Cala Maria

Cala Maria is an anti-heroine in the Video game Cuphead. Despite being a boss, Cala Maria is not evil, she is just trying to protect her soul and is more an antagonist heroine than a real threat.

Appearance
In her initial form, Cala Maria is a giant mermaid. She has lavender skin with a (presumably) deceased purple octopus on her head, acting as a 'hair'. She has aqua-colored eyes with turquoise eyeshadow, pink lipstick, and two pink scars below her left shoulder. Her only form of clothing is a blue seashell bra. She has a green fishtail, which is mostly submerged underwater.

About a third of the way into the battle with, Cala Maria is electrocuted by a group of electric eels; this action causes her to transform into a gorgon-mermaid hybrid. As a result of the transformation, her skin turns pale green and her and the tentacles on her hair become snakes. Her eyes turn yellow with cat-like pupils and her turn becomes razor shape, she also gains a snake-like tongue. Her bra also turn green, suggesting that it is made of a different material other than seashells, such as seaweed or seagrass.

It is implied that she reverts to her mermaid form sometime after she was defeated by Cuphead and Mugman, as evidenced in the good ending.

Personality
Cala Maria is notably flirty, as suggested when she says "you-hoo!" to Cuphead and Mugman when they first encounter her during the battle. Compared to most of the bosses, she is notably less arrogant, as implied by her first death message if the brothers are killed by her. Being a mermaid, it is not surprising that she shares a mutual relationship with sea life, as she uses them as her minions to assist her in battle.

Upon transforming into a gorgon, Cala Maria loses most of her flirtatious traits and becomes more hostile in nature.

Battle
At the beginning of the battle, she will raise up from the ocean and shout "Yoo hoo!" in flirtatous tone whilst fanning her eyes.

Her attack pattern during the first phase of the battle is more unpredictable compared to previous bosses, such attacks will include summoning one of three sea creatures to her aid: She will also use a fog horn blow to fire ghost pirates that will travel in the direction of the brothers.
 * Turtle: A turtle that will fire spiked balls that will travel towards the top of the screen and then explode into eight pieces.
 * Seahorse: A seahorse that will squirt a stream of water that will push the brothers in potential hazards rather than directly damage them.
 * Puffer Fish: A menagerie of puffer fish that can be shot down, some of which are parryable.

She will dive underwater to grab a large fish that she will use as a firearm: After taking enough damage, two eletric eels will emerge beside her, upon realizing this, Cala Maria will gasp in shock, before they bite her waist and eletrocute her. The resulting action causing her to scream and transform into a gorgon (similar to Medusa). During this phase, her only attack is a petrifying gaze, which will render the brothers immobile unless they are completely idle. Cuphead and Mugman can recover from the gaze, but the petrification will leave them vunerable to attacks in the meantime.
 * Yellow Fish: The Yellow Fish will fire an electric dolphin that will home in on the brothers, switching direction.
 * Red Fish: The Red Fish will fire 6-way projetiles, some of which are parryable.

Also during this phase, six electric eel minions will constantly fire eletric projectiles at the brothers in spreads, some of which can be parried.

Once she absorbs enough damage, her body will turn to turn and begin sinking into the ocean, her head will detach from her neck and enters a cavern lined with coral hazards. During this phase, Cala Maria will continue to use her petrifying gaze, although it is now unavoidable even if the brothers don't move. In addition, she will spit skulls and bubbles that will also damage the brothers.

Once defeated, Cala Maria will turn away, saddened by her lost while one of the snakes in her hair will play a sorrowfull tune on a violin. She will also sign her respective soul contract as a result.

Trivia

 * Fans often pair Cala Maria with Mugman.