HERO WORSHIP: HOTSUMA ~ THE ULTIMATE NINJA

Hero: Hotsuma

Breakdown: The Oboro ninja clan has long protected the nation of Japan from the shadows. They have faced inexplicable odds, powerful magic and sorcery, and demons. Japan has existed for a century under their protection. Hotsuma, his brother Moritsune, and friend Ageha were orphaned as children. Together the three of them were raised by the Oboro clan elder Kobushi. It was quickly noticed by Kobushi that these three had potential far beyond others of their age. They were trained by all the masters of the clan. Moritsune showed the most potential. Growing up the three were inseparable. Both Hotsuma and Ageha worshiped Moritsune and Moritsune would do anything for them.

The Oboro Clan

One fateful day the three of them as children discovered the greatest treasure hidden by the clan, the most deadly weapon on Earth: the cursed soul devouring sword Akujiki. When Ageha touched the sword it awoke. It began feeding off her soul. Hotsuma, at the behest of his brother, ran for help. When he returned with master Kobushi they found Ageha in tears, free from the sword, and Moritsune with Akujiki in hand, a vicious gash cut into his forehead. He had saved Ageha by offering the cursed sword a piece of his soul, anointed with blood.

Akujiki

Ageha became fiercely devoted to Moritsune, Hotsuma too wanting nothing more than to be like his older brother. The years passed and Hotsuma never felt he was his brother's equal. Soon the boys learned that the two of them were first in line to be the leader of the Oboro Clan. The two of them would be pitted against each other in a battle to the death. Tradition and ritual was thrust upon them, a duel that could not be denied. The two brothers faced their destiny.

Hotsuma and Aomizuchi

The night of the duel came. Hotsuma believed his brother to be his superior in every way. All the clansmen of the Oboro were ready to call Moritsune their leader. And Hotsuma was prepared to die, having made peace with his soul. The ritual required both men to fight to the best of their abilities. All the clan watched. Only Kobushi and Ageha were allowed to stand close by. It destroyed Ageha
to watch the two men she loved kill each other. She spoke out against the ritual but her protests fell on deaf ears. Hotsuma and Moritsune fought. And Hotsuma won. Before the death blow was struck Hotsuma was instructed to finish him off with Akujiki. Hotsuma refused to kill his brother. Moritsune thrust the sword into Hotsuma's hands and told him to be strong. "My spirit shall forever be by your side."

Aomizuchi Concept Art

Ageha abandoned the Oboro becoming a rogue kunoichi (female ninja). She hated them for what they had done. Hotsuma too was devastated even moreso having killed his brother and feeding his soul to Akujiki. He ascended to leader of the Oboro Clan but the guilt drove him into exile. Four years passed and Japan lived in peace, no need for the Oboro. Hotsuma remained in exile. One night a mysterious ninja of great skill entered the Oboro village, slaughtering every man, woman, and child. So great was this shinobi's skill that even the masters of the clan fell before his sword. Not long after an ancient golden castle rose up from the earth in the heart of Tokyo. Demons spewed forth from the castle gates plunging the city into chaos. Hotsuma returned to find his clansmen slain.

Hotsuma and Ageha

The government sought out their protectors, the Oboro. Hotsuma was all that was left. He vowed revenge. A government chopper escorted him into the city. They informed him that a self-proclaimed sorcerer was summoning hellspawn and unleashing them on the city. The cabinet members were all missing, presumed dead, and the government was all but paralyzed. The sorcerer had practically won. Every incursion into the city by government operatives, tanks and soldiers had failed. The Oboro was their last hope. Suddenly hellspawn attacked the chopper. Hotsuma leapt from the helicopter, still hundreds of feet in the air, thrust Akujiki into the side of a building, and slid down to the ground.

Concept Art and Character Designs by Makoto Tsuchibayashi

Making his way through the city he was ambushed by the Oboro. Hotsuma easily dispatched them. After the battle he discovered demonic talismans plastered to their faces, reanimating their corpses, and forcing them to do the evil sorcerer's bidding. This only enraged Hotsuma further promising his fallen clansman to take Hiruko's head. He continued making his way through the city fighting more of his clansman and demons.

Ageha returned to assist him. She still harbored animosity toward the Oboro and showed no sympathy for their cruel fate. But she still had feelings for Hotsuma and offered to help him avenge their deaths. But when she left the Oboro those four years ago was when he needed her the most. She had abandoned him too. Still hurting from her departure, Hotsuma told her to leave at once lest she be cut down by demons too. The two of them parted on uneasy terms. Hotsuma took to the rooftops hoping to travel faster through the city.

