This is a Character Sheet for Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse .
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Protagonists
Ruka Minazuki
Japanese: 水無月流歌 Minazuki Ruka
Voiced by: Mamiko Noto
"If no one remembers something, does that mean it never happened?"
The 17-year-old, soft-spoken protagonist of Fatal Frame IV. She was the last victim of the kidnapping incident and can't remember much about her time on Rogetsu Island. When she hears about the mysterious deaths of the other victims, she decides to return to the island to try and remember her childhood there, as well as to find out why so many people died.
- Amnesiac Hero: Her childhood memories are all but gone, especially pertaining to the kidnapping incident and her stay at Rogetsu Hall. Her suffering from Moonlight Syndrome and participating in the Rite of Descent as a Organ didn't help matters.
- Apocalyptic Log: Ruka's Diary, from when she was interned at Rogetsu Hall as a child.
- Chekhov's Skill: Ruka's mother taught her how to play the piano, which plays a key role in defeating Sakuya later in the final battle, as well as helping her regain her own memories.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Yellow, as the color for her dress and the theme color of the game.
- Extreme Doormat: As a child, she wasn't very responsive to many things. Notably, Ayako actually left Ruka alone because of this, because she was "too boring".
- Meaningful Name: Her name can be read as "the flow of a song". The Tsukimori Song plays a very important role in the story.
- Miko: The true Rite of Descent considers her one, as a Guardian Maiden is required to fully complete the ritual and play the Lunar Melody. The practice died out, but Ruka's mother Sayaka took her bloodline as one seriously, teaching her daughter the song. It resulted in Ruka being chosen as an Organ, a song-playing child assistant to the Rite of Descent.
- Parental Abandonment: Sayaka died of illness some time before Ruka left for Rogetsu Island, and her father Soya was killed during Sakuya's rampage in the Day of Tranquility.
- Proper Tights with a Skirt: Her outfit features a skirt and dark tights.
- Psychic Powers: As a Guardian maiden, she has a sixth sense that lets her see ghosts, but also makes her Moonlight Syndrome case a bit more worrying.
Misaki Asou
Japanese: 麻生海咲 Asou Misaki
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro
"Just do as I say, Madoka. Do you want to end up like them?"
A strong-willed girl who was kidnapped on Rogetsu Island as a child. Hearing that the other victims are dying mysteriously, she takes Madoka to their childhood place to recover her memories. She's a descendant of the Camera Obscura's inventor, Kunihiko Asou, and therefore inherited a strong sixth sense that leads to her spiritual connection with Sakuya.
- Apocalyptic Log: Misaki's Diary.
- Famous Ancestor: She is the descendant of Meiji Era-occultist and folklorist Kunihiko Aso(u). In Fatal Frame IV, the latter visited the island for a time and, after his departure, they converted his room into a museum.
- Jerkass: Misaki is rather unpleasant for a protagonist. She drags an unwilling Madoka to Rogetsu Island (though, admittedly, she's trying to save both their lives) only to thoughtlessly abandon her because she falls behind, leading to the poor girl's death. She also callously dismisses Madoka's fears, curtly telling her "It's fine, just do what I say."
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's harsh, yes, but she is there to try and stop the Syndrome from consuming them and continuing to haunt the island. As the game goes on, however, and as she gets her memories back gradually, she slowly changes to a softer approach to things.
- Miko: Was one of the five kidnapped girls made into an Organ for the Rite of Descent ceremony.
- My God, What Have I Done?: She abandons Madoka at the very start of the game, resulting in her death. Once Misaki realizes Madoka's missing, she immediately regrets what she's done.
- Perpetual Frowner: Even moreso than other protagonists in the series, as Misaki looks perpetually annoyed with everything she encounters.
- Pet the Dog: In one of Yo's notebook entries, he notes that Ayako greatly dislikes Misaki, as she would use her sixth sense to sense Madoka's suffering and protect her from Ayako's bullying.
- Psychic Link: With Sakuya.
- Psychic Powers: Given she's a member of the Asou family, she has a sixth sense of her own, not to mention enough knowledge to operate a Camera Obscura prototype. This is also what made Dr. Haibara notice her and have her take part in the Rite of Descent.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: She's the tomboy to Madoka's girly girl.
- Tragic Keepsake: Miya, the doll that represents her friendship with Sakuya.
- Uncertain Doom: After her collapse in Phase VIII, her fate becomes completely unknown, as she is never seen or mentioned again for the rest of the game, even after the ending. Though the alternate Photograph Ending shows that she survives.
Madoka Tsukimori
Japanese: 月森円香 Tsukimori Madoka
Voiced by: Saori Goto
"I can't remember. I don't want to remember! I have to get out of here! I have to find Misaki!"
A reserved girl who was one of the kidnapped victims. After the deaths of her friends, Marie and Tomoe, she was dragged along by Misaki to Rogetsu Island to uncover the truth. She ends up spirited away and reappears as a boss for Ruka and Misaki to fight.
- Apocalyptic Log: Madoka's Diary, Memos, and Notebook.
- Boss Room: Ruka fights her at the Library in Phase I, while Misaki fights her at the Dining Room in Phase V after watching the recording of the Rogetsu Kagura.
- Decoy Protagonist: Trailers and promotional material teased Madoka as a playable character along with the other three possible ones. In the game proper, she dies in the prologue chapter.
- Further exemplified in Mission Mode, as you actually play as her for a few missions, except she still uses Ruka's Camera Obscura with the same upgrades.
- Dying Declaration of Hate: After Misaki defeats Madoka's ghost in Phase V, she leaves behind a rather scathing note directed at Misaki, sarcastically saying that it's okay that Misaki never had time for her, and tells her to go die with that other girl she keeps talking about. Looks like she was quite bitter about Misaki leaving her behind. The Photograph ending shows that Madoka does eventually forgive Misaki.
- Face–Heel Turn: Once a secondary protagonist, now a Blossoming hostile spirit.
- Facial Horror: Her ghost can start Blossoming during battle, horrifically distorting her face. It's very likely she'll be the one that introduces the mechanic for the player, in fact.
- Foil: To both Ruka and Misaki, who were kidnapped along with her, Marie and Tomoe, to serve as Organs for the Rite of Descent. Both girls want to find out the truth behind their past, their conditions and the deaths surrounding the island, and continue through the installations despite fearing the outcome. Madoka openly admits she wants to forget it and not think about it any longer, afraid of the pain it could bring her, leaving her vulnerable enough to get lost from Misaki and, by consequence, spirited away.
- Fragile Speedster: Her ghost moves fast and will often try to come tumbling in a frenzy towards Ruka or Misaki to deal decent damage. She doesn't have much health, however.
- Hell Is That Noise: Her battles are accompanied by her mournful whispers and her violent sobs of sorrow.
- The Legend of Chekhov: A letter from her mother tells her that their family bloodline will protect her. It doesn't, but the Tsukimori name becomes much more important later in the story.
- Little Black Dress: An unlockable costume for her, the only one available for Madoka. Noteworthy because her ghost form was also meant to wear it should the player equip it in the original, and it did eventually get implemented in the 4K remaster.
- The Quiet One: Noted to be quite meek and soft-spoken. Even despite her limited screen time, she has very few voiced lines.
- Recurring Element: The most recent victim of the game's curse turned into a new hostile spirit that attacks the player. Unlike previous examples, however, Madoka is briefly playable and the player gets to see first-hand how she was eventually spirited away.
- Replacement Goldfish: She believed she was one for Misaki's friend, the mysterious girl in black. In reality it's Sakuya, Misaki's actual friend. The girl in black was a doll Sakuya gave to Misaki.
- Rogue Protagonist: You only play as her for the prologue, in which she dies right at the end. Come the following Phase and Ruka has to fight her as a hostile ghost.
- Room Full of Crazy: When entering her room, you will be greeted by a bunch of creepy drawings. The room also has a teddy bear with its head torn off.
- Rule of Symbolism: Her distorted crying as a ghost sounds appropriately childish and immature, showing how she's fully regressed mentally in her syndrome after death.
- Sanity Slippage: Her memos hint this happened to her before she died; her writing progressively becomes more childish and disjointed.
- Shrinking Violet: Meek and easily pushed around by others ever since childhood.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: She's the girly girl to Misaki's tomboy.
- Turns Red: Like other ghosts in this game, she'll "Blossom" when her health is low, powering her attacks and giving her the chance to kill in one hit.
- Wake-Up Call Boss: The first ghost to be rather fast in her movements and almost unpredictable in how she'll attack, as well as the one that's very likely to introduce Blossoming as a combat mechanic.
- When She Smiles: To Misaki in the Photograph Ending.
Choshiro Kirishima
Japanese: 霧島長四郎 Kirishima Choushiro
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
"Back then Ruka and her friends were kidnapped, and found in the basement of the hospital. I thought it was all over, but... Since that time, out of the five, two have died. Is the case still open...?"
