History Characters / TenchuStealthAssassins

* MinatureSeniorCitzens: He's significantly shorter than all the other characters in ''Wrath of Heaven''. He's back to being of average height in ''Shadow Assassins''

!!'''Matsunoshin Gohda'''

* BewareTheNiceOnes: While he's respectful and does what is best for his people, Gohda is also a trained samurai who will go to war if there is no other choice. When [[spoiler:Hamada, one of his guards, turns on him and holds Gohda hostage, he has no qualms about Ayame killing him and even orders her to do so]].

* GoodIsNotSoft: His respect for the Azuma only goes so far. [[spoiler: When an enemy disguising themselves as Ayame attacks Gohda between missions in Rikimaru's campaign, Matsunoshin has the real Ayame imprisoned for execution, and orders Ayame in ''Shadow Assassins'' to track down and deal with Rikimaru when it's feared that he'd gone rogue]].

* ParentalBetrayal: [[spoiler: Though, not really his parents. When he first takes over the Gohda family after the death of his father, Gohda is betrayed by his uncle, Motohide, who sparks a rebellion in hopes of killing Matsunoshin and taking over the clan]].

!!'''Kiku Gohda'''

The only daughter of Matsunoshin and Kei Gohda, Kiku is a member of the Gohda family and heir to his fortune. The civil war that happened after her grandfather's death occured when she was very young, and after [[spoiler:her mother's murder at the hands of her great-uncle, she was kidnapped but later rescued by Ayame, sparking a close friendship between the two that would last for years. During the events of Shadow Assassins, she is kidnapped once more by Rinshi and rescued by Ayame, taken back to Gohda Castle where Onikage had revealed to have returned, taking the princess hostage. Kiku urges Rikimaru to put an end to the suffering and in the end, he impales her with Izayoi in order to kill Onikage, resulting in Kiku's death]]. \\\

* DamselInDistress: She's kidnapped at [[{{OnceAnEpisode}} every game in the series]], except for ''Fatal Shadows''.

* DeathSeeker: Somewhat shown. [[spoiler:When held hostage by Onikage in Shadow Assassins, she reveals that she could not bear to see any more death and urged Rikimaru to go through her to kill Onikage]].

* CharacterDeath: Multiple times. Ayame’s story in ''Wrath of Heaven'' has Sekiya dying after being attacked by one of Kagura’s Shikigami spirits, with Ayame specifically killing Kagura for revenge, though later {{Subverted}} when it was shown that he survived. [[spoiler:In ''Shadow Assassins'', it’s revealed that Sekiya was later murdered and possessed by Onikage]].
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:Possessed by Onikage in ''Shadow Assassins'']].

Mei-Oh is the main antagonist of ''Stealth Assassins'', and the final boss of the game. The titled "King of Hell", he is the boss to which Onikage is loyal to, and is first mentioned when his forces kidnapped Kiku from Gohda's Castle and took her to his fortress, where Ayame and Rikimaru go to so that they can rescue the princess. After his first appearance, Mei-Oh is [[spoiler:killed by Rikimaru/Ayame, his body falling into the portal that later appears in ''Wrath of Heaven'' and his fortress crumbles while the ninja attempt to escape, resulting in Rikimaru being caught in the rockslide and appearing to have died.]] \\\

* {{Necromancer}}: One of his powers, as he brought a deceased Suzaku back as Onikage at the end of ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins''.

A recurring character in the Tenchu series, Onikage is a demonic ninja that is loyal to Lord Mei-Oh and the main {{Rival}} to Rikimaru. Throughout the series, he is trying to [[spoiler:bring back a deceased Mei-Oh, who fell into the portal in his fortress at the end of the first game, and return the King of Hell back to their world. While doing so, he shows some interest in Ayame, and later possesses her when he is killed by Rikimaru at the end of ''Shadow Assassins'', causing Kiku's death as well and sending the kunoichi into a [[{{HeroicBSOD}} Heroic B.S.O.D]], causing a strain between Ayame and Rikimaru's relationship]].

