History VideoGame / Onimusha

* FiveManBand: In Dawn of Dreams:
** TheHero: Soki
** TheLancer: Jubei
** TheBigGuy: Roberto
** TheSmartGuy: Tenkai
** TheChick: Ohatsu
** And before that, Onimusha 2:
*** TheHero: Jubei
*** TheLancer: Kotaro
*** TheBigGuy: Ekei
*** TheSmartGuy: Magoichi
*** TheChick: Oyu

*** TheHero: [[NamestheSame Jubei]]

* HeroesPreferSwords: Samanosuke. out of about 10 weapons, eight of them are swords. The other two are [[DoubleWeapon Shippu]] and [[AnAxeToGrind Chigo]]

* SequelDifficultySpike: Issen appears to have been {{nerf}}ed in ''3'' to make it harder to spam. This in itself is not a big deal, except that acquiring the Ako's Black Vest means completing the Critical tutorial: enemies can ''only'' be killed via critical hits. Deflect criticals are much easier, since your character is at least protected from the blow. However, this tutorial requires that you leave yourself wide open to attack. Not for nothing is this considered the trickiest level of any ''Onimusha'' game.

''Onimusha'' ("Oni warrior") is a series of action-adventure games by Capcom [[JidaiGeki set in feudal Japan]] released primarily for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2. The story begins with infamous real life Japanese warlord UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga being felled by an arrow in the midst of one of his greatest triumphs. However, Nobunaga's skill and brutality had already caught the eye of Fortinbras, the king of the Genma, (various types of demons that feast on humans) who offers a deal to Nobunaga: he can come back to life if he agrees to conquer Japan on behalf of the Genma demon clan and turn it into, in effect, a massive feeding ground. Nobunaga accepts, and events get off and running.

An anime sequel taking place during the Edo Period was announced by CAPCOM in 2022. Directed by prolific filmmaker Creator/TakashiMiike, it will be centered on UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi (modeled after the legendary Creator/ToshiroMifune) and air on Netflix.

* LizardFolk: In the second game, the typical zombie mooks are changed into crocodilian lizard men who averall behaves in the same way. From the following game onward they return to the standard zombie mooks.

* NiceHat: Roberto.

* MsFanservice: Kaede has a [[http://muni_shinobu.webs.com/faq/kaede.jpg devil]] in a Chinese {{qipao}} alternate outfit, but Oyu and Michelle play this straight. Oyu has a [[ShowerScene nude]] WaterfallShower in the ''Onimusha 2'' intro and the gratuitous CleavageWindow of her battle armor; Michelle is mainly clad in a vest zipped halfway on her torso. In terms of alternate outfits, we have [[http://tinyurl.com/6hhag8v 70's Oyu]] and [[http://tinyurl.com/6dzbfnj Michelle in a bath towel]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/onimusha_logo.png]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/onimusha.jpg]]

A remaster of the original game was released in Japan on December 20, 2018 and worldwide on January 15, 2019. As of the ''Warlords'' remaster, the franchise's future is uncertain, but due to the re-release's positive fan reception and warm critical reviews, it's plausible we may not have seen the last of the series. However, due to the remaster's low sales, Capcom decided to put the franchise on hold once again in 2020, with re-releases of the second and third games allegedly being shelved.

A remaster of the original game was released in Japan on December 20, 2018 and worldwide on January 15, 2019. As of the ''Warlords'' remaster, the franchise's future is uncertain, but due to the re-release's positive fan reception and warm critical reviews, it's plausible we may not have seen the last of the series.

** [[CutsceneIncompetence Or so the cutscenes would have us believe.]] On the occasions you're allowed to use regular old machine-guns in gameplay, it actually gets a lot easier.

*** Maybe Ohatsu is the daughter of Katsuie and [[spoiler:Oyu/Oichi]]. Or Maybe Nagamasa too had Genma powers? The last one ends up debunked by ''Onimusha Soul'' where Nagamasa is confirmed to be on the Oni side.
*** [[WildMassGuessing Or perhaps Ohatsu was just guessing about the blood-tie, and in reality, her powers were actually a side-effect of having been infected by the Genma Insects.]]

*** Actually debatable. All those who fought the genma in the previous games (Kaede, Kotaro, Ekei, Michelle, Heiachiro and so on) did have at least a bit of power coming from the Oni clan, so they too were "Onimusha", albeit of a lesser degree.
*** Maybe Jubei was just assumed that only Yagyus could kill them because she had only ever been exposed to Yagyu culture. And speaking of Yagyus...

*** Yagyu Village was destroyed, but it's possible that there were more Yagyu survivors who went into hiding.

* RecycledInSpace: The majority of the franchise can be summed up as ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' in JidaiGeki.

* BadassMustache: Nobunaga has one.

** Then again, the word "tenka" can mean "world", but is often used to refer [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse specifically to Japan]], making it a translation error.

** Justified in-series, where you often find documents that says that Genma offered their superior technology to humans in exchange for sacrifices.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: The Genma and any lord who decides to side with then for power.

* InfantImmortality: Jubei, Magoichi and Ekei in the second game manage to save a baby that has been kidnapped by the Genma. There is a mild aversion of the trope, however, when the baby's crying gives Ekei a flashback to how he was unable to save his own baby daughter from a fire.

''[[VideoGame/OnimushaWarlords Onimusha: Warlords]]'' (released in 2001) starts protagonist Samanosuke and his ninja sidekick Kaede racing to attempt to rescue a princess of the Saito clan, who has written to him of strange disappearances and events around their castle, and how she suspects demonic involvement. When he arrives, the castle is already under mass attack from demons and the princess has been kidnapped to be sacrificed as part of the ritual for resurrecting Nobunaga. Initially at a severe disadvantage against the Genma, Samanosuke receives a power up from the Oni, a clan of demons that were once rivals to the Genma, but which has been virtually destroyed by the Genma. This allows him to use powerful weapons made by the Oni and a supernatural gauntlet which sucks the souls out of defeated Genma and uses their power to aid him. He eventually confronts and kills the Genma king, Fortinbras; The epilogue, however, reveals that [[SequelHook Nobunaga managed to come back to life anyway]], and conquers the Saito clan territory while Samanosuke vanishes and is presumed dead.

