History Characters / SpiritHunterNG

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Kaoru is a fan of the occult and geeks out at the genuinely threatening spirits that she fights alongside Akira. In one Bad End, [[spoiler:she's decapitated by one of said spirits. While she claims to be excited at the genuine supernatural experience, the narrative notes that she's actually terrified in her last few moments before death.]]

* BadDreams: In the Bad End he becomes plagued with visions of all his companions that died, preventing him from getting any sleep and causing his health to deteriorate.

* MonsterSobStory: Kubitarou is initially presented as a murderous dog-killer who delights in chopping off heads, so it comes as a surprise to learn that there's a genuinely tragic reason behind their actions; in life, she was severely disabled and shunned by her village as a result. Her only solace was her younger brother - actually a [[BabyDollBaby teddy bear]] - and when its head was ripped off she misinterpreted a children's song and started bringing decapitated heads to the sacred cedars in the hopes of bringing him back. When it didn't work, she chopped down the cedar, and the village revolted by tying her to the cedar's brother tree and leaving her there to starve to death. Had she not been shunned, and instead received proper healthcare and education, then she wouldn't have turned into the murderous spirit that she is.

** Ban [[spoiler:is killed by the Screaming Author when it wraps its razor wire around his body and yanks him into the attic. He's strangled, impaled, his neck is broken, and his arm is severed before he finally gives out. Otherwise, he can be literally split down the middle by the Killer Peach.]]
** Rosé's death [[spoiler:by the Screaming Author is even more horrible; the spirit believes her to be a bird, since she used her voice to mimic a bird cry earlier, so it grabs her with wire and forcefully yanks her body until it's distorted at all joints, resembling a morbid crane. In particular, her neck is extended in a hideously inhuman way. Her death by Killer Peach is comparatively "nicer", but it still has her naked and gored through the stomach.]]

* LovecraftianSuperpower: In the Bad End, [[spoiler:a mysterious voice transforms Akira into something non-human to free him from the guilt of his companions' deaths. When he's next seen, he has a long tentacle for an arm and glowing red eyes.]]

* GratuitousFrench: Her speech is peppered with a few French words and sayings, which fit with her image of a woman from the upper-class.

* SelfMadeWoman: Deconstructed; after her parents died, she struck out on her own to try and make a living as a house-keeper. This ended up with her becoming pregnant with a child who grew up in poverty, until eventually, she passed away from her weak constitution, leaving him in the care of his aunt. Has she allowed herself to be taken in by relatives, like what happened with her sister, then she might still be alive.

* {{Foil}}: Yakumo can be seen as a dark mirror to Yashiki, the protagonist of ''VisualNovel/DeathMark''. [[spoiler:They are both heads of distinguished families with magical power who have made it their life long mission to stop the rampage of a murderous doll spirit, the only difference is the lengths they went. Yakumo kidnapped and tortured young girls to make dolls that held their sorrow to create playmates for Kakuya for ten years. While Yashiki or more accurately his true self Masamune Kujou risked innocent lives by unsealing Mary, Masamune never intentionally harmed anyone and only made the choice as otherwise the Mary's seal would be destroyed]].

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's celebrated as a best-selling children's author, his adoring fans unaware of [[spoiler:the surgical atrocities he inflicts on young girls in his secret attic]]. His neighbours were aware, but given his families' high place in society, he was able to buy them off so they wouldn't snitch.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's celebrated as a best-selling children's author, his adoring fans unaware of [[spoiler:the surgical atrocities he inflicts on young girls in his secret attic]]. His neighbours were aware, but given their high place in society, he was able to buy them off so they wouldn't snitch.

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He's terrified of the supernatural, to the point that just hearing about them causes him to seize up in a way similar to an allergic reaction. Unfortunately for him, he's a main character in a horror adventure game.

