Millia Rage is a recurring character in the Guilty Gear series. A former member of Assassin's Guild, she fights with the skills of her old occupation in search of a better life. Millia uses her magical hair as a weapon; enchanted with the Forbidden Beast Angra, it can take any shape she wishes.
Design
Millia has long flowing blonde hair and blue eyes with dark eyelashes. Millia's hair in her in-game stance is seen tied in a ponytail, but given its properties, it changes shape frequently, from cut short to very lengthy, and can take any shape, even that of decorative flowers.
Millia's typical outfit consists of a white blouse with light blue hemlines and a collar that covers the whole of her neck; there are also two straps that run across her collar bone right above her breasts. She also wears a leotard under her blouse, padded arms, whole length gloves, and a light blue headband across her forehead and her legs are also bare.
In Xrd, Millia's design has drastically changed, as she now wears a yellow blouse with black hemlines, complete with a matching pillbox hat that has a sign saying "zl-28" and "13", black leggings, white fingerless gloves and peach colored ballet shoes. In -STRIVE-, she now wears a short trench coat with a light orange shawl over her shoulders, and a fur hat with the Xrd sign attached to it. She has an armband on her left arm and black gloves and boots.
Personality
Millia is elegant, feminine and very lady-like in manner, but does not hesitate to fight when necessary. A somewhat silent and cold woman, she was molded by her past as an assassin and her relationship with Zato-1. Yet under her cold exterior, she is a kind person, especially to children. She cannot bring herself to harm them, which led her to leave the Assassin's Guild and betray her lover Zato.
Because of her upbringing and Zato's manipulation of her feelings, Millia is very distrustful, particularly of men—towards whom she is quite sarcastic—, as well as a lonely and detached individual, refusing help from anybody. In her search for happiness (that she once thought an assassin could never obtain), Millia has a positive outlook and is emotionally strong, wanting to move forward; settling her past, however, has led her to obsession at times, especially because she associates that with Zato's death. She is also a deep thinker contemplating about her life in many instances. Despite isolating herself from people, her interaction with her admirer implies that she secretly wishes for affection, but is just afraid to form new relationships.
After leaving the guild and living among ordinary people, Millia became more kind to others and more compassionate. Nevertheless, years of assassin conditioning do not disappear overnight, so some of the coldness in her demeanor remains. In situations she doesn't know how to handle, she will sometimes act more like a young girl than the woman she has become.
Story
Background
Born of Russian descent, Millia lost both of her parents to the Crusades. As an infant, she was found in the ruins of a village and taken in by the Assassin's Guild. Against her will, Angra was placed in her body, specifically her hair, and was trained from childhood to use it as a lethal weapon. Millia wanted no part of such a life, and even tried to commit suicide several times.
Nevertheless, as seen in Night of Knives, Millia eventually started a complicated relationship with Zato-1, who became the organization's leader—a relationship that started without permission and would have led to her expulsion. Venom, ever protective of Zato, knew of their nights together and treated Millia coldly. After the end of the Crusades, the guild was hired to assassinate Duke Dorian Scaburi, of the Calroni Kingdom. During the party in honor of King Salteria I, Millia met Slayer, who claimed she could find meaning to her life.
At 2:00 A.M. Millia killed the duke in his quarters, and Slayer reappeared before her. He learned from her that the guild isn't following the assassin's code, and doubted that Millia was happy with the current organization before disappearing. Millia was soon discovered and captured by Leon Mining. In her magic-sealing prison, Millia realized that she didn't want to die, associating that fate with Zato's path. Slayer then offered her a choice: freedom or death. Millia chose freedom. She returned to find that Zato agreed to kill the 2-year-old king to save her from Mining. When she and Zato reached the king's room, Millia struck Zato and fled, snatching the baby away. Nevertheless, she and Venom rescue Zato and Slayer from Mining's "Arm" monster. Millia came across Johnny, who helped her find a foster home for the king.
Millia, Zato and Slayer would later cooperate again in the Mount Rosa Operation, but Millia ultimately decided to leave the guild. Taking part in another major operation led by Zato, during the mission Millia was to act alone. She took the opportunity to flee. Her escape threw the assassin into chaos, allowing them to be caught red-handed, and Zato was arrested and imprisoned. Since then, Millia lived on as a fugitive and resorted to killing her pursuers when backed into a corner.
Guilty Gear
In 2180, Millia hears from one of her unlucky pursuers that Zato has escaped from his dimensional prison and is entering the Second Holy Order Selection Tornament. Millia decides to enter as well. Feeling she will never be free until he is dead, Millia is determined to end his life once and for all, and as the tournament's winner, she could use her wish to end the organization forever. She defeats Zato but isn't able to kill him.
Manipulated by Testament much like the rest of the cast, the bloodshed from the Tournament releases Justice from her slumber. However, she is promptly destroyed by none other than Sol Badguy.
Guilty Gear X
Given the complex feelings she experienced as a result of Zato's defeat in the last tournament, Millia feels it is time to settle the score once and for all. In Guilty Gear X Drama CD Vol.2, Millia convinces Venom to help her find the missing Zato and abandon the pointless a mission of recruiting Faust into the guild.
Shortly after, Millia hears mention of a Gear with free will, on which panicked countries have placed a bounty of 500,000 World Dollars. Canonically, Millia finally finds Zato, and seemingly ends his life. Unknown to her, Eddie takes control of Zato's dead body thereafter, having been slowly gaining control over Zato since the bonding with its master.
