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For the game with the same name, see Soulcalibur.
Soul Calibur
Age Everlasting
Place of creation Unknown
Powers Can take various forms based on the wielder
Weapon type Various
Canonical wielders Algol (creator)
King Arthur
Zasalamel
The Founder of Wolfkrone
Chai Xianghua (Soulcalibur)
Inferno (Soulcalibur II)
Siegfried Schtauffen (Soulcalibur IV)
Patroklos Alexander (Soulcalibur V)
Elysium (Spirit Form) (Soulcalibur V)

Soul Calibur is the spirit sword created to combat Soul Edge and is known as the protagonist in the Soul series. However it grew into an antagonistic role in later games; its spirit form Elysium served as the main villain and final boss of Soulcalibur V.

Design[]

Much like Soul Edge, Soul Calibur takes on various forms throughout the series but her form is most commonly some type of sword. In contrast to Soul Edge's flesh and bone-like forms with an eye as the core, Soul Calibur has a crystalline and ice-like design with a glowing sphere. In her first appearance, Soul Calibur is disguised as a Chinese Sword with a thin blade called Krita-Yuga. After revealing herself to Xianghua, she takes on the form of a shimmering blue sword with a winged handguard where a crystal lies within. The blade itself also gains a bit of width with a forked design. She retains this design until she is grasped by Siegfried where then by she takes on a more crystalline appearance. Reflecting Siegfried's nature, she also grows into a large two-handed sword with an elaborate hand guard where her glowing core floats disembodied within. By the time of Soulcalibur IV, the sword becomes nothing more than a large crystalline/ice structure vaguely resembling a sword, including the hilt, possibly showing how unstable the swords powers had become. In Soulcalibur V, she reverts to her original size from her debut and has a more sleek appearance. The handguard now features her face, much like Soul Edge's skull. When Patroklos's resolve becomes strengthened, she becomes a much slimmer blade and even forms a sheath. Both the sheath and the blade's blunt edge are lined with various runic symbols. Aside from its usual appearances, Soul Calibur seems to be able to morph into various more "ordinary" looking weapons without the general crystalline form as a form of disguise, such as the Krita Yuga jian form used by Xianghua or the inert, decorative Zweihander sword available for Siegfried as Soul Calibur (Hidden). The sword can also assume her original form when the spirit of the sword, Elysium, mimics Leixia's fighting style.

Gameplay[]

Much like Soul Edge, Soul Calibur boasts a grand amount of strength, more than any other weapon in the games where she is featured as an unlockable weapon. In contrast to Soul Edge's parasitic nature, Soul Calibur acts more symbiotic, granting her users near infinite vigor as usage of the weapon constantly regenerates health at the same rate Soul Edge drains it along with greater defense. Several characters in Soulcalibur II and III can utilize the weapon as their ultimate, namely those of good alignment though Siegfried as Nightmare in SCII can also use her as well.

History[]

Origins[]

Algol, the king that once wielded Soul Edge and lost his son because of the demonic sword, vowed to create a holy sword from the purified shards of Soul Edge that would oppose the evil sword, being its equal in strength and opposite in intent. Algol enlisted the help of the greatest sage in the land, who used purified fragments of the cursed sword to forge a new spirit sword, to be known as "Soul Calibur". After many failed attempts, the holy sword was born when Algol sacrificed himself to complete the ritual. However, the sword that was created was far from good due to Algol's thirst for power, and it was extremely similar in nature to Soul Edge.

Nonetheless, the tribe that was tasked with guarding the sword slowly purified it to the point that it could be considered a holy weapon, while keeping dormant the dark soul that rested within the sword. The guardians lived in seclusion, passing the sword from generation to generation in secret. Whenever a warrior vowed to take on Soul Edge on his own, Soul Calibur appeared to prevent the cursed sword from causing any more damage. When wielded by King Arthur it was referred to as Excalibur. Soul Calibur finally appeared, somehow transformed into a different shape, as one of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple treasures, a sword called Krita-Yuga.

The other treasures, Kali-Yuga and Dvapara-Yuga, are linked to the holy sword. Kali-Yuga, a holy staff, is capable of absorbing different energies in order to strengthen Soul Calibur. Dvapara-Yuga, the holy mirror of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple, is used to help keep the purity of Soul Calibur intact and has the power of purifying the corruption of Soul Edge. However Soul Calibur is becoming manipulative like her brother weapon Soul Edge, for her purpose to bring order in a ruthless way.

