Batsu Ichimonji

Batsu Ichimonji (一文字 伐 Ichimonji Batsu) is a fighting game character and the lead protagonist of the Rival Schools series of 3D fighting games.

Personality
Batsu is known for being foul-mouthed, belligerent, and impulsive but at the same time he has a strong sense of justice and a kind heart. He is often misunderstood due to his forward and rough personality. His dislike for dogs was due to the fact that he was bitten by one when he was little, although he could no longer remember exactly when; nonetheless, it was a traumatic experience for him.

Appearance
Batsu has short spiked black hair and black eyes and has an X scar on the right side of his forehead. In the opening and ending themes as well as his crossover appearances his hair is changed to dark brown.

His primary outfit is a blue long sleeve short jacket under a gray sleeveless mesh shirt with two light blue lines in both sides of his jacket, blue pants, shins and red and white rubber sneakers. He also wears a red fingerless gloves on both of his hands.

As Burning Batsu in Project Justice, he is seen without his short jacket and his pants has been tattered due to his vigorous training and absence. He also has a bandage on his left cheek and gains scratch marks all over his body underneath his sleeveless mesh shirt as well as the X scars on both of his shoulders identical to his father Raizo's. He has pale blue wraps on both arms.

Rival Schools: United By Fate
In Rival Schools: United by Fate, he is introduced as recently transfered student to Taiyo High searching for his mother, Shizuku Ichimonji. Joined by Hinata Wakaba and Kyosuke Kagami, Batsu finds the person responsible for it is his long-lost father, Raizo Imawano. His individual ending in the game reveals he saves his mother and makes peace with his father. After the incident and his father was freed from Hyo's brainwashing, Batsu is later seen having a bump mark on his forehead while talking to both Hinata and Kyosuke implying that his father, Raizo whacked his skull due to his lackluster grades.

In Raizo's individual ending, he and his mother Shizuku visit his injured father at the hospital where Raizo finally atone for his actions, returns to his family and his desire to make his own school for a better country. Batsu remembers the other day where he had a chance to read some textbooks in his own school but did not understand it. As his own students appear as smarter than him. Raizo initially calm to his son at first until he gets up, stating that he's gonna leave the hospital to train his students to become smart and strong minded. He furiously scolds Batsu for not understanding his own school's textbooks.

Project Justice
In the sequel, Project Justice, Batsu is again the main character, but is dogged by accusations that he is responsible for a new wave of attacks on local schools. The Taiyo High story in the game illustrates two different fates for him after they defeated Kurow and a brainwashed Daigo. Either Batsu and Kyosuke became helpless to save Hinata from Kurow, they will be helped by Roy, Tiffany and Boman Delgado from Pacific High School to save her and also to defeat Kurow or after Akira and her group in Seijyun High School beats him once in the fight after she mistakes Batsu as the real culprit. When Hinata was about to be attacked by a disguised Kurow, Batsu later arrives in time to save her as he hits Vatsu with a powerful Burning Super Guts Bullet. After reuniting with Hinata and Kyosuke, an injured Hayato gives Batsu some advice about his fake self and his fighting skills. Afterwards, they followed him in the mountainous area where Kurow finally removes his disguise and reveals himself, along with his older sister Yurika Kirishima and Momo Karuizawa, as the one who is behind the attacking on local schools. He sends Hyo to deal with them until the latter does not cooperate, revealing that Kurow's brainwashing did not affect him much to Kyosuke's relief. Kurow fights against the trio and later Hyo but gets defeated.

When Hyo becomes manifested by his evil father's spirit, Mugen Imawano, Raizo arrives, after having being attacked by Kurow earlier, and informs them about his evil brother's spirit. He instructs both Batsu and Kyosuke to defeat him, therefore, Hyo briefly regains control of his body and he tells both to kill him in honor of the Imawano family before his father's spirit controls him again. Kyosuke could not bring himself to fight his brother but Batsu tells him there's no other choice and he does not want the Imawano's family name to be dishonored as Kyosyke reluctantly joins them, stating that there's another way to save Hyo. After defeating him, Hyo soon dies in the ordeal and Kyosuke mourns at the death of his twin brother. After the incident, Batsu tells everyone about Kyosuke's disappearance after Hyo's death as he hoped that he would come back to see them in school.

Gameplay
Batsu is an all-around character. With a decent arsenal of moves and some great combos, he makes a good teammate for anyone. His primary weapon comes by way of the Crescent Moon Kick. The best way to use this move is to first lead into it with a Textbook Combo, then chain on the Crescent Moon Kick. Then, as the player lands, they can have Batsu immediately go for a throw. If the opponent begins to catch on, using a Team-Up Technique as the follow-up is wise to catch the foe attempting to throw the player back. At a far distance, the player can be an annoyance by throwing random Guts Bullets on the ground and in the air. If the opponent whiffs an attack, the player can go right into a Textbook Combo to finish him/her off.

Three of Batsu's Burning Vigor attacks can be used in indirect sequence. The player can start with the Super Guts Upper, do an Air Combo, and finish it either with a Super Guts Bullet or Super Shooting Star Kick.

Batsu's Team-Up Technique, the Double Guts Bullet, is average. Because of its slow start-up time, the opponent has a greater chance to throw him before it connects. A good teammate for Batsu would be a partner with a Team-Up Technique that initiates quickly.

Lastly, some opponents with weapons, such as Hyo, can deflect his Guts Bullet attack back to him, so it is advised that the Guts Bullet, although easy to execute, must not be abused. Its Burning Vigor version, however, cannot be deflected.

