Taki (Soul Calibur)

**Taki** is the Fu-Ma Ninja and the one of the main heroes and the one of main characters of *Soul Series*. She is the Fu-Ma Ninja from the Fu-Ma Ninja clan and she has her daughter and disciple Natsu and her adoptive son, Colin/Doan-Huy. Her nickname is "**The Fu-Ma's Shadow**".

She is voiced by Cynthia Holloway in video games and shows and Lucy Liu in shows, games and films and Vivian Lu, who sharing the voice of Momiji, Xiao Yan Zi and Verta.

## Physical Appearance

Ever since her debut in Soul Edge, she has always been easily recognized by her skin-tight bodysuits, tied up hairstyles, and demon protecting armor. Though she has always supported colored tights as a base for her outfits, her armor and hair accessories have been consistently upgraded throughout the entire series.

In the first installment, *Taki* is wearing a "Japanese demon mask" as well as only being equipped with one sword, Rekki-Maru, as opposed to her carrying both Rekki-Maru and the legendary ninjatō, Mekki-Maru, which she obtained in later games. In Soulcalibur, she looks roughly the same as she did in the previous game though this time her metal face mask was replaced with a thin, crimson red, mouth covering. It was also the only game that *Taki's* primary outfit revealed her cleavage.

Soulcalibur II was first time that *Taki* appeared unmasked, and also was the one, and so far only instance were in her bonus outfit, her dark hair is let loose instead of being tied in its signature ponytail. In future installments, *Taki* was given demon inspired gauntlets, navy blue tights, and added fishnet elements to her primary costumes. The demon huntress's alternate outfits usually consist of tight, stylish robes, headbands, as well as thigh high stockings or boots.

In Soul Calibur VI, Taki returns with her signature red bodysuit. She also has her mask from Soulcalibur III. When she does a special attack or a Soul Charge, the pink bright symbols on her bodysuit will glow.

## Costumes

Taki's costume seems to be a mix of her different appearances with her Color 1 being her iconic red suit.

Her Color 2 is a reminiscent of her blue costume in *Soulcalibur III* with the difference being the red metal plates as opposed to pale gold, as well as a red mask.

Her Color 3 gives her a white bodysuit with black armor plates at the cost of her mask.

Her Color 4 gives her a khaki bodysuit at the cost of having no armor plates.

## Etymology

Taki's name means "Much Rejoicing", according to the limited edition art book that was released with the pre-orders of *Soulcalibur II*. Her name is rendered there as 多喜 ( 多 - ta - 'many'; 喜 - ki - 'joy'; 'rejoicing'), instead of 滝 (taki - 'waterfall').

## Species

She is the Japanese human for the Demon Huntress Ninja and her form is the Jaguar due to her ninja mask and have her powerful jaws for the deadlier bite to crush bones.

## Soul Calibur VI

### Biography

The existence of the Fu-Ma clan—a group of monster-fighting ninjas—has been kept hidden in the darkest depths of history. Its most skilled member was Taki, who crossed the seas in search of the cursed sword, Soul Edge. Her travels led her to Cervantes, its owner. They engaged in a fight to the death, in which Taki emerged victor. However, she had more to contend with her on her return home. Toki, the leader of the Fu-Ma clan, had sent assassins to kill her, as well as to claim for him the Mekki-Maru she kept hidden on her person. There was no way she was handing it over to someone blinded by a lust for power, even if that someone was her leader. Her defiance, though meant she was not considered an outcast…

Taki managed to fend off attacks from the Fu-Ma clan, and seal Gel-o-Fury, all while protecting Mekki-Maru. Though Taki’s arduous task ended in success, Toki had already made his next move: he had left Japan in search of Soul Edge. Instead of using her time to rest, Taki chose to pursue him, and so set about gathering more information. According to her findings, a new owner of the sword had appeared in the West. When she had fought Cervantes, Sophitia had destroyed one of the two swords he wielded. So what had happened to the other…?

Realizing she had missed her chance to end everything once and for all, Taki continued into Europe, intent on confronting Toki. As she neared her destination, she learned more of Soul Edge’s new owner, Nightmare, and his cruel, violent reign. Things were even worse than she had expected: from what she was hearing, the Azure Knight might be an even tougher opponent than Cervantes… She made haste. Ostrheinsburg Castle, where the cursed sword’s puppet resided, was not much further.

