- "Harman, the size of the world has changed. It's changed to the size where you can control it with your hands just like a PDA. The world will...keep getting smaller."
- —Kun Lan
Kun Lan is the central antagonist of killer7. As the director and embodiment of the Heaven Smile terrorist organization, he is responsible for nearly all of the game's major events. He is also the eternal rival of his equal and opposing force, Harman Smith, who represents Western civilization and culture where Kun represents Eastern civilization and culture. Harman may also represent good while Kun represents evil. In a striking paradox to this, however, Kun's representation of the God Hand is a creative force while Harman's is destructive.
Appearance and Personality
Kun Lan appears as a nominally Asian man with sallow gray skin similar to that of Aramata from Moonlight Syndrome. He wears a suit with a bright green jacket at all times, perhaps to contrast with the more reserved (and realistic) clothing of Harman Smith. Though normally somewhat cruel and emotionless, Kun Lan is prone to occasional bursts of mania.
Story
Kun Lan created the Heaven Smile in what may be interpreted as a bid for world domination, but under the Imperialist Japanese United Nations Party rather than himself. He is first encountered at the end of Angel, where he sends an angel to attack the killer7 before revealing himself. Harman shoots his God Hand with his high-powered rifle, but Kun merely catches the bullet (being dragged several hundred metres in the process), declares war, and departs.
He is seen once again in Sunset, Part 2, when he saves the life of UN Party leader Kenjiro Matsuoka in order to have him gain power for Japan. (The success or failure of this venture is dependent on the player's choice of whether or not to kill Matsuoka during the events of Lion, the final chapter.)
Following this, Kun largely disappears save for a few scenes of playing chess with Harman in his Hasidically dressed, more godlike form. Later on, this form of Kun is killed along with Hasidic Harman when Young Harman appears and attacks both with his tommy gun.
After Emir Parkreiner kills the Last Smile, it is revealed to have taken the form of Iwazaru, but with Kun Lan's face under the mask.
Kun Lan makes his final appearance in the epilogue, which takes place in Shanghai 100 years after the main events of killer7. Here, Harman once again attempts to shoot Kun only to have him catch the bullet, to which Kun utters the game's final line, "You see, the world never changes; it just turns."
Powers and abilities
As a veritable god, Kun Lan has a great deal of sheer power, most of which is derived from his God Hand, which glows bright white when he uses it. Early in the game he demonstrates the ability to catch bullets with it, but more importantly, he uses it to transform regular humans into Heaven Smiles. This may suggests it is related to the Silver Eye of Flower, Sun, and Rain and The Silver Case. The God Hand is, furthermore, both a creative and destructive force, as demonstrated when he used it to save Matsuken.
In addition to these more direct powers, Kun Lan is able to influence the state of the world through both magical and political means. He is also ageless, as evidenced by the epilogue 100 years after the end of the main action in killer7.
Relationship to Harman Smith
Kun Lan has a strong rivalry with Harman Smith, with whom he wages a constant ideological, political and cosmic war. The two have confronted each other numerous times and in a variety of ways, from the brief skirmish at the beginning of Angel to the seemingly endless chain of chess matches he seems to be locked in eternally with the Hasidic incarnation of Harman. That said, while Harman appears in three different forms, Kun appears to have only one, in spite of his apparent ability to occupy multiple planes of existence at once. During their chess games, they engage in verbal battles as well, both having philosophical discussions and trying to undermine each other psychologically, as evidenced by Kun telling Harman a disturbing story about Emir Parkreiner's past in an effort to unnerve him, and Harman taunting Kun with "Do you know why [you always lose]? ...You're a poor player."[1]
Kun and Harman may in fact be very carefully balanced counterweights to each other, each ensuring the other is unable to use their vast power to gain too great a hold on the world.
Etymology
Kun Lan's name is somewhat similar to "Kunlun," a name of a chain of mountains in China.
References
- ↑ killer7.