Soulcalibur[]

Krita-Yuga had been stolen from the temple by one of the monks, Kong Xiuquiang, and handed to his lover Chai Xiangfei, the mother of Chai Xianghua. She inherited the battered sword, unaware of its true form. Eventually she, alongside Kilik, fought with Nightmare at Ostrheinsburg Castle, and used the holy blade to shatter Soul Edge. However, Inferno, the will of the cursed blade, took Soul Calibur and plunged with it into an abyss of its own making.

SoulCalibur

Soul Calibur's appearance in Soulcalibur III.

Soulcalibur II[]

In the void of Chaos, shortly after Inferno's defeat at Xianghua's hands, when the sword of light is lost in the abyss created by Soul Edge, surrounded and consumed with the ambiance of evil from Soul Edge, Soul Calibur eventually succumbs to the darkness and bonds with its dark counterpart, becoming the Evil Soul Calibur.

However, when Nightmare had almost completed Soul Edge, Raphael Sorel appeared and pierced the eye of Soul Edge during his battle against the Azure Knight, and at the same time Siegfried defeated Inferno in the Astral Chaos realm. Nightmare was weakened considerably. Soul Calibur was freed from the darkness and so was Soul Edge's host, Siegfried Schtauffen, who regained his sanity. Soul Calibur appeared from where it was trapped within the cursed blade, and Siegfried drove it into the core of Soul Edge. Now both blades are silent, seemingly powerless, locked in a fateful Soul Embrace.

Soulcalibur III & Soulcalibur IV[]

Time passed, and eventually Siegfried and the new Nightmare met at the Lost Cathedral. A ritual induced by Zasalamel broke the Soul Embrace and each sword was freed from the grasp of the other. Nightmare grasped the Cursed Blade while Siegfried took the Spirit Sword. The swords clashed, and their opposing energies caused a great release of energy which destroyed the cathedral and hurled the two warriors away from one another, injuring them both severely. Saved and sustained by Soul Calibur, Siegfried drew a strong connection with the blade, with his armor covered in crystals that matched the sword's new form. Siegfried pursued Nightmare toward Ostrheinsburg, seeking to finally atone for his sins, with the spirit sword firmly in hand.

Soulcalibur V[]

After a long battle, Siegfried defeated Nightmare and destroyed Soul Edge. Afterwards, he stopped wielding Soul Calibur, as it fell silent. While the wounds he sustained during his prior clash with Nightmare should have killed him, a shard of the sword's crystal remained inside his body, healing him. Seventeen years later, the sword changed its form into that of a one-handed sword. To Siegfried, this meant that Soul Edge would return, so he entrusted Z.W.E.I. with the task of finding someone who would be worthy of becoming the new wielder of the spirit sword. After some time of searching, Z.W.E.I. found Patroklos Alexander, a so-called "holy warrior," and brought him to Siegfried. After testing the young man's strength, Siegfried deemed Patroklos worthy of wielding Soul Calibur and gave him the holy sword.

Patroklos used Soul Calibur to defeat Tira and save Pyrrha. After finding his sister, the holy warrior decided to take her back home. However, after Pyrrha transformed into her malfested form, Patroklos hurried back to Siegfried for help. Seeing that the young man's will was wavering, Siegfried decided to give Soul Calibur to someone else. Patroklos tried to resist, but Z.W.E.I. defeated him. Suddenly, the holy sword transformed into a thin sword and scabbard, and Z.W.E.I. allowed Patroklos to wield the holy sword in his new form. Then Patroklos encountered Elysium, whom he mistook for his mother and who offered him her guidance to destroy Soul Edge and save Pyrrha.

In order to fully awaken Soul Calibur's power, Patroklos sought out the help of Ivy. After he showed her his skills with the sword, Ivy instructed him to seek out the Kali-Yuga and the Dvapara-Yuga. Patroklos found the two treasures in the hands of Xiba and Leixia, and after gaining their trusts, he brought all three treasures to Ivy and she used her alchemic powers to awaken the sword's power. Elysium appeared before Patroklos again, reminding that he must defeat the cursed sword Soul Edge, no matter what.

Patroklos found his sister, rampaging as a monster and devouring souls for Soul Edge. After defeating her in battle, he stabbed her in the stomach. As Pyrrha's body began to crystallize, Elysium congratulated Patroklos on destroying Soul Edge, stating that the world is now an utopia of order.

