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What I do, I do for my comrades...
― Potemkin, Guilty Gear manual

Potemkin is a recurring character in the Guilty Gear series. He was a former slave in the Zepp Armed Air Empire, and was a supporter of the democratic revolution that took place. He is currently a member of Zepp's elite presidential guard, working closely with President Gabriel.

Design[]

Potemkin is a tan, muscular man and one of the tallest characters in the series. He has brown hair that he ties up in a ponytail, or more often in a bun. He has eyes usually depicted as completely white without pupils. On his left shoulder he has a black barcode tattoo.

Potemkin's classic design has him shirtless, wearing blue jeans and red toed brown boots. He wears a giant red collar. In the original Guilty Gear, it was a slave collar that would explode should he try to remove it, but this function was since removed. His gauntlets are black fingerless gloves with red metal plating and cuffs. In the Xrd games and onward, Potemkin's design has changed drastically, as he now sports a green body-tight military uniform with grey spiked shoulder pads. He also wears a robot-like metal helmet with a decorative orange ponytail. His gauntlets are more technologically advanced, now fully covering his hands.

Personality[]

Despite people's assumption regarding his appearance, Potemkin is actually an intelligent and calculating individual who dislikes fighting, only doing it when absolutely necessary and for the sake of others. While Potemkin can withstand pain, he cannot bear to witness the pain of others.

Potemkin is proud, and has a honest heart. He has a kind, gentle character, and great love for nature. He places the utmost importance on ceremony, and loathes superficial behavior or unreasonable demands. Able to meet pressure and adversity head on, Potemkin places great importance in his duty and comrades, and is capable of keeping his patience even when the person he's speaking to isn't being necessarily friendly.

Story[]

Background[]

Potemkin was born in Zepp, a military state established toward the end of the Crusades. Potemkin was one of the many slave soldiers that it employed and was called by a barcode number, Code 4595605381. Like the others, Potemkin was forced to wear an anti-desertion bomb collar around his neck, and had to live in fear of it exploding at any given moment. Given his genetic mutation, Potemkin was a unique asset.

One day, one of his superiors claimed that they finally found a use for Potemkin and his ridiculous body. He ordered Potemkin to win the Second Holy Order Selection Tournament, so that he would then wish for suitable territory for Zepp to expand their empire into. Potemkin agreed, thinking that gaining territory peacefully was better than an invasion.

Guilty Gear[]

The tournament is revealed to be a farce arranged by Testament to free Justice from her dimensional prison. She is canonically killed by Sol Badguy. In his ending, Potemkin is exhausted from the fight, when Sergeant Gabriel suddenly appears and states that Potemkin's mission has not yet been completed and that the tournament was simply his 'final test'. Seething with rage, Potemkin yells at Gabriel, but before he can do anything else to vent his anger, Gabriel explains how he too detests the corrupt Zepp regime and offers Potemkin to join his revolution to establish a peaceful, democratic nation. Surprised by this, Potemkin joins and takes off his slave neck collar, after Gabriel assures it will not explode.

Guilty Gear X[]

Potemkin is sent to face Dizzy—though rather than destroying her, his intention is to rescue her and bring her to Zepp in secret. In one ending, Johnny interferes, and with both parties agreeing to fake Dizzy's death in the crossfire, his goes with him and May instead as she bids a grateful farewell to Potemkin; in the other, Dizzy goes with him to Zepp, where she finds happiness. Events in subsequent games render the second ending impossible.

Guilty Gear XX[]

On a tip from Slayer, Potemkin goes to look for Dizzy, whom I-No knocked off the Mayship, and subsequently becomes entangled in the affairs of the Post-War Administration Bureau. In one ending, he bickers with Johnny over whether Dizzy should go back to the Mayship or to Zepp. In another ending, Potemkin gets into a confrontation with Bridget, who mistakes Potemkin for a rival bounty hunter pursuing Dizzy. After their fight, Potemkin and Bridget clear up the misunderstanding and become friends; Potemkin recruits Bridget into the Zepp military as a combat trainer, with Potemkin becoming Bridget's first student. Potemkin's third ending has him fighting against the army of Robo-Kys employed by the P.W.A.B.

In Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus, given the events of Xrd, neither of his endings can be considered canonical. In Path 1, Potemkin ends up fighting Chipp Zanuff, who if defeated with Potemkin's Instant Kill, is convinced to join Gabriel's presidential bodyguard unit. In Path 2, Potemkin investigates the P.W.A.B. because he considers them dangerous for the Zepp. He dismantles Robo-Ky and Justice clone units before returning to his country. In retaliation, P.W.A.B. members send a suicide bomb Robo-Ky to kill Gabriel. Potemkin covers the explosion, resulting in his death, and he is remembered as a hero with a statue on the city square.

Guilty Gear Xrd[]

In 2187, Potemkin and Gabriel are going over Ramlethal Valentine's status and are considering allying with the United Nations before any kind of confrontation. But first, Potemkin is ordered to scout the area and report back. He encounters Bedman, who is charged with keeping Potemkin away from Ramlethal. After Bedman's "defeat", Potemkin realizes he's been stuck in Bedman's dream world for three days. When he comes to, he is confronted by Ramlethal, who has already put her plan into action. Potemkin defeats her, but the Cradle's been activated. Potemkin laments and wishes he could do something.

In Story Mode, Potemkin makes a brief appearance towards the end of Chapter 5, where he is interrogating Bedman in one of Zepp's holding cells. However, as Bedman is asleep, the endeavor is fruitless before he teleports away.

In the week after, Potemkin is assigned to investigate the Conclave's old hideout: the Opera House. Gabriel senses that Potemkin has lost his ambition, and offers some parting words about being a first rate soldier. He faces off with himself, trying to clear his mind and learning to trust himself more. Then Potemkin runs into Ky Kiske at the Opera House, surprised that the king has come alone. The king needs testimony from Zepp's scientists regarding the Opus along with Zepp's assistance. Potemkin challenges him to a fight, saying he needs to know something.

After the fight, Potemkin reveals that he questioned the limits of his strength after his fight with Bedman. Ky disagrees, and Potemkin admits to overthinking things. Ky is glad that Potemkin came, and says they need hope in the face of an unknown force, which could be achieved by their countries joining forces. Potemkin and Ky shake hands and agree to become that unwavering force of hope. They find Chipp, who thinks the Universal Will may actually be human.

In Story Mode, Potemkin takes part in the battle to defend the Illyrian capital, which has been attacked by massive antimatter Gears and the Phalanx. He works in tandem with Chipp and helps clear a path for Faust, whose injections will prevent the Gears from exploding. The crisis ends when the Illyrian main team defeat Ariels and Justice is fused with Jack-O' Valentine.

Guilty Gear -Strive-[]

When the White House is invaded by Happy Chaos and he activates its aerial Tir na nOg mode, Gabriel contacts Potemkin to help Sol, Vernon, Asuka, and Giovanna, while Daryl was able to propose Chaos to set him and the rest of world's leaders (barring Vernon) free from the now battlefield White House area. Upon his arrival, Potemkin helps to stop the White House from flying straight to Old Mexico, saving it as Sol, Vernon and Asuka were able to get Chaos off the White House.

Just as Ky and Jack-O' arrive and Sol is reverted to his human-self, Frederick, by Asuka, Potemkin patrols from the top of White House airship area. However, when an injured Giovanna arrives, the allies are too late to realize that the "Chaos" they last saw was in fact a high-ranked officer Stryper, while the real Chaos is still inside the White House and had been disguised as new agent Udos after stealing his jacket. Chaos reveals the Tome of Origin had been fusing with Asuka, and uses it to fuse himself with I-No, transporting her to the White House under her now godlike-state. Potemkin, Giovanna and Frederick ignore Asuka's warning to avoid engaging in combat, and were swiftly defeated. Although Frederick, with the help from Vernon and Nagoriyuki, is able to recover and help Ky, Axl, Asuka and Jack-O' against I-No.

