Sekiro

***"As it was for the purpose of defending my Lord, the number does not matter."** -Sekiro to The Divine Heir, when asked about how many times he had died.*

**Sekiro**, also known as **Wolf**, or **Ookami**, is the eponymous protagonist of *Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice*. He is a Shinobi serving the Divine Heir, Kuro. Bound by honour, he is composed and reticent, but also has the ruthlessness to complete his mission by any means necessary.

Sekiro has already lost his life to the Ashina clan leader Genichiro Ashina in the prologue, losing the young lord he was charged with protecting and his left arm. Later, he was given a prosthetic arm (Which was originally created by Dogen.) by the Sculptor at the Dilapidated Temple,

## History

 Some two decades before the game's main event, Sekiro was found by Owl in the calmed battlefield, seemingly orphaned from Isshin Ashina's coup and reclamation of his clan's homeland. Owl dubbed him "Wolf" and took the boy in as a foster son while having him trained (with the help of several co-mentors such as Lady Butterfly) to become a Shinobi. Owl indoctrinated Sekiro with the Iron Code, which bids that "**Father is Absolute, and a master comes close second."**

Sekiro was at one time, appointed as Shinobi of the Divine Heir, which bound him to a lifetime duty of protecting his young lord. This responsibility took Sekiro under difficult times when Hirata Estate fell under a very timely attack by a bandit group under Juzou the Drunkard which unbeknownst to many, had the backing of Interior Ministry's agents and Sekiro's own traitorous father. The exact thing that transpired that night is unknown since Sekiro's memory of the event itself was gone from him, but it can be accepted that Sekiro was fooled by his foster father to think that he's about to pass away from wounds and was tasked with a "dying wish" to retrieve the Divine Heir, Kuro, from the hidden shrine beneath Hirata Estate's main building. For whatever reason, Sekiro was antagonistically greeted by Lady Butterfly, who does not seem to be content with Sekiro getting away with Kuro, and was forced to kill his former mentor. Victorious, Sekiro was somehow stabbed from the behind by a large Odachi and he fell to a near-death state. It was at this time, Kuro gave him his oath-bound immortality, allowing Sekiro to survive the harrowing event.

With no recollection of that night, Sekiro was left with no purpose to live. He was branded a rogue by the Ashina military, possibly due to accusations of betrayal involving Hirata's destruction that wasn't his doing. For an unknown amount of time, Sekiro spent his time in a well not far from Ashina Reservoir, wasting his life away in solitude. The soldiers and guards who came to know his presence went as far as to tolerate him, believing he lost his will to live. Yet, a letter from a tenant of Ashina Castle made its way into the well one day, informing Sekiro that his master is alive and need saving, from which point the game unfolds.

## Abilities

*Main article*: Combat Mechanics
*Main article*: Prosthetic Tools
*Main article*: Combat Arts
* In addition to his honed Shinobi abilities, his prosthetic grants him several other skills that can also be used in concert with his katana.
* He has the ability to resurrect due to being imparted the Dragon's Heritage
* Movement abilities include sneaking in bushes, pressing against walls, and hanging off ledges in order to perform instant take-downs.
* Has the agility necessary to jump between two walls consistently in order to get to a higher position, and is light-footed enough to not take fall damage.
* Has an immense capacity for learning new skills and ways of combat. Over the course of the game, Sekiro is able to develop styles ranging from open combat and the Ashina samurai style to shinobi techniques developed by The Owl himself.
* Has an ability known as night eye that allows Wolf to see in the dark (Activates automatically when in dark areas of the game)

## Trivia

* "Sekiro"「隻狼」is not the protagonist's actual name, but one derived from pairing 「隻」 "seki" (derived from sekiwan「隻腕」, meaning "one-armed") and 「狼」"ro" (meaning wolf). The name was created by the Tengu of Ashina, as Wolf refused to reveal his name.
* Owl is the one who found Sekiro and presumably trained him in combat and the arts of the shinobi. Sekiro thinks of The Owl as his foster father, and the Owl views Sekiro as his son. This father-son dynamic is referenced by outsiders as well, with Lady Butterfly calling Sekiro "Son of The Owl" (or Brat, for a more direct translation).
* In one of the endings of the game, Sekiro forsakes his prosthetic and takes the place of the Sculptor, beginning the cycle anew as Emma suggests he keeps the arm for another shinobi yet to come.
* Thought to be 5'8" (173 cm).

Gallery
BattlingSekiro PrayingFacing Off GenichiroSekiro sword fightWith the Mortal BladeThe Prosthetic ArmGrapple Hook in UseKusabimaruThe Night EyePraying with Illusive Hall BellAcquiring Bell DemonDispelling Bell DemonGranting Hanbei's WishSekiro as the SculptorUsing a Shinobi Wall