- "People grow strong by overcoming sadness. We can never turn back time..."
- —Helena to NiCO in Dead or Alive 6
Helena Douglas (French: Hélène Douglas) is an opera singer and pigua quan martial artist from the Dead or Alive series, making her first debut in Dead or Alive 2. She is the current leader of DOATEC, and the illegitimate daughter of the late Fame Douglas, the former head of the DOATEC, and Maria. She is also the half-sister of Kokoro.
Helena enters the Dead or Alive Tournament to find the assassin who killed her mother. Although she was hampered in the pursuit by Victor Donovan, she ends up inheriting control of DOATEC after her father’s death.
Helena is the main protagonist of Dead or Alive 4. She was the winner of the fourth Dead or Alive Tournament, but gave the title to Zack.
History[]
Early life[]
Helena as a child with her mother, Maria.
Helena is the illegitimate daughter of Fame Douglas and his former mistress Maria, a world class soprano opera singer. Seemingly distant from her father and his work, when he was murdered Helena was devastated, but hardly affected. On the other hand, she loved her mother dearly and followed in her footsteps, becoming a famous opera singer in her own right.
While performing at the Great Opera House, she was targeted by Christie using a sniper rifle. Maria, who was present with her, spotted the rifle at the last second and dove in front of her daughter. Maria was killed instantly. The assassin fled, leaving Helena alone in great shock and covered in her mother's blood. Helena set out for vengeance for Maria's death.
The Second Tournament[]
While searching for the assassin, she discovered that the murders of her parents, and attempt on her own life are somehow related to the Dead or Alive World Combat Championship. Helena entered the tournament to discover the truth.
Although never explained in the series, Helena somehow learned of information pertaining to DOATEC, most notably the ill-fated Project Epsilon when she encountered Hayate suffering from amnesia. She confused the amnesiac Hayate (or "Ein" as he was known as at the time) by talking to him about the Epsilon Project, but he didn't remember anything about it. In the end they fight and Helena was defeated by him. She then goes on to face Gen Fu. Gen Fu wondered why Helena joined the tournament, but Helena wouldn't answer and decided to fight him instead. Helena was the victor of the fight.
During the tournament, she also encountered Ayane. In this encounter, she accused Ayane of being her mother's murderer. Ayane neither confirmed nor denied having killed Maria and teased her, after which a fight broke out between the two. Helena lost to Ayane and was knocked out of the tournament. Helena was not brought down by the defeat and still wanted to avenge her mother's death.
Helena in Dead or Alive 3
The Third Tournament[]
For some time, Helena tried to find out the truth about Project Alpha and its real purpose, but Victor Donovan ordered Lisa Hamilton and Christie to keep her from finding out.
After the second tournament, Helena was captured by Donovan and imprisoned. Although Helena, the reluctant heiress of DOATEC, stated that she didn't have any connection with the organization, Donovan told her that the only way to obtain her freedom and know the truth behind DOATEC is to win the third tournament. In the meantime, Donovan assigned Christie to keep an eye on Helena by acting as a servant to her and, should the need arise, kill her if she discovers too much.
During her time in the tournament, Helena hired the assassin Bayman to be her bodyguard as well as to kill Donovan.
During the rounds of the tournament, Helena encountered Hayate once again, who had fully regained his memories. Hayate demanded her to tell him why Genra joined DOATEC, but she claimed she didn't know, that Genra and even herself were just puppets that DOATEC could control. After defeating Helena in battle, he told her that he would defeat Genra, and she should leave DOATEC for her own safety.
As the tournament went on, Helena soon confronted Christie, where the latter admitted that she is an assassin sent to kill her. Bayman managed to capture Christie, but when Kasumi α heard that Helena wanted her creator dead, she attacked, though Helena managed to defeat her.
Helena did not win the tournament, as the title of the winner went to Ayane.
Zack Island[]
She was later given an invitation for a supposed Dead or Alive tournament that was going to be held at Zack Island. However, she discovered alongside the rest of the prior participants that it was a hoax, but decided to make the best of their situation for the two weeks on the island.
The Fourth Tournament and the Fall of DOATEC[]
Helena, as the daughter of former chairman Fame Douglas, took control of DOATEC and joined the fourth tournament with the other fighters.
It is here that Helena met Kokoro, in which she learned that Kokoro is her biological half-sister and that perhaps their blood brought them together. Afterwards, the Tritower comes under attack by the Mugen Tenshin clan. During the attack, Helena came across Lisa, who admitted that she tricked Hayate into stopping Donovan.
Helena in Dead or Alive 4
She was then confronted by Kasumi who told her to stop the fight between DOATEC and the Mugen Tenshin. Helena refused and tells her that her clone, Alpha-152, would soon be awaking causing havoc in the world. She attempted to kill Kasumi, only to be stopped by Ryu Hayabusa and was defeated by Kasumi. After her defeat, Helena was then confronted by Christie, who revealed that she was the one who had killed her mother whilst attempting to assassinate Helena. Boiling with anger, Helena fought Christie. The result of the fight is unknown (although it's highly likely that Helena was the victor). While Christie escaped, Helena decided to go down together with DOATEC and subsequently activated the Tritower's self-destruct.
Plagued by flashbacks of her deceased mother, she moved up to the helipad between the three towers that make up the complex, willingly giving up her life and letting herself be consumed by the flames of the burning buildings, as Kasumi and Ayane helplessly look on. Suddenly, Zack came flying in with a chopper and saved her before the building fell to dust. Although Helena did win the fourth tournament, she gave up the title to Zack.
