History Main / Miko

%%* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'' feature the love interest Mina Hakuba.

* The epitome of Mikos in the MagicalGirl world: Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo from ''Manga/FushigiYuugi''.
** Technically, predated by other two girls from UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan times: Takiko Okuda and Suzuno Osugi. Takiko is upgraded to HeroOfAnotherStory in ''Manga/FushigiYuugiGenbuKaiden'', and Suzuno gets her chance in ''Manga/FushigiYuugiByakkoIbun''.

* ''Franchise/LoveLive''

* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 4th edition, the third player's handbook adds the ''Seeker'' class, which seems based on Miko. They are the equivalent of holy warriors of the Primal Spirits (spirit entities akin to, but separate from, the Gods and Primordials, who embody various aspects of the natural order and the real world, from blood ties to the seasons to specific creatures and places), who seek out and destroy enemies of the natural order. They use magical powers granted by the Primal Spirits and channeled through bows and throwing weapons to create all kinds of magical effects, such as causing strangling grasses and vines to suddenly erupt from where their arrow hit the ground and ensnare all nearby enemies.
** In fact, the Seeker was originally intended to be part of a "ki" power source, but the creators realized the UnfortunateImplications in producing a set of classes that shared nothing in common but the "inspired by Asia" background, and so it was broken apart. While the Seeker became a Primal Controller, the Monk, the only other apparent survivor, became a Psionic Striker.

* The title of "[[TheChosenOne Chosen]] of {{Mana}}" in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' is "Miko" in the original Japanese. The position has religious connotations, although it's more of a CrystalDragonJesus religion than anything to do with Shinto.
* Nanami from ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile''. Hey, if vampires are running around in Norse mythology, why not mikos? Nanami takes a ''really'' wrong turn in the afterlife and ends up in Valhalla.
* Katsumi from ''Website/GaiaOnline'', who tends the Shrine at the local {{Wutai}}.
%%* Sayo-chan (a.k.a. [[DubNameChange Pocky)]] from the ''VideoGame/KikiKaiKai'' / ''Pocky & Rocky'' series of CuteEmUp games.
%%* Mikado in ''VideoGame/BushidoBlade''.
* Maori from ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart''. She has three miko sisters who fight with her, too.

* Torahime from ''VideoGame/MuramasaTheDemonBlade'' WAS a Miko in charge of protecting Muramasa. But she is [[DeathByOriginStory killed before the start of he story]] and [[BackFromTheDead comes back]] as a [[LadyOfWar horse-riding lady samurai]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge to avenge her family]].
* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' has a couple of miko: Kureha, who tends the shrine that houses the [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Ninja Dragon Sword]], and Momiji, her sister. Kureha is little more than a DisposableWoman who is barely in the game for two minutes, existing solely so that Ryu can start his RoaringRampageOfRevenge, but Momiji is a LadyOfWar through and through, using inherited ninjutsu skills to fight rival clans.
* Mizuki Rashojin from the second ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' is a rare [[SinisterMinister villainous]] Miko, who uses her ''gohei'' as a [[AbsurdlySharpBlade sharp]] weapon and has a demonic CanineCompanion to assist in the fight. [[spoiler:However if she's beaten by Kyoshiro, it turns out that rather than killing her, Kyoshiro exorcised her from her host Bizuki, a genuinely kind miko who fell victim to DemonicPossession that took place when a purification ritual she performed didn't go as planned.]]
* ''VideoGame/SpiritualAssassinTaromaru'' have ''hostile'' miko enemies in the temple levels, where they're dressed in classic red-and-white miko robes and carries a ''gohei'' that they use to launch energy blasts on you.
* Not a character, but ''VideoGame/ManaKhemiaAlchemistsOfAlRevis'' has a costume clearly based on the miko. Amazingly, the recipe to making this costume is in the hands of the resident CuteGhostGirl.
* Utsuki and Kureha from ''VideoGame/{{Kuon}}'', kinda. They are the daughters of the shrine, wear red and white robes, and know how to use UsefulNotes/{{Onmyodo}}, but they are not referred to as Miko.
* [[RedOniBlueOni Cloche and Luca]] from ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoIIMelodyOfMetafalica''. They are not called "miko" or "shrine maiden" in the [[TranslationTrainWreck US release]], but you will hear them referred as such in the Japanese version.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' has Princess Himi, whose default classes all have "Miko" in their names. Oh, and she has the classic red and white outfit as well.

* ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'' gives us Miko Cho, whose name should indicate that she is a Miko. [[spoiler:Kagu]] also becomes one, in order to fight off King Fury.
* Yuna from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' isn't a miko, but she has a very important place at her temple and her outfit - with its plain white top, long drapey white sleeves, large bow at the back, and long, pleated skirt - is clearly based on a miko outfit.
** [[InconsistentSpelling Aria/Elia]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' is called "the miko of water" in Japanese, but is translated in English as 'the maiden of water'. The world and religion aren't especially [[FantasyCounterpartReligion Shinto-esque]], and neither is Aria / Elia's outfit, so it's more of a Japanese rough equivalent.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive'', [[Videogame/MegaManX4 Iris]] gains a New Year variant dressed up in a shrine maiden kimono.
* ''VideoGame/{{Mousehunt}}'' has the Sacred Shrine Mouse, a mouse with a shrine maiden outfit, talismans and gohei.
* ''VideoGame/PhantomBreaker'''s Waka Kumon. She is armed with a "Fu-mantion Artifact" (a type of powerful spiritual weapon, in her case, a naginata) and is part of a long line of demon hunters who have been charged with taking down an entity named "Phantom."