* MalevolentMaskedMen: Onikage occasionally wears creepy masks. Aside from the one from ''Shadow Assassins'' (pictured above), there was also the one [[spoiler: one of his decoys]] wore in''Wrath of Heaven''. [[spoiler: In his first appearance in the story of ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'', he was also wearing a mask.]]

* OnlyOneName: He is only ever known as Onikage, or Suzaku in ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins''.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: It's better seen in the FMVs and later games' cutscenes, but Onikage has red eyes who are a clear display of his demonic nature.

* DyingForSymbolism[=/=]DeathByIrony: Is cornered and killed off in his storage shed, where his rice (a symbol of wealth in feudal Japan) is kept. Symbolic in that greed led to his demise, ironic in that the extension of his greed - his inventory - literally cornered him and made him vulnerable to the Azuma.

The minor villain in the first level, Hanbe Sasaki is the bodyguard of Echigoya and the first boss that Rikimaru/Ayame faces off as Echigoya runs away. Despite being warned to move out the way, he refuses and engages in battle with the Azuma, [[spoiler:though he is quickly cut down]].

A loyal servant of a rival lord to Lord Gohda and the sister of Senjuro Akechi, Tazu Akechi is the guard that Rikimaru/Ayame runs into when they first approach the checkpoint. When she asks them where they are going, the Azuma ninja refuses with Ayame insulting her, pushing her to battle with them. [[spoiler:After a short battle, she is killed by the Azuma and they continue thorugh the checkpoint]].

* CorporateSamurai: She was an ''onna-bugeisha'' (female warrior) hired by a rival lord to Gohda to guard the checkpoint leading into his lands. This eventually led to crossing paths with the Azuma, and cost Tazu her life.

A loyal servant of a rival lord to Lord Gohda and the brother of Tazu Akechi, Senjuro Akemichi is the final boss of the ''Cross the Checkpoint'' mission. His interaction with the Azuma differs depending on which ninja the player had chosen, where he is respectful when facing against Rikimaru yet hostile and belitting when facing against Ayame. Regardless, [[spoiler:he is killed by the Azuma after that fight]].

Goo is the person who kidnapped and jailed the Azuma ninja that the player had not chosen to play as, and the boss of the ''Rescue the Captive Ninja'' mission. After Rikimaru/Ayame finds their captured ally, he comes and fights them, [[spoiler:before being killed by the free Azuma]].

* DualBoss: With a [[BearsAreBadNews grizzly bear]], no less.

-->''"I may have made mistakes, but I shall allow [[{{StayInTheKitchen}} no woman to scold me like that!]] You shall die by my arrows!"''

Kataoka was a minister who was entrusted by Lord Gohda to oversee his domain's monetary affairs, but eventually succumbed to his greed and started to take advantage of oppotunities for illegal personal gain. When confronted by the Azuma after Sekiya sent them to assassinate the corrupt minister, his response differs depending on whether it was Rikimaru or Ayame who confronted him, but [[spoiler:he dies after encountering either Azuma ninja]].

* AnnoyingArrows: Ayame taunts him with this trope:

On is the leader of the Manji cult and the boss of the ''Infiltrate the Maji Cult'' mission. Sometime before the mission, she found a stone that contained a demon within, and was able to render humans both mutated and under mind control. With the stone, she used it to create her own army of the manji cultists and started taking over other temples, where the monks were either killed or turned into more of the cultists. When Rikimaru/Ayame is dispatched to kill her, she swallows the stone to avoid the ninja taking it but [[spoiler:is killed by them, the Azuma gutting her corpse to get the stone]].

Captain Balma is the Spanish captain of a pirate ship that attacks a Japanese coastal village, resulting in Lord Gohda sending Rikimaru/Ayame to dispose of him. when they find him, he engages in battle with the Azuma and ultimately [[spoiler:loses, costing the captain his life]].

