#dr.faust

The Frosty Faustings event has recently passed with memorable and intense matches. At the end, it reveals the gameplay trailer for the character the event is named after; Faust. This is a continuation of my in-depth analysis of the characters' redesigns(original post can be found here https://shenlongshao.tumblr.com/post/189263935197/gg-strive-thoughts-part-3 ). This will be a lengthy post that'll follow the same format like I did the others. I hope you enjoy reading!~

FAUST ---------

After unveiling the full title of the new Guilty Gear game, Faust was briefly shown. Many people, including myself, was surprised at huge change to his design. The latest trailer gave everyone a clearer look at his gameplay and how he seemingly conveying a darker essence in comparison to the usually bright, wacky, and compassionate persona he's known for. I'll begin by examining his past design as Dr.Baldhead.

Prior to his battle attire, Dr.Baldhead wears the uniform of his profession with a long, white doctor's coat. The buttons in front and two medical crosses on his upper sleeves is black. Underneath is a black dress-shirt with a red tie, though the design of his gloves and shoes are unique. His layered gloves concealing his palms is teal green while the finger part is black. His socks and shoes share the same color scheme with black straps around the ankles. Round-shaped glasses conceal his eyes and fitting to his name, he's also bald.

In his battle attire, Dr.Baldhead a.k.a Faust's very lean, yet somewhat athletic build can be seen on his legs and arms. A wide, white thick collar of the teal green tunic is worn on his body accented with soldier padded sleeves. There's multiple straps in the belt around his waist with a silver buckle in the center. Another interesting part of his design is he's the tallest Guilty Gear character(he's 9 FT. 3in' tall). It fits well with how initially he's a caring doctor who genuinely wants to help and save people, but the guilt of a young girl patient dying in his care spurs him into insanity and bloodlust. I think this design is very reminiscent of classic cartoon doctors or mad scientists being bald, skinny, and wearing round glasses. Which is fitting for his story at the time, but it didn't last for it was the beginning on the path of atonement; leading to the iconic look and name we know him as; Dr.Faust.

I love the creativity put into Faust's iconic look because it's something never seen before. His face is covered by a light brown paper bag with a bullet hole on his left "eye"(it's a mystery whether it's his actual eyes or his eyes are covered by glasses or a special eye gadget that makes it glow). He wears a tailored, white doctor's jacket with broad shoulder pads. Large black buttons is seen on the edges of his shoulders and the helms of his sleeves. On his upper sleeves is a singular belt while two belt straps is in the front to secure it in place. Underneath is blue dress-shirt with a black tie and wears green pants on his lower body. On his feet is brown penny loafers with two large black buttons in the front. White, blue, green, and brown has been Faust main colors throughout, conveying not only his profession as a doctor, but also his personality. White Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-white.html): Having a personality color white means you are neat and immaculate in your appearance, in the presentation of your home and in your car, almost to the point of being fanatical. You have impeccable standards of cleanliness and hygiene and you expect others to adhere to your high standards. You are well-balanced, sensible, discreet and wise. You may be wishing to create simplicity in your life - perhaps a wish to re-create your childhood, lost youth and happier times in your past life.White is totally reflective, awakening openness, growth and creativity. You can't hide behind it as it amplifies everything in its way. White is a color of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm, comfort and hope, helping alleviate emotional upsets. It creates a sense of order and efficiency, a great help if you need to declutter your life. Blue Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-blue.html): You are genuine and sincere, and you take your responsibilities seriously. Having a personality color blue means you have a deep need for peace and harmony in your everyday life - you don't like having your feathers ruffled. You would benefit from daily meditation and quiet time for reflection, introspection and self-discovery. You appear to be confident and self-controlled, but may be hiding your vulnerable side. You are a rescuer and love to be needed but one of your lessons is to learn to love yourself first - you live from your heart and are always busy putting the needs of others first. You don't like to draw attention to yourself - you prefer to be in the background. You have a thirst for knowledge in order to gain wisdom and appear knowledgeable in whatever area interests you. Green Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-green.html): Having a personality color green means you are kind, generous and compassionate - good to have around during a crisis as you remain calm and take control of the situation until it is resolved. You are intelligent and love to learn - you are quick to understand new concepts. You like to be accepted, appreciated and admired for the good you do in the community as well as in your family life. Brown Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-brown.html): You are friendly and approachable, genuine and sincere. You feel uncomfortable about losing control but will work hard to change a situation that seems unjust or unfair. You are hard-working, industrious and reliable. The only thing missing is the description of Faust's cheerful and humorous side. But if you think about how green is the mix of yellow(the cheerful color) and blue, then it conveys this side of him. There is some tweaks to his design in GG Xrd SIGN and onwards to add extra color and detail.