#### Main Story

Before Kilik and Xianghua reached Ostrheinsburg, Taki ambushed them and used Mekki-Maru on the former to unleash his Malfested form. But she was stopped by Xianghua and sensed Krita-Yuga's hidden power. Their fight was interupted by Kilik, who managed to control his Malfestation. Seeing their potential, Taki warned the pair of Soul Edge's power and departed.

#### Other Soul Chronicles

After killing Cervantes, Taki brought Sophitia back to her home in Athens and treated her wounds. But there was a shard of Soul Edge buried too close to Sophitia's heart, and pulling it out woud cause the death of the holy warrior. Taki informed this to Cassandra, leaving Sophitia's younger sister in tears.

At Ostrheinsburg, Taki stopped Ivy from confronting Nightmare, telling the alchemist that she's too weak and that she and her sword are connected to Soul Edge. After a battle, Taki informed Ivy that she's the daughter of Cervantes and left the alchemist in distraught.

#### Libra of Soul

When she confronted the Conduit for the first time, Taki fought them to ascertain their power.

Sometime before the Conduit’s final battle with Azwel, Taki was tracked by them to obtain the power they needed to defeat Azwel. After the fight, Taki saw that the Conduit has matured since their last encounter and allowed them to continue.

## Personality

As a ninja, *Taki* puts her mission above everything else. She will end evil through her own ways. She seems to show concern to some people who are connected with Soul Edge (i.e. Sophitia) and warns them the dangers of the evil blade. She can be emotionless and serious, as a ninja should be. She easily sees through deceptions and will use the best attack to defeat her opponent.

*Taki* truly cares for her apprentice, Natsu, having chosen to take an active part in raising her due to her own perceived failure in stopping Arahabaki in time. However, she has mentally prepared herself to 'do what's necessary' if the seal containing the demon within *Natsu* were ever broken.

In Soul Calibur VI, like her original counterpart, Taki seeks out to destroy Soul Edge, the very weapon whose shard is infused on one of her blades, Mekki-Maru, and by proxy that drove her master Toki to madness. She will also stop at nothing in eliminating those who are connected to the cursed sword, good or evil otherwise, making her a neutral character with predominantly noble, but flawed intentions.

## Relationships

### Natsu

She and Natsu are ninjas, Taki is caring for Natsu for she is her daughter and her disciple.

### Colin Nguyen/Doan-Huy

Taki is Colin's adoptive mother and she is a mother for him.

### In Soul Calibur VI

* Former apprentice and adoptive daughter of Toki.
* Killed Cervantes while rescuing Sophitia.
	+ Informed Cassandra of the Soul Edge shard near Sophitia's heart.
* Worked with Edge Master to foil Mitsurugi's search for Soul Edge.
* Assaulted Kilik to unleash his Malfested form, but was thwarted by Xianghua.
* Informed Ivy that she is Cervantes' daughter.
* Fought an automaton controlled by Yoshimitsu.
* Surveyed and fought the Conduit on multiple occasions to glean their motivation for absorbing the astral fissures and seeking Soul Edge/Soul Calibur.

## Weapon & Style

### Rekki-Maru & Mekki-Maru

Taki has never shown a particular enthusiasm for the many missions requiring her sealing techniques, but she has shown a great interest in the forging and production of weapons. She crafted in the ninja sword Rekki-Maru herself, then imbued it with the spiritual energy that allowed it to cut down even demons. It was an indispensable companion during her many battles against supernatural beings. Rekki-Maru broke down during the battle with Soul Edge, but when Taki returned to Japan, she immediately set to work to forge the blade anew.

Mekki-Maru is a blade well worth caution. The fierce power sleeping within it is wreathed in mystery, and some even say the blade itself is cursed. Other rumors about the sword trace its origin to the Manji clan’s village.

When she returned from her battle against Soul Edge, Taki attempted to fuse Mekki-Maru with a piece of the cursed sword she had recovered, but they were far more compatible than even she had expected. Now, Mekki-Maru emanates an ominous aura, and Taki keeps it sheathed in a scabbard protected by powerful seals. This prevents the blade from breaking free and wreaking havoc, but only barely. Taki seems extremely cautious of using Mekki-Maru, and to this date had only drawn it in the most dire of situations.

