Characters introduced in Samurai Shodown II
open/close all folders
Genjuro Kibagami
So pitiful. You make me want to vomit!
Voiced by: note
Haohmaru's true rival. A man of many vices, Genjuro is a killer for hire who takes the utmost pleasure in culling those he views as weak. He started out as a decent man, training alongside Haohmaru, but his hunger for power resulted in him failing to be chosen as their dojo's successor and even getting himself expelled. He has a deep-seated hatred for Haohmaru, not just because he's his 'goody-goody' rival, but also because he looks like a man Genjuro killed in defense of his mother.
- Alternate Company Equivalent:
- Well, same company, different dev team, but he is likened to a "Samurai Iori Yagami". SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos lampshades this.Both at the same time: Vermin!... Die!
- As The Rival of the main character who studied under the same master and has a similar fighting style, he’s sometimes considered SNK’s answer to Ken Masters.
- Well, same company, different dev team, but he is likened to a "Samurai Iori Yagami". SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos lampshades this.
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Genjuro is very proud of his skills as a hitokiri and looks down on anyone who in his eyes looks "weak".
- Dark and Troubled Past: He has a lifetime of anger and bitterness built up from childhood. His prostitute mother, whose occupation he understandably hated, had a customer turn violent, forcing him to slay the man in her defense. Perversely, instead of thanking Genjuro, his mother went berserk and attacked him from behind, forcing him to kill her as well — a horrific turn of events which set him on the path of vice and violence.
- Death Dealer: His special moves (including tossing out cards) and win-poses are all hanafuda references — Japanese cards used to play a variety of games — literally "flower cards".
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Supplementary materials suggest that Genjuro regrets having to kill his mother big time — which explains his soft spot to Shiki, a dead-ringer for her.
- Freudian Excuse: Genjuro had to kill his prostitute mother in self-defense. No fuckin' wonder the dude is pissed off.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a massive gash running up the length of his back from the wound his mother gave him after he slew her john, which is a sign of his twisted past and his character being firmly on the antagonistic side of things.
- Handsome Devil: Complete with that trademark long red hair of his. What's more, developers wanted to make him a character with "adult appeal" who would leave a lasting impression on players.
- Iconic Sequel Character: Since he supplanted Ukyo as Haohmaru's rival. He's also made appearances outside of Samurai Shodown (SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, where he appeared without Haohmaru, and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum) whereas Ukyo has not (at least until the era of mobile games, where Ukyo started popping up here and there, with or without Genjuro).
- Inconsistent Spelling "Genjuro" or "Genjyuro"? SNK seems to prefer the latter in more recent games. There's also the fully romanized version of his name as "Genjuurou" as well, which is rarely used.
- Jerkass: Easily one of the most unpleasant characters in the series, he hates absolutely everyone and everything and has no qualms whatsoever about killing all who dare cross his path.
- Made of Iron: Genjuro has been shot/stabbed In the Back multiple times in his endings (in V by Sankuro, in 64-2 by a child of a woman that he killed, in 2019 by a random woman that wanted his seat in his gambling hangout), but he'll always recover and come back in the later chronological games (although the 2019 stabbing, which occurs before the first game, would force him to recuperate and not participate in Amakusa's plot, explaining his absence from the initial roster in that game). Apparently he willed himself to live through his hatred of Haohmaru and won't allow himself to die until he kills him personally.
- Meaningful Name: "Kibagami" translates as "Fanged god" or "Divine fang", "Genjuro" to "apparition of the tenth son".
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Towards Haohmaru.
- Parasol of Prettiness: He pulls out an umbrella for his match-winning animation, but unlike Shizumaru, his is merely for looks.
- Psycho for Hire: Hitokiri to be more exact — literally "person-slasher", a swordsman employed to assassinate a given target.
- The Rival: After he was expelled from the dojo both he and Haohmaru attended (due to his unnatural bloodlust), he has viewed his former classmate as his “goody-goody” rival ever since.
- Self-Made Orphan: Not exactly by choice — his prostitute mother went crazy on him after he killed a client who was abusing her and he was forced to kill her in self-defense.
- Social Darwinist: He excuses his killing by rationalizing that people who piss him off are stupid, and stupid people defile the world by their very existence; therefore, he does everyone a favor by killing them.
- Spam Attack: His Hyakki Satsu (Hundred Demons Killer), which actually turns into a brutal gut-stabbing attack when any of the hits connect.
- Three-Strike Combo: His Sanren Satsu (Triple Killer), is aptly named, and can either work as a normal hit, or he can slash past/through his opponent with each strike. He uniquely shouts out "Inoshikacho" when he connects all three hits.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Genjuro wears his haori slung off both shoulders, fully exposing his muscular torso.
Cham Cham
I'm pretty strong, huh? That's cause I trained with my brother, Tam Tam!
