Xianghua

Jaxel · Jan 3, 2013

Chai Xianghua

Character
Debut:	Soulcalibur
Voice (E):	Wendee Lee
Voice (J):	Aya Hisakawa (SC1-3) Ryōko Shintani (SC4, SC6)
Biography
Age:	16 (SC1) 20 (SC2-4)
Birthplace:	Peking, Ming Empire
Birthday:	April 2, 1570
Blood:	B
Height:	5'0" (152 cm)
Weight:	101 lbs (46 kg) (SC1-4) 92 lbs (42 kg) (SC6)
Family:	Mother / deceased Father / deceased, according to her mother Older sister / deceased (unaware) Son / Xiba (SC5) Husband / Yan Wujin (SC5) Daughter / Leixia (SC5)
Fighting Style
Type:	Chinese Sword
Weapon:	Krita-Yuga (SC1, SC6) No Name (SC2-4)
Discipline:	Sword style passed down from her mother

Chai Xianghua (チャイ・シャンファ, Chai Shanfa, Chinese: 柴香華 Pinyin: Chái Xiānghuà) made her first appearance in Soulcalibur and has returned for Soulcalibur II, Soulcalibur III, Soulcalibur IV, and Soulcalibur VI. Her daughter, Leixia, appears in Soulcalibur V along with her son, Xiba.

Character Overview

Since Xianghua had deserted the military, she should have been arrested when she went to train with the general. It was only Edgemaster's letter that convinces the general to shelter her. He had studied at the Li-Seng Shu temple, and remembered what the old man had taught him. It is tradition in the Chai family for everyone to become a great warrior and serve the country.

A long time ago, one son of the Chai family settled in the Li-Seng Shu temple to become a great swordsman. His daughter, Xiangfei, was born in the nearby town and was sent to train at the temple. She was a great swordswoman, and surpassed many of the monks at the temple. If she had been a man, she would have inherited the Krita-Yuga. After the death of her father, Xiangfei trained even harder and fell in love with a monk named Kong Xiqiang.

He was thought to be the best candidate for the Succession of the Rod, Kali-Yuga. Sadly, their love was forbidden. Not until the birth of their daughter, Xianglian, was their love known to the monks. The monks were very strict about following the pure path, and the Temple took the child when it was two years old. Xiangfei was too sad to stay, so she left to never return. A family friend, Han Dongxiu, asked Kong why he stayed.

He told him to create his own future with his strength. With Han's help, Kong was able to sneak a sword (Krita-Yuga) to his lover, as a promise that they would one day meet again. When Xiangfei left, she was pregnant with her second child. She never told Kong, with hopes that he would continue his training, and focus on becoming the successor to the Kali-Yuga. She secretly returned to her homeland, where she became a soldier.

She gave birth to her second daughter, Xianghua, and never told her about her lineage. Meanwhile, the temple had realized that Kong had stolen the Krita-Yuga, and he was excommunicated and driven from the temple. Xianglian was left behind, where the monks decided to raise her as an orphan. Kong managed to trace down Xiangfei, discovering her links to the Chai family. However, the family asked him not to see Xiangfei, as she believed that he was training, and she would be heartbroken to see him there.

Kong agreed that it was best for him to leave, so he did, never knowing about his second daughter. Meanwhile, the temple was searching for the sword. Their first suspect was Xiangfei, but when they arrived, all they found was Xianghua playing with an old sword. After many years, they gave up the search. Nobody, not even Xiangfei, suspected that the sword that little Xianghua was playing with, was actually the Krita-Yuga in disguise. It turned into a battered old sword, in case it was ever separated from the other two temple treasures. Only Kong knew the truth. As time passed, Xianghua learned to use the sword. After her mother's death when Xianghua was ten, she was driven to train even harder. At sixteen, Xianghua became a member of the royal guards, never knowing that she had an older sister at the Li-Seng Shu temple.

Biography

Bio: Soulcalibur

Eventually, the emperor of Ming Dynasty China had become displeased with the search for the "Hero's Sword"; he never heard back from any that had ventured out, including Li Long. He sent members of his Imperial Guard to help the quest advance more quickly. The guards traveled under the guise of a traveling opera troupe, with Xianghua to be the main attraction, so as not to raise suspicion of their true motives.

As she prepared for her journey, she recalled her mother's dying words--that she was born to complete an important task and that she must cut her own path through an uncertain future. With her mother's keepsake tai chi jian, Xianghua left on her own. On her journey, she encountered a member of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple in China, Kilik, and a Japanese pirate of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Maxi.

Told of the Soul Edge's evil nature by Kilik, she agreed to aid both of them in their journey to destroy the evil blade, not knowing all the while that her long-lost older sister, Xianglian, had been killed by Kilik as she had been consumed by a Berserker rage on the night of the notorious Evil Seed. With Kilik and Maxi's help, Xianghua stormed Ostrheinsburg Castle. Maxi stayed behind and defeated the castle's guard, Astaroth, and disappeared soon after. Kilik and Xianghua together slayed the enemy hordes and reached Nightmare.

