In older releases, Testament had a reputation for being "infamous[ly]" powerful, with multiple players and critics expecting this to remain true in Guilty Gear Strive, though writer AJ Hurst hoped to see them toned down.

Introduced in the original Guilty Gear, Testament was made to be a "simple expression of the Grim Reaper, and intended mostly to create a suspenseful air for the game's final boss, Justice.

[11] Testament was announced as a downloadable character in Guilty Gear Strive at the ARCREVO America Finals.

[5] Testament has received generally positive reception, considered an early example of a queer character in fighting games.

[12] Waypoint writer Renata Price commented that they fit well into an "androgynous villain mold that many queer-coded characters are forced into."

"[12] When Testament was announced for Guilty Gear Strive, players expected that they would be strong like they were in the older games, with Kotaku writer Ian Walker identifying their "trap-based gameplay" as "infamous.

[14] Before Guilty Gear Strive, fans debated Testament's gender, which some thinking they were male or female due to their androgynous design.

[16] Testament coming out received positive response from Guilty Gear fans, with the announcement that they would be voiced by a transgender woman garnering excitement due to matching a non-binary character with a trans actor.

[17] Inverse writer Jess Reyes felt that Testament, alongside Bridget, represented a "rare step forward" for LGBTQIA+ representation in video games.

[19] Wired writer Zephin Livingston identified Testament as one of the most prominent examples of an LGBTQ+ character in fighting games.