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is a series of
action-adventure An action-adventure game is a video game genre, video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements f ...
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
developed and published by
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
. It makes use of the historic figures that shaped Japan's history, retelling their stories with
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
elements. Most of the games are of the
action-adventure An action-adventure game is a video game genre, video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements f ...
genre, a combination of third-person
hack-and-slash Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...
combat and
puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...
elements. The player protagonist wields the power of the ''Oni'', enabling them to fight the ''Genma'', the main enemy in the series. As of June 2024, the series has sold a total of 8.7 million copies worldwide, making it Capcom's tenth best-selling franchise, behind ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'', '' Monster Hunter'', ''
Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...
'', ''
Mega Man ''Mega Man'' (known as in Japan) is a video game franchise developed and published by Capcom, featuring the Mega Man (character), protagonist of the same name. The Mega Man (1987 video game), original game was released for the Nintendo Enter ...
'', ''
Devil May Cry is a science fantasy action-adventure game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante (Devil May Cry), Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invas ...
'', '' Dead Rising'', '' Dragon's Dogma'', '' Ace Attorney'', and ''
Marvel vs. Capcom is a series of Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting games developed and published by Capcom, featuring characters from their video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series originated as coin-operated arca ...
''. A high-definition
remaster A remaster is a change in the sound or image quality of previously created forms of media, whether Mastering (audio), audiophonic, Cinematography, cinematic, or Videography, videographic. The resulting product is said to be remastered. The term ...
of the first game, '' Onimusha: Warlords'', was released in December 2018 for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
, and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
. A
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
version was released in January 2019. A remaster of the second game, '' Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny'', was released on all four platforms in May 2025.


Games

The series originated in 1997, with Yoshiki Okamoto's idea to create ''Sengoku Biohazard'', a ninja version of Capcom's own 1996 ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' (known as ''Biohazard'' in Japan), set in the
Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
and featuring a "ninja house" filled with booby traps, similar to the mansion from ''Resident Evil'', where battles are fought using swords and
shuriken A is a Japanese concealed weapon used by samurai or ninja or in martial arts as a hidden dagger or '' metsubushi'' to distract or misdirect. History The origins of the ''bo-shuriken'' in Japan are still unclear, despite continuing researc ...
. The project was originally intended for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
's 64DD. ''Onimusha: Warlords'' began development for the original
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
, but the project was eventually moved to the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
. The half-finished PS1 version of ''Onimusha'' was scrapped and never released. The central character of the series, Samanosuke Akechi, is modeled after Takeshi Kaneshiro, who also voiced the character. People were used as models for other characters in the series, including Yūsaku Matsuda in '' Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny'' and
Jean Reno Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez (born 30 July 1948), commonly known as Jean Reno (), is a French-Spanish actor. He established himself as a Leading actor, leading man of French cinema through his collaborations with director Luc Besson, and has w ...
in '' Onimusha 3: Demon Siege''. Character movements throughout the series were created using
motion capture Motion capture (sometimes referred as mocap or mo-cap, for short) is the process of recording high-resolution motion (physics), movement of objects or people into a computer system. It is used in Military science, military, entertainment, sports ...
. The series was initially planned to be only a trilogy, but a fourth installment, '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'' was released in 2006.
Keiji Inafune is a Japanese video game producer, character designer, game designer, and businessman. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time. Starting his career at Capcom in the late 1980s, his job was as an artist and ...
said that ''Onimusha 3: Demon Siege'' is the end of the Nobunaga storyline, and ''Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'' is a new storyline. ''Shin Onimusha: Curtain Of Darkness'', a mobile phone game, was released in Japan in 2005. ''Onimusha Soul'', a browser-based game, was released on June 28, 2012. The game was also released for mobile phones in July 2013 and for
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
's PlayStation Network on February 25, 2014. The mobile version was shut down on May 13, 2015. ''Onimusha VR: Shadow Team'', the first VR entry in the ''Onimusha'' series, was shown at Amusement Expo 2024. ''Onimusha: Way of the Sword'' was announced at The Game Awards 2024 event in December, with an estimated release in 2026.


