Susa

Susa (スサ Susa) is an NPC central to a subplot that takes place in Izumo and Gaia Rock during Golden Sun: The Lost Age. He also plays a minor role in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. He is confirmed to be an Adept; while his element is never explicitly stated in-game, most evidence suggests that Susa is a Venus Adept.

The Lost Age
A resident of the town of Izumo, Susa is the younger brother of the town's mayor figure Lady Uzume and is to be wed to the maiden Kushinada. However, the dragonlike Serpent within Gaia Rock awakens and begins to terrorize the town, leading to the selection by lottery of Kushinada to be the one sacrificed to the Serpent in order to appease it. Susa obviously disagrees with this decision and goes into Gaia Rock to battle the Serpent himself. He brings in barrels of sake (Dragonsbane in the English version) and feeds them to the dragon in order to weaken it by putting it into a drunken stupor. After a while Susa attempts to slay it with the Cloud Brand, but the Serpent is still too strong. It is up to Felix's party to battle and defeat the monster for Susa.

Following the battle, Izumo celebrates both the defeat of the Serpent and the survival of Susa and Kushinada. After the cutscene in which the two and Uzume thank Felix's party, Kushinada reveals that they plan on having a son together named Takeru, and promises to tell him about "your [Felix's] great deeds", vowing to herself that if Felix's descendants are ever in trouble, Takeru will come to their aid.

In Dark Dawn
Thirty years after the Golden Sun event, Susa is married to Kushinada and has two children: Takeru and Himi. He has become much calmer compared to his youth, and is widely respected by his people. At some point a tidal wave destroys Izumo, so Uzume moves everyone to the southern portion of Nihan and founds the city of Yamata. Unfortunately, she dies of an illness soon after. Afterward, Susa and Kushinada become King and Queen of the new city.

When the Grave Eclipse brings destruction on much of Weyard, Kraden, accompanied by the children of the Warriors of Vale, seeks Susa in order to gain information on the Eclipse. Susa is surprised to see Kraden alive, as the scholar is well over 100 years old. Kraden reveals that he stopped aging due to his exposure to the Golden Sun, a fact which amazes the young Adepts traveling with him. Susa reveals that his daughter, Himi, has been unconscious since the Eclipse began, and while Kushinada has been leading prayers, nothing has been able to wake Himi.

Suddenly, Kushinada collapses from exhaustion, so Susa rushes to tend to her. Matthew and his group rush to see what has happened. Suddenly, the Third Eye, a treasure Matthew had gathered earlier, reacts to Himi's presence and combines with Himi, waking her. Susa is initially frightened and angered that something has happened to Himi, but is relieved when he realizes she is okay.

Susa then hears Himi give a prophecy on how to stop the Grave Eclipse; the Adepts must find Umbra Gear that will protect them and allow them to fire the Apollo Lens, ending the eclipse. Because the Third Eye has granted her the Psynergy necessary to find the Umbra Gear, Himi announces her intention to accompany the Adepts. Susa reluctantly lets her go, as he realizes that her destiny is to help stop the eclipse.

Quotes

 * In Izumo:
 * Woman: (thinking) What if losing Kushinada makes Susa return to his wild ways? I hope he fights the serpent... If he loses, at least he won't have to bear living without Kushinada.


 * In Gaia Rock:
 * Susa: (thinking) ''Who do they think they are? I'm the only one who can save Kushinada.


 * Outside Gaia Rock:
 * Susa: "You're going to tell Kushinada that you defeated the serpent, aren't you?" (If Felix says no) "Please, you were the ones to defeat it, so you should be honest and accept credit."
 * Susa: (thinking) Kushinada is safe... that's all that matters!


 * Thirty years later:
 * Susa: "We have escaped the darkness so far, but I don't wish to see it spread. I will help however I can. Unfortunately, I don't know how much I can help. Kushinada and Himi, on the other hand..."


 * Susa: (After Kushinada collapses from overexerting herself in her attempt to restore Himi from her comatose state) "This is why I wanted her to stop... It does Himi no good if Kushinada works herself to death caring for her!"


 * Susa: (Thinking) "I wish I knew enough to lead the prayer vigils. Then I could let Kushinada rest. But there's nothing I can do."


 * Susa: (After the Third Eye floats from Matthew's inventory and imprints itself into Himi's forehead) "What was that...? What did you do to Himi?! I ASKED YOU WHAT YOU DID TO MY DAUGHTER!"


 * Susa: (After hearing that Himi was "chosen by the Watchtower's treasure") "Hold! I DEMAND MORE OF AN EXPLANATION!"
 * Himi: (Rises and begins to partially float off the ground) "Allow me to give it, Papa: I have to help these people stop the eclipse."
 * Susa: "Little Himi, you've just woken up. You're not making any sense..."


 * Susa: "On hearing Himi's words, I know she truly was born to stop this terrible eclipse. Now that I know this, I cannot selfishly force her to stay here. I wish it were otherwise."


 * Susa: (Thinking) "Ancestors, please look after my daughter. She is too precious to lose. Not long ago, I would have stopped her from going. Now I know that I mustn't."

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn's encyclopedia entry for Susa:

This king of Yamata is the father to Himi and Takeru and husband to Kushinada. He was a hero of Izumo in his youth. While the younger Susa was wild and uncontrollable, age has mellowed him, and he has earned the respect of his subjects.

Cultural References
Susa's name is a shortening of Susanooh, the Japanese God of Storms who slayed the Serpent-dragon and saved Princess Kushinada of Izumo from being a sacrifice to the beast. Susa is one of many characters in the Golden Sun games with a name that is a diminutive or alteration of a historical or legendary figure, but it is possible that this diminution is intended to reflect the fact that Susa, unlike Susanooh, is not a god.

Yet, like Susanooh, Susa sets out to save the maiden Kushinada from a dragon, uses sake to weaken the dragon, beheads it with a powerful sword, and afterwards marries Kushinada. In the Izumo Cycle, Susanooh draws the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, – the Cloud Brand – from the tail of the Serpent after slaying it, and presents it as a a reconciliation gift to his sister, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. Likewise, the Goddess bequeaths the blade to her grandson, Prince Ousu, who is known as the Yamato Takeru and becomes the progenitor of the Japanese royal family. It is no wonder then, that Susa and Kushinada in The Lost Age name their son Takeru.

Trivia

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