In the epilogue, Gabriel congratulates him for accomplishing his mission.

Abilities[]

Due to a unique genetic mutation, Potemkin possesses extraordinary durability, strength and power. 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 in the alternate timeline from Guilty Gear XX Drama CD Black, where he is capable of devastating entire battalions of Large-Class Gears with merely the shockwaves emanated from his punches. It has been 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.

Even with the limiter, with his giant frame and mastery of Zepp-style martial arts, his sheer battle power is comparable to that of an entire ground-based army division and "has been compared to a storm that can demolish mountains", according to his P.W.A.B. report. He is capable of descending from Zepp to ground-level without injury, and is capable of throwing Gears the size of large buildings with relative ease, as shown in -Revelator-. He has been personally mentored by President Gabriel, who in terms of battle prowess is on par with the likes of Slayer.

In terms of gameplay, Potemkin has high defense and is able to deal damage in great proportions whenever he is able to use his signature move, the Potemkin Buster. He is a grappler that works best in close range to the opponent, having a good range and a variety of throws at his disposal, but has poor mobility. In the original Guilty Gear, he cannot dash.

Music[]

  • 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
  • Armor-clad Faith - Guilty Gear -Strive-

Quotes[]

Allusions[]

  • His name was inspired by the Russian battleship initially named Kniaz Potemkin Tavricheskiy, famous for a 1905 mutiny considered to be the first step for the Russian Revolution of 1917. Potemkin (Потёмкин, Potyomkin) is a Russian surname derived from "Потёмки" meaning "darkness".
  • His Hammer Fall attack may be a reference to the band HammerFall, or Queen's "Hammer To Fall".
  • His "Burly Heart" theme may be inspired by "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin, "Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine, or "Hold the Line" by Toto.
  • Potemkin's Heat Knuckle and Heat Extend may be homage to Domon Kasshu's Erupting Burning Finger and Heat End techniques from G Gundam.
  • His Gigant Bullet super is extremely similar to GaoGaiGar's Hell & Heaven finishing move.
  • The Potemkin Buster may be a reference to the Kinniku Buster from Kinnikuman.
    • It is referred to as his "48th Secret Art" (48の必殺技), a term used to describe Kinnikuman's moves.
  • When hit by Bone-Crushing Excitement, Potemkin exclaims the name of one of three painters; Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Picasso, as an allusion to his hobby of art.
  • His Trishula move in Xrd refers to the trishula trident, a divine symbol in Hinduism and a weapon used by the god Shiva.
  • His Garuda Impact move in Strive is named after the Hindu demigod Garuda.
  • Potemkin Buster's alternate name "Submission Technique No.48" is a reference to the wrestler Kinnikuman in the anime "Ultimate Muscle", who uses a similar technique called the "Kinniku Buster".
  • "Heavenly" Potemkin buster gets its name from the band "Heavenly".
  • "Heat Knuckle" and "Extend" are references to the anime "Mobile Fighter G Gundam". In particular, Domon Kasshu's famous Super-Mode attacks, which ended with "Heat End". Potemkin reportedly shares Domon's "King of Hearts" tattoo on his fist.
  • The "Giganter" Field is a double reference to GaoGaiGar's "Protect Shade/Protect Wall" as well as Urien's "Aegis Reflector" from Street Fighter III. It gets its name from the band "Gigantor", also the name of a Super Robot.
