The following is a comprehensive list of characters from the ''
Soulcalibur
is a weapon-based fighting video game franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
There are seven main installments of video games and various media spin-offs, including music albums and a series of manga books. The first game in the series, '' ...
'' series of video games, beginning with ''
Soul Edge
is a fighting game developed by the Namco team Project Soul and published by Namco as the first installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of 3D fighting games. Originally released as an arcade game in December 1995 in video gaming, 1995, an upgra ...
'' (''Soul Blade'') in 1995.
Overview
The ''Soulcalibur'' series is a weapon-based
fighting game
A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
franchise developed by
Namco Bandai
is a Japanese multinational video game publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and ...
's
Project Soul
is a weapon-based fighting video game franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
There are seven main installments of video games and various media spin-offs, including music albums and a series of manga books. The first game in the series, '' ...
division. Set in the period of late 16th to early 17th century, the plot of the games revolve around Soul Edge, a cursed sword able to possess its wielder and devour souls. Its spirit is called Inferno, and his avatar/host is called Nightmare. Soul Calibur, a holy sword and Soul Edge's
antithesis, also has a spirit called Elysium.
With each character, their weapon was decided upon before other aspects were. The design was then built to revolve around it, starting with gender, then physical measurements, and lastly background details. Once established, appearance and movement were fleshed out by the team's
concept art
Concept art is a form of visual art used to convey an idea for use in films, video games, animation, comic books, or other media before it is put into the final product. Concept art usually refers to world-building artwork used to inspire the ...
ist
and rendered as a
3D model by a design team that worked solely on the character. The completed model was then animated by a
motion capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
artist working directly with the team. During this phase the team additionally worked with the story creators, refining the character's own role in the plot as needed throughout development. In the course of the series, two characters have been an exception to the process: Johan Druer, a
berserker exclusive to the Japanese player's guide, and
Necrid, a character co-produced with
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic book creator, artist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horro ...
that appears in ''
Soulcalibur II
is a 2002 fighting game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco and the third installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of weapon-based fighting games. It is the sequel to ''Soulcalibur'', which was released in July 1998. Originally in ...
''.
Starting with ''Soulcalibur II'', guest characters from other franchises or companies were introduced for different home ports of the game, with ''
The Legend of Zelda
''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-rele ...
''s
Link appearing for the
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
version, comic book character
Spawn
Spawn or spawning may refer to:
* Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise
** '' Spawn: ...
for the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
, and ''
Tekken''s
Heihachi Mishima
is a fictional character of Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series, serving as its main antagonist. Introduced as the boss character from the first ''Tekken'' video game from 1994, Heihachi appears as the leader of a military firm know ...
for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
. Despite rumors of ''
Devil May Cry
is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...
''s
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
's inclusion in ''
Soulcalibur III
is a fighting game, fighting video game produced by Namco as a sequel to ''Soulcalibur II'' and the fourth installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. An improved arcade game, arcade versi ...
'', developers confirmed no plans for the inclusion of guest characters for the title, with series producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama stating "It’s my policy to never do the same thing twice." However, under new producer Katsutoshi Sasaki the concept was revisited in later titles in the series, with ''
Tales of Symphonia''s
Lloyd Irving
is an action role-playing game released for the Nintendo GameCube on August 29, 2003, in Japan. It was published by Namco and is the fifth core product of the ''Tales'' series. The game was localized and released in North America on July 13, ...
appearing in ''
Soulcalibur Legends
is an action-adventure game for the Wii console. It is a spin-off of Namco Bandai's successful ''Soulcalibur'' fighting game series and primarily features two of its most popular characters: Ivy and Siegfried.
Gameplay
The game features comp ...
'', ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' characters
The Apprentice
''The Apprentice'' is a Reality competition, reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States.
Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with variou ...
,
Yoda
Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until ...
and
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
appearing in ''
Soulcalibur IV
is the sixth installment in the '' Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It features greatly improved graphics over the previous title, and includes three guest characters from the ''Star Wa ...
'', with the latter two exclusively to the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
and
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
versions respectively until later released as
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
, ''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
''s
Kratos for ''
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny'',
and
Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Ezio Auditore da Firenze () is a fictional character in the video game series ''Assassin's Creed'', an Italian master assassin who serves as the protagonist of the series' games set during the Italian Renaissance. His life and career as an assas ...
from the ''
Assassin's Creed
''Assassin's Creed'' is an open-world, action-adventure, and stealth game franchise published by Ubisoft and developed mainly by its studio Ubisoft Montreal using the game engine Anvil and its more advanced derivatives. Created by Patrice D ...
'' franchises for ''
Soulcalibur V
is a fighting game, fighting video game developed and released by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.
The sixth main installment in Namco's ''Soulcalibur (series), Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, ''Soulcalibur ...
''.
Devil Jin
is a fictional character of the ''Tekken'' fighting game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment. He was introduced as the protagonist in the 1997 game '' Tekken 3'' and has been the central character of the series from that game onwards. ...
from ''Tekken'' was also added to ''Soulcalibur V'' as a non-playable character and his moveset can only be accessed by creating a character that uses his style of fighting. ''
Soulcalibur VI
''Soulcalibur VI'' is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Dimps and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows in 2018. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Soulcalibur' ...
'' added
Geralt of Rivia
Geralt of Rivia ( pl, Geralt z Rivii) is a fictional character and the protagonist of ''The Witcher'' series of short stories and novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. He is a magically enhanced monster-hunter known as a "witcher", who posse ...
from ''
The Witcher
''The Witcher'' ( pl, Wiedźmin ) is a series of six fantasy novels and 15 short stories written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series revolves around the eponymous "witcher", Geralt of Rivia. In Sapkowski's works, "witchers" are be ...
'',
2B from ''
Nier: Automata'' and
Haohmaru
is the titular protagonist of the ''Samurai Shodown'' series of video games, as well as one of its most known characters alongside Nakoruru. He was introduced in the original ''Samurai Shodown'' in 1993 and has since appeared in every title in the ...
from ''
Samurai Shodown
''Samurai Shodown'', known in Japan as is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat.
Plot
The stories in the series take place ...
'' as guest characters.
Main series
Main characters
Bonus and guest characters
Notes:
Spin-offs
Notes:
Introduced in ''Soul Edge''
Cervantes
Hwang
:Voiced by (English):
SungWon Cho (''SCVI'')
:Voiced by (Japanese):
Toshiyuki Morikawa
is a Japanese voice actor, narrator and singer who is the head of Axlone, a voice acting company he founded in April 2011. His name is also sometimes mistranslated as Tomoyuki Morikawa. In 2003, he and Fumihiko Tachiki formed the band "2Hearts", ...
(''SE'' (Arcade));
Wataru Takagi
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Chiba Prefecture. He is affiliated with Arts Vision. He is best known for his roles in ''Detective Conan'' (as Genta Kojima and Wataru Takagi), '' After War Gundam X'' (as Garrod Ran), '' Slayers Try' ...
(''SE'' (Console)~''SC'');
Naoki Imamura
is a Japanese voice actor from Saitama Prefecture attached to Aoni Production. He has played a large number of supporting and minor roles, including heroes, villains, serious and joke characters. He performed alongside Kōji Totani numerous time ...
(''SCIII'');
Subaru Kimura
, known professionally as , is a German-Japanese actor and rapper. His best-known role is voicing Takeshi Goda in the ''Doraemon'' series, which has spawned numerous specials.
Biography
Kimura was born in Blankenburg (Harz) and raised in Japan ...
(''SCVI'')
, a man with a strong sense of justice, joined
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
's coast guard and was sent to find the "Sword of Salvation", which in reality is the cursed sword Soul Edge, in order to protect his country. However he returned after learning of an impending
Japanese invasion of his homeland, bringing his friend's daughter, Seong Mi-Na, back with him. When he set out after her again, he discovered the true nature of the sword and informed his superiors of it. They dismissed him as a result, but upon learning that the Japanese were also after the sword he was instead sent to stop them. Heading westward, he plans to join forces with Mi-na to destroy the blade. In ''
Soulcalibur IV
is the sixth installment in the '' Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It features greatly improved graphics over the previous title, and includes three guest characters from the ''Star Wa ...
'', he was in Ostrheinsburg when he crossed paths with Hong Yun-seong, a student of the Seong dojo. Hwang tried to warn him the danger of Soul Edge, though the young warrior did not heed his warning and continued his journey to find the sword. After the Soul Edge is destroyed, he is deemed a national hero and begins training the new generation alongside Mi-Na and Yun-seong.
In a new timeline depicted in ''Soulcalibur VI'', Hwang was forcefully being implanted with the evil seed and almost transformed into a malfested by Won Gabok, a servant of Soul Edge. He managed to injure himself and was thought to have committed suicide. However, Hwang survived and was saved by Woo Soo-yun, an ally of the Aval Organization and by extension, the Wolfkrone Kingdom. Hwang masters taoism for three months to suppress the malfestation from taking over his body and countermeasure any other malfestation threats.
During development several weapons were considered, including a
zhanmadao
The ''zhanmadao'' () was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279).
General characteristics
The zhanmadao is a single-edged sabre ...
like Seong Mi-Na's and a bladed
nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm (sticks) and 1 inch (rope). A person w ...
like Li Long's. Several different outfit components were also considered at this time, such as the inclusion of head and/or arm guards and an arm bandana. With Hwang's appearance in ''Soulcalibur'' his attire was changed. Chinese style costumes were considered, including an outfit with an open jacket and a bandaged design with a Chinese martial artist's attire. The developers based his look around the concept of a traveler, implementing subtle hints such as his torn pant legs. Hwang appears in ''
Soulcalibur VI
''Soulcalibur VI'' is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Dimps and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows in 2018. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Soulcalibur' ...
'', although he was not playable until being made available as downloadable content. He eventually learns a
taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
to combine its power with his original sword technique.
Inferno
Li Long
Mitsurugi
Rock
:Voiced by (English):
Robert Belgrade
Robert Belgrade is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, music educator and narrator, best known as the original English dubbing voice acting for Alucard (Castlevania), Alucard in ''Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'' and as the announcer in sever ...
