Jin Kisaragi

Jin Kisaragi (ジン＝キサラギ), also known as the Hero of Ikaruga (イカルガの英雄), is a member of the 4th Thaumaturgist Squadron, a former Major and Commander of the Novus Orbis Librarium, and Ragna and Saya's brother. He is a playable character and the main deuteragonist in the BlazBlue series.

Appearance
Jin is a good-looking and slender young man with short, stylish blond hair and green eyes. He wears the NOL major uniform with a black turtleneck and leggings under a white Japanese-style tunic, white gloves, military boots, and a "jolting sapphire" colored jacket with a red lining and very long, detached sleeves.

When he was at the Military Academy, he wore glasses and the standard male school uniform.

As a child, he wore a light blue shirt and black shorts while he lived at the church. When he was adopted by Kisaragi's clan, he wore a Japanese tradition training shihakushō uniform.

Personality
Where his brother Ragna is hot-tempered and quick to draw first blood, Jin is cold, aloof, and borderline sociopathic. He cares little for the feelings of others, and denounces, in his own words, trivialities like camaraderie, believing that such things are lies that people use to their advantage. He has no compunction with killing anyone who gets in the way of his goal. In addition, he repeatedly shows that he dislikes reminiscing about the past, particularly about his days at the Military Academy.

This, however, is all a façade. The moment he reunites with Ragna, Jin loses his calm, detached demeanor and reverts to his childhood self. His voice becomes noticeably more ecstatic, and he is now prone to fits of maniacal laughter, mostly due to Yukianesa's influence (which compels him to kill his brother due to his nature as the Black Beast, as well as the Power of Order, which perceives him as a threat to the stability of the world). In the past, Jin would often cling to Ragna for assistance with everything, which greatly annoyed him and was jealous of Saya when Ragna spent more time with her. However, it is shown during the first time loop that Jin loved his sister Saya as much as he did Ragna.

It is also shown that he was friends with his classmates, Carl Clover, Tsubaki Yayoi, and Makoto Nanaya during their time at the Academy (though he showed a noted uneasiness towards Noel due to the disturbingly strong resemblance to his sister and treated her rather coldly which only got worse in the aftermath of the Second War of Ars Magus). In particular, he holds a genuine soft spot for Tsubaki, who was his only childhood friend after he was whisked away from his old life and adopted by the Kisaragi house of the Duodecim. The two share a long history together that is linked across the timelines.

In BlazBlue: Chronophantasma, Jin is noticeably more focused on saving Tsubaki and although he is still antagonistic towards Ragna, he is willing to put his murderous desire aside and cooperate if it means saving Tsubaki. However, he is still cold towards Noel and remains anti-social.

In BlazBlue: Centralfiction, It is shown that Jin no longer acts obsessively towards Ragna, referring to him as "The Dark One" not unlike Hakumen. Jin seems to have become more like Hakumen, taking on an overall calm yet stern tone of voice.

History
When Jin was a little boy, he was very dependent on his older brother, Ragna, for affection and constantly pestered him to play with him. He saw his sister Saya as an obstacle of getting his brother's attention and constantly bullied her in retaliation. Eventually, Ragna decided to look after the sickly Saya and distanced himself from Jin, he grew jealous of the relationship Ragna and Saya shared, and eventually attempted to kill her, immediately after Saya gave him the Nox Nyctores, Yukianesa.

It was then Yūki Terumi entered Jin's life and told him about the Black Beast, that it would be born from Ragna, and that he is destined to destroy it. Deciding that his brother must pay for his ignorance, and to get rid of the obstacle between them, Saya, Jin left Terumi to do as he pleased, including burning the church where they stayed and murdering their caretaker. When Ragna arrived, he only watched in shock as Terumi cut off his arm, and kidnapped Saya. Jin later vanished from Ragna's life, and apparently his memory of that incident was blocked off (likely due to Terumi's ability to eat memories).

Jin was later adopted to the high-esteemed Kisaragi family. With his talents, he rose up in the ranks of the Novus Orbis Librarium, but his other siblings never trusted him, thinking that he only got his ranks due to his adoption. Indeed, Jin himself felt completely empty even after being showered with awards and ranks (which included the stopping of the Second War of Ars Magus).

