- "I knew I wouldn't walk away from this fight without a scratch."
- — Xianghua
Chai Xianghua (チャイ・シャンファ, Chai Shanfa, Chinese: 柴香華, Pinyin: Chái Xiānghuá) is a character in the Soul series of fighting games. She made her debut in Soulcalibur and went on to appear in all other main installments (as well as a few spin-offs) except for Soulcalibur V.
In Soulcalibur, she is nicknamed "Flower In The Breeze".
What lies in her soul is Love.
Biography[]
Pre-Soulcalibur History[]
Xianghua's ancestors, the Chai family, have groomed men and women alike into seasoned warriors of China for many generations. The Chai family was born in the heritage of General Ming. The woman who would become Xianghua's mother, Xiangfei, was sent to the prestigious Ling-Sheng Su Temple to learn the art of swordplay. She diligently trained and became supremely skilled with the jian, surpassing many of the monks at the temple.
Following her father's passing, Xiangfei forged a forbidden romance with a monk at the temple, Kong Xiuqiang, thought to be the most prominent candidate for inheritor of the holy bo staff, Kali-Yuga. Not until the illegitimate birth of their first daughter, Xianglian, was their love made known to the other monks. The monks remained very strict regarding the temple's edicts and Xianglian was taken from her parents on her second birthday.
Xiangfei became too wrought with grief to remain at the temple. Han Dongxiu, a sworn brother of both Xiuqiang and Xiangfei, urged Xiuqiang to leave with her and start a family with his lover, but Xiuqiang refused, and Xiangfei agreed that it was for the best. But as a final goodbye, Dongxiu helped Xiuqiang sneak the Krita-Yuga to his lover, to serve as a promise the two would one day meet again.
Unknown to Xiuqiang, however, was that when Xiangfei had left the temple, she was pregnant with a second child. She secretly returned to her homeland, was taken in by the Chai home there, and became a soldier in the Ming Dynasty Imperial Guard. Months later, she gave birth to her second daughter, Xianghua, but never revealed anything about the girl's father or his lineage to her.
By this time, the temple had realized that the Krita-Yuga was missing, and found that Xiuqiang had stolen it. He was exiled from the temple, but Xianglian was to remain there to be trained as an orphan. Xiuqiang eventually discovered Xiangfei's whereabouts, but the Chai family asked him to leave her alone, as she believed that he was training and she would be happier in her ignorance. Meanwhile, when monks from the Temple came to Xiangfei, searching for the missing sword, all they found was young Xianghua playing with a battered jian, and they gave up the search years later. Only Xiuqiang had known that the jian Xianghua had been holding was actually the Krita-Yuga in disguise.
As time passed, Xianghua had learned to use the jian just as well as her mother when Xiangfei died sometime after Xianghua's eleventh birthday. Five years afterward, Xianghua became a member of the Imperial Guard.
Soulcalibur[]
Eventually, the emperor of Ming Dynasty China had become displeased with the search for the "Hero's Sword"; he never heard back from any that had ventured out, including close friends. So he sent members of his Imperial Guard to help the quest advance more quickly. The guards traveled under the guise of a traveling opera troupe, with Xianghua to be the main attraction, so as not to raise suspicion of their true motives.
Xianghua, as she appears in Soulcalibur (1998)
As Xianghua prepared for her journey, she recalled her mother's dying words—that she was born to complete an important task and that she must cut her path through an uncertain future. With her mother's keepsake tai chi jian, she left on her own. Before she set out on her journey, she did what any honorable girl would, she cut her hair short like her mother's. On her journey, she encountered a member of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple in China, Kilik, and a Japanese pirate of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Maxi. Told of the sword's evil nature by Kilik, she agreed to aid both of them in their journey to destroy the evil blade, not knowing all the while that her long-lost older sister, Xianglian, had been accidentally killed by Kilik as he had been consumed by a berserker rage on the night of the notorious Evil Seed .
With Kilik and Maxi's help, Xianghua stormed Ostrheinsburg Castle. Maxi stayed behind and defeated the castle's guard, Astaroth, disappearing soon after. Kilik and Xianghua together slayed the enemy hordes and reached Soul Edge. Kilik used his holy bo staff Kali-Yuga to defeat Nightmare, but immediately afterward, the combatants were pulled into an ethereal void where they stood opposed to Inferno. His prior battle had left Kilik too weary to fight. As Xianghua readied herself, her mother's keepsake sword unveiled herself as the holy sword.
