Arataki Gang

The Arataki Gang is a group of social outcasts led by the eponymous Arataki Itto, a red oni.

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General Tropes

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arataki_gang.png

Emblem of the Arataki Gang

Informed Deformity: During the Irodori Festival, they were held up from actually entering the festival grounds due to their "unusual appearances". Aside from Itto and Shinobu, it's hard to call the rest of them unusual-looking, with the most distinctive thing about them being their Signature Headgear.
Japanese Delinquents: The gang is a downplayed version of this, since they are a bunch of misfits who like to look intimidating, are often having trouble with the law and it's said that they know more than anyone what the insides of the Tenryou Commission's jail cells look like. They actually spend most of their daily lives doing small side jobs and playing trading card games.
Mayfly–December Friendship: Implied. The Akitsu Kimodameshi event explores the harsh reality of friendship between humans and the long-lived Youkai. Just like Lord Kamai and the human samurai, the Arataki Gang will have to eventually face the reality of the human members growing old, while Itto remains youthful and unchanged.
Meaningful Name: "Arataki" (hiragana あらたき), Itto's family name and namesake of the the Gang, is the Japanese reading of 荒泷 [simplified]/荒瀧 [traditional] (pinyin "Huānglóng"), which means "wild waterfall," befitting the Gang's wild antics. This is Lost in Translation in the Korean dub, which opts for a transliteration, also as "Arataki" (hangul 아라타키; the characters could also be read via hanja as "Hwangrong"/황롱).
Oddly Small Organisation: As noted by Paimon, four people (five unbeknownst to her) seem awfully small to be considered a gang. Itto admits that running a gang costs Mora, and these are the only people that Itto can rely on.
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: As Itto notes to Takuya at the end of his quest, the gang is composed who stand out in Inazuman society and have trouble fitting in; Itto, obviously, is an intimidating-looking Oni, Akira snores loudly, Genta has a Hair-Trigger Temper, and Mamoru's colorblind. This even extends to Granny Oni, who got the nickname for taking Itto in when he was a child. Itto outright tells Takuya that his joining probably wouldn't affect their reputation too much to reassure that he's more than welcome. And lastly, there's Shinobu, who is a runaway shrine maiden.
Rule-Abiding Rebel: Subverted. The most illegal thing the gang has done is doing too much noise in public areas, paste flyers without permission, and one time they fight off shogunate officers during Itto's story quest, which still gave them jail time. Despite all this, the gang is against grave crimes like stealing from others.
Team Pet: "Meet Ushi, the auxiliary member of the Arataki gang!"

Itto

Arataki Itto

Introduced: December 14, 2021 (v2.3 "Shadows Amidst Snowstorms" [second half])
Voiced by: Liu Zhaokun (Chinese), T.M.Revolution [credited under his birth name Takanori Nishikawa] (Japanese), Song Jun-seok (Korean), Max Mittelman (English)

Hanamizaka Heroics

"I'm the head honcho of the Arataki Gang, and everyone knows my name...s. Names, I have many. *(ahem)* Arataki "The One and Oni" Itto, Arataki "The Oni Sumo King" Itto, Arataki "The Pride of Oni" Itto, Arataki "Beetle Gladiator" Itto, Arataki "The Ultimate TCG Champion" Itto, Arataki "He Might Lose but He'll Never Admit Defeatto!" ...Anyway, these are some of the ones I usually go by, so go ahead, take your pick. I'll respond to whichever one you choose, I promise! Hehe, you're welcome."

Rarity: 5★
Element: Geo
Weapon: Claymore
Constellation: Taurus Iracundus, the Raging Bull

The boisterous, eponymous leader of a gang of miscreants, as well as an oni, a race known for their ferocity, who had his Vision taken by Kujou Sara prior to the Traveler's arrival at Inazuma. He often posts ridiculous demands for a rematch against Sara on Inazuma's bulletin boards, even long after recovering his Vision. The Traveler first meets him after the Vision Hunt Decree's abolishment when investigating a crime, learning from the Oni about the "why" of his willingness to accept and care for other people; sometime later, he and Shinobu meet the Traveler again during a trip to the Chasm in Liyue where, alongside other familiar faces, he beholds an incident involving one of the five foremost Yakshas.

Itto does his heritage and reputation proud with his specialization in hacking away at his foes without letting up even while sprinting or siccing Ushi, the Gang's bovine auxiliary, to distract his foes. While normally his charged attack is a single-hit Saichimonji Slash, he can hold up to five stacks of Superlative Superstrength, generated every second and fourth hits of his combo, which are then consumed to power up his charged attacks into Arataki Kesagiri, a five-hit combo with a negated Stamina cost and increasing power depending on the number of stacks. His Elemental Skill, Masatsu Zetsugi: Akaushi Burst!, summons Ushi to draw enemy aggression (and whose location can be fixed in its held mode) and grant Itto the stacks whenever it is attacked or retreats after taking sufficient damage, while his Elemental Burst, Royal Descent: Behold, Itto the Evil!, summons his inner Raging Oni King to transform his claymore into a spiked war club, infusing all his regular attacks with a Geo effect that cannot be overwritten with reactions and enhancing both his damage output and attacking speed, as well as generating the stacks every first and third hit of his normal attack combo (hence ensuring all hits generate them), in exchange for a penalty to his Resistances.^note

