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"I won't give anything less than my all."
— Talim

Talim (タリム, Tarimu) is a character in the Soul series of fighting games. She made her debut in Soulcalibur II and has since returned in all other main installments except for Soulcalibur V.

Talim is nicknamed The Last Priestess of the Winds, and true to that nickname, has the power to sway the wind and relies on earth's nature to guide her in her adventures, and most importantly in battle. She fights with dual Elbow Blades, and as said earlier, uses her advantage of wind control to give her an unpredictable edge during combat — being able to hop around and over the opponent at any moment. This unique tactic, and Talim's soft and innocent personality, have lead to her becoming a major fan favorite, thus receiving much praise from the Soulcalibur community.

What lies in her soul is Purity.

Biography[]

Early Life[]

In the Village of the Wind Deity located in Southeast Asia (Philippines), there lived a small tribe of people who could control the winds. Talim was the granddaughter of the village's elder, Kalana, and daughter of its shaman, Sanput. Due to turmoil caused by the influences of the Spanish and Portuguese culture, she was reared to be its last priestess (Babaylan). The dark day that the Evil Seed pervaded through the sky, Talim felt the winds, and an evil aura that devoured everything in its path surged into her body, causing her to lose consciousness for days.

Soulcalibur II[]

Years later, when Talim was fifteen years old, a man from the west brought a strange metal fragment to her homeland, claiming it to be a "vitality charm". Talim, however, recognized the evil energy as the same force that had caused her to blackout years before, and resolved to return the metallic shard to where it belonged; wherever that was. Despite the elders' misgivings, Talim departed on a journey; concluding that when she delivered the demonic power to its rightful place, that peace would eventually be restored to the Earth.

Sensing the calamitous presence of the shard in other places of the world as well, Talim traveled to wherever the wind took her. She undoubtedly knew that the world would soon be consumed by illness and death if the evil force continued to spread. With that, Talim vowed to find all the fragments and return them to their proper forms, and even though she was young and far away from home, Talim bared no fear. She was aware of the wind surrounding her, guiding her, and blessing her — knowing that as long as the precious wind stayed with her, that she would be protected.

Soulcalibur III[]

Having collected several of the fragments, Talim soon learned that the source of the negative energy came from the legendary evil sword, Soul Edge. With the wind's guidance, Talim tracked the core of the corrupted life-force to a water mill, where a tiny group of children lived. It was here that Talim met a young boy. This boy radiated a familiar corruption from his own body, which had caused him to become very ill. Without much thought, Talim decided to treat the child and witness him to full health.

After growing accustomed to life in the watermill, a young man who went by the name of Yun-Seong paid the place a visit — proudly announcing that he was searching for clues regarding Soul Edge. Upon hearing this, Talim became apprehensive of his further plans and warned the gentleman about the dangers of the cursed blade. Yun-Seong was foolishly undaunted and chose to remain at the watermill with the hopes of retrieving information about the sword. Over time, Talim eventually grew to accept Yun-Seong and his upbeat attitude, deeming him to possess no evil.

As days passed, Talim became concerned of the boy's worsening conditions. Determined to cure him, she came up with the idea of passing the child's sustained, evil energy through her own body and out into the currents of the wind. Through days of treatment, the unhealthy power was released little by little, but the impurities that stayed behind in Talim's body slowly piled up, causing her ability to read the wind to gradually fade away. This was the utmost heartbreaking to Talim — she was losing something that had always been with her, something more important than words could express. Seeing her sink in sorrow, Yun-seong said to her, "There are some things you can't do anything about. When that happens, you just have to do what you can!" His words were largely meaningless, but hearing him say them somehow gave her courage.

Despite her best efforts to treat him, the boy's symptoms became even worse, and he was running out of time. Talim pondered the risky idea of releasing the evil from within his body all at once, but the boy refused. He did not wish to harm anyone else with his hopeless infection. However, Yun-Seong stepped in and used a comforting wit to eventually convince the child to agree and follow through with the cure. And when the long ritual ended, not a single remnant of demonic energy was left in either of their bodies. In the instant that Talim had opened up the boundaries of her heart, something had exorcised the cursed power. After watching over the boy to make sure he had recovered, Talim set out on a new quest. Something awaited her in the west...

Soulcalibur IV[]

During the treatment Talim had ensued to cure the small child, she had a vision. In this vision, Talim saw amongst the high flying winds an image of a beautiful, blue sword in a distant western land. Talim had only glimpsed this sword for a mere moment upon saving the youth who was being ravaged by Soul Edge, but this image had returned to her time and again during her sleep; she knew it had to be important.

