Yoshimitsu (吉光) is a supporting character in the Soul series of fighting games, making an appearance in Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, Soulcalibur III, Soulcalibur IV, and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. This version is Yoshimitsu I, and is sometimes referred to as Yoshi. In Soulcalibur V, the original Yoshimitsu passed the mantle to a new ninja to follow his legacy as the new leader of the Manji clan, therefore titled Yoshimitsu II.
What lies in his soul is Vengeance.
Biography[]
Soulcalibur[]
Oda Nobunaga, the daimyo of Owari, sought the power of the Manji clan and invited its chief to Azuichi castle. Due to his advanced age, the clan's chief sent the strongest warrior, Yoshimitsu, of the clan on his behalf. As expected, Nobunaga requested the allegiance of the Manji clan, but the Manji clan preferred to remain hidden. After a few days' stay at the castle, the fighter politely denied Nobunaga's request and returned to his village.
Upon his return, Yoshimitsu found his beloved village in ruins. Nobunaga had prepared an army in anticipation of the clan's refusal to serve him. Yoshimitsu attempted a battle against Nobunaga, but he was no match for the army or Nobunaga and lost his arm, which he replaced with a wooden prosthetic. Yoshimitsu set out across the sea in search of the "Ultimate Weapon", Soul Edge, so that he could take his revenge against Lord Nobunaga.
But during his journey, he came across many horrible scenes left behind by the Azure Knight, Nightmare. In his meditation, he concluded that if he were to give in to his hatred, he would be no better than either Oda Nobunaga or Nightmare. But even with that realization in his mind, he continued to pursue the Soul Edge nevertheless. When Yoshimitsu finally reached Ostrheinsburg Castle, it was devoid of any signs of life.
Soulcalibur II[]
Upon leaving the castle, he sensed that the evil energy there had somehow transferred a similar energy into his katana. So he left on a journey to rid his blade of the corrupted energy. Unfortunately, he became careless one day and passed out, worn from trying to quell the corruption; during his sleep, the katana had been stolen by a thief--Voldo, who had mistaken it for Soul Edge.
Yoshimitsu did not want the evil energy to fall into the wrong hands, so he set out to retrieve it. He infiltrated the legendary Money Pit of "the Merchant of Death", Vercci, and, completely by chance, found his katana alongside a fragment of Soul Edge, both emanating similar evil energies. Yoshimitsu decided that if there was another object in the world with the same evil as his katana, which he had now named "Yoshimitsu", it mustn't be allowed to exist. And so he embarked on yet another journey, set on destroying the cursed Soul Edge.
Yoshimitsu eventually discovered that the fragments were spread around the earth, and that he alone could never destroy them all while also helping those in need. So he returned to Japan and recruited ruffians from around the land, soon forming a band of chivalrous thieves, known as the Manjitou. Thanks to his skill and ability, Yoshimitsu soon became head of the clan.
Soulcalibur III[]
One day, Yoshimitsu devised a plan for a grand robbery: the entire group would infiltrate a wealthy usurer's mansion during the annual festival and take everything he owned, which included a fragment of Soul Edge. Unfortunately, the plan failed and a vanguard force was wiped out in front of the treasure room. The remaining clan members eventually freed their captured comrades, but they gave a strange report to Yoshimitsu: the fragment of Soul Edge in the mansion's treasure room was gone, which was puzzling, considering that the vanguard force that Yoshimitsu sent supposedly never made it inside. Also, the body of the leader of the vanguard force had never been found.
Some members of the clan thought that betrayal was the only explanation, but Yoshimitsu wouldn't believe that. The man, his second-in-command, was good on both his combat skill and humanity and he had great expectations of him. Also, the wounds on his men were not dealt with a normal blade. He spoke to his men and instructed them to find the fragment, stating that they would also find the man. He would accompany them in the hunt in order to find the truth.
After a long journey, he found the man who told them that Tira, a servant of Soul Edge, had ambushed them and taken the fragment of Soul Edge.
Soulcalibur IV[]
Yoshimitsu managed to save the life of his officer, but then saw Tira with a flock of black ravens and wondered where she would be heading.
While taking care of the wounded officer, Yoshimitsu called the rest of the clan, telling them that they would attack Ostrheinsburg, destroy the evil, and go for Soul Edge. The Manjitou's greatest scheme was about to happen.
One year before the events of Soulcalibur V, Yoshimitsu heard rumors about Cervantes being back from the dead and traveled West to confront him, but he was getting old and was mortally wounded. In order to prevent his possessed blade from spiraling out of control, Yoshimitsu was forced to pass on his name to a successor. The person chosen was a young Manji ninjutsu user, who had grown up in the Fûma village. This young man became the new Yoshimitsu by slaying the original Yoshimitsu and claiming the sword as it's new wielder, though he lost his right arm in the process.
Soulcalibur V[]
Planted firmly in the earth before the warrior stood a katana; purple flames rippled and danced about it.
The sword had a name: Yoshimitsu. It was a demonic blade, steeped in the evil of Soul Edge and ever thirsty for blood.
The sword's last owner, too, had been called Yoshimitsu—by bestowing his own name upon the blade, he had sealed its evil power. But he had been cut down just moments earlier by his dearest disciple, a young warrior well-versed in the arts of Manji Ninjitsu. The disciple made a vow: He would see through the mission Yoshimitsu had begun.
Soulcalibur VI[]
In Japan’s Warring States period, the ninja Manji Clan’s name stood out, despite—or because of—their impartiality. However, in times of such violence, it was dangerous not to pick a side, and the Manji Can would suffer for their stance… One lord wished to recruit the clan, but when they refused, he torched their village to the ground, killing all but one: their most skilled warrior, Yoshimitsu. All alone, he honed his ninja skills, and slowly fought back against the lord, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered. During his desperate fight, the ninja’s desire for revenge grew stronger and stronger, until he felt the need to obtain a weapon without equal, Soul Edge.
When Yoshimitsu left Japan for the first time, he realized just how big the world was. Every step he took further away from home, the more confused he began to feel. When he saw the devastating effects Nightmare’s cruel reign of terror had brought to the land, the ninja could not help but be reminded of the tragedy that befell his village. Deeply confused, he arrived at Ostrheinsburg only to cross paths with a female warrior. In response to his deteriorating mental state, Yoshimitsu’s sword transformed. The blade had always belonged to the Manji Clan, but its wielder’s desire for revenge, together with the evil pervading in the air of Ostrheinsburg, had warped it. Only by bestowing on in it his own name was Yoshimitsu able to break free from the sword. Thinking back on everything he had done, he decided to give up his desire for revenge, and instead chose the path of righteousness. This would lead him to create a band of chivalrous thieves known as the Manjitou.
Abilities[]
Member of the secretive Manji clan from the base of Mt. Fuji. One legend says that they guarded "something dangerous" that they prevented from reaching the outside world. But the clan fell into a trap and were all destroyed. Only one survived.
The final inheritor of Manji Ninjutsu, Yoshimitsu roamed the world, a prisoner of throughts of revenge, but he finally realized that his ambition would only lead to further revenge.
He formed a group of friendly thieves called the "Manjitou" and used his ninjutsu skill to help the weak.
His movement is extremely mysterious, phantasmagoric fencing skill.
Gallery[]
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