Yasha (aka "Judgement") is a playable character in both the original Rumble Roses in 2004 and the sequel Rumble Roses XX in 2006.
She fights under the moniker of "The Immortal Revenger". Her Japanese voice actress is Aki Sasaki. She was dubbed by Lenne Hardt in the first game, with Jessica Gee voicing her in the sequel.[1][2]
Yasha is the unlockable alter-ego of Benikage in both games. In Rumble Roses XX, she can only be unlocked once Benikage has been defeated by Anesthesia ten times in 1-on-1 matches. In the original game, she is the persona developed from Benikage after she turns her back on her past as a ninja.
Background[]
Originally called "Judgment" in the first game, Yasha is the Babyface alter-ego of Benikage. Though given the fact that the female ninja is a Heel in name only, it would be more accurate to think of Yasha as the 'true' version of Benikage- the person she really is deep down once free of her former masters.
Yasha's behaves and carries herself like some kind of supernatural entity (as evidenced in how she dresses and acts). It's as if the implication is that she's the 'reincarnation' of Benikage, returning from the land of the dead as an avenging immortal spirit. In fact, the name Yasha (a Japenese term) can be translated to "Female Demon" in English.[3] It should be noted that the word "demon" does not carry the same negative connotations in Japanese mythology as it does in the mytho-historical tales of most western cultures. Broadly speeking, it is simply one of countless names used fore a variety of Japanese spirits, which range from the harmless to the evil and malevolent, or Puk-like tricksters.
Yasha playing her flute before battle
Much of Yasha's overall appearance- such as her white hair, the "soul fires" painted on her body, and her white and gold costume with it's ogre designs- are all very much in keeping with the concept of her being a mythical spirit.
Yasha appears to have severed any ties to her past life, including her association with the "Otugumi", who trained her in the art of Ninjutsu. Instead, she now fights for much more classically heroic causes, such as justice and honor.
Unlike many of the other fighters, she is not part of any official Tag-Team. However, when she's tagged with Becky, the two fighters enjoy a positive dynamic between them and are able to carry out a unique Tag-Move. Yasha also seems to form a relationship with Noble Rose in Rumble Roses XX. As hinted in their tag entrance, while not exactly special, is superior to the normal entrances.
Yasha usually maintains a serene and etherial presence, and stays calm in battle. However, she remains extremely hostile to both Anesthesia and her Dr. Cutter persona! Like Noble Rose, she seems to view Anesthesia/Cutter as the embodiment of everything evil and twisted.
Personality[]
Yasha enjoying pastries while being pursued...
Yasha appears to be the polar opposite of Benikage in many ways. She's considerably more straightforward and assertive, and doesn't shy away from the camera in her Queen's Match entrances. But there are clues that some insecurities remain in the way that she hesitates wistfully.
Instead of hiding her agenda as previously, Yasha is quite open about her intentions. In the first game, when asked who she would most like to meet, she replies "Dr. Cutter, for I shall have her head!" It's also clear that she still harbors great animosity for the twisted Nurse, as she instantly becomes enraged at the sight of either of the woman's incarnations. And her story mode ends with her declaring that she will bring her to justice!
Another example of her more candid nature comes when she's asked about her "ideal man". She replies "A man who would take me as his wife, though I doubt one such as that exists." There is also a sense that she has had to make sacrifices in the cause of her revenge.
Yasha's personality can be seen as the logical offspring of her alter-ego's experience of innocently working for masters who ultimately betrayed her. No longer willing to obey orders unquestioningly, she has become a free-spirited champion in the cause of her own brand of vigilante justice, forcing evil-doers such as Anesthesia to face her wrath. She sums this philosophy up during her interview, explaining that it was her desire to "purify evil" that lead to her transformation. The interview ends with her saying "I live each day to further refine my spirit!"[4] This reflects her desire to free herself from any taint of evil by the adherence to a code of honour and virtue.
It also seems that Yasha views herself as an almost supernatural force of vengeance. Virtually everything about her supports this: from her white hair (white often being the color of the dead in Asian culture) to the outlandish clothing she wears. Her title, The Immortal Revenger, implies this otherworldly nature.
Appearance[]
Just as her personality and motives are almost polar opposites of her previous self, Yasha's physical appearance is also very much the exact opposite of how she previously looked. The most striking part of her transformation is her hair changing from dark brown/black to a shiny silvery-white color, and she displays her presence with pride rather than concealing it.
Yasha now wears a flashy white and gold variant of her mesh outfit. The edges (where her arms and legs come through) are lined with white straps, and a white choker-like collar covers most of her neck. The lower region is covered by the same white material (with a gold edge)- complete with straps around her hips, like a bikini. Small buttons are visible on the straps, presumably to fasten them. Stylized gold and white segments are visible beneath the mesh, strategically positioned over her breasts.
