Arthur (Soul Calibur)

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Arthur

Game series	Soul series
First game	Soul Calibur
Voice actor(s)	Masaya Takatsuka
In-Universe Information
Age	32
Birthplace	Southampton, England (British Empire at the time)
Birthdate	June 8, 1559
Blood type	AB
Weapon	Katana
Weapon name	Gassan
Fighting style	Tsujikiri-Ittou-Ryu
Family	Relatives, whereabouts unknown Wife, deceased Infant Daughter.

Arthur (アーサー, Āsā^?) is a fictional character in Namco's Soul Series of fighting games. His first appearance is in the first Soul Calibur where he replaces Mitsurugi in countries that discouraged samurai imagery and references. In his first appearance, he looks exactly like Mitsurugi except with blonde hair and an eyepatch, and his weapon, movelist and ending are identical to Mitsurugi's. Arthur is featured as a Bonus Character in Soul Calibur III where he is given unique facial characteristics and a weapon of his own. In this game, he represents the "Katana" Create-a-Fighter discipline.

1 Biography
2 Weapon
3 Stages
4 Trivia
5 Series Appearances
6 External Links

[edit] Biography

Details on Arthur's childhood are unclear, but it is stated that he did not know who his siblings were. It can be assumed that he was an orphan. He apparently lived as a beggar in the harbor town of Southampton until the age of eight when, at the suggestion of a sailor whom he befriended, he decided to become a sailor himself. For two years he served as a mascot of sorts for the ship until they arrived in Japan where he was adopted by a wealthy merchant who regarded him as little more than a curiosity from the West.

Under the tutelage of his new stepfather, Arthur was taught Japanese and proper etiquette. Still, he was disliked and criticized by many, and his stepfather eventually gave him up to a noble under the excuse that it was to teach him manners. He eventually ended up serving as a warrior for the noble, and because he presented an obvious target, he learned to fight effectively in order to survive. It is also during one of the many battles he fought that he lost his eye.

Eventually Arthur would find a lover and have a child, but despite his new family he continued fighting. Frustrated that most people around him saw him only as a curiosity and not as a man, Arthur set his sights on the legendary Soul Edge in order to prove himself and his family in their eyes. Thus he set out on his first quest for the legendary sword.

During his search for Soul Edge, Arthur was unable to find the sword itself and was only able to retrieve a single one of its shards. Still, he was satisfied with his accomplishments and finally returned to marry his lover. He gave the fragment of Soul Edge to his new wife who kept it with her always and returned to fighting in order to support his family.

One day, after returning from a battle, he found his wife ill from a mysterious ailment. He sought help from a physician but was ultimately unable to save her from death. Grieving over the loss of his wife, a man approached him about his wife's illness. In a fit of rage, Arthur drove the man away but not before he heard him suggest that the ailment was caused by the Soul Edge shard.

Feeling responsible for his wife's death, Arthur soon decided on what he must do. He would destroy Soul Edge so that it could no longer cause such tragedy as had befallen him. With his daughter in tow he set out once again, his quest for Soul Edge renewed.

[edit] Weapon

-- Gassan

Arthur wields a katana named Gassan that has a thicker blade than is normal for katanas and lacks a scabbard. There is no information provided about it, but according to its description in Soul Calibur II, it is a sword forged by a Japanese sword smith named Gassan, who is rumored to be an oni demon. It is said that the Gassan has both spiritual and demonic powers, and that it chooses who is worthy to wield it, turning against those it deems unworthy of using it. Surprisingly, the Gassan has no special effects whatsoever.

[edit] Stages

Arthur does not have a stage of his own, though he can be found on Tales of Souls in the following stages as a "Prepare to Defend Yourself" challenge: Lotus Garden, Mount Fuji - Lava Bed, Jurakudai Villa and Battle in the Strait.

[edit] Trivia

In Soul Calibur, Arthur was originally a palette swap of Mitsurugi for use in countries that did not approve of samurai references.
Arthur's appearance seems to have been modelled after Paul Phoenix, another Namco character who appears in the Tekken fighting games. The Samurai movelist which Arthur uses also contains a number of moves borrowed from Paul Phoenix.
Arthur's armor is identical to Mitsurugi's primary costume in Soul Calibur II save for some color differences, a missing shoulder pad and different characters written on one of the lower plates. Gassan is also one of Mitsurugi's alternate weapons in Soul Calibur II where its scabbard can be seen.
Arthur and his weapon are possible references to the legendary King Arthur. For example, Gassan, like the Sword in the Stone, is apparently able to decide who wields it. Additionally, Arthur seems to have lost Gassan's scabbard, possibly in reference to how King Arthur lost the scabbard of Excalibur, which was said to protect its bearer from any harm.
Arthur's Destined Battle in Soul Calibur is Taki and in Soul Calibur III (during Quick Play) is Mitsurugi.
Arthur's weapon, the Katana, is available to characters created under the Samurai class.