Karakter & Staf

Nakoruru

Utama

Nakoruru is an Ainu priestess and a defender of mother nature in the SNK franchise, Samurai Spirits (Samurai Shodown). She has a sister named Rimururu, and a violent alter ego named Rera. Nakoruru carries a kodachi (short sword) and fights alongside a tamed hawk. Story At 15, she and Rimururu are playing in the forest when Mamahaha flies in holding her father's sword. Sensing her father was in danger, she leaves. Upon reaching Hinowa, Nakoruru tells Gaoh that his war is hurting the planet. Gaoh proclaims he will build a new country and will destroy any who would stand in his way. At his defeat, Kamui appears before her, asking Nakoruru to follow her father's footsteps as he was killed. Nakoruru asks what would happen if she declined and is told another maiden would be asked to be the successor. Not wanting Rimururu to be put at risk, Nakoruru accepts to become the new Kamui warrior of Kamui Kotan. She continues to fulfill this role throughout the series protecting nature and defeating villains often alongside Haohmaru. However, after overthrowing Mizuki Rashojin, she sacrifices herself to restore nature's balance and becomes one with the spirit of Nature. In Samurai Shodown 64, her apparent death is retconned. Instead of sacrificing herself, she slept within Kamui Kotan's forests and was protected by the spirits of nature. At nature's beckoning, she awakens to fight the disturbing presence caused by Yuga the Destroyer. Sometime after Yuga's second defeat, she eventually returns to her slumber. Nakoruru as a spirit of nature. Later in Warriors Rage, she transcends even further and melds her soul with Gaia to become a Divine Spirit in nature's service. As one of the "Maidens of Light", she travels across space and time to prevent the disasters of the world from occurring. However, she is stopped in her quest by a magical spell cast by Jigen Taishi in Ritenkyo. This leaves Nakoruru unable to assume her original form, and she can only battle evil through the strength of her fellow forest sprits. Weakened, she knows she must stop Oboro's evil plan, but cannot without the Maiden of Light Rimururu, who has been sealed by Oboro. She sets out on a quest to free her sister and together combine their powers to defeat evil. In Edge of Destiny, she follows the runaway Rimururu, hoping to protect her younger sister from the danger that she sensed. She also left her home to tell Rimururu the reason why she is in her current predicament. Personality Nakoruru is calm and gentle. She seems to be shy toward people. To others, her mannerisms and appearance make her seem rather "doll-like", a term that she somewhat displeases. She is also maternal, chiding her sister as she would a child. She believes that Nature can be protected without killing others and often vies for non-violent solutions if she thinks it's possible. Although she is dedicated in her mission, she also desires to be a normal girl with selfish desires. Powers Listening to Nature: Nakoruru can hear and sense nature's voice. In other media, this power also includes sensing the spirits of people or nature. Energy Slash: Nakoruru's weapon can be fueled with ki energy. Reflector: With the power of her cloak, Nakoruru can reflect a projectile back to its sender. Healing: With the power of nature, Nakoruru can heal wounds.

