Soul Edge

Transcending history and the world, a tale of soul and swords eternally told!

To love! To shine!

We all need to shine on, to see
How far we’ve come on our journey
How far yet to go, searching for our star

Deep in the night, I pray in my heart
For that special light
To shower me with love
To shower me with power
To shine from above

I got to get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on what I believed in from the very start
I got to get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on deep in my heart

Come strip down and face it, your all
About time you broke down your wall, free your mind
A brand new world waits for you, you’ll find

Nobody can just do it for you
It’s time that you knew
It’s up to you to love
It’s up to you to shine
The light true and blue

You got to get to the Edge of Soul
To carry on what you believed in from the very start
You got to get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on, deep in your heart
You got to get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on what you believed in from the very start

***

I. Cervantes de Leon

Biography

Cervantes’ father, Philip de Leon, was a privateer sent on a special mission from the Spanish king to loot in the name of Spain. One day, he sailed closely to an English ship with intent to loot it, only to find out too late that it was a warship. He was taken by surprise, his ship was destroyed, and he died along with it. Cervantes was devastated. Cervantes grew up full of pride over his father who was a great sailor, but became a notorious pirate because of his father’s death.

He decided that if that was what happened to sailors that swear allegiance to Spain, he would forsake it and become a pirate. One day, he received a message from the “Merchant of Death,” Vercci. It was a request to find Soul Edge. At first Cervantes dismissed the offer, but finally accepted since Vercci was the merchant who gave him the artillery for his ship. After a year of searching, Cervantes found information pointing to an antiques dealer with a “strange article”. There was no specific evidence that said article was Soul Edge, but Cervantes was a pirate, and could find some use for the ship’s goods even if Soul Edge was not there. Cervantes attacked the ship, and nobody heard from him again for more than twenty years. He obtained Soul Edge, and it eventually drove him mad as it devoured his soul. His insanity made him destroy anyone who came seeking the sword. Li Long was the first to confront him to possess Soul Edge, but was defeated from its overwhelming power. He tried to escape, and Cervantes pursued him. However, Li Long successfully fled. Cervantes’ reign of terror continued for over 20 years until Sophitia and Taki defeated him. But this was not the end of Cervantes.

Nightmare, the new master of Soul Edge, unknowingly resurrected him using the fragments of Soul Edge still lodged inside Cervantes’ body, but all his memories of his past life had vanished. Once again, Cervantes seeks the demonic blade with renewed fervor and strength. Over the course of the next three years, Cervantes sailed in a ghost ship, plundering and maddening ships across the world, as his memories gradually returned, along with the desire to search for Soul Edge again, even though he knew it had robbed him of his free will. During Cervantes’ search for Soul Edge, he realized that the second sword had been shattered as well when he found a few shards of the second sword. He pondered as to whether or not Soul Edge had been definitively conquered, but at that moment, the shards melded together on their own to create a bigger piece of the sword. For the next four years, Cervantes began his quest to steal souls and collect additional fragments. Eventually, they took the form of a legitimate sword. Cervantes’ new goal was to regain Soul Edge, and to do that, he needed as many of the fragments as he could find.

By making use of the fragments of the cursed sword within his body, Cervantes succeeded in preserving his own will. With Soul Edge and the Adrian, he devoured the souls of brawny men of the sea.

Endings

After defeating Soul Edge, Cervantes wakes up in Valencia Port.

Input Ending : Now with a free will, he is devastated by what he has done to his beloved town and decides to give up his life as penance. He picks up Soul Edge and uses its power to make both himself and the sword decay into nothing.

No Input Ending : Now with a free will, he takes Soul Edge and the sword’s power causes multiple bolts of red lightning to strike down around him. He is then seen on the Adrian, telling his ‘hearties’ that they will change the world into their own hellish paradise

Weapons :

1. Main Gauche

2. Falchion
A curved, single-edged sword used in Europe from the Dark Ages up through the Renaissance. The blade is wide, heavy, and is good at splitting things in two. Its sturdiness also works well defensively, and it is unlikely to break from normal blows.

3. Defender
A lance that lives up to its name. It is difficult to use in an assault, but it shows its true worth when being used to protect something.

4. Jirotoh
5. Katana
6. Three-Bladed-Edge
7. Heavy Lance
8. Serpent’s Tongue

Trivia

1. Some of Cervantes’ alternate weapons are named after rivers in the Underworld of Greek mythology, including Acheron, Phlegethon, Lethe, Cocytus, and Styx.
2. Cervantes’ Joke Weapon is a wooden model of the swords he used in Soul Edge. The wooden model is called the Imitation Sword, which he apparently carved out himself with great care. The biggest difference is in Soul Edge (Female) which is in the form of Nirvana and is smaller.
3. Cervantes’ nickname in Soul Edge and Soulcalibur is “The Immortal Pirate”. Story-wise he’s also known as “The Dread Pirate”.
4. Cervantes is the name of the Spanish writer of Don Quixote, and de Leon is also the last name of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León.
5. In Soul Edge, Cervantes speaks with a slight English accent.
6. Cervantes uses kicks from the martial art Zipota.
7. Cervantes’ ending in Soul Edge is the only ocurrance where he feels remorse and guilt for his past sins.
8. Defeated by Sophitia, Taki and Siegfried in Soul Edge.
9. Defeated Li Long, when the latter wanted to have Soul Edge in Soul Edge.

***

II. Hwang Seong-gyeong

Hwang Seong-Kyung had been born to parents who, while poor, had a strong sense of justice. However, this resolve was what led to their downfall. He grew up hardened and eventually enrolled himself in the Seong Dojang to learn to use the long sword. It didn’t take him long to become the best student in the dojang and was eventually deemed good enough to be taught a private lesson by the master himself, Seong Han-myeong. The master was happy to have such a gifted student and was even considering adopting him as his son. However, he never had a chance to do so, and his daughter, Seong Mi-na, was only friends with Hwang, with mutual lack of desire to make the relationship anything more than friendship. Facing increasing incursions from Japanese raiders, a coast guard was quickly formed and led by Admiral Lee Sun Shin, with Hwang as the first to volunteer. Rumours of Soul Edge, deemed the “Sword of Salvation”, spread to Korea, and Lee Sun Shin sent him to go and find it.

On his quest to find the “Sword of Salvation,” he received news of an impending Japanese invasion of his homeland. He cut his search short and returned home, dragging Seong Mi-na, who had run away to find the Soul Edge herself, home with him. He rejoined the Coast Guard as commander, but shortly thereafter, he received news from a new recruit, Kong Xiuqiang, that Mi-na had run away again. Angered and worried by this, he lost his better judgment and led his crew into a trap set by the pirates of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, and many lives were lost. Lee Sun Shin sympathized with his worry over Mi-na’s well-being, but was nevertheless obliged to dismiss him from the Coast Guard. Instead, he gave him a new set of orders. He was to aid Seong Han-myeong by finding Mi-na, under the guise of searching for the “Sword of Salvation.” He immediately set off to the west once again, and, upon finding her, was told of the true nature of Soul Edge. Deciding that Korea would no longer rely on legends to save itself–that it could rely on its own strength–he dragged Mi-na home with one goal in mind: to rejoin the Coastal Forces in guarding against the impending Japanese invasion.

During his second quest Hwang learned that Soul Edge was evil, so he made a report to his superiors about the matter. Sadly that only served to tarnish his reputation. Amiral Lee Sun Shin dismissed him and forced him to return Blue Thunder, as punishment. Hwang left the garrison and stayed in his master’s dojo, until one day when someone appeared in the exercise hall. He captured the stranger and upon interrogating him he found out that he was a spy from Japan, who claimed that Japan was in search of Soul Edge too. Since no one in the Coastal Defense has the knowledge of foreign lands and the experience from previous trips, Hwang was selected to carry on the new mission : find and stop the agent from Japan from finding Soul Edge, and bring the sword if possible. Lee Sun Shin handed him Blue Thunder again, and Hwang understood the meaning of this mission, to save his country. Before beginning his quest, he went to the Capital and stole the fragments gathered there, since he wouldn’t leave his beloved country with anxiety in his heart. He then headed towards the West, knowing that both Yun-Seong, a student of the Seong Dojo, and Seong Mi-na were in a similar quest. He hopes to join forces with them and together destroy the evil blade once and for all.

Endings

Hwang picks up the two Soul Edge swords and comments how evil and powerful they are as well.