All of the buttons that were black are changed to gray while his tie is colored yellow. Attached to the leather straps on his upper sleeves is red medical crosses along with a black one. His green pants has thin stripes, which gives a 1960s gentleman style to him. His primary colors are still the same, but let's look at the meaning of the extra colors added to him. Yellow Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-yellow.html): You have a happy disposition and are cheerful and fun to be with. You are creative, often being the one who comes up with new ideas - an ideas person who needs others to bring the ideas into reality - you tend to have your head in the clouds much of the time. You analyze everything, all the time, and are methodical in your thinking. You are spontaneous - you are able to think quickly on your feet and make instant decisions. You have a modern outlook. New technology doesn't faze you. You communicate well on a mental level with like-minded people, but can become bitter and sharp-tongued if crossed. Being the lightest hue of the spectrum, the color psychology of yellow is uplifting and illuminating, offering hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun. Red Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-red.html): As a personality color red, you are stimulating to be with and you radiate a great deal of energy. Lovers of red are the explorers and pioneers of the world, the entrepreneurs and builders who like to be first in discovering new physical realms. If you favor the personality color red you have a passion and enthusiasm for life and are not afraid to pursue your dreams and goals. You are a hard worker when you have a personality color red, and you specifically enjoy physical labor and working with your hands. All of these colors match Faust perfectly and love the little tweaks to his look. I think this is the best design for him and adds a special, unique essence to the world of Guilty Gear. In the story, Faust finally discovers the truth about the young patient that died is actually caused by the Conclave and is on the path of discovering the cure for the Japanese's illness. He continues to dig deeper and deeper into these, which likely leads to a redesign since these are huge story developments for him. 

