Kat, formerly Queen Alua, is the main protagonist of Gravity Rush and its sequel. Having started out as a lost girl with no memory, Kat quickly embraces a superhero role within the city of Hekseville as a shifter. Her adventures eventually take her to the ends of the world, where she is allowed glimpses of her clouded past.
Biography
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Past
Over a hundred years ago, Kat was originally Alua, a queen chosen by the Royal family of Eto to lead them. Alua was not very happy with her life, being forced out of her previous family and causing some of the servants to make fun of her for being unable to summon a Guardian, the mark of an Eto ruler. However, Alua wanted nothing more than to help people and did everything in her power to do so. During her time as Queen, she met and befriended Syd and the two grew very close. Once her Senate Chancellor, Xicero, told her of the upcoming doomsday from The Darkness in a few hundred years, Alua was more worried over the people below and wanted them to migrate to Eto for safety which many were against. After writing a letter to send to the people below, Xicero attempted to kill Alua by pushing her off Eto.
Before she fell, Syd appeared and tried to save her. Unfortunately, Xicero back-stabbed Syd, leading Alua to fall off of Eto. During the fall, Dusty appears alongside Kat, awakening her power and saving her from the fall. Alua eventually woke up, finding herself with no memory of her previous life and in the slums of Hekseville.
Gravity Rush
Kat woke in the abandoned slums of the city to find a mysterious and seemingly otherworldly cat sitting beside her. She eventually befriended the creature and named him Dusty. During her first encounter with the city folk, she discovered that Dusty had the ability to manipulate gravity and helped her save a child from a raging Gravity Storm. It seemed that these Gravity Storms and malicious creatures called Nevi had begun to appear around the same time as Kat's awakening and the rise of another gravity shifter named Raven. With Dusty's help, Kat continued to help people in need, gaining the trust of the city folk. Eventually, people began to regard her as a superhero figure, giving her the title "Gravity Queen." Even the city's police force requested her assistance in threatening situations. During her heroic efforts to restore the missing parts of Hekseville, she would occasionally find resistance from the mysterious Raven.
Kat personally spent a brief amount of time in the lowermost part of the world tower in the ancient village called Boutoume. However, she later discovered that time functions differently in the different parts of the world tower and she had been gone for a full year in normal time. In Boutoume, she saved the lost children from a powerful Nevi called Nushi with the help of her old foe Raven.
Upon her return to Hekseville, Kat was once again able to save the city from impending doom. With the rise of a new mayor named D'nelica, who created the city's special defense force named the Jellyfish, rose to power and began conducting research on the Nevi. In hopes to claim power over the city as well as the constant Nevi threat, D'nelica oversaw the creation of a destructive weapon called the Sea Anemone. Fueled by the power of Nevi, the Anemone became too powerful for the Jellyfish to control and began to wreak havoc on the city of Hekseville. With the help of Dusty, Raven, Gade, Cyanea and a military agent named Yunica, Kat was able to destroy the Anemone and reclaim her reputation as the city's heroine.
Gravity Rush 2
Following the skirmish at Neu Hiraleon, Kat and Syd were sucked into a subsequent gravity storm and separated from Raven and Dusty. After being rescued and taken in by Lisa and her crew, they spent the next several months mining gravity ore for the Banga settlement. As a consequence of being separated from Dusty, Kat was once again stripped of her powers, to the initial disbelief of Lisa and Banga. One day, however, while searching for Cecie, Lisa's adopted daughter, a gravity storm appeared, followed by a swarm of Nevi/Scarabs. Fortunately, Kat was quickly reunited with Dusty and successfully rescued Cecie and Syd from the monsters. With her shifting abilities restored, Kat did not require the heavy pressure suits used by the miners, and was able to increase the Banga settlement's ore intake tenfold.
Appearance
Kat is a young girl with tan/dark skin, long blonde hair, red eyes, and light defined lips . In Gravity Rush, her main outfit is a sleeveless, black romper/playsuit with golden decorations/accessories along with two golden rings each wrapping around her hips, two around her legs, and one in the shape of the sun on her stomach. She wears a matching headband and a long scarf that reaches past her waist. She also dons a pair of black detached sleeves with golden rings at the ends, and detached socks with golden rings at the ends and black and gold heels.
In Gravity Rush 2 and Gravity Rush - Overture: the Animation, Kat's main outfit is slightly changed. It has a hole/cut under her cleavage with two in the back, and two golden rings wrapped around her upper thighs, making it slightly more shorts-like. And she now wears whole black socks with the rings at the top ends, replacing the previous detached socks.