Bad Ending : He stumbles into the Seung Dojo with the two swords. The members ask him what happened, but he hits one of them and tells him to shut up. Hwang’s glowing eyes and fangs suggest that he’s now possesed.

Good Ending : He throws the swords over the Adrian. He then returns to the Dojo, where he is asked about his journey. Seong Han-myeong greets him, telling him that he heard of his exploits and thanks him for saving the country. Seong Han-myeong offers to adopt him, but he declines and rejoins the coastal defense force, because he has a duty to fulfill before he goes home.

Weapons

1. Blue Storm
A Tang Dynasty Chinese long sword passed through the Seong family from generation to generation. It was handed to Hwang by Seong Han-myeong himself, and he carried it during his first quest to search for Soul Edge. Once he returned from his search, he handed it back to his master. This weapon has no special effects. (This weapon is also achievable for Xianghua).

2. Snake Wind
3. Nippon Blade
4. Mountain Breaker
5. Thunderous Fire
6. Sword Of Dawn
7. Midas Blade
8. Phantom

9. Blue Thunder
A sword that Korean Admiral Lee Sun Shin received in his younger days from his closest friend, Seong Han-myeong. When the Korean national hero, Hwang, went out on his second quest for the Sword of Salvation, the Admiral himself presented this sword to him. It does not do much damage with each hit, but its weight breaks the opponent’s stance.

Trivia

1. Green is Hwang’s favorite color.
2. Although unconfirmed, there are rumors that Hwang was a secret character in Soul Edge. There was a push button code players needed to enter to play as him.
3. In Hwang’s bad ending in Soul Edge, “you” is misspelled as “tou” in the English subtitles.
4. Hwang was nicknamed “Burning Patriot” in Soul Edge.
5. His group of travellers may have been slain by Maxi’s pirates, who Hwang fought against.
6. Found Seong Mi-na twice, and returned home with her.

***

III. Inferno

Although no one knows when or where Inferno first appeared, it definitely exists. It took the shape of a sword in order to devour more souls and came to possess individuals to further its unholy cause. In its sword form, Inferno came to be known as Soul Edge. Those who held the Soul Edge were unable to escape from the curse of it’s evil powers. It continued to devour in darkness the souls of those who are led astray. Although it burns fiercely with the anguish and regret of the souls it had devoured, it’s blade shines with an icy gleam.

In the 16th century, Rock’s father had bought the sword in an auction, but Cervantes, a pirate in the employ of Vercci, attacked Adams’ ship and made off with the Soul Edge. He eventually learned to use its power, and began harvesting souls for the sword to feast on.

For two decades, Cervantes possessed the swords. Under Cervantes’ control, Soul Edge often manifested itself as a pair of swords instead of just one. Many ventured to the small port town in Spain that Cervantes used as his base, and Cervantes destroyed them all easily. There was one, however, that proved to be more than a match for Soul Edge’s power. This was Sophitia, a sacred warrior who was protected by Hephaestus, Greek god of the forge. During her battle with Soul Edge, Sophitia managed to actually destroy one of the twin swords. Although she was badly wounded, Soul Edge was nearly destroyed, and the loss of control caused Cervantes to lose his next battle to Taki. Another young warrior, Siegfried, stumbled upon Cervantes’ body. Realizing that Cervantes was now useless to him, Soul Edge entered Cervantes’ body and began a battle with Siegfried. Half of his power was gone, though, and Soul Edge was defeated. The victory turned out to be Soul Edge’s, however, for when Siegfried took hold of the demonic blade, the essence of Soul Edge was able to possess the young warrior. Soul Edge used his remaining power to shower humanity with the Evil Seed, which it had been preparing all those years when Cervantes was dormant in Spain. The Evil Seed rained down all over the world, causing chaos and destruction unlike any in recorded history.

Soul Edge transformed Siegfried into the foul creature Nightmare, and used his new host to rebuild his strength. The destruction of one of the twin swords and the release of the Evil Seed had left Soul Edge depleted. With the help of several minions, Nightmare was able to harvest many souls to power Soul Edge. As he grew stronger and stronger, Soul Edge noticed that Siegfried’s will was increasing as well. Unlike Cervantes, who had gladly accepted the unholy possession, the young knight was actually attempting to resist Soul Edge’s control. As Nightmare, Siegfried used some of Soul Edge’s power in an attempt to ressurect his dead father Frederick. Although he succeeded in creating an apparition of his father, Siegfried realized it was not real and began to resist Soul Edge even more. He finally freed his mind from Soul Edge’s influence and was able to seperate himself from Soul Edge. By this time, however, it did not matter whether Soul Edge had a host or not. He had collected so many souls that his power was tremendous, and he was able to finally manifest itself in it’s true form.

A trio of warriors, Kilik, Xianghua, and Maxi came to challenge the newly released Inferno. Normal humans would not have been much of a match for Inferno, but Kilik and Xianghua possessed mystical weapons that rivalled Inferno’s power. Inferno killed Maxi during the battle, but the combined power of Kilik and Xianghua’s weapons proved to be too much for Inferno. But neither Inferno, nor Soul Edge, was destroyed. Inferno had escaped back into the cursed blade, which Siegfried had reclaimed.

Soul Edge would make Siegfried do horrible things in his sleep however. He would kill many asleep, and when he woke up, he had no memory of it, but he would always be surrounded by corpses. Eventually, Siegfried succumbed to Soul Edge’s power, and became the Azure Knight once more. One day however, at the Ostrheinsburg Chapel, Nightmare was challenged by Raphael to a fight. Nightmare accepted, and nearly won. However, a small spark of sanity appeared in the Azure Knight’s mind once more.

That small spark fought Inferno in the Azure Knight’s mind, which caused Nightmare to stand motionless. Raphael mustered what was left of his strength, and stabbed the sword in the eye. This weakened Inferno severly, and Siegfried managed to reclaim his body. He threw off the azure armor that he resented, and he almost destroyed it. Suddenly, Soul Calibur appeared, free from it’s prison within Soul Edge. Siegfried instinctively took Soul Calibur, and drove the blade through Soul Edge’s eye.

Soul Edge still was not defeated, however. It bonded with Soul Calibur, rendering both powerless, and created Soul Embrace. Inferno escaped into the detestable armor that Siegfried once wore, but could not move without a host. Zasalamel appeared, and shared a wordless conversation with Inferno, before conducting a ritual to give the horrible soul of Soul Edge a body. Inferno (now Nightmare) then set out to reclaim itself, Soul Edge.

Eventually, Nightmare and Siegfried met at the Lost Cathedral. The Embrace was finally broken. Siegfried claimed Soul Calibur, while Nightmare took Soul Edge. They clashed, and the two powers leveled the Cathedral. Nightmare fell into a warped dimension, but even then Soul Edge sought power. Because Nightmare had been given a body by the evil and hatred that dwelled there, the sword and body ended up at Ostrheinsburg when they fell out of the void. Soul Edge stretched it’s evil roots into the azure armor. The shockwave admitted at the Cathedral spread an evil energy that made all of the sword’s shards active. Now Soul Edge called out to them and they returned, both small and great. This included both the being Charade and Soul Edge’s female half, which was being wielded by Cervantes. These pieces had been scattered by the Evil Seed, but they were now being called home. The sword drank it all in, and for the first time in decades, it was mostly whole again. But it still was not satisfied, and the sword continued to stretch into Nightmare. Now the Azure Knight’s body, which had been formed from a lingering hatred and a tormented ghost, truly became Inferno.

Finally, drawn to the sword like a pulsating beacon, the sword’s servants began to gather at Ostrheinsburg. The azure armor was no longer enough to contain the evil power, and so the power and mind of Soul Edge sank it’s roots into the Earth itself, and Ostrheinsburg became a cursed city, a vessel that would consume souls to further strengthen the sword.

Soulcalibur Ending

A pillar of light pierced through the clouds to herald the event. A powerful sword capable of destroying evil, as if in opposition to the surging evil. For the demon sword seeking stronger souls to comsume, it became the ultimate source of power. The Krita-Yuga was consumed by a wave of evil, and a new sword of chaos was born. Inferno’s cry of joy reverberated as if to reach the entire world. All hope was lost… and now an era of darkness is about to begin.

Weapons

Soul Edge
Inferno uses Soul Edge, its own body, as its weapon to protect itself. Being in the form of 2 long swords, most of its moves are reminiscent of Cervantes.

