Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower

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RegularSitting

“

A corpse... should be left well alone. Oh, I know very well. How the secrets beckon so sweetly. Only an honest death will cure you now. Liberate you, from your wild curiosity.

„

Background

Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower is a boss character featured in the Bloodborne: The Old Hunters. A composed and youthful hunter, Maria wears the Maria Hunter Set and is armed with both the Rakuyo and Evelyn.

She resides within the Astral Clocktower, where she watches over the malformed patients and protects the hidden truth of the Nightmare—the Fishing Hamlet, home to the Orphan of Kos. When first encountered, Maria appears lifeless in a lavish chair, blood trailing from her neck and wrist. However, upon examination, she seizes the Hunter’s hand and rises, initiating a battle.

Based on her attire and weaponry, Maria is identified as a noble of Cainhurst and a distant relative of Queen Annalise. She was one of the earliest hunters to embrace the nightly hunt and trained under Gehrman, the First Hunter, for whom she held admiration—though she remained unaware of his disturbing obsession with her. Unlike other Cainhurst nobles who indulged in blood-based combat, Maria preferred to master the Rakuyo, a weapon that demanded refined technique and precision.

During her time as a hunter, she joined Byrgenwerth scholars on a voyage to the Fishing Hamlet after reports of unnatural transformations caused by the presence of Kos, a Great One whose corpse had drifted ashore. The expedition proved morally ruinous, as Maria and her companions engaged in brutal experiments and slaughter of the villagers, and committed blasphemy against Kos's body.

Although the exact nature of their actions remains unclear, it is implied that the hunters sought the blood of Kos for eldritch purposes. This transgression condemned Maria and the other hunters, dooming them to suffer eternally within the Hunter’s Nightmare. Overcome with guilt, Maria cast aside her Rakuyo—hurling it into a well when she could no longer bear its sight—and seemingly took her own life. Her soul was ultimately drawn into the Nightmare realm.

Even after her disappearance, Gehrman remained fixated on her. In his loneliness, he crafted the Doll in Maria’s image, replicating her appearance in meticulous detail, including her height and features. Yet over time, Gehrman’s feelings grew cold, possibly because the Doll lacked Maria’s true spirit.

Appearance

General Description: The Hunter appears as a tall, imposing figure with a lean but sturdy build. Their posture is upright and alert, conveying readiness and experience. The layered outfit enhances their silhouette, making them look both regal and battle-worn.

Facial Features: Due to the shadow cast by the tricorn hat and the high collar, the Hunter’s facial features are largely obscured. Only a partial glimpse of the face is visible, lending a sense of mystery and anonymity.

Clothing/Outfit: The Hunter wears the traditional Hunter Set, consisting of a dark, tattered duster coat with reinforced stitching and metal fastenings. The coat is split and layered, allowing for fluid movement. Underneath are worn trousers and a fitted vest. The outfit is completed by high leather boots and gloves designed for protection and grip. The black tricorn hat is a key feature, casting shade over the face and contributing to the character's iconic silhouette.

Special Features: The clothing is bloodstained and weathered, indicative of countless encounters with beasts. A bandolier and belts crisscross the torso, housing vials and tools. Their stance with the Saw Cleaver in one hand and Hunter Pistol in the other reinforces their role as a seasoned combatant.

Alternate Forms/Disguises: The Hunter's appearance can vary significantly based on armor worn throughout the game, with numerous alternate sets offering different visual motifs—from heavy plate and tattered cloaks to scholar robes and eldritch-inspired garb.

Personality

• Stoic and Disciplined: Lady Maria presents herself with calm poise and restraint. Trained under Gehrman and hailing from Cainhurst, she chose to forgo the decadent blood arts of her homeland, instead mastering the Rakuyo—a weapon requiring finesse and precision. Her choice reflects her preference for skill over indulgence and marks a quiet defiance of her origins.

• Honorable but Haunted: Despite her role as a hunter, Maria possesses a strong moral compass that is deeply shaken by her participation in the Fishing Hamlet massacre. The guilt from this event weighs heavily on her, as she took part in the torment of villagers and the desecration of the Great One Kos. Her remorse is so profound that it ultimately leads her to relinquish her weapon and, presumably, take her own life.

