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{{KenjiProperty}}
 
{{KenjiProperty}}
{{Quote|Tell me something: do you remember the Reaper from the beta? I wouldn't mind going orange to take out trash like you. I'm going to count to 5. If you aren't gone by the time I hit 3 you'll be nothing but a name on the monument in the Town of Beginnings.|Kenji gives Loki his chilling ultimatum.}}
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{{Quote|... I've decided to try something new, you know? Let's face it: «The Reaper» doeesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in people. Fear, sure. But there's enough of that going around without me adding more. So, for now I'm Kishi, otherwise known as the «Bright Samurai», and we'll see what happens. We're pushing towards the front-line and player killers have no place there.}}
 
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{{Player Infobox1
 
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|appears in = «[[Sword Art Online (Kenji)]]»
 
|appears in = «[[Sword Art Online (Kenji)]]»
 
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'''Kenji Hiroshi''' (健児博), known by the username '''Kishi''' (輝士) in various online games, was one of the original {{SAO|Beta Tester|beta testers}} for «{{SAO|Sword Art Online}}», where he was referred to as and feared as the '''Reaper''' (刈り手). He subsequently became one of the 10,000 players {{SAO|Aincrad Arc|trapped within the game}} when it was officially launched. He led a {{SAO|Clearer}} {{SAO|Guild|guild}} called «[[Brightscale]]». Prior to his imprisonment in the game Kenji was a {{W|Gamer#Professional gamer|professional gamer}} in real-life with an avid fan-base. He is known to have a sister and two young nieces.
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'''Kenji Hiroshi''' (健児博), known by the username «'''Kishi'''» (輝士) in various online games, including «{{SAO|Sword Art Online}}», was a professional gamer, blogger, and reviewer. He served as one of the original {{SAO|Beta Tester|beta testers}} for SAO. During the beta period Kenji was a prolific {{SAO|Player Killer|player killer}} whose activities earned him acclaim as «The Reaper» (刈り手). He subsequently became one of the 10,000 players {{SAO|Aincrad Arc|trapped within the game}} when it was officially launched. In addition, he was viewed as a "{{SAO|Beater|dirty Beater}}" by some, especially since he shared his knowledge with only a select few rather than everyone. Despite this, he eventually garnered a new reputation for himself, becoming known as the «Bright Samurai». In «Sword Art Online» Kenji led a {{SAO|Clearer}} {{SAO|Guild|guild}} called «[[Brightscale]]». He was the eventual owner of the «[[Sanguine Sword]]» {{SAO|Unique Skill}}, itself a reward for his beta period player killing.
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Kenji served as the primary [[Sword Art Online (Kenji)|point-of-view]] character of '''''[[Sword Art Online: Companionship|Part I]]''''', a background character in the '''''Inbetweeners''''' side-stories, the deuteragonist of the '''''Intermission''''' chapters, and is slated to be the main character of '''''[[Sword Art Online: Determination|Part II]]'''''.
   
 
== Appearance ==
 
== Appearance ==
Kenji was a fair-featured man in his mid-twenties during the SAO Incident, but was generally taken at face-value to be in his teens. His initial avatar was slightly taller and more muscular than his real-life appearance, with shoulder-length black hair. In real-life -- and the official release of SAO -- Kenji stood at 6ft tall and sported a muscled physique. The only constant between his avatars where hair colour and length: Kenji preferred his natural style, which was several messy-looking spikes atop his head, whilst the back reached roughly to shoulder-length.
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Kenji was a fair-featured man in his mid-twenties during the SAO Incident with aqua-green eyes.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia">''[[SAOK: Roving Rovia]]''</ref> In real-life, and the official release of SAO, Kenji sports a toned physique and stood at 6ft (ca. 183 cm) tall, with only Yoshiro being the tallest of the initial «Brightscale» membership.<ref group=Notes>Yoshiro is 188 cm (6'2" (ca. 188 cm)) tall.</ref> In both real-life and Sword Art Online, Kenji's hair consisted of several messy-looking spikes atop his head, coloured black, whilst the back reached roughly to shoulder-length. [[Momoko]] was known to style his hair into what [[Fujimaru Nakamura|Fujimaru]] dubbed "the Kishi do-over".<ref name="Inbetweeners I">''[[SAOK: Inbetweeners I]]''</ref>
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=== System effects ===
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[[File:Kenjidyed.png|thumb|right|190px|Kenji's dyed hair.]]
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A player's physical profile or appearance could change under certain circumstances in Sword Art Online, either as a result of a Skill activating, or through use of an in-game item, such as hair dye.<ref name=PV1AriaP11>''{{SAO|Aria of a Starless Night|Progressive Volume 1, Aria of a Starless Night, Part 5}}''</ref> Kenji was very fond of his natural hair-colour and style, as even his original avatar possessed his real-life hair-style and colouring, and he was known to have Momoko style it for him in the morning.<ref name="Inbetweeners I" /> The day following Airi reprimanding the members of «Brightscale», Kenji and Kusaka included, for their teasing of Fujimaru, Kenji dyed his hair a striking shade of orange as a way of supporting the young teenager, claiming that actions spoke louder than words. Ever since he claimed that his "quiet life" was over as people constantly noted his hair's very distinguishing colouration.<ref name="Kenji">''[[Brightscale Journal/Kenji|Kenji's journal entries]]''</ref>
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Another notable example is when Kenji activates his «Searching» Skill. In this case Kenji's already greenish eye-colour began to glow an even brighter shade of green,<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings">''[[SAOK: Unexpected Meetings]]''</ref> which gave him an assortment of effects: enhanced cursor identification, enhanced visual range, night vision in darkened areas, and the ability to see players or monsters obscured by the «Hiding» Skill.<ref name =V8FD>''{{SAO|First Day|Volume 8, First Day}}''</ref> It could even be used to spot traps or secret areas hidden from normal sight.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths">''[[SAOK: Braving the Depths]]''</ref> This would later extend to his use of the «Tracking» mod of the «Searching» Skill.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales">''[[SAOK: The Karma Scales]]''</ref> When questing in darkened caves or underground dungeons with poor lighting, it wasn't a rare sight for Kenji's eyes to shine in the darkness like small torches.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
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=== Casual wear ===
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[[File:Kenjicasual.jpg|thumb|left|190px|Kenji's casual guild uniform.]]
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The first combative members of «[[Brightscale]]» to exhibit a casual uniform outside battle were Kusaka and Yoshiro,<ref name="Inbetweeners III">''[[SAOK: Inbetweeners III]]''</ref> both of whom found the weight of their armour impractical.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Momoko created a casual uniform rather than a strict battle uniform, allowing for the members of «Brightscale» to exhibit their own unique appearance when questing. The uniform she settled on was distinctly Eastern in design and consisted of a black-coloured kimono, white shitagi, black hakama, white ōbi, white tabi, waraji, and a simple armband with the «Brightscale» insignia emblazoned on its surface.<ref name="Uniform">''[[Brightscale#Uniform|Guild uniform]]''</ref> Kenji began wearing this uniform when he wasn't actively questing sometime before the [[SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum|22nd of December 2022]] and even when he wore it, he occasionally equipped his primary weapon alongside it threaded through the ōbi at his waist.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum">''[[SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum]]''</ref>
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=== Early equipment ===
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As far as his early equipment was concerned Kenji initially wore minimalist protective gear to maximize his evasion rather than focusing on defensive coverage.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus">''[[SAOK: The Eventful Taurus]]''</ref> His equipment consisted mostly of leather jackets and worn leather trousers, with a single piece of protective metal guarding his heart and lungs, with an emphasis on damage-over-protection.<ref name="Brightscale roles">''[[Brightscale#Members|Brightscale Roles]]''</ref> He didn't place as much focus on armour than he did weaponry and thus the majority of his early armour was shop-bought gear,<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> whilst his weapon was a [[Scimitar (Kenji)|yellow-bladed curved-sword with a bar-shaped guard enhanced to +4]], which he carried at his waist in a black sheath.<ref name="Scimitar">''[[Scimitar (Kenji)#Appearance|Scimitar appearance]]''</ref> He was known to wear a long leather coat when venturing outside.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
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=== Cardiophylax ===
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It wasn't until [[Akiye]] forged the «[[Cardiophylax (Kenji)|Cardiophylax]]» that Kenji began balancing ease-of-movement and protection, whilst adopting a unique appearance. The entire suit appeared to be based on gladiatorial equipment with a mixture of classical Hoplite depictions.<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade">''[[SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade]]''</ref> He predominantly wore his «Scimitar» on the waist. When [[SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum|experimenting]] with dual-wielding however he also wore his «Pale Edge» on the same side, with the sheaths crossing in a manner similar to the {{W|Samurai}}'s method of carrying {{W|Daishō|daishō}}.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /> The «Scimitar» and «Pale Edge» were replaced as his primary and secondary weapons by «[[Razer (Kenji)|Razer]]». This one-handed curved sword had the hilt of a {{W|Katana|katana}} and a long, thick blade that ended with a curved, massive tip.<ref name="Razer appearance">''[[Razer (Kenji)#Appearance|Razer appearance]]''</ref>
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The «Cardiophylax» incorporated three slots. The neck slot and upper-body slot, similar in function to a gorget, focused its protection on the central chest-area and throat. It primarily safeguarded the lungs and heart, with an accompanying shoulder-guard on the left shoulder that extended down to shield his off-hand bicep. The waist slot featured several strips of studded leather that descended to cover his knees and hips, appearing similar to a skirt. Between the metal of the chest-piece and Kenji's skin was a layer of hardened leather. A good portion of his upper torso, including the outside area of the pectoral muscles and his entire right-shoulder, possessed lesser protection than the main cardiovascular areas. The upper-body from the base of the pectorals to the beginning of the waist was unprotected.<ref name="Cardiophylax appearance">''[[Cardiophylax (Kenji)#Appearance|Cardiophylax appearance]]''</ref>
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He accompanied the «Cardiophylax» with mismatched gloves, boots and leg armour offering a number of effects. The boots were predominantly leather and fashioned in the form of {{W|Caligae|caligae}} with a lightweight metal shin-guard designed to boost the strength of the «Martial Arts» Skill,<ref name="Martial Arts Leg Guards appearance">''[[Martial Arts Leg Guards (Kenji)#Appearance|Martial Arts Leg Guards appearance]]''</ref> whilst the trousers where simple cloth that provided bonuses to jumping and swimming.<ref name="Oxen Cloth Trousers appearance">''[[Oxen Cloth Trousers (Kenji)#Appearance|Oxen Cloth Trousers appearance]]''</ref> The gloves that completed the set were acquired on the 5th Floor as the «{{SAO|Last Attack|LA bonus}}» from the «Armoured Revenant» from the «[[Dead Woods Mausoleum]]», which provided a boost to Agility and a lesser boost to Vitality when worn.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /> These gloves were made of darkened rawhide and were fingerless.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions">''[[SAOK: New Year Resolutions]]''</ref>
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=== Sunburst Fatigues ===
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[[File:KenjiP2outfit.jpg|thumb|right|190px|Kenji wearing the «Sunburst Fatigues».]]
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At an unspecified point prior to March 2023, Kenji replaced his «Cardiophylax» with a new set of clothing known in-game as «[[Sunburst Fatigues (Kenji)|Sunburst Fatigues]]» which, according to Kenji's journals, was crafted by [[Momoko Tanaka|Momoko]] using materials harvested from the various monsters found within the «{{SAO|Sunburst Forest}}». Unlike the «Cardiophylax», this new suit was entirely made from cloth and padded leather and offered fantastic mobility whilst retaining defensive strength. It comprised a long white cloth draped over and secured to Kenji's body by various belts, a long bandanna with floral patterns, with an accompanying black cloth tied around his head that was woven around the bandanna. The main upper-body portion resembles a heavily padded poncho coloured light-brown, the leg slot are hakama-style, coloured white, in a fashion similar to his guild uniform, whilst his waist is adorned with a floral-patterned strip of cloth similar to a sash. The clothing along his arms are thick black-coloured straps, whilst his footwear consist of stout black leather boots. When using only one blade Kenji wears his curved-sword threaded through the waistline cloth to be drawn by his right-hand, but when [[Dual-wielding (Kenji)|wielding an additional blade]] he carries it secured to his back, with the hilt visible over his left-shoulder. These weapons were «[[Talon (Kenji)|Talon]]» and «[[Claw (Kenji)|Claw]]» respectively.
   
