Bright Shield Rune

The Bright Shield Rune (輝く盾の紋章, Kagayaku Tate no Monshō) is one of the 27 True Runes. It is the rune of the protagonist of Suikoden II.

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The Bright Shield Rune was a rune inherited by the leader of the New State Army as the Dunan Unification War began to intensify. It originally comprised half of the Rune of Beginning, along with the Black Sword Rune, which was inherited by Jowy Atreides.

Although considered a True Rune, it does not confer eternal youth while split in two. The rune is destined to come into conflict with the person who bears the Black Sword Rune. In comparison to the aggressive Black Sword Rune, the Bright Shield Rune holds many powerful curative spells and abilities. Like its counterpart, use of the rune chips away at the life of its bearer.

Rune scholars interested in the nature of True Runes debate whether the two runes choose their bearers based on their personalities or if the runes instead manipulated the bearers to take paths reflecting the runes they bore.

Genkaku held the rune in the past but sealed it in Toto Village, along with Han Cunningham's Black Sword Rune. Once Toto was destroyed during the Dunan Unification War, the runes were inherited by Jowy and Genkaku's adopted son. The rune would become something of a symbol for the New State Army during the war.