List of Ōkami characters
This is a list of characters appearing in the video game Ōkami.
Main protagonists
Amaterasu [Ōkami]
The titular character is the god of the sun in the form of a white wolf. Amaterasu's quest is to retrieve the 13 celestial brush techniques that were lost during the battle with Orochi 100 years ago and use these techniques to defeat the powers of darkness. Issun consistently refers to Amaterasu as either "Ammy" or "furball". Amaterasu's gender is written to be ambiguous. However, the goddess Amaterasu is based on is female. The "Golden Fury" official art seems to indicate that Amaterasu is female physically, though that is not very solid evidence. Amaterasu is also referred to several times as "mother", sometimes in more than one context. Whatever the case, the game seems to avoid the gender issue altogether through some clever wording, although this may make the dialogue subject to some monotony ("the wolf did this", "Amaterasu does that"). Near the end of the game, though, Issun says that Amaterasu is a "she" after the battle with Waka. Also, in the Bradygames Ōkami strategy guide, Amaterasu is called a "she" as well.
Issun
Often mistaken for as a bug, Issun is an inch-tall "wandering artist" who accompanies Amaterasu in order to learn the 13 celestial brush techniques, usually serving as a guide and as comic relief. Issun is a member of the Poncle tribe. His character is based on the One-inch boy of Japanese mythology.
Shiranui
The wolf who supposedly fought Orochi 100 years before the events of the game. Shiranui died during that time, then was reincarnated 100 years later as the main character of Ōkami. Shiranui plays a major part not only in the Legend of Orochi, but also near the end of the game.
Supporting characters
- Benkei
- A warrior monk and collector of swords. Amaterasu and Issun meet Benkei in Sei-an city, where he is on a quest to find a "living sword" to add as the thousandth in his collection. He is referred to as 'Hoodhead' by Issun. After catching the "living sword," which turns out to be a cutlass fish, Benkei forgoes his fascination of swords for fishing.
- Queen Himiko
- The Queen of Sei-An city who shut herself within her chambers when the mysterious mist was covering the city. Issun assumes the Queen is being a coward or is responsible for the mist; as it turns out, the Queen was praying to a magic crystal ball in hopes of locating Oni Island: the island of demons which moves to a new location in the ocean at every sundown and so is impossible to invade and defeat. She is later killed by Ninetails (who killed and impersonated Rao prior to meeting) but not in vain, as her spirit merged with that of the crystal ball, revealing the location of Oni Island to Amaterasu. As the location of Oni Island is revealed, Queen Himiko's spirit is finally at rest and the crystal ball shatters. During the final battle with Yami, the Queen is able to aid Amaterasu when facing Yami's third form while using the Veil of Mist brush technique.
- Ishaku
- The Ponc'tan village elder, and grandfather to Issun. 100 years ago, he was the Celestial Envoy to Shiranui and aided her and Nagi against Orochi (he was surrounded in an orange light). He taught his grandson how to paint and was greatly angered to discover that his pupil left with his prized painting. Ishaku has bad eyesight but can sense things. Ishaku is the only one able to open the Spirit Gate, with his own sword (aside from Issun).
- Kaguya
- A young girl who wears a transparent dome helmet with antennae. She was found in a metal bamboo stalk by Mr. Bamboo, who adopts her as his own daughter. She remembers nothing of her past. She is based upon Princess Kaguya of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter". She is a tall and thin long-haired blonde who dresses in a pink, white, and green kimono. She is soft spoken and shy, but determined and brave when it concerns her mysterious past and loved ones. She, although innocent, was arrested by the Emperor while he was still under the influence of the sickness Blight. When Kaguya escaped, however, she remembers part of her past and runs away, to be discovered in Sasa Sanctuary. She later flies off in a bamboo-shaped rocket, promising to return. The myth Kaguya was based on, her arrival and departure in a space rocket, her love of moon watching, and even her hair color, shared by only one other character, Waka, all point to her being a member of the moon tribe.
