Easy way out until you jump into NG+ missing a huge chunk of attack power and HP. Had to just hard reset because I accidentally Shura'd my first playthrough.
@@sfLionheart I guess that's another reason why it is not the 'right' path. Going for a non-shura ending may take more time and effort, but it is more rewarding in the long run.
@@sfLionheart I went for Shura, entered NG+, saw how difficult the journey to redemption will be, might as well keep Kuro's charm. It was horrible at first but after a while, you reach a whole new level of combat. 10/10 would never betray Kuro again.
Isshin is kinda one of my favourite videogame characters ever. I appreciate how despite his obsession with war and swordplay, he's utterly disgusted by people who kill without reason, and it seems like his main objective in life at this point is to stop people from going down the path of bloodlust. And the Shura ending is so perfectly twisted, because in that one Isshin is unquestionably the good guy, trying desperately to stop you from going on a murderous rampage across Japan.
Totally agree. I also love that in the other endings, when Genichiro summons Isshin to fight us, we're probably still doing the old man a favor- I can't imagine someone like him would prefer succumbing to disease over dying with his weapon in hand.
@@nickoakley8810 oh yes, he seems to be hyper-enthusiastic about getting to fight Sekiro in the other endings. Even though he was against Genichiro using the mortal blade, he kinda revels in the opportunity to return to his prime briefly to fight the one person he considers an equal. And he's also the only "enemy" in the game who outright *demands* an honourable death once he's beaten. He's an interesting dude, it seems like a lot more effort was put into giving him depth than typical Fromsoft characters. Kinda cool that he's the one who gives Sekiro the name that is the title of the entire game as well.
@@ultimateeick2910 Actually, YEAH THEY ARE SUPER SIMILAR. You went on a murder rampage in the game and the most iconic character is trying to stop you before you become a literal Demi-god/god.
jesus lover Yeah. I only noticed it on my tenth playthrough or so. It’s the attack where he does the weird dance as he periodically throws balls of fire at you.
I love how after you refuse to give Isshin your name, he just immediately starts calling you Wolf. Like, he knew who you were and who you worked for, he was just asking your name as a formality and you were just being a weirdo.
@@coolgoku810 Yeah in shura ending he argueably tries to rascue us from becoming demon what we likely will regret like just Sculptor did and in all the rest he is forced by Genichiro's wish. If he wanted to kill Sekiro he had 2 great chances for that before any endgame with having Kuro as a hostage. Sure, Kuro cannot die, but he can feel pain.
I don't think he knows who you were - when you tell him later that you are Owl's adopted son, he seems a bit surprised and finds humor in the coincidence. Most characters who don't know your improper title of "Wolf" refer to you in some way as a wolf, alluding to your appearance. The Sculptor says that your eyes are those of a wolf who has failed in his duties, while Isshin likens you to a "starving wolf". he is, however, demanding your name as a formality. he wants to know who you are before he kills you. the only reason he doesn't is because he recognizes the Shinobi Prosthetic, which once belonged to the Sculptor, someone he knew of, and may have at one point been friends with, before severing his arm.
Isn't there a description in the Demon of Hatred memory that his manifestation is that of a "failed Shura" meaning, he became a demon but not a Shura? His chance to become a "true" Shura ended the moment he arm was severed. I believe Isshin mentions also how a Shura is something that kills for no reason but for the sake of it, for the pleasure of it. The Sculptor is consumed by hatred and rage but never seems to take any enjoyment from it. That he retains enough lucidity to thank you right after killing him indicates to me likewise. I look at Shura as the ultimate manifestation of evil in the game that can only happen to you. And the fact we get barely a glimpse of what you have/are about to become with only a narrated epilogue over a black screen describing the death toll and the continued rumors of a demon lurking the land tells me that what "Shura" is is something that's left to the imagination. For the Shura ending, everyone, Emma, Isshin, Owl seeing you after being impaled with your blade and Kuro, all call or cry out at you as "Shura!" very specifically. The Sculptor is a "mere" wrathful demon, one that has consumed him, a form which he cannot cease though we see the signs he does not want this (besides his last dying lines there's also stunning him using the Malcontent whistle on him). Shura has no remorse, purpose or feeling besides the desire to kill in cold blood, as many as possible, with the greatest means possible (you kill Owl and take the second Mortal Blade with you making you practically unstoppable). Shura is so terrible we're never meant to see or encounter it in its true incarnation, and the only character who can become one is you, should you choose to abandon your one purpose, the only thing that gave your incessant killings throughout the game any sort of meaning or reason, which is to serve and protect Kuro at all costs. Without that you're just another psychopathic killer and a perfect vessel for Shura.
Vergil it’ll likely be a new game after Elden. Can’t see a reason for making a dlc. But making Sekiro 2 for the PlayStation 5 as a system seller. Now that’s business and opportunity right there.
Sekiro, Emma and Genichiro are literally protagonists in anime with similar back ground (all “cubs” found in battlefields) they each went on different paths and have their fate intertwined and the ending to each story depended on how you play the game.
i love this ending to bits the complete betrayal in kuros voice is heartbreaking, especially for the things you've done for each other. love this game to pieces
I think you got one thing wrong here Vaati: In the Shura ending we do not kill for power like owl. When we kill Emma the short sequence we see of Sekiro shows us that after killing her he is smiling, something we never see him do before. That's when he starts to enjoy killing for the sake of it. It is also the same reason that owl is so surprised that you kill him and then afraid when he realizes you are becoming shura. Killing for power is not necessarily connected to hatred. As a matter of fact we do not know if owl regrets his deeds or if his lust for power outweighs his conscience and if you think about it, Isshin is not much different except for the fact that he kills for the power of his clan as a whole. In the end, by denying Sekiro a name or personality and giving him nothing but the ability to kill and the iron code to follow, owl created the perfect vessel for Shura. When he then revealed the iron code to be nothing but a tool to manipulate Sekiro and tried to use it to make him go against the divine heir (something that in itself contradicts the code) Sekiro takes comfort in the only thing he truly has - an unparalleled ability to kill. In the absence of a name or a sense of self Sekiro starts to construct these around this singular reason for his existence, literally becoming Shura in name and being. Unrelated: Why not do a Shura art competition? Artists would have to send in their versions of Sekiro after his transformation into Shura is complete and explain a bit about what he does and how he fights.
I'm surprised you didn't talk about the "classic" ending, where Sekiro loses his bond to the Heir, and so decides to carve Buddha too, to drive away the flames of Hatred, just like the Sculptor before him. Feels like it's a small part missing from the video. Great work though, obviously
I know Vaati mentioned this in his earlier videos, but in the three story pagoda at Senpou Temple , right inside where you find the Senpou skill tree, pay attention to the statue. It’s left half is *missing an arm* , and is badly burnt till it’s midsection , and a creepy smile and glowing red eyes and a flaming background for the statue. It’s a nice case of foreshadowing the bad ending.
Sekiro's Shura has been so inspiring. I'm working on a story set in 1210 which includes poor and deprived veterans from a previous crusade overcome with trauma, desperation or out of simple greed pillage, drink and burn a falling empire. The concept of Shura really puts in perspective how at a time before psychology was understood war induced madness was perceived.
We definitely could’ve had dlc, being involved around Sculptor in his prime and his partner, Tomoe, Dogen, and this Shura entity. Prime candidates for being main bosses. As for mini bosses, possibly more apparition types of enemies I’d like for these guys to be expanded upon, and the leader of the interior shinobi that was mentioned in the prayer beads, and mostly more non human type enemies.
The great part about sekiro are the human enemies, it’s the main story and probably some of the best fights in the game, do I would love a dlc a prequel dlc or a underworld dlc would be of the same quality as the same game and you know from soft is a perfectionist
Especailly Tomoe. Tomoe is likely "inspired" by Tomoe Gozen and seeing what FGO (another Game) made of her, i'd be very, veeery interessted to se that. It would also be so easy... just make another Bell to be found and use it at the Dilapidated Shrine, just like how we went to the Hirata Estate. It would also maybe give us a fight against a younger Lady Butterfly (which could be a hell of a lot more difficult)
Shirou Tokisada Amakusa Kotomine Tomoe would be so cool, I can just imagine the fight with her. So imagine her reflecting the lighting back at you and it becomes a game of lighting tennis.