As Talim journeyed on, she once again met up with Yun-seong. She had no doubt that he was still yearning for the sword of damnation in order to protect his homeland, and she was almost positive that he did not know the repercussions if he were to come in contact with the evil blade. Talim preached to him day in and day out about the dangers of Soul Edge, but she was uncertain if he had taken even one word seriously. Soon after, the two encountered Yun-seong's kinswoman, Seong-Mi-na. Mi-na shared the same views as Talim for she tried to convince Yun-seong to return home as well. But, no matter how hard the women tried, Yun-seong would not change his mind. And the following morning, they would wake only to find that the young man had fled.
"He's headstrong," Talim explained to Mi-na "but he's a good person. In the end, I'm sure he'll make the right decision." Talim believed her words, but kept the thought of him making the proper decision on his own to herself.

Talim and Mi-na soon parted ways, and the young priestess carried on alone.

One night, as she gazed upon the sky, Talim beheld countless lights shooting toward the west. It was an immaculate sight, but she could feel the evil behind it. She concluded that Soul Edge had grown in power, and that she did not have much time. From that night, the same, familiar vision visited her more frequently. The sword whose power at first seemed so pure grew more formidable before her, until finally it seemed capable of wiping all that existed around it. Talim grew anxious; power that great could only warp the balance of nature. As the winds circled the world, she could hear them screaming.

Physical Appearance[]

Talim's young frame and tribal accessories has produced a unique, pure fullness to the Soul character roster — which was fully intended. The youthful priestess was initially created to add variety to the current selection of fighters, a selfless, young girl — something that the creators felt that the series lacked. Her signature Elbow Blades, and the features listed above, are Talim's most iconic traits in the means of character design and have stayed with her throughout the entire series.

Personality[]

Talim is strikingly meek, innocent, kind, moderate, and nice in contrast to the rest of the Soul Series cast, often attempting to dissuade opponents from fighting, and constantly showing mercy to her defeated enemies. Her comments often reveal self-doubt and worry. She often does not blame others for their actions, as shown in her SCIV ending where she forgives Algol for his actions, and sometimes will resurrect dead characters who were close to certain other characters, as shown in the same ending where she resurrects Algol's son, Arcturus. She has an ability to read the wind, often taking advice from it, as well as asking the wind to guide her in her journey. Overall, she is a kind-hearted character, and thus is aligned with good characters.

Costumes[]

Soulcalibur II[]

In Soulcalibur II, Talim's earliest game, she first appeared with dark braided hair that hinted a tint of blue, wore a green, shoulder-less top that revealed her abdominal, and carried a reoccurring design of red stripes throughout her outfit. She sported a pair of knee length, white shorts and displayed uneven, green leg warmers. She notably wears a golden medallion depicting a crescent moon and the sun — most likely representing her love for not only nature, but for the Earth as a whole. This pendant is one of Talim's most recognizable clothing items, as she has donned it in the chapters following Soulcalibur II as well. Her alternate outfits for this installment utilize her title as a priestess, for they feature headdresses, elegant cloth, and religious accessories.

Soulcalibur III[]

For Soulcalibur III, Talim appears to have more of a tanned skin tone and returns in a light blue, one-piece body gown. Though sleeveless, it is one of Talim's more conservative outfits as it covers her navel and upper chest, only exposing her outer stomach. The patch of clothing that connects the top of her outfit to her pants is colored of a darker blue and features a gold outline of a butterfly, as well as her outer leg. Light red ribbons are attached to numerous parts of her costume and her hair has been tied into four thin braids. Talim's secondary outfit has a similar layout to her primary garment from Soulcalibur II, and even shares a familiar palette. The few noticeable differences are shown in the length of her trousers, in which was reduced to a shorter size and became supported by a skirt-like cloth.

Moreover, she is also wearing a white headdress that is reminiscent of the crown she wears in Soulcalibur IV.

Soulcalibur IV/Broken Destiny[]

In Soulcalibur IV, Talim is dressed with a white top accompanied by a green vest, once again revealing her slender paunch. While still in a shade of blue, her hair appears to be lighter and has once more been banded in two thick braids. Her pants are oddly transparent — supposedly inspired from the Philippines National Costume of Abacca Silk, it's the same with the national dress of the Philippines — "Barong Tagalog", made of woven abacca or banana silk. Talim's collateral apparel is based off the appearance of a cat.