- Kokari
- A fisherman's son from Agata Forest who Amaterasu and Issun help in finding his lost dog, Ume, in the Tsutamaki Ruins. After being reunited with his beloved friend, Kokari leaves Agata Forest for adventures and ends up in Kamui where he fishes ocean fish by the shore. Kokari wears a white rabbit hat and an orange short sleeved shirt and shorts.
- Kushi (Kushinada)
- A girl of Kamiki Village who makes a living by brewing sake. The first human that the player befriends and love interest of Susano. She refers to Amaterasu as "Snowy" and will respond by petting her when Amaterasu barks. Kushi displays her bravery when she is chosen as Orochi's sacrifice. Willingly going to the Moon Cave wielding no weapon but her Sake, she goes to Orochi because she believed in Susano and that he would save her. Due to her faith in Susano her Thunder Brew eventually becomes the Eight Purification sake that the player uses to defeat Orochi.
- Lika
- A young Oina girl who possesses strong powers that can enable her to recite the Volcanic Incantation to erupt the Ezofuji volcano to save Kamui from freezing over. She was tempted into the Spirit Gate by the Twin Demons, Lechku and Nechku, and was transported into the past where she was to be a sacrifice for Orochi. She was saved by Amaterasu in time to start the volcanic incantation.
- Kai (Kaipoku)
- A young woman of the Oina tribe who guides Amaterasu through the sacred forest Yoshpet, trying to find Lika. It is later revealed that Issun saved her when she lost her way at Yoshpet.
- Mr. & Mrs. Orange
- The eldest residents of Kamiki Village. Mrs. Orange creates cherry cakes fit for divinity using a technique similar to Akuma's signature move the Shun Goku Satsu move from the Street Fighter series which you can get from her at night in her home ; and Mr. Orange has a dance that can revive trees. Mr. Orange pretends to have sworn off sake, yet will partake of it enthusiastically at every opportunity. He drinks sake to perform an ancient dance to make the cherry blossoms of the village bloom.
- Onigiri-Sensei
- An elderly man who owns a dojo outside of Kamiki Village who can teach you several new techniques. When he gets into his fighting spirit, his fire lights up and he begins posing, Viewtiful Joe-style. His head will also turn 180 degrees and his cane will become a shinai (wooden sword used for Kendo).
- Oki (Okikurmi)
- A warrior from Kamui, the northernmost area of Nippon, who sets off on a misguided quest to save Kamui from freezing over during the day of darkness, a day long solar eclipse that occurs once every 100 years. He carries a sword called Kutone, which will, according to him, glow silver when he slays enough monsters. Oki is loyal and brave, though a bit too determined. At times, his determination to save Kamui is so fierce that it blinds him to everything else, making him almost dangerous and antagonistic to others. When he traverses Wep'keer, he faces the Twin Demons and attempts to take them on himself. He faces certain death when his plan goes wrong, and later saves Shiranui and Amaterasu. Kutone glows silver, and he realizes that it would not glow when his heart was so clouded.
- Princess Fuse
- Head of the Satomi house and master of the eight Canine Warriors. She is kind though a bit helpless. These characters draw heavily on the Japanese tale The Hakkenshi and the Satomi House. Her husband was the head priest, and he was killed by the Crimson Helm.
- The Eight Canine Warriors
- Chu/Hayabusa
- A Kai Inu whose name stands for "Loyalty". Hayabusa and his master were attacked by monsters and were fatally wounded. At the same time another Kai dog, Chu, came into the village. Chu saw the two laying on the ground and she approached the dying Hayabusa. As his last words, Hayabusa made Chu promise to protect Mushi, as he saw a white arrow, like Orochi's arrow, that would kill the boy in the future. Chu took Hayabusa's bandana and became assumed Hayabusa's identity. Chu still guards and protects Mushi in Kamiki Village. She has a 9/10 record for digging up Mushi's Mother's radishes.