New Zack Island[]
Some time afterward, Zack invited Helena to New Zack Island, a resurrected version of the one that sunk due to a volcano erupting, under the pretense of discussing with him how to revive DOATEC. She apparently took him at his word about spreading peace to the galaxy by creating a space station HQ for DOATEC, with Lisa teasing her about it, as well as teasing her about implications of a marriage proposal from Zack.
The Fifth Tournament and the war against MIST[]
Over the next two years, Helena rebuilds DOATEC, making it stronger than ever, and announces the fifth tournament. She sends Zack, who is now under her employ, to travel around the world to gather the strongest fighters ever to compete in the new tournament.
On the Freedom Survivor, Helena is confronted by Bayman, who has survived an attack on him and his group of mercenaries in the Middle East and demands from her an explanation. Helena denies any involvement of DOATEC and herself regarding the attack, and Bayman furiously leaves to find his answers. Kasumi, who is later revealed to be a clone of the original, then appears out of hiding and asks Helena where Alpha-152 is. Helena assures the ninja that her clone will be found. When Helena has Hayate brought to the yacht by Zack, they both tell Kasumi that she should not handle the clone on her own, but she does not listen to them and hastily leaves the ship.
At the Taylor's Bar, Helena reunites with Bass and has a friendly conversation about his retirement from wrestling while he plays pool. But when Christie suddenly appears and budges in on Bass's game, Helena asks her what she's doing there. The assassin coldly replies that she's looking for a real man and the two of them fight. Then she meets up with Kokoro, who was just brought to the bar by Zack, and the two of them have a friendly conversation about Miyako and her work, and their father Fame Douglas. Wanting to see how stronger she has gotten, Helena asks Kokoro to fight her.
The next day, Helena spots Lisa and Miyako arriving at the oil rig and becomes very suspicious about them because they did not let her know that they were coming. When she demands an answer, Lisa fights her but is presumably defeated. Some time later, Helena meets with Hayate, Ayane and Hayabusa on the Freedom Survivor and tells them that Donovan's new organization, MIST, may have existed within DOATEC without them knowing and that he is already on Phase 4 of his Alpha plan: the creation of soldiers with the fighting capabilities of the ninja and the distribution of them to countries with powerful militaries. Knowing that she cannot confront Donovan and MIST directly due to her reputation, she allows the ninja to infiltrate the rig and stop Donovan's plans. Helena also tell the three ninja that she has sent Kasumi to the oil rig, where Donovan's laboratory is hidden, to find Alpha-152.
After the destruction of the oil rig and the MIST laboratory, Helena watches on her yacht as the real Kasumi gives her thanks to her ninja brethren and takes her leave. Both women make their own vows to defeat Donovan once and for all.
Back in the New Zack Island[]
Shortly after the fifth tournament, Helena accepts an invitation from Zack to go to New Zack Island. She at first wonders what he is planning this time around, though decides that it is none of her concern and wants to take a break. She also proposes her maid Marie Rose should take a vacation, too.
On the last day on the island, she felt so well about the break that she forgot almost everything about work. She was also proud of the work done by the substitute that Zack had hired.
The Sixth Tournament[]
After the new DOA Colosseum has been built, Helena tasks her servant Marie Rose with keeping an eye on a new fighter named Honoka, predicting that MIST will come after her for "something much worse." When Hayate comes to her office, he demands Helena explain the explosion on DIG and remarks about Rig being there, causing Helena to become suspicious about the former oil platform worker’s other life.
Some time later, Kokoro arrived with a photograph depicting the two of them as children alongside Fame Douglas, explaining that a woman named NiCO gave it to her. Helena reluctantly reveals that they are sisters and this causes Kokoro to snap and try to find her mother but Helena tries to stop her. Overpowered by her younger sister due to not fighting at full strength, Helena begs Kokoro not to leave after Kokoro sadly says goodbye as she is the only family she has left and she must protect her, ultimately succeeding in convincing her.
By the time of Raidou’s resurrection within one of MIST’s secret headquarters, Helena enters the base to meet NiCO. Upon realizing what NiCO’s plan is, Helena disapproves of bringing their lost parents back to life, citing that one needs to move on and vowing that NiCO will someday learn to move on from her pain as Helena has.
Arrival on the Venus Islands[]
At some point, Helena heard about the Venus Festival, as well as rumors that it was a front for a conspiracy. She went to the island to investigate, under the guise of taking a vacation, while admitting that she'd like to be surprised overall. She also brought Marie Rose along, who ultimately ended up choosing to participate in the festival independently in order to prove to Helena that she was an adult.
Endings[]
Character[]
Appearance[]
- See also: Helena's costumes
Helena has an upper-class appearance. She is of above average height, with fair skin, a heart-shaped face, sharp facial features, blue-green eyes and blonde hair that reaches down past her waist, styled with segmented center part bangs, and is tied into a low ponytail with a decorative bow; the bow changes color to match her outfits in earlier games.
Her outfits normally consist of dresses and suits, thigh-high boots, ruffles, bows, and cord ties. Her primary outfit is a black, blue and white sleeveless catsuit with long leather thigh semi heel boots. She also wears long gloves, and a brown, silver, and blue vest with yellow tied lace to hold it up. Her outfits are usually opera and French themed, like dresses, suits, trousers, and royal jackets.
In Dead or Alive 5, her appearance has been altered to give her less of an anime appearance, with smaller eyes and more realistic features. Her hair is also noticeably shorter, no longer past the waist as before, only coming to exactly the waist and stopping near her bottom. Her bow no longer changes color to match her outfits, with it instead being a black lacy bow in all her attires. Her hair can also be worn loose for the first time in the series. In Last Round, she is given a new hairstyle: A side braid that sits on her right shoulder with braided sides. This was called a Royal Braid according to Xtreme Venus Vacation. She also has a half-up ponytail.