In this ending, ironnically, i feel like Sekiro has the most happiness feeling out of all other endings. He is free from all the burdens, a burden to obey his father and his master, a burden to follow a moral code, and a burden to be in need for everyone. They all want to take advantages from him. I felt that while playing the game. The hatred glew inside him for a long time. It would make sense that he had enough. The way he opens his arm with his sword shows that he found his triump. The fire that slowly glows on him symbolizes his beginning of uncontrolable force that would erase everything
The Return ending has the freedom with less mass murder and betrayal. Sekiro chooses to go against Owl, and go against Kuro’s wishes to sever immortality. The Divine Child of the Rejuvinating Waters asks Sekiro if he’s sure about returning the Heritage DESPITE it going against Kuro’s wishes. Sekiro goes through a ton of extra effort on this path because he feels it is right. Sekiro succumbing to the darkness Owl fostered in him isn’t really freedom.
@@endoriankiSekiro breaks the iron code in all endings. in Shura ending, he stabs Owl in the back meaning he doesnt care about anything anymore. he doesn't care how Kuro feels too because he is now an enrage god. He can do what he wants. He doesn't have to serve anyone anymore. In the return ending, he still care for people. He still has to serve Kuro and the rejuvenated child. His journey is not easy. He has to protect the child along the way and what if he has to sacrifice himself to resurrect Kuro? He will surely does. Why? Because he is still strict to morality. But in Shura ending, he is basically a GTA protagonist.
this is some real edgy take. shura is the manifestation of hatred and war. he kills without reason, who's to say that's what sekiro even wants? how can you call a man perpetually locked in a state of aimless killing, free?
So isshin in his youth was totally a shonen protagonist right? Like he's kinda goku or luffy, loves drink, befriends all his enemies, only truly cares about perfecting his fighting style
If I had no name none would have power over me. However, would I have intelligence and and self If I had not had a name? perhaps power is to have name and to keep it secret, and hidden, using the magic of name to strengthen yourself.
Still one of my favorite moments from this game is during the shura ending, after you kill Emma, you can see Wolf start to smile, just a badass villain
I wrote a little something about the Sculptor after killing him and reading up related lore. Made me feel like Miyazaki in his youth. It assumes a few things, but please humor me, i'm putting it up here for you all to read. Once the Sculptor was a shinobi, who went by the name Shoujou. He had just lost a dear friend to a fierce beast that would not die. To fill the void in his heart and quell the embers of rage, he rescued a starving orphan from the battlefield. With no place to go, she was left in the care of another good friend, Dogen. Raising the child--now named Emma--proved to be a handful for even the Great Doctor. This left his fellow physician, Dosaku, in dire need of assistance, for their clan--the Ashina--was constantly at war, and they sought any means to gain power. Dosaku demanded that Shoujou aid him in his research, and so the shinobi accepted. Little did he know that the procedure would forever change him. The mad physician imparted to him Red Eyes that brought on visions of great flames, covering all the land. At first he felt fear, but from then on, the thrill and fun of killing took root, ever gnawing at the back of his mind. Medicinal agents he had imbibed in the process seethed from his body as an inexhaustible heat sprung forth deep inside. He was consumed, and so ran amok as a pink ogre, well on the path to becoming Shura. This forced the clan leader, Isshin Ashina, into action. With a sword wreathed in fire, he 'killed' Shura, and saved Shoujou, but at the cost of his arm. Upon his victory, Isshin spread his knowledge as a proclamation, and would return to fire, should Shura arise once more. For his crimes, Dosaku was executed and forgotten, but not before leaving his teachings to his last student, Doujun, who went on to pursue further research into the Red Eyes and create more ogres to fight on Ashina's behalf. And for his part in the disaster, the shinobi, now named Sekijou, was confined to the dungeon. Though unlike Dosaku, Sekijou still found a friend in Dogen, who crafted for him a prosthetic arm. But the arm was a fang, which greatly leant itself to the ways of killing. Much to his dismay, Sekijou became a better killer yet even as he languished in confinement. And so did the flames that haunted him swell evermore in his heart. What's more, his good friend, Dogen, fell ill as a result of all his efforts put into the prosthetic contraption and his responsibilities to the clan. And when the good doctor finally passed away, Sekijou left all his shinobi tools to the Ashina and its allies before going on pilgrimage to Mount Kongou. There at Senpou Temple, he learned to carve the Buddha, perhaps to find some enlightenment. But the sculptures he could carve only showed faces of wrath, belying the truth in his heart. Both his lust for killing and the flames of hatred were slowly catching onto him, he could tell. He tried settling at Hirata in secret, as a seeming harmless, cynical old man living in the lower estate. But Owl's betrayal helped set the place ablaze and only fueled his visions of flame. With nowhere to go, Sekijou exiled himself to the Dilapidated Temple at the Ashina Outskirts where he became the Sculptor. But even then, Fate promised him no sanctuary in quiet exile, for the Sculptor yet had much to do. He rescued the rogue shinobi, Sekiro, when his master was taken. He gave him his fang, now well-worn and stained with blood yet still impeccably maintained. He aided him in his mission by installing both old and new shinobi tools. Fate had more in store as well, for it impelled the Interior Ministry to strike when illness took the mighty Isshin, and with them, they brought great swathes of flame. The temptation proved too much to bear, and the Sculptor knew there was no turning back. He could no longer keep the flames in check. On the eve of the Interior Ministry's attack, he tells Sekiro to go all out before leaving for the battlefield. But rather than become Shura, the flames of resentment and rage overcome the thrill and fun of killing. There on the battlefield, he becomes the Demon of Hatred, spreading flame with each swing of his spectral left arm. Though in the end, his aid ultimately proves instrumental in turning Sekiro into a master of shinobi masters. Sekiro even makes use of his dear friend's finger whistle which takes the demon by surprise with its melancholic tune. After a great deal of effort, the shinobi pushes the demon to the brink, giving his last shreds of humanity a chance to plead for the mercy of death. And when Sekiro hesitates before the final moment, he lends the shinobi a hand, lifting him high for the killing blow. Sekiro plunges his blade, Kusabimaru, into the demon's skull for the final time, and with deep gratitude, the Sculptor thanks him. In the end, he finds peace in the ashes of his flames.
Well written a solid 8/10 -2 for not describing the atmosphere (what the eyes would what it would smell like etc, great writers use sensory perception)
really cool man, you gave an intruiging exposition - setting up the story perfectly - but also managed to wrap it up really well, without me feeling like you had rushed to a conclusion. i enjoyed this, thanks!
Both adopted from battlefield, wolf and Emma have very different life path. While Emma had a happy memory with sculptor, Ishin and others, wolf was like known by no one and knew no one, though his father owl was familiar with ishin and others
Vaati, did you read the manga SEKIRO, draw by Shin Yamamoto (Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter) and validated by Fromsoftware ? By now there is 3 chapters out. The manga tells the story of Hanbei the Undying. It shows his meeting with the scultor, talks about the interior minister and Ashina. I recommend it to have a better knowledge of the Lore
The sculptor's lore really hits me in the feels. A kind, compassionate man trying his best to be a good person while also being conflicted by his dark thoughts and inner demons and trying to keep them in check. I can relate to that so much.
Wolf is an incredibly austare character. His clothes are plain. He speaks plainly and rarely, hardly emoting when he does. He shows no particular like for anything in particular. We never see him smile. His entire world is defined by duty until Owl makes him choose between the Iron Code and his loyalty and love for Kuro. The thing is, he breaks the code regardless of our choice. Either way, he can't bear the Iron Code any longer. He either chooses to abandon it for Kuro's sake or in obeying Owl he finally surrenders to bloodlust. The most affecting part of the Shura ending for me isn't Wolf's killing of Ishin or Owl or even the moment he kills Ema. It's the scene right afterword. For the first and to my recollection only time, we see Wolf smile. It's chilling.
your videos continue to be so much more than simple lore videos, they're cinematic, creative, dramatic, well structured and just straight up beautiful. thank you for being you.
one of the aspect I find the most interesting about the Demon of Hatred is its melee head attack. It's almost like it's angry at itself or holds itself responsible for something it regrets
Sekiro is my favourite from software game and it definitely deserved the GOTY. It is somewhat underrated by most of the people ,mainly dark souls and Bloodborne fans.
