Taki (タキ, also written as 多喜) is a ninja and hero in the Soul series of fighting games. She is a mainstay of the series appearing in nearly all of the installments.
Physical Appearance
Ever since her debut in Soul Edge, she has always been easily recognized by her skin-tight bodysuits, tied up hairstyles, and demon protecting armor. Though she has always supported colored tights as a base for her outfits, her armor and hair accessories have been consistently upgraded throughout the entire series.
In the first installment, Taki is wearing a "Japanese demon mask" as well as only being equipped with one sword, Rekki-Maru, as opposed to her carrying both Rekki-Maru and the legendary ninjatō, Mekki-Maru, which she obtained in later games. In Soulcalibur, she looks roughly the same as she did in the previous game though this time her metal face mask was replaced with a thin, crimson red, mouth covering. It was also the only game that Taki's primary outfit revealed her cleavage.
Soulcalibur II was first time that Taki appeared unmasked, and also was the one, and so far only instance were in her bonus outfit, her dark hair is let loose instead of being tied in its signature ponytail. In future installments, Taki was given demon inspired gauntlets, navy blue tights, and added fishnet elements to her primary costumes. The demon huntress's alternate outfits usually consist of tight, stylish robes, headbands, as well as thigh high stockings or boots.
Personality
As a ninja, Taki puts her mission above everything else. She will end evil through her own ways. She seems to show concern to some people who are connected with Soul Edge (i.e. Sophitia) and warns them the dangers of the evil blade. She can be emotionless and serious, as a ninja should be. She easily sees through deceptions and will use the best attack to defeat her opponent.
Taki truly cares for her apprentice, Natsu, having chosen to take an active part in raising her due to her own perceived failure in stopping Arahabaki in time. However, she has mentally prepared herself to 'do what's necessary' if the seal containing the demon within Natsu were ever broken.
Weapons
Rekki-Maru & Mekki-Maru, Taki's preferred weapon throughout the Soul Series.
- Rekki-Maru
- Iron Fan
- Mekki-Maru
- Jutte
- Gaea Sword
- Kunai
- Tanto
- Spirit Blade
- Rekki-Maru & Mekki-Maru
- Kunai
- Slicer
- Kagekiri
- Yoroitoshi
- Fu-Ma Kugi
- Silent Edge
- Kamizoroe
- Soul Edge (Complete)
- Kris Naga
- Tobacco Pipes
- Kagenui
- The Ancient
- Battledore
- Assassin Dagger
- Hunting Knife
- Official's Flags (Short)
- Juju & Shuki
- Heavenly Shortsword
Stages
- Shrine of Confined Demons (SE)
- Hoko Temple (SC1)
- Kaminoi Castle - Sakura-Dai Gate (SC2)
- Underground Buddhist Sanctum (SC3)
- Ostrheinsburg Castle - Twilight (SC4)
- Dark Capital Ostrheinsburg (SCBD)
Theme Music
Critical Reception
Taki is arguably the best known and one of the most popular characters in the Soul Series because of her looks, in particular her very large breasts.[19] According to Kotaku, in Soulcalibur IV her "tighter than skin tight ninja outfit leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination, making her high kicks the stuff of Hustler magazine spreads"[20] and "Taki's boobs flopped about ridiculously with the slightest breeze it seemed, but that's not necessarily a complaint",[21] with IGN noting how "Taki's, um, assets bobbed and jiggled after each move. We expect that fighting fans - and pubescent teen boys - will have a ton of fun."[22] According to GamesRadar in 2007, her "love pillows" are the reason of "a fanboy fave."[23] GamesRadar also chose her to represent Soulcalibur IV in the article "Best in breasts" in 2008 "Sure, Ivy’s a couple of cup sizes larger, but Taki probably has less back pain".[24] In 2010, GamePro ranked Taki #2 on their list of top 10 video game ninjas, comparing her with Mai Shiranui with a comment they had "originally contemplated giving Taki two places on this list in honor of her formidable pair of assets".[25]