- Jin/Ume
- A Shiba Inu's whose name stands for "Justice". In his other life as Ume, he stays beside a young boy by the name of Kokari in the forest of Agata. Ume was "lost" in Tsuta Ruins but was discovered to have actually run away inside to show Kokari to be brave and pursue adventures. Also later in the game Ume is eaten by the great fish "Whopper", which ate the moon's reflection on the water and who the player helps Kokari catch. After catching Whopper the player gains the Crescent ability.
- Chi
- A Japanese Spitz whose name stands for "Knowledge".
- Otohime (Princess Oto)
- The princess of the Dragon Palace. She is silent, strong and kind. She has grave concerns regarding the Water Dragon (who is in truth her husband King Wada upon transforming into the Water Dragon to protect the Dragon Palace). Otohime becomes a Water Dragon to help Amaterasu and Issun reach Oni Island. She reveals that she is pregnant with the King's baby, who would inherit the throne in time.
- Rao (Tsuzurao)
- A buxom priestess from Sei-an City and assistant of Queen Himiko. Issun refers to Rao as "busty babe," and makes several jokes of this nature (one of which being that he refers to her as being "stacked to the ceiling"), which Rao either ignores or responds to obliviously. Many come to seek her advice. She dresses in a lavender dress which has a very low neckline, a white hood over her black hair, a beauty mark under her one visible eye (the other hidden behind her bangs), an orange obi, and brown sandals. Rao is faithful although her actions draw suspicion. It is later revealed that Ninetails killed and impersonated her to both obtain the Fox Rods and murder Queen Himiko. The only physical difference between the two is that the fake Rao has a red pearl necklace, whereas the real Rao has a blue pearl necklace. Her hair has been parted in a certain way so as to hide an empty eye socket, as Ninetails only has a left eye. If you look closely when in the hidden passage behind Ankoku Temple, near the entrance at the Temple side of it, you see a skeleton. The skeleton is of the real Rao. Also the scene where the Dragon Orb shows Rao being attacked is what happened to the real Rao. As a final note, once it is revealed what happened to the real Rao and locating her grave, Issun can't help but state "may she and her two bouncy friends rest in peace".
- Shiranui
- Shiranui (who was really Amaterasu in wolf form a hundred years before the game) is the legendary white wolf who saved the village of Kamiki from Orochi a hundred years ago. In the legend, Shiranui often stalked the streets at night outside the village. The warrior Nagi, thinking Shiranui was a familiar of Orochi, always challenged it to battle but it would always escape. At the night of the ritual, when Nagi went to fight Orochi in his beloved Nami's place, he was quickly defeated and was almost killed. Luckily, Shiranui came at the last minute and fought against the eight-headed beast. Even though it fought valiantly, Orochi still had the upper hand. Shiranui then howled to the heavens giving Nagi the strength to seal Orochi. In the end, Shiranui, who was poisoned by Orochi during the battle, had died and a memorial was built in its memory. Shiranui is white with red markings like Amaterasu, only larger and more powerful being at the peak of its power. The player unlocks the look of Shiranui when fighting Yami's "true form"(a large hand outlined with red: much like the Master Hand in Super Smash Bros. Melee) and after completing the game once. According to the legend at the beginning of the game, it is categorized as a "genderless" wolf since the narrator keeps referring to Shiranui as "it" instead of him or her. However, most fans suspect that it might be a male.
- Sakuya (Konohanasakuya-hime)
- A tree sprite who revives Amaterasu 100 years after the battle with Orochi. Issun is originally found hiding in her kimono. Sakuya's cherry blossoms have the power to eliminate cursed zones if Amaterasu uses the "bloom" brush technique on them. After resurrecting Shiranui and bringing on Amaterasu, Sakuya was greatly weakened. After Blooming a certain number of the Guardian Saplings (Sakuya's power source and off shoots Konohana), Sakuya regains her power and turns back to her proper form. Her name is probably derived from the Japanese word "Sakura" meaning "Cherry blossom".