### Musō-Battō-ryū

The Fu-Ma clan uses various weapons and therefore various styles, and the style they us for the ninja sword is known as Musoh-Battoh-Ryu. Musoh-Battoh-Ryu is a nique style, most notable for slicing strikes performed while unsheathing the sword and lightning-fast kicks. The combination of these techniques leaves an opponent with little to no opportunity to regain their balance and counterattack. Musoh-Battoh-Ryu users' ability to jump extraordinary heights, close distances in an instant, and utilize a wide range of adaptable hand and feet strikes make the style closer to ninjutsu than a more purely martial style.

The Fu-Ma clan originally used their spiritual powers against supernatural beings, but they can also be used against human opponents to great effect.

At present, Taki is forced to make a difficult choice: she must face Toki, the leader of th Fu-Ma clan and the one who taught her Musoh-Battoh-Ryu—but can she bring herself to do it?

## Critical Edge

**Fu-ma Seal, Fatal Violet:** A long-range attack. Before it hits, she becomes invincible, and the strike itself neutralizes opponent feints. As soon as the opponent uses a long-range attack to feint, use this move to get in close while dealing damage. It can also be used in combos for extra damage.

Taki pulls out Rekki-Maru, disappears for a split second, and slashes her opponent until they are trapped in a T-pose state. Then she slowly pulls out Mekki-Maru and stabs them, which causes an violent explosion in the process.

## Other Weapons

* Iron Fan
* Jutte
* Hunting Knife
* Gaea Sword
* Kunai
* Tanto
* Spirit Blade
* Assassin Dagger
* Slicer
* Kagekiri
* Yoroitoshi
* Official's Flags (Short)
* Fu-Ma Kugi
* Silent Edge
* Kamizoroe
* Soul Edge (Complete) Taki
* Kris Naga
* Tobacco Pipes
* Kagenui
* The Ancient (Taki)
* Battledore
* Juju & Shuki
* Heavenly Shortsword

