Charade (Soul Calibur)

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Charade

Game series	Soul series
First game	Soul Calibur II
In-Universe Information
Age	Recently created
Blood type	None (Soul Edge fragments)
Weapon	Imitative Power
Weapon name	Charade
Fighting style	Mind Scan
Family	Male Soul Edge, weakened Female Soul Edge, shattered Likewise fragments, scattered

Charade (シャレード　Shiyarēdo) is a fictional character designed for the Soul Series of fighting games. Charade made its first appearance in Soul Calibur II, and also appears as an unplayable opponent in Soul Calibur III.

1 Biography
2 Mechanics
3 Stages
4 Trivia
5 Series' Appearances
6 External links

[edit] Biography

An unknown man weary from war-torn lands and dreaming of adventure spent all the money in his possession to purchase every last piece of metal from a traveling merchant, who was selling them as amulets against evil. That night, as he gazed on the metal fragments, he recalled a story passed on by a roaming swordsman: the story of Soul Edge, an ultimate weapon to surpass all others. The drunkards in the tavern did not believe the swordsman's tale, but this man did, because he sensed something in the eyes of the swordsman; and when he followed the warrior in hopes of getting more information about Soul Edge out of him, he talked to him about the weapon for hours on end. But as it turned out, the swordsman knew very little, and the two parted ways. The tale could have been a hoax, but it was enough to arouse curiosity and set this man off on his singular pursuit of Soul Edge, enticing the locals to dismiss him as eccentric. But now that he had what he believed with conviction to be shards of the true Soul Edge, he was satisfied, even if it cost him all that he had. Fatefully, however, he was murdered shortly thereafter by bandits who had heard a rumour circulating in the cities of a man overly-protective of his possessions--something extremely valuable. But the fragments he had were of no use to the bandits and they threw his corpse into the ravine. The man's tenacity to protect his precious fragments never wavered in his final moments, and the hand of the abandoned corpse still held the pieces in its grasp. Several months passed, and no one bore witness to the fact that the pieces had disappeared over time. They were definitely gone, leaving behind several incomplete corpses in the ravine and trails left beside the corpses, as if something had crawled about them. In time, rain would fall and erase the trails. The life form walked under its own will, almost out of instinct. It was a voiceless being formed by blood absorbed from the dead man's hand, wandering in search of similar shards to become whole again and growing as it devoured fragments with a similar aura. The metal pieces that the man had possessed were, without a doubt, genuine shards of the Soul Edge, desperate to re-form on its own; and it could respond by reading the innermost thoughts of all it meets.

[edit] Mechanics

Choosing Charade in Soul Calibur II is very similar to choosing the "Random" option. Choosing "Random" involves a randomly-selected character for each match. The difference lies in the fact that Charade is able to scan the minds of warriors it confronts, and then creates weapons out of its body to accommodate the fighting styles it imitates. In other words, not only does Charade involve a special character model, but at the beginning of each round within a match, Charade inherits the fighting style, attacks, and weapons of a character randomly chosen to mimic. However, unlike his predecessors, Edge Master and Inferno, Charade gains no attack increase for mimicking any character.

[edit] Stages

Egyptian Ruins (SC2)

This is an old, little-known underground ruin. But someone has ripped open the seal to the entrance, and we can now view the interior that only a few mortals have seen. The drawings on the wall record the events surrounding Soul Edge. The wall depicts the story of the events surrounding the evil sword's existence in Egypt many millennia ago. Who opened the seal and intruded upon this place, and what was his purpose? Everything is a mystery, save for one fact - this incident has to do with the demonic sword, Soul Edge.

[edit] Trivia

Charade can use any weapon from every character in the game (except the Guest Characters, Necrid, Assassin, Berserker and Lizardmen). If it is used in a mode where extra weapons are allowed, it randomly choses any of the already unlocked weapons.
"Eyewitness accounts have confirmed two forms of the creature, but there is no evidence to prove that there is more than one creature roaming the world". This is stated in Charade's profile in the Soul Archive website. This is generally interpreted as referring to Charade's alternate "costume" which features a different body structure.
Charade appears in the game Namco x Capcom as an unplayable opponent and villain.
In Soul Calibur III Charade appears as a "Prepare to Defend Yourself" challenge in the Valentine Mansion, Ivy's stage. The battle itself is a three-round survival, where the player first battles Charade using the Wave Sword discipline, then only its legs using the Grieve Edge discipline and at last its eye, whose movements are based on Cassandra's movelist, though the weapon isn't visible. Each form is capable of firing a laser from its eye. When Charade is reduced to just the pink eye that is his core, his only move is firing a vertical laster or a horizontal laser. If the player successfully dodges these laser attacks in any form and attacks charade while he is still firing it, Charade takes massave damage--almost a third of his health. Strangely, even when Charade is reduced to his eye form so that he has no arms or legs, he still retains the ability to guard.
In its Soul Calibur III incarnation, Charade lost the red/blue flames that emerged from its body. It can also emit growls for both attacks and pain, despite it doesn't produce sound in his Soul Calibur II incarnation.
Charade's Destined Battle in Soul Calibur II is Cassandra.