All Weapons
Inferno is more or less the soul of Soul Edge, and since being wielded by many people, the memories of the warriors it defeated were crystallized within it. Inferno used the warriors’ memories and incorporated them into its own style of fighting. Inferno was even able to create weapons from memory and form them from its body. The anguish of defeated warriors fueled the brilliance of Inferno’s disturbing crimson flames. When Inferno’s weapon becomes enveloped with that flame, the world would know the meaning of true fear and despair. By default, Inferno uses Nightmare’s style and weapons though he has a few exclusive moves of his own, like a bizarre spinning attack

Soul Edge

A character bearing the name SoulEdge appears in the first game as the final boss. Here it appears as a being composed of fire wearing Cervantes’ boots and gloves and possessing the same fighting style, albeit with a few moves of his own. It does not make any other appearances again save for Soul Calibur II’s Weapon Master mode. Here, it is merely the story’s antagonist Veral transformed by the power of Soul Edge into Inferno, wielding only Soul Edge weapons.

1. Is the will of Soul Edge.
2. Defeated by Siegfried when he took control of Cervantes’ dead body.

***

IV. Li Long

After the death of the great Eirakutei, the Ming Dynasty was left open to plundering by pirates from southern Japan. Li Long was hired by the emperor on a private mission to assassinate the leader of the pirates and bring Soul Edge home with him. However, he never really cared about Soul Edge and instead decided to not only assassinate the leader of the pirates, but the daimyo feudal lords as well. This was not part of the mission, but there was no doubt in his mind that he would succeed. However, Long was not as strong as he thought, and an attack on the head of a powerful family in Honshū failed horribly. Left badly injured, he was rescued by a young girl named Chie. Chie was the daughter of the former leader of the Fu-Ma clan, Hachibei, operating as an innkeeper. Chie had been permanently traumatized by the death of her mother as a child and had permanently lost the ability to speak. She devoted herself to Long’s care, and they eventually fell in love; and he stayed with Chie long after he was made fit for travel again. One day, while Li Long was out, a fight had broken out at the Inn. Chie was thought to have been killed, and a wounded Hachibei told Long that a wandering swordsman had started the fight and left. Witnesses thought that it may have been Heishiro Mitsurugi, but obviously, Mitsurugi was not the only swordsman wandering the land. In actuality, the swordsman had been a ninja of the Fu-Ma clan, sent by its leader, Toki, to take back a sword that Yahei had stolen from them. Long set out for revenge on Chie’s behalf, learning along the way that Mitsurugi was looking for the Soul Edge. Li Long decided that if he found the sword first, Mitsurugi would eventually have to come to fight him; and if it turned out that Mitsurugi wasn’t responsible for Chie’s death, he would seek out every last swordsman until he got his revenge.

In his journey, he came to Valencia, Spain, where he found the dread pirate, Cervantes de Leon, keeper of the watchers–one of which Long had killed previously–and possessor of the Soul Edge. He tried to steal the evil blade from him, and ended up in a fierce battle with the pirate; but he was quickly defeated by the sword’s overwhelming power and fell to the ground, drenched in blood, calling out Chie’s name. At that exact moment, Chie awoke in a monastery in Honshū. She may have been severely scarred on her back, but she was alive, and eventually learned of Long’s misguided quest for revenge on her behalf. She waited for him for a month, when she discovered that she was pregnant with his child.

After his complete defeat at the pirate’s hand, Li Long tried to escape. Cervantes chased him, but for some odd reason he gave up pursuit (probably at the presence of Sophitia Alexandra). Before fainting, Li Long took a look back and witnessed a bright column of light coming from the port – the Evil Seed. When he woke up, he found he not only suffered physically, but mentally as well. He questioned himself if his acts were righteous and not atrocities, and his confidence shattered while his inner self was consumed. Unable to fend off the assassins hunting him anymore, he fled during the nights, disguised and under a false name.

Three years later, when Xianghua, a member of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Guard, was preparing to leave on a similar mission on the emperor’s behalf, she was asked by Meimei to check on her brother, Long, and see if he was alive. Xianghua did eventually learn that Li Long had not died, finding him just after having won a battle, but he told her that he would never return to Ming Dynasty China again. Eventually he stumbled upon a town, and hoped to get lost among its population. But even there his pursuers were approaching him. About to lose hope, he was saved by a girl. He tried to leave, but at last he accepted his offer and stayed with her, knowing it wasn’t meant to last. His pursuers were still at the hunt, and she reminded him of Chie, stirring his guilty conscience. She took care of him, because she felt he has lost everything.

Then one day the assassins found him. The girl tried to tell him to leave, but Li Long ignored her and stood with his weapon in hand, trembling. In the past it was hard to believe he’d been defeated, but now he barely defeated his foes. In that moment something returned to him: how to fight for something. He decided to leave after that. As he was leaving, the girl ran to him and gently touched his back, communicating her feelings more clearly than ever. But still he left the town that day, now knowing what to do, for the ones who urge him to live.

Half of himself was left with that dreaded blade. Now it’s time to regain it, but still he doesn’t know that his lover is searching for him, and that the proof of their love is now breathing.

Soul Edge Ending

Li Long is defeated by Cervantes and is laying on the gound, badly beaten.

Bad Ending : Li Long dies, and the scene changes to Chie standing in a field holding a comb. She starts to cry, wondering where Li Long is. She then realizes that she may never see him again, and she’s carrying his baby.

Good Ending : Li Long stands up. An illusion of Chie appears, and he goes over to hug her. He then realizes that he is hugging the bigger blade of Soul Edge. The smaller blade floats up into the air and speaks to him in Chie’s voice, asking him to return to her. Li Long grabs Soul Edge and returns.

Weapons

1. Snake Wind
2. Titan
3. Phoenix
4. Steel Dragon
5. White Tiger
6. Asura
7. Twin Thunder

8. Falcon
A modified nunchaku with a blade on each end. Its damage-dealing ability is greatly increased, but in turn, it requires great skill to handle. Li Long, a Chinese martial artist, was famous for using this weapon. It is said that its sharpness increases in proportion to its wielder’s strength of will. Li Long wields a pair of handmade nunchaku, originally only one on Soul Edge, made by himself. Both nunchakus possess blades on each of their ends. Their damage-dealing abilities are greatly increased, but they require great skill to be handled without receiving severe injuries. On the UK and eastern Europe version of the game, the weapon is referred to as a Sansetsukon, a three-sectional staff, though this resembles more a bladed nunchaku with its chain replaced by a third, shorter section.

Trivia

1. Li Long’s sister, Meimei.
2. Sought revenge on Mitsurugi for Chie’s death, though the latter was revealed to be alive and Mitsurugi wasn’t the culprit.
3. Was defeated by Cervantes, but managed to escape death thanks to Sophitia’s arrival.

***

V. Heishiro Mitsurugi

Mitsurugi was born the 4th son of a farmer in Bizen, Japan ; but after many years of seeing his home ravaged by war, he decided to become a samurai. Taking advantage of his parents’ death at his 14th year, he took a sword and the name of Mitsurugi, which most loosely means “calm but deadly man wielding a divine sword”. He went to train under the powerful warlord of the Murakami clan.

Mitsurugi was a powerful force on the battlefield, and rumors of him spread like wildfire, heralding him as the warrior that could mow down foes like fields of wheat, and he was noted by Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga as a great warrior. He received numerous military commendations and eventually reached the rank of commissioned officer in the Japanese armed forces. But all along, his only true desire was a worthy opponent.

After leaving the Murakami clan, Mitsurugi continued to fight in every war in Japan as a hired mercenary. It was during this time that he had learned of a new weapon that was said to be changing the way wars would be fought: the Rifle. He originally dismissed this weapon as a novelty, but he soon learned that it was capable of obliterating the Takeda cavalry. He sensed that the arrival of the rifle in common warfare would put him out of business. He decided that the only way to combat with this was to find a stronger weapon: the rumored Soul Edge.

Unfortunately, Mitsurugi was unable to find any trace of the legendary “Hero’s Sword” on his quest and began taking tasks that were largely meaningless to him in order to pass the time. One of these involved guarding a nearby castle for the night ; and another of which involved aiding the Spanish Marquis Andre’s force in laying siege on Sir Stefan’s Ostrheinsburg Castle. In his frustration of finding no signs of Soul Edge, he returned home and challenged a man wielding the rifle Tanegashima to a duel, trying to prove that he didn’t need the Soul Edge to beat the rifle. But he suffered an embarrassing defeat in front of his lord, forcing him to depart in shame on a second quest to perfect his swordsmanship so that he might eventually defeat the rifle. It was during this quest that he learned of the Azure Knight, Nightmare, who terrorized Europe with a sword deemed invincible. Nightmare’s trail eventually disappeared, but Mitsurugi was unwilling to give up.