## Quotes

### Soulcalibur VI

* *"Heh-heh!"* — Character Selection, 1P
* *"Let's do this!"* — Character Selection, 2P
* "*Focus... and release!*" — Spoken when activating Soul Charge
* "*I was saving... this!*" — Spoken when activating Soul Charge on low health
* "*This is as far as you go!*" — Spoken when activating Critical Edge
* "*I'll decimate you!*" — Spoken during Critical Edge
* "*Now stay down.*" — Spoken at end of Critical Edge
* "*How cliché.*" — Spoken at end of Critical Edge against Nightmare, Astaroth and Cervantes
* "*Don't even try!*" — Spoken at end of Critical Edge against Sophitia
* "*You'll be lost to history.*" — Spoken at end of KO Critical Edge
* "This *is as far as you go!*" — spoken when landing Reversal Edge against Mitsurugi
* "*The way you move creeps me out.*" — spoken when landing Reversal Edge against Voldo
* "*You made your hair into a weapon?*" — Spoken when starting Reversal Edge against Maxi
* "*How are you still alive?*" — Spoken when struck by Reversal Edge against Cervantes
* "*I'll send you back to your grave.*" — Spoken when landing Reversal Edge against Cervantes
* "*You never learn, do you?*" — Spoken after victory against Mitsurugi
* *"You are in too deep."* — Standard entrance, 1P
* "*Are you ready to die?*" — Standard entrance, 1P
* "*Heh... I'll fight you.*" — Standard entrance, 2P
* "*At least your stance looks good. Humph."* — Standard entrance, 2P
* "*Humph... Farewell!*"
* "*Want to go again?*"
* "*The seal is complete!*"
* *"This just shows how much better I am than you."*
* "*Heh, An easy opponent.*" — Taunt
* "*Go back... home!*" — Taunt against Sophitia
* "*Demon, leave this place!*" — Taunt against Nightmare, Inferno, Astaroth and Cervantes
* "*I'll seal you!*" — spoken when landing Reversal Edge against Nightmare, Astaroth, or Inferno
* "*Such power cannot be ignored!*"
* "*This is it!*" — spoken when activating Reversal Edge
* "*What now?*" — spoken when activating Reversal Edge
* *"Is that all you got?!"* — spoken when activating Reversal Edge
* *"It's time...to fight back!"* — spoken when activating Reversal Edge on low health
* *"This ends now!"* — spoken when activating Reversal Edge on low health
* *"Give in!"* — spoken when performing a second attack in Reversal Edge
* *"Going for the kill!"* — spoken when performing a second attack in Reversal Edge
* "*Not a scratch!*" — spoken when evading a Reversal Edge
* "*You bore me!*" — spoken when evading a Reversal Edge
* "*Challenge accepted!*"
* "*Hah! Bring it on!*"
* "*Reckless fool!*"
* "*Having trouble? Hah!*"
* "*It's life or death!*"
* "*I'll seal your power!*" — Spoken during Decisive Round against Nightmare, Inferno, Astaroth and Cervantes
* "*This ends here!*" — Spoken during Decisive Round for both characters
* *"You leave me no choice..."* — Spoken during Decisive Round
* "*Brute force, is it?*" — Spoken when struck by Guard Crush
* "*Damn it!*" — Spoken during a Ring Out
* "*Why does this keep happening?*" — Spoken during a Ring Out
* "*You can go straight to Hell.*" — Spoken after victory against Nightmare, Inferno, Astaroth and Cervantes
* "*Brace yourself, slave of an evil blade!*" — Spoken against Nightmare, Inferno, Astaroth and Cervantes
* "*Ha ha... When will you learn?*" — Spoken against Mitsurugi
* "*So this...is where it ends...*" — Standing KO
* "*Ugh! So stupid!*" — spoken when lost to a Time Out
* "*Uh-oh. This is bad.*" — spoken when lost to Time Out against Inferno
* "*I see.*"
* "*Try this!*"
* "*Show some respect.*"
* "*Still going!*"
* "*Count yourself lucky.*"
* "*How annoying.*"
* "*Foolish pride!*"
* "*Heh-heh. Challenge accepted!*"
* "*You should lay down your sword!*"
* "*Don't throw your life away.*"
* *"Demons, be gone!"*

## Stages

* Shrine of Confined Demons (SE)
* Hoko Temple (SC1)
* Kaminoi Castle - Sakura-Dai Gate (SC2)
* Underground Buddhist Sanctum (SC3)
* Ostrheinsburg Castle - Twilight (SC4)
* Dark Capital Ostrheinsburg (SCBD)

## Series' Appearances

* *Soul Edge (game)*
* *Soulcalibur*
* *Soulcalibur (Chinese Manhua)*
* *Soulcalibur II*
* *Soulcalibur III*
* *Soulcalibur IV*
* *Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny*
* *Soulcalibur Mobile*
* *Soulcalibur: Lost Swords*
* *Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul*
* *Soulcalibur VI*

## Appearances in Other Media

* *Namco x Capcom*
* *The King of Fighters: All-Star*

## Critical Reception

Taki is arguably the best known and one of the most popular characters in the Soul Series because of her looks, in particular her very large breasts. According to Kotaku, in *Soulcalibur IV* her "tighter than skin tight ninja outfit leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination, making her high kicks the stuff of Hustler magazine spreads" and "Taki's boobs flopped about ridiculously with the slightest breeze it seemed, but that's not necessarily a complaint", with IGN noting how "Taki's, um, assets bobbed and jiggled after each move. We expect that fighting fans - and pubescent teen boys - will have a ton of fun." According to GamesRadar in 2007, her "love pillows" are the reason of "a fanboy fave." GamesRadar also chose her to represent *Soulcalibur IV* in the article "Best in breasts" in 2008 "Sure, Ivy’s a couple of cup sizes larger, but Taki probably has less back pain". In 2010, GamePro ranked Taki #2 on their list of top 10 video game ninjas, comparing her with Mai Shiranui with a comment they had "originally contemplated giving Taki *two* places on this list in honor of her formidable pair of assets".