Endings[]

Soulcalibur II[]

Soul_Calibur_2_-_Talim_Ending_HQ

Soul Calibur 2 - Talim Ending HQ

Talim's ending from Soulcalibur II

In order to restore the world to its original state, Talim returned the sword to its rightful place.

The hellfire lost its sustenance. In a blink of an eye, it changed its form and scattered into the winds.

The spiritual energies led astray righted their course and flowed toward this place.

Talim must have sensed the change in the winds, for she looked to the sky and smiled.

Soulcalibur III[]

Talim is seen standing in a small field, holding Soul Edge in her hands. She then raises the demonic blade high above her head in an attempt to purify it, asking for the wind to lend her its strength. Suddenly, a tornado appears and begins to spin around the young girl's frame.

Soul_Calibur_3_-_Talim_-_Ending_A

Soul Calibur 3 - Talim - Ending A

Talim's No Input ending from Soulcalibur III

No Input Ending
Soul Edge gives Talim a small shock as it flies from her grasp and is destroyed by the wind. Rather exhausted from the ordeal, Talim then falls to her knees, panting weakly.

Soon after, she rises and looks to sky. There, she sees a small group of birds flying past a windmill and smiles.

Soul_Calibur_3_-_Talim_-_Ending_B

Soul Calibur 3 - Talim - Ending B

Talim's Input ending from Soulcalibur III

Input Ending
Soul Edge harmlessly rises from Talim's grip and is easily destroyed by the force of the wind. Yun-seong then approaches Talim from behind and asks her if it is over. "Yes...Now, finally" she replies weakly.

Afterwards, Talim loses her balance, for she had been weakened by the ordeal. But before she falls, Yun-Seong catches her and wonders if she is alright. Talim reassures him of her good health only to find that Yun-Seong is now complaining. "Aww man... so Soul Edge is really gone?" He laments. "You still haven't given up?" Talim says faintfully.

Now concerned, Talim starts yelling at Yun-Seong and tells him that it's not okay. Yun-Seong will then change the subject and tell Talim that it's late, and that they should begin to head back, running off before she can respond. Talim will then shout "Hey, I'm still not done talking to you!" as she chases after him.

Soulcalibur IV[]

Soul_Calibur_IV_Talim's_Ending(JP)

Soul Calibur IV Talim's Ending(JP)

Talim's ending from Soulcalibur IV

The two spirit swords fall from Algol's hands as he drops to the ground. Talim then informs the Hero King that she does not blame him for his past actions, and will not even question what the two swords are. "However," she continues "they threaten the very fabric of nature. So I'll return them to their true forms."

Talim then looks to Algol's troubled posture, stating that she will restore him as well. As Algol raises his head to meet with Talim, he becomes stunned, finding that she has resurrected his son, Arcturus. As the father & son join hands the screen fades to white and Talim's voice is heard. "Oh wind, I beg of you, bring peace and tranquility to all."

The text-only epilogue states: The world will now return to its natural form and the cries of the winds have disappeared.

Gameplay[]

Soulcalibur IV[]

Tower of Lost Souls[]

Talim appears in the Ascend mode on the floor challenges "Unfailing Tower," "Avaricious Life," and "Envoy Of Destruction."

  • TOLS Floor Appearances
    • Unfailing Tower (Fl.30)
    • Avaricious Life (Fl.43)
    • Envoy Of Destruction (Fl.57)
  • Skills On Unfailing Tower
    1. HP Recovery B
    2. Auto Grapple Break C
    3. Nullify Ring Out B
  • Skills On Avaricious Life
    1. HP Burst S
    2. Soul Gauge Boost C
    3. Nullify Ring Out A
  • Skills On Envoy Of Destruction
    1. Soul Gauge Damage B
    2. Soul Gauge Boost A
    3. Nullify Ring Out A
  • Default Skills
    1. Soul Repel
    2. Impact Heal
    3. HP Drain C

Fighting Style[]

