Orochi: Difference between revisions

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The Yamata no Orochi is a eight-headed and eight-tailed serpentine monster in [[Japanese Mythology]], similar in appearance to the [[Classical Mythology|Lernaean Hydra]] but with one less (or alternately, one ''more'') head. According to Shinto legend, the Orochi was defeated by the storm god Susano-o, who answered a request for aid by two earthly deities who were forced by the Orochi to hand over one of their daughters every year to be devoured by the beast, and were now down to their eighth and last one, Princess Kushinada. Just to distinguish the tale from Western dragon slaying myths, Susano-o first [[Attractive Bent Gender|lured]] the Orochi out by [[Wholesome Crossdresser|disguising himself as Kushinada]], and then killed it by setting out a bowl of strong sake for each head, letting it drink itself into a stupor, ''then'' lopping them off. Inside Orochi's body Susano-o found the sword [[Named Weapons|''Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi'']] ([~~http~~:~~//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/~~Kusanagi "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven"]) that was later re-named "Kusanagi" ("Grass Cutter"), and is one of Japan's Three Sacred Treasures.

The Yamata no Orochi is a eight-headed and eight-tailed serpentine monster in [[Japanese Mythology]], similar in appearance to the [[Classical Mythology|Lernaean Hydra]] but with one less (or alternately, one ''more'') head. According to Shinto legend, the Orochi was defeated by the storm god Susano-o, who answered a request for aid by two earthly deities who were forced by the Orochi to hand over one of their daughters every year to be devoured by the beast, and were now down to their eighth and last one, Princess Kushinada. Just to distinguish the tale from Western dragon slaying myths, Susano-o first [[Attractive Bent Gender|lured]] the Orochi out by [[Wholesome Crossdresser|disguising himself as Kushinada]], and then killed it by setting out a bowl of strong sake for each head, letting it drink itself into a stupor, ''then'' lopping them off. Inside Orochi's body Susano-o found the sword [[Named Weapons|''Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi'']] ([[wikipedia:Kusanagi|"Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven"]]) that was later re-named "Kusanagi" ("Grass Cutter"), and is one of Japan's Three Sacred Treasures.

According to a wide assortment of [[Anime]] and video game series, the Orochi is alive and well and at large in present-day Japan. Sometimes it's literally Orochi, or anything from a [[Monster of the Week]] to a [[Big Bad]] with snake-themed powers. The trope holds pretty strong and is different than simply being associated with snakes; if your story has a [[Crystal Dragon Jesus]], Orochi will be its [[Satan|Devil]].

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== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* ''[[Ranma One Half|Ranma 1/2]]'' had one that shared a personality almost identical to its mythological counterpart; when it stirred itself, it did little more than just wanting to eat women and drink booze. However, it appeared to have only seven heads. {{spoiler|Turns out the eighth is in back - it's ''the size of a small mountain,'' with the seven smaller (though still huge) dragon heads and necks sprouting from the back of the main head's skull. Kind of like a dragon version of a [[Dungeons and Dragons (Tabletop Game)|Beholder]].}} This Orochi had magical moss growing on its main head that was a powerful curative- even drinking water that had flowed past the moss could sustain a person's life, as well as making animals grow to [[Attack of the Fifty Foot Whatever|unnatural sizes]]. Notably, the male characters also had to dress in drag in order to lure it out (while Akane disguised herself as a boy to avoid it.) Unfortunately, they all looked so hideous the Orochi wasn't fooled.

** Another spiritual example/reference is Happosai, a [[The Alcoholic|sake-swilling]] [[Dirty Old Man]] who ''goes into withdrawal'' if he is unable to sate his perversion and perhaps ''the'' most powerful martial artist in the series. In his [[Backstory]], he was only beaten when his students left out enough sake for him to drink himself into a stupor, after which they sealed him in a cave with a bundle of dynamite by means of a [[Shimenawa]]-adorned boulder. He of course returns to bug Ranma, and finds himself thwarted time and time again by his intended victim - a [[Hot Blooded]] "[[Testosterone Poisoning|Manly Man]]" acting as a perfect Susanoo figure, complete with an [[Attractive Bent Gender]] curse that Happosai always falls for.

