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Yashamaru Kurama (鞍馬くらま 夜叉丸やしゃまる) is a character from the Samurai Shodown series. He debuted in the 2019 reboot of Samurai Shodown as the main protagonist.

Story[]

A young and fallen samurai who stalks the shadows as the phantom thief "Karasu Tengu." Brandishing an heirloom nagamaki, he fights using the ancestral tengu powers he has inherited.[1]

The only thing he wasn’t aware of is that he is targeted by the possessed Shizuka, who mistook him for Yoshitsune.

Personality[]

He loathes villains who exploit the weak for financial gain. Because his father was executed on false charges in the past, he has developed a deep and unparalleled hatred for the corruption within Tokugawa Shogunate, even proclaiming himself as Yoshitora Tokugawa’s rival. Aside being a thief, he is also a ruthless vigilante who will stop corrupted crimes mercilessly, something which the remaining uncorrupted Bakufu members like Yoshitora cannot.[1]

Powers[]

  • Tengu Heritage - Due to his lineage, he possesses mystical aspects of the Tengu such as speed, senses and heightened reflexes and movement.

Fighting Style[]

Yashamaru fights with his Nagamaki, a long-handled sword that nearly resembles a polearm or even a naginata, except that the blade occupies half of the overall length. His lunging attacks and powerful expansion moves makes him formidable upclose, but is quite laggy in comparison when it comes to pokes and sword bouncing. Because of his weapon, he has better reach in comparison with the rest of the cast, though not as long as Gaoh's.

Music[]

  • The Crow - Samurai Shodown (2019)

Voice Actor[]

Japanese[]

Kōhei Amasaki
Koheiamasaki
List of Roles:

Appearances[]

Games[]

Mobile[]

  • Puzzle & Dragons

Gallery[]

Etymology[]

  • The name Yashamaru means "female demon" (夜叉) (yasha) and "round, circle, pills, purity, suffix for ship names, complete" (丸) (maru).
    • He shares his given name with one of the Kouga Clan ninjas in the novel The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. Yasha are a race of benevolent demons in Japanese Buddhism, and are counterparts to the malevolent rasetsu.
  • Yashamaru's surname Kurama means "saddle" (鞍) (kura) and "horse" (馬) (ma).
    • His surname, Kurama, is derived from a mountain in Japan where Sōjōbō, king of the tengu, was said to live. According to legend, it is where Sōjōbō taught swordsmanship to the folk hero Ushiwakamaru, more famously known as Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
      • His nagamaki, Shanaō, shares its name with the moniker that Sōjōbō granted Ushiwakamaru upon coming of age.

Trivia[]

  • As a descendant of tengu, Yashamaru is half-yōkai.
    • This makes him and Youkai Kusaregedo the only characters with such supernatural lineage, though Kusaregedo became one after death, while Yashamaru was born as such from the start.
    • His criminal alias, Karasu Tengu, literally meaning "Crow Tengu," is derived from a breed of tengu that takes on the appearance of a crow.
  • He shares his hatred of the Tokugawa clan with Amakusa, who was also historically executed by them. Amakusa would at first be the main villain of the first game, before eventually becoming something of an anti-hero and finally, a supporting hero.
  • His hair is naturally white. His black hair, which appears when he activates the Rage Bar, represents the Tengu lineage of Yashamaru, as well as the blood stain that appears on his face in one of his win poses.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Samurai Spirits (2019) Official website". Yashamaru Kurama character page.
Samurai Shodown characters
SamSho I Logo Sprite HaohmaruNakoruruMamahahaUkyo TachibanaWan-FuTam TamCharlotte Christine de ColdeGalford D. WellerPoppyKyoshiro SenryoEarthquakeHanzo HattoriJubei YagyuGenan ShiranuiShiro Tokisada AmakusaPurple NakoruruKurokoHikyaku
SamSho II Logo Sprite Genjuro KibagamiCham ChamPaku PakuNeinhalt SiegerNicotine CaffeineMizuki Rashojin
SamSho III Logo Sprite Shizumaru HisameRimururuBasaraGaira CaffeineKim Ung CheZankuro MinazukiShikuru
SamSho IV Logo Sprite Kazuki KazamaSogetsu KazamaAku Amakusa
SamSho 64 Logo ShikiHanma YagyuGandaraDeku & DekuinaYuga the Destroyer
SamSho 64-2 Logo AsuraShadow AsuraHalf-Shaded Shiki‎‎Taizan MorozumiKarakuri HanmaEnja KazukiSuija Sogetsu
SamSho Warriors Rage Seishiro KukiJin-Emon HanafusaJushiro SakakiRinka YoshinoSayaHaito KanakuraYaci IzanagiGaryo the WhirlwindRan PoMikotoTohma KukiTashon MaoDarumaMintoMugenjiYudaSamuraiHanzo HattoriIga NinjaBruteOboro's AmazonsKunou SeishiroOboro
Nakoruru ADV Logo MikatoHokuteYantamuManariOutadaHibabaUbabaMibabaRera
SamSho V Logo Sprite Yoshitora TokugawaMina MajikinaChampleRasetsumaruEnjaSuijaLiu YunfeiYoukai KusaregedoTam TamPoppySankuro YorozuYumeji KurokouchiGaoh
SamSho VI Logo AndrewIrohaSugoroku MatsuribayashiOcha-Maro KarakuriDemon Gaoh
SamSho EOD Logo SuzuhimeAngelicaTakechiyoGarrosJ.Kim Hae-RyeongWalterJinbei SugamataBlack HawkKirianClaudeDracoGolba
SamSho 2019 Logo Yashamaru KuramaDarli DaggerWu-RuixiangShizuka GozenHibiki TakaneWardenGongsun LiBaiken
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