Oni

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An oni

An oni (鬼) is a type of demon or yōkai in Japanese folkore. They are typically associated with negative traits and are believed to engage in acts such as murder and cannibalism. Most oni are portrayed as hulking figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads and massive teeth, and possess supernatural powers, including the ability to disguise themselves as humans. Female oni are sometimes referred to as yama-uba.

During the Heian period (794 – 1185), oni were often depicted in Japanese literature as terrifying monsters that ate people. This has cemented their place in Japanese culture as a type of stock villains featured in many works of art, literature, and theatre.

History

In 1581, fishermen from Akashi Village in Harima found a strange stone buried beneath a nearby tree. Unfortunately, this stone was apparently the gateway to a nightmare world where the entire population was "spirited away" and slaughtered by its inhabitant: an Oni, believed to be the restless soul of a murderous samurai, killed by peasants after murdering his own father. A passing scout from Kakushiba-Ikki was also abducted, and although he managed to hide long enough to figure out how to leave, he too was killed. Sometimes later, Yasuke and Naoe, who had come to investigate the disappearances at Tomiko's request were "spirited away" after touching the stone. They were able to use the scout's notes to leave the nightmare world and defeat the Oni, which followed them back to the real world, but luckily for them lost its invulnerability doing so. Unfortunately, the Yokai managed to retreat back to his world before being destroyed—if doing such was even possible—with the two assassins leaving to report their discovery to their shocked friend, taking the seemingly "depowered" stone with them. Akashi was strangely repopulated immediately afterward, with the burrow that once contained the stone vanishing without a trace. The true nature of the "cursed" stone, magical or otherwise, is never revealed.

In 1725, the Japanese Templar and samurai Shimazu Saito wore an oni mask during her mission to investigate leads to an Isu site in Macau, which she ended up abandoning after joining the Zhang Wei Union. Saito's former mentor, the ninja Fuma Sukuna, also wore an oni mask.

While attempting to retrieve a Piece of Eden shaped like a crescent amulet from a monk in Manila, Saito and the British Assassin Edward Kenway witnessed the monk using the amulet's powers to resurrect his acolytes, causing Saito to compare them to oni. Shortly after, the monk used the amulet to conjure an illusion of a large oni that attacked Saito, though the samurai was able to defeat the apparition after Edward helped her understand that it was not real.

In 2020, the Assassin Layla Hassan installed an Animus modification while reliving Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories to include a digital model of an armor pack stylized after an oni.

Gallery

• 
  Shimazu Saito's oni mask
• 
  The oni armor pack

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance) (Animus mod)
• Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple (apparition only)
• Assassin's Creed: Shadows