Shu is the stylishly handsome and indispensable strategist of Suikoden II. A man of mystery, he is cunningly clever, not even the all knowing detective can find out much about his past.

Shu wields no weapon nor does he possess great fighting skills, but the man should be revered and feared all the same, for his mind is the most powerful and dangerous of all weapons. His composed manners command obedience and exactness in carrying out his orders, a must for any winning strategy, everything is on a need to know basis.

With great insights into the affairs of the world and the personalities of people, Shu is capable of outsmarting anyone with his methodical strategies, strategies that can even seem ruthless at times and exploit the fragile aspects of human emotions and weaknesses.

The game portrays Shu as a self-serving man, a point that I would like to further qualify. Is Shu self-serving, yes, but is blind selflessness really a virtue? I would argue not. Shu is too intelligent to be motivated by any warm fuzzy good feeling impetus that most people thrive on. Instead, he is a man driven by something far more profound and personal. However, when Shu does decided on a cause, he is completely devoted and determined, even to the point of risking his own life.

I am not sure if this was the original intention behind his name, but “shu” means book in Chinese, and Shu is certainly a learned man of great books, as evidenced by all the “difficult looking” books that one can find in his private room. Moreover, Shu shows us his tender side in the kitty cat that he always keeps in his room. ~_^