%%* The Reimu Look-a-likes in ''[[VideoGame/{{Something}} Something Else]]''. Their village is under attack by mischievous ghosts, and their leader went missing.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** The final class of [[SquishyWizard Micaiah]] from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' uses the kanji for Miko in the Japanese version (though the accompanying katakana reads as "Shaman" as a ContinuityNod to ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]''), though the only Miko-ish things about it are her usage of Light Magic and the color scheme being mostly white and red...
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'''s version of the [[http://fireemblem.wikia.com/wiki/Shrine_Maiden Cleric class,]] Shrine Maiden, is referred to as "Miko" in the Japanese version, with Princess Sakura and [[spoiler:her potential daughter]] Mitama starting off as this. This carries over into one of the Shrine Maiden class' promoted classes, [[http://fireemblem.wikia.com/wiki/Priestess_(Fates) Priestess]]. Unlike the case mentioned above, the Shrine Maiden and Priestess outfits actually ''do'' resemble Miko clothing, due to both classes being exclusive to characters from the [[{{Wutai}} Japanese-esque nation of Hoshido]].

* Koyori, the SeriesMascot of ''VideoGame/SengokuAce'' is a miko that uses the typical attire... with some liberties, as using a NavelDeepNeckline to [[BuxomBeautyStandard stand out her "atributes"]] and [[GogglesDoNothing aviator goggles over her hair]]. Apart of that, she attacks with seals and even has a {{Mon}} she summons in at least one of the games.
* A miko with mystical powers named Eri was supposed to be added to the Maiden Shrine area of ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'', but the devs never got around to it. The in-game lore characters still talk about her though, and she's mentioned as living in the shrine, performing rituals of purification and divination and kagura dances.

* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has the playable hero Kiriko Kamori, who's a thematic mixture of a miko, a ''[[GratuitousNinja ninja]]'', and [[AsianFoxSpirit a magic kitsune spirit]]. Her costume is a stylized, more futuristic and streetwear-like interpretation of the usual "white kimono jacket/red long skirt" outfit, and for gameplay, she wields technologically-tinged variants of Shinto charms like {{Paper Talisman}}s and Suzu bells, along with [[AssistCharacter the aforementioned magic kitsune]] which leaves behind holographic torii gates in its wake. While she isn't seen working at a shrine, she nonetheless carries a spiritual edge in being tied to her family's line of work, and is also connected to a {{Youkai}}-themed gang of vigilantes who [[GangOfHats adorn themselves in similar mixes of ancient and futuristic Japanese aesthetics]].

** Reimu Hakurei and Sanae Kochiya, both of whom wear [[CostumeExaggeration somewhat non-traditional, heavily customized]] miko outfits[[note]]Reimu's was more traditional-looking in the UsefulNotes/PC98 era, and gradually acquired various frills and other modifications between the early PC games[[/note]]; while Reimu's outfit at least keeps the traditional red and white color scheme, Sanae wears ''blue'' and white. Fanon tends to pit them against each other, as they both need people to visit their shrines [[PerpetualPoverty (Reimu needs offerings,]] [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly Sanae needs faith).]] Not to be confused with the final boss of ''VideoGame/TouhouShinreibyouTenDesires'', whose ''name'' is Miko (the kanji for that name translating to either "saint" or "divine child") but isn't actually a miko herself.

** [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Aria/Elia]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' is called "the miko of water" in Japanese, but is translated in English as 'the maiden of water'. The world and religion aren't especially [[FantasyCounterpartReligion Shinto-esque]], and neither is Aria / Elia's outfit, so it's more of a Japanese rough equivalent.

* Miko from ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' may be the least likely of the cast to do manual work, but to celebrate her birthday, [[https://twitter.com/anime_kaguya/status/1521867249690107904 official Twitter account]] shared a character art of [[JustForPun Miko dressed as a miko]].

A miko (巫女) is a shrine maiden in the UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} religion. Given the strength of Shinto in Japan and the position shrine maidens hold in it, it is no surprise that they are a common character type in anime. Straight portrayals and dramatizations are used just as frequently as a priest or nun would be in North American or European media. If a main character, she might be [[MagicalGirl endowed]] with [[UsefulNotes/{{Onmyodo}} mystical powers]] in order to fight demons, hang ''[[PaperTalisman Ofuda]]'' so that [[SealedEvilInACan she won't have to fight the demons in the first place]], receive visions, etc. Otherwise, fictional and non-fictional Miko work in [[ShrinesAndTemples shrines]], often as an after-school job. Their outfits traditionally consist of red ''hakama'' (trousers) or a long red skirt, and a white ''haori'' (kimono jacket).