Haohmaru

Utama

Haohmaru (覇王丸, Haōmaru) is the star character of the series and is one of the series' most known characters (the other being Nakoruru). He is introduced in Samurai Shodown and continues to appear in every title of the series. His character origin was originally based around the famed swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi, a duelist who claimed to have never lost a match. He is visually modeled after Hyakkimaru from the manga, Dororo. Though he is a swordsman with no loyalties to any lord, Haohmaru has a "samurai spirit" which is often stressed in the series. He is also often accredited to defeating most of the series' villains. In Gamest's 1997 Heroes Collection, Haohmaru was tied with Ukyo for 29th (out of 50) of the staff's favorite character rank. He was also voted as the second favorite character by the development team and fans in Samurai Shodown II. According to the Q&A page for Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, developers admitted that no matter what the fans wanted, they wanted to include Samurai Shodown characters and made Haohmaru's inclusion one of their top priorities in development. He also makes regular appearances in the series' merchandise and has at least two action figures. Story At the age of fifteen, he challenged Jubei to a duel but lost due to lack of experience. Jubei, amused by the youth's bravado, brought Haohmaru to Nicotine so that he may gain proper training. Whilst living there, he also met and befriended Genjuro, fellow student and another orphan like himself. Orphaned, Nicotine Caffeine spotted him and took him under his tutelage along with Haohmaru in his home. Both students were close friends yet Genjuro's hunger for power worried Nicotine. To test his students, he tempted them to fight over the treasured sword, Fugudoku. They were tested by facing off with a group of other fighters. In contrast to his friend, Haohmaru fought only until his opponent lost the will to fight and didn't give chase. After Genjuro left Nicotine's home, Haohmaru was rewarded with the sword. Encouraged by his master to further improve himself, Haohmaru travels the lands perfecting his sword skills, and searches for worthy challengers in the name of Shura. During his many travels, Haohmaru trains Shizumaru and inspires Takechiyo. He guided both until he felt they had matured enough before continuing his journey. He will sometimes challenge them to a duel after a certain amount of time to test their skill and resolve. In Warriors Rage, Haohmaru is a skilled and active swordsman at the age of forty-seven who is revered by many to be the "Legendary Swordsman". He learns that his adopted niece, Mikoto, ran away from the temple (her childhood home) and follows her to the cursed island of Riten Kyo. There, he grows aware of the evil entities at work there, and departs on a journey to stop the Razor Trio, as well as duel worthy opponents along the way. In his ending, Haohmaru eventually reaches Mikoto at Riten Kyo and reveals her unspoken past to her. Personality Confident in his abilities, Haohmaru enjoys the thrill of fighting against strong opponents. Seeking enlightenment with each encounter, he constantly journeys in order to improve himself. As he gets older, he feels less inclined to fight and will try to avoid it if possible. Outside of battle, Haohmaru is a crude but easy-going man, caring only for sake and food. He has a romantic interest in a simple girl named Oshizu ("O" added as a honorific prefix). Fighting Style He can use his sake jug to hit the opponent or to reflect projectiles. His trademark moves are Kougetsu Zan (Crescent Moon Slash), a crescent shaped uppercut, and Senpuu Retsu Zan (Whirlwind-Tearing Slash), a whirlwind projectile. In Samurai Shodown II, he also gained a somersault attack, which could cause massive damage upon crouching foes. When his style splits in Samurai Shodown III, his Slash form retains several strategies used in previous games, being a balanced and easy-to-master mid-ranged combatant. By contrast, his Bust form alters several moves, granting him access to aggressive close-combat fighting. His appearance in Warriors Rage also combined some elements from Genjuro's fighting style such as his stance and crouching strikes. Voice Actors Masaki Usui - Samurai Shodown Samurai Shodown IV, Edge of Destiny, Samurai Shodown VI (re-dub voice), Neo Geo Battle Coliseum Daiki Nakamura - 64 series, Warriors Rage; Capcom vs SNK 2 Hiroyuki Koga - Samurai Shodown VI Shingo Katori - Samurai Shodown: Motion Picture Milton Lawrence - Samurai Shodown: Motion Picture (English voice) Bin Shimada - Samurai Shodown Dengeki drama CD series Game Appearances Samurai Shodown Quiz King of Fighters Samurai Shodown II Samurai Shodown III Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden Samurai Shodown IV Samurai Shodown 64 Samurai Shodown 64-2 - his Shura/Slash form will not appear as CPU opponent Samurai Shodown! Samurai Shodown! 2 Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millenium Capcom vs SNK 2 Samurai Shodown V Samurai Shodown V Special Samurai Spirits: Tenkaichi Kenkakuden Neo Geo Battle Coliseum Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny Samurai Spirits (pachinko) Mobile Appearances Days of Memories (third and seventh titles) - unplayable Neo Geo Tennis Coliseum Samurai Spirits - Shimensouka Samurai Spirits - Makai Rineki Cameo Appearances Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono Samurai Spirits Gaiden: Cham Cham Anime Appearances Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture Samurai Spirits 2: Asura-Zanmaden (OVA) Source: SNK Wikia