** Another spiritual example/reference is Happosai, a [[The Alcoholic|sake-swilling]] [[Dirty Old Man]] who ''goes into withdrawal'' if he is unable to sate his perversion and perhaps ''the'' most powerful martial artist in the series. In his [[Backstory]], he was only beaten when his students left out enough sake for him to drink himself into a stupor, after which they sealed him in a cave with a bundle of dynamite by means of a [[Shimenawa]]-adorned boulder. He of course returns to bug Ranma, and finds himself thwarted time and time again by his intended victim - a [[Hot-Blooded]] "[[Testosterone Poisoning|Manly Man]]" acting as a perfect Susanoo figure, complete with an [[Attractive Bent Gender]] curse that Happosai always falls for.

* ''[[Blue Seed]]''. Unless you read the subtitles, which tend to mistranslate it as [[Department of Redundancy Department|"Orochi no Orochi"]].

* ''[[Kannazuki no Miko]]''

* One of the [[Big Bad|main villains]] of ''[[Naruto]]'' is Orochimaru, a rogue ninja with the ability to summon snakes (And oddly, the Kusanagi sword.) In this case, he's actually based on the character of the same name from the folktale ''Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari'' (As are Jiraiya and Tsunade, of course). However, since the original Orochimaru was likely named after the Orochi, we'll keep him here.

** Also, later on, Orochimaru briefly displays the ability to turn ''into'' one with a technique called Yamata no Jutsu. Shortly afterward, {{spoiler|he is killed by Itachi using a technique named Susanoo in a pseudo - [[Shout Out]] / [[Mythology Gag]]. The sword wielded by Susanoo is even made of sake.}}

** Also, later on, Orochimaru briefly displays the ability to turn ''into'' one with a technique called Yamata no Jutsu. Shortly afterward, {{spoiler|he is killed by Itachi using a technique named Susanoo in a pseudo - [[Shout-Out]] / [[Mythology Gag]]. The sword wielded by Susanoo is even made of sake.}}

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' (Yamata Dragon, one of Noah's monster cards in the Virtual World Arc.)

* ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'' has Orochimon, whose heads are ''armored,'' and each somewhat different. ''They grow back'' after being damaged by most attacks, too.

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* ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' (specifically, the '''95'' to '''97'' [[Arc]]) has the literal Orochi. {{spoiler|He's technically [[No Biological Sex|sexless]] but is referred to as a "he" due to plot developments and for convience's sake.}} In this series, he's a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|fanatical servant]] of [[Anthropomorphic Personification|Gaia]] who believes that [[Humans Are Bastards]] and [[Lawful Stupid|considers the very beings that Gaia made a threat]]. Similarly to the myth, he is defeated by the Kusanagi, Yasakani, and Yata clans, who sealed him away. Unfortunately his influence spread to the Yasakani and they [[Deal With the Devil|made a contract with him to gain power]]. This caused a [[Kill'Em All|civil war]] with their former allies, much to Orochi's glee. He's also got a [[Religion of Evil|cult]] of servants known as the Hakkesshu made up of a [[Not So Harmless|musical]] [[Five-Bad Band|band]], (Chris, Yashiro, Shermie) a [[Sinister Minister]], (Goenitz) two [[Sexy Secretary|sexy secretaries]], (Mature and Vice) a [[Ax Crazy|homicidal]] [[Psycho for Hire|maniac]], (Ryuji Yamazaki) and the father (Guidel) of a [[Good Looking Privates|hot soldier girl]] (Leona) who was killed by the [[Sinister Minister]] because [[Defector From Decadence|he decided to bow out on Orochi's plan]], and his plan is to gather enough energy so it can be fully revived and destroy humanity (alonside a back-up plan consisting on the ritual sacrifice of a [[Naive Everygirl]] who happens to be the reincarnation of Princess Kushinada). He doesn't make an actual appearance until '''97'', where he [[Demonic Possession|possesses]] [[Creepy Child|Chris]] to act as the [[Final Boss]] (an [[Anticlimax Boss]], given his [[SNK Boss|predecessors]]). In the end, he is defeated by the [[Rule of Three|Three]] [[Meaningful Name|Sacred]] [[Public Domain Artifact|Treasures]]. (Chizuru, Kyo and Iori) In a last-ditch effort, he tries to turn [[The Rival|Iori]] against [[The Protagonist|Kyo]] and [[Team Mom|Chizuru]] by [[Villain Override|stirring up Iori's half-Orochi blood and turning him into]] [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|Orochi Iori]]. This fails, as [[Hoist By His Own Petard|Orochi Iori ensnares Orochi long enough for Kyo to deliver the deathblow]] (under approval of the spirit of Iori's ancestors, who regret what they've done), thus letting Kushinada's incarnation Yuki escape her destiny ''and'' giving Chizuru the chance to [[Sealed Evil in A Can|seal him away again]] and prevent [[The End of the World As We Know It]]. Orochi, on his death throes, [[Humanity On Trial|decides to wait and observe humanity to see if they're truly deserving of his "judgment"]].

