Shogun

"Can you beat me, little one?"

—Shogun

Shogun Kokushimuso, or Shogun for short, is the contestant ranked 71^st on DeathWatch and the fifth boss of MadWorld.

Background

There is very little information on Shogun. Kreese and Howard never mention anything about a previous encounter between the former and Shogun. The lack of billboards and posters advertising the battle of Shogun further support the theory that Shogun might be a relatively unknown participant, with the DeathWatch games on Jefferson Island probably marking his very first participation. Although none of this is confirmed, it might make Shogun a very powerful and skilled contestant, as he rose to a rank that would be relatively high for a newcomer.

Appearance

Shogun has a tall and muscular build, being twice as high and also twice as wide as Jack. He is clad in a sturdy samurai armor that protects him from damage and also wears a mask reminiscent of an oni. His hair is divided into long braids that fly in the wind, even if he doesn't move.

His weapon is a staff with a motorized buzz saw attached on each end that he wields like a double-bladed naginata.

Involvement in the Jefferson Island DeathWatch games

"Koneecheewawa! Watashi wa Shogun desu!"

—Boss bell text

Shogun is the second boss in the Asian Town area of Jefferson Island. Jack fights him on the top floor of "La Lusty Geisha", a bistro in the Asian Town area.

Strategy

Shogun relies on his armor that protects him from damage, so he closes in on the enemy without worrying much about counter-attacks. He also uses more powerful attacks with a longer start-up.

As Shogun's armor protects him, Jack has to use his chainsaw to do more damage. He still as to watch out if Shogun begins an attack though, so he can quickly dodge, but as Shogun's attacks have a relatively long start-up, it isn't too hard. During the course of the battle, parts of Shogun's armor will fall off, allowing Jack to deal more damage.

There are healing items that can be found in the decorative armors on the sides of the arena.

Power Struggle

Shogun's special attack - which is preceded by a roar and a burst of energy that pushed Jack back if he is too close to Shogun - can be countered to initiate a Power Struggle.

Jack will attack Shogun with his chainsaw, but Shogun parries with a powerful swing with his staff that turns Jack around. Shogun then prepares to attack Jack from behind with a downward swing of his staff, reminiscent of an axe chop. If Jack fails to react, Shogun's attack will connect and cost Jack about a third of his total health.

However, if Jack manages to react, he will stop Shogun's weapon right above his head, trapping it between the palms of his hands. Shogun breaks free and tries to attack with a swing from the side that Jack also has to block, or he will lose a about a third of his total health.

If he blocks it correctly, he will again trap Shogun's weapon between his right elbow and right knee. Jack will then rev up his chainsaw and do a cartwheel that lands him on the flat side of Shogun's weapon, prepared to slice the latter with his chainsaw. If he is too slow though, Shogun will lob Jack into the air and slice him on his way down, causing massive damage.

However, if Jack is faster than Shogun, he will slice across Shogun's chest with the added graphical effect of the screen being cut through.

Death

After Jack has defeated Shogun, the latter flees to the roof of the bistro, but Jack immediately chases him. Atop the roof, Jack takes away Shogun's weapon and rams one of the blades into Shoguns abdomen. He then swings it around for a full turn and launches Shogun onto the large spike of a fish statue, where he dies while gushing large amounts of blood.

Commentator Quotes

Intro

Howard: "This is what we've been waiting for, folks!"
Kreese: "Put the kids to bed, because you don't want them to see this."
Howard: "Did you really want them to see everything up till this point?"
Kreese: "Well, sure, why not? Don't wanna raise a society full of pussies."
Howard: "Now we're in for a fight."
Kreese: "Fuckin' a, it's time for the big boys to dance!"
Howard: "Shall we? Just like the great gladiators of ancient Rome, these two men will enter the arena and clash in hand-to-hand combat for nothing more than the enjoyment of the rich and powerful!"
Kreese: "Where the fuck did that come from?"
Howard: "I read it on a greeting card once..."

During battle

Kreese: "Jack's in trouble unless he can get that guy out of his armor."
Howard: "Maybe he can buy him a drink and slip him some roofies."
Kreese: "I know that's how you get 'dates' out of their clothes, but this is different, you fuckin' skeevy pervert."