Origin: Green Hell Village, Maya Territory, Mesoamerica note
Helper: Paku Paku (Normal / Shura, II and VI only)
Voiced by: note
The little sister of Tam Tam, who likes to act like a cat, playing in the trees and getting shocked by electric eels. She accidentally lost the Tanjil stone and in compensation, tried to retrieve it, accompanied by her pet chimpanzee Paku-Paku. In her ending, she finds out that Paku-Paku IS Tam Tam, cursed as a punishment for her letting the stone become lost in the first place.
- Ambiguously Human: As Samurai Shodown is a relatively grounded series, Cham Cham is certainly presumed to be human. Nevertheless, while her main pelt, boots, and gloves are obviously clothing, Cham Cham's ears and tail are notably ambiguous. In some games, her cat ears are even colored to match her skin rather than her clothes, and even as recently as the 2019 game, her clothes are stitched around the tail (which is even colored slightly differently) as if to make room for a natural one underneath, rather than something that's part of her outfit. Her brother, it should be noted, also has strange ears, although his are of a super long and pointed elf-like variety.
- Ass Kicks You: One of her aerial "kicks" is a butt-first hip check.
- The Beast Master: Controls her pet monkey Paku-Paku, who can be summoned to attack for her, which includes throwing skulls, emitting fireballs, and a spinning kick attack.
- Cat Girl: Sports cat ears and an actual tail. She's often compared with Felicia and even has her color scheme as an alt.
- Cosplay: Mostly seen in her own Pachinko Spin-Off Samurai Spirits Gaiden: Cham Cham, where Cham Cham can dress in modern outfits as well as cosplays, like Dragon Gal's Mui Mui and Fio Germi.
- Cute Bruiser: Adorable, and fights in a far more feral manner than her fellow females.
- Downloadable Content: She returns to the series as part of the third season of DLC characters in 2019.
- Genki Girl: Always in high spirits.
- Jungle Princess: Her look — unlike her brother Tam Tam, her design takes no cues from the Mayincatec aesthetic.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Prior to her debut in the second game, the series' tone was fairly serious, gory, and grounded in a (heightened) sense of reality. When Cham-Cham debuted, she was designed so as to be far more cartoonish and whimsical than any of her series contemporaries, and her Cat Girl aesthetic borrows far more from fantasy-based anime than any real-world cultural cues — there's absolutely nothing Mesoamerican in her design, despite her being Tam Tam's sister.
- Precision F-Strike: Though it could be due to wonky localization, the first word she said in her Arcade story is "Shit!". In a game from The '90s!
- Precision-Guided Boomerang: Her melee and projectile attacks employ her boomerang, which returns back to her even if she's being thrown.
- Promoted to Playable: Paku Paku is playable in VI.
- Secret Character: In the PlayStation port of IV, marketed as Samurai Shodown IV Special for a Japan-only release, Cham Cham appears as an unlockable character, only being selectable in Versus Mode. Some of II’s portraits are reused for the game.
- Shout-Out:
- Probably based on Feral Kid from Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, but a female version of him.
- Not to mention the green hair and the tiger-print clothes, which are similar to Lum.
- Wild Child: So much so that she actually dresses like a jungle cat, and her movement patterns suggest an animal, not a human.
Neinhalt Sieger
Don't be hateful to each other. Love is the best strength.
Origin: Königsberg, Kingdom of Prussia note
Voiced by: note
Leader of the Prussian Red Lion Knights. He protects his country from Mizuki, and his soul happens to be one of the souls that Mizuki seeks in order to resurrect Ambrosia. He is, however, saved by Amakusa and later contributed in Mizuki's defeat. He returned home victorious and marries Princess Elizabeth, King William’s
daughter.
daughter.- Bodyguard Crush: His true love is the daughter of the Prussian king, Princess Elizabeth, who loves him back. They end up Happily Married in his ending.
- Blue Blood: He's noted as being the commander of the Red Lion Knights and therefore in German-speaking Prussia, he would be addressed as Ritter, which is analogous to the English knightly rank.
- Gorgeous Gaijin: In a series primarily made up of Asian men, he's amongst the Token White guys, and sports the usual visual cues — a huge build, extreme height, chiseled facial features, and a Lantern Jaw of Justice. He's also stripped to the waist to boot.
- Heroic Build: He's huge — notably 7'0", practically a giant — but maintains a pleasing, manly proportion.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: With Princess Elizabeth — par for the course when you’re 7 foot tall.
- Hunk: Sieger was designed so as to appeal to players who appreciate a more manly aesthetic.
- Lightning Bruiser: Is one of the biggest and most muscular characters amongst the cast, but is quite quick on his feet.
- Love Freak: Based on his win-quote: "Love is the best weapon in the world."