- Susano
- A bumbling, sake-loving resident of Kamiki Village who claims to be "the greatest warrior ever" since he is the descendant of Nagi, the warrior who accompanied Shiranui in the battle with Orochi. Susano is truthfully revealed to be plagued by cowardice and doubt. He, doubtful of the legend surrounding his own heritage, pulled out Tsukuyomi (which is coincidentally the name of Amaterasu's brother and the Shinto Moon God Tsukuyomi); the sword that sealed Orochi in the Moon Cave. This action released the weakened Orochi. On the hundred year anniversary of the defeat of Orochi, Susano blockaded himself in his house and drank all the Eight Purification sake for the ceremony because he was guilt-ridden at the release of Orochi. He initially refused to come out even if Kushi was revealed to be the sacrificial maiden, but he shows true bravery when he comes to save her at the last minute. Initially seeing Amaterasu and Issun as nuisances, after the battle with Orochi he refers to Amaterasu as a brother. Susano is possibly named after the Shinto Storm God and Amaterasu's brother Susanoo.
- Waka (Ushiwaka)
- A mysterious character that taunts Amaterasu and Issun at several points throughout the game, often giving cryptic clues in the form of "prophecies" to guide the player. Later on in the game it's revealed that he is part of the Lunar Tribe that imprisoned the demons in the Ark of Yamato. When Orochi was attacking the Celestial Plain, Waka led the Celestials to the Ark of Yamato as means of escape, not knowing of the countless demons that lurked inside,(including Ninetails, Blight, Crimson Helm, and other boss characters). He did so only to realize that he crashed the Ark in Laochi Lake, thereby releasing the demons on earth. He felt directly responsible for the deaths of the Celestials and humans due to his role in the Yamato Ark incident, so he decided that he would dedicate his life to destroying the demons. He knew Amaterasu from the beginning because he fought alongside her in the first battle to defeat Orochi in the Celestial Plain, and often refers to her as "ma chérie". He also nearly sacrificed his life to protect Amaterasu during the final battle against Yami. A certain sub-quest in Sei-An City reveals that Waka is over 200 years old. Waka and Issun often quarrel, referring to each other as a "half-baked prophet" and "my little bouncing friend" respectively. Waka, however, was the one to inspire Issun to once again continue his pursuit of becoming a Celestial Envoy through the artistry, inspiring Issun to become a missionary. He has a habit of using French terms in his speech and uses lines reminiscent of Viewtiful Joe. Waka plays a flute which is also his primary weapon: A green energy blade which he calls "Pillowtalk". Clover designed Waka to be like Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a real samurai from the Heian period.
- Tobi (Hayatobimaru)
- A scroll found on Oni Island with a die-hard competitive spirit, who taunts the player to several speed challenges. Issun refers to him as "scrap". He later dies as he fails in his duty of protecting Oni Island from Amaterasu, though without any regrets as he died doing something he enjoyed.
Celestial Brush Gods
The 13 Celestial Brush Gods are based on the animals in the Chinese Zodiac that match up to some degree with the granted powers, either by animal traits or personality traits. The names of the Celestial gods are based on the Japanese word gami (神) (kami with a dakuten, meaning "god"), and a word describing the effects of the brush stroke.
In the order they appear:
- Amaterasu: The Sun Goddess. She is the origin of all of the other Celestial Brush Gods and said to be the "origin of all that is good and mother to [all the other gods]." She represents the dog in the Chinese Zodiac.
- Yomigami: God of Rejuvenation. Represents the dragon.
- Tachigami: God of Power Slash. Represents the rat.
- Hanagami: Gods of Greensprout, the Flora Triumvirate, each representing the monkey.
- Bakugami: God of the Cherry Bomb. Represents the pig.
- Nuregami: God of Waterspout. Represents the snake.
- Yumigami: God of Crescent. Represents the rabbit.[1]
- Kazegami: God of Galestorm. Represents the horse.
- Moegami: God of Inferno. Represents the rooster, but in this case is represented as a phoenix.
- Kasugami: God of Veil of Mist. Represents the sheep.