Ex-police officer turned detective. He discovered the five abducted girls in a cave beneath Haibara Hospital and has been chasing the perpetrator, Yo Haibara, ever since. Unlike other playable characters, he uses a device called the Spirit Stone Flashlight to fight ghosts.
- All Love Is Unrequited: He had feelings for Sayaka, Ruka's mother.
- Apocalyptic Log: His Investigation Record tapes and his personal Notebook.
- Big Damn Heroes: He places the mask back on Sakuya Haibara's ghost, when Ruka is unable to do so.
- Dead All Along: In a shocking twist, he died years ago and is himself a Ghost.
- Determinator: The man powers through an island filled with ghosts because the case he was working on hasn't been solved yet, and he will see it through. This trait also causes him to be caught in a cycle of pursuing Yo Haibara until the moment of his death. On a more positive note, it also saved him from the Moonlight Syndrome outbreak. His determination in finding Haibara snaps him out of his fear of Sakuya's distorted face (he caught a glimpse of Yo running away during so), which would have caused him to Blossom otherwise.
- Foreshadowing: When he shows up on the island, he appears to wake up on the ground for some reason. Also, he finds his notebook and investigation tools just scattered nearby.
- Go Out with a Smile: He gives Ruka one last smile before joining the other spirits towards the afterlife.
- Lunacy: How the Spirit Stone Flashlight exorcises ghosts; it shines absorbed moonlight from the Spirit Stones to purify the spirits.
- Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Unlike the other characters who use the Camera Obscura, Choshiro's Spirit Stone Flashlight works very differently. It can take pictures of specific things through a special lens meant only for it and nothing else, and it functions on a combo system more extensive than the Camera Obscura's. In short, the player is expected to chain attacks together and know when to do so as to not break the chain, as well as keep the ghosts close enough for a higher damage output.
- Perma-Stubble: It adds to his rough, "no-nonsense cop" appearance.
- Resurrected for a Job: Played with. The spirit of Sayaka contacts him to aid Ruka when she returns to the island. He's still dead, but it breaks the loop his spirit was trapped in, and later he can join the others to the afterlife.
- Taking You with Me: Rather than letting Yo Haibara escape, he tackles him off the roof so that they both fall to their deaths, and right after he was stabbed no less.
- Tomato in the Mirror: When he sees his own corpse and realizes he's been dead the entire time.
Major Ghosts
Sakuya Haibara
Japanese: 灰原朔夜 Haibara Sakuya
Voiced by: Rie Tanaka
Final Boss Form
"Don't forget about me... Even if I forget myself... Before I disappear..."
The main antagonist of Fatal Frame IV. Her father and brother tried to cure her disease by making her dance in an ancient ritual, the Rite of Descent, wearing the eponymous Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, so she could cure the Moonlight Syndrome "outbreak" plaguing the island. The ceremony failed, so she now wanders the island inflicting death on all who look at her.
- Apocalyptic Log: Sakuya's Diary.
- Battle Theme Music: Her final encounter is accompanied by the Lunar Oedum's rendition of the Moonsong.
- Big Bad: Of Fatal Frame IV.
- Body Horror: She is constantly Blossoming, a state that involves the face being horribly distorted in impossible ways.
- Boss Room:
- Misaki fights Sakuya's hostile spirit at the Temple of Tsukiyomi, at the stage where the Rite of Descent took place, as the final boss of her story;
- Choshiro encounters Sakuya at the Rogetsu Hall courtyard as the final boss of his scenario;
- Ruka faces her in her Lunar Eclipse form at the top of the Cape Tsukiyomi Lighthouse as the Final Boss.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Implied in-game, with several mentions from Yo and Ayako seemingly referring to Sakuya as the mother with Yo as the father.
- Came Back Wrong: The ritual's failure did not kill her, only leaving her in a state between life and death. However, that still allowed her to Blossom, a normally postmortem and contagious symptom of the Moonlight Syndrome, and she became a wandering spirit that cursed the island and those who looked at her wherever she walked.
- Companion Cube: The Miya doll she shared with Misaki so both would remember each other.
- Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Sakuya's failed ritual is the most "recent" in comparison to the other rituals presented in the series (hers happened during the 1970s, whereas the other four happened in the Edo through early Meiji periods), and her suffering from its outcome is also notable in that she lasted two years in a state of limbo until the game's disaster struck, while previous Shrine Maidens had theirs occur immediately after their deaths. Also, much like Reika, Sakuya's name isn't outright stated until a bit later in the game, but it serves to play into the overall theme of amnesia, regaining one's identity and connections. Finally, the previous games dealt with curses that were clearly referred to as such by characters, while Moonlight Syndrome is treated as a medical condition despite its supernatural causes.
- Cool Big Sis: She was this to her brother Yo, and also fellow patients Misaki and Ayako.
- Cool Mask: The titular Mask of the Lunar Eclipse that she had to wear as a Vessel.
- The Faceless: The nurses often mentioned in their memos that they can't remember her face even after seeing her, which horrified them. As a hostile spirit, the constant Blossoming makes it very difficult to see her features.
- Facial Horror: Her Moonlight Syndrome is so severe that she is constantly in Bloom, her face distorted at all times.
- Final Boss: Played with; Ruka fights her as the final hostile encounter in the game, but she still needs to play the Moonsong afterwards. Fail to play the song three times and Sakuya will reappear for a rematch, and it will only stop when the player finally gets the song right to end the game.
- Four Is Death: Sakuya's room was in the fourth floor of Rogetsu Hall before she was moved to the basement level due to her unique response to the Syndrome. Not long after she was moved, she rose from her bed and started wandering the island, kickstarting the Day of Tranquility.
- Gameplay and Story Integration: Because she's in constant Blossoming, every photo taken of her during her battles will count as a Rorschach Shot.
- Glass Cannon: Sakuya is notably the squishiest Final Boss in the series so far. A decently-upgraded Camera Obscura or Spirit Stone Flashlight can make the times you finally battle her incredibly short encounters, with a complete Camera able to end Sakuya's final battle in mere SECONDS with the right film, although it doesn't change the fact that she's fast and strong enough to deal a ton of damage in short time if you're not watching her movements. Her fragility is also compensated by a fairly tricky minigame after beating her that forces you to fight her again should you fail three times.
- The Heavy: Downplayed compared to her predecessor Reika, but Sakuya is very much an active presence within Rogetsu Hall and its related areas, having the requisite chasing sequences with black-and-white distortions on the screen at quite a few points in the story. Not only that, she's the only main antagonist in the series to fight all the main playable characters in her game at least once (sans Madoka, who dies in the prologue).
- Hell Is That Noise: Her encounters as the Woman Dressed in Red are soundtracked by the distorted, screeching effects of the Rite of Descent's instruments along with her whispers. In her final boss form, the Lunar Odeum plays discordant notes along with her cries and whispers, the Moonsong steadily starting to play more harmoniously as Sakuya's HP drops.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Sakuya saw the sadistic, bird-decapitating Ayako as "gentle and vulnerable" despite her being an obvious menace to other patients and hospital staff. Sort of justified as Ayako is heavily implied to be Sakuya's daughter, which isn't helped by Ayako not being a brat to Sakuya whenever they interacted.
- In-Series Nickname:
- "Woman in Red" for her encounter at the halfway point of the game and fight with Kirishima after that. In Mission Mode, this form of hers is referred to as "Shadow Sakuya";
- "Eclipse Sakuya" for her final boss form with the glowing red dress and strong ghostly aura.
- Interface Screw: As per tradition for this series, encountering her before her designated boss fights has her turn the screen monochromatic and distorted, only this time she also distorts the Camera Obscura so it cannot affect her.
- Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: She's a beautiful woman, surely, but the trope is downplayed in that her father and her brother both became mad scientist archetypes to try and help her condition.
- Many Spirits Inside of One: As the Vessel of the Rite of Descent, her true purpose is meant to be the vessel in which ghosts are sent through to enter the Afterlife.
- Meaningful Name:
- The characters of her name are read as "night of the new moon." Saku is also synonymous with the verb "to bloom".
- "Miya", Misaki's nickname for her, comes from the first and last kanji in each of ther names, with "Mi" meaning "sea" and "ya" meaning "night".
- Musical Assassin: In her final boss form, Sakuya can weaponize the Moonlight Syndrome's "Resonance" (the factor that causes it to spread to other people, a resonance between souls) to cause damage to Ruka with a specific attack. Ruka can counter this by "equipping" the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, avoiding the damage.
- Not Quite Dead: The final boss fight will count as "defeating" her, when in reality she's just pacified long enough for Ruka to finish the Lunar Song and end the game. Fail to play the song correctly three times, though, and Sakuya will have to be fought again before the player can retry.
