SoulCalibur II

"Transcending history and the world, a tale of souls and swords eternally retold."

- Anonymous

"Chosen by history, a man becomes a warrior. Engraved into history, a warrior becomes a hero."

- Song by a 14th century troubadour

Soulcalibur II (ソウルキャリバーII, Sourukyaribā Tsū) (also known as Soul Calibur II) is a multi-platform fighter, released simultaneously on the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube. The game was billed that each platform would have a different main character unique to that system. Link just so happened to be the unique character to the Nintendo brand.

Prologue
The game is set four years after the end of Soul Calibur, which based on calculations from a timeline released on the "Soul Archive" website, puts the game's story in the year 1591.

The wave of slaughters that terrorized Europe reached a sudden end. The knight in azure armor, Nightmare, and his followers were successful in collecting enough souls and were about to start the restoring ceremony on the ruins of the once-proud Osthreinsburg Castle. But just as the ceremony was to start, three young warriors assaulted the castle. In a matter of time the clan was defeated and Nightmare stood in front of the young warriors wielding the Sacred Trinity. After an intense battle Nightmare fell, but then the evil soul inside Soul Edge sent the young warriors into a vortex of hellfire and stood to confront them. As a result of Soul Edge's evil aura, Krita-Yuga revealed its true form: that of the Holy Sword, Soul Calibur.

The intense battle ended with the victory of the holy sword, but at the collapse of the vortex of Inferno, both swords along with the azure Nightmare were sucked in a void and expelled in another place. Siegfried Schtauffen, who was until a moment before the Azure Knight, restored his mind. Recognizing his sins, he set on a journey of atonement. Still the blade held a strong bond, and every night it took control of the body and took souls of those nearby. The efforts made by the young knight were fruitless, and four years later the Azure Nightmare returned.

Around those times various warriors came into contact of the blade's remaining fragments, revealing Soul Edge's ultimate survival after its defeat. Driven either to possess or destroy it, they join a new journey, while Nightmare starts his rampage once again, seeking souls to restore Soul Edge once again...



Soul Edge
The Soul Edge was an ancient cursed sword in the Soulcalibur series.

Many warriors set out to destroy the sword, but almost none prevailed. The sword began to control an evil wizard, who was deafeated by Link. To prevent this from happening again, Link set out to destroy it. He managed to destroy a fragment of the sword, ending the evil that threatened Hyrule. This is the strongest and most dominating sword Link has ever encountered.

Link
Link appears as a guest character on the GameCube version of the game.



Biography
Hyrule's tranquility was shattered by the arrival of several disasters, which brought opaque, ominous clouds with them. Eventually, it was discovered that an unknown magician was to blame for all that had happened. Just as the people were about to lose all hope, the sun miraculously returned as Link, having been summoned by Princess Zelda to find the disasters' source, successfully defeated the magician. The people of Hyrule rejoiced in the belief that eternal peace would rule; but it eventually became clear that the magician responsible for the disasters was in fact controlled by an evil sword from another world, Soul Edge, and that the fragments of Soul Edge had been gathering in the other world. Knowing that the resurrection of the evil blade must be prevented at all costs, Link chose to travel to the other world and destroy Soul Edge himself. He gathered his trusted Master Sword and Ocarina of Time, and transported himself off on a secret journey.

Weapons
-- Master Sword & Hylian Shield

A magic sword and shield that have accompanied Link on many adventures and helped him repeatedly save the land of Hyrule. This journey is no less dire, and Link once again goes into battle equipped with these items, this time in another world. These are well-balanced arms for Link.

Razor Sword A sword forged by the blacksmith from the Mountain Village on Snowhead. The blacksmith is famous for his perfectionism--this sword is yet another excellent example of his craftsmanship and boasts an amazingly sharp cutting edge. Unfortunately, the metal used to forge this blade is prone to chipping, so there remains some concern about it's defensive capabilities.

