Yeouiju (or Yeo for short) is the sacred dragon spirit that guides and protects Kim Wu in Killer Instinct (2013). He is a minor character of the Killer Instinct lore, first introduced in the 3rd chapter of the Killer Instinct Novella, titled "Dragon's Choice".
Story[]
Yeouiju is one of the most preeminent celestial spirits who once dwelled in the Astral Plane where Gargos now holds dominion. Finding a refuge on Earth, Yeo has acted as the ancestral guardian to Kim Wu's matrilineal Korean family for thousands of years. Residing at first within Kim's maternal uncle, Philip Yong, Yeouiju transferred himself to Kim Wu at the moment of his early death.
Yeo would soon reveal himself to Kim in a vision, where he took the guise of a modest Korean male with cat-like golden eyes, before appearing to her in his dragon form. Upon bonding with the fiery young martial arts wonder, Yeouiju emblazoned a beautiful tattoo on Kim Wu's right arm, marking her as the Dragon's Chosen in the coming war with Gargos.
Appearance[]
Yeouiju circling around Kim Wu in Killer Instinct (2013)
Yeouiju resembles a small, translucent Chinese dragon with two antlers, and no visible arms or legs. He is golden in color, and is bathed in an azure aura which alternates between a heavenly bright and a more subtle hue. Yeo can manifest as three different projections of himself, and visibly floats around Kim Wu when she has Dragon Charges available in combat. He himself acts as a powerful projectile when Kim uses her Dragon Cannon ability.
In the Killer Instinct Novella, Yeouiju's human appearance is described as: "a lithe and muscular Korean man of indeterminate age, dressed in silk robes", with "a long salt and pepper colored mustache and goatee" and "eyes like molten gold orbs with a cat's vertical pupils", and who displays "the dignified yet modest bearing of a Kung Fu master."
Quotes[]
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—Yeouiju's first words to Kim Wu, spoken in Korean |
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—Yeo as he (literally) enters into Kim Wu's heart, bonding with her |
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—Yeouiju tells Kim of Hisako's tragic legend during Shadow Lords |
Trivia[]
Killer Instinct Gold - Training
- The Novella's description of Yeouiju's human form precisely matches that of the "dojo master" seen in Killer Instinct Gold 's training mode, which takes place on Kim Wu's background stage.
- Yeouiju shares many characteristics with the Tianlong, the heavenly or holy dragons from Chinese mythology.
- In Korean mythology, "Yeouiju" are mystical orbs that certain Korean dragons are depicted as holding in their claws. It was said that dragons who wielded the Yeouiju were blessed with omnipotence and had the ability to create at will.
- "Yeouiju" is the Korean word for "Cintamani", one of the wish-fulfilling jewels mentioned in Buddhist scripture.
Gallery[]
Killer Instinct "Dynamite" Comics (2017)
