Suikoden (Japanese: Hepburn: Gens Suikoden?

) is a role-playing video
game series originally created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on
the classical Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan by Shi Naian.[1] Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as
in Japanese, and read phonetically as Suikoden. Each individual game in the series
centers on relative themes of politics, corruption, revolution, mystical crystals known as True
Runes and the "108 Stars of Destiny"the 108 protagonists who are loosely interpreted from
the source material.
Though the Suikoden games follow an irregular chronological sequence of events, the entire
series (except for Tierkreis andTsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki) takes place within the same
world among continuing and overlapping histories. In some cases, several characters appear
in multiple installations.

GAMES
The Suikoden franchise has been developing games since 1995 and has developed various
video game titles bearing the same name. The development team of the Suikoden series
started developing games using 2D or two-dimensional graphics primarily used in the first
and second games, while they only incorporated 3D graphics on environments and visual
effects. Suikoden III however, marked the series' complete shift from 2D to 3D as the game
jumps platforms; from PlayStation to PlayStation 2.
The series has the following titles including prequels, sequels and spin-offs from the main
series (the main series are in bold). They are arranged chronologically with their release
dates:
Suikoden

PlayStation: 15 December 1995, Japan; 1996, North America; April 1997, Europe.

Sega Saturn: 17 September 1998, Japan.

Microsoft Windows: 1998, Japan; 1999 China; 1999, South Korea.

Mobile Phones: 20082009, Japan.

Suikoden II

PlayStation: 17 December 1998, Japan; 31 August 1999, North America; 28 July

2000, Europe.
Microsoft Windows: 2003, China.

Mobile Phones: 20092010, Japan.

Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 1 Swordsman of Harmonia

PlayStation: 21 September 2000, Japan.

Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 2 Duel at Crystal Valley

PlayStation: 22 March 2001, Japan.

Gens Suikoden Card Stories

Game Boy Advance: 13 September 2001, Japan

Suikoden III

PlayStation 2: 11 July 2002, Japan; 24 October 2002, North America.

Suikoden IV

PlayStation 2: 19 August 2004, Japan; 11 January 2005, North America; 25 February

2005, Europe.

Suikoden Tactics

PlayStation 2: 22 September 2005, Japan (as Rhapsodia); 8 November 2005, North

America; 23 February 2006, Europe.

Genso Suikoden I & II

PlayStation Portable: 23 February 2006, Japan

Suikoden V

PlayStation 2: 23 February 2006, Japan; 21 March 2006, North America; 22

September 2006, Europe.

Suikoden Tierkreis

Nintendo DS: 18 December 2008, Japan; 17 March 2009, North America.

Genso Suikoden Pachisuro

Pachislot: 2011, Japan.

Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki

PlayStation Portable: 9 February 2012, Japan

Main series
While the main series is numbered, each individual game takes place either before or

after a consequent installation. The second and third Suikoden games were each direct
sequels of their respective predecessors but with Suikoden IV, the series began to
delve into prequels in which events take place earlier than any of the other games. The
sequence according to in-universe chronology is as follows:
Suikoden IV (143 years before Suikoden V and 150 years before Suikoden)
Suikoden V (6 years before Suikoden) Suikoden (3 years before Suikoden II)
Suikoden II (15 years before Suikoden III) Suikoden III
Prequels and sequels
The games Genso Suikogaiden Volumes 1 and 2, though not part of the main series
takes place before, during, and after Suikoden II as well as Suikoden Tactics which
takes place before and after Suikoden IV.

GAME PLAY
In the Suikoden series, the player takes control of a battle party having a maximum of six
people (consisting of the protagonist and 5 other characters). The goal of the game is for the
protagonist to defeat the opponents who are trying to oppose his/her team. This becomes
possible as every game in the series revolves around the recruitment of the 108 Stars of
Destiny; wherein the fighter characters recruited from the bunch can be used as members for
the battle party; each game in the series have its respective Stars of Destiny. The series
practically makes use of running around towns on different islands and into dungeons filled
with monsters or enemies. A base or headquarters will also be obtained by the player which is
usually abandoned, monster-infested castles which turns into bustling communities when
captured.
BATTLE MODE
The most typical form of battle in the series is the turn-based battle wherein the 6-man team
faces the opponents. However, it is not the sole form of battle featured in the games. There
are 3 different types of battle present which recurs and have been accustomed to every game.
They are: 'Basic Battle', 'One-on-one Duel' and 'Strategic War Battle'.
1. Basic Battle: It is the most common form of battle. It is when the protagonist's 6-man
team will have to battle out. This mode allows the player to control the 6 party
members with different commands such as the 'Fight' where the player designates the
action he/she wants the characters to perform, 'Run' to escape, 'Bribe' to use the
party's money called Potch to bribe the enemy for escape and the 'Auto' command in
which the game automatically designates the 'Attack' command for every character.
2. One-on-one Duel: A battle where only a single character fights and happens only in
special events. It is a turn-based duel in which the player chooses command to attack
(instead of manually controlled fighting). Duels in the series is typically not time-

