Shulk

Shulk
Shulk's official artwork for Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Series	Xenoblade (series)
First Appearance	Xenoblade Chronicles
Species	Hom
Age	18
Voiced by	Shintaro Asanuma (Japan) Adam Howden (NA & PAL)

Shulk<sup>(JPJapanese: シュルク

Romaji: Shuruku)</sup> is the main character in the Wii Role-playing game, Xenoblade Chronicles. He is an eighteen year old Hom boy who sets off on his journey with his friends after the Mechon army attacks his village. He is also the wielder of the Monado, a special sword that can defeat Mechon and grant various powers to its user, like visions of the future.

History

Before the events of the games

14 years before the begining of the game, Shulk was a member of an expedition to retrieve the Monado in the Valak Mountain. Upon finding it, he is killed by Zanza like the other members of the expedition but unlike them, Zanza bring him back to life and becomes his life force. Shortly after, he is found by Dickson and brought back to Colony 9.

Researching the secrets of the Monado

After the first battle of Sword Valley, Dickson tasked him with researching the true nature of the Monado but one day, the Mechons army attack the colony and Dunban is forced to use the leggendary sword again. Not able to use the Monado for much longer, Dunban is extremely weakened and Shulk instinctively begins to wield the Monado and fence off the Mechons. However, Fiora, his childhood friend is killed by Metal Face in the attack.

Getting his revenge against Metal Face

Shulk and his friend Reyn decides to go on a journey in which they hope to destroy the Mechons. After getting through Tephra Cave and unlocking a new power of the Monado, the party meets Juju and his sister Sharla, two refugees from the Colony 6. Sharla explain to them that the Colony is now under the control of the Mechons. While tuuey are talking, Juju run off to the colony alone and is soon captured by a Mechon M71. Shulk unlock a new power of the Monado and destroy the Mechon, however, Bronze Face arrives and take Juju to the occupied colony. The trio manage to infiltrate the Ether Mine of the colony and with the help of Colonel Otharon, they destroy Xord and free Juju.

When the party exit the Mines, they encounter Metal Face and a group of Mass-Produced Faces, suddently, Dunban and Dickson arrives to help them fight the Mechons but are unable to destroy them all and the group is saved by a Telethia sent by Alvis.

During the fight Shulk had a vision showing him defeating Metal Face at the top of Prison Island. The group decide to go through Satorl Marsh and Makna Forest to reach the prison. They eventually meet Melia in Makna Forest and Riki in Frontier Village, they defeat the Telethia lurking in the forest to help the High Entia. After facing many troubles with the Bionite Order while they are in Alcamoth the party reach Prison Island and are confronted with Zanza possessing Arglas body. After revealing them the true power of the Monado and releasing it, his body is killed by Metal Face and Shulk is able to damage the Mechon but as he is prepared to kill him, Face Nemesis takes the hit and it is revealed that she is a resurrected Fiora in a mechanical body but she is somehow unable to recognize Shulk.

In Valak Mountain, the party faces Metal Face once again but the Mechon reveal that he was Mumkhar since the begining. He is defeated by the party and saved by Yaldabaoth's arrival, Egil retrieve Face Nemesis and Metal Face before flying off to Galahad Fortress. At the fortress, the party defeat Metal Face for the last time but despise Shulk will to spare him, Mumkhar's obstination lead to his own demise as he is impaled by a spire falling from the fortress after his last attack.

Stopping Egil

In the fortress, the party encounters Face Nemesis but her armor attack them due to Egil's control over the Mechon, Egil himself shows up and fight the party after disabling the Monado with the Apocrypha Generator. Lady Meyneth who was possessing Fiora's body use her power to defeat Egil and destroy the fortress, the party fall down to the Fallen Arm.

On the Fallen Arm, Shulk reunite with Fiora and later the rest of the party, the group discover that the Machina, the people of Mechonis, left the capital long ago and Egil is the one to blame for the destruction, after meeting with his father Miqol, the party decide to go in the capital and defeat Egil.

During their travel, they face against Jade Face who reveal himself as Gadolt, Sharla's boyfriend and Vanea, Egil's sister, who help them to get through the upper region of the Mechonis. They eventually reach Agniratha, the capital of the Machina, where they learn about the ancient battle between Zanza and Meyneth. They eventually reach Egil but loose against Yaldabaoth and are saved by Meyneth. The group destroy the Apocrypha Generator and return the Monado to its true power, this time Egil doesn't stand a chance and is defeated after taking control of the Mechonis and using it to attack the Bionis.