Four years later, Mitsurugi stumbled upon the trail of Soul Edge while vising a castle in Xiwei (present-day Xi’an), where a mysterious dying man, after being saved by him from a gang of assassins, handed him a shard of the cursed blade. Although skeptical at first, Mitsurugi accepted the gift. Soon afterward, an incident occurred in which a servant of the Emperor of Ming marched to the castle, demanding the “Hero’s Sword,” and was slain when he refused to leave without it; Mitsurugi sensed that war was coming, but Soul Edge meant nothing to him. He had crossed countless battlefields, defeating every conceivable enemy, even those with rifles. What had once been his greatest enemy was none of his concern, as it no longer proved to be a threat. His only concern was with finding an opponent stronger than himself.

It was at this time that he was suddenly attacked by unknown forces, but he fought off all of his attackers quite easily. They were after the fragment the man from Xiwei had given to him; and judging by their outfits, they appeared to be ninja, with a sword technique he found strangely familiar. They reminded him of Taki, who had interfered every time he had drawn close to the Soul Edge. His thoughts drifted, wondering what was happening in Japan at that time, and whether or not he could receive a final showdown with Taki. He decided to return to his homeland.

By this time, the Sengoku period had ended, and the powerful feudal lord, Oda Nobunaga, was dead. The leaders of the states were now faced with the decision of whether or not to align with his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Murakami clan in particular, with whom Mitsurugi stayed upon his return, refused to join with mainland Japan, choosing instead to protect their existence as fierce pirates and rulers of the sea. But their resistance caught the attention of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and a final stand was about to ensue.

Since Mitsurugi could find no trace of Taki, he decided to aid the Murakami in the battle. A nighttime raid commenced. The ships clustered together and rode the tide in to charge the enemy fleet – the traditional secret strategy of the Murakami. The battle began, and Mitsurugi stormed enemy ships like a hurricane. This combined with the Murakami’s naval prowess allowed for swift victory, and Mitsurugi was decorated for his service, gaining an invitation to meet with the Murakami commander. The commander engaged him in long conversation, mentioning rumors of a warrior clad in azure armor appearing from the west and boasting the strength of a god. Mitsurugi looked up in surprise, realizing that this must be Nightmare, whom he had lost track of before.

Mitsurugi bade farewell to the Murakami and ran to a nearby port, giving all of his reward money to a boatman, demanding that he be taken west. He needed neither money nor fame, only the satisfaction of a fierce battle in which his very soul would clash against his opponent’s ; and that battle, he concluded, would be found in Nightmare.

However, after he defeated some assassins that were looking for information about Soul Edge, he remembered the fragment of the evil sword that he had. He was about to throw it away because he felt that he didn’t need it, when suddenly, the fragment had an unholy glow, and then it flew into the sky, heading west.

With anticipation, Mitsurugi followed, hoping to find both Nightmare and Soul Edge. He also heard rumors that the land before him was filled with terror, and horrible monsters and insane warriors were gathering. But these stories didn’t scare Mitsurugi. In fact, he was excited. This was a challenge that seemed worthy for him.

Endings

Mitsurugi realizes that Soul Edge is evil and destroys both swords. He decides to challenge a rifleman to a duel. Unlike the other characters’ endings, the player controls Mitsurugi in a first-person view. The goal is to evade shots from the rifleman and slash him down.

Bad Ending : If the player fails, Mitsurugi gets shot. He is seen standing in an open field and decides that if he’s going to defeat rifles in battle, he’s going to need a stronger weapon. He then sets off on his quest again.

Good Ending : If the player succeeds, Mitsurugi defeats the rifleman and realizes that his weapon doesn’t matter. He then decides to start training again, holding his katana to the sky.

Weapons

1. Onimaru
2. Iron slasher

3. Korefuji
The sword Mitsurugi used on his first quest for Soul Edge. Later, when he lost to firearms in an imperial court tournament, it was confiscated by his lord. Several years later, that lord died, and Korefuji went missing. Even now, after countless battles, it remains as sharp as ever. The first katana Mitsurugi used. It was a common katana (in the old Soul Archive, it’s referred to as a Tachi). After he lost to the Tanegashima in a duel in front of his lord, he became dissatisfied with it and cast it aside, replacing it with Shishi-Oh. Korefuji means “Right Wisteria” in Japanese.

4. Kojiro’s Sword
5. Water Moon

6. Two-Handed Sword
A Western sword with a beautiful wave-patterned blade. In contrast to its appearance, it is actually a very effective weapon. Its design, which at first glance appears to be decorative, actually acts to widen inflicted wounds. This also makes it somewhat weak against blows, however.

7. Falx
8. Murasame

9. Soul Edge

Soul Edge is the de facto antagonist in the Soul series of fighting games and namesake to the first installment. Originally forged by human hands, at first Soul Edge was just an ordinary sword, but after being bathed in blood and hatred countless times, the sword turned into a demonic weapon and gained a wicked soul called Inferno. Those who grasp his hilt are unable to escape his curse, as his spirit invades the mind like a parasite and drives his wielder insane. As his blade is soaked in blood he grows in power, yet he manages to shine a polished red. Soul Edge is distinguished by the animate eye representing his core.

Consistently referred to as the “evil sword” throughout the series, Soul Edge has a reputation for devouring souls. The weapon is also known to be a shape-shifter – which form he takes depends on his current owner. Only those with great mental discipline can retain their will while wielding this weapon. In the games, a common trait of selecting Soul Edge as a combative weapon is that he depletes the health of the player whilst giving increased attack power or even draining an opponent’s health upon contact. Either way, it is not unusual for the player to lose the battle as a result of wielding the weapon, regardless of the opponent landing the finishing blow, and thereby living up to his in-game legend of “consuming” his wielder.

When Siegfried took the sword, he created “the Evil Seed”, a manifestation of the sword’s evil energy that caused disastrous negative effects.

Soul Edge’s curse is called malfestation, and is inflicted upon those who wield not only the sword himself, but those who come into contact with his shards. Normally, the Evil Seed transforms the person infected into a monster, as it does to Zasalamel when he wielded him, Siegfried-Nightmare, Lizardman, Necrid and Cervantes de Leon, from the main series, and Geki and Maki from Soulcalibur Legends, as well as other people mentioned in characters’ backstories. The curse’s newest victims are Amy,Voldo,Raphael, and Sophitia. His newest allies are Tira, and Lizardman. Many people have fragments of the cursed sword inside their body, such as Astaroth and Maxi, or others keep a fragment or fragments of him, or in order to test their own powers, such as Mitsurugi or Rock.

The first known bearer of Soul Edge was a king, whose strong will conquered the malign intelligence of the blade. However, his son was not so strong, and quickly fell under the influence of Inferno. Jealous of his father’s power, he stole Soul Edge and instantly came under the possession of the evil sword. In a desperate battle against the deranged prince, the mighty king defeated Soul Edge, but at the cost of his son’s life. Swearing vengeance against the cursed blade, which disappeared after the encounter, he forged from purified fragments of Soul Edge the holy blade Soul Calibur.

The second known bearer of Soul Edge was Zasalamel, during one of his many lifetimes. Trying to break the curse of his eternal reincarnations, Zasalamel obtained the cursed blade, but instead, his soul was possessed by the evil will of the sword, and he turned into the host of the blade until the end of that life. After that, records cease until several hundred years later.

During the 16th century, Soul Edge mysteriously reappeared in a secret antique auction, though it is unknown why he now existed as two blades instead of one. The swords were obtained by an English curio dealer, whose ship was attacked by the dreaded pirate Cervantes de Leon. Possessed by the will of the wicked swords, Cervantes slew the crew of the ship and then slaughtered the population of a Spanish port-town, where he stayed the next twenty-five years, waiting of the birth of the “Child of the Cursed Sword”. But then a holy warrior sent by Hephaestus, Sophitia Alexandra, confronted him and was able to destroy the smaller of the two blades. About to kill her, Cervantes was stopped and killed by a demon huntress named Taki.