 
== Personality ==
 
== Personality ==
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Kenji is generally laid-back and non-confrontational, takes most events in his stride, and is noted to be calmer and more relaxed than his friend [[Kusaka Kori|Kusaka]].<ref name="Brightscale dynamics">''[[Brightscale#Teams|Brightscale Teams]]''</ref> He tries to use diplomacy to solve his issues and is something of a mediator, especially when Kusaka is concerned, and rarely swears, at least in public.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" /> During his private [[Brightscale Journal|journal entries]] however he is shown to use bad language quite frequantly as a means of venting his frutsrations.<ref name="Kenji" /> He isn't above acting in a childish manner, or cracking clever jokes, if it serves to relax those around him. Airi notes however that he can be too clever sometimes and his attempts at humour can come across as teasing.<ref name="Intermission: Matters of Trust">''[[Intermission: Matters of Trust]]''</ref> All-in-all Kenji is an approachable man with an easygoing outlook to life.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
{{Quote|You're going to disappear.<br>"And if I don't?"<br>"I go orange and you turn into polygons. Either way you disappear.|Kenji and Loki prior to their duel.}}
 
Kenji is generally laid-back and non-confrontational and is noted to be calmer and more relaxed than his guild-mate [[Kusaka Kori|Kusaka]].<ref name="Brightscale dynamics">''[[Brightscale#Teams|Brightscale Teams]]''</ref> Despite this attitude he quickly intervened when Loki attacked [[Momoko]] and [[Akiye]] and admitted aloud himself that he would happily go orange over the whole situation; to the point he threatened Loki's life.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales">''[[SAOK: The Karma Scales]]''</ref> Unsurprisingly Kenji's actions instantly earned him Momoko's and Akiye's trust. Loki's actions frightened the girls to the degree that they couldn't initially sleep without knowing Kenji was nearby, and his laid-back and carefree nature allowed him to accept their dependency on him in good spirits.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding">''[[SAOK: The Business of Grinding]]''</ref>
 
   
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Although the best of friends, Kenji and Kusaka have an undeniable rivalry. Even before Airi joined them, their competitive spirit drove them to advance more-or-less at an even pace.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Even when helping the other members of «Brightscale» catch up in terms of level, Kusaka was the sole member whose level remained on-par with Kenji.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /><ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> This remained the case even when the two resolved to bring «Brightscale» closer to the front-line. Against Boss monsters the two were often able to channel their rivalry into flawless teamwork and remarkable synergy, to the point their teammates were left speechless when the two more-or-less dispatched the «Armoured Revenant» of the «[[Dead Woods Mausoleum]]» by themselves.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /> The two understand one another on a level untouched by their allies, and usually only require a quick glance to have an idea of what the other is planning. Kenji has admitted -- at least in his private journal -- that he loves Kusaka and greatly values his support.<ref name="Kenji" />
In social settings he is generally seen as an older-brother type by other players, has been described as "the soul of the party", and is generally approachable.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings">''[[SAOK: Unexpected Meetings]]''</ref> He enjoys poking fun, especially amongst his friends, but has quickly learned not to push his antics too far with [[Airi Natsume|Airi]], who often reprimands him with a quick stomp.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier">''[[SAOK: Pushing the Frontier]]''</ref> In addition he is generous. Despite a non-enhanced Anneal Blade going for around 16,000 {{SAO|Cor|cor}} shortly after the 2nd Floor was opened,<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> Kenji gave the sword to [[Yoshiro Kazuki|Yoshiro]] for free because it was far superior to the sword he currently wielded.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" />
 
   
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Despite his laid-back demeanour and preference for diplomacy, Kenji is far from being a pacifist, though he barely holds a candle to Kusaka. He quickly intervened when Loki caused damage to [[Akiye]]'s HP, and admitted aloud himself that he would happily go orange over the whole situation.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> Kusaka, however, revealed this to be a mere bluff; especially the bit where Kenji threatened Loki's life. Kusaka went so far as to label Kenji "soft".<ref name="Kenji" /> Unsurprisingly Kenji's actions instantly earned him Momoko's and Akiye's trust. Loki's actions frightened the girls to the degree that they couldn't initially sleep without knowing Kenji was nearby, and his laid-back and carefree nature allowed him to accept their dependency on him in good spirits, even if Loki's actions infuriated him.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding">''[[SAOK: The Business of Grinding]]''</ref> This evolved as he spent time with them and Kenji came to develop something of a parental instinct when it came to the girls, and he swelled with pride whenever he saw them succeed.<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade" /> Per the beginning of 2023 the twins viewed Kenji as a father-like figure,<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" /> whilst the players at large were under the impression that he was their elder brother.<ref name="Inbetweeners I" />
Following the battle with Event Boss [[Zagan the Exile]] on the 2nd Floor Kenji, impressed by Kusaka's leadership of the party, suggested he should lead their eventual guild. Kusaka, however, declined; he informed Kenji that a "people-person" like Kenji was more suited to the role.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus">''[[SAOK: The Eventful Taurus]]''</ref>
 
   
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Kenji had a soft-spot for his initial «Bronze Sabre» because it carried him through his first days in SAO, and he refused to sell it. The weapon served as Kenji's last resort against the «Armoured Revenant» on the 5th Floor. Kenji landed the LA Bonus with his old blade, and silently thanked it afterward.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
When dueling, however, Kenji becomes cold and calculating. He ruthlessly deprived Loki of his sword-arm and primary weapon during their Half Loss duel and told the man directly after being victorious that he wouldn't mind going orange if it meant teaching people like him a lesson.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
 
   
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In social settings he is generally seen as an older-brother type by other players, has been described as "the soul of the party", and is generally approachable.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> He enjoys poking fun, especially amongst his friends. Shortly after discovering that [[Meian Tadaoki]] was likewise trapped in Sword Art Online the two immediately partook in mutual insults, with Meian describing Kenji as ''"a decidedly cheeky fellow"''.<ref name="Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency">''[[Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency]]''</ref> He has quickly learned not to push his antics too far with [[Airi Natsume|Airi]], who has shown herself capable of curbing even Kusaka's outbursts and, when needed, Kenji's as well.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier">''[[SAOK: Pushing the Frontier]]''</ref><ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /> Despite how Airi, and Kenji interacted, it became apparent that they began seeing each other as more than just friends pretty early into their relationship.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /><ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> During the pitched battle with «[[Zagan the Exile]]» Kenji willingly kicked Airi out of the way of his lightning breath attack, which ended up hitting him head-on. The attack almost killed Kenji and would have certainly killed Airi had he not intervened.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" /> The two shared an immediate physical attraction and, by Christmas of 2022, the two had grown quite close.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /> Airi was the first person in Sword Art Online whom Kenji willingly sang in front of.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
On the 2nd Floor it became apparent that Kenji and Airi began seeing each other as more than just friends.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /><ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
 
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In addition, he has proven himself quite generous. Despite a non-enhanced «{{SAO|Anneal Blade}}» going for around 16,000 {{SAO|Cor|cor}} shortly after the 2nd Floor was opened, Kenji gave the sword to [[Yoshiro Kazuki|Yoshiro]] for free because it was far superior to the sword he currently wielded.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> He also gifted Airi two pieces of armour to heighten her armour-value without impacting on her Agility-focused build only a few hours after having met her.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Rather than abandon the twins after their ordeal with Loki, Kenji opted instead to take them with him and look after them, despite considerable disapproval from Kusaka.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
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Kenji at first struggled with the added responsibility of his newfound role as the official leader of «[[Brightscale]]» but was heartened by his companions attitudes.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
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=== Professional gaming ===
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{{Quote|This wasn’t exactly easy to explain because it was a matter of exploiting the primary systems employed as part of Sword Art Online’s combat engine to achieve an unfair advantage. This particular kind of exploit wasn’t unheard-of in the gaming industry, but Sword Art Online was uncharted territory. The world’s very first VRMMORPG.|Excerpt from [[SAOK: Pushing the Frontier]], were Kenji muses on an exploit.}}
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In the real-world Kenji made his money as a professional gamer.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> This aspect of his life has seeped into his everyday interactions in Aincard, especially with Airi, whom he often has to explain game-related terms to.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> He admits to being something of a know it all and his close friends have taken to teasing him regarding his many explanations.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> His long association with the gaming industry and its practices have allowed him to make informed guesses about SAO that, more times than not, tend to be true.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" />
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Outside of conversations this profession has yielded a unique mind-set that allows Kenji to more easily exploit the systems used in games, including Sword Art Online, from a history of such exploitation.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> Kenji was constantly striving to test the limits of the system and those of his avatar, find exploits to increase his survival chances, and find ways to use the system assist in ways it wasn't intended such as running along walls using the basics of the Agility and Strength stats.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> He even discovered the means of chaining a «Martial Arts» Sword Skill into his sequence of attacks following a successful curved Sword Skill. This exploit became a cornerstone of his overall fighting style.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" />
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In addition, Kenji was one of the first players in Sword Art Online to effectively [[Dual-wielding (Kenji)|dual-wield]] two one-handed weapons, though he openly admitted to Airi that it was fraught with risks without practice.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /> Like his habit of chaining Sword Skills this was an exploit of the system and was used very much as an ace-in-the-hole. The monster's in Sword Art Online used a learning model that eventually allowed them to predict a player's actions.<ref name=V6C14>''{{SAO|Volume 6#Chapter 14|Volume 6, Chapter 14}}''</ref> Kenji's usage of a dual-wielding outside the recognized {{SAO|Dual Blades|Dual Blade}} Skill threw off their learning capabilities and served to mislead them.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
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=== Reaper persona ===
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{{Quote|I seriously hoped he stayed away. I had spent a great deal of time last night doing some soul-searching and the results scared the absolute hell out of me. Because apparently I was the kind of person who could contemplate murder and find the entire scenario perfectly justified.|Excerpt from [[SAOK: The Business of Grinding]], were Kenji muses on the subject of murder.}}
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Kenji can quickly do an about-face in terms of personality, specifically when he duels,<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> becomes aggressive, or is otherwise annoyed.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /><ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" /> The only time he is known to swear outside of his journal is when he is genuinely angered.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" /> Prior to the SAO Incident Kenji assaulted his sister's partner for almost bankrupting Kireina, reportedly breaking the man's nose and legs.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
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When it comes to survival he does not hesitate to kill, even if his opponent should be another player,<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> though this didn't stop Kusaka labelling him soft, or his actions a bluff.<ref name="Kenji" /> He did, however, struggle with this aspect of his personality. Kenji admitted that his soul-searching scared the absolute hell out of him because, apparently, he was the kind of person who could justify the murder of another person in his own mind.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> He was aware of how uncomfortable the topic of player-killing was in the official release of Sword Art Online and went out of his way to avoid talking about his activities in the beta, especially around his closest allies.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
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In a duel Kenji becomes cold and calculating, something even his closest friends have observed.<ref name="Inbetweeners I" /> He ruthlessly deprived Loki of his sword-arm and primary weapon during their «Half Loss» duel and told the man directly after being victorious that he wouldn't mind going orange if it meant teaching people like him a lesson.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> He has likewise expressed considerable knowledge regarding the killing of other players from his time in the beta, which hasn't always been warmly accepted even amongst his closest allies.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
   
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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Kenji grew up on {{W|Izu Ōshima}}, which was one of the volcanic islands of the {{W|Izu Islands|Izu Peninsula}}, and described himself as an "island boy".<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> He has a sister and is an uncle to two girls, whom [[Momoko]] and [[Akiye]] reminded him of.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> Kenji has been friends with [[Kusaka Kori]] for years, having known him since the two were in school, and remained close even when they progressed through adulthood.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
=== SAO Beta test ===
 