Heart to Heart
Relaxing on a hilltop nearby the Military Academy, a poem breezed into his hand, having been stolen by the wind from Noel Vermillion. The young girl managed to catch it up, and apologized to Jin as he noticed how strong her resemblance to Saya is; following his shock, he promptly left. Some days later, Tsubaki waltzed up to Jin, asking him for advice on how to deal with those around her. Jin gave her the advice she desired, saying that she needed to use action instead of words, and that through this, she will be able to communicate with Makoto Nanaya's stubborn ways.

He later came to the rescue of Noel, Tsubaki and Makoto when they fell into an abandoned district of the Academy. Soon after, he issued their punishment of doing the school cooking for a full week.

BlazBlue: Remix Heart
Jin first appears in Chapter 2 of BlazBlue: Remix Heart during the Torifune Festival, where Tsubaki details him as the previous year's Izanagi. Tsubaki immediately introduces Jin to Mai Natsume, with the two having a pleasant exchange of greetings; however, as soon as Noel comes into view, Jin expresses his typical dislike of her in a heartbeat. A few moments later, Jin's roommates; Taro Sasagae and Akane Teruhiko, interrupt the scene between him and Noel, and begin commenting on Tsubaki's looks since it is the first time that they had been introduced to her outside of Jin's stories. During the Festival, Jin won the rock-paper-scissors competition and became the Izanagi of the school year once again. Jin later appeared in Chapter 5 when he had to give a speech for the Torifune Sports Festival and again in Chapter 6 when he had to examine the Conversion Grimoire for its authenticity alongside the student council.

When Torifune's climate control broke down in Chapter 7, Jin had to work alongside the student council and faculty in order to determine its cause. Thanks to Taro, Jin and Team Remix Heart were knocked into an unidentified area of Torifune; despite everyone else using Golden Angel to change into swimsuits, Jin refused despite his dislike of the increasing heat. Thanks to Jin calling Akane for transportation, everyone managed to arrive back safely.

BlazBlue: The Wheel of Fortune
In the first timeline where Noel Vermillion did not exist, Jin's secretary was his childhood friend, Tsubaki Yayoi. The two enjoyed their time together as superior and subordinate due to their special relationship with one another.

On December 31, 2199, Jin skipped a meeting, earning a scolding from Tsubaki, forcing him to promise to come back on time. Unbeknownst to her, Jin had ventured to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi in order to pursue Ragna the Bloodedge. When inside Kagutsuchi's NOL branch, Tsubaki finally caught up to him, begging him to return, however, Yukianesa's influence had turned him mentally unstable – he slapped her and left for the lower levels.

Jin finally found Ragna at the lowest level of the branch and the two began to fight until Ragna knocked him down. Jin woke up shortly afterwards and found Tsubaki beside him, and the two briefly talked until the nearby Cauldron opened up, releasing Nu -No. 13-. Jin called out to her, calling her 'Saya', and then asking Ragna what she is, he was, however, told to shut up. After Ragna lost to Nu, Jin brushed aside Tsubaki, saying he doesn't need her, screaming at Nu to get off his brother; in response, Nu threw a blade at him – Tsubaki took the blow for him. Jin desperately tried to heal her with his Armagus but it refused to respond. Tragically, Tsubaki died in his arms.



Jin jumped into the Cauldron after Ragna and Nu and was sent hurtling into the past, becoming the leader of the Six Heroes - Hakumen.

Purgatory Hell
Jin flicked through a book entitled 'Biographies of Heroes' of which his face adorned the front cover, to his dismay. He skimmed through a manuscript detailing himself, noticing how it followed his life from the beginning of his adoption into the Kisaragi household, all the way up to his exploits in the Second War of Ars Magus, despite much of the information being correct, it was still heavily exaggerated.