Kat reverts back to her old design in the Raven's Choice DLC.
Personality
Kat is a down-to-earth, intelligent, selfless girl who is willing to make personal sacrifices in order to save people in need. Despite having no memories prior to her fall to Hekseville, she is mostly very upbeat and welcomes the attention and praise of being a superhero. At times, she expresses the desire to have a romantic partner, but she demonstrates great emotional strength when confronting danger. Kat is outspoken and sensitive to the feelings and attitudes of others as can be seen in her relationship with Raven and Yunica.
In Boutoume, the Dream Guardian described Kat's former self as "weak" and "vulnerable," and implied that she was not a strong leader. However, after her fall to Hekseville, Kat embraces the hero role and demonstrates leadership during her missions with the police and her time in Boutoume.
In Gravity Rush: The Animation - Overture, Kat is also pretty gourmand. This was shown as she spent all her money buying various snacks in the plaza of Lei Colmosna, capable of fighting an entire horde of Nevi just for a meat skewer, and crying over said skewer after she failed to save it. In the second episode, while hanging out with Raven, the two shifters indulged in numerous snacks inside Kat's sewer pipe.
During her life as Queen Alua, Kat was roughly the same person; selfless, kind, and wanting nothing more than to help people, even going against her servants' wishes of bringing people from the below world to Eto in an effort to save them from the impending doomsday.
Gravity Powers & Abilities
Kat is able to manipulate her own personal gravity at will. When doing this, her body glows red and a strange luminous heart-like object can be seen inside her chest. She can fly freely through the air by manipulating her own gravity, and can "fall" in any direction. She is also able to emit a Stasis Field that allows her to lift objects around her and throw them at will.
While floating, she can fly at high speeds and can land devastating Gravity Kicks by gathering momentum to strike an enemy.
While on her feet, she can activate a Gravity Slide, which lets her "slide" across a surface at high speeds.
In Gravity Rush 2, Kat gains the ability to use the Lunar Style and Jupiter Style, which change how her gravity manipulation works. While using Lunar Style, she is noticeably more lightweight and much swifter in movement, and can use a Wormhole Kick which teleports her a short distance as long as the enemy is within striking parameter. While using Jupiter Style, she becomes extremely heavy and can use a Surge Kick to create a powerful shock-wave that repels enemies on whatever surface it lands on.
In Gravity Rush: The Animation - Overture, Kat displays impressive speed and physical strength, especially after she is angered by the Nevi when they destroy her meat skewer. This is shown when she rushes through a crowd of Nevi while punching them rapidly, and also when she punches one of them with enough force to break the ground.
With Dusty at her side, Kat displays a degree of invulnerability, frequently surviving falls from heights that would greatly harm or kill a normal person. When Dusty returns to her in Gravity Rush 2, Kat is shown to be rendered immune to the intense pressure of gravity storms, and does not require the pressurized suits used by other gravity miners.
Weaknesses
Kat appears to be incapable of fighting when hungry, as she complains about an empty stomach in Gravity Rush: The Animation - Overture. Her gravity-shifting abilities are also entirely dependent on Dusty, so if they are separated, or Dusty is weakened by Nevi killer respectively, she will be unable to use any of her powers, or their efficiency will be weakened severely.
Relationships
Dusty
Dusty is Kat's dearest friend, guardian, and pet. Dusty was the first one Kat met after losing her memories. Kat truly values Dusty's company as not only her source of power, but as a friend as well.
Syd
Syd is the third person Kat met after losing her memories. The two met after Kat defeated some Nevis that were attacking the city and became close friends over the series. While Kat is annoyed by his lazy attitude, she indeed treasures her friendship with Syd and fears for his life during several events in Gravity Rush 2.
Raven
Kat's relationship with Raven is quite the complex one. Having gotten off on the wrong foot in the Rift Plane "The Mirage", Raven was Kat's rival whom sought to destroy her as she claimed she was "in the way" of an unknown mission. After questioning Gade about the existence of the other Shifter, he explained to Kat that she was attempting to complete a mission herself. The two Shifters fought again in The Inferno where Raven was defeated, and it was only after saving the children from both Nushi and rescuing them from the City of Boutoume that the two developed a camaraderie.
Their friendship has continued to blossom ever since. In Gravity Rush 2, Kat and Raven start off separated from each other, and reunited under dubious circumstances. Kat's concerns about Raven are put to rest after the latter is freed from The Council's mind control, to which Kat acknowledges that she has had "the best night's sleep [she's] had in a long time" knowing that Raven is safe. The two accompany each other in rescue missions, mining trips, and even journey up the World Pillar together. Raven has adopted parts of Kat's personality thanks to their friendship; snarky, playful, and outgoing with a sense of adventure.