- Psychic Link: With Misaki, a fellow inpatient at Rougestu Hall. The two met when Misaki was still 7 years old, creating a doll bearing the name Miya to help both remember each other.
- Psychic Powers: Noted for her strong psychic abilities, which worsened her condition.
- Run or Die: The several times she appears unexpectedly require you to run like hell or die instantly.
- Sanity Slippage: Came with the later stages of Moonlight Syndrome, combined with an immensely powerful sixth sense. The reason why she isn't even referred to by her name early on is that the realization of severe lapses in her own identity caused her to have violent fits.
- Tragic Monster: She panicked at the worst possible moment and was driven mad by an illness, barely aware of who she was and having her face mutilated by Blossoming; notably, instead of exorcising her, you restore her mind, and she finishes the ritual peacefully.
- Unkempt Beauty: She's repeatedly noted to be an incredibly beautiful woman, though disheveled because of her illness.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: When not taken over by her illness, she was very gentle and elegant as befits a Japanese lady. She had a strong devotion to her family, and gave Misaki considerable strength through their meetings.
Yo Haibara
Japanese: 灰原耀 Haibara You
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai
"My sister will awaken. One day, she will awaken..."
Sakuya's brother, and a doctor at Haibara Hospital. For the sake of his sister, he conducted cruel experiments and killed many people. He helped kidnap the five girls for the ceremony, and tried to recreate it to cure Sakuya's illness.
- Apocalyptic Log: The Black Notebook.
- Arch-Enemy: To Choshiro. He quit his job on the police force and became a private detective in order to keep searching for Yo.
- Batman Gambit: In one of his documents he mentions that Choshiro's actions were always predictable due to his single-minded drive to bring Yo to justice. He uses this to lure Choshiro to the roof of Haibara Infirmary where he ambushes and stabs him. Unfortunately for Yo, however, Choshiro drives him over the edge of the roof along with himself, causing both of them to die.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Implied with Ayako, with hints that she is the daughter of Sakuya and Yo.
- Dead All Along: Choshiro hunting him through the hospital building is actually a never-ending time loop their ghosts are both going through.
- Disney Villain Death: Choshiro tackled him off the roof of the hospital after Yo stabbed him, in a Taking You with Me maneuver.
- Mad Scientist: He became one, in his efforts to find a cure for his sister.
- Serial Killer: Was suspected of being one due to the many people that died during his experiments, which steadily became more inhumane and sadistic.
- Shared Family Quirks: It's heavily implied Ayako's cruel and sadistic tendencies came from him.
- The Unfettered: Downplayed in that he does show emotional responses to other characters and is openly regretful of what he did with the experiments and kidnapping the girls, although they're severely minor in comparison to how much he loves his sister, which is his driving force to commit these horrible deeds in the first place. By the time Choshiro finally cornered him, Yo simply stabbed him and let himself be killed in retaliation, since by that time he had nothing left to care for any longer, including his own life.
- The Unfought: While his spirit haunts the island, Kirishima's confrontation with him doesn't involve a battle of any kind. He also never Blossoms, since he ran away when Sakuya began the Day of Tranquility.
- Yandere: For his sister Sayuka. He cares deeply for her in more than just a fraternal way, and after she develops Moonlight Syndrome, he is willing to perform inhumane experiments and kidnap children to find a cure for her. Not only that, but when she reaches a near-death state, he refuses to give up on bringing her back, despite warnings from the islanders that continuing could have disastrous consequences.
Doctor Shigeto Haibara
Japanese: 灰原重人 Haibara Shigeto
"The moon eclipses but once every ten years. We cannot let this chance escape us. Time is a commodity we sadly lack."
The director of Haibara Hospital, and father to Sakuya and Yo. In the past, his family were ceremony masters and practitioners for the island, and his obsession with curing his daughter led to him forcing her to perform the forbidden ritual, with him as the figurehead and organizer as per family tradition.
- Apocalyptic Log: Director Haibara's Notes.
- Boss Room: You finally confront his hostile spirit at the Moonbeam Well underneath the Infirmary building.
- Combat Hand Fan: His hostile form uses a ceremonial hand fan as a weapon, using it to throw needle-like projectiles and energy disks.
- Cool Mask: He wears a ceremonial mask during the ritual and as an attacking spirit. Given he died during the Day of Tranquility, this was likely done to prevent Blossoming should the ritual fail, which it did.
- Find the Cure!: He was determined to find a cure, in order to save his daughter.
- Flunky Boss: Flanked by two of the Shrine Guards in his boss encounter.
- Harmful Healing: Many of his patients got worse from his experimental treatments, such as a little girl that mentions bleeding from her eyes in her diary.
- Hell Is That Noise: The doctor's deep booming voice over distorted chatter from either the hospital staff or the Shrine Guards.
- High Priest: He attempted to revive the traditions of the Haibara family, who served as the island's High Priests in the past.
- The Lost Lenore: His wife committed suicide due to the Moonlight Syndrome, which further motivated him to find a cure for the disease, and outright states in one of his notes that he dedicates his research in her name."Everything I've done, my work, my sacrifices, the culmination of all my research... It's all for her."
- Mad Doctor: Some of the treatments he attempted are chilling to see or read about, and often killed the patients. Keep in mind that at least two hostile ghosts you can face have borderline MEDIEVAL iron devices on their heads from failed brain surgeries.
- Mad Scientist: He became one in his desperation to cure his daughter.
- Recurring Element: Fulfills the role of a Ceremony Master ghost in this game, acting as the high priest for the Rite of Descent due to his family occupying this role in the past.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: His brutal experiments and the secret ritual were all to find a cure from the disease plaguing the island.
Sayaka Minazuki
Japanese: 水無月小夜歌 Minazuki Sayaka
Voiced by: Rumiko Ukai
"There's something I wanted to give to Ruka, but I don't think she's fit to receive it yet. I'll wait until she gets better and can show me her beautiful smile again..."
Ruka's mother, who took her away from the island after the incident 10 years ago. She is in poor health, and asked Kirishima to look for her daughter.
- Apocalyptic Log: Sayaka's Diary and Letter to Soya.
- Big Good: She's arguably the biggest force of good in the story, as even in death, she continues to watch over Ruka with the same love and care she always showed her, and her contact with Choshiro to help her daughter proves instrumental at the very end of the game to finally pacify Sakuya's soul once and for all.
- The Chessmaster: A rare case of one who is completely benevolent. Sayaka orchestrates everything to ensure that Sakuya is defeated before she can cause another Day of Tranquility. She teaches Ruka the Moonsong needed to stop her, she leaves the mirror that teaches the song to ensure that she knows how to play it, and she guides Choshiro to get him to help Ruka assemble the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. Keep in mind that she began orchestrating events while still alive and continued as a ghost, meaning even death couldn't stop her from seeing her plans to fruition.
- Dead All Along: She died to her illness some time during the decade between the eclipses, and it was her spirit that awakened Kirishima to help Ruka.
- Mama Bear: She was horrified by her husband's actions, and took Ruka away from the island to protect her. Even in death, she lovingly watches over her daughter.
- Miko: A descendant of the Tsukimori shrine maidens, and took her heritage seriously.
- The Power of Love: Her love for her daughter is strong enough to transcend even death itself.
- Someday This Will Come in Handy: She made a point to teach Ruka to play a particular song on the piano, which turns out to be the song necessary to calm the Moon and defeat Sakuya.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: She's the single most helpful, caring, loving person in the game, having unfortunately succumbed to her illness some time before the events of the plot.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: She is a classic Japanese lady, with elegance and a strong devotion to her family and heritage.
Soya Yomotsuki
Japanese: 四方月宗也 Yomotsuki Souya
Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki
"Soetsu stumbled on the road to salvation, but I, Soya Yomotsuki, will forge the true Mask of the Lunar Eclipse."
Ruka's father, a master Mask Maker for the island. He became obsessed with re-creating and perfecting the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, agreeing to help the Haibaras carry out the ritual.
- Apocalyptic Log: Soya's Notes.
- Archnemesis Dad: During the final Phases, his ghost becomes hostile towards his own daughter and will relentlessly attack her, visibly against his will.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: His spirit was turned hostile by the Syndrome's effects and the curse cast upon the island. When Ruka first defeats him at the mask-making shrine, he visibly struggles with himself to give his daughter a brief warning before vanishing.
- Climax Boss: He is the penultimate enemy to be fought in the Final Phase right before confronting Sakuya.
- Cool Mask: He made them, and wears one for much of the game, both as part of the ritual and possibly to prevent Blossoming should it fail. Which it did.
- Disappeared Dad: He has been absent from Ruka's life since her mother took her from the island years ago, and she recalls him spending little time with his family before then, too focused on his mask-making, especially when he was tasked with the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.
