Kazuki Kazama

Kazuki Kazama (風間 火月, Kazama Kazuki) is a reoccurring character and one of the co-main protagonists introduced in Samurai Shodown IV.

The Gamest staff voted Kazuki as their 35th favorite character in their 1997 Heroes Collection.

Story
When Sogetsu and Kazuki were infants, they were found underneath a bridge. It's unknown if they are truly related to one another but they became ninja of the Kazama clan. In Samurai Shodown V, he is ordered to execute a powerful fire-demon named Enja. He searches for the demon and eventually encounters him. Enja, however, is too powerful an opponent for Kazuki but, his younger sister, Hazuki saves his and Sogetsu's life by sealing the demons in each brother's respective weapons.

In the 2019 reboot, the 3 Kazama siblings are tasked to investigate and neutralize the ominous events. Kazuki wants to deal with the threat all by himself to prevent it from escalating and to save his siblings the trouble, and does so successfully.

In Samurai Shodown IV, after he learns that Hazuki was kidnapped by Amakusa, Kazuki decides to desert the clan to rescue her, essentially becoming a nukenin, a rogue ninja. His clan does not tolerate traitors and insubordination and they send his brother Sogetsu to assassinate him and eliminate Amakusa as well. The two rendezvous at Amakusa's castle. There, Kazuki defeats Amakusa and saves his sister. Sogetsu, on the other hand, stays behind to fight Zankuro. After faking his death to his clan, Kazuki and Hazuki continue to run away together and live a carefree life. Sogetsu on the other hand hides Kazuki and Hazuki's existence by influencing the clan's movements so that they don't encounter the two, and taking interest in the clan's leadership.

The 64 series has him pursue Yuga to first avenge the death of his foster father. Eventually, he also needs to rescue a captive Hazuki. To gain the power necessary to save his sister, he recklessly taps into power of the spirit sealed in his sword and is overwhelmed. He succeeded in saving Hazuki as well as suppressing Enja. From then on, he chooses to live a peaceful existence with Hazuki.

In Sen, he was living peacefully with Hazuki in a village. When he finds her wounded, she pleads with him to help a girl who was taken away. He leaves to carry out his sister's request. Kazuki returns from seclusion and openly helped Sogetsu eliminate his would-be killers and confront Genshinsai for ordering his and Hazuki's death. Sogetsu orders his brother to return and stay with Hazuki after the ordeal, after witnessing Genshinsai commit suicide.

In the alternate continuity of Samurai Shodown VI, he successfully removes his status as a Nukenin with Hazuki through Sogetsu's intervention, reintegrating into the clan and together leading successful careers as prominent shinobis.

Personality
Kazuki is a hot-headed and rambunctious youth, lacking the emotional restraint common to other ninja characters. He often goes with his gut feelings, choosing to ignore the consequences of his actions until he's faced with it. He cares deeply for his siblings, though he often dotes on Hazuki.

He respects his brother Sogetsu, but won't hesitate to fight him if necessary, though he values him just as he would Hazuki. He is though insecure of the fact Sogetsu is more skilled in battle than he is, and wishes to prove his own worth.

Kazuki sometimes is known for his suicidal zeal in battle, not minding to die (or burning out) in one and treats every battle as his last, showing fearlessness of the possibility of defeat.

Powers

 * Pyrokinesis: Due to his ninjutsu training, Kazuki can control fire. He can create a bright fire from thin air, create fire balls, deliver punches of fire, create pillars of fire and put his own body on fire without suffering from any ill-effects. He is not immune to other types of fire. He cannot control other fires that he didn't create.
 * Replacement Dummy: He can create and explode a double of himself, appearing in a different location moments later.
 * Bunshin - Kazuki can create a mirror image of himself and perform a kamikaze attack on his opponent.
 * Teleport - Kazuki can disappear in a fiery smoke and appear in a different location.

Fighting Style
Kazuki is a sharp contrast to his brother in that most of his attacks are short-ranged and risky if preformed improperly. His only long ranged attack is a fireball projectile. In his first appearance, his "Shura/Slash" mode can form up to three mini fireballs which may boost his special moves. His "Rasetsu/Bust" mode relies on an aggressive, close combat, combo-special move that deals massive damage. It later carries over to be Enja's fighting style.

Similar to the changes his brother received in Samurai Shodown 64, he gains a slightly new fighting style and stance in Sen. In this new stance, his sword is unsheathed and held ready at his shoulder. He uses his free hand to punch or grab his opponents.

Music

 * Blaze - Samurai Shodown IV
 * Homura (Flame) - Samurai Shodown 64
 * Blaze -Part III- - Samurai Shodown (2019)

Voice Actors

 * Atsushi Yamanishi - Samurai Shodown IV~Samurai Shodown Sen
 * Masahiro Okazaki - Samurai Shodown VI
 * Masaki Masaki - Samurai Shodown (2019)

Game Appearances

 * Samurai Shodown IV
 * Samurai Shodown!
 * Samurai Shodown 64
 * Samurai Shodown! 2
 * Samurai Shodown 64-2 - players will only encounter Enja Kazuki during story mode
 * Samurai Shodown V
 * Samurai Shodown V Special
 * Samurai Shodown V Perfect
 * Samurai Shodown VI
 * Samurai Shodown Sen
 * Samurai Shodown (2019) - DLC character (also in Retro 3D graphics)

Mobile Appearances

 * Samurai Shodown Online
 * SNK Fighting Age

Cameo Appearances

 * Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden (Neo-Geo CD version only; cameo)
 * Samurai Spirits (pachinko)
 * Samurai Spirits Oni
 * Samurai Shodown (2019) - in Sogetsu's ending; also mentioned during the Story Mode

Similar Characters

 * Enja
 * Enja Kazuki

Etymology

 * The name Kazuki means "Tuesday" (火月).
 * Kazuki's surname Kazama means "wind, breeze, way, manner, blaster, gale, gust, sirocco, method" (風) (kaza) and "while, time, interval, space, pause, chamber, room, apartment, leisure, chance, entr'acte, intervening, as" (間) (ma).

Early Game Name

 * The name Shuen means "vermilion red" (朱) (shu) and "flame, blaze" (炎) (en).
 * Shuen's surname Hagakure means "leaf, plane, lobe, needle, blade, spear, counter for flat things, fragment, piece" (葉) (ha) and "conceal, hide/hidden, cover" (隠) (gakure).
 * "Hagakure" is the name of a book, also known as "The Book of the Samurai" written in Japan in the 1700s during the Edo period when Japan had no domestic or international conflict. It recounts thoughts on how Bushido can be applied in a time of peace. It became popular again during the Pacific War. Perhaps the title is meant to reference a warrior that is hidden, unseen when not needed.
 * He shares this surname with Toru Hagakure, a character appearing in the My Hero Academia series.

Trivia

 * In early game design documents he was given the working name Shuen Hagakure (葉隠 朱炎, Hagakure Shuen).
 * When asked "The path of the sword is?", Kazuki's response is "If the battle gets hot enough to burn me out, then so be it."
 * He was the character inspiration for Inui Banjin from the Rurouni Kenshin series.