| Isabella "Ivy" Valentine | |
|---|---|
| Soulcalibur character | |
 Ivy in Soulcalibur IV | |
| First game | Soulcalibur (1998) |
| Designed by | Aya Takemura,[1] Takuji Kawano,[1] and Hideo Yoshie[2] |
| Voiced by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Weapon | Snake Sword (Valentine) |
| Origin | London, Kingdom of England |
| Nationality | English |
Isabella Valentine (Japanese: イザベラ・バレンタイン, Hepburn: Izabera Barentain), commonly called Ivy (Japanese: アイヴィー, Hepburn: Aivī), is a character in the Soulcalibur series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, she first appeared in the original Soulcalibur and its subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise related to the series. She was voiced in Japanese by Yumi Tōma between Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur III, Kanako Tōjō between Soulcalibur Legends and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, and Miyuki Sawashiro in Soulcalibur V, and Soulcalibur VI; in English, she was voiced by Renee Hewitt in Soulcalibur II and Lani Minella for the remainder of the series.
In the game, she is the illegitimate daughter of undead pirate Cervantes de Leon who was raised by a noble family until her father became obsessed with the cursed sword, Soul Edge, leading to his death and later her mother's. Desiring to destroy the sword, she creates a segmented, animated blade-whip, only to become Soul Edge's pawn and learn that it intends to use her as its next host. After an attack by Cervantes results in the loss of her soul, Ivy uses a temporary artificial one to keep herself alive, and continues after the blade.
Ivy is considered one of the most prominent characters in the series as well as one of its mainstays, having appeared in every installment since Soulcalibur. She is often referred to as the series' poster girl. Since her introduction, Ivy has been noted by critics for her sex appeal. Critical reception of her sexuality varies, with some saying the character's oversexualization is unnecessary, while others have argued that it is an essential aspect of her character design and has allowed for her to be more recognizable.
- ^ a b Namco Bandai Entertainment America. "SoulCalibur V - Behind The Game". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
legends-158was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e "Isabella 'Ivy' Valentine Voices (Soulcalibur)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ Minella, Lani [@laniminella] (October 31, 2018). "Soulcalibur VI - Ivy Full Story Walkthrough https://youtu.be/GxC7KdFI95Y via @YouTube Here is a backstory I wasn't even aware of, although I did the voice. Mwahahaaaaa" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Project Soul. Soulcalibur Legends. Bandai Namco Games. Scene: Ending credits, 9:32 in, VOICE OVER ACTORS (Japanese).
- ^ Project Soul. Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. Bandai Namco Games. Scene: Ending credits, 5:25 in, VOICE OVER ACTORS JAPANESE.