Design-wise, the only thing kept from his previous look is the brown paper bag over his head. This shows that he hasn't reverted to being Dr.Baldhead(cause the bag is conveying shame of his past while also wanting to atone for it). It obviously isn't the same bag because in the previous game, it says "Wandering Doctor Faust". But in Strive, it has something different written on it, which you can see when viewed upside down. (Note: From now on, I’ll just link to the pictures since Tumblr is weird, XD). https://i.imgur.com/fL6ECm9.png It says "Blackhole Donuts & Cafe". There is also a sentence written under it, but due to the shadows, it's hard to see. I've tried to brighten and enlarge it abit. It's still somewhat hard to see, but I'm 70% sure it says "Our donuts are not whole...without the hole." This relates to Faust liking donuts(also one of his moves he randomly tosses out a donut). Let's look at the rest of him. https://i.imgur.com/ooBZQKR.png Faust is wearing the teal colored scrubs typical for surgeons and nurses to wear. In front of the shirt is a grunge type splatter with the white medical cross and the word "Good" written in lowercase. The 'd' if examined closely, has the hand sign for "Okay", hinting of Faust's quirkiness is still there. There's also something written on the upper back part of his shirt seen here, which I think most likely is "Stimulation". https://i.imgur.com/0Ivbpcn.png On his upper arms is double leather straps and white gloves with black medical crosses, which is derived from his coat as Dr.Baldhead.  Underneath his shirt is what looks like medical utility belt with yellow straps attached to the large syringe. But I believe this belt is actually a medical tourniquet belt due to the design and how it's slightly above the waistline. A tourniquet generally is a special belt used to stop blood overflow from a terrible wound. Here's a picture of Faust's medical belt. https://i.imgur.com/YhpBrZy.png https://i.imgur.com/EaqoeLC.png Below is the tourniquet belt. https://i.imgur.com/mjka2pJ.png He still has his other medical supplies like the giant scalpel used as a weapon, a stethoscope, etc. The most striking and troubling aspect is how his body looks. It's true Faust has always been the skinniest character, but he never looked like he was anorexic. If you look at the Dr.Baldhead pictures, you can see some very lean muscle and even how his clothes fit him prior to GG Strive. There's also the dry skin patches around his chest and arm that likely caused from either a surgery or some type of injury. Lastly, on his feet is a pair of what some assume to be Nike type sneakers instead of penny loafers. It's mainly white with yellow trim and teal colored shoes laces. This time, his main color is Teal, so let's see what this means for Faust. Teal Personality(https://colorpsychologymeaning.com/color-teal/): Teal is reserved, intuitive and perhaps an introverted color, teal is different, yet it doesn’t look for attention. Teal is also unconventional, someone who likes teal appreciates those things that are a little bit different. They value their uniqueness and they don’t wish to just fit in with the crowd.Teal is also a cautious color, not impulsive and doesn’t take unnecessary risks. Teal personality is to think before acting.Those who like or wear teal are also probably open minded people, they like to keep their options open and they don’t judge situations and people quickly. They are also very likely to have creative, perhaps artist tendencies. Influences of Teal: Teal encourages objective and analytical thinking. Teal is calming and encourages introversion and reserved character traits. Teal can promote repression of emotions, can reduce feelings of empathy. Teal can discourage erratic and spontaneous thinking. You're probably thinking, "How can he be calming when he looks so creepy?!"  Lol! I totally understand that feeling from watching the trailer. But there are 2 things in keep in mind that'll help ease the creepiness. Anyone in the medical department purposely wear colors that not only represent cleanliness, but also calm and friendly so their patients feel safe and cared for. Faust has always worn colors to reflect this along with his personality; he truly cares about other people and tries to help through medicine. Teal is one of these colors, but there is another side to it you probably notice; the part where it says "promote repression of emotions". Repression means to hold something or someone back by force, and since Faust isn't acting his usual expressive self, it hints of something caused him to be "repressed", disoriented, etc. What happened to poor Faust??? Obviously, the best answer would be "wait until the game is released to find out". But this doesn't mean we can't theorize based on what happened in his story! GG Theory Time: Faust has possibly found a cure for the illness plaguing the Japanese, but he's paying a heavy price for it. Do you remember when Faust was researching in the Royal Library? If not, please watch this video(You'll have to skip to 13:37 to see).

Notice there's a pile of books he has thoroughly read, including 3 called "The Black Sunrise", "Rise to Power", and Eripmavs's Memoir".

"Eripmavs's Memoir= Eripmavs's D Yraid": This has a weird name, but look at it in reverse, it's really "Vampire D's Diary". If you didn't know, this is Slayer's memoir about what happened before, during, and after The Crusades.

"The Black Sunrise": In the GG Library, it's from how a travelling author described the destruction of Japan caused by Justice was like; the sunrise upon the jet-black ocean.

"Rise to Power": This one isn't mention in the GG library, or probably not directly. But if watching everything that happened in the story, it's likely about Gear Cells. Particularly, how Japanese were converted into anti-matter Gears through Information Flares that rewrites their DNA. And how Ki Overlow Syndrome is a side effect of massive amount of Mana and data from The Backyard. My theory is Faust has got the same disease as the Japanese. We currently don't see him have migraines or fevers, but do see he's suffering the severe symptoms like being listless(lacking energy) and feeble(lacking physical strength, especially from illness or age). There's also how his reality-warping powers, etc. has been enhanced alot from looking at the trailer of his gameplay(example how he has Chipp appear from the dimensional wormhole he opened).  When you think about the legend beyond the name "Faust", he could have also gained massive amount of Mana(Magic) and Information(Knowledge) from The Backyard. This probably somehow helped him find out the cure for Japanese and created the medicine. What I mean by this is NOT him going into The Backyard itself, but it’s how the side effects of the Ki Overflow Syndrome has a double-edge sword result for him.  The skin patches around his chest and arm could be surgeries he performed on himself as part of testing, or either the P.W.A.B, The Conclave, or whatever the new threat will be did it. I think for his story in Guilty Gear Strive, it's going to highlight the dilemma similar to the Faust legend of "Can Faust become a true super-human, be resolute and redeemed? Or will he prove his human weakness and unsuitability and be doomed?"