''[[VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams]]'' (2006) the fourth and ((possibly) so far) final installment, Nobunaga's chief general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, has replaced his master and finished conquering Japan as Nobunaga dreamed. With a unified Japan behind him he begins a war of conquest on the mainland, but his inability to score a decisive victory makes him turn to the Genma for help. Hideyoshi will supposedly receive the power of a god from the Genma, the Genma run rampant in the land, and perhaps worst of all, Hideyoshi is turning his own soldiers into battle crazed, bloodthirsty human-Genma hybrids. And the Genma have their own agenda and a devious plan to bring it to fruition... however, Hideyoshi's adopted son, known as Soki, and a band of powerful warriors take up arms to defeat him. Dawn of Dreams expanded the RPG elements and gameplay depth, moving away from the TankControls the previous games had used to something more manageable, while removing many of the annoying puzzles to make a more satisfying experience.

* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Averted. Although the citizens of Paris are brutally slaughtered in a surprise attack in the opening cutscene of ''3'', the French Army are quick to respond...even if they aren't well equipped to deal with taking down demons. This is justified since there were overwhelmed.

[[redirect:Franchise/{{Onimusha}}]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Onimusha.jpg]]
'''''Onimusha''''' ("ogre warrior") is a series of action-adventure games by Capcom [[JidaiGeki set in feudal Japan]] released primarily for the {{PlayStation 2}}. The story begins with infamous real life Japanese warlord OdaNobunaga being felled by an arrow in the midst of his greatest triumph. However, Nobunaga's skill and brutality had already caught the eyes of the demon king Fortinbras who offers a deal to Nobunaga: he can come back to life if he agrees to conquer Japan on behalf of the Genma demon clan and turn it into, in effect, a massive feeding ground. Nobunaga accepts, and events get off and running.

'''''Onimusha: Warlords''''' (released in 2000 as one of the [=PS2=]'s launch titles) sees protagonist Samanosuke racing to attempt to rescue a princess of the Saito clan, who has written to him of strange disappearances and events around their castle, and how she suspects demonic involvement. When he arrives, the castle is already under mass attack from demons and the princess has been kidnapped to be sacrificed as part of the ritual for resurrecting Nobunaga. Initially at a severe disadvantage against the demons, Samanosuke receives a power up from a demon clan that rivals the one backing Nobunaga, and one which has been virtually destroyed. This allows him the use of a supernatural gauntlet which sucks the souls out of defeated demons and uses their power to aid him. He eventually confronts and kills the Genma king, Fortinbras; The epilogue, however, reveals that [[SequelHook Nobunaga managed to come back to life anyway]], and conquers the Saito clan territory while Samanosuke vanishes and is presumed dead.

'''''Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny''''' (released in 2002) has fewer survival horror elements and more pure action-adventure. Nobunaga is solidifying his hold on Japan at the head of a demon army, making rapid and cruel conquests. One of these conquests is [[DoomedHometown Yagyu village]], which causes YagyuJubei, (not the historical Jubei but his grandfather; In the game, the name Jubei is a title given to the head of the Yagyu clan) the half-demon head of the Yagyu clan and a renowned swordsman, to swear vengeance on Nobunaga. This game also features a supporting cast of four characters, each an outstanding warrior in his or her own way (or at least important to the plot) who, depending on the relationships Jubei forges with them, may be important in aiding him in his quest, or have the potential to be an enemy. Despite seemingly being bested by Jubei, Nobunaga swears to return and continue to wreak havoc.

'''''Onimusha 3: Demon Siege''''' (2004) returns to having Samanosuke as the protagonist. In 1582 he leads an attack on Nobunaga's stronghold and slay Nobunaga himself, but before he can deal the final blow, the Genma open a portal that, ala SamuraiJack, sends Samanosuke into the future. In France circa 2004, French [=DGSE=] agent Jacques Blanc is attempting to aid the French military in holding back the demon hordes. When Samanosuke arrives on the scene, the time portal reopens, and Jaqcues is sent back to about a week before Samanosuke left. The player switches back and forth between the two characters and eras, each attempting to defeat the demons. At the end Samanosuke defeats Nobunaga and absorbs his soul, preventing him from returning again.

In the fourth installment, '''''Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams''''' (2006), Nobunaga's chief general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, takes his place. He unifies Japan and spreads demons everywhere. However, his illegitimate son, known as Soki, takes up arms to defeat him with his friends. Dawn of Dreams expanded the RPG elements and gameplay depth, moving away from the "tank controls" the previous games had used to something more manageable, while removing many of the annoying puzzles to make a more satisfying experience.

Three spin-off ''Onimusha'' titles exist: ''Onimusha Tactics'', a spinoff for the GameBoyAdvance - a turn-based strategy game featuring a new oni warrior named Onimaru, with returning characters Ekei, Magoichi and Kotaro from the second game; ''Onimusha Blade Warriors'', a [[AlternateContinuity non-canonical]] fighting game in the style of ''SuperSmashBros'' for the [[PlaystationTwo Playstation 2]], which features characters from the first two games (as well as Gargant, who first appears in the third game); and ''Onimusha Soul'', a browser-based simulation RPG taking place during the Warring States era. The original ''Onimusha'' was also ported to the Xbox under the title of '''''Genma Onimusha'''''.

Soki has recently appeared as a playable character in the crossover fighting game [[CapcomvsWhatever Tatsunoko vs Capcom]].

