Virtua Fighter - Kage-Maru

The Ninja in blue Kage-Maru (影丸, lit. "Pure Shadow") from the 3D fighting video game series Virtua Fighter who was trained in Hagakure-ryu Ju-Jutsu (Jujutsu). He's one of my top favorite Ninjas, he was the first character I picked when I played VF1 at the arcade and he's been my favorite ever since. Sarah Bryant would come in 2nd. Although that's not his real name, "Kage-Maru" is the name given to members of the Hagakure clan, he's the 10th generation. He also has a scar on the left side of his face, but it's unknown how or when he received it.


Background
Kage has one of the saddest stories in VF, his village is destroyed, his mother disappears, and his father is killed. The reason why he fights in the tournaments is to at first shut down the organization called Judgment 6, but then he learns that his mother, Tsuki Kage, is still alive (who was turned into Dural), so he's not there to win in some fighting competition.

The canon story is that Kage is the most decorated competitor in Virtua Fighter, he won the 3rd and 4th tournament and he's beaten such characters like
Akira Yuki: Defeated him in the 1st and 4th tournament but Akira mange to win the 2nd tournament.

Lau Chan: Defeated him in the 4th tournament and he's an experience fighter who won the 1st tournament.

Dural: She has all the fighting abilities of every character, 13 martial art styles in VF3 and 19 in VF4E (Sarah Bryant had 3 different martial art styles in VF4), but he defeated her in the 3rd and 4th tournament.

Lion Rafale: He lost to Kage in the first round in the 2nd tournament, although he's one of the weakest characters in the series.

Shun Di: The 4th tournament had come down to one final fight between Kage-Maru and Shun Di. But as Kage was about to deliver the final blow to Shun, the glowing, silver form of Dural interrupted the match. But Kage destroyed the Dural model, although unlike his anime counterpart, just because Shun Di is the oldest, that doesn't mean he's an unbeatable grand master in the game.


The Main Protagonist?
It's said that Kage-Maru is the central character of Virtua Fighter... but I'm not 100% sure, but he should be because like I said, he won the most fights, has the most personal backstory, has a connection to the final boss, he wants to shut down J6 and save his mother. Although they make it seem that it's Akira since he's always on the front cover of every game, but he's just the mascot, a boring one that gets too much attention. Whenever I see people saying that Akira is the main character, they never go into details, they just say he's on the cover. With fighting games, several times the main storyline for the protagonist is just, "I just want to fight and be the best fighter."

Kage-Maru at first was on a mission to shut down J6 for not only what they did to his parents and village, but J6 is an organization that is made up of six global corporations (who else?). Together, they exert enormous influence over area ranging from weapons development to international politics. J6's goal is to complete their subtle form of world domination (you know, the usually). Then he learns that his mother is still alive and then rescues her, but that changed after VF3, there's no way to save his mother from being Dural anymore, he now has to end her suffering and put a stop to J6 once and for all. Now I'm not saying that's original or a deep and complex story, but it's far better than what most fighting video game protagonists have for their reasons for fighting.

When it comes to being a main character in a video game such as this (or in any story), it seems that you need to have the following
1. You need a personal story
Kage's mother was kidnapped, his father killed and his whole village was destroyed.

2. You need to have defeated more than just one or two characters
Kage has beaten Akira Yuki (2 times), Lau Chan, Lion Rafale, Shun Di, and Dural (2 times).

3. You need to have won more than just one tournament
Kage has won the 3rd and 4th tournament.

4. You need a connection to the last boss
Dural is his mother.

5. You need a noble goal that you're fighting for
Kage is out to stop J6 and save his mother or end her suffering.

With Akira it's...
"Akira strives for perfection and will drive himself relentlessly to master his techniques. He seeks worthy opponents to fight in order to find flaws in his skills to further attain mastery. He is known to be hot-blooded and impulsive by nature. He also can be naïve and intemperate. After losing to Kage-Maru in the Fourth World Fighting Tournament, Akira returned to the mountains to train harder than ever before. He began to doubt his previous training and could not understand how he had been defeated."

That's it... all he does is train, has rivals simply because they beat him, mopes around about losing and then trains harder so he can win. He has no personal reason for being there and Judgement 6 is never once brought up. It's interesting to note that in the opening to VF arcade, the first game in the series and the updates to it (32X and Remix), the first two characters that are shown who are about to fight each other is Kage and Sarah.
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:Virtua_Fighter_Arcade1993.jpg

https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:Virtua_Fighter_32X1995.jpg

https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:Virtua_Fighter_Remix1995.jpg

Not surprisingly, but at one point the main Wikipedia website was desperately trying to make Akira be the main protagonist by giving him his own page (there was very little info on it), by using a blogger's opinion post to an action figure or bust on the character on an anime website as a source… but not anyone from Sega or anyone who worked on the games or using any info from what the games have already shown and told us… other sties don't even use that, they give no arguments.


