Kubo and the Two Strings/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


WARNING! There are unmarked SPOILERS ahead. Beware.

Heroes

Kubo

Caption

Voiced By: Art Parkinson

Kubo is the samurai hero and the Sun Village's friendly neighborhood magic bard.

Tropes exhibited by Kubo include:


Beetle

Caption

Voiced by: Matthew McConaughey

Beetle is a lone wandering Ronin stag beetle, who lived in the Ice Fields.

Tropes exhibited by Beetle include:
  • Amnesiac Lover: He's actually Hanzo, but with his memory wiped thanks to the Moon King. He and Monkey/Sariatu didn't find this out until the end, though they still have an attraction to each other.
  • A Father to His Men: Hanzo was describe has having such charismatic, that he's this.
  • The Archer
  • Bad Liar: Both he and Kubo touch the rock formation which looks like a skull, Beetle breaks a piece of it, and proceeds to blame Kubo for it...Even though that piece is in his hand!
  • Baleful Polymorph: How Hanzo became Beetle, partially human and mostly stag beetle.
  • Beware the Silly Ones: Don't be fooled by Beetle's ditzy Cloudcuckoolander demeanor, he's a formidable archer and swordsman.
  • Big Creepy-Crawlies: An exceedingly rare good type.
  • Boisterous Bruiser
  • Curse
  • Dual-Wielding: In the fortress battle, he was shown using two swords.
  • Disability Immunity: Since Beetle has no memories whatsoever about his past, the Long Lake monster can't put him in a trance.
  • Interspecies Friendship: With both Kubo and Monkey.
  • Interspecies Romance: His feelings towards Monkey evolved into this later on.Turns out that he's the missing Hanzo and Sariatu/Monkey's husband.
  • I Will Definitely Protect You: Beetle says something along these lines, when he found out that Kubo is the son of his Master and the kid wears the robes of Hanzo's army.
  • The Ego
  • Ground-Shattering Landing: When flying out of the Hall of Bones, Beetle's landing is this. A bit worst, since he's carrying both Monkey and Kubo.
  • Mood Whiplash: Beetle returning to the leaf boat and with the fish Kubo shot earlier is this. Since Monkey is currently busy fighting off the Twins.
  • Quest for Identity: Beetle was trying to piece his identity for all these years, even collecting samurai stuff as clues.
  • Plucky Comic Relief: Beetle wears this trope with pride.
  • Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Beetle does this to Washi, the force sends her crashing into wall.
  • Ronin: Because he was cursed.
  • The Swordmaster: Hanzo was mentioned that he has such amazing kenjutsu skills, enough to match Satiaru.
  • Walking Spoiler: His true identity is Hanzo.

Monkey

Caption

Voiced by Charlize Theron

Monkey used to be a lucky charm.

Tropes exhibited by Monkey include:


Little Hanzo

Caption

Little Hanzo is an overly complicatedly origami figure that preforms.

Tropes exhibited by Little Hanzo include:
  • Animate Inanimate Object
  • Baleful Polymorph: Sorta. Washi uses him as part of a demonstration of a spell that the Moon Society did on the human Hanzo, folding until he becomes a beetle. But this kills the paper figure.
  • Cliff Hanger: In the little story show, Little Hanzo was about to fight his arch foe the Little Moon King. When Kubo stop telling what happens next.
  • Dying Clue: Before Little Hanzo writters away, he somehow points Kubo in the correct direction of the helmet.
  • Plucky Comic Relief: Little Hanzo's size and serious mannerism, though serious, make me a funny relief character besides Beetle whom he was made in the image of
  • Silent Snarker: Little Hanzo manages to get some jabs in.
  • Shoo Out the Clowns: Little Hanzo's role, when he's not being a compass, is the funniest out of the four and was killed in the climax.
  • The Speechless
  • Expy: Little Hanzo acts similarly to Gyro's Bulb/Little Helper.

Moon Society Characters

Here are some of the heavenly, rigid, and cold residents of the Moon Society.

Moon King/Raiden

Caption

Voiced By: Ralph Fiennes

Raiden, the Moon King, presides over his lunar kingdom and wants to be a family again.

Tropes exhibited by The Moon King include:
  • The Ageless
  • Brought Down to Normal
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom
  • Icy Blue Eyes
  • Laser Guided Amnesia: In his own words, "lost his story" after being defeated by Kubo and the Sun Villagers. The latter convinced Raiden that he's model citizen #1.
  • Faux Affably Evil: When he first speaks with Kubo, Raiden acts like the granddad Kubo never had. But their second conversation, well, his veneer keeps slipping which shows his inner selfishness and cruelty. At the climax he drops everything and while fighting tortures Kubo.
  • Mismatched Eyes: This occurs after Raiden's bought down to normal. One eye is brown and the other is icy, blue-ish grey.
  • Mortality Ensues
  • Offing the Offspring: Attempts to do this after Sariatu eloped with Hanzo. Went full force during the Curb Stop Battle with his grandson.
  • The Omniscient: Raiden, despite being blind, can see everything under the moon. When he notices Kubo out that ONE night, he despatches the twins, Karasu and Washi, to the gravesite in seconds.
  • One-Winged Angel: Raiden's Moon Beast form.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: By the end of the film, Raiden lost all three of his daughters. He outlived them all.
  • Parental Marriage Veto: It's because that Hanzo is a mortal, it's to the point that he believes that the samurai stole his eldest daughter.
  • Power Glows: Comes with being a Divine Ruler of the Heavens and Night.
  • Puny Earthlings: Sees humans as such, even calling us "bugs."
  • Sadly Mythtaken: The Moon King's name is "Radien" officially. Though in Japanese Mythology, Raiden is the god of lightning and storms, who is carefree. Though the Moon King seems to be closer to Tsukuyomi, who's the actual god of the Moon; even the characterization is closer, as a arrogrant douchebag.
  • Won't Work On Me: Kubo just holds the Sword Unbreakable out at the Moon King, who proceeds to walk into it without getting injured or slowed down. Even pushing the sword and Kubo's whole body.
  • Would Hurt a Child: He ripped out his own grandson's eye when said kid was a baby. To top it all off, he wants to take Kubo's remaining eye, so they'll be together in the Heavens as immortal and as a family.