Gameplay

Although the protagonist changes in every ''Onimusha'' title, he is always a skilled swordsman who embarks on a set mission which involves slaying demons and fearsome enemies during the waning years of the
Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
of feudal Japan. In each game, the protagonist has the ability to absorb Genma
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
s from defeated enemies, which help to restore health, infuse power in weapons and armor, and provide power for the elemental attacks of special weapons. The player controls their character using the
D-pad The D-pad (short for directional pad) is a compact input method developed for video games, designed to translate thumb movement into directional control through a flat, cross-shaped surface that rests on four internal switches. Each switch corres ...
(although later games such as '' Onimusha 3: Demon Siege'' and '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'' introduced
analog stick An analog stick (analogue stick in British English), also known as a control stick, thumbstick or joystick, is an input method designed for video games that translates thumb movement into directional control. It consists of a protruding stick mo ...
control) and travels in a fairly linear method, able to rotate slowly with the input of an opposing direction. Characters tend to move slowly and can only slightly increase their speed with the
dash The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
maneuver by tapping twice in any direction. Actions common to many action-oriented games, such as jumping, grabbing, and climbing over obstacles, cannot be performed in ''Onimusha'' games. ''Onimusha'' is action-oriented with an emphasis on combat, and employing some horror elements. The player has an arsenal of weaponry, ranging from katana to elemental-based broadswords. The player possesses a limited supply of spiritual energy which can be used for magical attacks. These magical attacks, which vary depending upon which weapon is equipped and other offensive attributes, can be improved throughout the game by accumulation of souls from defeated enemies.


Plot

Based primarily throughout the Japanese
Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
, '' Onimusha: Warlords'' starts with the feudal lord Nobunaga Oda being killed during a battle. One of the prominent fighters, Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi, receives a letter from his cousin Princess Yuki who is concerned about servants from her castle disappearing. Samanosuke joins with the kunoichi Kaede to rescue Yuki and discover demonic creatures known as Genma. In order to defeat the Genma, the Oni clan grant Samanosuke powers from their kind. Across his fights Samanosuke discovers the Genma have resurrected Nobunaga into serving their needs while intending to sacrifice Yuki and an orphan named Yumemaru to grant him more powers. Samanosuke manages to save Yuki and Yumemaru and kills the Genma Lord, the God of Light Fortinbras. Samanosuke's group then takes different paths. The sequel, '' Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny'', has Nobunaga using the Genma in his forces to unify Japan, wiping out Yagyu village whose clan are Genma exterminators. The clan's only survivor, Jubei Yagyu, goes on a quest to avenge his clan while learning he inherited Oni powers from his mother as he uses them alongside the Oni's five orbs to battle Nobunaga's soldiers. Across his journey, Jubei meets several allies who also seek Nobunaga's life. Jubei manages to infiltrate Gifu castle and confronts Nobunaga alone. Although Jubei kills Nobunaga, the warlord's soul escapes and later reconstitutes himself. The spin-off '' Onimusha: Blade Warriors'' has the cast from ''Warlords'' and ''Samurai's Destiny'' in a new battle against Nobunaga's forces. The third game, '' Onimusha 3: Demon Siege'', has Samanosuke's clan attacking the Oda forces again. Before confronting Nobunaga, Samanosuke is transported to Modern Paris as a result of an experiment made by the Genma scientist Guildernstern to enable his kin to conquer more lands. In the meantime, service agent Jacques Blanc is a victim of Guildernstern while transported to Japan's Sengoku period. There, Jacques is granted Oni powers by an Oni who tells him to join forces with this timeline's Samanosuke and defeat Nobunaga if he wishes to return home. While Jacques aids Samanosuke in the past, in the future Samanosuke is helped by Jacques' family to investigate the Genma. In the end, the two Oni warriors are successful in stopping the invasion and returning to their respective times. Samanosuke manages to slay Nobunaga and seal his soul within the Oni Gauntlet to avoid another resurrection. The fourth game, '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'', had Nobunaga's servant Hideyoshi Toyotomi unified Japan with the Genma whom he supported in their actions. His illegitimate son, Hideyasu "Soki" Yuki, goes on a quest to defeat Hideyoshi and stop the Genma. He is aided by several other warriors, including an elder Samanosuke who recognizes him as the Black Oni, the God of Darkness. After mastering his Oni powers, Soki joins with his friends to defeat Hideyoshi's army. In the aftermath, it is revealed that Hideyoshi was a mere puppet of the Genma Triumvirate who wish to resurrect Fortinbras at his full power as the Genmas' God of Light. Although the Genma Triumvirate and Hideyoshi are defeated, Fortinbras resurrects with Soki using the Oni Gauntlet to destroy the Genma and restore the country's peace at the cost of his life. Soon after, Samanosuke embarks on a quest to seal away the Oni Gauntlet to prevent Nobunaga from being released.


