Hanzo Hattori

Hanzo Hattori (服部 半蔵, Hattori Hanzō) is one of the few characters introduced in Samurai Shodown that appears in every title of the series. He is based on the historical figure of the same name, who was a Tokugawa ninja and head of a clan in Iga (in various fictional mediums). Like several other mythical incarnations, he is an old friend to Jubei Yagyu due to their ties to the Tokugawa clan. He also married a Koga ninja, Kaede, quelling a long feud between the two ninja clans that is often romanticized in the historical novel, "The Kouga Ninja Scrolls". He also appears as a secret character in another SNK Playmore game, KOF: Maximum Impact 2.

He was the development team's third favorite character in Samurai Shodown II. In Gamest's 1997 Heroes Collection, Hanzo ranked 46 of the staff's favorite characters. He shared the spot with seven other characters, including Art of Fighting character, Robert Garcia and Darkstalkers character, Demitri Maximoff. He has one known action figure, based on his appearance in Samurai Shodown 64.

Story
He is the mightiest of the Iga ninja, employed under the Tokugawa shogunate. Leading his band of ninja, he specializes in assassination attacks against their enemies. For instance, in Samurai Shodown V, Hanzo is given the task to execute the traitor to Yoshitora Tokugawa's father. In Samurai Shodown, he discovers his son, Shinzo, exhibiting mysterious mannerisms due to Shiro Tokisada Amakusa's possession. He fights to save his son but only succeeds in recovering Shinzo's body. Eventually, Hanzo learns that Shinzo's soul is still in the demon world so he sets out with his wife and his second son, Kanzo, to retrieve it. In his ending to Samurai Shodown II, they succeed but Kaede sacrifices herself to unite her son's soul to his body. Despite the hardship, he continues to serve his lord with his sons by his side.

Personality
Hanzo is a serious and condescending man. He is often seen laughing at his enemies in a superior manner. He wants to fight worthy opponents and knows that his fate is to die in battle.

Powers
Aside from these powers, he also has all the skills perceived to be had by ninja (stealth, swimming, climbing, ect.)


 * Use of Shurikens - Hanzo is only character in series to use shuriken projectiles.
 * Pyrotechnical Attacks - Hanzo uses a variety of fire-based ninja attacks, such as ground fire waves, various applications of normal and flash bombs.
 * Bonebreaking Taijutsu - Hanzo can use specific hand-to-hand fighting skills, grabs and acrobatic moves to break the bones of his opponents.
 * Invisibility - Hanzo can become invisible at will, in some cases it requires use of flash bomb.
 * Teleportation - Hanzo can teleport to short distances.

Fighting Style
Comparable to other ninja in fiction, Hanzo's ninjutsu focuses on the mystical properties of the style rather than its physical fighting techniques. He possesses the ability to teleport and trick his attackers with a dummy when hit. He can also create multiple illusions of himself in hopes of misleading his opponents for an open strike. He later integrates a heavy emphasis on bone-breaking grappling, a trait that follows him in his newer appearances. When first introduced, he and Galford nearly mirrored each other in most aspects. As the series progresses, however, Hanzo becomes the slightly slower but more powerful of the two ninja. His projectile element is fire, whereas his counterpart, Galford, is lightning. He can also throw shurikens and use a variety of bombs to stun or damage his enemies.

In Edge of Destiny, his fighting style is more ephasised on kicks, featuring different kinds such as somersault kicks or aerial spinkicks. Most of these can be seen in first round of this reference video.

Music

 * Shadow (影, kage) - Samurai Shodown
 * True Shadow (真影, shin kage) - Samurai Shodown II
 * Prison (獄, hitoya) - Samurai Shodown III
 * Darkness (闇, yami) - Samurai Shodown 64

Voice Actors

 * Masaki Usui - Samurai Shodown, Edge of Destiny, KOF Maximum Impact 2, Samurai Shodown VI (re-dub voice)
 * Toshimitsu Arai - Samurai Shodown II ~ 64 series
 * Hiroyuki Koga - Samurai Shodown VI
 * Liou Johnson - KOF Maximum Impact 2 (English voice)
 * Takeshi Aono - Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture
 * Mungle Roberts - Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture (English voice)
 * Yūsaku Yara - Samurai Shodown Dengeki drama CD series

Game Appearances



 * Samurai Shodown
 * Samurai Shodown II
 * Samurai Shodown III
 * Samurai Shodown IV
 * Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden - as a guest member
 * Samurai Shodown 64
 * Samurai Shodown 64-2 - his Bust form will not appear as a CPU opponent
 * Samurai Shodown V
 * Samurai Shodown V Special
 * Samurai Shodown VI
 * KOF: Maximum Impact 2
 * KOF: Maximum Impact Regulation A
 * Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny

Mobile Appearances

 * Samurai Spirits - Shimensouka (enemy character)
 * Samurai Spirits - Makai Rineki

Cameo Appearances

 * Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage - in his son's ending
 * Days of Memories (third title) - in-text cameo; seen in various stories
 * Maid by Iroha
 * Samurai Spirits (pachinko)
 * Samurai Spirits Gaiden: Cham Cham

Anime Appearances

 * Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture

Similar Characters

 * Hanzo Hattori (WR)