Suzaku

Suzaku is one of the Four Sacred Beasts, which often assist Maria Renard. Suzaku was originally the Chinese constellation Zhuque, and is associated with the direction South, the season Summer, the element of Fire, and the Chinese Empress. It is the great Vermilion Sparrow (vermilion is a shade of red-orange, sometimes referred to as Chinese Red) that guards the South. Other mythical giant birds may appear in manner similar to Suzaku on some games, such the Phoenix or Garuda.
The sub-weapon version of Suzaku are usually a smaller version of Suzaku, and are sometimes called a Cardinal, Red Bird, Phoenix, or Suzaku's Chinese name Zhuque. It usually involves twin red birds being released into the air. One moves upward diagonally in one direction, while the other goes in the other direction. They then return to her.
The great Suzaku bird can also be summoned by an Item Crash of the sub-weapon in some games. It can also be summoned through a variety of other spells and abilities in other games, which have different effects.
==Game specific information==
===Castlevania: Rondo of Blood===
In the original Rondo of Blood, one bird is released at about 45° straight upward in one direction, then the other is released 45° in the other direction. They then return following the same path unless Maria has moved. This is the smallest amount of Hearts used by Maria for a sub-weapon and deals out a small amount of damage as well. It is found in the same locations where a Dagger is found for Richter Belmont. Its item crash involves a giant red bird grabbing Maria by the shoulders and then it proceeds to call forth a field of flaming piercing feathers from the sky in a downward-diagonal direction.
===Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Saturn)===
The red bird in the Sega Saturn version of Symphony of the Night is not a sub-weapon and does not resemble the bird found in Rondo of Blood. Instead, it is a spell that Maria can use at any time. Maria calls upon the spirit of Suzaku the Vermilion Bird (whose symbol flashes by) that summons an owl familiar for about 33 seconds. It attacks enemies by charging in a straight line toward them. Maria can summon owls up to two; it's possible to cast the spell again after summoning two, but Maria will waste her MP without summoning any additional owls. She can call the birds and have them perch on her shoulder by pressing up on the d pad, and they will stay with her as long as the button is held down; however, this does not increase or reset the amount of time they will stay with her while flying, which keeps counting whenever the birds are flying freely.
===Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance===
Juste Belmont can summon a giant Garuda in Harmony of Dissonance by combining the Summoning Tome with the Dagger subweapon. When cast, it will descend from the sky and unleash a rain of blade-sharp feathers to fall all over the screen in a similar manner of to the Suzaku item crash from Rondo of Blood. Garudas are only marginally related to Suzaku and are known for their predation of snake-like Nagas. In the game, they appear as a dark purple color, as opposed to Suzaku's vermilion red.
===Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin===
Maria's Cardinals shoot up at a higher angle than in Rondo of Blood (about 60 degrees), and then make an arc above her head, then returning to her head at a steep angle. The two birds together trace out a heart-shape path. The difference in angles is probably due to the fact that Maria's Doves themselves travel at about a 45 degree upward angle in this game. The birds deal fire damage to enemies. There are no item crashes in this game.
===Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (The Dracula X Chronicles)===
In this game, during a regular attack, Maria steps faces forward (toward the player) with her head bowed and her legs crossed while massive flaming wings sprout from her back for several seconds, burning anything in an upward and diagonal direction in both direction. This attack can only be performed while on the ground; if attempted while in the air, no attack is performed, and Maria will end up wasting two Hearts as a result of the button input (possibly due to a glitch or programming). In the item crash, after the symbol of the Vermilion Bird Suzaku appears and disappears, an armored great bird appears behind her and shoots a series of meteors in an arc above and below her that roughly meet at a point in front of her.
===Castlevania Judgment===
In the 3D fighting game Judgment, Maria can call Suzaku's name and it imbues her owl with flames. The owl perched inside Maria's cage staff flies and spins Maria around, leaving a large trail of flames in its path.
===Castlevania: Harmony of Despair===
Maria's vermilion bird is referred to by its Chinese name in this game, Zhue Que. The birds movements is altered from what it was in Portrait of Ruin. The birds are released in their normal 60 degree angle, but then loop around over her head and swoop down and away from her.
==Item Data==
==Gallery==
===Artworks===
Suzaku.png|Red Bird from the Japanese Rondo of Blood instruction booklet.
Maria Renard - Grimoire of Souls - 01.png|Maria and her four sacred beasts armor illustration from Grimoire of Souls.
===Screenshots===
A Common Enemy in Evil - Nocturne - 30.png|Maria's summoned birds from the Nocturne animated series.
A Common Enemy in Evil - Nocturne - 31.png
A Common Enemy in Evil - Nocturne - 35.png
A Common Enemy in Evil - Nocturne - 73.png
Blood is the Only Way - Nocturne - 17.png
===Animations===
====Sub-weapon====
POR Phoenix.gif|Phoenix from Portrait of Ruin.
DXC Cardinal.gif|Cardinal from The Dracula X Chronicles.
SOTN Cardinal.gif|Cardinal from The Dracula X Chronicles version of Symphony of the Night.
HD Zhu Que.gif|Zhu Que from Harmony of Despair.
====Item Crash and Spell Fusion====
HOD Knife + Summoning Tome.gif|Summon Garuda (Dagger + Summoning Tome) from Harmony of Dissonance.
DXC Cardinal 2.gif|Cardinal Item Crash from The Dracula X Chronicles.
SOTN Cardinal 2.gif|Cardinal Item Crash from The Dracula X Chronicles version of Symphony of the Night.
====Other summons====
Saturn Suzaku.gif|Suzaku from the Sega Saturn version of Symphony of the Night.
J Suzaku Call Maria.gif|Suzaku Call(A + B)
===Other===
Suzaku - Youtooz - 01.png|Suzaku Castlevania: Nocturne plush by Youtooz.
Suzaku - Youtooz - 02.png|Suzaku Youtooz plush artwork.
==See also==
*Hydro Storm
*Million Edges
Category:Alter Art Weapon Skills
Category:Birds
Category:Character Skills
Category:Chinese Lore
Category:Dagger Attacks
Category:Fire Spells
Category:Holy Spells
Category:Slash Damage
Category:Spell Fusions
Category:Sub-Weapons
Category:Summoning Spells
Category:The Dracula X Chronicles Items
Category:Grimoire of Souls Items
Category:Harmony of Despair Items
Category:Judgment Items
Category:Rondo of Blood Items
Category:Symphony of the Night Items