Mitsurugi Heishiro
Context
Mitsurugi is the very model of the cinematically skilled ronin , with peerless iaijutsu (fast-draw) technique. Always a useful archetype, except in settings without anything evoking ancient Japan.
He’s featured in the Soul Calibur video games series. SC was one of the major turn-of-the-century fighting video game series, with melee weapons rather than unarmed fighters.
Background
- Real Name: Mitsurugi Heishiro.
- Other Aliases: Mercenary in the Wartime Age, Demon, One Man Army, Lone Swordsman, The Guardian in This Age of Civil War, Great Swordsman.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Unnamed parents and siblings (deceased).
- Group Affiliation: Whoever he’s fighting for ATM.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile.
- Height: 5’7” Weight: 143 lbs.
- Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
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Powers and Abilities
Mitsurugi is a legendary swordsman. He is greatly feared of the battlefield and able to turn the tide of entire battles. He‘ extremely good at mowing through mooks on the battlefield.
Through training and hard work he is also adept at defeating multiple gunmen with only his sword (as seen in some of his CG cut scenes).
Description
Mitsurugi is a rough, haggard man. He typically wears simple traditional 17th century Japanese clothes. He has long hair which he often binds into a samurai style and he typically doesn’t shave.
He usually wears samurai style armor into the battlefield.
Personality
Mitsurugi pretty much lives for the fight. He only wishes to improve his skills. Though technically a mercenary he cares little for money. He certainly doesn’t care for any of the causes he is paid to fight for.
He often joins the side that‘ supposedly destined to lose. His aim there is to fight against overwhelming odds to improve his skills.
Quotes
“You will be a stain on my sword.”
“Prepare for my arrival, whoever you are ! I’ll soon relieve you of your sword !”
“War is coming.”
“If you want to kill me, you’d better bring a whole army !”
Angol (after being defeated): “Take my sword and my power and do with it what you will.”
Mitsurugi: “I don’t need it. Weapons are just tools. True strength lies within me.”
Angol: “Well… done…” (dies)
“You again ? I’ve had enough of you !”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Mitsurugi Heishiro
| Dex: 06 | Str: 04 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Anti-heroic Mercenary |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 06 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Mercenary |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 07 | Resources {or Wealth}: 003 |
| Init: 018 {22} | HP: 060 |
Skills:
Acrobatics (Dodging, gymnastics): 04, Evasion (Ranged only): 08, Martial Artist: 06, Weaponry (Swords): 08
Advantages:
Iron Nerves, Languages (Japanese), Lightning Reflexes, Rich Friend (Mercenary work), Schtick (Fast draw, Sure-footed, Fists of Fury, Goonbane).
Connections:
Mercenary scene (high), other than that Mitsurugi doesn’t really have any connections he fights to improve his skills and support himself and then wanders in search of the next worthy opponent. Thus he doesn’t maintain any connections.
Drawbacks:
CIA (fighting worthy opponents), Misc. Mitsurugi doesn’t speak English or any other language other than this native Japanese.
Equipment:
- Korefuji (Right Wisteria). Korefuji is the katana used by Mitsurugi in Soul Blade. After Mitsurugi lost a duel with a rifleman, his lord confiscated his katana, Korefuji. The lord eventually died, and the katana went missing. At least, that’s what Soul Calibur 2 says in the weapons gallery. In Soul Calibur 1, it says that Mitsurugi simply became dissatisfied with his Korefuji, so he abandoned it for Shishi-Oh, a sword with a bigger blade. As a side note, Mitsurugi’s G+B throw is called Korefuji.
- Shishi-Oh (Lion King). Mitsurugi was defeated by a rifleman using a rifle that bore the name Tanegashima, and in front of his lord no less. This defeat was the catalyst that forced Mitsurugi to perfect his swordsmanship and seek a weapon strong enough to defeat the rifle. During his training, Mitsurugi became dissatisfied with his old weapon, so he replaced it with Shishi-Oh, a katana with a longer and wider blade. Mitsurugi developed many new sword techniques using Shishi-Oh, Relic being just one of them.
- Regardless of the storyline there isn’t significant enough difference for them to have different stats: [BODY 05, EV 05] Both weapons were considered to be masterwork and thus have slightly higher stats than a normal katana.
- Samurai armor [BODY 04, Invulnerability: 04, Skin armor: 02, Limitation : Invulnerability and Skin armor only vs. slashing and piercing weapons ; Real Armour].
Previous Statistics
In his first appearance on Soul Blade Mitsurugi wasn’t nearly as powerful until he was humiliated by a rifle in front of his lord and retrained himself. Drop Evaison altogether, and Martial Artist and Weaponry by 2 points ; HPs are 20 fewer. He also didn’t have any of his Schticks at that time, but would develop shortly after as part of his training.
The Iaijutsu Stance
This is the stance of a true samurai. Legendary samurai were said to be able to draw their blade so fast and with such skill that it would do two or three times as much damage as a normal attack. Mitsurugi has mastered this skill.
In game terms he combines the Schticks Fast Draw and Telescoping feint for deadly attacks that often take opponents by surprise of the sheer speed and ferociousness. It doesn’t hurt that he tends to spend HP on these attacks either. The bracketed Initiative above indicates his enhanced initiative when he is using his Iasijutsu Stance.
Design Notes
Mitsurugi technically has the rich friend advantage. He will typically do a bit of mercenary work to bolster his resources and give the excess of his earnings away. He tends to travel light and only keeps enough money to cover his basic expenses. Furthermore Mitsurugi‘ attitude is normally pretty gruff and abrupt and he generally tends to rub people the wrong way.
Source of Character: Soul Calibur.
Helper(s): roto13, Sébastien Andrivet (for weapon stats), Roy Cowan, Darci, Eric Langendorff.