----
!!This video game series contains examples of:
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating
* ActionGirl: Most of the female characters, particularly Kaede and Michelle.
* AlmostDeadGuy: [[spoiler:Heihachi]] in the third game.
* AnachronismStew
* AnnoyingArrows: One of the monsters from the third game has arrows sticking out of the body. It doesn't affect its fighting style at all.
* AnyoneCanDie: In the second game, for example, two of your four possible companions can meet their doom depending on your actions, [[spoiler: one of them by your hand.]]
* AsteroidsMonster: There is a 50-50 chance of Zolworms exploding into smaller globs once killed. It's best to keep your distance.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Nobunaga, king of the Genma, is, not surprisingly, the strongest of them.
* AxCrazy: Ranmaru, after [[spoiler:being transformed into a Genma]]. Munenori and Ginghamphatts also count.
* {{Badass}}: Just take your pick of most of the main characters.
* BadassMustache: Nobunaga has one.
* BambooTechnology: Present throughout the series, but the absolute zenith is when you fight Hideyoshi for the last time in Dawn of Dreams. He takes you on in [[spoiler:a bamboo {{mecha}}]]
** Justified in-series, where you often find documents that says that Genma offered their superior technology to humans in exchange for sacrifices.
* {{BFG}}: What Vega Donna has installed on Azuchi castle. [[spoiler:It's used on the [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill already crumbling Mont Saint-Michel]].]]
** Michelle also has access to a ''Grenade Launcher''. Time to make some Genma soup!
** Magoichi also uses a type of rocket launcher to finish off against Ginghamphatts
* {{BFS}}: Enryuu and Rekka Ken from the first and second games are large broadswords with fire powers. The third game has Kuga, a nodachi with RazorWind powers, and the final Onimusha Sword and Genma Samonji. In Dawn of Dreams, Soki's entire arsenal is composed of these, some of them being so encumbering that even he can barely lift them. Some enemy monsters wield these as well, for example Marcellus.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Many high-ranked genma tend to be like this, expecially in Dawn of Dreams, including Hecuba, a Wasp, the Great Genma Beast, the [[GiantFlyer Gargantuan Flying monster]] which carries [[spoiler:Azuchi Castle]]. Also the true [[OneWingedAngel form]] of Claudius, Rosencrantz [[spoiler:and Ophelia]]
* BigDamnKiss: Jubei and Oyu towards the end of ''Samurai's Destiny'' (provided his goodwill with her is high enough).
* BishounenLine: Fortinbras in ''Dawn of Dreams'' does this, as opposed to Nobunaga who went OneWingedAngel in the 2 games before ''Dawn of Dreams''.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Many genma ninja are armed with this. Also [[spoiler:Genma Ranmaru]].
* BladeOnAStick: A surprisingly high number of characters will be spear-wielders, including Ekei, Heihachi and Tenkai Nankobo. Sakon Shima on the villainous side wields an humongous one was his weapon of choice, complete with SpikesOfVillainy.
* BlockingStopsAllDamage: Played realistically: Blocking will save you from harm and even break the attack of certain enemies. However, stronger attacks will break your defense leaving you open for the following attack and knocking you back. A handful of attacks can't be blocked at all.
* BlowYouAway: Shippu and Senpumaru both allow you to summon huge whirlwind. Also the Kuuga sword in Onimusha 3, albeit it's more like RazorWind and it's listed as "Air"
* BodyHorror: Giving you're facing the Genma, you'll find examples of this here and there.
* BodyOfBodies: Flying Genma monsters composed of nothing but purple skulls.
* BowAndSwordInAccord: The main protagonists can switch to a bow & arrow on the fly. Jubei can do this in the second game
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Marcellus, a former Oni. Sakon Shima in Dawn of Dreams
* BrattyHalfPint: Henri Blanc starts off as this somewhat.
* BulletTime: Jubei Akane Yagyu's Awakening ability. It also has the nice effect of revealing invisible Genma.
* CameBackWrong: Any humans or Oni who are killed and brought back to life as Genma, such as Marcellus and [[spoiler:Ranmaru]]. (The latter was not pleasant as a human, but [[AxCrazy after the transformation]]...)
* CardCarryingVillain: Most of the villains in the series.
* CatchPhrase: "My name is Gogandantess, the greatest swordsman of all demons!"
* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Averted. Although the citizens of Paris are brutally slaughtered in a surprise attack in the opening cutscene of ''3'', the French Army are quick to respond...even if they aren't well equipped to deal with taking down demons. This is justified since there were overwhelmed.
** [[CutsceneIncompetence Or so the cutscenes would have us believe.]] On the occasions you're allowed to use regular old machine-guns in gameplay, it actually gets a lot easier.
* ChekhovsSkill: There are two of them, all involving Samanosuke:
** In the very first scene of his introduction in the first game, he is seen to be capable of using a spear. Three games later, it became his main weapon.
** In the opening scene of the third game, when fighting the two boar-like genmas, Samanosuke cut off one of their spears and used it as an impromptu second sword. Later in the game, the first weapon you got is a pair of swords.
* {{Chickification}}: Although Oyu starts off the second game as a capable, take-no-nonsense swordswoman in the face of boorish louts, she quickly degenerates into a fairly weak SatelliteLoveInterest who needs to be saved by Jubei [[spoiler:(or, in one case, Gogandantess)]] all the time. Unusual, [[CutsceneIncompetence considering she is very able to hold her own against hoardes of demon soldiers during gameplay]].
* CleavageWindow: In the second game, both variants of Oyu's armor has this.
* ContinuitySnarl: Examples in ''Dawn of Dreams'':
** Ohatsu inherited her magic powers from uncle Nobunaga. Except Nobunaga was originally ''human'', and she's his ''niece'' not his daughter - where's the blood tie!?
*** Also, Ohatsu's mother,[[spoiler:Oyu in Onimusha 2]], mentioned that the three of them were not her real daughters anyway. That was one of her main concerns throughout the game; "if she wasn't their mother by blood, could the children still love her?" This means that Ohatsu isn't even related to [[spoiler:Oyu]] and Nobunaga at ALL.
*** Maybe Ohatsu is the daughter of Katsuie and [[spoiler:Oyu/Oichi]]. Or Maybe Nagamasa too had Genma powers?
*** [[WildMassGuessing Or perhaps Ohatsu was just guessing about the blood-tie, and in reality, her powers were actually a side-effect of having been infected by the Genma Insects.]]
** When facing a horde of demons, Akane tells Soki that "no human blade can kill them". This overtly contradicts the allies from the previous trilogy who fought ably without Oni powers.
*** Actually debatable. All those who fought the genma in the previous games (Kaede, Kotaro, Ekei, Michelle, Heiachiro and so on) did have at least a bit of power coming from the Oni clan, so they too were "Onimusha", albeit of a lesser degree.
*** Maybe Jubei was just assumed that only Yagyus could kill them because she had only ever been exposed to Yagyu culture. And speaking of Yagyus...
** How did Munenori receive his Demon Eye, which is said to be a rare trait among the Yagyu clan, from his mother if the Yagyu clan (excluding old-Jubei) had previously been wiped out in the second game? (Aside from the [[ParentalIncest obvious answer]], of course.)
* CoolTrain: In ''Demon Siege'', the Genma construct an undersea track stretching from the coast of Japan to Normandy, ''France''.