Armos Series

A sword and shield from one of the living Armos statues that dot the land of Hyrule. The origins of these items are shrouded in mystery, much like the Armos themselves. Concentrating one's will increases the weapon's power, but they are a bit too heavy for Link and he cannot use them effectively for guarding.

Megaton Hammer

An extremely heavy hammer. Learning to use it effectively could take some time, as its reach is somewhat short for a weapon. Its power and toughness, however, far exceed that of any normal sword. It's guaranteed to inspire awe.

Cane of Byrna

An ancient magic staff that grants protection to heroes. It can be used even by those who are not sorcerers as long as their hearts are pure. It is said that praying to the staff with all one's heart will shroud the user in light and fill him with vitality. Becaus it is not a true weapon, it usually does not fare well when it clashes against an opponent's weapon.

Mirror Shield

A mirror-like shield found in the Spirit Temple. It is an amazing work of art, and there are few who would argue that it is not one of the finest shields in Hyrule. It is said that its surface reflects not only light but hostile intent as well.

Magic Sword & Magic Shield

Ancient arms hidden deep in an underground tomb. This powerful sword holds an enchantment that counters the forces of darkness, and its holy aura allows it to deliver damage to the enemy even without making physical contact. The shield itself is quite old and is weak against physical impact.

Biggoron's Sword

A masterfully crafted long sword forged by the best blacksmith in Hyrule, Biggoron, who lives on Death Mountain. Designed specifically for Link, it is made to be wielded with one hand. Even so, swinging it with full force gets tiring after awhile.

Soul Edge (Complete)

An evil blade with a reputation for devouring souls. This weapon is also known to be a shape-shifter--which form it takes depends on its current owner. The forms it has taken are legendary, as are the souls of the renowned warriors it has consumed. Only those with great mental discipline can retain their will while wielding this weapon. It consumes the souls of those who fall before the blade, and also the soul of its wielder.

Great Fairy Sword

A sword blessed by the Great Fairy, rumored to be able to reflect any and all dark magic. Merely holding it fills the wielder with strength, but unfortunately, its protective power did not survive intact in this world, and it is no longer able to resist enemy attacks.

Bug-Catching Net

A long-handled net used for catching bugs. This item is an old companion of Link's and has appeared on many of his adventures--it accompanies him on this adventure as well. Obviously, it is not a weapon, but perhaps it will cause opponents to let down their guard

Trivia



 * Link has a longer profile in Soul Archive. It only expands into Link's in-game bio with greater details.
 * Link, alongside Spawn, was the first character in the Soul Series to use projectiles, in his case in the form of arrows, bombs, and a boomerang.
 * Some of Links moves are borrowed from his games, like the Spin Attack.
 * In the game, Link has access to a variety of weapons taken from several games in the Zelda series, including the Biggoron Sword, Megaton Hammer, and Mirror Shield from Ocarina of Time, the Magical Sword and Shield from the original The Legend of Zelda, the Cane of Byrna, and even the bug-catching net from A Link To The Past. Link can also use the "Armos Class" Weapons, an orange, cracked shield, and a thick sword.
 * This game's Link borrows his appearance from Ocarina of Time, but his profile makes it clear he's not the same one.
 * Instead of having the standard 2 or 3 costumes like every other character, Link has 4 different costumes, though each one is only his standard costume (green) colored red, blue, and violet (exactly the same four garment colors he could use in the first Super Smash Bros. and Four Swords Adventures).
 * Link's classic theme from Zelda was used in his profile viewer and destined battle theme. It was also played if Link was used in Eurydice Shrine gallery.
 * Link is the most popular guest character, based on sales numbers for each version of the game.
 * His signature stage is Ostrheinsburg Chapel and his alternate stage is Eurydice Shrine Gallery on Ostrheinburg Chapel there is a view of Hyrule Castle in the distance.
 * Link's final battle is with Raphael.

Series appearance
Link brought his swordplay to the game, allowing him to defeat the foes in his way. He also was able to purchase swords and shields unique to The Legend of Zelda games, including the Master Sword. 