This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!
Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.
The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.
The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].
For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following: p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.
Byakuya is the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki clan, one of the four great noble families in Soul Society.[1] As such, he acts in an aristocratic manner — he seems always serene and apathetic towards other people, even when he is actually deeply conflicted. He is also extremely calm, even in battle, and is rarely surprised by even the most drastic of actions. At a young age, he is a little joyful, as noted by his grandfather, Ginrei.
He believes in law and order. As the head of one of the great noble families and as a captain in the Gotei 13, he always works hard for a peaceful society. He thinks that if someone in his position does not follow the rules as a good example, then no one will follow them.[2] He believes that to maintain order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if that goes against his own wishes. Despite his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him, even referring to Rukia, his adopted younger sister, as his "pride".
Byakuya is popular among female Soul Reapers and was voted number one in the "captain we desire to release a photo book for" poll taken by the Soul Reaper Women's Association. He likes Japanese cherry blossoms, night-time walks, spicy food, and bananas, but he dislikes sweets.
He wears the standard captain uniform along with a white headpiece called a kenseikan (symbolizing his noble rank as the head of the Kuchiki family) and a white scarf made by the master weaver, Tsujishirō Kuroemon III.[3] The scarf is made from silver-white windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom handed down through the generations to the head of the Kuchiki family. Forty five houses can be built for the cost of just one such scarf.[1]
Despite his extremely serious personality, Byakuya seems to have a funny side to himself. He not only attends the lieutenants' meeting when Renji is absent, but it is also implied that he attends the meetings of the Soul Reaper Women's Association when Rukia is absent. In the former's case, he reasons that "part of a captain's responsibilities is to make sure the lieutenant's responsibilities are taken care of;"[4] When Renji asks him if he also goes to Rukia's meetings, Byakuya responds only by smiling. On other occasions, Byakuya has jokingly remarked that he uses Senbonzakura to cut his hair[5] and has claimed that life in general is not supposed to be entertaining, and even makes up an idea for a game that is not meant to be amusing.[6] His artistic talent is similar to Rukia's (that is, non-existent); it appears that only Rukia is impressed with his abilities and deeply admires his style.[7]
Byakuya prefers formality when he is addressed. He is referred to by title or his full name by everyone except family, his seniors on rare occasions and Ichigo. He initially protested Ichigo calling him by only his first name and has continued to pointedly refer to Ichigo formally as "Kurosaki Ichigo" since instead of reciprocating the casual first-name address.
Little is known about his early history. When his grandfather, Ginrei, was still the captain of the 6th Division, Byakuya plans to take over leadership of the clan, although Ginrei was worried about his rash and hotheaded attitude.[8] During this time Yoruichi Shihouin would play pranks on him and goad him into games of tag using flash steps,[9] which she won every time. Byakuya at this time would very easily lose his temper, and his grandfather believed he would become much stronger if he would learn to control himself. This aspect of his personality is reflected in Senbonzakura when he manifests in the Zanpakutou rebellion arc.
Over fifty years before the main storyline,[10] Byakuya married Hisana, a commoner from Inuzuri, one of the poorest districts of Rukongai; in doing so, he broke the rules by accepting her into the noble Kuchiki family. Shortly before her death from illness, Hisana asked Byakuya to find, adopt, and protect her biological sister, Rukia, whom she had abandoned as a baby. She also made him promise that he would not tell Rukia about her real family. She believed that as she abandoned Rukia when she was younger she was not worthy to be called Rukia's sister, but asked Byakuya to allow her to call him 'brother'.
A year later, during Rukia's time at the academy, Byakuya found her and immediately adopted her into the Kuchiki clan. By adopting her, Byakuya respected his wife's last wish, but had broken the rules of his clan again. He later swore upon his parents' graves that he would never break the rules again, no matter what. As a result, he, though entirely apathetic on the surface, is actually deeply conflicted with the matter of Rukia's execution. Should he intervene, it would require breaking the promise to his parents and the rules again; but should he do nothing he would fail to fulfill the last promise he made to his dying wife to protect Rukia as his own sister.
It is implied that Byakuya became a captain of the 6th division about 50 years before the main Bleach storyline (shortly before Rukia had entered the Gotei 13).[11]Gin Ichimaru became captain of the 3rd Division at the same time, and Gin would commonly start pointless conversations with Byakuya during times they crossed paths.
Byakuya first appears on a mission with his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, to capture Rukia Kuchiki and kill Ichigo Kurosaki. They succeeded in retrieving Rukia, and spared Ichigo, if not for Rukia's intervention, pleading for Byakuya not to give the finishing blow. Byakuya later interrupts Ganju Shiba and Hanatarō Yamada's attempt to rescue Rukia and, later on, Renji's attempt to do the same. he then fights Ichigo for the third time. Following Ichigo's inner hollow's forced submission, both focus their remaining power into one final attack, resulting in a tie. At the end of the battle, Byakuya, through their conversation, realizes that what Ichigo has fought against is the law of Soul Society instead of Byakuya himself, after which he gives his word to protect Rukia.[12] When Sōsuke Aizen orders Gin Ichimaru to kill Rukia, Byakuya intervenes and is overwhelmed by Gin. While being treated, Byakuya tells Rukia why she was adopted, apologizes to her, and thanks Ichigo. Afterwards, Byakuya's attitude toward Rukia changes significantly. He is seen to care for Rukia in an indirect manner and displays a new view on the idea that the law is never perfect.
When the Bounts threatened to harm the Soul Society it becomes serious. He uses the Kuchiki Clan's records to gain information on the Bounts for head captain Yamamoto. Byakuya, aiding Rukia in her battle with Yoshi, attempts to seek out the Bount leader Jin Kariya. The two meet and engage in a battle that is interrupted by Ichigo and later Rantao. In the anime-exclusive Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc, Byakuya betrays the Soul Society and sides with the rogue Zanpakutō Muramasa, who had set the Soul Reapers' Zanpakutō, including Byakuya's own Senbonzakura, free from their control and was influencing them. He states his reasons for doing so were to maintain his pride; however, it is later revealed that Byakuya's true intentions were to stay close to Muramasa so that he could locate and kill Muramasa's Soul Reaper Kōga Kuchiki for dishonoring the Kuchiki clan.
Byakuya reappears to retrieve Tōshirō Hitsugaya's team on General Yamamoto's order near the end of the Arrancar Arc, but he secretly assigns Rukia and Renji to rescue Orihime. He reasons that he was only ordered to bring them back to Soul Society and that what they chose to do afterwards was none of his concern, though Ichigo and Rukia suspect otherwise. Byakuya appears later in Hueco Mundo to save Rukia from the 7th Espada, Zommari Leroux. Afterwards, he appears with Kenpachi Zaraki to save Ichigo in his fight against the Cero Espada Yammy.
Seventeen months later, Byakuya and several other high-ranking Soul Reapers appear before Ichigo in the human world after Ichigo is robbed of his Fullbring. It is revealed that he and the accompanying Soul Reapers channeled their power into the blade that stabbed Ichigo to restore his lost Soul Reaper powers. Byakuya subsequently fights Shūkurō Tsukishima.
When the Wandenreich invades the Soul Society, Byakuya mourns Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe. Byakuya assists Renji on fighting Stern Ritter F, Äs Nödt. Byakuya activates his Bankai, tells Renji to observe Äs and finds out a way to unseal it after it is sealed. However, Byakuya learns that his Bankai was not sealed, but stolen by the Quincy. Byakuya clashes with Äs, but is easily overwhelmed. Äs Nödt finishes Byakuya off by using his own Bankai against him and smashing him into a nearby wall. When Ichigo breaks free of his imprisonment in the Dangai and arrives at the spot where Byakuya lays wounded, Byakuya asks Ichigo to forgive him for his failure to defeat his enemy and begs him to protect the Soul Society as his dying wish. After the Wandenreich leave, the Royal Guard arrives in the Soul Society, bringing Byakuya with them so that he can be healed. He later returns to the Soul Society sufficiently healed with his strength increased, arriving during Rukia's battle with Äs Nödt. Acknowledging Rukia's growth, he dismisses Äs Nödt's assumption that Byakuya will fight him and instead encourages Rukia to finish Äs Nödt with her own new abilities. After defeating Äs Nödt with her Bankai, Byakuya praises her Bankai but warns her to return to her normal state slowly, commenting on the dangerous nature of her Bankai requiring her to turn her entire body into ice in the process. He subsequently joins Renji, Rukia, and other Soul Reapers to fight against the Wandenreich, tasked with preventing Ichigo from reaching the Soul King's palace. However, the Soul Reapers are overwhelmed by Wandenreich Schutzstaffel Gerard Valkyrie, who grows in size each time he is cut down by the power of "miracles." He orders Rukia and Renji to go join Ichigo at the Soul King's palace, while Byakuya, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and Kenpachi Zaraki continue to try and subdue Gerard Valkyrie.