Fighting Style
One thing that's kind of unique with Kage is that like I said, his martial arts is Jujutsu and not Ninjutsu since that relies on stealth; otherwise, a dark, quiet and subtle method over the bold, active and forceful, so Ninjas actually avoid confrontations. However, Virtua Fighter is a ring fight, so the developers cannot have Kage popping out of nowhere to ambush his opponents. Jūjutsu is a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon or only a short weapon.
21:37
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BzGTiJ0k3k

Kage's moves have developed throughout the games and he truly has some deadly combinations.
Virtua Fighter 4 [PS2] | Kage-Maru's Command List
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f4eMQDQzwE

Virtua Fighter 5 FS - Video Move list – Kage-Maru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOl1eY-UW-U

VF5 Kage-Maru Combos Part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2CAdlkLfUI

VF5 Version B Kage Black Book Combos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx2EAd06n00

Virtua Fighter 5 FS:Kage Maru Gameplay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3IoX3A591E

According to his Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown bio
Kage has two different stances: the defensive Hagakure-ryu You Jumoji Kamae and the offensive Hagakure-ryu In Shippujin. He is a character who excels at attacking with a large number of moves by combining his stance with striking techniques that leave few openings. He also has a variety of moves that can be used while his back is turned to the opponent, and some moves that can be used to transition into a stance while his back is turned, allowing him to create tricky attacks. In addition, the Hagakure-ryu You Ko'enraku is a powerful throwing technique that keeps the opponent in mid-air and allows chaining together a combo. The key is making your opponent aware of your striking techniques as you go in for the hit.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6BLOx4XIAEUDVq.jpg


Peak Human Abilities
While the characters are not throwing Hadoukens, filling the whole screen with energy blasts, ripping someone to pieces, or hitting them halfway across the planet or through the planet, they have shown some incredible feats, especially Kage. The CG Portrait Series shows the characters in their daily lives and a Ninja's life is never dull. If this is supposed to be canon (I haven't seen anything that says otherwise), then...
1.Kage is to able perfectly balance himself on a single bamboo staff over water and meditate.
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF_CG_PS_KM.jpg

2.Jumping through the air in a thick forest across tall trees, moving at such speed, he appears to be in three or four places at once while throwing shurikens effortlessly and leaping across a skyscraper.
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF_CG_PS_KM2.jpg
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF_CG_PS_KM5A.jpg
Virtua Fighter 3 shows him jumping through the air, but it's not clear on the height and distance.
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF3Kage.gif
In Virtua Fighter 5, after winning a match Kage will sometimes leap straight up into the air with such force, he flies off the screen.
https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/10/105264/6038064-kagesuperleap.gif
In another, he'll throw a big throwing star, run so fast that he'll be able to get ahead of it, catches it without even looking and he does this within the distance of a caged arena.
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:KageSuperSpeed.gif

3.Cut through a tall thick tree at least 3 times with just a Katana.
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF_CG_PS_KM3.jpg

4.Destroyed a helicopter that looks similar to a Russian Mil Mi-24 with just one shuriken (I think).
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF_CG_PS_KM6.jpg
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF_CG_PS_KM7.jpg
https://virtuafighter.fandom.com/wiki/File:VF_CG_PS_KM8.jpg
Sega Saturn - Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Series Vol 9 - Kage Maru (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM3OQ15QSpY

5.While he's not the first character in a fighting video game to do so, even in VF, but Kage is able to throw any character, including Jeffry McWild who is 111kg several feet straight into the air and Taka-Arashi who is 198kg effortlessly, but so can anyone in VF.
Virtua Fighter 2 intro Sega Saturn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyuaUolPRs4
Throw That Taka In Circles! | Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Roster Using Throws on Taka-Arashi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7I6l2Hh3bk

Now all of this doesn't mean that he can take on anyone from any franchise, but these skills and abilities shouldn't be ignored.