After a fierce struggle, Xianghua defeated her opponent with Soul Calibur's protective power. As the void started to collapse, she carried Kilik out of it, though her mother's keepsake sword was left behind.
Xianghua screenshot from Soulcalibur II (2003) just before her destined battle with Kilik.
Soulcalibur II[]
After destroying the sword she was sent to find, a mysterious man approached her and awarded her with an unnamed jian in return for the great deed she had done. Once she returned, Xianghua fell in disfavor with the Emperor because of her failure to find Soul Edge. She was stripped of her rank and reassigned to a menial position. Xianghua kept her role in Soul Edge's destruction secret and never reported it.
Four years later, news reached her that the emperor had attacked Xiwei (present-day Xi'an), which had been the center of government in the Ming Dynasty's western territory. The emperor believed that the fortress had been withholding Soul Edge from him, and when the fortress guards killed his envoy in annoyance of his blind obstinancy, he ordered that the city be summarily destroyed and all the citizens executed, under the public justification of a revolt.
When the castle fell and the sword was not found, the emperor summoned Xianghua in his stupor and asked her to investigate the ruins, as her experience could be useful in locating the sword among the rubble. Xianghua found out the truth behind the attack from Ming spies. Though she believed that she had destroyed Soul Edge, her investigation proved otherwise, and pieces of it were rumored to exist in this place. If this story had been true, Xianghua needed to find every fragment and destroy them.
Xianghua left on a second journey alone, convinced that this was a burden she had to bear, since she failed to destroy Soul Edge completely the first time...
Soulcalibur III[]
"I couldn't do anything..." The pain of defeat clutched at Xianghua's heart. During her adventure, Xianghua was once again reunited with her companion, Kilik. While on their journey, the two of ran afoul of a "man with a scythe" (Zasalamel), who wished to eliminate people who had the potential to destroy Soul Edge. Zasalamel attacked and defeated Kilik. Afterwards, Xianghua took the gravely injured Kilik back to his home, where she heard that Kilik would make full recovery.
After leaving a letter for Kilik, she departed, seeking an old general whom Edge Master had arranged for her to meet. Training with the old general, Xianghua's skills improved significantly. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake off an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy due to her failure to help Kilik. She told herself, "Don't be afraid!!!" in meager attempts to convince herself. The old general noticed her anxiety and provided sage advice:.
"Sometimes, the path of the warrior requires letting in dark feelings, weighing them, then letting them go."
Xianghua then began to train her mind. Rather than becoming weak, she would be more fluid and allow her heart to filter in both the good and the bad. After months of training, she felt that she was ready and bid farewell to the general, beginning her journey anew. So she left the temple to fight by herself.
Soulcalibur IV[]
While traveling west on the Silk Road, Xianghua reunited with Kilik. Together they traveled to India to find Maxi. However, he did not join them. Xianghua was worried that he was searching for Soul Edge so he can have his revenge on Astaroth. She knew she had to stop him.
Meanwhile, Xianghua had no idea of what kind of feelings Kilik had for her. But her feelings for him were clear. However, she could never tell him of those feelings. They had to destroy Soul Edge. Because they did not destroy it properly last time, a lot of calamities were happening all over the world. But she was determined that they would eliminate the evil sword once and for all.
When she saw a meteor shower heading west, she knew the final battle was coming.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny[]
(Non-canon)
She appears on Chapter 21, in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny's The Gauntlet mode, looking for Kilik but ends up fighting the player after a possible misunderstanding. After accomplishing Chapter 21-1, she slaps Kilik for being a jerk and Cassandra jokingly says that her slap was "Unblockable".
Soulcalibur V[]
A year later, she reunited and connected with Kilik, but he considered this the result of an unfortunate destiny, and eventually disappeared from Xianghua's side.
Returning to her homeland with a broken heart, she eventually came to the realization she was pregnant. However, her grandfather and patriarch of the Chai house was furious at this, as she was the second generation of women from such a distinguished family to bear the child of an unknown man. Xianghua was ordered to kill the child and marry into another family.
Knowing of her situation, Xianghua was rescued by the heir of the Yan family, Yan Wujin. He discussed with Xianghua's grandfather and issued a condition for marrying Xianghua and not revealing the scandal, to allow the child, Xiba, to live.
Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul[]
(Non-canon)
When the player and Cassandra encounter her for the first time, Xianghua is guarding the emperor's palace and she mistakes them for intruders, attacking them instantly. After she is defeated, she reconciles and directs them to Japan to find the fragments of Soul Edge. Later, after Kilik is defeated in the Coliseum, Xianghua stops the fighting and clears the confusions of her friends, telling them that the player and Cassandra are allies.
Profile[]
Soulcalibur[]
The Ming Emperor was irritated by the lack of progress in the quest for Soul Edge, the "Hero's Sword," so he ordered his royal guards to join the search. Xianghua was a member of this group.
The guards masqueraded as a traveling Chinese opera troupe to avoid suspicion about their true mission. Xianghua, trained in martial arts since childhood by her mother, was chosen to be the star attraction of the troupe.
As she prepared for her journey, Xianghua recalled her mother's last words:
"You were born to complete an important task...Cut your path through an uncertain future!"
With her treasured keepsake sword in hand, Xianghua departed with the sense that the invisible forces of destiny were pushing her onward.
Chapter II: Itinerant Flower of the Breeze[1]
The story begins some decades before our heroine was born…
The Chai family has been and continues to be a strong family with a lineage of proud soldiers serving the nation.
Once the eldest son succeeded his father's estate the remaining sons left the house to search for their independence. The second son of the house settled down in the town were the Ling Sheng Su temple was located since the great school was considered to be the strongest martial arts school in the land. The son was intent on following the traditions of the Chai family and these traditions stated that regardless of man or woman all members of the family must become skilled martial-artists and serve the nation. His daughter, Xiangfei, was born in the town and attended the Ling Sheng Su school to learn the art of swordplay. Due to her bloodline or not her diligent training over the years brought her a level of skill that surpassed even the monks of the great school. If only she had been born a man, then surely she would have been nominated to be the successor of the secret arts of the Ling Sheng Su sword style.
After her father passed away she began to train even harder and soon Xiangfei fell in love with one of the monks of the Ling Sheng Su temple. His name was Kong Xiuqiang, the probable candidate to be the successor of the one of the three treasures of the temple; the rod called "Kali-Yuga". Sadly this was a forbidden love. The managed to keep their love secret for many years and not until their daughter named Xianglian was born unto them did the monks know of their relationship.
This was Xianglian's second year.
A candidate could never sway from the pure path and thus the school drove the lovers apart. The school took little Xianglian. With both her daughter and her lover gone Xiangfei could not bear her sorrow and decided to leave town and never return.
Their sworn brother Han Dongxiu heard she was leaving told a penitent and depressed Kong. "How can you just sit here and wait? Leave now! Create your own future with your own strength!"
With Han's help Kong was able to sneak away from the temple and down to the town under the vale of darkness. He gave Xiangfei a sword as proof of their love and as a reminder of the hope they would meet again. It was all he could do.
Xiangfei left the town and told none her final destination. She left pregnant with her second child but she hoped Kong would soon forget about her and focus on his candidacy for the Kali-Yuga. She returned to her noble family. With the Chai family's long lineage of soldiers in the Ming Empire capitol she was able to join the ranks of the soldiers. There she bore her second daughter Xianghua. Xianghua was brought into the Ming family and her mother never told her about the past. Meanwhile the Ling Sheng Su temple was facing a great crisis. The "Krita-Yuga", one of the three treasures of the temple was missing. Investigations traced the theft back to Kong and he was immediately excommunicated and drove from the temple. Xianglian was left alone and the temple decided to raise her as an orphan.
Kong followed traces of Xianglian and discovered her link to the Chai family.
However the Chai family told him, "She believes that you are in the temple training hard. She would certainly be sad if she met you. We beg you, please leave here and take no more action."
As persuaded Kong left the house without knowing his second daughter had been born. He could never return to the temple and so he left the town and disappeared.
Meanwhile the temple's search for the Krita-Yuga continued and the first suspect was Xiangfei. The search party found her but the sword they could not. All they found was little Xianghua playing with an old sword and Xiangfei looking after her daughter. The search party returned to the temple in failure and after many years the temple gave up the large-scale search.
How could they have known? No one knew, not little Xianghua, the search party, the Chai family, or even Xiangfei herself knew that the old sword in Xianghua's hands was none other than the Krita-Yuga one of the thee treasures of the Ling Sheng Su temple ranking with the Kali-Yuga and the Dvapara-Yuga. To prevent its true power from being abused and in case it was ever separated from the other three treasures the Krita-Yuga would change its shape and sleep in silence. Only Kong, who separated it from the other treasures, knew this secret.