* HorrorHunger: In his Normal End, [[spoiler:Seiji is possessed by Kakuya and, after his body is transformed into something more monstrous, expresses his desire to 'break the boundary' between him and Akira by eating the latter.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: A lot of information on Rosé ([[MysteriousPast or lack thereof]]) takes on a new light with the revelation in her specific Bad End. [[spoiler:She keeps her real name and age a secret since, as a spirit, she's both undead and probably been around for a while. She's known for escaping certain death, which is because she's able to resurrect herself. And her knowledge and interest in the occult, despite purpotedly being a stage magician, is because she's a spirit herself.]]

* MysteriousPast: She works as a magician, knows about the supernatural, and was raised in the upper-class, but besides that, she keeps tight-lipped about her past.

* TheGamblingAddict: Made apparent at the beginning of Chapter 3, where he extorts 5,000 yen from Akira and immediately gambles it all away at pachinko. Rosé's comment on the matter suggests this is a recurring problem, which he proves throughout the later chapters.

* TooDumbToLive: Confronting a murderous spirit as if she were an everyday criminal was perhaps not the smartest move in Ooe's book. [[spoiler:She promptly gets sliced to pieces by the spirit's katana, but a convenient time-loop brings her back to life.]]

* SilkHidingSteel: She's a kindly and demure woman, but Akira notes that she has to have nerves of steel to run a bar by herself, and she isn't intimidated by Seiji's ties to the Yakuza.

* WorkplaceAcquiredAbilities: Her main profession is writing horror novels, which proves useful to Akira when her research on urban legends helps his investigation of spirits.

* YesMan: Anything that Seiji asks, Maruhashi will do without question. Because even if he ''does'' question it, Seiji will just blackmail him into compliance, and he's desperate to keep his job as Seiji's underling.

* FollowInMyFootsteps: If she's around for the Demon Tsukuyomi case, then she'll reveal that her reason for becoming an idol was because she was raised to be one by her ex-idol mother. Which is not to say that she dislikes being one, just that she regards it as an occupation instead of a passion.

* MsExposition: She's an expert of the occult and the supernatural, and provides Akira with information on the various ghostly happenings in the first chapter.

* PaperThinDisguise: Akira points out that, despite her desire to keep her Momo identity a secret, she goes out in the same distinctive gothic clothes regardless of whether she's Momo or Kaoru. Her only defence is that she loves the style too much to ''not'' wear it in her everyday life.

* PluckyGirl: She shows little fear in the presence of spirits, and is determined to do anything to hunt down and save Ami from Kakuya. Even if the scare is put in her, she'll eventually bounce back and keep on moving.

* CatchPhrase: Regardless of the time of day, she always greets others with 'Good morning!', which is due to her hectic schedule as an idol.

** Likewise, Ami's class is Elementary School Student, but her sub-class 'Sister' [[EveryonesBabySister is much higher]].

** Rosé's death [[spoiler:by the Screaming Author is even more horrible; the spirit believes her to be a bird, since she used her voice to mimic a bird cry earlier, so it grabs her with wire and forcefully yanks her body until it's distorted at all joints, resembling a morbid crane. In particular, her neck is extended in a hideously inhuman way. Her death by Killer Peach is comparatively 'nicer', but it still has her naked and gored through the stomach.]]

** Rosé comes from the upper-class, which is reflected in her glamorous appearance and mannerisms. On the contrary, investigative journalist Ban is always a little strapped for cash due to his gambling addiction. Though calling what they have a 'friendship' [[TeethClenchedTeamwork might not be accurate]], as their differing stances on money are one of the many things that cause them to clash.

** While Akira's first two companions are both around his age, the second set are Ban and Rosé, a middle-aged man and a woman who keeps her age a secret, but frequently teases Akira for being young and 'cute'. Having adults who're experienced with supernatural affairs proves very useful to Akira, though that doesn't stop him from bickering with them like he does with his high-school friends.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Akira and Seiji have been friends since childhood, and it shows with how comfortable they are with hurling insults and bickering. Kaoru even jokingly calls them 'lovebirds' after Akira threatens to smack Seiji for teasing him.

* TheAllSolvingHammer: When faced with any sort of roadblock, his default answer tends to be 'beat it up'. Multiple other characters call him out on his violent predisposition.