(''SE'')
Voiced by (Japanese):
Takashi Nagasako
is a Japanese voice actor who is currently affiliated with Arts Vision. He has voiced in a number of video games with roles such as Ganondorf in ''The Legend of Zelda'', Big the Cat in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, Cervantes de Leon and ...
(''SE''~''SC'');
Minoru Inaba
is a Japanese voice actor from Shizuoka Prefecture. He is affiliated with Ken Production.
Inaba is best known for his roles in Disney productions (as Dale), ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' (as Buzz Lightyear), and '' The Transformers'' (as ...
(''SCIII'');
Tōru Ōkawa
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. While he went to a College of Art, Nihon University, he started his career as a stage actor, but after he moved to Mausu Promotion, his current agency, he came to focus on voice acting.
Filmograp ...
(''SCIV''~)
, born as , is the son of an English dealer who specialized in rare weapons. His father managed to bid Soul Edge at one auction and was about to take it home, only for the ship to be attacked by pirate Cervantes who killed everyone except Rock, who washed up in the shores of America with his memories gone. The Native Americans were unwilling to help Rock due to his size and only a boy named Bangoo was unafraid to befriend him. Rock eventually recovered his memories over time and left America in search of Soul Edge, which may become the key to his full memories. Through Sophitia's words, he returned to care for Bangoo, only to find him being kidnapped by Aeon Calcos/Lizardman whose cult demanded Rock's soul. He crossed back to Europe and rescued Bangoo. They stayed in Europe for several years until Bangoo grew older, after which Bangoo went to America by himself. Later, Rock is attacked by a giant named Astaroth whose moves have an uncanny resemblance to his own. He learned that Astaroth was created by Lizardman's cult based on his image and is now serving Nightmare. Rock is determined to stop him at all costs. His fate afterward is not known, as no explanation is given for his absence in ''
Soulcalibur V
is a fighting game, fighting video game developed and released by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.
The sixth main installment in Namco's ''Soulcalibur (series), Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, ''Soulcalibur ...
''.
Initially during development, the character was called "Beast Warrior", and his design changed little over the course of creating the character. His appearance is intended to reflect the atmosphere of a wild warrior, while his facial expressions were drawn in a positive manner, intended to show him enjoying the fight. When developing his appearance for ''Soulcalibur'', a clothed design and a bald appearance were both rejected, as the team felt they gave the impression of an urban or "bad guy" character, respectively.
Seong Han-myeong
is the father of Seong Mi-na and the owner of the Seong dojo. He only appeared as a secret character in the console version of ''
Soul Edge
is a fighting game developed by the Namco team Project Soul and published by Namco as the first installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of 3D fighting games. Originally released as an arcade game in December 1995 in video gaming, 1995, an upgra ...
'', utilizing a Chinese sword akin to Hwang. After his wife and son both died of illness, he trained his daughter in martial arts but wished her to stay home, despite her rebellious nature. He became interested in a student of his, Hwang Seong-gyeong, and tried to adopt him as his successor, although Hwang politely rejected the offer. Regardless, Han-myeong planned to marry his daughter with Hwang, which only caused Mi-na to run away from home for months, although she was eventually dragged back home by Hwang. When a malfested army invades his dojang to hunt Mi-na for her involvement and lure Hwang (who is now also a Taoist in ''Soulcalibur VI''), Han-myeong learns Soul Edge’s evil nature from his student. Later, another student of his, Hong Yun-seong ran away from his dojo to find Soul Edge and Han-myeong reluctantly gave his blessing to his daughter in an attempt to find him, yet entrust her to prevent Yun-seong from nearing Soul Edge.
Seong Mi-na
:Voiced by (English): Molly Lin (''SCII'');
Erika Lenhart (''SCIII''~''SC:BD'');
Erica Mendez (''SCVI'')
Voiced by (Japanese):
Hekiru Shiina
is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She debuted as a singer at the age of 17. Her first voice role was Tenshiko in ''K.O. Beast'' in 1992. Some of her major voice roles include Hikaru Shidou in '' Magic Knight Rayearth'', Alpha in ''Yokoha ...
(''SE'' (Arcade));
Yūko Miyamura
is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and sound director. Her nickname is . She played Kazuha Toyama in ''Detective Conan'', Casca in Berserk and Asuka Langley Soryu in ''Neon Genesis Evangelion''.
Personal life
Miyamura was born in Ko ...
(''SE'' (Console));
Houko Kuwashima
is a Japanese voice actress and singer.Doi, Hitoshi"Kuwashima Houko" ''Seiyuu Database''. 3 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011. She is capable of playing a variety of roles, ranging from young boys to feminine women. She is affiliated with ...
(''SC''~''SCIII'');
Sanae Kobayashi (''SCIV''~''SC:BD'');
Chinatsu Akasaki
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with 81 Produce.
Biography
Akasaki graduated from Kagoshima Prefectural Kinkōwan High School and Tokyo Gakugei University. She studied Italian as a second foreign language. She won the Nippon Cultural Broa ...
(''SCVI'')
is a young Korean woman, excelling at weapon usage but regarded as simply a girl by her peers. Barred from joining the coast guard due to her gender, she sought out the rumored "Sword of Salvation", which in actuality was Soul Edge, to prove herself. Hwang eventually caught up with her and dragged her back home, but she set out again after her father's efforts to marry her to him became unbearable. Encountering another female warrior named Ivy, she challenged her but was quickly defeated, and learned from Ivy that not only was she still inexperienced but that the sword she sought was inherently evil. She later challenged an alcoholic armed with a
bō staff who also quickly defeated her. Seong Mi-na requested training from him, and he taught her all his skills, revealing in a farewell letter his name as "Kong Xiuqiang", the long-lost father of Xianghua. However, before she set out she was dragged home once more by Hwang. She later encountered Hong Yun-seong, a student of her father angry after being disregarded by Hwang when he challenged him to a duel. Feeling sorry for him, she handed him her family heirloom, the
dao
Dao, Dão or DAO may refer to:
* Tao (Chinese: "The Way" 道), a philosophical concept
* Dao (Chinese sword) (刀), a type of Chinese sword
* Dao (Naga sword), a weapon and a tool of Naga people
People and language
* Yao people, a minority ethni ...
'White Storm', and later that night he set out himself after Soul Edge. Mi-na set out to retrieve the dao from him, this time with her father's blessing. Afterward, Mi-na met with an old man, Edge Master, who quickly defeated her in their battle, at which point he trained her for some time. She eventually confronted Yun-seong and together with his companion, Talim tried to convince him to abandon his quest, though he did not heed their warnings and left on his own one night while both women were asleep. Mi-na then promised Talim that she will find Yun-seong before they parted their ways. She is finally reunited with Yun-seong after the destruction of Soul Edge and the two go back home. Upon returning she is deemed as a national hero and begins training the younger generation with Hwang.
The new timeline reiterates Mi-na's adventures as she runs away from home to avoid marriage, loses to Ivy and Xiuqiang, and trains under the latter. She then goes on a dangerous mission to stop a cult from targeting a village and nearly gets killed. But Mi-na is saved by Hwang and the villagers, who were inspired by her bravery. She then reluctantly allows Hwang to take her home. Due to her infiltration at a base of Soul Edge’s servants, she was targeted by the evil sword’s servant Won Gabok, but was saved by Hwang and learned the true nature of Soul Edge. Her distaste towards Soul Edge and its evil nature has since becoming the reason she, Hwang and Talim tries to prevent Yun-seong from nearing it.
In a 2002 poll by Namco prior to the release of ''Soulcalibur II'' regarding their favorite character, Seong Mi-Na placed first with little under 20% of the tally, just ahead of runner-up Sophitia (18%).
Siegfried
Sophitia
Taki
Voldo
Introduced in ''Soulcalibur''
Arthur
Arthur (アーサー ''Āsā''
?) is a playable character introduced in the first ''Soulcalibur'', where he replaced Mitsurugi in Korea due to the local sensibilities regarding the subject of the samurai. Arthur is an orphaned European who has become a swordsman in Japan. In his first appearance, he looks exactly like Mitsurugi except with blond hair and an eye patch, and his weapon, movelist and ending are identical to Mitsurugi's. Arthur returned as a bonus character in all versions of ''Soulcalibur III'', representing the "Katana" Create-a-Fighter discipline. In this game he is given unique facial characteristics and a weapon of his own, with his outfit based on that of Mitsurugi in ''Soulcalibur II''. Arthur's Destined Battle enemy in ''Soulcalibur'' is against Taki (the same as Mitsurugi's), while in ''Soulcalibur III'' it is Mitsurugi.
Astaroth
Edge Master
:Voiced by:
Daisuke Gōri
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. ...
(''SC'');
Kōji Ishii
is a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Vi-Vo. His major roles include: Koutaro Taiga in '' The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'', Giovanni Bertuccio in '' Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo'', Shigematsu in '' Toriko'', and Prime Min ...
(''SCV'')
has a mysterious past; renowned for his skill with various weapons, his past and real name are known only to himself. He served as advisor and teacher at the Ling-Sheng Su Temple, before it was destroyed by the "Evil Seed" event. Taking in the only survivor of the event, Kilik, he taught him to suppress the evil within himself and sent him to destroy Soul Edge, before departing on a quest of his own. After Soul Edge is shattered by Kilik's companion, Xianghua, he gave her an unnamed
Jian
The ''jian'' (pronunciation (劍), English approximation: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the Spring and ...
and returned to training Kilik in hermitage until Kilik went on his second quest to destroy Soul Edge. Later, he returned to training him when he is carried unconscious by Xianghua (after their fight with Zasalamel) for three months, until he left on his own after receiving a purifying blow from Edge Master and Xianghua's letter. Around this time, he is also challenged by Seong Mi-na, who is swiftly defeated, and trained her for some time upon her request. In the seventeen-year gap between ''Soulcalibur IV'' and ''V'', he taught another of Kilik's companion, Maxi to control the Soul Edge's shard in his body and warned him to bequeath Kali-Yuga to Xiba, as Kilik's life is in great danger. Leaving his hermitage a second time, he entered Astral Chaos to prevent the Hero King, Algol from corrupting the world with the realm's energies.
