Suzuka

Suzuka
Biographical information
Given name	Suzuka
Nickname(s)	"Twilight" Suzuka Suzu
Age	21
Blood Type	A
Species	Terran
Planet	N/A
Physical description
Hair	Black
Eyes	Brown
Height	5'9" (179 cm)
Weight	Unknown
Career information
Affiliation	Outlaw
Occupation	Assassin
Business Partner(s)	Various
Ship	N/A
Weapons	Bokken
Out-of-Universe information
First Manga appearance	Chapter 3: Kaizoku
First Anime appearance	"The Beautiful Assassin"
English VA	Wendee Lee
Japanese VA	Sayuri Yamauchi

"To kill, that is this woman's profession, to kill. That is the only means by which she can survive. Her name is Suzuka. There are none who know her past. There are none who ask about her past. Through killing, she finds herself. She weeps as she watches the wind, and senses the currents of the universe in her skill. This is the kind of woman that Suzuka is. She is not a special woman. All women are special. All woman possess many faces. Yet, no man has ever seen the faces of Suzuka. All that men can see is the gleaming sword she holds in her hands. Even if these men who see her gleaming blade were to receive just a brief smile, they would never see it, nor know one while they are alive. This woman's name is Suzuka. To kill, this is her profession."

—Narrator

"Twilight" Suzuka (黄昏の鈴鹿, Tasogare no Suzuka^?) is an "Ultra Class A" assassin who is known for killing her victims during a setting sun. Her choice of weapon, a Bokken, a wooden sword, considered unusual among her profession, allows her to slip through undetected in highly secure environments. A woman with a "mysterious past", Suzuka joins up with Gene Starwind and the crew of the Outlaw Star, claiming that she finds them to be all rather interesting people, and teams up with them in their fight against the Kei pirates.

Biography

Chapter of the Galactic Dragon Vein

Four years before the events of Outlaw Star, Suzuka lived in a remote village on an unknown planet. She was an easy-going young woman without a penchant for the predominant weapons of the Toward Star Era: firearms, magic and military technology, and little interest in the "civilization" of city life. When she chose a type of self-defense, Suzuka trained by the sword. If asked by her teacher or someone when she began training, Suzuka refused to give an answer. Suzuka lived in "the power of desire" through her training, such to a point that her teacher believed she was far too easygoing to be an apprentice, but Suzuka was grateful to him as a teacher.

One day, a man appeared on her teacher's training field with a desire to learn more sword techniques. He happily introduced hmself as Hitoriga. Suzuka's teacher taught Hitoriga as he taught her; Suzuka disliked Hitoriga and thought he wasn't worth training because he was too "sluggish". Her teacher disagreed and continued to train Hitoriga.

Suzuka left one morning to go into town to retrieve her teacher's favorite wine. When she returned in the evening to his home, Suzuka found her teacher on the floor in a pool of his own blood, slain by what appeared be a sword. When she went in search of Hitoriga, she found him on the training field using a Bokken. When Suzuka demanded to know what happened, Hitoriga freely admitted that he killed Suzuka's teacher.

Enraged, Suzuka attacked Hitorgia using her own Bokken. During the battle, Suzuka was attacked by what she realized was Tao Magic and demanded to know who Hitorgia was, as he donned the appearance of her teacher's face. Hitorgia admitted to being a member of the Kei pirates under the command of Hazanko. Hitorgia eventually bested Sazuka using Tao magic, knocking her from the cliff. Suzuka survived the fall and swore to avenge her teacher and kill Hitoriga.

Hitoriga is said to have killed Suzuka's "family". In conjunction with her master's death, the loss of said family drove Suzuka to train and become stronger so that she could face Hitoriga as an equal fighter on the battlefield and avenge all that she lost.

"Twilight" Suzuka

Suzuka eventually became assassin, hiring herself out to whomever was willing to pay her. No matter what their discrepancies were with an opponent or person, so long as it did not void her own moral code, Suzuka would kill the intended target. She offered those she was sent to kill until sunset to perform whatever "last rites" important to them before she killed them. Her reputation became such that she earned the name, "Twilight" Suzuka, and became a feared figured throughout the space. As an assassin, there is no one who knows Suzuka personality and those who are afford even a momentary show of emotion, are never alive long enough to dread or appreciate it.

Killing Fred Luo

Suzuka was hired by a rival weapons seller to kill Fred Luo of the famous Luo family. She was allowed entrance to his building under a false referral from a man named Mr. O. When she was face-to-face to Fred, she gave him the allotted time until sunset to square away his worldly issues. However, the arrival of Gene Starwind from another room ruined her plan. Gene attacked her, inadvertently protecting Fred in the process. During her battle with Gene, the time in which she was meant to kill Fred ran out and she was forced to retreat.

She followed Gene through the city and confronted him in the middle of a busy district, determined to kill him. Gene continued to hold his own against the assassin, evading her attacks whenever possible. He eventually led Suzuka out of the city into a remote area. When she attepts to kill him, Gene used his light shield against her Booken until it ran out of power. Effectively disarmed, he knocked Suzuka's sword out of her hand, forcing her to chase him in order to reach it first.