Xianghua grew up never knowing she had an elder sister and by her tenth year she had acquired the basic arts of swordplay. Her mother's death drove her to train as hard as her dear mother once had and by her sixteenth year her skill was so renowned she applied for a position in as one of the royal guards of the Ming Emperor.
The emperor of the Ming Empire irritated by the lack of progress searching for "Soul Edge" the hero's sword, decided to send his royal guards as the third searching party. Xiangua's best fried Meimei and Ming's Imperial Maid of Honor heard that Xianghua was part of the search party and asked her to look into her brother, Li Long's health. Xianghua agreed to the task.
Xianghua had been training herself in martial arts under her mother since she was a child. "You were born to complete an important task... fight you way through your cursed destiny!" were the last words of her tender mother. Xianghua left for the quest, having her keepsake sword in hand. More and more of the members of the search party dispersed chasing various bits of information and rumors. Xianghua left the troop as well chasing a hint of information when she met Kilik. Was it fate? What would happen when the three treasures meet in one place…?Soulcalibur II[]
Xianghua became a member of the royal guard withher skillful swordsmanship nurtured since childhood. She was then assigned on a mission to find Soul Edge. Unfortunately, the Emperor's hand-picked search party failed to produce the "Hero's Sword."
Truthfully, Xianghua had found the sword, but she disobeyed her orders and destroyed the demonic weapon after learning its true nature. Falling into disfavor with the Emperor, Xianghua was stripped of her rank and reassigned to a menial position.
One day, news reached Xianghua that the Emperor attacked a castle that supposedly housed a member of the search party who had found the Hero's Sword, but refused to hand over the weapon to the Emperor.
Soldiers were dispatched and the castle fell, but the sword was never found. Xianghua was summoned, for they required her knowledge and experience.
Xianghua had destroyed the evil sword. Soul Edge did not exist in this world. But the investigation proved otherwise. Xianghua heard rumors of Soul Edge fragments that existed in this place.
If this proved to be the truth, she had to find every single fragment and crush them down until nothing remained!
Xianghua left on a journey, words of her mother echoing in her mind:
"Cut your path through an uncertain future...."
- "Live without regrets."
- — Musashi Miyamoto, Dokkoudou
Constantly invaded by Japanese Pirates, the great Ming Empire of the East was one of the countries that expended great effort to search for Soul Edge - believed to be the "Hero's Sword" - to protect its people and regain its dignity. Unfortunately, three such quests failed. The first two search parties never returned, and the third group, which had just returned recently, was also unsuccessful in finding the Hero's Sword. The failure of the third quest devastated the Emperor, given that the group consisted of warriors hand-picked from his royal guards.
Xianghua was one of the members of the third group. She grew up in a family with a prestigious military lineage, and learned the ways of the sword from her now-deceased mother. Even after her mother fell ill and passed away, Xianghua continued to hone her skills and eventually became a member of the Emperor's royal guards.
She was then assigned the prestigious honor of the search for Soul Edge, but her mission failed. Falling into disfavor with the Emperor for her failure, Xianghua was stripped of her rank of royal guard and reassigned to a menial position that she had no desire to do. Her family lamented her fall from grace, but Xianghua was content with her situation.
In truth, she actually found Soul Edge four years ago. But the weapon said to be the Hero's Sword turned out to be an evil sword that had an infinite appetite for human souls. "Nothing good will come of this if I bring such a sword back to my country. I must destroy this evil thing!" Xianghua decided.
She battled Soul Edge with the help of her companion, Kilik, and managed to shatter the evil sword within the fiery vortex created by the weapon. Regrettably, her mother's keepsake sword that protected her with its mysterious powers during the battle was lost in the void when they escaped from the vortex. "Cut your path through an uncertain future…" Xianghua may have lost her mother's keepsake sword, but her mother's last words remained clear in her mind. She firmly believed that she had made the right decision.
One day, an incident occurred which devastated Xianghua. The Emperor attacked a castle near the border of her homeland. The Empire justified its attack by publicly stating that the castle was plotting to rise in revolt. But Xianghua found out the truth from Ming spies.
A man from the second search team apparently had found the Hero's Sword, but refused to return and holed himself up in the castle. He did not respond to any of the messengers sent to summon him, and the lord of the castle refused to turn him over. The Emperor was convinced that the lord of the castle refused to turn over the weapon in order to keep it for himself. As a result, soldiers were dispatched to retrieve the sword. Although the castle fell, the sword could not be found.