As Normal Batsu

 * Guts Upper (ガッツアッパー) - Batsu charges forward with an uppercut, launching the opponent into the air. It cannot, however, be followed by an Air Combo.

As Burning Batsu

 * Burning Elbow (バーニングエルボー) - Batsu jumps with a fiery punch, then follows with a rising elbow strike. Like the Guts Upper, this cannot be followed by an Air Combo.

In Both Versions of Batsu

 * Guts Bullet (Japanese: 気合弾 Kiaidan -- Energy Focus Blast) - A projectile-type energy blast attack. The distance that this blast can travel is determined by the punch button pressed in the button combination. Easy to execute. Burning Batsu's version of this attack travels slightly farther. It can also be done in the air, wherein he fires the Guts Bullet 45 degrees downward. The ground-based version, however, can be deflected back to him by certain opponents, such as Hyo.


 * Crescent Moon Kick (Japanese: 三日月キック Mikazuki Kick) - Batsu delivers a crescent kick with knockdown effect. Burning Batsu can immediately attack afterwards before the opponent can if this move is blocked, since the knockdown effect is eliminated.


 * Shooting Star Kick (Japanese: 流星キック Ryuusei Kick (normal -- Meteor Kick); 彗星キック Suisei Kick (Burning -- Comet Kick)) - This can be done only in the air. Batsu does a fast diving kick that briefly stuns the opponent in sparks. The downside of this attack is its recovery from recoil if blocked. As his normal self, this move has a knockdown effect, which is also eliminated when done by his Burning version.

In Both Versions of Batsu

 * Super Guts Upper (Japanese: 全開ガッツアッパー Zenkai Guts Upper -- Full-throttle Guts Upper) - A powerful uppercut that launches the opponent high into the air, and can be followed with an Air Combo. The drawback to this move is its slow startup. In Project Justice, this ability takes two hits.


 * Super Shooting Star Kick (Japanese: 全開流星キック Zenkai Ryuusei Kick (normal -- Hyper Meteor Kick); 全開彗星キック Zenkai Suisei Kick (Burning -- Hyper Comet Kick)) - A more powerful version of the Shooting Star Kick. It, however, still suffers the same effects of the Shooting Star Kick when blocked.

As Normal Batsu

 * Super Guts Bullet (Japanese: 全開気合弾 Zenkai Kiaidan -- Hyper Energy Focus Blast) - A more powerful version of the Guts Bullet that stuns the opponent in sparks.

As Burning Batsu

 * Imawano-style Shrike Drop (Japanese: 忌野流 モズ落とし Imawano-ryuu Mozu Otoshi) - A super throw maneuver. Batsu grabs the opponent, jumps high into the air while holding the latter, then descends with spin to the ground, slamming the opponent into it. It can also be used in the air.


 * Burning Super Guts Bullet (Japanese: 熱血全開気合弾 Nekketsu Zenkai Kiaidan -- Hot-blooded Hyper Energy Focus Blast) - Similar to the Super Guts Bullet. The only difference is that if it hits, the opponent is briefly engulfed in flames. Both versions of the Super Guts Bullet can also be used in the air, fired 45 degrees downward.

Team-Up Techniques

 * Double Guts Bullet (Japanese: ダブル気合弾 Double Kiaidan -- Double Energy Focus Blast) - Team-Up assist by the normal Batsu. The initiating blow has a maximum range of 3 steps. Batsu and the active character both fire a Super Guts Bullet to the opponent. This is also the Team-Up assist by Kurow's disguised form, Vatsu.


 * Double Guts Beam (Japanese: ダブル気合ビーム Double Kiai Beam -- Double Energy Focus Beam) - This is the Team-Up assist by Burning Batsu, and is surprisingly weaker than the Double Guts Bullet. The active character uppercuts the opponent high into the air. Batsu and the active character then both fire an energy beam while the opponent is still in the air.

Party-Up Technique

 * Batsu uses the Final Symphony.

Capcom Fighting All-Stars
Batsu and Akira Kazama were planned to appear in the cancelled fighting game Capcom Fighting All-Stars.

Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation
Both Batsu and Akira appeared playable in Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
He is featured as a playable character in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, with character design by Shinkiro.

project x Zone
Batsu appeared in Project X Zone as a Solo Unit.

Cameo appearances
Batsu has a cameo with Hinata in Capcom vs. SNK 2, assisting Kyosuke during his Final Symphony Remix Super Combo.

Batsu made a small cameo appearance in UDON's Street Fighter Legends: Sakura comic.

He makes a cameo in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in Iron Fist's ending and also appear as a card in the Heroes & Heralds Mode.

Trivia

 * Given the fact that Raizo is Batsu's father and that the twin brothers Hyo and Kyosuke are Raizo's nephews, it means that the twins are actually cousins of Batsu.
 * Although a few of Batsu's moves are based on Imawano Ryuu techniques, it is unknown how he would learn them, as unlike Kyosuke and Hyo, he wasn't raised as a member of the clan.


 * The following details on Batsu's life is as described.
 * He is good at physical education, but performs poorly at almost all other subjects (the main reason why he ends up in a beating by his father Raizo).
 * His special talent is eating fast.
 * It is known that part-time jobs are prohibited in Taiyo High School, but Batsu used to sell newspapers and milk in order to help his mother.


 * Natsu Ayuhara is Batsu's "fighting buddy".


 * His mother Shizuku appears as one of the item clerks in the Item Shop Mode in Nekketsu Seisyun Nikki 2.


 * He often uses the word temee (てめえ) to address others. This is actually a rude and frowned-on way of saying "you" to other people (sometimes even translated as "you bastard"). This was downplayed in the US versions of the games.