Protagonist (Toukiden)

The protagonist in Toukiden is a customizable avatar the player is required to create at the start of each game. Protagonists may "speak" through limited text options during story conversations, but they are mainly present to observe the drama of the NPCs around them. Regardless of the player's choices in the story, their personality is generally described as humanistic and awe-inspiring. The first-person perspective seen in most pre-rendered cinematics is the protagonist's point of view.

Role in Game
Unlike the main cast, the protagonist is identified as a foreigner to Nakatsu Kuni from "faraway lands". He/She has the unique power to harness multiple souls within themselves. It is revealed late in the main story that the protagonist was specifically chosen by the departed heroes to act as their gateway to the living. They wanted at least one person who could clearly hear them and prevent the destruction they experienced in their previous lives.

He/She begins as a new recruit to Utakata Village. The youth quickly earns his/her keep by completing various missions and gradually becomes a trusted defender of the village. When the demons intensify their efforts, the other mononofu devise a plan to stop the source of the horde and promote the protagonist as the captain of their forces. They rely on the protagonist's power to converse with the souls within him/her and Kikka's astral projection to locate the head demon.

The danger surrounding the village is eventually adverted, but it quickly becomes apparent that the demons' seek to create another dimensional vortex. Its destructive powers would be reminiscent to the opening which nearly obliterated humanity eight years prior to the main story. Although they defeat the major demon they think is responsible, the portal refuses to close. Before they can despair, the protagonist calls upon the souls of his/her comrades and use their bonds to close the gate. Their act leads to their new title as the legendary "musuhi", or the "demon" who can seal demons away.

The portal has been closed, yet demons still remain within Nakatsu Kuni. Space-time cannot be fully repaired until their extermination, meaning the protagonist's duties have yet to end.

Character Creation
Players can decide their character's name, gender, face structure, hairstyle, skin tone, and voice at the start of each game. These factors give no additional stat bonuses and are purely for cosmetic effect. There are twenty variations for face, hair, and voice; a color dropper is used for color editing. Players can continue to change their character's hairstyle any time during the game in their protagonist's house.

The protagonist's weaponry and armor can be altered at the player's whim. Currently equipped weapons are present on the character at all times. Armor increases defensive stats and changes a character's overall appearance in the game. Head wear, body armor, gauntlets, and leg armor are individual parts; they can be mixed to the player's preferences. Equipment can be altered at the village exit or the protagonist's house. Equipment macros can be decided and named by the player if they desire to quickly swap between weapons/armor.

In the village's start menu, the player can check their protagonist's personal stats (fourth option in start menu, last option in sub menu). It serves as a quick reference of the player's accomplishments and preferences. If the player is in a team or has created additional protagonists, this feature can be used to check between multiple accounts. Seven subsections are included:
 * 1) Multiplayer profile: lists character title, name, and player message. Title and message can be edited by player. Stats for log-in times and times for online missions completed are kept here.
 * 2) Strengths: protagonist's currently equipped weaponry, souls, skills, and armor.
 * 3) Play stats: play time and total number of collectibles obtained. Lists whatever accomplishments and number of missions are completed with currently selected protagonist.
 * 4) Souls: stats for whatever souls the player has collected. Shows how many times a soul has been equipped as the protagonist's main and how many times their abilities have been used successfully.
 * 5) Duty: mission and side objective stats. Includes fastest completion time and number of times a mission has been attempted. Side objectives tab simply records the ones which the player have cleared with the currently selected protagonist.
 * 6) Kill Record: for demons of all sizes. Checks whether the protagonist has completely dismantled a demon's parts during a mission and keeps track of how many parts the protagonist has personally chopped off.
 * 7) Popular Usage: bar graphs for protagonist's used weaponry, fighting style (soul type), and NPC mononofu comrades. Exact numbers and percentages for each subject are kept.