• Compassionate Beneath the Surface: Maria’s later behavior—such as guarding the Astral Clocktower and warning the Hunter to turn back—demonstrates a lingering desire to prevent further suffering. She appears to loathe violence despite her former prowess, and her efforts to shield the secrets of the Nightmare suggest she seeks to atone by protecting others from repeating her mistakes.

• Burdened by the Past: Maria is a figure defined by regret and inner torment. Her imprisonment in the Hunter's Nightmare serves as a form of eternal penance, and her demeanor within it is both solemn and resigned. Though she remains composed, her suffering is evident, manifesting in her sharp resistance to any who would delve deeper into the Nightmare’s truths.

• Admired and Objectified: Maria was respected by many, including Gehrman, who not only trained her but became obsessed with her. His fixation led to the creation of the Doll in her image—a gesture that reduces Maria to an idealized likeness. Her absence left a void that even her imitation could not fill, highlighting the disparity between her dignified self and the fantasy projected upon her.

Relationships

Queen Annalise

Maria is distantly related to Queen Annalise, as indicated by her equipment and weapon, both of which link her to Cainhurst. Despite this lineage, she distanced herself from Cainhurst's traditions, especially their use of blood.

Gehrman, the First Hunter

Maria trained under Gehrman and held admiration for him during her time as a hunter. However, she was unaware of Gehrman's unhealthy obsession with her. Even after her death, Gehrman remained fixated on Maria and later created the Doll in her image. Despite its resemblance to Maria, Gehrman eventually grew indifferent to the Doll, possibly because it lacked Maria's personality.

The Byrgenwerth Scholars and Old Hunters

Maria participated in an expedition to the Fishing Hamlet alongside Byrgenwerth scholars and other hunters. There, she took part in the hunting and mutilation of villagers as well as the desecration of Kos's corpse. This event left her with lasting guilt and is believed to be the reason she discarded her Rakuyo and possibly took her own life. Her actions bound her to the Hunter's Nightmare, where she continues to suffer for her role in the atrocities.

Kos

Though not a personal relationship, Maria's involvement in the violation of Kos—a dead Great One whose body washed ashore—was pivotal in her story. The sacrilege against Kos is implied to be the source of the curse that trapped Maria and the others in the Hunter’s Nightmare.

General Information

Name: Maria

Nicknames: Lady Maria

Origin: Bloodborne: The Old Hunters

First Appearance: Bloodborne: The Old Hunters

Company: Fromsoft

Creator: Hidetaka Miyazaki (The director of the game)

Actor: Evetta Muradasilova

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Unknown

Pronouns: She/Her

Handedness: Ambidextrous (Lady Maria dual wields swords)

Age: Unknown

Time Period: 19th Century

Timeline: Bloodborne Timeline

Homeworld: Hunter's Nightmare

Residence: Astral Clocktower

Story Role: DLC Boss

Legacy: Worldwide Legacy (Hunters are well-known throughout Yharnam, being notably requested for help from people. They're noted to possess massive value)

Influence: Event Influence (Maria was involved in the death of Kos, causing the Child of Kos its grief)

Language: English

Ethnicity: Cainhurst

Religion: Yharnam (The Hunters worship the goddess Yharnam, to where the tomb of the gods carved up below Yharnam should be familiar to every hunter)

Classification: Old Hunter, Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower

Species: Human

State of Being: Regular

Physiology: Humanoid Physiology

In-Universe Creator: "Gods" (The Doll makes mention to how Hunters have told her about the church and gods)

Occupation: Hunter

Ranking: Lady

Affiliations: Gerhman (Her teacher), Queen Annalise, Adeline

Enemies: The Hunter, Kos

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Status: Deceased (Fought and killed by The Hunter)

Date of Death: During the time of Bloodborne: The Old Hunters

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (Lady Maria is within the Hunter's Nightmare, a place that Hunters go to when they lost their sanity, to where she believes The Hunter can only be cured from an honest death. Despite her loss of sanity, Lady Maria still shows compassion, she gave a Balcony Key to the patient Adeline in hopes that Adeline would find comfort in the faint breeze that carried the scent of flowers from the outside. She is also the caretaker of the numerous patients within the Astral Clocktower)

Threat Level: Street Threat (Lady Maria believes believes The Hunter can only be cured from an honest death)

Potential

• Type(s) of Potential: Transcendental Potential
• Level of Potential: Transcendental Potential
• Description: Lady Maria showcases potential beyond a standard humans, being able to keep up with a late-game hunter, who absorbs the Great Old Ones.
• Limitations: Nothing notable.