* ChasteHero: He's mostly oblivious to the interest that Kaoru shows in him, gets irritated rather than flustered by Seiji shipping the two of them, and responds to [[FemmeFatale Rosé's]] offer of a date with 'I'd rather sleep'. Romance is clearly not on his mind.

* MusclesAreMeaningless: Despite being a prized underground fighter and noted by many for his physical prowess, Akira isn't that bulky. Lampshaded by Hazuki when she's amazed at how strong he is for being a 'beanpole', and wonders if he's even human.

* RealMenHateSugar: He's unambiguously one of the strongest and most masculine characters in the game, and 'sweet things' are listed as a dislike in his profile. Naturally, [[RealMenEatMeat his favourite food is chicken]].

* DeadlyEuphemism: Fond of using these to explain in a faux-innocent way what he or his minions have done to people that cross them. It even includes the classic 'sleeping with the fishes' when it concerns a man who lives by the shore.

* LikesOlderWomen: Seiji is head-over-heels for Akira's aunt, and dismisses the idea of being attracted to girls his age since he prefers his women 'refined'.

* RedBaron: He's earned the title 'Prince of Threats', due to his proficiency at weeding out people's secrets and using them for blackmail.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: If security proves to be too much of a hassle for the characters to get past, then Seiji tugs on his Yakuza connections and has them 'taken care of', allowing the protagonists free reign.

** Rosé gets annoyed with Ban for extorting the high-schooler Akira. Ban retorts that it wasn't 'extortion', he was just 'collecting fees' that he was due.
** When Rosé talks about breaking-and-entering into the Miroku residence, Ban rephrases it as them 'investigating' the place. Rosé makes fun of him for being so hung up on the terminology.

* CoolOldGuy: He's around 40 and it's just starting to catch up with him, but he rankles when people call him 'old man' and he proves to be just as effective with investigations and fighting spirits as Akira's younger companions.
* TheGamblingAddict: Made apparent at the beginning of Chapter 3, where he extorts 5'000 yen from Akira and immediately gambles it all away at pachinko. Rosé's comment on the matter suggests this is a recurring problem, which he proves throughout the later chapters.

* MrsRobinson: She makes it clear that she has no interest in men her age, and instead is attracted to young, 'cute' men like Akira.

* TheNightOwl: She dislikes the daytime and how harsh the sunlight can be on her skin, and finds the night much more convenient for her work as a magician and a supernatural investigator. It's also part of her general bucking of societal norms. 'Daylight' is listed as one of her dislikes in her profile.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Natsumi mentions a 'sympathetic female detective' a chapter before Ooe shows up in the flesh.

* KansaiRegionalAccent: She has a distinct Kansai accent that she uses to better pressure suspects into confessing. In the English localization, this is shown with her dialogue having more contractions than the norm, and replacing 'you' and 'your' with 'ya' and 'yer'.

* InSeriesNickname: Kaoru eventually starts calling him 'Maru', since it fits with his round appearance. He likes it since Kaoru reminds him of his favourite idol, Momo.

* BlackSheep: She was oppressed and disowned by her family due to her inability to have a child, branding her as a 'useless woman' according to their traditions.

** Kakuya appears as a doll-like human, her features beautiful but stiff and unnatural. At the end of the game, [[spoiler:when she forces herself to 'grow up', her body distorts into something that's still recognisably human - and is more curvaceous to represent her desire to do 'grown-up' things to Akira - but its face is mutated, the skin is cracked, it has claws for hands, and it has one arm and one leg too many.]]

* ButterflyOfTransformation: In the endgame, [[spoiler:when she forces herself to become 'grown-up', the resultant body is littered with butterfly wings to symbolize her transformation.]]
* CreepyChild: Her mannerisms invoke childishness, with her innocent tone and the way she speaks (referring to characters with the cutesy [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics '-chan' honorific]], and being unable to pronounce her own name). However, she's a malevolent spirit that curses the protagonist and forces him to 'play' with her, putting the lives of him and his cousin in grave danger.