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Kenji was part of the beta test for Sword Art Online. During his adventures on the 1st Floor he discovered an alpha Dire Wolf mob near Tolbana that dropped a [[Dire Wolf Claws (Kenji)|set of claws]].<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> He was also one of very few beta testers who discovered the existence of the «Martial Arts» Extra Skill and it took him close to four days to complete it.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
 
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Prior to the SAO Incident Kenji's sister, Kireina, had financial problems caused by her partner, resulting in her having to sell her home to resolve his gambling debts. Kenji assaulted him during this time and reportedly broke both his nose and legs. Despite the situation Kenji grew very close to his nieces during this time.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
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Kenji was a beta tester for the worlds very first {{SAO|VRMMORPG}}, {{SAO|Sword Art Online}}, alongside Kusaka.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> He was a prolific player-killer during the beta test and was, alongside {{SAO|Argo}}, one of the few testers to discover the existence of the «{{SAO|Martial Arts quest|Martial Arts}}» {{SAO|Extra Skill}}. Unlike Argo, who failed to complete the quest and was branded with whiskers for the remainder of the beta test which eventually became her trademark in the official launch,<ref name="PV1I">{{SAO|Reason for the Whiskers|Progressive Volume 1, Intermission - Reason for the Whiskers}}</ref> Kenji succeeded after a four-day period with help from a «{{SAO|Trembling Ox}}».<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
   
 
== Synopsis ==
 
== Synopsis ==
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=== Aincard arc ===
 
=== Aincard arc ===
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==== [[Sword Art Online: Companionship|Part I: Companionship]] ====
==== 2022 ====
 
 
 
*[[SAOK: Unexpected Meetings]]
 
*[[SAOK: Unexpected Meetings]]
 
*[[SAOK: Pushing the Frontier]]
 
*[[SAOK: Pushing the Frontier]]
Line 58: Line 105:
 
*[[SAOK: The Business of Grinding]]
 
*[[SAOK: The Business of Grinding]]
 
*[[SAOK: The Eventful Taurus]]
 
*[[SAOK: The Eventful Taurus]]
  +
*[[SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade]]
  +
*[[SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum]]
  +
*[[SAOK: Roving Rovia]]
  +
*[[SAOK: Braving the Depths]]
  +
*[[SAOK: New Year Resolutions]]
   
==== 2023 ====
+
===== Inbetweeners =====
  +
*[[SAOK: Inbetweeners I]] <small>(mentioned)</small>
  +
*[[SAOK: Inbetweeners III]] <small>(mentioned)</small>
  +
*[[SAOK: Inbetweeners V]] <small>(mentioned)</small>
   
==== 2024 ====
+
==== Intermission ====
  +
*[[Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency]]
  +
*[[Intermission: Matters of Trust]]
  +
  +
==== [[Sword Art Online: Determination|Part II: Determination]] ====
   
 
== Stats ==
 
== Stats ==
Line 70: Line 129:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| align="center" |Level
 
| align="center" |Level
| align="center" |12.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /><br>
+
| align="center" |12.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
| align="center" |December 4, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /><ref group=Notes>Events depicted in [[SAOK: Unexpected Meetings]] are stated to occur four weeks into the official release of SAO. This would coincide with the fight against the 1st Floor boss {{SAO|Illfang the Kobold Lord}}.</ref>
+
| align="center" |December 3rd 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
| align="center" |Level
 
| align="center" |Level
 
| align="center" |14.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
 
| align="center" |14.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
| align="center" |December 6, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
| align="center" |December 6th 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |Level
  +
| align="center" |15.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" />
  +
| align="center" |As of December 22nd 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" />
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |Level
  +
| align="center" |16.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
| align="center" |As of December 24th 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |Level
  +
| align="center" |28.<ref name="Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency" />
  +
| align="center" |As of January 27th 2023.<ref name="Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Line 87: Line 158:
 
! style="background:{{Themecolor}}; color:#FFFFFF;" width="30%" |Notes
 
! style="background:{{Themecolor}}; color:#FFFFFF;" width="30%" |Notes
 
|-
 
|-
| align="center" |«Unnamed curved sword»
+
| align="center" |«Bronze Sabre»
 
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
 
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
 
| align="center" |Initial Equipment
 
| align="center" |Initial Equipment
| align="center" |Eventually replaced by a Scimitar before December 4, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
+
| align="center" |Upgraded to +1 (1S) before his acquisition of the «Scimitar».<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /><br>Eventually replaced by a Scimitar before December 3rd 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /><br>Temporarily used as a last resort in the boss battle against the «Armoured Revenant» on the 5th Floor [[Dead Woods Mausoleum|sub-dungeon]] on the 30th December 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
| align="center" |«[[Scimitar (Kenji)|Scimitar]]»
 
| align="center" |«[[Scimitar (Kenji)|Scimitar]]»
 
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
 
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
| align="center" |Received as a rare monster drop on the {{SAO|1st Floor}} sometime before December 4, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
+
| align="center" |Received as a rare monster drop on the {{SAO|1st Floor}} sometime before December 3rd, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
| align="center" |Upgraded to +4 (3S1D)<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> before December 4, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
+
| align="center" |Upgraded to +4 (3S1D)<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> before December 3rd, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /><br>Upgraded to +8 (5S3D) between December 15th & 17th.<ref name="SAOK Timeline">''[[SAOK Timeline]]''</ref><br>Given to Akiye to be reforged on December 30th.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /><br>Converted into a «Razor Ingot» on the 31st of December 2022, and used to create the «[[Razer (Kenji)|Razer]]».<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
| align="center" |«{{SAO|Anneal Blade}}»
 
| align="center" |«{{SAO|Anneal Blade}}»
 
| align="center" |One-Handed Sword
 
| align="center" |One-Handed Sword
| align="center" |Left behind by Loki after he lost his sword-arm dueling Kenji on December 6th, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /><br>Given to Yoshiro on the morning of December 7th, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" />
+
| align="center" |Left behind by Loki after he lost his sword-arm dueling Kenji on December 6th, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /><br>Given to Yoshiro on the morning of December 7th 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" />
| align="center" |No enhancements made as of December 6th, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
| align="center" |No enhancements made as of December 6th 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
  +
|-
 
| align="center" |«Pale Edge»
  +
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
  +
| align="center" |Received on December 10th 2022, where it languished in Kenji's inventory until December 22nd, 2022.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" />
  +
| align="center" |Upgraded to +4 (4S) in the early hours of December 22nd 2022, and used to experiment with dual-wielding.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /><br>Broken in the «[[Dead Woods Mausoleum]]» by the boss of the dungeon.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /><br>Repaired and converted into base materials for use in the forging of «[[Razer (Kenji)|Razer]]».<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |«[[Razer (Kenji)|Razer]]»
  +
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
  +
| align="center" |Player-made by [[Akiye]] on December 31st 2022, using materials from Kenji's «Scimitar» and «Pale Edge».<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
  +
| align="center" |
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |«[[Talon (Kenji)|Talon]]»
  +
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
  +
| align="center" |«Last Attack» bonus from an unspecified event Boss encountered by «Brightscale» immediately before the front-line group unlocked the 22nd Floor.
  +
| align="center" |Possesses a «Parry» effect.<br>Possesses an «Arms Destruction» effect.
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |«[[Claw (Kenji)|Claw]]»
  +
| align="center" |One-Handed Curved Sword
  +
| align="center" |Forged by Akiye using an ingot from «Razer».
 
| align="center" |Possesses the «Deadly Darts» Sword Skill.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Line 112: Line 203:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| align="center" |«[[Cardiophylax (Kenji)|Cardiophylax]]»
 
| align="center" |«[[Cardiophylax (Kenji)|Cardiophylax]]»
| align="center" |Metal Upper-body
+
| align="center" |Lightweight neck, upper-body & waist armor.
| align="center" |Player made by Sheila for Kenji from rare materials from the 2nd Floor labyrinth.
+
| align="center" |Player-made for Kenji by [[Akiye]] using materials from «[[Zagan the Exile]]» and various other rare materials.<ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
| align="center" |Grants +4 to Strength.<br>Increases skill proficiency gain.
+
| align="center" |Grants +8 to Strength.<ref name="SAOK Timeline" /><br>Grants +4 to Agility.<ref name="SAOK Timeline" /><br>Bonus to the «Hiding» Skill.<ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
 
|-
 
|-
| align="center" |«Black Hakama»
+
| align="center" |«[[Oxen Cloth Trousers (Kenji)|Oxen Cloth Trousers]]»
 
| align="center" |Cloth Lower-body
 
| align="center" |Cloth Lower-body
| align="center" |Player-made for Kenji by Momoko using rare unspecified monster drops.
+
| align="center" |Player-made for Kenji by [[Momoko]] using the skin of a «{{SAO|Trembling Ox}}.<ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
  +
| align="center" |Boosts jumping ability.<ref name="Oxen">''[[Oxen Cloth Trousers (Kenji)#Attributes|Oxen Cloth Trousers attributes]]''</ref><br>Boosts swimming speed.<ref name="Oxen" />
| align="center" |Grants a boost to the «Hiding» skill.
 
 
|-
 
|-
| align="center" |«Martial Arts Leg Guards»
+
| align="center" |«[[Martial Arts Leg Guards (Kenji)|Martial Arts Leg Guards]]»
 
| align="center" |Boots
 
| align="center" |Boots
| align="center" |Player-made for Kenji by Momoko using rare unspecified monster drops.
+
| align="center" |Player-made for Kenji by [[Momoko]] using left-over material from «Zagan the Exile».<ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
| align="center" |Enhances the damage caused by «Martial Arts» Sword Skills.<br>Increases «Martial Arts» skill proficiency gain.
+
| align="center" |Enhances the damage caused by «Martial Arts» Sword Skills.<ref name="Martial">''[[Martial Arts Leg Guards (Kenji)#Attributes|Martial Arts Leg Guards attributes]]''</ref><br>Increases «Martial Arts» skill proficiency gain.<ref name="Martial" />
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |«Gloves of the Defiant»
  +
| align="center" |Gloves
  +
| align="center" |{{SAO|Last Attack|LA Bonus}} from the «Armored Revenant» of the «[[Dead Woods Mausoleum]]».<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
  +
| align="center" |Grants +5 to Agility.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Line 137: Line 233:
 
| align="center" |«Unnamed Strength ring»
 
| align="center" |«Unnamed Strength ring»
 
| align="center" |Ring
 
| align="center" |Ring
  +
| align="center" |Received December 19th, 2022,<ref name="SAOK Timeline" /> as a reward for the «Jade Key» quest.<ref name="PV2ConcertoP2">''{{SAO|Concerto of Black and White|Progressive Volume 2, Concerto of Black and White, Part 2}}''</ref>
| align="center" |Reward for the «Jade Key» quest.
 
| align="center" |Grants +1 to Strength.
+
| align="center" |Grants +1 to Strength.<ref name="PV2ConcertoP2"/>
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |«Sigil of Lyusula»
  +
| align="center" |Ring
  +
| align="center" |Received between December 26th and December 29th 2022,<ref name="SAOK Timeline" /> from {{SAO|Yofilis}}, after the completion of the «{{SAO|Shipwright of Yore}}» quest.<ref name=PV3BarcarolleP7>''{{SAO|Barcarolle of Froth|Progressive Volume 3, Barcarolle of Froth, Part 7}}''</ref>
  +
| align="center" |Allows access to «Dark Elf» areas.<ref name = PV3BarcarolleP7/><br>Increases Skill proficiency gain.<ref name="PV2ConcertoP2"/><br>Grants +1 to Agility.<ref name = PV3BarcarolleP7/>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
   