Codex Statistics

Grade: S

Tier: At least 9-C, Higher with Weapons, Far Higher with Charged Attacks, Even Higher with Chip Damage

Cardinality: Finite

Dimensionality: 3-D

Power Source: Blood (Noted as a hunter that they use blood to enhance their weapons and flesh, the strength of their weapons, such as the Quicksilver Bullets depends greatly upon the wielder's bloodtinge)

Attack Potency: At least Bone level (Sent fear into The Hunter before their fight even began, along with this, she can grab and pick up the Hunter with one hand stabbed inside their body while hugging them and pulling out their entrails who can fight and kill werewolves with their bare hands, being able to pierce their fists right through its body. Noted as a hunter that they use blood to enhance their weapons and flesh. Comparable to The Hunter who can roll into barrels and break them), Higher with Weapons (Noted as a hunter that they use blood to enhance their weapons and flesh. Weapons allow Lady Maria to deal far more damage in combat then their bare fists could. Her weapons can harm The Hunter, regardless of their armor. Comparable to The Hunter who can fight and kill enemies that can break down weak wooden doors, and can fight and defeat other hunters with their own weapons), Far Higher with Charged Attacks (Like the Hunter, Lady Maria can hold a heavy attack to do a charged attack, even with their bare fist, which inflicts more damage then their regular attacks), Even Higher with Chip Damage (Comparable to The Hunter who can take on enemies far larger then her and slowly chip away at their health, eventually killing them despite the difference in size and strength. Even monsters of this size, the Hunter can eventually whittle down its health and kill it. Chip Damage is even acknowledged in the comics, where if an enemy shrugs off their attacks they simply keep hacking it until it stops moving)

Durability: At least Bone level, Higher with Armors (Armors are made for Hunter's to have better defenses against the beasts. Items such as the Hunter Hat are described as a way to provide stable defence to anyone facing Yharnam's beastly threat) Can withstand Far Stronger attacks with her Resilience (Can take attacks that that directly stab into her such as visceral hits and keep fighting at full force. Should have comparable resilience to The Hunter who can take gigantic axe swings from creatures that tower over them, giant wrecking balls swinging into them all while getting up and fighting at full force). Her connection to the dream makes her incredibly difficult to kill (Hunters are sustained by the dream, gaining strength from Blood Echoes. Lady Maria should be similar to The Hunter, where when they die they awaken in the Hunter's Dream where they can freely travel back to "reality" or "the nightmare". The world of Bloodborne has the Hunter's Dream and several areas referred to as "nightmare" with even Yharnam itself being left up to interpretation whether or not it serves as a nightmarish world or is truly a nightmare, with the Hunter able to enter at least into dreams such as the Hunter's Dream whenever they die, making even their death simply a dream, being further explained as a "world of grotesque scary horror")

Striking Strength: At least Bone Class (Can push her hand into the Hunter's body and rip out their insides while hugging them), Far Higher with Charged Attacks, Even Higher with Chip Damage

Lifting Strength: At least Superhuman (Grappled to a point where The Hunter could not pull away, along with this, she can grab and pick up the Hunter with one hand stabbed inside their body while hugging them. where The Hunter can carry, lift, and attack with a massive hammer weapon such as the Kirkhammer, along with carry, lift, and attack with Amygdalan Arm in combat against enemies)

Travel Speed: Regular Human, Superhuman with The Art of Quickening (Allows Maria to ramp up her speed to move as a fast bit of fog getting even faster with her second art version)

