Suzaku Castle

...Does anyone know what that means??

I have been a Dead or Alive player for a long time. My first experience with the series was Dead or Alive 2, on my best friend’s Sega Dreamcast. The game was unbelievably stunning and I was enamored with how it looked and played. I’ve been a fan ever since. Over the years, I’ve learned about all the characters; how they lived and how they fought. Out of all of them, however, Kasumi remains my favorite.

While her beauty is a big part of that, what keeps my interest in her is her demeanor and her strength. Kasumi is a nukenin, a rogue ninja. She ranaway from her family and clan in order to avenge the wrongs brought to her family. A rash decision, but one done out of love. As a rouge ninja of the Mugen Tenshin ninja clan, she has been branded a traitor by her own people, forbidden to ever return home, lest she face her own execution. Day after day, she must live on the run from her fellow ninja - people she considered family – all because she thought she was doing the right thing. She knew the hell she was bringing upon herself, but she made her choice anyway, reckless as it was.

With each tournament, new trials and tribulations present themselves. Other fighters seek to defeat her for their own goals, others have made multiple attempts on her life and the lives of those she cares for. And she has probably had to contend with the occasional unwanted suitor here and there. Not everyone can endure what she has been through and still have the strength to fight on. Kasumi, however, is not just anyone, though. She is a Shinobi. Thus, endurance is part of the job, no matter what happens.

The life Kasumi has led so far in the Dead or Alive series has not been an easy one by any means. She has been wounded, kidnapped, experimented on, cloned, hunted for death, unfairly shunned and hated by family members, mocked, fallen ill and defeated in battle numerous times. In spite of all the heartache, pain and tragedy she has suffered, however, she remains a kunoichi: a force of deception, seduction and power to be reckoned with. But, unlike her little sister, Ayane, she has not allowed her circumstances to harden her.

By default, Kasumi’s personality and demeanor is that of a sweet, kind-hearted young Japanese woman. She is friendly, optimistic and willing to make friends and allies whenever and wherever she can. Despite the power and deadly skills her ninja training has given her, she is often reluctant to fight battles she has not already started, as she would prefer peaceful solutions to problems, if available.

Although she does not like violence or hurting others, one must not mistake that for childish naïveté. If she must cause merciless bloodshed to accomplish her missions and goals, she will. She is a ninja, after all, and understands that the life of a ninja is a bloody one most of the time. This juxtaposition of feelings and actions can make her thought process unclear at times.

It should also be noted that she, like all good characters, has her flaws. Ninja are usually required to think and act with their heads rather than their hearts. Kasumi doesn’t usually fit this mold, as she’s made multiple rash decisions that have made her life that much more difficult for her. Gameplaywise, she’s not the strongest character in the cast, and can be beaten by anyone who is able to read her movements. And, she’s rather stubborn, preferring to do everything on her own, even if accepting the assistance of others would make things easier. It can certainly be argued that if Kasumi were a little more level headed, she might not be in the situation she’s in now. That being said, however, these drawbacks add to her character, making her more human, so to speak.

As the main heroine and poster child of the Dead or Alive franchise, Kasumi is featured prominently and often. The series creator, Tomonobu Itagaki, has named her as his favorite character of all his “daughters”, and she’s wildly popular. Many of her detractors, however, state that story-wise, she has done very little compared to her Shinobi brethren and the forces of DOATEC. To them, her spotlight and title as the “Kunoichi of Destiny” is undeserved, and would better suit harder, darker characters, like Ayane, who has been given stellar tenure in the rebooted Ninja Gaiden series.

Though I understand their claims, I respectfully disagree.

To me, Kasumi is a woman of strength, someone who is able to make it through whatever life throws at her and still have hope for the future. No matter what, she keeps moving forward with the goal of attaining peace, defeating her enemies and, one day, finally returning home to her family. Lofty goals, to be sure, all things considered, but ones to strive towards. She’s a pure, gorgeous girl with a kind soul and a strong will, and one that has captured my heart. Seeing her victorious makes me smile and cheer. Witnessing her struggle or in pain is devastating to watch. And fighting with her fills me with confidence, warmth and hope, which is always a benefit.

For all these reasons, Kasumi is and will always be my favorite Dead or Alive character. She is my princess, and the reason I am a DOA fan.

One of which is among the CHEAPEST bosses in fighting game history.

Yeah, I’d want Victor Donovan dead, too.