Black★Rock Shooter (original concept)


 * This article is about the character. You might be looking for the anime or the game.

Black★Rock Shooter (ブラック★ロックシューター, Burakku Rokku Shuutaa) is the titular character and main protagonist of many projects, including the anime OVA Black★Rock Shooter, the RPG of the same name, and the manga Black★Rock Shooter ~Innocent Soul~. She was an original concept created by huke who participated in the release of the song "Black★Rock Shooter" by supercell.

She is voiced by Kana Hanazawa in the OVA and by Maaya Sakamoto in the PSP game.

Background

 * see full article: Black★Rock Shooter (Developments)

Black★Rock Shooter is part of a series of original artwork created by a freelance illustrator named huke, who later joined the doujin band supercell as one of its artists. Ryo, the composer of the said band, was inspired to create a song based on huke's works, and the song "Black★Rock Shooter" was eventually created and released on Nico Nico Douga.

Since the song's release, Black★Rock Shooter gained popularity and a number of multimedia projects based on her concept were produced.

Original Concept


Black★Rock Shooter's original design is of a pale-skinned, blue-eyed girl, with black hair in uneven twintails (possibly because one tail was burned); the right lock of her hair is shorter than her left. She bears two scars on her midriff; she wields an arm cannon and a katana later named Black Blade. A blue flame shoots out from her left eye.

Her clothes consist of a string bikini top under a black jacket. The jacket has a white stripe running along the length of each of her sleeves and has a white star design on the front (left side) and back. She also wears a pair of tight-fitting shorts, gloves, and black knee-high boots.

Her weapons consist of a black-hilted katana and a large gun called ★rock Cannon, which can be transformed into a similar large blade also used by Insane Black★Rock Shooter, another concept based on Black★Rock Shooter.

OVA Adaptation
The OVA adaptation added some details to Black★Rock Shooter. Unlike in her original design, her eyes have a concentric circle pattern, a trait she shares with other characters in the OVA.

Black★Rock Shooter is also given a personality in the OVA. She is depecited as a calm and collected girl, not speaking at all until her confrontation with her "other self", Kuroi Mato, near the end of the OVA. She does not focus on anything except the most important thing she has to do at the moment.

She is shown to be very skilled in fighting, despite being quickly taken down by Black★Gold Saw in her first shown battle. Black★Rock Shooter is able to fight evenly with Dead Master, despite appearing to try not to hurt her. Dead Master is able to initially outwit her, but even when she was chained down, Black★Rock Shooter is able to find renewed strength and defeat Dead Master.

Black★Rock Shooter THE GAME
Black★Rock Shooter undergoes another change of design at the release of the PSP game Black★Rock Shooter THE GAME. One noticeable change is that she now has a pair of metallic wings and a jet engine on her back portion, which allows her to maneuver through the air and cushion landings easily. Also, Black★Rock Shooter shows more emotion than her OVA counterpart.

Black★Rock Shooter ~Innocent Soul~
The manga Black★Rock Shooter ~Innocent Soul~ depicts the titular character with a poncho instead of a jacket to cover her upper body. Also, her ★rock Cannon and Black Blade are merged to form her constant companion, which comes in the form of a shapeshifting belt.

Black★Rock Shooter OVA

 * see full article: Black★Rock Shooter (OVA)

Black★Rock Shooter is initially shown in her world, fighting against Black★Gold Saw with the for an unknown reason. Though the silhouette is unclear, it looks like Black★Rock Shooter is impaled by Black★Gold Saw and left to be crushed under falling rocks.

She later appears to be waking up and at the edge of a broken bridge, now wearing a long trench coat, and sporting a new weapon, the ★rock Cannon, along with now displaying the well-known scars from the original designs. She crosses many different scenes and finally ends up at a castle, which turns out to be the residence of the Dead Master. Initially, her reasons for fighting or pursuing the Dead Master are unknown.

Inside the palace, Black★Rock Shooter finds her opponent; she holds out her hand, and the Dead Master responds by attacking. The two begin their fight, with Black★Rock Shooter igniting her eye and powers, both of them seemingly equal.

The Dead Master manages to ensnare Black★Rock Shooter in a web of chains, where she is apparently trapped. However, as Kuroi Mato comes to terms with her feelings, Black★Rock Shooter gains the strength to break from her chains with her bare hands. Once again, she holds out her hand to the Dead Master. The Dead Master is confused, and when she falls off a ledge, Black★Rock Shooter pulls her up and embraces her. The Dead Master, unable to handle this, escapes from Takanashi Yomi's body and dissolves.

Black★Rock Shooter is then shown with Kuroi Mato, her human counterpart. She speaks for the first time to ask Mato if she wants to save Yomi. Mato answers that more than saving Yomi, she wants her back with her. Hearing that answer, Black★Rock Shooter and Kuroi Mato merge together. It is unknown at what point the merge was, but it is implied to have been before the Dead Master fight.

Black★Rock Shooter THE GAME

 * See full article: Black★Rock Shooter THE GAME



Black★Rock Shooter is one of the last residents on a dead Earth, joining the last stand of the remaining forces of Earth to fight against beings called the Seven Apostles. She is considered to be the ultimate weapon, whose abilities are the only hope to save Earth from utter destruction.

Prior to or during the beginning of the game, she seems to be in a tube of some sort, and in a state of stasis.

Black★Rock Shooter ~Innocent Soul~

 * see full article: Black★Rock Shooter ~Innocent Soul~

Black★Rock Shooter is tasked with the duty of maintaining the peace within a world between Heaven and Earth called the Threshold.

Trivia

 * Out of the &quot;other selves&quot; featured in the OVA, Black★Rock Shooter is the only one to be identified by name in the actual anime.
 * The actual length of the Rock Cannon is undefined, as sometimes it's shorter (in the song, OVA, and in the original illustration of huke) and sometimes longer (in a certain illustration and in the figma).
 * BRS is often mistaken as Miku Hatsune due to the fact that both have similar hairstyles and that it is common for the latter to have different costumes in many songs.
 * BRS always gets the "2 characters 1 seiyuu" treatment. BRS and Mato Kuroi are voiced by Kana Hanazawa and WRS and her are voiced by Maaya Sakamoto.
 * She's much taller than her counterpart, Kuroi Mato.

Official Sites

 * Supercell: Black★Rock Shooter
 * Official Site: Black★Rock Shooter Animation
 * Nico Video: Black★Rock Shooter Channel
 * Twitter: Black★Rock Shooter Project