Scarlet Jacobs, better known by her pseudonym Shinobu (シノブ) is a character in both installments of the No More Heroes video game series. She is introduced as an 18-year-old assassin, the youngest confirmed ranked member of the United Assassins Association, and a high school student at the local Santa Destroy High School. Her nationality is unknown, although she is presumably American. She is ranked eighth in the UAA. Her battle theme is Season Of The Samurai.
Personality and Appearance
In No More Heroes, Shinobu is shown to be impatient, and blood thirsty. She doesn't seem very interested in fighting Travis until he pulls out his beam katana, accusing him of murdering her father(see below). Her honor is important to her, as shown when she demands to be killed upon Travis sparing her. By the end of the game she seems to have warmed up to him, saving Him in his battle with Jeane. She goes to great lengths to hide her profession as an assassin from her fellow classmates, going so far as to kill some group of students who overheard Touchdown challenging her to a Ranking Battle. She also tells Travis it's hard to hide her true self around her fellow students. Shinobu has a white afro and wears a school uniform, though her classmates don't seem to wear a uniform
By No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Shinobu has adopted a few of Travis habits and considers him her master. She always affectionately calls him master even when he tells her not to. Her feelings are later shown to be romantic, and she is very disappointed when Travis rejects her advances. While still as blood thirsty when fighting, she seems more calm than she was in the first game. Her outfit has changed to a black dress with stockings and high heels. Lke her previous counterpart from No More Heroes, she seems to enjoy taunting her enemies throughout her battles.
Concept art of Shinobu from No More Heroes .
Story
Shinobu is first encountered at Santa Destroy High where Travis Touchdown finds her in class, she is initially surprised to be challenged to a Ranking Battle in the middle of class. She tells Touchdown to wait outside while she kills a small group of students who overheard Touchdown challenging her to a Ranking Battle. Shinobu is impatient and seems to want to get the fight over with. However when Travis pulls out his beam katana she becomes angry accusing him of killing her father. It is likely that Touchdown's twin brother Henry was the one who killed Shinobu's father, as it isn't until Touchdown activates his beam katana that Shinobu's overall tolerance of him harshens, proclaiming she will finally avenge her father, as Henry wields a beam katana similar to Travis'. The two square off, during which Touchdown severs Shinobu's right hand with his beam katana. Touchdown then reveals he had idolized Shinobu's father so much so that he watched all of Jacobs' tapes until they wore out, but had never actually met him in person. Shinobu insists he's lying and tells her to kill him, Touchdown ignores Shinobu's cries, opting to spare her life so the two could face each other again in the future.
It is likely that Touchdown truly could not kill her because of his discomfort in killing a woman, as revealed with his victory against Holly Summers. Shinobu later appears with her right hand reattached, to save Touchdown from being killed by Jeane in the climax of his final Ranking Battle.
In the three years between No More Heroes and Desperate Struggle, Shinobu has become the most prestigious assassin in Asia. She reunites with Travis after he defeats Dr Letz Shake, showing him her belt she won from her fights in Asia and revealing that Sylvia told her to come back to Santa Destroy and help Travis out. Travis claims it's his war and that he doesn't need help, but Shinobu says its to late for any changes to be made. As Shinobu has already killed two other assasins, the first being Million Gunman. Before her ranked fight with new Destroyman, she visits Bishop's grave, and meets his unnamed friend. He gives her a mysterious gift for Travis which is later revealed to be the rose nasty. Shinobu then proceeds to her next ranked fight with New Destroyman. After her fights she explains how she defeated the two assassins and the attempts to confess her crush on him and kiss Travis. Travis claims he "feels like a pervy old teacher" and that it would be wrong to start a relationship with such a young woman. Travis tries to get her to stay but afterwards, she sadly leaves.
Powers and Abilities
Shinobu is an expert with her katana, and able to perform a ranged attack called the sonic sword (Dubbed as Gekouken by Shinobu in No More Heroes 2 ) with it. As a playable character in No More Heroes 2, she is able to Jump and is very agile.Shinobu is fairly easy to use, her attacks are strong and can easily decapitate a normal enemy should all of her attacks connect. However, Shinobu is also extremely vulnerable right after she performs her attacks in which she will taunt her enemies.Leaving her to be opened for attacks.Which somewhat puts her at a disadvantage.
While not being able to stun her enemies as easily as Travis, she is still able to perform a melee move when her enemies are stunned. Her charge attacks are also much easier to use as it allows her attack while running or simply by standing still to unleash her sonic sword. Note that when Shinobu is running while charging her attack, she will slash through her enemies in a fast paced manner instead of releasing sonic sword.
Shinobu also comes with another advantage. Which is the ability to able to jump. Pressing the B button once and then pressing the A button will result in Shinobu slashing her enemies for 3 times during airborne. Pressing the B Button twice while result in Shinobu diving down at her enemy with her blade. Also, she is able to perform deathblow attacks to downed enemies or while she is in air. Pressing the B button twice however will instantly decapitate her enemies without the need of a deathblow attack. However,do take note that this only happens when enemies are at their last block of life.
To counter her weakness, it is advisable for players to switch from low-to-high or high-to-low attacks (before the last attack connects) and then ending it with a jump attack so that Shinobu will not end up taunting her enemies which will leave her to be opened for attacks that could be devastating.
Overall, Shinobu is a fun and easy character.
Trading cards
Shinobu appears on three trading cards in the Design Materials set of No More Heroes. These are No. 58, No. 59 and No. 138.
Quotes
- "What's that in your hand, a toy?"[1]
- "Such a gentleman... Are you asking out of tactical curiosity? Or are you just fucking with me?"[1]
- "I just turned my back... But you didn't strike. You ARE fucking with me."[1]
- "Liar! You, you killed him! Sliced him in two... You sick bastard!"[1]
- "When the gate keeper to hell asks who sent you, tell him it was Shinobu Jacobs."
- "Was this supposed to spark, Lame"
Trivia
- In Desperate Struggle, the black glove Shinobu wears over her right hand, which Travis Touchdown severed in No More Heroes, may be a reference to the glove Luke Skywalker wears over his hand in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, which had also been previously severed.
- Shinobu bears several similarities to the main character of Afro Samurai. Both wield katanas, are presumably African-American, have afros, and are seeking revenge on a person who killed their father.
- Shinobu's outfit in No More Heroes is based on the Japanese kogal style. In Desperate Struggle, her outfit is based on the Gothic Lolita style.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 No More Heroes. Shinobu. Ranking Battle 8.