Sunday, November 22, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
the history of my favorite hobby
The History of Anime & Manga
(Created by Marwah Zagzoug, History 135, April 2001) | ||
Assignment How has Japanese animation evolved since World War II? Who were the people who contributed to its change and how was it influenced by the war? Background on Art and Animation (Manga and Anime) The Invasion: Many people in the U.S. probably heard of cartoons like Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, Voltron, Gundam Wing, Speed Racer, Digimon, and the ever so popular Pokemon; Famous cartoons that have bizarre character designs: female characters with beautiful round eyes, hair that is incredibly big, and gorgeous figure and physique. Male characters would usually have enormously huge muscles (as seen in Dragonball Z and GT), powerful bodies and maybe, on occasion, have gigantic robots as seen in cartoons like Robotech and Gundam Wing. Where did all these cartoons come from? To find the answer one must look no further than in Japan, the birthplace of Japanese animation, the main source for all of this madness. Japanese animation, also known as anime (pronounced "ani-may"), is a popular form of animation in Japan which is quickly spreading in the U.S. The major difference between anime and American cartoons is that unlike American cartoons, which are only watched by children, anime is popular among the Japanese adults and is watched by millions. The audience is not merely directed to children but to teens and adults as well. The same applies to Japanese comics known as manga. In order to understand anime and its invasion into the US, a look into its history would be most appropriate. The best place to start is around World War II, since that was the time when the anime and manga (Japanese comics) industry evolved significantly. During World War II the entire Japanese nation was mobilized. The people were forced to conform to the government's demands or pay the ultimate price. According to Frederik Schodt's book, Manga Manga: The World of Japanese Comics, those who failed to cooperate were punished by "preventive detention, bans on writing, and social ostracism, while those who recanted were rewarded with rehabilitation programs and support from the community...artists who had spent most of their lives criticizing the government did an about-face and offered wholehearted support to the militarists" (Schodt, 55). Around 1940, many organizations for artists and cartoonists were formed. Among them were the New Cartoonists Association of Japan (Shin Nippon Mangaka Kyokai) and the New Cartoonists Faction Group (Shin Mangaha Shudan). During that time, the government used the few remaining cartoonists, who were not banned from working or who were not in the army, to influence the people through their artwork by creating comic strips filled with propaganda to use against the nation's enemies. Animation in the US: In another part of the world, an influential artist who went by the name of Walt Disney was struggling as a cartoonist. Long before Mickey Mouse, he started out with Alice's Wonderland and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in the 1920s. Then on November 16, 1928, Mickey Mouse was born and became an instant hit in the US. Disney decided to work on other projects and started on an animated feature film called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film, released in 1937, was a spectacular hit. Things went smoothly for the Disney Studio until World War II came along. Nevertheless, Disney continued to work and released Pinocchio andFantasia in 1940. Although the two were technical masterpieces, the studio was losing a great deal of money since they were losing the foreign market due to the war. Disney then released Dumbo,on a very limited budget, in 1941 and Bambi in 1942. As a result of releasing many expensive and costly films during the war, Disney began to diminish in influence. During the war, Walt Disney Studios released two more films Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros in South America. Throughout the war, Disney concentrated on making propaganda and training films for the military. After the war, Disney Studios struggled to make it back to top as they released several "package" films containing groups of short cartoons packaged together. Among these films were Make Mine Music andMelody Time. By 1950, Disney Studios regained success with the live action film, Treasure Island, and the animated feature, Cinderella. With all the success, Walt Disney felt there was still something he had not yet accomplished. It was not until he found his intriguing attraction to amusement parks that pushed him to build his own theme park, one that children, parent, and people of all ages could enjoy. Thus after many years of planning, construction, and development, Disneyland was built in 1955. It became a monumental park that brought visitors from around the world. Though Disneyland kept Disney rather busy, he, along with his studio and team, continued releasing quality entertainment. Disney released 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Shaggy Dog, the popular TV series Zorro,and Mary Poppins. Unfortunately, the 1960s brought the end of an era: in December 15, 1966 Walt Disney died. However, the Walt Disney Studios managed to survive under the plans that Walt left behind and under the guidance of his brother Roy Disney. Disney remained under Roy's leadership with further releases of The Jungle Book in 1967, The Love Bug in 1969, and The Aristocrats in 1970. By 1971 Roy Disney died and for the next decade, the company was led by a team who was originally trained by the Disney brothers. The team included Card Walker, Donn Tatum, and Ron Miller. The Master Brings Life to Animation: Back in Japan, after World War II, a young aspiring artist named Osamu Tezuka became a cartoonist and released his first work Shintakarajima(known in English as "New Treasure Island"). As a child, Tezuka was a fanatical fan of Walt Disney's early animations. Many were impressed by Tezuka's original style. However, it was not until Tezuka released his ultimate work Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy) that he achieved success; he was pronounced "the Father of Manga and Anime". When Tezuka made a name for himself in the industry, he managed to establish his own production company in 1962. He formed Mushi Productions, where he released his best work, Astro Boy. With Astro Boy,Many recognized Tezuka's original style and approach that was new to the entire industry. The style of his illustrations and characters came from French and German cinema. His characters exploded with life and emotion, and his stories would unfold themselves on hundreds of pages. By 1963, Astro Boy crossed international borders and was premiered on NBC stations all over the US and was still successful with American audiences. After the success of Astro Boy, Tezuka released another work, Jungle Taitei (Kimba the White Lion). There was much controversy in the past about this anime after Disney released a similar version with the movieThe Lion King with Simba as the main character. Although Disney denies this, many believe that Disney stole the anime and recreated it with their own version. (To learn more about the conflict between Disney and Tezuka visit Tezuka's "Jungle King" and Disney's "Lion King").  
Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion are both © Tezuka Productions
Yet with all the success Tezuka receives, he often confesses that comics are his "wife" and animation is his "mistress." (Schodt 160). In 1973, two years after Roy Disney died, Mushi Productions went bankrupt. However, Tezuka still creates comics and animation with a new company. Some of his works include Buddha, Hi no Tori (Phoenix), and one of his more recent works, Black Jack, which is about an outlaw doctor. Besides comics and animation, Tezuka is a liscenced physician with a medical degree from Osaka University's College of Medicine. That would probably explain why many of his works "are characterized by their humanism and respect for life... [and] often have a scientific or medical bent." (Schodt 160) Later on, other artists came to take some of the spotlight such as Akira Toriyama, Rumiko Takashi, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and many others. Miyazaki, who works for Studio Ghibli (or www.onlineghibli.com/), is one of the most famous and most respected anime artists of today. Some of Miyazaki's works are Kiki's Delivery Service, Heidi, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and his recent masterpiece Princess Mononoke.  My Background on Anime and Manga: As for me, I have been an avid otaku (fan) of anime for a very long time. I am more of an anime fan than a manga fan since I own and view more anime. I started out with anime ever since I started watching cartoons when I was little. I was exposed to anime back in Saudi Arabia because till this day, mostly all of the cartoons they show for children are originally anime except they are translated in Arabic. I moved here in the U.S. around 1990, when I was about 7 or years old, and for the next few years started watching nothing but American animation. I always thought to myself that the cartoons here were very different from the cartoons back in Saudi Arabia (I never really knew it was anime at the time.). Though I hardly found any Japanese animation in the states I continued to watch my Arabic translated anime since we owned a Sony VCR brought from Saudi Arabia. On occasion when my father would travel, I would give him a list of anime that I wanted and he would get it for me. Of course, many of these tapes were under different titles than the original anime from Japan. Among the Arabic anime I have seen are Mazinger, Grandizer, Metal Man (Al-Rajul Al-Hadidy), Sandibell, Sally (The Little Princess), Lady, Captain Majid, Captain Thabit, Ninja, Al-Darba Al-sa Iqa, Al-Ramyatul Multahiba, and many more. For many of you otakus out there, you may not recognize these titles. Unfortunately, I do not know the original Japanese title they were under. However, those of you familiar with Arabic anime may recognize some of these titles. Anyhow, that was my source of anime but it still was not enough for me. I knew there had to be anime here is the states, I just did not know where to look. It was not until I found Sailor Moon which aired on in the US around 1995. I recognized the style of animation and I was sure that it was not American animation. That was when I learned that all the cartoons I have loved were originally from Japan and were called "anime." I took up drawing and sketching as a hobby which, and I tried to draw characters from various anime I've seen. Around 1998, I came across Cartoon Network, and I started seeing more anime. I watched more Sailor Moon, as well as Robotech, Voltron, Ronin Wariors, and many others. Then I did some research on the internet and learned more about anime, the different types of anime, and some terms used in the Japanese pop culture. Along with that, I also learned about manga and realized that many anime start out as Japanese comics before they become animated features. Till this day, I still continually learn more about anime and manga. Some recent anime I have watched or have been watching are Ranma 1/2, Dragon Ball Z, Gunadam Wing, Lain, Princess Mononoke, Tenchi Muyo, Slayers, Weiß Kreuz, and the latest would probably be Ruruoni Kenshin. I also continue to draw, developing my own style and forming my own characters, hoping that someday I will create my own anime and manga. As Osamu Tezuka was a fan of Walt Disney, I will always be a fan of Osamu Tezuka and Hayao Miyazaki. Marwah Zagzoug (aka Shinigami) Timeline 1914 - Cartoonists were among the first Japanese artists to experiment with animated motion pictures. 1918 - Momotaro by Kitayama Seitaro became Japan's first world wide success. However, the manga industry was still growing slowly and had a long way to go. 1932 - Before the WWII, Seitaro released the anime, Chikara To Onna No Yononoka. 1941- The Japanese government used cartoonist to make comic strips with propaganda to use against their enemies. 1947 - After World War II, Osamu Tezuka became a cartoonist and released his first work Shintakarajima (known in English as New Treasure Island). 1951 - Osamu Tezuka created the milestone manga, Tetsuwan Atom orAstro Boy, as it was known in the US. As a result, years later he became a pioneer in anime, and was the man responsible for the success of anime and manga worldwide. 1956 - The production company, Toei Animation, was founded by Hiroshi Okawa and released its first feature, The Tale of the White Serpent. 1958 - Tezuka furthers his talents entering the anime world. 1961 - Tezuka founded the Osamu Tezuka Production Animation Department, which eventually became Mushi Productions. 1962 - Manga Calendar was the very first anime to be aired on television. 1963 - Tezuka's Astro Boy premiered on NBC stations. 1970's- Various "mecha" anime (anime with giant robots) took over. Among them were G-Force, Battle of the Planets, Great Mazinger, andStar Blazers. 1979 - Mobile Suit Gundam, the originial version of the current animeGundam Wing premiered and was a huge success which turned into a nation wide obsession. As a result, the series was released into three theatrical films. 1986 - The artist, Akira Toriyama, released the series Dragon Ball, which became one of Japan's most popular anime shows. Later, the series went on forming Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT.  
