Betilla
Betilla | |
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Alignment | Good |
Appears in | Rayman, Rayman Junior, English with Rayman, Rayman 2 (cancelled prototype), Rayman Origins, Rayman Jungle Run |
Portrayed by | Emmanuelle Cosso (Rayman) Karen Strassman (Rayman Junior) |
Sex | Female |
Species | Fairy |
Status | Nymph |
Relatives | Holly Luya (sister) Edith Up (sister) |
Betilla the fairy is a major character in the Rayman series. In the original Rayman game, she is a powerful fairy who uses her magic to grant Rayman special powers that help him to recover the stolen Great Protoon from the clutches of the evil Mr Dark. It is later revealed in the manual of Rayman Origins that Betilla and her nymph sisters created Rayman to be the protector of the Glade of Dreams.
Description
Appearance
In the original Rayman, Betilla has long red hair and wears a green and yellow dress and a hat and shoes covered with blue stars. At the tip of her hat float three pink orbs. She is always seen floating in mid-air, but does not possess wings.
In Rayman Origins, while Betilla retains her long red hair (which has become even longer) and ability to float, she now has small, very translucent wings, wears a bikini top, a short skirt and a tall pointy hat of dark and light green colours, and what appears to be dark green kneesocks that are worn up to her now-existent thighs. She also wears small golden earrings, a necklace and several gold bangles on both forearms.
An early design for Betilla can be seen in the E3 2010 trailer, where she has bigger eyes, freckles on her face, and wears jewelry. Though slightly different from her appearance in the final game, it has also been used in the manual as well as in promotional material, even after the release of the game, such as an image celebrating Rayman's twentieth anniversary in 2015.
History
Being a fairy, Betilla is one of the earliest creations of Polokus, making her one of the most ancient creatures in the Glade of Dreams.
Personality
Betilla appears to be a meditative and peaceful character in both games, with great wisdom and the helpfulness to guide Rayman throughout his quest and teach him to use his powers effectively.
In Rayman and its spin-offs
Betilla first appears in the original Rayman, where it appears that her role prior to Mr Dark's arrival was to protect the Great Protoon – the mystical orb which keeps the world in balance – and the Electoons, little creatures which gravitate around it. Her powers were no match for those of the evil Mr Dark, who defeats her at the beginning of the game, stealing the Great Protoon and kidnapping the Electoons. Throughout the game, Betilla meets with Rayman five times, each time granting him a new permanent power, gradually building up his strength and abilities. During Rayman's battle with Space Mama in her Crater, Mr Dark kidnaps Betilla and traps her in a tiny crystal ball. When Rayman defeats Mr Skops in his lair, he hears Betilla crying out to him for help. At the end of the game, Rayman defeats Mr Dark in his Château, and the inhabitants of the valley celebrate. Rayman's rescue of Betilla and his recovery of the Great Protoon are not shown, but an epilogue screen indicates that both occurred. Betilla does not appear in the direct sequels, Rayman 2 (where her role is taken by Ly the Fairy) and Rayman 3 (which features no major fairy characters).
In Rayman Junior
She is gentle, benevolent and protective, but sometimes a little naughty – she is full of surprises. Betilla will give Rayman extraordinary powers and teach him to control them. Thanks to her, Rayman is better equipped to fight the evil creatures that will arise in his wake.—Official site, Rayman Junior
Betilla makes a notable appearance in Rayman Junior, where she assists the Magician in giving Rayman an overview on the tasks he must carry out in order to complete a level. She had witnessed the theft of the Magic Book of Knowledge by Mr Dark one day as she was visiting the Magician's cottage. To allow the young player to practice, she has her own area on the world map called Betilla's Garden, which is a series of simplified maps that cover most of Rayman's abilities. Betilla also appears in other educational Rayman games for even younger children.
In Rayman Origins
The benevolent yet badass Betilla from Rayman 1 is back with a vengeance. She is the eldest Nymph, one of Bubble Dreamer's first and most beloved creatures. She and her sisters will grant Rayman and his entourage the powers they will need to complete their quest.—Manual, Rayman Origins
Betilla first appeared in the E3 2010 trailer of Rayman Origins. In this game she is identified as the oldest nymph and an old friend of Polokus. She ‘weaves the moonbeams of the second summer solstice’ to create Rayman, whom she hopes will protect the balance of the universe; however, the young Rayman is rebellious, immature and unruly. Like the Livingstones, Betilla is portrayed with limbs; a revision of her limbless appearance in the original game. It may be implied that she is also the trailer's narrator, and she seems to be recounting the game's events from a distant point in the future (presumably after the events of the first three Rayman platformers).
A final, slightly modified version of Rayman's origin story was eventually offered on the official Rayman Origins website in November 2011, and can also be found in the game's manual.
