Kilik

Kilik (キリク, Kiriku) is one of the main protagonists of Namco's Soul series of fighting games. First appearing in Soulcalibur, he has returned as a starting character for all subsequent games in the series, with the exception of Soulcalibur Legends. Kilik is well known among Soulcalibur fans for his defining practice of rod martial arts. Kilik returns in Soulcalibur V as a mimic character who uses at random the fighting styles used by male characters, as opposed to Elysium, who mimics female styles and Edge Master, who mimics all styles. One method of unlocking him is to defeat him in Arcade mode (setting on Asia route). Another method is by defeating him in the first stage of Legendary Souls mode with any playable character.

Biography
===Soulcalibur ===

One night, his "sister", Xianglian, visited him as he was deep in thought, and revealed that she had become elected for inheritor of the holy mirror Dvapara-Yuga. But she also divulged the details of a conversation she had overheard: that only two of the treasures still existed at the temple, because the Krita-Yuga had been stolen years ago by her biological father and that the monks had been hiding this the entire time. She had been nominated for the Dvapara-Yuga instead, because she had told the master of the temple that she felt unworthy to inherit the Krita-Yuga, considering her family history, and her selfless reflection was a prominent feature of her inheritance of Dvapara-Yuga. However, the night before the succession ceremony, the Evil Seed came down on the temple, and an evil presence overwhelmed the inhabitants. Sensing the evil, the monks who were preparing for the ceremony immediately transferred ownership of the holy artifacts to Kilik and Xianglian. Minutes later, everyone in the temple lost their sanity except Xianglian. With madness combined with his great skills, Kilik killed many temple members as everyone fought one-another. Xianglian realized the power of the mirror and slung it around Kilik's shoulder, causing him to regain his sanity as she lost hers. When Kilik had completely regained his senses, he realized that the monks had slaughtered each other. He tried to leave, but the only other known survivor, Xianglian, blocked his way, now totally corrupted by the Evil Seed, and attacked him. He tried to avoid hurting her, but was forced to kill her in self-defense.

An old man, the Edge Master—adviser and teacher of the Ling-Sheng Su martial arts—found Kilik's unconscious body in the temple. He set the corrupted temple on fire and carried Kilik home. After two days, Kilik finally awoke, and Edge Master told him the truth: Kilik and Kali-Yuga had been infected with the Evil Seed, the source of which was the demonic sword, Soul Edge. The only thing protecting his sanity was the Dvapara-Yuga, and he could never remove the holy mirror from his shoulder at any time. Wrought with grief that his life had come at the sacrifice of Xianglian's, Kilik trained with Edge Master for three years, trying to learn to control the evil within himself and Kali-Yuga. Once his training was complete, Edge Master gave him the final test of destroying the Soul Edge, and Kilik embarked on that quest to purify himself and his weapon.

On his journey, Kilik traveled to an Indian Port to request a pirate ship to take him where he wanted to go. He met the Japanese pirate of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Kyam, who instantly took a liking to him, and granted Kilik's request for boarding, provided the ship's captain, Maxi, agreed when he returned. As Kilik waited for Maxi, a mysterious ship approached, which resulted in an attack, led by Astaroth. Maxi returned and Kilik assisted him during the attack. Astaroth managed to remove Dvapara-Yuga, causing Kilik to lose sanity and attack Maxi. Maxi suppressed Kilik long enough to put Dvapara-Yuga back on him and they continued to fight, but every member of Maxi's crew was left dead, and Maxi decided to aid Kilik in his quest. Later, the two met Xianghua, a member of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Guard, who aided them in their travels. (Although neither Kilik nor Xianghua knew that Xianglian was her long-lost sister.) With Maxi and Xianghua's help, Kilik stormed Ostrheinsburg Castle and defeated Nightmare, although Maxi was thought to be killed and the Dvapara-Yuga was destroyed. Kilik figured out he had learned to control the demonic powers within him and Kali-Yuga as he kept his sanity after Dvapara-Yuga was destroyed.

After Nightmare's defeat, Xianghua and Kilik were challenged by the demonic entity, Inferno, within a demonic void. Kilik was too weak to fight, so Xianghua fought in his stead. During the battle, her keepsake Tai Chi jian transformed into the holy sword, Soul Calibur, allowing her to defeat Inferno. In the end, however, she was forced to leave the sword behind in order to drag Kilik to safety as the void collapsed.

