Baiken
Alias: The Lone Samurai
Age: Unknown, but should at least be a little over 170
Height: 5’4
Weight: 100 lbs
Occupation: Samurai, Guardian to Kum Haehyun (Xrd REV 2)
First Appearance: Guilty Gear (May 14, 1998)
Themes:
Feats:
General
-Survived the destruction of her village when she was a child
-Trained herself in swordsmanship so she could hunt down Asuka R. Kreutz (AKA That Man) for his role in destroying her village
Guilty Gear
-Entered the Second Sacred Order Tournament in order to seek out That Man and get revenge on Justice, the Gear responsible for Japan’s destruction
-Though she was eventually forced to retreat after Justice overwhelmed her
Guilty Gear Xtra
-Briefly fought with Ky Kiske, with the battle ending inconclusively due to interference from Tyr
Guilty Gear X
All Paths:
-Defeated Zato-1, Potemkin, Faust, Sol Badguy, Testament, and Dizzy
-Nearly killed Testament and Dizzy, but let them live because she was more focused on finding That Man
Path 2:
-Defeated Johnny and went out drinking with him after their fight
Guilty Gear XX
All Paths:
-Defeated I-No, Robo-Ky, Zappa, Bridget, and Anji Mito
Path 1:
-Defeated I-No (again) and Potemkin
-Managed to locate That Man, but was unable to kill him
Path 2:
-Defeated a brainwashed May and Robo-Ky (again)
-Learned of the Post-War Administration Bureau’s existence after defeating Robo-Ky
Path 3:
-Defeated I-No and Anji again
-After defeating Anji, chose to spare his life in exchange for all of his knowledge on That Man
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus
All Paths:
-Defeated Potemkin, Robo-Ky, and I-No
Path 1:
-Defeated Johnny, May, Jam, Eddie, and Anji
-Reluctantly began traveling with Anji
Path 2:
-Had a brief spar with a suppressed Slayer, which ended inconclusively
-Defeated A.B.A, Venom, Chipp Zanuff, Justice, and I-No (again)
-Killed I-No and became an infamous serial killer
Guilty Gear Isuka
-Defeated Leopaldon, a Megadeth class Gear
-Megadeth class Gears have enough power to wipe out an entire civilization
Guilty Gear Judgment
-While searching for a bar, saved a village that had been overrun by monsters
-Destroyed a living three-headed pillar
-Mercy-killed a woman who had been forcibly fused to a giant plant monster
-Killed a giant, mutated wolf
-Killed Inus, the king of the Underworld
-Murdered Judgment, a sorcerer who had absorbed Inus’ powers
Guilty Gear Dust Strikers
-Killed Gig, a massive insectoid Gear
Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2
-Defeated Answer, the personal assistant of Chipp
-Swore her life to protect Kum Haehyun
-During an attack on the Colony, defended Haehyun alongside May and Answer
Strength:
-Low Multiverse Level due to fighting Sol and repeatedly fighting Ky, who is comparable to him; Additionally, she’s been able to fight characters who are comparable to Sol, such as I-No and Justice
-Sol and Justice’s bodies contain the Flame of Corruption and Scales of Juno, which can erase everything in the universe and merge it with the Backyard, a dimension that is larger than the universe
-Her sword strikes are strong enough to send a giant, mutated wolf crashing through a metal wall
-Can slice a washitsu house and its surroundings in half with one strike
-Is able to effortlessly lift and slam someone into the ground with enough force that they spin through the air multiple times
-Keep in mind that she’s able to do this to the likes of Bedman, who weighs 1,468 lbs (counting his bed), and Potemkin, who weighs 2,672 lbs
-Sliced through a massive Gear arm
-Traded blows with Ky, who has been able to match Sol blow-for-blow
-Her strikes are strong enough to nearly kill Testament and Dizzy
-Traded blows with Zato-1, Potemkin, Faust, Sol, Testament, Dizzy, Johnny, Zappa, Bridget, Anji, I-No, May, Robo-Ky, Eddie, A.B.A, Venom, a suppressed Slayer, Chipp, and Answer
-Destroyed Robo-Ky
-Stabbed I-No to death
Speed:
-Massively Faster than Light+ due to keeping up with Sol, Ky, and I-No, who are all superior to Jack-O’, who can move at 32 trillion times the speed of light
-Kept up with Justice, who can move at MFTL+ speeds
-Kept up with Zato-1, Potemkin, Faust, Testament, Dizzy, Johnny, Zappa, Bridget, Anji, I-No, May, Robo-Ky, Eddie, A.B.A, Venom, a suppressed Slayer, Chipp, and Answer
-Escaped a collapsing lava pit in the span of a few seconds
-Managed to escape a collapsing castle within seconds
