Silva

Silva (シルバ) is a fictional character from the anime and manga series of Shaman King. He is the Patch officiant responsible for overlooking Asakura Yoh, "Wooden Sword" Ryu, and—after Chrom's death—Tao Ren as well. Unlike most of the Patch Priests who just oversee the fights, to make sure they are following the rules, Silva believes that the Patch Priests should intervene more in the fights, to avoid the massive death count fights leads to.

Appearance
Silva is a tall and muscular built with long black hair that is braided into two large bangs on each side of his face. Like all the other members of the Patch Tribe, he wears a Native American cloak with a red headband. The headband has two large feathers on the side and a white pattern. Like many other Patch Priests, he wears a silver plate on his chest, resembling an eagle, a reference to one of his guardian ghosts, Silver Wing.

He has five silver rings on his right hand, each shaped like one of his five totem ghosts, thus allowing him to materialize them on his hands, and in a leather sheath on his right leg he carries a handcrafted knife, used as a medium for his O.S. Totem Pole Cannon.

When not working as a Patch Priest, he wears a leather t-shirt and a pair of sunglasses, and his hair completely pulled back and tied in a ponytail style.

His battle clothing consists of angle long black pants, and a blue top shirt tied together with strings in a cross pattern across his chest. Around his waist is a sash styled in the same way as his headband that holds a small silver scarf that is placed horizontally down his legs. Also attached to the sash are two brown leather straps, the right holding the sheath for his knife. His shoes consist of black cloth with a silver plating all the way around. He also wears bracelets on his wrists used to hold the mediums for two of his spirits.

Personality
Silva is a calm person. During his first qualification match with Yoh, he appears quite supportive of Yoh, constantly remarking at his strength and hinting at what he should do first. He believes the Shaman King should be an intuitive and flexible person capable of getting ideas in an instant and out of nothing. However, he has his own way of dealing with the Shaman Fight, saying that the Ten Officiant Priests should interfere more and prevent the blood spatter that is apparently "The Will of the Great Spirit."

He has also made himself good friends with Kalim, the official responsible for Horohoro, and even is a roommate together with him during the Shaman Fights in Tokyo City.

After trying to steal the four remaining Grand Elemental Spirits, he is captured and brainwashed using the Patch Song. Because of this, he becomes crueler like and does not hesitate to kill anyone.

Abilities and Powers


Silva has trained with the Patch Tribe for a long time and is, therefore, a strong shaman with enough Furyoku to materialize five nature spirits at the same time. At the end of the tournament when Yoh and the others invade the Plants, Silva appears and stops them on their way. During this time he reveals an enormous strength, having materialized his five totems on a higher plane and making them fairly even stronger. It was later revealed by Blon that they had "taught" him the true way of the Patch and that his devotion is what had made him stronger. Later on, Blon also revealed that his powers also come from the Patch Song, which gives more Furyoku and also focuses the mind.

Spirits

 * See More: Silver Arms

Silva has five guardian ghosts in total, who are luminous totems. They were originally five animal spirits that have trained and refined themselves for over five hundred years, eventually becoming Seirei.


 * Silver Horn - An American buffalo spirit. He rarely talks and stutters a lot.
 * Silver Rod - A snake spirit. In the anime series, it is revealed she is a female.
 * Silver Shield - A tortoise spirit. He is often seen talking reason.
 * Silver Tail - A coyote spirit. He usually just agrees with the other spirits.
 * Silver Wing - A bald eagle spirit. Appears rather arrogant. Says that human spirits cannot form an Over Soul because of their large ego.

The five animal spirits can become mechanical and combine to form a totem pole. This totem pole can then change into a cannon that can fire a ball of concentrated Furyoku.

The Spirits are usually seen gathered around or on Silva discussing things. When Silva is to oversee a match they appear very analytic.

Past
Silva was born on September 16, 1971 in North America. He is a descendant of Hydro, Asakura Hao's life in the Patch Tribe.

During the tribe's ritual, Silva entered a pseudo-death state and awoke with the help of five spirits, which he then took on as his Guardian Ghosts, the Silver Arms. Later, he was chosen to be an officiant for the Shaman Fight in AD 2000.

Shaman Fights in Tokyo
After Ragoh's passing heralds the beginning of the Shaman Fight, Silva is assigned to travel from the United States to Japan to find, test, and qualify the shamans gathering there. During this time in Tokyo, he meets with Asakura Yoh and decides to test him, telling him to land one hit on him to become qualified for the Shaman Fight. At first, Yoh tries to use Soul Integration and was even complimented by Silva for his spirit control, but Silva just brushed it off with his Silver Shield.

After some difficulty, and being taunted by the Silver Arms, Yoh learns how to use an Over Soul for the first time, although it is overflowing and out of control. In order to truly test Yoh, Silva fuses together his five guardian ghosts together to form his O.S. Totem Pole Cannon and fires a concentrated blast of Furyoku at Yoh. However, Yoh's Over Soul blocks the attack and finally lands a hit on Silva with the Buddha-Strike, passing the qualification test.

