30 years of Street Fighter, 30 Days of Characters; #25

Hokuto is one of the most interesting characters in the entire Street Fighter universe. In the span of 30 years she is possibly the most complex fighter ever designed. In canon she has actually played both the good and evil roles. Her true nature is only now being told. When she debuted in 1997 she appeared like a kyudoka, somebody that practiced traditional archery. She didn't have a bow and arrows but instead used her spirit force to shoot energy projectiles at opponents. It was a unique mix of classic aesthetic and modern fighting game character. Hokuto came from a cursed lineage, her older brother was Kairi, a fighter suffering from amnesia. Kairi posed a threat to himself and other people so Hokuto was tasked to bring him in or kill him trying. The latter of the two options came in the form of Bloody Hokuto. Her evil personae was much more dangerous and filled with the same murderous intent of Kairi. Hokuto and Bloody Hokuto shared a few similar moves however Bloody Hokuto had a few more lethal strikes including a dim mak or death strike. 

Hokuto was presented as a sympathetic character. She was a young, noble woman that had the bad fortune of having to track down her brother. Audiences knew that the evil energy coursing through her veins was making her do things she did not want to do. Just as Ryu, the star of the Street Fighter series, was battling the dark Hadou energy as well. The designers at ARIKA were actually keeping an important part of her story a secret for 20 years. Hokuto was indeed related to Kairi however they were step-siblings. Hokuto was an illegitimate child. She was trained as an assassin and had been planted into the clan with her memories erased. When the seal was broken she didn't become "Bloody Hokuto" but instead regressed into her true self. She was an assassin named Shirase.

Shirase debuted in Fighting EX Layer. She was a redesign with a mix of good and evil Hokuto elements. The black and white motif on her hair and costume were strong opposites. They were the literal yin and yang, the good and evil fighting within her. With her true potential unlocked would she be able to strike down her brother? Was she on track to be the first female boss in the Street Fighter universe? That was a strong possibility! Audiences were eager to see how the developers at ARIKA changed her relationship with Kairi and step-sister Nanase. At least I wanted to find out what happened next. I can't say I was as interested for how many of the other characters evolved over the years. What do you think? As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!