The cult face-destroy-athon that is BlazBlue is making its debut on 3DS next month, so we thought we'd have a look at what's what in the character department. Veterans of the series will no doubt have some familiarity with most of them, but we imagine the Nintencore may well be stepping into a new world (the original BlazBlue game, Calamity Trigger, had a DSiWare-developed spin-off; alas it never saw the light of day in Europe). Every playable character has their own unique abilities: the Drive is their basic special technique, Distortion Drives are more powerful special moves, and Astral Heats are the ultimate one-hit-kill moves. So sit back as we take you through who'll be punching your way to victory with on November 4th.

Ragna The BloodEdge
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: Ragna is a criminal with a large bounty on his head � and the centre of the BlazBlue story. He attacks with a giant sword and his powerful Azure Grimoire can absorb the energy of others. Using his drive-mode unleashes demonic energy attacks on the enemy.

Drive: Soul Eater
Distortion Drive: Carnage Scissors, Blood Kain, Devoured by Darkness
Astral Heat: Black Onslaught
Sensei N-E Says: His past and hair tell us to be terrified of calling him names, let alone challenge him to skewer us with his significant chopper. Wields abnormal power. Ridiculous jeans though � it's not the 70's, son.

Jin Kisaragi
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: Calm and collected and only interested in himself, Jin is also Ragna's estranged brother. Jin's special attacks allow him to use ice to freeze his opponents and fire, and ride on, deadly frozen projectiles.

Drive: Frost Bite
Distortion Drive: Ice Fang, Moonsong, Judgment: Snowstorm
Astral Heat: Arctic Dungeon
Sensei N-E Says: Clearly has sibling issues with older brother Ragna � in animetastic Japanese context, this can only mean extreme fireworks. In an alternate universe, Luigi is similarly androgynous and moody. Probably a good choice for underdog lovers.

Noel Vermillion
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: She appears cool on the surface, but is actually very lonely. What she loses in shyness, she gains in fighting prowess, battling with twin 'Bolverk' guns that make her deadly at range and close up.

Drive: Chain Revolver
Distortion Drive: : Zero-Gun: Fenrir, Bullet Storm ⇒ Zero-Gun: Thor
Astral Heat: Valkyrie Veil
Sensei N-E Says: Well with a non-skirt like that, we don't buy the lonely bit. Though we can see why those shooters would keep prospective boyfriends away (that's what young anime girls care about, right?) Don't underestimate her potential though � she's the main heroine of the series for a reason.

Rachel Alucard
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: A well-educated aristocrat, she is accustomed to high standards. She is also a vampire that can manipulate the wind and attack through her servants � a cat-like umbrella and her demon bat. As well as the wind she has the ability to summon lightning, striking her opponents down with a bolt from the skies.

Drive: Silpheed
Distortion Drive: Baden-Baden Lily, Tempest Dahlia
Astral Heat: Clownish Calendula
Sensei N-E Says: Cute, fun-loving and sadistic: proudly doing wonders for anime stereotypes. However, her vampire blood makes her one of the most powerful characters in the BlazBlue mythology. Transylvanian, but has a heavy English accent, obviously.

Taokaka
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: The fastest combatant in BlazBlue � Taokaka uses deadly claws to quickly slash at her opponents. The cat-like Tao is also one of the stupidest, with a lust for food and, er� the larger breasted lady. Her speed makes her a difficult foe to keep up with meaning she can get an attack in before her opponent knows what hit her.

Drive: Dancing Edge
Distortion Drive: Cat Person's Secret Art: Hexa-Edge, Almost Becoming Two!, I'mma Beat the Crap Outta You!
Astral Heat: Meow Pow!
Sensei N-E Says: Cat-girl-thing whose hobbies include "taking naps"? We're inclined to say Taokaka is, on paper, out of place among the other big, nasty fighters, but her sheer speed can make her a tactical masterstroke. Also worth using solely for the move "I'mma Beat the Crap Outta You!"

Carl Clover
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: A school-boy turned vigilante, Carl battles alongside a sinister robotic puppet, which he mistakenly believes is his sister. It's a slow but powerful weapon which is slowly corrupting its user. Nirvana (the puppet) allows Carl to attack from two places at once making it difficult for an enemy to evade him.

