Baiken

Story

When she was just a child, Baiken suffered a great tragedy. Gears attacked the Japanese Colony where she lived. Baiken’s parents died in the resulting massacre while she was left with terrible injuries. Now blind in her left eye and without her right hand, she nonetheless survived. She distinctly remembered the man surrounded in flames who undoubtedly orchestrated the attack. With the events forever etched onto her mind, Baiken swore revenge.

In time, she becomes a fearsome samurai and hunts down Gears while focusing her search on That Man. One day Baiken comes across I-No. Thinking that she might have the information Baiken needs, she engages I-No in a fight but to no result. After several battles, however, the two reencounter each other. This time, after defeating I-No, Baiken gets what she wants, eye to eye with the creator of Gears, That Man. Despite her best efforts, she cannot kill him. Seemingly resentful of his actions, That Man expresses hope that Baiken’s hatred will be gone once his life comes to an eventual end.

This meeting left Baiken troubled and confused. Should she continue on her path to destroy That Man or abandon it and start her life anew? Baiken could not find an answer and instead sought it in battle. After several fights, she meets I-No once again. Baiken confronts and defeats her, but I-No escapes before divulging any information. Baiken gives chase and finds Anji, who reveals that he’s also looking for I-No. He refuses to explain his reasons to look for her, prompting Baiken to attack. Anji proves no match but still refuses to tell her the information because it will only put her in danger. He tells Baiken to cut him down and promise that she won’t go after That Man. However, Baiken can’t bring herself to kill him. Anji, relieved, offers to tag along with her instead, which Baiken surprisingly allows.

Much time has passed, and Anji seeks out Baiken again. He sends an operator after her to get Baiken on the phone and asks for help investigating Illyrian presence at The Colony. She reluctantly agrees, and after some time, finds Answer snooping around. He tries to diffuse the conflict, but the fight breaks out, forcing him to reveal his findings to Baiken. According to his intel, The Colony might soon become a battlefield.

This potential threat quickly becomes real, and this time May asks Baiken for help. They meet with Kum Haehyun and travel to the sacred tree that stores a massive amount of ki energy. Unsure of the new companion, Baiken ascertains Kum’s motivations and then agrees to help them. Their contribution becomes instrumental in the fight against Ariels, as Kum managed to stop the devastating Information Flares thanks to Baiken, May, and Answer’s protection.

At some point after this fight, Baiken met up with Delilah, seemingly mellowing out thanks to her company and teachings.

Personality

Baiken lives with only one goal in mind, to take revenge. She’s not that good at socializing and doesn’t have many people who could be called friends. Interacting with others tends to annoy her, and she’s quick to lose her temper.

However, she’s not devoid of reason and respect. In particular, she has shown great affection for Japanese culture and other citizens of The Colony, going to great lengths to aid them in their time of need.

Appearance

Baiken has reddish-pink hair, coral eyes, and pale skin tone. She’s missing her right arm, has a scar over her left eye, and has a red tattoo on her face. Baiken wears a transparent eyepatch, white, black, and red kimono with a torn right sleeve, black sandals with red laces, and has a white cloth wrapped over the groin.

Playstyle

Baiken is a high risk-high reward character. She has a well-rounded and straightforward kit geared towards offense with very good mid-range pokes and versatile close-range pressure that utilizes frame traps and dangerous mixups. As per tradition, she retains a terrifying instant overhead option with a tiger knee Youzansen, leaving opponents in constant fear of crouching. While her defensive Azami stance is gone in Strive, she gained Hiiragi, a powerful parry that deals massive damage if successful. 

However, to every strength, there is a drawback. As Baiken’s Tether ties her to the opponent, it could be as beneficial for them as it is to Baiken, allowing them to do longer, more damaging combos. Similarly, Hiiragi and Youzansen are disastrous if whiffed or blocked, exposing her to excruciating punishment. These risks make her reliant on the meter to Roman Cancel if something bad happens.