In Dead or Alive 6 Helena remains the same but is further detailed, wearing a more modest black Chinese cheongsam dress with a short sleeved embroided vest to go with it. The dress features a simple cleavage opening and is slitted at the sides, and she wears sheer stockings with elegant flat black shoes to complete the look. Her attire is mostly older costumes from Dead or Alive 5 including recolors, and she also receives a new elegant Victorian dress with a jeweled neck accessory, a matching hair ribbon tied on her side braid, and she wears matching boots that complement the dress's frilled sleeves and skirt hem, and it's colored either black, red, or light blue depending on the recolor.
Personality[]
Initially, Helena was outwardly haughty and unconcerned with other people. Above all else, she was obsessed with seeking revenge on her mother's killer. She appears to be willing to go through any means to achieve this end; however, this quest seems to drive her to an emotional brink. However, Helena is not intentionally cruel and has the ability to be kind and warm. This is shown by her friendships with Kasumi, Leifang and Gen Fu. It's also hinted in her fighter quotes as well as her volleyball quotes that Helena is religious, or at least believes in a god, a heaven, and a hell.
When Helena returns during the events of the fifth tournament, she has gone through a few changes. No longer driven by revenge, she now seeks to reshape her father's company into something that could better benefit the world. On the side, however, she is focused on finding the whereabouts of the missing Donovan as well as Alpha-152. Helena now shows more of her caring side by seeking to ally herself with Kasumi and Hayate. She is also seems to be much friendlier to others, such as Bass Armstrong. However, she shows much more of her kindness when she once again meets with her half-sister, Kokoro. Due to how Kokoro is the only family she has left, Helena is determined to protect her, keeping their connections a secret before reluctantly revealing it when confronted with a picture of their childhood. She even went as far as begging Kokoro to stay. She is also shown to be modest regarding her attempts at running DOATEC, as when Misaki asks if she was a great CEO, she makes clear that, while she does try to be a responsible CEO, she cannot say that she is a particularly great CEO. She isn't above bragging, however, which she admits when receiving a birthday swimwear from the Owner. She may have had a mischevious side as well, as Tamaki claimed that Helena also loved to "prank" girls while smashing watermelons (referring to groping them while they were blind).
Despite all the loss she has endured, Helena is able to accept death and move on from it, something she lectures NiCO about whilst rejecting her plans about resurrecting people. She also is able to move on from those who wronged her, as she doesn't appear to have any true malice towards Christie for example who was responsible for the loss of her mother.
Etymology[]
Helena's first name - pronounced "ell-EN-ah" , with the "H" being silent due to French pronunciation - is a latinate form of "Helen", an English form of the Greek ‘Ελενη (Helene), which in turn is probably from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) meaning "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σεληνη (selene) meaning "moon".
Her surname "Douglas" is an anglicized form of the Scottish surname Dubhghlas, which meant "dark river", from the Gaelic dubh meaning "dark" and glais meaning "water, river". Douglas was originally a river name, which then became a Scottish clan name belonging to a powerful line of Scottish earls.
Relationships[]
Maria[]
Helena was shown to be fairly close to her mother Maria as a child, and when she was murdered, Helena spent much of her time trying to avenge her. Despite genuinely caring for Maria, however, she did not wish to revive her from the dead, believing that to undo her own growth of character, as she made clear to NiCO.
Fame Douglas[]
Helena was not particularly close to her father Fame, as she admitted during the third tournament that DOATEC was her father's company, while it barely had much to do with her, and was more interested in avenging her mom than her dad. In addition, moments before her father died, they had an argument over the phone. However, she did ultimately respect her father, as she admitted to Kokoro that their father was a good man, and she mentioned intending to steer DOATEC back in the direction her father wanted it run.
Victor Donovan[]
Because Helena was the legitimate heir to the leadership of DOATEC, Donovan sees her as a threat to his power. He sends Christie to pose as a servant and befriend Helena in order to keep an eye on her. Eventually, he decides to have Christie kill her. Though she tries to kill Helena in both the third and fourth tournaments, Christie failed due to Bayman's interference. It's clear that Helena hates Donovan for plotting her assassination and causing the murder of both her parents.
Miyako[]
Helena seems to know Miyako as she mentioned her to Kokoro, telling her to ask her mother about who she was. It was stated that Helena knows Miyako through ties of DOATEC, as well as Miyako having the position of high ranks in DOATEC's Japan center. It is unknown if Helena promoted her or not, and it is unknown if Miyako knows of Donovan's plans.
Gen Fu[]
They were partners in Dead or Alive 2 and worked together. Gen Fu asked Helena why she joined the second tournament and instead of replying to the question, Helena said he is not acting like a master and it was none of his business. However, Helena seems to like Gen Fu; even offering to pay for his granddaughter, Mei Lin's operation. They have a full tag alliance and share two tag team-ups together.
Leifang[]
Helena & Leifang's elegance in winning a tag battle
Leifang and Helena were both born in wealthy families. Leifang was jealous when Helena announced she had entered the second tournament, saying that the tournament doesn't need another "spoiled little princess". However, she seems to be friendly with Helena. During the Dead or Alive 2 tournament, they share a cut scene before their battle where Leifang is shown looking with curiosity and seemingly enviously towards Helena as she goes up in a glass elevator.
After their battle in either Dead or Alive 2 or 3 tournaments, if Leifang wins, she will friendly hold out her hand and say, "Let's meet again for the next dance." If Helena wins, she will showcase her Kung Fu and remark, "This is perfect harmony."
She seemed to get along in a friendly manner in Xtreme Venus Vacation during their interaction at the Tamabata festival.