Trivia

1. Mitsurugi, along with Taki, is a playable character in Namco X Capcom.
2. Rival of Taki.

***

VI. Nathaniel William “Rock” Adams

Born the son of Mr. Adams, an English curio dealer specializing in rare weapons, Nathaniel William Adams obtained his nickname, “Rock,” because of his immense strength. Rock’s father had bid on Soul Edge at a secret auction, and was bringing it home on his ship with family on board when the dread pirate Cervantes de Leon attacked. Rock’s father ran to the storage room to hide the Soul Edge, and his mother ran after to stop him, telling Rock to stay where he was until their return; but they never came back, and the ship sank before they even had the chance. Rock washed up on the shore of the New World, where he learned to live off the land as the Natives had been practicing for many centuries before. He tried to join one of the tribes in the area, but they were afraid of the “White Giant,” and the only one to befriend him was a young Native boy, Bangoo, whose parents had been taken by tribal warfare. Rock, by this time an adult, became a father figure to Bangoo.

Rock eventually re-learned of the people across the ocean, and faded memories of his parents and the Soul Edge began to resurface in his mind as he gradually recalled his past. He eventually decided that the Soul Edge would be the key to his fully-restored memory and with only his moon axe in hand, Rock set out towards the sea, hoping to cross it and find his destiny. In a battle with the Grecian, Sophitia Alexandra, he fought without conviction. When she halted the battle to ask him why he was hesitant in his attacks, he realized that he was leaving Bangoo to grow up alone and that leaving Bangoo alone was no better than never adopting him at all. He thanked Sophitia for her help and returned to Bangoo in the New World. But one horrible day, the grand priest of the cult order Fygul Cestemus, Kunpaetku, sent out a group of lizard men, lead by Aeon Calcos, to kidnap the Native boy and lure Rock out to steal his soul. Taking the bait out of love for his foster son, Rock set out once again to Europe; but this time his motivation was not related to Soul Edge at all. He searched for a long time and eventually defeated Aeon Calcos in a battle, at the cost of his trusty axe. He saved Bangoo, but never truly discovered for what purpose Kunpaetku had wanted his soul out of all the souls available.

They were free once again, though they didn’t return to the New World. Believing the travel at sea would be too much for young Bangoo, Rock decided to wait until he has become older to return. Heading north along the coast, they settled in northern Europe. There, they were greeted by a different and harder environment from that of his home. Rock wished for Bangoo to learn and strengthen himself amidst Mother Nature’s limitless knowledge.

During one stormy winter night, Bangoo broke through thin ice while crossing the snowy valley. He fell into a crevice and spent the night with no way to warm himself. When he was rescued by Rock he was exhausted, but the light had not faded from his eyes. Rock asked him if he was frightened of nature, for which he answered that yes, but that he can’t bring himself to hate it. Upon hearing this, Rock felt that Bangoo’s time had finally come. For his rite of passage, Bangoo chose to cross the sea on his own, an act he before couldn’t do. Rock saw Bangoo off on his solitary journey with a multitude of emotions in his heart.

Alone once more, Rock thought to himself and finally decided that he wanted to prove that he’s worthy of being Bangoo’s father. He had once searched Soul Edge without success, but now he would continue the search. In this journey he would reaffirm his strength and will. Without doubts in his heart of who he was, Rock beholds the seas one last time before leaving.

Fighting Style
Rock fights with a large two handed axe/mace, and as a consequence most of his attacks are slow, particularly his vertical attacks, but redeemingly deal higher than average damage. Rock has a small but effective assortment of very fast kick and charge attacks, which he must utilize quite regularly to interrupt faster enemy attack chains; but this can also be problematic as it causes rock to become predictable. Although Rock moderately benefits from good spacing between him and his opponent, he is at his peak effectiveness when performing ground throws, which is widely regarded as Rock’s bread and butter fighting tool. These ground throws can combine with subsequent ground throws to deal impressive damage and are imperitive to Rocks gameplan. Rock’s low attacks are few but potent, but he does lack vertical low attacks.

Endings

Rock lifts the two Soul Edge swords up over his head. There is a small slide show of his ship being attacked when he was young and the scene shifts back to Rock. He wonders if his parents are still alive, and it shows him lost in deep thought.

Bad Ending : Bangoo is shown running up a mountain, while Rock’s voice can be heard apologizing to his son.

Good Ending Rock : throws the Soul Edge swords. The scence shifts to him and Bangoo walking along a beach discussing about parenthood. Bangoo is excited to hear that Rock is staying with him, and they walk away.

Weapons

1. Apocalypse
Rock’s battle axe. Rock has to fend off wild beasts every day to protect himself and Bangoo. He wears their fur out of respect for the courageous beast who shared the wilderness with him. The sound of Apocalypse slashing through the air is a clear sign of Rock engaged in a life-or-death struggle. During his battle against Aeon Calcos, Apocalypse was destroyed.

2. Stone Club
3. Cresent Ax

4. War Hammer
Used on the battlefield since ancient times, it is effective against helmets and armor. It is said that it was originally developed from pickaxes and other everyday tools, but in the face of its crushing blows, its histor is irrelevant. In the hands of a strong warrior, it can yield even greater damage.

5. Twin Ax
6. Cross Ax
7. Double Tomahawk
8. Great Ax

Trivia

1. Rock is sometimes referred to as the “White Giant.”
2. Adoptive father of Bangoo.

***

VII. Seong Mi-na

Growing up in the famous Korean Seong Dojang headed by her father, Seong Han-myeong, Mi-na had always been surrounded by weapons, many of which she learned to use quite well, even surpassing her father with the guan dao. However, her looks led the local boys to kiss her and call her more than a striking girl, an image supported by her father who wanted her to settle down and marry a suitor, preferably Hwang Seong-gyeong, whom Han-myeong had personally wanted to adopt into the family. Facing increasing incursions from Japanese raiders, a coast guard was quickly formed and led by Yi Soon Shin, her father’s childhood friend, with Mi-na desperate to join in the ranks; but she was barred from joining on account of her gender. Overhearing rumors of Soul Edge, deemed the “Sword of Salvation”, while eavesdropping on a private conversation between her father and Hwang, she decided that if she would not be able to prove herself in the coastal defense, she could just as easily prove herself by finding the fabled sword for her country. This prompted her to pack her belongings and run away from home, not knowing that Hwang had already been sent out on his own official quest for the weapon.

During her search, she did meet up with Hwang, and upon receiving news of an impending Japanese invasion of Korea, he cut his quest short and returned home, dragging Mi-na home with him. Not long after her return, Mi-na ran away again. Her frustration with rigorous training, combined with her father’s eagerness to marry her to Hwang and a proposal from one of her father’s wealthy trainees, sent her over the edge and out the door. Mi-na resumed her quest for the Soul Edge, but gained a valuable lesson along the way. She heard of a female warrior named Ivy, who was also searching for the Soul Edge. But upon meeting Ivy, she was told that Soul Edge was inherently demonic and that Mi-na would be better suited at home because she was only a weak little girl. Quick to anger, she challenged Ivy to a fight, but, overwhelmed and confused by Ivy’s unusual snake sword, she suffered a humiliating defeat. Questioning her own strength, Mi-na met a middle-aged, alcoholic man with a beaten bo staff who jeered her and told her not to challenge people so hastily. But true to form, she attacked him and never landed a single hit, as he caught her guan dao with his bare hands. She asked if she could train under him, and he reluctantly agreed; despite his chronic alcoholism, his ability with the bo staff taught her much during her training. After a year of training, he mysteriously disappeared while out to buy more alcohol, and her only trace of him was a goodbye note telling her there was nothing more he could teach her, signed by a one ‘Kong Xiuqiang’, who was, in reality, Chai Xianghua’s long-lost father and an exiled student of the Ling Sheng-Su Temple Ruin. From this experience, Mi-na learned to never underestimate the strength of an opponent, and she continued training for two years until she was ready to resume her quest for the Soul Edge. Eventually, however, she was dragged home once again by Hwang.

Four years later, Mi-na saw a student of her father, Hong Yun-seong, angry after being rejected by Hwang when he challenged him to a battle. She felt sorry for the brooding young man and handed him a Seong family heirloom, the dao ‘White Storm’ that, according to legend, possessed the ability to reflect the innermost thoughts of those who wielded the blade. That night, Yun-seong had packed his belongings and run away from the dojo in pursuit of Soul Edge, taking the dao with him. Since Mi-na had lent the heirloom to him, she felt obligated to retrieve it, and decided to leave the dojang to find him. Seong Han-myeong did not want her to go, but he knew in his heart that if he protested, she would simply run away again, and he gave her his blessing to retrieve the weapon. By the time he considered that she would, in fact, try to seek and retrieve the Soul Edge on her journey, it was too late, and she was long gone.