Dragon Ball Z ©TOEI ANIMATION and FUNimation Productions.
1995 - The girls anime, Sailor Moon, was aired in the US. 1997- Cartoon Network launched Toonami, a segment that showed non-American cartoons which later on proved themselves to be more than worthy of watching in the US. 1999 - Pokemon was released in the US and it hit the country by storm! Sometime during the same year, Miyazaki released the movie, Princess Mononoke with help from Disney. 
Princess Mononoke © Studio Ghibli and Miramax Films
2001 - Outlaw Star, the most current anime to be aired in the US, is showing on Cartoon Netwrok's Toonami. WWW Sites There are countless sites about anime, some general and some specific. To learn more about anime history many anime fans, known as otakus like myself, suggest that one should read Michael O'Connell's A Brief History of Anime. This is a very popular and very useful site. Another informative site one would want to visit is Anime on TV History. Understanding Animeis also another useful site to learn about the various forms of Japanese Animation. This site has information about the art, character designs, mechanical designs, and more. One more site to include is the History of Manga. Unfortunately, the only problem with this site is that the pictures and images are broken. Besides that it has some good information on manga, Japanese comics which are usually how most anime start out as. The 33-year History Of Television Anime: From 1962 to 1995 shows an excellent list of all anime that has been shown in the U.S. As for sites non-related to anime but related to general or American animation, some of the best sources are to visit are Disney, Warner Bros., Hanna Barbara, and Cartoon Network. In the U.S., Disney was a pioneer and was very influential in the animation industry. To learn more about Disney animation and how Disney started out, I recommend Net Disney's Info facts. Recommended Books Anime! A Beginner's Guide to Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy, Titan Books, 1993. The Anime Movie Guide by Helen McCarthy, The Overlook Press, 1997. The Complete Anime Guide by Trish Ledoux and Doug Ranney, Tiger Mountain Press, 1995. Dreamland Japan by Frederick L. Schodt, Stone Bridge Press, 1996. Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics by Frederik L. Schodt, Kodansha International, 1983. |
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
little mac's profile
little mac is 17 years old, 5' 7" (170 cm) (4' 8" (142 cm) in the nes version), weighs 107 lb (49 kg) and
hails from the bronx, new york.he is interested in
getting into the world video boxing association,
wich has a long history of rookie boxers joining the ranks in an effort to become world champions
pits profile
Pit (ピット Pitto) is the main protagonist of the Kid Icarus series, first appearing in Kid Icarus for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987 (1986 on the Famicom), followed by an appearance in Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters for the Game Boy in 1991. Other than a handful of cameos in other Nintendo games, Pit did not make a major appearance again until the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, seventeen years after Of Myths and Monsters, in which he was one of the first newcomers shown and one of the starter characters.
Pit is Palutena's most loyal servant, as well as the captain of her army. He is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Kid Icarus" in reference to the English title of the series. Pit is always armed with his trusty bow and arrows and prefers ranged combat, though he has demonstrated a fair amount of melee capability.
Contents[hide] |
Characteristics
Appearance
In earlier games, Pit appeared as a very young-looking, cherubic angel wearing a simple white chiton with a pair of sandals, and metal cuffs. He had short brown hair, and small white wings that are incapable of flight. In Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters and beyond, he dons a gold laurel crown. Since his reappearance in Brawl, he was given a major redesign by Masahiro Sakurai. Pit now looks to be a boy in his early teens, about 13 years of age[2], with a height around 160 cm (5'3") tall[3]. Sakurai used Link from The Legend of Zeldaseries as a guide for Pit's current look (including the approval of Pit's creator)[4]. The modern design has blue eyes and many tufts in Pit's hair including a single unruly cowlick. His chiton remains white, now decorated with red and gold hems with vine-like patterns. It is fastened on the shoulder by a single gold fibula with a red gem embedded in it. He wears the outfit with a brown belt and a gold triangular buckle. Pit also appears to wear a skin-tight navy blue undershirt and shorts beneath. The angel now has a pair of brown and gold cuffs on his wrists, a gold bracelet on his upper left arm, and another gold ring on his right thigh. Pit's sandals are brown, decorated with crossing beige bands and fuzzy white trims.