* CoupDeGrace: All of the main characters can strike a prone non-boss enemy on the ground, killing him instantly.
* CurseCutShort: Soki, when he thinks that [[spoiler:Tenkai has just killed Jubei.]]
-->'''Soki''': "You son of a...."
* CutsceneIncompetence: Oyu suffers from this a lot (as mentioned in {{Chickification}} above). Michelle also has a moment like this in the third game when Guildenstern ambushes her and Henri and kidnaps them both. What with Michelle being a soldier, what was stopping her from making more of an effort to escape and attempting to kick some serious ass? (Okay, so she ''was'' taken by surprise, but, still.) However, if that was the case, there would be no need for resident {{Badass}} Samanosuke to go on a heroic rescue mission, complete with CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
* DastardlyWhiplash: The Genma are quite happy with their roles as Black Hats, laughing maniacally and twirling their mustaches. Nobunaga is not immune from this, though he is depicted as more introspective than other tyrants.
* DarkActionGirl: Hecuba, Jujudormah, and Vega Donna.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Samanosuke and Jacques draw their otherworldly powers from their demon gauntlets. Soki, the main character from ''Dawn of Dreams'', is known as the "Oni of the Ash", and is shown in official artwork with ''horns'' growing out of his head. [[spoiler:He's also the avatar for the God of Darkness.]]
** Oddly, the weapons imbued with "Dark" element can actually unleash [[ShockAndAwe Thunder]] [[StarWars magic]].
* DeathEqualsRedemption: Despite being a devious snake throughout the series, Tokichiro (later Hideyoshi Toyotomi) has one of these in ''Dawn of Dreams''.
* DeathIsCheap: Only in the case of [[spoiler:Henri]], when the power of the Oni gauntlet brings him back from the dead.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: In Dawn of Dreams, you have to fight each member of your party before they join up with you. Gotta love that ConflictBall.
* DemonKingNobunaga: At his Best/Worst.
* DetachableLowerHalf: Ginghamphatts has this happen in ''Onimusha 2'' [[spoiler:during the last boss fight]]. Guildenstern also has this ability, as shown in ''Onimusha 3''.
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: Whenever characters die in ''Onimusha 2'', chances are they will end up in Jubei's arms as they draw their last breath. Examples include [[spoiler:Takajo]] and [[spoiler:Gogandantess]], and also [[spoiler:Ekei]] and [[spoiler:Kotaro]], depending on their friendship levels with Jubei (ie. their deaths may not occur at all, depending on how Jubei treats them throughout the game).
* DishingOutDirt: Dokotsui Hammer in Onimusha 2, Chigo axe (lava variety) in the third.
* TheDragon: Several, but some of the most notable examples are Hideyoshi Hashiba (aka Tokichiro Kinoshita), Guildenstern, and Ranmaru Mori.
* DullSurprise: In ''Demon Siege'', one of Michelle's colleages is completely unfazed when she introduces Samanosuke (even mentioning that he is a Samurai) to him. Possibly [[JustifiedTrope justified]] - being forced to battle a sudden army of demons probably means [[GivingUpOnLogic that very little surprises him now...]]
** Jubei Yagyu reacts like this most of the time.
* ElaborateEqualsEffective: Used with the Oni weapons in the first three games. This is dropped in the fourth game, which has much more weapons and seems to rely on CallBack instead (if you look, most of the weapons are actually old weapons from the previous games.)
* EmpathyDollShot: The second game begins with a dead infant's rattle not only present but played with and eventually ''snapped in half'' by Nobunaga's pet snake.
* EvilLaugh: Most, if not all, of the villains.
* EvilOverlord - Nobunaga in the first three games, Hideyoshi in the fourth.
* ExpositionFairy: Ako in ''Onimusha 3''. They call her a tengu, but she's really just a little woman with wings floating around advising the warriors, and she totally acts like a fairy, so she's this trope. Additionally, she floats over enemies to show you what you've targeted.
* FaceHeelTurn: In the second game, [[spoiler:Ekei]], depending on the players' actions towards him throughout the game.
* FakeDifficulty: Bosses in Dawn of Dreams don't usually end up in the "Fake" category of difficulty. Rather it is some of the late game enemies you will face that will test your patience, especially if you want to conquer the Dark Realm. For example there are flying enemies that can dodge attacks and send a guard breaking, high-damaging laser beam. The main cast (save Ohatsu) has no effective way of dealing with flying enemies, much less ones that dodge. Hope you practiced your counter and deflecting skills because the only time they come down is to attack you. And when you hit them with a combo, no they don't fall to the ground, they go back up.
* FinalBattle - The ending of Dawn of Dreams has the characters facing off against their personal rivals.
* FiveBadBand: Each of the four games of the main series has one:
** Onimusha: Warlords
*** TheBigBad: Fortinbras
*** TheDragon: Nobunaga
*** TheBrute: Osric or Marcellus
*** TheEvilGenius: Guildenstern
*** TheDarkChick: Hecuba
** Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
*** TheBigBad: Nobunaga
*** TheDragon: Gogandantess
*** TheBrute: Ginghamphatts
*** TheEvilGenius: Hideyoshi (sorta)
*** TheDarkChick: Jujudormah
** Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
*** TheBigBad: Nobunaga
*** TheDragon: Ranmaru
*** TheBrute: Gertrude (aka Two-Headed Guard Dog boss)
*** TheEvilGenius: Guildenstern (again)
*** TheDarkChick: Vega Donna
** Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
*** TheBigBad: Hideyoshi [[spoiler:until we learn it's actually Fortinbras]]
*** TheDragon: Mitsunari/Claudius
*** TheBrute: Munenori
*** TheEvilGenius: Luis/Rosencrantz
*** TheDarkChick: Cha-Cha/Ophelia
* FiveManBand: In Dawn of Dreams:
** TheHero: Soki
** TheLancer: Jubei
** TheBigGuy: Roberto
** TheSmartGuy: Tenkai
** TheChick: Ohatsu
** And before that, Onimusha 2:
*** TheHero: [[NamestheSame Jubei]]
*** TheLancer: Kotaro
*** TheBigGuy: Ekei
*** TheSmartGuy: Magoichi
*** TheChick: Oyu
* FiveRoundsRapid: In ''3''...it depends. In one of the opening cutscenes, the French Army seem to be able to kill the Genma reasonably easily...until they start getting too close and seem to shrug off the shots. Jacques and Michelle, however, do not have this problem.
* FlunkyBoss: Guildenstern. Also some bosses in Dawn of Dreams will summon a small escort of {{Mooks}}. Exspecially Danemon.
--> '''Danemon Ban''': "'''MINIOOONS!'''"
* FonzarelliFix: Michelle vs. the boat at the zoo.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Tokichiro Kinoshita, later Hideyoshi Toyotomi: goes from a wimpy sack of slime and bootlicker to Nobunaga and ends up being the genuinely dangerous villain and lord of the Genma.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Most of the things done by Samanosuke in the game's opening of the third game (except for all the acrobatics) can also be done in-game.
