Well, I had to ponder about the (final?) question concerning "the code" for a while ...
QUOTE (Wakshaani)
1) The Samurai Code. Teh Seven Samurai Virtues, especially absolute loyalty to one's master to the point of suicide if so ordered.
2) The Ronin's Code. The Seven Samurai Virtues, especially Honor above all else. You will not cheat, lie, ambush, or serve a dishonorable master.
3) The Assassin's Code. You kill only who you are paid to kill and are above common violence. You, after all, are a professional.
4) The Mercenary's Code. You fufill the contract, no matter your personal beliefs. If you agreed to erase a place and it's an orphanage, too bad. A deal's a deal.
5) The Soldier's Code. Looting bodies is forbidden, as is attacking civillians/non-combatants.
6) The Hooder's Code. Rob from teh Corps, give to the SINless. Never let a fellow Hood be arrested. Nobody's ever too poor to not share.
7) Codes are for suckers. Do what it takes to win 'cause the streets will chew you out otherwise. No such thing as an unfair advantage, and the whole point of getting somebody down is to hit them when they're vulnerable! SCrew you, I got mine.
8 ) Other - Fill it in!
... and I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that I have to chose:
8 ) Other as in "all of the above and yet again none of them at all".
For me the main thing about "the code" of a Street Samurai is the fact that it lacks certain traits that the explicitly listed codes have in one way or another. In a way you could actually say that "the code" as such doesn't even exist in the first place ... only a myriad of individual mindsets that happen to follow a common theme.
- Code formalization: The Street Samurai code isn't formalized like the codes that Samurai, Ronin or Soldiers have. As such the Street Samurai code doesn't exist as an explicitly or implicitly written code like Bushido or internationally recognized laws and formalities with regards to armed combat of soldiers. If any written form of the Street Samurai code exists it's either a personal thing of an individual Street Samurai or the result of some sociologist writing an essay that usually goes unnoticed by the subjects of said essay.
- Code creation and teaching: With the exception of the "Hooder's code" all the listed codes were deliberately created and taught by subjects to the respective codes and/or by the peers and superiors of the subjects to the code in question. The Street Samurai code isn't created with such deliberation nor is it actually taught by other Street Samurai (or peers / superiors). It's more like the Street Samurai - just as the "Hooder's code" - is created by the perceptions of beholders of the actions that a Street Samurai performs while (continuously) exhibiting certain behavioral patterns. As such it can't be taught but must be a (subconscious) element of the Street Samurai's "natural" behavior.
- Code enforcement: Again with the exception of the "Hooder's code" all of the explicitly mentioned codes were/are enforced - either by the subjects of the codes, their peers/superiors or state entities (by the representatives of their executive powers in conjunction with the jurisdiction). Street Samurai don't seem to enforce the adherence to "the code" when dealing with other Street Samurai nor is there an indication that peers or superiors would try any such enforcing. And certainly no state entity bothers with the question of whether or not a Street Samurai adheres to a certain code.
- Code rigidity: The listed codes are quite rigid in what they allow / disallow before either the subjects of the code or any beholder would consider the code "being broken" due to certain actions. The Street Samurai code is far more flexible there, because of it's sole dependence on outside perception by beholders where you get at least 11 different opinions on a matter from 10 different people.
But what does the Street Samurai code actually entail in order to receive a common judgment by beholders? Not much I guess beyond these points:
- A heavily individualized (and often somewhat twisted) sense of personal honor that can be easily offended by third-parties. A situation which may often result in excessive acts of violence as punishment. That honor is more than often shaped by nationality, ethnicity, religious/moral teachings (or lack thereof), geographic location and the resulting differences in general social behavior. And of course the hardships created by living in (or close to) "the Street" among hordes of SINLESS as well as more than often being a SINLESS person as well will have impact on that honor definition as well. So in essence the personal honor of an Amerindian Street Samurai in Seattle will significantly differ from an Arabic Street Samurai in Tunis but their respective environments will easily identify them as "Street Samurai" as long as they seem to adhere to "the(ir) code".
- A certain level of self-control over when such excessive acts of violence are actually triggered after someone offends the personal honor of a Street Samurai - particularly in situations that also demand a certain degree of professionalism. A "nobody" that obviously lacks the ability to challenge a Street Samurai in his domain (physical dominance, combat prowess) will more than often go unharmed when committing an otherwise "challenging" action like making a "funny look" directly at the Street Samurai (or "his girl") both on and off the job. Retaliation against offenders that actually pose a certain level of threat and thus "deserve" punishment can and will have to wait until after the job is done. Also - unlike the common ganger / thug / murder hobo - a Street Samurai commonly won't walk around more or less looking for someone who gives him an excuse for feeling "offended" just because he wants to vent some anger or exercise violence.
- Retaliation is - in addition to excessiveness - commonly swift and merciless.
- A degree of respect or at least acceptance towards anyone who shows signs of virtues that can be considered as a form of "strength". This mainly refers to four of the seven virtues of traditional Samurai: Loyalty, Courage, Respect and (a for the Street Samurai understandable form of personal) Honor. Sincerity is in the mix only to lesser degree while Righteousness and Benevolence are not necessarily present in individual Street Samurai codes at all. *edit* And it this "similarity" that most likely "earned" them the label "Street Samurai" from the in-universe perspective by sufficiently educated beholders that "know" Bushido / historical Samurai ... probably highly tainted by "Hollywood"-knowledge. */edit*
