Genso Suikoden: Soul Eater 3 (幻想水滸伝 ソウルイーター ⟨下⟩, Gensō Suikoden Souru Ītā Shita lit. Genso Suikoden Soul Eater End) is a book published by Kadokawa Shoten in 2000.
It is the third part of a three-party light novelization of the events of Suikoden. It covers the events of the game from events in Lorimar to the end of the game.
Summary
Are the misfortunes plaguing Tir the work of the Soul Eater’s curse? Determined to uncover the truth behind the rune’s power, Tir, Viktor, Flik, and their allies journey to Lorimar—only to find the region overrun by the undead. Zombies, skeletons, and other horrors roam under the command of Neclord, a general who has become a vampire through the power of a rune.
To stand a chance against him, Tir and his companions must seek out a legendary weapon hidden deep within the fabled Cave of the Rune. But what awaits Tir inside is something he never expected...
Finally, 108 companions gather, and fate leads them to the final battle.
The touching ending of "Suikoden".
Content list
| Page # | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Chapters | ||
| 15 | 22 - The Man Who Pursues the Night 夜を追う男, Yoru o Ouotoko | |
| Four months after his battle with Teo, Tir is still concerned about the Soul Eater and seeks answers. | ||
| 34 | 23 - Journey to the Past 過去への旅, Kako e no Tabi | |
| Tir and the others journey to Qlon Temple in the hopes of finding a way to defeat Neclord. | ||
| 56 | 24 - Yet Another Battle もうひとつの戦い, Mōhitotsu no Tatakai | |
| Tir and the others witness the destruction of the Village of the Hidden Rune. | ||
| 72 | 25 - Knights of the Dragon's Den 竜洞騎士団, Ryū Hora Kishi-dan | |
| With Neclord defeated, Tir returns to Toran Castle where an alliance with the Knights of the Dragon's Den is proposed. | ||
| 89 | 26 - Sleeping Dragons 眠れる竜, Nemureru Ryū | |
| After sneaking in, Tir's party is confronted in the Dragon's Den by Milia. | ||
| 108 | 27 - Final Reunion 再会の果てに, Saikai no Hate ni | |
| Tir, Milia, and the others land in Seek Valley in search of the Moonlight Herb. | ||
| 130 | 28 - The Speed of the Dragon Knights 竜騎士の捷, Ryū Kishi no Shō | |
| Futch takes off to Gregminster Palace to try and obtain a Black Dragon Orchid. | ||
| 156 | 29 - Surprise Attack 奇襲, Kishū | |
| Returning from the Dragon Knight's Domain, Tir listens to Mathiu's plan to attack the Northern Checkpoint. | ||
| 176 | 30 - Castle in the Sands 砂上の城, Sajō no Shiro | |
| Successful, the Liberation Army now has to deal with General Kasim Hazil at Moravia. | ||
| 195 | 31 - Water and Fire 水と炎と, Mizu to Honō to | |
| With spirits high, the Liberation Army is ready to strike at Gregminster and choose the Floating Fortress of Shasarazade as their entry point. | ||
| 224 | 32 - 108 Stars 一〇八星, Ichi Rei Hachi Hoshi | |
| With the traitor in the midst revealed, the Liberation Army's morale threatens to fracture. With the final battle looming, the power of the 108 Stars performs a miracle. | ||
| 241 | 33 - Invasion of the Imperial Capital 帝都侵攻, Teito Shinkō | |
| The Liberation Army set out for Gregminster and emerges victorious in the final battle of the Gate Rune War. | ||
| 267 | 34 - The Golden Emperor 黄金皇帝, Kogane Kōtei | |
| Gregminster is breached but the Imperial Army refuses to back down. Tir has to fight through first Ain Gide and then the emperor himself. | ||
| 293 | 35 - The End 終焉, Shūen | |
| Defeated, Barbarossa refuses to surrender but accepts his fate. Windy attempts to make her final stand. | ||
| 317 | 36 - Departure 旅立ち, Tabidachi | |
| Half a year has passed since the end of the war and Tir travels the land struggling with his feelings on all that happened. | ||
| 324 | Afterword あとがき, Atogaki | |
| An afterword from Genso Suikoden: Soul Eater author Hori Shinjiro. | ||
| 328 | About the novelization of "Suikoden" 小説版『幻想水滸伝』によせて, Shōsetsu-ban "Gensō Suikoden" ni yosete | |
| An afterword from Suikoden series creator Murayama Yoshitaka. | ||
| 332 | 108 Stars Complete Character List 108星全キャラクターリスト, 108 Hoshi Zen Kyarakutā Risuto | |
| A list of recruitment information for the 108 Stars in Suikoden. | ||
Differences from the game
- The party does not witness Tengaar being taken away by Neclord. They arrive after the fact and are brought up to speed by Zorak.
