Shuriken

Background

Powers and Abilities

Like all other Soultaker characters, Shuriken’s abilities are unclear. She threw a pair of shuriken at Metamorpho, who dodged. But then they flew right back in his back as Shuriken controlled them, apparently with great force.

Her shuriken would also glow as they got closer to each other. I suppose this enchantment was meant to make it easier to retrieve them after use, but it allowed the Outsiders to track her easily.

Shuriken also has a kris knife tucked in her obi, which is about as out of place in medieval Japan as a cheeseburger.

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It should be pointed out that Kris knives, however, have a large number of myths attached to them, and apparently can bear powerful enchantments. Shuriken’s schtick might thus be to use Occultism (create artefact) to enchant her weapons, especially shuriken, with an ever-evolving array of spells. Maybe she learned this magic in Malaysia.

Shuriken has natural leadership and authority, and seems extremely intelligent. A few days after coming to the present, she could ensure security for the oyabun and easily identify concealed handguns.

Like all the Soultaker characters, she could speak fluent modern Japanese and English. I suppose they could somehow perceive reality while within the blade, and heard a lot of English when Katana was in America. Maybe.

History

Shuriken is an ancient warrior from “the Orient”. She was slain using the cursed katana Soultaker somewhen between the XIV^th and XIX^th century.

Her soul was imprisoned in that blade for centuries, until some years ago the sword was stolen from Yamashiro Tatsu aka Katana, of the Outsiders. The thief was none other than Yamashiro Takeo, the brother of Katana’s husband, who had long ago become Yakuza for the Noguri clan.

On order of the Noguri oyabun, Takeo conducted a ceremony to free the souls held captive in the blade- including Yamashiro Maseo, his brother – so they would be his servants and bodyguards. Those resurrected from Soultaker efficiently conducted their duties against both the Outsiders and American gangsters.

However, they could not prevent Katana from reclaiming Soultaker and using it to slay Takeo.

All Soultaker resurrectees are still alive and, with Soultaker safely in Katana’s possession, are pretty much free to act as they want.

Description

See illustration.

Personality

Smart, decisive, can-do attitude but obviously quite venomous. She sounded like an efficient samurai, but took obvious pride in being a very unusual and warlike woman with strange abilities.

Quotes

“Such may be your experience with ordinary throwing stars, odd one – but few things about me are ordinary !”

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: Batman and the Outsiders #11-12.