Ten years later, Byakuya remains the captain of the Sixth Division ten years after Yhwach's apparent destruction and is present during Rukia's promotion as the new captain of the Thirteenth Division. Upon realizing that Yhwach's presence is still lingering in the Soul Society, he elects not to tell Rukia and Renji so that they can visit Ichigo in the human world, and decides to join Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Soifon in disposing of Yhwach's presence. However, they witness the presence abruptly disappear, unaware that Yhwach was dispelled when Yhwach's presence also appeared in the living world and came into contact with Kazui Kurosaki, the son of Ichigo and Orihime Inoue.
As a captain of the Gotei 13, Byakuya is extremely skilled in all forms of Soul Reaper combat. In keeping with his rank, Byakuya's abilities allow him to defeat opponents of captain-level ability without much effort. He holds the Advanced-Captain class within the Gotei 13.
Of particular note is Byakuya's speed: he is skilled in the use of shunpo (Flash steps), having trained with (but never surpassed) Yoruichi Shihōin.[13] Yoruichi also taught Byakuya some techniques of her own creation that involved flash steps, including one called utsusemi (空蝉, lit. Cast-Off Cicada Shell, in reference to their molting), which allows Byakuya to move out of harm's way while leaving an after-image behind. One of Byakuya's favorite techniques, as described by Renji, is Senka (闪花, lit. Flash Blossom), a flash step combined with a spin to quickly move behind the enemy, followed by a combination of two quick thrusts to destroy the opponent's soul chain and soul sleep in one move, destroying the opponent's source of spiritual power.[14] He manages to quickly dispatch Ichigo in their first encounter with this technique. In his battle with Zommari Leroux, he is able to maintain his composure and fight at full speed, despite being forced to cut the tendons in his left leg and arm to prevent Zommari from gaining control of them.
As Byakuya has displayed knowledge of high level kidō spells, and can cast spells up to number 81 without the incantation.[15] He is adept at using them tactically, such as disrupting the movement of Renji's Bankai with a well-timed fire spell and damaging Ichigo's right arm by using a low-level lightning spell at point-blank range to burn a hole through his shoulder.[16]
Byakuya's zanpakutō' is Senbonzakura (千本桜, literally "Thousand cherry blossoms"). Its Shikai is triggered by the command "scatter" (散れ, chire). In the English manga the phrase is translated inconsistently; at the start of volume fourteen it is translated as "die", though later in the same volume "scatter" is used instead. When manifested in the anime Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc, Senbonzakura resembles a masked man in samurai armor with a half-cherry blossom decoration on his helmet.
In its Shikai, Senbonzakura's blade separates into thousands of slender, petal-like blades. The release may be negated before it is complete, such as when Yoruichi Shihōin wrapped the blade in cloth during Byakuya's short battle with Ichigo. While the blades are too small to be seen by the naked eye, they reflect light in such a way as to appear as cherry blossom petals. he can control the blades at will, thereby allowing him to shred opponents at a distance and break through almost any defense. While Byakuya can control the blades with his mind alone, using his hands allows him to do so more effectively, making the blades move twice as fast.
The inside view (the upper image) and the outside view (the lower image) of Senbonzakura's Bankai, Senkei form
Byakuya's Bankai, named Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (千本桜景厳, literally "Vibrant Scape of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms"), is essentially a much larger version of Senbonzakura's Shikai. To activate it, Byakuya drops his sword. The sword passes through the ground and two rows of giant blades rise up from the ground. These then scatter into millions of tiny blades. The number of blades is great enough that Byakuya can use them for defense and offense at the same time. He commonly forms them into large masses of blades to crush opponents.[17][18] As with his Shikai, its attack is triggered with the phrase "scatter".
His Bankai has several forms, achieved by arranging the blades in different patterns. They are activated by saying the name of the technique followed by the name of his Bankai. Each form presents a different advantage, such as increasing offense at the expense of defense.
To overwhelm the defense of an opponent, Byakuya can use lit."Pivotal Scape" (吭景, gōkei). This aligns every blade in a spherical formation around his opponent, which then collapses into them from every possible angle, leaving no blind spots and no chance to escape.[19]
His attack form is "Annihilation Scape" (殲景, Senkei), which unites the scattered petals into complete swords that form rows of swords around Byakuya and his opponent. In this form, Byakuya abandons the defense potential of his many blades and concentrates on killing the enemy. While Byakuya can control these swords as he does his regular blades, he usually attacks with just one in hand. He remarks in his battle with Ichigo that he normally only shows Senkei to those he has sworn to "kill by his own hand", Ichigo being the second to see this.[20] After immobilizing an opponent, he can call in the other blades to hit them while they are trapped. He can also use all the blades at once for one immensely powerful strike. He demonstrates that Senkei can also be used as a barrier to protect those inside from a barrage of Cero blasts. He also displays the ability to activate Kageyoshi from inside Senkei, shattering all rows of swords at once.[21]
He also possesses a secret move known as "Annihilation Scape" (一咬千刃花, Ikka Senjinka) which sends all the blades of Senkei towards his enemy at once.
As a final attack he can use "Final Scape" (終景, Shūkei). This condenses every one of his blades into a single sword, drastically increasing its cutting power. The blade appears bright white, and its aura takes the form of a dragon, earning it the name lit."Sword of the White Emperor" (白帝剣, Hakuteiken). Byakuya also grows pure white wings and a halo-like circle in the back, both made of spiritual power.[22]
Ryōtarō Okiayu (left) voiced Byakuya in the Japanese version of the anime and Miyavi (right) portrays the character in the live-action film.
He was ranked 7th in the most recent popularity poll with 4,010 votes, edging out Orihime Inoue by 35 votes.[23] In 2007, he was one of 4 Bleach characters to place in Newtype's top 100 anime character listing.[citation needed]Dan Woren, Byakuya's English voice actor, liked how his character is able to deal with anything while staying cool. He also noted his need to stick to the rules but found it tragic due to the fact he becomes determined to execute Rukia Kuchiki, his sister.[24]
IGN praises his character's faults and contrasts with Ichigo shown during their climactic battle, stating that "his problem...is that he's arrogant." The battle was "made better by the fact that these two characters have such different personalities, and they really seem to be bringing the best out of each other." His lack of truly villainous characteristics as an antagonistic role was also praised; in the same review, IGN notes that Ichigo and Byakuya are both "just two people fighting for what they think is right. Ichigo for friendship, and Byakuya for honor and Soul Society pride. Instead of the usual evil vs. good battle, it becomes more about whether honor and rules should come first before saving a friend."[25] At the end of the Soul Society arc, moments showing Byakuya's changes in character were heralded as being some of "the best in the episode"; IGN writes "while Byakuya has changed, he still enjoys some of the traditions of the Soul Society."[26]
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Created by artist/writer Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza,[13][14][15] Deadpool made his first appearance in the pages of The New Mutants #98 cover dated Feb. 1991.[16] According to Nicieza, Liefeld came up with the character's visual design and name, and Nicieza himself came up with the character's speech mannerisms.[17]
Liefeld's favorite comic title before X-Men was Avengers, which featured weapons like Captain America's shield, Thor's hammer and Hawkeye's bow and arrow. Because of this, he decided to give weapons to his new characters as well.[18] Liefeld, also a fan of the Teen Titans comics, showed his new character to then-writer Fabian Nicieza. Upon seeing the costume and noting his characteristics (killer with super agility), Nicieza contacted Liefeld, saying "this is Deathstroke from Teen Titans". Nicieza gave Deadpool the real name of "Wade Wilson" as an inside-joke to being "related" to "Slade Wilson", Deathstroke.[19]
Liefeld spoke on how the character was influenced by Spider-Man "The simplicity of the mask was my absolute jealousy over Spider-Man and the fact that both of my buddies, [fellow Marvel artists] Erik Larsen and Todd McFarlane, would tell me, 'I love drawing Spider-Man. You just do an oval and two big eyes. You’re in, you’re out.' ... The Spider-Man I grew up with would make fun of you or punch you in the face and make small cracks. That was the entire intent with Deadpool. ... I specifically told Marvel, 'He's Spider-Man, except with guns and swords.' The idea was, he's a jackass."[20]
Other inspirations were Wolverine and Snake Eyes. Liefeld states: "Wolverine and Spider-Man were the two properties I was competing with at all times. I didn't have those, I didn't have access to those. I had to make my own Spider-Man and Wolverine. That's what Cable and Deadpool were meant to be, my own Spider-Man and my own Wolverine."[21] "G.I. Joe was my first obsession. Those were the toys in the sandbox with me, kung fu grip, eagle eye, I had them all. G.I. Joe is a world of characters that I have always aspired to participate in. Snake Eyes was a profound influence on my creating Deadpool."[22]
Both Deadpool and Cable were also meant to be tied into Wolverine's history already from the start, as Liefeld describes: "Wolverine was my guy. If I could tie anything into Wolverine, I was winning." Like Wolverine, Deadpool is (or is thought to be) Canadian.[23][24] The original story had him joining the Weapon X program after being kicked out of the U.S. Army Special Forces and given an artificial healing factor based on Wolverine's thanks to Dr. Emrys Killebrew, one of the head scientists.[25]
The character's co-creator, Rob Liefeld, holding up a copy of New Mutants #98, in which the character first appeared, during an appearance at JHU Comics in Manhattan held three days before the release of the film Deadpool
In his first appearance, Deadpool is hired by Tolliver to attack Cable and the New Mutants. After subsequently appearing in X-Force as a recurring character, Deadpool began making guest appearances in a number of different Marvel Comics titles such as The Avengers, Daredevil, and Heroes for Hire. In 1993, the character received his own miniseries, titled The Circle Chase, written by Fabian Nicieza and pencilled by Joe Madureira. It was a relative success and Deadpool starred in a second, self-titled miniseries written in 1994 by Mark Waid, pencilled by Ian Churchill, and inked by Jason Temujin Minor and Bud LaRosa. Waid later commented, "Frankly, if I'd known Deadpool was such a creep when I agreed to write the mini-series, I wouldn't have done it. Someone who hasn't paid for their crimes presents a problem for me."[26]
In 1997, Deadpool was given his own ongoing title, the first volume of Deadpool. Deadpool became an action comedy parody of the cosmic drama, antihero-heavy comics of the time. The series firmly established his supporting cast, including his prisoner/den mother Blind Al and his best friend Weasel. The ongoing series gained cult popularity for its unorthodox main character, its balance of angst and pop culture slapstick and the character became less of a villain, though the element of his moral ambiguity remained.