Although not playable in ''Soulcalibur VI'', Edge Master appears in the story mode as Kilik's mentor,
Taki's ally in keeping
Mitsurugi away from Soul Edge, and a helper to guest character,
Geralt of Rivia
Geralt of Rivia ( pl, Geralt z Rivii) is a fictional character and the protagonist of ''The Witcher'' series of short stories and novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. He is a magically enhanced monster-hunter known as a "witcher", who posse ...
, in getting the witcher back to his world.
Edge Master was created by illustrator
Yasushi Nirasawa
was a Japanese illustrator, character designer, and model maker born in Tochio, Niigata. He is well known for character designs in the Kamen Rider entries ''Kamen Rider Blade'', ''Kamen Rider Kabuto'', and ''Kamen Rider Den-O'' and the creature ...
, who had designed him as a background character and weapon shop owner for ''Soul Edge Official Guidebook – Densetsu Buki Tankyū no Sho''. Out of appreciation, Namco later introduced him as a playable character in ''Soulcalibur'' and a recurring series element. His age is intended to reflect his experience and strength.
Ivy
Kilik
:Voiced by (English): Scott Reyns (''SCII'');
Grant George
Grant George is an American voice actor who is known for voicing characters in anime dubs and video games. George is best known as the voice of Izuru Kira from the internationally acclaimed ''Bleach'' anime series, the Warrior of Light from ''F ...
(''SCIII''~)
Voiced by (Japanese):
Sōichirō Hoshi
is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with Arts Vision. Some of his major anime roles include Son Goku in '' Saiyuki'', Kira Yamato in '' Gundam Seed'', '' Gundam Seed Destiny'', Kazuki Fuuchouin in ''GetBackers'', Masaru Daimon in ...
as an infant was left on the steps of a temple in China. He grew up with Xianglian, a fellow monk whom Kilik had seen as his own sister. He was trained in the art of staff-fighting and inherited one of the temple's treasure Kali-Yuga. However, during the night of the "Evil Seed", Kilik and other monks were possessed and fought each other. Xianglian used her inheritance Dvapara-Yuga to stop Kilik, but ended up possessed which forced Kilik to kill her. Sane once more, he came under the tutelage of Edge Master, and joined forces with Maxi and Xianghua (unknowingly Xianglian's sister) to destroy Soul Edge and purge the evil within himself. They confronted Nightmare during his Soul Edge ritual and Kilik managed to defeat him. He returned to hone his skills with Edge Master, but sensed Soul Edge's return four years later that made him travel around the world with Xianghua once again. The two confronted Zasalamel in a corrupted city where Kilik was knocked unconscious by him. He awoke a month later in Edge Master's home and began to train his skills again, determined to search Soul Edge with Xianghua again. While traveling with Xianghua, he realized that he had feelings for her, but he cannot confess it as she reminded him of the late Xianglian, so he planned to leave her when the time is right. During the seventeen-year gap of ''Soulcalibur IV'' and ''Soulcalibur V'', the two reunited where Kilik had an intimate meeting with Xianghua that conceived Xiba, but left her before Xiba was born. He then spent his time trying to close the astral gates, where he touched the souls of those who had wandered the Astral Chaos and made him able to learn their styles.
The new timeline not only retells Kilik's tragic past in the Ling-Shang Su temple massacre, but also reveals his malfested form because of the Evil Seed, and his rivalry with new character,
Grøh. Throughout his journey with Xianghua and Maxi, Kilik is constantly troubled over Xianglian's death, but is aided by
Sophitia
, better known simply as Sophitia, is a fictional character in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, she first appeared in ''Soul Edge'' and its subsequent sequels, as well as appearing in various merc ...
, who helps him cope with his past. In the battle against Inferno, Kilik saves Xianghua with control over his malfestation as Grøh did before him, and the pair defeat Inferno.
Kilik's name is derived from Turkish ''kılıç'', meaning "sword." During Kilik's initial design creation, while the weapon selected remained constant several ages and related appearances were considered. In particular amongst these was suggested a young boy whose design was based upon the legendary Chinese character
Sun Wukong
The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...
, the Monkey King. Other designs such as a feral appearance were considered, but unused due to them feeling "pretty wild" and too different from the initial concept.
Lizardman (Aeon Calcos)
, like Sophitia Alexandra, was one of the warriors to receive an oracle from the god
Hephaestus
Hephaestus (; eight spellings; grc-gre, Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos) is the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire (compare, however, with Hestia), and volcanoes.Walter Burk ...
to destroy Soul Edge. A group of desert travelers rescued a dehydrated Aeon and brought him to their village. About to repay them by teaching them swordplay, the "Evil Seed" event occurred and turned him into a crazed killer that massacred everyone in the village. Astaroth's creator Kunpaetku heard stories of Aeon and captured him for experiments, transforming him into a . Ordered to bring Rock's adopted son to Europe, he was defeated while pursuing Soul Edge, which was destroyed moments later. Freed from his brainwashed state, he tried to restore his human form but was unable to and thus blamed Hephaestus for abandoning him. His state deteriorated further, gradually losing his humanity and memories. Taken in by a group of lizardmen like himself, he realized he lost his soul to Soul Edge, and sought to reclaim it. By the time of ''
Soulcalibur V
is a fighting game, fighting video game developed and released by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.
The sixth main installment in Namco's ''Soulcalibur (series), Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, ''Soulcalibur ...
'', Lizardman's continued battles have changed his form to the point where he has grown wings and is able to breathe fire, resembling a
dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
. Lizardman went through a few changes through his initial development, with several drafts remaining consistent in their design. However, at one point it was proposed to have the characters be exactly "half human, half reptile", and as a result in terrible pain.
Maxi
:Voiced by (English): Doug Boyd (''SCII'');
Steve Van Wormer
Steve Van Wormer (born December 8, 1969) is an American actor.
Early life and career
Van Wormer attended Grand Blanc Community High School and Michigan State University and moved to Los Angeles, California upon graduation. He has acted in movies ...
(''SCIII''~)
Voiced by (Japanese):
Nobutoshi Canna
, better known by the stage name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor, singer and narrator who is affiliated with Aoni Production. He first started acting as a child. Canna is best known for his performances as Tasuki (''Fushigi Yûgi''), Ban Mido ...
(''SC''~''SCIII'');
Kenjiro Tsuda (''SCIV''~''SCBD'');
Shigeo Kiyama
is a Japanese actor and voice actor.
Filmography Television animation
*''Ristorante Paradiso'' (2009) – Gian Luigi Orsini (Gigi)
*''Mobile Suit Gundam AGE'' (2011) – Dian Fonroid, Zafar Rogue and others
*'' Tiger & Bunny'' (2011) – Walte ...
(''SCV''~)
was a wandering pirate from Shuri in the
Ryūkyū Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in t ...
(present-day Okinawa, Japan). He fights using nunchaku after learning techniques from "Zhang Wu", an alias for the assassin Li Long. He pursues the golem Astaroth, who attacked his ship and slaughtered his crewmates, joining forces with Kilik and Xianghua. Maxi defeats Astaroth but is critically wounded as a result. He is later found by some villagers who help nurse him back to health using fragments of Soul Edge. He eventually pursues Soul Edge in order to use it to kill Astaroth so he will die, planning to himself die shortly afterward. In ''
Soulcalibur IV
is the sixth installment in the '' Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It features greatly improved graphics over the previous title, and includes three guest characters from the ''Star Wa ...
'', Maxi managed to kill Astaroth, though he had decided not to kill himself and instead went to train with Edge Master to control the shards of Soul Edge in his body, which had stopped his body from aging. After seventeen years, he is sent by Edge Master to bequeath Kali-Yuga to a boy named Xiba, as his friend, Kilik's destiny is in great danger. He became a leader of a group consisting of himself, Xiba, Leixia, and Natsu. The group meet Patroklos during his journey and help him restore Soul Calibur back to its full form.
The new timeline goes into further on how Maxi loses his crew to Astaroth, and on his journey with Kilik and Xianghua to avenge his brothers. It also reveals Grøh found Maxi injured after the latter’s first victory against Astaroth.
After initially considering having Li Long return for ''Soulcalibur'', the development team instead focused on creating a new, younger nunchaku wielder for the title. After considering several ideas for his hairstyle, including several gag designs, the developers initially chose to give him dreadlocks before changing to the current appearance. Additionally, they opted to give him an outfit that would make him attractive.
Nightmare
Xianghua
:Voiced by (English):
Wendee Lee
Wendee Lee is an American voice actress, writer, and director.
Biography
Lee studied dance and theater and later became a full-time dancer in her teens. According to her interview on the '' Magic Knight Rayearth'' DVDs, she started doing voices ...
:Voiced by (Japanese):
Aya Hisakawa
is a Japanese voice actress and singer. In addition to releasing various solo CDs, Hisakawa is well known for her voice roles in anime and video games. Some of her major roles are Retsu Unohana in ''Bleach'', Sailor Mercury in ''Sailor Moon'', ...
(SCI-III),
Ryōko Shintani
is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Kanazawa, Ishikawa.Doi, Hitoshi.Shintani Ryouko. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 30, 2010Archivedby WebCite July 31, 2010.Nakagami, Yoshikattsu; Yoshida, Moichi; Onitsuka, Kanako; Nishimoto, Keiko. "Voice Actr ...
(SCIV),
Aya Suzaki
is a Japanese voice actress and narrator affiliated with I'm Enterprise. She is widely known for her work, such as Tamako Kitashirakawa in ''Tamako Market''.
Biography
Suzaki is good at singing, and lists soft tennis and scuba diving as her fav ...