Ageha

There he encountered the mysterious ninja who was responsible for killing the Oboro. The ninja introduced himself as Aomizuchi saying, "With your death so dies the Oboro bloodline." The two battled on the rooftops demonstrating incredible skill and fighting prowess equal to the other. Mid battle Akujiki began reacting strangely to Aomizuchi's presence, its blade glowing deep red. A scar along Aomizuchi's glowed a similar color. The devil ninja told Hotsuma there is nothing he can do to save the Oboro or defeat Hiruko. "Even now the great Kobushi lies dying at the steps of Kumano Shrine." Their battle was interrupted by an explosion and Aomizuchi escaped.

Hotsuma raced to Kumano Shrine in hopes of reaching his surrogate father, Kobushi, before it was too late. A horde of enslaved Oboro and demons awaited him. Ageha reappeared and joined him in the fight. Hotsuma offered to stay and clear a path for her so she cpuld reach Kobushi faster. Hotsuma launched head on towards the enemy and Ageha slipped past them in the chaos. During the battle Akujiki fully awakened. With each enemy cut down it swallowed their souls. Its hunger proved insatiable, even feeding off Hotsuma's soul when there were no more enemies left to devour.

Aomizuchi Revealed

Ageha reached Kobushi in time saving him from death. Soon Hotsuma arrived. Kobushi revealed a long forgotten history about Hiruko and Oboro. Centuries ago the dark sorcerer plunged the land into darkness. A lone shinobi wielding Akujiki cut him down and his body was entombed here at Kumano Shrine. Every year the seal keeping Hiruko buried is blessed by the shrine priestess, an ancestor of Hiruko's with the power to keep him subdued. Kobushi came to the shrine to discover who had broken the seal. Instead he was attacked and the shrine priestess was kidnapped. He urged Hotsuma to find the priestess Kagari and stop Hiruko. Hotsuma asked Ageha to help him to safety and then left to find the missing priestess. Once he was gone Kobushi confessed to Ageha that he was mortally wounded. With his dying breath he told her how wonderful it was to see her again. He died in her arms and she cried, "Why did it have to come to this?"

Hiruko

In his pursuit to find Kagari, Hotsuma encountered the masters of the Oboro, The Fire Master, Wind Master, Dog Master, Weapons Master, and more. They told to him that they too were being controlled by Hiruko's magic talismans but that some of them resented him still for killing Moritsune. Some in fact were enjoying being ordered to fight him. Their words stabbed at his heart but he had no choice but to fight. One by one they fell before his blade, their souls consumed by Akujiki.

The Oboro Masters

Next to stand against him were the Four Hellspawn Lords. They dangled Kagari in front of him as bait before luring him into their trap. He defeated three of them. The fourth revealed himself to be the mysterious ninja Aomizuchi. Hotsuma followed him to the Nakatomi Factory where he confronted Hiruko face to face. Hotsuma moved in for the kill only to be thwarted by Aomizuchi. The two ninjas faced off and Hotsuma slashed off Aomizuchi's mask revealing Moritsune's face underneath! Demon Lord Aomizuchi was possessing the body of Hotsuma's dead brother. Aomizuchi and Hiruko escape and Hotsuma finally rescued Kagari.

Kurakuda ~ One of the Four Hellspawn Lords

Hotsuma continued his pursuit traveling through the very temple where the fateful duel to decide the leader of the Oboro took place. Inside the temple awaited Lord Aomizuchi. At the temple gate Hotsuma was attacked. He knew the weapons. He was familiar with the fighting style. Before he saw his assailant he knew who it was: Ageha. He asked her why she was trying to stop him. She explained that she had never forgiven the Oboro for taking Moritsune away from her. She revealed that she was the one to release Hiruko, hoping his magics would resurrect Moritsune. The resurrection ritual was almost complete and Ageha vowed not to let anyone interfere, not even her beloved friend Hotsuma. The two entered into an epic clash, each giving their all to combat the other. In the end Hotsuma's skills proved the better and Ageha was defeated. Hotsuma stayed his sword vowing never to kill another loved one ever again.

Hotsuma, Ageha, Aomizuchi, & Kagari

Ageha rushed through the temple gates. Inside Hiruko and Aomizuchi awaited her. She asked Hiruko if the ritual was complete, knowing Hotsuma was not far behind. Hotsuma arrived and froze at the sight of his brother. Hiruko beckoned Ageha to Moritsune. She collapsed in his arms, love and relief flowing through her. Moritsune's fist stabbed into her gut, a green otherworldly glow surrounded him, and his body began to transform. Hiruko laughed at the stunned and dying woman stating that the advent of Demon Lord Aomizuchi was at hand. He disappeared before Hotsuma could lop off his head leaving Hotsuma to face the true power of Aomizuchi alone. His two best friends lay before him, one dead on the ground, the other a puppet for a demon. Hotsuma and Aomizuchi clashed! The battle took everything he had nearly pushing him to the brink of death. But Akujiki would not be denied the fourth hellspawn lord. Hotsuma thrusted the blade through his brother's body and Akujiki feasted upon the demon lord's soul.