Blue Tunic
Unlike typical fictional Ninjas, he doesn't wear black, now I don't mind characters wearing all black if it suits their character, but it's become all too common with Ninjas even though there is no historical evidence that they ever wore black. Now of course Kage is not a true historical Ninja in every way.
The Ninja - Real Accurate Historical Presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-UePD6Wp5A

Lethal Ninja Weapons You'll NEVER Want to Encounter DEBUNKED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr48PxCzvHg

The DEADLY Life of a Female Ninja DEBUNKING Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RIMy_baE84

And he's not the only Ninja in fiction who doesn't wear black.
Rikimaru: Tenchu (green)
Kaede: Onimusha Warlords (yellow)
Strider Hiryu: Strider (blue and red)
Joe Musashi: Shinobi (white)
Kotarō Fūma: Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (blue and brown)
Storm Shadow: G.I. Joe (white)
Jinx: G.I. Joe (red)
Nunchuk: G.I. Joe (green with black stripes)
Elektra: Marvel Comics (red)
Night Stalker: Bushido Bade 2 (red)
Ninjak: Valiant Comics (purple, black and gray)


Popularity
https://virtuafighter.com/threads/im-back-and-im-a-kage-believer.14524/
https://virtuafighter.com/threads/everyone-is-picking-up-kage.13971/

In 2006 Kage was featured on The Armchair Empire for Top 10: Best Ninjas at number #9.
http://archive.is/8s9g

In 2010, PC world included him in their list of top ten video game ninja characters at number #7, ridiculing his "Richard Garriott headband" but applauding him for "an authentic simulation of Jujutsu" and that Kage-Maru is one of the more realistic depictions of ninjas in gaming.
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/321647/top_ten_video_game_ninjas/?pp=5

In 2011, GameZone placed him on The Best Of: Video Game Ninjas.
http://www.gamezone.com/originals/favorite-video-game-ninjas

In 2012, Kage made the list on Leviathyn.com of Gaming's Coolest Ninjas stating, "With a depressing past and a taste for vengeance, Kage-Maru is one of the deadliest characters in the Virua Fighter series. Wielding his lethal knowledge of Jujitsu and taking on all comers, Kage is one of the most genuine ninjas we’ve ever seen in video games."
https://www.leviathyn.com/2012/06/29/gamings-coolest-ninjas/

"This recent overseas label for the Hiroyuki Sanada / Conan Lee slugfest NINJA IN THE DRAGON’S DEN strives for recognition and relevance from the video gamers of the world by shamelessly crowbarring-in a stolen rendering of Sega’s Kage-Maru from Virtua Fighter. But they re-color him black so he looks more like Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden."
http://vintageninja.net/?p=7684
http://vintageninja.net/?tag=video-games

Usually when you see something like this, they want the cover to stick out so people will buy it and because mostly those who play fighting video games will recognize a known character. While Virtua Fighter is not as popular as Street Fighter or MK, but most gamers recognize the VF series, it's been around since 1993.

Kage, along with Akira and Pai appeared in Project X Zone 2... but that's nothing more than a fan service game.
One Minute Review - Project X Zone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A022yJFVTmE

Kage Maru: Virtua Fighter Lore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDVeFFHrgXg


Final Thoughts
There are still some people who call Virtua Fighter a Tekken wannabe... even though the first VF was released in Oct of 1993 and the first Tekken was released in Dec of 1994.

Looking at the whole Virtua Fighter series, one might think that there's no storyline going on, there is, but because there's no movies in every game detailing the story, a lot will think there isn't. But actually... I'm glad there are none... well, somewhat. Because unlike so many other video games these days, it's not taking up half the game with cut-scene after cut-scene, where it breaks up the flow of the game and ends up becoming a short CGI film instead of an actual video game that you're supposed to play. Half the time we only see characters in fighting games interacting with each other because they're going to fight over trivial reasons, or they give unneeded background stories. A poor excuse for them to fight and not in the "ring" where it should be, any detail on a character's background should only be in their profiles or an unlock-able video. Similar to VF3, it had a very short CGI story of the characters, but it doesn't drag on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nO9lmDjrL0

There's only one ending in every game in VF and not multiple endings which are pretty pointless (MK and Injustice), if another character didn't win, then what's the point of seeing the outcome of that "what if"????

Let's face it, most storylines in these kinds of games are not very good at all, there awful, there's some type of evil corporation or empire and only a small group of individuals can stop them, it ends up having over-dramatic scenes with shootty voice acting and dialogue. VF is no exception to that, but luckily, we only hear the characters talk very briefly before and after a fight. If VF was ever going to have cut-scenes, then they should be short, to the point, voice actors or a narrator with some voice acting skills and each ending has an effect on the storyline or for that character.

But it seems that half the video game community are too lazy (and a lot of other things as well), they just want to watch pretty CGI effects and the very idea of reading text is just too much for them.

Unlike other video game series like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Megaman, Final Fantasy, Samurai Shodown and movie sequels, the numbers to those games and films are either mixed-up or gone and the storylines are a mess, but the Virtua Fighter games are properly numbered 1 through 5. While there are a few spinoffs and updates with lame subtitles to let everyone know it has new characters, tweaks and customization items, but the sequels and the storyline is in chronological order.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEVzPCY2T-g