TV-Series
Description
Kagemaru, often referred to as Kage for short, is a character from the Virtua Fighter anime and the broader Virtua Fighter series. He is a Japanese ninja who stands at 178 centimeters tall and weighs 66 kilograms. As the tenth-generation inheritor of the Hagakure clan's title, his full name is Kagemaru, a name given to those who work secretly in the shadows of society. His fighting style is the fictional martial art known as Hagakure-ryu Jujutsu, a form of combat taught to him by his father, the ninth-generation Kagemaru.
Kagemaru's background is rooted in tragedy. His mother, Tsukikage, was kidnapped by a shadowy terrorist organization called Judgement 6, also known as J6. She was later transformed into a cybernetic weapon named Dural. The same organization attacked and destroyed his village, and Kagemaru's father was killed in the assault. Following these events, he salvaged a keepsake from his father and embarked on a journey of vengeance and rescue.
His primary motivation is to rescue his mother from J6 and put a stop to their plans. Throughout the story, he enters the fighting tournaments they host in order to find her. This goal defines his actions, from his initial infiltration of the tournament to his later battles against the cyborg Dural. While he normally presents a stoic and unemotional exterior, he is a warm-hearted person who is deeply affected by the memory of his mother, even to the point of tears.
In the story, Kagemaru starts as a lone agent driven by personal revenge. In the Virtua Fighter anime, he is initially portrayed as a mercenary who kidnaps Sarah Bryant under orders, bringing him into conflict with the protagonist Akira Yuki. Over time, driven by a guilty conscience, he changes his allegiances and decides to assist Akira and his allies. His key relationships include his rivalry and eventual alliance with Akira Yuki, a complex connection with Sarah, and his antagonistic pursuit of the rogue ninja Oni-Maru, who massacred his clan. His ultimate adversary remains his own mother in her corrupted form as Dural, leading to a heartbreaking conflict where he resolves to end her suffering.
Kagemaru is a highly skilled and decorated fighter, noted as the most successful competitor in the tournaments, having won multiple times and defeated powerful opponents such as Akira Yuki. His abilities are those of a classic ninja, emphasizing blinding speed and agility. He is capable of moving so fast that he appears to be in multiple places at once and can perform incredible feats like destroying an attack helicopter with a single shuriken. His signature technique is a throw known as the Ten Foot Toss, where he grabs an opponent, launches them high into the air, and follows up with a devastating aerial combo before they land. Despite the serious nature of his quest, he has a surprisingly lighthearted hobby: playing mahjong.
Kagemaru's background is rooted in tragedy. His mother, Tsukikage, was kidnapped by a shadowy terrorist organization called Judgement 6, also known as J6. She was later transformed into a cybernetic weapon named Dural. The same organization attacked and destroyed his village, and Kagemaru's father was killed in the assault. Following these events, he salvaged a keepsake from his father and embarked on a journey of vengeance and rescue.
His primary motivation is to rescue his mother from J6 and put a stop to their plans. Throughout the story, he enters the fighting tournaments they host in order to find her. This goal defines his actions, from his initial infiltration of the tournament to his later battles against the cyborg Dural. While he normally presents a stoic and unemotional exterior, he is a warm-hearted person who is deeply affected by the memory of his mother, even to the point of tears.
In the story, Kagemaru starts as a lone agent driven by personal revenge. In the Virtua Fighter anime, he is initially portrayed as a mercenary who kidnaps Sarah Bryant under orders, bringing him into conflict with the protagonist Akira Yuki. Over time, driven by a guilty conscience, he changes his allegiances and decides to assist Akira and his allies. His key relationships include his rivalry and eventual alliance with Akira Yuki, a complex connection with Sarah, and his antagonistic pursuit of the rogue ninja Oni-Maru, who massacred his clan. His ultimate adversary remains his own mother in her corrupted form as Dural, leading to a heartbreaking conflict where he resolves to end her suffering.
Kagemaru is a highly skilled and decorated fighter, noted as the most successful competitor in the tournaments, having won multiple times and defeated powerful opponents such as Akira Yuki. His abilities are those of a classic ninja, emphasizing blinding speed and agility. He is capable of moving so fast that he appears to be in multiple places at once and can perform incredible feats like destroying an attack helicopter with a single shuriken. His signature technique is a throw known as the Ten Foot Toss, where he grabs an opponent, launches them high into the air, and follows up with a devastating aerial combo before they land. Despite the serious nature of his quest, he has a surprisingly lighthearted hobby: playing mahjong.