There are many weapons in the Genso
Suikoden series. Some of them hold an important place within the game, and
some are barely known and are quite unimportant. Due to the weapon system
in Suikoden, each character has their own weapon throughout the game, and
it does not as a rule ever change, except for a few important exceptions.
Because of this, each weapon adds to the character of the person who
wields it--sometimes humorous, sometimes sad. Some weapons have histories
that can overshadow their characters.
Denta/Big Denta/Kamui
Characters: Kreutz/Genshu
Type: Two-Handed Sword
This curved sword is held by two different characters,
but the name points to a mass-produced weapon. Denta is a name of a sword
smith who lived in Japan during the Kamakura-era (12th century). This was
back when Japanese swords were changing from the old straight bladed style
to the commonly known curved "katana" style. Swords made by Denta were
sort of in the middle, with a straight blade half way, and a curve towards
the end. "Big Denta" is more of a mistranslation. Denta's actual name was
"Daidenta-Tadamitsu." In the Japanese version of Suikoden, the 2nd
sharpening level of this weapon was "Daidenta" which would literally
translate to "Big Denta." However, because it is a name, it should have
remained "Daidenta." "Kamui" on the other hand has nothing to do with
Denta. It is actually a word that comes from the Ainu language (ethnic
group in Northern Japan), which means many things, such as "deity,"
"bear," and "mountain."
Dunceney
Character:
Miklotov
Type: One-Handed Sword
Dunceny is a one-handed sword
used by Miklotov. Judging from how he holds it and due to the fact that he
can not use shields, this sword is probably a hand-and-a-half sword, more
commonly known as a bastard sword. He uses this weapon in one hand most of
the time, but when he feels like using both hands, he is able to do so,
adding additional force to the weapon. This sort of goes with Miklotov's
passionate nature. The name of this sword came from a knight described in
a book called "Bara-shisyuu no Kishi" (Rose-studded Knight). Murayama
warns not to read the book because it really has nothing to do with
Miklotov's character.
Garm/Fenrir/Loki
Character:
Camille
Type: Spear
Camille's weapon is a spear with a
cross-guard at the end, which makes it a very battle-oriented weapon. The
spear head is leaf-shaped, which adds to the intimidation factor. The
weapon's name comes from Norse Mythology. Garm is a hound that guards the
path into Niflheim--the underworld. Fenrir is the giant wolf that has
powers that surpass the gods, and Loki is the scheming Vanir god that
triggers the end of the world (he is also Fenrir's father). All of these
three mythological beings become the enemies of the gods during the
Ragnarok (final battle). Perhaps Camille named her weapon based on these
beings due to her job as a loan collector.
Grosser
Fluss/Wiess/Schwarz
Character: Nash Latkje
Type:
Dual Snake Sword
The Grosser Fluss is an odd weapon, it is basically a
sword that is divided into multiple segments and connected with fine
cords. The cords are thin but extremely durable.
Kirinji
Character:
Lepant/Sheena
Type: One-Handed Sword
Kirinji is a treasured
one-handed sword that belongs to Lepant. Kirinji means "Child of the Chi
Rin." A "Chi Rin" (Kirin in Japanese) is a mythical beast in Chinese
mythology, which is said to bring good luck (you can see pictures of these
beings on Kirin beer cans if you ever see one). Lepant's star, the Tengou
star, is called the "Jade Chi Rin" in the Shui Hu Chuan. That is probably
why the sword is named after the Chi Rin. The sword itself is shaped like
a flamberge sword, and would deliver painful wounds to enemies by acting
like a saw. Its shape will allow both piercing and slashing attacks, so it
is certainly a formidable weapon. Maintaining a sword with edges of such
profile is not easy, as the edges will wear very fast. The material of
this blade may be some form of wear-resistant alloy, which also may add to
the reason why Lepant treasures it so. Lepant gave this sword to Sheena
after he becomes the President of the Toran Republic.
Muramasa/Masamune/Murasame
Character: Humphrey
Mintz
Type: Two-Handed Sword
These swords are named after
swordsmiths who lived in Japan during various different eras (with the
exception of Murasame). Masamune was a swordssmith who lived during the
13th century and worked for the government. Due to Japanese custom, a
swordsmith was not allowed to etch his name on swords that were made for
the government. For that reason, known Masamunes are very rare, and only
two swords remain in the present day. Muramasa was a swordsmith who lived
during the 14th century, and made extremely sharp edges. His swords gained
an infamous reputation after various members of the ruling Tokugawa
Shogunate suffered odd deaths to the various weapons of Muramasa, such as
spears, katanas, and daggers. For that reason, the shogunate banned the
possession of these weapons--the penalty was death. However, those who
harbored secret resentment towards the shogunate treasured each of these
sword as a "Tokugawa Slayer."
Murasame, on the other hand, is a sword used by one of the eight heroes
of the "Nanso Satomi Hakkenden," a Japanese story written during the Edo
Period (17th-19th century) which was affected by the Shui Hu Chuan.
The weapon used by Humphrey changes in shape between Suikoden 1 and 2,
which is somewhat odd. There is no explanation for this, but the two
weapons are almost completely dissimilar. In Suikoden 1, his sword was a
curved, one-bladed sword, while in Suikoden 2 it is straight and
double-bladed.
Odessa
Character:
Flik
Type: One-Handed Sword
Odessa is a one-handed sword used
by Flik. Swords used in the Warrior's Village seems to have a very simple,
yet effective design. The sword has no pommel and the hilt guard is small.
