Kotaro

## Description

**Kotaro** (小太郎) is a child-like simpleton with the duty to overwatch the Children of the Rejuvenating Waters.

Feeling abandoned, he's looking for a "pure white flower" to reach the kids he was enthrusted with protecting and, once found, will ask Wolf to spirit-him away to join them in the Halls of Illusion.

Sekiro can lean on his loneliness to either send him to Anayama or Doujun.

If he starts working for the former, he'll die once the Central Forces invade Ashina Outskirts.

If he ends up in the hands of the latter, he'll lose his mind due to the experiments conducted on him and turn hostile.

## Location

* Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo: first met sitting under a tree to the right after leaving the building with the Sculptor's Idol.
* Main Hall: relocates in the Halls of Illusion, if spirited away with the Divine Abduction after he receives the White Pinwheel.
* Outskirts Wall - Stairway: by Anayama's side, if sent to him after Kotaro receives the Red and White Pinwheel.
	+ Found dead beyond the gate behind Anayama, after the Divine Dragon is defeated.
* Abandoned Dungeon Entrance: in the cell behind Doujun, if sent to him after Wolf agrees to work for the surgeon and Kotaro receives the Red and White Pinwheel.
	+ Moves to the island with three Ashina Soldiers just past the Underground Waterway, after Doujun is given the Red Carp Eyes.

## Progression #1 (Pure White Flower)

### Senpou Temple (Shugendo)

Descend the cliff with the Red and White Pinwheel, just before the Armored Warrior, grab onto the branch at the bottom and grab the ledge to reach a wall that requires a series of consecutive jumps to be climbed: on top the White Pinwheel will be found.

### Sunken Valley (Gun Fort)

Defeat Long-arm Centipede Giraffe to become able to grab the Large Fan on the Buddha statue.

### Ashina Outskirts (Dilapidated Temple)

Talk with the Sculptor to convert the Large Fan into the Divine Abduction.

### Senpou Temple (Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo)

Speak to Kotaro to give him the White Pinwheel and then use the Divine Abduction to spirit him away at his request.

### Senpou Temple (Main Hall)

After questioning Isshin about the Mortal Blade, interact with the Illusive Hall Bell to reach the Halls of Illusion and talk with Kotaro there to receive Taro Persimmon.

## Progression #2 (Anayama the Peddler)

### Senpou Temple (Shugendo)

Retrieve the Red and White Pinwheel from the cliff just before the Armored Warrior.

### Ashina Outskirts (Outskirts Wall - Stairway)

Progress through Anayama's questline by paying him 10 10 and then reporting the Samurai's need for salt to him, until he'll ask Wolf to find him a strong man who can help him pillage the corpses on the battlefields.

### Senpou Temple (Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo)

Speak to Kotaro to give him the Red and White Pinwheel and "**tell him about Anayama the Peddler**".

### Ashina Outskirts (Outskirts Wall - Stairway)

Visiting Anayama now, he'll have new items available in his stock.

After defeating the Divine Dragon, Kotaro will be found dead and Anayama will offer Sekiro his Promissory Note, his last piece of product that discounts the price of all the items sold by merchants.

## Progression #3 (Doujun)

### Ashina Castle (Abandoned Dungeon Entrance)

Speak to Doujun and reveal Wolf's identity to have him give the Surgeon's Bloody Letter to the shinobi.

### Senpou Temple (Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo)

Speak to Kotaro to give him the Red and White Pinwheel and "**lure him to the Abandoned Dungeon**".

### Ashina Castle (Abandoned Dungeon Entrance)

Talk with Doujun again to receive Lump of Fat Wax [x3] and reload the area to also receive the Surgeon's Stained Letter.

### Ashina Depths (Water Mill)

Defeat the Corrupted Monk to obtain the Mibu Breathing Technique, which allows Wolf to dive underwater.

### Ashina Depths (Mibu Village)

Dive into the pond and kill the Red-Eyed Carp for its eyes.

### Ashina Castle (Abandoned Dungeon Entrance)

Give the Red Carp Eyes to Doujun to receive Lump of Grave Wax [x2] and reload the area.

### Abandoned Dungeon (Underground Waterway)

Swim to the first island where three Ashina Soldiers used to be to confront an hostile Red-Eyed Kotaro: killing him here awards Sekiro with an unique Red Lump.

