Kubira
Stats
Japanese:	クビラ Kubira
Debut:	Manga: Chapter 4
Profile
Gender:	Male
Hair Color:	Black
Eye Color:	Black
Nationality:	Unknown
Affiliation:	Striders Strider Matic Unit
Strider Rank:	A
Weapon:	Knife

Kubira (クビラ) is a character exclusive to the Strider Hiryu manga, as one of two enemy Striders under Matic's orders. Though it appears he's absent from the NES adaptation, there are swamp areas on the Africa stage who have crocodile enemies coming out of the water. Given the area also has Arana's cameo as a generic enemy, it's safe to assume the crocodile are related to him, if they're not representing Kubira himself.

Member of Matic's Strider Unit, Kubira was a fellow student with Hiryu in training school^[1]. Ever since then, he got his body genetically reconstructed and physically altered, giving him fishlike scales to increase his battle abilities underwater, allowing him to spring ambushes while hiding on water, and dragging his enemies under with him, where he has the advantage. He has also increased strength and stamina (being able to swim all the way from Africa to the Amazon^[2]) and can breath underwater.

Kubira is well aware of Hiryu's superhuman strength and mastery of the Cypher, as he witnessed during their time in training school, and even confessed to have feared Hiryu back then^[1]. He's, apparently, confident now that his new skills will make up for that, though.

StoryEdit

MangaEdit

Arana and Kubira were given orders from Matic to take care of Hiryu and Kain as they traveled the Amazon jungle aiming to reach one of Enterprise's institutes. After Arana's defeat, Kubira awaited for them on the Amazons river. Just as Hiryu and Kain are crossing through the waters, Kubira snatch Kain from below and knocks him by slashing his stomach, spreading blood on the water so the nearby crocodiles would react to its scent and devour him. With the crocodiles on their way towards Kain, Kubira stops Hiryu on his tracks and attacks him. Kubira drags Hiryu underwater on a chokehold, where Hiryu is unable to use the Cypher due to its electric properties. He has planned it this way, knowing Hiryu's mastery of the weapon.

However, just as he's about to attack, Hiryu is able to break free of his hold and return to surface. Forced to resurface too, Kubira looks around for Hiryu. Taking his chance, Hiryu jumps onto him and stabs him in the chest with his Cypher and then activates it, sending an electric discharge through Kubira while at the same time stopping his alligators from reaching Kain. Before dying, Kubira calls Hiryu a fool, believing he'll die with him now that he used the Cypher in the middle of the river. Hiryu, however, used a wire he picked up from his battle with Arana earlier to cling onto a nearby tree, avoiding the current surge.

ReferencesEdit

Strider Manga/NES Series
Main Articles	Strider Hiryu (Manga) • Strider (NES) • Moto Kikaku • Tatsumi Wada • Masahiko Kurokawa
Characters	Arana • Commander • Faceas Clay • Hiryu • Kain • Kubira • Kuramoto • Matic • Police Chief • Sheena Game Exclusives: Badger • Dragon Fiend • Flash Blade • Kodiak • Ryuzaki Manga Exclusives: Captain Keith • Kazakh Institute Scientist • Mariya • Rin • Yuri
Stage Enemies	Doberman • Egypt Soldier • Giant Robot • Hunchback • Machine Cannon • Mechanical Snail Robot Frong • Russian Infantryman • Scuba Soldier • Sharkman • Sky Wing • Spark Machine
Technology	Cypher • Kali • Phantom Train • Shadowtag Bullets • Stealth Chopper • T-48 • ZAIN Project • Yggdrasil
Locations	Africa • Australia • China • Egypt • Japan • Kazakh • Los Angeles • Red Dragon
Groups	Enterprise • Kazakh Secret Police • Striders • Strider Matic Unit