Mitsuyoshi

Mitsuyoshi (ミツヨシ), also known as One-Eyed Twin Lotus (双蓮の隻眼) and more famously as Jūbei (獣兵衛), is one of the Six Heroes. He is Konoe’s husband and Kokonoe’s father. He is also the progenitor of the Kaka race. He appears as a DLC playable character in BlazBlue: Centralfiction.

Appearance
Mitsuyoshi is a two tailed, black and white cat, who stands upright like a human being. He wears a jacket similar to the Kaka tribe’s jacket, but with an Eastern motif and a cut in the back where his two tails poke out. He also wears an eyepatch on his right eye, although it is hardly seen due to the game’s affinity to flip and reuse the same sprite. His weapon, the Musashi, is carried on his back via a belt strap. When his hoodie is removed during his Astral Heat, his fur is spiky and rugged akin to a long lion's mane.

When he was young, he wore a Kaka ninja-like orange-yellow garment.

During the Great Dark War, he wore samurai-like armor, with a headband and collar.

Personality
Jūbei is generally agreeable, sociable and optimistic. Whenever there is a great threat, such as Ragna or the Control Organization around, he always keeps his laid-back attitude and stays relaxed. He makes the best of every situation, and is always trying to see the good in everything.

At times, though, Jūbei shows a far more jaded and bitter side. Due to many of his friends having died, Jūbei shows deep-seated guilt over his inability to do anything. As such, he has felt that he is nothing more than a weak coward who runs home with his tail between his legs while leaving good people such as Hakumen and Bloodedge to their fate. The supposed death of his lover, Nine, and having to leave their daughter Kokonoe without a family, only wound him further. Because of those losses, however, Jūbei is even more driven to do what’s right, and will use the power he has to do so.

History
Jūbei is one of the Six Heroes, Ragna the Bloodedge’s master, and Kokonoe’s father. He battled the Black Beast alongside Hakumen, and is called “the strongest being on the planet”. The Kaka tribe were genetically engineered from his DNA. Despite his physical appearance, he is a powerful warrior. He works to safeguard his friends in their times of need.

BlazBlue: Phase 0
While working for Clavis Alucard, Mitsuyoshi was sent to confirm the death of Shūichirō Ayatsuki, and assassinate him in the case the man was alive. He met Ragna and Celica Ayatsuki Mercury when they were in a forest in mountains, and mistook Ragna for a thug who assaulted a girl. He attacked the man, but Celica stepped in for him, and they cleared up the misunderstanding. It turned out that Shūichirō Ayatsuki is Celica’s missing father, so the girl and Ragna convinced Mitsuyoshi to take them with him.

The beastman used his connections to get a truck that brought them to the city where the Seiōdai Sampling Laboratory was located. They were guided by Celica’s faint memories of that place, but the group has not made it even to Shūichirō’s lab when they encountered a remnant of the Black Beast. Mitsuyoshi was severely wounded in the battle against it, but the remnant disappeared after Celica touched it. She could not heal the beastman, but then Rachel Alucard approached them, and teleported the trio to her father’s castle where Mitsuyoshi received proper treatment.

Unfortunately, while all other wounds were healed, his right eye could not be saved, so Mitsuyoshi had to wear an eyepatch over it later. He followed his companions to the First Area and heard Shūichirō’s explanation about Kushinada’s Lynchpin, but revealed himself only when Nine attempted to destroy it. The Sage explained that they would have to sacrifice Celica to activate the Lynchpin, and she can not afford that, but Mitsuyoshi insisted on saving the device that might help them defeat the Black Beast. Ragna interrupted their fight, and Trinity Glassfille helped him calm them down.

After a while, Celica tried to convince her sister that the sacrifice is necessary, but Ragna said there is another way to stop the Black Beast. By the time the conversation ended, it was already late, so everyone decided to spend the night in the laboratory, but then the Black Beast arrived through the Kiln. Ragna told Nine to teleport away with everyone else while he stops the Beast’s activity, but Mitsuyoshi decided to stay with him and deal with the remnants in his way. Trinity cast a protective spell on them, then Ragna passed his red jacket to Celica, promising her he will return.

