Gaira Caffeine Gaira First game Samurai Shodown III Voiced by Kōji Suizu (水津 浩志) (III) Takeshi Watanabe (voice actor) (渡辺 健) (IV-V) Takumi Satō (佐藤

Gaira Caffeine
Gaira
First game Samurai Shodown III
Voiced by Kōji Suizu (水津 浩志) (III)
Takeshi Watanabe (voice actor) (渡辺 健) (IV-V)
Takumi Satō (佐藤 巧) (VI)
Information
Birthplace Japan, Hida Province (飛騨?)
Blood type O
Fighting style None
Weapon Namu Abi Dabi (南無阿弥陀仏?), a huge Buddhist rosary

Gaira Caffeine (花諷院 骸羅, Kafūin Gaira?) is a recurring character and is one of the few characters introduced in Samurai Shodown III.

He is the grandson of Nicotine Caffeine and a monk in training. In his ending to Samurai Shodown V, he is comically shaved bald at the whim of several other hairless characters.[8] Years later, with his hair grown back, he and his grandfather have an argument, causing Gaira to leave his home and venture out on his own. During his travels, he witnesses Zankuro Minazuki slaughtering an entire village but is too afraid to stop him. Ashamed by his cowardice, he decides to defeat the "demon",[9] but finds Zankuro already slain. He takes the body, buries and then enshrines it.[10] His later appearances in the series continue to have Gaira exorcise demons as training.[11]

Samurai Shodown III showed the departure of giant and muscular characters (such as Earthquake, Sieger, and Wan-fu) from the cast. Gaira, however, became the "giant" in their place as he boosts incredible strength for close-ranged fighting. He attacks his enemies with a belt of gigantic prayer beads and his fists. With this combination of weaponry, he can grapple and rush into people in his range. He technically may not cut anyone but has the power to rival several bosses in strength. Also, he may "seal" certain actions or "dizzy" his foe, similar to his grandfather.

Gaira has also appeared as a playable character in Samurai Shodown IV, Samurai Shodown V, and Samurai Shodown VI. He also has an EX form in Samurai Shodown VI under his Korean name.[12] His role in Samurai Shodown RPG was an occasional guest member and he was unplayable.