Achievements in Ignorance: During the second Archon Quest Interlude, when Xiao conveys a risky plan whereby he uses all his strength to force an opening into the Chasm's Bed so he can get everyone else out, he and Yelan get into an argument over whether he should do it. To stop their bickering, Itto listens to Ushi's summary of Xiao's plan and decides to use all of his might in one go to literally punch a hole through, believing wholeheartedly that this would solve everything and let them all escape rather than someone having to stay behind. It doesn't quite work out that way; while it indeed rips open a new rift, it only leads into another area, but exploring it eventually leads them to the Fantastic Compass that Yanfei was seeking, which would prove pivotal in their escape.
Acquainted with Emergency Services: Not unlike Hu Tao with the Millelith, Itto is well known among the Tenryou Commission due to his antics and actually outperforms her in the department, as he had experienced prison time; in fact, his Story Quest begins with locals explaining that he has just gotten out of his landmark hundredth imprisonment.
Animal Motif:
- His Constellation, his horns, the way he wears his Vision around his neck like a cowbell, his Hot-Blooded personality, the priority he places on charged attacks, and his affinity with Ushi conjure the image of a bull, a symbol of physical strength in Japanese culture and a fixture in Tōgyū, a form of bullfighting native to Okinawa and exported elsewhere in Japan, that is far less of a bloodsport and more of sumo match between bulls.
- In-universe example, as lampshaded during Itto's character quest, is Onikabuto, a species of bugs native to Inazuma. They have horns and look big and scary, but are in fact peaceful and never fight others on purpose. Additionally, kids often pick Onikabuto for bug fights, and Itto himself is both loved by kids and enjoys a brawl if he finds himself in one.
Badass Adorable: He's a tall, handsome, and endearingly adorable Manchild of an oni, and he has the strength to back up his boasts.
The Beastmaster: His Skill summons Ushi, a bull once used for exorcising evil spirits.
Beetle Maniac: One of his favorite games is beetle fighting, which consists of catching onikabuto and putting them in a ring to fight. Itto spends a lot of his free time playing with his Gang, local children, and even Ayato. A good way to grab his attention is to offer a big onikabuto.
- Midway through his Story Quest, the Traveler helps him find an onikabuto ahead of a beetle fight with a young friend who joined his escape to Yashiori.
- During Itto's festival, one of the gifts sent by Thoma is a big box of onikabuto since he knows Itto would appreciate some beetle fights in his big event.
- In Heizou's hangout, he tricks Itto into participating in his anti-scam PSA play by promising a big onikabuto. Heizou conveniently forgets to tell Itto that the picture is from a realistic model instead of a real one.
- He even organizes a tournament dedicated to this game, where the people participating are very serious about it.
- In his 2023 birthday letter, Itto sends 3 golden scarabs along with other goodies. According to Itto, they were part of a payment from a Sumeru merchant for Shinobu's legal assistance, which fascinated him at first sight.
Beware the Silly Ones: Itto's antics is a constant source of hilarity among locals, but this does not mean that he isn't dangerous if pushed. He once went One-Man Army on a group of Tenryou Commission officers out to confiscate his vision, only managing to be subdued by Kujou Sara once she stepped in.
Big Eater: Has an appetite as large as his personality. Itto won a ramen-eating contest against Yae Miko, despite the ramen containing tofu, which he is deathly allergic to. He also competes in sour plum and ramen-eating contests with Yoimiya.
BFS: Wields a claymore as his primary weapon.
Big "SHUT UP!": His response to Takuya insisting that Itto leave him in the collapsing bandit hideout and save himself...
"Ah, shaddup, wouldya?!"
Born Unlucky: It's never outright stated, but in the lead-up to the beetle-fighting competition in his Story Quest it comes across as if he loses most of the time not because he's bad at the game, and more because he has awful luck. When he goes out looking for Onikabuto, Hostile Weather scatters them, and it's difficult to find even one. Itto finds one that he knows is subpar and lies about it, but not long afterward Paimon finds a much better one that was hiding. Itto is forced to stick to his guns or look like a hypocrite. In one of his voice lines, Itto mentions that he's lost at least 780 times. This even applies to his allergies: his Character Story notes that because of how thin the oni bloodline has become, most oni these days have only mild reactions to beans, but Itto has severe reactions.
Brainless Beauty: Male example. Itto is a very muscular Mr. Fanservice, but is not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: In-Universe. During Heizou's Anti-Fraud play, where he's playing a Doushin in the process of getting conned, his character only realizes that he's being had after getting pulled along the whole while because of the fact that he's aware that he's in an anti-fraud play, and realizes everything else from there.
Breakout Character: Itto proved to be immensely popular among fans long before his introduction thanks to his amusing interactions with Kujou Sara in Inazuma's bulletin boards, and said popularity has kept going strong long afterwards. Thus far, he's had a Story Quest about his and his Gang's antics in the "Hues of Violet Garden" event; was a major supporting character in the second Archon Quest Interlude; was the organizer of the "The Almighty Arataki Great and Glorious Drumalong" and the "Almighty Arataki Extraordinary and Exhilarating Extreme Beetle Brawl" events; was once again a major supporting character in the "Akitsu Kimodameshi" event in v3.3; and has cameoed in two Hangout Events^noteShinobu's and Heizou's, making him tied with Yae Miko for the most Hangout cameos of any 5★ character thus far, with Miko having cameoed in Shinobu's and Gorou's.
Bruiser with a Soft Center: An loud and bombastic oni who wields BFSs in battle and looks intimidating, but is an all-around Nice Guy, swell to be around with, a loyal friend and especially, loved by the children of Inazuma, a feeling he reciprocates. Itto even has a few moments of Cuteness Proximity, and he loves Granny Oni, the person who adopted him.
Brutish Character, Brutish Weapon: Itto isn't the sharpest tool in the drawer and prefers to use his fists and weapons to do the talking. Fitting his demeanor and race, he uses a kanabō made of Geo energy for his Elemental Burst that encapsulates just about everything about him.
Butt-Monkey: Often when he appears, Itto gets the short end of the stick, either due to his own Hot-Blooded and oftentimes incompetent behavior, or just plain bad luck.
- In his character trailer he waxes on about how his Vision was likely going to be on the wings of the Statue of the Omnipotent God, given how much the Tenryou Commission struggled to take it from him... only for one of his gang members to meekly report it was hidden on the lower pedestal, out of sight.
- In his own Story Quest, as he searches for beetles he calls himself an expert on knowing how to get the best Onikabutos for the games, only for Paimon to find a larger and more aggressive beetle than the one he found.
- In an Irodori Festival Quest, he challenges the Traveler to a volunteering competition over the cut-out board he and his gang are hogging under Thoma's suggestion, with the added incentive of winning netting them an event-exclusive drink they came to get but couldn't get their hands on. Despite Itto winning, he learns too late from the Traveler that the drink contained soy milk after gulping it all down, causing him to collapse. Evidently, even victory doesn't make Itto any less of this.
- During the second Archon Quest Interlude, he gets spooked by a specter, and later on falls down a trap hole, landing on his bottom.
- For the "Almighty Arataki Great and Glorious Drumalong Festival" event, he gets swindled for what appears to be a normal drum for around 80,000 mora, and even that was bargained down from a whopping 8 million, the merchant claiming it was a relic. When no one shows up aside from the Traveler, Yoimiya, and Kujou Sara, Itto decides to send out fliers to attract a bigger crowd, even though his festival got the attention of more than a few high-profile individuals. He ends up getting arrested and jailed, his festival was suspended indefinitely for the duration of his sentence.
Carry a Big Stick: Fittingly for an oni, he transforms his claymore into a kanabō made of Geo energy for his Burst.
Captain Oblivious: Itto is not the smartest person around, since he hasn't been able to figure some things out about his friends.
- He doesn't know "Bro Ayato" is actually the Yashiro Commissioner, despite the fact that the latter once gave him a deluxe set of Genius Invokation TCG for his festival, or how in the "Akitsu Kimodameshi" event, Ayato clearly is the one in charge of the Test of Courage event and later puts a festival in a few hours for the youkai. The Traveler and Paimon decide not to tell Itto yet about who Ayato really is.
- After meeting Gorou at the end of the "Akitsu Kimodameshi" event, Itto casually mentions that he wrote a letter to Ms. Hina about a big fish, and Gorou mentions that he works part-time as a consultant for the Yae Publishing House, and he also got a letter about a big fish. Itto then comes to the conclusion that... he has new competition at fishing, hence sparing the Traveler and Paimon the trouble of sorting out the potential fallout from "Ms. Hina" being exposed as an alias Yae Miko made for Gorou.
Competition Freak: Described as extremely competitive and having a strong aversion to losing. Yoimiya recounts that whenever they play with the local children, he often challenges her to competitions. Then there's his apparent obsession with having a rematch against Kujou Sara after she bested him in combat. And the main reason he won a ramen eating contest against Yae Miko, despite being allergic to tofu (said ramen having as a main ingredient fried tofu as garnish), is because of his determination to win; he spent the following month in bed, but he still won the contest and the stool.
Cooldown Manipulation: His second Constellation upgrade, Gather 'Round, It's a Brawl!, shaves 1.5 seconds off the cooldown time of his Burst by 1.5 seconds, as well as restores 6 Energy upon using it, for every Geo Vision holder in the party (to a maximum of 4.5 seconds [hence reducing the cooldown from 18 seconds to 13.5] and 18 Energy).
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: While Itto may look intimidating, spending even a second around him quickly makes it clear that he's a complete goofball with a bad case of Small Name, Big Ego. However, this doesn't mean he should be underestimated, as he's still a powerful Vision holder who went One-Man Army on a large group of Tenryou Commission officers when they tried taking his Vision to the point that Kujou Sara had to step in, and his Oni heritage makes him strong enough to shatter a massive boulder in one punch. This is well illustrated in gameplay, where he'll likely only deal low damage with his basic attacks, but will shred enemies once he activates his Burst and performs his special charged attacks.
Cuteness Proximity: In his voice line about Sayu, he wants to pat her head so badly because he thinks she's adorable. He also feels warm and fuzzy for Gorou.
Dark Is Not Evil: Wears a black long coat and has a downright intimidating face, and yet he's swell as hell.
Determinator: During the "Arataki Blazing Armor Beetle Battle Boot Camp" event his beetle, Crimson Staff, defeats Guoba's mechanical Bloom Pruner. However, it's soon revealed that it was operating at 0.0001% of it's capabilities. While initially distraught, Itto remembers Paimon's advice to switch tactics and instead concludes the solution is mechanically modified Onikabuto, and vows to earn enough money so that his entire gang may become versed in mechanics.
Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Wanting Xiao and Yelan to stop arguing about whether or not to let the former burn up all his strength in a risky plan to let everyone else escape the Chasm's Bed, Itto takes it upon himself to use all his strength to break a hole in the Eldritch Location they were trapped in, confidently believing that he'd be able to get rid of all their problems with this one blow. The result of that punch is a sizable rift that is clearly not supposed to be there, and it doesn't close up despite the domain having previously demonstrated the ability to cut off connections between spaces that it deems inconvenient. While it's not an immediate way out, the area it leads to gives Yelan and Xiao answers to what happened to the people they were looking for, and also eventually results in them finding the Fantastic Compass, which they use to facilitate their escape. With that one punch, Itto indeed managed to solve everyone's problems.