Being interrupted by a knock on the door, Noel Vermillion walked in, handing him a slip of paper to declare that she was now to work under him as an assassin and intelligence gatherer. This extremely annoyed Jin who had believed he had escaped from her forever, he pondered why she was given such a high role when there were many better than her. He later dismissed her following his conundrum.

A few days later, Noel came to Jin's office once more, delivering a letter that announced that Ragna the Bloodedge was on his way to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi; Jin, already drowning in paperwork revolving around the incident, was shocked by the discovery and came to realize that the same 'Grim Reaper' was in fact his older brother. Alongside this news, the letter detailed that Noel would be sent to Kagutsuchi in order to investigate; with Jin's emotions stirring once more about his 'dear brother'.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
When the rumors of the "Grim Reaper" arose, Jin felt a sudden urge to meet him, which caused him to abandon his post and head to Kagutsuchi to find out more about him. When it turns out to be Ragna, Jin became ecstatic to meet his beloved brother and his psychosis caused him to be eager to kill him and fulfill his destiny.

Trigger Shift
Wanting to delve deeper into the basement, Jin was halted by the sudden collapse of the entrance further down. Giving up, he left the building's interior, but collapsed outside, where he was subsequently picked up by three NOL officers. He was dragged off to the fifth airship waiting in the Kagutsuchi port, per Hazama's orders.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Inside the airship, Jin woke up, being treated by Ellen Nelson. Trying to escape, he found that he had been unconscious for about three days; he questioned her on who assigned her to him, finding Hazama to be the culprit. Sending her on her way to fetch him some water, Jin swiftly knocked her out on her arrival, stealing her keycard and a parachute to escape the airship – Jin jumped down, landing in the outer forests of Kagutsuchi. There, he encounters Jūbei who cryptically explains the Power of Order to him, although he views it as nonsense. After re-entering Kagutsuchi, he encounters Makoto Nanaya who had just come back from Ibukido. Before long, they are attacked by Hazama and Jin fights him in defense.



However, he is no match for Hazama as his wounds reopened during the battle and is forced to retreat with Makoto. He later falls unconscious and awakens in Rōnin-Gai, having his injuries tended to by Bang Shishigami. After spending some time to recuperate, Jin sneaks out claiming to be "taking a walk". When he is far enough away, Yukianesa suddenly begins trying to control him, demanding that he kill all the Ikaruga refugees. As Jin struggles to remain in control, he recalls what Jūbei told him earlier and begins to understand just how dangerous the Power of Order can be. After Yukianesa falls silent, an exhausted Jin is suddenly teleported to Castle Alucard. Rachel greets him and begins insulting and taunting Jin, provoking Jin to attack her. After a short battle, Rachel has Valkenhayn perform an unseen (and very painful) procedure on Jin to limit Yukianesa's influence on him. Rachel later teleports Jin directly to the NOL office in Kagutsuchi where he encounters Ragna. Ecstatic, Jin attempts to fight Ragna, but is unable to draw Yukianesa. Confused, Jin tries to draw his sword several times with the same result before Ragna explains to him the reason: Jin has been under Yukianesa's control the entire time and, with its influence severely limited, isn't responding to Jin anymore. Ragna then tells Jin that his true potential will be realized when he gains control over his Power of Order and Yukianesa, becoming Ragna's "greatest enemy". Ragna then leaves as Jin reflects on the events leading to that point, but is soon discovered by Tsubaki who orders him to turn himself in. Jin notes that her uniform is that of the Wings of Justice and the weapon she's holding is the Izayoi, causing him to warn her of the weapon's side effect. When Tsubaki states that she is well aware of the consequences and repeats her order, Jin begins losing his composure and tells her of her division's secret: during the Ikaruga War, those who were not able to complete the mission of ending the war that Jin was able to were falsely condemned and disposed of by the Wings of Justice. He then asks her if, hearing that, she still believes that the Imperator is just. When she responds in the positive. They begin fight although Jin is forced to go on the defensive due to still not being able to draw his sword. Eventually, Tsubaki creates a sealed space to talk to Jin and desperately pleads with him to turn himself in and tells him that she has been ordered to assassinate him. However, Hazama somehow overhears their conversation and activates the Mind Eater curse that the Imperator placed on Tsubaki moments before to ensure her obedience. As she desperately pleads with Jin to help her, Tsubaki undergoes a transformation with her white uniform becoming black and corrupted, her mind is completely enslaved to the Imperator. Jin, unwilling to lose his childhood friend to the Imperator's hypocrisy, focuses every ounce of his will and is finally able to draw Yukianesa and awaken his true power The power of order. He easily defeats Tsubaki who then retreats before Jūbei stumbles in, covered in wounds. He states that Jin has grown up and tells him to head to the Cauldron at the bottom of Kagutsuchi, where he will find some answers.