Drive: Automaton
Distortion Drive: Laetablis Cantata, Rhapsody of Memories, Fermata
Astral Heat: Deus Ex Machina
Sensei N-E Says: A particularly interesting case for those who like obscure strategies. Carl himself may be physically slight, but choose him, and you'll have the rather special ability of controlling Nirvana in battle as well. Master using them both to unleash a relentless, two-pronged onslaught on your enemy.

Litchi Faye Ling
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: A respected doctor in Kagutsuchi, Litchi is also a powerful combatant, with quick, agile attacks and the ability to call and command a staff to fight independently of her own actions.

Drive: Mantenbō
Distortion Drive: All Green, Thirteen Orphans, The Great Wheel
Astral Heat: Nine Gates of Heaven
Sensei N-E Says: Well, well; the doctor will see you now. Litchi is another very agile fighter � perhaps surprising given her... proportions. Her strong martial arts skills give her plenty of power up close, while the ability to wield her staff using psychic powers also makes her dangerous at mid-distance too. A very solid all-rounder.

Arakune
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: Once a human, his mind is so deeply corrupted, no one can hope to understand his thoughts or motives. He's a powerful foe with the ability to curse his opponents before calling on swarms of insects to attack them!

Drive: Crimson
Distortion Drive: F of G, F - Inverse
Astral Heat: N to Infinity
Sensei N-E Says: Perhaps one of the most unconventional fighters here; thus particularly deadly when mastered. Arakune can jump incredibly high distances and excrete a poison harmful to your opponent. This gives Arakune significant control over where his foe can and cannot move, which is probably the best strategy to go in with.

Iron Tager
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: An old war hero and a gigantic cyborg, Tager (also known as The Red Devil), may not approve of violence, but he boasts the most powerful attacks in the game. Tager has a powerful drive attack utilising the power of magnetism to keep his enemies within reach.

Drive: Voltec Battler
Distortion Drive: Genesic Emerald Tager Buster, Magna-Tech Wheel ⇒ Terra Break
Astral Heat: King of Tager
Sensei N-E Says: Ah, the obligatory tank-like, hulking beast. Tager unsurprisingly carries the most powerful physical moves in the game. He may be slow, but magnetizing his opponents should keep them from running circles around them. If all else fails, Tager can just pick up his assailant and toss them way across the screen.

Bang Shishigami
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: A ninja who fights for truth and Justice! Bang prides himself on being a real man who never compromises his duty. He's impulsive and foolish sometimes, but he has a heart of gold. With incredible power he can perform fire punches making him a dangerous enemy.

Drive: Burning Heart
Distortion Drive: Fatal Eruption, Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan, Steel Rain, Bang's Infinite Chaos-Fist of the Void
Astral Heat: "The Ultimate Bang" (Ed � no, really.)
Sensei N-E Says: Another very good all-rounder, Bang is both speedy and powerful, with perhaps his most useful attribute being his Drive ability, which auto-blocks against oncoming attacks. An excellent choice for beginners.

Hakumen
First playable in: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Bio: A samurai-like figure plucked from another dimension. He approaches any situation with logic and cold analysis. He's not the fastest or most agile, but he's a deadly swordsman. His expert and diverse skill with a blade makes him a feared opponent by many.

Drive: Zanshin
Distortion Drive: Judgment: Squall/Empty Sky Form: Summer's Advance, Judgment: Snowstorm/Empty Sky Form: Winter's Reposte, Retribution: Infinity/Empty Sky True Form: Light of Judgement
Astral Heat: Retribution: Perish Evil/Judgment of the Sword
Sensei N-E Says: Undoubtedly one of the best choices for those that prefer a more offensive style of fighting. His special moves can also be cancelled and swapped mid-move, rewarding quick thinkers. That's not to say he's a liability in the defensive department though; his sword has the invaluable ability to slice through oncoming projectiles.

Lambda � 11
First playable in: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Bio: With her memories erased, Lambda is only interested in carrying out orders. She is a long range specialist and can summon deadly magical knives out of thin air, to rain pain on her enemies.

