Azola

Azola is a minor villain in the Soul series of games. She was a discarded name and design for Sophitia's name and alternate outfit in Soul Edge, and returns as a minor playable character in Soul Calibur IV.

Biography
Nothing is known about her life before becoming a servant of the Soul Edge. When Ivy meets her in the beginning of her own journey in Soul Calibur IV, she tells Azola that her soul has been infected by evil. Sophitia met Azola when she traveled to Ostrheinsburg Castle in order to destroy the cursed sword. Azola appeared as if out of nowhere and her words convinced Sophitia that she needed to protect Soul Edge in order to sustain the life of her daughter, Pyrrha.

Azola is often seen accompanying Sophitia during the events of Soul Calibur IV and fighting alongside Nightmare's minions in the surroundings of the Ostrheinsburg Castle. However, even if fighting alongside each other due to the circumstances, Sophitia bears a grudge against her.

In Sophitia's Soulcalibur IV story, Azola makes her only playable appearance, fighting alongside Sophitia. However, after they defeat Hilde and her royal guards together in the surroundings of the Ostrheinsburg Castle, in the first stage of Sophitia's Story Mode, Sophitia kills Azola with her own two hands.

In Ivy's story, Azola and Dürer seek out Ivy, finding her in the Wolfkrone Monument. Ivy recognizes that she's controlled by evil and fights against them, defeating both.

In Maxi's story, Azola fights alongside Sophitia, Voldo and a Shadow against Maxi to stop him from entering into the Ostrheinsburg Castle, but they all lose against him. In one of the possible stories for Custom Characters, Azola fights alongside Sophitia to stop Maxi and the main character from going into the castle, but they're defeated easily enough by the party, who remains strong enough to defeat Mitsurugi right afterwards.

In Setsuka's Soul Calibur IV story, Azola, Dürer and Solnhofen attack her in the Ostrheinsburg Castle's surroundings, after she finally managed to have her vengeance against Mitsurugi, but they're all defeated by her. In Mitsurugi's story, the same group faces Mitsurugi himself in the Ostrheinsburg Castle Throne Room, only to be defeated by him, who still had enough energy afterwards to take on Taki.

In Cassandra's Soul Calibur IV story, after the chaos created by Algol's awakening, Dürer and Azola stand by Sophitia's side when she becomes the new host of the Soul Edge, but they eventually fall before a furious Cassandra.

Azola survived the events of Soul Calibur IV, and appears to continue to serve under Tira.

Trivia

 * The only aspect of Azola's original design that remained in Sophitia's 2nd costume in Soul Edge was her darker hair.
 * She is the owner of the "sinister voice" mentioned in Sophitia's Soul Calibur IV Story, who convinced her to join Nightmare's troops.
 * Azola can be created in the Character Creation mode of Soul Calibur IV and Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny. She can also be created in Soul Calibur V but two of the parts of the costume who could be used together in the previous games cannot be anymore.
 * Azola is only playable in Sophtia's Story Mode's 1st stage in Soul Calibur IV.
 * Its speculated that Azola was one of Hephaestus' Holy Warriors like Sophitia. She is also rumored to be an Amazonian warrior, due to her costume.