Deadpool lasted until issue #69, at which point it was relaunched as a new title with a similar character called Agent X in 2002. This occurred during a line-wide revamp of X-Men related comics, with Cable becoming Soldier X and X-Force becoming X-Statix. It appeared that Deadpool was killed in an explosion fighting the supervillain Black Swan. Deadpool's manager Sandi Brandenberg later founded Agency X with a mysterious man called Alex Hayden, who took the name dubbed Agent X. Deadpool later returned to the series, which would conclude with issues 13–15.[27][better source needed]
Deadpool's next starring appearance came in 2004 with the launch of Cable & Deadpool written by Fabian Nicieza, where Deadpool became partnered with his former enemy, Cable, teaming up in various adventures. This title was cancelled with issue #50 and replaced by a new Cable series in March 2008.[28] Deadpool then appeared briefly in the Wolverine: Origins title by writer Daniel Way before Way and Paco Medina launched another Deadpool title in September 2008.[29] Medina was the main series artist, with Carlo Barberi filling in on the first issue after the "Secret Invasion" tie-in.[30]
A new Deadpoolongoing series began as a Secret Invasion tie-in. In the first arc, the character is seen working with Nick Fury to steal data on how to kill the Skrull queen Veranke.[31][32]Norman Osborn steals the information that Deadpool had stolen from the Skrulls, and subsequent stories deal with the fallout from that. The story also sees the return of Bob, Agent of HYDRA. This all led directly to a confrontation with the new Thunderbolts in "Magnum Opus" which crossed over between Deadpool vol. 2 #8–9 and Thunderbolts #130–131.[33] In Deadpool #15, Deadpool decides to become a hero resulting in conflicts with proper heroes like Spider-Man[34] (who he had recently encountered in The Amazing Spider-Man #611 as part of "The Gauntlet"[35]) and leading to a 3-issue arc where he takes on Hit-Monkey,[36] a character who debuted in the same month in a digital, then-print, one-shot.[37][38]
Another ongoing Deadpool series, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth launched in July 2009, written by Victor Gischler, with art by Bong Dazo. In it Deadpool teams with Headpool from Marvel Zombies 3 and 4.[39][40][41]
A special anniversary issue titled Deadpool #900 was released in October 2009. A third Deadpool ongoing series, Deadpool Team-Up, launched in November 2009 (with issue numbers counting in reverse starting with issue #899), written by Fred Van Lente, with art by Dalibor Talajic. This series features Deadpool teaming up with different heroes from the Marvel Universe in each issue, such as Hercules.[42] Deadpool also joined the cast of the new Uncanny X-Force team.[43]
Another Deadpool series by Gischler titled Deadpool Corps was released in April 2010. Besides Deadpool himself, this series featured alternate versions of Deadpool, including Lady Deadpool (who debuted in Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #7), Headpool (the Marvel Zombies universe incarnation, now reduced to a severed head), and two new characters; Kidpool, a child, and Dogpool, a dog.[44] The series lasted twelve issues.
Deadpool vol. 2 was written by Daniel Way and drawn by Alé Garza. In the story arc "DEAD", Wade is "cured" of his healing ability and becomes mortal. As a side effect, he also has his old, unscarred face once again. Although he spent the majority of the story arc looking forward to dying, he suppresses his desires in order to protect his friend and sidekickHydra Bob.[49]
After he loses his healing factor, Wilson claims he felt "more alive than ever."[volume & issue needed] However, after a harsh beating from Intelligencia, Wade realized that he had let his ability to heal compensate for skill so he decided to ask for help from Taskmaster in training.[volume & issue needed] Taskmaster asked Wilson to help him steal Pym Particles from S.H.I.E.L.D., but actually, he allowed Black Box to study Wade in order to prepare his vengeance against Wilson, even letting him know Deadpool lost his healing factor.[volume & issue needed]
Wade managed to defeat Black Box, Black Tom and Black Swan, but in the process, his face was burned and disfigured again.[volume & issue needed] Former FBI agent Allison Kemp wanted to get revenge on Deadpool because of his involvement in an accident which left her in a wheelchair, and she called other enemies of Deadpool such as T-Ray and Slayback and trained them to kill Deadpool.[50][51] Deadpool infiltrated their base and managed to get T-Ray and Slayback killed when Kemp was about to kill herself in an explosion which would kill Wade in the process, he convinced her not to attack him. At that moment, he was surprised by the returned Evil Deadpool, who informed Wade that the serum they took was not permanent, the reason why Wade's face did not heal or a finger he lost grew back, so Wade would return after Evil Deadpool shot him.[52] Daniel Way's Deadpool series concluded with issue 63.
