Nariko is the primary protagonist of Heavenly Sword and the wielder of the weapon of the same name.
Biography
Early Life
Nariko was born to Shen and her unnamed mother 23 prior years to the events of Heavenly Sword in the Year of the Fire-Horse. According to prophecy, a male was destined to be born that year and lead her clan into an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. However, when a girl- Nariko- was born and her mother died shortly thereafter, the clan believed the gods had forsaken them, and that they were cursed and doomed to impending destruction. Nariko became a pariah among her own people, when, in her eyes she "should have been their princess." Shen was the only person who seemed to care for her, albeit in remote, distanced way, until Kai. Shen would tutor Nariko in the ways of the warrior. She would prove to be an excellent pupil, to the point where she is the best fighter in the clan by the events of Heavenly Sword. Several years before the game, Nariko came across Kai, the last member of a clan slaughtered by Flying Fox on orders from King Bohan. The clan took the orphaned girl into their ranks and treated her as one of their own. It was Nariko, however, who developed a deep relationship with Kai, seeing similarities between them in that they both lost their mothers and were outcasts amongst the clan. By the time Heavenly Sword takes place, the two are as close as sisters, willing to risk their lives for one another, if necessary.
Nariko wielding the Heavenly Sword in Speed Stance.
Events of Heavenly Sword
At the beginning of the game, Nariko is fighting the onslaught of Bohan's military, slaying any soldier that comes into contact with her. This stage, which reappears in a later Chapter, teaches the player how to attack and use Superstyles, specialized combos that deal damage to large amounts of enemies. Eventually, a red haze will form around the game screen, and a heartbeat can be heard; this indicates that Nariko is near death. The following cutscene depicts Nariko surrounded by enemies, with Bohan looking on in the background. During this scene, Nariko narrates, stating that her clan believed the Sword was forged by the gods for the gods, and that no mortal can wield it without losing their life. This statement is proven to be correct, as runes from the Sword begin to overtake her, sapping her health until she finally succumbs to the Sword's immense power. Bohan sends the Raven King to retrieve the sword, and Nariko passes on, saying that, "the pact is at the end." As she lies dead on the ground, a white light imbues the ground beneath her body, and the camera pans out to the sky above, where she continues to narrate. Nariko's spirit is transported to an otherworldly realm, which is later revealed to be the Heavenly Sword's version of Purgatory; it is also the game's main menu. The following cutscenes featured in this realm are flashbacks of the events that transpired over the course of just five days, relayed in Chapters.
Chapter One- Five Days Ago
After a heated monologue with the Sword, players begin the game in earnest Five Days Ago, in the scene The Art of Battle. The beginning cut scene features Nariko describing King Bohan and his war against her clan in her opinion. Bohan seeks the Heavenly Sword, and with it, his control over her people. Nariko and clansmen have fled his might for months, but she explains that they "cannot run forever." Kai, Shen and Nariko, along with the rest of the clan, barricade themselves within a fortress, in the hopes that they will be able to hold out against Bohan's rapidly advancing army. Nariko feels that the fort is a trap, while Shen, the clan leader and Nariko's father, disagrees, leading to a brief but definitive argument; this quarrel is one of several times the characters will come into conflict. The clansmen proceed to bar the doors, to no avail; the enemy soldiers begin scaling the walls, and Nariko must hurry to help her kinsmen. It is at this point that players assume control over Nariko in a level for the first time. Players are introduced to interacting with the environment (X button), combos, the Glyph Meter, Blocking (automatic against Speed Attacks), Counters, Heavenly Pots (which restore Health as well as adding to Glyph Meter), and much more. Players also receive much more insight about her life from Nariko through her narration, as she reveals that she fears that her father holds her to blame for the clan's curse and the death of her mother. After the defeat of Bohan's soldiers that day, Shen tasks Kai, the clan's best archer, to keep watch for the night, with her responding excitedly, calling it, "Twing-Twang". That evening, Bohan's soldiers attempt to sneak into the fortress, in an effort to slaughter the clan as they slumber. Players control Kai and are introduced to "Aftertouch", the ability to guide arrows and other projectiles to a target in Heavenly Sword. If the players just so happen to miss a target or two during this level, Night Attack, players will assume control of Nariko, who will proceed to clear out the stragglers with her Longsword. She then says (presumably to Bohan) to give the slain soldiers a dignified burial, and the game goes to cutscene. Nariko gives the player more info on her life, this time explaining that she must now protect the Heavenly Sword, and that her life will change forever.