Seong Mi-na traveled throughout Ming, continuing her search for Yun-seong. In one city, she got involved in a fight. After defeating a brawny man, one of the onlookers casually remarked that her style largely resembled the fabled Ling-Sheng Su Style. When she thought about it, the man who had taught her how to use her weapon had never given a name for the style. This fighting art was a solid part of her now, but she didn’t know where it originated from. Mi-na became interested and decided to visit this temple famous for its martial arts.

She went to the said temple and found that it was destroyed a few years ago. However, she found out that an old master of the said style was still alive. She decided to visit the old man living in some mountains in the Himalayas. She arrived and saw Edge Master, who was also Kilik’s master. When she first challenged him to a fight, he refused. But in the end, he agreed. Seong Mi-na suffered a total defeat. The old man then invited her to stay with him to train. During breaks, she told him of stories of her travels. He seemed vaguely interested, but he jumped at the information that Mi-na was also looking for Soul Edge. He told her the sword was evil. She did not believe him at first, but she knew that a man like him would not lie.

After a few months of training, Mi-na made up her mind to go after Yun-seong again, to tell him that the sword was evil. After saying goodbye to her new master, she thought that next time, she would bring Yun-seong along. She concluded that it would be so much fun.

Fighting Style
Seong Mi-na fights with a halberd pole type weapon, called a Zanbatou, and thus benifets from maximum spacing between herself and her opponent, Mina is equip with some the longest non-projectile attacks in the game. A fair ammount of her attacks increase in damage depending on how far away her opponent is at the point of impact. To facilitate adequete spacing Seong Mi-na has a handful of attack sequences that she will jump or dash back at the end of. Although Seong Mi-na has many long range attacks, most are very linear and a wary opponant could feasibly evade them quite easily via sidestepping, though this requies good anticipation and/or reaction time. Seong Mi-na has a decent array of low attacks to utilise, most of them relitively slow horizontal strikes however. Seong Mi-na is generally regarded by the Soul Calibur community as being a lower tier character.

Endings

Seong Mi-na sneaks home. Seong Han-myeong calls out to her and says that he sees her. He is angry at her, and she tries to plead with him about how she has grown a lot on her journey. Seong Han-myeong swings his sword at her.

Bad Ending : Mi-na winces, as Seong Han-myeong stops his sword just before it hits her. He says that she has grown, but she still has a long way to go before she’s done. The scene shifts to her practicing, with Seong Han-myeong watching her, thinking about his secret dream of her one day inheriting the school one day.

Good Ending : Mi-na dodges the sword faster than Seong Han-myeong can stop it. He is very happy about this, since now he can speed up the engagement, so that she can marry Hwang and Seong Han-myeong can adopt him. The scene shifts to Seong Han-myeong reading a letter from Mi-na, stating that she isn’t quite finished yet, and she needs to train some more before getting married and that her father’s skills have slowed a bit.

Weapons

1. Tiger Fang
2. Long Handed Sword
3. Nagamaki
4. Morning Star

5. Halberd
A hybrid of a spear and an ax. It can be used to slice, pierce, and hook. Its multi-purpose nature and strong attack power have led it to become a widely used weapon among foot soldiers. This particular halberd has a protective aura cast upon it, and merely holding it causes strength to flow through the wielder.

6. Sickled Spear
7. Spiked Mace

Trivia

1. Her fighting style is very similar to Kilik since they both wield pole weapons. Maybe having to do with the fact that they are both previously trained by Edge Master.
2. In almost every version of the Soul series, her default costume is amongst the most revealing ones, with her entire abdomen and belly button exposed each time.
3. Seong Mi-na is nicknamed “Heart and Soul Girl”.
4. Daughter and student of Seong Han-myeong.

***

VIII. Siegfried Schtauffen

During the late sixteenth century, the oppressed peasants of Germany were revolting against the Holy Roman Empire. With its forces weakened by the Italian Wars, the German peasants finally had a fighting chance. One of the champions of the people, a brave knight named Frederick, met and fell in love with a woman named Margaret while on campaign; and they spent the night together. When Frederick returned after nine months of battle, he rejoined Margaret, having given birth to a son, whom he named Siegfried, after the famous hero. Over the course of the next ten to fifteen years, Frederick spent a lot of his time teaching his son swordsmanship.

Embarking on a foreign crusade, Frederick promised Margaret that he would return; unfortunately, without his father’s guidance, Siegfried began to socialize with an edgy clan of teenagers, and he soon became the leader of their band of thieves known as “Schwarzwind,” meaning “black wind.” In a misguided act of national pride, the band devised a plan to attack the knights who ran away from the crusades, as they were bound to carry valuable possessions, and were too cowardly to deserve respect in any case. That night, the “Schwarzwind” ambushed a group of war-weary soldiers, too tired to retaliate. Siegfried even managed to kill the commander himself; but as he held the commander’s severed head in triumph, the moonlight shone on its face, and Siegfried screamed as he realized he held the head of his own father. In mere seconds, Siegfried’s mind had broken upon which point he ran straight into the forest, becoming more and more insane as he ruminated over his previous acts, until he came to a point at which he psychologically convinced himself that his father’s murderer was actually someone other than himself. Hearing rumors of the invincible Soul Edge, Siegfried came to believe his father’s killer could only be killed with said weapon.

He traveled first to Ostrheinsburg Castle, the refuge of the noble Sir Stefan, who he believed to be the possessor of the Soul Edge; and he joined in its forces as a Landsknecht, rising in its ranks with the hopes of acquiring Stefan’s self-proclaimed legendary blade. During a siege on the castle, Siegfried saw an opportunity to take Sir Stefan’s prized possession, the sword Grimblade, and killed him, running off with it into the Black Woods nearby the castle; but the sword held no power. Frustrated, he continued to search for weeks for the Soul Edge, growing increasingly more insane for its power as time passed. He finally managed to come across the legendary weapon Soul Edge, lying beside the defeated corpse of the dread pirate, Cervantes de Leon. But as he reached for it, the corpse lit up in a hellish blaze of fire and attacked him. Siegfried raised his zweihänder and defeated the fiery Inferno, breaking his sword in the process, earning the right to wield the Soul Edge for himself.

At the precise moment that Siegfried obtained the cursed blade, the Evil Seed emanated from him in a beam of light that rained across the entire world, leading only to death and destruction. At that moment Siegfried heard the voice of the wicked sword, who arranged a deal with him: Siegfried would help the blade to restore itself gathering souls, and Soul Edge would resurrect his father Frederick. Siegfried accepted and carried the blade into many slaughters, until he finally succumbed to the sword’s restored powers, transforming into the Azure Knight,Nightmare.

Endings

Siegfried drops to one knee. He looks at the bigger blade of Soul Edge, which is sticking out of the ground. He inches towards it.

Bad Ending : Siegfried grabs the sword and holds it over his head in victory, only to have it clamp down on his hand and transform him into Nightmare. The scene shifts to Siegfried, now Nightmare, standing on a cliff, overlooking a village.

Good Ending : Siegfried hoists Faust over his head and shatters Soul Edge. The scene switches to Siegfried standing on top of a mountain, crying and sobbing about what to do next. It seems that he had finally come out of denial about killing his father.

Weapons

1. Grimblade
2. Atlas Sword

3. Flamberge
A two-handed sword with a flame-like wave design on the blade. It gives the weapon a beautiful outward appearance, but in fact, the wave design actually serves to make the sword difficult to guard against, making it easy to damage the enemy. On the other hand, it is also difficult to use it to guard against enemy attacks.

4. Branch Blade
5. Hard Steel Blade
6. Claymore

7. Faust
Siegfried, the current holder of Soul Edge, used this zweihander during his mercenary days when he was searching for Soul Edge. It is probably this very sword that Siegfried used to spill the blood of his own father. It was once broken, but was later restored by the cursed power of Soul Edge.