Personality
Like most Nintendo protagonists, Pit is typically goodhearted, selfless, and heroic. He is generally very upbeat no matter what the situation (although he can be genuinely serious when needed), which certain characters, including both foe and ally, can find it a nuisance. Pit frequently banters, cracks jokes, makes outrageous puns, and constantly breaks the fourth wall. He has made references to other Nintendo games such as Dr. Mario, Metroid, and Nintendogs. Pit also possesses a strong sense of justice, and believes in protecting humanity and the heavens from those that seek their destruction. His loyalty to Palutena is unmatched, and he always addresses her as "Lady Palutena". Pit even states the main reason he fights in the first place is because of her. However, his absolute trust and dependence on Palutena has shown to be a major weakness, as Pit's courage and morale (and in some cases, his sanity) will falter if she is not present. Although not the smartest angel around, he is shown to be quite knowledgeable with video games, particularly from other Nintendo franchises. Even at one point, he was called a "video game historian". Pit also has a large appetite (which may have rubbed off from Palutena) and will eat almost anything regardless of where it comes from. Overall, his mind never seems to be too far from food even during battles. He is shown to be a devout lover of hot springs, which Palutena (and once, Viridi) will occasionally conjure up for him. Pit strongly follows the "angel's code of conduct" to the point he even refuses to remove his clothes when entering water. However, the truth behind this is because the angel is frugal and wants to save on laundry.
Due to his young age, Pit is childish, gullible and naive. He is unfortunately not very bright either (but he can still have his moments). Pit is illiterate and has trouble understanding complex vocabulary used by Palutena. Some characters even sarcastically insult his intelligence, and his inability to detect sarcasm makes things easier for others (Ironically, Pit can sometimes make sarcastic statements himself). Pit can become oversensitive, especially when someone brings up the topic regarding his inability to fly, or when someone insults his goddess. He can even be slightly narcissistic at times, believing he is an attractive-looking person. However, he can become insecure when being compared to someone else with better looks. According to Palutena, Pit embarrasses easily, and Pit himself admits he gets stage fright. Despite his position as captain of an army, he seems to strongly prefer working alone (with the exception of Palutena), as Pit shows reluctance whenever someone offers help, and the angel states that he doesn't need his or her assistance. Regardless of Pit's quirky and sometimes immature behavior, Palutena and the centurions view him as a respectable servant and captain.
However, the existence of Dark Pit may indicate Pit is not always as kind and friendly as he appears.
Abilities
Despite Pit being a flightless angel, he is still a skilled and versatile fighter. He originally started out as an archer that mainly specialized in using the Bow, but over the years he has become more experienced with using various weapons like the Blade, Claws, Cannon, etc. Even though Pit has a childish appearance, he seems to possess great physical strength, and is capable of utilizing massive weapons like the Arm or Club. He is commonly described to be the most powerful warrior of Palutena's Army. Viridi even comments he is destructive as "a hundred Reset Bombs", and the Chariot Master states he possesses a "deep reservoir of strength". The angel has also learned to use impressive abilities and magic known as Powers which are granted by Palutena. Although he has access to numerous weapon classes, he has preference for bows, specifically the Palutena Bow, which is also his signature weapon.
Appearances
Kid Icarus
At the beginning of the first game, Pit began as a young angel boy, trapped in theUnderworld. Palutena, the Goddess of Light, had been imprisoned, so she entrusted Pit with a magical Bow and the duty of gathering the Three Sacred Treasures, defeating the Goddess of Darkness, Medusa, and saving Angel Land. Pit must journey through the Underworld, Overworld, Skyworld, and finally, the Palace in the Sky in order to gather the Three Sacred Treasures and free Palutena.
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
In Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Pit is charged with training for the defense of Angel Land, after Palutena foresees an invasion of demons led by a monster called Orcos. The training involves the Three Sacred Treasures, which Pit must unite. However, because of a dire emergency, Palutena had entrusted the Three Sacred Treasures to the fortress guardians. To prevent Orcos's invasion, Pit must once again obtain the Three Sacred Treasures.
Manual Description
The main character of the game. He has has been ordered on a mission by Palutena.
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Single Player
Pit learns quickly from Palutena that the Underworld Army had come forth, signalling Medusa's return. At Palutena's request, Pit leaves Skyworld using the Power of Flight and heads to That First Town, where he finds that the humans haven't lost hope and are cheering the return of the Goddess of Light. Pit fights through the town and defeatsTwinbellows. Pit then heads off to Dark Lord Gaol's Castle to aid the humans in their battles against the Underworld Army and meets Magnus, a powerful human whom he teams up with to defeat Gaol, but finds that Gaol was actually a human woman.
Later, Medusa sends the Underworld Army straight to Skyworld, likely in retaliation for Gaol's defeat, and Pit heads out to defeat Hewdraw in That Burning Town. Then, Palutena sends Pit to the Reaper Fortress to disable the obscurity the Reapers were using to hide Pandora. While there, he runs into the dreadedEggplant Wizard, lamenting his past with this creature. He continues on to defeat the Great Reaper, thus completing his mission.
Having found Pandora's Labyrinth of Deceit, Palutena sends Pit there next but both encounter mind-boggling troubles within the labyrinth. Once he reaches his destination, Palutena later explains that they're looking for the Mirror of Truth, an object that creates a copy of the true thoughts and feelings of whomever looks into it, and that the Underworld is using it to duplicate monsters. Pit reaches Pandora and defeats her once, and she shows him the Mirror of Truth, which he destroys it. However, just as he does, the Mirror casts a reflection of him and creates Dark Pit. Instead of following Pandora's orders, Dark Pit hits her and teams up with Pit to defeat her. However, as soon as she falls, Dark Pit knocks Pit back. Pit argues that he is the original, but Dark Pit ignores him and dives through Pandora's remnants, gaining an ability of his own to fly indefinitely, and he leaves before Pit can pursue him. Palutena tracks Dark Pit down and sends Pit after him, fearing that he may be allied with the Underworld Army, but an exchange between Dark Pit and Medusa reveals that he has no intentions of aligning himself with her. Pit follows him to a location of ruins and battles him before Dark Pit retreats.