Soulcalibur II
Afterward, Kilik returned alone to Edge Master's hermitage, continuing to perfect the technique of neutralizing and purifying evil energy. Four years later, he sensed the return of Soul Edge, and set out on another journey to defeat Soul Edge once and for all, so that he could atone for the sins he committed the night of the fateful Evil Seed. Along the way, he encountered Xianghua again. They argued over their difference of opinions (namely, they both argued that it was their duty to destroy Soul Edge this time), but they still traveled together in the end.

Soulcalibur III
While purifying a town infected with evil, the two encountered Zasalamel. Kilik engaged Zasalamel in battle, but lost. Before he lost consciousness, Kilik heard Zasalamel tell him that if he challenged Soul Edge unprepared, he would be trapped in its dark abyss. He awoke a month later in Edge Master's hermitage, carried there by Xianghua. Sensing a terrible energy within his wounds, Edge Master had performed a special ritual to treat them. Kilik realized that he would not be able to seal Soul Edge with his current strength. Thinking to himself, he placed his hand on his chest and realized that the fragment of the Dvapara-Yuga was gone.

Edge Master then ordered Kilik to begin training. He surrounded himself in a dark aura, similar to a person affected by the Evil Seed. Armed with only the Kali-Yuga, Kilik realized that his target should be the evil energy within Edge Master. Within three months, Kilik managed to strike Edge Master with a purifying blow, enough to free his teacher's mind, but at the same time, seriously injuring him.

Edge Master told Kilik that even though he still lacked skill, and that a pure spirit strikes only at evil without harming the body, he noted that Kilik had made good progress in a short time. He handed Kilik another fragment of the Dvapara-Yuga and a letter from Xianghua. She wrote that she would improve on her skills and regain her courage, and she believed that together, they would be able to destroy Soul Edge. With these words, Kilik set out west to once again pursue the evil.

Soulcalibur IV
After finishing his training, Kilik realized that Soul Calibur was an entity that was no different from Soul Edge. Their powers had to be balanced so they could eliminate each other.

He and Xianghua had been traveling together for quite some time. He knew that she had feelings for him, as he had feelings for her, but he could not return them because she looked almost exactly like Xianglian, the woman whom he looked up to as an older sister. Every time Xianghua smiled at him, he was reminded of the fact that he murdered Xianglian with his own two hands.

As the two of them got nearer to the cursed city of Ostrheinsburg, Kilik planned on leaving Xianghua when the time was right. He convinced himself that he must bring balance between the two swords.

Soulcalibur V
The light of the moon filtered through a single window. A smile gracing his lips, Kilik caressed the cheek of the sleeping Xianghua one more time and layed down his cherished pendant beside her; the stone that was a keepsake of his elder sister.

Surrendering to his destiny, he had decided to interfere in the battle of the source of evil, Soul Edge, and the spirit sword, Soul Calibur, to find a way to stop them. It is a harsh path; one where he must abandon all. He lamented it for the young woman who loved him dearly, Xianghua. She had accepted Kilik and his terrible fate entirely, embracing him, wanting to be together no matter what...

"It's because you have accepted me, that I can live with my destiny."

Before the stroke of dawn, there was no longer any remaining trace of Kilik. To atone for his own crimes, he will protect the world of his beloved. These were all events at the end of the 16th Century.

During all that time he spent trying to close the astral gates, Kilik touched the memories of the souls that wander Astral Chaos which allowed him to learn both their styles and that of those who defeated them. The weapons were apparently re-materialized with the help of the "power of chaos".

In Other Characters' Storylines
Following the events of Soulcalibur IV, Maxi was informed by Edge Master that Kilik would need to pass the Kali Yuga to Xiba in order to protect his soul. This was actually completed before the events of Soulcalibur V and since then the close-knit group of Maxi, Kilik and Xianghua have separated. While Maxi now travels with Xiba, Natsu, and Leixia, Kilik followed in his master's footsteps and has, as he puts it himself, "reached enlightenment."

He also purified Voldo during the events of Soulcalibur IV, shattering Soul Edge's delusion that Voldo was serving.