* GaulsWithGrenades: The French military was deployed to take on the Genmas. They were able to hold off the initial invasion until they were overwhelmed, leading to massive casualties.
* AGodAmI: [[spoiler:Fortinbras in Dawn of Dreams. But unlike most others with this mindset, he actually is a God, and has more than enough power to back it up.]]
** Also Hideyoshi, who often shouts things like "Is the Power of a ''God''!" [[spoiler:during his first battle with Onmusha-Soki at the top of the temple in Kyoto.]]
* GiantMook: Several, usually slow and wielding either axes or clubs. The Gacha type monsters from the third and fourht games are an excellent example.
* GuestFighter: ''Blade Warriors'', the FightingGame spinoff, includes VideoGame/{{MegaMan|BattleNetwork}}.EXE and [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]] as playable characters.
* GunFu: ''Lots'' of fun to be had when controlling Magoichi and Michelle, as well as Ohatsu.
** And Jacques. Grab a Genma with your whip, pull it towards you, then put a gun to its head and pull the trigger 'till it goes "click".
* TheGunslinger: Magoichi of the second game. He also mentors Ohatsu from the fourth game on guns.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Jubei of the second game is half-human, half-Oni. His son Munenori and granddaughter Akane (who also receives the Jubei namesake) have Oni blood as well, which is physically evident in their demon eyes.
* HesBack: Samanoske returns from his self-exile in ''Demon Siege'' disguised as a ninja. He takes out a Genma troop carrier and Gargant (a Genma liutenant from ''Blade Warrior'') before joining the attack on Nobunaga's hideout.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Samanosuke. out of about 10 weapons, eight of them are swords. The other two are [[DoubleWeapon Shippu]] and [[AnAxeToGrind Chigo]]
* HijackedByGanon: While ''Dawn of Dreams'' features an (almost) entirely original cast, the final boss is [[spoiler:Fortinbras, the antagonist from the original ''Onimusha''.]]
* HistoricalInJoke: Numerous, not the least being that in real life it was falsely reported that Nobunaga had been slain by an arrow at Okehazama.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Every game's BigBad gets this treatment. The real UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga was feared for his brutality (the burning of the temples on Mt. Hiei actually happened, for example), but this series makes him out to be an [[DemonKingNobunaga actual demon]]. UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi gets treated with even less respect, and Munenori gets the absolute worst of it by being [[{{Flanderization}} flanderized]] beyond all recognition. UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu's name is eventually cleared in ''Soul'', where Ieyasu himself is actually on the side of the Oni. However, his son Hidetada his sided with the Genma.
** In the second game, despite not appearing, UsefulNotes/TakedaShingen is revealed to be on the Genma side.
* IAmAHumanitarian: The Genma aren't shy about their tastes. They even refer to historical battles as "hunting expeditions", implying that the Genma participating to them are awarded with corpses to eat. Even stated that they historically give people power and technology in exchange for human sacrifices.
* AnIcePerson: The Hyoujin Yari and Hyousai weapons: their magic will turn Genma into ice statues before shattering them.
* InfantImmortality: Jubei, Magoichi and Ekei in the second game manage to save a baby that has been kidnapped by the Genma. There is a mild aversion of the trope, however, when the baby's crying gives Ekei a flashback to how he was unable to save his own baby daughter from a fire.
** Also, in the first game, Yumemaru is captured by Hecuba and due to be sacrificed to Fortinbras, but is rescued by Samanosuke. Likewise, in the third game, Henri is captured by Guildenstern - Samanosuke bursts into the lab just in time to stop Henri being dissected.
*** Also in ''3'', just when Henri, Jacques and Michelle are happily re-united at the Eiffel Tower, [[spoiler:[[NotQuiteDead Ranmaru]] spoils the party by killing Henri. After Jacques opens up a can of whoop-ass on Ranmaru, his Oni Gauntlet vanishes, and restores Henri back to life.]]
* InfinityPlusOneSword: Bishamon in the first game. One-hit-kills all demons that are not Fortinbras, which is to be met rather soon.
** It returns in the third game, along with the Ultimate Whip for Jacques.
* InformedFlaw - In the manual of the third game, it's mentioned in Ranmaru's info sheet that he's often mistaken for a woman due to his looks. This never, ever happens in game.
* JidaiGeki - Mostly set in the last years of the Sengoku period, except for the third game, where half of the story is set in Paris, year 2004.
* JobTitle
* KatanasAreJustBetter: averted, since usually the strongest swords have a straight blade and looks more like broadswords or "Tsurugi"
* KillItWithFire: Enryuu, Rekka Ken and Enja swords allow you to burn enemies to ashes.
* LandmarkingTheHiddenBase: Oodles of it in ''3''. Guildenstern sets up shop under Notre-Dame, before transferring to the Boulogne Zoo. Vega Donna takes control over Mont Saint-Michel, and finally the Time Folder is located at the Eiffel Tower.
* LargeHam: Several characters, but Guildenstern and Gogandantess are the two most obvious examples.
* LeanAndMean: Guildenstern.
* TheLegionsOfHell: The Genma.
* LightIsNotGood: Fortinbras, as the BigBad of ''Dawn Of Dreams'', where he is explicitly referred to as the God of Light. In the first game, he was your standard dark demon overlord.
* LikeABadAssOutOfHell: After Fortinbras gets taken out, Nobunaga takes over hell and becomes the new demon king.
* LizardFolk: In the second game, the typical zombie mooks are changed into crocodilian lizard men who averall behaves in the same way. From the following game onward they return to the standard zombie mooks.
* LovePotion: It is possible to collect and use one of these on either Oyu, Magoichi, Ekei or Kotaro in the second game. HilarityEnsues.
* MadScientist: Guildenstern, Rosencrantz in Dawn of Dreams... Hey, [[RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead Wait a minute]]...
* MeatMoss: As the Genma invade our realm, the buildings become infested with pulsating fungus. The same is true of the Eiffel Tower.
* MechanicalMonster: The Golden Evil Statue, which acts as the final boss of the second game. Other examples include genma robots in the second game and Brainstern from the third.
* MonumentalBattle: ''3'', being set in modern-day [[GayParee Paris]], is full of these. Fighting a robot-demon hybrid on top of the Arc de Triomphe? Fighting [[TheRival The Rival]] on top of the Eiffel Tower? It's in.
*** All the in-game Monuments are all pretty much [[ShownTheirWork accurate to their real-life counterparts]].
* MonumentalDamage: Mont-St-Michel in ''3''. ''Twice''. It is [[spoiler:first blown to pieces by Vega-Donna's flying castle taking off from within, and in the future it is blown up by the exploding time folder.]]