A year late but yes it's still underated. I hate people saying the combat is the same through the whole game. No you just didn't use the combats arts and prosthetics to their full potential
I think Kingfisher was more than just a training partner for Sculptor. I think he actually loved her. The way he talks of her just makes it difficult to not feel, what he felt for her.
Your lore videos are the best around, if it is prepare to cry or seemingly lore you make more points of view and that VaatiVidya is a great way of Story telling
This is one of my favorite games ever, beacuse it's so subtle in it's lore and the gameplay as many things that you find in in the souls series. The way you start the game losing and arm to make you know that the character is going to need to get used to his new condition lets you, the player insert as "The Wolf". Picture being a skilled warrior, who was indoctrinated by another skilled warrior, violence and killing it's the stuff that you are good at, loosing an arm means the way you fight it's going to change, that explains the feeling of sucking so much at the start of the game. Here comes the best part, this game was really hard for most people, it can make you feel as warrior that needs to "begin again", you could either give up or ninja your way trough it, you start to get better at it, the challenge it's really fun, then you find an enemy that gives you trouble, you can grind to beat it, find a way to cheese it, or ninja your way trough it again. Grinding implies killing a lot of people inside the game, cheesing implies that you got some special info. Due to some bullshit, to this day I havn't finished this masterpiece, I wasn't strong enough to rid sekijo of his pain...
I haven't loved a game like this since Metal Gear Solid 3, the combat is pretty much everything I've ever wanted from a game like this (took me 2 frustrating days to put down the Demon of Hatred lol), maybe one day they'll make a sequel or at least a spiritual successor that plays the same
Another great video Vaati! I wish you would have talked about how Isshin used the Flames of Hatred to his advantage to defeat Shura though. That's one of my favorite details from the game.
I just asked myself the same question. Why does Isshin Ashina use flame-based attacks in the second phase when you choose the Shura-ending? And why does he use, as the Sword Saint, lightning based attacks in the last phase of the other endings? I going through vaati's content, hoping i missed it somewhere or it's maybe not relevant. I'm aware that your post is from 10 month ago. Maybe you found the answer? '^^
I've beaten every ending on the same character, and I've never heard that bit of dialogue between the Sculptor and Emma about his flames. One of the main reasons I love your videos, I almost always learn something new. Thank you and keep up the great work, it's much appreciated.
I absolutely love fromsoftware and their ability to tell such detailed story. Without the likes of you Vaati, these stories would be lost to 99% of the players and for that i thank you 🙌
Your Sekiro content is fantastic. Makes me appreciate sekiro even more. Sekiro was my first from game and now I'm diving into souls and bloodborne and look forward to watching all your videos on those games as well
When I fought the demon of hatred I remember I couldnt find the sculptor and when I found the demon of hatred after getting my ass stomped I heard him say his final words and it hurt because I realized it was him but I'm glad u made this vatti makes me want to play it again even if I already got the platinum
Man finally killing Ishin was one of the best feelings a game had ever given me. Few games make your heart thump like Sekiro did. This reminded me of how much I miss that.
@Bionicle 2007 tbh no harder than anyone who plays with 2 arms. Learning to play like that was hard, but once it's learnt gaming in general is a regular thing.
@Levi Dye There are others very good youtubers who did good videos about them lorewise.I think Vaati's only give you clues, to make you search for yourself. From soft games are like that. You'll never get all the answers, you have to make your imagination work to fill the gaps.Some questions are never clearly answered in those games. It could be one thing, or another, it is for you to decide.
@Levi Dye The sinclair lore podcast with JSF, JSF akaJerksanfrontiers, Hawkshawk, Bob the hollow, Kazzarma for etymologies. But they all have vids for all fromsoft games, have fun you will need a lot of time to watch them all. But I highly suggest you take time to read the descriptions and figure it out by yourself. Much more fun to compare your theories with others. Good hunting!!!
I already know all of this, I've played this game countless times and yet I keep watching your videos, they are so well constructed, the music, the writing, the editing, everything. It's simply amazing
yeah that was bullshit. I realized in my second playthrough that I had to do a bunch of spying on Emma and Sculptor so that she literally tells him she can end him.
i tried the audiobook about ikigai, and i have to thank you. it genuinely changed my life. enjoying the small things in life for the sake of doing them is such an enjoyable way of living. your recommendations never cease to amaze!
That was your best video yet! I already really enjoyed Sekiro's story, but I missed much of the backstory of the Sculptor and the prosthetic arm, and it was a very effective tale, especially given the parallels drawn between the Wolf and Emma. It is a shame such dialogue is missable with the whole sake mechanic - I really wish From weren't so obscure in their storytelling, because the stories and characters are usually very compelling, but having to put them together like a mosaic is frustrating. I think that whole approach really hamstrings their storytelling, because whilst such archaeology is fine for smaller attentuating details or 'lore' if you will, for main character beats it doesn't work well at all. We can't all be expected to play through the game multiple times just to hear a few extra lines of nonetheless telling dialogue, and though I certainly appreciate all the work Vaati does to do the heavy-lifting for us, we shouldn't be learning this stuff on RUclips but in the game itself in an organic way! When you put all these details together, Sekiro had one of the best stories in games last year, but very few people (beyond this channel) are talking about it on a narrative level because of how disparate its storytelling is. That being said, Sekiro was definitely a step in the right direction, with a much more discernible main plot and characters, but I really do hope Elden Ring (especially with all the GRRM detail) is even less obtuse; Miyazaki's work deserves better.
I’d like to know more about the “true sculpture” the one who carved the kind Buddha. I feel that the sculpture sacrificed himself as an offering to hold on to the hatred of war. Not becoming shura fully, but taking on the consequences of the sins he committed, containing the demon within.
please do more. ive loved the prepare to cry series in the past but sekiro is just such a beautifully told story it needs someone who truly cares to tell it.
One of my favorite manifestations of the Shura throughout the story is how the sculptor spends every waking moment carving the wooden Buddha statues but every one ends up with a wrathful face instead of a serene one. By the end of the game when you’ve looked at them lining the walls after his countless hours of work during your journey and unthinkable years before you realize just how deep seated the Shura is in his soul. I love the thought that he does this meditative practice of sculpting to keep the hate at bay, but the Shura still manifests itself by desecrating the face of Buddha itself. The Buddha sought for his followers to achieve Nirvana, or the end of suffering. The sculptor, as much as he yearned to find this sense of everlasting peace, would never be able to find it. I believed he finally succumbed to Shura when he knew Sekiro was powerful enough to end the suffering once and for all.
Shura is also the buddhist hell that awaits warriors, even though in many noh dramas the ghost that is supposed to be in shura actually wanders the earth and sometimes has visions of the battle he died in, as if hell was in his mind
Gotta tell you that I have an enormous amount of respect for how you incorporate your advertisements Vaati. No one likes being advertised to, but you manage to make the adverts on your channel fluid and contextually relevant. Genuinely hope you continue to get a lot of ad revenue from it because it's well deserved mate. And, of course, awesome quality video; good to see you come back to Prepare to Cry.
10:50 This picture right here is enough to make the Shura ending my favorite, and I've only gotten half the endings. That picture is actually my home screen. My lock screen is from the cutscene between the Emma and Isshin fight, and I just tossed an Instagram filter on it because when I took a picture of it the quality dropped a bit.
