Drive

A Drive is the manifestation of one's own soul. It is a technique unique to individuals since it's a reflection of the soul itself.

Information

Drives are acquired as one's soul develops a deeper relation with the Azure, either through attracting it with their power, or just becoming close to it. There are some people are naturally born with a Drive, and others who are not, and have to have it awakened through various means. Around the time of 2050, various individuals became Drive-Unions, and began to develop a Crystal, a device which make them become Drive users, but also drastically shorten their life-span. The Mitsurugi Agency was dedicated to saving these Unions, but only one has ever survived being one as he ripped out his crystal before it fused with his nervous system. Sechs was capable of creating these individuals with his own Drive. Eventually, this outbreak of Unions was seemingly contained.

There was once a laboratory that experimented on subjects in attempts to awaken their Drives; there was some success as Karenjina Parsett had hers awakened, but it was shut-down by Grimwood Huster of the Novus Orbis Librarium, and the victims were rescued. Torture has been shown to actually disable a person's ability to use a Drive. In order to be activated, a Drive must consume the seithr in the air around them, and should there be little to none, then a part of the person's soul will be consumed instead, making it very dangerous to use in certain situations. Furthermore, using a Drive means borrowing power from the Azure, and after using one, Remnants of Azure will be left behind.

Some entities are Drives themselves - chiefly, this is Izanami, who is the Drive of The Origin; entities such as herself do possess souls, although it is unknown if a Drive can have a Drive. They are immortal, only being able to die if their user perishes as well. Illusionary Creatures are said to have an existence similar to that of a Drive.

There exists a Drive, Soul Eater, that is like a parasite. It attaches itself to a victim and becomes a Drive for them, but can send them into insanity. Clavis Alucard dedicated much of his time to eradicating it, and it is currently in the possession of Saya Terumi in the Bloodedge Experience possibility, previously being held by Ragna the Bloodedge in the BlazBlue one. Because of this, Clavis' goal was seemingly the complete eradication of all Drives, but this was never realized.

Gameplay

In the BlazBlue games, Drives are assigned to the D button and are a unique mechanic for each character, usually being paramount to how they are played. Drives in gameplay are not to be confused with Drives in lore. For example: Relius Clover has the Drive Detonator in gameplay, which allows him to use the Fluctus Redactum: Ignis, but in lore, his Drive is what allows him to create various marionette arms to fight instead.

List of Drives

Character	Gameplay	Lore
Ragna the Bloodedge	Soul Eater	None. Artificially has Soul Eater through the Azure Grimoire
Jin Kisaragi	Frost Bite	N/A
Noel Vermillion	Chain Revolver	N/A
Rachel Alucard	Silpheed	Silpheed - dominion over the wind
Taokaka	Dancing Edge	N/A
Iron Tager	Voltic Battler	N/A
Litchi Faye-Ling	Mantenbo	N/A
Arakune	Crimson	N/A
Bang Shishigami	Burning Heart	N/A
Carl Clover	Automaton	N/A
Hakumen	Zanshin/God Slash	N/A
Nu-13	Sword Summoner	N/A
Tsubaki Yayoi	Install	N/A
Hazama	Ouroboros	N/A
Mu-12	Steins Gunner	N/A
Makoto Nanaya	Impact	N/A
Valkenhayn R. Hellsing	Werewolf	N/A
Platinum the Trinity	Magical Symphony	N/A
Relius Clover	Detonator	Unnamed - creates marionette arms
Izayoi	Scarlet Justice	N/A
Amane Nishiki	Spiral	N/A
Bullet	Lock On	N/A
Azrael	The Terror	N/A
Kagura Mutsuki	Black Gale	N/A
Kokonoe	Graviton	N/A
Yuuki Terumi	Force Eater	N/A
Lambda-11	Sword Summoner II Sword Summoner EX	N/A
Celica A. Mercury	Minerva	N/A
Hibiki Kohaku	Double Chase	N/A
Naoto Kurogane	Bloodedge	Bloodedge - uses one's own blood to create various weapons
Nine the Phantom	The Abyss Diver	None.
Izanami	Exodus Ark	None - is a Drive herself.
Susano'o	Divine Warrior	N/A
Es	Crest Arts	N/A
Mai Natsume	Exseal	N/A
Jubei	Shiranui Shiranui: Steel	N/A
The Origin	N/A	Izanami
Karenjina Parsett	N/A	Seagull - detects anything living within a certain vicinity
Raquel Alucard	N/A	Tempest - dominion over the wind
Saya Terumi	N/A	Soul Eater - absorbs life energy through physical contact
Kiiro Hikagami	N/A	Unnamed - the ability to slice anything
Spinner Superior	N/A	Unknown
Mei Amanohokosaka	N/A	Blood Cain - gained in one possibility of the T-System's time shifts. Can seal the Origin of the Grimoire
Touya Kagari	N/A	Unnamed - uses own blood to create weapons
Goro Joizumi	N/A	Screaming Jaw - emits destructive waves from the mouth
Akio Osafune	N/A	Iron Shooter - shoots metallic objects at high speeds
Artillery	N/A	Unnamed - shoots bullets of air
Akira Kamewari	N/A	Hekatonkheires - creates multiple red wires that can be controlled by the user; no longer has it
Ripper	N/A	Scissor Hands - turns hands into seithr laced blades and creates throwing knives
Sechs	N/A	Deadly Sign - turns humans into Drive-Unions
Acht	N/A	Veil Skin - creates a membrane which nullifies magic