Suddenly, Patroklos found himself in the Astral Chaos, and Edge Master appeared before him, telling him that he must regain his strong will, or else he will wander the Astral Chaos forever.

Patroklos is sent back in time to when Soul Calibur is fully reawakened. When Elysium appeared before him, Patroklos stated that he did not want to wield the holy sword to kill Pyrrha, but to save her. Disappointed, Elysium deemed him unworthy of her protection and sent him to the Astral Chaos to wander forever. After some time of wandering, Patroklos encountered Edge Master again, and the old man told the holy warrior to not let the sword wield him, but he must wield the sword himself. Taking his advice seriously, Patroklos's will triumphed over Soul Calibur.

Patroklos is sent back into the real world to search for Pyrrha once more. After finding and defeating her again, he managed to stop himself from killing her. However, Soul Calibur was angry at him for not killing Pyrrha and tried to kill Pyrrha herself. With Patroklos stopping her, the spirit sword engulfed him in crystal.

Elysium brought Patroklos to the Utopia of the Blessed, intent on using his body to kill Pyrrha and destroy Soul Edge herself. Realizing that she was not his mother, Patroklos demanded Elysium to tell him who she was. She answered that she was the will of the spirit sword, destined to destroy Soul Edge and kill his wielder. Refusing to let her kill Pyrrha, Patroklos fought and defeated Elysium. As her body disintegrated and disappeared, Patroklos returned to the real world, saying, "Good-bye, Mother."

Patroklos was freed from his crystal stasis and he reunited with Pyrrha. Realizing that they no longer needed the Soul swords, they took Soul Edge together and stabbed it into Soul Calibur. The gate to the Astral Chaos was closed and the fate of the two swords is left unknown: either they were destroyed or became Soul Embrace again.

Variants[]

Story related
Bonus weapons

Gallery[]

Soulcalibur[]

Soulcalibur II[]

Soulcalibur III[]

Soulcalibur IV/Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny[]

Soulcalibur Legends[]

Soulcalibur V[]

These are Elysium's versions of Soul Calibur.

These are Siegfried and α Patroklos' Soul Calibur weapons.

Soulcalibur VI[]

Trivia[]