In 2007, Taki was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history "She's a skilled and noble warrior with a shining spirit and stunning beauty".[26] In 2008, IGN ranked her at #5 on their list of the Top Ten Fighters in the series "Everyone loves a good ninja, and Taki just so happens to be one of the best...it's hard to imagine a Soulcalibur game without Taki. It just wouldn't be the same".[1] UGO featured her in the "Imaginary Love" series "thinking about her beauty and what she might be able to do with that amazing flexibility of hers makes our brains - and our pants - explode!"[27] and also included her on the list of "Top 11 SoulCalibur Fighters" in 2008,[11] as well as their list of the 50 best girls in video games in 2010 "There's just one thing we don't understand about Taki: how the hell does she move around with those two bombshells riding shotgun on her chest?",[28] and in 2011 they also featured her on their list of 25 "Hot Ninja Girls."[29] Virgin Media included her on their list of top ten video game ninja heroes as well.[30]
Taki has especially been featured in many articles by GameDaily, including the 2007 gallery special "Babe of the Week: Taki" "becoming more agile – and big-breasted – with each new entry. She made such an impact ... that we awarded her a solo gig" which praised her "superb fashion sense" and contrasted her with Mortal Kombat's Mileena.[31] In the same year, they commented about her in the article "Babes of the Week: Soul Calibur Hotties" how she "has left an impact from the very start" since the series' debut,[32] adding in "Babe of the Week: Babes We're Thankful For" in 2008: "The only thing better than a regular looking ninja is a big breasted, female one."[33] Also in 2008, Taki was ranked #17 on their list of "50 Hottest Game Babes on Trial" "Female ninjas will always hold a special place in our hearts, especially Taki, what with her muscular physique and insanely large chest"[34] and featured in the article "The Next Wave of Video Game Babes" "There are many women worth mentioning in the Soul Calibur series, but if anyone really knows how to handle Darth Vader, Yoda and the Apprentice, it's Taki".[35] In 2009, they also included her in the Babes of the Week articles "Brunettes" "She's quite agile too, despite her tremendous breasts"[36] and "Asian Beauties" calling her one of the series' "most elite fighters".[37]
On the Soulcalibur Series Character Popularity Poll held by Namco and Project Soul on Facebook, she placed second out of 45 characters with 720 votes, behind only Talim.
Merchandise
Soul Calibur 1/6 scale Taki from Triad Toys
Yujin released a four inch tall immobile figurine of Taki after the release of Soulcalibur II, based upon her artwork for the title as part of their "Namco Girls Series #1" line of gashapon figurines.[12] They also released a second figurine for their "Namco Girls Series #4" collection, utilizing her secondary outfit from the game.[13] A 1/18th scale resin kit of Taki was also released by Wave in November 2003 for the game.[14] In 2006, Namco released a another figurine as part of a Soulcalibur III set based upon her promotional artwork for the game. While not poseable, the PVC figure came with three interchangeable weapons for it to hold and an alternate color version was later released in a secondary set.[15][16] A 12-inch action figure was also released by Triad Games in 2008,[17] though it was strongly criticized by GamesRadar as "oversexualized."[18]
Trivia
General
- Taki, along with Mitsurugi, is a playable character in Namco x Capcom.
- What Taki wears includes a devil mask that makes it possible to breath among poisonous fumes, and a red ninja costume for warding off demons. It’s a very combat-oriented equipment, albeit her disciple Natsu doesn’t like it. Despite Taki having explained its utility several times, Natsu doesn’t appear to understand it.
- In Soulcalibur II, Taki shares a Destined Battle with Mitsurugi. In Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur III, she shares a Destined Battle with Cervantes. In Soulcalibur IV, on the fourth stage in Arcade Mode, she will always fight Cervantes. In Taki's Soulcalibur IV Story Mode she faces Nightmare and his servants at the Tower of Remembrance - Spiral of Time.