Galford D. Weller

Utama

Story His father was a kind and just sheriff. An iron hand against evil and injustice, many outlaws sought to end his life. He was shot and killed by a criminal while covering a young Galford with his body. His father's dying words were to "become strong", and he swore to fulfill his father's last wish. Galford took the bullet that killed his father and carried it with him. After the murder of his father, Galford left his home to become a sailor, where he learned about the ninja of Japan. Fascinated by their stories of heroics and mysticism, he decided to learn from them. He completes his training in the Koga style under Ayame, the wife of Hanzo's master (Earthquake trained with him too but quit early). In the process of making his ninjato, Justice Blade, he fused the aforementioned bullet into the metal, and later carved names of rest of his family on the blade. Throughout the series, Galford seeks to uphold justice throughout the land eventually as a superhero of justice. In Edge of Destiny, he learns the location of his father's murderer and goes to seek revenge. In his ending, Galford feels homesick and spies on his home. He sees his mother talking to a man he doesn't recognize and smiling, a sight Galford hasn't seen in years. Assured of her happiness, Galford leaves to continue his life as a ninja. Personality Contrary to the seriousness of his fighting style, Galford is an optimistic and cheerful person, and is the most lighthearted of franchise's ninja characters. Like Terry, he fits many Japanese stereotypes for an American character in appearance, personality and speech. He exhibits good sportsmanship though there are times when he won't hesitate to take someone's life for the greater good. He also regrets leaving his mother and sisters, aware that he was supposed to help the family's income, but knows that he cannot rest until justice has been served. He has unrequited feelings for Nakoruru. This is somewhat debatable after his ending in Samurai Shodown VI, where he states that he gives up on her. (source: Kyosei, SNK Wikia)

Shiki

Utama

Female

She is a woman who was tailored to be Yuga's servant before her birth. Her identity and memory become fractured when she was brainwashed by Yuga in her adulthood. He engraves an enchanted snake tattoo on her back as a means to control her. She is told to find a man fit to become the perfect body for the Dark Lord's resurrection. Finding Haohmaru to be that man, she follows him for a chance to take him away to her master. Her soul becomes freed after Haohmaru defeats Yuga. During the year of Yuga's absence, she loses her memory of being Yuga's servant and lives on as a normal woman named Kanae. When Yuga resurrects itself a second time, it sends its new servant, Shadow Asura, to capture Shiki and regain her servitude. He succeeds in restoring her memories as Yuga's servant but the two unexpectedly fall in love. After the two Asuras defeat Yuga,

Kaori Minamino

Asura

Utama

He is a being who has a long-standing conflict with Yuga the Destroyer, who wreaks havoc in order to bring about "the unification of this world and the Netherworld". Yuga imprisoned Asura in the Netherworld and he subsequently escapes when it is defeated during the events of Samurai Shodown 64. When he confronts Yuga, his clone, Shadow Asura, assists him in slaying the fiend. They fuse themselves together so that his clone could survive. Later, in Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage, Asura is revealed to be a shade of the real Asura. His clone was the one who retained the original's memories; this Asura only kept the original's abilities and his animosity for Yuga.