* DaddysGirl: The men who kept her sealed in Kakuriyo were viewed by Kakuya as her 'daddies', and it's partly this love that causes her to become so obsessed with Akira, [[spoiler:since he's secretly the son of her last 'daddy'.]]
* DeadlyEuphemism: Kakuya doesn't outright say that she kills anyone - merely that they disappear, or that she'll 'break' them (the latter making sense since she's a doll herself).

* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: She reveals herself to be in love with Akira after [[spoiler:she traps him in Kakuriyo with her]], and makes it clear that she wants to have 'grown-up' fun with him, whether he reciprocates or not.

* TheNicknamer: Jealous at Seiji and Kaoru for being closer to Akira than her, she calls them 'Yakuza Punk' and 'Hussy Girl' during the game's climax. [[spoiler:This also makes it more difficult for Akira to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia remember who they were]].]]

* WarmUpBoss: Yuri is the first spirit to be fought in the game. The 'fight' against her is short and relatively simple and exists to demonstrate the (slightly revamped) PuzzleBoss mechanics. She also doesn't have much of a backstory and doesn't require a lengthy investigation for Akira to understand her history and motives.

* ICannotSelfTerminate: As a spirit, it's trapped in the Miroku mansion with no way to die and free itself from its [[BodyHorror tortured]] existence. When facing off against it, the Author pleads Akira to 'burn it', which he correctly guesses to mean that it wants him to set it alight and end its misery.

* AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder: Her face appears different to all those who see it, differing between a monkey, dog, and a pheasant - this is how she got the name 'Killer Peach', as those are the three companions of Peach Boy Momotaro. When Akira looks at her, he sees all three heads at once, including an extra one hanging from the monkey's jaw.

* SeekerArchetype: He's an investigator who searches out information on the supernatural and shares it with other seekers of the 'untapped world'.

* DontLookAtMe: The reason the spirit begs people not to look inside the mansion is because [[spoiler:her body has been mutilated to a ghastly degree by Yakumo, and she's horrified at how she appears now.]]

* KillItWithFire: The way to pacify it is using incense to burn it alive, a fate it outright ''enjoys'' after all its time spent agonizing within the Miroku mansion.
* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:Her name as a human, Tubasa, comes from the word ''Tsubasa'' (翼), which means wing. She was then mutilated to resemble a crane, and as a spirit she has a bird-like scream and can attack people with the wires that compose her wings.]]

* TorturedMonster: By far one of the most tortured and sympathetic spirits in the series. [[spoiler:She was an innocent young girl who was kidnapped by a crazed doctor that chopped off all her limbs while she was still alive, and then mutilated her body with wires and surgery so she would resemble a crane. She's so distraught at what she's become that she begs everyone not to look at her, and the only way to pacify her (i.e. give her the happy ending she wants) is to ''burn her alive''.]]

* ItsPersonal: The reason she's so rash during the Killer Peach case is because [[spoiler:her family were killed in the fire caused by the Killer Peach's victims]].

* FemmeFatale: She's flirty and dons a simple black dress, baring an exotic name as part of her stage persona, but she deliberately keeps an air of intrigue around herself while assisting Akira with his investigation.

* CoolShades: One of the potential appearance options for Akira is a pair of slim black shades (in contrast to the previous protagonist's StoicSpectacles) that he wears [[SunglassesAtNight all the time]] and make him look like even more of a badass.

* OddFriendship: While they're riding together on his bike, Akira acknowledges that, despite being best friends, he and Seiji are complete opposites - Seiji is a polite, sociable boy who hides a dark personality, whilst Akira appears intimidating but would rather be left alone. Even their clothes contrast, with Akira favouring black whilst Seiji wears white.

** While Akira's first two companions are both around his age, the second set are Ban and Rosé, a middle-aged man and a woman who keeps her age a secret, but frequently teases Akira for being young and 'cute'. Having adults who're experienced with supernatural affairs proves very useful to Akira, though that doesn't stop him from bickering with them like he does his high-school friends.