Palutena and Pit return to the focus of defeating Medusa and he heads for the Seafloor Palace, meeting Poseidon along the way before he enters the palace to defeat Thanatos, who has the Underworld Key, a gem that allows the owner to travel into the Underworld. Pit defeats him and claims the key, but learns from Palutena that he'll need the Three Sacred Treasures to challenge Medusa along with the fact that said weapons were stolen by the Space Pirates. Pit goes to retrieve them before the Underworld Army can, defeating the Pirates and a Space Kraken.
Pit then dons the Three Sacred Treasures and heads to the Underworld, fighting through both her usual minions and souls crafted to resemble Twinbellows, Hewdraw, and Pandora, before finally challenging her to a battle. Pit defeats her and returns to Skyworld, believing his battle is over, but Hades, the true lead of the Underworld reveals himself as the mastermind behind Medusa's resurrection and the invasion. Pit changes targets to Hades and heads to a volcanic area to fight off the Underworld Army, only to find that Hades was after the Wish Seed, an object that the Phoenix was guarding. The angel goes to defeat the Phoenix, despite learning that the Wish Seed was a fake, sparking a beacon to the humans that the Phoenix had been beaten. Hades uses the beacon as an opportunity to alert the humans that the Wish Seed had been stolen, leading to a great war between them for the chance to get it.
Pit embarks to survey the damage and see if he can find a way to stop the chaotic fighting, but is quickly cut off by the actions of Viridi, the Goddess of Nature and the leader of the Forces of Nature, who sends a Reset Bomb to wipe out the warring humans due to their reckless behavior and the ways they destroy the earth. Pit enters the area affected by the Reset Bomb to find it covered in dense vegetation. He frees the few human survivors and tracks down Cragalanche, a servant of Viridi. Pit defeats it and returns to Skyworld. Viridi's actions cause the war to become even greater as she too has joined the fray.
Pit goes to the Reset Bomb Depot to put a stop to Viridi's production of her ultimate weapons, and despite her avid protests and sending of her Forces of Nature to get in his way, he destroys the depot. Later, he heads to the Lunar Sanctum to challenge Arlon, one of Viridi's high-ranking followers, only to be ambushed by Dark Pit while there. Pit triumphs over both adversaries and effectively blows up the Lunar Sanctum, unknowingly freeing a creature. Pit then heads to defeat Phosphora, another of Viridi's loyal followers, putting a large dent in Viridi's plans.
However, before they can do anything else, Hades, Viridi, and Palutena find that their world is under attack by a mysterious race of aliens known as the Aurum, and Palutena sends Pit to deal with the threat before they destroy everything. The three sides make a temporary alliance to stop the Aurum. Pit, with a little help from Pyrrhon, the self-proclaimed Sun God, destroys the Aurum. However, Pyrrhon betrays them and fuses with the Aurum Brain. Fortunately, he still makes his way back to Aurum Pyrrhon and defeats him, causing an end to the Aurum invasion.
Unfortunately, before he can celebrate, Pit finds himself having been turned into a ring of sorts. However, a girl comes across the ring and put it on, causing Pit to take control of her. He finds that a nearby human town is under attack and sees the Centurions among the chaos, then decides to investigate. However, the girl trips and falls, losing the ring, and it is picked up by a dog. Using the dog, he hurries to the town and finds that his body is attacking the town, much to his confusion. He then finds Magnus, who seems reluctant to take the ring, but Magnus eventually puts it on. The two then find out Pit has taken control of Magnus's body and they can communicate, so Magnus explains that three years had gone by since they met, and Palutena had apparently disappeared for a time, and later returned with her army and attacked humanity. The two then decide to work together to defeat Pit's Body.
Shortly later, Viridi retrieves him and sends him to Skyworld, where he discovers that his home had been ruined by the continuous attacks caused by the Underworld. Palutena tells him that she was sick of dealing with the humans and prevents the angel from entering her temple with a force field. Pit retreats to Viridi for the time being and then goes to obtain the Lightning Chariot, hoping to use it to break through the barrier surrounding Palutena's Temple. After battling its former master, Pit successfully takes it and breaks into the temple, finding that Palutena had been possessed by the Chaos Kin. Pit defeats it and frees her, only to find that the Chaos Kin had stolen her soul and disappeared within the Chaos Vortex. Dark Pit shows up, claiming that the two needed to rescue Palutena's soul immediately.
Pit heads into the Chaos Vortex to pursue the Chaos Kin and eventually tracks it down, only to have it disappear for a time and trap him within an endurance battle between him and itself. Dark Pit shows up later to help him through it, and the two defeat the Chaos Kin. However, as Pit is checking on Palutena, the remnants of the Chaos Kin capture Dark Pit and send him off the edge of the platform the three were on. Without a second thought, Pit jumps after him and begs Viridi to let him fly. Viridi refuses, telling him that it would just cause his wings to catch fire. Pit doesn't care, realizing that the Chaos Kin was only going to destroy Dark Pit, and Viridi reluctantly gives him the Power of Flight. Pit catches Dark Pit and Viridi sends them back to Skyworld with Palutena, and they find that Pit's wings had been badly burned. Palutena cradles his unconscious body, lamenting the state of her captain and remembering his former wish—to fly on his own.
