Onimusha
Capcom's action-adventure series blending Sengoku history with demon-slaying gameplay.
Onimusha (鬼武者; 'Oni Warrior') is a series of action-adventure video games developed and published by Capcom. It retells stories of historic figures from Japan's Sengoku period with supernatural elements, blending third-person hack-and-slash combat and puzzle gameplay. The series has sold approximately 3.6 million copies worldwide as of Capcom's official data, making it a notable but not top-ten franchise in Capcom's catalog.
- Latest main release
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword (announced at The Game Awards 2024, release date TBA)
- Total sales
- Approximately 3.6 million copies (as of Capcom's official data)
Lore & Background
The series originated in 1997 from Yoshiki Okamoto's idea to create 'Sengoku Biohazard,' a ninja version of Resident Evil set in the Sengoku period. Originally intended for the Nintendo 64's 64DD, Onimusha: Warlords began development for the original PlayStation but was moved to the PlayStation 2, with the half-finished PS1 version scrapped. The protagonist Samanosuke Akechi is modeled after and voiced by Takeshi Kaneshiro; other characters used models of Yūsaku Matsuda (Onimusha 2) and Jean Reno (Onimusha 3). Motion capture was used for character movements throughout the series.
Reader's Guide
Onimusha is significant for merging historical Japanese figures with supernatural horror and action gameplay, influencing later action-adventure titles. Its use of celebrity likenesses and motion capture was innovative for its time. The series was initially planned as a trilogy, but a fourth mainline game, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, was released in 2006, starting a new storyline after Onimusha 3 concluded the Nobunaga arc. Spin-offs include a mobile game (Shin Onimusha: Curtain Of Darkness, 2005), a browser game (Onimusha Soul, 2012), and a VR arcade entry (Onimusha VR: Shadow Team, March 2025). High-definition remasters of the first two games were released in 2018/2019 and 2025 respectively. The series' legacy is marked by its 9 million sales and its position as Capcom's tenth best-selling franchise, though it has not seen a new mainline console entry until the announced Onimusha: Way of the Sword (2026).
Did You Know?
- The series was originally conceived as 'Sengoku Biohazard,' a ninja-themed version of Resident Evil.
- Samanosuke Akechi appears in Onimusha: Warlords, Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, and Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, but not in Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny.
- A high-definition remaster of Onimusha: Warlords was released in December 2018 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with a Windows version in January 2019.
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword was announced at The Game Awards 2024, but no specific release date has been officially confirmed by Capcom.
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