No Spain, No Gain

A diner waitress with an affinity for fighting, Mila is an up-and-coming MMA fighter who wants to prove herself against the world’s best. She’s described as a hot-blooded dreamer, but she’s pretty level-headed for the most part. She even wears clothes that are appropriate for fighting – which is more than I can say for most of her Dead or Alive castmates. Spanish women are often painted as short-tempered and confrontational, and Mila is always looking for a fight. She’s pretty easygoing when she’s not competing, however. Although she’s a determined woman, she has a playful and friendly personality behind her tough exterior. Mila isn’t an especially veracious reflection of Spanish culture – she actually works in New York – but I felt compelled to mention her because Spanish women are severely underrepresented in the gaming sphere.

Laurence Blood is a former matador who created his own fighting style based around bullfighting techniques. Matadors obviously need to move gracefully in order to avoid being impaled, and these skills make Laurence an effective assassin. On that note, Laurence acts as the right hand man of a corrupt nobleman named Wolfgang Krauser. Incidentally, Krauser helped fund Laurence’s bullfighting endeavors, so Laurence felt compelled to assist his lord. Although Krauser is said to be a paramount example of villainy, Laurence takes pride in serving his master and even enters the King of Fighters tournament at his request. Despite his skills, Laurence was ultimately defeated in and witnessed a Krauser suffered a similar fate. After the tournament, Laurence presumably continued to serve Krauser to make up for his incompetence.

Like many others on this list, Kirian is a charismatic matador who doubles as a flashy duelist. Whether he’s facing the horns of a bull or the sword of a man, he loves to cheat death. At the same time, he’s a bit of a slacker and seldom sees a reason to apply himself. To counter the monotony of life, Kirian seeks out excitement at every turn. He gets into bar fights, gambles his money away, and makes a concerted effort to seek out beautiful things. He finally found the excitement he was looking for when a woman named Charlotte was attacked after one of his bullfighting matches. He was so intrigued by this chance encounter that he decided to follow Charlotte around the world to find out why she was assaulted. It’s implied that Kirian has a crush on Charlotte, and he’s even willing to fight by her side. What a hopeless romantic.

Franco Gerelt is a renowned matador and an expert fencer who fights with a plasma rapier! Although he’s an honorable man, he was coerced into supporting a mad doctor named Bilstein. Bilstein sought to conquer the universe and establish a new order, and he obviously couldn’t achieve his goal without a dashing Spaniard at his side. Recruiting Gerelt was no easy task. With the help of a rival matador who envied Geralt’s skills, Bilstein framed Geralt for conspiracy and had him sent to prison. He then kidnapped his wife and daughter and threatened to kill them unless Gerelt cooperated. As if he didn’t have enough leverage already, Bilstein planted a bomb in Geralt’s chest as an added measure of security. That’s a lot of hoops to jump through to enlist someone’s services, but it speaks to Gerelt’s potential as a fighter.

One of gaming’s first Spanish characters, Don Flamenco is a flamboyant boxer from Madrid who uses an excerpt from Carmen as his entrance music. Rest assured, the stereotypes don’t stop there. He wears the colors of the Spanish flag, he dances the flamenco with a rose in his mouth, and his trademark attacks have names like “Tango Uppercut” and “Ole Hook.” He’s a pushover in the ring (at least during his first appearance), but the Wii version of Punch-Out!! reveals that he used to be a matador who could send bulls flying into the air with his uppercuts! That power doesn’t carry over into his in-ring performances, but you could probably blame his inflated ego for that. He doesn’t take his opponents very seriously, and he basically asks them to punch him in the face. He’s not as hot as he thinks he is, but the ladies seem to love him.

Before leaving home to pursue a career, Luis Sera grew up in a small village in rural Spain. He eventually found employ with the Madrid police, but things took an unexpected turn after he was hired by a neopagan cult leader. He was tasked with researching a mind-altering parasite, but he became disillusioned with his employers and tried stealing a sample. Luis was secretly researching ways to destroy the parasite, and the information he collected was helpful even after his death. He wasn’t featured as a playable character and only appeared in one game, but Luis left a lasting impression. He’s a gun-toting scientist who’s constantly saving people from infected villagers, and he still finds time to flirt with beautiful women! When he meets the first daughter of the United States, he immediately compliments her rack. That’s our Luis!

Eric Lecarde was born in Segovia to a wealthy family with close ties to the legendary Belmont Clan. It had been the Belmonts’ responsibility to vanquish Count Dracula and other creatures of the night, and the Lecardes picked up the proverbial torch in their absence. To help with their efforts, the Lecarde family was entrusted with a magical spear that had been created by Dracula’s son. Eric trained diligently with the Alucard Spear, and he could use it as a long-range weapon or as a vaulting pole. Most Castlevania games take place in Transylvania, but Eric’s adventures in Bloodlines are spread across Europe amidst the chaos of the first World War. Spain gave birth to some of history’s greatest explorers, and Eric is clearly a man of the world. After fulfilling his destiny as a vampire hunter, he ventures forth into greater unknowns.

An undisciplined Spaniard with an intense passion for fighting, Miguel Caballero Rojo is a short-tempered rebel who rejects the idea of others having control over his life. His unruly nature made him something of a black sheep in his conservative family, and his violent tendencies became even more pronounced after his sister was murdered. Miguel enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament in search of vengeance, and he’s able to hold his own against the world’s greatest martial artists despite having no formal training. The powerful brawler can disorientate opponents with his overwhelming strength, and he’s not above using underhanded techniques to gain an advantage. He’s not especially fast and he looks extremely uncoordinated at times, but his attacks are downright devastating when they connect.

Vega is a flamboyant narcissist who is obsessed with beauty and elegance. His signature mask protects his face and amplifies his vanity, and his trademark claw reflects his sadistic nature. He’s arrogant and self-important, but his unbridled ego is somewhat justified. His fighting style is unorthodox, but it’s also effective. Incidentally, Vega studied bullfighting as part of a cultural tradition and later combined it with Japanese ninjutsu. Both disciplines complimented his natural grace and agility, and he showcased his talents in the underground cage-fighting circuit. Vega surrounds himself with roses and occasionally offers them to beautiful women, but every rose has its thorn. Much in the same way that bullfighting is both graceful and barbaric, Vega is simultaneously a wealthy nobleman and a bloodthirsty monster.

Pirates had a significant impact on the Spanish Empire after Columbus discovered the New World. Many fictional pirates are painted as fun-loving adventurers, but there’s nothing fun about Cervantes de León. The dread captain turned to a life of piracy at a young age and became even more dangerous after he obtained the Soul Edge. While under the influence of the cursed sword, he slaughtered his own crew and killed anyone who came looking for the malevolent weapon. He also raped a bar maiden to ensure that the sword would have an extra host if necessary. Numerous warriors eventually joined forces to defeat him, but he was promptly resurrected and returned to his plundering ways. As he sailed the globe in his ghost ship, the immortal pirate was determined to reclaim his sword and devour the souls of his enemies.