** And the damage caused by Brainstern at the top of the Arc de Triomphe, and the installation of the Time Folder onto the Eiffel Tower may count too.
* MsFanservice: Kaede has a [[http://muni_shinobu.webs.com/faq/kaede.jpg devil]] in a Chinese {{qipao}} alternate outfit, but Oyu and Michelle play this straight. Oyu has a [[ShowerScene nude]] WaterfallShower in the ''Onimusha 2'' intro and the gratuitous CleavageWindow of her battle armor; Michelle is mainly clad in a vest zipped halfway on her torso. In terms of alternate outfits, we have [[http://tinyurl.com/6hhag8v 70's Oyu]] and [[http://tinyurl.com/6dzbfnj Michelle in a bath towel]].
** On the villainous side there are Vega Donna and Ophelia. Averted with Jujudormah, who looks like one at first and firmly believes to be one, but is actually and ugly old crone.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: In the first game, breaking the genma barrier. Sure, you need the right equipments (Great Bow and Great Arrow), which involved two FetchQuest and a BossBattle. The mundane? Just fire the Great Arrow using the Great Bow. The awsome? It was a cutscene, and [[RepeatCut it was shown from every angle possible]], and we haven't even mentioned the [[CrowningMusicofAwesome music]].
* NeverTheSelvesShallMeet: [[spoiler:In the third game, player-Samanosuke comes back in time and sees his alternate-timeline self laying slain by Nobunaga. Touching his Oni Gauntlet merges the two together and the combined power from the paradox enables Nobunaga's defeat.]]
* NiceHat: Roberto.
* {{Ninja}}: Kaede and Kotaro. Also, the prologue to ''Onimusha 3'' shows Samonoske wearing ninja garb instead of his usual armor. (He's [[DramaticUnmask masked]], even.)
** All games have ninja-like genma acting as though, fast enemies. High-level ones can even throw knives and leaves afterimages behind.
* NintendoHard: The Genma world areas are murder. But one boss fight that could be considered this is The Dawn of Dreams Incarnation of Fortinbras. Oh, so much.
** You could just throw in the ENTIRETY of Dawn of Dreams. More complex character development system, more emphasis on [[LevelGrinding level grinding]], combined with hordes of strong enemies and marathon boss battles, easily makes it the hardest game in the series.
* NobleDemon: Gogandantess of the second game is pompous but also surprisingly chivalrous.
* OneWingedAngel: Nobunaga in the second and third games.
* OneHitKill: The ''Issen'' is a common theme in the games, wherein the player can counterattack an enemy at the last possible second. Said target/s are obliterated instantly, and it is possible to chain multiple ''Issen''s in a row to mow down an entire screenful of enemies. In the fourht game you can even switch characters to hit a enemy twice with the counterattack. However, Issen used with parries, chain or combined attacks are weaker than their true blue counterpart.
** DangerousForbiddenTechnique: The Black Necklace in the second game (hidden in a secret room requiring three special keys to unlock) and the Black Vest in the third (obtainable by successfully ending the Critical tutorial) will turn every single attack from Jubei/Samanosuke/Jaques into an Issen, istantly killing enemies and seriously damaging bosses. However, each blow is CastFromHitPoints, meaning that if you're not careful you can end up killing yourself by mistake.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: A number of characters in ''Blade Warriors'' have ''completely'' different personalities compared to their personalities in the main series. The worst example is probably Oyu, who goes from sweet and caring to angry and ruthless.
* OutrunTheFireball: In the intro of Onimusha 3, Samanosuke does this when the huge Genma tank collapses in a massive explosion. In the same game, Michelle pulls this off in her ''car'' whilst driving the gang away from the [[spoiler:[[RuleOfCool exploding Mont Saint-Michel]].]]
* ParentWithNewParamour: Henri ''really'' doesn't like Michelle... at first, anyway.
* PeninsulaOfPowerLeveling: The battlefield outside of Azuchi Castle in ''Dawn of Dreams''.
** Ditto for the same area in ''Onimusha 3''.
* PetitePride: Jubei Akane Yagyu. And she's happy with that.
* PowerFist: Roberto, the missionary in ''Dawn of Dreams'' has something in his arms called "Exorcising Beads". It gives him the power to kill Genma by punching them really hard.
* PowerOfFriendship: An actual play mechanic in ''Onimusha 2'' and a major theme of ''Dawn of Dreams''.
* PowerPalms: Jubei Yagyu's left hand in the second title.
* PowerUpMagnet: One button is for drawing souls in when you hold it down.
* PrecisionFStrike: Soki [[spoiler:when Fortinbras asks him to recognize his godhood.]] Doubles as DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu? and CrowningMomentofAwesome.
-->'''Soki''': You're [[spoiler:no God]]... you're Evil.. you're just a worthless sack of ''Shit''!
* RecurringBoss: In the second game, both Gogandantess and Ginghamphatts [[RuleOfThree are fought three times each over the course of the story]].
** Also, in the first game, Marcellus is fought twice. He is also fought twice in the third game, but the second encounter with him in that game is more of a "mini-boss" fight than a full-on boss fight. The same goes for Brainstern - it is the game's first boss, and it can be fought later as a "mini-boss".
** Also in the third game, Ranmaru is fought three times, and Heihachi and Gertrude are fought twice each.
** And in the fourth game, Munenori just does not know when to die. You have to face him a total of ''five'' times, and he's ''still'' alive in the SequelHook at the end.
* RecycledInSpace: The majority of the franchise can be summed up as ''ResidentEvil'' in JidaiGeki.
* RecycledSoundtrack: In ''Onimusha 3'', the "Demon Forest" theme (the area after Jacques obtains the Enja whip) sounds similar to the "Infiltration" theme in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', although "Demon Forest" has a more "asian" tone.
* RedHerring - In the second game, you can understand pretty easily the side character's main tastes in gifts. However, certain gifts that may look suitable for one character actually aren't. For example, Ekei loves alcohol and food, but will be disgusted by dark beer, and Magoichi will decline if you offer him the fairy tail book or the erotic novel.
* RedOniBlueOni: Dawn of Dreams has Soki and Tenkai who are styled after oni but wear mismatched colors.
** Ekei and Magoichi from the second game have the character types and antagonistic relationship with each other down just about perfectly.
* RelationshipValues: A critical part of the second game, to the point that several members of the supporting cast may live or die depending on what sort of relationship you have with them.
** In the fourth game the more Soki fights alongside one of his allies, the better their "rapport" becomes. It affects how many times the character can combine materials to make items and equipment, and also opens up more conversation choices when talking to him/her at the hideout.
* {{Samurai}}
* SanDimasTime: Allows Ako to flit between timestreams and relay info to Jacques/Samanoske.
* SayMyName: Gogandantess, being overly arrogant, likes to remind Jubei of his name and self-appointed title ("[[LargeHam the grrrreatest swordsman of all demons]]!") ''[[RunningGag constantly]]'', but it is also used in a somewhat [[TearJerker sadder]] fashion [[spoiler:during his death scene, in which he requests that Jubei say his name to him. Jubei agrees, out of respect for his foe.]]