Hayate[]
Prior to the 5th tournament, Helena and Hayate were on bad terms with each other. During the 5th tournament, she asks him to enter the fifth tournament as a sort of way to reconcile between the ninja clan and DOATEC, however Hayate refuses which Helena seemed to understand as she did not further urge him to take part. During the events of the 6th tournament, they appear to be on cordial terms as Helena called for Hayate to speak with her.
Ayane[]
They mutually dislike one another. When first meeting each other during the second tournament, she and Ayane viciously attacked each other, due to the former mistaking her for her mother's murderer, which wasn't helped by the fact that Ayane neither confirmed nor denied whether she had any involvement in killing her. The mutual dislike seems to be slowly dying down, even working together on the Venus Islands (which is implied to be because all the girls effectively acted as partners to the owner and thus needed to put aside their differences).
Christie[]
Helena and Christie are enemies. However, this does not mean she can't work with her. In fact, it's shown that Christie is one of Helena's tag partners, both having unique tag throws.
Christie was hired by Donovan on a couple of occasions to keep an eye on and attempt to kill Helena. Christie was also the one responsible for the death of Maria, Helena’s mother. Keeping this fact a secret from the other woman, Christie acted as a servant to Helena during the course of the third tournament, during which they had a stable, professional relationship. However, soon after Christie revealed herself as an assassin sent to kill Helena, resulting in the disintegration of the pair’s positive relations.
During the fourth tournament, she has observed Helena more. Christie seems to have developed a morbid fascination with her target, that even she finds difficult to understand. Christie revealed her responsibility for Maria’s death to her, causing Helena to hate Christie, with the rage she felt over it being enough to risk her life by fighting her despite knowing the building has began to fall.
In Dead or Alive 5, it has been seen that Helena and Christie are on visibly antagonistic terms, as Christie took the time to cruelly intrude on Helena and Bass's introduction, which quickly caused Helena to be hostile at her, soon engaging her in a full-blown fight that ends with Helena winning again.
Bayman[]
At first, Bayman and Helena did not go well with each other; however, by the time of Dead or Alive 5, he and Helena became closer, like a bodyguard and client relationship. Helena and Bayman show no hostility toward each other and share a strong bond of loyalty. Both Helena and Bayman are enemies of Donovan, and because of this, Helena hired Bayman to track down Donovan and bring him to justice. They managed to maintain a close but professional relationship between themselves. However, it's unknown if Helena is aware that Bayman is the one who killed her father.
Kokoro[]
Helena & Kokoro's Elegant team-up on Christie
The daughter of Fame Douglas and Miyako, Kokoro is Helena’s biological half-sister. Miyako had left for Japan and raised Kokoro there, whereas Helena was raised in France.
While the two of them are half-sisters, Kokoro initially doesn't know who Helena is. On the other hand, Helena seems to know about Kokoro and Miyako.
In Kokoro's story mode in the fourth Dead or Alive tournament, she eventually finds and feels weird upon coming into contact with her. Helena replies, "Our blood... Can that be what brought us here together." While preparing for battle, Helena shouts, "you must learn my techniques!" (This symbolizes the union of baji quan and pigua quan, the sister styles, and united into one art).
When Helena announces the fifth Dead or Alive tournament, Kokoro recognizes her. The two once again meet at Taylor's Bar after Zack drops Kokoro off. When Kokoro meets her, she asks Helena about her father, telling the woman that she did not remember her own. Helena assures her that her father was a good man, "as [Kokoro's] was." Helena shows much kindness and love towards Kokoro and spars with her as well to see how strong she has gotten since the fourth DOA tournament. The sisters feature a full tag alliance in Dead or Alive 5.
In Dead or Alive 6, Helena is finally forced to tell Kokoro the truth as she confronts her regarding the picture of them as children with their father and this causes Kokoro to snap from the stress of her mother leaving and the truth. Helena does not fight at full strength to stop her from leaving and is overpowered by her younger sister and sadly bidden farewell. However, she is able to convince Kokoro not to leave by begging her to stay to remain protected as she is the only family she has left. It seems that Kokoro is now under Helena's protection and it may be possible for them to develop a normal sisterly relationship.
Lisa Hamilton[]
Due to the experiments led by DOATEC Lisa, scientist for DOATEC at the time, was ordered to stop Helena from finding out what they were doing. When she came close she threatened to kill her if she ever found out. During the Mugen Tenshin attacks, Helena blames Lisa for the DOATEC destruction and they battle at the Tritower Heliport. During their vacation at New Zack Island, she tells Lisa that her plans with Zack are "none of her concern" after the latter teased her about Zack's proposition for the revival of DOATEC and "promises of romance in the deepest of space". In Dead or Alive 6 it is revealed that Helena and Lisa have in fact been working together for some time, with Lisa being planted as a mole in MIST. Lisa informs Helena about MIST's business partnerships, informing her that MIST plans to sell to military organizations worldwide. Helena thanked Lisa for the intel she provided to DOATEC about their plans, although Lisa also made clear that while she may have defected from MIST, she still doesn't necessarily trust Helena.
Kasumi[]
Despite what DOATEC has done to Kasumi's life, she still shows friendly and caring feelings towards Helena and seems to understand the pain that Helena must be going through. However, these feelings are coldly dismissed by Helena when she tries to shoot Kasumi claiming that she has no use for her, only to quickly be stopped by Hayabusa. Even after threatening to kill her, Kasumi attempts to stop Helena from committing suicide, which would have resulted in her death had Ayane not stopped her, showing that she still cares for Helena.
After the fourth tournament, she and Helena have been more friendly and have an understanding relationship with each other. It is also implied that it was through Helena that Kasumi was acquainted with her servant Marie Rose.