Yasha wears shiny silver/white arm covers that come mid-way up her biceps, along with silver suneate[5] armor over her forearms and hands. The edges of both segments are lined with gold. She also wears similar armor (with silver/white 'sleaves' underneath) on her legs. The leg guards have a decorative surface, and the same gold line as her arm guards. The solid gold knee guards are adorned with a snarling ogre-like face. She wears white tabi socks and straw sandals on her feet.
Six black spiral emblems are painted onto her body: Two are above her navel, positioned approximately West-Northwest and East-Northeast of it. While two are positioned on the upper front of her right and left thighs, with one set above the other. These symbols are known as Hitodama (lit: "Human Soul"). They represent disembodied souls in Japanese folklore, similar to Will-o-wisps.[6][7]
Super Star Yasha, aka "The Silver Gale"
Once Yasha has won enough matches to drive her popularity up to at least 80 percent, she unlocks her Super Star mode, along with her new persona, referred to as "The Silver Gale."
Yasha's new appearance incorporates many aspects of traditional Japanese Noh Theater- ranging from the stylized background seen in her introduction, to her broad striding body movements, and the bright colors of her outfit and the mask she wears.[8]
The wooden mask that Yasha wears in her intro is likely meant to be a tongue-in-cheek joke- as Noh plays have always been exclusively male since the tradition began over six centuries ago. The mask itself is another staple of Noh, as it represents Hannya- a vengeful female spirit that is transformed into a horned demon by obsession or jealousy.[9] When she wears the mask, the horns stick out from her hair, above her ears.
Yasha has full-length sleeves on both arms: the right being black with silver flames, and the left being red with gold flames. The edges of both are lined with gold tassels and the ends are adorned with black feathers. She also wears a Shinto Rosary around her neck with an orange talisman in the shape of singular Tomoe symbol.[10]
Two straps come down across her upper body (covering only just enough of her breasts), with two round white charms (resembling small pom-poms) fixed to both of them. Yasha also has a red and white Shinto Bell-Rope tied around her waist.[11] A pair of decorative white and gold baggy leggings partially cover her thighs and are attached to the ropes much like chaps. They seem to be tucked into black and gold knee guards, with her lower legs wrapped up tightly in bandages. She also wears large wooden Geta sandals without tabi.[12]
Yasha adjusting her swimwear
Yasha wears perhaps the most unique outfit when taking part in Mad Mud Matches in the first game and Queen's Matches in the second. Instead of being any kind of swimsuit common to modern progressive cultures, its comprised of two traditional Japanese undergarments.
The piece that serves as Yasha's swim-top is, in fact, essentially just a skimpier variation of a woman's Sarashi- nothing more than a simple cloth binding worn across the chest (usually under a kimono), often to either downplay one's bust size or to more securely hold their breast in place.[13]
Furthermore in keeping with this traditional style, the bottom piece of Yasha's swimwear is a fundoshi- a loincloth worn by men! The use of this garment was common throughout Japanese history (up until the the end of WW2). It was designed to serve as both underwear and swimwear. [14]
Yasha wearing such a revealing swimsuit is more likely a reflection of her nature, rather than simply being fanservice. The Japanese attitude towards the garment can be summed up in the idiom:"fundoshi o shimete kakaru (tighten your loincloth)" This means the same as "roll up your sleeves", in other words- get ready for some hard work![15] This is very much a reflection of Yasha's straightforward and driven nature. It's also in keeping with her departure from her secretive past life a ninja, as she's now perfectly fine with being out in the open and seen. And the historical signifigance supports her image of being an immortal spirit that isn't bound by the time period she currently exists in.
Fighting Style[]
Yasha with her arsenal of kicks
Not surprisingly, Yasha's fighting style is very much comparable to Benikage's style- with a strong focus on speed, agility, and reversals. There is some difference though, the main one being that Yasha appears to be somewhat stronger when it comes to striking. Keeping her on the move is critical. As long as Yasha is running and moving around the ring, she can keep her opponent on their heels, while delivering quick strikes to do maximum damage.
Yasha can unleash all kinds of attacks, even when Reiko's in the turnbuckle.
She's extremely fast and good at evading and reversing attacks. However, while she is a fast striker, her attacks are limited both in range and by the amount of damage they cause. Her evasion and reversal skills make up for this to some extent, allowing her to hold her own in standard fights, and even Street Fights, provided that the player makes use of her special moves.
