Kilik

Overview

Kilik is a fighter in Namco's Soul series and has appeared in every game since the original Soul Calibur. He is of Chinese lineage and fights with a bo staff named Kali-Yuga. From Soul Calibur through Soul Calibur IV, he fights exclusively with his staff. However, as of Soul Calibur V, he has transitioned into a character akin to Edge Master capable of using the fighting styles of the game's male characters.

History

Being one of the main characters, Kilik has developed a very deep plot line throughout the series.

Kilik was found as a baby on the doorstep of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple, widely considered to be the greatest martial arts school in China. After the monks of the temple gave up their search for the child's parents, they decided to raise him as an orphan. Eventually, he was regarded as the temple's finest student and was hired as one of the school's teachers, eventually leading him to be the elected candidate for inheritor of the holy bo staff, Kali-Yuga, one of the three sacred treasures of the temple. However, he had always remained somewhat troubled and insomniac.

One night, his "sworn sister", Xianglian, visited him as he was deep in thought, and revealed that she had become elected for inheritor of the holy mirror Dvapara-Yuga. But she also divulged the details of a conversation she had overheard; that only two of the treasures still existed at the temple, because the Krita-Yuga had been stolen years ago by her biological father and that the monks had been hiding this the entire time. She had been nominated for the Dvapara-Yuga instead, because she had told the master of the temple that she felt unworthy to inherit the Krita-Yuga, considering her family history, and her selfless reflection was a prominent feature of her inheritance of Dvapara-Yuga.

However, the night before the succession ceremony, the Evil Seed rained down on the temple, and an evil presence overwhelmed the inhabitants. Sensing the evil, the monks who were preparing for the ceremony immediately transferred ownership of the holy artifacts to Kilik and Xianglian. Minutes later, everyone in the temple lost their sanity except Xianglian. With madness combined with his great skills, Kilik killed many temple members as everyone fought one-another. Xianglian realized the power of the mirror and slung it around Kilik's shoulder, causing him to regain his sanity as she lost hers. When Kilik had completely regained his senses, he realized that the monks had slaughtered each other. He tried to leave, but the only other known survivor, Xianglian, blocked his way, now totally corrupted by the Evil Seed, and attacked him. He tried to avoid hurting her, but was forced to kill her in self-defense.

An old man, the Edge Master--advisor and teacher of the Ling-Sheng Su martial arts--found Kilik's unconscious body in the temple. He set the corrupted temple on fire and carried Kilik home. After two days, Kilik finally awoke, and Edge Master told him the truth: Kilik and Kali-Yuga had been infected with the Evil Seed, the source of which was the demonic sword, Soul Edge. The only thing protecting his sanity was the Dvapara-Yuga, and he could never remove the holy mirror from his shoulder at any time. Wrought with grief that his life had come at the sacrifice of Xianglian's, Kilik trained with Edge Master for three years, trying to learn to control the evil within himself and Kali-Yuga. Once his training was complete, Edge Master gave him the final test of destroying the Soul Edge, and Kilik embarked on that quest to purify himself and his weapon.

On his journey, Kilik traveled to an Indian port town to request a pirate ship to take him where he wanted to go. He met the Japanese pirate of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Kyam, who instantly took a liking to him, and granted Kilik's request for boarding, provided the ship's captain, Maxi, agreed when he returned. As Kilik waited for Maxi, a mysterious ship approached, which resulted in an attack, led by Astaroth. Maxi returned and Kilik assisted him during the attack. Astaroth managed to remove Dvapara-Yuga causing Kilik to lose sanity and attack Maxi. Maxi suppressed Kilik long enough to put Dvapara-Yuga back on him and they continued to fight, but every member of Maxi's crew was left dead, and Maxi decided to aid Kilik in his quest. Later, the two met Chai Xianghua, a member of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Guard, who aided them in their travels. (Although neither Kilik nor Xianghua knew that Xianglian was her long-lost sister.) With Maxi and Xianghua's help, Kilik stormed Ostrheinsburg Castle and defeated Nightmare, although Maxi was thought to be killed and the Dvapara-Yuga was destroyed. Kilik figured out he had learned to control the demonic powers within him and Kali-Yuga as he kept his sanity after Dvapara-Yuga was destroyed.

After Nightmare's defeat, Xianghua and Kilik were challenged by the demonic entity, Inferno within a demonic void. Kilik was too weak to fight, so Xianghua fought in his stead. During the battle, her keepsake tai chi jian transformed into the holy sword, Soul Calibur, allowing her to defeat Inferno. In the end, however, she was forced to leave the sword behind in order to drag Kilik to safety as the void collapsed.

Afterward, Kilik returned alone to Edge Master's hermitage, continuing to perfect the technique of neutralizing and purifying evil energy. Four years later, he sensed the return of Soul Edge, and set out on another journey to defeat Soul Edge once and for all, so that he could atone for the sins he committed the night of the fateful Evil Seed. Along the way, he encountered Xianghua again. They argued over their difference of opinions (namely, they both argued that it was their duty to destroy Soul Edge this time), but they still traveled together in the end.

While purifying a town infected with evil, the two encountered Zasalamel. Kilik engaged Zasalamel in battle, but lost. Before he lost consciousness, Kilik heard Zasalamel tell him that if he challenged Soul Edge unprepared, he would be trapped in its dark abyss. He awoke a month later in Edge Master's hermitage, carried there by Xianghua. Sensing a terrible energy within his wounds, Edge Master had performed a special ritual to treat them. Kilik realized that he would not be able to seal Soul Edge with his current strength. Thinking to himself, he placed his hand on his chest and realized that the fragment of the Dvapara-Yuga was gone.

Edge Master then ordered Kilik to begin training. He surrounded himself in a dark aura, similar to a person affected by the Evil Seed. Armed with only the Kali-Yuga, Kilik realized that his target should be the evil energy within Edge Master. Within three months, Kilik managed to strike Edge Master with a purifying blow, enough to free his teacher's mind, but at the same time, seriously injuring him.

Edge Master told Kilik that even though he still lacked skill, and that a pure spirit strikes only at evil without harming the body, he noted that Kilik had made good progress in a short time. He handed Kilik another fragment of the Dvapara-Yuga and a letter from Xianghua. She wrote that she would improve on her skills and regain her courage, and she believed that together, they would be able to destroy Soul Edge. With these words, Kilik set out west to once again pursue the evil.