Facing the Black Beast with Ragna, Mitsuyoshi noted that the man beside him tightly grips the sword with his both arms, even though he couldn’t move his right arm before. Ragna instructed the beastman to run away once he attacks the Beast, and his tone made Mitsuyoshi comply. Realizing that Ragna recovered his memories, Mitsuyoshi asked for his true name, and was replied with “Ragna the Bloodedge”.

Mitsuyoshi watched as the Beast swallowed Ragna, picked up his sword that was left behind, came back to the Alucard castle, and gave the sword to Celica. He later changed his name to “Jūbei”.

BlazBlue: Phase Shift 1
His first chronological appearance was in BlazBlue: Phase Shift 1 novel, where Mitsuyoshi had a talk with his little brother, Tomonori, when the latter took Hihiirokane, their family’s treasure.

This novel’s prologue chronologically happens after BlazBlue: Phase 0, and Jūbei also makes an appearance there, accompanying Nine and Valkenhayn R. Hellsing to the room where Yūki Terumi was sealed.

BlazBlue: Phase Shift 4
During the one-year delay provided by Ragna, Jūbei, Valkenhayn, Nine and Trinity, as well as Hakumen and Yūki Terumi, started to work together to defeat the Black Beast, and after its defeat they received the title of Six Heroes.

Jūbei married Nine and they had a child, Kokonoe. After that, Terumi murdered Nine and Trinity, and Rachel gave Jūbei Tomonori’s that saw Terumi’s true form and allowed him to materialize it. The beastman activated it when he and Hakumen fought Terumi near a Kiln, then Hakumen grabbed the ghost and jumped into the Gate, which Jūbei closed behind them. The Eye is still under Jūbei’s eyepatch.

Because he set on a journey to destroy Kilns, Jūbei was on the run from the World Void Information Control Organization, he had to leave Kokonoe in the care of said organization for a large portion of her childhood, without ever visiting her, which worsened their relationship.

BlazBlue: Remix Heart
Jūbei makes an appearance in BlazBlue: Remix Heart, when he and Ragna were around the 15th Hierarchical City of Torifune, although they have not destroyed the Kiln under said city.

BlazBlue: Variable Heart
After the Ikaruga Civil War, Jūbei attacked the train that was heading towards the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi, saving Kajun Faycott and Mai Hazuki. Mai’s Legacy Weapon, Gallia Sphyra: Outseal, made her attack the beastman, but the train collapsed, and Jūbei got separated from them and the coffin containing a Dimensional Boundary Contact Prime Field, which he planned to destroy.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
“Scarlett rose”=

While Rachel was sleeping to recover her lost powers and gain knowledge, Valkenhayn could not leave her side, so Jūbei visited the Alucard castle to deliver news. While he was exploring Relius Clover’s laboratory, the beastman found three children there, brought them to the church and left them in Sister’s care. “Grim Reaper”=

Jūbei came back to the church after Terumi destroyed it, and became the mentor of the oldest of the siblings he brought there before. He taught the boy, Ragna, to use Magic Formulas and to fight, and he also explained to him what happened to his sister and why they have to destroy Kilns. After the boy grew up, Jūbei gave him the sword and red jacket that Sister kept in her church.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
“Desperation”=

Jūbei appears after Rachel saved Noel Vermillion from Relius. He took care of the girl, and even made a meal for her, which, according to her, rivaled the quality of a 5-star restaurant. Jūbei asked her to help Jin Kisaragi, repeatedly saying she is the only one who can save him, and she decided to do it. “MURAKUMO”=

He became Jin’s mentor, teaching him to use the Power of Order properly. Jūbei also hid Noel’s parents, and asked Taokaka to follow Ragna to Ikaruga.