Still, her starting stats make her ill-suited for head-on fights, especially against hard-hitting opponents with high endurance to damage. She's really in her element in Pure Humiliation Matches, and works best with Becky (her unofficial partner) or Noble Rose when fighting in Tag-Matches.
Killer Move[]
Heavenly Kick
- Heavenly Kick: An acrobatic strike that utilizes Yasha's agility. She springs off of her opponent's knee and flips forward 450°. Yasha extends her legs to plant both of her feet to the back of her opponent's head. As her opponent falls to the mat and clenches their head, Yasha somersaults forward and stands back up.
- This move can only be executed by have at least 1 meter filled.
- With that being said, this move can be done anywhere, as long as Yasha's opponent is on their feet.
Lethal Move(s)[]
Substitution Jutsu
Cicada
- Cicada: An acrobatic technique that utilizes Yasha's abilities as a ninja. The move starts off with Yasha going for a high round kick to her opponent's head. But her opponent ducks underneath Yasha's leg, wraps their arms around her torso and arches her back, bridging with her back and legs to deliver a German suplex. However, Yasha replaces her own body with a block of wood. Just before her opponent could get up, Yasha appears from above the ring. She flips forward a couple of times, before landing on her opponent's stomach.
- Matchless Shadow: An acrobatic technique that utilizes Yasha's abilities as a ninja. When her opponent approaches, Yasha jumps and stands on her opponent's shoulders, while facing the same direction as them. With her ankles gripping the side of her opponent's head, Yasha twists to the side, snapping her opponent's neck. Yasha somersaults off of her opponent as they fall to the mat.
- Only Super Star Yasha can perform this move.
- This move can only be executed by have at least 1 meter filled
- In addition, Yasha must be facing her opponent as they are running toward her.
Humiliation Move[]
- Winter Cherry: A hold that utilizes Yasha's submission abilities. First she turns her opponent around, grabs hold of her opponent's wrists and crosses their arms under their chin, pulling them into a straight jacket hold. As her opponent drops to their knees, Yasha pulls on her opponent's wrists to arch their spine and compress on their back.
- Like all Humiliation moves, the opponent must have their Humiliation Meter at full to execute this move..
- This move can only be executed by have at least 1 meter filled.
- With that being said, this move can be done anywhere, as long as her opponent is on their feet.
Entrance[]
Gallery[]
See: Yasha/Gallery
Trivia[]
- Yasha's theme "Immortal Revenger" was composed by Michiru Yamane (of Konomi TYO), with instrumental arrangements by Noboru Iwata and Hiroyuki Kohyu. This was one of two collaborations that the three worked on together, with the other being Noble Rose's music.
- Yasha is one of only three characters who's hair color changes along with the versions of their outfits (on both Normal and Super Star), the other two being Evil Rose and Noble Rose.
- Yasha is one of the few character to never have the Demonic Tattoo on her body, in either of her personas. The others being Candy Cane/Becky and Anesthesia/Cutter.
- While the majority of the characters start as Faces, Yasha is one of only three characters that start out as Heels. The other two being Candy Cane and Evil Rose. Additionally, all three must be unlocked under the same special conditions (with 10 consecutive 1-on-1 defeats at the hands of their respective rivals).
- During her Normal intro, the same scantily-clad female ninjas from before will attack Yasha, only to be dispatched in a similar fashion. Also during this intro, it's clear that Yasha uses the same short Ninjato that her previous persona wielded.
- Benikage/Yasha is the only original character to use the bow and arrow lock in her arsenal.
- Her voice actress in the first game, Lenne Hardt, returns as the voice of the ring announcer in the second game.
- Her voice actress in the second game, Jessica Gee, previously voiced Aisha and Showbiz in the first game.
- It is worth noting despite not having an official partner Yasha and Becky have an exclusive Double X Move. They are both the only Roses without an official partner who have this property. It is very possible these two were intended to be a team, if this was true it is unknown why Yasha would be willing to team with Becky but not Noble Rose.
- It is possible Yasha might desire to protect Becky who is innocent and unaware to the actual goals of the Rumble Roses tournament compared to Noble Rose who has similar intentions to Yasha. The potential team could have the alter egos of both Roses who did not have the demonic tatoo in their regular heel personas.
- Similar to Becky, Yasha's skin color becomes much more pale compared to when she was in her heel form.
References[]
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435341/
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0952679
- ↑ http://www.freedict.com/onldict/jap.html
- ↑ http://faqs.ign.com/articles/845/845509p1.html
- ↑ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Suneate
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitodama
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_o'_the_wisp
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannya
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoe
- ↑ http://www.flickr.com/photos/65452140@N00/160006995
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_%28footwear%29
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarashi
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundoshi
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundoshi#Cultural_Difference_from_the_West