Main characters

Samanosuke Akechi (明智 左馬之介 秀満 Akechi Samanosuke Hidemitsu), later also known under the moniker Tenkai Nankōbō during his appearance in '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'', is the main protagonist of the first and third installments in the ''Onimusha'' series: '' Onimusha: Warlords'' and '' Onimusha 3: Demon Siege''. He also appears as a supporting playable character in the fourth game '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'', and as one of the combatants in '' Onimusha: Blade Warriors''. He is loosely based on the historical figure, Akechi Hidemitsu. His in-game model is based and voiced by Takeshi Kaneshiro. Samanosuke is the only character to appear in all four mainline ''Onimusha'' games. He appears in ''Onimusha 2'' in a flashback drawing. Jūbei Yagyū is the main protagonist of '' Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny''. As the first leader of the Yagyū clan seen in the series and originator of Shin-in style sword combat, he was born as Sougen but later given the name Jūbei as a child, a tradition which would continue as seen with his granddaughter. His father was the late Head of the Yagyū clan, who was seduced and had a child by a woman who disappeared shortly thereafter. Jūbei never knew his mother, but does meet his mother during the events of ''Samurai's Destiny''. His in-game character is modeled after late Japanese actor Matsuda Yusaku. Hideyasu "Sōki" Yūki is the main protagonist in ''Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams''. He is the biological son of Ieyasu Tokugawa and a warrior who possesses the dark power of the Oni. He goes by many names besides Sōki and Hideyasu Yuki: Blue Demon and Oni of the Ash. Having Lamentation, his prized broadsword he learned about Hideyoshi's insidious scheme, he sets out on a journey to burn the Genma trees and defeat the Genma running rampant across the land. He is the first ''Onimusha'' main character to not be modeled after an actor. He is also the only main character to be killed, dying at the end of ''Dawn of Dreams'' after sacrificing himself to destroy the Oni Star. Soki has appeared as a playable character in '' Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars''. Jacques Blanc is one of two main protagonists (the other being Samanosuke Akechi) in ''Onimusha 3: Demon Siege''. Working as a policeman, he is the first Westerner who wields the Oni Power, originating from France. He is modeled after French actor
Jean Reno Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez (born 30 July 1948), commonly known as Jean Reno (), is a French-Spanish actor. He established himself as a Leading actor, leading man of French cinema through his collaborations with director Luc Besson, and has w ...
. Nobunaga Oda (織田信長) is the main antagonist in the first three ''Onimusha'' games, in particular ''Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny'' and ''Onimusha 3: Demon Siege'', where he is the final boss in those two games. In real world history, Nobunaga is viewed culturally as both a hero and as a villain for respectively trying to unite his nation during the Sengoku Period and the horrific lengths he took to achieve his goal. In this timeline he forms an alliance with the demons for power and to conquer Japan. Despite being killed at the beginning of ''Onimusha: Warlords'', he returns as a demon. He battles Jubei at the end of ''Samurai's Destiny'' but due to Jubei not having an Oni Gauntlet to seal his soul, his death was only temporary. He returns in ''Demon Siege'' after being revived by the demons again. He is finally killed by Samanosuke and sealed in his Oni Gauntlet. Fortinbras (フォーティンブラス), also referred to as the "God of Light", is the king and most powerful of all Genma. He appears as the final boss in ''Onimusha: Warlords'' and ''Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams''. In ''Dawn of Dreams'' he is revealed to have two forms, a human form and a serpent form. He is finally killed by Soki after Soki sacrifices himself to stop the Omen Star. Hideyoshi Toyotomi (豊臣 秀吉) is an antagonist who has appeared in every main game of the ''Onimusha'' series. Historically, Hideyoshi is the most famous peasant-samurai in Japan as he rose from being a vassal of Nobunaga Oda to the man who united Japan with his short-lived reign as regent. He is the main antagonist of ''Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams''.


