Mitsurugi

general VG character
name = Heishirō Mitsurugi


caption = Mitsurugi, as he appears in "Soulcalibur IV"
series = "Soul series"
firstgame = "Soul Edge"
creator =
artist =
voiceactor = Scott Keck ("Soulcalibur II" and "III")
japanactor = Toshiyuki Morikawa ("Soul Edge" (arcade), "Soulcalibur I" - "III")
Wataru Takagi ("Soul Edge" (PlayStation))
motionactor =
liveactor =
inuniverse = Soul character
birthplace= flagicon|Japan Bizen, Japan
bloodtype=AB
weapon=Korefuji ("Soul Edge"), Shishi-Oh ("Soulcalibur") (Katana)
weaponname=
fightingstyle=Tenpu-Kosai-Ryū ("Soul Edge"), Tenpu-Kosai-Ryū Kai ("Soulcalibur")nihongo|Heishirō Mitsurugi|御剣 平四郎|Mitsurugi Heishirō is a video game character designed for the Soul series of fighting games. Mitsurugi is the staple samurai character of the series, holding out the precepts of honor and pride, and seeking a fair battle against enemies of his same level of skills. His name is a combination of the Japanese words "mi" and "tsurugi", both of which translate to a kind of a sword. He is based on the real-life swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, famed for his amazing skill and lack of defeats. In early designs, he's also shown wielding dual katanas, another possible reference to Miyamoto Musashi and his distinctive style of swordplay: Niten-Ryu.

Mitsurugi has been one of the series' most recognizable characters ever since his first appearance in "Soul Edge". With the exception of the specific arcade version of Soulcalibur where he was replaced by Arthur, he hasn't been dropped from the character roster on any of the following sequels. Ever since his first appearance in "Soul Edge", Mitsurugi has remained a regular character on every sequel released of the series, including and up to "Soulcalibur IV". He has also appeared in a cross-over game "Namco x Capcom" as a playable character.

Conception and history

In video games

As detailed in Mitsurugi's "Edge Master Mode" in "Soul Edge", Mitsurugi was originally the son of a farmer in Bizen, which after suffering years of witnessing his homeland being ravaged by bandits and war, decided to take up swordsmanship under the tutelage of the Murakami Clan. Mitsurugi's skill and strength spread quickly over Japan, and he was recognized as a force to be reckoned on the battlefield, even being noted by both Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga as a great warrior. After leaving the Murakami Clan, and having refused all military commendations offered for his services, Mitsurugi continued to fight in every war in Japan as a hired mercenary.

It was during this time he heard about a new weapon, the Rifle, said to be changing the way wars were fought. At first Mitsurugi dismissed the weapon as a novelty, but soon learned that it was capable of obliterating the Takeda cavalry and realized its real power. Deciding that a strong weapon was the only way to combat it, he started a quest in order to find the rumored Soul Edge.cite web|url=http://www.soularchive.jp/tmr/souledge/mitsu/mitu_pro.htm|title=Mitsurugi's Soul Edge Profile|accessdate=2008-08-30] In the sequel of "Soul Edge", "Soulcalibur", he returned as a regular character with an improved fighting style and design. But in the world release of the arcade version (SOC14/VER.C), Mitsurugi was exclusively replaced by a character named Arthur. Other than being of British nationality, Arthur is essentially Mitsurugi with blonde hair and an eye patch; the samurai outfit and katana blade remains unaltered. Arthur returned in "Soulcalibur III" as a bonus character.

As detailed in his profile for the game, Mitsurugi was unable to find any trace of Soul Edge, and in his frustration he carelessly challenged a man wielding the rifle "Tanegashima" to a duel in front of his lord, which he ultimately lost after receiving a bullet in his right shoulder. He later departed in a new quest to perfect his swordsmanship, in order to defeat the rifle. During his training he learned of Nightmare's rampage on Europe and started a new quest to the west.

Mitsurugi's profile for "Soulcalibur II" explained he was once again unable to find his target, but he did not renounce to his quest. Stumbling on a castle in Xiwei (present-day Xi'an), Mitsurugi saved a man that was being attacked by assassins, and as reward he received a fragment of Soul Edge the man possessed. After an incident in which a servant of the Ming Emperor refused to hand over the "Sword of Heroes", Mitsurugi sensed that war was coming.

