Rodin



Rodin is a weapons dealer, a bartender, and the proprietor of the Gates of Hell. He is the one that created Bayonetta's set of pistols, referred to as Scarborough Fair. He seems to be from Inferno and tells Bayonetta that he will trade her items from his shop for halos that she collects from the Angels she kills, claiming they are worth a fortune downstairs. If Bayonetta brings him a golden LP, Rodin uses its angelic melody to make the Demons go berserk and lure them out of their lair so he can craft weapons out of them; though, he seems to become very tired and heavily injured after doing so.

He also helps Bayonetta save the world and even fight The Angels who try to destroy the world.

Trivia

 * Throughout the game, Rodin makes references to various other games. For example, telling Bayonetta that he won't attach a chainsaw to her arm (reference to MadWorld, a game also published by Sega; Jack, the main protagonist wears a chainsaw gauntlet similar to Ash Williams from the Evil Dead series, imitating the Merchant's infamous "Whudya buyin'?" quote from Resident Evil 4's merchant (minus the "stranger" tidbit and claiming that he "heard it in a game once"), and expressing a desire to be a "bald space marine," a Clichéd chracter found in many sci-fi shooters. One of Rodin's attacks greatly resembles the Shun Goku Satsu, Akuma's signature attack from the Street Fighter series.
 * By giving Bayonetta the weapon "Rodin", a pair of rings to be worn on the wrists and ankles, Rodin did technically end up attaching a chainsaw to Bayonetta's arm, though not willingly.
 * When he gets back from weapon gathering, the blood on his face resembles that of Sony's God Of War mascot Kratos' facial mark of his extensive tattoo.
 * When Rodin's eyes are shown glowing red through his shades, his expression resembles that of Resident Evil antagonist Albert Wesker when he becomes enraged or superhuman.
 * In the final cutscene of the Epilogue, if you pay attention in the background of the real Gates of Hell, you'll see Bayonetta's weapons.
 * His name is inspired by Auguste Rodin, a sculpter who made a statue called 'The Gates of Hell' in honor of poet Dante Aligheri's "Inferno" portion of "The Divine Comedy", which is also the name of his bar.
 * Oddly, all of the character art for Rodin in the unlockable extras never uses that name, giving his name as "Mephisto", the name of a German folklore demon most prominently mentioned in the Faust legend and occasionally has been used as another name for the Devil himself. Appropriately, Rodin's role is broadly similar to the traditional devil: a fallen angel who is thwarted and punished from trying to conquer Heaven (and is feared by it) who rules his own "sub-basement" location after his punishment, and jokes about the "deals" he provides Bayonetta.
 * The homerun shot Rodin performs in the prologue during the fight against the angels was to be a tribute to Sadaharu Oh, a Japanese baseball legend known for his homeruns. Also similar to "Home Run God", a move used by the protagonist of God Hand, Gene.
 * His coment on .45s might be a reference to Dante's handguns "Ebony & Ivory" which are of that caliber.
 * Rodin's most powerful attack is reminescent of the Shun Goku Satsu, Akuma/Gouki's strongest technique in the Street Fighter series.
 * Most likely made to be a running gag, whenever he or Bayonetta broke out of their coffins, the coffin lid always hits Rodin's head and shatters, however, he shrugs it off without even noticing.