Kilik used his holy bo staff Kali-Yuga to defeat the azure knight, but immediately afterward, the combatants were pulled into an ethereal void where they stood opposed to Inferno. His prior battle had left Kilik too weary to fight. As Xianghua readied herself, her mother's keepsake unveiled herself as the holy sword, Soul Calibur. After a fierce struggle, Xianghua defeated her opponent with Soul Calibur's protective power. As the void started to collapse, she carried Kilik out of it, though her mother keepsake's sword was left behind.

Bio: Soulcalibur II

After destroying the sword that she was sent to find, Xianghua fell into disfavor with the emperor. She was stripped of her rank and reassigned to a menial position. One day, news reached Xianghua that the emperor had attacked a castle that supposedly housed a member of the search party that found the Hero's Sword, but refused to hand the weapon over to the emperor. After the castle fell and the sword wasn't found, Xianghua was summoned for her knowledge and experience.

Xianghua had destroyed Soul Edge. It was gone, but investigation proved otherwise. Xianghua heard rumors that pieces of Soul Edge existed in this place. If it were true, then Xianghua needed to find every fragment and destroy them. Xianghua left on another journey with the words of her mother echoing in her head: "Cut your own path through and uncertain future."

Bio: Soulcalibur III

"I couldn't do anything..." The pain of defeat clutched at Xianghua's heart. She had sworn to destroy Soul Edge, but in the end, she hadn't even been able to stand up against at threat in her path. After reuniting with Kilik, she had faced off with him against the man with the scythe and lost. No. That's not true. The fight had been between Kilik and the man. He had shown no interest in Xianghua, whatsoever. All she could do was carry the unconscious Kilik and run away.

Xianghua tended to Kilik's wounds, but he didn't wake up. She frantically wondered what to do. Xianghua went to see Kilik's teacher, Edge Master. She was relieved to hear that Kilik would be fine. Entrusting the old man with a letter for Kilik, Xianghua left the hermitage. Upon returning to her own country, Xianghua went to stay with and old general, suggested and arranged by Edgemaster.

"I must become stronger!" Xianghua pleaded with the general. He was surprised to hear this. He had thought that her sword skills, though self-taught, were more than sufficient. Nevertheless, he did what he could to help her. Although he had retired, skilled warriors still gathered under him. Among them was an exceptionally skilled man who he had employed as an instructor. Recognizing her skills included those of the Ling-Sheng Su style, he approached her about becoming her training partner. Devoting herself whole-heartedly to her training, she managed to increase her skills significantly in a short period of time. Despite this she was unable to rid herself of the uneasiness in her heart.

"Even if I increase my power, if I can't use it when I need it... When I fought against the cursed sword, Kilik was with me. But if I'm alone..." Xianghua thought to herself, but forced her doubts aside. "No. I mustn't fear. I must keep my spirits up!" "Your blade is keen, however, it appears you are still forcing yourself." One day, her instructor cautioned her. "Sometimes the path of a warrior requires letting in the dark feelings, weighing them, and letting them go."

After this day, she began training her mind. Her heart would be like water, letting all flow through her without breaking. After several months, she felt that she was ready. She bid farewell to her master and set out on her journey once more. When she met up with Kilik, she would proudly say, "Sorry to keep you waiting! I've finally caught up with you!"

Bio: Soulcalibur IV

The training Xianghua had undergone in her homeland had given her the strength to conquer her own psychological frailty. She hurried west along the Silk Road and soon found Kilik. Happily reunited, the two headed for India on Maxi's trail. But while they found their old friend, just as they had hoped, he would not join them. Was Maxi looking for the cursed sword in order to seek revenge? If so, Xianghua would do everything in her power to stop him. Using that cursed sword to avenge the fallen would bring her friend no salvation.

And Kilik.... She turned to glance at him standing beside her. She had no idea how he felt about her, but her heart was quite clear on the matter. But as long as so much still remained to be done, she could never say the words. They had to stop Soul Edge. The last time they had faced it, they had lacked the power to destroy the weapon outright, and their faulure was to blame for every tragedy the cursed sword had brought since. "I will cut out my destiny. This time, we will eliminate Soul Edge once and for all!" And so, having turned remose into resolve, Xianghua pressed on. When she saw the meteor shower shooting west across the sky on night, she knew; the final battle was at hand.

Bio: Soulcalibur VI

Xianghua’s mother was from the prestigious Chai family in Beijing, and taught Xianghua swordsmanship from a young age, treating her with a firm but loving hand. Xianghua sensed these moments held some deeper significance than her mother was letting on. Perhaps it had something to do with her father, a man she never knew and was told had passed away. Two years after her mother’s death, she decided to focus on the way of the sword. With every passing day, her passion burned stronger than before.

Xianghua learned how to wield a sword from her mother and from a young age was enraptured by the beauty of her mother practicing the sword. Xianghua’s personal style relies less on taking her opponent down with head-on attacks and more on feints and landing a decisive blow only after her opponent has left an opening for her to exploit.