(SCVI)
is the daughter of a seasoned female warrior and a monk. Her mother eventually abandoned her father, and taught her how to fight using a battered tai chi jian, in reality a stolen holy weapon called the Krita-Yuga from her father's temple in disguise. Eventually Xianghua became a member of the Chinese
Imperial Guards, and was sent after the "Hero's Sword", which in reality was Soul Edge. Encountering Kilik and Maxi, they joined forces and defeated first Nightmare, then Inferno in its own realm. With her weapon revealing its true form as Soul Calibur, Soul Edge's antithesis, they defeated Inferno and escaped, though at the loss of the sword. Four years later, though falling out of favor with the Chinese royalty, she continued along Kilik to hunt down and destroy Soul Edge when it resurfaced. While she and Kilik was trying to purge a corrupted city, they met with Zasalamel who knocked Kilik unconscious while Xianghua was unable to do anything. She carried Kilik to Edge Master's home and spent the next month honing her skills. She joined with Kilik again to find Soul Edge, where she realized she had feelings for him, but cannot confess it. The two parted ways after Soul Edge is destroyed, but reunited a year later where they had an intimate meeting, but Kilik left Xianghua shortly thereafter. She realized that she was pregnant with Kilik's child and was ordered by her grandfather to kill the child, considering it as a heresy. The Chinese general Yan Wujin however, negotiated to allow the child to live as a condition for marrying Xianghua. She then named the child Xiba and left him to live with her father Kong Xiuqiang, after which she had two children with Wujin, Leixia and Leixin.
During Xianghua's early design phase, several concepts were considered for her attire, before settling upon a light and oriental appearance for her. Additionally it was considered to have her appear as a young girl instead, or alternatively for her to fight unarmed using martial arts, an idea later put to effect through
Heihachi Mishima
is a fictional character of Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series, serving as its main antagonist. Introduced as the boss character from the first ''Tekken'' video game from 1994, Heihachi appears as the leader of a military firm know ...
and his appearance in ''Soulcalibur II''.
''Dreamcast Magazine'' ranked her as the seventh top "girl on the
Dreamcast
The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...
" in 2000, commenting: "With an
oriental flavour to her moves and style, Xianghua is a bit of a minx even though she looks sweet and innocent." According to
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's Jesse Schedeen "Xianghua may be traditional in some ways, but she certainly doesn't dress like it. She has one of the more unique costumes in ''Soulcalibur IV'', a hodgepodge of different Oriental fashions that come together in one sexy look. Never before has a
kung fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
hero been such a babe."
In 2014, Julia Cook of ''
Paste'' ranked Xianghua as the second "best dressed lady" in all video games for her collection of varied "tight outfits with flowy, feminine accoutrements" from "brightly colored capris under dresses or robes, sometimes with a sleek tiara" in early games to "a more masculine blazer and shorts combination for ''Soul Calibur IV''."
Yoshimitsu
Introduced in ''Soulcalibur II''
In addition to the characters below, lesser storyline related characters were included in console versions of the title as unlockable characters, appearing as recurring enemies in the game's "Weapon Master Mode". Assassin and Berserker served as counterparts to previous characters Hwang and Rock. Both would later appear as boss enemies in ''Soulcalibur III'', with Assassin's fighting style modified to utilize a
kunai
A is a Japanese tool thought to be originally derived from the masonry trowel. The two widely recognized variations of the kunai are short kunai (小苦無 shō-''kunai'') and the big ''kunai'' (大苦無 ''dai-kunai''). Although a basic tool ...
and Berserker modified into a smaller, fully armored warrior armed with a lance. Several generic Lizardmen also appear as recurring enemies and an unlockable character, utilizing an axe and shield fighting style that would be used by the original Lizardman in later appearances of the character.
Cassandra
Charade
is the name of a creature introduced in ''Soulcalibur II'', formed from Soul Edge's fragments and various reshaped human body parts. It has no intellect, instead acting on instinct and a desire to absorb other pieces of Soul Edge. It was once a man who collected fragments of Soul Edge but was murdered and in his final moments had him mutated into Charade. It mimics fighting styles and weapons by scanning the minds of its opponents, represented in ''Soulcalibur II'' by his use of a random fighting style from one of the other game's characters. In the arcade version of ''Soulcalibur II'', Charade served as the final boss, and was unlocked for players to use after the game had been in operation a certain amount of time. For console ports of the title, Charade was replaced by Inferno as the game's final boss, and was made into a regular unlockable character. A Charade appears as a boss in ''Soulcalibur III'' in a three-round match in which it progressively loses components of itself between each round, eventually reduced to just its eye. It presumably became one with Soul Edge/Nightmare.
Charades appear in the game ''Namco × Capcom'' as enemy characters, mimicking Sophitia's fighting style from ''Soulcalibur II''. These Charades are unique in that Soul Edge creates them directly, an ability it lacks in the ''Soul'' series. Called Soul Edge's "
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
s" by the game's protagonists, they are created by Soul Edge as foot soldiers and as a means to protect itself. When defeated, they will melt and dissolve into nothing.
Reception to Charade has been mixed. Netjack
's Steve Lubitz described Charade as "Weapon Master, only uglier" and cited a lack of creativity with the design. The sentiment was shared by Deeko
's review of ''Soulcalibur II'', who said that Charade felt like a new character that used "old character moves and tactics". Other reviewers of ''II'' repeated the sentiment, noting Charade as one of several "
Doppelgänger
A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person.
In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...
" fighters in the title that filled in another character's role. On the other hand,
UGO
Ugo is the Italian form of Hugh, a widely used name of Germanic origin. Its diminutive form is Ugolino.
It is also a Nigerian Igbo first name.
It may refer to:
People
* Vgo (stonemason), medieval stonemason
* Ugo Bassi, a Roman Catholic prie ...
's Doug Trueman cited Charade as a character that "
ddedsomething spectacular to the ''Soul Calibur'' pantheon."
[Trueman, Doug]
Soul Calibur 2 review
. UGO.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-12 and additionally received mention in UGO's "Top 11 Soul Calibur Fighters" article, losing to
Olcadan only due to Olcadan's
owl-inspired design.
[Top 11 Soul Calibur Fighters](_blank)
. UGO.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-14
Yun-seong
:Voiced by (English): Jim Singer (''SCII'')
Voiced by (Japanese):
Kōsuke Toriumi
is a Japanese voice actor affiliated to Arts Vision.
Biography
He is a member of and . To commemorate twenty years of his debut, a book entitled released on May 16, 2016. He created his YouTube channel on March 19, 2020.
Filmography Anime t ...
was introduced in ''Soulcalibur II'' as a student at the Seong dojo and had idolized Hwang Seong-gyeong, a Korean warrior sent to find the "Sword of Salvation". When Hwang rejected his attempt to challenge him, the dojo's daughter Seong Mi-na handed Yun-seong the White Storm, a
dao
Dao, Dão or DAO may refer to:
* Tao (Chinese: "The Way" 道), a philosophical concept
* Dao (Chinese sword) (刀), a type of Chinese sword
* Dao (Naga sword), a weapon and a tool of Naga people
People and language
* Yao people, a minority ethni ...
capable of reflecting the user's inner thoughts. He decided to leave his dojo in search of the "Sword of Salvation". During his journey, he met a group of deserted children whose leader is sick as well as a teenager named Talim, who warned him about the dangers of the sword he search, revealed to be Soul Edge. After he helped Talim performing the cleansing ritual on the sick boy, Yun-seong pursued Talim who left swiftly to find the sword and continued their journey together. They met Mi-na who attempted to persuade Yun-seong to go home, but he refused and left the two during their sleep one night. He eventually arrived at Ostrheinsburg and encountered his idol Hwang, again warning Yun-seong about the sword's evil nature, though it did not stop him and went about his quest anyway, parting his ways with Hwang. He does not appear in ''Soulcalibur V'', but is mentioned in the game's artbook, where he is stated to had returned to his homeland after ''Soulcalibur IV'', deemed a national hero, and began teaching the young generation alongside Hwang and Seong Mi-na.
Necrid
Raphael
:Voiced by (English): Paul Jennings (''SCII'')
Voiced by (Japanese):
Yasunori Masutani
is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production.
Voice roles Anime
*'' Armitage III'' (Ross Sylibus)
*'' Asobi Asobase'' (Sainan-sensei)
*'' Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky'' (Reyfer Luckberry)
*'' Bakugan Battle Braw ...
is a French nobleman, exiled by his family for committing a grievance against them. Hidden from his pursuers by a young girl named Amy, he took her in as his adoptive daughter and sought Soul Edge to secure a future for both of them. He was utterly defeated in battle with Nightmare, the sword's wielder, though he managed to stab the sword, which helped Siegfried wrest his mind from its influence. Raphael and Amy contracted
vampirism
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
as a result of Soul Edge's power resonating in wounds from the battle, and the two relocated to a castle in Romania, where their vampirism led to infection among the local peasantry. However, the populace began to be healed one by one by a "Holy Stone". Feeling threatened, Raphael decided to leave the castle to find and destroy the stone. During his journey, he learned from the "creatures of the dark" that the Holy Stone was Soul Edge's counterpart Soul Calibur, which had even greater power than Soul Edge, and decided to find and use the sword to create a "perfect world" for himself and Amy. After the events of ''Soulcalibur IV'', Raphael is stated to have died, but suddenly awoke in a dungeon cell seventeen years later with no memory of what happened and found that Amy had disappeared from his life. Determined to finish his plan, he began his search for Amy. It is heavily implied by the official artbook that Raphael has become the new vessel of Nightmare after his destruction; this is further supported by the fact that Nightmare uses Raphael's body model in the Create-A-Soul mode as well as them sharing the same voice actor in Japanese as of ''Soulcalibur V'', therefore making Raphael the identity of "Graf Dumas".
In the new timeline of ''Soulcalibur VI'', after his adoption of Amy and further confirm his "Graf Dumas" status, Raphael comes across a couple of secret documents by a mysterious scholar, later revealed to be new character,
Azwel. With his plan for a perfect world for Amy using Soul Edge, Raphael is easily manipulated by Azwel into finding the cursed sword. It also reveals in a possible timeline where he never met Amy, Raphael would become a mindless malfested.
Raphael's appearance in ''Soulcalibur III'' was changed heavily, designed to represent his evil demeanor and royal image. The chief character designer of the game, Hideo Yoshie, stated that the change made Raphael "more distinctive".
[ OPM staff]
Behind the Game: Soul Calibur III
. 1Up.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-30
He also appeared in ''
Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2
''Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2'', known in Japan and Australia as is a tennis game created by Namco for the PlayStation 2 in 2004.