BlazBlue: Chronophantasma
He arrives in Ikaruga after his pupils and reunites with Rachel Alucard, Celica, and the remaining Six Heroes. In order to materialize Terumi’s true form, Rachel uses the memories embedded in Jūbei’s Eye.

Near the end of the story, Jūbei fights off-screen with Phantom, who is revealed to be his thought deceased lover, Nine. As Phantom returned to Hades: Izanami afterwards, Jūbei’s fate was left unknown.

BlazBlue: Centralfiction
Jūbei found an amnesiac Ragna and sent him to Kagutsuchi. Much later, Jūbei used his brother’s Eye to help Platinum the Trinity materialize a new Hihiirokane.

Later, Jin and Jūbei arrived to help Ragna’s group to enter Nine’s workshop. Jūbei explained that it can be opened only with a special key, but in case it does not work, he would use Musashi. After they arrived to the Workshop, Jūbei planned to guard the entrance, but was attacked by Nine. She told the group about the Prime Field War, and explained that she will use the Corpse Burial: Requiem to rewind back to the time before the War, but no-one approves of it. Ragna fought Nine and managed to defeat her when she was distracted by Celica.

Then Izanami appeared, and Nine activated Requiem, using her own life as a catalyst. Nu-13 suddenly tried to attack her, and Jūbei protected her, but Nine died anyway. He was sealed with Nu for one week, and was later saved by Ragna, who was the only one capable of defeating her. He and Nu were left behind by Ragna, but Tsubaki Yayoi stayed there to watch over them, and Jūbei confirmed that Kokonoe is gone, and the voice that was guiding Ragna and his group is her back-up. He apologized to the back-up for being a bad father, but it asked him to tell that to “the real her” later.

After Ragna recreated their world, Jūbei was seen watching over Platinum as Litchi Faye Ling introduced her to Linhua.

Powers and abilities
Jūbei’s powers, or at least the extent of them, have never been shown within the series thus far. However, being one of the Six Heroes, he is likely exceptionally powerful. Claimed by several, amongst them Hakumen and Terumi, to be the strongest creature alive, it is implied that Jūbei is nigh-undefeatable in combat as none have dared to engage in battle against him. This is furthered by the fact that when he catches Hazama off guard in Hazama’s gag scenario Hazama seems to just accept the fact that Jūbei will kill him and does not even try to put up a fight. His training of Ragna seems to attest to a great power.

He wields the Arch-Enemy Event Weapon, the Dream Blades: Musashi. With it, he seemed to be able to cleave the shell of darkness that Phantom had surrounded Lambda-11 with during her fight with Nu, but nothing more is known about it. As Jūbei’s mental faculties do not appear at all to be affected by the weapon in any way, it can be assumed that his mind is very resilient.

Underneath his eyepatch is the of his deceased brother, which can force Terumi’s true form to materialize, as it was the last image that Tomonori saw. Jūbei has used this ability on two occasions: once in the past to help Hakumen seal Terumi away, and again during BlazBlue: Chronophantasma as part of a plan to destroy Terumi once and for all.

Jūbei’s Drive is Sea Fire (不知火). When used, Jūbei speeds past his enemy with a slash attack, marking them with an emblem. While the emblem is active, two of his Distortion Drives will allow him to warp right behind his opponent when executed. His Overdrive is Arhat: Five Rings Gleam (羅漢 五輪煌), strengthening the power of his Drive. Jūbei is a rushdown character that mixes martial arts with his master swordsmanship while making great use of his agility and small size to move around his enemy while performing multi-hitting attacks. He also has counter techniques to block both high and low attacks. However, he truly shines when the Distortion Drive Motionless: Silk Lotus Formation (不動 紗蓮陣) is performed. This puts Jūbei in an install-like state represented by a glow and an emblem above his Heat Gauge. This makes use of his Eye and replaces his standard Drive with Sea Fire: Steel (不知火・鋼) in which four paw-like emblems will appear, whereby Jūbei then quickly teleports and attacks at each point, giving him very powerful offensive options as there are variations that change the positioning of these emblems and which ones he’ll move towards as well as follow-up attacks to extend his assault.