In his "Soulcalibur III" profile, Mitsurugi is said to have grown dissatisfied with every battle he has participated in, even considering Soul Edge meaningless and the rifles no more a threat, having defeated several riflemen as seen in the intro of "Soul Calibur II". Having lost concern over the rifle, his greatest enemy, Mitsurugi started to seek without success a challenger of his strength. After fending off a group of unknown attackers that were after the fragment he obtained in Xiwei, Mitsurugi noticed their style resembled that of Taki and decided to return to Japan to find out what was happening at the time, as well as to seek a showdown with Taki.

At the moment the Sengoku period had ended and Oda Nobunaga was dead. The leaders of the states were faced with the decision of whether or not to align with his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Murakami clan, with whom Mitsurugi stayed upon his return, refused to join with mainland Japan, choosing to protect their existence as fierce pirates of the sea. Soon they attracted Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attention, and a confrontation became imminent. Mitsurugi, having found no trace of Taki, decided to aid the Murakami in the upcoming nighttime raid. After the victory of the Muramaki, Mitsurugi was decorated for his services by the Murakami commander. The commander mentioned to him rumors about the resurface of Nightmare, and Mitsurugi, considering the knight a potential challenger, quickly set out to Europe once again. [Soulcalibur III videogame]

Main Weapons

*Korefuji ("Right Wisteria" in Japanese; Soul Edge)

The Katana Mitsurugi used on his first quest for Soul Edge. It was a common Katana (in the old Soul Archive, it is referred to as a Tachi). 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. [cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/471044/39555|title=Soulcalibur II Weapon Descriptions FAQ|publisher=GameFaqs.com|accessdate=2008-08-30]

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.

*Shishi-Oh ("Lion king" in Japanese; Soulcalibur series)

After learning Iaijitsu and other techniques to combat firearms, Mitsurugi sought a sword appropriate for a new style of fighting. He finally settled on Shishi-Oh. An incredibly well-balanced Japanese sword, it is Mitsurugi's preferred weapon.

Promotion and reception

In 2000, Epoch C-Works released a series of action figures based upon the original "Soulcalibur", amongst them Xianghua. The semi-posable figure was packaged with equipable weapons from the title. [ [http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10013735 Mitsurugi heishiro (Completed) Epoch C-Works Soul Calibur] . Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07] In 2006, Namco released a Mitsurugi figurine as part of a "Soulcalibur III" set based upon his promotional artwork for the game. While not posable, the PVC figure came with three interchangeable weapons for it to hold; [ [http://dol.dengeki.com/data/news/2005/12/06/7405eca63d5958caa5be32234f8ab7fb.html 『鉄拳5』＆『ソウルキャリバーIII』の キャラクターたちがコレクションフィギュアに！] . Dengeki Online. Retrieved on 2008-07-31] an alternate color version was later released in a secondary set. [ [http://www.toywiz.com/vsoulcaliburiiiseries1namcofigures.html Namco Game Character Collection Soul Calibur III Series 1 Set of 6 Figures (2nd Colors)] . ToyWiz.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-07]

Mitsurugi has been described as one of the "staple" and "stalwart" characters of the "Soul" series. [ [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28552.html Soul Calibur Legends review] . GameTrailers.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-21] In a 2002 poll by Namco prior to the release of "Soul Calibur II" regarding their favorite character, Mitsurugi placed ninth with 2.5% of the tally, tied with Siegfried. [ [http://ps2.ign.com/articles/101/101406p1.html Soul Calibur 2 -- New Screens And Character Info] . Retrieved on 2008-08-02] UGO.com listed him at number three in their "Top 11 SoulCalibur Fighters article", describing him as a "solid choice for newer players" due to his high speed and strength. [ [http://www.ugo.com/games/soulcalibur-best-characters/?cur=mitsurugi Top 11 SoulCalibur Fighters] . UGO.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-29] IGN listed him as one of the series' top ten fighters at number seven, stating "Whereas most SC fighters are either nimble little backstabbers or giant, hulking brutes, Mitsurugi strikes a nice balance between power and agility...experienced players often gravitate towards this wandering samurai for a good reason." [Schedeen, Jesse. [http://stars.ign.com/articles/895/895160p4.html Soulcalibur: The Top Ten Fighters] . IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-01] Polish website gram.pl in an article on guest characters within the "Soul" series cited Mitsurugi alongside Charade as noteworthy characters that appeared in titles outside of the series. [ [http://www.gram.pl/art_8A3fHu4_Na_skrzyzowaniu_swiatow.html Na skrzyżowaniu światów] pl icon. gram.pl. Retrieved on 2008-08-17]

References

External links

* [http://www.flora-fleur.net/bushi/ Autumn Requiem] - Shrine