## Behavior and Tactics

* **Perilous Grab**:: holds the bell up high and attempts to capture Wolf four times, with each attempt has an increasing distance. If connected, he is trapped inside the bell taking damage from heavy reverberation.
* **Bell Smash**: smashes the bell down up to four times.
* **Close Bell**: quickly spins the bell close to him.
* **Long Throw**: swings the bell forward for a long distance.
* **Raging Smash**: smashing the bell down three times, then picks it up with both hand smashing for another four times.
* **Windup**: spins the bell twice with fixed distance and swings at an arc.

Fights like a Bell-Wielding Taro Soldier and can be spirited-away with the Divine Abduction.

His Red-Eyes make him stronger and more resistant, but the fire of the Flame Vent can be used to scare him momentarily.

Consuming a Gachiin's Sugar before diving in the waters of the Abandoned Dungeon makes it possible to perform a Backstab Deathblow on him and even turn him into an ally through the Puppeteer Ninjutsu against Doujun.

* Senpou Temple
* Halls of Illusion
* Abandoned Dungeon
* Ashina Outskirts

**Wolf**: ...Kotaro?
**Kotaro**: Hm? Oh, it's you! I'm glad you made it. Look, everyone! Mr. Shinobi is here too! Ahh...! Children! Greet him properly!
**Wolf**: ........
**Kotaro**: Hm? Ah, right... You can't see them, can you?
**Wolf**: The rejuvenated children...?
 **Speaking again** | **Kotaro**: Hehehe...
 **If spirited away before receiving the White Pinwheel** | **Kotaro**: Ahhh.........

 **When killed** | **Kotaro**: Gyaaah... D-... Daddy...

 **"Take coughed up blood sample"** | **Kotaro**: (Wheezing and coughing up blood)
**Wolf**: I'm taking a blood sample.
**Kotaro**: (Wheeze... Wheeze... Cough, cough.)
**Wolf**: ... Now to bring this to Lady Emma.

## Notes

* The Taro Persimmon is **NOT** necessary for the Dragon's Return ending, any Persimmon will advance the Divine Child's questline.
* Can't contract Dragonrot, if sent to the Halls of Illusion or lured in the Abandoned Dungeon.
* If Kotaro is spirited away via Divine Abduction to the Halls of Illusion before he receives the White Pinwheel, he won't give Wolf any reward.

## Trivia

* His name 小太郎 literally means "small Taro", with 太郎 being a common Japanese male name. In the game, it is the name of a group of soldiers.
* If his surrounding are attacked while Kotaro is in the Halls of Illusion, the kusabimaru will hit a barrier, suggesting that in the end he was reunited with the Divine Children.
* If spirited away while with Anayama, he'll just re-appear by his side upon reloading the area.
* If Anayama is turned hostile, while Kotaro's with him, he'll just crawl in fear while the peddler fights off Wolf.
* Even if he's spirited-away while Red-Eyed, his lifeless body will appear on the island upon reloading the area.
* If lured to the Abandoned Dungeon, Kotaro will say that his dad too was sent there as a punishment, suggesting that the Rotting Prisoner's Note belongs to him:

"Supposedly the fragrant stone is enshrined in a village in the Ashina Depths. But how to interpet 'throw oneself'? This is as far as that old Okami tome could take me. But did they truly reach the Fountainhead Palace? I'd like to know. but it seems I never will. Kotaro... forgive me..."

* In version 1.0, he doesn't drop his unique Red Lump.

## Cut Content

 **Attacked** | **Kotaro**:
* Wah!
* Gyah!
* Stop it, please!
* What are you doing?!
* Ahh...
* Ohh...
* What are you doing?!
* You're... bad!!
* Gyaaah...
 **Giving Dragonrot Cure** | **Wolf**: Hey...
**Kotaro**: *(Wheeze... wheeze...)* It's... It's you...
**Wolf**: Drink this. It's medicine.
**Kotaro**: Sure... *(Gulp, Sigh of relief...)*
**Wolf**: Do you... feel better now?
 **After Cured** | **Kotaro**: I'm all better now thanks to the medicine you gave me. Thank you kindly.

Gallery
Reunited