Lord Hyozo, also known as the Oni, is the tertiary antagonist in Ghost of Yōtei.
Biography[]
He's a mad warlord in Ishikari Plain. Likes burning his enemies alive!
― A defeated Ronin to Atsu, about the Oni.
Before becoming the Oni, Lord Hyozo was a samurai who craved not loyalty, but rather personal glory. He participated in the Battle of Nagashino, where he was shot by a peasant soldier and trapped underneath his own warhorse Enma, finally feeling what it meant to be powerless and afraid. This was when the "Oni" was born. He had a Odachi forged during this period, and put his warhorse out of her misery.
During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, the Oni was a member of a group of outlaws known as the Yōtei Six, led by Lord Saito. At some point in 1587, the Oni and his companions arrived at the home of a talented swordsmith and former Clan Saito retainer named Kengo, as well as his wife Yone and their children Atsu and Jubei, to punish Kengo for betraying the clan when they were at their lowest, although Saito felt an example needed to be made to show that betrayal wouldn't be tolerated. At some point, the Oni found Kengo and personally attacked him, repeatedly beating him while making it clear that nobody defied Lord Saito. Jubei and Atsu watched this, too scared to move or help their father, although Jubei swallowed his pride and attempted to save his father with his katana; the Oni immediately attacked him, choking him with his hands while mockingly asking her about his sister's location and laughing in his face. Atsu thankfully managed to save her brother with their father's katana, slicing the Oni across the face and damaging his mask while also blinding his left eye. As the Oni reacted in pain from the attack, the siblings attempted to escape with their father, who promised to be right behind them as they planned to save Yone, although Kengo was suddenly mortally impaled through the back by the Oni with his katana, much to the horror and grief of his children; before dying, he managed to call out to his "little wolves" and hold out his hand in an effort to touch Atsu's face.
The Oni eventually joined Saito and his comrades in cornering Atsu against the family's sacred ginkgo tree after Jubei had already been shot by the Dragon and Saito himself had personally hanged Yone from that same tree, and quietly watched his lord use Kengo's katana to stab Atsu in the shoulder and pin her to the tree, before cocking his head to the Oni and signaling for him to burn her alive with the torch he was carrying. Although uncomfortable with the idea of setting fire to a helpless child, the Oni swallowed his pride and did as his lord commanded, throwing the torch at the foot of the tree before leaving without even a look. He was the fifth of the Yōtei Six to leave the homestead after Saito, the Kitsune, the Dragon and the Spider. Sometime between the Burning Tree massacre and the beginning of the Edo period in 1603, the Oni became the de facto leader of Ishikari Plain, having obtained an odachi longsword and a set of samurai armor. He also came to lead a band of masked arsonists known as the Oni Raiders, on top of having acquired the original saya of Kengo's katana and having it placed in his chambers as a treasure, although he seemingly failed to remember where he got it from.
Events of Ghost of Yotei[]
Shortly before Atsu's arrival in Ezo in 1603, the Oni was betrayed by one of his subordinates, Mad Goro, who stole his favorite matchlock rifle and abandoned him, causing the enraged Oni to put a bounty on his head to recover his stolen gun and get the thief back, alive. The Oni continues to serve under Lord Saito and operates in Ishikari Plain, leading his men to ravage and oppress the locals in the area to maintain the castle for Lord Saito. Atsu pursues Mad Goro and recovers the Oni's stolen rifle to turn in the bounty. Atsu disguises herself and infilitrates the castle with Jubei under the guise that she had captured him for a bounty whilst also returning the Oni's stolen Rifle. He gives her the original saya of her katana as a reward, and later pickpockets the Oni’s jailer for his keys to free him from jail after beating him in a duel with a wooden sword. Later that night, Atsu frees Jubei and the twins infiltrate the castle to assassinate the Oni before the Oni ambushes them, revealing he'd realized it was Atsu in disguise when she asked for the saya before throwing them out the castle and ordering the guards to kill them. The twins barely escape. Emboldened, the Oni rallies his forces and attacks the Matsumae bridge, killing several samurai, destroying the camp, and enslaving the survivors.
Eventually, Atsu and Jubei infiltrate his castle again and free the prisoners, starting a revolt. In the chaos, Atsu confronts the Oni in his room, where the latter expresses his frustration with his service to Lord Saito and his disgust to his previous actions and his current position as overseer of the castle. Following a brutal duel that results in the Oni's defeat (as well as the loss of his mask), Atsu has the Oni crawl onto the castle courtyard in front of the assembled prisoners. The Oni arrogantly demands to die a warrior's death, but Atsu says that he is no warrior before she and Jubei behead him with their katanas, killing him and leaving the Oni Raiders without a leader.
In an optional side quest, Ishikari Castle is later burned to the ground by Atsu and her allies as a final insult to Lord Saito.
Personality[]
Do you think I enjoy setting fire to children? I am a general! A war hero! I should be on a battlefield - not repairing this rotting and mouldering castle for someone else. But I must do as my lord commands.
― The Oni to Atsu, reflecting on the Night of the Burning Tree, his past, and his loyalties.
The Oni is ruthless, egotistical, prideful, and dangerous - he lives for a fight. He is known for his violent temper and his loyalty to Lord Saito - who values him as his most important general. However, underneath his violence and cruelty, his pride has disillusioned him with his service to Lord Saito - seeing himself as a war hero rather than a custodian, and being highly frustrated he could not be on the battlefield with his men. However, his loyalty has continued to keep him in such a position. His morals also are not completely decayed, as he is courteous to female Ronin (Atsu) and makes clear he did not enjoy setting fire to Atsu when she was a helpless child, and only did so out of personal loyalty to Saito. Even at his end, he remains stubborn and defiant - demanding a warrior's end, rather than beg at the hands of Atsu and the Matsumae.
Gameplay[]
The Oni is a surprisingly agile man who uses his brute strength and massive reach to crush opponents. His favoured weapon is his custom Odachi - a relic from his time as a horseback general. He wears significantly heavier armour than most brutes, but he is far more agile. During the second phase of his bossfight, he uses Oni's Flame to ignite his Odachi. He also carries a pair of dual Kami as a backup weapon in case of disarmament.
Gallery[]