Dogged Nice Guy: Non-romantic example. In the lead-up to the second Archon Quest Interlude, when he accompanied Shinobu to Liyue so she could finally get her law diploma, he nearly got arrested for making a ruckus. Yanfei intervened and defused the situation, which caused a grateful Itto to get a little overenthusiastic in trying to pay her back. So much so that he and Shinobu followed her deep into the Chasm, which is off-limits to the public.
Draw Aggro: His Skill summons Ushi to deal Geo damage on a group of enemies and draw their attention away from him, before retreating either after six seconds have passed or he takes enough hits, with his durability equivalent to Itto's Max HP. In addition, he confers Itto one stack of Superlative Superstrength whenever he takes a hit (within at least 2-second intervals) or retreats.
Dub Pronunciation Change: Itto's personal name (hiragana いっと) is the Japanese reading of 一斗, which reads as "Yīdǒu" in Chinese, while the Korean dub opts for a transliteration as "Ito" (hangul 이토; the characters could also be read via hanja as "Ildu"/일두).
Dumb Muscle: Downplayed. He's a very muscular oni on the dumber side, but he can put in the effort if asked of him.
Entertainingly Wrong: When he first meets Heizou in the latter's Hangout Event, he initially assumes that he was a guy who got locked up for stealing other kids' onikabuto. Then when Paimon clarifies that Heizou works at the police station, Itto's next assumption is that he's the lavender melon salesman because of him putting some in his cell on Shinobu's behalf.
Establishing Character Moment: His trailer shows him to be a bombastic, boisterous local riffraff who's louder than his actual worth. But all these combined set him up to be a Butt-Monkey, so expect a good deal of laughs from his antics.
Face of a Thug: His Oni-like appearance, with his tall height and horns, is stated to make him look rather intimidating (and does attempt to look the part). Despite this, he's said to be a pretty nice guy and is a Friend to All Children.
Fanboy: One of his voice lines reveals he's a fan of "Ms. Hina" and is excited for the upcoming meet and greet as he would finally get to meet her.
Fairytale Motifs: There is a story that appears in his Story Quest about a red oni and a blue oni, and the latter's sacrifice to help the former become friends with humans becomes a recurring plot point and motif throughout the story. This is based on a real-life fairy tale called "The Red Oni Who Cried," which goes exactly the same as is recounted the first time it is told.
Foil: To Kujou Sara. He is a Hot-Blooded Oni who runs a gang and often finds himself on the wrong side of the law, while she is a stoic Tengu and a member of the Tenryou Commission who enforces the law. However, a closer look reveals them to be quite similar. Both are youkai who find themselves set apart from humans despite their efforts to integrate (Itto because he is seen as a local nuisance, Sara because she ruthlessly enforces the Raiden Shogun's will), they were each adopted by humans at a young age (Itto by Granny Oni, Sara by Kujou Takayuki), and they're both a big fan of a well-known figure (Itto towards "Ms. Hina," Sara towards the Raiden Shogun). And lastly, Itto proves he can be just as serious as Sara when it comes to honoring the ancient deal made between the Crimson Oni and the Blue Oni.
Friend to All Children: Often plays with the local children, where the kids will encourage him and Yoimiya to compete with one another.
- During the "Akitsu Kimodameshi" event, Itto immediately relates to the young youkai they meet during the Test of Courage since they’re just innocent kids who want to make a fun festival for youkai and humans alike and promises to help them, just like he was as a kid.
Friendly Enemy: While Sara seems to see him more as an annoyance most of the time, their interaction in Ritou Harbor's bulletin board seems to have some shades of this.
Itto: Don't you dare die on the battlefield, Kujou Tengu! You still owe me a duel!
Sara: Shut it. Are you done yet? (...) You don't get yourself killed either, you idiotic Crimson Oni.
Friendly Rivalry: With Yoimiya, contrasting with his more antagonistic relationship with Kujou Sara. Yoimiya has nothing bad to say about him, she simply gets competitive when children cheer her on in her and Itto's eating contests.
Gameplay and Story Segregation: His Vision was confiscated by Kujou Sara prior to the events of Chapter II. This does not stop players from being able to summon him before they've completed it.
Gathering Steam: On paper, Itto's charged attack is a simple one-hit slash. However, every second and fourth hit of his normal attack combo generates, respectively, one and two stacks of Superlative Superstrength, of which he can hold up to five at a time and last either until after sixty seconds have passed or he consumes them to supercharge his next charged attack into a five-hit combo with a negated Stamina cost and increasing power depending on the number of stacks consumed, ending in a powerful downward stab. In addition, Ushi generates a stack whenever he is attacked or retreats after taking enough damage, and the Raging Oni King state allows Itto to generate one stack each on the first and third hits of his normal attack combo (hence guaranteeing a full stack). Both his ascension passive and two Constellation upgrades also prioritize bolstering his special charged attack:
- Ascension-wise, that for his first, Arataki Ichiban, increases the attacking speed of the next consecutive hit by 10% (to a maximum of 30%, or three hits) as well as resistance to interruption, while that for his fourth, Bloodline of the Crimson Oni, increases its damage potency based on 35% of his Defense stat.
- Constellation-wise, his first, Stay a While and Listen Up, immediately generates two stacks, with the other three generated in half-second intervals after a one-second-long delay, whenever he summons the Raging Oni King; and his sixth, Arataki Itto, Present!, confer a 70% boost to its Critical damage (as well as to the basic charged attack), as well as a 50% chance to negate the consumption of Superlative Superstrength.
Graceful Loser: Zig-zagged; he insists that a real man takes a loss on the chin, but Kujou Sara notes that when she took his Vision he was willing to admit defeat once bested, but that didn't stop him from being increasingly insistent on having a rematch. He similarly continuously challenges Yoimiya to win the respect of the Inazuman children.
Happily Adopted: His quest reveals that Granny Oni took him in when he was younger and he clearly loves and looks out for her — in a voiceover, Itto states he cares not if people have a problem with him, but he doesn't like it when they pick on Granny because of him. As for Granny Oni, despite Itto's less-than-civil antics, she loves him as equally.
Harmless Villain: For a very loose definition of "villain." His Burst is the self-named "Behold, Itto The Evil!" and he openly calls himself a delinquent in his voice lines, but the worst thing he really does is take candy from kids after beating them in their games. Most who know Itto, while finding him overbearing, don't consider him capable of doing any actual wrong.
Hero with Bad Publicity: Itto is a genuinely good man who looks out for others, but his inability to hold down a job, Competition Freak nature, and rather a volatile temper gives him a less-than-laudable reputation, especially with the Tenryou Commission. Some, such as Ogura Mio, see that he's a good guy beneath it all, but it's still few and far between.
Hidden Depths:
- His delinquent-like demeanor, lack of a stable job, and bad reputation might make him seem like a good-for-nothing who dishonors the Blue Oni's sacrifice many years ago, but as he explained to Takuya, his Competition Freak habits, obsession with winning, and forming a gang of misfits like him is him trying to honor the centuries-old deal, since the Blue Oni dictated that the Crimson Oni don't conform to human customs but earn their respect by being themselves and integrate into society that way. He also respects the Blue Oni for their sacrifice all those years ago, which prompts him to take the blame for Takuya's crimes so he can find him before the Tenryou Commission does and help him the best he could.
- According to Heizou's voice line about him, Itto has a pretty good singing voice... even if the lyrics are complete garbage. Two real-life years later, the Iridescent Arataki Rockin' for Life Tour de Force of Awesomeness event showed it in action.
Honor Before Reason:
- Itto values the "Oni Pride" he and his race are known for, which makes him insistent on staying true to his nature and earning his place in human society through his strength as opposed to conforming to their standards. And when he realizes that a Blue Oni, who he thought died out ages ago, is working with Rōnin bandits, he takes the blame for the crimes so he can track the guy down and try and help him, even if it risks further tanking his already poor reputation.
- According to one of the street-food vendors in Inazuma City, Itto once challenged Yae Miko to a Kitsune Ramen Eating Contest, which almost killed him since it contained fried tofu beans, which are lethally allergic for all Oni. To his credit, he actually won the contest despite said allergy, despite being unconscious for a month after that.
- His appearance and chance encounter with Ayato in the "Receiver of Friends From Afar" event has him treat everyone to a Humbly Enough, getting enthusiastic enough when telling Ayato about the "Arataki Blazing Armor Beetle Battle Boot Camp" to declare that it’ll be a symbol of their everlasting friendship... Not realising it’s made of Tofu. Cue the Traveler making the dish anyway and everyone spending the whole meal keeping Itto from having any without directly telling him, because they figured he’d eat it anyway as opposed to go back in his word.
Horned Humanoid: He has a pair of red horns on his head.
Hot-Blooded: His posts on the Inazuma's bulletin boards show that he's a very passionate and strong-minded individual, which is especially evident from the fact that he's able to act like this despite losing his Vision.
Hunk: Very tall and muscular, with his rugged outfit showing off his abs, arms and tatoos, and he even sports wild hair to go with it. Alongside Alhaitham and Wriothesley, this especially puts him at odds with most of the playable male cast.
I Have Many Names: Parodied with his self-given names, which include "The First", "Oni Sumo King", and "TCG Expert".
Interclass Friendship: Itto's surprisingly well-connected despite being a boisterous troublemaker who has little legitimate social status or wealth that has some issue avoiding jail, especially with how hierarchical Inazuma's culture is - He's friends with Ayato, head of the Yashiro Commission and Kamisato family, his retainer Thoma, a capable fixer in his own right, Yae Miko, Guuji of the nation's mainstream religion and Familiar to the Raiden Shogun herself and Gorou, primary general of the Watatsumi army. Not that he's particularly aware of the high status of the first three, nor would he likely care about such things.
Immune to Flinching: With his fist-ascension passive, Arataki Ichiban, Itto becomes impervious to flinching while using Arataki Kesagiri.
Jerkass Ball: Picks it up in the second Archon Quest Interlude, where he had a bone to pick with Yelan at the Chasm, despite only meeting her recently, and their interference causes them, Yanfei, Shinobu, the Traveler, and Paimon to be trapped at its depths (while Xiao follows their lead). Where he would normally be quick to end confrontations (as told by Shinobu), Itto's demeanor is much more sour than usual, refusing to acknowledge his fault, doesn't listen to Shinobu (who he normally fears getting on her bad side), or get along with Yelan, at least until he stops an argument between her and Xiao. Likely justified given Bosacius' karmic debt was tainting the area, as a Yaksha's "karmic debt" exacerbates the negative personality traits of anyone close to or affected by it.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Downplayed — he isn't that much of a jerk, he just has a big ego that needs to be reined in, and has somewhat of a temper that tends to get the best of him and causing wrong impressions; that said, Itto is a highly loyal friend and would never let his true ones down.
Kindhearted Simpleton: Itto has the best interests of his gang and the downtrodden at heart, but is not the brightest and often ends up riling people up even more.
Lag Cancel: His normal attack combo does not reset even when he sprints or summons Ushi into battle.
Large and in Charge: He's a huge Oni who towers over most of the cast and leads the Arataki Gang.
Large Ham: With such a case of No Indoor Voice and his antics, you bet.
The Leader: Of the Arataki Gang. He's a type III and IV (Headstrong and Charismatic), with his ego and lack of smarts being more than made up by his determination and charisma, not to mention his warmth once one gets to know him.