8. Soul Edge

Trivia

1. In Soul Edge, Siegfried had a secret costume entitled “Siegfried!”, which made him appear as an early version of Nightmare in red armor. Originally, the developers of that game had considered using the alternate costumes as separate characters, but the idea was scrapped.
2. Siegfried’s nickname in Soul Edge is “Innocent Darkside”.
3. Siegfried’s soul seeks redemption to atone for sins. These include Frederick’s murder at his hands, and for Siegfried’s life as Nightmare.
4. Son of Margaret and Frederick, whom he killed accidentally before the events of Soul Edge.
5. Enemy and former alter-ego of Nightmare.
6. Fought and defeated Cervantes and Inferno in Soul Edge.

***

IX. Sophitia Alexandra

The daughter of a Greek baker, Sophitia worked at her family bakery. She lives in Athens, a part of Ottoman Empire. She has blonde hair, pale white skin, and green eyes. She has always treasured her country’s culture and prayed often to the city guardian, Athena, the goddess of wisdom. One day, as she bathed in a forest spring, a bright light appeared and took the shape of a man. He revealed to her that he was the Olympian god of fire and forge, Hephaestus, and told her of the evil blade Soul Edge–that the existence of such a powerful blade would put shame to his name, as he had not created it, and that if anyone were to discover it, it would bring much pain to the world. Hephaestus ordered her to come to the Eurydice Shrine and receive a holy weapon, the Omega Sword, so that she could destroy the Soul Edge. Upon gaining her equipment, she ventured forward. Sophitia did eventually track down the Soul Edge in a port in Valencia, Spain; and she fought its possessor, the dread pirate Cervantes de Leon, destroying one of the twin blades. However, shards of the evil sword flew with great force from her powerful blow wounding her too greatly to finish the fight. Just as Cervantes was about to deliver a finishing blow to the endangered Sophitia, a mysterious female ninja, Taki, saved her and proceeded to kill the evil pirate. After the battle had finished, Taki carried Sophitia on her back to her home in Athens, where her sister, Cassandra, had been waiting for her. Cassandra was the only member of her family or group of friends to believe her story at the time. While recovering from her wounds, she was also taken care of by a local blacksmith named Rothion. The two eventually fell in love.

After recovering from her wounds she suffered from the sword fragments, she returned to her life as the daughter of a baker and spent her days peacefully. However, one day Sophitia had an ominous vision of a knight in azure armor and a sword of immense evil–a sword she knew that had to be the real Soul Edge.

She received a second oracle from Hephaestus to destroy the remains of Soul Edge, who then supplied her with holy metal, which Rothion used to forge a new Omega Sword and shield; she set out on a second journey to destroy the cursed sword. On this second journey Sophitia, who healed the lands polluted by evil, eventually stopped feeling the evil presence of the blade. She continued for a while, but once she was sure someone else destroyed the blade, she immediately ended her travels and returned to her home as quickly as possible. There, she soon married Rothion and gave birth to both a son and a daughter. But a strange shard that Rothion had received from a mysterious customer four years later brought a halt to her newfound happiness. Upon bringing the metal fragment home, their two children, Patroklos and Pyrrha, scrambled to fight violently with each other over the artifact. The evil aura the fragment emanated caused Sophitia’s old wounds to ache, as they had been undoubtedly infected with the evil energy of the Soul Edge seven years previous, explaining her children’s predilection for the bizarre aura. Cassandra had seen Sophitia’s distraught expression and proceeded to grab the shard from her grasp and run out the door, running away from home soon afterwards. A couple of weeks later, Sophitia decided that if she was to free her children from the evil sword’s curse and ensure her sister’s safety, she had to embark on a third journey. But because Cassandra had stolen Sophitia’s previous weapons, which she had stored at Eurydice Shrine, Rothion forged her a new set to destroy the cursed Soul Edge once and for all.

Her journey took her to Ostrheinsburg Castle, which was blanketed by a thick fog. From the fog emerged a small girl in green clothing with a large ring-like blade (Tira). The girl casually told Sophitia that Soul Edge was not in the castle and she also told her that she wanted to play with her children with a smile that was neither gentle nor heartwarming. Sophitia lunged at the girl, but she easily dodged her, and disappeared into the fog. Sophitia quickly returned home and was relieved to see that her family was safe, but she was unsure whether or not to continue her search for Soul Edge. She went to the Eurydice Shrine to pray to Hephaestus for guidance, where the girl in green was waiting for her.

As they fought, Sophitia noticed an emotion from the girl other than madness. She realized that the girl had never felt happiness. With a look of hatred in her eyes, the irritated girl simply pushed Sophitia away and left, leaving these words before leaving: “You’re annoying…when the time comes, I’ll come for your children”. Sophitia then made up her mind. She was going to destroy Soul Edge for the sake of her children. Asking her husband to keep their children safe, Sophitia left to continue her search for the cursed sword.

Sophitia continued her pursuit of the cursed sword and at last she arrived in the sword’s dominion, Ostrheinsburg. There she learned a shocking truth. While she was away from home, a cunning servant of the cursed sword had abducted her daughter. Soul Edge had grown more powerful then ever, a sinister voice whispered, and her young daughter would die without his evil energy to sustain her.

“Felling torn? I would too, if I’d left my children to fend for themselves!” The words clung to Sophitia like a curse. “Well, don’t believe me, if you don’t want to, but I suggest you think carefully before making your choice.” She had come running after the sword to destroy him, but when she thought about the consequences now, if Soul Edge should be lost, what would become of her child?

And so that her child might live, the crusader Sophitia made her choice; to battle any warrior who came to Ostrheinsburg seeking to destroy Soul Edge. With each new sin, guilt tore at her heart, but there was no other way. Would Sophitia and her family never be able to dwell in the light of the sun again?

Endings

Sophitia destroys the evil swords, and then sees Hephaestus. He tells her that’s she done well. Sophitia then asks him to heal all the people she had hurt during her fights, but he tells her that they are already healed, and that they’ve forgotten all about what happened. He then takes her weapons and tells her to rest.

Bad Ending : Sophitia, without her armour, walks through a forest, with the birds singing and landing on her.

Good Ending : Sophitia is in her swimsuit, bathing in a lake in the forest. She hears something, and then splashes at the camera. The screen then fogs up, the player can repeatedly press the X button to defog the screen.

Weapons

1. Gaea Sword

2. Swordbreaker
As its name implies, it was built to destroy opponents’ weapons. It is generally used to catch and break an opponent’s sword with the comb-shaped ridges, but it can also be used as a normal short sword.

3. Blue Crystal Rod
According to legend, this rod and shield were blessed by the goddess Ishtar and used to defeat a demon that ravaged ancient Babylonia. The truth of the legend is unknown, but these artifacts to indeed possess a power that protects the bearer from evil and brings hope even in the darkest of times.

4. Fire Blade
A magic sword that is said to unleash burning heat in response to its wielder’s emotion. There are also stories of the sword occasionally bursting into flame, searing the hand of the unfortunate warrior who wielded it.

5. Rapier
A pair of swords designed specifically for thrust attacks. These swords are well balanced and easy to use. The weapon’s design in the game is taken from Raphael’s 2nd player Flambert.

6. Apollo Sword
7. Valkyre

Quotes

“I will never forget you.”
“I’m sorry!”

Costumes
Sophitia Alexandra’s signature costume is derived from the “Greek Goddess” attire. She wears white floaty skirts to keep her cool and allow maximum movement when kicking. Her armour often consists of either leg guards, shoulder guards, and occasionally breast plates. Sophitia chooses plain tank tops or a tunic for the upper part of her body.

Trivia

1. Sophitia may be modeled after Mint Adnade from Tales of Phantasia. Her ultimate weapon in is the Blue Crystal Rod and her portrait looks very similar to Sophitia.
2. Sophitia is nicknamed “Renewal of the Vow” in Soul Edge and “Emotional Goddess”.
3. Daughter of Achelous and Nike.
4. Wife of Rothion.
5. Mother of Pyrrha and Patroklos.
6. Defeated Cervantes in Soul Edge.
7. Rescued and brought back home by Taki after the events of Soul Edge.

***

X. Taki

Taki was orphaned at an early age and was brought up by a ninja master named Toki. She was trained in the ways of the ninja by Toki, whose clan lived in seclusion. Taki grew into an expert spy and a great schemer. Many among this clan have extraordinary abilities that have been lost or forgotten by the general population. Being blessed with supernatural powers of her own, Taki decided to travel throughout Japan to conquer the evil demons who threaten ordinary people. To aid her in this task, Taki forged her own weapons with love and care, her favorite of which is the short sword Rekkimaru, which also held supernatural powers. During this time of civil war, many military commanders employed ninjas, but Taki works for herself.

