Is Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon Canon?

Not much time has passed since the release of Bayonetta 3 for Nintendo Switch last fall, and that weird ending that left many fans confused and worried about the future of Platinum Games’ most popular franchise. With Bayonetta Origins, the new spin-off coming this March, we may not get answers about the future of our favorite sexy Umbra witch. We may have to wait for the fourth game for that, but this prequel will be a good opportunity to get to know more about Bayo’s past. After the third installment, we cant help but wonder, will this one be canon, or yet another multiverse mess? Let’s try and find out.

Related: Bayonetta Gets a Fairytale Makeover in 2023

Is Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon Canon?

WARNING: Some spoilers for Bayonetta 3 follow.

Well, as we discovered in the third game, there are numerous universes with different versions of Bayonetta in them. After visiting many strange parallel universes and meeting a few weird alternate Bayonettas, we found out that the first two games were apparently separate universes (bayoverses?) as well. We even got to see two different versions of Bayonetta, from original and the sequel, appearing towards the end of the game to fight alongside the newest version – yes, they went full Spider-Man No Way Home route there, yo!

With all that madness, we wonder if the whole canon debate is a bit meaningless. Because if the first three games aren’t actually connected, but instead appear to be part of a larger multiverse, what can we expect from this prequel? Well, judging by the first trailers and early impressions, Bayonetta Origins definitely represents the past of Bayonetta from the third game, Cereza, from which the new heroine Viola inherited the Cheshire stuffed toy demon, another character whose origin is explored in the prequel.

In the announcement trailer for Origins, in addition to scenes from Bayonetta 3, we also see moments from the first two games, which further complicates things. However, the connection with the version of Bayonetta from the third game is the most obvious, especially when we consider that a small part of the new game was buried in Bayonetta 3 as a special secret preview and an insight into the past of the main character – which has now become a game in itself.

Without a doubt, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon will be, stylistically and gameplay-wise, a completely different experience than all previous games, but it will bring us lore that we haven’t seen before. And who knows – maybe some unexpected twists that will help us predict the future of the popular witch series.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is releasing exclusively for Nintendo Switch on March 17, 2023.

For more Bayonetta here on Prima Games check out the following – What is Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon Total File Size, All Playable Characters in Bayonetta 3, Will Bayonetta 3 Be Released for PC, PlayStation 5, or Xbox?