As part of Marvel's Marvel NOW! initiative, a new Deadpool ongoing series was launched.[53] He is also a member of the Thunderbolts.[54] In the 27th issue of his new series, as part of "All-New Marvel NOW!", Deadpool was married for the third time. Initially a secret, his bride was revealed in the webcomic Deadpool: The Gauntlet to be Shiklah, Queen of the Undead. Deadpool also discovers that he has a daughter by the name of Eleanor from a former flame of Deadpool named Carmelita.[55]
During the events of "Original Sin", it was revealed that Deadpool was tricked into killing his parents by a scientist known as Butler (who abducted Eleanor and gave her to his brother), however, Deadpool does not know about it.[56]
Much later, he clashed with Carnage, believing the universe was telling the latter to defeat him. After several fights and getting torn to pieces, Deadpool bonds with four symbiotes: Riot, Phage, Lasher and Agony. Playing mind games, Deadpool tricked Shriek by using his shapeshifting abilities to make her disoriented and having her flee. After the symbiotic Deadpool and Carnage fought again, Deadpool captures Shriek and forces her to impersonate himself, making it trick Carnage into almost killing her in the process. Feeling broken after a mental breakdown, Carnage allowed himself to be arrested and was placed in an unlocked cell. While sitting in the cell until he was his own self, Carnage swore vengeance on Deadpool. Deadpool, after defeating Carnage, gives the four symbiotes to a war dog who helped Deadpool fight Carnage to deliver them to the government.[57]
During the "AXIS" storyline, Deadpool appears as a member of Magneto's unnamed supervillain group during the fight against Red Skull's Red Onslaught form.[58] The group of villains becomes inverted to heroes, after a spell cast by Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom.[volume & issue needed] This group was later named the Astonishing Avengers.[59] This Deadpool, referred to as "Zenpool" was pivotal in turning Apocalypse to fighting the Inverted Avengers.[60]
Deadpool's death occurs in Deadpool #250.[61] Deadpool faces off in a final showdown with ULTIMATUM and Flag-Smasher, killing all of them, and gives up the "Deadpool" identity, wishing to have a better life. He, along with his family and friends, (and presumably everyone on Earth) are all killed when the Earth collides with an alternate universe's Earth. Deadpool laments that the Secret Wars should have stayed an Avengers event, but then dies at peace, content that everybody else is dying with him.[62]
Eight months after the events of Secret Wars and the restoration of Earth, Deadpool is seen working for Steve Rogers. After stealing some potentially life-saving chemicals needed by an ailing Rogue, he is offered membership in the Avengers Unity Squad.[63]
Deadpool Vol. 4 began in 2016.[citation needed] In the course of the following months, Deadpool's popularity skyrocketed after the mercenary Solo impersonated him to piggyback on Deadpool's reputation and take jobs at a higher pay rate. One of Solo's jobs in Washington, D.C. had Deadpool's public opinion drastically change for the better when he saved an ambassador from his telepathically manipulated agents. After learning of Solo's impersonation, Deadpool came up with the idea to form a group of mercenaries called the Mercs for Money to extend his reach across the globe. However, Deadpool's newfound popularity forced him to leave his family behind, fearing his enemies could endanger them. Deadpool additionally joined the Avengers Unity Division and used his popularity as a means of funding the team, with the profit from the merchandise.[64]
Madcap additionally returned to Deadpool's life, though Wade was unaware his experience inside his mind left Madcap emotionally damaged and vengeful. Madcap initially posed as an ally, joining the Mercs for Money, but eventually showed his true intentions after he was discovered impersonating Deadpool to defame and threaten his loved ones. Seeing as he had had enough fun, Madcap used an alien weapon to molecularly disintegrate himself. For his second coming, the villain had Deadpool unwittingly become the carrier of a deadly airborne virus with which he infected his family. Wade found a cure, though had to resort to Cable's evil clone Stryfe to find it. Around this time, tensions between Shiklah's domain and the surface world sparked an invasion of Manhattan from Monster Metropolis, which in turn led to Shiklah divorcing Deadpool, opting to return to Dracula instead.[65]
Not long after Wade joined the Avengers Unity Division, the real Steve Rogers was secretly supplanted by an evil fascist counterpart from another timeline that operated as a Hydra sleeper agent within the superhero community. When Phil Coulson became suspicious of Steve, Rogers convinced Deadpool to kill him, claiming that Coulson had gone rogue. A short time afterward, Captain America's machinations resulted in Hydra rising to power, taking over the United States of America. When Hydra's conquest had barely begun, Preston found out about Coulson's death and confronted Deadpool about it. The fight ended in Preston's death. As Hydra's empire grew stronger, Wade joined its own version of the Avengers out of blind loyalty for Captain America. Plagued by guilt, Wade held back when tasked with hunting down the rebel alliance known as the Underground and eventually helped, behind the scenes, to lay part of the foundation of Hydra's eventual defeat. With his mistakes costing the lives of two of his friends, the love of his daughter, and any respect the world had for him, Deadpool turned his back on what little remained of the life he had built.[66]
Deadpool is aware that he is a fictional comic book character.[67] He commonly breaks the fourth wall, which is done by few other characters in the Marvel Universe, and this is used to humorous effect, for instance, by having Deadpool converse with his own "inner monologue", represented by caption boxes. In stories by writer Daniel Way between 2008 and 2012, Deadpool was, without explanation, shown to have developed a second "voice in his head", represented by a second set of captions with a different font; Deadpool vol. 3 Annual #1 (2014) would retroactively explain that this voice belonged to Madcap, a psychotic Captain America villain, who had become molecularly entangled with Deadpool.[68]
The character's back-story has been presented as vague and subject to change, and within the narrative, he is unable to remember his personal history due to a mental condition. Whether or not his name was even Wade Wilson is subject to speculation since one of his nemeses, T-Ray, claims in Deadpool #33 that he is the real Wade Wilson and that Deadpool is a vicious murderer who stole his identity.[69] There have been other dubious stories about his history—at one point the supervillain Loki claimed to be his father.[5] Frequently, revelations are later retconned or ignored altogether, and in one issue, Deadpool himself joked that whether or not he is actually Wade Wilson depends on which writer the reader prefers.[70]
Deadpool is depicted as having a regenerative healing factor, which not only prevents him from being permanently injured through enhanced cell regeneration throughout his body, but also causes psychosis and mental instability, as his neurons are also affected by the accelerated regeneration. It is thought that while his psychosis is a handicap, it is also one of his assets as they make him an extremely unpredictable opponent. Taskmaster, who has photo-reflexive memory which allows him to copy anyone's fighting skills by observation, was unable to defeat Deadpool due to his chaotic and improvised fighting style.[71] Taskmaster has also stated that Deadpool is an expert at distracting his opponents.[71][72]
Deadpool has sometimes been portrayed to have a strong sense of core morality. In Uncanny X-Force, he storms out after Wolverine tries to rationalize Fantomex killing Apocalypse, who was at the time in a child form. After Wolverine argues that Deadpool is motivated solely by money, Archangel reveals that Deadpool never cashed any of his checks.[73]
In December 2013, Deadpool was confirmed as being pansexual by Deadpool writer Gerry Duggan via Twitter.[74] However, this post on Twitter has since been deleted by Gerry Duggan. When asked about Deadpool's sexuality, co-creator Fabian Nicieza stated, "Deadpool is whatever sexual inclination his brain tells him he is in THAT moment. And then the moment passes."[75] Nicieza has also stated,
Not trying to be dismissive, but readers always want to 'make a character their own', and often that is to the exclusion of what the character might mean to other fans. I've been dogged with the DP sexuality questions for YEARS. It is a bit tiring. He is NO sex and ALL sexes. He is yours and everyone else's. So not dismissive, but rather the epitome of inclusive.[76]
Deadpool's primary power is an accelerated healing factor, depicted by various writers at differing levels of efficiency. The speed of his healing factor depends on the severity of the wound and Deadpool's mental state. It works most efficiently when he is awake, alert, and in good spirits.[77] Deadpool's accelerated healing factor is strong enough that he has survived complete incineration and decapitation more than once.[citation needed] Although his head normally has to be reunited with his body to heal a decapitation wound,[78][79][80] he was able to regrow his head after having it pulverized by the Hulk in the graphic novel Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe.[volume & issue needed]
Deadpool's brain cells are similarly affected, with dying neurons being rejuvenated at a super accelerated rate. This allows Deadpool to recover from any head wounds, and it renders him nearly invulnerable to psychic and telepathic powers,[81][82] although this ability is inconsistent.[83][84] It has been revealed that at the time his healing ability was given to him, Deadpool suffered from some form of cancer; after the healing factor was given to him, it made his normal cells as well as his cancerous cells unable to die, giving him a heavily scarred appearance beneath his suit.[volume & issue needed]
Deadpool's body is highly resistant to most drugs and toxins, due to his accelerated healing factor. For example, it is extremely difficult for him to become intoxicated.[85] He can be affected by certain drugs, such as tranquilizers if he is exposed to a large enough dosage.[citation needed] Unlike Wolverine, whose wounds sometimes cause excruciating pain as they heal depending on the severity, Deadpool has some degree of pain i
Orihime Inoue[Jp. 1] is a fictional character in the Japanese manga series Bleach and its anime adaptation created by Tite Kubo. She is one of Ichigo Kurosaki's friends. Like the many other characters in the series, she quickly develops powers of her own after Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper. Throughout the series, Orihime learns about Ichigo's duty as a Soul Reaper and accompanies him when they go to the Soul Society to save Rukia Kuchiki, and is depicted as Ichigo's wife in the epilogue.
Besides the manga series, Orihime appears in other media, including the anime series, anime films, video games and rock musicals. She has been fairly popular among readers of the manga since her introduction, having ranked within the top 10 or the top 20 in all of the characters popularity polls of the series. Additionally, various pieces of merchandising have been developed based on her appearance such as figurines and key chains. Publications from manga, anime and other media have also commented on her character with most praising her traits and development.