Later that night, the officiants gather around Chrom's body. Silva arrives last and without his mask and cloak, for which he is reprimanded; however, Silva is preoccupied with mourning Chrom and finding out who killed him. He is then shown a recording of Tao Ren killing Chrom during the test. Silva is furious to learn that Ren was allowed to pass. After the other officiants leave, Goldva contacts Silva, and they discuss the Great Spirit and the purpose of the Shaman Fight.

Two weeks later, Silva watches the match between Yoh and Horohoro.

During this time Silva is also often seen as a street vendor, trying to sell traditional Native American crafts while in Japan. When not working as a Patch or selling crafts he lives in a small apartment with Kalim.

After the fight between Horohoro and Yoh, Silva is seen together with Kalim. The two are selling handmade Native American crafts and saying the reason they aren't selling anything because Kalim was scaring people away. However, Kalim was also there to warn Silva about Yoh's next opponent. Kalim explains that Faust VIII killed his last opponent, and severely injured the Patch Officiant who tried to stop him.

Due to this, Silva and Kalim goes to a restaurant with Kyōyama Anna, the fiancée of Yoh's, and try to persuade her to make Yoh forfeit the fight as he would most likely not make it out of it alive. However, Anna says that Yoh will overcome any obstacle. Anna then leaves and Silva is forced to leave too as he is judging the fight. By leaving just as Anna did, Kalim is left behind while stuck washing dishes for the restaurant as none of them were able to pay the bills.

Silva, however, arrives too late, and Yoh was running out of Furyoku already trying to save Manta from Faust and his skeletons. The Silver Arms try to rush in to stop the fight but Silva tells them to hold off due to it being an official fight, and that the Patch Priests are not allowed to interfere until the fight was finally over.

Anna appears and explains why Yoh was so lonely. this made Silva understand and watches Yoh cripple Eliza Faust, the guardian ghost of Faust had officially registered under the Shaman Fights, but also, in the turn, lose the match as he ran out of Furyoku. However, seeing how the skeleton medium had its legs ruined, Faust, in anger, uses a twenty-two-ton skeletal giant was ready to kill Yoh. meanwhile, as Silva rushes in, but it is to soon to do anything and can only watch as Tao Ren interferes the match and destroys Faust's skeleton with a mere kick. Despite this interference, Faust is still declared the official winner and goes on to the second round.

Silva and Kalim are next seen taking time off from their duties as Patch Officiants. Goldva, however, calls the two and tells Silva that he has to judge the fight between Asakura Yoh and Tao Ren as there was no other one available. Although it is his duty, Silva is reluctant in doing it, as Ren was the one who killed his good friend Chrom. Despite this Kalim, persuades him to judge the match fair and try to ignore the fact that Ren killed his friend.

As the fight between Yoh and Ren starts Silva is seen standing in a tree with the Silver Arms. As the match goes on, Silva explains to his spirits how brilliant Yoh is in using his Furyoku, only using a small amount to create his Over Soul, thus not loosing very much each time Ren shatters his, and also notes that fight suits Amidamaru well as he was used to fighting people bigger than him, even when he was a child.

Silva watches Ren and Yoh tie and announces both of them are in the second rounds. Silva is seen next to Goldva at the opening ceremony.

Travel through America
Silva is next seen selling food to the shamans at the military base. He wonders why Ren and Yoh are so friendly but he says something else is coming and to get ready for it.

Silva drops down with the rest of the officiants when the plane disappears. Silva returns to the village and prepares for the next round.

Shaman Fights Second Round
Silva is the first person Yoh sees when he wakes up from the vision of the Great Spirit as he is assigned to rouse the shamans that enter the village. Silva shows Yoh the Great Spirit and he catches Yoh before he can faint again offering him some soup for good relief. He is assigned next to sell things to raise money in the two months' time that will pass before the participants would be transported to the reallocation of the Second Rounds. He was last seen retrieving Hao's book from Anna, wondering how strong she really was, as she showed him, how she had tamed Zenki and Goki.

When the fights begin Silva is stuck with transportation duty. When Hao decimates Team "X-III" Radim is later seen in a hut with a recording of the fight, together with Silva. There he refuses to hand it over, but Silva just grabs it with Silver Rod. He also warned Yoh, that Hang Zang-Ching, Peyote Diaz, and Mohamed Tabarsi had attacked Team "The Ren".

Later it is revealed that Silva tried to steal the remaining four Grand Elemental Spirits, although he was caught and imprisoned for his actions. Goldva then ordered things to be fixed, that Blon and Renim happily agreed to do and which was something Kalim seemed shocked about.