Talim is a close-range character who fights with her trademark wind dancing attacks. Her battle style heavily relies on seemingly quick and random strikes all around the opponent. She uses Eskrima, an indigenous Filipino martial art later standardized in the mid 2000s as Arnis. Talim uses the armed variant of Eskrima and is particularly speedy with her execution of the style. Her special stances place her in wild acrobatics to overwhelm the opponent. She has good mind games and mix-ups in the game, due to her small stature and the deception of fast attacks. Also, she has a good combo game. However, her body tends to jut out before her weapons, making most of her attacks interruptible. In addition, she has perhaps one of the smallest ranges of any character but her sheer speed is somewhat of a compensation.For the attacks that do land on the opponent, they deal a relatively low amount of damage, although, like , they can be strung together in order to deal a decent amount of damage. Also, plenty of her attacks ironically often put her at a disadvantage even on impact and therefore, open for heavy punishment. Her repertoire lacks any Auto-Guard Impact option, so a Talim player is hard-pressed to find opportunities to gain the advantage. Because of these shortcomings, even experienced Talim players often list her as a low-tier character. Overall, most of her attacks are risky and provide little potential rewards. Like any other low-tier character, Talim is seldom used in tournaments, so a Talim player may take advantage of the opponent's unfamiliarity with Talim's fighting style and come out on top.

Soulcalibur IV[]

Wind Dance[]

Southeast Asia, encroached upon by Western powers. Even in this time of upheaval, the people who worshipped the wind would not give up their faith. Those who traveled the world using the power of the wind, they protected the legend and they had a sword dance, which was a dedication to the Wind. But sometimes the violent winds blow. That sword dance contained the power of the wind itself.

To the average person, it may seem no more than a dance, but the priestess Talim actually controls the winds and is protected by them.

Critical Finish[]

Wind of Bliss: Slashes the opponent vertically several times and lets a powerful wind sweep them up and fall back dead seconds later. At the end of critical finish, she would say "Thank you."

Quotes[]

  • "Don't worry Talim, believe in yourself."
  • "Calm down, Talim... okay."
  • "I won't back down!"
  • "Do you really want to do this?"
  • "I'm not going to run! I must fight!"
  • "Wind, guide me."
  • "I am one with the wind."
  • "Prepare yourself!"
  • "Well, let's begin."
  • "I won't hold back!"
  • "I won't run away!"
  • "Please, let me through."
  • "Believe in yourself, Talim."
  • "I can do this!"
  • "There's a reason why I cannot yield."
  • "You're full of nothing."
  • "What sorrowful eyes."
  • "Why do you fight?"
  • "I will be like the wind!"
  • "I've made up my mind."
  • "There's a reason why I must win"
  • "I can't let you go on. This sword is evil."
  • "Please..."
  • "I'm sorry! Please try to understand!"
  • "There is no other way, correct?"
  • "Who's responsible for this?"
  • "What's going on?"
  • "Go. Return to that from which you came!"
  • "You will not leave this place!"
  • "My heart is still pounding."
  • "I've got to go on."
  • "Okay! I won! Hah, ahaha!"
  • "I must fight. It's not over yet."
  • "Don't worry, you'll be okay."
  • "This isn't over yet."
  • "You did your best. I respect that."
  • "You're full of nothing."
  • "I was just lucky."
  • "Won't you please give up?"
  • "Conflict lies within you."
  • "I don't want regrets."
  • "My hands are still burning."
  • "I will follow my own path."
  • "Am I okay? My heart is still pounding."
  • "I must keep going!"
  • "Please take care."
  • "I must hurry on!"
  • "Phew. That was dangerous."
  • "Come on... hit!"
  • "Go... away!"
  • "Wind!"
  • "Now!"
  • "Go!"
  • "I see you!"
  • "Forgive me!"
  • "More!"
  • "Strike!"
  • "Here I come!"
  • "I must..."
  • "Don't get up!"
  • "There!"
  • "Payback!"
  • "You want more?"
  • "How's this?"
  • "Are you okay?"
  • "Oh, no!"
  • "Please... hit!"
  • "Please... stay down!"
  • "Wind!"
  • "I can do this!"
  • "I'm sorry!"
  • "Here's more!"
  • "Hit!"
  • "Please... don't get up!"
  • "Don't!"
  • "My turn!"
  • "Want more?"
  • "What?!"
  • "Why?"
  • "How?"
  • "UGH..."
  • "No!"
  • "How could this be?"