Lightning Bruiser: Itto can dash without interrupting his normal attack chain, and deliver a flurry of charged attacks without consuming stamina (provided he has stacks of Superlative Superstrength). Not only can Itto hit hard, but he also attacks multiple times while dashing around. His Burst speeds up his attack speed even further, and although he takes more damage during its duration, he is naturally more durable than the average character, being a Geo Vision holder, and his attacks scale with Defense, encouraging the player to build him tanky regardless.
Locked Out of the Loop: Played for Laughs. Despite having known Ayato for a while, Itto still has no idea that he is the Yashiro Commissioner, and Ayato and Shinobu are fine with not clarifying. He is equally clueless about Gorou's connection to Miss Hina as the Traveler and Paimon avoids addressing the topic.
Mad Libs Catchphrase: A lot of Itto's self-professed titles are usually just him putting an actual title or a sentence describing himself or some Noodle Incident between his last and given name.
The Magnificent: Itto has all sorts of grandiose self-proclaimed titles which he tacks on to his Bulletin Board posts, such as "The Supreme," "The First," "The Strongest," and "Oni Sumo King," among others. This escalates to the point that epithets such as "No Prison Food For Me" and "To The Winner Go The Spoils" also rank among the many appellations he likes to insert in between his name.
Manchild: Along with generally being rather dim, Itto is a Competition Freak even for things commonly done by children, such as beetle battling, trading cards, and hide-and-seek. This may contribute to why he's a Friend to All Children.
Meaningful Name: "Itto" means "lone star," befitting his self-proclaimed title as the strongest man in Inazuma.
Mechanically Unusual Class: Itto is so far the only claymore unit whose charge attacks behave differently. Nominally, he only deals one big slash that consumes Stamina, akin to sword units. But if he has stacks of Superlative Superstrength, he can consume them to deal multiple slashes with greater power and no Stamina consumption. He can also dash without interrupting his combo chain, which is important for him since different hits of his combo grant the stacks.
Messy Hair: Which is also worn in a ponytail that's also rather unkempt. This adds to his delinquent-like appearance.
Mighty Glacier: Not unlike Noelle, Itto's playstyle is one of the few to encourage players to prioritize building up his HP and/or Defense, allowing him to take plenty of hits himself while he wails on the enemy.
Mr. Fanservice: Yes. He wears a No Shirt, Long Jacket that showcases perfectly how tall and muscular he is, and between that and his general All Girls Want Bad Boys angle, Itto might as well be one of the most appealing male characters introduced so far.
Mundane Made Awesome: How do you raise the stakes for an eating contest? By having to eat many bowls' worth of a dish you're horrifically allergic to and your opponent (i.e. Yae Miko) loves — Kitsune Udon^*Udon noodles with Fried Tofu. He managed to win too, and the restaurant owner even gave him the chair he and Miko were competing over as a trophy.
Mundane Utility: Apparently his relentless fighting style makes Itto a good woodcutter, if his utility passive, Woodchuck Chucked, is anything to go by, as it gives him a 25% chance to get extra wood when attacking trees.
Nice Guy: Played with. While he is loud, boisterous, has quite the ego, is bitter towards the Shogunate and, ahem, is especially insistent towards Sara, Itto is nevertheless a total homie to his gang as well as anyone who he considers a friend, and is genuinely heroic at heart, willing to help other people no matter their troubled background. Much like Yoimiya, he's also a Friend to All Children, genuinely appreciating their praise and playing with them whenever he has the chance. He also loves and cares for Granny Oni, the person that adopted him, not liking it when people that got a problem with him pick on her.
No Indoor Voice: He usually speaks in a loud bombastic manner.
No Shirt, Long Jacket: Wears an unbuttoned jacket with tied-up sleeves and no shirt underneath, revealing his abs, arms, and tattoos.
No Social Skills: A downplayed example. While he is capable of understanding the emotions of others, his quick temper and his antics tend to get him into a lot of trouble with everyone, especially with the authorities. He also can't get the hint that Yanfei is a very, very busy person, which is why she is running away from him in the first place.
Odd Friendship:
- With Kamisato Ayato, who he calls "bro" ever since the latter inadvertently gave him motivational words to not give up on beetle fights, not knowing that he is actually the Yashiro Commissioner. According to his voice lines, Ayato and Itto have played beetle battles and trading card games.
- With Thoma. While it's very easy to make friends with Thoma, the differences in their personalities are noticeable. Itto is loud, irresponsible, and childish, while Thoma is hardworking, dutiful, and mature. However, both share their All-Loving Hero qualities and loyalty towards their loved ones, and both have been the subjects of slander and bad reputation from outsiders. Before they formally meet at the Irodori Festival, both were very eager to befriend each other, and Thoma manages to make him and the gang help at the festival.
- He immediately makes good friends with Gorou at the "Akitsu Kimodameshi" event, with Gorou being calm and polite, and Itto extroverted and impulsive. While they both discuss their shared love for fishing, their methods are very different: Gorou likes fishing by hand, while Itto finds it more fun using a fishing rod. Also Itto can't tell Gorou is "Ms. Hina," and neither does Gorou himself, despite all the contrived coincidences. In Itto’s words about Gorou, he can sense a familiar feeling from Gorou just from talking to him.
- With Yae Miko as well. Itto is an incredibly gullible oni with a simple mind, while Miko is cunning and kind of a troll kitsune, having met each other at a ramen shop and getting into a ramen-eating competition. Despite Itto wining on full stubbornness (Miko purposefully chose Kitsune ramen, something Itto is very allergic to, but she didn't count on Itto's Competition Freak tenacity), this gained her sympathy and she constantly supports him with gifts for his festival, although they always have a catch (for his first drums festival, she sent him a coupon book that only gave Kitsune ramen, and for the following festival, she sent the Ms. Hina standee, knowing that Gorou would be attending).
Oh, Crap!: Lets out a panicked "Huh!?" upon being told that the exclusive drink for the Irodori Festival, which he just won and gulped down, contained soy milk, right before he passes out.
One-Man Army: The man did not let go of his Vision easily. He and his gang mowed down so much of the Tenryou Commission that Kujou Sara herself had to personally step in and subdue him.
Oni: He has Oni blood running in his veins, giving him increased strength and two horns sticking out of his forehead. He's also apparently allergic to beans^notespecifically soybeans/"mame" and food products made from them, including tofu, a reference to the tradition of mamemaki (bean scattering) in Setsubun festival, which aims to get rid of onis and invite good luck for the year.
Oral Fixation: In his voice line about his favorite food, Itto mentions that he loves candy, especially lollipops since he likes how badass he looks with something in his mouth. Basically, he is the manchild version of Smoking Is Cool.
Plot Allergy: During his Story Quest, the Traveler will be tasked to throw beans at him which he has been noted to be incredibly allergic to. This leaves him crying, whimpering, and sniffling for a few minutes as he asks the Traveler to give him a moment to recover. During the Irodori Festival, Itto collapses when he drinks the event drink without knowing the base was soy milk (which of course is made from soybeans). Everyone feels so bad for him that Thoma takes care of him for the rest of the event, while the shop owner is so concerned that she gives the Traveler a modified recipe of the drink that uses regular milk instead.
Power Stereotype Flip: Where an Earth-elemental would be calm, stoic and rarely faltering, Itto is instead bombastic, friendly, loud, Hot-Blooded and with a bit of a temper — nothing at all fitting for what his Geo Vision would suggest.
Power-Strain Blackout: During the second Archon Quest Interlude, hearing that they might be able to breach the Chasm's Bed by using enough power, Itto punches through the wall with all his strength, ripping open a rift that leads to a new area before passing out from the effort. This keeps him out of action until after their escape.
Punny Name: "Nickname", but it still fits; one of the titles he makes for himself in his English introduction is "The One and Oni".
Proud Warrior Race Guy: Itto is proud to be an oni and holds fast to the oaths his ancestors swore to earn respect among humans through strength rather than conforming to their standards. Unfortunately, he's not the most intelligent at going about this, doing so by playing games and causing a ruckus along with the rest of his gang, and is belittled as a jobless vagrant by many who know him as a result.
Pyrrhic Victory: Itto participated in a Kitsune Ramen eating contest with Miko, which contains fried tofu, which is not only Miko's favorite food, but something Itto is horribly allergic to due to being made out of soybeans. Itto won. It left him bedridden for over a month. Due to Skewed Priorities from him being a Competition Freak, Itto still thinks it was Worth It.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: The leader of the Arataki Gang as well as one of their strongest members and only Vision holders, who went One-Man Army on a group of Tenryou Commission soldiers before almost going even with Sara.
Recurring Character: Though appearing after the conclusion of Inazuma's storyline and being relegated to a satellite character during the Chasm Quest, Itto has been a frequent encounter in many events either dedicated to the Arataki Gang's antics or with him goofing around in whatever other event he appears in; In fact, it might not be an exaggeration to say he is one of the most - if not the most recurring character in the history of all Genshin events, standing only as an equal to Charlotte since her first appearance before the Fontaine quests kicked off (and she has an excuse of her own, being a journalist traveling all around Teyvat and all). Even Shinobu, his sidekick, doesn't always appear in Arataki Gang-focused events!
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Brash and excitable Itto is the Red to the authoritative and collected Kujou Sara's Blue. Lore-wise, Itto is a descendant of a clan of Crimson Oni who began cohabitating with the humans at the expense of the Blue Oni, who sacrificed their reputations and means of joining civilization to engage in blatant villainy so that the Crimson Oni could 'stop' them—allowing at least some of their race to earn humanity's respect. He also falls into the Red Oni role next to the Traveler, Takuya, and Shinobu's Blue.
Reduced Mana Cost: In a variant, his sixth Constellation upgrade, Arataki Itto, Present!, gives him a 50% chance to not consume a stack of Superlative Superstrength whenever he triggers Arataki Kesagiri, in addition to a 70% Critical Damage boost to both forms of his charged attacks.
Ridiculous Procrastinator:
- For the Irodori Festival, Itto, and his gang planned on writing a 60-page story in two months that would introduce the Gang to the populace and visiting outlanders to improve their reputation (as well as make some mora). But after half a month, Itto had only written a grand total of one line. While they decided to cut it down to 20 pages to compensate, they all got hooked on the Genius Invokation TCG and wasted another half-month on that. Then they decided to just make a poster and actually did manage to come up with over thirty slogans, but it took them a week to settle on one, at which point they realized that they'd have to pay an expensive express fee for the printing that they couldn't hope to pay. At that point, they just give up on the idea and decide to enjoy the festival.
- For the "Iridescent Arataki Rockin' For Life Tour de Force of Awesomeness" Event, Itto and the gang set on a wild goose chase to find the legendary ninja dog, while all the others put together the actual festival.
Serious Business: How seriously Itto takes Beetle Fighting is shown to the fullest in the "Arataki Blazing Armor Beetle Battle Boot Camp" event. After barely managing to beat Guoba using a machine borrowed from Cloud Retainer at the lowest possible power setting, and misinterpreting something Paimon said previously, he concludes that giving Onikabuto mechanical suits is the next evolution for the game, resolving to not just make the money to study mechanics in Liyue, but also make enough for everyone in his gang to do the same. And while you'd expect this to slip Itto's mind by the next time you see him, his surprise reappearance in the "Receiving Friends From Afar" event shows that he’s making good on his word, having recently gotten work as a sailor.