It's interesting what exactly it is that leads to Wolf becoming 'Shura.' It's not as if he's been a good person - Isshin describes him as an "unkind and inauspicious man," but for some reason could not bring himself to hate him, presumably because he still detected a spark of good in him that shone through his time protecting the Divine Heir. He's killed many people in the course of the game who, given the choice, would choose not to hurt him - many of them no longer in their right minds when doing so. Considering he was raised by someone like Owl to be vicious and unrelenting, it's no surprise this is the case. When is the precise moment that he becomes Shura? I think it's when he jumps from Violence in the seventh circle of hell, straight down to the ninth - the most despicable and heinous Treachery (some might think my comparison with Western religious philosophy garish but the overlaps Wester and Eastern religious philosophy have are a hint of something deeper than transcends cultures). He has committed the gravest sins of each round of the ninth circle of hell all in one narrow space of time: . Round 1: Caina, named after Cain, who killed his brother in the first act of murder of human kind. Wolf fulfills this by backstabbing his father after vowing to serve him, becoming a traitor to his kindred. Round 2: Antenora, named after a Trojan soldier who betrayed his city to the Greeks: a traitor of his country. Wolf doesn't belong to a country, but has fulfilled this in a manner by facilitating Owl's rise to power as a foreign enemy within the Ashina Estate despite it becoming something of a temporary home to him and his master, knowing full well how ruthless his father is. Round 3: Ptolomaea, named after Ptolemy, who invited his father-in-law and sons to a banquet to kill them: a traitor to his guests. Wolf fulfills this by slaughtering the gentle Emma, guest of his lord Kuro. Round 4: Judecca, named after Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ. Here lies the worst of all sin - treachery of one's lord and benefactor. It is for a superficial code of conduct instilled in him by his scheming father that he forsakes his purpose, to protect and serve the Divine Heir, the boy who saved his life and both granted him new purpose and provided shelter for Wolf's battered soul in Limbo. . In chronological order, Wolf forsakes Kuro in Judecca, followed by Ptolomaea and subsequently Antenora, before reaching Caina when he seizes the chance to enact revenge on his father, who realizes in his last moment just what exactly it is he has done, and what he has groomed Wolf to become by teaching him to betray him in kind after what happened at the Hirata Estate. Almost a reverse-descent through the rounds in Cocytus. Naturally I might be reading too far into it all but I like to think FromSoftware's dabbling in Western philosophy from the Souls series has rubbed off on this game somewhat.
I really enjoy the love and respect shown by all the characters in Sekiro. Even in the so called "villains" of the story, there is a lot of symmetry between Owl adopting Wolf, Sekijo finding Emma and allowing Dogen to adopt her and Isshin adopting Genichiro after his mother died etc etc
I love how the Shura path shortens the game and is relatively the easy way out.
The right path is indeed always a perilous journey
Easy way out until you jump into NG+ missing a huge chunk of attack power and HP. Had to just hard reset because I accidentally Shura'd my first playthrough.
HESITATION IS DEFEAT!
Indeed it is, my friend.
@@sfLionheart I guess that's another reason why it is not the 'right' path. Going for a non-shura ending may take more time and effort, but it is more rewarding in the long run.
@@sfLionheart I went for Shura, entered NG+, saw how difficult the journey to redemption will be, might as well keep Kuro's charm. It was horrible at first but after a while, you reach a whole new level of combat. 10/10 would never betray Kuro again.
“one who kills excessively becomes a shura”
And here I am spending 5 hours XP farming the same 5 red guard members
You shouldve went to the bridge and got the free 3000+ XP
The old grave idol when the sun is down
Light Myst when the last phase of the game is initiated ther will be a bunch of ministry and Ashina warriors fighting on the newly built bridge
SlumpWorks the seven Spears or the drunkard?
@@scuppo drunkard across the bridge
Isshin is kinda one of my favourite videogame characters ever. I appreciate how despite his obsession with war and swordplay, he's utterly disgusted by people who kill without reason, and it seems like his main objective in life at this point is to stop people from going down the path of bloodlust.
And the Shura ending is so perfectly twisted, because in that one Isshin is unquestionably the good guy, trying desperately to stop you from going on a murderous rampage across Japan.
I had not thought about that. It's awesome how Isshin fits perfectly as the final boss even when the ending are so different.
Totally agree. I also love that in the other endings, when Genichiro summons Isshin to fight us, we're probably still doing the old man a favor- I can't imagine someone like him would prefer succumbing to disease over dying with his weapon in hand.
@@nickoakley8810 oh yes, he seems to be hyper-enthusiastic about getting to fight Sekiro in the other endings. Even though he was against Genichiro using the mortal blade, he kinda revels in the opportunity to return to his prime briefly to fight the one person he considers an equal. And he's also the only "enemy" in the game who outright *demands* an honourable death once he's beaten.
He's an interesting dude, it seems like a lot more effort was put into giving him depth than typical Fromsoft characters. Kinda cool that he's the one who gives Sekiro the name that is the title of the entire game as well.
What’s funny is that’s almost exactly like the genocide ending in Undertale
@@ultimateeick2910 Actually, YEAH THEY ARE SUPER SIMILAR. You went on a murder rampage in the game and the most iconic character is trying to stop you before you become a literal Demi-god/god.
Hidden Lore:
The Demon Of Hatred’s fireball attack. Look closer. He’s actually throwing wooden Buddha statues.
Hiccup Haddock fr?
jesus lover
Yeah. I only noticed it on my tenth playthrough or so.
It’s the attack where he does the weird dance as he periodically throws balls of fire at you.
@@extremelyboredtatsumaki.495 10th play through?
@@jesuslover4513 yeah I can confirm that, I notice it right away and then get decimated after that
PG
Sekiro is a very replayable game.
I love how after you refuse to give Isshin your name, he just immediately starts calling you Wolf. Like, he knew who you were and who you worked for, he was just asking your name as a formality and you were just being a weirdo.
Well, he really didn't have a name. Owl took it from him and left him with only a title: Wolf.
Spies of all kinds aren't meant to give their identity to randoms just because they asked. At that time Sekiro couldn't know that was an ally.
@@rawen160 this "ally" whoops our ass pretty good in all endings
@@coolgoku810 Yeah in shura ending he argueably tries to rascue us from becoming demon what we likely will regret like just Sculptor did and in all the rest he is forced by Genichiro's wish. If he wanted to kill Sekiro he had 2 great chances for that before any endgame with having Kuro as a hostage. Sure, Kuro cannot die, but he can feel pain.
I don't think he knows who you were - when you tell him later that you are Owl's adopted son, he seems a bit surprised and finds humor in the coincidence. Most characters who don't know your improper title of "Wolf" refer to you in some way as a wolf, alluding to your appearance. The Sculptor says that your eyes are those of a wolf who has failed in his duties, while Isshin likens you to a "starving wolf". he is, however, demanding your name as a formality. he wants to know who you are before he kills you. the only reason he doesn't is because he recognizes the Shinobi Prosthetic, which once belonged to the Sculptor, someone he knew of, and may have at one point been friends with, before severing his arm.
Isn't there a description in the Demon of Hatred memory that his manifestation is that of a "failed Shura" meaning, he became a demon but not a Shura? His chance to become a "true" Shura ended the moment he arm was severed. I believe Isshin mentions also how a Shura is something that kills for no reason but for the sake of it, for the pleasure of it. The Sculptor is consumed by hatred and rage but never seems to take any enjoyment from it. That he retains enough lucidity to thank you right after killing him indicates to me likewise.
I look at Shura as the ultimate manifestation of evil in the game that can only happen to you. And the fact we get barely a glimpse of what you have/are about to become with only a narrated epilogue over a black screen describing the death toll and the continued rumors of a demon lurking the land tells me that what "Shura" is is something that's left to the imagination.
For the Shura ending, everyone, Emma, Isshin, Owl seeing you after being impaled with your blade and Kuro, all call or cry out at you as "Shura!" very specifically. The Sculptor is a "mere" wrathful demon, one that has consumed him, a form which he cannot cease though we see the signs he does not want this (besides his last dying lines there's also stunning him using the Malcontent whistle on him).
Shura has no remorse, purpose or feeling besides the desire to kill in cold blood, as many as possible, with the greatest means possible (you kill Owl and take the second Mortal Blade with you making you practically unstoppable).
Shura is so terrible we're never meant to see or encounter it in its true incarnation, and the only character who can become one is you, should you choose to abandon your one purpose, the only thing that gave your incessant killings throughout the game any sort of meaning or reason, which is to serve and protect Kuro at all costs. Without that you're just another psychopathic killer and a perfect vessel for Shura.
It's true, the sculptor failed to become Shura. The memory says "A man who failed to become Shura instead became a vessel for the flames of hatred.".
If he was a failed shura, can you imagine how hard it would be to fight a real shura?
Thank you, I just commented this but you explained it much better haha
@@massojupiter3436 let's not forget. That was a normal demon.
@@mattolstein2999 why does one become a vessel though?
Never realized how much of Sekiro’s dialogue is just him repeating things that people say to him.
Solid Snake 2.0
Stein lol true
@@Stei_n Metal Gear? METAL GEAR?
@@justinkroboth360 Psycho Mantis?
@@SSJ_REEF A hind D?
