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One of the best and longest-running video game franchises, Soulcalibur continues to show players what it means to strive toward a goal—and their destiny—through the means of using unique weaponry. No two characters have the same weapon or moveset, so I always experience new ways to combat enemies. With the overall plot taking place in the 1500s, without the use of gunfire and machinery, players fight melee with close-quarter weapons. Overall, the franchise introduces many enjoyable and durable qualities like customizable characters, upgrading weapons, maneuvering your small army, and taking down kings and queens with playable characters like no other. The franchise is currently in its sixth release. The game itself is incredible, and it seemed only appropriate to rank the top 10 best Soulcalibur fighters/characters.

10. Seong Mi-na

To me, Mi-na is the female counterpart to Kilik with skills in long-ranged attacks, keeping enemies at arm’s length. Depending on which title you play in the franchise, this fighter can maneuver quick, devastating blows by swinging her halberd-like weapon—basically Kilik’s weapon but with a blade at the end. She’s determined, willful, and fights alongside love interest and friend Yun-seong, a man armed with a machete-like Chinese sword.

9. Chai Xianghua

Best friend of Kilik and a skilled swordswoman, Xianghua is one of the most graceful and kind-hearted characters of the Soulcalibur franchise. Armed with a traditional Chinese sword, the young woman is capable of doing serious damage to her opponents.

8. Ivy Valentine

A sophisticated scientist from London, Ivy Valentine remains one of the most classic characters from the franchise. She created her snake sword, which is capable of annihilating opponents with ease if one knows the right combos. Her father, the ghost pirate Cervantes de León, remains her primary opponent throughout the franchise as they battle with opposing views on Soul Edge.

7. Grøh

Nicknamed “The Agent in Black,” this Norwegian soldier first appeared in the latest Soulcalibur installment, Soulcalibur VI. He’s a member of the Aval Organization, an ancient group with the mission to rid the world of what they call “Outsiders,” or those connected to Soul Edge. After failing to defeat Soul Edge’s wielder Nightmare, Grøh maintains a rocky relationship with the Aval Organization, hoping to redeem himself. He fights with a double saber, which can be used as two separate swords if needed.

6. Maxi

Armed with a nunchaku, Maxi’s fast flips, kicks, and strikes are a homage to the late Bruce Lee. He befriends Kilik and Xianghua along their journey to destroy Soul Edge. Unlike other characters in the franchise, the fighter comments on his attire and good looks often when victorious against opponents, providing some comedy after destroying them.

5. Setsuka

This kimono-wearing assassin first appeared in Soulcaliber III, seeking revenge against swordsman Heishiro Mitsurugi. Setsuka is believed to be of European descent—specifically Portugal or England—but was raised in Japan. Concealed in the handle is her blade, which she seeks to use after her master, Shugen Kokonoe, is killed by Mitsurugi. Setsuka always sports her heeled geta shoes, which makes one wonder how she dives, slices, and performs devastating blows on opponents. She’s considered one of the fastest fighters in the franchise and sports brunette hair only in Soulcalibur III; in all other titles, she has blonde hair.

4. Taki

Sporting her demon protective armor and twin blades, Mekki-Maru and Rekki-Maru, Taki was one of the few mainstay female fighters of the series and a force to be reckoned with. She’s referred to as the “Shadow Huntress of Demons,” often referencing the evil energy and overbearing weight Soul Edge has on the world. Always seeking to destroy the evil sword, Taki uses quick strikes and kicking attacks, often leaving her opponents efficiently dealt with.

3. Heishiro Mitsurugi

Tradition sets apart this swordsman from all other fighters in the franchise as he battles his opponents on honorable terms. He’s continually seeking the strongest of the strong—never satisfied with being average in skill. Although he seems hard-headed at times, he shows mercy and believes strength comes not from one’s weapon, but their heart. Mitsurugi is also one of the few characters not seeking either Soul Calibur or Soul Edge, but experience handling a blade.

2. Siegfried Schtauffen

Considered the central protagonist of the franchise and sporting a large, flattened blade, the German-born soldier seeks to destroy Soul Edge. This is after being cursed by the sword with an evil seed in his body taking the form of his alter ego, Nightmare. Throughout the series, Schtauffen talks about honor and seeking the light of the world after accidentally killing his father in battle. Although he’s slow and methodical in his stance and fighting style, he’s one of the strongest characters, capable of defeating the giant Astaroth, an ax-wielding maniac created by the God Ares.

1. Kilik

A peaceful young man, Kilik was trained by an older gentleman, who is known only as Edge Master, after he set fire to Kilik’s temple following a brutal massacre. Trained in the Ling-Sheng Su martial arts and armed with a rod called Kali-Yuga, Kilik, alongside his friend/love-interest Xianghua, seek to destroy Soul Edge, after he was possessed by its evil energy to kill many of his temple friends. After his sister Xianglian saves him by putting a mirror-like necklace known as the Dvapara-Yuga around his neck, she becomes possessed, forcing Kilik to murder her. His fighting style allows ring outs—or when characters can easily be knocked off stage with ease—and keeps enemies at bay, so long as he keeps swinging the Kali-Yuga. 

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Sources: Masterpiece’s of Japanese Culture, Soulcalibur Fandom, Steam, YouTube, Writeups

Images: DeviantArt, Gamereactor, Reddit, Shoryuken, VG247, Wccftech, YouTube

Featured Image: Taylor Sheridan

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