  • "Some things can only be conveyed through battle."
  • "I cannot lose this fight!"
  • "I'm sorry, but I have to defeat you!"
  • "This isn't the right thing to do."
  • "I'm sure I can do it!"
  • "Please, don't stand in my way."
  • "Is there no other way to solve this?"
  • "I won't give anything less than my all."
  • "Okay, I'm ready!"
  • "I have to do my best!"
  • "I can make it... I've already come this far!"
  • "Wind, share with me your courage!"
  • "The wind is shaking..."
  • "There is a stagnant wind around you."
  • "I'm going to do my best!"
  • "I must win this fight."
  • "I must calm down... okay."
  • "I will not yield!"
  • "Okay, I won't hold back!"
  • "I won't run away!"
  • "I can't run away! I have to do this!"
  • "Okay, let's begin."
  • "Wind, guide me!"
  • "Please, prepare yourself!"
  • "Don't worry, believe in yourself."
  • "I've made up my mind."
  • "Your eyes... have so much sadness."
  • "Isn't there any other way?"
  • "Please let me through."
  • "Why? Why do you wish to fight?"
  • "There's still time... please stop this."
  • "I won't have any regrets... I've made up my mind."
  • "I can do this... I can still fight!"
  • "The devastation is spreading... I must hurry."
  • "I will not soon forget this fight."
  • "Please, don't get up."
  • "Oh, that was scary!"
  • "Is... is it really over?"
  • "Please, listen to the voice of the wind."
  • "I will follow the wind, whatever it may go."
  • "I gave it all this fight."
  • "I will never give up, never!"
  • "Okay, I have to keep this up."
  • "I hope I'm making some progress."
  • "I must continue my journey!"
  • "I must do this... there is no one else!"
  • "If I had a choice, I would never... but..."
  • "I know this will be difficult... but..."
  • "The wind is calling me... I must move on."
  • "I can do this. I can't give up!"
  • "I've got to keep going!"
  • "I must go... this isn't over yet."
  • "I must hurry on!"
  • "Okay. I won."
  • "You're... so empty inside."
  • "I will be like the wind!"
  • "My heart is still pounding."
  • "I still have a way to go."
  • "Please, have more respect for life."
  • "I see doubt within you."
  • "Won't you please give up?"
  • "Phew... that was close."
  • "I don't want regrets."
  • "I was lucky this time."
  • "My hands are still tingling."
  • "I am one... with the wind!"
  • "I will follow my own path."
  • "Don't give up just yet, okay?"
  • "Great job, you can take a break now."
  • "Come one!"
  • "I'm not done!"
  • "Don't get up!"
  • "Get there!"
  • "I got it!"
  • "In that case!"
  • "How's this?!"
  • "Go through!"
  • "Believe."
  • "Please... don't get up!"
  • "Wind!"
  • "Now!"
  • "Get there!"
  • "What did you say?!"
  • "Please... get there!"
  • "Oh, I'm sorry."
  • "Why?!"
  • "No!"
  • "Hurts..."

  • Wind!
  • Soar!
  • Please, don't stand in my way.
  • I will not yield!
  • I'll just do my best!
  • Okay, I won't hold back!
  • I'm not afraid anymore.
  • What's this? What's happening?
  • You will be hurt as well, so why? — spoken to Tira in Story Mode
  • You. You've been manipulating this. — spoken to Zasalamel in Story Mode
  • The wind and the stars are crying!
  • So, you won't change your mind then? — spoken to Seong Mi-na's story
  • How's this?
  • Stay down!
  • I did it!
  • Fly...
  • I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
  • I won't give anything less than my all.
  • I have to keep this up!
  • Wind, be with me.
  • That's a nice breeze.
  • I'm okay. I can still fight.
  • Yes. Okay. I see.
  • No! You are human? - spoken after defeating Lizardman in Story Mode
  • There's no wind around you. How's that possible?
  • Even so, I must stop you.
  • Wind, be calm.
  • Storm!
  • Now... come on!
  • I'm sorry!
  • Now... don't get up!
  • I got it!
  • Lightning!
  • Lightning... strike!
  • Strike!
  • Get there!
  • Please!
  • Please... fall!
  • I'm serious!
  • Wind, hear me.
  • No...it's not okay. — used as a taunt against Yun-Seong in Story Mode
  • Go through!
  • Wind... go through!
  • No!
  • Over here!
  • I'm not done!
  • Winds are swirling.
  • Oh, sorry.
  • Wind, guide me.
  • Wind, to me. Storm help me, Soar! ...Thank you. — spoken when dealing a "Critical Finish"
  • No!...Why?!

  • Relationships[]

    • Talim defeated and purified Necrid, giving him a peaceful death by the outcome of their battle.
    • Travel companion and friend of Yun-seong from Soulcalibur III to Soulcalibur IV. Shares a Destined battle with him in Soulcalibur II.
    • Travel companion and Friend of Seong Mi-na in Soulcalibur IV.
    • Shares a Destined Battle with Raphael in Soulcalibur III.

    References[]

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