Hope everyone enjoys the footage! It was always a real pleasure to work with this masterpiece :)
appreciate your work dude, keep it up!
Damn you did all those ? been seeing ur clips from Dark souls man , heckin love u :D
Respect
Nalright, you've convinced me, I'll play it again. 🤷♂️
Putin Mahcochin ive played through it 14 times. I wish there was DLC.
@@knightslayer6161 there won't be a dlc coz of elden ring .
El Mejor Ik
Well if Miyazaki has enough cut content ideas then a DLC isn't impossible to make alongside Elder ring but it's unlikely.
Vergil it’ll likely be a new game after Elden. Can’t see a reason for making a dlc. But making Sekiro 2 for the PlayStation 5 as a system seller. Now that’s business and opportunity right there.
Sekiro, Emma and Genichiro are literally protagonists in anime with similar back ground (all “cubs” found in battlefields) they each went on different paths and have their fate intertwined and the ending to each story depended on how you play the game.
But sadly
Genechiro dies in all endings 😂
@@rahulverma8774Packwatch Rip BOZO
Honestly if Sekiro did habe DLC then playable stories with Emma and Genichiro would've been sweet!
"Tell me your name!"
Bro you're wearing a ninja mask and carrying a sword I dont wanna tell you my name
And his name is....
Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa
But you what happens if U don't ?
Trunk s you dont say your name either way cuz sekiro doesht have one
Goblin mask
It's a tengu mask
kuro: :u can't be shura
Sekiro: : Observe
*My Goals Are Beyond Your Understanding*
Are you shura bout that
@@laundrybasketgamers this is the best comment I’ve ever seen
@@hafdef4929 its a common sekiro joke i believe
@@laundrybasketgamers I’d just never heard it before and thought it was funny
i love this ending to bits the complete betrayal in kuros voice is heartbreaking, especially for the things you've done for each other. love this game to pieces
In Japanese maybe. The English was cringe as hell
@@RedBishopGaming Lmao, fuck off weeb
@@loomingmoon4682 gonna agree lol
Weird Badger Naw the english voice acting was awful and cringey
@@greatshinobi-owl3120 oh fuck off weeb it's not even bad
I think you got one thing wrong here Vaati: In the Shura ending we do not kill for power like owl. When we kill Emma the short sequence we see of Sekiro shows us that after killing her he is smiling, something we never see him do before. That's when he starts to enjoy killing for the sake of it. It is also the same reason that owl is so surprised that you kill him and then afraid when he realizes you are becoming shura. Killing for power is not necessarily connected to hatred. As a matter of fact we do not know if owl regrets his deeds or if his lust for power outweighs his conscience and if you think about it, Isshin is not much different except for the fact that he kills for the power of his clan as a whole. In the end, by denying Sekiro a name or personality and giving him nothing but the ability to kill and the iron code to follow, owl created the perfect vessel for Shura. When he then revealed the iron code to be nothing but a tool to manipulate Sekiro and tried to use it to make him go against the divine heir (something that in itself contradicts the code) Sekiro takes comfort in the only thing he truly has - an unparalleled ability to kill. In the absence of a name or a sense of self Sekiro starts to construct these around this singular reason for his existence, literally becoming Shura in name and being.
Unrelated: Why not do a Shura art competition? Artists would have to send in their versions of Sekiro after his transformation into Shura is complete and explain a bit about what he does and how he fights.
No..
doesnt really look like hes smiling
Tell me your name
TELL ME YOUR NAME
My name is
GYOUBU MASATAKA ONIWAAAAA
This was perfect😂
*AS I BREATHE*
Dying over here. Lmao
*YOU WILL NOT PASS THE CASTLES GATE*
*BOY! ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU THE WRATH OF A MAN*
After a few drinks and folks will spill out their life stories. Huh, relatable.
Yeng Kong Yang In vino veritas
This ending was spine chilling, Ishin wasn't exaggerating in his warnings
Out of all the endings I've gotten yet, Shura was my favorite because the cutscenes were sooooo beautiful.
@eraticrobin 123 Well it really makes you appreciate her more in your other playthroughs... I guess.
I'm surprised you didn't talk about the "classic" ending, where Sekiro loses his bond to the Heir, and so decides to carve Buddha too, to drive away the flames of Hatred, just like the Sculptor before him. Feels like it's a small part missing from the video. Great work though, obviously
Really good point, dude.
That kinda reminds me of the Rekindle ending in Dark Souls. Where the protagonist takes over a role that is futile.
@@randybutternubs4647 Is more similar to the Bloodborne ending where you fight Gehrman
@@randybutternubs4647 yeah but linking the fire actually helps the world in dark souls tho
@@mikemiles2241 not in the long run
I've literally beaten the Shura ending for the first time a couple of minutes ago, lmao.
Same here ! , greetings from Germany
Just finished my first run yesterday, Return ending. Such a damn good game!
You must tell the story to your grandchild, and have them play it.
Good pfp dude
i am a glowing man i am
I know Vaati mentioned this in his earlier videos, but in the three story pagoda at Senpou Temple , right inside where you find the Senpou skill tree, pay attention to the statue.
It’s left half is *missing an arm* , and is badly burnt till it’s midsection , and a creepy smile and glowing red eyes and a flaming background for the statue.
It’s a nice case of foreshadowing the bad ending.
Tommorw is my wedding i'm supposed to be happy
Vati: "uploads"
Oh boy here comes the tears
Well done on the wedding! Have a great day tomorrow!
Whoa, congratulations! Good luck tomorrow
You know what's more thought than sekiro? It's wedding, good luck
Congratulations, wish you the best.
Congrats, friend. Hope you're happy
Sekiro's Shura has been so inspiring. I'm working on a story set in 1210 which includes poor and deprived veterans from a previous crusade overcome with trauma, desperation or out of simple greed pillage, drink and burn a falling empire. The concept of Shura really puts in perspective how at a time before psychology was understood war induced madness was perceived.
Zodayn good luck dude
Good luck man. That is an intriguing plot, one I would love to experience once its completed.
Sounds dope
War definitely challenges you
Imho “pre-psychology “ understanding was more accurate in the final analysis.
We definitely could’ve had dlc, being involved around Sculptor in his prime and his partner, Tomoe, Dogen, and this Shura entity. Prime candidates for being main bosses. As for mini bosses, possibly more apparition types of enemies I’d like for these guys to be expanded upon, and the leader of the interior shinobi that was mentioned in the prayer beads, and mostly more non human type enemies.
@Qwerty Bastard expanding on the black mortal blade's lore would've been cool
The great part about sekiro are the human enemies, it’s the main story and probably some of the best fights in the game, do I would love a dlc a prequel dlc or a underworld dlc would be of the same quality as the same game and you know from soft is a perfectionist
Especailly Tomoe. Tomoe is likely "inspired" by Tomoe Gozen and seeing what FGO (another Game) made of her, i'd be very, veeery interessted to se that.
It would also be so easy... just make another Bell to be found and use it at the Dilapidated Shrine, just like how we went to the Hirata Estate.
It would also maybe give us a fight against a younger Lady Butterfly (which could be a hell of a lot more difficult)
Please no more apparitions...
Shirou Tokisada Amakusa Kotomine Tomoe would be so cool, I can just imagine the fight with her. So imagine her reflecting the lighting back at you and it becomes a game of lighting tennis.
In this ending, ironnically, i feel like Sekiro has the most happiness feeling out of all other endings. He is free from all the burdens, a burden to obey his father and his master, a burden to follow a moral code, and a burden to be in need for everyone. They all want to take advantages from him. I felt that while playing the game. The hatred glew inside him for a long time. It would make sense that he had enough. The way he opens his arm with his sword shows that he found his triump. The fire that slowly glows on him symbolizes his beginning of uncontrolable force that would erase everything
The Return ending has the freedom with less mass murder and betrayal. Sekiro chooses to go against Owl, and go against Kuro’s wishes to sever immortality. The Divine Child of the Rejuvinating Waters asks Sekiro if he’s sure about returning the Heritage DESPITE it going against Kuro’s wishes. Sekiro goes through a ton of extra effort on this path because he feels it is right. Sekiro succumbing to the darkness Owl fostered in him isn’t really freedom.