== Skills ==
+
=== Items ===
  +
{| width="100%" class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
During the beta he was renowned amongst the community for his dueling skills and surprise PK's. He has admitted to Asuka that he heavily experimented in this aspect of the game during the beta.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> Whilst he has attempted to distance himself from the title he earned due to the PKing he performed in the beta, it is no exaggeration that his duelling skills remained formidable even in the official release.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> Despite the act of dueling being incredibly dangerous in the official release Kenji frequently engaged in both Half Loss Mode and First Strike Mode, and is the recognised "Dueler" of «Brightscale».<ref name="Brightscale roles">''[[Brightscale#Members|Brightscale Roles]]''</ref>
 
  +
! style="background:{{Themecolor}}; color:#FFFFFF;" width="20%" |Name
  +
! style="background:{{Themecolor}}; color:#FFFFFF;" width="20%" |Type
  +
! style="background:{{Themecolor}}; color:#FFFFFF;" width="30%" |Acquisition
  +
! style="background:{{Themecolor}}; color:#FFFFFF;" width="30%" |Notes
  +
|-
  +
| align="center" |«Poison Vial»
  +
| align="center" |Poison
  +
| align="center" |Treasure chest reward in the «[[Dead Woods Mausoleum]]».<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
  +
| align="center" |Applied to a single weapon with a 1-hour duration. Provides a Level 2 Poison effect.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" /><br>Refillable.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
  +
|-
  +
|}
   
  +
== Skills ==
In the official release Kenji uses an attack-focused build and prefers the use of the «One-handed Curved Sword».<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> As such he fills the role of party DPS.<ref name="Brightscale dynamics" /> Upon reaching the 2nd Floor he acquired the Extra Skill «Martial Arts» and immediately slotted it to his third skill slot.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> Thanks to the «Relaxed Equipment Conditions» mod of the «Martial Arts» skill, Kenji can perform Sword Skills from the curved-sword category and immediately follow-up with a Sword Skill from the «Martial Arts» tree.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
 
  +
Kenji is an experienced, unorthodox, and quick-thinking combatant who performs to a high-standard whether he is alone or in a group, and is labelled the primary DPS of whatever «Brightscale» team he joins.<ref name="Brightscale dynamics" /> In both the beta and official releases Kenji was a damage-dealer with an emphasis on Strength, whose weapon of choice was the «One-handed curved sword».<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Despite his DPS numbers being high, Kenji also serves a scouting function. His second Skill slot, «Hiding», allows him to avoid being detected by monsters and players alike, assuming his «Proficiency» is at a high enough level.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> The «Hiding» Skill also played into his damage and allowed him to launch devestating surprise attacks against unwary monsters, with a supplementary bonus being his ability to hide away his allies as well.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" /> His fourth Skill slot, «Searching», gave him an assortment of effects: enhanced cursor identification, enhanced visual range, night vision in darkened areas, and the ability to see players or monsters obscured by the «Hiding» Skill.<ref name="V8FD" /> As his «Proficiency» rose he could also spot traps and hidden passageways, though this was noticeably less potent than the «[[Thieves Tools (Kenji)|Composite]]» discovered by [[Airi Natsume|Airi]].<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
   
  +
Even early on Kenji was known to utilize every option available to him to squeeze out the most DPS possible, and helped Airi do the same.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> This included [[Moo Moo Cheesecake|buffs]] to his «Damage-over-Time» effects,<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" /> and consumable vials of «Poison» that could be applied to his weapons prior to an engagement.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
Asuka and he prefer the use of various DoT's -- aided by a [[Ras Malai (Kenji)|food buff]] found in Urbus -- to inflict continual and sustainable damage on larger mobs, even during moments of post-motion delay.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" />
 
   
  +
Kenji's unorthodox approach led him to discover numerous system exploits that increased his DPS by a noticeable margin. Most of thse involved his third Skill slot, which was «Martial Arts». The first «Mod» Kenji took, «Relaxed Equipment Conditions», allowed him to launch Sword Skills from the «Martial Arts» tree whilst equipped with a one-handed weapon.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> An exploit unchanged from the beta involved the skipping of one's «Post Motion» to follow-up with a «Martial Arts» attack. This allowed Kenji to bypass a post-motion delay by immediately transitioning into another Sword Skill, a trait that allowed him to win a «Half-Loss Duel» in a matter of seconds after said duel began.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> By the time the pre-«Brightscale» group fought «[[Zagan the Exile]]», Kenji had mastered the art of chaining Sword Skills; to the point he could perform the exploit in rapid succession, under pressure, without failure.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" /> Over weeks of theory-crafting and an entire morning spent in practice, Kenji furthered this exploit to allow for a [[Dual-wielding (Kenji)|method of dual-wielding]].<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /> Although he admitted that the style was fraught with risk, Kenji took it to a level that he could use it in actual battle to engage multiple adversaries at once.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
He is one of the few players to have extensively experimented with two-weapon fighting. Although this imposes an «irregular equipment» affect upon him, and thus prevents the use of Sword Skills, Kenji has demonstrated that «Martial Arts» skills that use the legs solely can still be used in this irregular state to attack an enemy; an example being Crescent Moon. He claims the one upside to wielding two weapons at once is that he gains the stats of both weapons.
 
   
  +
As far as his own defences go Kenji was known to be quite lax, with a marked preference for weaponry over protective equipment.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Like Airi, he was in real danger of being killed by «Zagan the Exile», and was actually the sole member of the pre-«Brightscale» group that fought the fearsome Minotaur whose HP fell into the red zone.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" /> It wasn't until after the battle with «Zagan» that Kenji began focusing on enhancing his equipment to better aid his survival.<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade" /> His fifth Skill, «Battle Healing», was an evolution of this mentality, and healed Kenji by a rate equal to his «Proficiency» every 10 seconds.<ref name="V2TBSP3">''{{SAO|The Black Swordsman (chapter)|Volume 2, The Black Swordsman, Part 3}}''</ref>
Despite his status as a Guild leader Kenji does, on occasion, operate as a {{SAO|Solo Player|solo player}} for heightened EXP gains and undivided loot.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> He has both the «Hiding» and «Searching» skills slotted for just such an eventuality and was easily fit to trail Loki, Momoko and Akiye, and remained sufficiently hidden until choosing to reveal himself.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
 
   
 
=== Sword Art Online ===
 
=== Sword Art Online ===
Line 157: Line 270:
 
|Header = SAO SKILL SLOTS
 
|Header = SAO SKILL SLOTS
 
|Skill1 = One-handed Curved Sword
 
|Skill1 = One-handed Curved Sword
|Skill1Lvl = 150
+
|Skill1Lvl = ?
 
|Skill2 = Hiding
 
|Skill2 = Hiding
|Skill2Lvl = 104
+
|Skill2Lvl = ?
 
|Skill3 = Martial Arts
 
|Skill3 = Martial Arts
|Skill3Lvl = 75
+
|Skill3Lvl = ?
 
|Skill4 = Searching
 
|Skill4 = Searching
|Skill4Lvl = 104
+
|Skill4Lvl = ?
|Skill5 =
+
|Skill5 = Battle Healing
|Skill5Lvl =
+
|Skill5Lvl = ?
 
|Skill6 =
 
|Skill6 =
 
|Skill6Lvl =
 
|Skill6Lvl =
Line 182: Line 295:
 
==== Sword Skills ====
 
==== Sword Skills ====
 
===== One-handed Curved Sword =====
 
===== One-handed Curved Sword =====
*'''{{SAO|Reaver}}''' -- a basic charging skill with a short delay.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Kenji often uses it as his opening skill when dueling to enter into close-quarters.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
*«'''{{SAO|Reaver}}'''» -- a basic charging skill with a short delay.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Kenji often uses it as his opening skill when duelling to enter close-quarters.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> He has likewise showed tremendous timing with Reaver; he can deliberately hold the Sword Skill back whilst advancing towards his target, which results in the charging motion to actually take him past his opponent and potentially out of their range.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" />
  +
*«'''Shunt'''» -- a defensive Sword Skill, and the earliest available, which involves a horizontal push. Activated when the hand is placed against the backside of the blade and the user pushes with both arms.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
*'''Leaver'''<ref group=Notes>Received at a Proficiency level of 150. Prior to his duel with Loki, Kenji claimed that the DoT buff he introduced to Asuka would do nothing for him. He evidently did not have this skill at the time.</ref> -- a basic two-hit combination skill involving an uppercut slash and a downward stroke. Has a small chance of causing a bleeding debuff.
+
*«'''Leaver'''»<ref group=Notes>Received at a Proficiency level of 150. Prior to his duel with Loki, Kenji claimed that the DoT buff he introduced to Asuka would do nothing for him. He evidently did not have this skill at the time.</ref> -- a basic two-hit combination skill involving an uppercut slash and a downward stroke. Has a small chance of causing a bleeding debuff.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /> When performed whilst under the [[Ras Malai (Kenji)|DoT buff]] Kenji claims that Leaver's DoT occurrence actually becomes reliable.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" />
*'''Fell Crescent''' -- highly accurate one-hit area attack.
 
  +
*«'''Fell Crescent'''» -- highly accurate one-hit area attack. He has shown the requisite skill to "aim" the resultant attack, allowing him to hit -- or purposefully miss -- his target.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" />
   
 
===== Martial Arts =====
 
===== Martial Arts =====
*'''{{SAO|Senda|Flash Blow}}''' -- the fastest «Martial Arts» skill which consists of a basic thrust with the user's hand.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
+
*«'''{{SAO|Senda|Flash Blow}}'''» -- the fastest «Martial Arts» skill which consists of a basic thrust with the user's hand.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
*'''Crescent Moon''' -- a backflip kick technique commonly used by Kenji as a follow-up from Reaver when dueling.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
*«'''Crescent Moon'''» -- a backflip kick technique commonly used by Kenji as a follow-up from Reaver when duelling.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> His go-to technique when seeking to increase his damage through «Motion Delay Skipping» as the technique can be launched from most positions assuming a back-flip is possible.<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" />
  +
*«'''Water Moon'''» -- a roundhouse-kick.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /> Kenji has shown the ability to launch this Sword Skill even under less-than-ideal circumstances.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
   
 
==== Supplementary Skills ====
 
==== Supplementary Skills ====
 
===== Searching =====
 
===== Searching =====
*'''Tracking''' -- a mod for the «Searching» skill. In 2022 Kenji's skill was at its lowest level, for he could only detect footprints a minute old. This allowed him to follow Loki, whom Kenji suspected of leading Momoko and Akiye outside town in order to rob them, without being detected.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
*«'''Tracking'''» -- a mod for the «Searching» skill. In 2022 Kenji's skill was at its lowest level, for he could only detect footprints a minute-old. This allowed him to follow Loki, whom Kenji suspected of leading Momoko and Akiye outside town to rob them, without being detected.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
*'''Detection Range Bonus''' -- a mod for the «Searching» skill. Kenji could see Loki's cursor turn from green to orange from a considerable distance away, and was able to keep track of Momoko and Akiye even when they weren't members of his party.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
*«'''Detection Range Bonus'''» -- a mod for the «Searching» skill. Kenji could see Loki's cursor turn from green to orange from a considerable distance away, and was able to keep track of Momoko and Akiye even when they weren't members of his party.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
  +
  +
===== Battle Healing =====
  +
*«'''Battle Healing'''» -- a self-healing passive Skill that restores the user's HP equal to their «Proficiency» every 10 seconds.<ref name="V2TBSP3" /> Kenji slotted this particular Skill upon reaching Level 20 and levelled it with help from Kusaka, who pulled hate from Kenji when his HP was low enough for the Skill to be levelled, and Fujimaru, who used his «[[Dancing (Kenji)|Healing Waltz]]» to rapidly replenish Kenji's HP.<ref name="Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency" />
   