After John Denbat fired the Satellite Laser in an attempt to kill Hao, the island was noticed by the entire world, and the Patch became worried that they would be unable to end the fights without the interference from the "humans". However Magna and Nichrom just said that the second round was over, and Blon and Renim continued by saying that the place where the next round would be held was completely protected and with no one able to interfere. There Silva appeared saying that it was their duty to protect the Shaman King.

When Hao wins the Shaman fight Silva and the other Patch Officiants follow Goldva to the Plants for the crowning ceremony. He is stationed at his personal Plant on guard duty.

Invading the Plants
Asakura Yoh, Opacho, Tao Ren, "Wooden Sword" Ryu, Horohoro, Iron Maiden Jeanne, Marco Lasso, Lyserg Diethel, Faust VIII and Chocolove McDonell decides to go to the Patch Plants and stop Asakura Hao from becoming the Shaman King. They find the Patch Plant entrance and encounter Silva. while he was already under the power of the Patch Song and his over souls increased in power. Silva strikes so fast with Silver Horn, the gang only sees Yoh flying and Silva having his leg raised.

Horohoro attacks but is easily blocked by Silva's new Silver Shield that is strong enough to even block the freezing. He even evades the attack of Chocolove's O.S. Jaguarman, who is otherwise supposed to be the fasted Over Soul ever, and when Lyserg tries his luck in attacking he is stopped too and is caught by Silver Rod. Silva then turns to Ren and asks if he wants to face him too, but Ren says that it is fruitless to do so. Silva threatens them to go home saying that there are nine other Patches all stronger than him ahead of them, and then finally Goldva would also await them. Ren then tells Silva that there is someone even more eager to fight him and points at Yoh. Yoh who has already created his Over Soul proclaims that ever since he faced Silva in the tests, he had always had a desire to fight him again and defeat him.

Yoh and Silva then clash. Yoh strikes first, but his attack is blocked by Silver Shield. Suddenly Silva appears next to him and kicks him to the ground with Silver Horn. As he is about to strike Yoh with Silver Rod, Yoh smiled and uses his Amida-Style: The Absence of Ignorance and crushes Silva's Over Soul. However, Silva easily recreates it, to which Yoh notices, that it has become stronger because Silva has lost his heart and with it his hesitation.

After a short conversation between Ren and Ryu, Silva tells them to keep their mouth shut and suddenly attacks Opacho with Silver Rod. Yoh easily blocks this with his Over Soul Armor although it still manages to pierce it.

The Patch Priests Blon and Renim then appear and chastise Silva for being out of line for not remaining in his plant, and also explains to the group why Silva is acting differently. They state that they placed the true mindset of the Patch into his mind because his emotions were too strong to serve his role. Unseen Silva leaves to go to guard his Plant.

When Yoh and his friends finally arrive at Silva's plant, the Glacier, Silva has recovered from his previously confused state. Silva asks who will be his opponent and Yoh steps up. Silva continues to say that Yoh does not fight for himself but for others, admitting that he himself had only now learned to do just that. Silva over souls saying that this will be Yoh's last test. During this, Silva thinks to himself that he couldn't be happier, while Yoh thinks that today is a good day to die.

A furious fight ensues between the two with Silva attacking using his newly gained powers but Yoh is ready for him as he matches him blow for blow. Silva quickly switches to his totem pole cannon, firing at point-blank range, easily shattering Yoh's armor Over Soul. Yoh is glad that Silva has improved but still believes in his own strength and attacks again. Silva reveals that he is still holding back and displays a new Over Soul, Flesh and Blood Spear.

He and Yoh clash once more for the final time, with Yoh emerging as the victor by stabbing Silva. Silva warns Yoh about his hesitation, his final words echo their first encounter, telling Yoh that he passed his test.

He later appears, together with all the other Patch Priests, within the Great Spirit.

Funbari no Uta
Thirteen years after the Shaman Fights it is revealed that Silva at some point before his death conceived a daughter with an unknown woman who was named Alumi Niumbirch. It is also revealed that his daughter has been arranged to marry Asakura Hana, the current heir to the Asakura Family.

Anime/Manga Difference
In the 2001 anime series, he and Kalim spend most of their spare free time watching soap operas offend. Also in the 2001 series, he appears to be more interested in interfering most of the Shaman Fights much as he does in the manga series. During the final battle to stop Hao in the 2001 anime series, he and Kalim fight Zinc and Nichrom winning the fight. Once the entire Shaman Fight ends with no winner, he goes back to Tokyo and begins selling Native American trinkets again, this time with better results. with the Destiny star returns, Silva goes back to being a Patch official again, but this time he has made peace with his hasty past.

Trivia

 * Like the other Patch Priests, Silva's name is derived from an element from the periodic table; his name is derived from silver.
 * Hikaru Midorikawa provides the Japanese voice acting both Silva and Patch Hao, his ancestor in the time of the previous Shaman Fight.