Kreese: "Jack’s gonna have to fight harder than that, or he’s gonna get ass-fucked by that naginata!"
Howard: "Naga-whata?"
Kreese: "That sharp fucking stick that Shogun keeps pokin’ into Jack! Do you know anything about fighting?"
Howard: "Only that I can’t fight the feelin’~ AW YESSS!"

Howard: "The bastard's turning up the heat."
Kreese: "Or could just be that the place is catching on fire."

Kreese: "Jack's gotta watch it or he's gonna end up like an olive on a toothpick."
Howard: "Speaking of which, who do I have to fuck around here to get a refill on my martini?"
Kreese: "That big, hairy guy over there?"
Howard: "Sweet! He has nice hands..."

Shogun losing a piece of armor

Howard: "Jack's got him undressed. Now he just has to convince him that unprotected anal sex is okay."
Kreese: "Howard, I think you've got this confused with one of your dating scenarios."
Howard: "Oops... But maybe Jack can still convince him."

Shogun using his special attack

Kreese: "The big bastard is pretty handy with that pig sticker."
Howard: "Just watch. Jack'll fix his bacon. Or settle his hash. Or any number of breakfast-related food metaphors."
Kreese: "Aww, I'm gettin' hungry."

When Shogun jumps to the rooftop

Kreese: "Do you get the idea that the Shogun climbed up to the roof so he could die outside?"
Howard: "Yeah! I think he hated that smelly restaurant."

Kreese: "Do you think he climbed to the roof for the view?"
Howard: "If so, he'll find it a view to die for!"

Death of Shogun

Kreese: "Tough match, but in the end I give it to the guy who still has his head attached."

Howard: "Say goodbye, samurai!"
Kreese: "Tough to do with no fuckin' head."

Trivia

• His name "Kokushimuso" is never mentioned in the game and is only shown in the credits of MadWorld.
  • The name Kokushimuso is a misspelling of the Mahjong hand Kokushi Musou, which is one of the Yakuman Gosanke, a trio of Yakuman hands which are considered to be the easiest to obtain out of all the Yakuman, which are some of the best holds to have in a game of Mahjong due to the massive amounts of points one can earn due to the difficulty in setting them up.
  • Shogun Kokushimuso shares the trait of being named after a Mahjong hand with Yokozuna.
• The mask he wears resembles a Hannya mask, which represents a jealous female demon in Noh Theater plays.
• He is voiced by Roger Jackson, who also voices Tengu, and provides a generic character voice known as "Man A".
• Shogun is the only boss in the game where Jack has to fight Grunt Enemies between ringing the boss bell and beginning the boss fight.
  • The Shamans are similar, but they are unique grunt-type enemies. Also, they show up during the boss fight, not before it.
• The battle against Shogun is one of the more atmospheric ones. During the battle, Shogun loses parts of his armor and the arena is catching fire, with the flames spreading as the battle progresses.
  • Shogun's loss of armor parts depends on his health. Even if Jack only uses punches, Shogun will have been stripped of his armor by the end of the battle, although the battle will take much longer.
• Although he dies by impalement, the commentators' lines during the finishing move refer to a decapitation, implying that that was originally the way Shogun would die.
• Shogun's dual buzzsaw naginata might be a reference to, or at least inspired by the Dual Chainsaw Staff wielded by the Gears of War character Skorge, due to the incredible similarities between the two weapons.
• The statue he gets impaled on is a reference to the real-life golden Shachihoko statues on the Nagoya Castle located in the city of the same name in Chūbu region of Japan.
• In reality, Shōgun was the title of a military leader Japan between the end of the 12^th and the middle of the 19^th century. This implies that MadWorld's Shogun was the leader of the ninjas that attacked the bistro. This is supported by the fact that the ninjas never attack each other on purpose and that there are ninjas in Shogun's lair that need to be disposed of before Shogun shows himself.
• Shogun's shares his boss theme with Little Eddie, Jude the Dude, and The Shamans.

Gallery

Jack facing Shogun

A commencing Power Struggle between Jack and Shogun

Jack blocking Shogun's first attack during the Power Struggle

Jack blocking Shogun's second attack during the Power Struggle

Jack winning the Power Struggle

Shogun, shortly before fleeing to the roof