Art by Jon Haward.
Shadow Yamoto is one of the nine Eternal Champions, a team of warriors brought back from the dead by The Eternal Champion. She may be seen as one of the most important, having been trusted with her own solo mission.
Previous Life and Death[]
Yamoto was a corporate assassin working for the Black Orchid Corporation. Her job was to liquidate certain individuals whose activies were at odds with the group's international business 'objectives'. She continued in this line of work, never questioning the morals of her missions, until she discovered that failure to complete a task meant that another assassin would come looking for her, ready to eliminate her. Disillusioned, she resolved to expose the terrible corruption she saw all around her. Unfortunately, before she could do so, she was pushed from the 101st floor of a Tokyo tower block.
Eternal Champions[]
Before she could die, Shadow was summoned into the future by The Eternal Champion, believing she could be capable of ridding his world of The Overlord. To this end, Shadow entered a tournament against eight other Champions, the victor being allowed to survive and fight another day. Yamoto trained hard, hoping to hone the fighting moves that may save her lives. She took an instant dislike to Larcen Tyler, a fellow Champion who interrupted her practice and mocked the thought of dying. She was also the first to question The Eternal Champion's motives for picking just one winner when the nine of them would fare much better together. Nevertheless, she dispatched of caveman Slash easily, getting her into the final rounds. Before the battles, Yamoto made a pact with Larcen and Midknight, vowing to defeat Trident and to stick together at the end. On the final day, Yamoto won the bout with Trident, but the pact was destroyed when Midnight's bloodlust kicked in. The final battle fell to Yamoto and Midknight, the vampire barely winning. Yamoto should have been killed, but Midknight refused, remembering his promise. The only two left, Yamoto and Midknight were tasked with regrouping the Champions.
While training to fight The Overlord, Yamoto and Rax Coswell were sent to investigate the streets they would be saving. The pair stumbled upon The Dream Bank, where humans were subjected to virtual reality that affected their minds long after they were dead. In a fight with the local troops, Yamoto is subjected to the dream machines where she feels utterly peaceful, only returning to the real world thanks to Rax. Ordering her comrade to free the humans from their prison, Yamoto leads the civilians in a fight to the finish.
Yamoto's full mission with the rest of the Champions is to stop Nakano and his Bio-Key research, research that would eventually lead to the creation of The Overlord. She leads her friends into battle with Nakano's henchmen and they all move on together to Nakano Industries, but Yamoto is the first to be captured, along with Slash and Blade. She is subjected to a mind-scan, but the assassin proves resiliant, refusing to divulge any of her plans to the criminal. After leading her fellow champions into the computer room to destroy Nakano's files, she teams up with the rest of the Champions. It is then down to Trident to end the battle with Nakano.
Shadow's status as a leader figure is consolidated when she is sent to the 1920s to wipe out organised crime. Her orders are to start her own criminal organisation as the White Orchid, hoping to flush out all the other gang leaders. Her investigation goes well until she is assisted by Larcen Tyler, native of this period in time, who has been explicitly ordered not to get involved. The undercover work eventually leads to Shadow and Larcen getting themselves captured by Mr Tagliani, who ties them up in an explosive-rigged car. Yamoto's razor fans eventually come to the rescue and the assassin kicks out the car's door, allowing the heroes to escape. Fortunately, Larcen also has the documents that will put Tagliani and company away for a long time.
Special Moves[]
Yamoto has the ability to turn into "shadow", making her invisible and almost impossible to hit. She uses this technique to sneak up on her enemies and attack, something she did against Slash in the tournament.
The assassin carries with her a razor-sharp fan and several other ninja weapons that she somehow manages to keep hidden on her person. Her other known special moves are the "high jump angle", a "smoke screen", her "flying mine uzime" and a "flying step tobi ash".
Character[]
With her flowing, long, black hair and porcelain features, Shadow is said to be very beautiful. Her hair and leather boots conceal many ninja tools and weapons. She appears coy and mysterious, almost childlike - quite charming in an innocent sort of way. This is all for show, as she is ruthless and calculating deep down.
Yamoto enjoys making fun of the primitive Slash and Trident, yet only in a way that doesn't let them know she's doing it. She also teases Rax cruelly, but secretly is flattered by the attention he gives her. Her best friend is Jetta Maxx, the only person she'll confide anything in. She has also been known to get on with Larcen, working with him on a mission, despite his arrogance getting in the way of her mission.
Ever since her death, Shadow has gained a fear of heights; missions that involve abseiling and climbing aren't her favourite. She has also got a new unlucky number - 101 - the number of the floor she was pushed from!