Along with Ichigo, Orihime has the hardest face to draw according to Kubo. Due to her importance in the manga, Kubo wanted more practice drawing her so that it would be easier to do so.[3] When Kubo was asked to make a cover with a female character during Christmas, Kubo initially thought of using Rukia Kuchiki; However, he later changed to use Orihime as he thought she was more suitable for such a role.[4] She becomes the true female lead for the rest of the Bleach franchise after the second anime season/manga arc, which was recognized when her character depth and importance raised drastically after she came back from the Soul Society and started to become a prominent plot device for Ichigo's character development and for the story itself, consequently Orihime was featured along with female leads from other Weekly Shōnen Jump series on a special Shonen Jump cover.[5]Stephanie Sheh, Orihime's English voice actress, found her to be a "tricky" character as she noted a challenge to find a balance with her voice as although she sometimes seems ditzy, in other times she is very strong.[6]
In Bleach JET interview, Kubo initially have Orihime’s power around horn and tail.[7]
Orihime is politely kind. She comes off as naïve and rather clueless, which is at odds with her exceptionally high marks in school.[8][9] Her cooking style can be described as very bad, disgusting, or more often strange to the point that aside from Rangiku Matsumoto, no one would think it delectable, and is one of the running jokes in the series.[10][11] Orihime has a tendency to rush into situations without thinking, sometimes leading to embarrassing or even dangerous consequences. She tends to have an overactive imagination and gets carried away thinking of implausible scenarios, such as initially fantasizing a date with Ichigo, later ending into her becoming a boxing champion prior to being shot.[12] Her hair is worn long in honor of the promise Tatsuki Arisawa once made to protect her.[13]
Orihime experiences most feelings,[14][15] which leads her to be jealous of the relationship that Ichigo and Rukia Kuchiki share despite her friendship and admiration of both of them.[16] Through her expanding role in the manga, Orihime was happier and goofier at the start of the series, but later arcs deal with her feelings of inadequacy and inner turmoils.[16] Orihime lives by herself in Karakura Town, where the story takes place, and is supported by her distant aunt provided that she continuously obtain good marks in school, which she does. She and her brother Sora were raised by parents who treated them poorly. When Sora turned eighteen, he ran away with Orihime, who was three years old, and raised her since. For nine years, the siblings lived in harmony, until Sora died in a car accident.[17]
Orihime first appears in Bleach pilot chapter that Kubo submitted to Weekly Shōnen Jump.[18] She is a teenager who attends Karakura High School and Ichigo's friend. After Ichigo gains the powers of a Soul Reaper, his interactions with Orihime begin to have unforeseen side effects. Orihime become spiritually aware after being saved by Ichigo from Acidwire, her late brother turned into a hollow.[19][20] The hollow attacks Karakura High School, but Orihime uses her own power Shun Shun Rikka to save Tatsuki Arisawa. After Rukia Kuchiki is taken back to the Soul Society to be executed, Orihime joins Ichigo with Uryū Ishida, Yasutora Sado and Yoruichi Shihoin, in an effort to save her.[21] Upon arriving there, their group is split up, and Orihime wanders the city with Uryū.[22] Later on, Orihime is captured by Makizō Aramaki, a Soul Reaper of the 11th division, but is later freed by captain Kenpachi Zaraki.[23][24] After Rukia is saved by Ichigo, the group returns to the human world.[25]
Orihime joins the others when they deal with the Bount in anime-only episodes. Afterwards, arrancar begin to invade Karakura Town. During a battle with the EspadaYammy, the attack component of Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka is destroyed, making her not helping in the next battles. After sitting on the sidelines for the second arrancar invasion, Orihime has Tsubaki restored by Hachigen Ushōda, and Orihime goes to the Soul Society to train for the next attack.[26] While traveling between the two realms, she meets Ulquiorra Cifer, who threatens to kill Ichigo and her friends, unless she agrees to go to Hueco Mundo.[27] Orihime leaves and heads to Hueco Mundo.[15] There, Orihime meets Sōsuke Aizen, a former Soul Reaper and current leader of the Arrancar. Aizen explains that he intends to use Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka to restore the Hōgyoku (崩玉, "breakdown sphere"), though she decides to use her powers to destroy the Orb instead. Before she can act on her plans, Ichigo and a group of others arrive in Hueco Mundo to save her.[28] When Ichigo is defeated while facing Ulquiorra, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, wanting to battle Ichigo at full strength, frees Orihime from her confinements so that she can heal him.[29] Ichigo battles with Grimmjow and ultimately claims victory.[29] They are then attacked by Nnoitora Jiruga, but after Nnoitora's death at the hands of Kenpachi, Orihime is captured once again.[30] Ichigo rushes to her location, and engages Ulquiorra in battle, but is once again defeated.[31] During the aftermath, she discovers that Ichigo is transformed into a new hollow and he mortally hurts Ulquiorra.[32] Ulquiorra starts to turn into ashes as he asks Orihime if she is afraid of him.[33] Orihime, after saying that he is not frightening, tries to reach his hand but Ulquiorra finally disappears.[33] As Ichigo returns to the world of the living, Orihime remains behind to heal Uryū.[34]
After Aizen's arrest, Orihime spends her normal life, until Uryū is attacked by a human with supernatural powers.[35] It turns out that Tsukishima attacked Uryū, and his subordinate Shishigawara, and Tsukishima stabs her with his Fullbring before leaving.[36] Later, it is revealed that Tsukishima's power has altered her memories.[37] Later, Orihime and her friends went to Hueco Mundo to fight off the Wandenreich, a group of Quincys seeking to destroy the Soul Society led by their leader Yhwach.[38] Orihime and the others fight them off and liberate Hueco Mundo from one of the Wandenreich's high-ranked officers Quilge Opie. Later, Ichigo finds out that the Wandenreich are attacking the Soul Society. When Ichigo gets overwhelmed, Orihime saves him. Ten years after the war, Orihime marries Ichigo and has a son, Kazui Kurosaki.
Her character has gained additional popularity even among non-fans thanks to a short looped animation of Orihime twirling a leek (specifically, a negi, or Welsh onion) played to "Ievan Polkka". Known as the Loituma Girl, the five frames used in the flash cartoon were taken from the second episode in the anime.[39] Orihime appears in the Bleach: Memories of Nobody, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion and Bleach: Hell Verse, albeit in a minor role.[40][41] She also appears in the Bleach video games such as Heat the Soul as a playable character.[42] Orihime also stars alongside Rukia Kuchiki in the Bleach Beat Collection Season 2 with solo song "La La La" and duet song "Holy Fight."[43] In the 2018 live-action film Bleach, Orihime is played by Japanese actress and singer Erina Mano.[44]
At the first Seiyu Awards in March 2007, Yuki Matsuoka was one of the winners in the category "Best Actresses in supporting roles" for her role as Orihime.[45] The character of Orihime has been well received by readers from the manga, appearing at No. 5 in the first characters popularity poll.[46] She did not appear in the top ten from the second (having ranked 12th), but returned in the two followings; in the 3rd poll she ranked 10th, and was 8th in the most recent, surpassing Izuru Kira by 123 votes.[47][48][49] Various types of merchandising have been released based on Orihime's character such as plush, key chains and figurines.[50][51][52] Pins based on her hair clips have also been released for cosplaying.[53]
Various publications for manga, anime and other media have commented on Orihime's character, adding praise to her traits and development. Mania Entertainment writer Jarred Pine liked Orihime's development in the first volume of the manga as her encounter with the hollow from her brother added "more dimension" to her character rather than her portray of a "big-breasted bimbo" in which she was initially introduced.[54] Although Carlo Santos from Anime News Network (ANN) found her character to be stereotypical due to the way she uses her powers, he noted that (like each character) she was very interesting due to the personality she has.[55] D. F. Smith from IGN complained on Orihime's appearances when she joins her friends to rescue Rukia Kuchiki since most of them were only comical and they were very repetitive.[56] Stephanie Sheh was praised as one of the best voice actors from Viz Media's dub by Carl Kimlinger from ANN.[57] Carlos Alexandre from popcultureshock.com also praised Sheh's work, noting that she makes a good interpretation from Orihime's character.[58] In an Anime News Network poll, Orihime was voted as the fourth worst cook in anime.[59]
Hero's, a martial arts organization based in Japan
Topics referred to by the same term
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Heroes. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
This article is about the video game series. For the first game in the series, see Suikoden (video game). For the Japanese translation of the classical Chinese novel on which it is based, see Water Margin. For the video game by Koei, see Bandit Kings of Ancient China.
Suikoden (Japanese: 幻想水滸伝, Hepburn: Gensō Suikoden, lit. "Fantasy Water Margin") is a series of role-playing video games created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The games are loosely based on the classical Chinese novel Water Margin,[1] whose title is rendered as Suikoden (水滸伝) in Japanese. Each individual game centers on themes of politics, corruption, revolution, mystical crystals known as True Runes, and the "108 Stars of Destiny"—the 108 protagonists who are loosely interpreted from the source material.
Although the events of the games are not chronological, the entire series (except for Tierkreis and Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki) takes place within the same world, among continuing and overlapping histories. In some cases, several characters appear in multiple installments.
A spiritual successor to the series titled Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was released on April 23, 2024.[2] A high-definition remaster of the first two games under the title Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is set to release later in 2024.[3]
In the Suikoden series, the player takes control of a battle party having a maximum of six people (consisting of the protagonist and 5 other characters), Suikoden IV, however, reduces the party to four fighters and one support. The goal of the game is for the protagonist to defeat the opponents who are trying to oppose his/her team. This becomes possible as every game in the series revolves around the recruitment of the 108 Stars of Destiny; wherein the fighter characters recruited from the bunch can be used as members for the battle party; every game in the series has their respective Stars of Destiny. The series practically makes use of running around towns on different islands and into dungeons filled with monsters or enemies. A base or headquarters will also be obtained by the player which is usually abandoned, monster-infested castles which turns into bustling communities when captured.
