Sakura

> "*You're going to regret fighting me...*"
> ― Sakura
>
>

**Sakura** ( *さくら, Sakura*) is a character within the Soul series of fighting games. She appears in **Soulcalibur VI**, marking her debut in the retelling of *Soulcalibur.*

## Biography

### Soulcalibur IV

Born several thousand years even before the Feudal era Japan under the branches and comfort of a Cherry Blossom tree, Sakura thrived as a warrior of the land along with many other oni and yokai who merely wanted to live in peace with nature as the humans did. As a young girl, the original forest she lived in was caught within a horrific fire and many of the oni died and fled the area. The fire had been manmade and as such, Sakura hunted those responsible; she did not kill them but she taught them a lesson in respecting the grounds they trotted upon without a care. For centuries, Sakura protected and cultivated a new forest within the original area, whose heart was the same Cherry Blossom tree she was born under. She and her family kept mostly to themselves as the era of Youkai began to dwindle only for a sudden, new event to unleash itself upon the world. The evil seed.

Nature cried out for release and sought safety within the old; Sakura knew that she and her people had been losing relevance as the millennia had passed but this new horror was too much. This evil seed released by the Mortals threatened the very fabric of nature itself. She could sit out no longer. A self-proclaimed avatar of nature, Sakura at first only sought to protect the island she'd come to call home. The presence of a shard of Soul Edge, however, changed everything. Its evil spread not just to mortals but to other youkai and oni. There could be no more sitting idle. The source laid west. After venturing back to her cherry blossom tree, Sakura drew upon its magic and old deities of nature and the elements. *Fujin*, *Raijin* gifted her a blade in the name of Susanoo that would give her the ability to wield a piece of the storms in order to destroy the cursed sword, Soul Edge. The god, *Hachiman* crafted her a shield to guard her from the sword's evil. Blade and shield in hand, and in spite of the protests of her family, Sakura set out west to find the Cursed sword and do what humans were proving they could not.

## Physical Appearance

Sakura has the form of a young, shapely woman with pale, pink hair that could be mistaken for blonde at a distance. Her eyes are golden and skin tanned, denoting her time in the sun. Her costumes typically sport the colours blue, gold, and pink. On her upper abdomen, she has a tattoo of some branches sporting pink and white flowers.

## Personality

A bit of a temper but hidden with a bit of an enigmatic nature, Sakura has a fierce temperament and a clear enjoyment of battling and traveling. She is confident in her abilities and this shows through her gameplay commentary and post-fight dialogue. Sakura is a bit playful and will tease or mock her opponent; even when losing a fight, Sakura will express excitement.

## Weapon and Style

An unconventional and energetic fighting style that channels her personality well, Sakura uses a *chokutō* (Japanese straight blade) and shield to fight in quick strikes and combos, often channeling lightning, electricity and the wind into her moves. Sometimes she appears as though she is dancing with quick twirling and bouncing. She hits hard, sometimes channeling too much power and causing spontaneous combustion upon hitting her opponent.

### Kumomi

Kumomi is the joint name shared by both the chokutō and shield that Sakura wields. A "chokutō" is a rare kind of Japanese blade in which the edge is straight and not curved. Sakura's blade in particular is special in the case that both sides of the blade are edged instead of one. Four deities came together to forge the blade, Takemikazuchi, Raijin, Fujin and Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the latter of whomst sometimes speaks to Sakura through the sword. The god of war and formerly agriculture, Hachiman, crafted her shield. Both the blade and shield sport pink and being hit with either weapon causes cherry blossom petals to erupt into the air, thus rightfully naming Sakura's fighting style as the "Petaled Dance." There is a pattern of pink flowers on the shield.

## Critical Edge

**Lightning Bash**: Sakura hits her opponent with the shield before kicking them and slashing them into the air. As they fall, she slams her shield into them her lightning-imbued shield.

**Susanoo Release**: Activated when the blade is imbued with Susanoo's light, Sakura throws her shield at the opononent, kicking it back as it ricochets off the opponent multiple times before slashing them into the air. As the opponent falls, she slams her shield into them, releasing an explosion of lightning.

## Relationships

* Identical twin sister of Hana
* Younger sister to Modoka
* Crosses paths with Taki
* TBA