Simple, yet Awesome: As a Geo Vision holder, Itto can't do any reaction other than Crystallize, and his Talents are pretty basic other than his mechanically unusual Charged Attack. But his Elemental Skill hits hard, and his Burst boosts his damage off the roof, fitting his combat philosophy of simply hitting hard.
Shoo Out the Clowns: During the last quarter of the second Archon Quest Interlude, Itto is knocked unconscious after using all of his energy in a powerful punch through a wall, just when things start getting more serious and grave. He only wakes up after everything has been solved.
Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Ever since Sara bested him and took his Vision, he's made numerous attempts to challenge her again, often posting challenges on bulletin boards, though he doesn't dislike her. Sara, however, sees him as a nuisance, and doesn't remember the last encounter they had fondly, simply telling the Traveler to ask him themselves.
Sliding Scale of Gameplay and Story Integration:
- Itto is a fan of beetle fighting with Onikabuto, which he can also use for level cap ascension.
- He also has good synergy with Gorou, with whom he usually shares Wish banners. They make good friends once they meet during the "Akitsu Kimodameshi" event, and in Itto’s lines about Gorou, he can feel a familiar vibe, as if Gorou can understand his inner feelings, not knowing that his favorite advice columnist, "Ms. Hina," is actually Gorou. Since Itto's buff scales with his Defense, Gorou's skills further improves his defense capabilities.
Small Name, Big Ego: Itto has an amusing and vaguely endearing tendency to think of himself as more important than he actually is. He describes himself as the first and greatest head of the Arataki Gang (who are a group of minor troublemakers, at best, and who most people have never heard of), gives himself a bunch of titles that no one else acknowledges, and is offended when he finds that his Vision is near the bottom of the Statue of the Omnipresent God, thinking that his Vision deserved a place at the top due to believing himself to be one of the strongest Vision wielders in Inazuma, even though the Shogunate had no reason to care about how they placed Visions on the statue at all.
Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter: Whenever there is lightning, Itto responds by daring the Electro Archon to strike him while talking smack.
(When Thunder Strikes) "Hey! Raiden Shogun, is that you? Well, guess what — you're not the boss of me. Uh-huh, that's right, you heard me! Go ahead, strike me down!"
Sore Loser: Played with. He can be a good sport when losing, especially to kids, but is otherwise very much this to anyone else; he keeps trying to challenge Kujou Sara to a rematch after she defeated him for his Vision, and is very annoyed about Yoimiya possibly being liked by kids more than him, similarly wanting rematches with her. His Genius Invokation card has him explode with rage when he lost a beetle fight. The card name is appropriately, "I Haven't Lost Yet!"
Speaks Fluent Animal: He is the only person who can understand Ushi. During Perilous Trail he serves as Ushi’s translator, delivering a final deep reflection as a message for Xiao at the end of the day.
Stalker without a Crush:
- If his Bulletin Board posts are of any indication, Itto will pursue Kujou Tengu to the ends of Inazuma (or just Narukami Island) to get his fateful rematch against her after the shogunate officer beat him in a duel and confiscated his Vision.
- He does this again with Yanfei during the second Archon Quest Interlude, only this time it's so he can find the chance to repay her for keeping him from getting arrested by the Millelith.
Status Buff: His fourth Constellation upgrade, Jailhouse Bread and Butter, bestows a 20% boost to the party's Attack and Defense once the Raging Oni King state ends.
Super Gullible: In line with his status as a Dumb Muscle, Itto can be rather easily tricked, such as in "The Almighty Arataki Great and Glorious Drumalong Festival", where he ended up buying a regular old drum for 80,000 Mora, with even his ever loyal Gang realizing that he got duped. Tellingly, in a branch of Heizou's Hangout Event where you help him set up an anti-fraud event, the Traveler and Paimon are quick to suggest Itto as someone to play the scam victim in the short play. Then, as if to add insult to injury, Heizou got him to agree to it in the first place by showing him a picture of what appeared to be a gigantic Onikabuto, only for the real thing to turn out to be a figurine.
Super Mode: His Burst lets out his inner Raging Oni King, where for eighteen seconds he enjoys a boost both to his Attack stat (based on a percentage of his Defense) and 10% to his attacking speed, all his regular attacks are endowed with a Geo effect that cannot be overridden with elemental reactions, and the first and third strikes of his normal attack combo can now also generate stacks of Superlative Superstrength (in addition to the natural generation from the second and fourth hits), albeit at the cost of a 20% penalty to his physical and elemental resistances.
Super-Strength: While it's hinted that a lot of claymore users, and even characters who use other weapons, possess this to some degree, it's a lot more blatant with Itto, as his gameplay revolves around gaining stacks of "Superlative Superstrength" to wail on opponents with. The climax of his story quest also has him destroy a massive boulder in one punch to stop it from crushing Takuya.
Sweet Polly Oliver: a Zig-zagged male example; He has a crush on Ms. Hina who is actually Gorou Disguised in Drag. Although not even Gorou is aware of the genderbent persona Yae Miko designed for him. Gorou nonetheless seems to act as a Closet Key for Itto who feels a strong pull toward Gorou, even if he can't quite put his finger on why.
- Heavily implied with Sara. Itto recalls a time in his childhood when he challenged a tengu boy to a sumo wrestling match, and both ended up falling from the mountain they were battling. Itto constantly sends challenges to Sara to sumo wrestling, without realizing that Sara might be the same tengu boy.
Tattoo as Character Type: He has thick, deep red tattoos going along much of his upper body as well as his arms and hands, though while they're fitting for a gang member and someone who's very strong, they're more evocative of him being an oni, which he fully embraces.
Tattooed Crook: Subverted. Fittingly for both an oni and gang leader, Itto's upper body and arms have tattoos over them; however, Itto is also living proof that the group is a gang in name, not actually dangerous so much as just annoying, and pretty friendly once you get to know him well.
Too Dumb to Fool: If you thought Itto is someone who can be easily fooled... well, you'd be right, but there have been times when his sheer bullheadedness has allowed him to get one over on much more competent characters.
- He's one of the few people to "outsmart" Yae Miko, by virtue of simply being too much of a Competition Freak to back down from their ramen-eating contest when he saw that tofu was included in the dishes. Given her temperament, it's likely she was trying to trick him into paying for her lunch.
- In Heizou's Hangout Event where he's supposed to play a con victim in a short play, his character ends up narrowly avoiding handing over his hard-earned money by questioning how a Doushin can get paid enough to get the Shogun out of a hostage crisis and sponsor a Miss Hina book^note. If the Traveler encourages him to follow his heart, Itto will come to the conclusion that his character is the conman and his paycheck is a fake he made. He then proceeds to have a "Heel Realization" and tells Etsu and Iba, his fellow actors who are playing the actual con artists (and themselves real-world con artists who had to participate in exchange for a commutal of the former's sentence and enough monetary compensation for latter to fund his granddaughter's overseas travels), that he'll get a real check to pay them with, much to their bafflement. Heizou, who's serving as the narrator, notes that Itto avoided getting defrauded in a rather unconventional manner.
Throw the Dog a Bone: After he collapses after drinking the Irodori festival exclusive beverage, which contained soy milk, the shop owner feels bad enough to give the Traveler an altered recipe for the drink that uses normal milk instead, which you are fully capable of making and giving to Itto if he's in your party.
Tribal Face Paint: Other than the colour establishing his heritage as a red oni in contrast with Takuya's blue, Itto's facial tattoos double as his Guyliner and stretch down from his cheeks to his body while Takuya's tattoos curve from slightly above his eyes to below his cheek bones, as well as a forehead tattoo that gives him an exaggerated widow's peak.
The Troublemaker: Infamous among the authorities for this. He isn't malicious or the like, but his ego, silliness, and (almost literal) bull-headedness often land him and his gang in hot water. His deputy Shinobu often has to rein him in or bail him out of the local jail.
True Companions: A firm believer in this. Whether he's known you for fifteen years or fifteen minutes, if he's decided you're part of the team then you're getting the full package from the one and Oni. He doesn't like infighting very much, so when things get heated between teammates his first instinct is to do something shocking to break the tension. In Perilous Trail, when Yelan and Xiao start arguing about Xiao's risky plan to use all his might to tear and hold open a rift in reality that might allow everyone else to escape at the cost of leaving Xiao behind, Itto interrupts them by using all his strength to bust a hole on the wall under the slightly-mistaken belief that this would do the job, with Shinobu explaining this to not be a sacrifice but merely a duty, and that Itto trusts that they'd take him with them when they make their escape.
Unknowingly in Love: Possibly. Itto feels warm fuzzy butterflies around Gorou, something about him is familiar and makes Itto feel like he could tell him anything. Whatever that means.
Unknown Rival: He considers himself a pain in her neck for the Raiden Shogun during the Vision Hunt Decree. The Shogun, meanwhile, has no idea who he even is.
Raiden Shogun: (About Arataki Itto) Who?
Unwanted Assistance: During the second Archon Quest Interlude, he's grateful for Yanfei saving his life, which he intends to pay back in kind by protecting her. However, Yanfei doesn't need assistance, nor want his help due to the danger of her mission inside The Chasm, never mind the fact that it is off-limits to outsiders. Itto unfortunately, doesn't take the hint and continues to follow Yanfei to repay his debt.
Upgrade Artifact: A variant—his third and fifth Constellation upgrades, Horns Lowered, Coming Through and 10 Years of Hanamizaka Fame, add three levels to, respectively, his Skill and Burst.
Weaksauce Weakness: To beans. Just so much as throwing a bean at him will make him so sick he hangs on the verge of passing out.
Weapon Specialization:
- Itto's claymore transforms into a kanabō whenever he summons the Raging Oni King.
- In addition, his Wish banner runs concurrent with that for the Redhorn Stonethresher (5★). Its Ascension substat is Critical Damage (19.2–88.2%), while its "Gokadaiou Otogibanashi" passive increases its wielder's Defense stat by 28–56%, as well as the damage of their normal and charged attacks by 40–80% of their Defense, which makes it perfect for his attack-heavy gameplay while also bolstering his survivability.
Wisdom from the Gutter: Believe it or not, there are a few life lessons to be learned in the Arataki Gang...
- Itto is the way he is partly because he refuses to be anything but himself. This stubbornness often gets him into trouble, but he and his gang are all content with it. Shinobu sticks by his side despite her talents because, to her, a chaotic yet free-wheeling life with the gang is more fulfilling than a cushy yet restrictive job as a shrine maiden. Contrast Takuya, who compromised his values and morals out of desperation to give the Blue Oni a better living standard only to end up miserable for it.
- At the end of "Perilous Trail", Itto asks Paimon and the Traveler to relay a message from Ushi to Xiao. It ends up being some pertinent wisdom: Ushi was born to exorcise ghosts and demons like Itto but has chosen a life at Itto's side. It's important to stay close to people who make you the happiest, and he hopes that Xiao understands that he doesn't need to let his worries and burdens as a Yaksha get in the way of spending time with people.
Youkai: Of course, since he's an Oni. Along with Kirara, Kujou Sara, and Yae Miko, Itto is one of the few playable characters to be a youkai.