  • The sword's name is a play on the word Excalibur (which was a sword of King Arthur).
  • Oddly, Nightmare is able to equip a version of this sword in Soulcalibur II, despite the fact he is the embodiment of Soul Edge. This is based on the fact that Siegfried is possessed by Soul Edge at this point in the game series, and as such his human form (a costume in the game) is able to wield the soul blade, not necessarily the 'azure knight' costume that is default for Nightmare in Soulcalibur II.
  • Made clear in Soulcalibur IV, Soul Calibur has a sentient spirit. She makes decisions such as reviving Siegfried and telepathically talks to Cassandra in her ending. In Soulcalibur V Soul Calibur has a physical manifestation, Elysium.
  • While Soul Edge speaks with a male voice, Soul Calibur speaks with a female voice.
  • Talim and Kilik's storyline and Cassandra, Taki, and especially Siegfried's endings in Soulcalibur IV hint at the possibility that Soul Calibur is not so much a weapon of pure goodness as she is one of merciless justice, without remorse. Also, some of the characters also deemed that Soul Calibur is a weapon that is as dangerous as Soul Edge. This is seen further in Soulcalibur V, where Elysium urges Patroklos to kill the malfested Pyrrha, despite his wishes to simply disarm her and save her from Soul Edge.
  • Soul Calibur, like Soul Edge, can read its wielder's mind and soul, and adapts to the shape of the weapon of her current wielder's preference. She is most associated with Xianghua's single-handed short sword and Siegfried's two-handed great sword versions, however, it is believed that Xianghua's version is closer to her original form, as she was made from a shard of Soul Edge, and thus would be smaller. She is usually weaker than Soul Edge weapons in terms of attack power, but has more beneficial abilities, like healing the character using her.
  • Soul Calibur's appearance seems to become more abstract as the series progress, being a well-defined and solid sword in Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur II, and little more than a giant crystal shard in Soulcalibur IV. She is a direct contrast to Soul Edge's design, that begins being more flesh than metal and rather blocky in Soul Blade and Soul Calibur, and looking sleek and sharp in Soul Calibur IV.
  • Siegfried's version of Soul Calibur in Soulcalibur III becomes the alternate version of Siegfried's base weapon in Soulcalibur IV, albeit with a darker shade of blue.
  • Soul Calibur, Soul Edge, and Valentine are the only weapons to have life force.
  • In Soulcalibur II, Nightmare's version of Soul Calibur looks a lot like Xianghua's version of Soul Calibur, but both of her wings are formed into one and one part of her split blade is much larger than the other.
  • According to Soulcalibur IV's official strategy guide, Soul Calibur in her current form is not just a mere sword, but a pure, crystalline embodiment of raw power.
  • Some of the characters in the Soul series such as Barbaros, the Masked Emperor, and Iska Farkas use Soul Calibur for their evil purposes, but as a holy sword, Soul Calibur can overcome their evil intentions.
  • In Soulcalibur II, when the sword could first be used by anyone other than Xianghua, she could only be wielded by characters that would be considered pure such as Talim and Siegfried, albeit Siegfried in the form of Nightmare. This is perhaps to show opposite to the evil Soul Edge. By contrast, Soul Edge could be used by anyone with a strong enough will, meaning all the characters had their own versions of Soul Edge (Complete), even the guest characters.
  • In canon, unlike Soul Edge who can be wielded by both good and evil characters, Soul Calibur can only be wielded by those with only a pure, good heart and spirit. Thus, those who are purely evil and corrupted are more likely to be killed at her blade. However those with strong will but yet evil can turn it into a weapon of corrupted justice and order, one where one's freedom is sacrificed in the name of "good".
  • In Soulcalibur, Soul Calibur takes the form of an ordinary jian sword called the Krita-Yuga, which was Xianghua's choice weapon. She transforms into her true form for Xianghua to fight against Soul Edge.
  • In Lizardman' and Zasalamel's endings in Soulcalibur III, Soul Calibur makes her appearance along with Soul Edge. But in Mitsurugi's, she only appears in his input ending.
  • In Soulcalibur III and Soulcalibur IV, certain characters like Sophitia, Siegfried, Ivy, Yoshimitsu, Cassandra, Seong Mi-na, Kilik, and Setsuka are able to wield her as their ultimate weapon.
  • In Soulcalibur IV, Xianghua's ultimate weapon is Soul Calibur while Maxi wields Soul Edge. Kilik, however, wields a fusion of the two called Embrace of Souls. In addition, Seong Mi-na's ultimate weapon is Soul Calibur, while Yun-seong wields Soul Edge. Talim has a pair of elbow blades, one is Soul Edge and the other is Soul Calibur, similar to the Embrace of Souls.
  • In Namco's Tales Studios' Tales of Rebirth, one of the Mystic Artes called Celsius Calibur involves Hilda Rhambling creating an ice sword that resembles the Soul Calibur in it's Soulcalibur II appearance, which is then wielded by Veigue Lungberg. This returns as Veigue's Mystic Arte in Tales of the World Radiant Mythology 3, where it instead resembles it's Soulcalibur IV appearance. It should be noted that Veigue shares Siegfried's Japanese voice actor, Nobuyuki Hiyama.
  • In Elysium's artwork, she is using Soul Calibur as a sword and shield.
  • Soul Calibur is capable of dominating those who don't have a strong will, just like Soul Edge. While the two swords have very different intentions, both are capable of "wielding" their users. But the only difference is that Soul Calibur doesn't bring her wielder to be consumed, like Soul Edge does to its wielder. It is for this reason that, according to New Legends of Project Soul, the tribe that safeguarded the Spirit Sword instituted a rule forbidding a single person from being the sword's host more than once.
  • Unlike Soul Edge, whose name is only recognized by his appearance of his eye and flesh-like being, Soul Calibur's name is recognized by the symbols erected onto both her jian and zweihander forms. Her name is also erected onto her shield in Soulcalibur V.
  • Soul Calibur represents “Order”.
Original Timeline Main Characters
Aeon (Lizardman)AlgolAmyAstaroth (Mass Produced)CassandraCervantesCharadeEdge MasterHildeHwangIvyKilikLeixiaLi LongMaxiMitsurugiNatsuOlcadanPatroklos (α Patroklos)Pyrrha (Pyrrha Ω)RaphaelRockSeong Mi-naSetsukaSiegfriedSophitiaSoul Calibur (Elysium)Soul Edge (Inferno, Nightmare, Night Terror)TakiTalimTiraViolaVoldoXianghuaXibaYoshimitsuYun-seongZasalamel (Abyss)Z.W.E.I.
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