Zack[]
Zack saved Helena from her self-attempted suicide on DOATEC. Since then, they became business partners and Helena came to New Zack Island for a possible resurrection of DOATEC. She also seemed to take him at his word about their using DOATEC to "bring peace to the galaxy", and was implied to be disappointed after she came to the island, also having to dissuade a teasing Lisa who overheard it. Zack appears to be under Helena's employment in Dead or Alive 5 and has been stated to have been helping her rebuild DOATEC for 2 years after DOA4. A photo of Helena with hearts on it is also present in the helicopter Zack, implying that he may have a romantic interest with her. Helena may have some awareness of Zack's interest in her, as she initially requested private time with the owner before leaving from her vacation, but then decided against it due to thinking Zack wouldn't appreciate it.
Zack is something of a go-for liaison for Helena, having done most of the work to arrange the fifth tournament for Helena including scouting new talent as well as locating older fighters. However, in the opening to Xtreme 3, Helena briefly pondered what Zack was up to (as during that game, Zack was unable to do his usual role of manning New Zack Island due to having to do a massive project), implying that even she isn't necessarily privy to all of his activities.
Rig[]
Helena trusted Rig prior to the destruction of DIG, where M.I.S.T. had been hiding. By the time Hayate found out Rig’s involvement with M.I.S.T., Helena started to become suspicious of the former oil platform worker. Nonetheless, she knows about his friendship with the Armstrongs and makes him their sponsor when they decided to become a pro-wrestling team.
Marie Rose[]
Helena's servant who respects her, referring to her formally as "my lady" when calling for her in Tag Battle Mode in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, as well as "Lady Helena" when winning a Tag Battle mode with her in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round. They seem to have a friendly relationship as it is implied that she and Marie go out for coffee after winning a match, although she could've also been requesting coffee for herself since Marie Rose acts as her servant. During the sixth tournament, Helena briefly sparred with Marie Rose to see if she was capable of doing her assignment of protecting Honoka. She also had enough faith in Marie Rose that she was unconcerned when a scheduled report from Marie Rose ended up disconnected (which was implied to be due to Honoka's interference). When she arrived at MIST's lab, she told Marie Rose that she did well. Although they got along very well, Helena was not above treating Marie Rose like a child, as evidenced by their time on the Venus Islands, where she told Marie Rose to go out and play, much to Marie Rose's chagrin.
Tina Armstrong[]
During the events of the sixth tournament, Tina alongside her father fought Helena in an exhibition match in order to gain a sponsor. Upon Helena being defeated, she revealed she already took care of supplying one in the form of Rig.
Helena later encountered Tina some time after the latter's welcoming party to the Venus Islands, where Helena offered to help Tina with finding two additional Venuses for her dance show that she intended to form to repay the Owner for the party, with Helena finding two in the form of Tsukushi and Tamaki, while Helena provided the singing at Tina's request.
NiCO[]
With Helena being the leader of DOATEC and NiCO serving as MIST's top scientist, the two unsurprisingly have an uneasy relationship. Helena first learned of NiCO from Kokoro when the latter revealed a photo depicting the two as children with Fame Douglas. Helena was angered that she supplied it to Kokoro as it "wasn't [NiCO's] to give", before reluctantly admitting that Kokoro was indeed her half-sister, and that Fame Douglas was their father.
Shortly after Raidou's revival, while trying to find Miyako at the MIST base, Helena meets and confronts NiCO at her lab. The two clash over the concept of resurrecting the dead; even though NiCO has plans to revive Helena's mother, Maria, Helena disapproves, believing that they should not be revived even if such were possible, that tragedy builds character and that one needs to be able to move on from loss. Nonetheless, she did pity NiCO and hoped that she too would eventually learn to move on from her own losses.
Misaki[]
Misaki has immense respect for Helena, which is implied to be due to her stature as the CEO of DOATEC. She also went to ask for her advice on how to set up the Venus Festival when it seemed to be going off to a bad start.
Luna[]
Helena seemed to have some respect for Luna as indicated by their interactions during a cover girl event, where Helena even told Luna the meaning of the phrase "secret labyrinth" regarding human psychology.
Tamaki[]
Helena and Tamaki knew each other since before their arrival on the Venus Islands, although the extent of their relationship is unknown. Tamaki claims that Helena acted as a benefactor to her due to purchasing several of her fashion pieces, although Helena implies that the description was mostly exaggerated by Tamaki. Either way, Tamaki seems to have quite a bit of respect for Helena, even going as far as to refer to her by the honorific of "Sama" in the Japanese version. Helena on her part treated her in a more civil manner, and also directed the Owner to the beach where she suspected that Tamaki was passed out drunk from the Hanami Party the previous night. Helena is also implied to not approve of Tamaki's more girl-obsessed nature, but nonetheless allows it due to realizing she cannot seem to control herself. Helena was also responsible for arranging for the Hanami party that officially welcomed Tamaki to the island and setting it up. Although Tamaki has immense respect for Helena, she's not above groping her, as evidenced during her participating in a spa event with Monica and Helena in an attempt at getting the two to bond (which succeeded too well as it gave the two motivation to enact payback against her), and also during the fourth anniversary where attempted to do so to Helena while drunk (though in that case, it's implied Helena baited her into doing so in order to grope her back in an attempt to draw her away from Honoka).
Fiona[]
Helena alongside Marie Rose helped Fiona set up the dancing party. Helena also was somewhat bemused that there were "two cute princesses" (referring to Fiona and Marie Rose befriending each other). They also worked together for the Two Prima event, with Fiona even requesting that Helena sing a duet with her upon learning that she was a former Opera star. She did, however, end up briefly taken aback by Fiona's suggestion that they do a duet and even privately remark that she was a bit of a "troubled princess", although she nonetheless was somewhat amused by her boldness. Helena also apparently gave Fiona some more singing lessons on her birthday, which is implied to be return payment for Fiona's own involvement in helping set up Helena's own birthday party earlier.