Jin later assists Hakumen in attempting to defeat Mu, but neither were able to stop her until Ragna appears. After Mu -No. 12- is defeated, he, Ragna and Noel are met by Hazama, who taunts them before Relius appears, reprimanding him and announcing the Imperator's arrival, whom Ragna identifies as their sister Saya. Announcing that the Master Unit has been subdued, she, Hazama, Relius, Litchi, and Tsubaki are teleported out by Phantom. After they leave, Jin reveals to Ragna that Yukianesa was given to him by Saya.

In the Epilogue, Jin leaves Kagutsuchi with Jūbei to train his powers in order to one day save Tsubaki.

BlazBlue: Chronophantasma
Jin is sought out by Hibiki to have him join Kagura's rebellion as it would give Jin the opportunity to encounter Tsubaki. He travels to Akitsu and is surprised at how the weather control isn't functioning. When Hibiki informs him that it ceased to function after Ragna destroyed the Cauldron there, Jin realizes that if Ragna targeted that Cauldron, it must've been where a Murakumo unit was being smelted. Jin asks Hibiki to take him to the Cauldron to check on something. There, he examines the Cauldron and finds something unusual there. While searching through the rubble further, he encounters Relius and demands answers regarding the Cauldron. The two fight and, although Jin is victorious, Relius escapes after opening the Cauldron's Gate. He then tells Hibiki that he will accept Kagura's invitation. On the way back, Jin encounters Hakumen and asks him questions about his own timeline, revealing that he is now aware that Hakumen is himself from another timeline. Hakumen later informs Jin that Izayoi has a true form, but he does not know anything beyond that.

While at Kagura's base, Jin encounters Ragna and they immediately become antagonistic toward each other with Jin mocking Ragna's inability to use his Azure Grimoire. They then agree to fight outside and Jin easily defeats Ragna, but allows him to live as it wouldn't be as satisfying to kill him in his weakened state. Celica then appears and heals Ragna before scolding the brothers on their hostilities, to which both of them have a vision of the Sister that raised them when looking at her. Jin later eats dinner with the others and becomes annoyed when Kagura calls him "Jinny" and when Celica feeds Ragna.

Eventually, the day arrives where Jin, Noel, and Makoto will be able to encounter Tsubaki. Jin outlines the plan to break the Mind Eater on Tsubaki: first Makoto will fight to wear down Tsubaki's stamina, then Noel will go on the defensive in order to Observe Tsubaki's heart. After which, Jin will fight Tsubaki when Izayoi reveals it's true form to make the final push. When they encounter Tsubaki, Kokonoe creates a Sealed Space where there won't be any interference so that they can focus on Tsubaki. The plan is successful and Jin manages to break Tsubaki free of the Mind Eater, finally saving his childhood friend.

After Ragna returns from the past, Kagura begins his plan to overthrow the Imperator and has Jin and Tsubaki as backup. However, things don't go as expected and Kagura sends Jin after Hades: Izanami to stop the destruction of Amaterasu. Jin encounters Ragna and Noel just as Takemikazuchi descends and, after being informed of the situation, the three head to confront Hades: Izanami. They meet up with Celica who wishes them the best of luck, to which the three of them once again see a vision of the Sister in Celica. Jin fights Takemikazuchi first, then retreats to assist Hakumen in destroying the Monolith's foundation with them both combining their Yukikaze techniques to slice through it.