Attack Speed: Transonic+ (Can tag The Hunter, who can avoid musket fire where firearm muzzle velocities range from 120 m/s to 370 m/s)

Reaction Speed: Transonic+

Stamina: Superhuman (Can take attacks that that directly stab into her such as visceral hits and keep fighting at full force. Can stab herself in order to empower her weapons more with blood and keep fighting at full force. Hunters are able to stay awake for days, not needing to sleep)

Range: Standard Melee, Extended Melee with Rakuyo, Higher with Supernatural Range (Can stab herself in order to empower her weapons more with blood causing her to have extended range when she swings her sword), Far Higher with Explosive Attack (Can absorb the blood around her for a massive explosive attack), Hundreds of Meters with Evelyn (Evelyn is a handgun she uses in combat)

Intelligence: Unknown Intelligence

Knowledge: Grandmaster level (Lady Maria wielded the Rakuyo, a sword that feeds not off blood, but instead demands great dexterity. Lady Maria was the first student of Gehrman, the First Hunter, being his personal pupil, making her one of the most skilled hunters, sent fear into The Hunter before their fight even began, a hunter that's able to pick up a multitude of weapons and use them at a mastery level, and was noted to be a skilled hunter, being adept, merciless, half-cut with blood, as the best hunters are, all the while gaining insight which gives them the eldritch wisdom and is meant to drive one insane)

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Powers and Techniques

• Superhuman Physical Characteristics
  • Superhuman Strength
  • Superhuman Durability
  • Superhuman Speed (With the Art of Quickening, allows Maria to ramp up her speed to move as a fast bit of fog getting even faster with her second art version)
  • Superhuman Reaction
  • Superhuman Lifting (She can grab and lift the Hunter with one hand)
  • Superhuman Energy Efficiency
• Acrobatics (Hunters are able to use acrobatic movements during fights, such as backsteps and quick steps into dodge rolls. Can jump high into the air while spinning)
• Swordsmanship (Lady Maria uses dual wielded swords in combat against the Hunter)
  • Weapon Mastery
  • Dual Wielding
• Marksmanship (Has firearms within her swords that she can sneak attack with)
  • Weapon Mastery
• Alchemy
• Flight (While absorbing blood, she starts levitating off of the ground)
• Dreaming Existence & Immortality
  • Dream Immortality: Hunters are sustained by the dream, gaining strength from Blood Echoes. Lady Maria should be similar to The Hunter, where when they die they awaken in the Hunter's Dream where they can freely travel back to "reality" or "the nightmare". It is also shown that other Hunters when they die enter the Hunter's Dream The world of Bloodborne has the Hunter's Dream and several areas referred to as "nightmare" with even Yharnam itself being left up to interpretation whether or not it serves as a nightmarish world or is truly a nightmare, with the Hunter able to enter at least into dreams such as the Hunter's Dream whenever they die, making even their death simply a dream, being further explained as a "world of grotesque scary horror")
• Supernatural Resilience (Can take attacks that that directly stab into her such as visceral hits and keep fighting at full force. Can stab herself in order to empower her weapons more with blood and keep fighting at full force)
• Sheer Will (Hunters are able to retain consciousness by force of will, even when placed with an anesthetic that numbs the brain)
  • Pain Tolerance (Can take attacks that that directly stab into her such as visceral hits and keep fighting at full force. Can stab herself in order to empower her weapons more with blood)
  • Transformation
  • Transformative Arsenal: Within the world of Bloodborne, Miyazaki explains that the urge to transform into a beast is in conflict with the basic sense of humanity, and the more one keeps it shackled, the larger the recoil once the shackle finally breaks, though the Hunter is able to resist this urge throughout the game, with it being noted that formality, beauty, and justice are the very essence of humanity and precisely what keeps hunters from becoming something else.
• Non-Standard Interaction
  • Spirit Interaction: Comparable to The Hunter, who can fight, harm and kill Forsaken Castle Spirits, ghostly apparitions that appear from thin air and vanish when killed. Can cut the spirit of the Orphan of Kos from the body.
  • Abstract Interaction: Hunters can interact with and even kill Yharnam, an ancient creature from times best forgotten who is a ghost of guilt and of insanity being the embodiment of remorse.
• Statistics Boost (With the Art of Quickening, allows Maria to ramp up her speed to move as a fast bit of fog getting even faster with her second art version. Like the Hunter, Lady Maria can hold a heavy attack to do a charged attack, even with their bare fist, which inflicts more damage then their regular attacks. Armors are made for Hunter's to have better defenses against the beasts. Items such as the Hunter Hat are described as a way to provide stable defence to anyone facing Yharnam's beastly threat with Maria's Hunter Set providing even better buffs)
• Empowerment (Quicksilver Bullets are fused with the wielders own blood to boost damage against beasts)
• Staggering (Through properly timing a shot with their firearm when the enemy attacks, it will interrupt and stagger the enemy)
• Anti-Type Weaponry
  • Anti-Beast Weaponry: Weapons such as the Quicksilver Bullets are specially made items used by hunters as ordinary weapons have no effect on beasts.
• Absorption (Like other hunters, Lady Maria should be able to absorb the soul and blood of enemies she has defeated. Can absorb the blood around her for a massive explosive attack)
• Intangibility
  • Elemental: Turns into a fog/mist when dodging around attacks.
• Immortality Bypassing
  • Dream Immortality: Can fight and defeat other hunters with their own weapons, Hunters are sustained by the dream, gaining strength from Blood Echoes. Hunters are comparable to The Hunter, where when they die they awaken in the Hunter's Dream where they can freely travel back to "reality" or "the nightmare". The world of Bloodborne has the Hunter's Dream and several areas referred to as "nightmare" with even Yharnam itself being left up to interpretation whether or not it serves as a nightmarish world or is truly a nightmare, with the Hunter able to enter at least into dreams such as the Hunter's Dream whenever they die, making even their death simply a dream, being further explained as a "world of grotesque scary horror".
• Supernatural Range (Can stab herself in order to empower her weapons more with blood causing her to have extended range when she swings her sword)
• Blood Manipulation & Life Manipulation (Like other hunters, Lady Maria should be able to sacrifice some of her life and blood to create additional bullets. Can stab herself in order to empower her weapons more with blood and cause a bloody explosive wave)
• Air Manipulation (Conjures a mini hurricane while spinning in the air).