Gameplay
The game features many playable modes including Arcade mode and the in depth Pro tour mode in whic ...
'' as an unlockable character.
Talim
:Voiced by (English): Julie Parker (''SCII''),
Kira Buckland
Kira Buckland (born July 16, 1987) is an American voice actress, who has provided voices for English dubbed Japanese anime, cartoons, and video games. Some of her major roles are Jolyne Cujoh in '' JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean,'' 2B in ...
(''SCVI'')
:Voiced by (Japanese):
Yukari Tamura
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Amuleto (formerly Arts Vision and I'm Enterprise). She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "Yūki o Kudasai" on March 26, 1997. Her role as Nanoha Takamachi in the ...
is the granddaughter of her village's elder, and daughter of its shaman.
[''Soulcalibur II'', Talim Character Profile''] Due to turmoil caused by the influences of Philippine and Spanish culture, she was reared to be its last priestess (
Babaylan
Filipino shamans, commonly known as (also ''Balian'' or , among many other names), were shamans of the various ethnic groups of the pre-colonial
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or a ...
). The day that the Evil Seed spread across the world, Talim felt the winds, and an evil aura that devoured everything in its path surged into her body, causing her to lose consciousness for days. Years later, when Talim was fifteen years old, a man from the west brought with him a strange metal fragment, claiming it to be a vitality
charm
Charm may refer to:
Social science
* Charisma, a person or thing's pronounced ability to attract others
* Superficial charm, flattery, telling people what they want to hear
Science and technology
* Charm quark, a type of elementary particle
* Ch ...
. Talim, however, recognized the evil energy as the same energy she had experienced years before and left on a journey, believing that if she were to return the fragment to its rightful place, peace would eventually be restored, despite the elders' misgivings.
Talim's weapons, originally considered for the first ''Soulcalibur'' game, were built around the concept of dual-weapon usage, with special emphasis that while bladed, the weapons themselves were not actual
tonfa
The ''tonfa'' ( Okinawan: , lit. ''old man's staff'' / ''"crutch"''), also spelled as ''tongfa'' or ''tuifa'', also known as T-baton is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts. It consists of a stick ...
. During development it was considered to allow them to transform and be
sentient
Sentience is the capacity to experience feelings and sensations. The word was first coined by philosophers in the 1630s for the concept of an ability to feel, derived from Latin '' sentientem'' (a feeling), to distinguish it from the ability to ...
, however the idea was abandoned. Talim's character concept was designed around the idea of introducing a young female character that the developers felt the series lacked, while at the same time making her appear
androgynous.
In 2015, Talim was voted the most popular ''Soulcalibur'' character in the West in an official poll by
Namco Bandai
is a Japanese multinational video game publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and ...
. ''
GameNOW
''GameNOW'' (occasionally abbreviated to ''GN'') was a United States-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff-Davis from November 2001 to January 2004. A total of 27 issues were published. In addition to video game consoles like Play ...
'' described her as "profoundly unique not only to ''SC2'', but to fighting games in general."
GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
's Christian Nutt stated Talim's "unpredictable nature" made her interesting, though added "she's almost too cute to fit in with the rest of the ''SCII'' crew." Insert Credit's
Tim Rogers called Talim "the cutest of the young girl characters
n ''Soulcalibur II''by ''far''," and a preference for her symmetrical outfits. ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' by contrast described her outfit in ''Soulcalibur IV'' as "troubling", citing it as an example of over-sexualization in the game.
Introduced in ''Soulcalibur III''
In addition to the characters below, several others appear within the game under the title of "bonus" characters, representing fighting styles exclusive to the game's character creation mode as unlockable characters. These include minor storyline characters such as Amy and Revenant, others from previous installments otherwise absent from the game such as Arthur, Li Long and Hwang, and characters exclusive to the game's "Chronicles of the Sword" mode. Of these, only Amy and Revenant would be included in later installments, with the former expanded into a full character and the latter appearing as a boss alongside Zasalamel.
Amy/Viola
:Voiced by:
Kanako Tateno
is a Japanese voice actress from Miyagi Prefecture. She is affiliated with Aoni Production
is a Japanese talent agency representing a fair number of voice actors and other Japanese entertainers.
Voice actors currently affiliated with Aoni
...
(''SCIII'');
Hitomi Nabatame (''SCIV''~onwards)
was initially introduced as a background character for Raphael, as a young girl who hid him from his pursuers and taken in as his foster daughter in a debt of gratitude. To secure a future for her, he left Amy behind to pursue the cursed sword Soul Edge, with plans to present it to the nobles that pursued him so they would be overtaken by its curse and destroy each other. However he was utterly defeated by its host, and as Amy tended to his wounds both of them were infected with vampirism. They traveled to a castle in Romania, and he left her to ensure the creation of an ideal world for both of them. Amy however felt abandoned, and set out on her own to protect their world herself.
After the seventeen-year gap between ''Soulcalibur IV'' and ''Soulcalibur V'', Amy has mysteriously disappeared, initiating Raphael's search for her. In reality, Amy has resurfaced and grown-up in the said fifth game as an amnesiac fortune-teller named , losing most of her past memories and life. Amy, now Viola begin live as a wanderer because of her inability to empathize with other peoples, until she met Z.W.E.I. The two then become traveling companions. Eventually, they are found by Siegfried, the leader of reformed Schwarzwind and took them as fugitives/mercenaries. She then assists Patroklos to find Soul Calibur under orders from Siegfried, along with Z.W.E.I., though he leaves after finding his sister, Pyrrha. It is revealed in ''Soulcalibur VI'' that Amy's transformation into an amnesiac Viola was because of Azwel's magic.
Like Raphael, Amy wields a
rapier
A rapier () or is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Impo ...
as her weapon. In her debut appearance, Amy utilizes the "Rapier" custom fighting style closely based on Raphael's moveset. In the arcade version of ''Soulcalibur III'', she is more divergent, having moves that focused more on speed than power, unlike Raphael; this change is retained in ''Soulcalibur IV''. First seen in ''Soulcalibur II'' opening sequence, Amy's character model was reused with a modified design in ''Soulcalibur III'' as a
debug character for the developers to test elements of the game with and against, also appearing in some of the game's epilogue sequences. After completion of most of the game, they decided to implement her as a full character as a result of liking her design.
When she was announced as a playable character in the sequel for ''Soulcalibur IV'', game director Daishi Odashima stating the reason behind her inclusion as "I like weaker characters", noting her as one of his three favorite characters in the game.
As Viola, her weapons are a metal claw and a magical
crystal ball
A crystal ball, also known as an orbuculum or crystal sphere, is a crystal or glass ball and common fortune-telling object. It is generally associated with the performance of clairvoyance and scrying in particular.
In more recent times, the cry ...
which floats around during battles. Prior both Amy and Viola revealed to be a same person as of ''SCVI'', there were numerous hints, such as having the same looks, in-game interactions with Raphael, as well as her sharing the same voice actress in both English and Japanese, allude to their connections.
Night Terror
Olcadan
:Voiced by:
Shigenori Sōya
was introduced in ''Soulcalibur III'' as a warrior that mastered a variety of martial arts and weapon usage and interested in honing his skills. When he reached adulthood only one of his fights had ended in a draw, so to test himself he hunted down God of War
Ares
Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...
's messenger, a great
snow owl
The snowy owl (''Bubo scandiacus''), also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, is a large, white owl of the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mo ...
and decapitated it as proof of his victory. He was cursed as a result with an owl's head depending on the position of the stars and was later imprisoned in a labyrinth where time stood still. When the seal was eventually broken, he learned of Soul Edge's power and, impressed, he sought to defeat it. During this time he also learned of currency and growing fond of it he served as an instructor to other warriors for payment.
He received positive reception as a character due to his appearance and demeanor, placing in
UGO.com
UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States.
History
The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
's Top 11 SoulCalibur Fighters article at eleventh place, beating out fellow series mimic character
Charade
Charade or charades may refer to:
Games
* Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game
Films/TV
* ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason
* ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and A ...
.
They additionally awarded the character "Best New Character" of 2005 and proposed the possibility of Olcadan appearing in a stand-alone title and serving as a mascot for Namco, drawing comparisons to characters such as
Master Chief. The character was additionally mentioned by them in their early coverage of ''Soulcalibur IV'', noting hope for his return in the title.
Setsuka
:Voiced by (English):
Kari Wahlgren
Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American actress who has provided English-language voices for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as Haruko Haruhara in '' FLCL'', and would later land ma ...
(''SCIII'');
Tara Platt
Tara Platt (born June 18, 1978) is an American actress and author who has provided voices for dozens of English-language versions of Japanese anime films, television series and video games. Her notable roles in anime include Temari in ''Naruto' ...
(''SCIV'')
Voiced by (Japanese): Nanaho Katsuragi (''SCIII''~''SCIV''),
Yō Taichi
is a Japanese voice actress from Saitama Prefecture. She is affiliated with VIMS.
Personal life
She passed her audition for the first role in the TV anime '' Erased''.
Filmography TV Anime
ONA
*'' The Way of the Househusband'' (2021), Kid at ...
(''SCVI''~)
is a character introduced in ''Soulcalibur III''. An orphan and runaway living in Japan, she was shunned due to her Caucasian ancestry. Eventually, she was taken in by Shugen Kokonoe, a man who worked as a bodyguard in the region. He named her Setsuka ("Snow Flower"). He taught her his fighting style, as well as showing her affection and kindness, things she had never experienced before, and gave her a beautiful, ornate
kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
. After he dies from wounds sustained in combat with Mitsurugi, Setsuka realized she had fallen in love with the man. Despite his dying request not to pursue revenge she chooses to do so. She now tracks Nightmare, believing it will lead her to Mitsurugi, who himself pursues Nightmare. She continues on her search for Mitsurugi in ''Soulcalibur IV''. She is given no mention in ''Soulcalibur V'', although she appears briefly in the official artbook of the game, where she shattered Mitsurugi's sword in a duel but lost the battle, took the name "Neve" and began to teach students her fighting style in Istanbul, one of which was Patroklos. She told him not to pursue revenge as she had before, though he ultimately ignored the advice in his search for Pyrrha.