** Natsumi's main occupation is a writer, and so it's her main class. Her sub-class is Owner, but is much lower-levelled given her disinterest in running the bar.
** Maruhashi has a low-level main class of [[StupidCrooks Thug]], but a much higher sub-class of Motorcyle Gang.

** Hazuki dresses herself in [[ElegantGothicLolita gothic lolita]] and is a huge occult fan.

** Ooe is revealed to be one for the Killer Peach. Both are (or were, in Peach's case) woman of the law who prioritised the exposure of injustices over following the rules. [[spoiler:They both also lost their families thanks to the employees of Sumii Co.]] It's this connection between them that causes Ooe to act rashly towards Killer Peach. Later on, she admits that she understands the Peach's murderous rage, but that her methods are wrong and Ooe wants to do right for her by pursuing justice within the realm of the law ([[CowboyCop somewhat]], at least).

** A similar dynamic grows between Akira, Rosé, and Ban. While Rosé is always collected and secretive, Ban is brasher and more willing to take risks, with Akira being more calm than Ban but more violent and expressive than Rosé.

** Akira is a WorkingClassHero who used to live in poverty, while his best friend Seiji is the rich son of Yakuza. Once they became friends, Seiji hooked Akira up with a underground fighting gig which, along with being adopted by his aunt, helped Akira get on his feet.

** Ami is good friends with Yuki and Kaoru, despite her being elementary aged and them being high-schoolers. This is explained as Ami and Yuki living in the same apartment building, with Yuki playing with Ami when Ami's mother was too busy with work to look after her.

* OddFriendship: While they're riding together on his bike, Akira acknowledges that, despite being best friends, he and Seiji are complete opposites- Seiji is a polite, sociable boy who hides a dark personality, whilst Akira appears intimidating but would rather be left alone. Even their clothes contrast, with Akira favouring black whilst Seiji wears white.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The main cast consists of a teenage delinquent, his friend the Yakuza heir, an occult idol, a corrupt investigative journalist, a criminal magician, and a shady cop. When riding with Seiji and Kaoru on his motorcycle, Akira realises that it's their outcast nature which has drawn them together so easily.

* ThreeAmigos: This dynamic forms between Akira, Seiji, and Kaoru, once the latter becomes more acquainted with the first two. Akira is the CoolLoser protagonist, Seiji is his sceptical but loyal ChildhoodFriend, and Kaoru is a bubbly idol who loves the supernatural and gets subtle ShipTease with Akira.

* BadMoodAsAnExcuse: When he was a kid, his family had no money and he always felt like things were falling apart. This gave him some anger issues that only fighting could help him deal with. After he was adopted by his aunt, and Seiji gave him an outlet for his anger, he was able to stabilise himself.

* BookDumb: He's clever enough to solve the various puzzles and mysteries Kakuya throws his way, as well as keep himself alive against murderous spirits, but he's terrible at anything that requires actual research, and leaves that to his more intellectual allies. In his profile, his intelligence is his lowest stat, more than three times less than his physique.

* CoolShades: One of the potential appearance options for Akira are a pair of slim black shades (in contrast to the previous protagonist's StoicSpectacles) that he wears [[SunglassesAtNight all the time]] and make him look like even more of a badass.

* FearlessFool: Some of his more reckless actions- such as continuing to stay in an apartment that he knows is haunted- are attributed to his unwillingness to be scared of the spirits that are haunting him.

* ItsAllMyFault: While he does recognise that, ultimately, [[BigBad Kakuya]] is to blame for everything, Akira feels a tremendous amount of guilt for getting his companions involved with spirits after [[spoiler:Maruhashi]] is killed by one. It takes a pep talk from one of said companions, where they insist that they hold responsibility for their own actions, for him to get over it.

* LeParkour: He's a physically fit young man who displays some impressive feats of acrobatics- he scarpers up a wall twice his height to avoid the police, and later on kicks off a wall to cling to a ceiling pipe to avoid getting run over by a car.

* MagneticHero: Despite his lack of people skills and intimidating aura, Kaoru realises that there's just something about Akira that draws people towards him. Even though he prefers working alone, he starts the game with three close relations and only builds them up from there.

