Oni

## Description

The Oni armor is unique in that it wears a jinbaori, the only one of the original nine to do so. The armor is black and gray with a bright green tare. The jinbaori is brown with yellow lapels, trim, and laces. A metal device like a haori himo holds the jibaori closed and below it, a pair of black metal horns juts out over the lapels.

The helmet is black with a bladed crescent-shaped maedate and a black fin rises up from the top. The menpo is red and covers the face except the mouth and eyes, which are constantly in shadow. A special attack fired by Touma splits the helmet in half during episode ten and the helmet is never seen worn again in the show, though it does appear in whole form later on in the show.

## Controlling Virtue

**忠 (Chu) - Loyalty**

Loyalty is one of the most prized virtues in Japanese society, especially before modernization. Hagakure Bushido advocates "loyalty to the emperor and devotion to public interests" before personal interest to the point it is honorable to die for the emperor. However, there is also the concept of "flareback of loyalty" or disobeying the emperor's orders unflinchingly to safeguard the fundamental interests of the emperor. Moreover, loyalty is more to the concept of what the emperor stood for rather than the actual person.

Loyalty is also a reciprocal relationship, where the emperor should treat officials with propriety, and then he would be repaid with loyalty. However, the officials are not required to give him loyalty if he does not. Note: the concept of absolute loyalty developed in the 1600s to 1800s, but was declared madness during modernization.

When Kaos states to Shuten that he is loyal but can choose who to be loyal to, he brings up this concept of reciprocal loyalty and flareback to loyalty. Shuten should be more devoted to the ideal rather than the individual. In that case, what was promised to Shuten and what Shuten gave his loyalty to was different than what was presented in the show.

The kanji shows the radicals for middle over the heart, which implies finding peace or calmness in one's heart to know the truth.

## Powers

The Oni yoroi is considered the strongest of the nine armors, surpassing even Kongo in terms of brute strength.

## Weapon - Kasuri-gama

This sickle and chain weapon can be used in multiple ways. The kama (sickle) is a long blade. The kusari (chain) is used to bind enemies. The fundo (weight on the other end) is a ball with four spikes. When being used to call upon the armor's attack, the chain secures itself into something or digs deep into the ground before unleashing multiple chains to bind whatever enemies are nearby.

## Sources

1. ↑ Jinbaori is a type of surcoat worn by high-ranking samurai over their armor not only for protection against the elements, but also as a highly visible display of their status and their mon (family crest). Jinbaori are derived from a jacket known as a dofuku, which was worn by important samurai beginning in the late sixteenth century and often incorporated fabrics imported from China or Europe. Beginning in the early seventeenth century, dofuku developed into two types: a short coat with sleeves called ahaori, and the sleeveless jinbaori. Jinbaori have broad lapels, to display the rich fabric of the lining, and a single slit up the back to make for much freer movement.

https://shop.samurai-armor.com/product/jinbaori-surcoat/
2. ↑ The Sequence of Loyalty and Filial Piety and Its Ideological Origins in the Traditional Ethical Culture of China and Japan, Weiyu Yang https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/eip/article/download/19980/19641. Ethics in Progress (ISSN 2084-9257). Vol. 10 (2019). No. 2, Art. #13, pp. 155-164. DOI:10.14746/eip.2019.2.13.