View source for Catalyst (character)

{{LorePageNotice|mainPage=Catalyst|mobilePage=}}
{{Infobox npc
| name = Catalyst
| image = Catalyst.jpg
| caption = 
| realName = Tressa Crystal Smith
| alias =  thecrystalsmith2@omail.bo (email address)
| gender = Female
| pronouns = She/Her/Hers
| age = 30
| family = 
| homeWorld = [[Boreas]]
| occupation = Terraformer (formerly)
| status = Alive
| voiceActor = Meli Grant<ref>[https://twitter.com/Melizande/status/1582054397814505472?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet Meli Grant on Twitter]</ref>
| appearances = [[Last Hope]]<br/>[[Reflections of the Moon]]
}}

'''Tressa Crystal Smith''', better known as '''Catalyst''', is a [[Legend]] first introduced in {{ItemLink|Season 15}}. A mystical terraformer from [[Boreas]], she joined the [[Apex Games]] to gain money to support herself and her family after losing her position in the [[Cleo Recovery Council]].

== Lore ==
=== Background ===
Tressa Crystal Smith was born in 2705 on [[Boreas]]. Smith grew up rebelling against Boreas society, spending most of her time on crystals and witchcraft with her fellow misfits. She additionally transitioned during her teenage years. Smith and her found family, especially her closest friend [[Margo]], were incredibly concerned for the state of Boreas's crumbling moon, Cleo, especially due to encroachment on it by [[Hammond Robotics]] and other corporations. They sought to do something about it in the wake of perceived inaction.<ref name="bio">https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/about/characters/catalyst</ref>

=== Last Hope ===
In 2719<ref name="moon4">[[Reflections of the Moon]] Chapter 4 - "Low Tide"</ref>, Smith and Margo broke into a facility that launched mining equipment onto the surface of Cleo. Once inside, she found a tank filled with a strange ferrofluid. Walking up to the facility's entrance with Margo, she was shocked when her friend mounted a bomb on the doors. While she protested this radical decision, the two were confronted by a [[Spectre]]. It hunted down Smith, with her eventually shoving the machine into the tank of ferrofluid, destroying it. During this fight, Margo was apprehended by the facility's guards; she then decided to detonate the bomb.<ref name="lasthope">[[Stories from the Outlands]] - [[Last Hope]]</ref> Immediately after, Smith was able to escape to her home, but it was quickly surrounded by police. To protect herself and her friends, she decided to run away.<ref>[[Transition]] - {{Symbol|Season 15}} {{Rare|Reflection}}</ref>

Smith soon applied to join and was accepted into the [[Cleo Recovery Council]], helping to terraform the newly developed colony of [[Broken Moon|Hope]] on Cleo's surface.<ref>Eclipse Patch Notes https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/news/eclipse-patch-notes</ref> Here, she achieved mastery over ferrofluid, using it to erect structures and protect her coworkers from debris. She additionally took up permanent residence at Hope's South Promenade, seeing the settlement on Cleo as a new hope for the moon.<ref name="lasthope"/> However, these hopes were dashed after [[Seer (character)|Seer]] and [[Torres Silva|Eduardo Silva]] announced their intentions to construct the newest [[Apex Games]] arena on Cleo. The services of Smith and the Cleo Recovery Council were terminated and superseded by the [[Mercenary Syndicate]] as a result.<ref name="s15launch">[[Eclipse Launch Trailer]]</ref>

Having lost her stability after leaving the Cleo Recovery Council, Smith entered into the Apex Games, hoping to use the prize money to support herself and her found family.<ref name="bio"/> [[Pravina Reddy|Pravina]] and [[Rose]], her remaining friends, helped her improve her terraforming equipment for use in the Games.<ref>[[Transition]] - {{Symbol|Season 15}} {{Rare|Calibration Complete}}</ref>

Eventually, Smith met with [[Rampart (character)|Rampart]] at her new home on Cleo and gave her a crystal reading.<ref name="lasthope"/>