 
==== Outside System Skills ====
 
==== Outside System Skills ====
*'''Hypersense''' -- The act of sensing the "killing intent" of another player. According to Kenji he learned this particular skill during the beta around the time the beta testers arrived on the 5th Floor, where a great deal of PKing was done.
+
*«'''Hypersense'''» -- The act of sensing another player's intentions, which often manifests as an odd feeling of tension, even outside battle. Kenji sensed Loki's intentions towards Momoko and Akiye and immediately gave chase.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> According to Kenji he learned this particular skill during the beta around the time the beta testers arrived at the 5th Floor, where a great deal of PKing was done. By the time of December 22nd 2022, Kenji's sense extended to monster's targeting him for attack, even when his back was turned.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /> Against the «Armoured Revenant» he was able to deflect its attack despite the room being plunged into total darkness.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
*'''Wall Running''' -- The act of running along walls without falling. As of December 6th, 2022, Kenji's agility allowed him to take at least three steps, whilst his strength allowed him to propel himself a fair distance without suffering damage.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
*«'''Wall Running'''» -- The act of running along walls without falling. As of December 6th 2022, Kenji's agility allowed him to take at least three complete steps along a vertical surface, whilst his strength allowed him to propel himself a fair distance without suffering damage.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> Only 3 days prior he found the third step difficult.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
  +
*«'''Water Walking'''» -- the act of walking on the surface of a large body of liquid. Yoshiro gave Kenji the idea, which he resolved to test.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" />
  +
*«'''Motion Delay Skipping'''» -- the act of bypassing the post-motion delay for a Sword Skill through precisely activating a Sword Skill from the «Martial Arts» category, before the delay begins.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> Used by Kenji to great effect during his duel with Loki and again during his battle with «[[Zagan the Exile]]».<ref name="SAOK: The Eventful Taurus" /> By the end of 2022 he had mastered this particular Skill.<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" /> He eventually extended this particular exploit to allow for a roundabout method of [[SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum|dual-wielding two one-handed weapons]], but claimed it was incredibly situational and fraught with risks.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" />
  +
*«'''Mislead''' -- The act of tricking the learning capability of engaged monsters in order to gain an advantage.<ref name = V6C14/> M»ost prominently employed by Kenji through usage of his [[Dual-wielding (Kenji)|dual-wielding]] without using an actual Skill,<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /> which includes usage of the «Quick Change» Mod.<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
*«'''{{W|Ambidexterity|Ambidextrous}}'''» -- the ability to use either hand equally with no preference. Kenji is fully ambidextrous, capable of using his right and left hands with equal ability, and does do frequently through his personally developed dual-wielding style.<ref name="SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum" /><ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" /> Beyond that, it plays into his ability to confuse the learning mechanics of monsters by creating a pattern and suddenly breaking it to give himself an advantage.<ref name = V6C14/>
   
 
== Known quests completed ==
 
== Known quests completed ==
  +
{{Scroll Box
*«{{SAO|Martial Arts quest}}».<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
 
  +
|width=100%
  +
|content=<center>'''''1st Floor quests'''''</center>
 
*«[[Clearing Out The Storehouse (Kenji)|Clearing Out The Storehouse]].<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
 
*«[[Clearing Out The Storehouse (Kenji)|Clearing Out The Storehouse]].<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
  +
*«{{SAO|Elf War}}».<ref name="Brightscale dynamics" />
 
  +
<center>'''''2nd Floor quests'''''</center>
*«Elf War: Jade Key».<ref group=Notes>Although the completion was not depicted Kenji, Airi and Yoshiro joined the «Elf War» campaign quest on the side of the Dark Elves. Kenji took the strength ring as his reward for the quest.</ref>
 
 
*«{{SAO|Martial Arts quest}}».<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" />
  +
  +
<center>'''''3rd Floor quests'''''</center>
  +
*«Jade Key» -- Kenji, Airi, Yoshiro, Momoko and Akiye sided with the Dark Elves.<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade" /><ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
  +
*«Vanquishing the Spiders».<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade" /><ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
  +
*«The Flower Offering».<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade" /><ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
  +
*«Emergency Orders».<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade" /><ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
  +
*«The Missing Soldier».<ref name="SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade" /><ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
  +
*«Infiltration».<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
*«Butterfly Collection».<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
*«The Western Spirit Tree».<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
*«Pursuit».<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
*«Retrieving the Key».<ref name="SAOK: Roving Rovia" />
  +
  +
<center>'''''4th Floor quests'''''</center>
  +
*«{{SAO|Shipwright of Yore}}».<ref name="Gondola">''[[Brightscale#Gondola rides|Brightscale Tours]]''</ref>
  +
*«Laketop Fortress».<ref name="SAOK Timeline" />
  +
*«Dancing quest».<ref name="Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency" />
  +
  +
<center>'''''5th Floor quests'''''</center>
  +
*«Suspicious Goods».<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
  +
*«Tracking the Goods».<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
  +
*«Playing Bandit».<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
  +
*«Securing the Mausoleum».<ref name="SAOK: Braving the Depths" />
  +
}}
   
 
== Relationships ==
 
== Relationships ==
 
=== Brightscale ===
 
=== Brightscale ===
«Brightscale» was formed by Kenji and Kusaka on the 3rd Floor of Aincrad. Despite a slower start than some of the other {{SAO|Clearer|clearers}} «Brightscale» eventually joined the front-line group.
+
«Brightscale» was formed by Kenji and Kusaka on the 3rd Floor of Aincrad. Despite a slower start than some other {{SAO|Clearer|clearers}} «Brightscale» eventually joined the front-line group.
   
 
==== Airi Natsume ====
 
==== Airi Natsume ====
Kenji first met Airi when she suffered the tumble status when met with a particularly large {{SAO|Dire Wolf}}. He defeated the wolf with the Sword Skill {{SAO|Reaver}} and subsequently suggested that she join Kusaka and he on the path to Tolbana for safety.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Kenji was more tolerant of Airi than most and went out of his way to help her in her daily activities,<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> even if it contributed to the slower start joining the front-line.<ref name="Brightscale dynamics" /> Although he liked Asuka he also admitted to be somewhat intimidated by her.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
Kenji first met Airi when she suffered the tumble status when met with a particularly large {{SAO|Dire Wolf}}. He defeated the wolf with the Sword Skill {{SAO|Reaver}} and subsequently suggested that she join Kusaka, and he on the path to Tolbana for safety.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> Kenji was more tolerant of Airi than most and went out of his way to help her in her daily activities,<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> even if it contributed to the slower start joining the front-line.<ref name="Brightscale dynamics" /> Although he liked Airi he also admitted being somewhat intimidated by her.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
   
The two evidently grew quite close. Kenji noted that Airi and he eventually revealed various details about their real-life self to one another, one example being their actual names.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" />
+
The two evidently grew quite close. Kenji noted that Airi, and he eventually revealed various details about their real-life selves to one another, one example being their actual names.<ref name="SAOK: Unexpected Meetings" /> By the end of 2022 the two were actively dating.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
   
 
==== Momoko and Akiye ====
 
==== Momoko and Akiye ====
Momoko and Akiye where 12-year old twins encountered by Kenji in {{SAO|Tolbana}} on the 1st Floor shortly after the 2nd Floor was opened, with both reminding him of his own nieces. Kenji ended up protecting the two girls from an orange player called Loki and would have happily went orange himself to protect them.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> In light of this the girls quickly developed a high degree of trust in Kenji.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> He subsequently became their guardian in the death game and the two twins joined «Brightscale» as crafters.<ref name="Brightscale roles" />
+
Momoko and Akiye where 12-year old twins encountered by Kenji in {{SAO|Tolbana}} on the 1st Floor shortly after the 2nd Floor was opened, with both reminding him of his own nieces. Kenji ended up protecting the two girls from an orange player called Loki and would have happily went orange himself to protect them.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" /> In light of this the girls quickly developed a high degree of trust in Kenji.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> He subsequently became their guardian in the death game and the two twins joined «Brightscale» as crafters.<ref name="Brightscale roles" /> Due to Kenji often being viewed as younger than he actually is many people, most notably [[Fujimaru Nakamura]], held the belief that Kenji was the twins' older brother. For themselves the twins' viewed him as a father-figure.<ref name="SAOK: New Year Resolutions" />
   
 
=== Enemies ===
 
=== Enemies ===
Kenji made no attempt to hide his beta tester knowledge.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> He was thankful to Kirito for alleviating some of the negativity and anger levied at beta testers by creating the "Beater" category, though Kenji himself adopted the new title.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> Antagonism also grew against him when he admitted that he was the Reaper from the beta responsible for the highest level of PK's in the beta test.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
Kenji made no attempt to hide his beta tester knowledge.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> He was thankful to Kirito for alleviating some negativity and anger levied at beta testers by creating the "Beater" category, though Kenji himself adopted the new title.<ref name="SAOK: Pushing the Frontier" /> Antagonism also grew against him when he admitted that he was the Reaper from the beta responsible for the highest level of PK's in the beta test.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
   
 
==== Loki ====
 
==== Loki ====
Loki was an opportunistic former beta tester who attempted to rob [[Momoko]] and [[Akiye]] under the pretense of guiding them through a [[Clearing Out The Storehouse (Kenji)|difficult quest]], but was defeated by Kenji in a Half Loss duel.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> Kenji admitted that he would happily go orange to teach Loki a lesson and further stated that he would also carry his threat through to its ultimate conclusion should Loki not run away.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
+
Loki was an opportunistic former beta tester who attempted to rob [[Momoko]] and [[Akiye]] under the pretence of guiding them through a [[Clearing Out The Storehouse (Kenji)|difficult quest]], but was defeated by Kenji in a Half Loss duel.<ref name="SAOK: The Business of Grinding" /> Kenji admitted that he would happily go orange to teach Loki a lesson and further stated that he would also carry his threat through to its ultimate conclusion should Loki not run away.<ref name="SAOK: The Karma Scales" />
   
 
== Quotes ==
 
== Quotes ==
 
*''My guild's name is «Brightscale». I'll let you think about its abbreviation -- but I suppose I can give you one small hint! You're talkin' an awful lot of it right now.''
 
*''My guild's name is «Brightscale». I'll let you think about its abbreviation -- but I suppose I can give you one small hint! You're talkin' an awful lot of it right now.''
  +
  +
== Appearances in other media ==
 
=== Specials ===
  +
Kenji has appeared in a number of specials and one-shot chapters, usually as the main point-of-view character. Whilst considered canon to the rest of [[Sword Art Online (Kenji)]], these chapters are designed to be light-hearted and not overly serious, with content that can rightly be called ridiculous.
  +
  +
The specials in question are:
  +
  +
*[[The Tortilla Crusade!]] -- one-shot celebrating "National Tortilla Chip Day".
   
 
== Author's notes ==
 
== Author's notes ==
 
=== Behind the scenes ===
 
=== Behind the scenes ===
 
*Kenji's in-game name is created from letters found in his own name: '''K'''enj'''i''' Hiro'''shi''', creating '''Kishi'''. The kanji chosen for Kishi translates to ''bright samurai''. This likewise plays into the name of the guild: Brightscale.
 
*Kenji's in-game name is created from letters found in his own name: '''K'''enj'''i''' Hiro'''shi''', creating '''Kishi'''. The kanji chosen for Kishi translates to ''bright samurai''. This likewise plays into the name of the guild: Brightscale.
  +
*Kenji's height and weight measurements, including physical appearance, is modelled on Kaien Shiba from Bleach. The decision to dye his hair orange in-game was made as a shout-out of sorts to Ichigo Kurosaki, who is stated many times in the Bleach series to heavily resemble Kaien.
 
  +
*Although Kenji is the primary POV character, the author prefers [[Fujimaru Nakamura]].
*Kenji's height and weight measurements, including physical appearance, is modelled on Kaien Shiba from Bleach.
 
   
 
=== Trivia ===
 
=== Trivia ===
 
*Due to his achievements in the beta -- namely committing the most PK's -- Kenji was the eventual owner of the «[[Sanguine Sword]]» {{SAO|Unique Skill}}.
 