Aomizuchi ~ The Fourth Hellspawn Lord

At that moment a soul climbed out of Akujiki. Moritsune took possession of his body once again. Hotsuma stared in shock. Moritsune said he had always been with Hotsuma, that his soul has been within Akujiki the whole time. He told Hotsuma that he was going to take Ageha with him back into the sword. Before he left he begged Hotsuma to avenge their people and destroy Hiruko. Hotsuma nodded and Ageha and Moritsune vanished. His brother's command renewed his spirit and gave him the strength to continue.

Moritsune/Aomizuchi

Hotsuma stormed the Golden Castle facing down Oni, demons, hellspawn, and the last of his reanimated clansmen. He ascended the hell palace to the very top where Hiruko waited. Hiruko revealed it was his plan to lead Hotsuma here. The entire Oboro clan rested inside Akujiki along with countless demons and monsters. Akujiki's power had grown tenfold and the power inside was now that of a perfect pure soul. Hiruko would use the power within Akujiki to reshape the world. Hotsuma refused to listen to his insane babble and stated that he would destroy the sorcerer along with the accursed blade! The battle began. Hiruko called on the light of the heavens and fires from hell, all the magic he could muster to destroy the errant shinobi. Hotsuma's skill had never shown more intensely, his focus, his rage, his spirit all in perfect alignment. Hotsuma felt Moritsune, Ageha, and his clansmen fighting with him, lending him their strength. Akujiki found its mark slicing deep into the sorcerer and swallowing the vilest of souls.

With Hiruko's soul Akujiki returned to dormancy. The tower collapsed around Hotsuma. With all the hellspawn vanquished and Hiruko's dark magic gone, the clouds parted over Tokyo and the sun once again shone. Kagari watched the Golden Castle crumble and wondered of Hotsuma's fate. Days later he visited her, the sword broken in several pieces. He entrusted the sword to her asking her to use its power to seal the gateways between the spirit worlds and ours. Then he disappeared into the night.

Review: I first played the game SHINOBI for PS2 back in 2004 while in college. I fell in love with the game and characters. The character designs were so cool and unlike anything I had ever seen before. The English voice acting was a little crappy (the Japanese voice acting is amazing) but the game was so cool I easily overlooked it. I had never been put through my paces like this game put me through. This game is hard as hell with a very small percentage of gamers completing it (and that's just on normal difficulty!). It is a point of gamers pride with me that I defeated it, defeated Hard Mode, and completed Super Mode.

Ageha & the Kunoichi

The game is also distinctly Japanese. No surprise considering where it came from and the subject matter, right? You see, that's one of the aspects of ninjas that is lost all too often. Ninja Gaiden barely retains its Japanese heritage. With Shinobi however you see it in the game design, you hear it in the music, and feel it in the story. It feels like a true representation of ninja.

But what I loved most about the game was the character of Hotsuma. I love ninjas, all kinds, man and woman, big and small, human and mutant turtle. Hotsuma is my all time favorite ninja both in design and plot & character. I love the world he lives in. No other shinobi (ninja) has his skill level nor his presence. He is badass personified. It's in the way he walks, the way he runs, his demeanor, how he carries himself, even the way he stands is emotive and revealing into his character. The man doesn't have to say anything and it tells you so much about his character. Every word he speaks you can feel his pain and anger lying just underneath. I'm making him sound emo but he couldn't be further from it. It's his pain of loss that motivates him, that propels him through the story, "I shall have my revenge." Instead of being a whiny protagonist he silently bares his burden.

Then there is his design. The helmet with the four glowing eyes is both scary and wicked awesome. The shurikens along his arms are sick. And lets not forget the scarf. If ninjas wore capes this is what it would be. That scarf is so rad. I cannot leave his Stealth Dash or what I've lovingly referred to as his Shadow Dash. Based in the idea of the ninja practice and technique of dividing one's self in multiple bodies. In the game it is an ultra-fast movement placing you either directly in front of the enemy, beside the enemy, or behind the enemy leaving their back exposed. An after image is left where you once stood confusing the enemy further. It's so cool and so much fun to use in the game. Plus Akujiki is one of the greatest weapons ever in a video games or even a narrative. How often do you have a sword that could carry the plot of a story all on its own?

It has been 10 years since I first defeated the PS2 video game SHINOBI. I recently downloaded it on the Playstation Network for my PS3 and am making my way through Super Mode as we speak. The more I play the better it gets.

Overall Ranking: 10 out 10