Heishiro Mitsurugi

Shishi-Oh (SC-SC4)

Muchimonji (SC5)

Ed Cunningham (3-5)

Wataru Takagi (SB PS1)

## Soul Blade

### Backstory

Heishiro was born the fourth son of a farmer in Bizen, Japan; but after many years of seeing his homeland ravaged by war, he decided to become a samurai. After his parents' death in his 14th year, he took a sword and the last name Mitsurugi. He went to train under the powerful warlord of the Murakami clan. At this time, Japan was in the middle of the Sengoku Jidai or"the age of the country at war" in which the feudal lords or"daimyos" attempted to claim the title of Shogun.

Mitsurugi was a powerful force on the battlefield, and rumors of him spread like wildfire, heralding him as the warrior that could mow down foes like fields of wheat, and he was noted by Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga as a great warrior. He received numerous military commendations and eventually reached the rank of commissioned officer in the Japanese armed forces. But all along, his only true desire was a worthy opponent.

After leaving the Murakami clan, Mitsurugi continued to fight in every war in Japan as a hired mercenary. It was during this time that he had learned of a new weapon that was said to be changing the way wars would be fought: the rifle. He originally dismissed this weapon as a novelty, but he soon learned that it was capable of obliterating the Takeda cavalry at the Battle of Nagashino. He sensed that the arrival of the rifle in common warfare would put him out of business. He decided that the only way to combat with this was to find a stronger weapon: the enchanted sword of legend, Soul Edge.

### Ending

Mitsurugi realizes that Soul Edge is evil and destroys both swords. He decides to challenge a rifleman to a duel...

#### BadEnding

Mitsurugi gets shot. He is seen standing in an open field and decides that if he's going to defeat rifles in battle, he's going to need a stronger weapon. He then sets off on his quest again.

#### Good Ending

Mitsurugi defeats the rifleman with a fatal strike of his blade and realizes that his weapon doesn't matter. He then decides to start training again, holding his katana to the sky.

## Soul Calibur

### Backstory

Unfortunately, Mitsurugi was unable to find any trace of the legendary "Hero's Sword" on his quest and began taking tasks that were largely meaningless to him in order to pass the time. One of these involved guarding a nearby castle for the night; and another of which involved aiding the Spanish Marquis Andre's force in laying siege on Sir Stefan's Ostrheinsburg Castle. In his frustration of finding no signs of Soul Edge, he returned home and challenged a man wielding the rifle Tanegashima to a duel, trying to prove that he didn't need Soul Edge to beat the rifle. However, he suffered an embarrassing defeat in front of his lord, leaving him with a scar of a gunshot wound and forcing him to depart in shame on a second quest to perfect his swordsmanship so that he might eventually defeat the rifle. It was during this quest that he learned of the Azure Knight, Nightmare, who
terrorized Europe with a sword deemed invincible. Nightmare's trail eventually disappeared, but Mitsurugi was unwilling to give up, after returning from his quest Mitsurugi challenged Teppou Hei again, but this time Mitsurugi managed to kill the man with a single strike with his katana.

### Ending

After countless battles, the demonic blade Soul Edge was in Mitsurugi's hands. En route back to his homeland, pirates attacked him
on the high seas. Mitsurugi was completely surrounded by the
bloodthirsty pirates. He smiled without fear as he looked down the
barrels of their guns and murmured...

Mitsurugi: I've had enough of duels... you're just what I need to try the blade of my new sword...

This was the last that anyone heard of the lone samurai known as the "Mercenary of Wartime Age."

## Soul Calibur 2

### Backstory

Four years later, Mitsurugi stumbled upon the trail of Soul Edge while visiting a castle in Xiwei (present-day Xi'an), where a mysterious dying man, after being saved by him from a gang of assassins, handed him a shard of the cursed blade. Although skeptical at first, Mitsurugi accepted the gift. Soon afterward, an incident occurred in which a servant of the Emperor of Ming marched to the castle, demanding the "Hero's Sword," and was slain when he refused to leave without it; Mitsurugi sensed that war was coming, but Soul Edge meant nothing to him. He had crossed countless battlefields, defeating every conceivable enemy, even those with rifles. What had once been his greatest enemy was none of his concern, as it no longer proved to be a threat. His only concern was with finding an opponent stronger than himself.

It was at this time that he was suddenly attacked by unknown forces, but he fought off all of his attackers quite easily. They were after the fragment the man from Xiwei had given to him; and judging by their outfits, they appeared to be ninja, with a sword technique he found strangely familiar. They reminded him of his nemesis Taki, who had interfered every time he had drawn close to the Soul Edge. His thoughts drifted, wondering what was happening in Japan at that time, and whether or not he could have a final showdown with Taki. He decided to return to his homeland.

### Ending

After countless battles and a deadly duel, Mitsurugi finally
possessed Soul Edge, the ultimate sword. But he soon realized that the
weapon was inherently evil.

"Surely this can't be the sword I've been seeking!"

Mitsurugi shattered the demonic blade to pieces. Without a
moment's rest, Mitsurugi embarked on another journey to find the true
Soul Edge.

## Soul Calibur 3

### Backstory

By this time, the powerful daimyo of Owari, Oda Nobunaga, was dead. Betrayed at Honnoji temple by his retainer, Akechi Mitsuhide, the other daimyo were now faced with the decision of whether or not to align with his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Murakami clan in particular, with whom Mitsurugi stayed upon his return, refused to join with mainland Japan, choosing instead to protect their existence as fierce pirates and rulers of the sea, but their resistance caught the attention of Hideyoshi, and a final stand was about to ensue.