Reception

The ''Onimusha'' series has received overall positive reviews with most of the main games on the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
, receiving average scores of more than 80%. As a comparison, most spin-offs from the series have not been as successful. The titles have influenced other games from the company including ''
Devil May Cry is a science fantasy action-adventure game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante (Devil May Cry), Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invas ...
'', '' Shadow of Rome'' and ''
Resident Evil 4 ''Resident Evil 4'' is a 2005 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube. Players control the special agent Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue the US president's daughter, Ashley Graham (Resident Evil), Ashley ...
''.''Electronic Gaming Monthly'', December 2001 issue, pg. 56 The samurai game '' Genji: Dawn of the Samurai'' was cited by Inafune as an "''Onimusha'' clone" although its designer Yoshiki Okamoto denied such statement. The series has often been compared with the ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' series and has been praised for its focus in action. The first two games, however, were criticized for forcing the player to use the Directional Pad rather than the left analogue to make the playable character to move. This issue was solved with the third release which generated a good response. Another subject of criticism is the length of each game with opinions sometimes differing due to the replay value they offer. Yoshinori Ono acknowledged the third game's short length and thus made ''Dawn of Dreams'' become the series' longest title. The original game was a major hit on the PS2, becoming the console's first game to sell over a million copies. While ''Onimusha 2'' was also a best-selling title
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
noticed how it did poorly in European regions. The third and fourth titles received less favorable sales with
Keiji Inafune is a Japanese video game producer, character designer, game designer, and businessman. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time. Starting his career at Capcom in the late 1980s, his job was as an artist and ...
addressing people's concerns about how the former game did not feel like a samurai story while various gaming journalists noted the latter was overshadowed by next generation consoles. As of June 2024 the series has sold 8.7 million copies to date.


Adaptations


Canceled film

In May 2003,
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, Davis Films and Gaga Productions announced its joint venture to adapt the ''Onimusha'' game series into a $50 million
live-action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
. According to Paramount and Davis Films' Samuel Hadida: "It's samurai fighting against demons – it's very close to this simple pitch. There's also a love story woven in. It's a big adventure movie with lots of special effects". He also proposed the possibility of a film franchise. In December 2006, director Christophe Gans said that he had ''Onimusha'' lined up to film. The film, budgeted at over $70 million, was to begin production in China in February 2008 for a December 2009 release. Takeshi Kaneshiro was rumored to be in the film, reprising his role as Samanosuke. Hadida had to delay the filming of ''Onimusha'', which has resulted in the film's Japanese cast working on other film projects during the delay, and being unavailable to start filming ''Onimusha''. These factors meant that Gans would direct an adaptation of Leo Perutz's novel ''The Swedish Cavalier'' first. Satomi Ishihara and Tsuyoshi Ihara remained attached to the project. There has been no further news regarding this film since 2007, and any plans for a live-action film were quietly canceled.


Anime series

An
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
series adaptation was released in November 2023. It was produced by Sublimation and directed by Shin'ya Sugai, with
Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and surrealism, b ...
as chief director. The main character, Musashi Miyamoto, is modeled after
Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...
and voiced by Akio Otsuka, who previously portrayed Nobunaga Oda in the video games.


References


External links


Official website of the series
{{Franchises by Capcom Video game franchises Capcom franchises Capcom beat 'em ups Dark fantasy video games Video games about demons Video games about samurai Video games set in feudal Japan Video game franchises introduced in 2001 Cultural depictions of Oda Nobunaga Hack and slash games Video games adapted into television shows