Maxi

Story

Maxi’s father had previously worked as a merchant in the Ryukyu Kingdom. Even though he was fortunate enough to experience different cultures along his trade route, he felt confined to his job and expressed his dissatisfaction with his son. Even as he lay dying, he told Maxi to go out and explore the rest of the world. Taking action following his father’s dying wishes, Maxi rallied friends from his hometown as well as sailors he knew to form a pirate crew. Maxi was a respected and trusted leader in his home country of Ryukyu, where he was a master of martial arts. He and his crew set sail, vowing that the whims of trade would never again enslave them and that they would instead enjoy the taste of freedom.

While he was away, Maxi’s crew were attacked by Astaroth and a swarm of Lizardmen in an Indian port. When he returned, his entire crew had been slaughtered, and a dying crew member told him to return the Dvapara-Yuga to Kilik to bring the monk back to his senses and take him West. Maxi vowed vengeance after learning that Astaroth would return for Kilik.

As they set out on their journey, Maxi and Kilik were confronted by Mitsurugi, who mistook the pirate for another nunchaku wielder intent on putting the samurai to death. After Maxi’s victory, Mitsurugi warned them about Taki and her ties to Soul Edge. After accepting Xianghua as a companion, the three began gathering information about the Schwarzstrom to prepare for the imminent battle.

Astaroth confronted the trio as they neared Ostrheinsburg. Maxi directed Kilik and Xianghua to continue with Grøh to battle the golem and avenge his crew. He defeated Astaroth but was fatally slashed in the back by the golem. Maxi collapsed from his wounds after delivering the final blow to Astaroth.

Personality

Maxi can be described as daring and eager for a fight. He is portrayed as easily duped by attractive women, but this turned out to be a farce as he was using a specific woman’s connections to have one of his crew members forge a nunchaku out of the finest material. Maxi considers his crew to be his family, which is why he vowed vengeance on Astaroth for killing them.

Playstyle

The Ryukyu Kingdom is the origin of many martial arts, one of which uses Nunchaku, an unfamiliar weapon consisting of two wooden rods connected by a chain. The fighter takes one rod and swings the other, using centrifugal force to land decisive blows. Once a rod strikes, it can be grabbed, and the other rod swung again to create an endless blizzard of blows. The Nunchaku is extremely difficult to wield, but those willing to put the effort to learn them—like Maxi—can rain pain upon their opponents.

Shissen translates roughly to “seven flashes,” with seven representing the number of shapes the Nunchaku can make and flashes representing the speed with which blows are delivered to the opponent. The Shissen Karihadi style is based on the Ryukyu Kingdom style, but it incorporates moves from other fighting styles. Maxi, in particular, employs variations on moves learned from Zhang Wu, a Ming Empire martial artist whom he met onboard his father’s ship, with his flair thrown in.

A member of Maxi’s crew crafted the Nunchaku. They are faster and break less easily than his other Nunchaku, designed to match the pirate leader’s fighting style and natural strength. Different versions of these nunchakus were made, and only after a great deal of effort was a set sturdy enough to withstand the power with which Maxi wields them was made.

Appearance

Maxi maintains his iconic appearance, with black hair with a right side bang, tanned skin, and a well-toned chest. Maxi’s clothing is his signature jacket and pants, with his chest exposed.