• Resistance to
  • Alchemy & Magic (Lady Maria has elemental defense against arcane damage, which is magic-based damage)
  • Fire Manipulation (Lady Maria has elemental defense against fire)
  • Electricity Manipulation (Lady Maria has elemental defense against bolt)
  • Blood Manipulation (Lady Maria has physical defense against blood based attakcs)
  • Poison Manipulation (Poison is considered by hunters to be too slow to act in the heat of the hunt. Lady Maria has resistance against slow poison and rapid poison)
  • Battlefield Removal (Hunters that are linked by the resonance of bells with special encoded timbres disrupts such resonance and ends co-operation, preventing further co-operation, however the Silencing Blank does not disrupt the resonance of a sinister bell, this also essentially makes it where to forcibly transport a Hunter to or away from an area requires one to affect their very resonance)
  • Sleep Manipulation (Hunters are able to retain consciousness by force of will, even when placed with an anesthetic that numbs the brain)
  • Sound Manipulation & Mind Manipulation (Hunters can resist the call of the Lady of the Lanterns, where she makes a song that controls beings and have them attack for her, with Hunters being able to take multiple at once without being under their control)
  • Madness Manipulation (Lady Maria is within the Hunter's Nightmare, a place that Hunters go to when they lost their sanity. Lady Maria has a resistance against frenzy, which makes one go insane)

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Equipment

Rakuyo

Hunter weapon wielded by Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower. A trick sword originated in the same country as the Cainhurst Chikage, only this sword feeds not off blood, but instead demands great dexterity. Lady Maria was fond of this aspect of the Rakuyo, as she frowned upon blood blades, despite being a distant relative of the queen. But one day, she abandoned her beloved Rakuyo, casting it into a dark well when she could stomach its presence no longer.

