Hero (Suikoden II)

The hero (主人公, Shujinkō), known by several different names, is the protagonist of Suikoden II and Genso Suikoden Card Stories. He also makes cameo appearances in Genso Suikogaiden Vol.1 and Vol.2.

He lives in Kyaro Town, a small town in the Highland Kingdom. Brought up together with Nanami under the tutelage of Genkaku, who ran a dojo there, the hero is caught up in the tides of destiny and finds himself emersed in battle. As time passes, he grows as a man, seeing a farewell to his home, a battle with his best friend Jowy, as well as the death of loved ones.

Appearance
The hero is a young man with short brown hair and hazel eyes. He wears a red tunic with white piping, tied together by a white waistband. He accompanies this outfit with a yellow cloth around his shoulders and brown gloves. This cloth was worn by Genkaku in his youth and was passed down to the hero.

Under his tunic the hero wears calve length black spats and high brown boots. He wears a golden circlet around his forehead, received as a child when Genkaku bought it for him at the first fair he had ever seen. The hero wields twin wooden tonfa as his weapon of choice, tipped with metal at both ends.

Personality
"There's no reason to fight you."

- Hero (Suikoden II) The hero was noted for his strength, but also his lack of belligerence. He fought solely to protect others, as the Bright Shield Rune he inherited symbolizes. Living up to the expectations of those who relied on his strength was a major motivation for him to continue fighting even through the despair of the Dunan Unification War.

Shu saw in him the hope of the people of Jowston, not merely as the son of Genkaku, but as his own person. Because of this, Shu would push the hero to become the leader of the New State Army despite his youth. It was said his true strength was his uncanny ability to touch the hearts and earn the trust of his comrades. His kind-heartedness inspired others to help him in turn.

Even were he to abandon his duties and flee with Nanami from Tinto Principality, it is likely that this too would be an attempt to fulfil her wish. In the end, his lack of hostility is what would allow both he and Jowy Atreides to survive their duel at Tenzan Pass.

Biography
"I've seen the brilliance in you. The kind of brilliance that this age needs."

- Shu

The hero was a war orphan who was adopted and raised by Genkaku at his dojo in Kyaro Town. Nanami was also picked up by Genkaku in similar circumstances and in short order a close brother-sister relationship was formed. When the two were old enough, Genkaku trained both of them in the martial arts. The two continued to grow healthy and progress smoothly in their martial arts training.

Following Genkaku's death, he enlisted in the Unicorn Brigade alongside his best friend, Jowy Atreides, whom he also studied martial arts with. The two were equally matched, tying in the final of a tournament of Unicorn Brigade officers. They excelled in the group and both believed that their futures lay in the Highland Army.

On the eve of their return to their home, the Unicorn Brigade came under a night attack at Tenzan Pass. Attempting to flee, the hero and Jowy discovered that the raid was not carried out by the City-State of Jowston, but by Luca Blight under the guise of an attack, a betrayal. The two were eventually corned on a cliff by Captain Rowd. With no other choice, they make a mark on a nearby rock and promise to meet again here if they ever get separated before jumping desperately into the rapids below.

He was discovered by Viktor and Flik. He would escape with Jowy's aid and return to Kyaro Town where they were condemned as spies of the City-State. After being rescued from execution by Viktor, he would be forced to flee the Mercenary Fortress when the Highland Army invaded. Making their way to Toto Village, they entered an open shrine there. There, they found Leknaat, the guardian of Gate Rune. Encouraging them to enter further, both the hero and Jowy were shown the memories of their peaceful childhood and their failures in protecting those they cared for. Desiring the power to protect people, the hero would gain the Bright Shield Rune, changing his destiny forever.

Making his way to Muse City, the hero continued to fight in Viktor's mercenary army, but became regarded as a hero in his own right after playing a pivotal role in defeating Solon Jhee. Shu would then ask him to lead a New State Army against the invading Highland forces. Although Nanami protested the idea, the hero believed that he couldn't ignore the threat of Luca Blight's ambition, and after listening to the story of Genkaku, the man who raised him, decided to lead the force. Upon taking the mantel of leadership, Leknaat appeared once again to tell the hero that the 108 Stars would gather under him, and lent him the Stone Tablet of Promise and the services of Luc to that effect.