In payment for saving his life, Dark Pit heads to the City of Souls and the Rewind Spring in order to restore Pit's wings, only to find along the way that Hades had been using souls not only to craft his army, but also as a meal. Dark Pit continues on and reaches the Spring, where he battles a resurrected Pandora. After defeating her, Palutena sends Pit to him and he dips the unconscious angel's wings into the spring, ultimately restoring his wings and reviving him. Pit returns to Skyworld, ready to fight.
Pit dons the Three Sacred Treasures once again and heads out to confront Hades, but Hades destroys the holy armaments and swallows the angel. Pit fights his way though Hades's bowels until he comes across the god's heart, which he defeats. Once the battle is over, Dark Pit saves him using the Lightning Chariot and Palutena retrieves them both.
Having lost the Three Sacred Treasures, Palutena sends Pit to the smith god who created them, Dyntos. Once there, Dyntos challenges Pit to pass three trials, involving Pit's proving himself by defeating recreations of former enemies and bosses along with the new weapon itself. Pit triumphs and claims the Great Sacred Treasure, a robotic weapon that he mans from the inside. Pit uses it to head out and confront Hades once more, and manages to weaken the Lord of the Underworld significantly. Unfortunately, Hades all but destroys the Great Sacred Treasure and prepares an attack that will kill Pit, but a revived Medusa shows up and stops him before he destroys her. Palutena instructs Pit to take the cannon of the Great Sacred Treasure and focuses her power to charge it as Viridi gives Pit the Power of Flight. Once the charge is complete, Pit fires it and defeats Hades, bringing the war to an end.
Pit then flies over the nearby land to check on its state, reflecting on the battle. While he is doing so, Dark Pit joins him, also using the Power of Flight, and Pit heads to follow him toward the horizon before flying off on his own higher into the heavens as the credits roll.
Multiplayer
Pit is also playable in Together Mode, but only in Light vs Dark. He will appear when the last Fighter on the Light Team is defeated when the life gauge depletes.
Idol Descriptions
Pit
Our hero and the captain of Palutena's personal guard. Pit is a powerful warrior despite his youthful appearance. Wielding many new weapons and gifts from Palutena, Pit is no longer limited to the bow of his past adventures.
Pit (Rallying Cry)
Pit strikes this pose when trying to look cool, especially when yelling at Underworld fiends. He put so much time into creating it, even bosses are supportive of the effort.
Pit (Wingless)
Pit suffers the mortal injury of losing his wings after exceeding the limits of the power of flight to rescue Dark Pit from deep within the Chaos Vortex. Almost reunited with Palutena after three years, fate keeps them apart.
Pit (Revived)
Pit after the recovery of his wings in the Rewind Spring. To transport him there, Dark Pit has to first fly through the Underworld, finding the spring, which allows Palutena to transport Pit to that very same spot.
Pit (Injured)
Hades shatters the Great Sacred Treasure with one vicious clap. Pit takes the brunt of the damage, unable to rise and fight. Yet just as Hades moves to strike the final blow, an unlikely ally appears.
Pit (Victory)
After Hades's ultimate destruction, Pit's exclamation of "Victory!" isn't inspired by the thrill of defeating his nemesis or the gratitude he feels for Palutena. Rather, it is a spontaneous expression of joy and relief.
Our hero and the captain of Palutena's personal guard. Pit is a powerful warrior despite his youthful appearance. Wielding many new weapons and gifts from Palutena, Pit is no longer limited to the bow of his past adventures.
Pit (Rallying Cry)
Pit strikes this pose when trying to look cool, especially when yelling at Underworld fiends. He put so much time into creating it, even bosses are supportive of the effort.
Pit (Wingless)
Pit suffers the mortal injury of losing his wings after exceeding the limits of the power of flight to rescue Dark Pit from deep within the Chaos Vortex. Almost reunited with Palutena after three years, fate keeps them apart.
Pit (Revived)
Pit after the recovery of his wings in the Rewind Spring. To transport him there, Dark Pit has to first fly through the Underworld, finding the spring, which allows Palutena to transport Pit to that very same spot.
Pit (Injured)
Hades shatters the Great Sacred Treasure with one vicious clap. Pit takes the brunt of the damage, unable to rise and fight. Yet just as Hades moves to strike the final blow, an unlikely ally appears.
Pit (Victory)
After Hades's ultimate destruction, Pit's exclamation of "Victory!" isn't inspired by the thrill of defeating his nemesis or the gratitude he feels for Palutena. Rather, it is a spontaneous expression of joy and relief.
Super Smash Bros. Series
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Pit only makes a cameo appearance in this game as one of the numerous trophies.
Trophy Description
The head of Palutena's personal bodyguards, Pit traveled near and far to gather Three Sacred Treasures that
- Kid Icarus (7/87)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- More in-depth article at SmashWiki: Pit (SSBB)
Pit is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and is available as one of the starter characters. He was one of the first newcomers announced at E3 2006.