The blade itself is straight and thin, making it an authentic long sword.
The name of this sword comes from Flik's immortal beloved, but how ironic
that the sword itself is designed simple with no frills.
Raiko/Raikomaru/Shinraikomaru
Character:Freed
Yamamoto
Type: One-Handed Sword
Raikomaru was a sword used by
Douzan Saito, a Japanese military strategist during the 16th century. He
served under Lord Shingen Takeda and was well known as a hardy warrior.
However, he was paralysed from the time when he was struck by lightning.
Story says that lightning struck him when he killed a "Raijin," a
lightning-spirit, with his sword. Since then he called his sword
"Raikomaru," and carried it with him in all battles." The sword itself was
a katana by all standards, unlike the weapon used by Freed Yamamoto. The
sword used by Freed has a straight blade instead.
Stone/Rock/Boulder
Character:
Tuta
Type: Long Range Weapon (Other)
Anthropologists agree
that stones were one of the first weapons used by mankind aside from
bananas (just kidding). However, the use of larger objects in battle such
as rocks and boulders, came much later in history after the invention of
siege engines. A single human-being hurling anything heavier than 1/50th
of their body weight makes it impossible for the thrower to maintain any
accuracy, thus, the "rock" and "boulder" thrown by Tuta is probably just a
name that he gave to his stones.
Taia
Sword
Character Viktor
Type: Two-Handed Sword
The
Taia Sword was a common weapon in Chinese History. It simply means, "Large
Sword." Traditionally it is not that long, but wide and curved. The sword
Viktor uses is not curved, but it is huge. Viktor uses the sword as if he
is swinging a golf club, which is unique. If you look at his posture, he
holds his sword below his waist, leaving his body quite defenseless. This
posture shows Viktor's confidence as well as his recklessness, and fits
his personality very well. I wonder how many Taia Swords Viktor goes
through after seeing the way he uses them!
Tengaar
Character:
Hix
Type: One-Handed Sword
Tengaar is a one-handed sword used
by Hix. Following the tradition of Warrior's Village swords, it is very
simple in design. Hix's sword is somewhat shorter, making it a short
sword. The particular sword he uses looks somewhat out of balance. Perhaps
his moderate at best performance in battle is related to his weapon? The
sword is named after Hix's beloved.
Talgrund
Character:
Zaj/Thanatos Crawford
Type: Sword-Gun
Talgrund is a truly odd
weapon. It is a sword with a gun attached to its hilt--the bullet comes
out from the tip of the sword. Not only that, the blade of the sword can
be shot off from the hilt as well. This is a horridly designed sword, to
be honest. The ratio of the hilt to the blade is quite unbalanced, which
should make this sword extremely difficult to use. Aside from the fact the
gun seems to have infinite bullets, this weapon will definately require a
lot of pratice to use. It should be a very heavy weapon as well, and the
fact that Zaj uses this one-handed brings this weapon into the level of
fairy-tales. The name of the weapon means "bottom of the valley" in old
German. It probably refers to how this weapon can bring doom to the enemy
(and their user...).
Tower/Death/Judgement
Character:
Kirke/Lorelai
Type: Two-Handed Sword/Axe (Halberd)
This
weapon has an odd history of completely changing its appearance between
Suikoden 1 and 2. The only commonality is that Kirke (Circe would be the
true translation) and Lorelai are both named after legendary witches of
some sort, and its name, which is based on tarot cards. Kirke's weapon was
an odd blade with a very long shaft, which makes it into a Bardiche of
some sort (a type of axe), while Lorelai's weapon is blatantly a Halberd,
and the two weapons look completely dissimilar. However, official sources
comfirm that Kirke gave his weapon to Lorelai. This mystery will probably
never be solved.
Uriah
Character:
Camus
Type: One-Handed Sword
Uriah is a one-handed sword used
by Camus. This is a lightly adorned broadsword (broadswords are actually
not that broad at all), which seems to be moreso designed for piercing
attacks rather than slashing attacks. It is a stylish sword which reflects
Camus' personality. The name "Uriah" is sometimes mistaken with the name
of one of Muse's historical mayors, but the source is different. "Uriah"
is supposed to come from a female character in one of Homer's poems...
Wind/Windstoss/Storm(Sturm)
Character:Clive
Type:
Long-Ranged Weapon (Gun)
Sturm is a legendary gun that belongs to the
Howling Voice Guild. It has its own conscience and communicates through
empathic means. Why this gun has such powers is a mystery, and is the
Howling Voice Guild's deepest secret. The gun itself is long-barrelled and
seems to be a rifle, fit for sharp-shooting. The name of this weapon is
all German, meaning "Wind/Gust of wind/Storm."
Yasutsuna/Onimaru/Doujikiri
Character:
Rikimaru
Type: Two-Handed Sword
This weapon is a huge sword,
which has a thick and wide blade which also lacks a cross guard. Such
swords can only be seen in fantasy, because it would be too insanely heavy
and unbalanced for practical use. The only way this weapon can be
categorized would be "Super-sized Ginsu knife," or something ridiculous
like that. The sword itself is named after an old Japanese legend.
Minamoto no Yasutsuna was a famous demon hunter during the Heian era
(9th-11th century). He used a sword called Onimaru, which actually still
exists in Japan's national treasury. The sword itself bears a typical
Heian-era sword, which is mostly straight with a slight curve towards the
end. The name of the sword actually changed to Doujikiri after Yasutsuna
defeated a demon called Syuten Douji. Doujikiri literally means, "Demon
Slayer."