Defeating Zanza

The Machina reveal to them that he was only tying to kill Zanza and that he was willing to kill everyone on the Bionis if it meant his death. As Shulk and Egil are ready to make it up, Dickson arrives and shoot Shulk in the back which awakens Zanza from his slumber and Shulk is left for dead.

Shulk communicate with Alvis in his dream and learn about the nature of the gods and the meaning of the passage of fate. With his renewed fighting spirit, Shulk awakens and protect Colony 6 from the Telethia. The party then decide to go inside Bionis to get rid of Zanza, they defeat Disciple Lorithia and Disciple Dickson before facing the god himself. After a fight with Zanza, Shulk is able to unlock the true power of the Monado and destroy Zanza. This causes the death of The Architect in Alrest and the disapearing of the Conduit which lead to the recreation of their world. After Klaus' death, Shulk learn of the origin of their world from Alvis and is presented with the choice of recreating the world as he see fit, Shulk wish for an endless world with no gods.

Epilogue

Shulk is last seen in the new Colony 9 alongside Fiora where they talk about the nature of this new world.

Xenoblade Chronicles

In Xenoblade Chronicles, Shulk acts as the main protagonist, having a very smart personality combined with a very caring personality. As shown in the first few moments of the game, Shulk is able to make weapons, and enjoys doing heavy research into the Monado.

Stats

Max Level	Max HP	Max Physical Strenght	Max Ether Strenght	Max Agility
99	5,135	405	417	117

Notable gameplay particularities

• Each auto-attack hit adds 20% to his Talent Gauge.
• Can only use a Monado Art after using Activate Monado, the amount of Talent Gauge depletion from using a Monado Art depends on the Art.
• Can Break, Topple then Daze an enemy single-handedly with Monado Cyclone.
• Only character who can remove the Soul Read aura by using Monado Purge; can also remove other buffs with Monado Eater.
• increases damage and lets the party hurt Mechon with Monado Enchant; can also deal burst damage against Mechon using Monado Buster.
• defensive party buffs in Monado Speed, Monado Shield and Monado Armor
• His weapon type is the Monado and he can only get a new one at certain point in the main story for most of the game.

Arts

Talent Art

• Turn Strike [Talent Art]- Shulk's inital talent art, does major damage and inflicts the break status for a long time. It is replaced by Activate Monado once Shulk receives the Monado.

Normal Arts

• Back Slash- One of Shulk's starting arts, it deals more damage when dealt from behind, hence the name. It can target only one enemy. 

• Light Heal- The other art that Shulk starts off with, it allows Shulk to heal one ally.
• Slit Edge- A single target attack, it can reduce the targeted enemy's physical defence if attacked from the side. 
• Stream Edge- Shulk attacks in a fan shape in front of him, dealing damage to enemies while inflicting the status of break. 
• Shadow Eye - Shulk reduces his aggro, and in return, it allows him to deal more damage with his next physical art. 
• Air Slash - An attack that attacks one enemy and inflicts break. If attacked from the side, there is a chance that it may inflict the enemy with slow.
• Shaker Edge - Damages one target, and inflicts daze on the target if it is also toppled.
• Battle Soul - Sacrifices Shulk's HP, and will result in the talent gauge being refilled to a certain extent. 

Monado Arts

• Activate Monado [Talent Art] [Aura]- allows Shulk to access his Monado Arts.
• Monado Buster- A very strong attack that damages enemies in a straight line, with Mechon suffering from double damage. 
• Monado Enchant- Allies are able to attack Mechon without the need of an Anti-Mechon weapon. Also boosts damage. 
• Monado Shield- Casts a shield that can block an enemy's talent art, assuming that Monado Shield is leveled up properly (the enemy's talent art is either equal to or less than Monado Shield's level). Is best done when a vision of a talent art is shown. 
• Monado Speed- Increases the evasion of one ally of choice. 
• Monado Purge- Damages a single enemy.  Auras and Spike Effects are removed. Also inflicts Aura Seal.
• Monado Eater- An optional Monado Art, damages all enemies in front of Shulk. Enemies' buffs are removed and inflicts bleed.
• Monado Armour- Another optional Monado Art, reduces the damage from both Ether and Physical Arts by a certain amount. 
• Monado Cyclone- The last Monado Art unlocked in the main storyline, all enemies around Shulk will be damaged. If any are inflicted with break, they will become toppled. 

Skill trees

Here are shulk's skill trees.

Initial skill trees

• Integrity
• Humanity
• Intuition

Unlockable skill trees

• Pessimism
• Bravery

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Shulk along with Fiora can be used in a similar maner to Blades in the challenge mode with light as his element, attacker as his role and the Monado as his weapon. Since Shulk is not a real Blade, he can be used by any Drivers (except Tora) without the need of an Overdrive Protocole. Shulk is initially locked inside the Land of Challenge and cannot go into Alrest but after completing the "Dino Drama" challenge, the Nopon Archsage give him and Fiora the Alrest Linkring, which allow both of them to go in Alrest.