Patty[]
Helena and Patty met each other when the former was to act as the guardian for the last stamp, or rather, supply her with the stamp for all stamps collected during her welcoming ceremony. Although this was the first time they met face to face, Patty recognized her from one of her opera performances that played on the radio.
Tsukushi[]
Helena met Tsukushi sometime after the festival. Helena also attempted to coax Tsukushi to relax due to her excessively shy nature, and also learned about her aspiring to be a mangaka, also volunteering to act as a model for her manga, under the condition that Tsukushi work up the courage to talk to at least one other girl that day. She ultimately did so alongside Hitomi when reconvening with the two, keeping her end of the bargain upon discovering Tsukushi's success in that condition.
Helena also handpicked Tsukushi to act as the final person that Tina was to recruit for a dancing event that she formed with the Owner. Tsukushi was reluctant to participate largely because she lacked any confidence in her dancing abilities, although Tina ultimately managed to help her ease her anxiety, which was the main reason Helena chose Tsukushi.
Amy[]
Helena introduced herself to Amy shortly after Tamaki, making clear she and Tamaki were to act as escorts for her, while also telling off Tamaki for failing to moderate herself in front of Amy. She then went to a seat with Amy at Tamaki's choosing, presumably telling her about her being DOATEC's CEO during this time. When Amy denied feelings for the Owner, Helena suspected that wasn't actually the case, and similar to Tamaki also jokingly suggested she had a good story about the Owner.
Shandy[]
Shandy met Helena Douglas alongside Momiji when they arrived to investigate the bar, per Misaki's informing them of it. After they verified it was indeed open and helmed by Shandy, Helena ended up ordering a Ginnet for Momiji, as the latter was inexperienced with bars. Afterwards, Helena then requested for something more elegant, with Shandy deciding to make Helena a White Lady cocktail.
Owner[]
Despite Helena coming to Venus Island to investigate a conspiracy, she seemed to end up liking the owner of the place after a while and considered him a really trustworthy person, to the point that she wanted him to lotion her back up while she removed her bikini top. It can even be inferred that she grew some feelings for him, like in some of her later birthday episodes where she shows a deep appreciation for his gifts and the time he spent with her, to the point that she calls him "honey" in the English version of the game. In the Japanese version she refers to him with "anata", which, while directly translating as "you", is generally used in a more romantic context.
Gameplay[]
Helena vs. Gen Fu from Dead or Alive 3
Dead or Alive[]
- See also: Helena's command lists
Helena's key stance is her Bokuho stance, from which she can execute a number of moves, and her mix-up game, execution time-frame, and air juggles are excellent due to her combo variety. Her varying attack ranges make up for her lack of brute power, for it can often prove difficult to counter against her at times because of this aspect.
However, she must be used in a combo-based fashion to execute sufficient damage, as her launchers and single strikes lack a high damage ratio. While her throws lack strength, they are some of the most quickly executed in the game, and can even be performed while in the aforementioned Bokuho stance.
Helena is a mix-up heavy character as she has a multitude of attacks from different hit levels to confuse foes, and she can quickly go back-turned and into her signature Bokuho stance which not only avoids highs but also has a duck that can evade normal mid strikes. She also has great string delay and her combos often leave her at an advantage so she can reset her foes and pack on the pressure to give them little time to defend against her. Her throws are also essential, having a reset throw and launcher for when her opponent is defending too often and she has a good low strike game to open up unwary foes as well. While she is formidable, she is generally unsafe and doesn't have too many reliable ways to get advantage on block. Her speed is generally average, meaning she'll have to play more defensively against faster fighters to safely get her momentum going. Her holds are also average and her base damage still isn't high, but she compensates with her vast amount of mix-ups and ways to punish anyone who doesn't defend against her correctly. While learning her can be a bit of a chore, she stands as one of the more tricky characters to fight when mastered.
In Dead or Alive 6, she's gained more improvements, such as being able to sidestep from her Bokuho stance and several of her commands were changed and given different inputs to make room for new commands such as her safe new mid attack that does higher damage up close, as well as also changing her forward mid attack so she has an easier faster way to deal with quick opponents. Her general gameplay however remains mostly similar to the previous games, although her damage and juggle potential is further improved with the game's changes.
Stats[]
The following are Helena's official stats as listed in the games.
| Game | Strike | Throw | Hold | Power | Speed | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead or Alive 5 (5+) | 4/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Dead or Alive 5 Last Round |
5/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
Dead or Alive Xtreme[]
Helena is easy to befriend, but waiting a day or two to check her friendship-notes might be a good idea sometimes, and it is best not to talk to her first thing in the day, as she is not a morning person and will be grumpy. It's best to speak with her during sunset. Also, she will not want to befriend Christie easily, and vice versa. Despite the bad relations with Christie, Helena herself can recruit the other girls more easily. Ayane and Tina will take a bit of work as well. Her tastes in gifts are generally more expensive than some of the other girls as well.
In beach volleyball, Helena lacks in power, but makes up for it with her incredible speed and defense, making her a good defender on the court. Because of her good technique, the accuracy of her shots are high, and she is still able to knock an opponent down with a well-aimed, well-spiked ball. Overall, Helena is a good all-round character, like Christie and Lisa, and would make a good defense partner for either of them.
Stats[]
The following are Helena's official stats as listed in the manuals for both Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball and Xtreme 2.
| Power/Strength | Technique | Defense | Jump | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Unlocking Helena[]
To unlock Helena in Dead or Alive 4, the player must complete Story Mode with all the characters.