- Kabegami: God of Catwalk. Represents the cat.[2]
- Gekigami: God of Thunderstorm. Represents the tiger.
- Itegami: God of Blizzard. Represents the ox.
Bosses
Spider Queen (Japanese - Yellow Spider): A giant spider that inhabits the Tsutamaki Ruins. She is ruthless, large, and very loyal to Orochi. She delights in eating anything. After Orochi created her, she poisoned Tsuta Ruins and killed many of its inhabitants, and even ate Ume, Kokari's dog (he was later rescued unharmed). She is also the first one in the game to give any hint of Yami, saying that she will not let Amaterasu stop her master's return.
Crimson Helm (赤カブト, Akakabuto, "Red Helmet"): A demon who has stopped the "divine wind"; he inhabits the Gale Shrine. According to legend, he rose from a pool of Orochi's blood 100 years ago to plague the land. This is why its helmet looks exactly like Orochi's fire head. It uses fire-based powers in battle, but when its armor is removed it is nothing but a flaming skeleton.
Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, Yamata no Orochi, "Big snake of Eight Branches"): Revived form of the legendary eight headed snake demon defeated 100 years ago by Nagi and Shiranui. Each head has a different attack and represents a different element: fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, poison, darkness, and light. Every year he would devour a chosen maiden as a sacrifice. After his defeat, he was trapped and encased in Nagi's sword. When Susano drew the sword, he released Orochi, and all of his evil into the world-- Orochi then demanded sacrifices again, choosing the maiden that Susano loved. This prompts Amaterasu and Susano to slay Orochi again.
Blight (エキビヨウ, Ekibyou, "Plague"): A demon in the form of ancient floating samurai armor with a green mist rising above it, wielding the sentient sword Goldnail, who inhabits the stomach of the Emperor of Sei-An City. Blight is the cause of the poisonous mist coming from the Emperor and is the one that ordered Kaguya to be imprisoned for no known purpose.
Ninetails (九尾, Kyuubi, "Ninetails"): A nine-tailed fox (or kitsune) also known as the Dark Lord, who is found on Oni Island, with the powers of a brush god, Ninetails will use Ameratsu's canvas to control the environment. Ninetails impersonates Rao and uses Amaterasu and Issun to obtain the Fox Rods and kill Queen Himiko. Ninetails also directly states that Yami is its master.
True Orochi: Orochi as he was 100 years before the game's time, plated in golden armor. He was much harder to defeat, and stronger.
Lechku & Nechku (Japanese - Moshirechik and Kotanechik): Twin demons who appear as mechanical owls. They are the cause of the blizzard in Kamui. For every attack they make, a brush technique must be used to counter it. Lechku shares similar techniques with previous bosse, such as the Spider Queen's egg bombs, Ninetails' sword, and also throws bombs. Lechku has the ability to freeze time, allowing Nechku to attack. This explains why Lechku has a clock for a body. Nechku has a body like a slot machine that will either shoot out cursed fruits or ice needles. Lechku is known as the "Gold Demon" and Nechku is known as the "Silver Demon". Both of them wear top hats and carry cane-like staves that they use in the manner of a magician.
Yami (常闇ノ皇, Tokoyami no Sumeragi, "Emperor of Everlasting Darkness"): The source of all darkness and absolute ruler of all evil beings. Yami appears as an enormous mechanical ball that changes form several times. Yami also takes Amaterasu's brush techniques away and she must win them back during the course of the battle. Every time a certain amount of damage is inflicted, another brush technique is retrieved. Although a Travel Guide scroll states that Yami is too inorganic to determine what it is, its core appears to be a small, fetal creature. It possesses many mechanical abilities, and Brush techniques have to be used against them, respectively.
References
- ^ Similar to the traditional western fable of the Man in the Moon, the Japanese tradition is that there is a rabbit on the moon, pounding rice to make mochi.
- ^ The cat is not part of the 12 Chinese Zodiac creatures, but the stories behind the zodiac would have had the cat as one of the 12 were not for the rat that deceived him.