Zhuzhen Li

"Hahaha... You want to know who I am? I am the true ruler of the nine heavens. The absolute sage...Master Zhuzhen."

- Zhuzhen's introduction: Shadow Hearts

Zhuzhen Li is hero of the video-game Shadow Hearts. He is a Taoist adept that wanders China selling her services as an exorcist to any villages willing to pay to have demons and ghosts warded off or laid-to-rest. He is the most adept magical playable character in the game and functions primarily as the quintessential black-mage.

Background
Zhuzhen received his training as an adept with his brother Dehuai under the tutelage of the great sage Master Xifa. Dehuai became corrupt with power though and aimed to use what he had learned to drive of the Japanese forces seizing his country. Zhuzhen considered Dehuai his responsibility and when he was finished with his training under Master Xifa set out to stop his brother from hurting anyone with his powers. Zhuzhen would eventually meet a man named Jinpachiro “Ben” Hyuga. Ben was a harmonixer, a being with the power to turn into a demonic form and absorb the souls of other demons into it. Ben was working for the Japanese Military and clearing out a sage who was putting up heavy resistance to the occupying Imperial forces in Shanghai, Dehuai. During his expedition Ben found Zhuzhen being attacked by Dehuai's main enforcer, a gangster named Wugui. After Ben fought off Wugui Zhuzhen had joined him in his quest and along with Ben's friend Zhen, a summoner, the three went on to defeat Dehuai.

When confronted, Dehuai revealed he was using what he called the Demons Gate Invocation, which would summon a Arch-Demon that would be under his command and use it to destroy the Japanese and rule China as it's new mystical overlord. Zhuzhen saw how far gone his brother was and did not hold back. Ben went to stop the ritual and tore Dehaui in half to get to the ceremony.

Shadow Hearts
Zhuzhen first meets the heroes Yuri and Alice in the small Chinese villaige of Zhaoyang along with his traveling companion Meiyuan the wanderer. All four had been allowed to enter but could not leave as the door had been sealed with a ward that kept the village locked off as long as the idol of the villiagers was in place. Zhuzhen said he had been hired by neighboring village elders to investigate strange happenings at Zhaoyang. Once the travelers tried to leave the true nature of the village had become apparent and the peaceful visage that had previously been seen was revealed to be just an illusion. In truth the village was filled with bones and blood of the villagers and the so-called villagers previously seen were revealed to be man-eating ghouls and animal demons that had eaten original occupants. Zhuzhen prepared ritual to reveal the true guardian of the village and with the help of Yuri and Alice was able to beat the creature, Yamaraja - Earth. Zhuzhen, recognized the creature though and was troubled because it was a Taoist totem that only a adept with his training could have bound and suspected Dehuai though he did not know how he could have survived his last encounter with him fifteen years prior.

He told Yuri and Alice his concerns about Dehuai and that he was mad sage he had fought many years ago, though not the greater details of what Dehuai had done or that the two were brothers. Zhuzen seemed concerned but swept his troubles aside for later content for the moment that the village was safe and asked the two what business had brought the to the village in the first place. Alice said her name was Alice Elliot and she had been attacked by a man named "Roger Bacon". When Zhuzhen heard the name "Roger Bacon" instantly recognized it, Bacon was British a warlock of the 12th century and a famous mystic. Alice also said Bacon had killed her father and that he thought it might have something to do with her holy powers, it only lead Zhuzhen to further wonder if  the attack had had anything to do with his brother. After Alice Yuri more formally introduced himself as Yuri Hyuga and said he was a harmonixer. He said he had been the one to save Alice from Bacon and was protecting her until they could get her somewhere safe. Upon hearing Yuri's full name and that he was a harmonixer Zhuzhen became completely flabbergasted. Though Zhuzen did not comment on knowing Yuri's father he simply looked inexplicably anxious at the news. Zhuzhen did however state that nowhere in China would be safe for Alice if Dehuai was indeed behind Bacon's attack and that it was likely Yuri too was in the old sage's gaze. He warned the two to be careful and parted ways with them at the villages gates.

Zhuzhen meets Yuri and Alice again in the small fishing town of Dalian. The two had crashed there while making an escape from the Japanese military by airplane. Zhuzhen had been there to exorcise a ghost by the name of Li Li and was pleased to see the two again. After re-encountering them he feels the universe is trying to push him together with them and that he was meant to accompany them and so he formally joins the party. Zhuzhen joins the party on their adventures across China and later to Europe. Zhuzhen would eventually reveal to Yuri his past with his father, and that he had been the one to kill Ben. Ben had not defeated Dehuai in time to stop the ritual and stopped the arch-demon summoned by fusing it into his body, though the beast was delayed Ben could feel it was possessing him from within and asked Zhuzhen to kill him to stop the demon from clawing it's way back into the world. Zhuzhen admits he was only partially helping Yuri to stop Dehuai and also felt helping Yuri would honor Ben Hyuga's memory.

Personality:
Zhuzhen is wise and insightful if a little over-excitable and kooky. He makes a few comments about how handsome Yuri's father was and how Yuri seems to have inherited his good looks; This implies Zhuzhen is bisexual but the subject is never explored at any major depth. Despite his regrets over killing Ben Hyuga he does not feel overwhelming sorrow or shame and simply views it as what had to be done. He says he would understand if Yuri wanted to kill him and was prepared to face death with quiet repose, however upon hearing the truth of what happened to his father Yuri just shrugs it off, saying as a Harmonixer the threat of demonic possession is a serious job-hazard and that he hoped if the same ever happened to him Zhuzhen would be willing to kill him as well. During the second-half of the game Yuri does become possessed by his inner demons, upon seeing him in the state Zhuzhen's previously calm demeanor is shattered and he breaks down in despair seeing Yuri succumb to the fate. Alice uses her powers to bring Yuri back from the edge of soullessness and restores Yuri. Once Yuri is back to normal Zhuzhen cries uncontrollably while at the same time cursing Yuri out for being an idiot.

Powers and Abilities:
Zhuzhen's elemental type is fire and most of his moves are fired based, however in addition to his pyrotechnic  abilities Zhuzhen can make healing potions, summon the undead and summon storms. Zhuzhen has the highest Mana Points in the party and a very high and balanced Intelligence and Power stats allowing him to not only resist magic, but cast it with potency and frequently without needing to worry about depleting his mystical energies. He knows many warding and exorcising rituals as a trained adept. Zhuzhen is credited with being the most mystically adept playable character in the game and one of Yuri's most knowledgeable allies. Zhuzhen's effcientcy as a mage make's him not only Shadow Hearts 'superior mage character but puts him slightly above even Shadow Hearts: Covenant's top magic casters like Gepetto, Lucia and Anastasia.