GEM KEY: R = Radial Gem | T = Triangle Gem | W = Waning Gem | C = Circle Gem

Weapon Name												Normal	Uncanny	Lost
Rakuyo	82/ 164	-	-	-	-	10	20	-	-	200	-	RRT	RRW	RTW
						-	C/A	-	D/C

Evelyn

Special pistol used by Cainhurst knights.

The Evelyn uses Quicksilver Bullets, just as any workshop firearm, but the Cainhurst variant relies more on bloodtinge.

Lovingly named after a woman and graced with an intricate design, Evelyns were adored by Cainhurst knights.

GEM KEY: R = Radial Gem | T = Triangle Gem | W = Waning Gem | C = Circle Gem

Weapon Name												Normal	Uncanny	Lost
Evelyn	-	60/ 140	-	-	-	9	11	18	-	100	1	C
						-	-	B/S	-

Maria Hunter Set

Attire
Maria Hunter Set	220	210	230	370	200	200	230	47	125	72	37
Maria Hunter Cap	40	40	40	50	40	70	30	6	17	10	4
Maria Hunter Garb	80	70	80	80	60	150	70	20	51	30	16
Maria Hunter Gloves	50	50	50	50	50	70	50	10	27	15	8
Maria Hunter Trousers	50	50	60	50	50	80	50	11	30	17	9

The following is the descritpions given for each of her items, they all share the same description in-game.

Maria Hunter Cap

Among the first hunters, all students of Gehrman, was the lady hunter Maria. This was her hunter's cap, crafted in Cainhurst.

Maria is distantly related to the undead queen, but had great admiration for Gehrman, unaware of his curious mania.

Maria Hunter Garb

Among the first hunters, all students of Gehrman, was the lady hunter Maria. This was her hunter's garb, crafted in Cainhurst.

Maria is distantly related to the undead queen, but had great admiration for Gehrman, unaware of his curious mania.

Maria Hunter Gloves

Among the first hunters, all students of Gehrman, was the lady hunter Maria. These were her hunter's gloves, crafted in Cainhurst.

Maria is distantly related to the undead queen, but had great admiration for Gehrman, unaware of his curious mania.

Maria Hunter Trousers

Among the first hunters, all students of Gehrman, was the lady hunter Maria. These were her hunter's trousers, crafted in Cainhurst.

Maria is distantly related to the undead queen, but had great admiration for Gehrman, unaware of his curious mania.

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Notable Techinques

Hunter TechniquesUnique Techniques

Rally

A defining element of the hunter’s combat style, Rally allows for partial recovery of lost health by immediately retaliating after sustaining damage. This mechanic encourages a high-risk, aggressive approach to battle, where staying on the offensive is not only encouraged but necessary for survival. The effect hinges on the nature of the opponent—specifically, it only activates when fighting beings with some biological composition. Inorganic foes or spectral entities are unaffected, as the restorative mechanism relies on absorbing vitality through the enemy's blood.

Visceral Attack

Lady Maria's VerisonHunter's Version

RegularSlow Motion

This brutal maneuver capitalizes on an opponent's momentary vulnerability. When an incoming strike is interrupted—typically through the use of a firearm or specific arcane tools such as the Blacksky Eye or the Augur of Ebrietas—the enemy is briefly staggered. During this window, the hunter executes a vicious attack, driving a hand into the adversary’s chest or skull to tear away vital organs. This technique can also be triggered by delivering a fully charged heavy blow to an unsuspecting enemy, inducing the same staggered state and allowing for the devastating follow-up.

Blood Bullets

Hunters may resort to an extreme form of ammunition generation when resources are scarce. By sacrificing a portion of their own vitality, they can transmute blood into projectiles known as Blood Bullets. This technique provides a near-infinite supply of ammunition so long as the hunter retains sufficient health to fuel the process, enabling sustained use of firearms without relying solely on external stockpiles.

Iai Blow

A precise and rapid long-range slash attack that features a delayed initiation and exceptional lateral homing capability, allowing it to track moving targets effectively before landing the blow.

Launcher Combo

A swift, two-hit combination that propels the opponent skyward. This sequence is often integrated into more elaborate attack chains, setting up further aerial assaults or positioning shifts.