As leader of the New State Army, the hero helped repel the Highland advance. However, the army was soundly defeated by the power of Luca Blight himself. Learning that Luca was planning a night attack, an ambush was prepared but despite his wounds, attacked the hero, pushing the two in a fatal duel. The hero would emerge victorious, ending the battle but not the war.

With the death of Luca, Jowy had ascended to become King of Highland. While both had the same desire for peace, the hero and Jowy's differences in how to pursue this meant that he would quickly stand opposed to Jowy, with the support of Nanami, Viktor and many other allies. Just before the New State Army siege on Greenhill City, Jowy would meet with the hero, asking him to stop fighting. However, the hero couldn't give up the friends who have helped him and the hope he held. With the same feelings spurring Jowy forward, this marked the moment when the two best friends realized that their battle was inevitable as befitting the bearers of the two halves of the Rune of Beginning.

Despite his own losses such as the loss of his friendship with Jowy and the apparent death of Nanami at Rockaxe Castle, he continued to grow as a leader and fought for his dream; a peaceful world for his friends to live in. Although it started as a small group, the New State Army would gain rapid momentum, becoming a mighty torrent backed by the charm and magnetism of its leader. He would lead the army to victory, sweeping away the Highland Kingdom and ending the Dunan Unification War.

However, Jowy was not present in L'Renouille Palace for the fall of Highland. Seeing the inevitable fall of the kingdom, he had returned to that fateful rock at Tenzan Pass, where their journey began. Heading there, the two would face off in one final duel, both their lives being chipped away by their runes. But when the hero's desire for peace overcame the power of the Rune of Beginning, a miracle occurred and the two were restored.

Being able to reunite with both Nanami and Jowy, marked his own personal victory after fighting so hard for everyone else's hopes. Even if he should face further hardships in the future, the support of his friends should allow him to keep moving forward.

Other Appearances
The hero appears in Super Bomberman R Online (スーパーボンバーマン R オンライン), a battle royale free-to-play Bomberman game from Konami.

He was added as a playable character called Suikoden 2 Hero Bomber (輝く盾の紋章の英雄ボンバー, Kagayaku Tate no Monshō no Eiyū Bonbā, Bright Shield Rune Hero Bomber) at the start of the game's third season on December 17, 2021.

From Planet Dunan, this version of the hero leads the New City-State Army against the Highland Kingdom and the ambitions of the nefarious Prince Luca.

His special skill is the Twintooth, which allows him to knock bombs and opponents away by spinning his tonfa.

Concept and Design
Originally the hero was designed to wield a staff, much like the hero of the first game. However, this was changed during development so as not to create a tradition that all main characters in the series would use staffs. The decision to use tonfa specifically was made after much research into Chinese martial arts books.

Early in development, the hero's circlet was also envisioned as a hachimaki, a Japanese headband, but was eventually changed after Ishikawa Fumi drew him with a Sun Wukong-type headband after a joking suggestion from a colleague. His red outfit was a deliberate attempt to remind the player of the main character from Suikoden.

The inclusion of Nanami as his elder sister was intended to ground the hero as more of a "commoner" in contrast to the "young master" of the first game. His reserved personality was also designed to be overshone by his childhood friends.

Name
The hero of Suikoden II has no in-game name, but is occasionally referred to by different names in other publications and releases. In the 2000 novelization, as well as the 2008 Radio Genso Suikoden: Assemble! 108 Stars! radio drama, he is called Riou (リオウ, Riou), the most popular name used for him by fans. The 2009 manga, Genso Suikoden The Being Torn Spirit, gives him a different name, Tao (タオ, Tao).

In guide books, he is usually referred to as HeroII (主人公II) or some variant thereof, such as II主人公 to distinguish himself as the protagonist of the second Suikoden title. All Genso Suikoden Card Stories cards featuring him also refer to him simply as 主人公 as the hero of the first game is referred to as McDohl.

Trivia

 * The hero has finished at a highest of 4th in the annual Gensosenkyo fan poll in 2018. His lowest rank is 6th, which he claimed in 2019 and 2020.