Shulk

Conception and creation

Tetsuya Takahashi, creator of the Xeno series, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Shulk, states that his primary motivation in creating Shulk was to make a more likable and relatable protagonist than in most Japanese role-playing video games. Xenoblade featured a prolonged, four year development cycle dating back to 2006, where Takahashi states that, while the game went through many changes, the overarching plot following Shulk remained largely the same. Takahashi's personal belief was that the more negative, jaded JRPG character-type leads the player to resent them due to the emotional investment required to complete such long games. Takahashi worked with anime writer Yuichiro Takeda on Shulk's creation. Takeda felt that the easiest way to make Shulk likeable would be to make him be a silent protagonist. Takahashi rejected this idea, feeling that it hurt the character's ability to "resonate with the player". In the end, Takahashi went in the opposite direction, making Shulk's positive interactions and words of encouragement, especially in battle, a focus of the game. Takahashi tried to make Shulk react as much like he thought game players would react to the scenarios. He even took advantage of Nintendo's in-house team of debuggers, the "Super Mario Club", whose feedback assured Takahashi that he was on the right track for his goal.

In English-speaking versions of the game, Shulk is voiced by Adam Howden. He was given instructions on how to portray Shulk, largely that he should have a neutral English accent, intelligent, "not posh", and fierce when necessary. Howden was never given a full-script of the game, something done on purpose so that he could more realistically sound surprised at the game's various plot-twists. He was, however, informed of the story progression shortly before he would have to voice it, as to not have him sound baffled all the time either. Shulk's dialogue was continually revised throughout the sessions, in efforts to make it more natural sounding, though Howden would still listen and study the Japanese version of the game to capture the same emotions as said version.

In Xenoblade Chronicles

Shulk makes his debut as a playable character in the game Xenoblade, which was released in 2010 for Japan and later released under the name Xenoblade Chronicles in 2011 for Europe and in 2012 for North America. Shulk is an 18-year-old "Homs" - the game's fictional world's equivalent of a human. Shulk is the primary protagonist of the game, who is portrayed more as favoring "brains over brawn". Having lost his parents 14 years prior during an expedition for the Monado, a powerful sword that only a select few can wield, Shulk lives with his friends in Colony 9, one of only two remaining Homs settlements, where he works as an engineer and studies the Monado. The story follows Shulk's quest to defend his homeland from the merciless mechanical creatures called Mechon after they attack Colony 9, and kill Shulk's childhood friend and love interest, Fiora. During the initial attack, Shulk becomes the Monado's new wielder. The Monado allows Shulk to see brief glimpses into a potential near future, which he is able to alter should he figure it out prior to it occurring. It serves as both a plot device and a gameplay mechanic in battles. Much of the game encompasses Shulk's quest to stop the Mechon and avenge Fiora and his struggle to understand his visions and interpret a way to change them for the better, while fending off the invading Mechon and trying to figure out the sword's origin and hidden capabilities. Optional side missions that the player can choose to partake in cover smaller quirks in Shulk's personality, such as a distaste for vegetables, and a fear of caterpillars.

In other media

Shulk was first publicly revealed at E3 2009 in the first trailer for Monado: Beginning of the World, the working title for the game that would become Xenoblade Chronicles. In 2013, Monolith Soft and Nintendo announced a spiritual sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles titled Xenoblade Chronicles X. At the end of a 2013 trailer for the game, journalists noted the appearance of a character that looked very similar to Shulk. While he does not play a role in the game, the game's character creation tool allows the player to make their playable avatar resemble Shulk, complete with the use of Adam Howden as his voice actor. In August 2014, Shulk was announced as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, the latest installments in Nintendo's crossover fighting game series Super Smash Bros. Howden reprised his role as Shulk's voice actor, largely in the same manner as before, with the exception of altering his tone a bit to make him more appropriate for a fighting game. A handheld port of Xenoblade Chronicles, titled Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, was also announced for Nintendo's New Nintendo 3DS at the same time, with Shulk reprising his role as the main character. In November 2014, it was announced that Shulk would receive his own amiibo figure as well, which can be used in conjunction with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, as well as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D.

Reception

Shulk received mixed reception as the main character of Xenoblade Chronicles. Katharine Byrne of Nintendojo strongly praised the intricate exploration of Shulk wrestling with the philosophical issues of being able to see the future, stating that "players are treated to a delicate and nuanced exploration of Shulk’s difficulty in dealing with these visions... when Shulk quickly learns that he can’t bend the future to his will just because he has the gift of foresight." Phil Kollar of Game Informer stated that, on a surface level, Shulk's character could be seen as "annoying," but that he ultimately became an enjoyable character due to good writing and voice acting. Conversely, some reviewers complained of him being too plain. Destructoid reviewer Jim Sterling complained that Shulk lacked personality, stating that he was little more than "vanilla reactionar[y] with only vague snatches of individuality," and otherwise blended in to the rest of the cast too much. Similarly, Jason Schreier of Kotaku referred to Shulk as a "personality-less, unequivocally bland warrior" who "makes other JRPG heroes look like Marlon friggin' Brando."

Shulk was praised as a good addition to the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U fighter roster. However, critics were mixed in regard to his actual use as a fighter. GamesRadar felt that the sword customization mechanics found in Shulk's Monado made him a strong choice, while USGamer felt that his customization options being labeled in kanji made him a rather difficult character to play as in the game.