In 2007, Taki was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history "She's a skilled and noble warrior with a shining spirit and stunning beauty". In 2008, IGN ranked her at #5 on their list of the Top Ten Fighters in the series "Everyone loves a good ninja, and Taki just so happens to be one of the best...it's hard to imagine a Soulcalibur game without Taki. It just wouldn't be the same". UGO featured her in the "Imaginary Love" series "thinking about her beauty and what she might be able to do with that amazing flexibility of hers makes our brains - and our pants - explode!" and also included her on the list of "Top 11 SoulCalibur Fighters" in 2008, as well as their list of the 50 best girls in video games in 2010 "There's just one thing we don't understand about Taki: how the hell does she move around with those two bombshells riding shotgun on her chest?", and in 2011 they also featured her on their list of 25 "Hot Ninja Girls." Virgin Media included her on their list of top ten video game ninja heroes as well.

Taki has especially been featured in many articles by GameDaily, including the 2007 gallery special "Babe of the Week: Taki" "becoming more agile – and big-breasted – with each new entry. She made such an impact ... that we awarded her a solo gig" which praised her "superb fashion sense" and contrasted her with *Mortal Kombat's* Mileena. In the same year, they commented about her in the article "Babes of the Week: Soul Calibur Hotties" how she "has left an impact from the very start" since the series' debut, adding in "Babe of the Week: Babes We're Thankful For" in 2008: "The only thing better than a regular looking ninja is a big breasted, female one." Also in 2008, Taki was ranked #17 on their list of "50 Hottest Game Babes on Trial" "Female ninjas will always hold a special place in our hearts, especially Taki, what with her muscular physique and insanely large chest" and featured in the article "The Next Wave of Video Game Babes" "There are many women worth mentioning in the Soul Calibur series, but if anyone really knows how to handle Darth Vader, Yoda and the Apprentice, it's Taki". In 2009, they also included her in the Babes of the Week articles "Brunettes" "She's quite agile too, despite her tremendous breasts" and "Asian Beauties" calling her one of the series' "most elite fighters".

On the Soulcalibur Series Character Popularity Poll held by Namco and Project Soul on Facebook, she placed second out of 45 characters with 720 votes, behind only Talim.

## Merchandise

Yujin released a four inch tall immobile figurine of Taki after the release of *Soulcalibur II*, based upon her artwork for the title as part of their "Namco Girls Series #1" line of gashapon figurines. They also released a second figurine for their "Namco Girls Series #4" collection, utilizing her secondary outfit from the game. A 1/18th scale resin kit of Taki was also released by Wave in November 2003 for the game. In 2006, Namco released a another figurine as part of a *Soulcalibur III* set based upon her promotional artwork for the game. While not poseable, the PVC figure came with three interchangeable weapons for it to hold and an alternate color version was later released in a secondary set. A 12-inch action figure was also released by Triad Games in 2008, though it was strongly criticized by GamesRadar as "oversexualized."

## Trivia

### General

* Taki, along with Mitsurugi, is a playable character in Namco x Capcom.
* What Taki wears includes a devil mask that makes it possible to breath among poisonous fumes, and a red ninja costume for warding off demons. It’s a very combat-oriented equipment, albeit her disciple Natsu doesn’t like it. Despite Taki having explained its utility several times, Natsu doesn’t appear to understand it.
* In *Soulcalibur II*, Taki shares a Destined Battle with Mitsurugi. In *Soulcalibur* and *Soulcalibur III*, she shares a Destined Battle with Cervantes. In *Soulcalibur IV*, on the fourth stage in Arcade Mode, she will always fight Cervantes. In Taki's *Soulcalibur IV* Story Mode she faces Nightmare and his servants at the Tower of Remembrance - Spiral of Time.
* Taki, standing at 5'7", is the second tallest female character in the series, the first being Ivy who is 5'10".
	+ According to the official bust chart by Daichi Odashima, Taki has the fourth largest bust size among the female characters, falling behind Sophitia and Setsuka.