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He's the head of the Gohda Clan and in charge of all his lands, as well as being the one that the Azuma listen to. He's also a trained samurai that is useful on the battlefield, having led the assault against the Fire Demon in the second game while Rikimaru and Ayame dealt with the enemy inside.

* {{BFS}}: His WeaponOfChoice in the battle with the free Azuma.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Lord of Hell.

The current Daimyo for the House of Gohda, the father of Kiku Gohda and husband to Lady Kei Gohda, Matsunoshin Gohda is the main ally of the Azuma and relied on them to keep peace within his lands for years. When he first came to power, he was involved in a civil war with his uncle over the latter's anger over being passed the inheritance by Matsunoshin's late father, a civil war that was ended with the help of the Azuma ninja; Rikimaru, Ayame and Tatsumaru, yet resulted in [[spoiler:the death of his wife and kidnapping of his daughter, who Ayame rescued later on]].

The only daughter of Matsunoshin and Kei Gohda, Kiku is a member of the Gohda family and heir to his fortune. The civil war that happened after her grandfather's death occured when she was very young, and after [[spoiler:her mother's murder at the hands of her great-uncle, she was kidnapped but later rescued by Ayame, sparking a close friendship between the two that would last for years. During the events of Shadow Assassins, she is kidnapped once more by Rinshi and rescued by Ayame, taken back to Gohda Castle where Onikage had revealed to have returned, taking the princess hostage. Kiku urges Rikimaru to put an end to the suffering and in the end, he impales her with Izayoi in order to kill Onikage, resulting in Kiku's death]].

The counsel advisor to Lord Matsunoshin Gohda, Naotada Sekiya had been an ally of the Azuma and Gohda family for many years, and is the one to help Lord Gohda with issues regarding his lands. While he appears in most of the Tenchu games, he is revealed [[spoiler:to be a traitor to Gohda and the Azuma in ''Shadow Assassins'', as Onikage had disguised himself as Sekiya and took his place. The location of the real Sekiya is unknown, though it is suspected that Onikage killed him to prevent him from ruining his plans. In ''Wrath of Heaven'', during Ayame's story, Sekiya is killed by a Shikigami spirit when Ayame clears the way to Tenrai's fortress, though he is shown to have survived in one of her endings]].

A ninken of the Azuma Clan, Semimaru is a loyal companion of Rikimaru and Ayame. While he helps the two ninja track down [[spoiler:Tatsumaru after the Azuma massacure]], he is able to be summoned in the other games by using a Dog Bone, where he can help kill an enemy that Rikimaru and Ayame face.

Like all dogs, Semimaru has a deep loyalty to the Azuma and has a particularly strong bond with Rikimaru, as shown in Birth of the Stealth Assassins. Even when faced with danger, Semimaru won't back down even when faced with death.

Mei-Oh is the main antagonist of ''Stealth Assassins'', and the final boss of the game. The titled "King of Hell", he is the boss to which Onikage is loyal to, and is first mentioned when his forces kidnapped Kiku from Gohda's Castle and took her to his fortress, where Ayame and Rikimaru go to so that they can rescue the princess. After his first appearance, Mei-Oh is [[spoiler:killed by Rikimaru/Ayame, his body falling into the portal that later appears in ''Wrath of Heaven'' and his fortress crumbles while the ninja attempt to escape, resulting in Rikimaru being caught in the rockslide and appearing to have died.]]

* BrotherSisterTeam: While they don't fight together, Senjruo and Tazu both guard the same checkpoints and are bosses on the same level.

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* CharacterDeath: Multiple times. Ayame’s story in ''Wrath of Heaven'' has Sekiya dying after being attacked by one of Kagura’s Shikigami spirits, with Ayame specifically killing Kagura for revenge, though later [[Subverted]] when it was shown that he survived. [[spoiler:In ''Shadow Assassins'', it’s revealed that Sekiya was later murdered and possessed by Onikage]].