-Has been shown to match Ky in speed
-Ky has been able to keep up with Sol, who is vastly superior to Jack-O’
Durability:
-Low Multiverse Level via scaling to her strength
-Survived the loss of her right arm and having her left eye gouged out when she was a child
-Shrugged off multiple attacks from Zato-1, Potemkin, Faust, Sol, Testament, Dizzy, Johnny, Zappa, Bridget, Anji, May, I-No, Eddie, A.B.A, Venom, a suppressed Slayer, Chipp, Justice, and Answer
-Took hits from Ky, who has clashed with Sol numerous times
Skills:
Expert Swordsmanship:
-Despite being self-taught, Baiken’s expertise in swordsmanship has allowed her to repeatedly go toe-to-toe with Ky, a veteran soldier and commander of the International Police Force
Weapons Mastery:
-Has incorporated various weapons into her fighting style (See “Weapons and Equipment” below)
Personality:
-Is aggressive, brash, impulsive, and antisocial, motivated solely by revenge with a strong desire to kill That Man
-Post XX, she’s noticeably mellowed out, becoming more expressive toward others and less obsessed with pursuing That Man
-Rather foul-mouthed, often cursing violently when irritated or angered
-Holds an intense hatred toward Gears due to their role in her family’s deaths
-Has occasionally expressed pride in her heritage, though she hates how people treat the Japanese like a special race
-Is willing to accept the consequences of her actions and has condemned herself to damnation for her sins
-Has a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later
-Will violently threaten anyone who attempts to obstruct her goals, including children
-Enjoys drinking sake
Katana:
-Strong enough to cut through most Gears without issue
-Is extremely durable, being able to hold up in multiple clashes with Thunderseal, a blade charged with electricity
-The only visible damage it’s taken was a light chip after failing to cut through Dizzy
-Implied by Slayer to be sentient, with a strong desire for bloodshed
Demon Tools:
-A group of weapons Baiken hides within the sleeve of her severed arm
-Consists of a Japanese mace, a feudal cannon, a bladed fan, a chain rope, a grappling hook, a claw, and a spear
Powers:
Ki Manipulation:
-Can manipulate the ki in her body and use it to fire massive, short-range energy blasts
Magic:
-Baiken can use magic to summon tatami mats (See “Moveset” below)
Immortality:
-Seems to possess some type of immortality, as she’s been alive ever since the destruction of Japan, which occurred over a century prior, yet hasn’t visibly aged past her 20’s or 30’s
-Though she can still be physically injured or killed
Tatami Gaeshi:
-Baiken uses magic to summon a tatami mat near her and proceeds to stomp on it, smacking any nearby opponents and sending them flying
-Can also be used in the air, though the mat will almost immediately drop to the ground
Youshijin:
-Baiken thrusts an anchor into the ground with enough force that it comes back up almost immediately after
-Mainly used to deal with aerial opponents
Zakuro:
-Baiken pulls out a giant bladed pinwheel. If the opponent is caught by it, its blades will spin several times, skewering them before launching them away
-Can only be done diagonally
-Used to counter aerial opponents
Azami:
-Baiken holds her blade in front of her in a defensive position, allowing her to block enemy attacks
-Is able to block multiple attacks at once
-Can also be used in midair
Kuchinashi:
-An upward slash followed by a trail of pink energy
-Mainly used as a followup to Azami or Suzuran
Mawarikomi:
-Baiken dashes behind her opponent
-Followup to Azami or Suzuran
Sakura:
-A straight jab coated in pink energy
-Followup from Azami or Suzuran
Rokkonsogi:
-Baiken dashes forward, slashes at the opponent, and appears behind them
-Followup from Azami, Kabari, or Suzuran
Yashagatana:
-Baiken unveils a shotgun from her sleeve and fires it
-Can be used after Azami or Suzuran
Tsubaki:
-Baiken moves forward as she performs a midair spinning slash
-Used after an aerial Azami
Ouren:
-Baiken leaps across the stage and somersaults past her opponent, slashing them across the back
-Used after a midair Azami
Kikyou:
-Baiken slashes downward
-Mainly used in midair. If used on the ground, Baiken will leap forward before performing the move
Kabari:
-Baiken throws out a grappling claw to grab her opponent from afar and reel them in
-As seen above, she can also perform it diagonally