The most typical form of battle in the series is the turn-based battle wherein the 6-man team faces the opponents. However, it is not the sole form of battle featured in the games. There are 3 different types of battle present which recurs and have been accustomed to every game. They are: 'Basic Battle', 'One-on-one Duel' and 'Strategic War Battle'.
Basic Battle: It is the most common form of battle. It is when the protagonist's 6-man team will have to battle out. This mode allows the player to control the 6 party members with different commands such as the 'Fight' where the player designates the action he/she wants the characters to perform, 'Run' to escape, 'Bribe' to use the party's money called Potch to bribe the enemy for escape and the 'Auto' command in which the game automatically designates the 'Attack' command for every character.
One-on-one Duel: A battle where only a single character fights and happens only in special events. It is a turn-based duel in which the player chooses command to attack (instead of manually controlled fighting). Duels in the series is typically not time-based except Suikoden V wherein choosing a command is timed for 3 seconds. Duels are usually accompanied by dialogue exchange between the player and the enemy, with the dialogue giving clues to what command the enemy will choose next (Essentially rock, paper scissors with the enemy commentary telling the player which they chose).
Strategic War Battle: A turn-based strategic battle between the protagonist's side and the enemy. In more accurate terms, this is a battle between armies of the protagonist and the enemy. The protagonist's army is made up of many units which could be organized by the player however he/she desires. Every game in the series has different forms of war battles most notably in Suikoden IV, where the battles are done in the sea. Suikoden V however, is the first game to make use of real-time strategy.
The Suikoden series was created, written, produced, and overseen by Yoshitaka Murayama, who left Konami near the end of Suikoden III's development. Noritada Matsukawa took over as Senior Director of Suikoden III following Murayama's departure. Suikoden IV was directed by Matsukawa as well but was produced by Junko Kawano, who was the chief designer in Suikoden I. Suikoden V was directed by Takahiro Sakiyama, a relative newcomer to RPGs.
In an interview conducted by Japanese website 4gamers.net regarding the RPG Frontier Gate, Konami developers revealed that the Suikoden development team has been disbanded with members scattered about teams within Konami and elsewhere. This led to speculation that the franchise had indeed been abandoned following disappointing sales of the latest entries in the series.[4]
Despite these rumours, Konami presented a trailer for a new Suikoden game on Tokyo Game Show 2011: Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century (Genso Suikoden Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki).[5] It came out in Japan for PSP on 12 February 2012 to generally lackluster reviews.
According to an article published by The Nikkei in 2015, development on the series has been halted.[6]
In 2020, one of Suikoden's development crew left Konami and named a new studio called Rabbit & Bear, founded by some of the key creative minds behind the classic PlayStation-era roleplaying series, including Yoshitaka Murayama, director and writer on the first two Suikoden games, and the creative team also includes Junko Kawano, the lead artist on Suikoden 1 and 4; Junichi Murakami, art director on Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow; Suikoden Tactics director Osamu Komuta; and composers Motoi Sakuraba and Michiko Naruke. Murayama directed to a Suikoden follow-up game called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, slated to release worldwide in 2024.[7]
Essentially, each game follows the plot formula of a coup d'état by corrupt power holder(s) and the protagonist is an exile from his/her home. The plot also follows the disastrous misuse of the "True Runes" while the hero struggles, despite overwhelming odds, to bring peace to the land alongside his/her friends, and the climactic showdown with the corrupted True Rune incarnation.
The 27 True Runes are powerful sources of all magic and primal forces in the world of Suikoden. Wholly sentient and possessing their own will, the True Runes hold immeasurable power, and are the equivalents of gods in the Suikoden world. Many wars have been fought over them in the past, some instigated by the will of the runes themselves. True Runes are often sought by the powerful and influential due to their shared property of granting immortality to those who will bear them. All bearers of True Runes stop aging and become immune to disease and all other natural causes of death, though they can still die from physical trauma such as accidents or murder.
The True Runes often attach themselves to living beings. Doing so gives the True Rune holder great power over the aspect of nature the Rune governs, as well as immortality so long as they bear the Rune. Bearing a True Rune can also have negative consequences, as in the case of the bearer of the Moon Rune being transformed into a vampire. A True Rune can also take the shape of a physical object, as is the case with the Star Dragon Sword being a manifestation of the Night Rune. They can also incarnate themselves unattached from a host, as the Beast Rune did during the Highland-Jowston conflict, self-activating and then feeding of its own will.[8]
Origin of True Runes and the Creation of the Suikoden Universe
The story of the creation of the Suikoden universe can be found in books discovered in most games. The story from "Old Book Vol.1" from Suikoden I reads:
In the beginning...there was "Darkness". "Darkness" lived for eons in a rift in time. Suffering in solitude for so long, "Darkness" finally dropped a "Tear". Two brothers were born of "Tear". "Sword" and "Shield". "Sword" said he could cut anything to pieces. "Shield" swore he could protect anything. And so, the two went to battle. The battle lasted seven days and seven nights. "Sword" cut apart "Shield", and "Shield" broke "Sword" into pieces.
Fragments of "Sword" fell and became the sky. Fragments of "Shield" fell and became the earth. Sparks from the battle became the stars. The 27 jewels that adorned "Sword" and "Shield" became the "27 True Runes," and the World went into motion.
Split between the Front and Back halves; Front Gate Rune formerly held by Windy, the Back Gate Rune held by Leknaat (Suikoden I, II, III, IV, V)
The Blue/Pale Gate Rune is derived from this rune
Rune of Life and Death (also known as the Soul Eater)
Represents life and death, and grants the bearer power over them
Considered a cursed rune, it steers the fates of those near the rune bearer to their deaths
Held by Ted, Ted's grandfather, and the first Hero (Suikoden I, II, and IV)
The Darkness rune is derived from this rune
Rune of the Beginning
Represents the conflict between the brothers "Sword" and "Shield" at the creation of the Suikoden universe; governs war and conflict
Almost always exists split into two aspects: the Bright Shield Rune and Black Sword Rune, and the bearers of each rune are destined to fight each other (Suikoden II)
Held by Genkaku and Han Cunningham during the first Highland-Jowston conflict, later held by the second Hero and Jowy (Suikoden II)
The Shield rune is derived from the Bright Shield Rune
Rune of Punishment
Governs atonement and forgiveness
Considered a cursed rune, use of its power drains the rune bearer of life force, and bearers of the rune tend to have short lives
Held by the Queen of Obel, Graham Cray and his son, Rakgi's father, Steele, Brandeau, Glen Cott, and the Hero (Suikoden IV)
True Elemental Runes (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning)
Govern the five fundamental elements of the Suikoden universe; each rune grants the bearer great power over that element
All elemental runes are derived from these True Runes
True Fire Rune - held by the Flame Champion, and later either Hugo, Chris Lightfellow, or Geddoe (Suikoden III)
True Water Rune - held by Wyatt Lightfellow, and later either Chris Lightfellow or Hugo (Suikoden III)
True Earth Rune - held by Bishop Sasarai of Harmonia (Suikoden II and III)
True Wind Rune - held by Luc (Suikoden II and III)
True Lightning Rune - held by Geddoe or Hugo (Suikoden III)
Sun Rune
Governs the power of light
While the rune can be borne by a person, it drives its bearer insane and is typically kept sealed away
Two child runes, the Twilight Rune and Dawn Rune, were created from the separation of the Sun Rune and the Night Rune and govern the Sun Rune's power
A treasure of the Queendom of Falena, the Sun Rune was formerly held by Queen Arshtat Falenas
The Dawn Rune is held by the Prince, and the Twilight Rune is held by Alenia, Sialeeds, and Lyon (Suikoden V)
Sovereign Rune
Represents authority and the power to rule; grants bearer immunity from all other runes
Held by Emperor Barbarossa of the Scarlet Moon Empire (Suikoden I)
Hachifusa (Eight-Fold) Rune
Held by Yuber (never featured in a game; Yuber's Eight-Devil Rune in Suikoden III is assumed to be related to it)
Circle Rune
Represents order, harmony, and stagnation
Held by Harmonia's leader, High Priest Hikusaak (never featured in a game)
Rune of Change
Governs change
Speculated to be held by the leader of the ancient nomadic Sindar people (never featured in a game)
Moon Rune
Represents compassion and destruction
Transforms the rune bearer into a vampire
Held by Neclord, and then Sierra Mikain (Suikoden I, II)
Night Rune
Represents night and darkness, and is the opposite of the Sun Rune; originally born joined with the Sun Rune, it but it took the form of a sword and separated itself
Incarnated as the Star Dragon Sword (Zodiac Sword), which is wielded by Viktor during Suikoden I and II, and Edge in Suikoden III
Grants the wielder the power over "creatures of the night" such as vampires
Its child rune, the Star Rune, is held by Zerase (Suikoden V)
Beast Rune
Represents rage, passion, and bloodlust
Sealed in the capital of Highland, L'Renouille Palace (Suikoden II)
Dragon Rune
Governs dragons, and is the source of dragons in the Suikoden universe
Grants the bearer the ability to command dragons
Held by Joshua Levenheit, and later Milia, as leaders of the Dragon Knights
A concept borrowed from the Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan, each Suikoden game has featured 108 characters who band together to ward off a threat. In each main Suikoden game (excluding the Suikogaiden games and Suikoden Tactics), there are 108 notable characters, all of which are recruitable except for in Suikoden III, where several of the stars of destiny were the antagonist characters. While recruiting all of the Stars of Destiny is not a requirement to finishing the game, recruiting all of them gives certain bonuses that affect the story of the game.[citation needed]
The Suikoden series is set in a world with many countries. The political geography has changed over the series chronology; while the most recent game in the setting is Suikoden V, chronologically, Suikoden IV is the earliest game while Suikoden III occurs latest within the time span of the series.