based except Suikoden V wherein choosing a command is timed for 3 seconds. Duels
are usually accompanied by dialogue exchange between the player and the enemy,
with the dialogue giving clues to what command the enemy will choose next.
3. Strategic War Battle: A turn-based strategic battle between the protagonist's side and
the enemy. In more accurate terms, this is a battle between armies of the protagonist
and the enemy. The protagonist's army is made up of many units which could be
organized by the player however he/she desires. Every game in the series has
different forms of war battles most notably in Suikoden IV, where the battles are done
in the sea. Suikoden V however, is the first game to make use of real-time strategy.
DEVELOPMENT
The Suikoden series was created, written, produced, and overseen by Yoshitaka Murayama,
who left Konami near the end of Suikoden III's development. Noritada Matsukawa took over
as Senior Director of Suikoden III following Murayama's departure. Suikoden IV was directed
by Matsukawa as well but was produced by Junko Kawano, who was the chief designer
in Suikoden I. Suikoden V was directed by Takahiro Sakiyama, a relative newcomer to RPGs.
FUTURE
In an interview conducted by Japanese website 4gamers.net regarding the RPG Frontier Gate,
Konami developers revealed that the Suikoden development team has been disbanded with
members scattered about teams within Konami and elsewhere. This led to speculation that the
franchise had indeed been abandoned following disappointing sales of the latest entries in the
series.
Despite these rumours, Konami presented a trailer for a new Suikoden game on Tokyo Game
Show 2011: Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century (Genso Suikoden Tsumugareshi
Hyakunen no Toki).[3] It came out in Japan for PSP on 12 February 2012 to generally
lackluster reviews.

WORLD,SETTING,CONCEPTS
Essentially, each game follows the plot formula of a coup d'tat by corrupt power holder(s)
and the main protagonist is an exile from his/her home. The plot also follows the disastrous
misuse of the "True Runes" while the hero struggles, despite overwhelming odds, to bring
peace to the land alongside his/her friends, and the climactic showdown with the corrupted
True Rune incantation.

The 27 True Runes are powerful sources of all magic and primal forces in the world of
Suikoden. Wholly sentient and possessing their own will, the True Runes holds immeasurable
power, and are the equivalents of gods in the Suikoden world. Many wars have been fought

over them in the past, some instigated by the will of the runes themselves. True Runes are
often sought by the powerful and influential due to their shared property of granting
immortality to those who will bear them. All bearers of True Runes stop aging and become
immune to disease and all other natural causes of death, though they can still die from
physical trauma such as accidents or murder.
The True Runes often attach themselves to living beings. Doing so gives the True Rune
holder great power over the force the rune represents as well as immortality so long as they
wield the rune. Wielding the runes can also have negative consequences, as in the case of one
wielder being transformed into a vampire. A True Rune has also taken the shape of a sword,
as is the case with the Star Dragon Sword. They can also manifest themselves unattached
from a host, as the Beast Rune did during the Highland-Jowston conflict, self-activating and
then feeding of its own will.[4]
Known True Runes

Sovereign Rune (Suikoden, held by Emperor Barbarossa)

Hachifusa Rune (never featured in a game, held by Yuber, and Yuber's Eight Devil
Rune is assumed to be related to it)

Circle Rune (never featured in a game, held by Harmonia's leader, Hikusaak)

Rune of Change (never featured in a game, held by the Sindar's leader)

Moon Rune (Suikoden, II, held by Neclord, and then Sierra Mikain)

Night Rune (Suikoden, II, and III; its child, the Star Rune, held by Zerase, is present
in V) as the Star Dragon Sword, which is wielded by Viktor during I and II, and Edge in
III.

