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

Biography[]

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. He is also somewhat afraid of his own father Raizo during his individual ending because of his strictness and that Raizo himself frequently scolds him for not understanding every lesson in school or reading textbooks. This also happens in his own ending in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, in which he was seriously injured by his father after the latter had threw him off the waterfalls during their heavy martial arts training with each other.

His main personality became more apparent during the events of the School Life Mode in Nekketsu Seisyun Nikki 2 and he's also shown to be quite clumsy as well when he had accidentally gained a bump mark on his head during Swimming Day. He can also be street smart at times when he befriends the edit characters.

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 grey 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 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.

In the School Life Mode of Nekketsu Seisyun Nikki 2, Batsu often wears his primary outfit but with or without the short jacket. During both the Physical Education Day and the National Sports Day, Batsu wears a white short sleeve loose shirt with a blue trim as the short sleeves are folded into shorter cuffs, blue shorts, white sneakers and a blue headband. Like Daigo during New Years Day, Batsu wears a casual outfit, a black leather jacket with a white sho-t sleeved shirt, jeans and white sneakers. During both Swimming Day and the Beach Overnight, Batsu wears a pair of red swim shorts.

Concept[]

Batsu was originally going to be from a ninja high school.[3]

Story[]

Rival Schools: United by Fate[]

In Rival Schools: United by Fate, he is introduced as a recently transferred student to Taiyo High School, searching for his missing mother, Shizuku Ichimonji. Joined by Hinata Wakaba and Kyosuke Kagami, Batsu finds and discovers that the person responsible for it is his long-lost estranged father, Raizo Imawano (who in actual truth was completely brainwashed by his own nephew Hyo Imawano). His individual ending in the game reveals that he had saved his mother and makes peace with his father after learning the truth behind the entire ordeal. Two weeks later, Batsu is seen having a bump mark on his forehead while talking to both Hinata and Kyosuke, revealing to them that his father had whacked his skull due to his lackluster grades.

Project Justice[]

In the sequel Project Justice, which takes place one year later after the events of United by Fate, Batsu, who had graduated to the second grade of high school alongside Hinata, Kyosuke, and the rest of their classmates, finds himself being falsely accused of instigating a new wave of attacks on the local schools. The Taiyo High story in the game illustrates two different fates for him after he, Hinata, and Kyosuke defeat Kurow and a brainwashed Daigo from within their first confrontation against each other:

  • Should the Taiyo High trio defeat Akira, Yurika, and Zaki from within their fight against one another (in which the latter group was previously attacked by Kurow who was disguised as Batsu's evil doppelganger named Vatsu), the potential scenario afterwards sees Batsu and Kyosuke reuniting and joining up with Roy and Tiffany in order to help save a kidnapped Hinata from Kurow and his minions (Yurika and Momo).
  • Should the Seijyun High trio emerge victorious (in that Akira defeats Batsu from within the first round of the match itself), Akira will accuse Batsu of not being "the real one" and that "the Batsu she knows is a much better fighter", causing Batsu to run away from his friends in a complete state of both anger and frustration. Later on from within this potential scenario, Batsu returns in his "Burning Batsu" persona in order to help save Hinata, Kyosuke, Hayato, and Chairperson from Kurow who is still disguised as Vatsu, sending the latter fleeing and reuniting with his own friends.

Either way, both potential scenarios lead to Batsu, Hinata, and Kyosuke's confrontation against the Darkside Student Council (Kurow, Yurika, and Momo) at the Mountain Area near Justice High, with Kurow eventually revealing himself as the true mastermind who is behind the recent wave of attacks on the local schools as a part of his evil plan to eliminate the Imawano Family and their respective allies. When Kurow is defeated by the trio, he attempts to have a supposedly brainwashed Hyo eliminate them, but to the former's shock and dismay, he soon learns that Hyo himself wasn't really brainwashed in the first place and that he had only pretended to be just so he could get close to Kurow and learn of what his true intentions really were, enraging Kurow to the point that he angrily attacks Hyo in an attempt to kill him, but ends up getting badly injured by him from within their brief clash against one another.