** Samanosuke likes to say "Guildenstern!"
* SayYourPrayers: [[spoiler:Ekei]] will die doing this if you have especially low relationship values with him and win the duel between you two.
* SceneryGorn
* SceneryPorn: Especially so in ''3''. Beautifully rendered recreations of The Arc de Triomphe, Mont-Saint-Michel and the Eiffel Tower adorn the game. And they're incredibly accurate to their real-life counterparts too.
* SecondHourSuperpower: The Oni Guantlet from all games.
* SequelDifficultySpike: Issen appears to have been {{nerf}}ed in ''3'' to make it harder to spam. This in itself is not a big deal, except that acquiring the Ako's Black Vest means completing the Critical tutorial: enemies can '''only''' be killed via critical hits. Deflect criticals are much easier, since your character is at least protected from the blow. However, this tutorial requires that you leave yourself wide open to attack. Not for nothing is this considered the trickiest level of any ''Onimusha'' game.
* SerratedBladeOfPain: During his One-Winged Angel form, Oda Nobunaga wields the serrated scimitar Genma Samonji, which can be picked up in the sequel by Soki as a earth elemental sword named Starkiller.
** And before that, in Onimusha 3, try upgrading Enja to max level.
* ShockAndAwe: Raizan, Buraitou and Raisen weapons. Also Soki's {{BFS}}, Lamentation.
* ShoutOut - Watch the movie ''Kagemusha''. That little poem Nobunaga recites at the end of the game? He sings that same poem in the movie in a very different context.
* ShowHayami: Fortinbras's seiyuu in ''Dawn of Dreams''.
* ShowerScene: Oyu has one in a waterfall during the intro to ''Samurai's Destiny''.
* SmugSnake: Hideyoshi/Tokichiro, Guildenstern.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Gogandantess' name was spelled as "Gogandantes" on the packaging of his action figure.
* StandardFemaleGrabArea: Guildenstern to Michelle in the third game.
* StockNinjaWeaponry: Ninja characters like Kaede and Kotaro Fuuma are armed with kunai-like daggers and can use shuriken as distance weapons.
* TheStoic: Samanosuke from the first game, Jubei Yagyu from the second.
* {{Stripperific}}: Vega Donna of the third game is practically naked (aside from a loin cloth and some leg/foot armour), with only some odd scale-type-things to just barely cover her (rather perky) breasts.
** Also, Oyu's unlockable, 70s-style "joke" outfit in the second game.
** Not to mention Michelle's unlockable "joke" outfit in the third game. She's wearing nothing but a ''tiny bath towel''.
* SurprisinglyEasyMiniQuest: Most of the time when a sub character is taking over for the protagonist they have an amazingly easy time of it.
* TakenForGranite: In the second game there's a special dust which is used to turn some poor miners into stone statues. You have to rescue them by finding the powder antidote. If your friendship with Magoichi is high enough, Jubei will be petrified by Tokichiro, forcing Magoichi to find the powder and save him.
* ATasteOfPower: Samanoske begins ''3'' with Raizan, Enyuu and Shippuu, his weapons from the original ''Onimusha''. (He even wields all three in the opening cinematic). Once dumped in France, he loses ''all'' of his stuff and must start from scratch.
* TechnicolorToxin: Many cases of yellow poison, expecially in the second game. From the fourth onwards there's purple toxic gas.
* ThemeNaming: Fans of Hamlet may recognize a number of demon names, including Fortinbras, Guildenstern, and Rosencrantz - supposedly, the reason for this is that William Shakespeare made a deal with the Genma to become a great playwright, but in exchange he had to use the names of Genma for the characters in his plays. In the fourth game, one character has different weapons named after various gods and concepts from Hindu and Buddhist mythology.
* TitleConfusion: Of the 'internally inconsistent' type- the European release of ''Onimusha 3'' removes all references to the ''Demon Siege'' subtitle from the manual, packaging and official listings, but it's still present on the title screen.
* TookAShortcut: For a franchise founded on RuleOfCool, this is par for the course. However, it gets a bit out of hand in ''Demon Siege'', when Jacques keeps running into Heihachi while traveling beteen feudal Japan and ''France''. (Though it is conceivable that Heihachi departed from the same train, but how did he board it?)
* TranslationConvention: Obviously used in all of the games in the English dub, where the characters would be speaking Japanese, but is especially notable in the third game - Jacques dialogue is in French at the beginning and end of the game (Michelle and Henri also speak in French during Jacques' last scene) but in all other scenes their dialogue is heard in English. The fact that the Japanese and French characters can all understand each other perfectly is explained in-universe - Ako can use her powers to enable them to understand each other.
** This does, however, get a little confusing with the Genma. Examining some of their scrolls while playing as Ekei reveal that they're written in "the demons' language" - however, as this language is never heard, it is unknown if the Genma are speaking in their own language, in Japanese, or whether it depends on who they're talking to or if it varies from demon to demon.
* TrickedOutGloves: The Oni Gauntlet.
* TrilogyCreep: ''Onimusha 3'' was meant to be the final game in the series. And then along came ''Shin Onimusha''. Subverted in that ''Shin Onimusha'' is currently the last console release of the series, since there has yet to be another entry since 2006.
* UpdatedRerelease: ''Genma Onimusha'' for the Xbox, a port of the first game with a few additional bells and whistles.
* VillainousGlutton: Jujudormah of the second game, although the non-canonical spin-off ''Onimusha Blade Warriors'' reveals that she was [[MsFanservice quite a looker]] in her youth.
* WarriorMonk: Ekei, who's also a fallen monk, and Tenkai, who's a more virtuous version.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jean Reno was suppose to be voicing Jacques Blanc in all English releases of Onimusha 3, if it was not for his busy schedule at the time.
* WhipSword - All of Jacques' weapons are a variation on this, including an actual WhipSword and a Whip-Spear.
** One of them is actually a big honkin' [[EpicFlail flail]], though.
* WorldOfBadass
* WorldOfHam
* WouldHurtAChild: Guildenstern.
--> "How I love children. Their organs are so fresh and soft..."
** Ranmaru also proves that he would when [[spoiler:he murders Henri right in front of Jacques and Michelle]] [[ForTheEvulz for shits and giggles]]. [[spoiler:Henri is resurrected, but still...]]
* YagyuJubei
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: Roberto's Special Technique "Death Grip".
* ZergRush: A combat tactic Genma forces uses. It worked in the 1500s in Japan against samurai and it worked against French troops and gendarmes in 2004 in France.
* ZombieApocalypse: Implied, as many low-ranked Genma looks like undead people. In the fourth game the village you stumble across in Kyushu has suffered one, as you only encounter traditional zombies of all sizes in there.
----

