Sly Cooper Fan-Character: Hachiko Kinirokage

ARTIST'S NOTE: I flagged this as "Mature Content" because Hachiko's hips were left bare by her hakama. On the whole, though, I don't think it's that racy or suggestive, but it's still worth keeping in mind. I also adjusted the coverage of her trousers so they were less revealing, so there's that, too.

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Name: Hachiko Kin’irokage

Species: Suzumebachi (Japanese giant hornet)

Nationality: Japanese.

Likes: Traditional Shamisen music, green tea, the perfect assassination.

Dislikes: Rainy days, betrayal, those who threaten or insult her clan.

Unique Features: Despite her rather elegant features, the lower half of Hachiko’s jaw possesses a sinister secret—it can split open at the middle, revealing a set of freakish mandibles and allowing her to spit a stream of venomous acid.* Other features include a trio of smaller compound eyes set into her forehead—pitch-black like her regular eyes; but rumored to be capable of seeing in other spectrums. Finally, the stinger on her “abdominal skirt” contains a potent venom—while not necessarily lethal, the poison inflicts direct stimulation to the body’s pain centers, leaving a victim writhing in terrible agony.

Appearance:

Lithe and shapely—as much as you can expect from an anthromorphized hornet, anyway. Her firm, powerful legs end in insectoid “spurs” instead of feet and toes. Her torso is mostly humanoid, save for its jet-black hue and the wasp-wings that emerge from her back…and the yellow-and-black-striped “stinger abdomen” that covers her posterior, almost akin to a tail. Her arms are likewise humanoid, except for their chitin-like skin and the way her fingers end in slender-yet-deadly “claws.” Her limbs and face are a deep golden-yellow, contrasting her dark waist and bust. Finally, her features are almost humanoid (akin to the Contessa’s), except that her eyes are pure midnight black. A wedge of golden hair frames her face, and her lips are painted pitch black.

Hachiko’s attire includes a traditional ninja dougi (uniform), with baggy trousers slit open around the hips; a gi vest that’s been modified to expose her wings, and sleek gauntlets and boots to protect her shins and forearms. Finally, she wears a ninja’s armored headband, which bears a bug-eyes motif.

Personality:

Mysterious and aloof, this female ninja master is as reclusive as the rest of her clan, preferring the rural mountaintops to the noisy clamor of big cities like Tokyo. On those few occasions when she actually speaks, she tends to be brusque, unyielding, and straight to the point. On some occasions, however, Hachiko speaks with greater eloquence, hinting at an artistic soul behind her expressionless golden visage. Though she rarely shows it to outsiders, she cares very deeply for her clan, and her sole desire is to help it survive in this modern era.

But heaven help you if you become her enemy—not just a target, but someone who has committed some sort of personal offense against the Kin’irokage clan. If so, then expect to see just how cruel and vicious a hostile suzumebachi can be. Her sadism towards those she deems enemy or prey is limited only by her need for professionalism; as she will usually place the mission before any personal grudges. Push her far enough, however, and that vicious streak will emerge, usually with fatal results.

Fighting Style/Weapons:

Hachiko’s fighting style is elegant and graceful both on land and air, she incorporates the use of her wings to glide across the ground like fluid lightning, or to attack from the air at unexpected angles. Her weapons of choice are a pair of reinforced Sai daggers, their sharpened prongs treated with a mild toxin that burns any wounds they create. In addition, her stinger is dangerously agile, capable of swooping between her thighs to stab a target in front of her. And that’s not counting her arsenal of ninja tools—smoke bombs, dart-style shurikens, and the like. However, one of her most sinister abilities is her purported use of Ninja magic—by focusing her Chi, Hachiko can cast a summoning spell that conjures a vast swarm of hornets, driven to sting anything in their path to death.

Bio:

The Kin’irokage—or “Golden Shadow—ninja clan had existed since the days of feudal Japan, lurking in the shadows of the most remote regions of the land of the Rising Sun. Despite their reclusive nature, they established a reputation as one of the most deadly and ruthless clans of ninja, so talented in the art of espionage and assassination that they were often sought after by the most powerful warlords and daimyos. However, the Kin’irokage clan also followed an obscure and complicated code known only to themselves—they never helped one warlord in particular gain permanent power, instead preferring to maintain an overall balance between the major players. Their motivations for doing so remain a debated topic to this day—some believe that the Kin’irokage sought to maintain order in Japan in their own way; while more pessimistic minds claim that the wasp-like ninjas merely wished to ensure a continued demand for their services.

Though their overall agenda was a mystery, the Kin’irokage’s habit for wreaking brutal retribution upon anyone who crossed them wasn’t. This vicious streak gave the clan a particularly morbid reputation, making them as feared as they were respected.

With the passage of time, the Kin’irokage faded into the mists of obscurity along with all the other major ninja clans. However, like the rest of ninja-kind, they never truly died out—rumor in the Japanese criminal underworld suggests that this wasp-themed clan of assassins is still in operation, and that they offer their services to those who can meet their peculiar mixture of price and intrigue.

All overseen by their shadowy master, Hachiko Kin’irokage. Those who have met her and survived speak of her in whispers, describing her as elegant, beautiful, and completely deadly. She is an artist, and the way of the ninja is her canvas and paintbrush. She operates by her own complex code, but if you can earn her respect, you will gain much from it…but if you become her enemy, be prepared for a vicious and ruthless assault. She is patient and cunning, capable of waiting for months for the ideal moment to strike…and once she has declared her target, almost nothing can dissuade her or her clan.

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*Fun Fact: That’s an actual ability of real-life Japanese hornets. I’m not making it up. Mother Nature's facts can be stranger than fiction, sometimes.

ARTIST'S NOTE: Once again, my thanks go out to ~Night-Shade X for his help in coming up with Hachiko's final appearance--the original concept and rough design is mine, but his superior sketching skills inspired her more insectile legs and the extra arms crossed across her chest. Thanks for the help, buddy!

Another fun fact: Originally, Hachiko was supposed to be armed with a pair of katanas with tonfa-style hilts. However, after playing Metal Gear Rising, Revengeance, I was reminded that Sais could be pretty cool weapons--not only can they parry, disarm, or even break the opponent's weapon in the hand of a skilled wielder, but their stabbing offense would echo Hachiko's natural stinger rather nicely. Hence did Hachiko get a pair of Sai.