When Hyo unexpectedly becomes possessed by the evil spirit of his late father Mugen Imawano, Raizo arrives after having been seriously attacked and injured by Kurow earlier on from within the start of Project Justice and informs Batsu, Hinata, and Kyosuke about his brother's evil spirit that's currently possessing Hyo. He instructs Batsu and Kyosuke to defeat him while they still have the chance and opportunity to do so and when this happens, Hyo briefly regains control of his body and tells the both of them to kill him in honor of the Imawano Family before his father's evil spirit is able to regain control over him once again. Even though Kyosuke is emotionally reluctant to fight against his own twin brother, Batsu tells him that there's no other choice and that Hyo himself doesn't want the Imawano Family name to be shamed and dishonored much further, causing Kyosuke to personally put aside his own reluctance so that he can work together alongside with Batsu and Hinata as he vows to help save Hyo from the current predicament that he's in right now. After a tough and intense fight, Hyo unfortunately dies via his own injuries and that Kyosuke himself emotionally mourns the tragic death of his own twin brother, who had died in his arms. After the incident, Batsu tells everyone at Taiyo High about Kyosuke's disappearance and that he, Hinata, Chairperson, Ran, and the rest of their classmates personally and emotionally await the return of Kyosuke.

Relationships[]

Kyosuke Kagami[]

Kyosuke is Batsu's cousin due to their fathers Raizo and Mugen being brothers as well as being long time friends and training partners.

Hinata Wakaba[]

Hinata is another teammate of Batsu and one of his closest friends.

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.

Special Moves[]

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 - Roaring Bullet) - 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.

Burning Vigor Attacks[]

In Both Versions of Batsu[]
  • Super Guts Upper (Japanese: 全開ガッツアッパー Zenkai Guts Upper -- Full-Power 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 -- Full-Power Meteor Kick); 全開彗星キック Zenkai Suisei Kick (Burning -- Full-Power 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 -- Full-Power Roaring Bullet) - 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 Full-Power Roaring Bullet) - 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 Roaring Bullet) - 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 Roaring 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.

Other appearances[]

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. While the game can arguably be considered a Street Fighter game, it is actually a crossover game and not a official title within the series.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom[]

He is featured as a playable character in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes/Ultimate All-Stars.

In his Japanese ending he trains on and destroys a wooden training dummy with a single Guts Upper. Afterwards, he goes to Hinata and Kyosuke (both shown in silhouette). In his international ending, Batsu wakes up at a hospital and is visited by Raizo (this could be seen as a nod to when Batsu visited Raizo at the hospital) who notices his "burning" spirit, declaring that he is now "Burning Batsu" (a nod to his "Burning" form in Project Justice). Batsu wonders why he is suddenly at the hospital and thinks back to his training at the mountains, remembering when Raizo throw him down through a waterfall. A mad Batsu yells that Raizo should have showed his moves rather than throwing him, Raizo says that he raised him to become a man rather than a crybaby as they pummel at each other.

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-ryu 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).[1]
    • His special talent is eating fast.[1]
    • 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.[1]
    • He is afraid of dogs because one bit him when he was a child; this is reflected in his win quote against Casshan/Casshern, who fights while being accompanied by his mechanical dog, Friender in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.
  • His official epithet is "Hot-Blooded Transfer Student".[1]
  • He often uses the word teme (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.

Gallery[]

Batsu Ichimonji/Gallery

Quotes[]

Batsu Ichimonji/Quotes

See also[]

References[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Batsu's profile for Rival Schools: United by Fate.
  2. 「バツもあまり覚えていない子供の頃、犬に噛まれたことがトラウマになっている」Batsu's comment.
  3. CFN Portal - ROUND 2: Hideaki Itsuno part 3
Rival Schools Characters
Rival Schools: United by Fate Akira · Batsu · Boman · Daigo · Edge · Gan · Hayato
Hideo · Hinata · Hyo · Kyoko · Kyosuke · Natsu
Raizo · Roberto · Roy · Sakura · Shoma · Tiffany
Nekketsu Seisyun Nikki 2 Nagare · Ran
Project Justice Chairperson · Kurow · Momo · Mugen · Yurika · Zaki
Capcom Fighting All-Stars Characters
Returning Akira · Akuma · Alex · Batsu · Charlie · Chun-Li · Haggar · Poison · Ryu
Original D.D. · Death · Ingrid · Rook
Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation Characters
Akira · Batsu · Chun-Li · Guile · Ken · Ryu · Shin · Zangief
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Characters
Alex · Batsu · Chun-Li · Ryu
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