- Taki, standing at 5'7", is the second tallest female character in the series, the first being Ivy who is 5'10".
- According to the official bust chart by Daichi Odashima, Taki has the fourth largest bust size among the female characters, falling behind Sophitia and Setsuka.
Soul Edge
- For some reason, some parts of Taki's storyline were left out of Soul Blade's Edge Master Mode (at least in the UK version). Specifically anything relating to Toki ordering his ninjas to find and kill Hachibei, the fact that Taki knew Chie, and Hachibei, and that Toki later ordered the death of Li Long are not mentioned. Furthermore, the Edge Master Mode in game book states that Taki finds the "Mekki-Maru" (sic) after a battle with Mitsurugi, and is not described in the way it would become known. The game merely states that Taki's Rekki-Maru has become weaker, and that she suspects Soul Edge has somehow caused it to do so. No other story-lines are mentioned. Interestingly enough, there seems to be evidence of a link between her and Li Long in Edge Master Mode, despite the actual link between the two never being mentioned. In Taki's story, Li Long follows Taki to Voldo's stage after being defeated at his own stage (the game simply states that he was humiliated in their previous battle), and in Li Long's story; Taki makes a surprise appearance after Li Long defeats Voldo, the game reveals that she has been following him. It is not yet known if Namco had written what is now accepted as Taki's back-story when Soul Edge was made, and it was taken out or not. This is given very minor closure in Soulcalibur III if the player reaches a Destined Battle with Li Long.
- Taki's Edge Master ending contains a mistake; it implies that Rekki-Maru is a Katana. It is not, however - it is a Kodachi, which is smaller than a Katana (which is what Mitsurugi uses). The mistake probably came about because many non-Japanese people believe that "Katana" is literally the Japanese word for "Sword", which it's not.
- Taki only fights with one sword, the Rekki-Maru. The Mekki-Maru can be selected as an alternate weapon in Edge Master Mode. Soulcalibur was the first game where she used both Rekki-Maru and Mekki-Maru simultaneously, and she has done so ever since.
Soulcalibur
- Taki's Metal Headband in her 2P costume bears an uncanny resemblance to the forehead portectors from the Naruto series, mainly worn by the jonin of Konohagakure. Coincidentally still, two of the villages in the Naruto series are called Fumagakure and Takigakure, referencing Taki and her Fu-Ma clan.
Soulcalibur II
- This is the first game where Taki doesn't wear a mask to go with her body suit.
- Taki's third outfit is based off Waya Hime, a character from the Namco arcade game Chōzetsurin Jin Bravoman.
Soulcalibur III
- This is the only game where Taki wears a blue body suit as her 1P outfit instead of a red/pink one.
- Taki's weapons and fighting style are available under the discipline Soul of Taki to characters created under the Ninja class.
Soucalibur IV
- In the Chain of Souls, Taki and Siegfried are linked together by a red arrow, showing that they are somewhat enemies.
- In Kamikirimusi's Story Mode, Taki follows her for the remainder of the story after she, Mitsurugi, and Setsuka are defeated on the first stage. Although it is never explained why she chose to follow her, it could be assumed that she is prepared to assist her opponent in finishing her off if needed. Despite this, Kamikirimusi is neither seen nor mentioned in any future Soulcalibur installments so it is likely that this encounter never happened.
- In Taki's illustration, her ninja tights appear to be crimson red, however, her in-game model is wearing a color closer to that of magenta.
Soucalibur V
- In a behind-the-scenes video, the decision to include Natsu came from deciding that Taki would likely be "too old" to be a ninja anymore. In Odashima's mind, you can only be a ninja up to a certain age, after which you retire from active duty and focus on training younger ninjas. While Taki has retired, she's still watching over Natsu, he adds. The validity of his statement has been questioned by some fans, noticing that there have been active male ninjas in the series much older than 46, the age Taki would be at the time Soulcalibur V takes place, some of them outright elderly, and that Namco has a habit of excluding females over a certain age from their games--whether by retiring them, simply ignoring them or even killing them off--or making sure they're somehow kept young (such as Nina and Anna Williams' cryogenic freezing in the Tekken series) or made unable to age (such as Ivy's use of alchemy to stay eternally in her early 30s).
