Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc (ジャンヌ・ダルク) is a Catholic saint and considered a national French heroine. She is famed for leading French troops in victory against the English which contributed to ending the Hundred Years' War.

She is featured as the French opposite of her English equivalent, Edward the Black Prince, in Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War. Her character's height for all of her appearances is 165 cm (5'5").

Role in Games
"For somebody who wants to avoid conflict, you fight pretty well."
 * ―Rachel; Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate

Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War
Joan appears before the protagonist midway through the game when they have achieved three star fame. Referred to as simply "Girl" and a simple peasant, she strives to protect her village from the English invaders. As she is mocked by fellow French soldiers for her audacity, the player's character supports her and battles to safeguard her home. Her valiant efforts made while repelling enemy troops is acknowledged by the French army and she is praised for her skills.

Once the protagonist reaches four star fame, she will seek them out at the tavern and reveal her true name. Leading a unit of lance horsemen, she fights at the Battle of Orléans and is victorious. Her triumph in this battle has the French troops worship her as an angel, believing she is the key to ending the long war. However she grows uncomfortable with the attention she receives and begins to perform worse in battle. It is during this time, she is captured by the English and imprisoned in Rouen, but the King does not send troops to aid her. Players are given an opportunity to rescue her along with her subordinates La Hire and Gilles de Rais.

Realizing she must persevere to win the war and share her burdens with her friends, Joan will give players command of her army for the final battle in the game.

Bladestorm: Nightmare
The Nightmare scenario begins with rumors of Joan losing her morals and leading the monster army across the land. During an earlier clash against the monsters at Brittany, her unit discovers a sword etched with mysterious markings. She entrusts it to the protagonist after a griffon swoops in and kidnaps her.

Held captive by a deranged man, she witnesses him giving his soul to an evil entity that takes control of her body. Because the entity feeds on terror and despair, it uses Joan to wreak havoc wherever she went. Not content with just manipulating the maid, the entity even has her bewitch the kings of England and France to sow more discord among the humans.

Her mind struggling to fight off the entity's influence, Joan is eventually freed by the combined efforts of the English and French forces. Before the being can dispose of her in its corporeal form, Magnus sacrifices himself to save her. This spurs the guilt-ridden maid to rejoin the human forces and besiege the entity's lair.

Rebuking the creature for using her to spread chaos, she and the player finish it off to end the conflict. Joan is later seen visiting Magnus's grave, thanking him for all he did. After throwing the engraved sword into the ocean, she vows to honor the late mercenary by fostering peace for all.

Warriors Orochi
As she was in the midst of gathering troops, Joan is mysteriously transported to the dimensional realm in Warriors Orochi 3. Confused and lost in the new world, she is quickly surrounded by the serpent forces at Komaki-Nagakute. In her moment of despair and fear, Magoichi appears to rescue her and allows her a chance to escape to Mt. Dingjun. Running away from the battlefield, a scared Joan is surrounded by her possessed men, but she is saved by Zhou Tai and company. Encouraged by her rescuers that she does have the strength to fight, Joan agrees to join their cause.

Remembering Magoichi's sacrifice for her, a brave Joan begs Kaguya to send her back in time to save him and the Saika mercenaries from suffering severe losses. With his men saved in the past, she returns to the future to save Magoichi himself at Mt. Ding Jun. Her efforts earns Magoichi's grateful allegiance to the coalition.

Joan stars in the downloadable scenario, "Virtue's Burden", where she helps Liu Bei and Ieyasu in saving the peasants trapped on the battlefield. After defeating Dong Zhuo, she resolves to fight for the people, inspired by the actions of the benevolent warlords.

Ultimate has her, Rachel, and Lianshi join forces in protecting a village settlement in Nanjun from the demonic hordes of Kiyomori. Despite initial friction between her and Rachel, the two women come to an understanding once the opposing army is forced to flee. She is also given a second scenario that depicts her army's side of the battle at Mount Dingjun. Moved by Cao Ren and Xiahou Ba's will to fight, she enters the battlefield more willingly to assist the Coalition's generals.