Beast Rune (Suikoden II, formerly sealed in L'Renouille Palace, location: unknown
after Suikoden II)

Rune of Beginning (split into the Bright Shield Rune and Black Sword Rune,
Suikoden II, held by the second Hero and Jowy)

Rune of Life and Death (Suikoden I, II, and IV, held by Ted, Ted's grandpa, and the
first Hero), also known as Soul Eater

Rune of Punishment- was originally a tattoo scarred onto the arms of ancient Japanese
executioners, developers used it in a well- known video game after adding a cooler tribal
look. (Suikoden IV, held by the Queen of Obel, Graham Cray and his son, Rakgi's father,
Steele, Brandeau, Glen Cott, and the fourth Hero)

Dragon Rune (Suikoden I, held by Joshua Levenheit, and later Milia)

True Fire Rune (Suikoden III, held by the Flame Champion, and either Hugo, Chris,
or Geddoe)

True Water Rune (Suikoden III, held by Wyatt Lightfellow, and later, either Chris
Lightfellow or Hugo)

True Earth Rune (Suikoden III; present in Suikoden II, held by Sasarai)

True Wind Rune (Suikoden III; present in Suikoden I and II, formerly held by Luc)

True Lightning Rune (Suikoden III, held by Geddoe or Hugo)

Sun Rune (Suikoden V; its children, the Twilight Rune and Dawn Rune, are also
prominent; Sun Rune formerly held by Queen Arshtat Falenas, Dawn Rune held by the
Prince, Twilight Rune held by Alenia, Sialeeds, and Lyon)

Gate Rune (split into the Front Gate Rune and Back Gate Rune; Suikoden I, II, III, IV,
V, Front Gate Rune formerly held by Windy, Back Gate Rune held by Leknaat)
The 108 Stars of Destiny
Main article: 108 Stars of Destiny (Suikoden)
A concept borrowed from the Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan, each Suikoden game has
featured 108 characters who band together to ward off a threat.
Geography
The Suikoden series is set in a world with many countries. The political geography has
changed over the series chronology; while the most recent game in the setting is Suikoden V,
chronologically, Suikoden IV is the earliest game while Suikoden III occurs latest within the
time span of the series.
Suikoden, Suikoden II and Suikoden III are set on the Northern Continent, a land mass
composed of several regions. Suikoden takes place in the Scarlet Moon Empire, which is
located on southeastern coast of the Northern Continent, and is composed primarily of the
Toran region, with Lake Toran at its centre. Notable locations in this area include
Gregminister, the empire's capital situated in Arlus, the Warrior's Village in the Lorimar
region, and the Great Forest. At the end of Suikoden, the empire is replaced by the Toran
Republic.
Suikoden II is set in the Dunan region, north-west of the Toran Republic, and initially
comprises the Highland Kingdom in the east and the Jowston City-States, a confederation of
politically autonomous states, in the west. Significant locations in Jowston include the citiesstates of South Window, Greenhill, Muse, and Two River, and the Knightdom of Matilda.
Following the Dunan Unification War, the Highland Kingdom falls and it, along with the

Jowston City-States unite to form the Dunan Republic. The Tinto region lying in the west,
separated from Dunan by mountains, chooses to remain politically independent and becomes
the Tinto Republic.
Sharing Dunan's western border and north of Tinto are the Grasslands, which stretch from the
centre of the Northern Continent to a small portion of the continent's west coast. The area is
composed of the six clans: the Lizard, Duck, Karaya, Chisha, Safir, and the Alma Kinan.
Directly west of the Grasslands and bordered in the east by Tinto is the Zexen Confederacy,
located on the west coast of the Northern Continent and historically an offshoot of the
Grasslands. Important locations include the Zexen capital Vinay del Zexay and Budehuc
Castle, which lies close to the Grasslands border in northwest Zexen. The primary conflict
of Suikoden III occurs in these areas. The northwestern portion of the continent, due north of
the Grasslands and Zexen, is the Knightdom of Camaro and the surrounding Nameless Lands.
The largest country in the north is the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, located in the
northeastern portion of the continent. Since its establishment, it has assimilated various
neighbouring countries, such as Sanadia, as well as a portion of the Grasslands the Kanaa
clan of the Grasslands became Le Buque under Harmonian rule after the First Fire Bringer
War. Notably, the Scarlet Moon Empire originally formed after obtaining political autonomy
from Harmonia and taking Harmonia's old capital as its own, renaming it Gregminister,
resulting in Harmonia establishing a new capital at the Crystal Valley. Harmonia is also home
to the Tower, a location reserved for training and housing members of the Howling Voice
Guild.
Other major areas on the Northern Continent include the Kooluk region and Kanakan. The
Kooluk region was originally the Kooluk Empire during the course of Suikoden IV and
eventually dissolved in Suikoden Tactics to be left as a group of independent settlements. It
takes up most of the southern edge of the Northern continent and directly borders the Toran
Republic in the east and the Dunan Republic in the north. Off the eastern coast of Toran is the
island of Kanakan.
Lying directly south of the Northern Continent is the ocean and several islands, including
Obel, Middleport, and Razril. At the end of Suikoden IV, most of these islands are unified to
become the Island Nations Federation. The largest island in the area, the Dukedom of Gaien,
remains independent. West of Gaien is the island nation of the Kingdom of Zelant.
Due south of the Island Nations is the Southern Continent, a landmass composed primarily of
three countries: the Queendom of Falena, and its neighbours, the theocracy of Nagarea in the
southwest and the New Armes Kingdom in the southeast. As the setting for Suikoden V,
Falena has a large network of rivers and lakes throughout the country and the Ashtwal
Mountains in its northern region. Key locations include the cities of Stormfist and Doraat in
the west; Rainwall, Estrise, and Sable, located on the Armes border, in the east; Lelcar,
Lordlake, and Sauronix in the south; and the Falenan capital, Sol-Falena, and the holy land of
Lunas, governed by the Oracle, in the north. Falena has been protected from the militant