- Meaningful Name: Loosely translates from German as "Unstoppable Victor".note
- Megaton Punch: Kind of hard not to when you pack a weapon like his.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Surprisingly, there actually was a legendary warrior who also fought with a metal arm. Gottfried "Götz" von Berlichingen, better known as the "Iron Hand", was a German Knight who fashioned himself a large mechanical gauntlet after he lost his arm in battle.
- Patriotic Fervor: He's undyingly loyal to the Prussian Crown.
- Perpetual Frowner: According to his profile info, he considers his most unpleasant trait to be that he, in his own words, can't smile to save his life.
- Power Fist: His weapon is a massive gauntlet, but it's not just for punching — it also shoots fire and sets his body alight.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: He's stripped to the waist in all appearances.
- Wrestler in All of Us: He's got a rather nasty backbreaker.
Nicotine Caffeine (Nikochin Kafūin)
Are you ready to face this old warrior?
Origin: Koka-in, Hida Province, Japan
Weapon: a nameless shakujō note
Voiced by: note
An old priest, formerly the master of both Haohmaru and Genjuro. He expelled Genjuro due to his bloodlust, and keeps tabs on Haohmaru, especially when Mizuki starts targeting him. He retires from combat soon after Mizuki's defeat. Later in the 64 series, he is entrusted with Shiki's daughter Mikoto, raising her with help from Haohmaru and his grandson, Gaira.
- Badass Preacher: He's the head priest of the Koka-in temple in Hida Province.
- Cool Old Guy: Enters the fray with a wry smile and a twinkly gaze — nothing fazes him.
- Elemental Powers: With his cards, he is able to summon both a hawk-like shikigami entirely composed of electricity, and also a beast-like one entirely composed of fire.
- Interface Screw: One of his attacks will reverse your joystick controls for a brief time.
- Meaningful Name: "Kafuin" translates as "Flower temple chanting", and "Nikochin" to "harmonious relation". It's also a pun on Nicotine and Caffeine, but it was carried overseas as the pun.
- Miniature Senior Citizens: He's amongst the oldest characters in the series, and his sprite is also amongst the smallest at 4’5” — meaning he's often a hard target in battle.
- Old Master: To both Haohmaru and Genjuro.
- Paper Talisman: Using his o-fuda cards, he can summon a variety of mystical creatures.
- Parental Substitute: He's one for Mikoto after Shiki's death, along with Haohmaru and Gaira.
- Punny Name: His real name is Nikochin Kafūin (花諷院 和仲), though due to being a witty pun on the English words "caffeine" and "nicotine", his name is usually written in katakana. His temple of Koka-in doesn't escape either, being a pun on "cocaine".
- Put on a Bus: After his sole appearance in II and before his comeback in VI, Nicotine only appears as a cameo in all Gaira's endings since III and in Mikoto's backstory in the Distant Finale.
- Shout-Out: Probably based on the monk Dakuan from Ninja Scroll.
Mizuki Rashojin
I will swallow your soul!
Voiced by: note
A vengeful spirit who made a pact with Ambrosia, she is notable as one of the first female Final Bosses in fighting game history and causes worldwide disasters and calamities around the globe. Mizuki is eventually defeated, but returns in other games — centuries later, her soul still exists and she was absorbed into Verse and travels to the present day.
- Arch-Enemy: For Nakoruru, since she's the one responsible for forcing her to Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence. She was also amongst the souls absorbed into Verse in the present-day, which becomes a big factor as to why Nakoruru also travels to the future to stop her. Based solely on their looks, it's Ainu priestess versus Japanese Miko.
- Back from the Dead: Like the rest of the villains inhabiting Verse, such as Orochi, the New Faces Team, Ash, and Rugal, his defeat is implied to have returned Mizuki to life.
- Body Snatcher: Mizuki is a former famine victim who, upon her own violent death hundreds of years before the series is set, made a pact with the demon Ambrosia and ultimately possessed the shrine-maiden, Bizuki, which is her current form.
- The Beast Master: With her beast Maju note who, like Galford's wolf Poppy, can be commanded to attack the opponent.
- Big Bad: Something of a first in fighting games — a female boss.
- Dark and Troubled Past: The Samurai Shodown RPG explains that 800 years before Samurai Shodown II took place, a young Mizuki was abandoned by her parents during a massive famine. The little girl crossed the Despair Event Horizon and made a Deal with the Devil with Ambrosia, turning herself into an angry demon that spent years laying waste around the globe.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: As someone who caused so much damage to the world in her own debut, Mizuki expects that her return via Verse will be taken seriously. Haohmaru (whom she almost turned into Human Sacrifice), Nakoruru (whom she forced to commit a Heroic Sacrifice just to undo her damage), and Darli (whom she never even met) decide to just ignore her threats and ponder on what to do in the new world, causing Mizuki to comically lash out about being ignored after being such a big deal before. By the end of it, she just gives up and decides to just tag along with the proposed shopping spree.