When the Creator had his very first bad dream, the nymphs gathered to invoke a being of light capable of saving our world: a creature both agile and carefree, as tenacious as he is hilarious, destined to crack up the Creator with his heroic antics and stop the nightmare!Unfortunately, although not surprisingly, our bedazzling and bodacious nymphs were distracted by some zombie chickens on their way to Bubble Dreamer's sacred snoring grounds, and they lost a sack of lums chasing the crazy creatures over a cliff. Thus, they arrived late and with a lot less illumination.
In the end, Rayman was born with a few fewer limbs, which as it turned out, made him a whole lot more limber!
—Manual, Rayman Origins
This story is slightly different from the scene shown in the announcement trailer of Rayman Origins, when it was still in its early stage as a prequel and not a sequel to the original trilogy, and where Betilla is seen as the only fairy creating Rayman.
In It's a Jungle Out There..., the first level in the Jibberish Jungle, Betilla is the first of the nymphs to be encountered, trapped inside the jaws of a Darktoon. When Rayman, Globox and the Teensies rescue her, she gives them the power to attack. She also appears in some levels of the game congratulating for collecting enough Electoons. She is lastly seen meditating with her sisters to open the door to Moody Clouds.
There is a trophy/achievement called Betilla's Back!, which unlocks once a player rescuing her from the Darktoon.
Betilla creating Rayman in the E3 2010 trailer of Rayman Origins
Betilla seen trapped in a Darktoon
Betilla getting rescued by Rayman
Betilla looking at Rayman
Betilla giving Rayman a new power
Betilla in Rayman Origins
In Rayman Jungle Run
In Rayman Jungle Run, Betilla appears behind the Lum counter if the player manages to collect every Lum in a level. There also a wallpaper of her that can be unlocked if enough Lums are collected.
Betilla in Rayman Jungle Run
Trivia
- Early in its development, Rayman 2 was planned as a 2D game very similar to the original Rayman. An early promotional video and magazine preview revealed that Betilla would make an appearance in the game, and that she would be imprisoned by the Robo-Pirates. In the final, 3D version of the game, Betilla was replaced by Ly, a different fairy.
- Another character with some resemblance is Betina from Rayman: The Animated Series, but only her name and the colours of her clothes and hair support this speculation.
- Betilla's name can be seen on a leaderboard in Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, alongside a default score of 9000.
- The ending of Rayman Junior shows Betilla knitting while housesitting the Magician's cottage and watching as he celebrates Rayman's victory on the television.
- Rayman Activity Centre also reveals that Betilla has a house of her own. Players can explore it and find extra activities. It also works as the menu for the game. This image also appears in the French dossier presse booklet which was released to tie in with Rayman 3; in the booklet, the image of the house is used as the background for a page which gives an overview of the original game in general.
- In 2007, Ubisoft partnered with UNICEF to create three brief videos to raise awareness of children's rights issues. In one of the videos, Rayman chastises a Rabbid for not sharing a book with a baby Globox. On the front cover of the book is a picture of Betilla.
- After a bomb launching clown draws a picture of Betilla in Rayman Activity Centre, the Magician identifies her as his ‘favourite fairy’.
- Betilla makes an appearance in the animated sketch comedy television series Mad, in an episode entitled "Adventures of TaunTaun / Everyone Loves Rayman." The sketch portrays her as Rayman's wife, with whom they have two Teensies as their own children and her name is changed to Betilda. This sketch is a combined parody of the Rayman series and the American sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.
Image gallery
Betilla fails to defeat Mr Dark in the original Rayman game
Mr Dark captures Betilla.
Betilla calling for Rayman to help her
Betilla and a hunter enjoying themselves
Betilla, as she appears in Rayman Junior
Betilla with the Magician in his house
Betilla in fear with the Magician as Mr Dark steals the Magic Book of Knowledge
Along with the Magician, Betilla thinks who should try to save the world once again
Betilla and the Magician as they thought of Rayman
Betilla and the Magician running through the Dream Forest to find Rayman
Rayman answering their call in a different but similar game, English with Rayman
The loading screen for Betilla's Garden
Betilla from the first trailer for Rayman Origins
Rayman's helicopter hair blows Betilla's skirt up
Concept art of Betilla for Rayman Origins
Characters from Rayman Origins | ||||
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Playable characters from Rayman Origins | ||||
Rayman • Globox • Green Teensy • Goth Teensy • Raybox • Red Globox • Teensy Ray • GlobTeen • Teensy Queen • Teensy Wizard • Grand Minimus • Ninja Teensy • Flaming Teensy • The First King • Raymesis • Glombrox | ||||
Friends from Rayman Origins | ||||
Bubble Dreamer • Murfy • The Magician • Betilla • Moskitoes • Holly Luya • Edith Up • Annetta Fish • Helena Handbasket | ||||
Bosses from Rayman Origins | ||||
Boss Bird • Giant Eel • Golem • Carnivora • Mocking Bird • El Stomacho • Creveton • Mecha Carnivora • Mecha Mockingbird • The Magician • Big Mama |