Affinity Chart

Name	Tier	Effect	Prerequisite	Amount	Flavor Text
Key Affinity Reward	1	Unlocks level 1 of the Affinity Chart.	N/A	N/A	N/A
	2	Unlocks level 2 of the Affinity Chart.	Increase the trust level	100	"It's an unfamiliar fighting style, but I think I've got the hang of it."
	3	Unlocks level 3 of the Affinity Chart.	Increase the trust level. The affinity bond will be easier to sustain.	700	"I feel I can get stronger."
	4	Unlocks level 4 of the Affinity Chart.	Increase the trust level	2000	"We have to keep getting better. 'I' have to keep getting better."
	5	Unlocks level 5 of the Affinity Chart.	Increase the trust level.	4000	"I feel strong enough to do anything!"
Monado Purge	1	60% chance to remove awakened status from enemy when using Special	N/A	N/A	N/A
	2	70% chance to remove awakened status from enemy when using Special	Use Monado Purge	15	"I think I'm getting used to this one."
	3	80% chance to remove awakened status from enemy when using Special	Finish an enemy	30	"Sometimes, losing isn't an option."
	4	90% chance to remove awakened status from enemy when using Special	Use Monado Purge	25	"I've honed it almost to perfection."
	5	100% chance to remove awakened status from enemy when using Special	Complete the Challenge Battle "Mk. VIII"	1	"?"
Monado Cyclone	1	Increases critical damage by 25%	N/A	N/A	N/A
	2	Increases critical damage by 40%	Finish an enemy	10	"I have to fight harder than ever before if I want to keep everyone safe."
	3	Increases critical damage by 55%	Use Monado Cyclone	15	"I'm sure I'll hold my own the next time things come to a head."
	4	Increases critical damage by 70%	Use Monado Cyclone	20	"?"
	5	Increases critical damage by 85%	Complete the Challenge Battle "9th Imp. Armored Div."	1	"?"
Monado Buster	1	Adds a 60% chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack	N/A	N/A	N/A
	2	Adds a 70% chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack	Use Monado Buster	5	"I've gotten a little stronger."
	3	Adds a 80% chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack	Use Monado Buster	10	"No one's coming to any harm, not while I'm around."
	4	Adds a 90% chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack	Finish an enemy	100	"?"
	5	Adds a 100% chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack	Complete the Challenge Battle "Call the Exterminators"	1	"?"
Vision	1	Can negate powerful enemy attack via button challenge (100 sec cooldown)	N/A	N/A	N/A
	2	Can negate powerful enemy attack via button challenge (90 sec cooldown)	Evade an attack	10	"I've got your back. Trust me."
	3	Can negate powerful enemy attack via button challenge (80 sec cooldown)	Block an attack	50	"I'll try my hardest, don't you worry."
	4	Can negate powerful enemy attack via button challenge (70 sec cooldown).	Evade an attack	30	"If you need me to back you up, I'll give it everything I've got!"
	5	Boosts physical and ether defense by 10%	Deal a critical hit (Previous instances count toward total)	20000	"?"
Monado Enchant	1	Increases damage dealt by the party by 20% when at max Affinity	Collect a lot of Ether Cubes during a single Challenge Battle	1000	"Sure, this'll do."
	2	Increases damage dealt by the party by 24% when at max Affinity	Complete the Challenge Battle "Think of the Soldiers"	1	"I almost feel sorry for them."
	3	Increases damage dealt by the party by 28% when at max Affinity	Collect a lot of Ether Cubes during a single Challenge Battle	1800	"Nice one! That's a new high score!"
	4	Increases damage dealt by the party by 32% when at max Affinity	Complete the Challenge Battle "Torna's Finest"	1	"That was a real challenge... But we were more than up to it."
	5	Increases damage dealt by the party by 40% when at max Affinity	Collect a lot of Ether Cubes during a single Challenge Battle	3600	"?"
Monado Speed	1	Increases the accuracy and evasion rate of the team by 24% at max Affinity	N/A	N/A	N/A
	2	Increases the accuracy and evasion rate of the team by 28% at max Affinity	Complete Challenge Battles	10	"?"
	3	Increases the accuracy and evasion rate of the team by 32% at max Affinity	Attack from behind	30	"?"
	4	Increases the accuracy and evasion rate of the team by 36% at max Affinity	Complete Challenge Battles	30	"?"
	5	Increases the accuracy and evasion rate of the team by 40% at max Affinity	Attack from behind	100	"?"
Salvaging Mastery	3	Knowledge related to salvaging.	Acquire Mechanical items from the Collectibles list	10	"I'm really curious about this salvaging business."
	4	Knowledge related to salvaging.	Acquire Mechanical items from the Collectibles list	20	"So... how is it, deep down in the Cloud Sea?"
	5	Knowledge related to salvaging.	Acquire Mechanical items from the Collectibles list	40	"?"
Keen Eye	3	The power to see things clearly. Used to notice small changes, etc.	Succeed in a button challenge during battle	10	"Perfect timing there!"
	4	The power to see things clearly. Used to notice small changes, etc.	Help an incapacitated ally.	20	"?"
	5	The power to see things clearly. Used to notice small changes, etc.	Swap blades during battle.	100	"?"
Ancient Wisdom	3	Knowledge of ancient civilizations. Used to decode writing, etc.	Acquire treasure items through salvaging	5	"Could my expertise come in useful too?"
	4	Knowledge of ancient civilizations. Used to decode writing, etc.	Acquire treasure items through salvaging	10	"?"
	5	Knowledge of ancient civilizations. Used to decode writing, etc.	Acquire treasure items through salvaging	20	"?"

