Mural of the Armors
The nine mystical armors were created one thousand years ago by The Ancient One from the body of Talpa to protect the mortal realm from evil. All nine armors were associated with either an element or a season. The five Ronin Warriors wore the natural element armors and the four Dark Warlords wore the season armors.
Creation of the Armors[]
One thousand years ago, the Mortal Realm was invaded by the evil of the Nether Realm. Talpa, the emperor of the evil Dynasty, set out to conquer the world. The humans, despite their efforts, could not stop him. Then, a lone warrior known as The Ancient One came forward. He defeated Talpa and banished his spirit back to the Nether Realm. Talpa's great armor was left behind in the Mortal world. The Ancient One knew that the armor was dangerous, as it was still infused with the Dynasty emperor's chaotic power. To prevent Talpa from returning to the Mortal Realm, the Ancient One divided it into nine separate suits of armor.
Each of the nine armors were infused with a Confucian or Bushido virtue:
- Righteousness/Benevolence (Wildfire/Rekka-Fire)
- Grace/Courtesy (Halo/Kōrin/Nimbus-Light)
- Trust (Torrent/Suiko-Water)
- Justice (Hardrock/Kongō-Earth)
- Wisdom (Strata/Tenkū/Heavens-Air)
- Loyalty (Ogre/Riki-Spring)
- Obedience (Jackal/Darkness/Shikoku-Winter)
- Piety (Snake/Yakushi-Autumn)
- Serenity (Spider/Mugen-Summer)
The nine armors were then locked away until they were needed to defend the Mortal Realm from the evil Dynasty. It is said by the Ancient One that the Ronin armors were forged from the purest parts of the human spirit which made them the strongest of the nine armors. While the season armors had these same traits, their virtues were those most affected by the negative emotions of the modern times, and this was how Talpa was able to call them to the Dynasty.
Abilities[]
The nine sets of armors have a number of special powers, some of which are transferred to the bearers. Each bearer gains enhanced physical strength and endurance, they can run at high speeds, jump great distances, and survive falls from heights far above the heights of buildings. They're even able to survive in harsh climates, such as extreme heat and cold. The armors also appear to let their wearers breath in areas void of oxygen as all five Ronin Warriors stayed in the locations of their armors source of power for extended periods.
Each armor has a unique fighting technique or finishing move. In the Japanese version, it was later revealed that each of the five natural elemental armors has the ability to power up their specialty moves in order to summon the stronger "Ultra Ballistic"/"Super Ballistic"/"Surekill" moves.
One ability shared by the element armors is that they are able to form a protective barrier to keep others safe or surpass another barrier. The Ronin's combine their efforts to create the shield but, in doing so, leave themselves at a drastically lower power level since they are separated from their armors. It is unknown if this same ability can be done with the season armors.
The Five Natural Element Armors[]
| Elemental Armors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Armor of Wildfire | The Armor of Halo | The Armor of Torrent | |
| The Armor of Hardrock | The Armor of Strata | ||
The Four Season Armors[]
| Seasonal Armors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Armor of Cruelty | The Armor of Corruption | The Armor of Venom | The Armor of Illusion |
Inferno Armors[]
| Inferno Armors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| White Armor of Inferno | Black Armor of Inferno | ||
Legends[]
Japanese Version[]
- Makoto wo Satori,
- Hito wo Shinji
- Rei wo Tsukushite
- Seigi wo Ikanau
- Kore sore Hito no Michinari.
Translation[]
- Endure the Immortality of Mt. Fuji's fire,
- Swirling waters you lie in a distant place,
- the light blossoms when in the Darkest prison,
- Winter comes to the Snowy Mountain,
- as he lies floating through the Sky
English Version[]
- Torch of Spirit, sought through five,
- Drinking strength from immortal fire,
- Darkest prison sheds the light,
- Churning beneath a swirl of salt,
- Burning within a throne of rock,
- Floating amongst the eyes of ages,
- Unmoored in the stream of the sky
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the English dub of the TV series, several of the virtues were changed. Rowen's virtue changed from Chi (Wisdom) to Inochi (Life), Sage's changed from Rei (Grace or Courtesy) to Chi (Wisdom), and Ryo's virtue, Jin, was changed to mean Virtue rather than Benevolence. Rowen and Sage's virtues were corrected in the OAVs while Ryo's virtue was changed to Righteousness.
- Although the element armors were said to be locked away until needed, it is also said that the armors were passed down through the bloodlines of each bearer. This is supported as the Date and Mouri families were aware of the armors being in their families prior to Sage and Cye obtaining their respective armors and Rowen found information about his family having the Strata armor.