Countless legends surround a sword known as Soul Edge. Some claim it was the ultimate weapon. Others refer to it as the "Sword of Heroes." …A phantom sword with immeasurable power of the spirits…the key to eternal youth…treasure without equal…a panacea to cure all illness… There are even those who consider it the "Sword of Salvation."

Although no one could ever be certain of the sword's whereabouts or true identity, various rumors and folklore spread across the world. In reality, Soul Edge was comprised of twin blades that fed on human souls.

In the latter half of the 16th century, a warrior on a divine mission for the ancient god of forge successfully shattered one of the evil blades. Tragically, shattering the sword produced the opposite effect of what was intended. The balance of power between the swords was destroyed, and the evil of the blades spiraled out of control; its malevolent energy diffused into the sky in a form of eerie light. The phenomenon, which later became known as the Evil Seed, scarred the world with its evil legacy.

The remaining sword possessed the body of a man who took the evil blade into his hands and embarked on a killing spree throughout Europe. Macabre accounts of merciless killings spread fear throughout the entire continent.

Yet the massacres ceased after three years. Four more years passed, and the horrors became a distant memory and people felt safe once again.

…No one knew.

Four years before, a spirit sword named Soul Calibur appeared from the East, as if to answer the call of the raging Soul Edge. No one witnessed the final battle to the death where Soul Edge was shattered. No one knew that the spirit sword was left behind in the vortex of evil to stop the demon sword's powers.

Most people were oblivious to the fact that the peace that followed was the result of this battle, and the spirit sword's existence remained a mystery.

Unfortunately, the peace was merely a façade; the evil blade began spreading its influence, quietly yet surely, throughout the world once again. People unwittingly transported the sword to every corner of the world in the form of metal shards. These pieces of Soul Edge still embodied evil powers. With Soul Calibur lost in the void, it was only a matter of time before the evil sword's dark powers infected the entire world.

The following tales of swords and souls are of those who pursued Soul Edge for their own convictions and reasons...