Samurai Shodown/Characters/Nakoruru

Nakoruru (ナコルル) is a young girl dressed in clothing that looks like Ainu traditional clothes. The basic colors of her clothes are white and red. She fights with a kodachi named Chichiushi and a hawk named Mamahaha assists her in her Slash version. She also has a wolf named Shikuru who also assists her when in Bust and Rera versions. The original idea of her came from the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaidō, Japan, who are analogous in Japan to the Native Americans in the United States. As the Japanese perceive the Ainu as living closer to nature, Nakoruru's role in the game is of a defender of Mother Nature; in some material Nakoruru has been referred to as a priestess of the Ainu religion. She was born in October 11, 1771, in a place called Ainu Moshiri Kamui Kotan (Meaning "Ainu Territory Kamui Village" in Ainu), located somewhere in Hokkaidō. She lived in there alongside her grandparent Sanoku, her grandmother Monashiri and her little sister Rimururu.

Some day in 1786, when she was 15, she and Rimururu were playing in the forest when Mamahaha flew in, holding her father's sword. Sensing her father was in trouble, she apologized to Rimururu and ran off. Upon reaching Hinowa, Nakoruru tells Gaoh that his war is hurting the planet but Gaoh tells her that he will build a new country and that he has to kill her. Upon defeating Gaoh, Kamui, the Spirit of Nature, appeared to her, asking Nakoruru to be her successor. Kamui also told her that her father was the last Ainu fighter and that he gave his life to her. Nakoruru, devastated by the news of her father, asked what would happen if she declined and Kamui told her she would ask another maiden to be her successor. Nakoruru then accepted and became the new Kamui warrior of Kamui Kotan. [Note that kamui is the Japanese spelling of kamuy, an Ainu word which approximates the Japanese term kami 神, usually translated as "spirit" or "god".]

During the late winter of 1789, Nakoruru could not hear the voices of nature and this worried her. She found out then that the spirits of nature were sucked in the Makai (demon world) and she set out to bring nature to balance. She then fought on alongside Haohmaru again and defeated Mizuki but, even after his defeat, nature's balance was still not achieved. She died in the end of 1789 at the age of 18, while giving away her life to bring balance to nature. She then became a Spirit of Nature and the new Kamui of Kamui Kotan. During 1790, Nakoruru, as the new Kamui of Kamui Kotan, was resting peacefully. She was awakened when she felt a new evil in the world and had to take human form to fight the demons sent by Yuga. Then, alongside with Rimururu and Haohmaru, they destroyed Yuga's physical body, although, Nakoruru could not save Kamui Kotan. She went then into a long sleep again in order to restore Kamui Kotan.

Wanting to be even closer to nature, Nakoruru transcends even further and becomes one with the sprits of nature, melding her own soul with Gaia to become a Divine Spirit in nature's service. Now as The holy spirit who transcends time, she travels across space and time to prevent the disasters of the world from occurring. However, she is stopped in her quest by a magical spell cast by Jigen Taishi in Ritenkyo. This leaves Nakoruru unable to assume her original form, and she can only battle evil through the strength of her fellow forest sprits. Now weakened, she knows she must stop Oboro's evil plan, but cannot without the Maiden of Light Rimururu, who has been sealed by Oboro. She sets out on a quest to free her sister and together combine their powers to defeat evil.

In her ending in Gals Fighters, Nakoruru makes a wish to the talisman, wishing to go home. The talisman grants her wish and her life is restored. She falls in front Rimururu as Rimururu is eating.