Genjuro Kibagami

Pendukung

Story He claims to have killed his family and at least a thousand other people. His mother was a prostitute and, due to her profession, he knows nothing about his father. Even so, he made a silent oath to look after his mother until his father came home. When he was fifteen, Genjuro killed a man who stayed in their home -due to his mother's pleas for protection from her client's drunken rage. While he turned to leave his home for good, she attacked Genjuro while cursing his existence and left the scar on his back. He killed her in retaliation. Orphaned, Nicotine Caffeine spotted him and took him under his tutelage along with Haohmaru in his home. Both students were close friends yet Genjuro's hunger for power worried Nicotine. To test his students, he tempted them to fight over the treasured sword, Fugudoku. They were tested by facing off with a group of other fighters. Genjuro, believing that "worthless" people don't deserve life, killed his opponents during the competition. He leaves Nicotine's place in disgust after this event. He swore to kill Haohmaru and Nicotine, spiteful for their idealistic beliefs on swordplay. He hates Haohmaru especially, because he resembles the man his mother was with when he killed them. He also was attracted to Shiki at one point, as she resembled his mother. His profession during his travels is a hitokiri or killer-for-hire, often accepting the more "dirty" jobs such as wiping out pirate brigades and bandit hideouts. His former clients include Sankuro Yorozu and Mizuki Rashojin. In Samurai Shodown 64-2, Genjuro gains the upper hand in his last duel with Haohmaru. Before he could deal the final blow, a boy stabs him in vengeance for his unnamed father. It's heavily implied that Genjuro dies from his wound and, as promised, an older Haohmaru toasts to his friend's honor. Similar to Ukyo, his death is believed to be retconned in the newer sequel. Here, Genjuro is attacked by two assassins; one he kills quickly and the other somehow survived. Before he makes the killing blow, the surviving assassin tells him that this was a test from a man named Golba and offers him to join his master. As he hesitates, the assassin blows himself up, which perks Genjuro's interest and begins his journey to find Golba. He is still alive in his ending and is on another job as usual. He has a motto that he recites before he goes to slaughter people. It's roughly translated as: "I build a nest of beast in my heart. The fang is growling; Kill... Let's go kill. The fang is crying; Kill... Let's go kill. To calm it down, I have no way but slash men..." (translation taken from here) Although it is mostly exclusive to the series's drama CDs, players can hear parts of it being sung by a woman during his theme song in Samurai Shodown 64. Personality Genjuro is a brutal warrior who only fights for the pleasure of killing. He likes to dominate over others and hates people who are weak. There are times when he occasionally feels regretful and shows mercy for his actions though he often counteracts these instances with more acts of cruelty. He is often called a "demon" by his victims, usually moments before he slays them. Samurai Spirits 2 (source: Kyosei, SNK Wikia)

Mamahaha

Pendukung

Her name translates to "stepmother." Story One of Nakoruru's first close animal companions, Mamahaha is always looking out for Nakoruru. It is Mamahaha who first tells Nakoruru of her father's disappearance. Throughout the series, she often found by Nakoruru's side. Personality A loyal and faithful companion to Nakoruru always trying to help her in whatever way possible to protect nature. (source: D3volv3r SNK Wikia)

Rimururu

Pendukung

Female

Referred to as a priestess of the Ainu religion, she greatly admires her older sister Nakoruru, and like her, strives to protect nature. In her ending to Samurai Shodown V, it is revealed to players that Nakoruru adopts her at a young age. Although she is still training and not as adept as her sister at fighting, she repels evil from the forest for her elder sister. When her sister departs, Rimururu often follows her in hopes of offering assistance. In Samurai Shodown III, she somewhat misread the evil presence in the land to be Amakusa and pursed him. Nakoruru originally forbids her younger sister's attempts to be a priestess but relents once she recognizes Rimururu's resolve. In Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage, Rimururu is a "Maiden of Light" like her sister. She was imprisoned by Oboro twenty years ago and cannot awaken to help her sister. The players need to rescue Rimururu for Nakoruru. When the sisters unite, they seal Oboro and his weaponry after his defeat. Her resolve as priestess is shaken in Samurai Shodown Sen as she can't hear Nature's voice anymore. Determined to not make her sister worry, Rimururu leaves her home with hopes to find the reasoning on her own.