Author: Team Mercury

Testament is a playable Gear from the fighting game Guilty Gear. They fight in conjunction with their familiars, EXE Beast, a pink toothy monster, and Succubus, which is exactly what it sounds like. Upon release of the franchise’s newest game, Guilty Gear Strive, Testament was confirmed by the game’s team to be agender, and has been described as having “lived without the concept of gender”.

More Info:

• Pronouns/gender: they/them, agender
• Media Appearances: Playable fighter in Guilty Gear, Guilty Gear X, Guilty Gear XX, and Guilty Gear Strive

Story (SPOILERS!!):

Testament was born in Switzerland, and was raised by Kliff Undersn, the leader of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, after their parents died. Testament grew up to become kind and caring, often giving shelter and supply to local children, who they always had a soft spot for. Despite their hatred of violence, Testament joined the Order of Holy Knights in 2127, wanting to repay Kliff by someday taking his name and succeeding him as commander of the Order. They were tragically “killed” a year later on a mission. 

Their body, however, was never recovered, and in reality was captured by agents of Nation A, and became a victim of human experimentation through the Nation’s obsession with creating the perfect living weapon. They were transformed into a Gear in the process, and were forced to serve Justice in her war against all of mankind. In 2140, Testament found themself facing off against Kliff, fighting on opposite sides of a massive battle. Testament’s father figure was forced to kill them, though they were somehow revived after the battle. 

When Justice was sealed away by the Order in 2175, while most Gears became free of Justice’s control, Testament was still forced to follow Justice’s will, and began working to release her from her imprisonment. When the Second Holy Order Selection Tournament was held, Testament participated in the hopes of gaining enough power to free their master. 

In the first Guilty Gear game, we first see Testament freeing Zato-1. At the tournament, Testament battles Sol Badguy after he becomes the champion, and reveals their motivations for competing, only needing one more blood sacrifice to revive Justice. Testament is defeated, but is able to use their own blood for the final sacrifice, and dies in the arms of their father figure, Kliff. However, Justice’s power is now limited, and in one ending, Justice is killed in a combined effort from Ky Kiske and Sol. In Kliff’s ending, Kliff is the one to kill Justice, and Justice realizes that Testament’s connection to Klif was the reason her power was limited. As Justice dies, as does Kliff, having finally completed his life’s work. 

Testament returns in Guilty Gear X, having seemingly being revived, which goes unexplained. Now finally free of Justice’s influence, Testament is once again themself, but is without direction or purpose. Testament visits Kliff’s grave, and meets a blind girl named Josephine, who soon becomes a target of Venom, a member of the Assassin’s Guild, as part of a scheme to recruit Faust to the Guild. Testament flees with Josephine to the Forest of Demons, where Testament meets a friend of hers, Dizzy. Josephine is injured, so the two Gears bring her to Faust for medical help. In a sudden attempt to kill Dizzy, the people of the village set fire to Faust’s office, causing Dizzy to lose control over Necro & Undine, her two shapeshifting sentient wings. From then on, having confessed to Dizzy that they’re also a Gear, Testament would protect Dizzy she went. The two run away back into the woods when Josephine rejects Dizzy, convinced that she’s a demon. This event brought Dizzy into international attention, and a W$500,000 bounty was placed on her after defeating Ky Kiske, who’d come to the Forest to look for her. After Testament adamantly defends her, in one ending, Testament and Dizzy fight off enough challengers that they eventually leave them alone, and in another, Testament, inspired by Kliff’s earlier words to them, convinces Dizzy to join the Jellyfish Pirates, and goes with them, both leaving the Forest.

Testament’s story in Guilty Gear XX begins a few weeks later, where, while visiting Dizzy on the Jellyfish Pirates’ ship, finds that she’s been thrown off the ship when attacked by I-NO (which is where Bridget finds her at the start of her story in XX). In Testament’s worst storyline, they only find Dizzy one it’s already too late, and find Dizzy dead. Though Johnny, the head of the Pirates, has already killed Dizzy’s murderer, Testament kills him all the same, and vows to destroy all of humanity in a grief-fueled rage. In another storyline, Testament runs into Sol and Slayer, who tell them that the group that experimented on Testament, the Post-War Administration Bureau, has been revived, and returns to find the Forest ablaze, deciding to die with it. In their best storyline, Testament successfully hunts Dizzy down, and finds her under the control of Necro, the more intense and violent of her two wings, frees her, and brings her back to her crew. Testament returns to the Forest of Demons, once again becoming it’s protector, though this doesn’t last long, as Dizzy visits them and suddenly loses control of Necro and Undine when she sees Crow’s Justice clone. Testament chases after Crow, but fails to catch him, and returns to protect the Forest. In one of Dizzy’s storylines, Testament warns her not to trust Ky. When she goes with Ky still, they tell her not to return. 

During the story of Guilty Gear Strive, we learn that Testament has kept in touch with Johnny, and sometimes hangs out at the Jellyfish Pirates’ new ship. Eventually, Testament finds themself living with an elderly couple that once took Dizzy in. Testament reconnects with Dizzy in 2187, and meets them at her and Ky’s new home, also meeting their son, Sin.