As a late arrival in Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate, Joan was immediately surrounded by the Demon army at Guandu and stranded. Luckily, she is rescued in time by the Coalition forces led by Xiahou Dun and Takatora Tōdō. After being briefed of the events in the world, she agrees to join the Coalition.

She and Ryu Hayabusa later accompany Achilles during his mock battle against the Gods at Guangling to sate his battle hunger. Though Achilles isn't happy that any of his foes were fighting at full strength, he is satiated for the moment. When Joan expresses surprise that Achilles could have his fill, he vehemently denies this and attempts to provoke another fight, much to Ryu and Zeus's dismay.

In the game's Infinity Mode, she and the other heroes learn of Zeus's challenge to climb various towers in order to see who can claim his title of the King of the Gods. Although confused once again by Zeus's random behavior, she nevertheless aids both Athena and Ares in finishing their father's challenges lest it cause a war amongst the Gods that will involve the humans.

Development
The director really wanted to add her into the Warriors Orochi cast since her character allowed him the most creative freedom. Her weapon is the director's own invention to the project. He believes her moveset will embody the freedom he felt with himself.

Personality
Joan is portrayed as a modest young girl whose sole desire is to save her people and her fellow soldiers from suffering the plagues of war. She is gentle yet her very presence seems to inspire her comrades in battle. Despite her young age, gender, and social status, she has an uncommon strength rarely found in the French ranks of the time, and this ultimately leads to her success in general when it comes to warfare. She will rarely refer to a higher power of being or being called upon by a supernatural force to fight for the French.

In Warriors Orochi 3, Zuo Ci, Aya, Liu Bei, and Ieyasu are impressed with Joan's virtue and purity of heart. She also has special conversations with Cai Wenji. In Ultimate, she develops a friendship with Sophitia as well.

During 4, she shares her fears of failing to save everyone to Sanzang, who advises her to put more trust in her friends and to think for her own sake at times. Hideyoshi is immediately enthralled by her figure and purity while she likens him as an example for others to be happy and move forward.

Character Symbolism
Her fourth level weapon for her Warriors Orochi appearance is named after a white lily; lily flower petals also appear during her special attacks. The flower is one of the argued inspirations and namesake for the fleur-de-lis, an emblem which is seen throughout Europe's history but often associated with the French monarchy. White lilies are also known as respectful flowers to offer at graves or funerals, as they symbolize a peaceful afterlife for the departed.

Her extra quote in Warriors Orochi 4 is a reference to how her original "call-to-arms" was a message from God in a dream. Even when she met her death by immolation, she reputedly never retracted this statement.

Voice Actors

 * Karen Strassman - Bladestorm series (English)
 * Yumi Tōma - Bladestorm series, Warriors Orochi series (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Joan of Arc/Quotes


 * "It is not merely those who fight who suffer from the fighting... The innocent... our village... The very land 'neath our feet. It is all things which suffer. I... I wish to be stronger! Strong enough to protect all!"


 * "Come along now! You jest, surely!"
 * "This is not some mere lark!"
 * "This is my village and I will fight for it!"
 * "The very idea! Women should remain at home with their needlework!"
 * "I need not be a man to desire to defend my village!"
 * Three French soldiers and Joan; Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War


 * "For a human to resist Kiyomori's magic... It is because her soul is pure and powerful."
 * "I wonder. All I ask is that my spirit be strong always."
 * "Your words themselves are proof of strength and purity. Just like you, saint from another world."
 * Zuo Ci and Joan; Warriors Orochi 3


 * "Seeing you reminds me of my daughter. I wonder if she will look like you when she grows older."
 * "The look on your face right now is one of absolute kindness. I can tell that your children are very important to you."
 * "Hehe... You truly are a good person. If my daughter really could turn out like you, I would be proud as a parent."
 * Sophitia and Joan of Arc; Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate


