Maxi is a pretty decent character in Soul Calibur II, along with the rest of the Soul Calibur series. In a weapon-based fighting game, even though some weapons make very little sense compared to swords and spears, you still need to have a nunchaku-wielding warrior in the cast.

I had assumed he was Japanese, but the name Maxi really does not fit. He is actually from the Ryukyu Kingdom, which is part of Japan today, but during the century this is set in, they were an independent kingdom with connections to both China and Japan. However, they obviously did not fare well against the samurai once they decided to take over. Though this was a long and gradual process.

While Maxi’s range is fairly limited, he has so much energy and such stylish moves that he easily makes up for it. If he gains enough momentum, stopping him becomes a real challenge.

To be honest, whether I am facing him as a computer opponent or a human adversary, he does not make me as nervous as some of the other characters when it comes to winning or losing a match.

He is not one of my top favorites in the game, but he definitely deserves a place in Soul Calibur history. I let my kids play the game with me, and none of them seem to like him very much, which is their loss, I suppose.