Little Thing About Kira

(Muddy Muddy Mud Nade) #1

When I was looking up what “Kira” in Japanese means, I read that it isn’t even a Japanese word. Instead, it is simply what the word “killer” sounds like in Japanese. So that is pretty accurate to the character, but furthermore the closest word to “kira” in Japanese is “kirakira” which means “shining”. When you think about it, this also perfectly fits Kira as a character as well, since her ability is a shining pillar of fire.
Just a little thread to give props to SD for the details they put into characters.
P. S. the emblem on the back of Kira’s jacket has the words “com divas” written on it. I’ve thrown it into a few translations, but can’t get anything logical out of it. If anyone knows anything about it, let us know!

([ *O.C.B.* ] Wildcard) #2

After looking at the image on the back that the text accompanies, I’ve got a theory. If you look at the depiction on the left there is a dome that very much resembles the design of the one in the backdrop of the map by the same name. When translated from Latvian the phrase “Divas” means two (2); Com is often used as an abbreviation. In the military it is used to abbreviate Command, which in turn can refer to central command outposts or bases, making the phrase stand for Command Outpost Two.

The Republic of Latvia, a sovereign state located in the Baltic Region of Northern Europe and former member of the Soviet Union, uses the Euro and also makes use of the English language alongside their official language. It wouldn’t be too farfetched to guess that they might make use of such an abbreviation from the English language.

Going back to the image, and the map it associates most closely with the layout of, it seems to insinuate some kind of larger installment. Dome is, for all-intents-and-purposes, controlled by the C.D.A.; a government-funded organization in the DB lore. It would stand to reason that it serves as an outpost of sorts as they keep an airship there and have anti-air defenses in place; just like with dockyard both maps have these defenses, something very specific to the military, that would not be just randomly placed for no reason. The presence of such defenses implies the locations to be of greater importance, more than the scenarios we play out would suggest, as the Mercenaries essentially encompass the ground defenses; and it isn’t a great leap of logic to assume it is being used for some purpose beyond the objectives we’re given. Outside this I have nothing I can think of that makes any form of sense.

(ostmustis) #3

she is inspired by the movie akira, they just scratched the a. :smirkira:

(Muddy Muddy Mud Nade) #4

I bet Kira probably stole that jacket lol. Considering she stole the Orbital Designator from the CDA (if the Scrubs trailer is anything to go off), I doubt she was ever employed by them and, if she was, she probably stole the jacket while she was contracted under them.

(HadronZodiac) #5

I’m pretty sure she is named Kira because of some manga or something named Kirakira, and devs were like “That sounds cool AF”

Com divas is latin, heres the explanation - It is derived from the Italian noun diva, a female deity. The plural of the word in English is “divas”; in Italian, dive [ˈdiːve]. The basic sense of the term is goddess, the feminine of the Latin word divus (Italian divo), someone deified after death, or Latin deus, a god.

(LifeupOmega) #6

Yeah, it’s this. Devs confirmed years ago on a stream too. Both have giant lasers, nothing deeper.

(Muddy Muddy Mud Nade) #7

Welp.

(Teflon Love) #8

Here’s the Orbital Laser from the movie Akira in action:

([ *O.C.B.* ] Wildcard) #9

@MuddyGrenade Indeed.

@LifeupOmega I completely forgot that they explained it years ago myself, ah well.

@LifeupOmega @MuddyGrenade I still think the artwork on the back of her jacket says something though; it bares far too strong of a resemblance to the Dome map for me to not think there’s something more to it. Besides we only have confirmation of the origin of the name Kira, yet have no confirmations regarding the choice in the design on the jacket; so my point still stands that there could be more to that.

@HadronZodiac It’s a worthwhile point you bring up. However I can’t find, or recollect at least, any translation for the phrase “Com” in Latin and “Com Divas” as a full phrase is essentially gibberish if translated purely from Latin. However “Com” does translate from Portuguese to English as With. So, taking the information you brought forth into account, it could translate loosely to “With God” or something along those lines; this still leaves the question of the design that the text accompanies unanswered though, so I’m interested in Splash Damage’s explanation on that one.

@MuddyGrenade @HadronZodiac It could also be a combination of the aforementioned abbreviation, “Com” for Command, and the Latin root @HadronZodiac brought up “Divas” for God; this would make it possible that it also translates to “Command God”, which still fits with the thematic tone of her ability if the term Divas is indeed being used in such a context.

Among Kira’s voice lines is the phrase “Fire from the sky”, something that indeed appears notably in depictions from Christian religion. One such instance can be found in the English Standard Version (aka E.S.V.) of “Exodus 13:17-13:22, Pillars of Cloud and Fire” from the Bible:

Exodus 13:17-13:22

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph[a] had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Essentially her “Pillar of Fire”, which she controls and commands, would put this particular potential interpretation of the phrase “Com Divas” into perspective; as it would then translate to the phrase “Command God”. Ultimately, for-all-intents-and-purposes, she is “Controlling” (i.e. “Commanding”) a “Pillar of Fire” and guiding it to her target(s); something that carries potential implications of being a reference or homage to the “Pillar of Fire” spoken of in Christianity’s religious scripture (i.e. The Bible), specifically in the tale of Moses and “The Exodus” of the Israelites from Egypt.

(Xenithos) #10

This… also wouldn’t be the first, or even the second Christian religion themed item that’s made its way into DB. I can think of one other off the top of my head, and I’m sure there’s more.

Oh yeah, and my favorite Jackal line from Underground has one too. :slight_smile:

No-ah action.