- Viktor asks to be allowed fight Neclord alone. As such, Hix asking to join the party, and all events in Neclord's Castle are omitted.
- As such, Viktor's version of those events happen concurrently, off-screen, with the depicted journey to the Knights of the Dragon's Den.
- The spy within the Liberation Army is depicted sending a message to Gregminster from Toran Castle.
- Tir spends time with Futch, learning more about the Dragon Knights.
- Hix and Tengaar are waiting at the castle when Tir returns from the Dragon Knights, telling him Viktor defeated Neclord and departed.
- Viktor is shown speaking to Anabelle, having traveled north after defeating Neclord off-screen. She asks him to start a mercenary group in Jowston to fend off Highland. He demurs for the moment, but delivers a message from Mathiu that the empire's northern border will soon be undefended.
- Mathiu's plan to be brought to Moravia by Griffith happens in secret, with the rest of the Liberation Army being caught unawares.
- Viktor returns during the events of Moravia. He is never captured. As such, Taggart never journeys to Toran Castle. Warren is mentioned offhandedly as someone Mathiu knows who joins after events there.
- The Battle at Floating Fortress Shasarazade is a naval battle. The fortress is set aflame by fire arrows and not from dousing the fortress in oil post-victory.
- After being attacked, Mathiu bolsters morale by making out that his wounds were a feint to lure the empire into overconfidence. He later reveals that was a lie.
- Pesmerga and Yuber both play pivotal roles in The Last Battle. Yuber attempts to retreat into Gregminster but is barred by Ain Gide for his desertion.
- Ain Gide is felled by the arrows of the besieging Liberation Army, his upright body surrounded by the corpses of soldiers he managed to fell before dying.
- Tir uses the power of the Soul Eater to defeat the rampaging Golden Hydra, who fought off even the Dragon Knights.
- Tir disappears along with Flik and Viktor while escaping Gregminster Palace. He attempts to journey alone, to avoid the Soul Eater's curse claiming people, but a conversation with Leknaat gives him hope he can avoid this and he reunites with Gremio.
Murayama Yoshitaka's afterword
When I first set out to create Suikoden, I had no experience and little knowledge of RPG development—but there was one thing I was certain of:
The world of Suikoden would allow for everything.
That applied to its systems, its story, and its worldview.
So when Suikoden, which began as a video game RPG, expanded into the realm of novels, it felt natural to me. I welcomed it.
Of course, there are differences between a game and a novel, and I was excited to see how those differences—new perspectives, fresh ideas, and added depth—would shape the world of Suikoden in new ways.
Then, the long-awaited manuscript arrived.
Reading it, I found myself fully immersed—not as a creator, but as a reader. I was thrilled to learn more about the inner lives of characters whose stories couldn’t be fully explored in the game, and I could almost feel the tension of the battlefield come to life.
The scene where Viktor and Flik’s troops charge under Mathiu’s orders? That was something I could never quite capture in the game, no matter how much I wanted to. I was deeply moved—or maybe even a little jealous. (Like me, the author, Hori, is a fan of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and similar works. You can tell he had a great time writing those moments, and I have to admit, I envy that.)
And Yashioka’s illustrations? They’re fantastic and really capture the spirit so well. (I even mistook the single image of Valeria as a personal tribute...)
I’m also grateful to our editor, a dedicated fantasy fan, whose keen eye and rigorous attention to detail rival even my own as the original creator.
This novel introduces new interpretations and settings, shaped by Hori’s own vision. They don’t always align perfectly with mine, but that’s something I embrace.
Just as Suikoden is a world of many different perspectives, I respect the novel’s unique take on its lore. In fact, I believe these variations only serve to deepen Suikoden’s world.
Rather than a single, rigid truth, I prefer a world rich with diversity, contradictions, and different values.
Fantasy thrives when many people contribute their own ideas and imaginations. My hope is that the world of Suikoden will continue to grow, shaped by many hands, for years to come.
Genso Suikoden Production Team (KCE Tokyo)
Director Murayama Yoshitaka
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