Favorite Items

• Item types: Veggies, Literature
• Specific items: Addam's Supercakes, Ardainian Arms Album

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

Appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Shulk appears as a playable fighter wielding the Monado. Although a swordfighter, the Monado is unique in giving Shulk a variety of buffs and debuffs to his attacks. His various attacks are for the most part, delayed due to having a long start up animation but are relatively strong in return. Shulk acts as the representative of the Xenoblade series.

Attacks

When Shulk attacks, he does the most damage when attacking from the base of the sword, with the beam doing less damage. 

• Neutral Special - Monado Arts
• Side Special - Back Slash
• Up Special - Air Slash
• Down Special - Vision
• Final Smash - Chain Attack

Alternate Costumes

Each of his alternate costumes represent the other party members in Xenoblade Chronicles. Starting from the right, the first is his default costume and the clothes he has when Xenoblade Chronicles starts. The second is based on Fiora, albeit in her Mechon form. The third is based on Dunban, the fourth is based on Reyn, the fifth is based on Sharla, the sixth is based on Melia and the seventh is based on Riki. The 8th costume is him in his swim trunks. This is a reference to the swimsuit armor pieces and how useful they were in the game.

Trophy Descriptions

Shulk Trophy from the Wii U version

Normal

• North America: In Xenoblade Chronicles, this young lad's colony is attacked by the Mechon, so he and his friends set off to take them down. In Smash Bros., his Monado Arts let him change his specialization during battle. You can choose to boost a stat—his jump or attack, for example—but other stats might drop as a result, so choose wisely.

• EU: In Xenoblade Chronicles, this young lad's colony is attacked by the Mechon, so he and his friends set off to take them down. In this game, his Monado Arts let him change his specialisation during battle. You can choose to boost a stat—his jump or attack, for example—but other stats might drop as a result, so choose wisely.

Shulk Alt. Trophy from the Wii U version

Alt.

• North America: Shulk's up special Air Slash is an upward slash done during a jump. Press the button again quickly to launch opponents sideways. His side special Back Slash, on the other hand, is a downward swing with a very wide range, though using it leaves Shulk wide open. Try hitting foes from behind with this!

• EU: Shulk's up special, Air Slash, is an upward slash done during a jump. Press the button again quickly to launch opponents sideways. His side special, Back Slash, on the other hand, is a downward swing with a very wide range, although using it leaves Shulk wide open. Try hitting foes from behind with this to do more damage!

Chain Attack trophy

Chain Attack

• In Xenoblade Chronicles, building up the party's team spirit would let them unleash a chain attack, using multiple Arts in a row to deal massive damage. In this game, Shulk's Final Smash calls party members Dunban and Riki to help obliterate an unlucky target... or multiple targets if you catch more than one in the circle of light!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Shulk comes back in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, his moveset is pretty much the same as in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. The main difference is his Monado Arts system that was changed from rapid B presses to holding the B button, holding the stick in a direction, then releasing the B button. His Monado Arts are mapped to the following: up for Smash, upper left for Jump, lower left for Speed, upper right for Buster, and lower right for Shield. Fiora was also added as a part of his Final Smash.

Super Mario Maker

By scaning a Shulk Amiibo, you can use a Mystery Mushroom to turn Mario into an 8bit version of Shulk with his own special interactions.