Nariko wielding the Heavenly Sword in Range Stance.
Chapter One- Four Days Ago
Nariko is featured the following morning being called to arms by her father. After climbing the ladders and heading up to the balcony, Shen explains that the clan is escaping, and that it is Nariko's task to cover them as they go. This initiates the scene Dawn Siege. Bohan has reinforced his troops with catapults, and Nariko must use the fort's cannon to destroy them. There are three total, which you must eliminate before completing the second half of this stage. The contraptions are relatively easy to hit; weak points on the catapults are marked with orange shields. Players can use the Aftertouch ability to guide cannonballs to their desired destination. Once the three main shields have been dealt with accordingly, a fourth shield will appear in the middle of the catapult. Hitting this will cause the catapult to collapse. A timer will appear, which displays how long it is before Bohan's forces overrun the fortress. After the catapults have been destroyed, Shen will explain to Nariko that she will need to cover their backs with cannon fire, but to also remember to head east with the Sword if she sees catapults. Now not only is there a timer, but also a kill count, depicting how many of Bohan's soldiers need to be slain before continuing the level. The counter is also quite easy to fill; a large contingent of Bohan's men will start heading west and cross right in front of the fort, meaning the player can easily rack up the necessary body count to proceed. Once players complete this stage of the scene, Nariko will spot a catapult in the distance, and, heeding Shen's words, makes haste to escape. She manages to desert the fort just seconds before it is set ablaze by the war machines, and begins heading towards the eastern cliffs. Nariko continues through the forest, dispersing of any of Bohan's soldiers that may stand to get in her way. Along the way, she will spot a raven roosting on the top of a gate as she makes her way through, which plays into the storyline later in the game. Finally, she reaches a clearing, where she discovers that her father has been captured by Bohan and a nearby bridge has fallen into disrepair, making escape impossible. With little choice as to what she has to do, Nariko, despite the warnings of her father, unsheathes the Heavenly Sword and wields it against Bohan's army. Nariko is able to use the Sword in one of three modes: Speed Stance, Power Stance, and Range Stance, whose attacks are indicated with different colors (blue for Speed, orange for Power, etc.). Nariko hacks and slashes her way through three waves of Bohan's soldiers, much to Bohan's chagrin. However, Nariko soon realizes that she can't defeat the onslaught of Bohan's men, and so in an almost suicidal act of desperation, she sheathes the Sword and hurls herself off the cliff.
Nariko wielding the Heavenly Sword in Power Stance.
Chapter Two- Three Days Ago
Nariko awakes to find Kai caring for her, as her adopted sister had found her while she made her own separate escape. Kai informs Nariko that Bohan has captured Shen and the rest of the clan, and Nariko vows to save her father. Over the next three scenes, Nariko hacks and slashes her through Bohan's men, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake before finally reaching Flying Fox. This is the first of two duels between the characters, with this one not having a clear indication of who is the victor. Flying Fox proclaims that Nariko needs more 'Style' before she goes about battling him again and proceeds to flee the scene of the fight. Nariko continues her trek, fighting her way through more of Bohan's soldiers before arriving at the Prison. Once there, Nariko slays a contingent of guards stationed in the facility and liberates her captured clansmen. They inform her that Shen is not with them at the Prison; rather, Whiptail has taken him captive and is holding him hostage. Despite the warnings of her clansmen, Nariko continues her trek, making her way to Whiptail's lair. This turns out to be an ambush, though in vain as Nariko handles Whiptail's soldiers with relative ease. Nariko then discovers Shen, hanging and near death as the result of torture at the hands of the snake-maiden. After a brief cutscene entailing Shen's contemplation of murdering an infant Nariko, accompanied by Whiptail's taunts, Nariko instructs her father to escape with the clan while she battles Whiptail. The fight is actually broken into two separate sections; one immediately following the cutscene, and one after Shen's Escape, in which Nariko finally defeats Whiptail. At the end of this scene, Whiptail is shown to be dying on the ground next to Nariko, who is slipping in and out of consciousness. Bohan is then depicted kneeling next to Whiptail, soothing her and offering her comfort before violently snapping her neck and retrieving the Sword. Nariko then finally falls unconscious, to the sound of Bohan's laughter.
'Chapter Three- Two Days Ago
Nariko wielding a Rocket Launcher.