Although Kat is shown to be easy-going and level-headed in combat throughout the whole series, she is susceptible to being pushed over the edge as seen in the final battle with Elektricitie, when she sees Raven and the rest of her friends defeated and unresponsive on the ground, Kat - for the first time in her life - flies into a blind rage at the demigod.
Out of everyone who appeared in the epilogue, Raven was affected by Kat's disappearance the most.
After the events that transpired in Another Story: The Ark of Time - Raven's Choice, Kat can be seen comforting Raven when she becomes deeply saddened from meeting Zaza's grandchildren.
Gade
Gade is often seen wandering the streets collecting trash and claiming to be the creator of the world. When Kat meets him for the first time she doesn't think there is much to him besides a crazy old homeless man but as he proves to be who he claims he is he becomes a guide of sorts. He knows more about her than she does and sends her to places where she could never reach on her own, places where he knows she's needed. Kat seems to like the old man but still gets a bit weary when he shows up because it usually means trouble and labor for her.
Cyanea
Kat first meets Cyanea upon her encounter with the Lost Tribe, a collection of children forgotten at the bottom of the world. Cyanea was initially tasked to guard Kat while she was imprisoned, although she later falls asleep, allowing Kat to escape. Until Cyanea is revealed to be Hekseville's creator, her relationship with Kat is largely distant. By the end of Gravity Rush, she accompanies Gale near Kat's pipe house, giving Kat access to prior rift planes and collectibles. Throughout both Gravity Rush and Gravity Rush 2, she makes interventions at critical points in the story and often offers Kat cryptic advice.
Yunica
In the original Gravity Rush, Yuri Gerneaux, Yunica's commander, asks Kat to join Hekseville's Special Defense Force - much to Yunica's disgust. In Kat's initiation, Yunica is notably hostile towards her, accusing her of being a troublemaker and attractor for Nevi. She fights Kat in the sky of Vendecentre, although they later join forces to fight the Sea Anemone. In Gravity Rush 2, Yunica encounters Kat in her attempt to attack a Rebel spy and later tries to convince her that she is fighting on the wrong side. Eventually, Yunica arrives to aid Kat in the defense of Hekseville against Elektricitie.
Newt
Newt was Kat's former crush, a boy she met who asked for her help and showed some interest in her, but as it turns out he was using his good looks to manipulate her into finding this real would-be-girlfriend, Echo, who's been possessed by a large Nevi. Despite the manipulation Kat becomes friends with both of them after she rescues Echo and sees the bond they share. She even cheers them on and supports them well into their marriage and pregnancy.
Lisa
While at first Lisa seems like a bit of a slave driver she actually takes risks to save both Kat and Syd on multiple occasions, so she cares more than she likes to lead on. Lisa might have been especially hard on them because of their claims that Kat was a Gravity Shifter without any proof of it. Even after getting her powers back Kat is often reliant on Lisa to help with her problems and the problems that loom in the horizon.
Cecie/Durga Angel
Kat quickly sees how Cecie is treated by Lisa, and usually sees her feeling down. Kat is willing to go out of her way to help Cecie with menial tasks like herding to keep her out of trouble. In turn, Cecie views Kat as a role model of sorts, referring to Kat's strong will and optimistic nature as what she herself wants to be. Thanks to the help Kat has given her, Cecie has turned to Kat on a regular basis. She is fairly protective of Cecie when she's in the face of trouble, similar to how a pair of sisters would behave towards each other. This relationship even extends somewhat to Durga Angel, as Kat is willing to fight off Yunica and Permet when Cecie starts to gain control over her angel powers.
Misai
Misai is Kat's boss and somewhat mentor when it comes to mining ores during her time as a Banga worker. While at times he acts harsh and stubborn around Kat, Misai shows he cares deeply for her and want to be the best miner Banga has. It is hinted and believed that Misai grew feelings for Kat during their time together, but did not have a chance to tell her.
Appearances in Gravity Rush
Kat appears in every episode and DLC mission.
Appearances in Gravity Rush 2
Kat appears in every episode and Side Mission, with the exceptions of Episode 24: All Fires Burn to Ash and Episode 27: Black Cat (Epilogue), in which the player controls Raven.
Additionally, she makes a few brief appearances in the Another Story: The Ark of Time - Raven's Choice DLC, but the player controls Raven instead, and Kat is non-playable.