- Face Death with Dignity: When the Rite of Descent failed and Sakuya began to wander, causing the Day of Tranquility, Soya resigned himself to the caverns underneath Rogetsu Island and simply sat down and waited for his demise.
- The Faceless: Throughout the game, Ruka cannot recall what he looked like. Though averted in the game's ending, where he even smiles proudly at her.
- Gone Horribly Right: He began to believe his Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was supposed to shatter, and cause Sakuya to Blossom.
- Heel–Face Turn: In the game's ending, he is freed from the curse as for the rest of the spirits and gives a smile at his daughter Ruka.
- Hell Is That Noise: Soya's unrelenting vows to craft the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse sounding over creaking wood.
- Improbable Weapon User: His hostile ghost uses masks as projectiles, and his grab attack has him try to force one onto Ruka's face.
- In-Series Nickname: Mask Maker.
- Married to the Job: His marriage and relationship with his daughter suffered as a result of his obsession with refining his art.
- Recurring Boss: Fought constantly in the final chapter as Ruka ascends the Tsukuyomi Lighthouse towards Sakuya.
- The Reveal: After the curse is broken, Ruka (and the audience) finally see him without his mask.
- Rule of Symbolism: His hostile form dons a scary, almost demonic-looking mask as he attacks Ruka on her way to the Lunar Oedum, during a period where she's still recovering her memories of the island, the ritual and her family, in particular how she once saw her father in his workplace and called for him, making him turn back to face her. Come the endgame, when Ruka finally regains all her memories and the Syndrome disappears, Soya appears to his daughter with his face fully visible, and the flashback ends with him giving Ruka a loving smile, showing he truly did love her.
Ayako
Japanese: 亞夜子 Ayako
"That nurse came and shouted at me again, going on and on about something or other. When she turned away from me, I cut her a little and she made the ugliest noise. That bitch is ugly on the inside too. I hate her guts."
An important patient at Haibara Hospital, hinted to be the daughter of Sakuya and Yo Haibara. She was a cruel and sadistic girl, often bullying Madoka or the nurses through psychopathic, violent means.
- Ambiguously Evil: Downplayed. While Ayako is undoubtedly a cruel and wicked psychopath, it's unknown as to how much of her evil stems from being enabled by her father Yo, or from being driven insane by the Moonlight Syndrome.
- Apocalyptic Log: Ayako's Note and Torn Note.
- Arch-Enemy: She really hates Misaki, as Misaki's sixth sense allowed her to put a stop to Ayako's evil antics.
- Ax-Crazy: With her extreme sadism and cruelty, it's safe to say she is very much this.
- Boss Room: Room 207, her room in Rogetsu Hall. Misaki also fights her once in the adjacent secret room with a canopied bed.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Hinted to be the product of such a union.
- The Cameo: She appears as a ghost in the Haunted House mode of Deep Crimson Butterfly.
- Collector of the Strange: Moonlight Syndrome patients usually cling to something, physical or otherwise, so they won't forget their sense of self. While Kazuto Amaki's kleptomania is a tad extreme but still somewhat understandable, Ayako likes to "collect" things like squashed insects, cut hands and "meat wet with red", things that she claims are "beautiful" and that "last only for a moment".
- The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: She introduces her very first battle by tackling Misaki in a cutscene, and then immediately starting the battle in a damaging grab attack. Worse still, she'll do this for Ruka and Choshiro too when they need to enter her room later on. Better hope you have full health or a Stone Mirror.
- Creepy Child: Certainly one of the creepiest in the series, due to her cruel and sadistic nature. She's so creepy, she actually makes an appearance in Deep Crimson Butterfly as a mission boss.
- Creepy Doll: The Hozuki dolls scattered across Rogetsu Island are implied to be all hers, as breaking the curse of the dolls has her image suddenly appear and stare deeply and unflinching at the player, giggling.
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: Her overall style.
- Enfant Terrible: She enjoyed such past times as pushing people down stairs, dragging them down hallways by their hair, and cutting the heads off small birds (like she did to a canary Madoka used to own).
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: In spite of her extreme evilness, her last words in her notes before she succumbs to the Moonlight Syndrome is to call out for her mother.
- Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: She was a very beautiful little girl with a sweet face, but a cruel and vicious nature.
- Hate Sink: She's up there with Yashuu from the third game as one of the most evil and despicable ghosts in the series.
- Hell Is That Noise: Her demented laughter among the sounds of nails scratching on screens and children giggling and moaning.
- Inbred and Evil: Implied to be the daughter of Yo and and his sister Sakuya, and she is one of the cruelest people in the series, even before becoming a ghost.
- Jerkass to One: Inverted. She's a cruel and wicked brat to everyone except for Yo and Sakuya Haibara, who are heavily implied to be her parents.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: One of the nurses believes her to actually be a sweet girl. She's not, and is in fact one of the most evil ghosts in the entire series.
- Jump Scare: Her hostile ghost is introduced with one, which carries out from the cutscene as a grab attack.
- Lack of Empathy: Holy hell, this evil little piece of shit has no empathy whatsoever. After cruelly killing Madoka's pet canary, she only continued laughing madly, even as the furious nurses were chewing her out.
- Like Father, Like Daughter: It's heavily implied Ayako's cruel and sadistic tendencies came from her father Yo Haibara, which isn't helped by him actively enabling her behavior.
- Only One Name: Her surname is very intentionally left out, with the staff only knowing that her family is very important and she has a connection to Dr. Haibara.
- Precision F-Strike: In Ayako’s note, she refers to the nurse she stabbed as “that bitch”.
- Room Full of Crazy: Her room is filled with strange giggling, shifting lights, and doll limbs hanging from the ceiling.
- Sadist: She enjoyed torturing others, viewing them as her playthings.
Miya
Japanese: みや Miya
"Have you forgotten?"
A mysterious girl in a black suit who appears repeatedly to Misaki Aso during her journey through Rogetsu Isle, urging her to remember something important. Misaki herself seems to have a strong personal bond to her.
- Companion Cube: Despite her human-like presence, she is very much this; She is Misaki's favorite doll, the one gifted to her by Sakuya Haibara herself as a coping mechanism for their Moonlight Syndrome.
- Foreshadowing: In flashbacks showing Miya as a child with Misaki, she is somehow wearing the exact same outfit as a child that she does as a young adult, simply scaled up to her new height. Furthermore, Miya somehow shared a room with her, even a bed, despite no record of a guest or plus-one existing for the 3rd floor rooms, much less Misaki's. Because as a doll, she has a pre-made dress that doesn't need to be changed, and no one would bat at eye at a little girl with her toy she just cherishes very much;
- Perhaps unintentional, but the Specter photo showing Misaki and Miya running together has Miya run very close to Misaki and moving exactly like her, further connecting the two and hinting that Miya is not really her own person;
- Despite apparently being an important person in Misaki's life and a person connected to Rogetsu Hall, no one but Misaki seems to even know she exists, and the only other person who does is Sakuya as she was committed to the 4th floor. Because in essence, they're the same person.
- Meaningful Name: As a young Misaki points out in her journal, the "Mi" character of her name comes from "sea" and "ya" comes from "night", making her name "nightly sea" or "sea at night". It also combines the first character of Misaki's name with the last one in Sakuya's, connecting the two as close friends and co-owners of the doll they named together.
- Remember the New Guy?: Invoked; Miya seems to be a major character tied to the failure of the Rite of Descent and Misaki's own syndrome case, but the ritual's Organs are already accounted for in the game (the three girls and the two already dead) and there is no mention of Miya in any official records from the Hall, so her presence stands out. Turns out, an inanimate doll doesn't need patient registry.
- Ret-Gone: Also invoked; Miya appears to Misaki in situations where she'd actually be with Sakuya Haibara herself. Because of her syndrome, Misaki essentially replaced the giver with the gift she gave until her travel to the Temple of Tsukiyomi and the fight with Sakuya's corrupted ghost finally unlocked what she'd forgotten.
- Rule of Symbolism: Much like with Ruka and her father, Miya's true self doesn't become apparent until Misaki confronts Sakuya's hostile spirit, after which we see Miya's image be replaced with Sakuya, who gives Misaki's doll back to her... before she falls unconscious and disappears.
- If the player achieves the Photograph Ending by finishing the game on the Hard or Nightmare difficulties, we see Misaki and Madoka interacting one last time before the latter's spirit also passes on, all the while the Miya doll lies forgotten on the floor. Misaki is finally able to move on with her life and leave Sakuya as just a memory.
- Soul Jar: Downplayed, in that Miya doesn't really harbor a soul per se, but rather someone's essence. She's an amalgam of the lost memories belonging to both Sakuya and Misaki as best friends, personified through a doll.
- Tragic Keepsake: Phase XI reveals that Miya herself is this to Misaki, as the doll Sakuya gifted her as a coping mechanism to help with her Moonlight Syndrome by combining their memories into it, so to speak.
