Soul Edge (ソウルエッジ Sōru Ejji) is a 1995 3D arcade fighting game developed by the team Project Soul and published by Namco. It is the first installment in the Soul series of weapon-based fighting games. An upgraded and expanded version of the game was ported to the PlayStation later that same year. Namco chose to use the title Soul Blade in Europe, North America and Australia. The game was a commercial and critical success and was followed by a several sequels, beginning with Soulcalibur in 1998.
Soul Edge's events take place in the year 1584. The game tells the tale of warriors searching for the ultimate sword, "Soul Edge". It has been given many names throughout the history, such as "The Sword of Salvation", "The Sword of Heroes" and "The Ultimate Sword", among others. Many strong warriors searched for years, but very few actually found it. The sword, currently in the form of a twin pair of long swords, appeared mysteriously in an auction. It was taken by the dreaded pirate Cervantes de Leon and nothing is known of his fate thereafter. Presently, nine warriors from around the world (Hwang, Li Long, Mitsurugi, Rock, Seong Mi-na, Siegfried, Sophitia, Taki, and Voldo) search for the sword for different reasons. Some desire its power, others want revenge. Some, believing that it is a benevolent sword, crave its support. Others, knowing of its evil nature, seek its destruction. Nothing is known for certain about the sword, except for one thing: it brings misfortune to those seeking it.