* TreacherousAdvisor: [[Subverted]]. Gohda believed that Sekiya betrayed him late in ''Shadow Assassins'', [[spoiler:but it was revealed to be Onikage possessing a deceased Sekiya instead]]. During life, Sekiya was completely loyal to his lord.

* BecameTheirOwnAntithese: Throughout the series, Onikage tries to prove that Rikimaru is just like him- a born murderer who takes pleasure in killing. The Azuma ninja successfully rebukes the comparisons [[spoiler: until ''Shadow Assassins'', where he has no choice but to kill Kiku to kill him. Then the story ends with Rikimaru believing himself to be a monster.]]

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* BadassInDistress: During the rebellion in the second game, [[spoiler:Gohda is accidentily wounded by Rikimaru and allows his treacherous uncle to escape with his daughter, causing the Azuma to mount a rescue while Gohda recovers. In the third game, he's temporarily this when Hamada betrays him and holds Matsunoshin hostage in Ayame's campaign, before she rescues him, and a mission in the multiplayer of the same game has both players protect a mortally wounded Gohda]].

* DisappearedDad: His father died before the events of the ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'', and [[{{PlotTriggeringDeath}} this death with the family leadership going to Matsunoshin is what triggers the rebellion with his jealous uncle]].

* ArrangedMarriage: In the Japanese dub of Wrath of Heaven, Kiku was actually married to the lord of Amagai Castle and Rikimaru was sent to check up on her after her letters stopped being sent to Gohda. The English dub completely changes that, rather having Kiku kidnapped and taken to Amagai Castle with Rikimaru being sent to save her.
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:She is stabbed through the chest by Rikimaru in Shadow Assassins, on her orders, as Onikage had taken her hostage and would have escaped if Rikimaru did nothing]].

* TheCutie: As a child, especially her relationship with the shinobi; Ayame. In Wrath of Heaven, she gives Ayame the other sister bell for good luck before the kunoichi leaves on a mission, showing how deeply she cares for Ayame.
* DamselInDistress: She's kidnapped at [[{{OnceAnEpisode}} every game in the series]], except for Fatal Shadows.

The counsel advisor to Lord Matsunoshin Gohda, Naotada Sekiya had been an ally of the Azuma and Gohda family for many years, and is the one to help Lord Gohda with issues regarding his lands. While he appears in most of the Tenchu games, he is revealed [[spoiler:to be a traitor to Gohda and the Azuma in Shadow Assassins, as Onikage had disguised himself as Sekiya and took his place. The location of the real Sekiya is unknown, though it is suspected that Onikage killed him to prevent him from ruining his plans. In Wrath of Heaven, during Ayame's story, Sekiya is killed by a Shikigami spirit when Ayame clears the way to Tenrai's fortress, though he is shown to have survived in one of her endings]].

Mei-Oh is the main antagonist of Tenchu:Stealth Assassins, and the final boss of the game. The titled "King of Hell", he is the boss to which Onikage is loyal to, and is first mentioned when his forces kidnapped Kiku from Gohda's Castle and took her to his fortress, where Ayame and Rikimaru go to so that they can rescue the princess. After his first appearance, Mei-Oh is [[spoiler:killed by Rikimaru/Ayame, his body falling into the portal that later appears in ''Wrath of Heaven'' and his fortress crumbles while the ninja attempt to escape, resulting in Rikimaru being caught in the rockslide and appearing to have died.]]

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* ArchEnemy: To both Azuma ninja, though mainly with Rikimaru. He has fought him more times than Ayame and the villain tries to prove that they are NotSoDifferent. As he puts it in their dialogue prior to fighting in ''Wrath of Heaven'', Onikage claims to be like a dog that Rikimaru will never get rid of. [[spoiler: He fully returns the sentiment in ''Shadow Assassins'', showing an absolute hatred towards him that he never displayed before.]]