The Emperor ordered Xianghua to investigate the remains of the castle. He reasoned that she was the only person who came within reach of Soul Edge and that her experience and knowledge of the sword would be valuable in locating it amongst the rubble of the castle.
Xianghua had destroyed the evil sword, so the castle could not have housed Soul Edge. Had she reported the truth, the tragic incident may never have happened. Dispatched to the battlegrounds of the castle, she left with a heavy heart. Gathering information from the few remaining survivors and tattered records, Xianghua discovered that an object referred to as a Soul Edge fragment had existed there.
If it was truly a piece of Soul Edge, there had to be those who sensed its evil energy. That would explain why the individual who found the fragment hesitated to surrender it to the Emperor. From what she gathered about the shard, it was hard to believe that the lord of the castle would desire such an insignificant little object for himself. Could it be that the fragment was really from the accursed Soul Edge?
The weapon that Xianghua believed she had destroyed may still be wreaking havoc unto the world!
If this proved to be the truth, someone had to find every single fragment and crush them down until nothing remained. Xianghua convinced herself that this was a burden she had to bear, since she failed to destroy Soul Edge completely the first time.
Xianghua moved quickly once her mind was settled on the matter- she resigned her Emperor's assigned duty that very night...[2]Soulcalibur III[]
In-game Profile
"I couldn't do anything..." The pain of defeat clutched at Xianghua's heart.
After reuniting with Kilik, she had faced off with him against the man with the scythe and lost. No, in actuality, that fight had been entirely between Kilik and the man. The man had shown no interest in Xianghua. The only thing she was able to do was carry the unconscious Kilik and run away.
Xianghua went to see Kilik's teacher, Edgemaster [sic]. She relaxed when the sword master assured her that Kilik would recover. Entrusting the old man with a letter for Kilik, she left the hermitage.
Upon returning to her country, Xianghua went to stay with an old general, suggested and arranged by Edgemaster [sic].
There, Xianghua dedicated herself to her training with the sole goal of growing stronger, and her skills improved notably in a short time. However, she could not get rid of the shadow of uneasiness that had fallen over her heart.
"I mustn't fear!" she tried to convince herself. Noticing her anxiety, the general's instructor spoke to her one day.
"Sometimes, the path of the warrior requires letting in dark feelings, weighing them, then letting them go."
After this day, she began training her mind. Her heart would be like water, letting all flow through her without breaking. After several months, he felt that she was now ready. She politely bid farewell and once again set out on her journey.
When she met up with Kilik, she would proudly say, "Sorry to keep you waiting! I've finally caught up to you!"
Soulcalibur IV[]
The training Xianghua had undergone in her homeland had given her the strength to conquer her own psychological frailty. She hurried west along the Silk Road, and soon found Kilik. Happily reunited, the two headed for India on Maxi's trail. But while they found their old friend--just as they had hoped--he would not join them. Was Maxi looking for the cursed sword in order to seek revenge? If so, Xianghua would do everything in her power to stop him. Using that cursed sword to avenge the fallen would bring her friend no salvation.
And Kilik... She turned to glance at him standing beside her. She had no idea how he felt about her, but her heart was quite clear on the matter. But as long as so much still remained to be done, she could never say the words. They had to stop Soul Edge. The last time they had faced it, they had lacked the power to destroy the weapon outright, and their failure was to blame for every tragedy the cursed sword had wrought since.
(I will cut out my destiny. This time, we will eliminate Soul Edge once and for all!)
And so, having turned remorse into resolve, Xianghua pressed on. When she saw the meteor shower shooting west across the sky one night, she knew: the final battle was at hand.
The training Xianghua had undergone in her homeland had given her the strength to conquer her own emotional frailty. Convinced she would be ready the next time she faced the cursed sword, she hurried west along the Silk Road.
Xianghua’s travels took her to a fighting arena in central Asia, where a familiar (and much-missed) face was waiting. She had known all along that if she searched for Soul Edge, she was bound to find him along the way. The arena drew strong fighters from all over, and with them, information. The two of them had been thinking the same. Still, she had never imagined she would find Kilik so soon. As she buried her face against his chest, the tears running down her cheeks spoke more eloquently of her feelings than any words could.
Happily reunited, the two continued west, until they learned that the last of their erstwhile trio, the Okinawan pirate Maxi, was in India. Excited, Xianghua and Kilik changed their course and headed south. But, although they found their old friend just as they had hoped, he would not join them. Xianghua could not take her eyes off Maxi as he walked away; it was as if a permanent shadow had fallen between them, silencing all their pleas for him to stay.