Jin and Hakumen later meet up with Ragna as he emerges from Takemikazuchi with Celica and Nu. When Hades: Izanami takes control over Ragna's Azure Grimoire and causes him to go berserk, Jin prepares to fight despite his brother's pleas to escape.

In the aftermath, Jin is in critical condition due to the injuries sustained fighting Ragna and is being treated by Celica.

BlazBlue: Centralfiction
He is one of the few that actually remembers the previous events, before these memories were restored for everyone. He had Trinity inside his Yukianesa, and she was the one who healed Jin's wounds from his battle with Black Beast Ragna. In return, Jin saved Luna and Sena from disappearing, after that he transferred Trinity's soul back to Muchōrin, and then Platinum materialized her body.

Powers and abilities
Jin proves his elite status in the Librarium with his exceptional skills on the battlefield. Wielding the Nox Nyctores named Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa, Jin controls the element of ice, wielding it with such efficiency that he is able to shape the ice he creates into different forms such as a series of blades and is able to propel himself on one. His swordsmanship as well as his powers rival and contrasts that of his brother Ragna. While Ragna fights with savage, powerful blows, Jin's style is elegant (although it should be noted that the damage output on Jin's attacks are considerably powerful like Ragna), which strangely polarizes his own personality affected by the Yukianesa. Since Jin and Hakumen are the same person, in BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Jin instinctively learns the 'Kokūjin: Yukikaze' technique at one point, only done in his own style (via the "jin" in Kokūjin translates to "blade" instead of "array" like with Hakumen).

According to Jūbei in BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Jin's true power is currently suppressed because of Yukianesa's influence on him. There are hints of this true power showing up periodically in the series, but not in its full potential. However, according to Ragna, should Jin's true power managed to overcome Yukianesa, then he said that Jin will become his "greatest enemy". This is also confirmed by Jūbei. After a month of training from Jūbei, Jin has become much more powerful; something several characters including Ragna remark on.

Jin's Drive is Frost Bite. By harnessing the power of Yukianesa, Jin can encase his opponents in structures of ice, temporarily incapacitating them for a free hit. Unlike the other characters in the series (until BlazBlue: Chronophantasma, when Crush Trigger was introduced), Jin's Heat Gauge is broken up into four bars instead of the usual two the other have with the exception of Hakumen. His Drive attacks use one bar each, although they are incredibly potent as they deal multiple hits in one strike. Jin's Overdrive, Frost End, causes a freezing effect on the opponent every time he attacks the opponent with Yukianesa's blade, not just from using his Drive, opening up countless combo opportunities.

Visually, Jin's powers have shown improvement ever since he learned of the "Power of Order"; prior games had Jin's ice crystals sport a few jagged formations upon freezing his targets, while in BlazBlue: Chronophantasma, the crystals are more smooth and refined on their surfaces; showing how much Jin has improved on his control over Yukianesa.