theocracy Nagarea since the mountain pass between the nations was destroyed, though Armes
continues to remain a threat throughout Suikoden V.
Northeast of Falena also appears portion of a landmass of considerable size. West of the
Northern and Southern Continents and the Island Nations is a landmass referred to as the
Western Continent, of which few details are known. Scattered across the world are
mysterious ruins attributed to the lost Sindar race, which is a recurring theme throughout the
Suikoden series.
Music collections
The Suikoden games have generally been considered to have soundtracks very well liked by
the gaming community, though they have only been released in Japan as of 2007.
A series of arranged soundtracks were released from late 20012004. Despite the first being
released slightly before Suikoden III and the last at around the same time asSuikoden IV, the
music was always taken from music in Suikoden, Suikoden II, Suikoden III, and (rarely)
the Suikogaiden side-stories.

Genso Suikoden Music Collection Produced by Hiroyuki Nanba a 10-track

arrangement released on 29 December 2001. The production and arrangement were both
done by Hiroyuki Namba, as the name indicates.

Genso Suikoden Music Collection Produced by Kentaro Haneda another 10-track

arrangement released on 24 April 2002. Kentar Haneda was only the producer; the
arrangements were done by Kousuke Yamashita, Michiru Oshima, Rie Akagi, Kenji
Yamamoto, and Hiroshi Takagi.

Genso Suikoden Vocal Collection ~La passione commuove la storia~ a 10-track

arrangement released on 3 July 2002. The first piece is an instrumental, but the other
tracks all feature vocals. The arrangement was done by Kousuke Yamashita, Hiroshi
Takagi, and Megumi Ohashi. Performers included Yuko Imai, Risa Oki, and Yoko Ueno.

Genso Suikoden Vocal Collection ~Distant Stars, Echoes of Love~ a 10-track

arrangement released on 22 January 2003. The arrangement was once more done
byKousuke Yamashita, Hiroshi Takagi, and Megumi Ohashi. Performers included Sanae
Shintani, Yuko Imai, and Tomoko.

Genso Suikoden Piano Collection ~Avertunerio Antes Lance Mao~ a 13-track

arrangement released on 18 December 2002, arranged by Shusei Murai. Despite the
name, these are not piano solos; most include orchestral backup, and some have vocals as
well.

Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection a 12 track arrangement in the style of celtic

music released on 5 March 2003. The arrangements were done by Yoko Ueno, Mina
Kubota,Yuko Asai, Shigeyoshi Kawagoe, and "The Rain Book."

Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection 2 a 12-track arrangement released on 20 August

2003. Arrangement was done by Yoko Ueno, Yuji Yoshino, Yuko Asai, and Shigeyoshi
Kawagoe.

Genso Suikoden Music Collection ~Asian Collection~ a 12-track arrangement

released on 27 November 2003. It was arranged by Kiyoshi Yoshida, Hidenori
Maezawa,Yuko Asai, and Shigeyoshi Kawagoe.

Genso Suikoden Piano Collection 2 a 12 track arrangement released on 21 January

2004, arranged by Shusei Murai.

Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection III a 13 track arrangement released on 14 April

2004, arranged by Yuji Yoshino.

Publications, adaptations, and other material

Many publications, such as the Suikoden World Guide and Suikoden Encyclopedia, exist for
the Suikoden series, though the majority are only in Japanese. Suikoden andSuikoden II have
light novel adaptations written by Shinjiro Hori released only in Japan. Suikoden III was
adapted into a manga by Aki Shimizu, which was released in English markets by Tokyopop.
Cameos

Tokimeki Memorial ~ forever with you ~ (1995) (Sony PlayStation, Sega

Saturn, PlayStation Portable)
Mitsumete Knight R (1998) (Sony PlayStation)

The main protagonist of Suikoden I is one of the characters in this game.

Konami WaiWai Sokoban (2007) (mobile phones)

The main protagonist of Suikoden I is one of the selectable characters in this game.