- Evil Laugh: "Rakikikiki..." Once romanized by SNK as "RKKKK."
- Femme Fatalons: She uses her long, claw-like fingernails to deliver multi-hitting slash attacks.
- Forced Transformation: One of her attacks will briefly turn you into a helpless animal, usually a pig.
- A Form You Are Comfortable With: It's implied that Maju itself is a part of Ambrosia. However, Samurai Shodown 64 retcons it as a creation of Yuga.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: In Team Samurai's ending in KOF XV, Nakoruru decides to bring her along on her team's impromptu world tour. And if going on a world tour with a vengeful spirit who made a Deal with the Devil isn't this trope, we don't know what is.
- He's Back!: She's one of the souls contained within Verse and traveled with him to present-day KOF, pursued by Nakoruru. With Verse defeated and the souls returned to their original bodies, Mizuki has the chance of spreading her terror into the present day. In the Team Samurai Ending in KOF XV however, she is cornered by Nakoruru's team. Before slaying her, Haohmaru and Darli Dagger state their regrets at having their mission over so soon, so Nakoruru invites them on her second world tour, dragging the weakened Mizuki along for the ride in the hopes of triggering a Heel–Face Turn. In the post-credits scene, this seems to have worked!
- Interface Screw: One of her moves reverses your direction controls, which causes chaos for the player as she's tough enough to defeat as is.
- Long Hair Is Feminine: Mizuki sports incredibly long, black hair that reaches down to the back of her knees. Par for the course for a woman originating in the Heian era, a period when Japanese women never cut their hair and floor-length (and longer) was the symbol of status and beauty.
- Meaningful Name: Has the title of "Supreme leader deity", and Mizuki is a common name but here it's written as Seer.
- Miko: Or more exactly, the woman whose body she stole was a miko, but she retains the typical red and white costume. Her weapon, a tamagushi, is one of the traditional miko tools used in religious services — although she uses hers to beat the hell out of her opponents.
- Noblewoman's Laugh: Usually when using her teleportation powers.
- Nun Too Holy: She's an evil, demonic entity but dresses in the innocuous, saintly garb of a miko (the purest of the pure in Japanese culture and analogous to Christian nuns) — a dichotomy that only goes to enhance her terrifyingly corrupted nature.
- Really 700 Years Old: Both her soul and host-body are really old — Mizuki is from the Heian era, 1000 years before II — but her body started to break down 700 years later and had to stay dormant. Some 100 years later (late Sengoku), she took over the body of Bizuki.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Sports bright red, demonic eyes.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Betrayed by her own family in death, she makes a pact with the demon Ambrosia, and lays waste to whoever gets in her way out of sheer anger and spite.
- SNK Boss: She's very fast and her weapon can't be broken, for starters.
- Voice of the Legion: Less distorted than the typical example, though.
Kuroko
What? No more? I'm stronger than you.
Origin: Kawachi Province, Japan
Weapons: Referee flags
Voiced by: note
A mysterious fighter that acts as the judge of the fights in a few of the games. He has four other brothers that dress identically to him, making them indistinguishable from each other. He is a powerful fighter, but rarely enters the arena. While he appears in the first game, he doesn’t reveal himself as a fighter until the second.
- Combat Medic: Stated to be proficient in surgery and "resurrecting the dead", which is a nod to the early games where he and his brothers cart defeated fighters off in a tatami death-shroud to be.....resuscitated.
- Ditto Fighter: In II and III, he turns into the player's character or a random one.
- Improbable Weapon User: He uses red and white flags (used in martial arts competitions to denote when a player hits an opponent) as his weapons, and these cannot be destroyed or lost in battle.
- Moveset Clone: His 64 move-set is almost identical to Rasetsu Hanzo's. In II and VI, his stance is identical to that of Tung Fu Rue's from Fatal Fury (Special onward) and The King of Fighters series.
- No Name Given: His name is obscured in the II credits. It's been revealed that his real name is Sukihiro ("Kuroko" is just an alias).
- Optional Boss: In II you will fight him either randomly or after fulfilling certain conditions. He's also the Mid-Boss of III.
- Shout-Out: Mostly to other SNK games. He is the embodiment of this trope — for example, in II he uses powers from early SNK fighting games like Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury. In VI, almost all his powers come from The King of Fighters series.
- SNK Boss: He's strong and extremely fast. Plus in II, his weapon can't be broken.
- Whole Costume Reference: He’s based on and dressed just like real life kuroko, who are meant to be anonymous and "invisible" stage-men in Japanese theatre — his "dislike" in his bio is noted as being "actors who can't remember their lines". The color black (Kuro) in Kabuki and Noh theatres signifies invisibility.