The Sisters/Kubo's Aunts

Caption

Voiced By: Rooney Mara

The Twins are Kubo's aunts and are hunting him down.

Tropes exhibited by the Sisters/Kubo's Aunts include:
  • Action girls
  • Always Identical Twins: Insanely so.
  • The Ageless
  • Big Sister Worship: The twins used to admire their big sister, Satiaru.
  • Cape Wings: When the Twins are flying/teleporting, their capes are seen as feathery and bird-like.
  • Creepy Twins: Up to Eleven
  • Daddy's Little Villain: Their relationship with the Moon King is this.
  • Dual-Wielding: Washi does this.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: Both twins are hurt by Satiaru leaving and see her living with mortals (Even marrying one) as this.
  • Evil Aunts Kubo is their nephew yet they're hunting him down on their own father's behalf, just for Eye Scream reasons.
  • The Evil Princess: The Twins are this, since they're the Moon King's daughters, and very evil.
  • The Faceless: Though we don't see what WAshi and Karasu look like unmasked, only the lower half of one of them after Kubo destroys it. Considering their appearances with the masks on, we probably don't want to see.
  • Flight: The twins have this ability.
  • Good Smoking Evil Smoking: Washi uses a magic pipe that has a fire demon which creates moving miasma that obeys her will. As long as her pipe is intact.
  • The Heavy: The Sisters do the legwork of hero hunting. The Moon King didn't confront Kubo, until both of Kubo's parents are dead.
  • Hero-Killer: Both are incredibly powerful and gives Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle a run for their money. Together the Twins can take on their sister and destroy a whole village, even separately they can still pose a challenge. Monkey barely succeeds in killing Karasu, ending up gravely injured while doing so. Near the end, Washi manages to kill both Beetle and Monkey on her own.
  • Immortal Assassin
  • Improbable Weapon User: Karasu uses this in spades.
  • Katanas Are Just Better: According to Washi, they are.
  • Knight of Cerebus: Whenever Karasu and Washi shows up, anything lighthearted and humorous immediately leaves. Washi gets triple bonus points for shooing out all three of the clowns at once.
  • Master Swordswoman: Washi displays such mastery to be able to wield two katanas.
  • Meaningful Name: Karasu and Washi means "Crow" and "Eagle."
  • Ominous Opera Cape: This is combine with Fluffy Fashion Feathers and Badass Cape.
  • Sibling Team: The rare evil variety. Though they hate being the dynamic duo, since they used to be three, when Satiaru was with them.
  • Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Both of the twins.
  • Perpetual Molt: Whenever Kubo's Aunts land, feathers can be seen coming off occasionally.
  • Sibling Team: The twins make such a good team, according to Monkey relating her backstory, it was just the three of them kicking butt together.
  • Sinister Scythe: Karasu's weapon of choice. They're two small scythes attach to the end of a chain.
  • Speak in Unison: At times, the Twins speak and work together around the same time.
  • The Un-Reveal: Their faces are not shown. When Kubo battles one of them at Hanzo's fortress, her partially broken mask reveals only her mouth.
  • White Mask of Doom: Both wear Porcelain Noh masks.
  • Would Hurt A Child: Considering that they stole one of Kubo's eyes when he was a baby, they don't mind doing more bodily harm on him.

Minor Characters

These are some of the residents of the Sun Village, who are full of warmth and joy.

Hashi

"Kubo, I'm your biggest fan."

Voiced By: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

He's one of the Sun Village locals, a samurai in training (and probably the local cop), and lastly, but not least, Kubo's biggest fan.

Tropes exhibited by Hashi include:

Hosato

"Oh, my!"

Voiced By: George Takei

Hosato is one of the local villagers and he cares about his daughter.

Tropes exhibited by Hosato include:

Kameyo

Caption

Voiced By: Brenda Vaccaro

Kameyo is Kubo's sponsor, the grandma figure, all round fun guy, and knows how to balance things.

Tropes exhibited by Kameyo include:
  • Big Fun: A gender flip version though, she's young at heart, and likes to suggest stuff to Kubo for his performances and recommends activities to him.
  • Brown Eyes
  • Fun Personified: She was also this to Kubo, being full of fun and light, and likes to suggests the origami chicken yokai.
  • Granny Classic: Kameyo comes across as this as well.
  • Grandparental Substitute: She this to Kubo, to the point that she makes sure that the kid doesn't grow up too fast.
  • The Sponsor
  • Widow Woman: Prior to the film's events, Kameyo lost her husband. The nameless dude has a brief cameo at the end, standing/ghosting beside her for the final showdown.

Mari

Caption

Voiced By: Meyrick Murphy

Mari is Hosato's daughter.

Tropes exhibited by Mari include:
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Kubo_and_the_Two_Strings/Characters?oldid=2037279"