She returns in ''Soulcalibur VI'' as a DLC character. The new timeline gives further details on her close relationship with Shugen and how she came to lose him, as well as her birth heritage as a Portuguese-Japanese. Although she initially listens to her master's request not to avenge him, Setsuka decides to pursues Mitsurugi after a fight with the mysterious Kokonoe clan over hidden scrolls with secret advanced fighting techniques, and eventually leads her to be involved with Soul Edge-related incidents.
Character developer Hideo Yoshie stated that Setsuka's concept originated from the idea of a flower. Her outfit in ''Soulcalibur III'' was inspired by historical Japanese
courtesan
Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...
s known as
oiran
is a collective term for the highest-ranking courtesans in Japanese history, who were considered to be above common prostitution, prostitutes (known as ) for their more refined entertainment skills and training in the traditional arts. Divided ...
, who wore cosmetics and clothing similar to a
geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha
{{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
's but tied their obi at the front instead of behind, mixed with elements from the
Queen of Hearts
The queen of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck.
Queen of Hearts or The Queen of Hearts may refer to:
Books
* "The Queen of Hearts" (poem), anonymous nursery rhyme published 1782
* ''The Queen of Hearts'', an 1859 novel by ...
as part of an "East-meets-West" concept.
Tira
Zasalamel
:Voiced by (English):
Keith Silverstein
Keith Silverstein is an American voice actor, known for lending his voice to English Versions of Japanese anime and video games, affiliated with Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, Studiopolis and Funimation. He is best known for his roles as ...
Voiced by (Japanese):
Hiroshi Tsuchida
is a Japanese voice actor and live-action actor affiliated with 81 Produce. He frequently dubs character voices from English-speaking films into Japanese for the local market. He is known for his role as Grisha Jaeger in ''Attack on Titan'' (201 ...
hails from an ancient tribe that was tasked with the protection of the holy sword Soul Calibur by Algol. Angered by the tribe's restrictions, he tried to take Soul Calibur but was caught and exiled. Pursuing the sword he gained the ability to
reincarnate, though eventually yearned to die for good. Tracking down Soul Edge, he manipulated events so that Soul Calibur would come to him, serving as the main antagonist of ''Soulcalibur III''. Hoping to use the combined energies of the swords to end his existence, he was instead transformed into a monster called Abyss. During these events he had a vision of the future, and desiring to see it firsthand he returned to life, acting in ''Soulcalibur IV'' to protect the swords in case their destruction broke his cycle of reincarnation. His further fate afterward is unknown, as he is given no mention in ''Soulcalibur V''.
Zasalamel reappears in the new timeline of ''Soulcalibur VI'', which revisits the events of the first ''Soulcalibur'' game, as a foreseer of the future.
Zasalamel was positively received. ''
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'' (often abbreviated to ''OPM'') was a monthly video game magazine, published by Ziff Davis Media. It was a sister publication of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. The magazine focused exclusively on PlayStation ...
'' described Zasalamel as "easily the coolest" of the three new characters introduced in ''Soulcalibur III'', noting his speed and ability to pull opponents to him.
[OPM staff (Nov 2006). "Soul Caliber III". '']Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'' (often abbreviated to ''OPM'') was a monthly video game magazine, published by Ziff Davis Media. It was a sister publication of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. The magazine focused exclusively on PlayStation ...
'' Other reviewers have shared the sentiments, praising his accessibility for new players.
[Ryckert, Dan (2005-11-10)]
Soul Calibur III review
Lawrence.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-30 GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
went further to describe him as one of the best characters in ''Soulcalibur III'', noting his offensive abilities and range control.
Introduced in ''Soulcalibur Legends''
Iska Farkas
:Voiced by:
Romi Park
Due to technical issues, Park's name is often written as due to the '' Hyōgaiji'' status of (which is the kan'on reading of the kanji). She has also been referred by 朴路美 and 朴王路美. is a Japanese actress and singer affiliated wi ...
Iska is one of the key characters in ''Soulcalibur Legends''. Despite being initially presented as an ally, he is eventually revealed to be the main antagonist, having manipulated the characters into retrieving Soul Edge and Soul Calibur for his use. He is a refugee and
Hungarian prince who serves as a court jester for a Masked Emperor. Iska has
heterochromia
Heterochromia is a variation in coloration. The term is most often used to describe color differences of the iris, but can also be applied to color variation of hair or skin. Heterochromia is determined by the production, delivery, and concentra ...
with one blue eye and one red eye. His belts also correspond to this trait. He was born in
Buda
Buda (; german: Ofen, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Budim, Будим, Czech and sk, Budín, tr, Budin) was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and since 1873 has been the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest, on the ...
who lived with his sister Ilona until the usurper sultan, Barbaros, attacked the city and destroyed it, though his sister allowed him to escape with his life by sacrificing herself. Iska then went around the world looking for shelter, but all those that took him in eventually betrayed and used him, and then he studied under the famous alchemist
Paracelsus who taught him much at
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
, until Iska disappeared, stealing Paracelsus's notes on the creation of
false humans and was said to have made at least one successful artificial human. He thought up a crazed scheme to take over the world using the swords Soul Calibur and Soul Edge, to gain power for his lost sister. He used Paracelsus's notes to create a homunculus, made to look in the form of his sister. She managed to become the Masked Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He faked a story of being brought in by the "Masked Emperor" and becomes her court jester. His scheme comes into effect, as his homunculus has Siegfried and several other companions reluctantly agree to help the Holy Roman Empire against Barbaros of the Ottoman Empire (who wields Soul Calibur) by strengthening Soul Edge, which Siegfried wields. Iska is very persuasive in keeping his comrades to uphold their agreements and constantly reminisces about missing his sister and his home, lamenting his weakness, and wishes that he had strength and power which he did not have then to survive the pains of his life. After Soul Edge regains power and Siegfried kills Barbaros, claiming Soul Calibur, the "Masked Emperor" claims Soul Edge and tries to attack Siegfried and claim Soul Edge for Iska. However, a new version of the Evil Seed comes from Soul Calibur as the two swords clash, knocking Siegfried far away. Siegfried ends up sealing Soul Edge's power after realizing that he killed his own father at the peak of the Himalayas, however keeps it. He also gets Requiem here. The group storms Vienna to defeat the Emperor, and after Siegfried does, he plants Soul Edge into the ground alongside Soul Calibur. Iska then claims them (restoring Soul Edge's power using Soul Calibur), revealing his scheme to Siegfried. He then attempts to kill Siegfried, but Siegfried instead wins and Iska dies. During the credits there are two graves that say Iska Farkas and Ilona Farkas. Siegfried keeps Soul Edge, eventually succumbing to the Evil Seed and becoming Nightmare.
Ilona Farkas
:Voiced by:
Atsuko Tanaka
Iska Farkas' sister who got taken by Barbaros. Iska is always mumbling about Ilona and how he regrets not saving her. When Barbaros attacked Hungary, Iska fled but forgot Ilona. The Masked Emperor was made to look like her, revealed at the end of ''Soulcalibur Legends''. Before his death, Iska starts to say something to her, but it is cut off. Their graves are shown at the credits, showing that Ilona did die or at least had a headstone dedicated to her.
Barbaros
:Voiced by:
Kenji Nomura
is a Japanese Seiyū, voice actor from Okayama Prefecture affiliated with Aoni Production. Known for playing characters large in size, he has starring roles in anime shows, including Mitsunori Kugayama in ''Genshiken'', Chairman Harabote in ''Kin ...
Sultan Barbaros originally appears to be the main villain in ''Soulcalibur Legends''. He was once the leader of a band of thieves when his band discovered Soulcalibur in the home of a general. Barbara, part of the same gang stated that Barbaros changed personality-wise when he claimed Soulcalibur. The spirit sword bestowed Barbaros with immense power, causing him to grow into a giant and allowed him to conquer the Ottoman Empire where he crowned himself
sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
. He fought against the Holy Roman Empire, leading an army of Evils (monsters) to lay siege to the city of
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. The Masked Emperor enlisted the help of Siegfried to regain the shards of Soul Edge and combat Barbaros since Soul Edge was the only weapon that could stand up to Barbaros and Soulcalibur. After recovering all the shards Siegfried battled Barbaros and defeated him, causing Soulcalibur to emerge from his forehead.
Fafnir
After the Evil Seed event in ''Soulcalibur Legends'',
Fafnir the dragon appears as a boss character in the game. Fafnir was the first dragon and that all the myths about dragons all over the world were inspired by him. He was slain by the hero Sigmund (whom Siegfried is named after) who slew the dragon using his sword Requiem. According to the legend, Sigmund asked his friend to reforge his broken sword, Gram, who gave his life for the sword. In his grief, Sigmund renamed the sword Requiem in honor of his friend and after defeating Fafnir he placed Requiem in an altar in the ancient Cathedral where Fafnir roosted. In the 16th century Fafnir is one of the Guardians that holds a shard of Soul Edge. The heroes need to enlist the aid of a scientist named Leonardo who claimed to have invented a weapon that could kill a dragon, which were needed because Fafnir could not be fought while in the air by conventional means. With these weapons Siegfried and Ivy are able to slay Fafnir and recover the shard. Later on Fafnir and the other guardians are revived by Soulcalibur but are slain once again by Siegfried.
Introduced in ''Soulcalibur IV'' and ''Broken Destiny''
In addition to these characters, with ''Soulcalibur IV'' several
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
character designers were invited to contribute additional, non-
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
characters to the game: Angol Fear (voiced by
Takako Honda
is a Japanese voice actress and narrator affiliated with Office Osawa. She is the regular dubbing voice actress for Halle Berry, Hilary Swank and Milla Jovovich (especially in '' Resident Evil'' film series). In 2006, Takako was chosen to suc ...
), a female alien designed by
Mine Yoshizaki
is a Japanese mangaka, manga creator. His most well known works are ''Sgt. Frog'', a manga he created which later received an anime adaption, and ''Kemono Friends'', a multimedia franchise for which Yoshizaki serves as concept designer.