- Walking Spoiler: It's very hard to talk about Miya's significance in the story without revealing how relevant she is to both Misaki and Sakuya herself.
Hospital staff and patients
Tsubaki Tono/Vessel
Japanese: 遠野椿 Tono Tsubaki / うつわ Utsuwa
"Before the festival, I have to take part in a purification ceremony where I bond with the Vessel mask worn during the Kagura. Hearing about this made me a little more nervous than I was when I accepted the role. I hope it all goes to plan..."
A beautiful nurse from the Mainland. She was well-loved for her kind nature, and asked to play the role of the Vessel in the island's celebratory festival, the Rogetsu Kagura. During her performance, the failure of Sakuya's ritual happening simultaneously caused her to die on the spot, in front of all the attending guests.
- Apocalyptic Log: Tsubaki Tono's Diary.
- Boss Room: You fight her Vessel form along with her Organs at the Rogetsu Stage within the Lunar Eclipse Temple. Her unmasked form is fought by herself at Tsukiyomi Beach, right before the door to the lighthouse.
- Climax Boss: She, alongside Soya, is the final enemy to be fought in the Final Phase before Ruka confronts Sakuya, guarding the entrance to the lighthouse.
- Ethereal White Dress: In both her Nurse form and Vessel form.
- Game-Breaking Bug: Her unmasked Vessel form has a Blossoming photo you're incapable of obtaining due to a glitch. The new gen ports of the game fixed this.
- Hell Is That Noise: Her lamentations over the percussion beat for the Rogetsu Kagura.
- Hime Cut: Long hair, even bangs and such adds a refined air to a kind-hearted nurse.
- In-Series Nickname: "Vessel" for her fully-dressed ceremonial form. Her nurse and later unmasked Vessel forms use her actual name.
- Literal Split Personality: Her Nurse form is a kindly ghost that aids Kirishima, while her Vessel form is a hostile spirit that attacks Ruka.
- Nightmare Face: Despite being once a very beautiful woman, she has one of the most terrifying faces in the game when she attacks you.
- Recurring Element: She occupies the position of helpful ghost that stands out from the others because of her natural kindness and friendly disposition in life. Her revenant form is also consistently THE most helpful spirit in the island in terms of guiding the player. Unlike previous examples, however, she does have a canonical hostile form that attacks the protagonist later in the game.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: She was a very kind and beautiful nurse who was well-loved by everyone. Unfortunately, she dies in a very tragic way, much to the complete horror of everyone present, and returns as an incredibly frightening ghost.
- Turns Red: Thanks to the HD ports fixing this issue, her unmasked Vessel form can now Blossom during the battle against her on the way to the Lighthouse.
- Wolfpack Boss: Her Vessel form is sometimes fought along with the Organs from the festival, making a total of six ghosts fought at once.
Kageri Sendo & Watashi/"Me"
Japanese: 千堂翳 / わたし Sendou Kageri / Watashi
"Don't touch me! Don't... touch me..."
A young woman from a wealthy family hospitalized at Haibara Hospital. After losing her twin sister who she was obsessed over, she created a life-sized doll modeled after her as a substitute and believed it to be alive, taking her around the island on a wheelchair. On the Day of Tranquility, Kageri looked at Sakuya's Blossoming face and, beginning to suffer from it herself, chartered her doll around the island until she died.
Her ghost now walks the corridors of Haibara Hospital with her doll in tow... which actually is alive, now.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: She is considered the “black sheep” of her famous and wealthy family, and she is seen as odd by the people in the hospital due to carrying her doll around.
- Angsty Surviving Twin: She went mad after the death of her sister, which she herself caused.
- Apocalyptic Log: Kageri Sendo's Letters and the Letter Dropped by the Woman in Black.
- Black Sheep: From a prominent family, she became the family's shameful secret.
- Boss Room: Both are fought at the Courtyard during Phase IV. Watashi is fought alone in Phase V in Room 311, Kageri's room, while Sendo is also fought alone at the Moonlight Gallery in Phase X.
- Chuunibyou: She has a delusional that she was dead her entire life, gets strange glances when she brings around her doll and is the black sheep of her family.
- Creepy Doll:
- "Watashi", the life-sized doll of Kageri's sister Kaoru. Now capable of movement, it stumbles creepily around whenever Kageri is present.
- There's also the weird, uncanny mannequin in Kageri's room, which will look at the player if examined through the camera.
- Creepy Loner Girl: She has a fascination with death, collects coffins, makes dolls and her only relationship she has is with her sister, who is dead.
- Creepy Twins: Kageri and Watashi invoke this image due to the absence of Kaoru.
- Driven to Suicide: Kageri's obsession and controlling nature eventually drove her sister to presumably kill herself.
- Dual Boss: Kageri and Watashi are first fought together, although there are moments where you face one of them on their own. If fought together, the player needs to take care of Watashi first in order to defeat Kageri, making her more of a Flunky Boss.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: She appears to have been one in life, and is certainly even worse an example in death.
- Expy: Their dynamic brings to mind Akane Kiryu and her doll from Fatal Frame II. Both pairs are twins who lost one sister due to tragic circumstances, had a doll made to replace said twin sister, and had said doll come alive. What differs between them are the circumstances leading up to their fates and their battle dynamics (Kageri comes from a wealthy background while Akane's family was influential but not necessarily wealthy, Watashi seems to have come alive after Kageri's own death while Akane's doll was possessed by an evil spirit as she was alive, and Kageri and Watashi are linked but not necessarily fought together all the time, while you never see the Kiryu "twins" apart).
- Hell Is That Noise: Female whispers and a strong wind underscoring Kageri's demented screaming.
- Glass Cannon: Watashi, who will relentlessly (and pretty much literally) throw herself at you at a shocking amount of speed to deal a high amount of damage if the attack connects. If you manage to get her alone or lock her in a Fatal Frame combo without being interruted, however, you can bring her down fairly quickly.
- Goth: They invoke the basic image, with the black dress and pale complexion.
- In-Series Nickname: Kageri is referred to as "Woman in Black" for most of her Spirit List entries.
- Meaningful Name: "Watashi" is a Japanese honorific used to refer to oneself, as an equivalent of first-person pronoun usage. The doll is named as such to reflect how Kageri sees her as an extension of herself.
- Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl: Despite being twins, her late sister Kaoru Sendou resembles this trope more, having long flowy black hair, an all white complexion and blouse. She even lacks a face in her only existing photo, making her resemble a gwisin, a Korean ghost similar to this trope.
- Turns Red: Kageri can Blossom in her third hostile encounter. Watashi, being a doll, completely averts this.
- Uncanny Valley: Invoked with Watashi. Unlike Akane Kiryu's doll, who could at least move somewhat human-like, Watashi visibly jerks and contracts in creepy ways that make it clear it's not a real woman, and her face is also too woodened and expressionless to truly represent a real person, yet is just detailed enough to have discernible features, making her gaudier but also more openly terrifying.
- Villainous Incest: She was obsessed with her twin sister, and eventually confessed her feelings. Rejected, she crippled her sister and kept her confined to a wheelchair and dependent on her, which led to said sister killing herself.
- Yandere: Kageri was unhealthily obsessed with her sister Kaoru, crippling her to the point where she needed a wheelchair, all so she could make her be dependant on Kageri forever. This caused Kaoru to seek the the worst possible way to escape her sister's controlling tendencies.
Yuko Magaki
Japanese: 曲木遊光 Magaki Yuukou
"All filth and dirtiness will blossom! Stop ye and witness the flower woman! See her face, filled with the beauty of annihilation!"
A patient at Haibara Hospital, going by what is presumably an alias. He was a wealthy painter, making many financial and artistic contributions to the hospital prior to his illness. On the Day of Tranquility, he watched Sakuya parade around the island and spreading the Blossoming, openly embracing his death, satisfied that he painted the event due to a "vision" he had some time before.
- Apocalyptic Log: His two work notes.
- Art Attacker: He can hurl paint, which temporarily covers the camera and makes locating him more difficult.
- Boss Room: Only fought in the main story during Phase VII in Room 309, his own room in Rogetsu Hall.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: He had visions of Sakuya's botched revival and the subsequent second Day of Tranquility.
- Hell Is That Noise: Magaki's moaning and crazed ramblings over the sounds of someone scratching at the floor.
- Interface Screw: The paint he throws at the player can block the View Finder temporarily.
- Mad Artist: As a result of contracting Moonlight Syndrome, his sanity deteriorated the more time he spent on the island. Eventually he started to have "visions" of the Day of Tranquility, and screaming incoherently about "eradication".
- Psychic Powers: He began having visions of the disaster to come, painting images of the failed ritual and the Day of Tranquility on the screens and floor of his room.
- Recurring Element: The closest thing this game has to a "crawling" ghost, mostly due to Magaki preferring to slither and crawl on all fours on the ground despite being physically able to stand up straight, even during battle.