Suikoden, Suikoden II and Suikoden III are set on the Northern Continent, a land mass composed of several regions. Suikoden takes place in the Scarlet Moon Empire, which is located on southeastern coast of the Northern Continent, and is composed primarily of the Toran region, with Lake Toran at its centre. Notable locations in this area include Gregminister, the empire's capital situated in Arlus, the Warrior's Village in the Lorimar region, and the Great Forest. At the end of Suikoden, the empire is replaced by the Toran Republic.
Suikoden II is set in the Dunan region, north-west of the Toran Republic, and initially comprises the Highland Kingdom in the east and the Jowston City-States, a confederation of politically autonomous states, in the west. Significant locations in Jowston include the cities-states of South Window, Greenhill, Muse, and Two River, and the Knightdom of Matilda. Following the Dunan Unification War, the Highland Kingdom falls and it, along with the Jowston City-States unite to form the Dunan Republic. The Tinto region lying in the west, separated from Dunan by mountains, chooses to remain politically independent and becomes the Tinto Republic.
Sharing Dunan's western border and north of Tinto are the Grasslands, which stretch from the centre of the Northern Continent to a small portion of the continent's west coast. The area is composed of the six clans: the Lizard, Duck, Karaya, Chisha, Safir, and the Alma Kinan. Directly west of the Grasslands and bordered in the east by Tinto is the Zexen Confederacy, located on the west coast of the Northern Continent and historically an offshoot of the Grasslands. Important locations include the Zexen capital Vinay del Zexay and Budehuc Castle, which lies close to the Grasslands border in northwest Zexen. The primary conflict of Suikoden III occurs in these areas. The northwestern portion of the continent, due north of the Grasslands and Zexen, is the Knightdom of Camaro and the surrounding Nameless Lands.
The largest country in the north is the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, located in the northeastern portion of the continent. Since its establishment, it has assimilated various neighbouring countries, such as Sanadia, as well as a portion of the Grasslands – the Kanaa clan of the Grasslands became Le Buque under Harmonian rule after the First Fire Bringer War. Notably, the Scarlet Moon Empire originally formed after obtaining political autonomy from Harmonia and taking Harmonia's old capital as its own, renaming it Gregminister, resulting in Harmonia establishing a new capital at the Crystal Valley. Harmonia is also home to the Tower, a location reserved for training and housing members of the Howling Voice Guild.
Other major areas on the Northern Continent include the Kooluk region and Kanakan. The Kooluk region was originally the Kooluk Empire during the course of Suikoden IV and eventually dissolved in Suikoden Tactics to be left as a group of independent settlements. It takes up most of the southern edge of the Northern continent and directly borders the Toran Republic in the east and the Dunan Republic in the north. Off the eastern coast of Toran is the island of Kanakan.
Lying directly south of the Northern Continent is the ocean and several islands, including Obel, Middleport, and Razril. At the end of Suikoden IV, most of these islands are unified to become the Island Nations Federation. The largest island in the area, the Dukedom of Gaien, remains independent. West of Gaien is the island nation of the Kingdom of Zelant.
Due south of the Island Nations is the Southern Continent, a landmass composed primarily of three countries: the Queendom of Falena, and its neighbours, the theocracy of Nagarea in the southwest and the New Armes Kingdom in the southeast. As the setting for Suikoden V, Falena has a large network of rivers and lakes throughout the country and the Ashtwal Mountains in its northern region. Key locations include the cities of Stormfist and Doraat in the west; Rainwall, Estrise, and Sable, located on the Armes border, in the east; Lelcar, Lordlake, and Sauronix in the south; and the Falenan capital, Sol-Falena, and the holy land of Lunas, governed by the Oracle, in the north. Falena has been protected from the militant theocracy Nagarea since the mountain pass between the nations was destroyed, though Armes continues to remain a threat throughout Suikoden V.
Northeast of Falena also appears portion of a landmass of considerable size. West of the Northern and Southern Continents and the Island Nations is a landmass referred to as the Western Continent, of which few details are known. Scattered across the world are mysterious ruins attributed to the lost Sindar race, which is a recurring theme throughout the Suikoden series.
The Suikoden games have generally been considered to have soundtracks very well liked by the gaming community, though they have only been released in Japan as of 2007.
A series of arranged soundtracks were released from late 2001–2004. Despite the first being released slightly before Suikoden III and the last at around the same time as Suikoden IV, the music was always taken from music in Suikoden, Suikoden II, Suikoden III, and (rarely) the Suikogaiden side-stories.
Genso Suikoden Music Collection Produced by Hiroyuki Nanba — a 10-track arrangement released on 29 December 2001. The production and arrangement were both done by Hiroyuki Namba, as the name indicates.
Genso Suikoden Vocal Collection ~La passione commuove la storia~ — a 10-track arrangement released on 3 July 2002. The first piece is an instrumental, but the other tracks all feature vocals. The arrangement was done by Kousuke Yamashita, Hiroshi Takagi, and Megumi Ohashi. Performers included Yuko Imai, Risa Oki, and Yoko Ueno.
Genso Suikoden Piano Collection ~Avertunerio Antes Lance Mao~ — a 13-track arrangement released on 18 December 2002, arranged by Shusei Murai. Despite the name, these are not piano solos; most include orchestral backup, and some have vocals as well.
Genso Suikoden Piano Collection 2 — a 12 track arrangement released on 21 January 2004, arranged by Shusei Murai.
Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection III — a 13 track arrangement released on 14 April 2004, arranged by Yuji Yoshino.
Publications, adaptations, and other material[edit]
Many publications, such as the Suikoden World Guide and Suikoden Encyclopedia, exist for the Suikoden series, though the majority are only in Japanese. Suikoden and Suikoden II have light novel adaptations written by Shinjiro Hori released only in Japan. Suikoden III was adapted into a manga by Aki Shimizu, which was released in English markets by Tokyopop.
Sin City is a series of neo-noircomics by American comic book writer-artist Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special (April 1991), and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several other stories of variable lengths have followed. The intertwining stories, with frequently recurring characters, take place in Basin City.