Tetsuzansen:
-In Accent Core R, Baiken thrusts her katana through the air and follows up with a spinning diagonal slash
-In Xrd, Baiken stomps on the ground, releasing a small pillar of pink energy
-Can be used as a followup from Kabari
Himawari:
-Baiken rushes toward the opponent, grabs them, leaps through the air, and drops them headfirst with enough force that they spin through the air multiple times
-Mainly used as a followup from Kabari
Suzuran:
-Baiken rushes forward, holding her sword in a defensive position and its hilt in her mouth as she does so
Youzansen:
-Baiken spins through the air, slashing with a giant bladed fan as a trail of sakura petals fall behind her
-Mainly used in midair. If used on the ground, Baiken will leap into the air before performing the move
Force Breaks:
Baku:
-Baiken pauses for a brief moment before smacking the opponent with a massive red kanji that causes them to stagger back
Baku: XXX:
-A follow-up to Baku where Baiken smacks the opponent with a hanafuda card containing one of three different types of kanji, each having a different effect:
-Sakura (桜) prevents them from dashing, backdashing, or jumping
-Tsuki (月) makes them enter a counter-hit state that increases the amount of damage they receive
-Tsuru (鶴) prevents them from blocking Baiken’s next attack
-Each effect lasts for about 14 seconds
Triple Tatami Gaeshi:
-Baiken stomps on the ground, this time summoning three tatami mats that simultaneously smack the opponent away
Overdrives:
Tsurane Zanzuwatashi:
-Baiken stomps on the ground before delivering an underhanded upward slash and a low sweeping slash. She then swings her blade through the air as the image of a moon bearing the kanji for Heaven, Earth, and man suddenly appears. Once it appears in full, she finishes with a final, energy-charged slash
Metsuda Kushoudou:
-Performed after a successful Azami or Suzuran
-Baiken turns around, her back facing the opponent as she fires off several grappling hooks that slam them into the air and latch onto an object behind them. She then reels herself forward, performing an iaijutsu quickdraw slash on the airborne opponent
Instant Kills:
Tate Shunmaku:
-Baiken crouches for a brief moment before dashing past the opponent and sheathing her sword. The opponent is then launched through the air as their body is slashed multiple times
Garyo Tensei:
-In Guilty Gear XX, Baiken rushes toward the opponent. Should she make contact, she will cut through them before sheathing her blade, revealing that they have somehow teleported to a room. After several seconds, the opponent’s blood splatters on the wall as they lifelessly fall to the ground
-In Guilty Gear Xrd, Baiken cuts through the opponent as they teleport inside of a washitsu house. The sliding doors then close behind her and the opponent. After a fish hops through the garden’s pond, the doors become splattered in the opponent’s blood as both the house and its surroundings are sliced in half. Baiken then sits cross-legged and lights her pipe
-Interestingly, some of Baiken’s dialogue after completing this move suggests that the opponent is still alive, though it’s likely they’ve been left heavily injured
Weaknesses:
-Has an extremely short fuse
-Is somewhat stubborn
-Lacks the use of her left eye and right arm, though this doesn’t seem to affect her in battle
-Fighting style heavily relies on combos and focuses on defense over offense
-Possesses few ranged options
-Some of her Demon Tools (like the grappling hook, claw, or mace) can be rendered useless in certain environments
-Has a chronic smoking habit
-Suffers from PTSD over Japan’s destruction
(“Winning and losing doesn’t mean a thing. I’ll survive, and I’ll keep fighting… Until I find That Man.”)
(“What is this bullshit? If you’re serious, you’d better get the hell outta here before I cut you in half.”)
(“Listen very carefully. If I don’t get this information, I’ll cut you. If you play dumb, I’ll slash you. If you try and feed me some shit intel, I’ll slice you. If this silence goes on for three more seconds, I’ll divide you. Are we clear?”)
(“I don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet. The name’s Baiken, and I know my way around the sword. The kid told me everything… That this was a plot by some nasty people. You protect my people, and I’ll protect you. Even if it costs my life.”)
Brendan’s Versus Battles 