@@endoriankiSekiro breaks the iron code in all endings. in Shura ending, he stabs Owl in the back meaning he doesnt care about anything anymore. he doesn't care how Kuro feels too because he is now an enrage god. He can do what he wants. He doesn't have to serve anyone anymore. In the return ending, he still care for people. He still has to serve Kuro and the rejuvenated child. His journey is not easy. He has to protect the child along the way and what if he has to sacrifice himself to resurrect Kuro? He will surely does. Why? Because he is still strict to morality. But in Shura ending, he is basically a GTA protagonist.
It is not a burden to serve
this is some real edgy take. shura is the manifestation of hatred and war. he kills without reason, who's to say that's what sekiro even wants? how can you call a man perpetually locked in a state of aimless killing, free?
@@INEXPLIcabl you're right only if that is done voluntarily. If not you're a slave.
Disappointed that Isshin never taught us any water breathing techniques after killing the rats
Lmao
Matthew Evans
Is this a Demon Slayer reference?
XD nah sekiro uses the breath of fire
@@jackbelmont4389 Nah he use Breath of sake
imo sekiro used 4 breathing style (prosthetic, shinobi, ashina style, monk style) idk if the upgraded styles count tho
So isshin in his youth was totally a shonen protagonist right? Like he's kinda goku or luffy, loves drink, befriends all his enemies, only truly cares about perfecting his fighting style
Commenting before I can even watch the video.
Hesitation is defeat.
LoL
*DEFLECT*
@@TheJPJT1234 THE EMERALD SPLASH
This video sounds so weird after playing through the game 3 times with Japanese voices xD
100% true.
I think the Japanese voice acting is so much better probably just because I think Japanese is a cooler language
@@gilesunderwood7483 except Gyubu's intro. The english is absolutely hilarious in that one.
@@thedeadcannotdie true haha
Ik this comment is eight months ago lol but Ishin to me sounds brilliant in English. One of my fav voices in gaming
"Words have meaning, but names have Power"
Well I guess I'm pretty weak then.
Ma name is Jeff
My name is Xander I'm the defender of man
If I had no name none would have power over me. However, would I have intelligence and and self If I had not had a name? perhaps power is to have name and to keep it secret, and hidden, using the magic of name to strengthen yourself.
For me will be immortal
@@khalidm.u-2064 وانا صراحة مدري وش..
Still one of my favorite moments from this game is during the shura ending, after you kill Emma, you can see Wolf start to smile, just a badass villain
Would've been great if we could wield some of the Shura's powers in later playthroughs
This video won't make me cry
Vaati: *You shura bout this?*
Stolen comment
Nameless King I didn’t even look at the comments before commenting lol
Nameless King its pretty easy to come up with the pun, it isnt really a stolen comment just a common joke
@@prxnce6588 Aaaaaah. Why? Why must you do this?
I wrote a little something about the Sculptor after killing him and reading up related lore. Made me feel like Miyazaki in his youth. It assumes a few things, but please humor me, i'm putting it up here for you all to read.
Once the Sculptor was a shinobi, who went by the name Shoujou. He had just lost a dear friend to a fierce beast that would not die. To fill the void in his heart and quell the embers of rage, he rescued a starving orphan from the battlefield.
With no place to go, she was left in the care of another good friend, Dogen. Raising the child--now named Emma--proved to be a handful for even the Great Doctor. This left his fellow physician, Dosaku, in dire need of assistance, for their clan--the Ashina--was constantly at war, and they sought any means to gain power. Dosaku demanded that Shoujou aid him in his research, and so the shinobi accepted. Little did he know that the procedure would forever change him. The mad physician imparted to him Red Eyes that brought on visions of great flames, covering all the land. At first he felt fear, but from then on, the thrill and fun of killing took root, ever gnawing at the back of his mind. Medicinal agents he had imbibed in the process seethed from his body as an inexhaustible heat sprung forth deep inside. He was consumed, and so ran amok as a pink ogre, well on the path to becoming Shura.
This forced the clan leader, Isshin Ashina, into action. With a sword wreathed in fire, he 'killed' Shura, and saved Shoujou, but at the cost of his arm. Upon his victory, Isshin spread his knowledge as a proclamation, and would return to fire, should Shura arise once more. For his crimes, Dosaku was executed and forgotten, but not before leaving his teachings to his last student, Doujun, who went on to pursue further research into the Red Eyes and create more ogres to fight on Ashina's behalf. And for his part in the disaster, the shinobi, now named Sekijou, was confined to the dungeon. Though unlike Dosaku, Sekijou still found a friend in Dogen, who crafted for him a prosthetic arm. But the arm was a fang, which greatly leant itself to the ways of killing. Much to his dismay, Sekijou became a better killer yet even as he languished in confinement. And so did the flames that haunted him swell evermore in his heart. What's more, his good friend, Dogen, fell ill as a result of all his efforts put into the prosthetic contraption and his responsibilities to the clan. And when the good doctor finally passed away, Sekijou left all his shinobi tools to the Ashina and its allies before going on pilgrimage to Mount Kongou.
There at Senpou Temple, he learned to carve the Buddha, perhaps to find some enlightenment. But the sculptures he could carve only showed faces of wrath, belying the truth in his heart. Both his lust for killing and the flames of hatred were slowly catching onto him, he could tell. He tried settling at Hirata in secret, as a seeming harmless, cynical old man living in the lower estate. But Owl's betrayal helped set the place ablaze and only fueled his visions of flame. With nowhere to go, Sekijou exiled himself to the Dilapidated Temple at the Ashina Outskirts where he became the Sculptor. But even then, Fate promised him no sanctuary in quiet exile, for the Sculptor yet had much to do. He rescued the rogue shinobi, Sekiro, when his master was taken. He gave him his fang, now well-worn and stained with blood yet still impeccably maintained. He aided him in his mission by installing both old and new shinobi tools. Fate had more in store as well, for it impelled the Interior Ministry to strike when illness took the mighty Isshin, and with them, they brought great swathes of flame. The temptation proved too much to bear, and the Sculptor knew there was no turning back. He could no longer keep the flames in check.
On the eve of the Interior Ministry's attack, he tells Sekiro to go all out before leaving for the battlefield. But rather than become Shura, the flames of resentment and rage overcome the thrill and fun of killing. There on the battlefield, he becomes the Demon of Hatred, spreading flame with each swing of his spectral left arm. Though in the end, his aid ultimately proves instrumental in turning Sekiro into a master of shinobi masters. Sekiro even makes use of his dear friend's finger whistle which takes the demon by surprise with its melancholic tune. After a great deal of effort, the shinobi pushes the demon to the brink, giving his last shreds of humanity a chance to plead for the mercy of death. And when Sekiro hesitates before the final moment, he lends the shinobi a hand, lifting him high for the killing blow. Sekiro plunges his blade, Kusabimaru, into the demon's skull for the final time, and with deep gratitude, the Sculptor thanks him.
In the end, he finds peace in the ashes of his flames.
Well written a solid 8/10 -2 for not describing the atmosphere (what the eyes would what it would smell like etc, great writers use sensory perception)
really cool man, you gave an intruiging exposition - setting up the story perfectly - but also managed to wrap it up really well, without me feeling like you had rushed to a conclusion.
i enjoyed this, thanks!
Hey this is an amazing story. Nice work man!
@@syedasadali8529 Thanks! I'll keep it in mind. Maybe I'll edit that in when I have time.
You feed my eternal hunger for lore. Yes..the lore..
That sweet sweet LOOOOOREE
Both adopted from battlefield, wolf and Emma have very different life path. While Emma had a happy memory with sculptor, Ishin and others, wolf was like known by no one and knew no one, though his father owl was familiar with ishin and others
TELL ME YOUR NAME!
My name is... Shura-
*Loyal Wolf, take my blood and live again.*
Wolf: My name is... Shura.
Isshin: - _______________- BRUH
Wolf: Yeah I'm just gonna commit seppuku now... 👌😂🗡️
Vaati, did you read the manga SEKIRO, draw by Shin Yamamoto (Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter) and validated by Fromsoftware ? By now there is 3 chapters out. The manga tells the story of Hanbei the Undying. It shows his meeting with the scultor, talks about the interior minister and Ashina. I recommend it to have a better knowledge of the Lore
sAMBA niang there’s 8 chapters out man
@@z1u512 wut !! I read it in french, i am a french speaker :) thanks, i will look for it ;¬)
Now this, brings joy to my heart
Any website reccomendation to read it?
sAMBA niang oh sorry I read the English translation :P
This game was phenomenal. My favorite of 2019.