In a 2016 interview with the Kubert School, Miller explained his inspiration for Sin City thus:
I've been a fanatic for a long time for old crime movies and old crime novels. But it started with the movies. And the old Cagney movies. Bogart and all that. I loved just how the morals of the stories are. They're all about right and wrong. But in Sin City in particular I wanted them all to happen to in a world where virtuous behavior was rare, which greatly resembled the world I lived in. It's kinda like the old Rolling Stones song, where every cop's a criminal, and all the sinners are saints, where the lowlifes would often be heroic, and the most stridently beautiful and sweet women would be prostitutes. I wanted it to be a world out of balance, where virtue is defined by individuals in difficult situations, not by an overwhelming sense of goodness that was somehow governed by this godlike Comics Code.[2]
The film noir influence on the series' artwork[1][3][4][5] is seen in its use of shadow and stark backgrounds. Black and white are the sole colors most of the time, with exception of red, yellow, blue, and pink, of which limited use is made in some stories to draw attention to particular characters.[1][6]
Miller's Sin City work challenges some conventions of comic book form. The letters of onomatopoeic words like "blam" are often incorporated into scenes via lighting effects, or are suggested by the negative space between panels, or are created by the outline of the panels themselves. This is especially evident in early "yarns," such as The Hard Goodbye, which were more experimental.[9]
On April 28, 2022, it was officially announced that Miller was launching the comic book publishing company Frank Miller Presents (FMP), with one of his initial contributions being a Western tale set in Sin City's past, titled Sin City 1858.[10]
An example of Frank Miller's use of high contrasts in Sin City
Basin City, almost universally referred to by the nickname "Sin City", is a fictional town in the Western United States. The climate is hot and arid, although Sacred Oaks[clarification needed] is characterized as being heavily wooded. A major river runs through the city, which has an extensive waterfront. Usually twice a year, a major downpour comes, and the city is prone to heavy snowfall in the winter. Desert lizards and palm trees are common, while tar pits, desert areas, mountain ranges and flat farmland make up the landscape around the city.[citation needed]
The Basin City Police Department are more or less along the lines of paramilitary or SWAT, as they have to deal with incredibly high crime rates among criminals and civilians alike, which is why they have access to what most would consider "heavy weaponry" and full body armor. Those who make up the force have been described as commonly being lazy, cowardly and/or corrupt. Only a handful of the cops are honest, though frequently the wealthy of the city bribe the corrupt members of the police into performing their duty (usually as a result of some crime being committed or threatened against a member of their family).[citation needed]
During the California Gold Rush, the Roark family "imported" a large number of attractive women to keep the miners happy, making a fortune and turning a struggling mining camp into a thriving, bustling city. Over the years, as the Roark family migrated into other areas of business and power, these women ended up forming the district of Old Town, the prostitute quarter of the city where they rule with absolute authority. In addition, the people charged with governing the city, most of them from the Roark line, remained in power for generations, running it as they saw fit.[citation needed]
As the various yarns progress, the audience gradually becomes familiar with key locations in and around Basin City:
The Projects, the run-down and poor side of Sin City, are a tangle of high-rise run-down and desolated apartments where crime runs rampant with no police inside. Its inhabitants have apparently evolved their own independent society with almost no legal contact with the outside world and SWAT teams rarely go in The Projects. Marv was born in the Projects, and currently resides there. Dwight avoids The Projects and hates the neighborhood.
The Docks, a collection of wharfs and warehouses that are local to the Projects, since The Docks overlook The Projects. Hartigan and Roark Junior have their first confrontation here in That Yellow Bastard, and Marv drives a stolen police car off one of the piers at the beginning of The Hard Goodbye.
Kadie's Club Pecos is a strip club and bar in Old Town, where Nancy Callahan and Shellie work, and where Dwight McCarthy and Marv spend their spare time. Despite being filled with drunk and violent men, Kadie's bar is one of the safest areas in Sin City since it is heavily guarded by prostitutes and their protectors. Marv, who possesses an extraordinarily high sense of chivalry, protects the female employees of Kadie's from any violence that makes its way inside.
Roark Family Farm (a.k.a. "The Farm") is located at North Cross and Lennox on the hills outside Basin City and shows up in several stories, including The Hard Goodbye, That Yellow Bastard, The Babe Wore Red and Hell and Back. It was also home to Kevin, a serial killer with ties to the Roark family. Marv burns down one of the buildings, and the Farm is abandoned sometime after the initial Sin City storyline. The Farm is the only location in the comic books that is outside Basin City.
Old Town is the red-light district, where the city's population of prostitutes reside. Old Town is run by Goldie and Wendy. Old Town is off limits to the police. Though willing to engage in almost any sexual act for the right price, the women of Old Town show no mercy to those who "break the rules," and back up their independence with lethal force. The mafia families and pimps who were into Old Town's business were thrown out of the neighborhood.
Sacred Oaks is the home to the rich and powerful of Sin City. This suburb is located on the outskirts of Basin City as a protection. A university is located in Sacred Oaks, and the entire area is patrolled by armed employees of its wealthy inhabitants, mostly SWAT teams.
Basin City Central Train Station, which has a direct connection to Phoenix. It is located in the outskirts near The Docks and it is considered one of safer places.
Mimi's, a small run-down motel on the far outskirts of Basin City, with only few rooms and a place where young couples make love. Nancy and Hartigan hid in Mimi's where she confessed her love to him. Junior also attacked Hartigan here and left him to die, although he saved himself.
The Santa Yolanda Tar Pits, an abandoned amusement park of sorts outside the city, where several tar pits are located and dinosaur bones were excavated at some time. After a "big-budget dinosaur movie" caused a sensation, the county put up concrete statues of dinosaurs there to draw crowds. However, after an old lady fell through a railing into one of the pits and had a heart attack, the place was shut down indefinitely. They are frequently used as a place to dump things that people don't want found; high-schoolers also tend to sneak in there a lot. This is where Delia tells Phil to drive in Wrong Turn and where Dwight takes the corpses of Jackie Boy and his friends in The Big Fat Kill. Frank Miller has admitted the main reason the Tar Pits exist is as an excuse to draw the dinosaur statues.
Because a large majority of the residents of Basin City are criminals, there are several organizations and cartels central to the stories who are vying for monopoly over the various criminal enterprises in the city. Listed below are crime syndicates, gangs and other low-lifes who figure heavily in the Sin City mythos.
The Basin City Police Department: So deep does corruption and criminality run in Basin City that even their police officers qualify as a gang of paid thugs, turning a blind eye to the affairs of those too poor to pay them off. Few among them are considered incorruptible; even the honest officers are unable (or unwilling) to curtail the criminal actions of the dishonest ones. Notable characters in the series who are police include Detective John Hartigan, his partner Bob, Lieutenants Jack Rafferty and Mort, Commissioner Liebowitz, and Officers Manson and Bundy from Hell and Back.
Roark family: A dynasty of corrupt landowners and politicians whose influence over Basin City has stretched as far back as the days of the Old West. Famous Roarks of this generation include a senator, a cardinal, an attorney general, and Roark Junior, 'That Yellow Bastard'.
The Girls of Old Town: Populating the region of Basin City known as Old Town is a group of women in the world's oldest profession, having made a truce with the cops to allow them to govern and police themselves. As of A Dame to Kill For, they were led by the twins, Goldie and Wendy.
Wallenquist Organization: A powerful crime syndicate led by Herr Wallenquist, a mysterious crime lord with a broad range of criminal enterprises to his name. Although they are one of the city's two "normal" criminal organizations, the Wallenquist management seems to be the most peaceful and forgiving of the various leaders. It is unknown which crime rings they hold.
Magliozzi Crime Family: The undisputed heads of the local Cosa Nostra, the Magliozzi family seems to be the purest example of "true" Mafia lifestyle. While they appear in only one story, it is hinted that the Mafia influence in Basin City's underworld is a lot larger than just their family and that there are more families.
Other groups that have been seen or mentioned in the comics include:
Tong gangsters: Mentioned, but not seen as of A Dame to Kill For. Miho's life was saved by Dwight when he secretly protected her during a fight with several Tong gangsters in a dark alleyway.
White slavers: Mentioned, but not seen as of A Dame to Kill For. Led by a man named Manuel, whose brothers were also involved. Were "taken care of" by Dwight prior to the events of A Dame to Kill For.
Irish mercenaries: Seen during The Big Fat Kill, most of them are evidently former IRA members, as implied by one of the mercenaries referring to his glee at blowing up a public house (British pubs were targeted by the IRA). All are killed by Dwight and Miho.
The stories have been collected into a number of trade paperbacks and hardcover editions. There is also a collection of art, The Art of Sin City.
In 2016, Dark Horse Comics released an ambitious, oversized edition titled Frank Miller’s Sin City The Hard Goodbye Curator’s Collection.[11] This 15 x 21 inch book reprints the entire first storyline, scanned and reproduced exactly from the original art at 1:1 size. When referencing the production process in an interview with Michael Dooley for Print Magazine, editor/designer John Lind gave the anecdote “When Frank and I first reviewed some of the scanned pages from Sin City, he pulled one aside and said, ‘You can see details in some of the scans where you can tell what the humidity was like when I was lettering because you can see the smudging from my hand.’ That type of reaction represents the level of detail I'm working hard to achieve with the production.[12]
The Hard Goodbye, A Dame to Kill For, The Big Fat Kill, That Yellow Bastard, Family Values, Booze, Broads and Bullets, Hell and Back, and The Art of Sin City
Frank Miller's Sin City Vol.1: The Hard Goodbye Curator's Edition
The Hard Goodbye scanned from the original artwork in Frank Miller's archives and reproduced at full size. Introduction by Robert Rodriguez, with an afterword by Mike Richardson and an interview about the artistic process with Frank Miller.
Dimension Films planned to develop a soft reboot of the series for television; Stephen L’Heureux who produced the second film was to oversee the series with Sin City creator Frank Miller.[13] The new TV series would feature new characters and timelines and be more like the comics rather than the films.[14] On November 15, 2019, Legendary Pictures bought the rights for the television series.[15]
