Amaterasu (Ōkami)

Did You Know?

• Ōkami was originally planned to be rendered in a more photorealistic 3D style before Clover Studio chose the sumi-e style.
• The developers considered having Amaterasu change into a dolphin in water and a falcon when jumping off a cliff, but dropped these ideas.
• Amaterasu's initial designs aimed to avoid making her look like 'your pet wearing clothing'.

Concept and creation

Amaterasu was created for Ōkami. To outside observers she appears as a typical white wolf, but her true form, visible to the player and those with beliefs in Asian mythology, shows red markings and fur curlicues, along with her weapon, the Divine Retribution Reflector, based on ancient bronze mirrors. The designers initially planned a realistic style but switched to a Japanese style after drawing Amaterasu that way. Her wolf nature stems from the double meaning of Ōkami, which can mean 'great god' or 'wolf' depending on the kanji. The character is entirely fictionalized, as no wolf appears in legends about the goddess Amaterasu. She was originally intended as the protagonist of Ōkamiden, but was replaced by her offspring Chibiterasu due to visibility issues.

Appearances

According to backstory, Amaterasu originally ruled the Celestial Plains as a protector deity. With Waka, she battled the eight-headed serpent Orochi. Waka told her Orochi could only be defeated by the human Nagi, so she dragged Orochi to the human world to await Nagi's birth. Waka and the other Celestials fled into the Ark of Yamato, where all but Waka died in an ambush by Yami, the Emperor of Eternal Darkness. Each year Orochi ate a maiden from Kamiki Village. Before each festival, Amaterasu appeared as a white wolf, and villagers called her Shiranui, believing her to be Orochi's familiar. Nagi eventually fought Orochi with Shiranui's help and sealed him away, but Shiranui died from poisoned wounds and a falling rock. She was hailed as a hero, and a statue was built in her honor. After her death, her Celestial Brush powers scattered, leaving her with only Sunrise. One hundred years later, Susano, Nagi's descendant, removes the sword Tsukuyomi sealing Orochi, freeing him. Sakuya revives Amaterasu from the statue, giving her the Reflector Divine Retribution. With Issun, a loudmouth Poncle, Amaterasu sets out to revive Guardian Saplings and restore Nippon.

Reception

Amaterasu was very well received by fans and critics. In 2010, Famitsu readers voted her eighth in a poll for best video game character of all time, and in a Dengeki poll she was voted fourth as a character readers wanted to befriend. IGN's Cam Shea noted the game's playful treatment of traditional Japanese culture, giving Amaterasu a 'delightful duality' as a powerful goddess who also digs for treasure like a wolf pup. Brittany Vincent of Syfy Wire described her as 'the embodiment of grace and wisdom' while still being 'very much a hound'. GamesRadar+ observed that despite Ōkami's low sales, Amaterasu gained a dedicated following, and that her ordinary appearance to most humans fit the game's theme of finding beauty in the mundane. Louise Grann of 100 Greatest Video Game Characters compared her to 'a benevolent heroine of an epic fairy tale', noting she educated players about Shinto beliefs and rituals. Grann called Amaterasu's Divine Interventions a 'digital praxis game' and said her Celestial Brush references calligraphy's spiritual connection. Jeffrey Matulef of Eurogamer stated that playing as Amaterasu 'made you feel like an all powerful, rejuvenating goddess', and praised her speed compared to Wolf Link. He noted that casting the player as an animal circumvented the silent protagonist issue, making one-sided conversations feel natural. Her inclusion in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was also positively received.