* DullSurprise: In ''Demon Siege'', one of Michelle's colleages is completely unfazed when she introduces Samanosuke (even mentioning that he is a Samurai) to him. Possibly [[JustifiedTrope justified]] - being forced to battle a sudden army of demons probably means that very little surprises him now...

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Every game's BigBad gets this treatment. The real UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga was feared for his brutality (the burning of the temples on Mt. Hiei actually happened, for example), but this series makes him out to be an [[DemonKingNobunaga actual demon]]. UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi gets treated with even less respect, and Munenori gets the absolute worst of it by being [[{{Flanderization}} flanderized]] beyond all recognition. We can only imagine what they'll do to UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu.
** Actually the stone has been set. Soki has mentioned that he has no high opinion on Ieyasu, seeing him only as a 'lapdog' to Hideyoshi. Things have been looking bad for Ieyasu already.
*** Eventually cleared in the upcoming ''Soul'', where Ieyasu himself is actually on the side of the Oni. However, his son Hidetada his sided with the Genma.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Every game's BigBad gets this treatment. The real UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga was feared for his brutality (the burning of the temples on Mt. Hiei actually happened, for example), but this series makes him out to be an [[DemonKingNobunaga actual demon]]. UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi gets treated with even less respect, and Munenori gets the absolute worst of it by being [[{{Flanderization}} flanderized]] beyond all recognition. We can only imagine what they'll do to TokugawaIeyasu.

* DefeatMeansFriendship: In Dawn of Dreams, you have to fight each member of your party

before they join up with you. Gotta love that ConflictBall.