Claudio Serafino

Story

After regaining control of the Mishima Zaibatsu, Heihachi Mishima faced persistent rejections regarding allying from the Archers of Sirius. Heihachi, accompanied by Nina Williams, visited their headquarters in Duomo di Sirio, Italy. They overcame several Sirius Marksmen, reaching Claudio at his base. Claudio initially refused to join, but after being defeated by Heihachi, he reconsidered, intrigued by Heihachi's knowledge of the Devil Gene. Seeing a shared interest in targeting the Mishima Clan's devils, Claudio allied with Heihachi and returned to the Zaibatsu's Tokyo headquarters.

Claudio Serafino, leader of the Sirius Marksmen, is a formidable exorcist. After learning about Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima's control over the Devil Gene from Heihachi, he chose to cooperate with him despite internal opposition. Claudio also discovered Ling Xiaoyu's search for Jin and decided to associate with her to aid his mission. Proud of his heritage as part of the "purifying blue flame" house, Claudio was committed to defeating the Devil. However, Heihachi's betrayal damaged Claudio's credibility, leading to defections within his organization and causing him distress. Xiaoyu's unwavering faith in Jin left a strong impression on Claudio. He eventually confessed his actions to Xiaoyu, offering to help her find Jin, preparing to act against Jin if he succumbed to the Devil Gene.

Personality

Claudio is characterized by his sarcastic and cocky attitude, which is evident in his introductory quotes, where he belittles his opponents as either amateurs or an easy win and flicks his hair. He often strikes dramatic poses and entrances that suggest he takes pride in his appearance. After winning a match, he extends a hand to his defeated opponent, demonstrating a more empathetic and kind side. However, he is also shown sarcastically slow clapping in another instance. Claudio reveals a sinister side towards his primary targets, particularly Devil Gene users like Jin Kazama. He is willing to manipulate Xiaoyu's innocent care for Jin to achieve his goals. Claudio is also known to display a more angry and short-tempered side when exorcisms don't go as planned, in contrast to his ordinarily gentle and compassionate demeanor when things are going well.

Playstyle

Claudio utilizes his unique Sirius abilities for a well-rounded fighting style. He excels at mid-range combat, with strong whiff punishment and approach tools. A key mechanic is his Starburst power-up, granting enhanced special moves on hit.

Offensively, Claudio has great counter-hit potential and Starburst pressure. He has strong tracking to deter sidestepping. His hopkick is among the best in the game - evasive with deceptive range. Defensively, he has evasive moves to avoid highs and a Power Crush mid-attack. His sidestep game is also excellent. However, Claudio has some flaws. His low attacks can be risky or lack reward. His wall game, grabs, block punishment, and okizeme are also limited. And with the smallest movelist in the game, he requires creativity.

In summary, Claudio blends range, evasion, and Sirius abilities into a well-rounded fighting style, excelling at mid-range and having solid offense and defense. But mediocre lows and a limited movelist balance out his strengths. He rewards fundamentally strong play with his unique moveset.

Appearance

Claudio is a character who blends otherworldly charm with noble dignity. His expression is somber yet firm, conveying the weight of his responsibilities.  He has a strong, chiseled jawline, a confident expression, and deep-set eyes. His rich blue hair is swept back and slightly tousled, with other defining features including slate blue eyes, with the left turning white when using Sirius-Style Exorcism Sorcery. He also wears a black and silver gauntlet on his left hand. At the same time, a large tattoo adorns his right arm, bound with black bandages and a chain indicating a hidden power or a battle-hardened past, and a similar tattoo under his left eye, visible when using his powers.

Claudio's attire exudes luxury and authority. His white frock coat, with gold lining and embroidery, has a black collar, lapels, and cuffs with white patterns, harmonizing with the rest of his attire. He wears a silk-like vest with puffed shoulders, a floral pattern, and a heavy, ornate chain with a central medallion across his chest, indicating high rank or affiliation. His shirt has tight sleeves with metallic buttons, adding a noble or militaristic touch. Underneath, he wears a formal grey vest over a shirt and a torn black undershirt; his white pleated trousers, secured with a belt featuring a ram skull buckle, add to his formal look. White gloves and shoes with black accents, bearing the same ram head decoration, complete his outfit.