Career
...
and cousin of his existing character
Angol Mois; Ashlotte (voiced by Hitomi Nabatame
), a mechanical doll developed by
Oh! great
, known professionally as Oh! great, is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series ''Tenjho Tenge'' (1997–2010) and ''Air Gear'' (2002–2012). In 2006, ''Air Gear'' earned him the Kodansha Manga Award in the '' shōnen'' category. ...
sent to destroy series character Astaroth; Kamikirimusi (voiced by
Nami Kurokawa
is a Japanese voice actress from Osaka, Japan. When voicing adult games, she is known as .
Filmography Anime
*'' Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan'' as Tamiya-san (ep 5); Yuuko-sensei (ep 6,7)
*'' D.C.S.S. ~Da Capo Second Season~'' as Tamaki Kono ...
), a young female
oni
An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess ...
designed by
Hirokazu Hisayuki
is a Japanese character designer and animation director for Sunrise. His major works include the ''Queen's Blade'' game series which was later made into an anime adaptation, the '' My-Hime'' and '' My-Otome'' series, and numerous titles from the ...
searching for kindred spirits; Scheherazade (voiced by Nami Kurokawa
), an elven storyteller designed by
Yutaka Izubuchi
is a Japanese anime designer, screenwriter and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical (both robots and other vehicles). He created and directed the ''RahXephon'' se ...
and based on
the Persian queen of the same name; and Shura (voiced by Takako Honda
), a possessed female warrior designed by
Hiroya Oku
is a Japanese manga artist, who is the creator of '' Gantz'', '' Gigant'', '' Hen'' and ''Inuyashiki'', the first two of which have been serialized in '' Weekly Young Jump''. Originally influenced by Katsuhiro Otomo and Ryoichi Ikegami, . Rather than having a unique fighting style, each was modeled after an existing character:
Seong Mi-na
The following is a comprehensive list of characters from the ''Soulcalibur'' series of video games, beginning with ''Soul Edge'' (''Soul Blade'') in 1995.
Overview
The ''Soulcalibur'' series is a weapon-based fighting game franchise developed b ...
,
Astaroth
Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Asteroth), in demonology, was known to be the Great Duke of Hell in the first hierarchy with Beelzebub and Lucifer; he was part of the evil trinity. He is known to be a male figure most likely named afte ...
,
Nightmare
A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...
,
Amy, and
Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...
, respectively. Of these characters, only Ashlotte is referenced in later games, alluded to in Astaroth's ''Soulcalibur V''s profile information.
Algol
:Voiced by:
Jōji Nakata
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator who is affiliated with the Office Osawa agency. His major voice roles include Alucard in ''Hellsing'', Hijikata Toshizo in Golden Kamuy, Roy Revant in '' Solty Rei'', Giroro in ''Sgt. Frog'', K ...
serves as the Story Mode boss for most characters and as an unlockable character in ''Soulcalibur IV''. Prior to the events of ''Soul Edge'', Algol was known as "The Hero King", able to use the cursed sword Soul Edge without being controlled by it. He used it to forge an era of peace, until his son was possessed by the sword and Algol was forced to destroy them both. He worked to create a purified sword from a shard of Soul Edge to counter the weapon when it reappeared, resulting in the creation of Soul Calibur but with his body and soul trapped inside until the two swords clashed. Freed, he constructed himself a new body armed with facsimiles of both swords, and waited for them to come to him so that he could make his revival permanent. After the events of ''Soulcalibur IV'', Algol had been working to corrupt the world with energies from Astral Chaos in order to control it. His actions had caused much disturbance of the world, with Edge Master even entering Astral Chaos to prevent him.
Character designer Hideo Yoshie described Algol as "a character that obviously proves the setting of being the strongest character ever in the ''Soulcalibur'' series". Algol's costume was designed around the concept of originating from a culture so ancient that it was not recorded in history, which complicated the character's creation. After considering several themes including a lion and a dinosaur, a bird motif was finally settled upon. An option was considered for Algol to cause an "off site brawl" while on a pipe chair, but was unused.
His design elements including his projectile-firing "rifle arm" were called fresh and innovative by Gameswelt. The staff of
1UP.com were particularly impressed by his rifle attack, nicknaming the projectiles "Soul Bubbles" in reference to a
game by the same name.
Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
also praised the character, describing him as "much more of a bad ass" than recurring series boss
Inferno
Inferno may refer to:
* Hell, an afterlife place of suffering
* Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire
Film
* ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film
* Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker
* Inferno (1973 fi ...
. ''
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'' described him as breaking the tradition of "ill-balanced uber-enemies" as well as one able to use a gun as a weapon without seeming "hopelessly out of place" in the series.
''GameAxis Unwired'' praised the character for breaking the series' tradition of bosses that mimicked existing fighting styles, and added that Algol remained for the most part fair to fight against. Neoseeker stated that Algol felt as if he was "''just there'', purely for your entertainment", calling his fighting style bizarre but while frustrating to fight, beatable. Cheat Code Central included Algol in the 2012 list of top ten hidden characters in fighting games.
Dampierre
:Voiced by:
Shigeru Chiba
, known by the stage name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor, talent and sound director from Kikuchi, Kumamoto. He is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce.
He is most known for the roles of Yoshihiro Kira from '' JoJo's Bizarre ...
is a con artist introduced in ''Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny'' and known by a variety of titles, amongst which include "Alchemist of the Ages", "The World's Greatest Assassin", and "Miraculous Psychic". He eventually became recognized as a thief, and resorted to robbery and kidnapping to continue his rich lifestyle. Desiring to live a noble life instead, he decides to fight against Nightmare and use his skills for good. In ''Soulcalibur V'', he had heard about the new king of Hungary, Graf Dumas (actually Nightmare in disguise) had prepared for wars, so Dampierre arranges a meeting with him. His weapons consist of two spring mounted daggers strapped to the underside of his wrists. He is voiced by
Shigeru Chiba
, known by the stage name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor, talent and sound director from Kikuchi, Kumamoto. He is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce.
He is most known for the roles of Yoshihiro Kira from '' JoJo's Bizarre ...
in Japanese, who the developers felt gave the character a distinct voice.
Dampierre's introduction in the game was the result of the amount of unused character and weapon designs that were excluded from ''Soulcalibur IV'', and the team's desire to instead focus on creating a character based around their personality instead. Though the development team had mixed feelings regarding the character, they chose to take a risk and add him to ''Broken Destiny'' regardless.
Hilde
Introduced in ''Soulcalibur V''
Elysium
:Voiced by:
Chie Nakamura
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Axlone. She voiced Sakura Haruno in ''Naruto'' and Sophitia in ''Soulcalibur''.
On November, 28, 2022, she is diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and immediately goes into medical hiatus for the trea ...
is the physical manifestation of Soul Calibur, taking the form of an angelic woman who, due to Patroklos's influence, resembles Sophitia. Her goal is to destroy everything related to Soul Edge and will do anything to achieve it, even if it means by destroying the innocent "malfested". She guides Patroklos to destroy Soul Edge using Soul Calibur with the promise that she will help him find his sister Pyrrha, though she already knows that Pyrrha is a malfested and must be vanquished. She is successful in convincing Patroklos to kill Pyrrha, though Edge Master's giving of a second chance prevents Patroklos from doing so. Angry, she traps Patroklos in a crystal and confronts him in his subconscious to reveal her intentions and tries to possess Patroklos in order to destroy Soul Edge, though in the end she is defeated and eventually destroyed by Patroklos and Pyrrha along with Soul Calibur.
Along with Edge Master and Kilik, she is a mimic character in ''Soulcalibur V'', mimicking the styles of female characters. Uniquely, she has a few unique moves when she mimics Pyrrha Omega, which are actually Sophitia's moves, and has a different Critical Edge unlike other mimic characters.
Leixia
:Voiced by (English):
Lauren Landa
Lauren Anne Landa (born June 9, 1988) is an American voice actress who has worked on English dubs for Japanese anime and video games.
Career
Landa's most known roles are Litchi Faye-Ling in the ''BlazBlue'' fighting video game series and Leia ...
Voiced by (Japanese):
Yoshino Nanjō
is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is affiliated with Voice Kit. Among her most popular roles is Eli Ayase from '' Love Live! School Idol Project'' series. She became the lead singer of the Japanese pop and trance duo fripSide in 2009 u ...
is the daughter of Xianghua and a Chinese general whom she married after parting ways with Kilik. She was trained in the arts of Chinese swordplay using a
Jian
The ''jian'' (pronunciation (劍), English approximation: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the Spring and ...
by her mother. During her fifteenth birthday, she was given a collar containing a shard of Kilik's anti-evil mirror, Dvapara-Yuga, by her younger brother, Leixin, as a present. When she showed it to her mother, Xianghua grew frantic and planned to have Leixia marry a Chinese general, troubling Leixia who decided to leave her home to learn why her mother had reacted to the sight of the pendant. Befriending the ninja Natsu, they joined Maxi and Xiba in traveling the world.
According to the game's official artbook, ''SOULCALIBUR – New Legends of Project Soul'', Xiba, one of Leixia's travel companion is actually her estranged older half-brother, the result of her mother's intimate meeting with Kilik. The reason why Xianghua had gone frantic at the sight of Dvapara-Yuga and decided to arrange Leixia's marriage with a general is because the pendant reminded her of Kilik and Xianghua does not want her daughter to have an illegal affair like the former had with Kilik.
Natsu
:Voiced by: Fuyuka Ōura
is a young ninja and the disciple of Taki. She wields two
kodachi
A , literally translating into "small or short ''tachi'' (sword)", is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihontō'') used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Kodachi are from the early Kamakura period (1185–1333) and are in the ...
and harbors the demon inside her, who was sealed by Taki after his previous container was killed. Because of this, she was treated as an outcast by her community and was very shy as a young girl, though she eventually grew her confidence with the help of Taki. After Taki failed to return from a mission, promising to return within two weeks, Natsu grew worried, and after Leixia arrived at Fu-Ma village gates, she became a bodyguard to Leixia, hoping she could find her beloved master along the way.
Natsu also appears in ''
Project X Zone 2
''Project X Zone 2'' is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to '' Project X Zone'', the plot is a homage to the eve ...