Soulcalibur: Lost Swords
- She was descrided as "A technical fighter quick on her feet and capable of executing relentless attacks with her blades".
Soulcalibur VI
- The explosion at the end of her Critical Edge resembles a similar technique she did in the opening of Soul Edge.
- Regarding the background on Taki's artwork, according to the official Soulcalibur twitter account: "In the background of Taki, a ninja who fights against demons, are the figures of "Oni" who exterminate demons. The reason why Taki wears equipment that resembles the mask of Oni may be because Oni's aspect as a guardian deity overlaps with her own."[1]
Etymology
Taki's name means "Much Rejoicing", according to the limited edition art book that was released with the pre-orders of Soulcalibur II. Her name is rendered there as 多喜 ( 多 - ta - 'many'; 喜 - ki - 'joy'; 'rejoicing'), instead of 滝 (taki - 'waterfall').
Series' Appearances
- Soul Edge (game)
- Soulcalibur
- Soulcalibur (Chinese Manhua)
- Soulcalibur II
- Soulcalibur III
- Soulcalibur IV
- Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
- Soulcalibur Mobile
- Soulcalibur: Lost Swords
- Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul
- Soulcalibur VI
Appearances in Other Media
- Namco x Capcom
- The King of Fighters: All-Star
References
- ^ @soulcalibur (September 30, 2021). "In the background of Taki, a ninja who fights against demons, are the figures of "Oni" who exterminate demons. The reason why Taki wears equipment that resembles the mask of Oni may be because Oni's aspect as a guardian deity overlaps with her own." (Tweet). Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Twitter.
| Soulcalibur |
|---|
| Soulcalibur • Legend of Soulcalibur • Soulcalibur: Spirit Sword • Soulcalibur (Chinese Manhua) • Soulcalibur Original Soundtrack |
| Characters |
| Arthur • Astaroth • Cervantes • Edge Master • Hwang • Inferno • Ivy • Kilik • Lizardman • Maxi • Mitsurugi • Nightmare • Rock • Seong Mi-na • Siegfried • Sophitia • Taki • Voldo • Xianghua • Yoshimitsu |
| Stages |
| The Colosseum • Chaos • City of Water • Emperor's Garden • Harbor of Souls • Hoko Temple • Kunpaetku Shrine • Maze of the Dead • Money Pit • Ostrheinsburg Castle • Palgaea Shrine • Proving Grounds • Shrine of Eurydice • Silk Road Ruin • Takamatsu Castle • The Adrian and The Fortress • Valentine Mansion • Water Labyrinth |
| Soulcalibur II |
|---|
| Soulcalibur II (HD Online) • The Art of Soulcalibur II • Unlockables • Soulcalibur II Original Soundtrack • Weapon Master |
| Characters |
| Assassin • Astaroth • Berserker • Cassandra • Cervantes • Charade • Heihachi • Inferno • Ivy • Kilik • Link • Lizardman • Maxi • Mitsurugi • Nightmare • Necrid • Raphael • Seong Mi-na • Siegfried • Sophitia • Spawn • Taki • Talim • Voldo • Xianghua • Yoshimitsu • Yun-seong |
| Stages |
| Chaos • Egyptian Crypt • Egyptian Ruins • Eurydice Shrine Gallery • Hwangseo Palace - Phoenix Court • Imperial Capital Ayutthaya • Kaminoi Castle - Sakura-Dai Gate • Labyrinth • Lakeside Coliseum • Money Pit - Top Tier • Ostrheinsburg Chapel • Palgaea Shrine - Lowest Level • Pirate's Alcove • South France Mansion - Library • Village of the Wind • Xiwei Siege Ruins |