Shoryu is the antagonist of the tenth episode Lethal Lunacy in Samurai Champloo.
History[]
Ukon becomes Shoryu
Like Jin, Ukon was born into the samurai bloodline. He studied under a man named Zuikou and became one of his most prized disciples. Ukon was sent on a voyage by the province's feudal lord, but his ship met with disaster and capsized. Somehow, he ended up washed ashore in China. There, he encountered a 'mysterious martial art' known as Hakkei, and studied it vigorously under the tutelage of Shaolin monks. He returned to Japan a different man under the name "Shōryū". His newfound desire for showing "true" martial arts lead to him killing a fellow student in simple sparing.
Zuikou expelled him, but Shōryū refused to see his mistake, rather used it to fuel his mindless quest. Shōryū wandered the continent searching for a new master, but no one would have him, labeling him a heretic. He became embittered as he felt his greatness deserved acknowledgement. He began murdering renowned samurai for sport, at the same time hoping to find a worthy opponent.
The 'street killer' myth was built around him. His latest victim would have been Mugen, who despite being far superior to most of Shōryū's opponents and having trained intensively for the fight, had little chance of winning outright. It is noted that during the fight Mugen was the first opponent Shoryu gained respect for, as well as Shoryu being the first opponent Mugen was scared of.
Shoryu's Death
Shoryu challenged Mugen for a fight on the next full moon, and left before he could be arrested. In the second fight, Mugen is noticeably more skilled, but Shoryu starts wearing him down thanks to his knowledge in ki. As Shoryu struck again with his ki-infused blade, Mugen caught Shoryu by surprise from mimicking the basics of Shoryu's ki blade, resulting in both fighters having their swords knock out of each other's hands. When Shoryu attempts to engage Mugen in hand-to-hand combat, Mugen defeats Shōryū by pulling out a tanto at the end of his scabbard as a trump card, and kills Shoryu with it.
Personality[]
Shoryu getting excited.
Shoryu was initially a good person until he went on a ship and crashed in China. He stayed with Shaolin monks and learned Hakkei (with the use of ki). After mastering this powerful art, Shoryu became corrupted and arrogant. He viewed martial arts only as a battle of death or dominance, and ruthlessly and sadistically struck down his opponents, even in a simple spar. Due to his behavior, his master banished him and other masters that he would meet through his travels would refuse to take him, calling him a heretic.
Coming to view Japanese martial arts as soft, bitter toward the masters who rejected him, Shoryu started hunting skilled samurai for sport. However, when he meets a worthy opponent, he will acknowledge their skills. This is shown in his first fight against Mugen, when he praises Mugen's fighting skills although he later overpowers him. He also invites Mugen to finish their fight during the next full moon.
Shoryu's emotionlessness is a facade, anyone who can truly challenge him angers him greatly. When Mugen proved able to replicate Shoryu's ki technique, it infuriated him that Mugen learned so easily what he struggled for years to master. This insecurity proved to be his downfall. Desperate to restore his self-perceived superiority, he recklessly attacked a seemingly defenseless Mugen, letting Mugen catch him off guard.
Fighting Style[]
Shoryu uses ki to make his attacks more powerful.
Next to Kariya Kagetoki and Sara, Shoryu is easily one of the most powerful fighters in the "Champloo" universe. His stance and fighting style are markedly Shaolin. His discipline, Hakkei, makes use of ki. It is unknown if Shouryuu employs ki to strengthen his defenses, but he certainly uses it to greatly augment his offensive prowess. Already as quick as Mugen, if not quicker, he is able to project ki at a distance or even channel it through his sword. Furthermore, one blow from his palm is a fatal death touch.
One of the reasons Shoryu is a powerful opponent is that his fighting style is more similar to Chinese martial arts, while Mugen and Jin are used to fighting individuals who use Japanese martial arts.
Trivia[]
- Shoryu is the first individual to use Ki.
- The Japanese term for Shoryu's technique, Hakkei 発勁, is equivalent to the Chinese FaJin, using the same characters. In Chinese martial arts, this term is often used in "internal" styles such as Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan and refers to a sudden release of "Jin", or refined power which is differentiated from "Li", brute force. Shoryu's style is reminiscent of Baguazhang.
- Shoryu is the first opponent that Mugen was afraid of.
- He is the only Japanese individual who's fighting style is predominantly Chinese.
- The sword he carries is not a katana, but rather a Dao sword.