Sole swordswoman of the Bebop Pirates, Saiko is a female samurai from a small island where she studied her family's art of Shinsoku Ittouryuu.
Appearance[]
In terms of appearance, Saiko is best defined by her typical samurai kimono, which is usually a red or pink color, although the design can differ vastly. Hanging in an obi sash at her side is her katana sword, which she is never seen without. As opposed to tabi socks and sandals, she prefers to wear wooden geta on her feet, which clack as she walks.
She has long, black hair, pulled into a topknot and formerly she would wear a golden hair pin, though since becoming a Pirate she has stopped wearing it. Her face is rounded and young, with full, pinkish lips, a pair of green eyes and a small, slightly pointed nose. Her figure is toned and athletic. She is slender, although with generous curves, and wears bandages around her chest instead of a bra.
Personality[]
An eternally optimistic and cheerful woman, little can stir Saiko into removing her smile at any point. Living life to her fullest, she is able to keep up the mood of the entire crew. Even when times are tense between members, she acts as a median, getting the group to get along with each other. When one crew member is sad, she makes it a point to cheer them up with her optimistic approach to life. She is also incredibly devoted to her family, friends and her Bushido, and is very protective of her crew mates. She is generally childish at times, yet at other times she is capable of showing a little more maturity, and is one of the smarter members of the crew.
The only times she doesn't show her optimistic attitude are when something incredibly bad has happened, such as her crewmates being in danger, or when the situation calls for her to be serious and act as a leader. She is also almost never angry, although when her island was threatened by rebels she did get extremely angry with the rebel leaders, Muraki and Mikami. When in a fight, meanwhile, she maintains her more serious persona, although this is quick to revert to her more cheerful, childish one once it is over. She is also a lot quieter when in a fight.
Abilities and Powers[]
A skilled swordswoman, as opposed to her Captain Saiko has no Devil Fruit, instead relying on her skill and physical abilities alone. A technical fighter, her swordsmanship follows proper technique and, aside from making use of Battoujutsu techniques, also makes liberal use of footwork to enhance the style's effectiveness. This special footwork is a speed-based technique allowing her to move at much higher speeds than a normal person can move at, making her capable of using Super-Human Speed.
In addition, she has surprising amounts of stamina, having taken a direct hit from Saber Thorpe's strongest attack and not just win, but take out a high number of Marines afterwards before finally collapsing.
Shinsoku Ittouryuu[]
- Tenjin Hippou - A high-speed movement technique where the user dashes at top speed while crouching low, reducing the wind-resistance on her body to as little as possible. Named for Tenjin, the Sky God.
- Battoujutsu: Hachiman Geki - A high-speed drawing technique that deals numerous slashing attacks to foes in an instant. Named for Hachiman, God of War.
- Ryuujin no Kai - An attack designed to counter an enemy's attack with an equal but opposite force. Naturally, enemies stronger than her can power through the technique. Named for Ryuujin, God of the Sea.
History[]
At a young age, her father left the island she lived on for unknown reasons, and thus she took up his spot in the home, following the ways of Bushido and learning his fighting style, becoming proficient in the use of the sword. Quickly, she made her way onto the Shogun's personal bodyguard, a position formerly held by a fellow Samurai named Mikami who defected from the Shogun, believing the country to be weak under his rule. Her mother stuck in bed with an illness, the Samurai used her as leverage to get Saiko to do their bidding and assassinate the Shogun, only to be stopped by the teen she had saved earlier in the day, Jared del Rey, who saved the Shogun and helped her defeat the former Samurai.
Following this, she joined the crew, and during their adventures they stumbled upon a spear-using fisherman named Kain who, after fighting and defeating a small Sea King, joined their crew, as well as going to Bliss Kingdom, where they gained another member - Prince Roi du Fusil. After arriving on Orion Island, she accompanied Roi to do clothes shopping (Which ended up to be the worst job), only to be separated later from the group during the Marine attacks. During her attempts to find the others she fought and defeated Lieutenant Saber Thorpe, sustaining heavy injuries in the process. Still, however, she was able to defeat a few more Marines and save Jared with the rest of the crew.
Trivia[]
- Saiko's name is based on one of the four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu Era in Japan, Kawakami Gensai. In addition, her fighting style is based on the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu of Rurouni Kenshin, the main character of which is also based on Kawakami Gensai.
- Interestingly, one of her opponents, Saber Thorpe, is also based on a character from Rurouni Kenshin, in his case Hajime Saito, Kenshin's rival.
- Saiko's attacks are all named for Shinto Gods and Goddesses.
- She also shares a birthday with Kawakami Gensai, the person she is based upon.