His special attacks, other than his side special, are inspired by the Three Sacred Treasures. His specials are the Palutena's Arrow, Angel Ring, Wings of Pegasus, and the Mirror Shield. After obtaining the power of the Smash Ball, Pit can use his Final Smash: Palutena's Army, to call upon a swarm of Centurions to attack his opponents. His main weapon is called the "Sacred Bow of Palutena" and has the added new feature of being able to split into dual swords (a trait that would carry on to its appearance in Uprising). Pit uses both swords and bow for his aerial, standard and smash attacks, changing the weapon between three different forms to attack. The bow is also used as the symbol as representation for the Kid Icarusseries.
Pit is one of three characters possessing wings, so he is capable of gliding. The other two are Meta Knight and Charizard.
This is also the first game in which Pit has a speaking voice. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Minami Takayama, while in the English version he is voiced by Lani Minella.
Pit currently ranks at 17th out of 38 characters on the tier list, but has held higher spots in the past.
Role in the Subspace Emissary
In the Subspace Emissary, Pit is first seen watching Mario and Kirby battling on a stadium through a magical pool in Skyworld. When he sees the stadium get engulfed by Subspace, Palutena appears and sends him to defeat the Subspace army, giving him his bow. Pit soon meets Mario, who was knocked out of the stadium by Petey Piranha, the act of which turned him into a trophy before he landed in the Sea of Clouds near Skyworld. Pit and Mario quickly team up and set out to defeat the Subspace army. They eventually form a larger party of fighters with Link, Yoshi and Kirby, which joins up with other characters later in the story.
Eventually, all the characters, with the exception of Luigi, Ness and King Dedede (and Sonic, who only appears at the end, as well asJigglypuff, Toon Link, and Wolf, the three of whom are absent from the storyline altogether) join up and invade the Subspace, only to get turned into trophies by Tabuu. However, he and most of the others are rescued by King Dedede, Luigi and Ness, who had been absent in the invasion. Pit takes part in the final battle against Tabuu with all the other characters.
Trophy Descriptions
Pit
The captain of the royal bodyguards of Palutena, goddess of light and ruler of Angel Land. The dark goddess, 
- Kid Icarus, 1987
Palutena's Army
Pit's Final Smash. An image of the goddess Palutena appears, heralding 
| Pit's special moves in Brawl | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral Special | Palutena's Arrow | ||||
| Side Special | Angel Ring | ||||
| Down Special | Mirror Shield | ||||
| Up Special | Wings of Icarus | ||||
| Final Smash | Palutena's Army | ||||
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
| “ | Captain of Lady Palutena's Guard | ” |
—Pit's title from the Boxing Ring stage.
| ||
- More in-depth article at SmashWiki: Pit (SSB4)
Pit returns in the latest instalments of the popular series as a starter veteran. He was the firstBrawl-originated veteran to be announced back in E3 2013. His slightly updated appearance and new moves are inspired as seen in Kid Icarus: Uprising. He now has the Upperdash Arm,Guardian Orbitars, and Power of Flight as his new specials. Pit also gained a new Final Smash, which is now the Three Sacred Treasures. However, he lost the ability to glide, as the technique has been removed from the games.
If a player uses Pit's down taunt on the Palutena's Temple stage in the Wii U version, it will activate Palutena's Guidance.
Antony Del Rio, who portrayed Pit in Kid Icarus: Uprising returned to voice him in this game, but was left uncredited.
Trophy Descriptions
Pit (3DS/Wii U)
Pit is the captain of Palutena's royal guard. Despite having wings on his back, Pit needs the Power of Flight from Palutena in order to truly fly. In Smash Bros., he can still get more air than most, with four jumps and a special move that boosts him higher. He has a new reflect move—it protects both sides!
Pit (Alt.) (3DS/Wii U)
Pit's side special Upperdash Arm delivers an uppercut so strong, it can send foes flying for a KO. If you miss and fall off the stage, Pit's up special can bring him soaring back. Another of Pit's specials is Palutena Bow, which fires arrows Pit can aim even after they've left the bow.
Pit (Eggplant) (3DS)
Let's squash a misconception right now—there is nothing worse than being turned into an eggplant. Just lettuce tell you, being hit by an eggplant bomb is humiliating. It leafs you without without mushroom to manuever and also makes you a laughing stalk of your friends.
Three Sacred Treasures (Wii U)
The Arrow of Light, the Wings of Pegasus, and the Mirror Shield—three legendary artifacts that Pit once used to defeat the evil Medusa. When you activate Pit's Final Smash, he can use them in this game too! After firing a barrage of different bow attacks, his final shot will cause powerful light pillars to rain down on the battlefield.
Pit is the captain of Palutena's royal guard. Despite having wings on his back, Pit needs the Power of Flight from Palutena in order to truly fly. In Smash Bros., he can still get more air than most, with four jumps and a special move that boosts him higher. He has a new reflect move—it protects both sides!
Pit (Alt.) (3DS/Wii U)
Pit's side special Upperdash Arm delivers an uppercut so strong, it can send foes flying for a KO. If you miss and fall off the stage, Pit's up special can bring him soaring back. Another of Pit's specials is Palutena Bow, which fires arrows Pit can aim even after they've left the bow.
