Rera

Rera (レラ, Rera), whose name means "wind" in Ainu, is a character in the Samurai Shodown series. She is based on the alternate palette swap of Nakoruru (noted for her evil grin during her victory images since Samurai Shodown). The developers admit basing her mannerism on Nakoruru's "Rasetsu/Bust" form, a different shade of the girl that appears to predominately have her own persona in Samurai Shodown 64-2.

Story
The "Rasetsu/Bust" form of Nakoruru often feels unashamed in her victories and wasn't afraid to tempt others to do "the easiest thing", such as abandoning the conflict or pitting good comrades against one another. In the first OVA for the series, people aside from Nakoruru are able to see and talk to her, featured as a separate unexplained being resembling Nakoruru. Like a trickster in plays, she disappears and enters as she pleases, usually to "play" with another person that Nakoruru holds dear. She even threatened to kill her other half if her way didn't succeed. It is said that Nakoruru suppressed this side of herself as it saw killing as a necessity to protect nature.

Rera's first unique appearance was in Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono as a mysterious specter. Here, she is more blunt to her demands to slay others, sometimes insulting her more "gullible" half to do her duty. Though it was a time of peace during this game, Nakoruru could already sense disasters that would soon occur. If she chose to try and ignore these premonitions, Rera would appear to her in a dream-like state to remind her and insist that actions be made. Her name isn't made clear to the players until much later in the game. Unlike previous entries of the series, it's unknown if other people can see her; Rimururu hinted that she could yet her friends could not. Her act of slaying a wild bear in this game is reenacted in her scenario in Samurai Shodown V.

When Samurai Shodown V takes place, her frustration with the frightened girl had reached its peak; Nakoruru would not search for her father, the missing Rimururu, or even protect herself from danger. She takes over Nakoruru's body and embarks on her journey. It's unclear which persona Nakoruru left with in the official story, but it's insinuated that Rera did the fighting for her other half in this game. After Gaoh's defeat, she merges with her host, realizing that fighting doesn't solve everything and peaceful solutions can be made. Nakoruru's stronger will in her adulthood kept Rera mostly in check from then on.

Personality
Rera is the aggressive and haughty ego of Nakoruru. She will not hesitate to kill those in her way and believes that the results, not methods, are more important in the end.

Powers

 * Energy Slash: Rera's weapon can be fueled with ki energy.
 * Reflector: With the power of her cloak, Rera can reflect a projectile back to its sender.
 * Materialization: When she feels that it's necessary, she will project herself to her host and others. To what extent is left unclear since it varies in the games she's in.

Fighting Style
She fights similar to Nakoruru's "Rasetsu/Bust" form in previous games. She fights with a kodachi and her wolf named Shikuru. To compensate for her short weapon range, players must rely on her speed to punish her opponents' mistakes. She can also recover from her moves a little quicker than other characters, making it easier for her to hit-and-run during fights. To balance her out with the rest of the cast, her attack strength is slightly weaker than most fighters. Her move set usually incorporates slightly longer ranged attacks that project her or her animal companions to her foes so her attack range isn't limited to her sword. She can also reflect projectiles with the move, Kamui Ryusei.

Unlike other pets, Shikuru serves primarily as Rera's battle mount. Shikuru is a necessity for several of his master's special moves, as having her travel on him is a great emphasis to mastering her form of gameplay. Whilst Rera mounts him, the player can run faster and jump longer distances -at the sacrifice of a lower height. If their opponents attempt to attack, she can quickly counter with Shikuru's rush attack, which may also launch Rera after the blow for increased damage. Players may be handicapped, however, due to the heavy reliance put on mounting Shikuru. For instance, Rera cannot mount him if he is too far away from her and when she is in the process of mounting him, she remains temporarily vulnerable to any attack.

Game Appearances

 * Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono
 * Samurai Shodown V
 * Samurai Shodown V Special
 * Samurai Shodown VI

Anime Appearances

 * Nakoruru ~Ano hito kara no okurimono~ (OVA)
 * Samurai Spirits 2: Asura-Zanmaden (OVA)

Similar Characters

 * Nakoruru