The character that I drew the most overall inspiration from in an SNK character that originated from the original Samurai Shodown. Â Her name is Nakoruru, she is a priestess of the Ainu people, and a guardian and protector of nature. Â She fights those who harm nature with a kodachi (a dagger), her hawk companion, and a large wolf. Â Nakoruru is the reason I wanted Manari to be close to nature, and also love animals. Â
Manari and Nakoruru now share a similarity that I never even intended, and it's just an awesome coincidence at this point. Â Nakoruru is a gentle soul, sweet and kind. Â There are times when keeping the balance of nature requires killing. Â Sometimes it's a rabid or feral beast that is out of control, or sometimes it's a person. Â In either case, Nakoruru's kind heart is sometimes unable to take life. Â In the Samurai Shodown series, there is another Nakoruru. Â She is normally wearing purple and has a darker expression on her face. Â Eventually in the later games she got her own name, separate from Nakoruru. Â Her name is Rera, and she is the one who appears when it's time to take the life of another. Â The series is fairly vague on her exact origin. Â Is she some facet of Nakoruru's personality? Â A split personality perhaps? Â Is she a vengeful Ainu spirit? Â Either way, she takes the lives that Nakoruru can't. Â I have sort of given manari a moral struggle with taking lives in ARR, there isn't really a split personality, but she does put on a mask when she has to hunt people at night, and she believes just as the masks hide you from Woodsin, her mask will hide her from the sins she commits as she takes the lives of those she believes are threats to the healing of the Twelveswood. Â
Here is the darker side of Nakoruru. Â She's not evil at all, she's just willing to kill. Â
The second part is kind of a crazy revelation I just had. Â Perhaps I was further inspired by Nakoruru on a more subconscious level or something.
Manari and Nakoruru now share a similarity that I never even intended, and it's just an awesome coincidence at this point. Â Nakoruru is a gentle soul, sweet and kind. Â There are times when keeping the balance of nature requires killing. Â Sometimes it's a rabid or feral beast that is out of control, or sometimes it's a person. Â In either case, Nakoruru's kind heart is sometimes unable to take life. Â In the Samurai Shodown series, there is another Nakoruru. Â She is normally wearing purple and has a darker expression on her face. Â Eventually in the later games she got her own name, separate from Nakoruru. Â Her name is Rera, and she is the one who appears when it's time to take the life of another. Â The series is fairly vague on her exact origin. Â Is she some facet of Nakoruru's personality? Â A split personality perhaps? Â Is she a vengeful Ainu spirit? Â Either way, she takes the lives that Nakoruru can't. Â I have sort of given manari a moral struggle with taking lives in ARR, there isn't really a split personality, but she does put on a mask when she has to hunt people at night, and she believes just as the masks hide you from Woodsin, her mask will hide her from the sins she commits as she takes the lives of those she believes are threats to the healing of the Twelveswood. Â
Here is the darker side of Nakoruru. Â She's not evil at all, she's just willing to kill. Â
The second part is kind of a crazy revelation I just had. Â Perhaps I was further inspired by Nakoruru on a more subconscious level or something.
======================================================================