 * "Lady Joan! Oh You look unhappy about something."
 * "Ah, no... I've just got something on my mind. I want to save everyone, but I'm so weak... I just can't handle knowing that."
 * "Hmmm, maybe you can't save all on you own? One can only do one's best, don't you agree?"
 * "It isn't that simple for me... Not when I know people are being hurt. I have to try and help them all."
 * "That's why you have all these other friends. If there are things you think are too much to do alone, just ask us all for some help!"
 * "Ask... for help? But what if that leads to more people getting hurt?"
 * "Gah! Why does your mind go there? You're too kind, Joan... for your own good. Ah! I know! I've got it! If you don't like the idea of asking for help, why not think of it as working together?"
 * "Not asking, but working together? Indeed! Thinking that does make me feel better!"
 * "Ahaha, I'm glad to hear it! We've had this chance to become friends, so let's get through this together! In order to do that, though, I think we need to know more about each other, too. Why don't we try dancing together?"
 * "Yes, I hope we can- huh? Hold on. Do I have to dance too? Lady Sanzang?!"
 * Sanzang and Joan of Arc; Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Shoots a gust of wind from her hand.
 * , undefined: Swings her spear up in an arch, knocking opponents into the air.
 * ,, undefined, (undefined), (undefined), (undefined): Twirls her spear like fan. Repeated button tapping will cause her to spin her spear longer. In Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate, this attack generates a wind vortex as she twirls her spear.
 * ,, , undefined: Forms a tornado around her accompanied by pink flower petals.
 * ,, , , undefined, (undefined): Summons lightning bolts. EX: Triggers a rain of holy arrows.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Slams her spear into the ground, which erupts chunks of earth in a line in front of her; juggles enemies caught in it. In Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate, chunks of earth will now erupt in a horizontal line in front of her.


 * Dashing : Powerful stab with her spear.
 * , undefined: Shoots a fireball from her spear.
 * , : Powerful slash of her spear.


 * R1: Generates a field of holy energy that damages enemies and strengthens Joan, enabling her to release gusts of wind while attacking. Also doubles the attack power of nearby allies for 30 seconds.
 * , R1 (Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate only): Conjures a field of holy energy that heals the player and nearby allies for the duration it is up. Damages enemies only when initially formed.
 * Creates a small burst of energy, followed by a larger one accompanied by lily petals.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Strikes at the right.
 * ,, , , , : Waves spear before launching a powerful swing.

Fighting Style
In her Warriors Orochi incarnation, Joan is capable of using broad and wide spear swings. She has decent range and moderate attack speed, which helps prevent her from being interrupted during attacks in front but is vulnerable to attacks from behind.

Her EX attack and most of her charge attacks use powerful magic, so she would greatly benefit from the Blast skill. Her special skill, EX attack and C3 through C6 attacks also trigger the Absorption and Osmosis skills as well, which helps keep her Health and Musou bars up in the most dire of situations. Equipping the Iron Gauntlet accessory in tandem with these weapon skills ensures she won't be interrupted should one attack her from behind. Also, Joan is one of the few characters capable of chaining both of their air attacks if one is quick enough. Pressing undefined after allows players to combine both attacks almost instantly. Being a Wonder-type fighter, pressing while in the air will allow her to spirit charge through enemies even while in the air. This can be done endlessly by tapping undefined then until Joan runs out of Musou in the process.

Normal Joan

 * Normal Attack:
 * Charge Attack 1:
 * Charge Attack 2:
 * Musou: Releases a petal whirlwind followed by a shower of holy bolts, mildly damaging surrounding enemies while replenishing health and base points.

Evil Joan

 * Normal Attack:
 * Charge Attack 1:
 * Charge Attack 2:
 * Musou: Releases a violent whirlwind followed by a rain of black lightning, severely damaging surrounding enemies while reducing 1/3 of health.

Big Star Weapons
Joan uses the following big star weapons in the game.
 * Sacred Lily
 * Hallowed Creed

Acquiring Mystic Weapon

 * Chapter 2: Battle of Mt. Dingjun (Redux) - Defeat Xiahou Ba and 500 enemies in under 5 minutes.
 * Chapter 2: Heroes of Komaki-Nagakute - Defeat Massicot, Coltan, and Keelback in under 7 minutes.
 * Chapter 3: Defense of Nanjun - Defeat 1,000 enemies in under 10 minutes.