* SuperReflexes: His experience and training as a street fighter has heightened his instincts and reaction time, allowing him to process dangerous situations and react to them much faster than the average person.

* DeadlyEuphemism: Fond of using these to explain in a faux-innocent way what he or his minions have done to people that cross them. Even includes the classic 'sleeping with the fishes' when it concerns a man who lives by the shore.

* OverlordJr: He's the heir to Taizou Amanome, the current head of the Amanome Family. According to Taizou's profile, he dotes on his son dearly, and Seiji is clearly a chip off the old block given how well he utilises the Yakuza and its connections. That said, Amanome Sr. isn't above giving some tough love if Seiji gets too out of line.

* AgentMulder: She readily believes anything related to the supernatural, even if it's from dubious sources like infomercials. This contrasts her with the sceptical Seiji and uninformed Akira.

* ElegantGothicLolita: Being an occult idol, she dresses in the gothic lolita style that's only just coming into fashion during [[TheNineties the time period]] of the story. It's not as extravagant as some examples- a black puffy dress and beret with dark green bows- but it still makes her stand out from the crowd.

* ItsPersonal: While she was already dedicated to saving Ami, Kaoru holds a personal grudge against the Urashima Woman for cancelling her concert, and then killing one of her fans.

* NightmareFetishist: She really enjoys the occult, and is more enthusiastic about confronting ghosts than scared of them. It's to the point that, when she jokes about prioritising ghosts over the well-being of her or others, she has to clarify that she's kidding.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Momo Kuruse's most recognisable asset is her striking silver hair- so striking, in fact, that people don't realise she and raven-haired Kaoru are the same person once she removes the silver wig.

** He chastites Akira for treating him like he's an old man. Seconds later, he complains about nearly [[CrackOhMyBack putting out his hip]] after helping Akira move a wooden shelf.

* ItsPersonal: His reasoning for investigating spirits turn out to be much more personal than for the money- [[spoiler:his son]] was killed by one, and in hunting down the killer he realised his desire to expose all the dark secrets that spirits possess.

* MiracleRally: When gambling, he has an uncanny ability to always win the last bet, no matter how much he's lost up until that point. It's so potent that he accurately predicated a win when he needed it to help the cast advance their investigation.

* MasterOfUnlocking: She's experienced with lock-picking, even moreso than Seiji. While she puts it down to her dexterity from being a stage magician, there's obviously more to it that she lets on.

* MsExposition: Rosé takes over the role of spiritual expert after Kaoru leaves, and helps Akira learn more about Kakuya, ghosts, and his own powers.
* MysteriousPast: She works as a magician, knows about the supernatural, and was raised in the upper-class, but besides that she keeps tight-lipped about her past.

* VagueAge: She recognises an ancient form of battery and claims that she hasn't seen one in a long time. When Akira then asks her how old she is, she playfully keeps it a secret.

* CowboyCop: Akira realises this about her when she breaks some rules in order to get the police off his back- not out of any sympathy for him, but because she's interested in the supernatural and wants to investigate it for herself, rules be damned.

* JusticeWillPrevail: She joined the force due to her strong sense of justice- if playing rough, bending the rules, or outright breaking them is required to see that justice through, then so be it.
* KansaiRegionalAccent: She has a distinct Kansai accent that she uses to better pressure suspects into confessing. In the English localisation, this is shown with her dialogue having more contractions than the norm, and replacing 'you' and 'your' with 'ya' and 'yer'.

* CheerfulChild: She's an innocent young girl who loves her mother and cousin, even drawing out his [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold softer side]]. She's enthusiastic about many things and especially enjoys the idol Momo Kuruse. Her disappearance and endangerment serves as Akira's motivation for the game.

* PluckyGirl: Her kindness and optimism allows her to get along with pretty much everyone she meets, and she has a noted stubborn streak that's enough to get Akira, who otherwise doesn't like bothersome things, to play along with her.