Guilty Gear XX
After Zato-1's death, Millia continues living in her familiar solitude but it isn't long before she receives sightings of Eddie. Millia has three different endings, all of which conclude upon her search for Eddie. In Path 1, Slayer bars her path just before she is about to confront Eddie. After a fight, Millia manages to hold her ground, but is unable to defeat him. Slayer then "reveals" to Millia that her hair is of the same origins as Eddie, though Millia replies that "[she] knows this better than anybody". In Path 2, she manages to defeat Slayer and subsequently kill Eddie; fatigued and relieved, Millia returns to her new life. Path 3 is similar, but in it she buries Zato's body, leaving her hair and Zato's blindfold as a memento. She thanks him, and leaves.
In Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus, Millia continues her search for Eddie and her attempt at destroying the Assassin's Guild once and for all. After slaying Eddie, she finds out that her hair is "releasing".
In Path 1, she finishes her vendetta as she slays Eddie and remembers his last words to remember his existence. She continues to live on the run, but she doesn't falter in her mind and continues to keep her hair under control. In non-canonical Path 2, Millia completely loses control of her hair and ends up accidentally killing Bridget. Horrified by her act, Millia is accidentally stabbed in the back by her admirer, killing her, but she feels content as she dies as herself, not a monster.
Guilty Gear Vastedge XT
In 2187, Millia learns from Venom that the Conclave has confiscated Zato's body and Eddie's remains.
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-
Three months later, Millia is informed by Venom, currently the leader of the Assassin's Guild and whom she has made peace with, that Zato was resurrected by the Conclave. Millia investigates the Conclave's lab, the Opera House. They are reunited with Zato, who vows to protect Millia and whose resurrection means one thing: the Conclave plans to revive Justice. After they are joined by Slayer, Zato leaves for Japan to investigate, while Millia, Venom and Slayer agree to deliver such information to an appropiate party, King Ky Kiske of Illyria.
Millia, Venom and Slayer are immediately attacked by Bedman, who teleports himself and their unconscious bodies to near Uighur where Faust, Chipp Zanuff and the Jellyfish Pirates are gathered. Bedman backs off, recalled by his ally, when Zato comes to their aid. The guild's information ultimately reaches Ky when Zato meets with him, Sol and President Gabriel in Zepp.
Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-
King Daryl hires the guild as "soldiers", and Millia convenes with the others at Slayer's Mansion—all four working to rebuild the guild. Although she doesn't quite agree with eliminating Bedman for humiliating them, she plays along. Slayer questions if she really wants to lead a so-called "normal" life, and Millia admits that she doesn't want to be left behind. Privately, Millia acknowledges that normal for her is life in the guild, but she won't return to a dark void; she will create a place for others to return and vows to become the next leader of the Guild.
Thanks to Zato's abilities, they locate Bedman, and Slayer engages him in a fight, but Millia stops him before long as they are just testing Zato's accuracy. It is Venom and Robo-Ky who take down Bedman at the same time that Millia, Zato, Slayer and their underlings assist in the defense of Illyria's capital against Ariels' forces.
Guilty Gear -STRIVE-
To be added...
Abilities
Millia uses her hair, infused with the Forbidden Beast Angra, that is amorphous in nature and can transform to help in both melee combat and ranged combat. It is capable of assuming a myriad of odd shapes such as a sword, a harp, a unicorn, etc. Her hair can also allow her to fly transforming into wings. Her training as an assassin has added to her combat abilities and her in-game speed reflects this. In Vastedge, she is also shown to carry a pair of magic particle guns on her outfit, suggesting that she is also proficient with firearms.
Millia's fighting style focuses completely on melee and speed. Millia has simple attack controls for her special moves, yet due to her low defense, she must make up for it with continuous attacks. She is able to easily build Tension, and can also maneuver across the screen with moves. Millia allows much versatility in the game by combining speed with rush attacks, which leads to devastating combos on the ground or in the air.
Musical themes
- Writhe In Pain - Guilty Gear
- Writhe In Pain II - Guilty Gear X, Guilty Gear XX
- The Great Empress - Guilty Gear XX: #Reload Korean OST
- The Irony of Chaste - Guilty Gear Isuka
- The Lily of Steel - Guilty Gear Xrd
- Rivalry themes
- Still In The Dark (vs. Zato-1) - Guilty Gear X
- Existence (vs. Eddie/Slayer/Venom) - Guilty Gear XX
- The Spider's Thread (Do You Know?) (vs. Zato-1) - Guilty Gear Xrd
- When Life Comes (vs. Slayer/Venom) - Guilty Gear Xrd
Quotes
Allusions
- Millia's name comes from Meliah Rage, a American thrash-metal band from the 1980s. It was named after the Meliah tribe, who used opium before battles to fall in a battle rage.
- Rage is also a German metal band, which had a solid success in Japan.
- Millia's Iron Maiden is named after the famous English metal band.
- Winger, one of her Overdrives, is the name of an American hard-rock band, while Emerald Rain is a Canadian melodic-rock band.
- The name of her Forbidden Beast, Angra, is a reference to a Brazilian band of the same name.
- Millia's hair pin in Xrd has a "Lady Sun" inscription, which is a song by the band Earth, Wind & Fire.
Trivia
- According to Night of Knives, Millia's favorite flower is the Easter Lily, which in flower language means "the desire to have children".
- Millia has made guest appearances in the following games: Lord of Vermilion III, Brave Frontier, Mabinogi Duel, #COMPASS, Crusaders Quest.
External links
- GGACR/ - GGXRD-R2/Millia Rage at Dustloop Wiki