Historical Information
Jeanne d'Arc was born in Domrémy. Her father, Jacques d'Arc was a farmer who owned about 50 acres of land, 30 acres of pasture, 10 acres of cropland, and 10 acres of forest alongside Jeanne's mother, Isabelle Romée. She is generally considered to have been the youngest or second youngest child of her family. She had three brothers, Pierre, Jean and Jacquemin, and a sister named Catherine.

From the young age of 12 she claimed to have received what she believed to be visions from God. Her first vision was when she was out alone in a field and saw figures she identified as Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret, who told her to drive out the English and bring the Dauphin to Reims for his coronation.

When she was 16 she asked a kinsman, Durand Lassois, to bring her to Vaucouleurs where she petitioned the garrison commander, Count Robert de Baudricourt, for permission to visit the royal French court at Chinon. She returned the following January and gained support from two men of standing: Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy. Under their auspices, she gained a second meeting where she made a remarkable prediction about a military reversal near Orléans.

Charles's advisers were worried that unless Jeanne's orthodoxy could be established beyond doubt –that she was not a heretic or a sorceress– Charles's enemies could easily make the claim that his kingdom was a gift from the Devil. To circumvent this possibility, the Dauphin ordered background inquiries and a theological examination at Poitiers to verify her morality. In April 1429, the commission of inquiry declared her to be of "irreproachable life, a good Christian, and possessed of the virtues of humility, honesty and simplicity".

Military Career
Upon her arrival, Jeanne effectively turned the longstanding Anglo-French conflict into a religious war. She arrived at the siege of Orléans on April 29, 1429, but Jean d'Orléans, the acting head of the Orléans ducal family, initially excluded her from war councils and failed to inform her when the army engaged the enemy. However this did not prevent her presence at most councils and battles. The extent of her actual military leadership is a subject of historical debate. Traditional historians such as Édouard Perroy conclude that she was a standard bearer whose primary effect was on morale.

Jeanne rejected the cautious strategy that characterized French leadership during previous campaigns. During the five months of siege before her arrival, the defenders of Orléans attempted only one aggressive move and that ended in disaster. On May 4th the French attacked and captured the outlying fortress of Saint Loup, which she followed on May 5th with a march to a second fortress called Saint Jean le Blanc, which was found deserted. The next day she opposed Jean d'Orléans at a war council where she demanded another assault on the enemy.

Jean ordered the city gates locked to prevent another battle, but Jeanne summoned the townsmen and common soldiers and forced the mayor to unlock a gate. With the aid of only one captain she rode out and captured the fortress of Saint Augustins. That evening she learned she had been excluded from a war council where the leaders had decided to wait for reinforcements before acting again. Disregarding this decision, she insisted on attacking the main English stronghold called "les Tourelles" on May 7th. Contemporaries acknowledged her as the heroine of the engagement after she was wounded in the neck by an arrow but returned to lead the final charge.

The sudden victory at Orléans led to many proposals for further offensive action. For the next several years Jeanne would lead the French army to multiple victories over the European army. On December 29, 1429 Jeanne and her family were granted nobility, due to her loyalty to the French Monarchy.

Capture and Trial
A truce with England during the following few months left Jeanne with little to do. However, the truce with England quickly came to an end. Jeanne traveled to Compiègne the following May to help defend the city against an English and Burgundian siege. A skirmish on May 23, 1430 led to her capture, when her force attempted to attack the Burgundian's camp at Margny.

While it was customary for a captive's family to ransom a prisoner of war, Jeanne was in an unusual circumstance. Many historians condemn King Charles VII for failing to intervene on her behalf. She attempted several escapes, on one occasion jumping from her 70 foot (21 m) tower in Vermandois to the soft earth of a dry moat, after which she was moved to the Burgundian town of Arras. The English government eventually purchased her from Duke Philip of Burgundy. Bishop Pierre Cauchon of Beauvais, an English partisan, assumed a prominent role in these negotiations and her later trial.