Shinobu

Kuki Shinobu

Introduced: June 21, 2022 (v2.7 "Hidden Dreams in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced by: Yang Ning (Chinese), Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese), Kim Yul (Korean), Kira Buckland (English)

Mender of Tribulations

"I came up with the Gang Bylaws so everyone would have a set of guidelines to follow. Huh? Why are they willing to follow my rules? Because both my words and my fists are very persuasive."

Rarity: 4★
Element: Electro
Weapon: Sword
Constellation: Tribulatio Demptio, the Mender of Tribulations

Itto's right-hand woman and deputy leader of the Arataki Gang. Having rejected her destiny as a scion of a family of Grand Narukami Shrine maidens, which includes her older sister Miyuki, Shinobu instead went overseas and studied a variety of subjects, including law under Yanfei in Liyue. After returning home shortly before the Sakoku Decree closed the nation off, she joined the Arataki Gang. Due to her professionalism and multiple certifications, she often bails the gang out of many problems and has even expanded their business scope outside of the regular mischief and delinquency. She first meets the Traveler, courtesy of Itto, at Liyue's Chasm, where after an accident they behold, alongside other familiar faces, an incident involving one of the five foremost Yakshas.

Shinobu's experiences gave her skills that support her allies even at the cost of overexerting herself. Her Elemental Skill, Sanctifying Ring, consumes some HP to summon a Grass Ring of Sanctification around the active character that periodically deals Electro damage on surrounding foes and heals surrounding allies, while her Elemental Burst, Gyoei Narukami Kariyama Rite, thrusts an exorcism blade onto the ground that zaps surrounding enemies, with an increased duration if Shinobu has less than half her HP.^note

