Hayato Kanzaki

Hayato Kanzaki is the main protagonist from the Star Gladiator series.
== Charactah Account ==
Hayato is a rebellious young Japanese intergalactic bounty hunter who fights with a Plasma Sword and has a strong sense of justice when battling against the forces of evil.
Hayato's fighting style appears to make use of an unknown school of Kenjutsu, while also utilizing hand to hand attacks like kicks, punches, and headbutts for a versatile form of combat apparently derived from his experience as a bounty hunter.
Hayato can be considered the "Ryu" of the roster, being a balanced character with moves and attacks that can handle head on and direct offensives while conditioning foes through psychology and distancing, and with a variety movepool that can mix up his output.
== Appearance ==
=== Video Games ===
* Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
* Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein
* SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
* Star Gladiator
* Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
* Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
== Trivia ==
* Gamof's true ending in Plasma Sword revealed that Ele is Hayato and June's future daughter.
* Due to the nature and cosmetics of his sword, Hayato may have been inspired by the Jedi of Star Wars fame. How he is a bounty hunter, also matches the career of main supporting character Han Solo, while his aspects of Jedi like qualities bear resemblance to main protagonist Luke Skywalker. The fact that Star Gladiator was originally supposed to be a Star Wars game also support this.
** Hayato's overall appearance also draws similarities to the character Eiji Shinjo from the first interactive 3D weapons fighting game Battle Arena Toshinden (which Capcom publish supported).
* Japanese Buddhism inspired names are a prevalent theming in his special attacks; relevant are the similarities of the Jedi of Star Wars fame, as they are believed to be based off of that of Japanese samurai, with whom Buddhism was historically significant with due to its proliferation during the Kamakura Era, and to especially that of Zen and Shingon, as their emphasis of meditation and internal self development helped cultivate many crucial spiritual and mental concepts to the samurai within their virtues of bushido and martial arts. Star Wars is also said to be inspired by jidaigeki movies such as The Hidden Fortress, and the Jedi are also depicted to cultivate internal harmony and detachment from emotional bias for their purposes of negotiating peace and resorting only to fighting when the need calls for it.
** Guren is that of the red lotus; within the context of Buddhism, lotuses are cherished as a symbol of spiritual growth, overcoming adversity and attaining enlightenment, while its color also symbolizes its fruit of result. Red lotuses are said to be representative of unstoppable compassion and undying love.
** Byakko is a central figure within the Taoist inspired Four Beasts, being that of the White Tiger, who is said to represent the west, the season of autumn, the element of metal, the virtue of justice, and is both feared and respected as a bringer of peace and harbringer of war. In Buddhism, Byakko is said to represent the element of wind and is depicted as an entity along with its three other associates as a ward against evil.
** Ashura are said to be one form of reincarnation within Buddhism and its beliefs of the Six Paths, said to be powerful and semi-divine but fearsome, jealous, violent, and carnage fanatical beings. In turn, their kind are feared as one of the Four Unhappy Births, as it is believed that their world finds no resolution or peace and is of constant conflict and war, and as such, ashura do not find solace or solitude in their lives. However, there are said to exist both good and bad ashuras, with those of good being one of the eight forces that protect the dharma. Being associated with growing and enlarging Hayato's Plasma Blade is also relevant, as within the context of Japanese spirituality in how all things bear spirits and souls, his Plasma Blade; ie a sword, may also count as a kind of ashura, and as an ashura that can grow and adapt infinitely in power.
** Suzaku is another central figure within the Taoist inspired Four Beasts, being that of the Vermillion Bird, who is said to represent the south, the season of summer, the element of fire, the virtue of propriety, and is considered a symbol of harmony and unity.
** Kegon refers to that of the avatamsa or a garland of flowers, which is symbolic of one attaining Buddhahood. Within the context of sects, the Kegon sect is the Japanese adoption of the Chinese Huanyin School of Buddhism, and are eponymous with that of the avatamsa in their respective languages. The school's teachings are based primarily on that of the Avatamsaka Sutra, which emphasizes the Buddhist cosmology and metaphysics of the universe, including teachings on its infinite vastness of otherworldly realms through the metaphor of Indra's net in context to its creeds of sunyata and the release from that of the illusive material world, and to that of the journey of achieving Buddhahood, making most relevant to the intergalactic spacefaring world of Star Gladiator.
** Rasetsu are the Japanese interpretations of the Indian demons known as rakshasa. Much like them, they are depicted as powerful and ferocious magical entities, being either good, as protectors of nature and peace, or evil, being horrific man eating demons and atrocious warmongers. Within Buddhism, rakshasas are further depicted as wayward but neutral dwellers of the wild, a kind of ashura, and to even the forces of Yama, the Buddhist Judge of the Dead, to bring back those who have escaped judgment of the underworld; most importantly, Buddhism also stresses the capability to be enlightened is possible for all beings and being able to repent and do better, even for demons, whom even Buddha helped and reformed.
** Engetsu refers to that of the full moon. Within Buddhist art and symbolism, there is a famous painting of that of Yama, the Judge of the Dead, who is show holding a wheel containing all of existence and reincarnation, symbolizing the futility and endlessness of samsara, while Buddha is shown on the moon, having transcended the material world and the Desire Realm, where human existence is believed to be located.
* Within Asian folklore, Hayato and June also draw upon the Cowherd and the Weaver of Tanabata and Qixi legend, whom are represented as the stars Altair and Vega, respectively, and are divided by the Milky Way galaxy until the day of the namesake festival. As representative of the male Cowherd, Hayato "herds the bulls", being either bullheaded criminals or "strayed calves" or orphans, and continues work as both a bounty hunter and the orphanage director in Neo Tokyo.
* Waka, from the Ookami series, shares Hayato's Plasma Blade activation sequence through the weapon Pillow Talk.
** They also share a reference to the moon and a theme of outer space in some manner; Waka is from the Moon Tribe and came to Nippon, in extension, Earth, from space; Hayato wields a technique named Engetsu (full moon in Japanese), and journeys out into space.
* Bayonetta (the protagonist of Hideki Kamiya's action game series of the same name) also shares Hayato's Engetsu and Ashura techniques through the weapon Pillow Talk.
== Gallery ==
File:Hayato Kanzaki Render 01.png
File:Hayato Kanzaki Render 02.png
File:Hayato Kanzaki Render 03.png
File:Hayato Kanzaki Render 04.png
File:Hayato Kanzaki Render 05.png
== External Links ==
* Hayato Kanzaki at Capcom Database
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:Star Gladiator