They left India with dampened spirits and eventually reached Europe, where they began the march toward their sinister destination. They had taken this route before, but this time there was one less pair of legs. Xianghua did her best to stay cheerful and keep her worries at bay. Kilik, however, must have had something on his mind, for he often fell silent.
“Kilik?” she called. No response. Xianghua called his name again. This time her sharper tone startled him, and he whirled around. He must have more on his mind than I imagined, she thought, he ought to at least confide in me. “Well, just as long as you’re on your toes when it counts,” she sulked. Then smiled, “For my sake.”
He’s concerned about Maxi, too, Xianghua thought. She turned her gaze westward. She and Kilik had not given up on Maxi after he had left, but a search yielded few clues to his whereabouts. They did, however, hear that a man fitting his description had headed toward Ostrheinsburg. Was Maxi looking for Soul Edge in order to seek revenge? If so, she would do everything in her power to stop him. Using that cursed sword to avenge the fallen would bring her friend no salvation.
Xianghua thought back to when the three of them had plunged into the chaotic war between the spirit sword and cursed sword. Thanks to Max's cheerful disposition, there had been no shortage of laughs. The young Xianghua and Kilik had found a strong older brother in Maxi. How many times had he gotten them through the worst? But that was a long time ago, and it looked as though Maxi had veered from the path they followed. Nothing stays the same forever.
That went for the two of them as well. Xianghua turned to glance at Kilik beside her. She had no idea how he felt about her, but her heart was quite clear on the matter. But as long as so much remained to be done, she could never say the words. It was like a solemn, unspoken agreement between them.
Another painful truth plagued Xianghua: her unexpected parting with the spirit sword. She may not have known the extent of the blade’s power, but it was her late mother’s sword—the only remembrance she'd had—and losing it had felt like being cut off from her mother forever. Xianghua could not forget the way the sword fit in her hand so comfortably. That was why she had worked so hard to hone her fighting skills: to feel close to her mother and teacher again.
That's not the only reason, though, she admitted. Deep down the same conviction—no, a deeper conviction—drove Xianghua, and even now she had her goal firmly in sight. Stop Soul Edge. The blade was gathering power, and over the past several years it had left countless victims in its bloody wake. It was only a matter of time before it would prey on the entire world. Last time they faced it, Xianghua and Kilik had lacked the power to destroy the weapon outright. That bitterness still lingered; their failure was to blame for every life the cursed sword had taken since.
(I will cut my own path to destiny. This time, we will eliminate Soul Edge once and for all!)
And so, having turned remorse into resolve, Xianghua pressed on with her head held high and confidence in her step. And when she saw the meteor shower shooting west across the sky one night, she knew the final battle was at hand.[3]
Personality[]
Chai Xianghua is a cheerful young woman. She is kind and seems to sound a little childish. She never gives up and is faithful to her friends. She shares many similarities with Ling Xiaoyu of Tekken and Lei Fang of Dead or Alive.
Costumes[]
In Soulcalibur, her first outfit is a light pink qipao top, light pink sleeves, blue pants with aqua bows and blue slippers. Her second outfit is a red short-sleeved qipao top, dark red short shorts with light green linings, green bracelets and red and green shoes. Her bonus costume is white cropped jacket, a black bustier top with yellow linings, white short shorts, a white headband, a black choker, white leggings and blue shoes. Her jacket and short shorts have blue flames on it and only her jacket has red flowers on it and a picture of an aqua butterfly on the back on her jacket.
In Soulcalibur IV, her first outfit is similar to her bonus costume from the original Soulcalibur, except with some changes. Her outfit is entirely light blue and has a different pattern on it.
Endings[]
Soulcalibur[]
The Krita-Yuga she wielded revealed its true form as if it heeded the call of destined.
The sword gave her unparalleled strength and in return, Xianghua channeled her pure spirit through it.
The interminable battle came to a close with Xianghua’s victory.
The brooding clouds that covered the firmament until now broke apart to reveal shafts of sunlight from above.
"Mother...was this the destiny I was meant to fulfill?"
She narrowed her eyes as the brilliant sunlight caressed her innocent, childlike face...
Soulcalibur II[]
Soul Calibur 2 - Xianghua's Ending
Soulcalibur II Xianghua's Ending
Reunited with her sacred sword, Xianghua became an ethereal light within the evil aura.
The malevolent entity perished, unable to sustain its existence against such power.