Ambiguous Situation: Bosacius' "karmic debt" was said to have been tainting the Chasm's Bed, with karmic debt bringing out the worst personality traits of people. During the second Interlude where Shinobu, the Traveler and co. fall into the Chasm's Bed, Shinobu herself doesn't seem to be afflicted that much (if at all) by karmic debt, whereas the others (minus the Traveler, since they're from another world) are. The game never dwells on why this happens after the Interlude ends.
Black Blood: When using her Skill, what is very likely her blood can be seen splashing out from her body upon activation, explaining the HP loss. For (obvious) censorship reasons, it is colored purple instead of the usual red.
Black Sheep: She is estranged from the rest of her family for refusing to join them in working at the Grand Narukami Shrine and pursuing other careers instead. Only her older sister Miyuki is willing to talk to her.
Blatant Lies: Shinobu's Hangout Event tree begins with the Traveler finding her in the Tenryou Commission's police station trying to convince an officer that the Arataki Gang is actually a support group for people with mental problems and that their boisterous actions don't come from malice, but from these shortcomings (it's sort of true; Itto and the Gang don't usually mean any harm, they're just impatient and not the best at socializing).
The Bus Came Back: Shinobu cameos in v3.7's event "Duel! The Summoner's Summit", almost 11 months following her Hangout Event's release, and later appears more prominently in "Arataki Blazing Armor Beetle Battle Boot Camp" in v4.3.
Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: As much as the Gang's antics of varying legality irritate her, she sticks by them through thick and thin, since they give her all the freedom she wants in the world.
Cast from Hit Points: Her Skill consumes 30% of her current HP (unless she has less than 20%, in which case the HP cost is negated) to summon a Grass Ring of Sanctification that periodically zaps surrounding enemies and heals surrounding allies.
Cool Mask: She wears a plated mask on the lower half of her face. Apparently, she doesn't like people asking what’s underneath it. In one idle animation, she takes it off briefly, but quickly puts it back on when she realizes this. Her Hangout Event reveals that Shinobu wears it because she doesn't want to get recognized as a former miko.
Combat Medic: Her Skill summons a phantasmal whip-sword made of Electro energy around the active character that, for the next twelve seconds, simultaneously zaps surrounding enemies and heals surrounding allies in 1.5-second bursts (for a total of eight). Both her ascension passives boost the Ring's healing potency—that for her first, Breaking Free, increases Shinobu's Healing Bonus by 15% if she has less than half her HP, while that for her fourth, Heart's Repose, increases the Ring's damaging and healing potencies based on, respectively, 25% and 75% of her Elemental Mastery stat. Constellation-wise, her second upgrade, To Forsake Fortune, extends its duration to fifteen seconds (and hence ten bursts), while her fourth, To Sever Sealing, allows the Ring to augment normal, charged, or plunging attacks with Thundergrass Marks, three kunai made of Electro energy that deal wide-ranging damage based on 9.7% of her Max HP each.
Critical Status Buff:
- If Shinobu has less than half her HP, the field generated by her Burst increases in duration from 2 seconds to 3.5.
- Her first-ascension passive, Breaking Free, increases her Healing Bonus stat by 15% if she has no more than half her HP.
- Beside the Last Chance Hit Point (see below), her sixth Constellation upgrade, To Ward Weakness, boosts her Elemental Mastery stat by 150 points for fifteen seconds (with at least one-minute interval) whenever she has less than a quarter of her HP.
Dub Pronunciation Change: Shinobu's full name (hiragana くきしのぶ) is the Japanese reading of 久岐忍 (each character being read via, respectively, go-on [Wu Chinese-derived], kan-on [Han Chinese-derived], and kun'yomi [native Japanese] methods), which reads as "Jiǔqí Rěn" in Chinese, while the Korean dub opts for a transliteration as "Kuki Sinobu" (hangul 쿠키 시노부; the characters could also be read via hanja as "Gugi In"/구기 인).
The Dreaded: She's greatly feared within the Arataki Gang for her fierce temper and harsh punishments. In Itto's words, an angry Shinobu would make life a nightmare.
Family of Choice: During the v2.7 live stream, Max Mittelman, Itto's English voice actor, explains that Shinobu only feels free around the members of the Arataki Gang, and she cares for all of them despite her cool demeanor. During the second Archon Quest Interlude, Itto is aware of Shinobu's issues with her strict mother.
Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Her parents don't approve of her having any job but a shrine maiden at the Grand Narukami Shrine, insisting that she has to carry on the family tradition. For obvious reasons, Shinobu hasn't spoken to them much since she left for Liyue.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Played with. Given how Shinobu views the Arataki gang as family, Shinobu comes off as the responsible to counter the foolishness of the rest of the gang. However, when compared to her biological sister Miyuki, she's the foolish one with Miyuki being the responsible one.
Guilt by Association Gag: While Sayu knows nothing about her, she's quick to write her off as a "sleep disturbance" upon hearing of her association with Itto.
Hellish Pupils: Has slit pupils like a reptile, for some as-yet unrevealed reason.
Hero Worship: She thinks very highly of Yanfei, at one point saying her lectures were the best part of her schooling.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Shinobu is far more intelligent and educated than Itto, and is responsible for bailing him out of trouble. According to both Yae Miko and Yanfei, Shinobu studied law at Liyue before the Sakoku Decree was ratified, which left her confined to Inazuma with no way to return and formally receive her diploma.
Paimon: Hmm, okay Paimon gets the dynamic now. A useless boss with an ultra-capable subordinate...
I Just Want to Be Free: The reason why she joined the Arataki Gang. She'd rather enjoy a carefree life with the Gang, misdemeanors and all, over a stable but boring life as a shrine maiden.
Jack of All Stats: Shinobu is capable of providing sub-DPS damage, area-of-effect damage, and healing, among other things, and her stats are fairly balanced.
Jack of All Trades: After leaving behind the life of a shrine maiden, Shinobu learned a variety of crafts and skills, and as a result now has numerous qualifications. Even her character demo is titled "Jack of All Trades."
Last Chance Hit Point: Her sixth Constellation upgrade, To Ward Weakness, protects her from otherwise fatal hits with 1 HP (in addition to a 150-point boost to her Elemental Mastery stat if she has less than a quarter of her HP); this activates only at least every sixty seconds.
Loser Friend Puzzles Outsiders: Most Inazumans, such as Sara, are confused as to why someone with her range of skills and talents is associated with a group of troublemakers, unaware that a stable, predictable job is the last thing she wants.
Meaningful Name: "Shinobu" means "patient," fitting for someone who has to deal with the Gang's shenanigans on a daily basis.
Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Shinobu is a support unit who can heal her allies, and whose Elemental Talents benefit from her having a higher Max HP, but at the same time she also benefits from having low HP. Her Burst lasts longer if her it drops below half, and with a full Constellation, she gains a temporary boost to Elemental Mastery if she has less than a quarter.
Ms. Fanservice: Downplayed but still very much there. Shinobu's normal attire consists of a small, form-fitting top that exposes most of her stomach, thigh-high boots that draws attention to her legs, and a pair of very small, very tight shorts, all capped off by Intimate Marks running from her waist down to her thighs. Contrast all this to the conservative shrine maiden uniform that she would've had to wear had she not run away.
Number Two: The second-in-command of the Arataki Gang, as well as its deputy leader. Amusingly, she's thus way more competent than Itto.
Odd Friendship: With Kujou Sara, a law enforcer. While Sara and Itto's relationship can best be described as mutual irritation (they don't actually dislike each other, their temperaments are just pretty much the opposite), Sara and Shinobu clearly respect and like each other; in fact, they were friends before Shinobu joined the Arataki Gang.
Only Sane Woman: While Itto's... Itto, and the other three seem to worship the ground he walks on, Shinobu actually seems to care about the Gang's reputation among the populace and often does damage control for Itto's antics.
Out of Focus: Despite forming part of the Arataki Gang, Shinobu is suspiciously absent from a good amount of events where the others are in the picture, even after v2.7; most notably, she is absent from the "Almighty Arataki Extraordinary and Exhilarating Extreme Beetle Brawl," while the rest of the gang plays some part. It wouldn't be until v3.7 where she finally appears in the Flagship event after almost 11 months of absence.
Perpetual Frowner: Shinobu, by her own admission, doesn't like to smile. While it's hard to tell through her mask, this was a frequent source of consternation during her time as trainee shrine maiden, as she would often receive complaints for coming off as cold and unwelcoming, despite not bearing any actual animosity toward anyone, and her parents would tell her off for it.
Random Drop Booster: Her utility passive, Protracted Prayers, increases rewards by 25% if she is sent in an Expedition in Inazuma for twenty hours.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Itto's Red. In contrast to the impulsive and hot-headed Itto, Shinobu is a lot more responsible and often tries to keep Itto in check, as well as try and clean up after the messes he makes.
Samurai Shinobi: A downplayed example. Her getup and equipment evoke a ninja (including doing flips while throwing a kunai), however her recovery and one of her idle animations show her sheathing her sword/dagger at her hip, like a samurai, instead of on her back. The hood of her jacket features a forehead crest similar to those found on samurai kabuto.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: She and Sara are actually close friends, despite their current stations, and will negotiate with her for more favorable terms whenever the lads are arrested for rabble-rousing. Similarly, she is also this with Heizou, who will happily lighten sentences whenever some Gang members are jailed, and even vouch for their reputation in exchange for information pertaining to interesting cases.
Secret Secret-Keeper: It’s implied that she is aware that Itto has befriended Kamisato Ayato without knowing that he is the head of the Yashiro Commission, because during the "Receiver of Friends From Afar" event she seems tense every time Ayato and Itto are talking to each other.
Self-Harm–Induced Superpower: She can activate a healing and Electro field with her Skill, but she loses 30% of her HP when she does so.
Self-Made Woman: Not wanting to live the dull and cushy life as a shrine maiden as her mother expected of her, she departed to Liyue to study law and other trades. Now, aside from being deputy leader of the Arataki Gang, she is qualified to negotiate with government officials in Inazuma and steer the Gang through legal troubles.
Sergeant Rock: Though she clearly cares about her fellow gang members and the success of the Arataki Gang itself, she's not above whipping everyone back into line with some old-fashioned discipline. The same applies to its leader.
Servile Snarker: She is willing to make snide remarks at her boss's expense, often when he does or says something where he deserves it.
Sexy Secretary: She's basically Itto's, as she handles most of the legal documentary and other paperwork the Gang is faced with in their various endeavors. She also wears clothes that expose a fair bit of skin and is shown to clean up quite nicely.
She Cleans Up Nicely: One ending of her Hangout Event sees Yae Miko give the Traveler a photo of her during her very brief stint as a shrine maiden, which depicts her without her mask or her hair tied up.
Sliding Scale of Gameplay and Story Integration:
- After running away from her family business, Shinobu took on various jobs to make a living. This is reflected in her playing style that allows her to deal damage and heal her allies at once.
- As second-in-command of the Arataki Gang, Shinobu serves as Itto's Only Sane Woman, often having to bail him out whenever he runs afoul of the law. Fittingly enough, her fighting style complements that of Itto by providing damage while mitigating its drawbacks; with the Grass Ring of Sanctification, not only can she create electric bursts to deal extra damage to Itto's target, but it will also heal him and undo any damage he may suffer while recklessly attacking his enemies.
Stock Ninja Weaponry: One of her attack combos involves throwing kunai knives at her opponents.
Storm of Blades:
- Her Skill plants an exorcism blade onto the ground, creating a field wherein enemies are lashed with erupting whip-swords made of Electro energy for two seconds, with a 1.5-second extension if Shinobu has no less than half her HP by the time she uses it. Her first Constellation upgrade, To Cloister Compassion, increases its radius by 50%.
- If her fourth Constellation is unlocked, characters under the effect of Shinobu's skill who strike enemies with normal, charged, or plunging attacks will have a Thundergrass Mark fired toward their target, dealing damage equal to 9.7% of her max HP.
Supreme Chef: A culinary license is among Shinobu's many qualifications. The description of her specialty dish, Omurice Waltz, waxes poetic about its presentation and declares it equal to the work of an Inazuman head chef. During the "Receiver of Friends From Afar" event, Shinobu offers to assist Smiley Yanxiao with the appetizers, putting in use her culinary degree in Liyue Cuisine.
The Squadette: She appears to be the only woman in the Arataki Gang.
Sword Plant: Her Burst has her plant an exorcism dagger to the ground and the segmented blades emerge from below to damage opponents within its radius.
Tattoo as Character Type: Her tattoos cover her lower body and seem to dip below her waistline onto her hips, butt, and upper thighs. They are quite evocative of her personal life's privacy, with her disassociation for her family's shrine maiden line and desire to forge her own path being sore spots for her.
Tattooed Crook: Subverted. Similarly to her boss, she has red tattoos on her, only hers are thinner, lighter, and cover her lower body instead. However, much like the Arataki Gang, Shinobu is quite approachable once you get to know her and is the most upstanding member of the group.
Team Mom: She's easily the most mature member of the gang. She does her best to steer Itto and the others away from trouble.
Upgrade Artifact: A variant—her third and fifth Constellation upgrades, To Sequester Sorrow and To Cease Courtesies, add three levels to, respectively, her Skill and Burst.
Whip Sword: She wields a segmented, Electro-infused exorcism dagger that can separate into a whip when she performs both her Elemental Talents, as well as appears on her Constellation.
Women Are Wiser: Shinobu is the most prominent female in the Gang and the smartest one, to the point even Itto is afraid of her. She constantly has to discipline the entire gang so they don't get arrested again.