* HopelessWithTech: She knows how to type with a computer, since she's an author, but beyond that she has no clue. [[LikesOlderWomen Seiji]] pounces on the chance to give her a hand.

->''"I was about to cut off a finger to prove by sincerity, but... Mister Seiji said that there was no point in offering a dirty finger, so he stopped me."''

* FatBastard: Subverted. He's an obese man with a range of [[{{Gonk}} gross expressions]] that is introduced harassing Hazuki. However, later it's revealed that he was simply over-enthusiastic about his new job as a (ineffectual) Yakuza lackey; he apologises to Hazuki for his behaviour and is eager to help the protagonists in any way he can.

A celebrated author of children's horror literature, though his true nature is a lot more complex- and a lot more bloody- than that. Rumoured to be the Screaming Author, though again the truth isn't what it seems.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's celebrated as a best-selling children's author, his adoring fans unaware of [[spoiler:the surgical atrocities he inflicts on young girls in his secret attic]]. His neighbours were aware, but given their high place in society he was able to buy them off so they wouldn't snitch.

* IllGirl: Since youth she's had a weak constitution, which caused her to focus more on her studies than on any physical hobbies. This came back to bite her as an adult when she died of an illness.

* SelfMadeWoman: Deconstructed; after her parents died, she struck out on her own to try and make a living as a house-keeper. This ended up with her becoming pregnant with a child who grew up in poverty, until eventually she passed away from her weak constitution, leaving him in the care of his aunt. Has she allowed herself to be taken in by relatives, like what happened with her sister, then she might still be alive.

** Kakuya appears as a doll-like human, her features beautiful but stiff and unnatural. At the end of the game, [[spoiler:when she forces herself to 'grow up', her body distorts into something that's still recognisably human- and is more curvaceous to represent her desire to do 'grown-up' things to Akira- but its face is mutated, the skin is cracked, it has claws for hands, and it has one arm and one leg too many.]]
* MurderIntoMalevolence: The spirits were all good people in life- or at least had good intentions, in the case of Kubitarou. However, their painful and grisly deaths caused them to be brought back as murderous spirits with a grudge against humans.

** Chapter 2 has Kubitarou of Kintoki, a giant man who chops the heads off of animals. In actuality Kubitarou is a woman who was mentally disabled in life, and mistook a bear plushie as her younger brother. When said plushie lost its head, she started bringing animals heads to a sacred tree in the hopes of reviving him. She cut the tree down in anger when it didn't work, and in retaliation the villagers tied her up and starved her to death. She's pacified when [[spoiler:a new head is attached to her bear plushie]], or otherwise destroyed if [[spoiler:she's lured in front of a passing train]].
** Chapter 4 has Killer Peach, who in life was a dietwoman seeking to expose injustices. She was brutally murdered by the 5/5 Club after she was about to expose the president's involvement in an arson case- after she became a spirit, she sought her revenge on all four of the men. She's pacified by evidence that [[spoiler:the remaining member of the group is also dead]], or otherwise destroyed if [[spoiler:she's overloaded with his scent]].

* ButterflyOfTransformation: In the endgame, [[spoiler:when she forces herself to become 'grown-up', the resultant body is littered with butterfly wings to symbolise her transformation.]]

* CreepyDoll: Akira realises she's a doll due to her ethereal appearance and her tendency to speak without moving her mouth, which just highlights her inhumanness.

* DeadlyEuphemism: Kakuya doesn't outright say that she kills anyone- merely that they disappear, or that she'll 'break' them (the latter making sense since she's a doll herself).

* GreenEyedMonster: Akira theorises that one of the reasons Kakuya sent a lightning bolt down on Seiji and Kaoru, besides just to liven up her game, was that she was jealous of Akira for having friends. [[spoiler:This is confirmed in the endgame, when she erases Akira's memories of them out of jealousy that he's closer to them than her.]]