- Room Full of Crazy: His room is full of creepy paintings, and his bathtub is full of paint. Subverted in that his paintings are actually visions of the future.
- Starving Artist: Averted, prior to his illness. He was successful enough to become a financial patron of Haibara Hospital until he was admitted.
- Turns Red: His ghost can Blossom during battle.
Shoji Katagiri
Japanese: 片桐省二 Katagiri Shōji
"Have you read the letter I sent? I heard them! Those voices... from the well... Those little girls..."
The assistant director at Haibara Hospital and a doctor under Shigeto Haibara's employ. He was worried about the increasingly inhumane practices his boss conducted to cure Moonlight Syndrome and somewhat skeptical of the more supernatural methods, but soon grew enticed by the prospect of witnessing the Rite of Descent and its effects on the patients. During that time, he was also the one who heard the voices of the kidnapped girls coming from a well and notified the authorities in the mainland, resulting in Kirishima investigating the case and saving the girls when he went there.
Presumably he died during the Day of Tranquility, and now his ghost wanders the halls of the hospital.
- Apocalyptic Log: The Assistant's Notes.
- Beleaguered Assistant: To Dr. Haibara, helping with the preparations for the Rite of Descent while essentially forced to keep quiet about the questionable practices he utilized to treat the syndrome.
- Hell Is That Noise: His agonized screams and pleas for help over the chatter of the hospital's staff and the patients' own cries.
- Interface Screw: His ghost carries a pen light that he can flash to momentarily blind the player by lighting up the screen.
- Jump Scare: He makes his first hostile appearance by suddenly popping out on the screen out of nowhere, startling Choshiro and the player.Katagiri: Did you see it?
- Mysterious Informant: To Kirishima and the police, which kickstarted the investigation into Haibara Hospital.
- Sanity Slippage: Gradually, as he helped with the preparations for the Rite of Descent, he became obsessed with the ceremony and Sakuya, steadily desiring to be a part of it himself. Nothing comes of him saying he wanted to try on the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse himself, but he did stay long enough to die by Blossoming.
- Turns Red: He's one of the ghosts that can Blossom during battle.
Fuyuko Shiratsuki
Japanese: 白月冬子 Shiratsuki Fuyuko
"That girl again..."
A nurse at Rogetsu Hall, charged with overseeing the 2nd floor wards, meaning she was also in charge of Ayako and was a constant victim of her aggression. The most experienced nurse in the building, she died during the Day of Tranquility.
- Apocalyptic Log: 2nd Floor Nurse's Log.
- Boss Room: She has two scripted battles at the 2F Control Room, her former workplace.
- Break the Cutie: Any person would be broken having to look after Ayako, of all children. A particular Vanishing Ghost moment shows that Fuyuko was dragged by her hair by the 12-year-old into her room for further torture. She also had to deal with kleptomaniac Kazuto Amaki and would often go into his room to get back what he stole.
- Hell Is That Noise: Hospital chatter and gusts of wind.
- Kill the Cutie: Died in the Day of Tranquility after looking at Sakuya's Blossoming face. Too bad this didn't quite stop her suffering.
- Tragic Monster: This poor lady went through so much terrible trauma (no thanks to that little shit Ayako), and it culminated in her Blossoming, dying horribly and becoming a vengeful spirit.
- Turns Red: She can enter a Blossoming stage during battle.
- Warm-Up Boss: She shows up early in Phase I to attack Ruka, serving as a second preparatory enemy for the game.
Shie Sonosaki
Japanese: 園崎支絵 Sonosaki Shie
"As a nurse, I know I should be pleased when my patients recover. And yet my heart trembles in fear. Fear that when she opens her eyes and opens that door, the world as I know it is going to come crashing down around me..."
A nurse previously in charge of Rogetsu Hall's fourth floor, Sakuya Haibara's ward. She was extremely frightened by her and, after a while, asked to be changed to another ward with seemingly no response from the director. After the failed Rite of Descent and nurse Tsubaki Tono's death, Shie was moved to the basement to continue watch over Sakuya and also took over Tsubaki's duty as nurse for the third floor ward. Her fear of Sakuya had her constantly on edge, even as she was in a limbo state of being, and Shie had the dreadful feeling that once she left the room, it would spell destruction for them.
On the Day of Tranquility, Shie watched Sakuya open the basement door and leave the basement, Blossoming and dying in the process.
- Apocalyptic Log: 4th Floor Isolation Ward Reports, Duty Nurse's Memo, Duty Nurse's Note, Nurse's Note and 3rd Floor Nurse's Log.
- Berserk Button: Her ghost is NOT happy to see Misaki near Sakuya's room, and angrily attacks her.Shie: I said NO!
- Break the Cutie: She essentially suffered psychological abuse by being forced to watch over a patient that terrified her and then reassigned to watch both said patient in a dark basement and an entire ward in the 3rd floor.
- Death Glare: She flashes an utterly terrifying one at Misaki when she tries to look into Sakuya's room.
- Dual Boss: With Dr. Katagiri in Phase V. She has another such encounter in Phase X in Sakuya's room, along with another one not even a few minutes afterwards with fellow nurse Fuyuko at the 4F Lift Lobby.
- Fragile Speedster: Her ghost can lunge really fast, enough to make the Fatal Frame moment extra delicate to time, but she can be dealt with fairly quickly if the player hits the timing right.
- Hell Is That Noise: Hospital staff conversations, except under a strong droning sound this time.
- Hospital Hottie: She has a voluptuous frame and long black hair, but she's still very creepy-looking as a ghost.
- Jump Scare: Shie provides one of the most infamous ones in the game. As Misaki reaches out to open a peephole into Sakuya's room, the peephole suddenly opens to reveal Shie glaring menacingly at Misaki, scaring the crap out of her, before slamming it back shut.
- Madness Mantra: In the third entry of the 4F Isolation Room Report, she writes “She calls me! She calls me!” over and over at the end.
- Minor Major Character: As far as the game's concerned, she's just another ghost to be fought. But the fact that she was Sakuya's warden and had to bounce back and forth between working two floors after Nurse Tono's passing means she left a lot of documents to be found.
- Properly Paranoid: She believed that Sakuya's awakening from her slumber in the basement would lead to utter disaster, and she was completely right.
- Turns Red: Her ghost can Blossom during battle.
Takashi & Iori Aiba
Japanese: 相庭崇 / 相庭伊織 Aiba Takashi / Aiba Iori
Takashi (left) and Iori (right)
Takashi: "...looking at it, I feel myself drawn into the depths of oblivion. I feel terror, and relief... it's beautiful..."
Siblings that traveled to the island to study Dr. Asou's work, and fell ill after attending the tourist Kagura festival. Takashi Aiba was an old college friend of Choshiro, and hoped to set him up with his sister Iori, but both ended up succumbing to the disease.
- Apocalyptic Log: A Bundle of Half-Burned Letters and a Fragment of an Unsent Letter, both from Takashi.
- Curiosity Killed the Cast: Takashi was yet another ill-fated Folklorist studying Dr. Asou's research. Even worse in that he didn't even seek out something that was "doomed" or "cursed" per se; as far as they knew, the Kagura was just a harmless reenactment of an ancient ceremony rich in folklore. Both he and his sister were victims of severe bad luck.
- Dual Boss: They can be encountered together in Phase VIII. Takashi can also be fought with Tadayuki Kaido at the courtyard in Phase VII, while Iori is fought alongside Natsuki Shiono during Phase II.
- Eye Scream: Both siblings have bloody bandages covering their faces and one of their eyes, and Takashi's letters reveal he "smashed [his] own eyes in".
- Game-Breaking Bug: Takashi and Iori are some of the ghosts whose Spirit List entries include a Blossoming photo that you can never capture due to a glitch.
- Hell Is That Noise: Low droning sounds for both, except Iori's presence adds in human cries while Takeshi is followed by shrill whistling.
- I Never Got Any Letters: The hospital staff attempted to destroy Takashi's letters to Choshiro, which he eventually discovers while investigating the hospital.
- Shipper on Deck: Takashi wanted Choshiro to date his sister Iori, but that hope was tragically cut short.
- Turns Red: Both can now enter the Blossoming phase during battle in the 4K ports of the game.
Kazuto Amaki
Japanese: 雨木一人 Amaki Kazuto
"Give it back!"
A patient at Rogetsu Hall, suffering from Moonlight Syndrome. A young boy with a habit of stealing things and taking them to his room, he was a constant handful towards the staff. Died during the Day of Tranquility.
- Apocalyptic Log: Boy's Diary.
- Bear Hug: His main grab attack towards Ruka, grabbing her and trying to crush her in his arms.