Pit (Eggplant) (3DS)
Let's squash a misconception right now—there is nothing worse than being turned into an eggplant. Just lettuce tell you, being hit by an eggplant bomb is humiliating. It leafs you without without mushroom to manuever and also makes you a laughing stalk of your friends.
Three Sacred Treasures (Wii U)
The Arrow of Light, the Wings of Pegasus, and the Mirror Shield—three legendary artifacts that Pit once used to defeat the evil Medusa. When you activate Pit's Final Smash, he can use them in this game too! After firing a barrage of different bow attacks, his final shot will cause powerful light pillars to rain down on the battlefield.
| Pit's special moves in SSB4 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special | Basic | Custom 1 | Custom 2 | |||
| Neutral Special | Palutena's Arrow | Piercing Bow | Guiding Bow | |||
| Side Special | Upperdash Arm | Interception Arm | Quickdash Arm | |||
| Down Special | Guardian Orbitars | Impact Orbitars | Amplifying Orbitars | |||
| Up Special | Power of Flight | Striking Flight | Breezy Flight | |||
| Final Smash | Three Sacred Treasures | |||||
Other Appearances
Captain N: The Game Master
Pit appeared as one of the main characters in the cartoon, Captain N: The Game Master. Here, he was referred to as "Kid Icarus" and, after initial suspicion, became Kevin's loyal sidekick next to Duke. He was voiced by Alessandro Juniali. Pit is drawn with a comically larger head (with a massive cowlick) in comparison to the rest of his body and is constantly in flight, as though he already possessed the Wings of Pegasus. He has a tendency to append the catchphrase "-icus" to words (and sometimes maximus for large things) and speaks as a young teenager just hitting puberty. No longer satisfied with normally deadly arrows, Pit has a large selection of different projectiles in his quiver with a large variety of functions, and he always seems to have the right one for the job (ranging from saw-bladed arrows to pizza arrows); sometimes, however, he pulls the wrong arrow and simply must make do with whatever he drew. One episode was centered on the plot of Kid Icarus, with the team trying to collect the Three Sacred Treasures. Kid Icarus came from the "Mount Icarus" realm.
Tetris
Pit appeared in the official Nintendo version of Tetris, as an instrument player alongside Samus of Metroid fame and several of Nintendo's other characters. In this appearance, he was depicted playing a violin or viola in the ending. This may be a pun on his choice of weapon, as the tool used for playing a stringed instrument is also called a bow.
F-1 Race
He made a minor cameo, cheering the player on in Course 8.
Kid Icarus 3D Anime
Pit makes an appearances in all three animated shorts, however he plays the role of the protagonist in Thanatos Rising. In this feature, he battles Thanatos and his Underworld forces to prevent them from attacking a human town using a stolen Trojan Horse. In Medusa's Revenge, a small bit about Pit's back story 25 years ago is shown, and later his confrontation with Medusain Uprising. In Palutena's Revolting Dinner, Pit is tasked to bring tomatoes for Palutena's "vegetable surprise", but a problem caused by his goddess later forces him to fight a group of sentient vegetable monsters.
NES Remix 2
Pit appears in this game as one of the main playable characters.
Gallery
Trivia
- There are not any proper angels in Greek mythology, but there is one archer with wings; Pit bears a very striking resemblance to the cherubic Eros (also known as Cupid in Roman mythology), the god who would inspire love by shooting people with arrows. In popular culture, Eros/Cupid is often depicted as having arrowheads shaped and colored like hearts due to his love motif, and some of Pit's art and his trophy from Super Smash Bros. Melee depict his arrowheads as looking like hearts.
- Pit's own name seems to be derived from Cupid himself, particularly from the pid part. There is evidence to this as seen in the Japanese version of Uprising as shown in Chapter 11, Viridimentions that Pit's name (which is ピット Pitto in Japan) is unoriginal because he resembles Cupid (キューピット Kyūpitto).
- Pit also draws inspiration from Icarus, the figure for whom the series is named: For example, at the end of Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Pit flies up toward the sun, and his wings fall off. This alludes to the story of Icarus, whose wax-and-feather wings allowed him to fly, but, caught up in the moment, he disobeyed his father, Daedalus, and flew too close to the sun, causing the wax holding the wings together to fall off, causing him to plummet to his death. A similar allusion is made in Uprising, when Palutena notes that the Power of Flight can only sustain Pit for five minutes before his wings burn up, causing him to fall, and he must reach his destination before that happens.
- In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pit appears as a trophy, with the words "Will he ever fight again?" imprinted on it, which could be a foreshadowing of his eventual inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- A romantic interest between Palutena and Pit was implied in the best ending in the original Kid Icarus. While this is not touched upon as much in Uprising, she and Pit are shown to be incredibly close and Palutena is quite protective of him. However, it should be noted that this ending was not in the original Japanese version of Kid Icarus, and was only in the English version, making it possibly not canon.
- Pit appears to be ambidextrous as he is shown to be capable of using weapons skillfully with either hand. However, he is mainly depicted to be left-handed in the classic Kid Icarus games (as shown in his artwork) and in his Super Smash Bros. appearances (including his Melee trophy), while he is mainly right-handed in Uprising.
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