* ParasolOfPrettiness: As part of her elegant, traditional appearance, she carries a red parasol when confronting Akira in the underpass. It'll make an appearance in some endings where Kakuya was supposedly locked away, signalling that she might not be gone for good.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Her only role is as the tutorial boss, and she doesn't get much development beyond her bond with Ami and Kaoru- however, it's that bond that causes Ami, and by extension the protagonist Akira, to get involved with Kakuya's game.
* WarmUpBoss: Yuki is the first spirit to be fought in the game. The 'fight' against her is short and relatively simple, and exists to demonstrate the (slightly revamped) PuzzleBoss mechanics. She also doesn't have much of a backstory, and doesn't require a lengthy investigation for Akira to understand her history and motives.

* {{Determinator}}: The novella expands on the moment where the midwife made off with her baby. After giving birth, having her placenta fall out, and being assaulted and drugged by the midwife, she ''still'' manages to get to her feet and track her upstairs. Afterwards she falls down the stairs, but is still alive even then. It's only getting locked in a suitcase and dumped into a lake that finally puts her down- and even then, she comes back as a spirit and gets her revenge on the midwife.
* LampreyMouth: Under her ratty long hair, it's revealed that the Urashima Woman has a giant lamprey-like mouth, with [[NestedMouths multiple sets of teeth]] beneath the first circle of them. This emphasises her connection to the lake and her death by drowning.
* MakingASplash: Her cause of death was drowning, and so as a spirit she's gained some control over water. She can make her victims feel like they're drowning even without water present, she can control the water in Akira's pipes when she haunts his apartment, and Seiji theorises that she can teleport herself to any location that has water, such as bathrooms, lakes, sewers, etc.

* MonsterSobStory: Kubitarou is initially presented as a murderous dog-killer who delights in chopping off heads, so it comes as a surprise to learn that there's a genuinely tragic reason behind their actions; in life, she was severely disabled and shunned by her village as a result. Her only solace was her younger brother- actually a [[BabyDollBaby teddy bear]]- and when its head was ripped off she misinterpreted a children's song and started bringing decapitated heads to the sacred cedars in the hopes of bringing him back. When it didn't work, she chopped down the cedar, and the village revolted by tying her to the cedar's brother tree and leaving her there to starve to death. Had she not been shunned, and instead received proper healthcare and education, then she wouldn't have turned into the murderous spirit that she is.

* KillItWithFire: The way to pacify it is using incense to burn it alive, a fate it outright ''enjoys'' after all its time spent agonising within the Miroku mansion.

* MonsterDelay: In contrast to the other spirits, the Screaming Author isn't shown beyond a silhouette right up until the final confrontation with them. This serves a dual purpose; to emphasise the spirit's [[TheScream sound-based]] powers, and to really hit home how grotesque its appearance is when it finally ''is'' shown.

* NonMaliciousMonster: Unlike the other spirits, it doesn't go out of its way to hurt anyone- on the contrary, it begs people ''not'' to get close to it, and they only die because they ignore that warning. The only time it's actively malevolent is when it's destroyed instead of pacified, which is when its grudge consumes it and leads it to kill one of Akira's companions in retaliation.

* AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder: Her face appears different to all those who see it, differing between a monkey, dog, and a pheasant- this is how she got the name 'Killer Peach', as those are the three companions of Peach Boy Momotaro. When Akira looks at her, he sees all three heads at once, including an extra one hanging from the monkey's jaw.

* DoesNotLikeMen: All of her victims are men, something that Ooe takes advantage of- assuming (correctly) that Peach doesn't kill women, Ooe serves herself up as a decoy so the male Akira can escape. [[spoiler:Though it's later shown that she doesn't bear a grudge against men in general- just that the people she's hunting down for revenge all happen to be men.]]

* {{Lunacy}}: It's rumoured that Tsukuyomi got its name- which comes from the Japanese god of the moon- from the fact that it can only be summoned when there's a moon out.
* MindHive: The spirit is a collection of all those who died in the Momoi Department Store fire- their bodies merged together into one spherical clump of flesh, which moves and operates as a single unit.

* RememberTheNewGuy: He's well-acquainted with the ''Death Mark'' cast, despite having not shown up in that game at all. It can be inferred that they only crossed paths post-game, during the five year gap between games.