* NotSoDifferent: Throughout the series, Onikage tries to prove that Rikimaru is just like him- a born murderer who takes pleasure in killing. The Azuma ninja successfully rebukes the comparisons [[spoiler: until ''Shadow Assassins'', where he has no choice but to kill Kiku to kill him. Then the story ends with Rikimaru believing himself to be a monster.]]

The current Daiymo for the House of Gohda, the father of Kiku Gohda and husband to Lady Kei Gohda, Matsunoshin Gohda is the main ally of the Azuma and relied on them to keep peace within his lands for years. When he first came to power, he was involved in a civil war with his uncle over the latter's anger over being passed the inheritance by Matsunoshin's late father, a civil war that was ended with the help of the Azuma ninja; Rikimaru, Ayame and Tatsumaru, yet resulted in [[spoiler:the death of his wife and kidnapping of his daughter, who Ayame rescued later on]].

A recurring character in the Tenchu series, Onikage is a demonic ninja that is loyal to Lord Mei-Oh and the main [[{{Rival}} rival]] to Rikimaru. Throughout the series, he is trying to [[spoiler:bring back a deceased Mei-Oh, who fell into the portal in his fortress at the end of the first game, and return the King of Hell back to their world. While doing so, he shows some interest in Ayame, and later possesses her when he is killed by Rikimaru at the end of ''Shadow Assassins'', causing Kiku's death as well and sending the kunoichi into a [[{{HeroicBSOD}} Heroic B.S.O.D]], causing a strain between Ayame and Rikimaru's relationship]].

* MasterOfDisguise: As a shinobi himself, Onikage is adept at taking the guise of others. [[spoiler: His most notable case of it was in ''Shadow Assassins'', where he was disguised as Sekiya through the whole story- only revealing himself at the climax.]]

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Onikage is a demon ninja and martial artist with necromantic powers- pretty much FighterMageAndThief in one package.

* DemonicPossession: Implied. [[spoiler: The extended version of the ending of ''Shadow Assassins'' has Ayame speaking with Onikage's voice, indicating that he may be possibly inhabiting her body now]]. There's also the case of Yuge Jonosuke in his ''Time of the Assassins'' ending.

* ExtremityExtremist: Zigzagged. Onikage fights only with powerful, Tae Kwon Do like kicks in ''Stealth Assassins'' and ''Wrath of Heaven'', only employing his hands when performind grab attacks. In other games, he fights with a sword instead.

* BigBad: In ''Shadow Assassins''. For the first and only time in the series, Onikage makes no mention of his service to Mei-Oh and is out for himself this time, [[spoiler: in a TheManBehindTheMan fashion to Rinshi- who is portrayed as the actuall villain of the story. He only shows himself at the end, after the kunoichi is dealt with.]]
* BlindWeaponmaster: [[spoiler: As Suzaku in ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'', he wore a blindfold but was still a skilled enough swordsman to go toe to toe with Rikimaru. Then it's subverted at the ending, where he removes it to reveal his demonic red eyes- and that he was faking his blidness the whole time.]]

* BondBreaker: [[spoiler: May have manage to sever the bond between Rikimaru and Ayame in ''Shadow Assassins'', forcing him to kill Kiku to destroy the villain- which drives the ninja into a HeroicBSOD and the kunoichi into a DespairEventHorizon.]]

* DarkIsEvil: In direct contrast to the DarkIsNotEvil aspect of Rikimaru and Ayame, Onikage is a villain associated with darkness overall. His name means "Demonic Shade", he outfits himself with black, dark blue or purple outfits and is a servant of Lord Mei-Oh, the King of Hell.

* ExtremityExtremist: Zigzagged. Onikage fights only with powerful, Tae Kwon Do like kicks in ''Stealth Assassins'' and ''Wrath of Heaven''. In other games, he fights with a sword instead.

* ObviouslyEvil: Onikage is instantly remarkable for his pale skin, long dark hair and red eyes. If that wasn't enough, his name means "Demonic Shade", leaving no doubt that he is a bad guym