"If none can know what lies ahead, then losing one's way is just human nature." ― Yoshimitsu
Note: This page is about the first Yoshimitsu from the SoulCalibur series, as well as his SoulCalibur VI incarnation. For his successors of the same name, go to Yoshimitsu II or Yoshimitsu (Tekken).
Yoshimitsu is a recurring playable character in the SoulCalibur series. He is the leader of the Manji Clan.
Background[]
The name Yoshimitsu has been carried by many warriors throughout history, but the most notable bearers of that mantle are the Yoshimitsu of the Manji Clan. Said clan was a group of chivalrous thieves that has existed since before the 1600s. The story of the first Yoshimitsu commenced when Oda Nobunaga attempted to ally himself with the Manji Clan. The elderly chief of the clan, accompanied by his strongest warrior, Yoshimitsu, visited Nobunaga but declined his offer in order to keep his organization hidden. Infuriated, Nobunaga decimated Yoshimitsu's village, inciting the ire of the warrior, who attempted to defeat the tyrant in a one on one duel but lost his hand in the process. That fateful event made the warrior thirsty for revenge. Armed with a new artificial wooden arm and his trusty katana, Yoshimitsu searched for the most powerful weapon in the world, Soul Edge, in order to defeat Nobunaga. However, during his travels, Yoshimitsu found out that Soul Edge was extremely dangerous for the wielder, and if it were to fall into the wrong hands, it could bring ruin upon the world. With help from the Manji clan, Yoshimitsu sought after the fragments of Soul Edge that were scattered throughout the world.
Stats[]
Attack Potency: Large City Level (Was able to grind Soul Edge to dust. Inferno was able to cause a massive hole in a set of clouds.) | Small City Level (Fought Sophitia, who defeated Cervantes when he was in possession of Soul Edge, with which he caused a large storm.)
Speed: Supersonic+ (Comparable to Ivy Valentine, who was able to react to bullets from Cervantes' gun.) | Transonic to Supersonic (Comparable to Heishiro Mitsurugi, who dodged bullets from a Tanegashima rifle, which have a speed range of Mach 0.714286-1.06414)
Durability: Large City Level (Equal to his Attack Potency) | Small City Level (Equal to his Attack Potency.)
Hax: Soul Manipulation, Self-healing, Poison Manipulation, Shapeshifting, Hypnosis.
Intelligence: High (Has developed an extremely clever fighting style based on distracting and confusing the enemy. Often uses ingenious tactics to catch the enemy off-guard.)
Stamina: Unspecified (Has no notable showings of it.)
Powers, Techniques, and Equipment[]
Powers[]
- Fighting Style: His style is known as Advanced Manji Ninjutsu. Both his moveset and his outfits are designed to be rule-breakers that confuse and humiliate the opponent. Makes use of dirty tactics like spitting poisonous gas. Makes use of plenty of spinning moves that deal repeated damage. While he shines at sword-wielding, Yoshimitsu is also quite skilled at hand-to-hand combat. Can make use of different stances to mix up his tactics:
- Meditation: Yoshimitsu turns his back to the enemy and heals himself. It can also be used to deliver suicide attacks.
- Indian Stance: Yoshimitsu sits down. Can be used to heal himself or to deliver attacks to the opponent's lower half.
- Manji Dragonfly: Yoshimitsu spins his sword like a helicopter and uses it to fly.
- Flea Stance: Yoshimitsu uses two swords as stilts and uses them to walk and jump.
- Kincho: Yoshimitsu brandishes his Wakizashi to deliver critical strikes.
- Soul Manipulation: Yoshimitsu has the power to manipulate his or his enemy's soul. Can absorb the enemy's soul to heal himself. Can inject his own soul into the enemy's body.
- Poison: Yoshimitsu can spew a venomous gas directly at the opponent's face.
- Teleportation: Yoshimitsu can teleport himself in short distances.
- Flight: By making use of his Manji Dragonfly stance, he can soar through the skies.
- Shapeshifting: Yoshimitsu can alter his appearance at will, making him able to pass off as someone else at any time.
- Hypnosis: By making the enemy look directly into his sword, Yoshimitsu can hypnotize the enemy and force them to say the truth.
Techniques[]
- Glimpse of Heaven and Hell: Yoshimitsu's Critical Finish, which he can use after destroying the enemy's armor. Yoshimitsu immobilizes the foe's legs and then gets behind them before slicing their nape open.
- Ghost Thief Funeral: Yoshimitsu rises up and slashes down on his opponent, takes their soul and slices it into three. He then absorbs their soul while they collapse to the ground.
Equipment[]
- Yoshimitsu: A cursed sword passed down from generations by the Manji Clan. Contains demonic energy from Soul Edge. Can divert evil energy. Can be imbued with fire and lightning. If anyone whose name is not Yoshimitsu uses this sword, they will suffer damage.
- Fu-Ma Blade: A wakizashi, a shorter variant of the katana. Used for assassination techniques in his Kincho stance.
- Sashimono: A large banner that Yoshimitsu carries behind his back. Intended to be nothing more than a decoration, but Yoshimitsu can use it as a blunt weapon.
- Prosthetic Arm: A tradition of all Yoshimitsu warriors. A wooden prosthetic arm that can be used to block hits. Can spin its wrist at high speed.
Key[]
Original Timeline | New Timeline
Minor Feats[]
Attack Potency/Strength[]
- Casually throws around heavy foes like a fully-armored Astaroth or Nightmare.
- Casually sliced through metallic bars.
- Defeated Tira.
- Defeated Sophitia Alexandra. (SC6)
Speed/Reactions[]
- Comparable to Mitsurugi, who is able to dodge bullets fired from a Tanegashima rifle.
- Reacted to an oncoming gear that was about to crush him.
- Reacted to an unexpected cage that was going to trap him.
- Blocked a scythe thrown at him by Abyss.
Durability/Endurance[]
- Often endures many stab wounds and impalement during battles.
- Can endure attacks from Abyss.
Skill/Intelligence[]
- Became the leader of the Manji Clan.
- Defeated the evil spirit that lurked inside his sword and tamed it. (SC6)
Powerscaling[]
In both of his incarnations, Yoshimitsu is one of the mid-tiers of the verse. He's been able to destroy the Soul Edge itself in one of his endings, and in his SC6 story, he was able to best Sophitia in combat. However, scaling him to the high-tiers such as Algol or Nightmare's full power is rather iffy due to its lack of consistency.
Weaknesses[]
- Harakiri and spinning moves cause damage to him.
Versus Compendium's Conclusions[]
Notable Wins:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches: