Background Information
Shadow Hearts is a series of roleplaying games released on the Playstation 2. It is set in an alternate history of the early 20ths century, mixing gritty realism with fantasy and Lovecraft elements. The first two games occur in Asia and Europe shortly before and after World War I, while the third game takes place in mid to late 1920s America.
Koudelka, while not a Shadow Hearts game in name, is considered part of the series. It was first released back in 1999 for the Playstation 1. Koudelka is set in Wales in 1898. The game tells the story of Koudelka Iasant, a young Romani girl with supernatural powers who is drawn to the mysterious Nemeton Monastery after experiencing a series of troubling visions. Along with an adventurer Edward J. Plunkett and a bishop James O'Flaherty, they must delve into the dark history of the Monastery and stop the malevolent force that permeates its halls. In addition, there is the Koudelka manga that is a direct sequel to the Koudelka game set a year after.
The first two Shadow Heart games lead character is Yuri Volte Hyuga, a Harmonixer. This means that he can absorb the souls of monsters/demons/gods and fuse/shapeshift into them. Throughout the first game, a voice in his head tells him what to do and where to go. This leads him to a young exorcist Alice Elliot, people are after her power for destruction, and the plot leads from there. The sequel, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, has Yuri's powers sealed away by the Mistletoes Curse by a cult named Sapientes Gladio, who want to take over the world. The sequel also introduces Karin Koenig as the new main heroine.
The third game, Shadow Hearts: From the New World, replaces Yuri with a young kid detective Johnny Garland. He is accompanied by the new main heroine Shania, a native American who has fusion powers. Shania is searching for a woman by the name Lady, a stoic woman who wiped out her entire tribe, and Johnny lends a hand after developing an ability to channel Malice in his knife, basically creating a lightsaber.
Standing in the Battledome
Cosmology: Having incorporated numerous lores and myths, Shadow Hearts cosmology entails a decent sized multiverse. It's easy to surmise that the main games take place in the universe similar to our own, but alongside it, there exist Heaven, the Norse Mythology's Nine Realms (due to the connection of Yggdrasil), Greek, Hindu, and Japanese Mythology.
Power: A relatively powerful series. The series caps at universal (threat, likely destruction), with planetary being the general range for most everyone of important. At the higher end, you'll run ton star/solar system and galaxy level power
Supporters of the Series
- Overlord Murasama
- Keollyn
- Papa Nier
OBD Profiles
Character Profiles
Protagonists
Koudelka Party Members
- Edward J. Plunkett
- Father James O'Flaherty
Shadow Hearts Party Members
- Alice Elliot
- Li Zhuzhen
- Margarete Gertrude Zelle
- Keith Valentine
- Halley Plunkett
Shadow Hearts: Covenant Party Members
- Karin Koenig
- Blanca
- Geppeto
- Joachim Valentine
- Lucia
- Anastasia Romanov
- Kurando Inugami
Shadow Hearts: From the New World Party Members
- Shania
- Natan
- Frank Goldfinger
- Mao
- Hildegarde "Hilda" Valentine
- Ricardo Gomez
Koudelka Villains
- Charlotte D'lota
- Elaine Heyworth
- Dogol
Shadow Hearts Villains
- Albert Simon
- Fox Face
- Four Masks
- Arcane Olga
- Dehuai
- Wugui
- Li Li
- Jack
- Meta-God
Shadow Hearts: Covenant Villains
- Grigori Rasputin
- Nicolai Conrad
- Veronica Vera
- Garan
- Astaroth
- Masaji Kato
- Hien
- Raiden
- Ouka
Shadow Hearts: From the New World Villains
- Lady
- Killer
- Professor Gilbert
Other Characters
- Roger Bacon
- Jinpachiro "Ben" Hyuga
- Saki Inugami
- Great Gama
- King Solomon
- Lenny Curtis
- Edna Capone