Kushinada

Kushinada (クシナダ Kushinada) is a young woman living in Izumo, and is an NPC in Golden Sun: The Lost Age. She is the fiance to the warrior Susa. However, the vicious monster called the Serpent awakens in Gaia Rock, and the Izumoans determine that only offering one of the town's women to the Serpent as a sacrifice can appease it. By lottery, Kushinada is chosen to fill in this dreaded position. Kushinada secludes herself within a small house, trying to keep up her courage to face her eventual death and insisting that Susa and anyone else not be let in to see her until the time comes. Susa, in the meantime, selflessly goes into Gaia Rock to battle the beast outright, hoping to slay it using Dragonsbane and the Cloud Brand before the time of Kushinada's sacrifice.

In Golden Sun: The Lost Age
As it would turn out, Felix's travelling party happens to arrive in Izumo and head to Gaia Rock, having decided that they would explore the various Elemental Rocks and collect the various Psynergies contained within. As they do this, they find Susa is unable to defeat the Serpent, even with his knowledge of its weaknesses. However, Felix's party further weaken the nigh-invulnerable Serpent by shining sunlight onto it, allowing them to defeat it in battle, although they find they cannot finish it off. Susa seizes his chance and delivers the final blow with the Cloud Brand, slaying the Serpent and ending the need for a sacrifice, thus saving Kushinada's life.

News of the Serpent's defeat travels fast and upon Felix's return to Izumo, they find the town filled with the music of celebration, holding a great festival, although the townsfolk do not know who it was that actually felled the Serpent. Felix's party introduces themselves rather humbly, giving Susa credit for the Serpent's defeat. Susa in turn, having returned later than Felix, is reluctant to accept the praise, and cites Felix as the main catalyst to the victory. Regardless, the fact that they all made it out alive causes Kushinada to become happy again, and she announces she plans to raise a son with Susa who they will call Takeru. She promises to tell Takeru about "Felix's great deeds", vowing to herself that if Felix's descendants are ever in trouble, Takeru will come to their aid.

In Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
An early magazine preview confirmed that Susa and Kushinada would make a return in Dark Dawn. Dark Dawn reveals that she has married Susa and has two children with him: Takeru and Himi. Due to Izumo being flooded by a tidal wave, she and the rest of the citizens were forced to relocate and found the city of Yamata. After Uzume dies of an illness, she and Susa take over as the city's rulers, with Kushinada becoming Queen. At some unseen point in the game, Kushinada's son Takeru leaves Yamata in search of Isaac, as Himi had prophesied that he was in danger.

Kushinada is first seen desperately leading prayers for Himi, who had fallen into a coma after the Grave Eclipse was activated. Despite these prayers nothing is able to wake. She works herself to exhaustion, and later collapses while Matthew and his party are talking to Susa. Himi later wakes up, thanks to the Third Eye treasure that Matthew had been carrying. When Himi decides to join the team, Kushinada is visibly devastated at the thought that both her children will be gone. She is placed in bed to rest, and Susa stays by her bed, watching over her.

Quotes

 * In Izumo:
 * Kushinada: "Susa, don't come for me... (trembles) If I see you, I'll surely lose the courage to sacrifice myself for Izumo."


 * Woman: (Thinking) What if losing Kushinada makes Susa return to his wild ways?


 * Kushinada: (After the Serpent is defeated) "I don't care who defeated the serpent... I'm more worried about what happened to Susa."


 * Kushinada: (Thinking) If Felix's descendants are ever in trouble, our Takeru will rush to their aid.


 * Thirty years later:
 * Kushinada: "We must exorcise the evil spirits from Himi's body. Ancestors, grant us strength!"


 * Kushinada: "Ohn hima gini, haracha hataya sowaka."


 * Kushinada: (Collapsed on the ground from having overexerted herself in her attempt to restore Himi from her comatose state) "Himi... Himi..."
 * Susa: "I know you want to help Himi, but you need to rest now, for her sake..."


 * Kushinada: "I feared this day would come ever since we arrived here. Now it has arrived, and Himi is leaving. Though I have just sent my son off, I must now send my daughter? How much more will fate ask of me?"

=Cultural reference= Kushinada is obviously the equivalent of the maiden in the Japanese Kushinada legend. In the legend, Kushinada was rescued from the serpent-dragon Yamata no Orochi by the god Susano-o, who afterwards married her.

Trivia

 * This family tree posted on Nintendo of America's official Twitter page claims that Kushinada is a playable character in the first two games, and that she does not return in any form in the third, both of which are erroneous.