Unlimited character

The unlimited character (アンリミテッドキャラクター) is a term used to describe generally more powerful version of a normal character in the BlazBlue games. Every character has an unlimited version, except for Lambda-11 in the Continuum Shift games, where her unlimited form is replaced by unlimited Nu-13. Centralfiction does not have an option to select unlimited characters, however.

Information
Since Calamity Trigger to Chronophantasma Extend, every character has an unlimited form that can be selected in the character select screen. In Centralfiction, there are only three unlimited characters: Nine the Phantom, Izanami and Ragna the Bloodedge – however, they are not playable and they appear only after meeting certain conditions in Arcade Mode, listed below. When an unlimited character is selected, their name will glow pink in the game’s HUD. Since Chronophantasma, unlimited characters’ portraits have reversed lighting, an eerie purple glow behind them, and glowing eyes.

Players can select unlimited characters during:
 * Training Mode,
 * Versus Mode,
 * Abyss Mode – after obtaining a certain item player’s character is Unlimited,
 * Network Mode – player’s room only.

In Continuum Shift II and Continuum Shift Extend, all unlimited characters are based on their Continuum Shift counterparts, with the exception of Mu-12 in Extend, who keeps her changes. As a result, many of their balance changes to their base versions in both games do not carry over to shared attacks.

In Chronophantasma, the characters have their updated balance changes and have been reworked, but as of the 1.01 patch, they retain the original 1.00 balancing. The characters have the Overdrive versions of their Distortion Drives as the default versions, their Overdrives last much longer and all have the same effect for each character: higher damage output, gradual Heat gain, and access to a very powerful Distortion.

In the game files of Centralfiction, only Ragna, Nine and Izanami have unlimited portraits, but there is also an unused image that should be used on the character select screen and indicates that the selected character is unlimited. Also, “THE WORLD END” and “HAKAISHIN” have shortcut names indicating that these themes belong to unlimited Izanami and unlimited Susanoo, respectively.

Unlocking
Unlimited versions can either be unlocked by purchasing downloadable content for the character or by doing a certain task: Unlimited forms of DLC characters are automatically unlocked.
 * Calamity Trigger – beat Arcade Mode with the respective character,
 * Continuum Shift – beat Score Attack Mode with the respective character,
 * Continuum Shift II – purchase an item in Gallery Mode for the respective character,
 * Continuum Shift Extend – purchase an item in Gallery Mode for the respective character,
 * Chronophantasma – beat Unlimited Mars Mode with the respective character,
 * Chronophantasma Extend – purchase an item in Gallery Mode for the respective character.

Arcade Mode bosses
By meeting certain conditions while playing Arcade Mode, the player will get an additional battle against a certain unlimited character. In Calamity Trigger, this hidden boss is Ragna the Bloodedge, who appears after the player went through an Arcade run completing at least ten rounds with an Distortion Finish, and without losing once. In Continuum Shift II and Extend, if the player does not lose in any round, has at least one Astral Finish, and has a Distortion Finish against their event opponent, Unlimited Mu or Unlimited Ragna can be fought, depending on the character. Some characters, like Noel Vermillion, cannot fight them at all. There are no hidden bosses in Chronophantasma games.

In Centralfiction, the three hidden bosses, Nine, Izanami and Ragna, appear after meeting the following conditions during Act 3: “The Replacement Blue”:
 * To fight Unlimited Nine, the player must finish every round with a Distortion Drive.
 * To fight Unlimited Izanami, the player must finish most rounds with an Overdrive or Astral Heat.
 * To fight Unlimited Ragna, the player must finish nearly every round 1 with an Overdrive, and every round 2 with an Astral Heat.
 * The player cannot lose or finish anyone normally.

Appearances
Following unlimited characters appear during the gameplay:

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger

 * Unlimited Rachel Alucard (Arcade Mode, Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)
 * Unlimited Hakumen (Arcade Mode, Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)
 * Unlimited Nu-13 (Arcade Mode, Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)
 * Unlimited Ragna the Bloodedge (Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift

 * Unlimited Tsubaki Yayoi (Story Mode)
 * Unlimited Jin Kisaragi (Story Mode)
 * Unlimited Iron Tager (Story Mode)
 * Unlimited Carl Clover (Story Mode)
 * Unlimited Rachel Alucard (Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)
 * Unlimited Hakumen (Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)
 * Unlimited Hazama (Arcade Mode, Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)
 * Unlimited Mu-12 (Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)
 * Unlimited Ragna the Bloodedge (Arcade Mode, Story Mode, Score Attack Mode)

BlazBlue: Chronophantasma

 * Unlimited Jin Kisaragi (Story Mode)
 * Unlimited Ragna the Bloodedge (Story Mode)

BlazBlue: Centralfiction

 * Unlimited Nine the Phantom (Arcade Mode)
 * Unlimited Izanami (Arcade Mode)
 * Unlimited Ragna the Bloodedge (Arcade Mode)

Trivia

 * Unlimited Ragna is playable in the true endings of BlazBlue, with the exception of Centralfiction.