  • The word 'Brid' in 'Gigantic Brid' is an old outdated reference to Hybrid Nuclear Power, but in more recent years refers to atomic waste.  More specifically it refers to "Hybrid Fusion-Fission", a hybrid of power generation. The 'Brid' is also Cocktail made with Gin, Blue Curacao, Lemon Juice, Egg White and a Star Fruit Garnish, it's a joke about "drinking Nuclear Waste". This makes more sense if you consider the idea that Potemkin's attack is "mixing" "Hell" (Fission/Decay) and "Heaven" (Fusion/Generation) in his hands (a reference to King of Braves GaoGaiGar's Hell and Heaven Attack). In addition, it might be a subtle reference to the 1993 SNES Game "Accele Brid".
  • "Slide Head" refers to the adjustable features on a socket wrench, and might be another stealth-reference to GaoGaiGar who often uses "Gadget Tools" as part of its arsenal of weapons.
  • "Smashed Driftwood" is a possible pun on the Biblical term "Wormwood" which refers to a falling star said to corrupt the waters in Revelation, in particular, certain religious groups suggest that Wormwood is a metaphor for Nuclear Waste.
  • Much of the Nuclear based attacks Potemkin has are a very subtle suggestion that Zepp is a possible remnant of the Soviet Union / U.S.S.R. / Russia left over from the Cold War. This has yet to be proven, since Zepp's history isn't fully fleshed out yet.---F.D.B. has two possible (unconfirmed) references: 'Fight Dem Back' an anti-racist group out of Australia/New Zealand, or the Bristol Band "First Degree Burns".
  • The Band "Led Zeppelin" is where Potemkin gets most of his references.  His Zepp stage even has a Zeppelin floating in it!
  • Potemkin's theme "Burly Heart" has subtle riffs that sound similar to Led Zeppelin's song "Kashimir", as well as Pantera's song "A New Level".
  • "Nitro Hook" gets its name from the band "Nitro".
  • "Magnum Opera" is a compound reference to Queen's Album "A Night at the Opera" and the song "Magnum Opus" by Yngwie Malmsteen.
  • Slide Head's original name "Graviton" comes from the song "Graviton" by the band Orange Goblin.
  • Potemkin's original Instant Kill "Nuclear Hammer" comes from the Japanese Death Metal Band, Outbreak of Evil.
  • "Judge Gauntlet" is a possible reference (unconfirmed) of the Dr. Who artifact "The President's Gauntlet".---"Unbreakable Spirit" is a possible reference (unconfirmed) of the 2010 Album "The Unbreakable Spirit" by the Neoclassical/Power Metal Hard Rock band Dieter Baethge.
  • His jawline in Xrd onwards is similar to that of Dix-Neuf from Top o Nerae! 2: DieBuster.

Trivia[]

  • His XX fighting stance is animated to the tune of "Burly Heart".
  • Potemkin and Faust share the same Japanese voice actor, Takashi Kondou.
  • Faust's What Could This Be? and its Overdrive version involve Faust dropping small-sized dolls of some characters. Potemkin is one of these characters.
  • In Guilty Gear Xrd, Potemkin's throw is based on his alternate throw from the original Guilty Gear, which was performed identically to a normal throw but with Kick instead of Heavy Slash.
  • A costume based on Potemkin's Strive look, belonging to Bruiser Khang (Mighty Kongman in Japan), appears in Tales of the Rays. It gives him access to Potemkin's attacks as artes, in which Potemkin Buster is renamed "Kongman Buster".
  • Potemkin has made a guest appearance in the game Code Shifter.
    Ky and pot concepts

    Potemkin's axe-wielding Russian prototype.

  • Pre-release articles for Guilty Gear show an initial concept for Potemkin that is very different from the final version.[1]
    • Instead of being a slave in Zepp, he was a Russian warrior from the prestigious Hansen family.
    • His motivation for entering the tournament was that he was so strong that he could not find a worthy rival.
    • He wielded an axe called "Dreadnought".
    • He is not quite as large, at 197 cm tall and 123 kg, indicating that he didn't have his genetic mutation.
    • He was 34 years old and his blood type was B (instead of O).

Gallery[]

External links[]

References[]


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