Her sword then fell silent--perhaps it knew it had fulfilled its purpose. Xianghua headed home with it in hand.
To put an end to the ever-growing rumors about the evil sword, she vowed to never lie again as she journeyed home.
Soulcalibur III[]
Xianghua and Kilik both face Soul Edge. Kilik offers to destroy the sword, but Xianghua insists that she do it. She walks up to Soul Edge and stabs it with her sword.
Soul Calibur 3 - Xianghua - Ending B
Soulcalibur III Xianghua's Ending B
Input Ending The screen fades,and then shows Xianghua sitting on a rock in a forest while Kilik trains in the background. "Hey Kilik... where do you want to go next?" Xianghua asks. Kilik replies by saying that he would like to visit his master. Xianghua says it would be a good idea to travel together. Kilik agrees by saying "Yeah, especially since you're such a good sparring partner. Xianghua, unhappy with Kilik's response, bows her head in disappointment. Xianghua says that there is someone she's interested in, hinting to Kilik that that "someone" is him. "Oh." Kilik replies, and then gets back to his training. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Xianghua asks. "Huh? Yeah." Kilik answers.
With a sigh, Xianghua lays back and says "You're hopeless." As Kilik walks up to her and asks if she's ready to leave, Xianghua jumps into his arms playfully and exclaims "I won't give up on you that easily!"
Soul Calibur 3 - Xianghua - Ending A
Soulcalibur III Xianghua's Ending A
No Input Ending Xianghua shatters the sword and gets shot backwards with great force into Kilik's arms. When she awakens, she asks if Soul Edge is really destroyed. She then stands up and walks over to her sword and Kilik follows her. Suddenly, Xianghua and Kilik's weapons disappear. "So it's finally over." Xianghua says reassuringly. Kilik says "yeah" afterward.
Soulcalibur IV[]
Soul Calibur IV Xianghua's Ending(JP)
Soulcalibur IV Xianghua's Ending
Xianghua is shown looking at both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur on each side of her. Kilik walks up towards her and says that this is his responsibility now. He chooses to take over from this point on, and just wants Xianghua to leave and live an ordinary life filled with happiness. "What about your happiness?" Xianghua asks. After Kilik responds by saying that he doesn't deserve to be happy, Xianghua tells him that he is what makes her happy and he is all she needs. She then asks him why he can't understand that. Kilik, who is deeply saddened by the choice he must make, tells her, "You don't know how that pains me. I hate myself for not being able to answer you. I want to be with you, too, but there is just no way." He then grabs Soul Edge and begins to show signs of pain as the sword glows. Xianghua runs up to him and hugs him from behind. Kilik tells her to leave, but Xianghua refuses and says that she is going to stay with him.
As the screen fades to white, Kilik's voice can be heard saying, "Thank you, Xianghua."
The text-only epilogue reveals this: The two disappeared together. The two powers rested in peace and never stirred again.
Gameplay[]
Soulcalibur IV[]
Tower of Lost Souls[]
Xianghua appears in Tower of Lost Souls as a boss in the Ascend mode under the floor "Mind Reading Shield" and also appears as a sub-ordinate under the floor "Uber Airhead".
- TOLS Ascend Mode
- Mind Reading Shield (Boss)
- Uber Airhead
- Skills On "Mind Reading Shield"
- Auto Impact S
- Impact Heal
- Impact Edge
- Strong Impact
- Skills On "Uber Airhead"
- Evil Sword Berserk
- Double Edged Sword
- Hyper Mode
- Default Skills
- Charge Cancel
- Strengthen Horizontal
- Soul Gauge Rate Up C
- Descend Mode Skills
- Soul Gauge Recovery C
- Will Power
Fighting Style[]
Xianghua's fighting style resembles that of a Wushu practitioner, although some of her moves were derived from Hwang. She is known for being unpredictable and confusing for an opponent as she has a lot of feint attacks in her arsenal. Her speed is on par with other quick Soulcalibur characters, allowing her to punish attacks more easily. However, most of her attacks lack damage and range, but once she catches her opponent off guard, she can connect combos to maximize damage. She also has a repertoire of auto guard-impact moves to further put opponents off guard and open further options. Given these combination of strengths and weaknesses, she is considered versatile by many players.