Double Overhead Slash

A powerful vertical attack delivered with both weapons. While it features a slight delay before execution, it grants temporary resistance to interruption (super armor), making it a formidable choice for interrupting an enemy’s momentum.

Double Lateral Slash

A wide, sweeping horizontal strike executed with both blades in unison. It delivers significant area coverage and is frequently used to punish groups or wide openings.

Cross Slash

A lunging attack that slices in an intersecting scissor-like motion. The converging angles make it difficult to avoid and particularly effective at closing gaps.

Transformation Attacks

These techniques are triggered during weapon mode shifts and are designed to disrupt or catch adversaries off guard during the brief transition between weapon forms.

Dive Bomb

The user leaps high into the air, momentarily suspends in midair, then plunges downward in a fixed trajectory. The landing generates an explosive impact and the move is capable of tracking targets horizontally during the descent.

Blood Burst

This area-based strike involves raising the weapon overhead and delivering a sudden burst of energy in a forward arc. The attack covers short to mid-range and is preceded by a noticeable shimmer of blue particles, providing a visual cue to attentive observers.

Blood Stinger

By lowering the blade to hip level, the wielder unleashes a diagonally aimed slash capable of reaching moderate distances. This move has a distinct wind-up, signaled by blue particles, and is sometimes followed by a second identical slash to increase pressure on the opponent.

Blood Lance

A heavily telegraphed thrust attack performed from a shoulder-level stance. It travels a great distance in a straight line and is often paired with an immediate follow-up—a wide horizontal sweep that shares the same range, effectively creating a two-phase long-range offensive.

Flying Cross

This airborne technique mimics the structure of the Cross Slash but with a slower startup and more exaggerated preparation. Upon connection, the move causes instant staggering, and if successful, the attacker will follow through with a visceral attack attempt, making it especially dangerous if not avoided.

Art of Quickening

First ArtSecond Art

This movement-based technique allows certain skilled combatants—such as Maria—to drastically increase their speed during battle. While active, the user becomes enveloped in a dense mist and can traverse large areas of an arena with near-instantaneous dashes. The ability serves both offensive and evasive purposes, creating unpredictable openings or escapes.

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Other

Standard Tactics: Lady Maria opens the battle wielding her Rakuyo and Evelyn, utilizing swift, elegant strikes with a focus on close-range dueling. Her initial form emphasizes fluid movements and rapid combinations, with her transforming weapon allowing for seamless changes in her attack rhythm and range. She often chains together slashes and thrusts in quick succession, testing the opponent’s reaction time and spacing. At around two-thirds of her health, Maria abruptly retreats before driving her blades into her own body. This act triggers a violent blood eruption and initiates her second phase. From this point on, her attacks become empowered by her own blood, which coats her Rakuyo and increases both her damage and reach. Her assault becomes more relentless, incorporating long-range arcs of blood energy that trail behind her strikes, often catching foes at mid-distance. Her combos extend further, and she displays more aggression, mixing standard sequences with sudden thrusts or sweeping blows that cover wide areas. Upon reaching her final third of health, Maria levitates and releases a second explosive burst—this time amplifying her blood-enhanced attacks with fire. Her movements remain largely consistent with her second phase, but now each slash leaves behind a burning trail, with delayed ignition effects that can strike multiple times. This layering of blood and fire damage adds a punishing element to her already fast-paced offense. She also gains an additional technique where she crosses her arms briefly before lunging forward to stagger opponents, often setting up for a visceral follow-up. This unique maneuver resembles an embrace, culminating in a devastating personal attack that distinguishes her from other combatants. Throughout all stages, Lady Maria exhibits the refined, calculated aggression of a veteran duelist. Her style reflects experience, discipline, and precision, with each transformation increasing the pressure she applies in combat.

Weaknesses:

• Hunter Weaknesses: Hunters need blood in order to use a large amount of their attacks. If the Hunter's Dream is in anyway affected or destroyed, the Hunter likely will not resurrect.
• Unique Weaknesses: Lady Maria has lost her sanity as she is within the Hunter's Nightmare.