The trial for heresy was politically motivated, as the Duke of Bedford claimed the throne of France on behalf of his nephew, Henry VI. Jeanne had been responsible for the rival coronation, hence condemning her was an attempt to undermine her king's legitimacy. Legal proceedings commenced on January 9, 1431 at Rouen, the seat of the English occupation government. The procedure was irregular on a number of points.

Under ecclesiastical law, Bishop Cauchon lacked jurisdiction over the case. He owed his appointment to his partisan support of the English government which financed the trial. Clerical notary Nicolas Bailly, commissioned to collect testimony against Jeanne, could find no adverse evidence. Without such evidence the court lacked grounds to initiate a trial. Opening a trial anyway, the court also violated ecclesiastical law in denying her right to a legal adviser. Upon the opening of the first public examination Jeanne complained that those present were all partisans against her and asked for "ecclesiastics of the French side" to be invited.

The trial record demonstrates her remarkable intellect. The transcript's most famous exchange is an exercise in subtlety. Asked if she knew she was in God's grace, she answered: "If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me." The question is a scholarly trap. Church doctrine held that no one could be certain of being in God's grace. If she had answered yes, then she would have convicted herself of heresy. If she had answered no, then she would have confessed her own guilt. Notary Boisguillaume later testified that at the moment the court heard this reply, "Those who were interrogating her were stupefied."

Though despite the fact the court was unable to find her 100% guilty of heresy, the political power of European Family tilted the court in their favor by continuing to break court law, and eventually she was eventually prosecuted as "Guilty of Heresy and a Practitioner of Witchcraft".

Execution and Retrial
Heresy was a capital crime only for a repeat offense. Jeanne agreed to wear feminine clothing when she abjured. A few days later she told a tribunal member that "a great English lord had entered her prison and tried to take her by force." She resumed male attire either as a defense against molestation or, in the testimony of Jean Massieu, because her dress had been stolen and she was left with nothing else to wear.

Eyewitnesses described the scene of the execution by burning on May 30, 1431. Tied to a tall pillar at the Vieux-Marché in Rouen, she asked two of the clergy, Friar Martin Ladvenu and Friar Isambart de la Pierre, to hold a crucifix before her. A peasant also constructed a small cross which she put in the front of her dress. After she died, the English raked back the coals to expose her charred body so that no one could claim she had escaped alive, then burned the body twice more to reduce it to ashes and prevent any collection of relics. They cast her remains into the Seine from the only bridge called Mathilda. The executioner, Geoffroy Therage, later stated that he "...greatly feared to be damned."

A posthumous retrial opened twenty five years after the war ended, at the request of Inquisitor-General Jean Brehal and Jeanne's mother. Pope Callixtus III authorized this proceeding, also known as the "nullification trial". The aim of the trial was to investigate whether the trial of condemnation and its verdict had been handled justly and according to canon law. Investigations started with an inquest by a priest, Guillaume Bouille. Brehal conducted an investigation in 1452. A formal appeal followed in November 1455.

The appellate process involved clergy from throughout Europe and observed standard court procedure. A panel of theologians analyzed testimony from 115 witnesses. Brehal drew up his final summary in June 1456, which describes Jeanne as a martyr and implicated the late Pierre Cauchon with heresy for having convicted an innocent woman in pursuit of a secular vendetta. The technical reason for her execution had been a Biblical clothing law. The nullification trial reversed the conviction in part because the condemnation proceeding had failed to consider the doctrinal exceptions to that stricture. The appellate court declared her innocent on July 7, 1456.

Gallery
Bladestorm=

Trivia

 * Although Joan has not appeared within the MMORPG, she was the focal theme for the Chapter 3 treasure hunt of Daikoukai Jidai Online 2nd Age.
 * Joan's evil version is unlocked by recruiting every character in Nightmare Mode.