Drive: Sword Summoner II
Distortion Drive: Legacy Edge, Calamity Sword
Astral Heat: Sword of Destruction
Sensei N-E Says: One of the few fighters who can really be put to good use from range. This is probably important to get to grips with, given her relatively weak physical attacks. However, get a combo going and you can deal some serious damage in very quickly; both close up and from afar.

Hazama
First playable in: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Bio: The head of an intelligence agency, Hazama is one cool customer � who can attack and catapult around using snake-like chains. However, under his smart fa�ade is a hidden agenda�

Drive: Ouroboros
Distortion Drive: Serpent's Infernal Rapture, External Coils of the Dragon Serpents
Astral Heat: Hungry Darkness of 1000 Souls
Sensei N-E Says: A big baddie of the BlazBlue world, Hazama is another fighter who possesses a deadly mix of quickness and dangerous mid-range attacks. He has the sly ability to sap away his opponent's vitality. Crucially, you can't take his hat off.

Tsubaki Yayoi
First playable in: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Bio: A descendant of a noble family who demanded nothing short of excellence, Tsubaki is capable of super-fast combos and can charge and power-up her special attacks at will, for extra damage. Getting too close to her may be the last thing you do.

Drive: Install
Distortion Drive: Macto Maledictis, Confutatis Maledictis
Astral Heat: Requiem Aeternam
Sensei N-E Says: Taking on a sword-and-shield set-up, Tsubaki may feel more familiar among less hardcore fighting players. In reality, her short sword can take on a variety of different forms. Her ability to charge her moves using light can make her a headache for opponents, but also the user if you don't balance her charging right.

Mu-12
First playable in: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (Console version)
Bio: The true form of Noel. After fusing with the Azure Grimoire, she believes the world is filled with lies and wants to erase it from existence. One particularly effective move allows her to summon inter-dimensional lasers to trap and attack her enemies.

Drive: Steins Gunner
Distortion Drive: Wisdom of the Divines, Blessed Mirror
Astral Heat: Sword of the Godslayer
Sensei N-E Says: As the final boss of the original Continuum Shift, you can imagine that Mu-12 is one of the best fighters to plump for. Using mainly laser-based moves, she's deadliest with an offensive-focussed strategy.

Makoto Nanaya
First playable in: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Bio: Makoto is a squirrel-tailed friend of Noel and Tsubaki. A deadly close-range fighter, she's capable of devastating combos and has the ability to charge energy up through three levels to produce forceful hard-hitting attacks.

Drive: Impact
Distortion Drive: Big Bang Smash, Particle Flare
Astral Heat: Planet Crusher
Sensei N-E Says: Makoto is another fighter whose relatively weak punches you'll have to consider compensating for. She's effective at a very-close range; and her advantage is the potential to rack up dozens of lightning-fast combos.

Valkenhayn R Hellsing
First playable in: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Bio: Valkenhayn is Rachel's butler and is always looking out for his mistress. He's also a werewolf, and can turn into this form at will, for more powerful attacks and speed, but at the cost of defence.

Drive: Wehrwolf
Distortion Drive: Sturm Wolf, K�nig Flug
Astral Heat: Blut Vollmond
Sensei N-E Says: : Another combo master � Valkenhayn can cause double-trouble for his opponent by switching between wolf and human form at will. He's no pussy cat in regular mode, but whipping out his wolf skills ups his power and speed considerably, although he can only block as a human.

Platinum
First playable in: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Bio: One of BlazBlue's most cute and colourful characters, the plucky Platinum combines two souls in one body. Unleashing her drive-mode will see her foes pelted with cat-like missiles and pummelled by her cane taking the form of a giant hammer or cat.

Drive: Magical Symphony
Distortion Drive: Miracle Jeanne, Cure Dot Typhoon
Astral Heat: Shining Layered Force
Sensei N-E Says: It's always the cute ones that are dangerously unstable; in this case the lovely Platinum's feistiness is somewhat exacerbated by her multiple personalities. Either one is brutal enough in battle, with Platinum being perhaps the best at utilising magical-based attacks.

We're continuing our coverage of Continuum Shift II on 3DS right up to its release next Friday, so stay tuned.