Of course you're here
Joshua Perry, we have to admit he has good taste
I love all the comments pointing out this guy pops up in like every channel comment section 😂
Jellal is everywhere.......
@@dustinsterling3248 I mean Ive seen him on basically every anime video I watch and now hes apparently a souls fan too.
This was a mesmerizing look into the relationships between the main cast. Beautifully fleshes out the world as always.
i got my exams in 5 hours and vaati decided to post a new video. i guess i'll die twice today. thanks, vaati!
All the best for your exams
Yo did you pass?
@@papastalin1543 bruh thank you even tho it's 1 year late
@@hey2440 now in my dream college so i guess we can say i did 😁
The sculptor's lore really hits me in the feels. A kind, compassionate man trying his best to be a good person while also being conflicted by his dark thoughts and inner demons and trying to keep them in check. I can relate to that so much.
Why do I love this story archetype? The “Hulk Complex”
The fear of a man losing himself to his own might.
Wolf is an incredibly austare character. His clothes are plain. He speaks plainly and rarely, hardly emoting when he does. He shows no particular like for anything in particular. We never see him smile. His entire world is defined by duty until Owl makes him choose between the Iron Code and his loyalty and love for Kuro.
The thing is, he breaks the code regardless of our choice. Either way, he can't bear the Iron Code any longer. He either chooses to abandon it for Kuro's sake or in obeying Owl he finally surrenders to bloodlust. The most affecting part of the Shura ending for me isn't Wolf's killing of Ishin or Owl or even the moment he kills Ema. It's the scene right afterword. For the first and to my recollection only time, we see Wolf smile. It's chilling.
The only thing worse than a murderous psychopath, is an immortal murderous psychopath in the possession of the two weapons that can kill him.
your videos continue to be so much more than simple lore videos, they're cinematic, creative, dramatic, well structured and just straight up beautiful. thank you for being you.
A true masterpiece. I don’t know if anything will ever top Sekiro, but man Eldin Ring is gonna be bonkers
For sure dude
Yeah, cause we already have a gameplay trailer and all
I'm dying to see the next trailer
@@EmoZix wait isn't the game already out ?
Mostafa Ahmed lmao i wish. Don’t think there’s an actual gameplay trailer either just 2 short kinda cinematics
one of the aspect I find the most interesting about the Demon of Hatred is its melee head attack. It's almost like it's angry at itself or holds itself responsible for something it regrets
Ironic that Owl using Sekiro and training him to be selfless led to Owl’s downfall...
Owl is such a shit person
Owl expected him to be completely loyal to him above anyone else, he never expected Sekiro to be more loyal to Kuro and to his mission.
@@TheSpawnfan Sekiro is a game about love. Only owl is a loveless monster. But he still uses illusion of it.
@@BloodyArchangelus wait its about love? Didnt feel any love when being slaughtered
Sekiro is my favourite from software game and it definitely deserved the GOTY. It is somewhat underrated by most of the people ,mainly dark souls and Bloodborne fans.
Agreed!
A year late but yes it's still underated. I hate people saying the combat is the same through the whole game. No you just didn't use the combats arts and prosthetics to their full potential
I mean I think it’s the best “souls” game released on Xbox and pc
I'm loving the little details and connections attached to Sekijo.
I want a DLC all about him.
I also want a Tomoe DLC 😤
Sejiro was genuinely my favorite character and boss in Sekiro. I loved the build up to it all.
I like how you use the words like our, us, and we in this. Makes me feel like we are all a part of this amazing story in a way.
i love the way you use the voices + music
it really sets the tone right
I think Kingfisher was more than just a training partner for Sculptor. I think he actually loved her. The way he talks of her just makes it difficult to not feel, what he felt for her.
Unfortunate where her ring ended up huh?
Your lore videos are the best around, if it is prepare to cry or seemingly lore you make more points of view and that VaatiVidya is a great way of Story telling
This is one of my favorite games ever, beacuse it's so subtle in it's lore and the gameplay as many things that you find in in the souls series.
The way you start the game losing and arm to make you know that the character is going to need to get used to his new condition lets you, the player insert as "The Wolf".
Picture being a skilled warrior, who was indoctrinated by another skilled warrior, violence and killing it's the stuff that you are good at, loosing an arm means the way you fight it's going to change, that explains the feeling of sucking so much at the start of the game.
Here comes the best part, this game was really hard for most people, it can make you feel as warrior that needs to "begin again", you could either give up or ninja your way trough it, you start to get better at it, the challenge it's really fun, then you find an enemy that gives you trouble, you can grind to beat it, find a way to cheese it, or ninja your way trough it again. Grinding implies killing a lot of people inside the game, cheesing implies that you got some special info.
Due to some bullshit, to this day I havn't finished this masterpiece, I wasn't strong enough to rid sekijo of his pain...
I haven't loved a game like this since Metal Gear Solid 3, the combat is pretty much everything I've ever wanted from a game like this (took me 2 frustrating days to put down the Demon of Hatred lol), maybe one day they'll make a sequel or at least a spiritual successor that plays the same
I love your series on sekiro. You really did a great job to make us understand and appreciate the lore and work behind sekiro. Kudos!
Another great video Vaati! I wish you would have talked about how Isshin used the Flames of Hatred to his advantage to defeat Shura though. That's one of my favorite details from the game.
I just asked myself the same question.
Why does Isshin Ashina use flame-based attacks in the second phase when you choose the Shura-ending?
And why does he use, as the Sword Saint, lightning based attacks in the last phase of the other endings?
I going through vaati's content, hoping i missed it somewhere or it's maybe not relevant.
I'm aware that your post is from 10 month ago.
Maybe you found the answer? '^^
I just recently found your channel, and wanted to point out such great editing job you do with these videos. Really good stuff man!
Just as I think I've ran RUclips dry this juicer pops up which I'll probably watch 667 times
I've beaten every ending on the same character, and I've never heard that bit of dialogue between the Sculptor and Emma about his flames. One of the main reasons I love your videos, I almost always learn something new. Thank you and keep up the great work, it's much appreciated.
It's an optional evesdrop on the sculptor
I absolutely love fromsoftware and their ability to tell such detailed story. Without the likes of you Vaati, these stories would be lost to 99% of the players and for that i thank you 🙌
Your Sekiro content is fantastic. Makes me appreciate sekiro even more. Sekiro was my first from game and now I'm diving into souls and bloodborne and look forward to watching all your videos on those games as well
When I fought the demon of hatred I remember I couldnt find the sculptor and when I found the demon of hatred after getting my ass stomped I heard him say his final words and it hurt because I realized it was him but I'm glad u made this vatti makes me want to play it again even if I already got the platinum
Vaati is such an amazing storyteller.
Every time I hear "All it takes is to remember who we are," I start crying.
Man finally killing Ishin was one of the best feelings a game had ever given me. Few games make your heart thump like Sekiro did. This reminded me of how much I miss that.
I have one arm (no left arm) and finishing this game was my proudest gaming achievement. I felt like it was made for me.
@Bionicle 2007 tbh no harder than anyone who plays with 2 arms. Learning to play like that was hard, but once it's learnt gaming in general is a regular thing.
Ever since I beat the Demon of Hatred, I've been desperately waiting for this video to be released. Thank you!
Crisp upload, Vaati. Right after i finished my first playthrough of Sekiro.
Again LADY MARIA PREPARE TO CRYYYY WHEN OR LUDWIG PREPARE TO CRY
Never
Who? ;)
@Levi Dye There are others very good youtubers who did good videos about them lorewise.I think Vaati's only give you clues, to make you search for yourself. From soft games are like that. You'll never get all the answers, you have to make your imagination work to fill the gaps.Some questions are never clearly answered in those games. It could be one thing, or another, it is for you to decide.
@Levi Dye The sinclair lore podcast with JSF, JSF akaJerksanfrontiers, Hawkshawk, Bob the hollow, Kazzarma for etymologies. But they all have vids for all fromsoft games, have fun you will need a lot of time to watch them all. But I highly suggest you take time to read the descriptions and figure it out by yourself. Much more fun to compare your theories with others. Good hunting!!!
@ThatDamnScottishGuy Lol thank you for repeating partially what I just said.