Appearances[]
Dead or Alive series[]
- Dead or Alive 2 games (playable, 1999-2000)
- DOA2: Hardcore games (playable, 2000)
- Dead or Alive 3 (playable, 2001-02)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (playable, 2003)
- Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate (playable, 2004-05)
- Dead or Alive 4 (unlockable, 2005-06)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (playable, 2006)
- Dead or Alive Paradise (playable, 2010)
- Dead or Alive Dimensions (playable, 2011)
- Dead or Alive 5 (5+) (playable, 2012-13)
- Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (playable, 2013)
- Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Arcade (playable, 2013)
- Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (playable, 2015)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 (playable, 2016)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation (playable, 2017)
- Dead or Alive 6 (Playable 2019)
[]
Promotional poster for DOA: Dead or Alive
DOA: Dead or Alive[]
Helena makes an appearance in the movie DOA: Dead or Alive, played by Sarah Carter. However her personality and overall character seems to be a mix with that of Hitomi, as she is now a happy, bubbly twenty-one year old with Helena’s character history but with Hitomi’s personality traits.
Throughout the movie she is treated as a necessary annoyance by Donovan, who has gained control of DOATEC after the "death" of Fame Douglas, and is generally regarded as a rookie by the other fighters. Despite this, she manages to hold her own against some of the more experienced fighters, forcing even Donovan to admit that he may have underestimated her.
Warriors All-Stars[]
Although Helena does not appear in Warriors All-Stars in person, she was mentioned a few times by Marie Rose. Ryu Hayabusa also mentions her while talking with Marie Rose during their level 3 bonding scene.
In popular culture[]
Helena in Dead Fantasy III
Dead Fantasy[]
Also see: Helena on Dead Fantasy Wiki
Helena appears in the fan-made CG movie series Dead Fantasy. She made her debut at the end of the third episode, activating an army of Kasumi α clones that went out to kill Kasumi and Yuna of Final Fantasy X.
She has yet to take part physically in the fight, and her actions and connections with Hitomi and Hayate in the movies are highly suspicious. However, it was confirmed for the upcoming Dead Fantasy IX that Helena's main rival is Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII. An interesting note about Helena's appearance, she resembles Cloud's deceased friend, Aerith Gainsborough, due to her similar hairstyle in a ponytail adorned with a ribbon but due to her role as an antagonist, she would act as a female version of Cloud's nemesis, Sephiroth.
Since Oum's death, the series' future is left uncertain.
Fighting quotes[]
- Dead or Alive 2/DOA2: Hardcore
- Dead or Alive 3
- Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate
- Dead or Alive 4
- Dead or Alive Dimensions
- Dead or Alive 5
- Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate
- Dead or Alive 5 Last Round
- Dead or Alive 6
Music themes[]
The following are the music themes used for Helena throughout the series.
| Theme | Game appearances |
|---|---|
| "Blazed up Melpomene" | Dead or Alive 2 and DOA2: Hardcore games Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate Dead or Alive 4 (Story Mode, vs La Mariposa) Dead or Alive Online Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (optional theme) Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (optional theme) |
| "Blood Tie" | Dead or Alive 3 Dead or Alive Dimensions Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (optional theme) Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (optional theme) |
| "Helena (or Blazed Up Melpomene) Remix" | Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate (Ray House; as "Helena Remix") Dead or Alive 4 (Crash Club; as "Blazed Up Melpomene Remix") |
| "Solitary Desperation" | Dead or Alive 4 Dead or Alive 5+ Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (default theme) Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Arcade Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (default theme) |
| "Empty" | Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Helena is the first non-ninja character to win a tournament.
- Helena's trademark is her bow, which she wears in all her costumes. The bow would also match the color of her costume as well, until Dead or Alive 5 in which she just wears a black laced bow, with the exception of the Christmas DLC in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, where she wears a large red package-ribbon bow in its place.
- All her English voice-overs give her a noticeable French accent except for in DOA2: Hardcore, where she speaks with an American accent.
- Helena is the only character of the franchise whose voice actor makes a reappearance after being replaced. This is noted since Karen Strassman, Helena's current English voice actor, first voiced her in Xtreme 2 but never reappeared in Dimensions, yet returned in the next installment, Dead or Alive 5.
- As shown in the Dead or Alive 3 ending, Helena owns a black Labrador Retriever.
- In Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, she can buy a dog collar for it.
- In some of Helena's gravure scenes in the Xtreme sub-series, Helena can be seen reading a book called "Beach Side Lovers I," hinting that Helena's a fan of romance novels.
- On a related note, Helena in the second anniversary event for Xtreme Venus Vacation was familiar with the Japanese fairy tale Urashima Tarō, at least enough to know about the undersea palace and some aspects about the character Oto-hime. However, by her admission, it was to a far lesser extent than Kokoro.
- In Dead or Alive Dimensions, Helena defeated Kasumi α during the time of the third tournament, making her the first non-ninja character to defeat a ninja (although it is a clone).
- Of all the those on vacation on New Zack Island in Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, only Helena mentions Zack by his name. Helena is also the first female ever confirmed to invite someone to the island.
- IGN featured Helena in their "Videogame Babe of the Day" series in 2006.
- Despite being a pigua quan practitioner, some of Helena's moves incorporate the use of savate, a French martial art.
- Helena is one of four characters to reuse the visuals of their Xtreme 3 ending for their level 80 episodes in Xtreme Venus Vacation, the others being Marie Rose, Kasumi, and Hitomi. Of them, she is also the only one to not have any additional scenes added to her ending.
- In the Japanese versions, Helena sometimes uses the term "ですわ" (desu wa) at the end of her sentences when speaking, which is a stereotypical speech pattern in Japanese media that's frequently used with high-class females (such as princesses and noblewomen) or even by haughty/arrogant women.
