Yun Jou
“I'll not live my life as a whipped dog for a bastard like you!”
—Yun standing up for himself against the ruffians
Yun Jou (known as Yuan in the fan translation) is a main character and one of the protagonists in The Successor chapter. Along with Hong and Lei, Yun is one of the possible successors to the Shifu's dojo and his Earthen Heart kung fu. He represents the martial arts of the heart or mind.
Profile
Appearance
Yun is a small, scruffy and dirty boy with a quite dirty face. He wears a purple bandana over short, brown hair, a shirt that's open down to the stomach on the top, a pair of tan pants with stains on them by the knees, and a pair of traditional Chinese shoes.
Personality
Yun is a young, innocent boy who doesn't mean to harm anyone, but ends up being a pawn of the Sun Tzu Wang's gang, in order to gain some money for himself and his sick grandmother. Yun is not very strong physically or mentally, but he will do his best and take an extra mile if he's passionate about something. He begins as a very shy and cowardly boy, but grows up to be strong and confident in himself throughout the plot.
Background
During The Successor
Living a poor life in Wong Village, Yun was forced into having to steal in order to look after his grandmother. He didn't like having to do this, but he finds himself forced into this by Sun Tzu Wang who threatens him and demands he do so for his grandmother. However, Yun eventually grows fed up with this life after a round of stealing and stands up to Sun Tzu Wang despite being outmatched.
Fortunately for Yun, one of the people he had stolen from was the Earthen Heart Shifu who notices the boy's bravery and arrives in time to save him. Seeing this, Yun asks the Shifu to train him. The Shifu allows the young boy to join his lessons and trains him along with two other students, Lei Kugo and Hong Hakka. The three of them train extensively for three days under the Shifu's instructions.
Eventually, they hear about an attack on Yunfa, so the Shifu tells the three of them to remain at the dojo while he handles it. However, during his absence, members of the Indomitable Fist attack the dojo. If Yun is not the most trained disciple, he will be killed in the attack.
If Yun is the most trained disciple, he realizes how much the Indomitable Fist overpowered him and his companions and hides while Lei and Hong are killed. The aftermath fills him with guilt and he feels unworthy of the Earthen Heart as a result. However, the Shifu assures him that he shouldn't blame himself for their deaths telling the young man that he was the one who had provoked them, assuring Yun that the Indomitable Fist would pay for their crimes.
Before leaving, the Shifu teaches Yun his strongest technique, Heavenly Peaks Descent. However, Yun realizes where the Shifu was going and arrives to help feeling he should take action for Lei and Hong, knowing they wouldn't want him to lay back and do nothing. They then make their way to Ou Di Wan Lee and forced to battle his strongest fighters. After beating them all, Ou Di Wan Lee reveals two assassins to finish them off. With this, the Shifu tells Yun to face Ou Di Wan Lee in his place.
Yun manages to best Ou Di Wan Lee in battle, avenging Lei and Hong. However, he finds the Shifu to be dying from his own fight. The Shifu tells Yun how proud he is of the boy's growth before passing.
Later Yun continues to hone his skills and break the boulder atop the mountain, honoring his Shifu and allies and proving himself worthy of being the Earthen Heart Master.
During The Dominion of Hate
Soon after he announces his title of Master, Odio whisks him away to the ruined Lucrece, the boy arriving on the peak of the the Last Hero's Grave, where the party can find the Brion. If not the leader, he will be befriended without any other conditions.
In the game's best ending, he alongside the other six heroes take down Odio, freeing Oersted from his darkness. If chosen as protagonist, Yun expresses to Oersted how he asked too much of himself and lets him know that he understands when one is struggling to the point of not knowing what to do.
During the game's epilogue, he's shown instructing young disciples of Earthen Heart, while Sun Tzu Wang and his lackeys meekly await their turn, showing that they've buried the hatchet.
Bad Endings
If the player chooses to kill Oersted after taking down Purity of Odio, A worried Yun thinks what the Shifu would've done in that situation. Since Oersted was killed too early, the Lord of Dark's hatred is free to continue the cycle, and Yun along with the other six heroes are presumably trapped in Lucrece.
If Oersted was chosen for the Dominion of Hate, the empowered Ou Di Wan Lee kills the last remaining vestiges of Earthen Heart, rendering his struggles all for naught.
Trivia
- Yun´s name is based off of Yuen Biao, an actor and martial artist who played roles along Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.
- His personality is also based off Sha Wujing, one of the three disciples in the novel Journey to the West.
- As Yun has the highest IQ/Special out of all disciples, it's supposed that he mainly relies on technique rather than mere power or speed.
| Imperial China: The Successor |
|---|
| Characters |
| Earthen Heart Kung Fu (Earthen Heart Shifu • Yun Jou • Lei Kugo • Hong Hakka) • Indomitable Fist (Sun Tzu Wang • Ou Di Wan Lee) |
| Locations |
| Mount Aspiration • Wong Village • Yunfa Market • Bamboo Forest • Indomitable Fist Fortress |
| Enemies |
| Wild Tiger • Hot-Headed Lackey • Indomitable Fist Disciple A • Indomitable Fist Disciple B • White Tiger • Chun Chun Pai • San Xi • Su Xi • Yi Xi • Er Xi • Tong Cha • Shan Cha • Nan Cha • Pei Cha • Chan • Lin • Xian • Yi Pei Kou |
| Music |
| Unto the Birds the Heavens, unto the Fish the Seas • The Shifu Descends from the Mount • Clash in China |
| Transcripts |
| 2022 (English) |
| Final Chapter: The Dominion of Hate |
|---|
| Characters |
| Pogo • Earthen Heart Master (Yun Jou • Lei Kugo • Hong Hakka) • The Sundown Kid • Oboromaru • Masaru Takahara • Akira Tadokoro • Cube • Oersted • Odio |
| Locations |
| Seat of the Betrayers • Silent Wood • Condemned Village • The Last Hero's Grave • The Archon's Roost • Trials (Instinct • Skill • Time • Keys • Power • Heart • Wisdom) |
| Enemies |
| Xavier • Polydectes • Oedipus • Daedalus • Teil Queen • Pawnbert • Ruby Tyrant • Cerberus • Lightbringer • Souleater • Dreadbulb • Phantom Rider • Deathfist Disciple • Chrono Legionary • Ravenous Bear • Nekomata • Mecha-Satake 98 • Earthshaker • Entomophilia • Claustrophilia • Babaliyan • Grand Visages • Dragon Killer • Ishtar • Glasya Labolas • Tsunayoshi • Pup Lord • Grammoth • Pistachio • Titanblood • Riftwalker Genzaemon • Roly Poly • Ship of Horrors • Acrophilia • Scotophilia • Hygrophilia • Helios Hound • Darkwall • Shadow • Lucretius • The Bountiful Heart • Jaggedy Jacks • Apophisphilo • Euraokos • Death Prophet • Headhunter • Eyes of Odio • Maw of Odio • Brow of Odio • Purity of Odio • Arm of Odio (Left) • Arm of Odio (Right) • Sin of Odio |
| Music |
| The Dominion of Hate • Silent Labyrinth • Illusion • Pure Odio • Armageddon • Live over Again • Live for Live • Gigalomania |
| Transcripts |
| 2022 (English) • 1994 (English, Japanese) |