One day, Toki suddenly summoned all the ninjas of the clan for a meeting. Toki told the assembled ninjas that Hachibei, who had once led the ninja clan with Toki, had stolen the spiritual ninja-to Mekkimaru and had run away with his daughter Chie. By the clan’s law, the two were now nuke-nin, or ninjas who had left the clan without permission. Ninjas were not permitted to leave their clan until they died because of the clan secrets. The clan were responsible for the nuke-nin, and were to execute them as soon as possible to protect their secrets. In accordance with the code, Toki ordered the ninjas to hunt down Hachibei and Chie, kill them and return the Mekkimaru. Although this was the normal course of action, something in Toki’s eyes made Taki suspicious of her foster father for the first time.

Hachibei proved to be a hard man to find, as his skill for remaining hidden had been the finest in the clan. Taki, with her sixth sense and massive intelligence network, eventually found a few leads. Chie had been Taki’s childhood friend, and by following a slight trace of Chie, Taki was able to locate Hachibei. The two were running a small stall on a vacant road. An extraordinarily strong man named Li Long was living with them at the time, so Taki waited to confront Hachibei when the old man was out. Hachibei was surprised to see Taki at first, but his face soon filled with relief and he handed the Mekkimaru to Taki. Hachibei then revealed to Taki that Toki had been possessed by madness and that the Mekkimaru controlled the ninja lord now. It was for this reason that the ailing man had taken the sword and left.

Even though Taki had her suspicions about Toki, she still found it hard to believe that the dull blade Hachibei held in his hands had extraordinary spiritual powers. Hachibei explained, through heavy coughs, that if Toki came in contact with the Mekkimaru again that he would kill Toki. He gave the blade to Taki and begged her to keep it away from Toki. The old man’s trust caused her suspicion of Toki to grow, and so she let Hachibei and Chie go free. She hid Mekkimaru where she was certain no one would find it and returned to the clan. When she returned, she fabricated a story about Chie’s Chinese lover taking the sword and killing both Chie and Hachibei. When Toki heard this, he grinned and ordered the clan to pursue Li Long and kill him as well. When he gave these orders, Taki knew that Toki was no longer the man she knew. The only explanation was that an outside source was affecting the Mekkimaru, causing it to resonate with evil and warp Toki. Hearing rumors of the evil blade Soul Edge, Taki felt certain that this was the source of the evil and thus set out to find the sword and destroy it.

For some time, Taki had noticed that Rekkimaru, her favorite sword, had been acting strangely. It’s once considerable power had weakened. When she had been called in to slay the Fury demons which had been confined at a temple, she was barely able to defeat them and seal the gates back. After the revelations with the Mekkimaru, Taki was certain that Soul Edge was affecting her own sword as well. Thus, she had two reasons for going after the legendary blade. Rekkimaru’s loss of power proved to be a compass that led her straight to Soul Edge.

She tracked to sword to an abandoned port town in Spain. She arrived at the docks to find a weakened pirate standing over the body of an injured girl. In his hands was the demon sword Soul Edge! Before the pirate, Cervantes, could deliver the final strike, Taki called out to him and challenged him. Thus a battle like none Taki had ever fought began. Although she had been improving her armor for years, it was designed for fighting ghosts and lesser demons and began to crack under the strain. Her sealing spells proved useless and Rekkimaru had lost nearly all of it’s power. However, Cervantes’ battle with Sophitia had left him severely depleted and Taki eventually struck a fatal blow. The mad pirate shrieked in pain and slumped to the ground. Exhausted from the ordeal, Taki still managed to carry the wounded Sophitia away from the harbor. As they left, they heard an immense explosion of evil energy from behind them, which turned out to be the release of the evil seed.

Once a safe distance away, Taki removed the shards of Soul Edge that had riddled Sophitia’s body and treated her wounds. She accompanied Sophitia back to her family, and then left for Japan with the shards of the Soul Edge. She hoped that with the destruction of Soul Edge, the hidden Mekkimaru would have returned to normal and Toki would be himself again.

Endings

Taki’s sword breaks. She doesn’t realize that Soul Edge is floating up into the air…

Bad Ending : The two swords fly at her, miss, then fly away. Taki tells her sword that she will repair it. She goes back to the forge, fixes Rekki-Maru, and confronts a demon. She’s about to draw her sword, but she decides to seal it with magic instead. She then yells, “The deed is done!”

Good Ending : The two swords fly at her, but she grabs them as they come to her. Then she holds them down and purifies them. She returns home, and forges the blades into one sword. A demon appears, and she kills it with her new weapon. She then yells, “The deed is done!”

Weapons

1. Iron Fan

2. Rekki-Maru & Mekki-Maru
Taki’s original weapon from Soul Edge, and one of the few original weapons to have never been replaced in the following games. The games labels Rekkimaru as a ninjatō (a ninja sword). According to its Soulcalibur profile, Rekkimaru is Taki’s preferred weapon. She made it herself and infused its blade with mystical powers.

3. Jutte
4. Gaea Sword

5. Kunai
A type of bladed weapon used by the ninjas of Japan. It is said that they originated as digging tools. They can be thrown like shuriken, but they are primarily used while gripped in the hand. Those with experience can use them as if they were extensions of their own body.

6. Tanto
7. Spirit Blade

Trivia

1. Rival of Mitsurugi.
2. Defeated Cervantes in Soul Edge.
3. Saved Sophitia from Cervantes.

***

XI. Voldo

Voldo’s Edge Master Mode in the first game on the series, Soul Edge, revealed his past as the right-hand man of Italian weapons merchant Vercci, known as the Merchant of Death due to his business with the Spanish Armada. Vercci desired Soul Edge to form part of his collection of rare weapons, and Voldo stood as the head of the expeditions in his search, even contracting the services of the feared Spanish Captain Cervantes de Leon, and later accompanied Vercci when he decided to take the search personally. When word came that the Italian Wars broke on Italy and that Vercci’s possessions were the first targets, Vercci grew mad. He moved his fleet, his only remaining possession, on an uninhabited island off the coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea and dug a 50-mt deep shaft that would serve as his tomb and vault. Voldo would later be instructed to slay the sailors that helped in the construction to avoid the location of Vercci’s Money Pit to be revealed, then later shut himself with his deceased master.

Endings

Voldo gets Soul Edge and caresses it on his face.

Good Ending : He places the sword on the alter. Vercci’s ghost appears and says to Voldo that he has done well. He asks Voldo to guard Soul Edge and sit on his throne. The player can switch the camera view from Voldo to Vercci’s ghost while he talks by pressing the X button.

Bad Ending : By pressing left then right very quickly, Voldo begins to caress the blade faster and faster until it shatters and Voldo slumps downward looking at the pieces in despair, while he hears Vercci exclaiming his name.

Weapons

1. Iron Claw
2. Poison Arrow

3. Full Moon
Eastern weapons consisting of iron rings with bladed outer edges. Their ring shape actually gives them good defensive capabilities. They are better suited for slashing than for thrusting. Wielding them effectively takes significant skill. The Full Moon weapons resemble silver rings that are wielded like katars. This weapon may have inspired the creation of Tira and her circular-bladed weapons,as they are unique in thier structure compared to Voldo’s other types of weapons.

4. Buffalo Horn

5. Gulliotine
Large pendulum-styled gulliotines. The areas behind the blades are shaped conveniently for gripping, and they can be used as-is like a weapon, but they are heavy and require strength to handle. They are appropriate weapons for one such as Voldo whose duty is to deliver justice to intruders. The Gulliotines in Soul Calibur II are large and cumbersome when weilded by Voldo. They are brown with a signature large blade that is sharpend and primed for killing. It is among one of the tortuous devices Voldo uses, along with the Iron Ram and Heavy Jurs.

The guillotine was used in extreme frequency during the French Revolution-in which peasants and the infamous Robespierre put to death anyone who did not harbor radical ideas of reform in France during this time. The guillotine was the official method of execution in France until the death penalty was relented in 1981. The last guillotining in France was Hamida Djandoubi on September 10, 1977.

6. Pata

Trivia

1. Voldo’s nickname in both Soul Edge is “Hell Guardian”.
2. Voldo bears similarities to Hellboy villain Karl Kroenen.
3. Voldo’s fighting style is similar to Sunny the Scorpion the main villain in the 1991 kung-fu film Jie zi zhan shi aka Operation Scorpio.
4. Servant of Vercci.