Jūbei’s Astral Heat is Asura: Refined Soaring Thunder Phoenix Martial (阿修羅 鳳雷武煉翔), where he uses his Eye to paralyze the opponent before overwhelming them with a barrage of slashes with his Musashi, then dashing behind them while they’re still reeling and finishing the off with a vicious assault into the air with his claws. If this is used on Terumi (as himself or Susanoo), then his ghost form will be drawn out when the Eye is activated.

Another skill of his is to be able to cook well, as shown in his initial interactions with Noel in her story mode of Continuum Shift, and may also possibly a trait that Ragna has honed under his mentorship.

Trivia

 * Jūbei appears to be a bakeneko (specifically a nekomata), a mythical two-tailed cat said to be created when a normal cat grows to a certain age or size.
 * Due the fact that he is wearing a tsuba for an eye-patch and wielding two kodachi, he appears to be named after Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, a historical Samurai known for having founded the highly aggressive “Yagyū Shinkage Ryū” school of swordsmanship, and for wearing a tsuba for an eye-patch (as well as known for expanding the dual-wielding style honed by Miyamoto Musashi, the naming inspiration for Jūbei’s Event Weapon).
 * Like the historical Jūbei, the two ending characters in his name (兵衛) can also be romanized as “bē” via an extended “e” vowel as opposed to “bei”.
 * His Overdrive is also named after the "Book of Five Rings" also written by Musashi; his Exceed Accel also follows a ring-naming motif.
 * Another nod to Musashi is the first three digits of his Astral Heat’s damage, 6, 3, and 4 (六つ muttsu, 三 san, 四 shi), appear to be a nod to the name of his Event Weapon.
 * Much of Jūbei's techniques have specific mythical naming motifs, specifically a spiritual/religious motif:
 * His Drive is named after the sea phenomenon that involves many phosphorescent lights seen on its horizon, and can also be written as “Shiranuhi” or literally translated as “Unknown Fire”.
 * His Overdrive is named after the Japanese name of an arhat (rakan), a person in Buddhism and Jainism religion that has attained the goal of one's religious life. Meanwhile, the localized name is themed after Nirvana, a type of spiritual plane of heaven.
 * His Exceed Accel is named after the Japanese name of Maitreya (Miroku), a famous Bodhisattva.
 * His first Distortion Drive's prefix is named after the Senju Kannon/Qianshou Guan'yin (Thousand Hands Guan'yin), another Bodhisattva goddess.
 * Meanwhile, the second portion of its name may be a wordplay on the "ra" (gauze) suffix in most Sanskrit-to-Japanese religious terms, specifically the term "shura" (carnage scene) or "basara" (eccentricity).
 * The prefix of his second Distortion Drive is named after the "Niō" (Deva King), a pair of benevolent guardian kings.
 * His Astral Heat's prefix is named after the asura (ashura), a multi-armed demon of Sanskrit mythology.
 * Jūbei is actually the one to finish the enemy in Taokaka’s Astral Heat, though if Jūbei is the victim of the Astral Heat, Torakaka will deal the finishing blow in his place instead.
 * While Jūbei is able to resist any mental affects from his Musashi, it is shown in Hazama’s gag scenario (or his unique victory interaction with Yukiko in Cross Tag Battle) that he cannot resist any of his cat-like urges when it comes to catnip.
 * Whenever Jūbei jumps into the air and falls down normally, he'll be in a four-legged landing position akin to a majority of real-life cats, unlike Taokaka.
 * In BlazBlue: Chronophantasma’s Tutorial Mode, Jūbei will guide the player through the section Stylish Lesson – Application.
 * In BlazBlue: Centralfiction, all the system voices have a scrapped audio calling him as a playable character, hinting the first playable appearance of him in the whole series, which was later confirmed for Summer 2017 release.
 * When his Astral is used against Terumi or Susanoo he can bring out Terumi’s ghost form. Even when used against Hazama a slight bit of the ghost appears.