Trivia

 * "Jin" name is used chiefly in the Chinese and Japanese languages, and its origin is Chinese. This name means 金 – gold, metal, money, 锦 – embroidered, bright or 津 – ferry. Kisaragi (如月, lit. "similar moon/month") is the Japanese name for the month of February via the lunar calendar. His name can literally mean Bright February.
 * Jin is a very elegant and intelligent character, but he is very cold and hostile towards others. However, he can be very affectionate when it comes to Ragna. This caused the fanon to label him as a tsundere (a person who is initially cold and hostile towards another person (as well as sadistic), but beginning to show their warm side over time).
 * Arc System Works has released a Fan CD called "BlazBlue: Fan Disc Tsundere CD", with Jin as one of the two hosts.
 * Jin's seiyū, Tetsuya Kakihara, jokingly said in an interview, that Jin is actually not a tsundere, but a yandere. However, it could be stated that he can be a very rare archetype of both, with an added probability that he may also be a kūdere during his academy years without Yukianesa in his possession.
 * Over the course of the events in BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Jin is revealed to slowly embrace a similar sense of justice and destiny with his alternate-self, going so far that he claims to be "The cold steel, which will restore balance to the world"; he also begins using an "Empty Air Blade" stance as one of his Distortion Drives (a variation on "one's" "Empty Air Array" style), and (much to Kokonoe's annoyance) starts to speak way too often.
 * During Hakumen's story in Continuum Shift, Jin argues that he must kill Ragna to end the latter's suffering before it gets worse, implying that Jin is deeply conflicted regarding his brother's fate and feels that killing him will be an act of mercy.
 * Jin, along with Ragna, Hazama, Rachel, Hakumen and Platinum the Trinity; is a playable character in Lost Saga.
 * One of Jin's attacks, Musō Senshōzan, has been dubbed Ice Car by fans, and is commonly used in fan-comics, possibly due to the radio drama, where Jin makes the sounds of a car driving off at one point. Said attack creates a large icicle which Jin can use to ride across the screen, as well as hit opponents with it.
 * However, as stated in his bio with his hobby being collecting vintage motorcycles, he may actually just be playing with those instead.
 * The fact that Jin's birthday falls on Valentine's Day is ironic, since he outwardly expresses hate and indifference towards sentiments like love.
 * According to Ragna's Story Mode in BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, when Jin was younger he had a fear of the moon "falling".
 * Jin tries to run away from the moon in the bad ending of his story "Decision", if the player loses against Rachel.
 * When Tsubaki asked Jin whether he likes the moon, he answered that he hates the moon.
 * It is actually quite ironic that one of Jin's Distortion Drives, Hiyoku Getsumei, means "Ice Wing Moon Cry". Though to possibly inverse that, the move is aimed upward (as if Jin has the moon in his sight), possibly relating to the concept of "Fighting Fire with Fire."
 * He also ironically has a lunar-based surname.
 * While it is clearly stated that Jin hated Saya, in Nu -No. 13-'s Story Mode, when Nu first encounters Jin, he treats her kindly and states that he was worried about both her and Ragna. When he hears that her name is Nu, however, he reverts to being cold, indicating that he may have been confusing her with Saya. Also, in the Wheel of Fortune Drama CD, they can be seen happily playing with one another. This may indicate that he does not hate Saya, his sister, of which all Murakumo Units are based on.
 * He also hates Noel because, as a replica of Saya, she bears a strong resemblance to her.
 * In most of Jin's omake appearances, he often tries to freeze people due to harsh comments, and in the Japanese scripts, he makes a reference to the Japanese name of his Astral Heat.
 * Jin, Noel, Tsubaki, and Hazama/Terumi are the only characters in BlazBlue with playable alternate forms. Jin's in particular is the leader of the Six Heroes, Hakumen.
 * Jin is the only one who, between him, Ragna, and Saya, still has his blond hair. However, as Hakumen, his hair has turned white/gray, similar to Ragna's.
 * Due to the fact Kisaragi is his adoptive last name, Jin's full birth name remains unknown. The same applies to Ragna and Saya.
 * Jin's power seems to vary differently in different media. In the Drama CD The Wheel of Fortune and in the BlazBlue: Alter Memory anime, he is much weaker than Ragna, but in the game, the two seems to be equal (Ragna is a little stronger, though it is also implied that he holds back whenever he fights against Jin) and in the Chimelical Complex manga, Ragna has to activate the Azure Grimoire to defeat Jin.
 * Jin is a playable character in the MOBA game; Chaos Heroes Online. Other characters include Ragna, Noel and Rachel.
 * Along with Noel and Ragna, Jin is a playable character in the Square Enix game: Lord of Vermilion Re: 2.
 * During one Help Me, Miss Litchi segment and for one of  Chronophantasma' s joke endings, Jin's dislike for meat dishes is referenced; in the former, Noel and Hazama comment on wanting to catch Jin actually eating a meat bun at some point (Jin was about to eat one before getting attacked and dragged by Tao). In the latter, Jin expresses himself that he is unable to eat meat for certain yet-unexplained reasons, and eventually somehow is put out of commission.
 * From there it is possible that Jin's body cannot handle digesting meat.
 * In Chronophantasma's Tutorial Mode, Jin will guide the player through the course Advanced- Foundations for Combos.