- Helena has two characters from the Senran Kagura series that she represents. The first is Haruka in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, while the second is Souji in Xtreme Venus Vacation.
- Both the Event Episode Arc "Fiona's Challenge: Prima Donna Duo" and Helena's Year Six birthday episode "A Special Stage" implied that her mother's death led to her retiring from the opera spotlight, although she does resume singing on request of Fiona and the Owner, respectively.
- On a similar note, her opera performances before Maria's death were recorded and broadcasted onto radio waves extending as far as the South Pacific, as evidenced by Patty's recognition of Helena when meeting her face to face during her debut episode.
External links[]
[]
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Characters | |
| Playable | Kasumi • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Leifang • Christie • Lisa • Tina Armstrong • Ayane |
| Non-playable characters | Niki • Zack |
| Terms | |
| Games | Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Poker • Pool Hopping • Roulette • Slot Machines |
| Other terms | Gift Giving • Swimsuits • Zack Dollars |
| Locations | |
| Zack Island Accessory Shop • Bass Island • Casino • Hotel • Jungle • Niki Beach • Poolside • Private Beach • Radio Station • Sports Shop • Zack of All Trades | |
| Music | |
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| Archives | |
| Costumes • Item Collection Datasheet • Merchandise • Promotional Artwork and Wallpapers • Swimsuit Merchandise | |
| v · e · d |
|---|
| Characters |
| Main characters |
| Supporting characters Ayane • Ryu Hayabusa • Max • Victor Donovan •
Weatherby • Zack • Bass Armstrong • Hayate • Bayman • Leon |
| Minor characters Brad Wong • Eliot • Fame Douglas • Gen Fu • Hitomi • Jann Lee • Leifang • Pirates |
| Terms |
| Acupuncture • Central Intelligence Agency • Dead or Alive World Combat Championship • DOATEC • Donovan's Glasses ID Bracelet • Katana • Nanobots • Needle • Ninja • Nunchaku • Runaway Shinobi • Shuriken • Volleyball |
| Other terms Character Relationships |
| Locations |
| Ishikari Mountains • South China Sea • Hong Kong • DOA Island • Buddha • Waterwheel • Bamboo Forest • Forbidden Square • Gray Steps • Lab Complex • DOA Compound • Tina's Yacht • Ninja Clan |
| Music |
| DOA: Dead or Alive Original Soundtrack |
| Archives |
| Promotional Artwork |
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Characters | |
| Playable | Kasumi • Tina Armstrong • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Leifang • Christie • Lisa • Kokoro • Ayane |
| Unlockable | Rio |
| Non-playable characters | Niki • Zack |
| Terms | |
| Games | Beach Flags • Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Butt Battle • Poker • Pool Hopping • Slot Machines |
| Other terms | Bijin Tokei • Gift Giving • Girls Guide • Pole Dancing • Precious Memories • Private Paradise • Swimsuits • Venus Clips • Zack Dollars |
| Locations | |
| New Zack Island Accessory Shop • Bass Island • Brilliant Jungle • Hotel • Niki Beach • Poolside • Radio Station • Sports Shop • Tranquil Beach • Zack of All Trades | |
| Music | |
| Dead or Alive Paradise Kossori Namaroku Voice & Soundtrack CD "Paradise!!" • "Sensational Fantasy" • "Beach Bomb" • "Coconut Groove" • "Nitro Funk" • "Violet Eyed Beauty" • "Rewind!" • "Curiosity" • "Boogie Circuit" | |
| Archives | |
| Costumes • Item Collection Datasheet • Promotional Artwork and Wallpapers | |
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Kasumi • Momiji • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Marie Rose • Honoka • Nyotengu • Kokoro • Ayane • Misaki (DLC) • Leifang (DLC) • Zack (NPC) |
| Terms | |
| Games | Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Butt Battle • Poker • Pool Hopping • Tug-of-War • Beach Flags • Rock Climbing • Roulette |
| Other terms | Gift Giving • Pictorial Scenes • Pole Dancing • Stats • Swimsuits • Virtual Pictorial • Zack Dollars • Girl Mode • Owner Mode |
| Locations | |
| New Zack Island Casino • Hotel • Niki Beach • Pool and Poolside • Sports Shop • Tranquil Beach • Zack of All Trades | |
| Archives | |
| Achievements • Costumes • Downloadable Content • Item Collection Datasheet • Merchandise • Promotional Artwork and Wallpapers • Transcripts | |
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Starting Characters | Kasumi • Momiji • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Marie Rose • Honoka • Nyotengu • Kokoro • Ayane • Misaki |
| Post-launch Characters | Luna • Tamaki • Fiona • Leifang • Nagisa • Kanna • Monica • Sayuri • Patty • Tsukushi • Lobelia • Nanami • Elise • Koharu • Tina Armstrong • Amy • Shandy • Yukino • Shizuku • Reika • Meg |
| Minigames | Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Butt Battle • Pool Hopping • Rock Climbing • Roulette |
| Terms | Gift Giving • Pictorial Scenes • Stats • Swimsuits • Virtual Pictorial • Zack Dollars • Girl Mode • Owner Mode |
| Venus Islands Locations | New Zack Island • Hotel (Owner's Room) • Casino • Nikki Beach • Pool and Poolside • Private Beach • Jungle • Bass Island • Accessory Shop |
| Transcripts | Year One • Year Two • Year Three • Year Four • Year Five • Year Six • Extra Episodes |
| Miscellaneous | Soundtrack • Costumes • Item Collection Datasheet • Collaborations • Merchandise (Official 4-koma Manga) • Nagisa True Colors Webmanga |