** Whereas the second ''KOF'' saga (The [[Nebulous Evil Organization|NESTS]] Chronicles) [[Your Mileage May Vary|had a plot that resembled a bad sci-fi movie]], the third and current saga (The Tales of [[Creator's Pet|Ash]], which started in ''2003'') seems to be sticking closer to the original Orochi Saga. Not only is there a [[Nebulous Evil Organization]] known as "Those From the Past" trying to undo the seal on Orochi {{spoiler|(and they've partially succeeded, thanks to their [[Brainwashed|hold]] over [[Barrier Maiden|Chizuru]] in ''2003'')}}, but the [[Replacement Scrappy|supposed "protagonist"]], [[Magnificent Bastard|Ash]] [[Manipulative Bastard|Crimson]], is going around with the [[Obfuscating Stupidity|facade of a weak and unassuming fighter]], only to pop up and [[Brought Down to Normal|steal the powers]] of Chizuru and Iori (as ''[[Super-Powered Evil Side|Orochi Iori]]'', no less) at the end of ''2003'' and ''XI'', leaving Kyo as the only remaining non-depowered descendant of the three clans that sealed Orochi. Of course, Ash has singled out Kyo as his final target.

*** {{spoiler|In ''XIII'', it turns out that Ash is a [[Fake Defector]] [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] [[Guile Hero]] whose actions have been one long [[Batman Gambit]] to counteract the ambitions of his [[Time Travel|time traveling]] [[Identical Grandson|identical]] [[Uncanny Family Resemblance|ancestor]] Saiki, the leader of Those From the Past. In an unforeseen [[Heroic Sacrifice]], Ash traps Saiki within his body and stays in the future, creating a [[Temporal Paradox]]: as Saiki is stuck in the present, [[Ret Gone|Ash will be erased from history]], [[Taking You With Me|with Saiki in tow]]. This causes a ''massive'' [[Cosmic Retcon]], which reverts everything back to the way it was before ''2003''. End of story? Orochi's still sealed away.}}

*** {{spoiler|In ''XIII'', it turns out that Ash is a [[Fake Defector]] [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] [[Guile Hero]] whose actions have been one long [[Batman Gambit]] to counteract the ambitions of his [[Time Travel|time traveling]] [[Identical Grandson|identical]] [[Uncanny Family Resemblance|ancestor]] Saiki, the leader of Those From the Past. In an unforeseen [[Heroic Sacrifice]], Ash traps Saiki within his body and stays in the future, creating a [[Temporal Paradox]]: as Saiki is stuck in the present, [[Ret-Gone|Ash will be erased from history]], [[Taking You With Me|with Saiki in tow]]. This causes a ''massive'' [[Cosmic Retcon]], which reverts everything back to the way it was before ''2003''. End of story? Orochi's still sealed away.}}

* ''[[Okami]]'' takes this trope even further by retelling the original legend, featuring the characters [[Fake Ultimate Hero|Susano]] (who deals the final blow to the monster) and Kushi (the woman who was to be sacrificed to it). It is a long, two-phase battle that involves force-feeding Orochi the legendary sake, then taking out its heads one by one, before Susano jumps in to deal the final blow. The player even receives their first sword/glaive as a prize from the battle, although it's not the Kusanagi blade. You get that from a different boss entirely.

** When the same battle reoccurs in the past, Nagi is even dressed up in Nami's sacrificial robes.

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[[Category:Useful Notes/Japan]]

[[Category:Orochi]]

[[Category:Trope]]