I already know all of this, I've played this game countless times and yet I keep watching your videos, they are so well constructed, the music, the writing, the editing, everything. It's simply amazing
"you know, you know who that one-armed demon was"
me: yes
sekiro: no
me: :(
Somebody didn't share his sake. Selfish bastard.
@@sibanbgd100 honestly no matter how many people i talked to, wolf never worked out it was the sculpture. Idk maybe i missed someone.
@@absolutepineapple4115 lol same. No matter how much I tried to eavesdrop too. Idk.
@@absolutepineapple4115 i forgot how much sake and to who, but if you find it all and give it to ishin, Emma and sculptor you'll get it
yeah that was bullshit. I realized in my second playthrough that I had to do a bunch of spying on Emma and Sculptor so that she literally tells him she can end him.
i tried the audiobook about ikigai, and i have to thank you. it genuinely changed my life. enjoying the small things in life for the sake of doing them is such an enjoyable way of living. your recommendations never cease to amaze!
That was your best video yet! I already really enjoyed Sekiro's story, but I missed much of the backstory of the Sculptor and the prosthetic arm, and it was a very effective tale, especially given the parallels drawn between the Wolf and Emma. It is a shame such dialogue is missable with the whole sake mechanic - I really wish From weren't so obscure in their storytelling, because the stories and characters are usually very compelling, but having to put them together like a mosaic is frustrating.
I think that whole approach really hamstrings their storytelling, because whilst such archaeology is fine for smaller attentuating details or 'lore' if you will, for main character beats it doesn't work well at all. We can't all be expected to play through the game multiple times just to hear a few extra lines of nonetheless telling dialogue, and though I certainly appreciate all the work Vaati does to do the heavy-lifting for us, we shouldn't be learning this stuff on RUclips but in the game itself in an organic way! When you put all these details together, Sekiro had one of the best stories in games last year, but very few people (beyond this channel) are talking about it on a narrative level because of how disparate its storytelling is. That being said, Sekiro was definitely a step in the right direction, with a much more discernible main plot and characters, but I really do hope Elden Ring (especially with all the GRRM detail) is even less obtuse; Miyazaki's work deserves better.
I’ve been wondering about Shura for awhile so I’m glad you made this video and cleared things up for me
I’d like to know more about the “true sculpture” the one who carved the kind Buddha. I feel that the sculpture sacrificed himself as an offering to hold on to the hatred of war. Not becoming shura fully, but taking on the consequences of the sins he committed, containing the demon within.
please do more. ive loved the prepare to cry series in the past but sekiro is just such a beautifully told story it needs someone who truly cares to tell it.
Finally finished Sekiro and watched all these videos. GG. I don't think it needs DLC.
What a construction! This video is a masterpiece, the music, camera angles, everything
*Sees that this video was uploaded 19 minutes ago*
*Knows that I've already been defeated*
Hesitation is defeat
I don't know what you did differently, but this one had my emotions on a rollercoaster.
"Would you cut a bloody path through your foes, giving no heed to temperance or mercy??"
"Shura."
These documentary depictions are really awesome, deepens the understandings of the story expanded.
I found and clicked on this video on my feed before I got a notification for the upload.
I love Sekiro so much. This did make me cry. Thank you for doing these.
One of my favorite manifestations of the Shura throughout the story is how the sculptor spends every waking moment carving the wooden Buddha statues but every one ends up with a wrathful face instead of a serene one.
By the end of the game when you’ve looked at them lining the walls after his countless hours of work during your journey and unthinkable years before you realize just how deep seated the Shura is in his soul.
I love the thought that he does this meditative practice of sculpting to keep the hate at bay, but the Shura still manifests itself by desecrating the face of Buddha itself. The Buddha sought for his followers to achieve Nirvana, or the end of suffering.
The sculptor, as much as he yearned to find this sense of everlasting peace, would never be able to find it. I believed he finally succumbed to Shura when he knew Sekiro was powerful enough to end the suffering once and for all.
Your talent for telling the many stories within Sekiro is unmatched. And appreciated.
Shura is also the buddhist hell that awaits warriors, even though in many noh dramas the ghost that is supposed to be in shura actually wanders the earth and sometimes has visions of the battle he died in, as if hell was in his mind
we are all prisoners in our own minds after all.
Gotta tell you that I have an enormous amount of respect for how you incorporate your advertisements Vaati.
No one likes being advertised to, but you manage to make the adverts on your channel fluid and contextually relevant. Genuinely hope you continue to get a lot of ad revenue from it because it's well deserved mate.
And, of course, awesome quality video; good to see you come back to Prepare to Cry.
10:50
This picture right here is enough to make the Shura ending my favorite, and I've only gotten half the endings. That picture is actually my home screen. My lock screen is from the cutscene between the Emma and Isshin fight, and I just tossed an Instagram filter on it because when I took a picture of it the quality dropped a bit.
Thank you for the video. I was hoping that you would make a video about shura, so this makes me very happy
11:01 i freaking love that pose that he makes it's so cool
Honestly your sponsor are the only one i never skip and actually listen to.
I can't shake the thought that Mako would've been amazing as Ishin Ashina. Rest in Peace Mako.
i'm replaying DSI and listening to Vatati talk about Shura , it can't get any better
Ng+7 Shura ending all the way.
Suffering is what we desire.
You make the game story even more beautiful, makes me appreciate the art, story, and concept more.
It's interesting what exactly it is that leads to Wolf becoming 'Shura.' It's not as if he's been a good person - Isshin describes him as an "unkind and inauspicious man," but for some reason could not bring himself to hate him, presumably because he still detected a spark of good in him that shone through his time protecting the Divine Heir. He's killed many people in the course of the game who, given the choice, would choose not to hurt him - many of them no longer in their right minds when doing so. Considering he was raised by someone like Owl to be vicious and unrelenting, it's no surprise this is the case.
When is the precise moment that he becomes Shura? I think it's when he jumps from Violence in the seventh circle of hell, straight down to the ninth - the most despicable and heinous Treachery (some might think my comparison with Western religious philosophy garish but the overlaps Wester and Eastern religious philosophy have are a hint of something deeper than transcends cultures). He has committed the gravest sins of each round of the ninth circle of hell all in one narrow space of time:
.
Round 1: Caina, named after Cain, who killed his brother in the first act of murder of human kind. Wolf fulfills this by backstabbing his father after vowing to serve him, becoming a traitor to his kindred.
Round 2: Antenora, named after a Trojan soldier who betrayed his city to the Greeks: a traitor of his country. Wolf doesn't belong to a country, but has fulfilled this in a manner by facilitating Owl's rise to power as a foreign enemy within the Ashina Estate despite it becoming something of a temporary home to him and his master, knowing full well how ruthless his father is.
Round 3: Ptolomaea, named after Ptolemy, who invited his father-in-law and sons to a banquet to kill them: a traitor to his guests. Wolf fulfills this by slaughtering the gentle Emma, guest of his lord Kuro.
Round 4: Judecca, named after Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ. Here lies the worst of all sin - treachery of one's lord and benefactor. It is for a superficial code of conduct instilled in him by his scheming father that he forsakes his purpose, to protect and serve the Divine Heir, the boy who saved his life and both granted him new purpose and provided shelter for Wolf's battered soul in Limbo.
.
In chronological order, Wolf forsakes Kuro in Judecca, followed by Ptolomaea and subsequently Antenora, before reaching Caina when he seizes the chance to enact revenge on his father, who realizes in his last moment just what exactly it is he has done, and what he has groomed Wolf to become by teaching him to betray him in kind after what happened at the Hirata Estate. Almost a reverse-descent through the rounds in Cocytus.
Naturally I might be reading too far into it all but I like to think FromSoftware's dabbling in Western philosophy from the Souls series has rubbed off on this game somewhat.
I really enjoy the love and respect shown by all the characters in Sekiro. Even in the so called "villains" of the story, there is a lot of symmetry between Owl adopting Wolf, Sekijo finding Emma and allowing Dogen to adopt her and Isshin adopting Genichiro after his mother died etc etc
*Sees new vaativideo*
Me: Fastest click in the east
Seaspartan118 faster clicking this video than I am dodging this giant DAMN APE
Literally my life every time I get his notifications
I love sekiro and this series o much.
Keep up the good work "kind sir, shinobi"