Since Mitsurugi could find no trace of Taki, he decided to aid the Murakami in the battle. A nighttime raid commenced. The ships clustered together and rode the tide in to charge the enemy fleet - the traditional secret strategy of the Murakami. The battle began, and Mitsurugi stormed enemy ships like a hurricane. This combined with the Murakami's naval prowess allowed for swift victory, and Mitsurugi was decorated for his service, gaining an invitation to meet with the Murakami commander. The commander engaged him in long conversation, mentioning rumors of a warrior clad in azure armor appearing from the west and boasting the strength of a god. Mitsurugi looked up in surprise, realizing that this must be Nightmare, whom he had lost track of before.

Mitsurugi bade farewell to the Murakami and ran to a nearby port, giving all of his reward money to a boatman, demanding that he be taken
west. He needed neither money nor fame, only the satisfaction of a fierce battle in which his very soul would clash against his opponent's; and that battle, he concluded, would be found in Nightmare.

### Ending

Mitsurugi is seen slaughtering several soldiers in a town and then arrives at a bridge where a man grabs a woman.

#### Input Ending

Mitsurugi runs up to the man and kills him, freeing the woman. Three
more soldiers run up to Mitsurugi, and the camera focuses on the moon as
 sword strokes are heard. When the camera pans down, the three samurai
fall as Mitsurugi goes to leave, with Soul Calibur in his left hand. As he walks away, he says "If you're going to kill me, you'd better bring a whole army!"

#### No Input Ending

Mitsurugi runs up to the man and woman, but is stopped by a surprise
attack from Taki. Mitsurugi ignores the man and woman, and now focuses
on Taki. "That Soul Edge in your possession, it's time to hand it over."
 Taki commands. Mitsurugi replies by saying "If you want it that badly,
come and take it by force!" He then jumps at her with his Soul Edge in
his left hand, as the scene pauses and turns to sepia tone.

## Soul Calibur 4

### Backstory

Mitsurugi searched for many powerful warriors from all over the world. But no matter how many enemies he fought and how powerful he became, he still hungered for more. He gave up searching for the legendary sword because he figured that no matter how powerful a weapon, it's useless if one doesn't have the strength to match it.

However, after he defeated some assassins that were looking for information about Soul Edge, he remembered the fragment of the evil sword that he had. He was about to throw it away because he felt that he didn't need it, when suddenly, the fragment had an unholy glow, and then it flew into the sky, heading west.

With anticipation, Mitsurugi followed, hoping to find both Nightmare and Soul Edge. He also heard rumors that the land before him was filled with terror, and horrible monsters and insane warriors were gathering. These stories didn't scare Mitsurugi, however, in fact, it excited him. This was a challenge that seemed worthy for him.

### Ending

Mitsurugi stabs Algol once more, destroying the power of the sword.
Algol commands Mitsurugi to take his power as well, and use it however
he'd like. "I don't need it." Mitsurugi says, as he puts his sword away.
 "Weapons are just tools. True strength lies within me." As he begins to
 walk away, Algol mutters his last words: "Well done."

The text-only epilogue reveals this: The date of death is
unknown, and he won countless fights. He kept proving throughout his
life that he was the best, and even now his name never fades.

## Soul Calibur 5

### Backstory

Ever-searching for a worthy adversary to test his skills, Heishiro Mitsurugi journeyed to Ostrheinsburg; there he entered a chaotic alternate dimension and faced the Hero King, Algol, high atop a colossal tower. The two warriors clashed when suddenly Algol disappeared, along with the tower and all their surroundings—a dimensional convergence had warped Mitsurugi back to reality before the duel could be decided.

Some time later, rumors of a great conflict back in Japan reached the wandering swordsman—a power struggle that would determine who would rule the entire country. Mitsurugi raced back to his homeland, but it was too late. The battlefield at Sekigahara was deserted. The war was over.

While most of Japan would enjoy the ensuing era of peace, thousands of master less samurai found themselves out of favor and out of a job. With no money to continue his travels, Mitsurugi resigned himself to a quiet life as a farmer.

Then, one day, he happened to encounter a group of soldiers, freshly returned from a tour of duty abroad. The men spoke of a great sword, so mighty that even now they only dared whisper its name: Soul Calibur.

One mention of the Hero King's sword is all it took. Mitsurugi's lust for battle returned in an instant, stronger than ever.

"Algol! I'm coming for you..."

The samurai sold his entire harvest and secured transport on the first boat to the continent, seeking an end to the duel that had begun 17 years prior...

## Critical Finish

**Demon Slayer** - He says "Try this!" and performs four quick
slashes that briefly ignites the opponent and kills them instantly as he
 asks them "See that?".

## CriStdge

**Witching Hour -** Mitsurugi primes his sword while saying "Your
time is up!" He then does an uppercut and slashes downwards, shouting
"You will submit!" as he knocks down his opponent.

## Stages

Pirate Fortress (SB)

Takamatsu Castle (SC)

Xiwei Siege Ruins (2)

Battle in the Straight (3)

Jyurakudai Villa: Virgin Snow (4)

Jyurakudai Villa: Twill Damask and Brocade (BD)

Conqueror's Colliseum: Underground Fight (5)

## Theme

Wind and Clouds (SB)

Hagakure (SB)

Duelists (SC)

Hubris (2)

Blade Seeker (3)

Invincible Blade (5)