*Due to his achievements in the beta -- namely committing the most PK's -- Kenji was the eventual owner of the «[[Sanguine Sword]]» {{SAO|Unique Skill}}.
  +
*{{SAO|Argo}}'s nickname for Kenji is «{{W|Japanese honorifics#Shi|Shi}}».
   
 
== References & notes ==
 
== References & notes ==
 
=== References ===
 
=== References ===
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{{Scroll Box
{{Reflist}}
 
  +
|width=100%
 
|content={{Reflist}}
  +
}}
   
 
=== Notes ===
 
=== Notes ===
  +
{{Scroll Box
<references group="Notes" />
 
  +
|width=100%
 
|content=<references group="Notes" />
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}}
 
[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Male]]
 
[[Category:Male]]

Revision as of 10:33, 27 February 2020

This article, Kenji Hiroshi, is property of Kenji-Taichō. Permission is required to alter its content.

... I've decided to try something new, you know? Let's face it: «The Reaper» doeesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in people. Fear, sure. But there's enough of that going around without me adding more. So, for now I'm Kishi, otherwise known as the «Bright Samurai», and we'll see what happens. We're pushing towards the front-line and player killers have no place there.
Kenji Hiroshi
Kenjiprofile
Personal Info
Real Name Kenji Hiroshi
Kanji 健児博
Birthday 22nd February
Age 26
Gender Male
Height 183 cm (6'0")
Weight 68 kg (150 lbs)
Occupation Professional gamer
Family Unnamed sister
Two unnamed nieces
Player Profile
Display Name Kishi
Kanji (Display) 輝士
Epithet Reaper
VR Played «Sword Art Online»
Occupation Guild leader, Clearer
Affiliation «Brightscale»
Status Alive
Media
Appears In «Sword Art Online (Kenji)»


Kenji Hiroshi (健児博), known by the username «Kishi» (輝士) in various online games, including «Sword Art Online», was a professional gamer, blogger, and reviewer. He served as one of the original beta testers for SAO. During the beta period Kenji was a prolific player killer whose activities earned him acclaim as «The Reaper» (刈り手). He subsequently became one of the 10,000 players trapped within the game when it was officially launched. In addition, he was viewed as a "dirty Beater" by some, especially since he shared his knowledge with only a select few rather than everyone. Despite this, he eventually garnered a new reputation for himself, becoming known as the «Bright Samurai». In «Sword Art Online» Kenji led a Clearer guild called «Brightscale». He was the eventual owner of the «Sanguine Sword» Unique Skill, itself a reward for his beta period player killing.

Kenji served as the primary point-of-view character of Part I, a background character in the Inbetweeners side-stories, the deuteragonist of the Intermission chapters, and is slated to be the main character of Part II.

Appearance

Kenji was a fair-featured man in his mid-twenties during the SAO Incident with aqua-green eyes.[1] In real-life, and the official release of SAO, Kenji sports a toned physique and stood at 6ft (ca. 183 cm) tall, with only Yoshiro being the tallest of the initial «Brightscale» membership.[Notes 1] In both real-life and Sword Art Online, Kenji's hair consisted of several messy-looking spikes atop his head, coloured black, whilst the back reached roughly to shoulder-length. Momoko was known to style his hair into what Fujimaru dubbed "the Kishi do-over".[2]

System effects

Kenjidyed

Kenji's dyed hair.

A player's physical profile or appearance could change under certain circumstances in Sword Art Online, either as a result of a Skill activating, or through use of an in-game item, such as hair dye.[3] Kenji was very fond of his natural hair-colour and style, as even his original avatar possessed his real-life hair-style and colouring, and he was known to have Momoko style it for him in the morning.[2] The day following Airi reprimanding the members of «Brightscale», Kenji and Kusaka included, for their teasing of Fujimaru, Kenji dyed his hair a striking shade of orange as a way of supporting the young teenager, claiming that actions spoke louder than words. Ever since he claimed that his "quiet life" was over as people constantly noted his hair's very distinguishing colouration.[4]

Another notable example is when Kenji activates his «Searching» Skill. In this case Kenji's already greenish eye-colour began to glow an even brighter shade of green,[5] which gave him an assortment of effects: enhanced cursor identification, enhanced visual range, night vision in darkened areas, and the ability to see players or monsters obscured by the «Hiding» Skill.[6] It could even be used to spot traps or secret areas hidden from normal sight.[7] This would later extend to his use of the «Tracking» mod of the «Searching» Skill.[8] When questing in darkened caves or underground dungeons with poor lighting, it wasn't a rare sight for Kenji's eyes to shine in the darkness like small torches.[1]

Casual wear

Kenjicasual

Kenji's casual guild uniform.

The first combative members of «Brightscale» to exhibit a casual uniform outside battle were Kusaka and Yoshiro,[9] both of whom found the weight of their armour impractical.[5] Momoko created a casual uniform rather than a strict battle uniform, allowing for the members of «Brightscale» to exhibit their own unique appearance when questing. The uniform she settled on was distinctly Eastern in design and consisted of a black-coloured kimono, white shitagi, black hakama, white ōbi, white tabi, waraji, and a simple armband with the «Brightscale» insignia emblazoned on its surface.[10] Kenji began wearing this uniform when he wasn't actively questing sometime before the 22nd of December 2022 and even when he wore it, he occasionally equipped his primary weapon alongside it threaded through the ōbi at his waist.[11]

Early equipment

As far as his early equipment was concerned Kenji initially wore minimalist protective gear to maximize his evasion rather than focusing on defensive coverage.[12] His equipment consisted mostly of leather jackets and worn leather trousers, with a single piece of protective metal guarding his heart and lungs, with an emphasis on damage-over-protection.[13] He didn't place as much focus on armour than he did weaponry and thus the majority of his early armour was shop-bought gear,[5] whilst his weapon was a yellow-bladed curved-sword with a bar-shaped guard enhanced to +4, which he carried at his waist in a black sheath.[14] He was known to wear a long leather coat when venturing outside.[8]

Cardiophylax

It wasn't until Akiye forged the «Cardiophylax» that Kenji began balancing ease-of-movement and protection, whilst adopting a unique appearance. The entire suit appeared to be based on gladiatorial equipment with a mixture of classical Hoplite depictions.[15] He predominantly wore his «Scimitar» on the waist. When experimenting with dual-wielding however he also wore his «Pale Edge» on the same side, with the sheaths crossing in a manner similar to the Samurai's method of carrying daishō.[11] The «Scimitar» and «Pale Edge» were replaced as his primary and secondary weapons by «Razer». This one-handed curved sword had the hilt of a katana and a long, thick blade that ended with a curved, massive tip.[16]

The «Cardiophylax» incorporated three slots. The neck slot and upper-body slot, similar in function to a gorget, focused its protection on the central chest-area and throat. It primarily safeguarded the lungs and heart, with an accompanying shoulder-guard on the left shoulder that extended down to shield his off-hand bicep. The waist slot featured several strips of studded leather that descended to cover his knees and hips, appearing similar to a skirt. Between the metal of the chest-piece and Kenji's skin was a layer of hardened leather. A good portion of his upper torso, including the outside area of the pectoral muscles and his entire right-shoulder, possessed lesser protection than the main cardiovascular areas. The upper-body from the base of the pectorals to the beginning of the waist was unprotected.[17]

He accompanied the «Cardiophylax» with mismatched gloves, boots and leg armour offering a number of effects. The boots were predominantly leather and fashioned in the form of caligae with a lightweight metal shin-guard designed to boost the strength of the «Martial Arts» Skill,[18] whilst the trousers where simple cloth that provided bonuses to jumping and swimming.[19] The gloves that completed the set were acquired on the 5th Floor as the «LA bonus» from the «Armoured Revenant» from the «Dead Woods Mausoleum», which provided a boost to Agility and a lesser boost to Vitality when worn.[7] These gloves were made of darkened rawhide and were fingerless.[20]

Sunburst Fatigues

KenjiP2outfit

Kenji wearing the «Sunburst Fatigues».

At an unspecified point prior to March 2023, Kenji replaced his «Cardiophylax» with a new set of clothing known in-game as «Sunburst Fatigues» which, according to Kenji's journals, was crafted by Momoko using materials harvested from the various monsters found within the «Sunburst Forest». Unlike the «Cardiophylax», this new suit was entirely made from cloth and padded leather and offered fantastic mobility whilst retaining defensive strength. It comprised a long white cloth draped over and secured to Kenji's body by various belts, a long bandanna with floral patterns, with an accompanying black cloth tied around his head that was woven around the bandanna. The main upper-body portion resembles a heavily padded poncho coloured light-brown, the leg slot are hakama-style, coloured white, in a fashion similar to his guild uniform, whilst his waist is adorned with a floral-patterned strip of cloth similar to a sash. The clothing along his arms are thick black-coloured straps, whilst his footwear consist of stout black leather boots. When using only one blade Kenji wears his curved-sword threaded through the waistline cloth to be drawn by his right-hand, but when wielding an additional blade he carries it secured to his back, with the hilt visible over his left-shoulder. These weapons were «Talon» and «Claw» respectively.

Personality

Kenji is generally laid-back and non-confrontational, takes most events in his stride, and is noted to be calmer and more relaxed than his friend Kusaka.[21] He tries to use diplomacy to solve his issues and is something of a mediator, especially when Kusaka is concerned, and rarely swears, at least in public.[12] During his private journal entries however he is shown to use bad language quite frequantly as a means of venting his frutsrations.[4] He isn't above acting in a childish manner, or cracking clever jokes, if it serves to relax those around him. Airi notes however that he can be too clever sometimes and his attempts at humour can come across as teasing.[22] All-in-all Kenji is an approachable man with an easygoing outlook to life.[7]

Although the best of friends, Kenji and Kusaka have an undeniable rivalry. Even before Airi joined them, their competitive spirit drove them to advance more-or-less at an even pace.[5] Even when helping the other members of «Brightscale» catch up in terms of level, Kusaka was the sole member whose level remained on-par with Kenji.[8][23] This remained the case even when the two resolved to bring «Brightscale» closer to the front-line. Against Boss monsters the two were often able to channel their rivalry into flawless teamwork and remarkable synergy, to the point their teammates were left speechless when the two more-or-less dispatched the «Armoured Revenant» of the «Dead Woods Mausoleum» by themselves.[7] The two understand one another on a level untouched by their allies, and usually only require a quick glance to have an idea of what the other is planning. Kenji has admitted -- at least in his private journal -- that he loves Kusaka and greatly values his support.[4]

Despite his laid-back demeanour and preference for diplomacy, Kenji is far from being a pacifist, though he barely holds a candle to Kusaka. He quickly intervened when Loki caused damage to Akiye's HP, and admitted aloud himself that he would happily go orange over the whole situation.[8] Kusaka, however, revealed this to be a mere bluff; especially the bit where Kenji threatened Loki's life. Kusaka went so far as to label Kenji "soft".[4] Unsurprisingly Kenji's actions instantly earned him Momoko's and Akiye's trust. Loki's actions frightened the girls to the degree that they couldn't initially sleep without knowing Kenji was nearby, and his laid-back and carefree nature allowed him to accept their dependency on him in good spirits, even if Loki's actions infuriated him.[23] This evolved as he spent time with them and Kenji came to develop something of a parental instinct when it came to the girls, and he swelled with pride whenever he saw them succeed.[15] Per the beginning of 2023 the twins viewed Kenji as a father-like figure,[20] whilst the players at large were under the impression that he was their elder brother.[2]

Kenji had a soft-spot for his initial «Bronze Sabre» because it carried him through his first days in SAO, and he refused to sell it. The weapon served as Kenji's last resort against the «Armoured Revenant» on the 5th Floor. Kenji landed the LA Bonus with his old blade, and silently thanked it afterward.[7]

In social settings he is generally seen as an older-brother type by other players, has been described as "the soul of the party", and is generally approachable.[5] He enjoys poking fun, especially amongst his friends. Shortly after discovering that Meian Tadaoki was likewise trapped in Sword Art Online the two immediately partook in mutual insults, with Meian describing Kenji as "a decidedly cheeky fellow".[24] He has quickly learned not to push his antics too far with Airi, who has shown herself capable of curbing even Kusaka's outbursts and, when needed, Kenji's as well.[25][7] Despite how Airi, and Kenji interacted, it became apparent that they began seeing each other as more than just friends pretty early into their relationship.[23][25] During the pitched battle with «Zagan the Exile» Kenji willingly kicked Airi out of the way of his lightning breath attack, which ended up hitting him head-on. The attack almost killed Kenji and would have certainly killed Airi had he not intervened.[12] The two shared an immediate physical attraction and, by Christmas of 2022, the two had grown quite close.[11] Airi was the first person in Sword Art Online whom Kenji willingly sang in front of.[7]

In addition, he has proven himself quite generous. Despite a non-enhanced «Anneal Blade» going for around 16,000 cor shortly after the 2nd Floor was opened, Kenji gave the sword to Yoshiro for free because it was far superior to the sword he currently wielded.[23] He also gifted Airi two pieces of armour to heighten her armour-value without impacting on her Agility-focused build only a few hours after having met her.[5] Rather than abandon the twins after their ordeal with Loki, Kenji opted instead to take them with him and look after them, despite considerable disapproval from Kusaka.[8]

Kenji at first struggled with the added responsibility of his newfound role as the official leader of «Brightscale» but was heartened by his companions attitudes.[1]

Professional gaming

This wasn’t exactly easy to explain because it was a matter of exploiting the primary systems employed as part of Sword Art Online’s combat engine to achieve an unfair advantage. This particular kind of exploit wasn’t unheard-of in the gaming industry, but Sword Art Online was uncharted territory. The world’s very first VRMMORPG.
~ Excerpt from SAOK: Pushing the Frontier, were Kenji muses on an exploit.