She appears in the following episodes:
Appearances in other games
- Playstation All Stars Battle Royale
- Playstation All Stars Island - Gravity Rush: Infinite Skies
- Everybody's Golf 6
- LittleBigPlanet 2, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita and LittleBigPlanet Karting
- Destiny of Spirits
- Ragnarok Odyssey Ace
Trivia
- Kat's name in the original Japanese version is "Kitten."
- Kat's voice actress, Sanae Kobayashi, has had major voice roles in both anime and film; notably, she was the voice of Alexis Rhodes in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Chris Thorndyke in Sonic X. Among her video game roles, she voices Seong Mi-Na from Soulcalibur IV and Ohatsu from Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams in the Japanese versions of those games.
- Touching Kat (via touching the screen in Gravity Rush, or the PS4 touch pad in Gravity Rush Remastered) will cause her to jolt and feel uneasy.
- It is/was believed that Kat slept in the nude. However, this was stopped in the sequel due to sharing a room with Syd on the Banga Settlement.
- According to the Gravity Rush 2 Complete Guide, Kat is 17 years old at the outset of Gravity Rush 2.
- According to her character bio in Everybody's Golf 6, Kat is 160cm (5 feet 3 inches) tall, just one inch over the average height for a Japanese woman. It is unknown if her high heels are factored in, though. Her weight is unknown.
- Kat's dark skin and blonde hair share something in common with the Japanese subcultures of gyaru (ć®ć£ć«) and ganguro (ć¬ć³ć°ć) fashion. These subcultures emerged in Japan in the late 1990's and early 2000's, largely as a way for young women to rebel against the traditional Japanese standard of feminine beauty as light-skinned and dark-haired. Given Kat's rebellious personality and the occasional comments she receives from others about being less-than-stunning in the looks department, the connection to such subcultures seems likely. By contrast, Raven represents an idealized form of Japanese bihaku (ē¾ē½) beauty: pale-skinned with long, dark hair.
- This is supported by producer Makato Isomine and Naoko Sato's comments that they were concerned while creating the first game that Kat would come off as "too Japanese," and aimed to give her (along with the rest of the series) a more westernised/European feel.[1]
- According to character designer Shunsuke Saito, Kat does not wear underwear with her default outfit. [2]
- Kat is the only character to swear in the whole series, with a single use of the word "crap" when spotted by police in Episode 4: The Hekseville Phantom. For some reason, this only applies to the NTSC release. This swear was changed to "damn" in the PAL region.
Gallery
Gravity Rush
Artwork
.jpg "Dialogue portrait- kat (default).jpg (505 KB)")
Screenshots
Gravity Rush 2
Artwork
.png "Kat portrait (apprehensive).png (417 KB)")
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Screenshots
Non-Gravity Rush Games
.jpg "Happy Golfing! (2).jpg (256 KB)")
_(2).jpg "Ragnarok Odyssey Promo (Kat) (2).jpg (173 KB)")
.jpg "Destiny of Spirits Promo (2).jpg (95 KB)")
Gravity Rush Manga
References
| Characters in the Gravity Rush series | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gravity Rush | Adreaux Ā· Alias Ā· Aki Ā· Aujean Ā· Bolsey Ā· Bulbosa Ā· Chaz Ā· CyaneaĀ· D'nelica Ā· Echo Ā· Eugie Ā· Gade Ā· Kat Ā· Melda Ā· Nala Ā· Newt Ā· Pandora Ā· Permet Ā· Raven Ā· Sacyha Ā· Singlor Ā· Syd Ā· Yunica Ā· Yuri Gerneaux Ā· Zaza | |
| Another Story - Raven's Choice | Bit Ā· Cyanea Ā· Dr. Brahman Ā· Gade Ā· Kat Ā· Lumino Ā· Raven Ā· SacyhaĀ· Tenebria Ā· Zaza | |
| Gravity Rush 2 | Adreaux Ā· Alias Ā· Aki Ā· Aula Ā· Aujean Ā· Bit Ā· Bulbosa Ā· Cai Ā· Cecie Ā· Chaz Ā· CyaneaĀ· D'nelica Ā· Dr. Brahman Ā· Durga Angel Ā· Echo Ā· Eugie Ā· Fi Ā· Gade Ā· Gawan Ā· Kali Angel Ā· Kat Ā· LisaĀ· Misai Ā· Newt Ā· Pandora Ā· Permet Ā· Raven Ā· Sacyha Ā· Syd Ā· The Other Ā· Vogo Ā· Xicero Ā· Yunica Ā· Yuri Gerneaux | |