All-Star Battle ★ Ermes Costello
Ermes makes her video game debut in the PS3 title. She was confirmed for the game along with Jolyne, Part 4 Josuke, and Okuyasu. She's the only non-DLC ally character from Part 6.
Alongside all playable members of Bruno Bucciarati's Gang of Part 5 (with the exception of Narancia Ghirga), Ermes is one of the only characters who activate Resolve Mode instead of the normal Rumble Mode when low on health. In this state, attacks that do not result in hard knockdowns or blow-backs no longer phase the character.
As one of the mass majority of playable characters in the game with the "Stand" Style, Ermes can turn Kiss on/off, changing move sets, as well as having access to the Stand Rush ability returning from the Capcom game, being able to attack in conjunction with her Stand. Ermes has 1050 HP.
Command List
In battle, Ermes can utilize various attacks featured in Stone Ocean.
ON GROUND Ermes can summon or dismiss Kiss, shifting her available abilities.
+ 
ON GROUND WHEN DOWNED Ermes forcefully kicks very high, knocking the opponent off their feet. A command normal that can be chained into Ermes's skills, and also hit a downed opponent. (Comboable)
The attack deals more damage if Kiss's stickers are applied to her legs.
+ 
/
/ ON GROUND Ermes applies Kiss's stickers to herself, duplicating her limbs whenever she attacks. This skill passively doubles the number of hits Ermes and Kiss deal in various skills and abilities; this increases her effective strength, improves her combo potential and safety when her attacks are guarded, and boosts the rate that her attacks build Heart Heat. However, due to the increased hit count, her combo damage scaling is inversely affected.
The attack button inputted determines where she places the stickers. Ermes cannot place stickers on limbs that already have them.
- Light (): Ermes places stickers on her arms.
- Medium (): Ermes places stickers on her legs.
- Heavy (): Ermes places stickers on her arms then her legs. If she already has stickers on one or the other, she'll only place stickers on the remaining limbs.
A sticker icon above the Heat Heat Gauge displays where she has stickers applied, with arm stickers appearing on the left and leg stickers appearing on the right (facing right).
If Ermes is successfully knocked down, any stickers on her limbs fall off and disappear, damaging her in the process and leaving behind silver health. Ermes will naturally take more damage if she has stickers on both her arms and legs when she's knocked down. She may recover this lost health over time, provided no more damage is taken afterward.
+ // ON GROUND Kiss swings forward with a sticker in its hand. If it connects, the opponent will have their head duplicated, before Ermes quickly snatches the sticker off, damaging them and knocking them down. Many of Ermes's attacks and skills can combo into this ability.
+ // ON GROUND Ermes or Kiss grabs a duplicated broom to fly a great distance forwards. They are immune to Low attacks while moving. (Flash Cancel comboable)
The effect of this skill is slightly altered depending on if it is used while Kiss is active or not.
- Stand OFF: Ermes can pass through the opponent to their other side unhindered. If she manages to stop just in front of the opponent, the broom will hit them once and knock them off their feet.
- Stand ON: Kiss and Ermes will damage the opponent with the broom multiple times and knock them off their feet if they make direct contact.
+ // ON GROUND Ermes slides forward and summons Kiss to rapidly punch the opponent, sending them flying with the final hit.
The attack deals more damage if Kiss's stickers are applied to her arms.
+ // ON GROUND Ermes summons Kiss as the both of them unleash an strong uppercut in unison, knocking the opponent into the air. This move functions as a reversal and anti-air attack, and if performed on an already airborne opponent, they will be launched much higher. (Flash Cancel comboable)
The attack deals more damage if Kiss's stickers are applied to her arms.
+ // ON GROUND Kiss performs a melee combo. This skill can be re-inputted up to two more times in succession to unleash new subsequent attacks.
- First input: Kiss delivers a short barrage of punches. The attack deals more damage if stickers are applied to its arms. (Flash Cancel comboable)
- Second input: Kiss continues its assault by kicking multiple times, knocking the opponent into the air. The attack deals more damage if stickers are applied to its arms. (Flash Cancel comboable)
- Third input: Kiss spins around and delivers a hefty backhand-punch, knocking the opponent away. The attack deals more damage if stickers are applied to its arms.
+ // ON GROUND Ermes and Kiss both unleash a powerful downward spinning kick in unison. If the opponent is hit, they are left crumpling to the ground. This skill is a middle attack that cannot be blocked crouching. (Comboable)
The attack deals more damage if Kiss's stickers are applied to her legs.
ON GROUND Ermes pushes the opponent off-balance before taking a sticker off of a broom, causing it and its duplicate appearing behind the opponent to smash together and catch them in the middle.
+ 2 ATK Buttons ON GROUND A counterattack. Ermes places a sticker on herself and readies for an attack. If struck by a non-GHA attack, she'll kick the opponent away before Kiss delivers a massive counter combo. As the sticker is inevitably removed afterward, Ermes will take minor Sticker Damage whether or not the HHA is successful.
This HHA deals more damage if Kiss's stickers are applied to her arms and legs.
+ 3 ATK Buttons, or 
ON GROUND Claiming her Stand as a tool for revenge, Ermes wields a sticker and lunges forward in a melee strike. If the attack lands, she'll slap the sticker on the opponent's head, causing it to duplicate as Kiss kicks the opponent multiple times. The Stand then switches to fists and pummels them repeatedly, gradually raising them into the air. Just as the opponent begins fall, Ermes suddenly rips the sticker off and turns away, dealing damage as the opponent's head violently merges back into one (similar to how she killed Sports Maxx).
Gameplay Overview
Ermes is a close-ranged brawler who applies stickers to herself to bolster the safety, damage, and combo ability of her attacks; Arm stickers generally improve her standing attacks, while leg stickers generally improve her crouching and jumping attacks. Her Stand Off normal attacks possess greater-than-average range, offering a variety of unpunishable poking tools that benefit her in skirmishes. With Kiss active, Ermes can become more aggressive, her normal attacks trading range for improved safety and offensive pressure. Adding further to her capabilities are a very strong anti-air reversal attack, a kick that can hit downed opponents, and a "rekka"-style attack useful for combos. Combined with an innately impressive resilience and her uniquely having the highest base health of the roster, Ermes maintains a very threatening presence up close.
Inversely, Ermes's glaring issues come when battling opponents who have a significant range advantage over her. She struggles to close the distance due to fairly limited mobility options and sluggish specials, and also lacks any form of projectile. As such, defensive and zoner characters may easily keep themselves out of her effective range. Risky or aggressive overuse of self-applied stickers can also result in Ermes suffering significant amounts of unnecessary extra damage from the opponent's attacks, thus knowing when to apply them is key to using them effectively.
Ermes's strategy revolves heavily around careful usage of her stickers and an extraordinarily potent neutral game while within effective range. She is at her best when she can apply offensive pressure, repeatedly utilizing brute force until she finds the opportunity to break past her opponent's defenses and pulverize them into submission.