Ushi

Auxiliary member of the Arataki Gang

Department of Redundancy Department: The cow that Itto throws in his Elemental Skill is named "Ushi", the Japanese word for Cow.
Intelligent Gerbil: Despite not being able to talk in human speech, Ushi is smart enough to have thoughts, give some insight and comments. Itto is the only one who can understand him, though.
Olympus Mons: Downplayed. While not a god, Itto's bull companion, Ushi, is in reality a powerful spirit who performed centuries of exorcisms across Inazuma long before Itto was born. However, he decided he liked Itto's bold spirit and chose to join him instead of continuing his duties.
Smart Animal, Average Human: Ushi is far more insightful and eloquent than Itto. After "Perilous Trail", Ushi is the one who gives a motivational reflection to Xiao, with Itto serving as the translator.
Team Pet: He is the only member of the gang who isn't a youkai or human. He is officially referred as "auxiliary gang member".
Undying Loyalty: To Itto. Despite being a bull used to exorcise Youkai, he grows attached to Itto and follows him whenever he is invoked.

Akira, Genta, and Mamoru

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_02_25_at_103323_pm.png

From left to right: Mamoru, Akira and Genta

Akira Voiced by: Patrick Mealey (English)

Genta Voiced by: Alan Gabay (English)

Mamoru Voiced by: Kdin Jenzen (English)

The only known low-ranking members of the Arataki Gang.

Faster Than They Look: Despite being the only chubby member, Akira is a fast runner, and is able to reach the furthest hiding spot that Mamoru and Genta couldn't in Kuki Shinobu's Hangout event. Said the furthest hiding spot turns out to be the base camp of the Nobushi.
Colorblind Confusion: Mamoru is colorblind, as described by Itto.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Genta is prone to this, as described by Itto.
Loud Sleeper Gag: Akira snores very loud, as described by Itto.
Manchild: Just like their boss, Itto, hence Shinobu wants to teach them how to behave.
Non-Action Guy: While they are able to hold off the Tenryou soldiers for Itto and the Traveler to flee, the trio are not expert fighters. Shinobu notes in her Hangout Event that Akira has trouble fighting a Nobushi and plans on subjecting him to Training from Hell to better hone his fighting capabilities, much to his distress. And in Itto's Character Demo, he is the one who fought off the majority of the Shogunate troops by himself.
No Social Skills: Much like their boss, their interaction with everyone tends to end in trouble, due to poor communication.
Recurring Character: They appear in Shikanoin Heizou's Character Demo (Akira, non-speaking role), and Story Events that involve Itto and Shinobu (apart from "Perilous Trail").
Ridiculous Procrastinator: If Itto gets easily distracted in the middle of his own tasks, the gang is equally or worse at delaying their chores, as seen during the Irodori Festival.
Shoo Out the Clowns:
- The trio told Itto (and the Traveler) to leave while they hold off the Tenryou soldiers. Sure enough, they are completely absent when Itto and the Traveler move inside a ronin hideout to search for Takuya, due to the three being arrested.
- They don't appear in the Archon Quest, "Perilous Trail", as their boss and Shinobu are out on a trip to Liyue.
Signature Headgear: They are all recognizable by their "kasa" hats with the gang's signature emblem on them.

Takuya (Unmarked Spoilers)

Voiced by: Brandon Winckler (English)

A Blue Oni who associates with a group of Rōnin, committing acts of banditry to support the surviving remnants of his race. He joins the Arataki Gang at the conclusion of Itto's character quest.

Freudian Excuse: His tribe of Blue Oni is regularly starving due to being unable to live in human society, causing Takuya to join up with a group of Ronin to try to provide for them.
Horned Humanoid: He arguably has one of the most unique designs among the game's NPC characters, in no small part due to the blue Oni horns used to show his heritage.
Hypocrite: He repeatedly claims to dislike how his ancestors sacrificed their livelihoods and ability to live in society for the sake of the Crimson Oni, repeatedly disparaging the pride of the Oni and often insulting Itto. However, near the quest's climax, he tries to rightfully own up to his crimes to prevent Itto from taking the fall for him, and when his former boss retakes the charm and tears, he implores Itto to leave him and save himself.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be a bandit who repeatedly and almost proudly disregards the Oni Pride, but he only does so to provide for his family and clan, tries acting as something of a Token Good Teammate to the Rōnin he's with by preventing them from killing anyone they rob, and he secretly feeds the prisoners they capture and generally treats them well. One of said prisoners, Daisuke's mother, even describes him as akin to a kid who's hanging with a bad crowd as opposed to a genuinely malicious person.
The Resenter: When they finally meet, it's clear that he has a low opinion of Itto due to him being a Crimson Oni, who his kind sacrificed themselves for years ago, and for his bad reputation among the humans seemingly spitting in the face of their sacrifice. It's only after Itto saves him and explains that he does what he does to honor the deal his kind made with Blue Oni all those years ago, as well as promising to help his family, that this seems to subside.
Sequel Non-Entity: He has yet to be seen or even mentioned again after Itto's story quest as of version 3.4. Presumably, he could be busy with providing for his Blue Oni tribe, but it is strange for Itto or Shinobu, who both hold a strong sense of responsibility towards the members of their gang, to not even mention how he and his tribe have been doing in any of the time-limited events they appear in.
Sticky Fingers: When the leader of the Rōnin bandits he's working for threatens to tear up a charm that's connected to his hideout to kill everyone there after he's beaten, Takuya reveals to have stolen it prior since he realized that he set it up so that he's the only one who could escape.
Token Good Teammate: The rest of the group of ronin Takuya joined are hardened criminals who think nothing of stealing and murdering from others, while Takuya himself only joined them to provide for his people and upholds his own moral standards even when working with them. One of the people being held prisoner by the ronin describes Takuya as being like a kid who fell in with a bad crowd.
Zero-Approval Gambit: After stealing his boss' charm to prevent him from destroying the hideout, he then threatens to do the same to get Itto to leave him alone. It doesn't work.

Characters / Genshin Impact: Arataki Gang

Arataki Gang

Arataki Itto

Introduced: December 14, 2021 (v2.3 "Shadows Amidst Snowstorms" [second half])
Voiced by: Liu Zhaokun (Chinese), T.M.Revolution [credited under his birth name Takanori Nishikawa] (Japanese), Song Jun-seok (Korean), Max Mittelman (English)

Kuki Shinobu

Introduced: June 21, 2022 (v2.7 "Hidden Dreams in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced by: Yang Ning (Chinese), Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese), Kim Yul (Korean), Kira Buckland (English)

Akira, Genta, and Mamoru

Alternative Title(s): Genshin Impact Arataki Itto

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Characters / Genshin Impact: Arataki Gang

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Arataki Gang

Arataki Itto

Introduced: December 14, 2021 (v2.3 "Shadows Amidst Snowstorms" [second half])Voiced by: Liu Zhaokun (Chinese), T.M.Revolution [credited under his birth name Takanori Nishikawa] (Japanese), Song Jun-seok (Korean), Max Mittelman (English)

Kuki Shinobu

Introduced: June 21, 2022 (v2.7 "Hidden Dreams in the Depths" [second half])Voiced by: Yang Ning (Chinese), Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese), Kim Yul (Korean), Kira Buckland (English)

Akira, Genta, and Mamoru

Alternative Title(s): Genshin Impact Arataki Itto

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Index

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Introduced: December 14, 2021 (v2.3 "Shadows Amidst Snowstorms" [second half])
Voiced by: Liu Zhaokun (Chinese), T.M.Revolution [credited under his birth name Takanori Nishikawa] (Japanese), Song Jun-seok (Korean), Max Mittelman (English)

Introduced: June 21, 2022 (v2.7 "Hidden Dreams in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced by: Yang Ning (Chinese), Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese), Kim Yul (Korean), Kira Buckland (English)