- Berserk Button: Trying to get a stolen object from him or his room by force or without him knowing. Nurse Shiratsuki's memo points out that asking him to return it politely works better, as he'll not resist doing so. Ruka has to fight him in Phase I precisely because she accidentally presses this button by taking a mask in his room.
- Boss Room: Room 206, his room in Rogetsu Hall. As a Random Encounter, he still prefers to stick to the second floor and appear at the hallway just outside his room.
- Expy: His design seems to be inspired by Toshio, the iconic child ghost from the Ju-on movies.
- Game-Breaking Bug: His Blossoming picture can never be taken due to a glitch. No longer the case in the HD ports.
- Hell Is That Noise: Kazuto's pleas for the objects he took over distorted whisperings from the patients.
- Sticky Fingers: A kleptomaniac young boy that couldn't stop stealing things from around the hospital and taking them to his room.
- Trash of the Titans: A downplayed example, but his room is full of things that he stole from around Rogetsu Hall.
- Turns Red: The 4K ports of the game fix the bug that prevented certain ghosts from Blossoming, so Kazuto can do it now as well. There's a very good chance he'll introduce the mechanic, in fact.
Shrine Guards
Japanese: 生島道彦 / 月ヶ瀬舳 / 水野絵智 / 淵木正信 Ikushima Michihiko / Tsukigase Miyoshi / Mizunoe Sato / Fuchiki Masanobu
Clockwise from top left: Michihiko Ikushima, Miyoshi Tsukigase, Sato Mizunoe, Masanobu Fuchiki
A group of masked men and women serving the Haibara Family, natives to Rogetsu Island, tasked with watching over the basement levels of the island and its cave systems to prevent intruders from entering the Shrine of Mourning, as well as charged with carrying out the Face-Cutting Ritual in cases of Blossoming. Four of them were present during the attempt to resurrect the Rite of Descent ceremony, and all four were subsequently killed when Sakuya began the Day of Tranquility, cornering each of them in the caverns.
- Apocalyptic Log: Note Left by Islander, left by Masanobu.
- Cool Mask: They wear wooden masks, possibly to protect from Blossoming. While it didn't stop them from dying to it, their ghosts will never Blossom during battle.
- Expy: To the Minakami Villagers from Fatal Frame II, as commonfolk ghosts with simple weapons who became casualties of their respective games' disasters. Unlike the villagers, however, these islanders had an official position under Shigeto Haibara as his aides for the ritual and its associated ceremonies.
- Faceless Mooks: They do have names, but the fact that the two men and the two women act similar to each other and even look alike due to the masks makes telling them apart a lot more difficult.
- Facial Horror: Besides their creepy-looking masks, they were meant to carry out the Face-Cutting Ritual on victims of Blossoming, so their spirits wouldn't suffer from it. A Hidden Ghost photo shows the grotesque results of the procedure.
- Hell Is That Noise: The ambience of the Primeval Passage (wind, the sound of gravel being moved) occasionally punctuated by the islanders' screams from the Day of Tranquility.
- Improbable Weapon User: The two men use long wooden poles, while the two women use torches.
- Mook: The four are all subservient to Haibara's orders and act on his behalf to protect the lower levels of the Hall and Infirmary buildings. They're also some of the easiest ghosts to fight in the game, having only a single strike attack with their respective weapons which results in an easily-telegraphed Fatal Frame opportunity.
- No Name Given: Averted, since the Ghost List uses their full names to categorize them (the two males are Michihiko Ikushima and Masanobu Fuchiki, while the two females are Sato Mizunoe and Miyoshi Tsukigase).
- Praetorian Guard: To Shigeto Haibara, guarding the Shrine of Mourning and keeping it sealed from the rest of the hospital.
- Recurring Boss: Does your chapter mission even hint that you have to go to the basement levels? Then you're guaranteed to fight them at least once, maybe even two of them at the same time.
- Recurring Element: Ritual aides for the ceremony master.
- Torches and Pitchforks: They invoke this trope by using simple weapons and being residents of the island, if only a minor step up from an angry mob due to being guards to the Shrine of Mourning.
Himiko Kiriya & Yuzo Takemura
Japanese: 桐谷氷見子 / 嶽村祐造 Kiriya Himiko / Takemura Yuuzou
Himiko (left) and Yuzo (right)
Himiko: "That music! What is it?! When I hear that music... No! Not again! Stop! Stop it!"
A pair of inpatients at Rogetsu Hall. Both were chosen to undergo experimental treatment for Moonlight Syndrome, involving horrific-looking devices that were placed forcefully on their heads for brain surgery purposes. The surgeries only served to kill them faster, speeding up their Blossoming.
- Apocalyptic Log: Diagnosis Record on Himiko Kiriya.
- Body Horror: Post-mortem, Yuzo was cut up into pieces by the doctors in a futile attempt to study the syndrome and the effects of the surgery on it. A Vanishing Ghost picture can be taken of him in a sink at the surgery prep room, where he's half-submerged in dirty, bloody water where his body was supposedly left at.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Both succumbed to complications of brain surgery that worsened their Moonlight Syndrome cases and killed them through Blossoming.
- Harmful Healing: The two have a borderline-medieval-looking device on their heads, supposedly used for brain surgery performed by Dr. Haibara that only served to make their disease worsen and kill them.
- Hell Is That Noise: Their distorted cries and angered screaming.
- Random Encounter: They are faced at random throughout the hospital areas.
- Turns Red: Despite the horrific devices on their craniums, both of them are capable of Blossoming in battle.
Asagi Hizuki
Japanese: 緋月浅葱 Hizuki Asagi
"Are you sick too?"
A very young girl committed to Haibara Hospital, with a severe case of Moonlight Syndrome. She died as a result of Dr. Haibara's experiments.
- Apocalyptic Log: The Diaries with Pictures.
- Creepy Child: A very hostile and creepy little ghost girl.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: She died as a result of experimental surgeries, with her diary describing her suffering greatly before finally succumbing. She describes her "head turning red", her hair falling out, and crying bloody tears.
- Death of a Child: Not only does this 6-year-old die, her death is described as particularly awful.
- Hell Is That Noise: Whispering conversations intertwined with pained cries and Asagi's childish pleas.
- Madness Mantra: In the second entry of her Apocalyptic Log, she repeats over and over how much she hates getting the surgery until her writing became incomprehensible.
- Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl: She's a very small example of the trope, with long matted black hair hanging over her face.
- Tears of Blood: Her diary describes the experiments causing her to cry bloody tears.
- Tragic Monster: At age 6, she's the youngest ghost in the game and, possibly, one of the youngest in the series as a whole. This little girl suffered a lot before she died.
- Turns Red: Her ghost can Blossom later in the game.
Takahisa Kozuki
Japanese: 上月隆久 Kouzuki Takahisa
"You cannot escape!"
An apprentice mask-maker under Soya Yomotsuki, living in the Yomotsuki House at the island to better learn the tricks of his trade. It's unknown how he died, but his hostile ghost attacks Ruka through the story.
- Cool Mask: Has a wooden mask similar to Soya's, used to prevent Blossoming.
- Early-Bird Boss: You can fight him as early as Phase VI in front of the doors to the Court of the Unhallowed at the basement of Rogetsu Hall, way before he becomes a recurring enemy in Phase XI. Doing this isn't advised, though, as the space in the basement is minuscule and Kozuki's speed and constant teleporting means he's very likely to kill a careless player.
- The Dragon: To Soya, as his apprentice and obligatory encounter at his master's home.
- Hell Is That Noise: Distorted wind chimes playing loudly and aggressively.
- Improbable Weapon User: Like his master, he uses masks as projectiles and tries to force one onto Ruka as an attack.
- Recurring Boss: Fought often in Phase XI throughout the Yomotsuki House.
- Teleport Spam: Prefers to inch closer and closer to Ruka in this manner, making it extremely difficult to lock-on to him.
- Weapons of Their Trade: His physical attack involves a hammer and chisel, tools often used in mask-making.
Yoriko Sonohara
Japanese: 苑原寄子 Sonohara Yoriko
"That is why I am choosing to leave this world while I have what little memory remains inside me. While I am still me."
The first ghost fought in the game. Having gone through an extensive period of traumas, Sonohara was taken into Rogetsu Hall for treatment of Moonlight Syndrome. As she started to forget her family due to her condition worsening, she hanged herself in her room. Her ghost now haunts the corridors and is first met by Madoka at the Kunihiko Asou Museum.
- Apocalyptic Log: Female Patient's Note.
- The Goomba: As she's the first enemy you face, later encounters with her are kept relatively easy, as she has little health and deals low damage.
- Hell Is That Noise: Shrill hissing wind.
- Random Encounter: She's met randomly through the Rogetsu Hall areas.
- Trauma Conga Line: Her mother died during childbirth, her father and brother were killed in an unspecified accident, and her memories of them were starting to wane due to Moonlight Syndrome. Given that said memories were pretty much what kept her alive (as she puts it), it's no wonder she was Driven to Suicide.