Xianghua can cancel most of her attacks and attack with a different one immediately to put the opponent off guard and exploit its weakness. A great example of this is her Silent Xia Sheng (SXS) stance (introduced in Soulcalibur IV) in which keeping the button held down with certain inputs places her in a stance and allows her to use a different attack. An "invisible meter" is filled depending on her actions in SXS. Once the "meter" is filled to a certain point, she will begin flashing and the properties of her attacks will change, opening up new combos and possibilities. The "meter" will go down when she uses an attack while flashing. Xianghua can fill it up again with actions from SXS.
What Xianghua lacks is strength; but her combos that veteran players use deal impressive damage to make up for this weakness. In tournaments, she is considered a high-tier character.
Soulcalibur IV[]
Sword style passed down from her mother[]
Although Xianghua did not know it, her mother, who was born from the lineage of General Ming, had studied the sword-arts at Ling-Sheng Su Temple. After leaving the temple and returning to the Ming family, her mother gave birth to her (Xianghua). Perhaps because of some difficult part of her training years, Xianghua's mother would not speak of it when she was growing up. No one knew what secret lay in the mother's heart. However, before she left this world, she passed on her sword to her daughter along with some short words.
"Cut open your own path through this ever-changing future."
She took those words of love along with her, and the sword she received was actually the Krita-Yuga. Xianghua knew nothing about the fate of this sword and continued to think of it only as a memento from her mother. As a sword to "cut open her future."[3]
Critical Finish[]
Torrential Chi Blast: Attacks her opponent rapidly with her feet and blade before delivering what appears to be a blue energy bubble explosion.
Quotes[]
- I've got to win!
- Destiny will prevail!
- I said no mercy!
- That's all there is to it!
- Thanks again!
- Justice will prevail! Just kidding!
- Ahem! How's that?!
- You're finished!
- You're mine!
- Here's a freebee!
- I got you!
Relationships[]
- Long lost sister of Xianglian.
- Friend of Meimei, Li Long's sister.
- Former lover and previous travelling companion of Kilik.
- Close friend and previous travelling companion of Maxi.
- Defeated Nightmare and Inferno in Soulcalibur.
- Mother of Leixia and Leixin.
- Wife of Yan Wujin.
- Estranged Mother of Xiba.
Soulcalibur (Chinese Manhua)[]
| Warning: The following information is considered to be non-canon. |
- In Volume 2 (Act.10), Xianghua met Edge Master in the middle of her journey
- In Volume 3 (Act.14). In the night as Xianghua and Meimei went through the Indian town, the street was littered with the dead bodies that were killed by an army of Lizardmen. Xianghua and Meimei tried to escape but they couldn't and they had to take their chances by fighting every Lizardman that surrounded them. Meimei was however killed by the Lizardmen during the battle and Xianghua was left alone. Suddenly, two men appeared and began to slay the Lizardmen. They were Kilik and Maxi and it was the first time they'd ever seen Xianghua.
- In Volume 3 (Act.15). When Xianghua meets Kilik and Maxi during the battle, the Lizardmen surround them. But Xianghua's blade named "Krita-Yuga" suddenly transforms into Soul Calibur. With the shining force that Xianghua holds it will destroy all the lifeforms of darkness surrounding her. In the end, since all the Lizardmen were dead, Soul Calibur turned back into a normal blade (Krita-Yuga). Xianghua finally asks, "Did my sword enchant with your emblem, Kilik?"
| Non-canon information ends here. |
References[]
- ^ "Soul Calibur -- Xianghua". Soulcalibur. Namco Limited. Archived from the original on November 1, 2000. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ "Soul Calibur 2 - History - Xianghua". Soulcalibur. Namco Limited. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved on May 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Deats, Adam; Epstein, Joe (July 17, 2008). SOULCALIBUR IV Signature Series Fighter's Guide. BradyGames. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-7440-1006-0.
| Original Timeline Main Characters |
|---|
| Aeon (Lizardman) • Algol • Amy • Astaroth (Mass Produced) • Cassandra • Cervantes • Charade • Edge Master • Hilde • Hwang • Ivy • Kilik • Leixia • Li Long • Maxi • Mitsurugi • Natsu • Olcadan • Patroklos (α Patroklos) • Pyrrha (Pyrrha Ω) • Raphael • Rock • Seong Mi-na • Setsuka • Siegfried • Sophitia • Soul Calibur (Elysium) • Soul Edge (Inferno, Nightmare, Night Terror) • Taki • Talim • Tira • Viola • Voldo • Xianghua • Xiba • Yoshimitsu • Yun-seong • Zasalamel (Abyss) • Z.W.E.I. |