In the real-world Kenji made his money as a professional gamer.[5] This aspect of his life has seeped into his everyday interactions in Aincard, especially with Airi, whom he often has to explain game-related terms to.[25] He admits to being something of a know it all and his close friends have taken to teasing him regarding his many explanations.[23] His long association with the gaming industry and its practices have allowed him to make informed guesses about SAO that, more times than not, tend to be true.[12]

Outside of conversations this profession has yielded a unique mind-set that allows Kenji to more easily exploit the systems used in games, including Sword Art Online, from a history of such exploitation.[25] Kenji was constantly striving to test the limits of the system and those of his avatar, find exploits to increase his survival chances, and find ways to use the system assist in ways it wasn't intended such as running along walls using the basics of the Agility and Strength stats.[8] He even discovered the means of chaining a «Martial Arts» Sword Skill into his sequence of attacks following a successful curved Sword Skill. This exploit became a cornerstone of his overall fighting style.[12]

In addition, Kenji was one of the first players in Sword Art Online to effectively dual-wield two one-handed weapons, though he openly admitted to Airi that it was fraught with risks without practice.[11] Like his habit of chaining Sword Skills this was an exploit of the system and was used very much as an ace-in-the-hole. The monster's in Sword Art Online used a learning model that eventually allowed them to predict a player's actions.[26] Kenji's usage of a dual-wielding outside the recognized Dual Blade Skill threw off their learning capabilities and served to mislead them.[1]

Reaper persona

I seriously hoped he stayed away. I had spent a great deal of time last night doing some soul-searching and the results scared the absolute hell out of me. Because apparently I was the kind of person who could contemplate murder and find the entire scenario perfectly justified.
~ Excerpt from SAOK: The Business of Grinding, were Kenji muses on the subject of murder.

Kenji can quickly do an about-face in terms of personality, specifically when he duels,[8] becomes aggressive, or is otherwise annoyed.[25][20] The only time he is known to swear outside of his journal is when he is genuinely angered.[12] Prior to the SAO Incident Kenji assaulted his sister's partner for almost bankrupting Kireina, reportedly breaking the man's nose and legs.[1]

When it comes to survival he does not hesitate to kill, even if his opponent should be another player,[8] though this didn't stop Kusaka labelling him soft, or his actions a bluff.[4] He did, however, struggle with this aspect of his personality. Kenji admitted that his soul-searching scared the absolute hell out of him because, apparently, he was the kind of person who could justify the murder of another person in his own mind.[23] He was aware of how uncomfortable the topic of player-killing was in the official release of Sword Art Online and went out of his way to avoid talking about his activities in the beta, especially around his closest allies.[25]

In a duel Kenji becomes cold and calculating, something even his closest friends have observed.[2] He ruthlessly deprived Loki of his sword-arm and primary weapon during their «Half Loss» duel and told the man directly after being victorious that he wouldn't mind going orange if it meant teaching people like him a lesson.[8] He has likewise expressed considerable knowledge regarding the killing of other players from his time in the beta, which hasn't always been warmly accepted even amongst his closest allies.[25]

History

Kenji grew up on Izu Ōshima, which was one of the volcanic islands of the Izu Peninsula, and described himself as an "island boy".[25] He has a sister and is an uncle to two girls, whom Momoko and Akiye reminded him of.[8] Kenji has been friends with Kusaka Kori for years, having known him since the two were in school, and remained close even when they progressed through adulthood.[5]

Prior to the SAO Incident Kenji's sister, Kireina, had financial problems caused by her partner, resulting in her having to sell her home to resolve his gambling debts. Kenji assaulted him during this time and reportedly broke both his nose and legs. Despite the situation Kenji grew very close to his nieces during this time.[1]

Kenji was a beta tester for the worlds very first VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online, alongside Kusaka.[5] He was a prolific player-killer during the beta test and was, alongside Argo, one of the few testers to discover the existence of the «Martial Arts» Extra Skill. Unlike Argo, who failed to complete the quest and was branded with whiskers for the remainder of the beta test which eventually became her trademark in the official launch,[27] Kenji succeeded after a four-day period with help from a «Trembling Ox».[25]

Synopsis

Main article -- Sword Art Online (Kenji).

Aincard arc

Part I: Companionship

Inbetweeners

Intermission

Part II: Determination

Stats

Stat Value Time
Level 12.[5] December 3rd 2022.[5]
Level 14.[8] December 6th 2022.[8]
Level 15.[11] As of December 22nd 2022.[11]
Level 16.[1] As of December 24th 2022.[1]
Level 28.[24] As of January 27th 2023.[24]

Equipment

Weapons

Name Type Acquisition Notes
«Bronze Sabre» One-Handed Curved Sword Initial Equipment Upgraded to +1 (1S) before his acquisition of the «Scimitar».[7]
Eventually replaced by a Scimitar before December 3rd 2022.[5]
Temporarily used as a last resort in the boss battle against the «Armoured Revenant» on the 5th Floor sub-dungeon on the 30th December 2022.[7]
«Scimitar» One-Handed Curved Sword Received as a rare monster drop on the 1st Floor sometime before December 3rd, 2022.[5] Upgraded to +4 (3S1D)[8] before December 3rd, 2022.[5]
Upgraded to +8 (5S3D) between December 15th & 17th.[28]
Given to Akiye to be reforged on December 30th.[7]
Converted into a «Razor Ingot» on the 31st of December 2022, and used to create the «Razer».[20]
«Anneal Blade» One-Handed Sword Left behind by Loki after he lost his sword-arm dueling Kenji on December 6th, 2022.[8]
Given to Yoshiro on the morning of December 7th 2022.[23]
No enhancements made as of December 6th 2022.[8]
«Pale Edge» One-Handed Curved Sword Received on December 10th 2022, where it languished in Kenji's inventory until December 22nd, 2022.[11] Upgraded to +4 (4S) in the early hours of December 22nd 2022, and used to experiment with dual-wielding.[11]
Broken in the «Dead Woods Mausoleum» by the boss of the dungeon.[7]
Repaired and converted into base materials for use in the forging of «Razer».[20]
«Razer» One-Handed Curved Sword Player-made by Akiye on December 31st 2022, using materials from Kenji's «Scimitar» and «Pale Edge».[20]
«Talon» One-Handed Curved Sword «Last Attack» bonus from an unspecified event Boss encountered by «Brightscale» immediately before the front-line group unlocked the 22nd Floor. Possesses a «Parry» effect.
Possesses an «Arms Destruction» effect.
«Claw» One-Handed Curved Sword Forged by Akiye using an ingot from «Razer». Possesses the «Deadly Darts» Sword Skill.

Armour

Name Type Acquisition Notes
«Cardiophylax» Lightweight neck, upper-body & waist armor. Player-made for Kenji by Akiye using materials from «Zagan the Exile» and various other rare materials.[28] Grants +8 to Strength.[28]
Grants +4 to Agility.[28]
Bonus to the «Hiding» Skill.[28]
«Oxen Cloth Trousers» Cloth Lower-body Player-made for Kenji by Momoko using the skin of a «Trembling Ox.[28] Boosts jumping ability.[29]
Boosts swimming speed.[29]
«Martial Arts Leg Guards» Boots Player-made for Kenji by Momoko using left-over material from «Zagan the Exile».[28] Enhances the damage caused by «Martial Arts» Sword Skills.[30]
Increases «Martial Arts» skill proficiency gain.[30]
«Gloves of the Defiant» Gloves LA Bonus from the «Armored Revenant» of the «Dead Woods Mausoleum».[7] Grants +5 to Agility.[20]

Accessories

Name Type Acquisition Notes
«Unnamed Strength ring» Ring Received December 19th, 2022,[28] as a reward for the «Jade Key» quest.[31] Grants +1 to Strength.[31]
«Sigil of Lyusula» Ring Received between December 26th and December 29th 2022,[28] from Yofilis, after the completion of the «Shipwright of Yore» quest.[32] Allows access to «Dark Elf» areas.[32]
Increases Skill proficiency gain.[31]
Grants +1 to Agility.[32]

Items

Name Type Acquisition Notes
«Poison Vial» Poison Treasure chest reward in the «Dead Woods Mausoleum».[20] Applied to a single weapon with a 1-hour duration. Provides a Level 2 Poison effect.[20]
Refillable.[20]

Skills

Kenji is an experienced, unorthodox, and quick-thinking combatant who performs to a high-standard whether he is alone or in a group, and is labelled the primary DPS of whatever «Brightscale» team he joins.[21] In both the beta and official releases Kenji was a damage-dealer with an emphasis on Strength, whose weapon of choice was the «One-handed curved sword».[5] Despite his DPS numbers being high, Kenji also serves a scouting function. His second Skill slot, «Hiding», allows him to avoid being detected by monsters and players alike, assuming his «Proficiency» is at a high enough level.[8] The «Hiding» Skill also played into his damage and allowed him to launch devestating surprise attacks against unwary monsters, with a supplementary bonus being his ability to hide away his allies as well.[1] His fourth Skill slot, «Searching», gave him an assortment of effects: enhanced cursor identification, enhanced visual range, night vision in darkened areas, and the ability to see players or monsters obscured by the «Hiding» Skill.[6] As his «Proficiency» rose he could also spot traps and hidden passageways, though this was noticeably less potent than the «Composite» discovered by Airi.[7]

Even early on Kenji was known to utilize every option available to him to squeeze out the most DPS possible, and helped Airi do the same.[5] This included buffs to his «Damage-over-Time» effects,[12] and consumable vials of «Poison» that could be applied to his weapons prior to an engagement.[20]

Kenji's unorthodox approach led him to discover numerous system exploits that increased his DPS by a noticeable margin. Most of thse involved his third Skill slot, which was «Martial Arts». The first «Mod» Kenji took, «Relaxed Equipment Conditions», allowed him to launch Sword Skills from the «Martial Arts» tree whilst equipped with a one-handed weapon.[25] An exploit unchanged from the beta involved the skipping of one's «Post Motion» to follow-up with a «Martial Arts» attack. This allowed Kenji to bypass a post-motion delay by immediately transitioning into another Sword Skill, a trait that allowed him to win a «Half-Loss Duel» in a matter of seconds after said duel began.[8] By the time the pre-«Brightscale» group fought «Zagan the Exile», Kenji had mastered the art of chaining Sword Skills; to the point he could perform the exploit in rapid succession, under pressure, without failure.[12] Over weeks of theory-crafting and an entire morning spent in practice, Kenji furthered this exploit to allow for a method of dual-wielding.[11] Although he admitted that the style was fraught with risk, Kenji took it to a level that he could use it in actual battle to engage multiple adversaries at once.[1]

