Pei Pooh (北風, lit. North Wind), formerly romanized Nam Pooh and Bei Pooh by fans, is a recurring character in the series, appearing in most versions of the first Strider game and its two official sequels as a member of the Kuniang M.A. Team, later known as the "Four Winds".
Pei Pooh is the eldest sister[1][2] of the bounty hunter and assassin trio known as the Kuniang Team/Four Winds. She serves as the team's "mood-maker"[1], and is recognized from her sisters by her red clothes and unique hairstyle, a long ponytail. The most carefree among her sisters, Pei Pooh uses a combination of martial arts with shooting techniques, and wields a pair of Chinese Yingyang Jizhaorui (陰陽鶏爪鋭, lit. Yin-Yang Chicken Claw Knives) with built-in submachine guns that allow her to effectively fight at any distance.
Pei Pooh is playful and deadly, her attitude causing constant headaches to her two sisters[3]. In battle she's wild and reckless, greatly enjoying herself as she laughs constantly and clamors for her enemies' screams. However, and though usually not noticed by those around her, she takes on the most serious attitude among the three Winds when acting together.[1]
Story
Strider (CPS-1) & Strider 2
- Main article: Kuniang
Pei Pooh is a member of the bounty hunter trio known as the Kuniang M.A. Team. Following her leader Tong Pooh in battle, the three sisters confront Hiryu at the request of Grandmaster Meio, but find defeat against the strength of the Special-A Class Strider.
Strider (2014)
Pei Pooh is a member of the Winds, a martial arts trio trained by the mysterious and powerful Xi Wang Mu. Loyal to a fault, they serve Grandmaster Meio as his personal bounty hunters and assassin unit. After Hiryu infiltrated Kazakh City, they pursued him across the city complex.[4]
Pei Pooh is the first of the sisters to stand in Hiryu's path: although going against better judgement[5], she alone confronts Hiryu in a special chamber deep beneath the city's Transit Station. Hiryu faces the red-clothed sister in battle and defeats her, forcing the injured Pei Pooh into retreating. Some time later, Pei Pooh returns in the middle of Hiryu's battle with Nang Pooh, claiming his courage and determination are nothing but "a façade" and joining her sister in battle. Even against two Winds, Hiryu proves victorious again.
Finally, Pei Pooh and Nang Pooh join their leader Tong Pooh in the Underground's Industry area to fight Hiryu one last time. At first observing the battle, Pei Pooh eventually jumps in to help Tong Pooh, and finally all three sisters engage in battle with Hiryu. In the end, not even their combined might was enough to defeat the Strider.
Some time later, Xi Wang Mu confronts Hiryu while claiming revenge over her students' demise, implying the three eventually died at some point afterwards.
Skills and Abilities
While their true strength is found in their combined team attacks, each sister is an expert martial artist in their own right. With a considerable skill of her own, Pei Pooh focus on all-around mobility and ability to fight at any range and distance[1]. She fights wildly in battle, using her weapons to fire from afar or slash when up close. She also possess the same physical prowess of her sisters, able to create blades of plasma with each kick, and great speed of movement and reflex.
When the three sisters fight as a team, she carries the position of "supporter", providing long-distance support to her sisters. Her sisters place absolute trust in Pei Pooh's strength at support[1] as they fight together against their targets.
Attacks
Note: This list her individual moves. For attacks when the sisters are together, see the Kuniang article.
- Rapid Kicks: Her signature technique. Pei Pooh performs three fast roundhouse kicks, each one trailed by a blade of red plasma. Absent in the 2014 game.
- Aimed Shot: Pei Pooh strikes a pose, with one of her weapons extended forward, aiming at Hiryu. Standing in place, she starts shooting rapidly at him, and can only be stopped by hitting her.
- Wild Shooting: Pei Pooh starts a wild shooting spree: she shoots at her left and right, then four angled upwards and one forward, then she jumps and shoots 5 in mid-air at all directions, then six more when she lands. Each shot leaves reddish flames in any surface they touch, which injure Hiryu.