- Turns Red: Yoriko's case is noteworthy, as she is guaranteed to Blossom against Choshiro at the start of Phase III, ensuring the player gets her Blossoming photo for the Ghost List.
- The Unreveal: Her room in Rogetsu Hall, with a broken door and collapsed ceiling, making it impossible to access.
- Warm-Up Boss: She's the very first ghost fought in Fatal Frame IV, introducing the combat mechanics for the game.
Tadayuki Kaido
Japanese: 海道忠行 Kaido Tadayuki
"Repeating..."
A man visiting Rogetsu Island from the mainland. He contracted the Moonlight Syndrome during his visit and subsequently died from Blossoming while under the hospital's care.
- Dual Boss: As an optional encounter in Phase IV, where he's joined by Tomoko Hinuma at the Entrance Hall.
- Hell Is That Noise: A low droning sound and occasional rattling.
- Random Encounter: Only one fight with him is mandatory, at the Hall's library in Phase II. Afterwards he's a random encounter through the Rogetsu Hall rooms.
- Turns Red: Capable of Blossoming.
- Wake-Up Call Boss: Because of his higher tendency to vanish from view, he'll be a nightmare for players who haven't grasped the lock-on feature.
Tomoko Hinuma
Japanese: 氷沼朋子 Hinuma Tomoko
"It's too cold..."
A patient suffering from Moonlight Syndrome that killed herself by falling into the pool at the Courtyard.
- Dual Boss: An optional encounter with her can happen in Phase IV if the player backtracks to the Entrance Hall after taking a picture of Kageri Sendo heading to the Courtyard, where Hinuma will be flanked by Tadayuki Kaido.
- Driven to Suicide: Her condition drove her to jump into the courtyard pool and drown herself.
- Hell Is That Noise: Distorted crying voices and a shrill hissing sound.
- Making a Splash: Subverted; she never uses water as part of her attacks, but her damp clothes and the wet hair covering her face show how she died in a properly horrific way.
- Random Encounter: She's randomly fought through the hospital.
- Turns Red: Capable of Blossoming during battle.
Natsuki Shiono
Japanese: 塩野奈月 Shiono Natsuki
"Welcome home..."
A patient who waited for her lover to return and visit her during her hospitalization, but he never came.
- Hell Is That Noise: Distorted cries and whispering.
- I Will Wait for You: She waited at the entrance door of her ward for her lover to come visit her during her stay at Rogetsu Hall. He never did.
- Random Encounter: Fought at different rooms at the Hall.
- Turns Red: Capable of Blossoming.
Kyoko Kitazume
Japanese: 北爪匡子 Kitazume Kyouko
A patient whose treatment had her be hanged upside down at the ceiling of a punishment room in the basement of Haibara Hospital. When the Day of Tranquility came, she was abandoned in the chaos and died while still upside down.
- Alliterative Name: Kyoko Kitazume.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: She was either left hanging with her body tied up in a basement room, or Blossomed during the Day of Tranquility. The fact she can do it in battle indicates the latter.
- "Get Back Here!" Boss: She has a nasty tendency to reappear amidst ceiling beams and low-hanging fixtures like chandeliers, making the lock-on feature vital to ensure the player keeps a steady camera charge.
- Hell Is That Noise: A low droning sound, possibly from the basement of the hospital, punctuated by random cries and Kyoko's screaming.
- Lightning Bruiser: She is incredibly fast. Her rushing attack takes a millisecond and the fact she can disappear into ceiling beams and the walls makes her a nightmare to try and lock the camera onto. Doesn't help that her attacks hurt, taking moderate amounts of health each time.
- Mechanically Unusual Fighter: She fights you from the ceiling, crawling on it and hanging herself down for an attack.
- Recurring Boss: You'll face her a lot in later chapters, particularly because she leaves the basement levels and starts to torment you at the Hall proper, or even at the Lunar Eclipse Hall.
- Turns Red: Can Blossom during battle.
Sanae Hozuki
Japanese: 砲月沙苗 Houzuki Sanae
A patient at Rogetsu Hall suffering from Moonlight Syndrome. Succumbed to Blossoming.
- Hell Is That Noise: Strong wind blowing and female moans.
- Mook: Pretty much exists to be this. She's simple to deal with and is a Random Encounter most of the time.
- Turns Red: Can Blossom during battle.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: She has no other Ghost List entries besides her hostile form's and associated Blossoming photo, so nothing else exists to give her a backstory other than her apparent enjoyment of the beach at Rogetsu Island.
Katsuhito Kariya
Japanese: 刈谷克人 Kariya Katsuhito
Inpatient suffering from the syndrome. By the time of the Day of Tranquility, his Budding was so severe he couldn't even recognize his own face.
- Alliterative Name: Katsuhito Kariya.
- Hell Is That Noise: A low-pitch humming sound.
- Mook: A random encounter ghost with no mandatory fights.
- Properly Paranoid: His Budding led him to become paranoid that the hospital was conducting experiments on the patients. He was correct.
- Turns Red: Capable of Blossoming.
Organs
Japanese: 奏 Kanade
The five Organs that participated in the Rogetsu Kagura for the tourists during the night of the Rite of Descent. When Sakuya's ceremony failed, Tsubaki's dance also ended in tragedy as both her and the Organs collapsed. It eventually resulted in their deaths, causing them to haunt the Lunar Eclipse Hall where they once performed.
- Creepy Child: A whole group of creepy masked children.
- Fate Worse than Death: A confusing variation. They obviously did eventually die, but the Ghost List seems confused over how and where, citing how a few of them suffered from different afflictions each, with the Chimes player even leaving the island at some point. Given that you fight all five in the Lunar Eclipse Hall and a few other locations, however, it makes things a bit jumbled, either due to faulty translation or just tardier deaths.
- Hell Is That Noise: Their sorrowful voices over the beat and instruments for the Kagura barely audible in the background.
- The Swarm: You fight all five of them at the same time. They each have low health but can be dangerous if left around for too long. Even worse if you fight them while the Vessel is present, as they'll continously respawn until she's dealt with.
Mrs. Haibara
The wife of Shigeto Haibara, and Sakuya and Yo's mother who committed suicide due to the Moonlight Syndrome.
- Driven to Suicide: She killed herself by jumping off the roof, after her Moonlight Syndrome overwhelmed her mind to an irreparable degree.
- The Lost Lenore: To Director Haibara, who dedicates all of his research and effort to curing the Moonlight Syndrome in her name.
- Small Role, Big Impact: She only appears once in Phase VIII to show her suicide, but her death is what fuels Director Haibara's desperate attempts to cure his daughter of the Moonlight Syndrome.
Marie Shinomiya and Tomoe Nanamura
The other two girls kidnapped by the Haibaras to serve as Organs for Sakuya Haibara's Rite of Descent. Their mysterious deaths before the events of the game are the tipping point that sends Ruka, Madoka and Misaki on their way back to Rogetsu Island to find answers for their own missing memories.
- All There in the Manual: The 4K remaster of Fatal Frame IV was released with a bonus artbook featuring a story that explains what happened to Tomoe and Marie in further detail, including a full-body drawing of both.
- Ascended Extra: The original release of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse had the two be barely mentioned in the game proper, only serving as the main characters' motivations for unlocking their missing memories of the Rite of Descent and their time on the island. The re-release of the game for modern consoles came with an artbook featuring an original story titled "A Folie à Deux in August", where Marie and Tomoe are both main characters.
- Facial Horror: When the two were found in the boarding school they attended, their faces were frozen in fearful screaming and covered by their hands. According to the police reports, removing their hands revealed that their faces were warped and contorted almost beyond recognition.
- Foregone Conclusion: The entirety of "A Folie à Deux in August" is this, given that it explains how the two ended up dead before the events of the main game, in a futile attempt to save themselves.
- Hope Spot: The two attempted their own version of the Rogetsu Kagura thinking it would save them from their emerging Moonlight Syndrome, but only remember that the actual ritual was the Rite of Descent at the last possible minute. As a result, their attempt fails and both end up Blossoming.
- The Ghost: Besides their names and brief flashbacks showing their bodies, they're never actually shown in the game itself.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted; Tomoe shares her first name with Tomoe Hirasaka, Takamine's assistant from the original Fatal Frame.
- Posthumous Character: Both are already dead by the time Fatal Frame IV begins in earnest. Their mysterious deaths are also what inspire the three main heroines to go back to Rogetsu Island.
- Shout-Out: Their state when they were found dead is remarkably similar to how Sadako's victims end up in the original Ringu, with their faces frozen in terror and covered by their hands. The only difference is that, according to the police reports, the Blossoming also ended up distorting their faces horrifically.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: In the main game, only their names and brief glimpses of their dead bodies are given to the player.
