Oboro (Basilisk)

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Oboro (japanese: 朧, hiragana: おぼろ, rōmaji: Oboro) the primary heroine of the Japanese anime Basilisk Kouga Ninpou Chou (known in English as the Kouga Ninja Scrolls).

As the beautiful young princess of the Iga Tsubagakure, Oboro was chosen to be one of the ten warriors that would represent her clan in their duel against the ten chosen fighters of the Koga Manjidani clan. Born with 'Eyes of Ruin,' Oboro has the power to neutralize the techniques of any ninja that meets her gaze directly. After the death of her grandmother Ogen, Oboro ascends to become the new leader of Tsubagakure but due to her passive demeanor soon finds her authority usurped by Yakushiji Tenzen.

Among the Iga, Princess Oboro is something of an oddity. Sweet natured with a gentle disposition, Oboro lacks any real talent for either martial arts or ninjutsu and is also a bit of a clutz. This, along with her love for Gennosuke of the rival Koga clan has caused most of Iga to consider Oboro to be something of a black sheep, a fact she is painfully aware of. When the Hattori truce is lifted, the other Iga ten are quick to take advantage of Oboro's feelings for Gennosuke, tricking her into inviting him and Udono Jousuke into their compound where the Iga can keep them under surveillance.

Despite this treachery, Oboro remains loyal to her clan and is greatly torn between her duty and her feelings when the truth of the renewed conflict is finally revealed to her. Ultimately, she makes the decision to temporarily seal her eyes shut with a potion given to her by Ogen called the Darkness Seven Ointment knowing that if she saw any of her clansmen attacking Gennosuke, she might be tempted to use her powers against them instead.

Prior to the lifting of the Hattori truce, Oboro was engaged to Kouga Gennosuke in an attempt to bring a lasting peace between both clans. The two had known each other since childhood and were anxious to spend their lives with each other. In the anime, Oboro would frequently meet with Gennosuke along their clan's borders to practice a Japanese fan dance which they planned to perform for their guests at their wedding.

In the anime, she is voiced by Nana Mizuki (Japanese) and Laura Bailey (English)

[edit] Conflicts

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Oboro VS Jingoro: While not a match in the traditional sense, the scene is notable as it's the first time the audience witnesses Oboro's stronger and borderline ruthless side. After breaking up the fight between Akeginu and Udono Jousuke, Oboro comes across a trail left by Amayo Jingoro in his transformed state leading from the clan's salt shed to the guest house where Gennosuke was staying. Upon confirming her lover's safety, Oboro finds Jingoro skulking in the rafters of the guest house's verandah and promply uses her Eyes of Ruin to cancel his technique and forcibly revert him into a semi-solid state. Despite Akeginu's pleas for Oboro to give him water so Jingoro could safely resume him human form, Oboro ordered Jingoro to be left alone and sent him crawling in agony toward a nearby spring as punishment for his transgression.

Oboro VS Tenzen: A rather minor conflict that ended as a major event. Throughout this fight, Tenzen, who after being beheaded by Gennosuke, had his head placed back on by Tokugawa officials who acted as support to the Iga. Oboro, who had her eyes finally released, looked into the eyes of Tenzen.

Due to the effect of Oboro's eyes of ruin, Tenzen's immortality process was being thwarted. This kept up until Tenzen's head was blown into two sections after being greatly overpowered by Oboro, thus finally putting Tenzen to his true death after 300 years of life. Even when she had great reasons to resent Tenzen (he tried to rape her twice to have her bearing a child who'd become the leader of the Iga, manipulated the whole war between the clans and had also tortured Kagerou to death in front of Oboro herself), she bitterly cried as she used her power on Tenzen.

Oboro VS Gennosuke: This was a very sad conflict at the very end of the series. Afer being in the presence of Hattori Hanzo the 4th, Gennosuke and Oboro stood facing each other as to finish the war between the two clans. Oboro knew about this beforehand after she was approached by Hanzo Hattori's adopted son and right hand, Hattori Kyouhachirou, who told her about the duel and even provided her with the sword she'd need to face Gennosuke.

Oboro however, knew she wouldn't be able to kill Gennosuke, and had completely lost hope. So, instead of killing her beloved, she chose to put an honorable end to her life by stabbing herself through her chest with the sword that Kyouhachirou gave her, in which was the first thing that Gennosuke saw after his eyes became unsealed. Gennosuke grieved greatly after this point, in which he wrote in blood that Oboro was the survivor of the War; resulting in the Iga's victory, when it truly being the Kouga's. Gennosuke then stabbed himself as well, drifting off amongst the waves of a river with Oboro's body in his arms, as to both rest in peace with one another.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Alternate information

Oboro is also featured as a character in the live-action movie known as SHINOBI Heart Under Blade, being played by actress Yukie Nakama. In this movie, after the deaths of all their comrades, during their last duel Gennosuke allows Oboro to kill him, in order to save their clans and keep their hope for peace. Later, when Tokugawa Ieyasu sent troops to destroy the Koga and Iga villages, Oboro begs him to spare them, blinding herself as a proof of her sincerity. Ieyasu accepts, thus the villages are saved.