As far as his own defences go Kenji was known to be quite lax, with a marked preference for weaponry over protective equipment.[5] Like Airi, he was in real danger of being killed by «Zagan the Exile», and was actually the sole member of the pre-«Brightscale» group that fought the fearsome Minotaur whose HP fell into the red zone.[12] It wasn't until after the battle with «Zagan» that Kenji began focusing on enhancing his equipment to better aid his survival.[15] His fifth Skill, «Battle Healing», was an evolution of this mentality, and healed Kenji by a rate equal to his «Proficiency» every 10 seconds.[33]

Sword Art Online

SAO SKILL SLOTS
One-handed Curved Sword Hiding Martial Arts Searching Battle Healing
? / 1000
? / 1000
? / 1000
? / 1000
? / 1000

Sword Skills

One-handed Curved Sword
  • «Reaver» -- a basic charging skill with a short delay.[5] Kenji often uses it as his opening skill when duelling to enter close-quarters.[8] He has likewise showed tremendous timing with Reaver; he can deliberately hold the Sword Skill back whilst advancing towards his target, which results in the charging motion to actually take him past his opponent and potentially out of their range.[12]
  • «Shunt» -- a defensive Sword Skill, and the earliest available, which involves a horizontal push. Activated when the hand is placed against the backside of the blade and the user pushes with both arms.[7]
  • «Leaver»[Notes 2] -- a basic two-hit combination skill involving an uppercut slash and a downward stroke. Has a small chance of causing a bleeding debuff.[7] When performed whilst under the DoT buff Kenji claims that Leaver's DoT occurrence actually becomes reliable.[12]
  • «Fell Crescent» -- highly accurate one-hit area attack. He has shown the requisite skill to "aim" the resultant attack, allowing him to hit -- or purposefully miss -- his target.[11]
Martial Arts
  • «Flash Blow» -- the fastest «Martial Arts» skill which consists of a basic thrust with the user's hand.[25]
  • «Crescent Moon» -- a backflip kick technique commonly used by Kenji as a follow-up from Reaver when duelling.[8] His go-to technique when seeking to increase his damage through «Motion Delay Skipping» as the technique can be launched from most positions assuming a back-flip is possible.[12]
  • «Water Moon» -- a roundhouse-kick.[11] Kenji has shown the ability to launch this Sword Skill even under less-than-ideal circumstances.[7]

Supplementary Skills

Searching
  • «Tracking» -- a mod for the «Searching» skill. In 2022 Kenji's skill was at its lowest level, for he could only detect footprints a minute-old. This allowed him to follow Loki, whom Kenji suspected of leading Momoko and Akiye outside town to rob them, without being detected.[8]
  • «Detection Range Bonus» -- a mod for the «Searching» skill. Kenji could see Loki's cursor turn from green to orange from a considerable distance away, and was able to keep track of Momoko and Akiye even when they weren't members of his party.[8]
Battle Healing
  • «Battle Healing» -- a self-healing passive Skill that restores the user's HP equal to their «Proficiency» every 10 seconds.[33] Kenji slotted this particular Skill upon reaching Level 20 and levelled it with help from Kusaka, who pulled hate from Kenji when his HP was low enough for the Skill to be levelled, and Fujimaru, who used his «Healing Waltz» to rapidly replenish Kenji's HP.[24]

Outside System Skills

  • «Hypersense» -- The act of sensing another player's intentions, which often manifests as an odd feeling of tension, even outside battle. Kenji sensed Loki's intentions towards Momoko and Akiye and immediately gave chase.[8] According to Kenji he learned this particular skill during the beta around the time the beta testers arrived at the 5th Floor, where a great deal of PKing was done. By the time of December 22nd 2022, Kenji's sense extended to monster's targeting him for attack, even when his back was turned.[11] Against the «Armoured Revenant» he was able to deflect its attack despite the room being plunged into total darkness.[20]
  • «Wall Running» -- The act of running along walls without falling. As of December 6th 2022, Kenji's agility allowed him to take at least three complete steps along a vertical surface, whilst his strength allowed him to propel himself a fair distance without suffering damage.[8] Only 3 days prior he found the third step difficult.[25]
  • «Water Walking» -- the act of walking on the surface of a large body of liquid. Yoshiro gave Kenji the idea, which he resolved to test.[11]
  • «Motion Delay Skipping» -- the act of bypassing the post-motion delay for a Sword Skill through precisely activating a Sword Skill from the «Martial Arts» category, before the delay begins.[8] Used by Kenji to great effect during his duel with Loki and again during his battle with «Zagan the Exile».[12] By the end of 2022 he had mastered this particular Skill.[7] He eventually extended this particular exploit to allow for a roundabout method of dual-wielding two one-handed weapons, but claimed it was incredibly situational and fraught with risks.[11]
  • «Mislead -- The act of tricking the learning capability of engaged monsters in order to gain an advantage.[26] M»ost prominently employed by Kenji through usage of his dual-wielding without using an actual Skill,[11] which includes usage of the «Quick Change» Mod.[1]
  • «Ambidextrous» -- the ability to use either hand equally with no preference. Kenji is fully ambidextrous, capable of using his right and left hands with equal ability, and does do frequently through his personally developed dual-wielding style.[11][1] Beyond that, it plays into his ability to confuse the learning mechanics of monsters by creating a pattern and suddenly breaking it to give himself an advantage.[26]

Known quests completed

1st Floor quests
2nd Floor quests
3rd Floor quests
  • «Jade Key» -- Kenji, Airi, Yoshiro, Momoko and Akiye sided with the Dark Elves.[15][28]
  • «Vanquishing the Spiders».[15][28]
  • «The Flower Offering».[15][28]
  • «Emergency Orders».[15][28]
  • «The Missing Soldier».[15][28]
  • «Infiltration».[1]
  • «Butterfly Collection».[1]
  • «The Western Spirit Tree».[1]
  • «Pursuit».[1]
  • «Retrieving the Key».[1]
4th Floor quests
5th Floor quests
  • «Suspicious Goods».[7]
  • «Tracking the Goods».[7]
  • «Playing Bandit».[7]
  • «Securing the Mausoleum».[7]

Relationships

Brightscale

«Brightscale» was formed by Kenji and Kusaka on the 3rd Floor of Aincrad. Despite a slower start than some other clearers «Brightscale» eventually joined the front-line group.

Airi Natsume

Kenji first met Airi when she suffered the tumble status when met with a particularly large Dire Wolf. He defeated the wolf with the Sword Skill Reaver and subsequently suggested that she join Kusaka, and he on the path to Tolbana for safety.[5] Kenji was more tolerant of Airi than most and went out of his way to help her in her daily activities,[25] even if it contributed to the slower start joining the front-line.[21] Although he liked Airi he also admitted being somewhat intimidated by her.[8]

The two evidently grew quite close. Kenji noted that Airi, and he eventually revealed various details about their real-life selves to one another, one example being their actual names.[5] By the end of 2022 the two were actively dating.[20]

Momoko and Akiye

Momoko and Akiye where 12-year old twins encountered by Kenji in Tolbana on the 1st Floor shortly after the 2nd Floor was opened, with both reminding him of his own nieces. Kenji ended up protecting the two girls from an orange player called Loki and would have happily went orange himself to protect them.[8] In light of this the girls quickly developed a high degree of trust in Kenji.[23] He subsequently became their guardian in the death game and the two twins joined «Brightscale» as crafters.[13] Due to Kenji often being viewed as younger than he actually is many people, most notably Fujimaru Nakamura, held the belief that Kenji was the twins' older brother. For themselves the twins' viewed him as a father-figure.[20]

Enemies

Kenji made no attempt to hide his beta tester knowledge.[23] He was thankful to Kirito for alleviating some negativity and anger levied at beta testers by creating the "Beater" category, though Kenji himself adopted the new title.[25] Antagonism also grew against him when he admitted that he was the Reaper from the beta responsible for the highest level of PK's in the beta test.[8]

Loki

Loki was an opportunistic former beta tester who attempted to rob Momoko and Akiye under the pretence of guiding them through a difficult quest, but was defeated by Kenji in a Half Loss duel.[23] Kenji admitted that he would happily go orange to teach Loki a lesson and further stated that he would also carry his threat through to its ultimate conclusion should Loki not run away.[8]

Quotes

  • My guild's name is «Brightscale». I'll let you think about its abbreviation -- but I suppose I can give you one small hint! You're talkin' an awful lot of it right now.

Appearances in other media

Specials

Kenji has appeared in a number of specials and one-shot chapters, usually as the main point-of-view character. Whilst considered canon to the rest of Sword Art Online (Kenji), these chapters are designed to be light-hearted and not overly serious, with content that can rightly be called ridiculous.

The specials in question are:

Author's notes

Behind the scenes

  • Kenji's in-game name is created from letters found in his own name: Kenji Hiroshi, creating Kishi. The kanji chosen for Kishi translates to bright samurai. This likewise plays into the name of the guild: Brightscale.
  • Kenji's height and weight measurements, including physical appearance, is modelled on Kaien Shiba from Bleach. The decision to dye his hair orange in-game was made as a shout-out of sorts to Ichigo Kurosaki, who is stated many times in the Bleach series to heavily resemble Kaien.
  • Although Kenji is the primary POV character, the author prefers Fujimaru Nakamura.

Trivia

  • Due to his achievements in the beta -- namely committing the most PK's -- Kenji was the eventual owner of the «Sanguine Sword» Unique Skill.
  • Argo's nickname for Kenji is «Shi».

References & notes

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 SAOK: Roving Rovia
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 SAOK: Inbetweeners I
  3. Progressive Volume 1, Aria of a Starless Night, Part 5
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Kenji's journal entries
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 SAOK: Unexpected Meetings
  6. 6.0 6.1 Volume 8, First Day
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 SAOK: Braving the Depths
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 SAOK: The Karma Scales
  9. SAOK: Inbetweeners III
  10. Guild uniform
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum
  12. 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 SAOK: The Eventful Taurus
  13. 13.0 13.1 Brightscale Roles
  14. Scimitar appearance
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade
  16. Razer appearance
  17. Cardiophylax appearance
  18. Martial Arts Leg Guards appearance
  19. Oxen Cloth Trousers appearance
  20. 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 20.10 20.11 20.12 20.13 SAOK: New Year Resolutions
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Brightscale Teams
  22. Intermission: Matters of Trust
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 23.9 SAOK: The Business of Grinding
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency
  25. 25.00 25.01 25.02 25.03 25.04 25.05 25.06 25.07 25.08 25.09 25.10 25.11 25.12 25.13 25.14 SAOK: Pushing the Frontier
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Volume 6, Chapter 14
  27. Progressive Volume 1, Intermission - Reason for the Whiskers
  28. 28.00 28.01 28.02 28.03 28.04 28.05 28.06 28.07 28.08 28.09 28.10 28.11 28.12 28.13 28.14 SAOK Timeline
  29. 29.0 29.1 Oxen Cloth Trousers attributes
  30. 30.0 30.1 Martial Arts Leg Guards attributes
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 Progressive Volume 2, Concerto of Black and White, Part 2
  32. 32.0 32.1 32.2 Progressive Volume 3, Barcarolle of Froth, Part 7
  33. 33.0 33.1 Volume 2, The Black Swordsman, Part 3
  34. Brightscale Tours

Notes

  1. Yoshiro is 188 cm (6'2" (ca. 188 cm)) tall.
  2. Received at a Proficiency level of 150. Prior to his duel with Loki, Kenji claimed that the DoT buff he introduced to Asuka would do nothing for him. He evidently did not have this skill at the time.