Kolin

"I didn't quite explain myself before. Let me just say that I utterly despise Bison... but there is another man more suitable to lead this world. That's why I want to destroy Shadaloo. Is that satisfactory?"

—Kolin, in her 'Helen' persona.

"Ehehe... it's so nice to meet you. (うふ... こんなところでお会いするなんて。, Ufu... kon'na tokorode o ai suru nante.^?)"

—Kolin (Street Fighter V)

Kolin (コーリン, Kōrin^?, Russian: Колин), also known by the alias Helen (ヘレン, Heren^?, Russian: Хелен, Khelen), is a video game character from the Street Fighter series, first appearing in Street Fighter III: New Generation as a non-playable character before making her playable debut in the second season of Street Fighter V. She initially takes on a benevolent persona and acted as if she cared for other people, when in reality she is a conniving and devoted agent of the Secret Society, primarily serving as Gill's personal assistant.

Biography

Appearance

Kolin is a long blonde haired, blue eyed, robust but pear-shaped lady. In her first appearance in Street Fighter III, she is distinguished by her asymmetrical updo hairstyle. Kolin wears a finely-tailored black ladies' suit with matching skirt, and walks in high heels. This outfit returns as her 'Nostalgia' labeled costume in Street Fighter V. In Gill's character story, she was seen wearing dark pink eyeglasses.

In Street Fighter V, she wears her hair loose in a longer style, under a black ushanka hat with a four-pointed star decoration at the center. This complements her black Afghanka-style military jacket, which ends in a miniskirt. Thigh high black stockings and fur boots replace the stiletto heels of her secretary outfit.

Her premium Battle costume consists of a dark grey wetsuit showing her bare-muscular legs, over which she wears a grey thermal short vest and various accessories including a gun strapped in a holster across her right thigh. Her hair is tied in a ponytail and she wears black tactical goggles with red lenses pushed up on her head; lastly, she wears a short knife holster around her left ankle.

Her Story costume is a grey military-style jacket with black accents that ends in a miniskirt with yellow trim. She retains her ushanka hat, but further accessorizes the look with a pair of mittens and a yellow scarf that covers her mouth. Her usually bare legs are covered by black tights.

Personality

In Street Fighter III, Kolin appears primarily in the role of dutiful assistant to Gill. When she interacts with other characters, she is a bit standoffish.

In Street Fighter V, she is depicted as a conniving schemer who seems to alternate between two personalities: a false, kind one, with which she acts as a supportive figure to Charlie Nash and a helper to her other allies, such as Rashid, and her true self: zealous, ruthless, cruel, and vindictive, seen when she snaps and throws Nash's unavoidable return to the grave in his face upon Nash expressing doubt in his ability to take down Bison. Despite loathing her adversaries, she was open to admitting that Bison was a thorn in her organization's side as much as he was a problem to Nash and Ryu, however she used Nash for her own personal gain regardless. If Kolin is involved in a fight, she lets her true personality show by belittling her opponents and usually identifying them as inferior to her.

Despite her manipulative personality, Kolin is deeply religious and devoted to Gill and the teachings of the Secret Society. She carries a copy of the Book of Miraha, the Secret Society's holy book, and reads from it for strength when she is disheartened. She despises soldiers and seeks to end all war.

Concept

Kinu Nishimura was in charge of designing Kolin in Street Fighter III.^[5][6] During the development of her playable appearance in Street Fighter V, Kolin was initially an expressionless, merciless cyborg who fought with rope and knives.^[7] At one point when she was almost finalized, the development team considered giving Hopak as her fighting style.^[7]

Character Relationships

Haughty to those that do not impress her, Kolin shows a conceited and detached personality in general and scoffs off those that are not worthy of note for the Secret Society, a result of indoctrination of the organization, and very rarely displays sincere concern and care outside a façade.

Gill

Kolin is deeply loyal to Gill, entirely convinced that he is the prophesied messiah. At the end of A Shadow Falls, she is shocked and honored that despite her failure to satisfy the ancient prophecy with her Nash project, Gill still wishes for her to serve at his side.

Urien

Kolin and Urien appear to have an antagonistic relationship, though she refers to him deferentially as "Lord Urien". Urien is disdainful of Kolin's project with Nash, referring to him as her "mud doll". It is also revealed, as per her win quotes, she is not above betraying Urien, should the opportunity arise.

Juri

During Street Fighter V, Helen and Juri seem to have a somewhat professional relationship since they had a common enemy to take down, M. Bison as well as Shadaloo.

Nash

Kolin believed Nash to be a figure in the prophecies of the Book of Miraha, the warrior destined to defeat M. Bison. She resurrected him for this purpose, and was dismayed when he rejected her mission. She was mortified to discover the prophecy had been about Ryu instead.

Guile

Because Guile reminded her of soldiers that wrought havoc in her homeland, Kolin does not have a favorable view about Guile due to his occupation, and the same would be true for Charlie Nash, except that the latter was under her and Secret Society's command.

Comics

Udon

Kolin appears in UDON's Super Street Fighter comic book series, an adaptation of Street Fighter III. The UDON comics were the first source to portray her as a combatant.

She also appears in the 2015 prequel one-shot Street Fighter V: The Life and Death(s) of Charlie Nash, in which she curiously performs the same plot function she does as Helen in Street Fighter V. Here, instead of operating as Helen, she appears to Nash and the reader unambiguously as Kolin, without a disguise.

Kolin and Urien seemingly discover Nash in the desert, approaching him via helicopter, but later reveal they resurrected him in their laboratory to serve the Secret Society. The desert and helicopter are illusions, and Kolin and Urien are actually speaking to a comatose Nash telepathically, using the Secret Society's technology. Kolin offers Nash a second chance at life if he will serve her willingly, and Nash agrees.

Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers

In Street Fighter VS. Darkstalkers, it is revealed that Kolin had learned of her power over ice from the soul of a Werewolf (though this statement is most likely not canon).

Live-action series

Street Fighter: Resurrection

Kolin appears in the live-action miniseries Street Fighter: Resurrection, credited as 'Illuminati Agent'. She is portrayed by Amy Olivia Bell.

Gameplay

Fighting style and abilities

Kolin fights using the Russian martial art Systema. Like Gill (who gifted her with this power), she is a cryokinetic, able to manipulate ice and snow for various attack effects. She's the second playable character in the series to use ice in her moveset (after Gill), but the first one who fully uses said element.

Before her playable debut, Kolin was implied to be a fighter by Juri in Act 2 of A Shadow Falls, where she displays impressive dexterity and sleight of hand in pick-pocketing two chess pieces from Rashid without his notice.

Kolin displays a number of other supernatural powers over the course of A Shadow Falls: she vanishes into thin air when Nash looks away in Act 1, and she recharges his body in Act 2 by projecting a blue energy into the gemstone in his forehead. She implies she has the power to "touch souls", but cannot do this with Nash as he is dead.

Moveset

Kolin utilizes her cryokinetic powers to turn her hands into icy blades for slashing attacks. Her first V-Trigger is a wave of ice on the ground that prevents the opponent's stun gauge from depleting, and can freeze them solid if the gauge fills. Her second V-Trigger enhances her punches and Hailstorm. It also turns her dash into a skate, and gives her a special version of Vanity Step. Her first V-Skill allows her to deflect and automatically punish incoming moves with ease, while her second V-Skill, gives her a command grab that puts her opponent in an icy state. Her Critical Art has her dash forward with a slice of her hand and if the attack connects, she’ll continue summoning large icicles from the ground, throwing the opponent into the air and shattering the ice to drop them to the ground.

Stage Themes

See also

• Kolin's moves in Street Fighter V

References