Trivia

• Her voice actress is Evetta Muradasilova, who is the same woman that voices The Doll in the Hunter's Dream.
• Lady Maria bears a striking resemblance to The Doll, whom was presumably modelled after her by Gehrman. Interestingly enough, even the lumenflower brooch on her neck is present in the Doll's attire, as well as flowery patterns on the Doll's clothing, which makes it obvious that Maria had a taken a liking to the flower.
• Unlike other human bosses such as Gehrman, first-phase Father Gascoigne, and Micolash, she does not initiate dialogue during the battle despite doing so in her pre-fight cutscene.
• Maria's first line to The Hunter is, "A corpse should be left well alone." Whilst she may be referring to herself and The Hunter trying to approach her, this could also be a reference to the incident at the Fishing Hamlet where she and some other old hunters violated Kos's corpse.
• The animation of Lady Maria dying after she gets defeated is very similar to the animation for Gehrman. Both of them reach up toward the sky right before collapsing in a plume of white dust, seemingly performing the Make Contact gesture.
• The Maria Hunter Set worn by Lady Maria has the highest Blood Defense in the entire game, making it superior to the Cainhurst Set and Knight Set in that regard. This is only logical, as it was likely made in Cainhurst, just like both other sets.
  • Another interesting thing that ties a link between Cainhurst and her set is that the trousers she wears have a pattern and overall look similar to the male version of the Knight's Trousers, and Maria wears a black tie on her hair in the same fashion as the male version of the Knight's Wig. Additionally, her garb dons a cape that only covers her left side, with a small chain around it, just like the Cainhurst Set and Knight Set.
• The massive internal clock in the arena of Lady Maria's battle holds familiar etches around the perimeter. On closer inspection, the symbols etched around the clock are Caryll Runes. Some are recognizable, while others are rune symbols that have never been seen before.
• The version of the Rakuyo wielded by Lady Maria is different from the one that is available to the player. The player can wield the original Rakuyo, one that focused on skill and not on the power of blood as Maria was not fond of Blood Blades despite being related to Annalise. However, it is implied she could not bear its sight at a certain point in time and cast it down a well, replacing it then with a Blood Bladed Rakuyo, which is the one the players face against. This decision is unclear regarding its motivations, but it is possible she craved for more power, whether or not her intentions were pure.
  • Some theories also state that she was part of the slaughter in the Fishing Hamlet, and as the old hunters departed the scene of their killing, she cast the blade she used into the well out of disgust. Due to the implication that the village and inhabitants were pulled into the Nightmare when the curse was triggered, it could be that the blade acquired is the real blade, and the one she uses in the fight is a Nightmare variant.
• She has a special Visceral Attack animation, in which she will hug the player character and put them into a position that looks as though she is whispering something in their ear before removing her hand from their chest.
• It's heavily implied that the grave the Doll is seen praying at, which leads to the Hunter's Nightmare, is her grave, as even in the Abandoned Old Workshop one can find the Old Hunter Bone, which belonged to an apprentice of Gehrman.
• According to unused dialogue and internal names for her corpse, Maria was originally intended to be alive and able to be spoken to. If not killed the first time you meet her, Maria would be found dead (presumably from Simon) after reloading the area and the fight would continue as normal. This would also happen if the player killed Maria themselves, then inspected her corpse, which triggered a different line but continued the fight all the same.
  • Though Maria could be spoken to and was non-hostile (beckoning the player to leave the Nightmare and continue their hunt), the player would not be able to proceed to the Fishing Hamlet without fighting her.
  • The first scenario in which Simon kills Maria would explain how he got to the Fishing Hamlet before the player unlocks the clocktower door. In the current version it is assumed he somehow found his way around it before the player arrives, or Maria was already killed by him and the way was locked again.
• Unlike most characters the player encounters, who speak with English accents, Maria (as well as the Doll) has a Slavic accent.

Battle Records

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VictoriesLossesInconclusive

None.

• The Hunter - Fight
  • Conditions: None.
  • Location: Astral Clocktower, Hunter's Nightmare

None.