?".
  • A recuring character from the series named Jam Kuradoberi makes their way to Guilty Gear -Strive- on April 9th, 2026.