Oni-yuri

Oni-yuri (鬼百合) was the daughter of a Japanese pirate known as "The Poisoner" during the Sengoku period in the late 16th century. She later became an associate of the Kakushiba ikki members Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke, and eventually joined their league, assisting her newfound allies with her knowledge of poisons.

Biography

Early life

Born to the pirate "the Poisoner", Oni-yuri learned different types of poison under her father's tutelage and understood that he had become a pirate in order to provide for her. At some point, Oni-yuri became sick while her father was away. Thus, a local samurai from Amiko Estate came to find the Poisoner and killed him. Afterwards, he took advantage of Oni-yuri while she was sick.

Left alone, the young girl fended off local bullies left bitter over her father's crimes, but her main goal remained achieving vengeance against the samurai who had killed her father. Thus, she began to slowly poison him while he slept. At some point, she also "cursed" the Fukui merchant family for disrespecting her father; in reality, however, the hex was just an invention, and the family's belief in it led them to involuntarily sabotage their own business.

Dealing with local thugs

Developing an innocent but false demeanor, Oni-yuri dealt with local thugs in Tsuruga who spoke unkindly about her late father by slightly poisoning their meals. However, despite being sick, they confronted her and nearly tried to kill her. Fortunately, the argument was stalled when the Kakushiba ikki members Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke, who overheard the heated discussion, intervened in the fight. Asking for help, Oni-yuri begged for their aid to prove her innocence.

The pair agreed and left to search for clues, but Oni-yuri stayed with the thugs, who kept her there as a precaution. After their investigation, Naoe and Yasuke returned to Oni-yuri and the thugs and divulged their findings. Although aconite powder was found, the thugs' kitchen was filthy and their rotten food may have been the cause of their sudden illness. Thus, the proof left everything inconclusive. Thanking them, Oni-yuri was about to leave until the thug leader told his men to stop and harm her. Fortunately, they backed off when Naoe stepped in, and thus Oni-yuri left unharmed.

Enacting revenge and joining the Kakushiba ikki

Back in her hut at the Scorched Hamlet, Oni-yuri was being harassed by two men until Naoe and Yasuke arrived to speak with her. Lying to them about her father not being a pirate and how the men had stolen from her, she asked a favor. Oni-yuri stated that her bag had been stolen and taken to a port in Tsuraga. Agreeing to help, Naoe and Yasuke traveled to Tsuruga Sea Port and recovered the bag. However, upon further inspection, they found aconite flowers.

Back at Oni-yuri's hut, the young lady was confronted about poisoning the thugs from earlier. She admitted that those thugs had spread lies about her father and that she wanted to cause them pain. However, she revealed more information about her true mission against the "pirate" who was responsible for her father's death. Leaving her hut, Oni-yuri returned to Amiko Estate and found the samurai at his lowest point.

Oni-yuri began to chastise the samurai, who threatened to kill her over what she had done to him. Fortunately, Naoe and Yasuke arrived, which prompted the samurai to attack them. After being defeated, the samurai looked to Oni-yuri, calling her pathetic and claiming that she was nothing more than a pirate, just like her father. Fed up with his insults, she told him good night before stabbing him in the throat, ultimately killing him. When Naoe and Yasuke called her out on her lies, Oni-yuri told them the truth about her father and what the samurai had done to her to provoke her vengeance.

Naoe offered her a new path, as she understood what it was like to be angry, explaining how Oda Nobunaga had invaded her home province of Iga and nearly wiped out her village. Hesitant, Oni-yuri wondered how she could start again and how to deal with her anger. Naoe explained that they would help her and show her their path. She agreed to join their league and headed to their hideout, but not before promising to try being honest with them.

Personality and traits

After being recruited by Naoe and Yasuke and moving to Tomiko's Homestead, Oni-yuri revealed herself to be both a slacker and a prankster. She would attempt to avoid chores assigned to her by hiding from Tomiko, who would in turn withhold food or sweets from her as retribution. She also enjoyed pranking others, particularly Rokkaku Katsuhime. When she discovered that the young Junjiro had developed a childish crush on her, she thought of him as "cute" but nothing more.

Behind the scenes

Oni-yuri is a recruitable character in the 2025 video game, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, where she is voiced by Canadian actress Momona Tamada.

If not playing in Canon Mode and Gennojo is recruited, he and Oni-yuri will prank each other around the homestead. If Naoe romanced Gennojo, Oni-yuri can slyly tease her for her "preferences", but not directly disapprove. If Oni-yuri is not recruited, she will become an assassination target and can be found at the Scorched Hamlet, standing over one of her victims.

Etymology

Oniyuri is a Japanese feminine given name composed of two kanji: 鬼 (oni), meaning "demon" or "ogre," and 百合 (yuri), meaning "lily." Literally translating to "demon lily," the name refers to the tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium), a vibrant orange flower with dark spots native to East Asia. The term "Oniyuri" is derived from the flower's striking appearance, which is reminiscent of the vivid imagery associated with demons in Japanese folklore. In the context of hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers, the tiger lily symbolizes wealth. A closely related flower, the orange lily or sayuri, symbolizes hatred or revenge, possibly influencing Oni-yuri's own desire for revenge in her questline.

Gallery

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  Render of Oni-yuri
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  Oni-yuri wearing her Novice rank attire
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  Oni-yuri wearing her Initiate rank attire
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  Oni-yuri wearing her Veteran rank attire

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Shadows