Kasumi has shown time and time again in the Dead or Alive series that she is an extremely capable Shinobi. The world of Dead or Alive has always shown there are plenty of capable fighters from both the male side and the female side, yet Kasumi stands on top as easily one of the strongest around. Her Mugen Tenshin style allows Kasumi to fly around her opponent with quick and deadly movements all while never losing her graceful appearance. Even when fighting her brother Hayate, known to be one of the best from Kasumi’s village, Kasumi can still stand toe to toe with him proving she isn’t to be taken lightly. Her beauty may be a killer in terms of looks, but with amazing skills in hand to hand combat, it stands to reason that’s not the only killer this runaway shinobi girl has.

For further proof of how amazing Kasumi is as a shinobi, let’s look at her backstory further. Kasumi was the first to win the DOATEC Dead or Alive challenge. This feat caused DOATEC to also kidnap her to begin their plot in making the ultimate fighter. Kasumi is then cloned thanks to DOATEC and her only real challenge is then fighting against said clone to escape the DOATEC facilities. Seriously, Kasumi’s biggest challenge came from her own clone--that alone shows why she is considered to be one of the best shinobi of her village in comparison to her sister Ayane. Kasumi has beauty and deadly shinobi skills; that’s why we consider her to be such an amazing shinobi.

As we stated earlier, Kasumi was the first fighter of the Dead or Alive tournaments to gain victory. Despite the prize being her inevitable imprisonment. Kasumi was up against some of the series’ recurring greatest warriors such as Ryu Hayabusa, Jann Lee and Tina Armstrong. These fighters are all considered martial arts masters or even wrestling greats, and yet Kasumi came out on top. At the time of the very first tournament, Kasumi was only a seventeen year old girl who had only begun to master the art of Mugen Tenshin in comparison to her brother Hayate who had long earned the right of gaining the hidden skills Mugen Tenshin had to offer.

While Kasumi may not have found another victory in the Dead or Alive series, she won the very first and showed the world that a female shinobi can indeed stand against ninjas and wrestlers alike. Kasumi has entered every tournament in the series and still aimed to show she can win once more despite even deadlier opponents also entering to prove their mettle. The runaway female shinobi may have had a fleeting victory, but it was a victory in a new and exciting tournament. This concept alone will allow Kasumi to stand as the series’ first true winner regardless of how many more Dead or Alive tournaments are held.

Many fans of the Dead or Alive franchise have mixed opinions on a few choices made by Team Ninja. One of those mixed thoughts come from the spin off series Xtreme Beach Volleyball that has the female fighters of Dead or Alive fame fighting on the beach in bikinis and swimsuits. Think what you will of the series but it proves to us that Kasumi can live a little and just unwind with a nice game of volleyball after a hard day of kicking butt. These spin off titles have shown a side to Kasumi not typically shown to the world. We could say there are other great reasons why having Kasumi on a beach is also great, but we shall hold our tongues in that regard.

Okay the actual reality of this point is simple: Kasumi is set to be this no holds bar fighter in the Dead or Alive lore. Her skills in the ring show that she is a tough girl that is pretty scary despite her beautiful looks and style. However, when a game of beach volleyball comes Kasumi’s way, she enters without a second notice. Kasumi and the other girls may have been coerced into joining these game thanks to Zack’s ulterior motives, but regardless like the girls, Kasumi made the most out of the situation.

Kasumi is a beautiful girl plain and simple. Whether she’s wearing her traditional attire or a possibly very revealing outfit, shame on you Team Ninja, Kasumi shows she’s got the looks to match her butt kicking ways. Each Dead or Alive title has proven time and time again that Kasumi looks as elegant as her in the ring fighting style is. When you think of a deadly fighter capable of taking down assassins and martial arts masters your thoughts no doubt go to a strong looking fighter. Then Kasumi gets into the fray and like us, your jaw hits the floor in utter surprise.

Team Ninja has been gracious to do many things with their Dead or Alive franchise. Each game of the series has given Kasumi multiple outfits and plenty to purchase and each of these outfits look amazing on the female runaway shinobi. In the spin off series, Xtreme Beach Volleyball, Kasumi is once again allowed to show her beauty regardless of the shape or style of her selected tops. Overall, Kasumi can be and kind of has been put into everything from a cheerleader outfit to a school sailor suit. Regardless of any outfit she is forced to wear, Kasumi will still go towards her opponent ready to stand victorious.

Let’s face it, Kasumi will forever more be a staple to the Dead or Alive franchise and we couldn’t be more happy about that. While a dozen characters have obviously been recurring in the series and spin off games, Kasumi has been there since the very first and stands as a loved figure from both the creators of the game and the fans of the series. Honestly, we here at Honey’s Anime don’t take too many bets, but we’d be willing to bet that Kasumi will be a character that will last throughout the whole Dead or Alive series and will never find her fame waning. Kasumi will remain as Team Ninja’s poster girl of the Dead or Alive franchise for some time to come that can be assured. Let us also add, Kasumi has literally been on the cover of most of the Dead or Alive games.

The concept of a legacy is simply put the realization that a character will forever be known throughout the annals of time. Kasumi stands as such a female figure, she has been featured in other video games outside the Xtreme Beach Volley Ball Series such as Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate and even an upcoming Koei game called Musou Stars. Her fame and allure has had her appear in real life form in a feature length Dead or Alive movie. These accomplishments alone should prove that Kasumi is a timeless mascot for the franchise and Koei series as a whole. Oh and one more thing we at Honey’s Anime want to add, Kasumi’s outfit has found its way into several other Koei and Tecmo games and while that may not be Kasumi, it shows that the game wants at least a literal piece of her.