When she gained ground, Gene pulled the sash from around her kimono. Fearful of being exposed, Suzuka stopped chasing him to keep her clothes on her body. With her sword and sash in his possession, Gene demanded that Suzuka drop her contract on Fred Luo. When she refused, he threatened to break her Bokken. Gene makes a new "deal" between the two of them; he shoots the ground around her and declared her dead. Suzuka still refused to give up on her contract, but Gene returned her sash and Bokken in payment for Fred's life. As Gene wounded the "pride" that insist that Suzuka maintain her word to kill Fred, Gene deduced that he would be the intended target for her to kill instead of Fred and promised to be careful during sunsets. Killing him would "restore" her pride.

Protecting Starwind

When the Kei pirates come after the Outlaw Star and Gene, Suzuka visited Starwind and Hawking with the intention of resuming her duel with Gene. Instead, she ended up protecting Melfina from a pirate named Kyokan. Suzuka and Kyokan gained a mutual respect for each other through their brief battle; though Kyokan used Tao Magic against her, Suzuka was able to kill him using the first of many techniques she learned through training.

Her presence made Jim Hawking nervous about her intentions, but Suzuka cooperated with them, going as far as to help them try to steal an antidote from the pirate, Yase, after Gene was poisoned by him. After Gene was saved by Melfina using the navigation tank, Suzuka decided to place Gene further in her debt by attacking Yase when he evaded the Outlaw Star's grappler arms. She destroyed the mech he used with her Bokken and deflected his poison needles after he attempted to play her for a fool by pretending to surrender. Disappointed by his cowardice, Suzuka killed Yase easily and joined the Outlaw Star crew as they departed from Sentinel III.

The Wandering Assassin

During her short time with the Outlaw Star crew, Suzuka kept to herself and primarily did not get along well with Gene, irritated by his irresponsibility and Jim's childishness. When they stop at a way station, Suzuka tracks down a man named Zomba, who's worth over 10,000 wong. After collecting her money, she runs into Gene and Jim who've just killed the android impostor of Zomba. When they ask how much she made killing her own target, Suzuka replied a "trifle amount" and left. They discover moments later that she was responsible for killing the real Zomba and was rewarded the 10,000 wong.

When the Outlaw Star departs for Heifong's Thirteenth Annual Heifong Space Race, Suzuka abstains from accompanying them. She instead relaxes on the beach and makes a bet in their favor. When they lose, Suzuka tears her ticket up and continues to wander apart from them. When she returns, Aisha Clan-Clan has joined them. She visits the new Starwind and Hawking residence on Heifong, initially to offer them a job, but deciding against it when they appeared busy. She returns with another job and offers them a chance to performing in a "wild west show". They promptly reject her offer and kick her out of Starwind and Hawking, Suzuka leaves angry, questioning the hope of humanity.

Partnership with Aisha Clan-Clan

Though it appeared that Suzuka decided to remain with the Outlaw Star she did not accompany them on job offers. When their ship is used in a plot by a criminal named Crackerjack, Suzuka teamed up with Aisha Clan-Clan to ascertain the whereabouts of the criminal. When they find the people working with Crackerjack, Suzuka and Aisha are able track Crackerjack down. They deal with Crackerjack's men and foil his theft as Gene and the others disarm the bomb.

When Gene unknowingly confronts the first of the Anten Seven, Shimi, Suzuka, alongside Aisha, Jim and Melfina protect Gene from the Kei pirate, Suzuka informing the pirate that Gene's life was in her keeping. Though she goes against Shimi, the pirate is able to best her easily. When she recovers, Suzuka blames Aisha's stew from "throwing her system out of whack".

Suzuka and Aisha act as Gene's back up when he walks into a trap orchestrated by the eldest MacDougall brother, Ronald MacDougall. Suzuka states from the beginning she was only interested in helping Gene because of the implication that the Kei pirates were involved. When Ron reveals what he knows about the Leyline, the Outlaw Star and Melfina, Suzuka and Aisha defend Gene as he squares off with Ron, fighting off Space Forces weapons. Suzuka is able to best them easily, studying their "moves" as they fight, while Aisha uses her brute strength to defeat them. When Gene realizes that the older MacDougall brother is buying time for his brother, Harry, to steal the Outlaw Star and Melfina, Suzuka and Aisha are left behind to deal with Ron, but he escapes.

Suzuka stays on with the crew afterward; when they are arrested by the private security force, Angel Links, Suzuka and the others are separated for questioning and later held in a room until Duuz Delax Rex and Valeria Vertone's investigation is complete. Suzuka is visibly upset when Valeria informs them that the luxury ship, the Midsummer Night's Queen was attacked by pirates and half its civilian passengers were slaughtered.

When the space station is attacked by decimated Midsummer Night's Queen, Suzuka and Aisha act as the primary defends of the group as they make their way toward the Outlaw Star, Suzuka wielding a pipe as a weapon. They aid the Angel Links in the destruction of the pirates attacking their space station and let go, free of any charge.

