Kirin

From Golden Sun Universe
SummonKirin.jpg
Kirin-icon-dd.gif "A mystical beast cloaked in flame."
SummonIconKirin.gif

Kirin (ジラッフ, Giraffe) is a Summon of the Mars element. It is one of sixteen summons that is automatically available as soon as the player has acquired the necessary Djinn.

Basic Characteristics

For a successful summoning of Kirin, the player must have two Mars Djinn on Standby. Kirin has a base Mars power of 60 and also does additional damage equivalent to 6% of the enemy’s maximum HP. Afterwards, the summoner's Mars Power will be raised by 30 points.

Kirin as it and its rider appear in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.

In Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Kirin's summon sequence features a humanoid on a flaming, two-headed four-horned canine dashing from a forest and charging through the opposition, followed by a wall of fire. In Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Kirin's sequence features a one-headed two-horned beast, and is seen running down a volcanic mountain path. Kirin and its rider merge into a single ball of fire that rushes through the opposition with great speed.

Analysis

Kirin is exactly the equivalent to two usages of the Mars summon sequence. The main bonus of using Kirin is that Kirin provides a larger boost to Mars Power, 30 points compared to the 10 points of Mars. Kirin is typically used in the earlier portions of the game, where the player will have fewer Djinn and weaker weapons and Psynergy. As the player acquires more Djinn, Kirin will typically be ignored in favor of stronger summons like Meteor.

Cultural references

Origin: China/ Japan/ Korea

Kirin is the Japanese and Korean word for Qilin, a creature in Chinese mythology. It is a mythical dragon- or stag-like hooved, horned creature who often arrives in conjunction with the birth of a sage or king. It has been seen as a sign of good fortune and is often depicted as having fire all over its body. Its Japanese name refers to the real world animal, the Giraffe, which was believed by the Chinese Ming Dynasty's court to be a Qilin.

Extended Gallery
Summon sequences
Venus Starter: VenusRamsesCybeleJudgment
Collectable: ZaganHauresCrystalluxCharon
Mars Starter: MarsKirinTiamatMeteor
Collectable: MegaeraUlyssesDaedalusIris
Jupiter Starter: JupiterAtalantaProcneThor
Collectable: FloraEclipseCatastrophe
Mercury Starter: MercuryNereidNeptuneBoreas
Collectable: MolochCoatlicueAzul