=== Reflections of the Moon ===
Smith returned from an Apex Games match with Seer and [[Octane (character)|Octane]], facing a protest against what the crowd perceived as Seer's actions. While walking to retrieve their winnings from a Mercenary Syndicate office, Seer was attacked by the crowd, which pelted him with cans and debris. Smith quickly stepped in to shield him, stating that violence won't solve anything. Afterward, Seer attempted to speak with Smith, but she refused, placing the blame for her displacement from Cleo squarely on him despite his efforts to explain otherwise.<ref>[[Reflections of the Moon]] Chapter 1 - "All That Is Seen"</ref>

Smith later met Seer at [[Encore]], where he had retreated to after a fight with his parents. Not wishing to start an argument, Seer moved to leave, but Smith urged him to stay, wishing to talk and watch the moon. During their conversation, Seer admitted that his actions in bringing the Apex Games to Boreas were rash. He claimed that Boreas will be safer in the long term, but Smith rejects this claim, stating that she does not care about the planet that cast her out, caring more for the place where she found a community and a home.

Having agreed to disagree, the two found a new understanding of each other. They shook hands, with Edolasim stating his desire to do better, and Catalyst saying she will be there to see it.<ref name="moon4"/>

== Appearances ==
{| class="wikitable invert-image"
! In-Game
! Videos & Trailers
! Online Media
<!--! Publications-->
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 20px;" | <!-- In-Game -->
<div style= "font-size: 14px; margin-bottom:2px">'''[[Quests]]'''</div>
* [[Reflections of the Moon]]
| style="vertical-align: top; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 20px;" | <!-- Videos & Trailers -->
<div style= "font-size: 14px; margin-bottom:2px">'''[[Stories from the Outlands]]'''</div>
* ''[[Last Hope]]''
<div style= "font-size: 14px; margin-bottom:2px">'''Trailers'''</div>
* [[Eclipse Launch Trailer]]
| style="vertical-align: top; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 20px;" | <!-- Online Media -->
<div style= "font-size: 14px; margin-bottom:2px">'''[[Comics]]'''</div>
* [[Life Behind Glass]]
<div style= "font-size: 14px; margin-bottom:2px">'''[[Teasers]]'''</div>
* [[Season 15 Teasers]] (mentioned)
|}

== Trivia ==
<tabber>
Character=
* Catalyst is transgender.<ref name="lasthope"/>
* Catalyst carries a citrine gem as a good luck charm.<ref>Catalyst kill quips - "I have a citrine gem in my pocket for good luck. Also, I'm much better at this than you."</ref>
* Catalyst's animations display a variety of tarot cards, including:
** [[wikipedia:The Moon (tarot card)|The Moon]], depicting [[Broken Moon|Cleo]]
** [[wikipedia:The Sun (tarot card)|The Sun]], depicting [[Wattson (character)|Wattson]] and [[Crypto (character)|Crypto]]
** [[wikipedia:The Magician (tarot card)|The Magician]], depicting [[Seer (character)|Seer]]
** [[wikipedia:The Lovers|The Twins]], depicting [[Lifeline (character)|Lifeline]] and [[Octane (character)|Octane]]
** [[wikipedia:The High Priestess|The High Priestess]], depicting Catalyst
** [[wikipedia:Death (tarot card)|Death]], depicting [[Revenant (character)|Revenant]]
** [[wikipedia:The Devil (tarot card)|The Devil]], depicting the [[Apex Predators]]
* Catalyst is not fond of cooking.<ref>''[[Apex Legends: The Official Cookbook]]''</ref>

|-|

Voice Actor=
* Catalyst's voice actress, Meli Grant, has portrayed a variety of roles, including:
**Misuzu Kawazoe from "[[wikipedia:Assault Lily BOUQUET|Assault Lily]]"
**Houston from "[[wikipedia:Azur Lane|Azur Lane]]"
**Loki from [[wikipedia:KamiKatsu|KamiKatsu]]
**Quitela from [[wikipedia:Dragon Ball Super|Dragon Ball Super]]

|-|

Cultural References=
* Catalyst's kill quip, {{Rare|"This witch came from the moon"}}, references a famous line from ''[[wikipedia:Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]''.
</tabber>

== References ==
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