The Galactic Leyline

Jim discovers information on a planet that researches believed was connected to the Galactic Leyline. Traveling to the planet, SUzuka's motives are questioned by Gene after he questions the loyalty of Aisha. Suzuka dismisses the suspicion and aids Jim in directing the conversation toward Gene's unusual avoidance of Melfina. Gene admits that he likely won't able to keep his promise to Melfina because of the dead ends they constant run into, however, Suzuka reaffirms that he's done everything he can to help Melfina and she's aware of it.

When Gwen Khan places Melfina in a state of suspended animation, Suzuka and Aisha help Gene infiltrate Hekaton Keirez's prison under a false name. When he breaks out with Saiyo Wong and the coordinates of the Galactic Leyline, Suzuka renders Gwen Khan unconscious once he revives Melfina. With the coordinates of the Leyline in hand, Suzuka accompanies Gene and the others to the hot spring planet, Tenrei. There Suzuka begrudgingly enjoys the hot springs the resort planet has to offer, despite being against it in the beginning. She attacks Gene with her Bokken when he attempts to spy on her and Melfina in the baths.

Once Gene obtained the caster shells he was searching for, Suzuka accompanies the Outlaw Star crew to the Leyline. She recognizes Hazanko's ship, the Geomancer as they enter the Leyline's cloud lining. Inside the Leyline, Suzuka is separated from the others when the Leyline's A.I.'s transport them all in different locations inside the Leyline. She runs into Gene as was traveling through the crystalline maze.

She allows Gene to jump across a ravine on the off chance it was dangerous. When he managed to survive the fall, Suzuka finally admits to Gene that she followed him because she was looking to settle the score with Hitoriga and the Kei pirates. She tells him to find Melfina when Hitorgia finally appears.

Hitoriga, surprised that she would consider a partner, asked whether or not she was in love with Gene. Suzuka stipulates that she'll tell him once she kills him. As the two battle, Hitoriga uses Tao Magic to liken himself to Suzuka. Hitoriga admits that he loves Suzuka in spite of how lowly she thinks of him and confesses that he is flattered that she gave up the treasure to fight him.

Suzuka dismisses the implication of love on her part, claiming that her individuality is all that's important. When he attacks her again with a different technique, he assumes that he's bested Suzuka. She tells him she allowed him to hit her, wanting to feel the suffering of those he killed. When he attacks with the same technique, Suzuka deflects it and uses a special move, "Crimson", against him. Before Hitoriga dies, she tells him she created the move just for him after their battle.

She returns to the Outlaw Star to wait for the others with Jim and is killed when Gene's caster gun and Hazanko's Tao magic cancels each other out and destroys the Leyline. However, they are revived by the Leyline's A.I. and together with the Jim and Aisha, Suzuka aids Gene and Melfina in the fight against a super powered Hazanko.

Aftermath

After the defeat of the Anten Seven and Hazanko, Suzuka drops all pretense of going after Fred. She and Aisha decide to go their separate ways, separating from Jim, Gene and Melfina. However, curious to know where a continued path would take her, Suzuka and Aisha catch a ride on a repair ship back to the Outlaw Star when it breaks down.

Characteristics

Appearance

Suzuka is a an exceptionally beautiful woman, nearly the same height as Gene, with pale skin and long jet black hair she styles in a ponytail. Her typical garb is a white kimono tied with a red sash.

Personality

Suzuka is a woman of few words and is very tough to read. She clearly doesn't mind killing, but is not a psychopath. She takes pride in her work, and bends her morals for no one. She takes little pleasure in nonsense or hyperactivity, and thus is tough to work with. Suzuka is a rather eccentric woman who follows her taste for intrigue wherever it leads her, thus she is almost always on the move. She is also a very modest woman, as she has repeatedly slapped Gene for his lecherous behaviors, and is shamed to be seen nude by anyone. Despite her penchant for murder, she is actually very kind, polite and cordial, able to get along with Melfina and Jim without issue, and enjoys their company as she finds them interesting people. She is driven by honor, vengeance and her livelihood, and almost nothing else. The few people she can call her friends are able to rely on her in a pinch, and she will fight to protect them with her life.

Abilities

As an assassin, Suzuka is extremely agile and nimble, able to outmaneuver most adversaries with ease. Her swordsmanship is also great, able to use a bokken which such precision and speed to cut a large truck in half without harming the driver.

Trivia

• Cartoon Network censored references to Suzuka being an assassin in her first appearance, "The Beautiful Assassin" and throughout Outlaw Star when the series first aired on Toonami (daytime and first Adult Swim run only. The 2018 version has reversed the cuts). However, the edits weren't consistent and a few references to Suzuka being an assassin managed to slip by.
• Whether or not Suzuka loved Gene as Hitorgia says is never revealed.

Gallery

Artwork

Screenshots

Close up of Suzuka's face

Suzuka, as seen in the 1996 Outlaw Star pilot video.

Concept Art

Size comparison concept