'' as a playable solo unit.
Patroklos
:Voiced by (English):
Yuri Lowenthal
Yuri Lowenthal (born March 5, 1971)Birthday references:
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*
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is an American voice actor, producer and screenwriter known chiefly for his work in cartoons, anime and video games. Some of his prominent roles in animations and anime include S ...
Voiced by (Japanese):
KENN
is the main protagonist of ''Soulcalibur V''. He is Sophitia's son, and uses a short sword and a shield like his mother, though his alternate version, hides his true fighting style: an
iaido
, abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Spor ...
swordplay, taught to him by Setsuka after his father's death. Patroklos' sister, Pyrrha, was abducted by Tira when he was only two years old. His mother, Sophitia left their home in search for her, but she never returned. His father, Rothion had tried to search for her and simultaneously kept the truth from the family until seventeen years later, when he caught an unexplainable sickness. Before his death, he told Patroklos everything about their family. Patroklos left his home in search for Pyrrha and eventually become a slayer of malfested under the order of
Graf Dumas, the king of Hungary. However, his meeting with Z.W.E.I. severs his ties with the king upon learning he has been manipulated. Under the guidance of a mysterious voice from Soul Calibur (which is Elysium), he continues his duty on killing the malfested. He is eventually reunited with his sister, but has difficulty accepting her as a malfested. After killing her during a duel, he receives words of advice from Edge Master in Astral Chaos, while also rekindling his true fighting style. Patroklos returns to an earlier point in time, and is given a second chance to save Pyrrha. He is able to do so, but is confronted by Elysium who tries to possess Patroklos, though he manages to defeat her and seals Soul Calibur with Soul Edge, after which he is able to accept Pyrrha and lives on with her.
Fan reception to Patroklos has been significantly negative, with the majority condemning him as the series' "Most Hated Character."
Pyrrha
:Voiced by (English):
Laura Bailey
Laura Bailey is an American voice actress. She made her anime debut as Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z''. Her other anime credits include Emily / Glitter Lucky in ''Glitter Force'', Tohru Honda in ''Fruits Basket'', Lust in ...
Voiced by (Japanese):
Nozomi Sasaki
is Patroklos' sister and Sophitia's daughter who uses her mother's sword and shield which were made by her father, Rothion. Pyrrha was kidnapped by Tira when she was only three years old in order to torment Sophitia. She knows nothing about her past, other than the fact that everyone that was close to her strangely died, which earns her the title "Bringer of Woe". She was imprisoned after being accused of killing a nobleman's son who purchased her from a slave market. It was that time Tira appears and took care of her. However, her only reason on doing that is to make Pyrrha a new vessel for Soul Edge since she already knew that Pyrrha's body contained parts of Soul Edge's power. To charge up the demonic powers, Tira orders Pyrrha to kill people, promising her that she will take Pyrrha to reunite with her long lost brother, Patroklos. The two eventually reunite, but the influence of the Soul Edge manages to corrupt her, turning her into , with a deformed arm much like Nightmare's and wielding Soul Edge as a sword and shield like her mother did. Patroklos is unable to accept her form and later kills her during a duel. With the aid of Edge Master within Astral Chaos, he is able to go back in time, and alter the past event, granting himself a second chance. Patroklos prevails against Pyrrha in battle, and disarms her; therefore freeing her from Soul Edge's control. After Patroklos' final confrontation with Elysium, Pyrrha pierces Soul Calibur with Soul Edge and returns home, having been accepted by Patroklos.
Outside of the series, Pyrrha is the main character of ''Queen's Gate: Pyrrha'' (蒼運命に翻弄される娘 ピュラ), an erotic
gamebook
A gamebook is a work of printed fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices. The narrative branches along various paths, typically through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages. Each narrative typically does not ...
as part of the ''
Queen's Gate
Queen's Gate is a street in South Kensington, London, England. It runs south from Kensington Gardens' Queen's Gate (the edge of which gardens are here followed by Kensington Road) to Old Brompton Road, intersecting Cromwell Road.
The street ...
'' series.
Xiba
:Voiced by:
Toshiyuki Toyonaga
is a Japanese actor and singer. He began working on television and stage as a child actor. Following his debut as a voice actor in 2002, he currently works with the Super Eccentric Theater Inc. He played Mikado Ryugamine in ''Durarara!!'', Yuri ...
is described as an honest young man who came from the Zhen Hang Mountain. He has a strong love for food and would repeatedly strive for it, much to the annoyance of his companion, Leixia. Like Kilik, he was trained in the secret arts of the Ling-Sheng Su by his master, Kong Xiuqiang. Sometime before the events of the game, he was bequeathed with Kilik's inheritance, the sacred
bō staff Kali-Yuga, under orders of Edge Master, who sensed Kilik's tragic fate. Together with Leixia, Natsu, and their leader, Maxi, Xiba travels throughout the world, eventually helping Patroklos to complete Soul Calibur with Kali-Yuga's power (as well as Dvapara Yuga's, owned by Leixia).
According to the official artbook of the game, ''SOULCALIBUR – New Legends of Project Soul'', he is actually Kilik and Xianghua's son and Leixia's estranged older half-brother. His birth is the result of their intimate meeting and he was nearly killed following the orders of the Xianghua's grandfather. Negotiations with Ming Empire general Yan Wujin however, allowed Xiba to live secretly with Xianghua's father Kong Xiuqiang so as to not revealing the scandal as the condition for Wujin to marry Xianghua. As many others such as
Goku
Son Goku is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is based on Sun Wukong (known as Son Goku in Japan and Monkey King in the West), a main character of the classic Ch ...
from
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
, his look and fighting style is based on
Sun Wukong
The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...
from the classic Chinese novel,
Journey to the West
''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popu ...
.
Z.W.E.I.
:Voiced by (English):
Matthew Mercer
Matthew Christopher Miller (born June 29, 1982), better known as Matthew Mercer, is an American voice actor. He is best known for his work with Studiopolis, Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, and NYAV Post in anime, cartoons, and ...
Voiced by (Japanese):
Kenta Miyake
is a Japanese voice actor and narrator who is affiliated with 81 Produce.
Career
Miyake was born in Okinawa Prefecture. As a teenager, he dreamed of becoming a voice actor in hopes of meeting an actress that he admired and wanted to co-star wit ...
is a mysterious, brooding man who wields a sword with three handles and can summon a lupine spirit named "E.I.N.", who is actually Minion, a secondary soul that coexists with Z.W.E.I.'s own human soul.
While much of his backstory is unknown, the official site states that he was separated from his mother when he was still a child, and he had to endure hardships in his life before he was eventually taken by the leader of Schwarzwind, Siegfried, who raised him as a warrior.
Z.W.E.I. is currently traveling with Viola, a woman who also has inhuman powers like himself. Z.W.E.I. advises Patroklos to revolt against Dumas as he had merely used him and later assists him in finding Soul Calibur under orders from Siegfried, alongside Viola, though he leaves them after finding his sister, Pyrrha. Later, when Nightmare has declared war across Europe, he confronts him in his castle and manages to kill him. However, a malfested Pyrrha appears and stabs him, after which he falls to the chasm, his fate unknown.
Introduced in ''Soulcalibur VI''
Azwel
:Voiced by:
Masashi Ebara
, better known as , is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Kanagawa Prefecture. He is affiliated with Aoni Production.
He had roles in the ''Initial D'' series (as Jōshima Toshiya "God Hand"), ''Naruto'' (as Might Guy), ''Eat-Man'' ...
is a man of extraordinary intelligence and a scholar in many fields, including history, medicine, war, and art. His studies about the history of humanity brought him to the conclusion that humanity would self-destruct through wars and other calamities. His fanatical love for the people led him to enact a terrifying plan to save them from themselves. Azwel also infects Grøh with Soul Edge, defects from the Aval Organization, manipulates Raphael into searching for Soul Edge, and assaults Amy to discover her future self as Viola.
His weapon is a pair of gloves named Palindrome: the right glove includes a fragment of Soul Edge, while the left one has a piece of Soul Calibur. Azwel draws his power from the memories of past battles, preserved within those fragments. While he appears unarmed, his gloves allow him to summon a variety of deadly weapons, which he can use with brutal effects.
Grøh
:Voiced by (English):
Xander Mobus
Xander Mobus is an American voice actor.
Career
Mobus has worked in English-language dubs of anime and video games. In 2014, he voiced the announcer and the characters Master Hand and Crazy Hand in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii ...
Voiced by (Japanese):
Takahiro Sakurai
is a Japanese voice actor, narrator, and radio personality from Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
His well-known roles include heroes such as Cloud Strife in ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'', Suzaku Kururugi in '' Code Geass'' and X in '' Mega Man X ...
is a member of the mysterious Aval Organization, a secret group with origins rooted in ancient times, who came to be when
a king used the spirit sword to defeat its cursed counterpart, and with his dying breath, entrusted them with both the blade and his unfinished mission. Each new generation has taken on the group's mission to rid the world of “Outsiders” — those connected with the cursed sword, the Malfested. Aval Organization had been a sworn allied force to Hilde's home kingdom, the Wolfkrone for generations. Little is known about him, save for that he was a fearsome warrior. Though his fighting style is shrouded in mystery, he wields
two swords that can connect with each other.
He was turned into an “Outsider” by Nightmare, and progressively continued by the traitor Azwel, the man who responsible for infected Grøh and his best friend, Curtis, for the sorcerer's evil experiments. After having remaining willpower to negate his mind from becoming an “Outsider”, using the power of “Outsider” to counteract the likes of “Outsiders”-minded warriors, Azwel included, Grøh found a new purpose to put the fellow “Outsider” victims like him a trial whether they have a strong will left to suppress the malfestation or not. Following Maxi’s first victor against Astaroth, shortly before Kilik finally purifies his malfestation and helps Xianghua defeats Nightmare/Inferno, Grøh was the one of found a critically injured Maxi. Unbeknownst to Grøh, Curtis survives but suffers amnesia and becomes a malfested army. Although Curtis slowly begins to recover his memory of Grøh before a one year war depicted in 1590 A.D. begins.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soul Series
Lists of Namco characters