### *Soul Edge*

* For some reason, some parts of Taki's storyline were left out of *Soul Blade's* Edge Master Mode (at least in the UK version). Specifically anything relating to Toki ordering his ninjas to find and kill Hachibei, the fact that Taki knew Chie, and Hachibei, and that Toki later ordered the death of Li Long are not mentioned. Furthermore, the Edge Master Mode in game book states that Taki finds the "Mekki-Maru" (sic) after a battle with Mitsurugi, and is not described in the way it would become known. The game merely states that Taki's Rekki-Maru has become weaker, and that she suspects Soul Edge has somehow caused it to do so. No other story-lines are mentioned. Interestingly enough, there seems to be evidence of a link between her and Li Long in Edge Master Mode, despite the actual link between the two never being mentioned. In Taki's story, Li Long follows Taki to Voldo's stage after being defeated at his own stage (the game simply states that he was humiliated in their previous battle), and in Li Long's story; Taki makes a surprise appearance after Li Long defeats Voldo, the game reveals that she has been following him. It is not yet known if Namco had written what is now accepted as Taki's back-story when *Soul Edge* was made, and it was taken out or not. This is given very minor closure in *Soulcalibur III* if the player reaches a Destined Battle with Li Long.
* Taki's Edge Master ending contains a mistake; it implies that Rekki-Maru is a Katana. It is not, however - it is a Kodachi, which is smaller than a Katana (which is what Mitsurugi uses). The mistake probably came about because many non-Japanese people believe that "Katana" is literally the Japanese word for "Sword", which it's not.
* Taki only fights with one sword, the Rekki-Maru. The Mekki-Maru can be selected as an alternate weapon in Edge Master Mode. *Soulcalibur* was the first game where she used both Rekki-Maru and Mekki-Maru simultaneously, and she has done so ever since.

### *Soulcalibur*

* Taki's Metal Headband in her 2P costume bears an uncanny resemblance to the forehead portectors from the *Naruto* series, mainly worn by the jonin of Konohagakure. Coincidentally still, two of the villages in the *Naruto* series are called Fumagakure and Takigakure, referencing Taki and her Fu-Ma clan.

### *Soulcalibur II*

* This is the first game where Taki doesn't wear a mask to go with her body suit.
* Taki's third outfit is based off Waya Hime, a character from the Namco arcade game *Chōzetsurin Jin Bravoman*.

### *Soulcalibur III*

* This is the only game where Taki wears a blue body suit as her 1P outfit instead of a red/pink one.
* Taki's weapons and fighting style are available under the discipline Soul of Taki to characters created under the Ninja class.

### *Soucalibur IV*

* In the Chain of Souls, Taki and Siegfried are linked together by a red arrow, showing that they are somewhat enemies.
* In Kamikirimusi's Story Mode, Taki follows her for the remainder of the story after she, Mitsurugi, and Setsuka are defeated on the first stage. Although it is never explained why she chose to follow her, it could be assumed that she is prepared to assist her opponent in finishing her off if needed. Despite this, Kamikirimusi is neither seen nor mentioned in any future *Soulcalibur* installments so it is likely that this encounter never happened.
* In Taki's illustration, her ninja tights appear to be crimson red, however, her in-game model is wearing a color closer to that of magenta.

### *Soucalibur V*

* In a behind-the-scenes video, the decision to include Natsu came from deciding that Taki would likely be "too old" to be a ninja anymore. In Odashima's mind, you can only be a ninja up to a certain age, after which you retire from active duty and focus on training younger ninjas. While Taki has retired, she's still watching over Natsu, he adds. The validity of his statement has been questioned by some fans, noticing that there have been active male ninjas in the series much older than 46, the age Taki would be at the time *Soulcalibur V* takes place, some of them outright elderly, and that Namco has a habit of excluding females over a certain age from their games--whether by retiring them, simply ignoring them or even killing them off--or making sure they're somehow kept young (such as Nina and Anna Williams' cryogenic freezing in the *Tekken* series) or made unable to age (such as Ivy's use of alchemy to stay eternally in her early 30s).

### Soulcalibur: Lost Swords

* She was descrided as "A technical fighter quick on her feet and capable of executing relentless attacks with her blades".

### *Soulcalibur VI*

* The explosion at the end of her Critical Edge resembles a similar technique she did in the opening of Soul Edge.

### Other

She is one of the Ponytail Asian Five with alongside Momiji, Mai Shiranui, Verta/Xiao Qing and Kasumi.

Taki is similar to Verta/Xiao Qing in White Snake and Momiji in Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series, the three have long black hairs with ponytail hairstyles.

Taki is similar to Shadow the Hedgehog from Sonic the Hedgehog series, she and Shadow have their powers for Chaos Control and Aura.