Bridget is fun as all hell.
Guilty Gear Strive’s newest character is one of the coolest characters I’ve played in a fighting game. Bridget is regarded as an all-rounder, with tools for pretty much everything, and multiple ways of using them.
Even with the all-rounder moniker, she’s still a very tricky, pretty complex character, despite what the game will tell you. Her buttons, while narrow and not too disjointed, are very big, and her pressure can be made very safe if you space yourself properly. While she doesn’t have a primary resource, her main “gimmick” is her yo-yo, which consists of 236S or HS, or 214S or HS. Whenever she throws any yo-yo, it’ll come back to her after a period of time. The 236 series of yo-yos are traditional fireballs, and arguably the best fireballs in the game due to how fast they are, and the angles they cover. 236S goes in a straight line, and HS goes in a ~40 degree angle upward. Both of these return to her after about 3 seconds. The 214 series of yo-yos do nothing when you throw them out, but instead have a hitbox on the way back, after about 2 seconds.
The opponent cannot interact with any yo-yo except for basic projectile clash properties. Additionally, when a yo-yo is out, she is able to use a new move, 214K, which allows her to do an aerial spin towards the yo-yo! This is where her pressure, setplay, neutral, and mixups come together. Mastery of the yo-yo is mastery of the character. For example, you can do a basic knockdown into a 214S or HS, then do whatever your heart desires.
Here’s a relatively wild example.
The best part? That’s only a piece of her kit. She has a standard DP (623P), though it’s a bit slow and slouchy. It’s also her only reversal, as neither of her supers are invulnerable. It’s better than no reversal, however, and a meterless reversal can often be better, since you aren’t helpless without tension.
She has one of the better 5Ds in the game, and her damage, while presumed low on release, has wound up very nice for a character of her archetype. 236K is a rekka of sorts, with the first part being a scooter-like lariat style move that you can steer (4 to so slowly, 5 to move at its normal speed, and 6 to move fast, this is important for some combos). After 236K come two follow ups; Brake (P) is what it sounds like, a stopping of sorts that’s disjointed, and is used to safely end the rekka. The second ender, shoot (K), is very punishable on block, but is the go-to for combos, corner carry, and for committing to an approach in tandem with RC.
Rock the Baby (63214P) is a very useful command grab. While it’s fairly slow, it can be canceled out of anything, making mixups that much more threatening. Additionally, setting up the previously mentioned 214 yo-yo oki into this command grab naturally works, allowing you a full combo for moderate damage.
The last of her specials is Roger Dive (j.236K), a semi-dive kick of sorts that carries air momentum. This is a very good tool for crossing up, especially with meter, and is only -5 on block, making it safe-ish. This is also yet another air option in her mixup game, and if used properly with a returning yo-yo, will add so much more to her pressure game.
On to her supers. Loop the Loop (632146S) is very basic in function, a meter ender. If you need the damage and/or wallbreak into a hard knock down, this is your super. That’s pretty much it. Her second super, Return of the Killing Machine (632146H air OK) is pretty niche. It’s +8 on block, which is good for extending your turn, and is extremely fast. It also tracks, which makes it super useful for a long ranged whiff punish. Other than that, it can be used as a combo ender in spots where Rock the Baby won’t hit. Overall, her supers are nothing special, and while she does build meter incredibly well, RC is typically the best use for them if you aren’t trying to wall break or kill.
Of course, Bridget isn’t a perfect character. As mentioned, while she does have a DP, it’s the only defensive option she has outside of system mechanics. Her supers are also incredibly lackluster, and don’t really do much of anything compared to many other characters’ supers. She’s also boasting of the worst defensive stats in the game, with a 1.0625 defense modifier (1 is average), and 0 guts (the more guts, the tankier you get as you get lower in health).
She is made of paper and sticks.
It may not seem like such a big deal, since in Strive, a lot of characters are going to two touch you; three touch at worst, but when your health is as low as Bridget’s, these situations are going to happen much more frequently, meaning less chances you have when you make a mistake. Because of this, it’s imperative that your defense is on point.
Bridget may be considered an all-rounder, but she really isn’t the best at any of the things she does well. Her damage isn’t close to someone like Nagoriyuki or Ramlethal. Her mixup game is strong, but I-no and Millia can do it better. Her ranged pokes are excellent, but Testament is superior in that department. She can do everything, but not quite as solidly as Ky can. This isn’t to say she’s necessarily worse than any of them. She still has mixup tools that Nago, Ram, and Ky don’t have. Her movement is way better than most of the aforementioned, and her pokes are longer than Testament’s, making them more potent in situations where Testament may fall short. If you’re looking for a specific thing that’s unequivocally great, chances are Bridget may not be for you.
Personally, I absolutely love this character. I don’t know if I’m going to play her over Jack-O, but she’s in the running for my main. She’s reignited my love for Guilty Gear Strive, and I definitely think her fun factor alone will make me want to work on her even more!