- Twin Slasher: Weapon in hand, Pei Pooh performs three advancing spin slashes which releases blasts of red wind.
- Dive Kick: Pei Pooh jumps up and dives at an angle towards Hiryu, engulfed in plasma energy. The three sisters tend to use this technique together to limit Hiryu's moving space.
- Blade Block: By shielding herself with her weapons, Pei Pooh can defend from Hiryu's attacks for a short time. Can be broken by a charged slash.
- Backflip: A dodge maneuver. Pei Pooh does a backwards backflip to move away from Hiryu.
- Spin Dodge: A dodge maneuver used to move around Hiryu. Pei Pooh moves while spinning in place.
Design Notes
- Main article: Kuniang#Design Notes
While Tong Pooh's name was established since the beginning, the names of the other two sisters weren't as commonly cited in most publications. One of the earlier mentions came in the special Gamest issue "Gamest Gals' Island" (issue #45), the first of a series of issues focusing primarily in female video game characters, and included articles, intrviews about their creation and a reader's choice Top 30 ranking. Tong Pooh was voted 15th place in the ranking, and in her write-up for her entry the two sisters are name-dropped as Nang Pooh and Sai Pooh[6]. This is the only known instance when Pei Pooh is not used. Gamest is infamous for the many typos and mistakes published over its history, so this can be a mistake on the writer's part.
The write-up opened with a joke about the sisters and Hiryu going to play a game of Mahjong, in reference to the wind-themed sitting cycle from Japanese Mahjong[7], which goes East, South, West and North (with North being Hiryu's place in the write-up), so the names may have been choosen arbitrarily based on this.
This is also likely why the overseas fans called her "Nam Pooh" (a slight misromanization of Nang Pooh) during the early times. This wouldn't be challenged until the release of Strider 2, which used the correct names for each sister.
Other Appearances
Game Appearances
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters
The three sisters are part of the art for a Reaction Card (a type of counter card) named "3 Sisters" (3しまい) in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2.
Dragon's Dogma Quest
As part of a limited cross-promotion with the Vita port of this Dragon's Dogma spin-off, Pei Pooh appears as a character card alongside her sisters and Hiryu, sporting an unique job class. She appears in her 2014 design.
Project X Zone 2
Pei Pooh makes a small cameo appearance in Project X Zone 2, joining her sisters Tong Pooh and Sai Pooh in the former's multi-target MAP Attack, where the three perform a synchronized back-turning Plasma Kick.
TEPPEN
Pei Pooh and the rest of the Four Winds debuted as unit cards in the 14th expansion for TEPPEN, "Defying the Light", where they serve the Goddess Myria from Breath of Fire III as brainwashed followers. The three sisters also appear together in an Action Card called "The Winds".
In the 29th expansion, "Metal Suit Mafia", the three sisters return as Unit Cards in their Strider 2 designs, as the expansion is set in a parallel world compared with the main TEPPEN continuity, who uses the 2014 designs exclusively.
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Capcom (February 2014, multi). Strider Hiryu (Japanese). Character Intel #07: Pei Pooh
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Capcom (October 2006, PlayStation). Gamebook: Strider Hiryu (Japanese). Pg. 42. ISBN 4-86233-076-2.
- ↑ Capcom (February 2014, multi). Strider (English). Character Intel #07: Pei Pooh - The North Wind
- ↑ Capcom (2013). "Character: Tong Pooh Three Sisters". Capcom's official Strider site (Japanese). Retrieved from archive.org. Accessed November 11, 2021.
- ↑ Capcom (February 2014, multi). Strider Hiryu (Japanese). General Mikiel: "That was a result brought about by Pei Pooh's own judgement."
- ↑ Staff (May 1990). "Game Gals Top 30". Gamest (45). Pg. 15.
- ↑ Riichi Competition Rules Set-up. Accessed from mahjongtime.com in March 5, 2025