- "Hikari, I have devoted my life to expanding our borders. Many a dawn has been stained crimson by my ambition. Now, at the end of that path... I realize that it has all led to nothing." —King Jigo Ku
King Jigo Ku is a character in Octopath Traveler II. He is the father of the half-brothers Hikari Ku and Mugen. He was the aging ruler of Ku, before being dethroned and killed by Mugen in a coup.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
King Jigo wears a black-and-red robe with gold decorations. He has a white beard, along with a red cap and a golden crown.
Personality[]
During his early life, King Jigo believed that might and power were important, leading to increasing Ku's territory over the years. However over time, as he lead his country through endless military conflict during most of his rule, King Jigo eventually began to tire of war and regretted the world of strife and war he had a hand in creating. For that reason he had chosen Hikari as his successor, wishing him to lead the nation of Ku to a brighter tomorrow.
Prior to Story[]
Not much is known of Jigo's early life, though at some point he met an unknown woman and married her, eventually having a son, Mugen. One day, during one of Ku's many wars which destroyed a village, he became a target for assassination by Kazan, one of the villagers there. Seeing his potential, Jigo spared his life in exchange for his service in Ku's higher court, which Kazan accepted. At some point, he met Kura and sired another son, Hikari. However, he would suffer her loss at the hands of bandits in a plot orchestrated by Jin Mei and Mugen.
After a battle against the southern nation ended in Ku's victory, King Jigo appeared before his troops and sons, congratulating them on their success before briefly straining against the heat. However, soon after that battle, Ku would declare an indefinite ceasefire, effectively ending the war.
Story[]
Three years after the war's end, an aging King Jigo met with his younger son, Hikari, on the western side of town where he revealed his regret on his ambitions before asking Hikari what he wanted for Ku. After hearing his son's answer, he declared his son to be his successor and warned him of a dark plot amongst Mugen and his troops before departing the area.
Later that night, Jigo summoned Mugen, who, after giving his answer on what he wanted for Ku and being deemed unworthy, set the town on fire and attempted to take power by force. During his duel with Mugen (whom he engaged after dispatching the soldiers), he was defeated and mortally wounded as Hikari arrived on the scene. Before dying in his younger son's arms, he told him to retreat and gather his allies as Mugen was too strong to engage alone and implored him to restore the light to the nation.
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
"Jigo" is a term used to denote a draw in the Chinese game of go, which may in Jigo Ku's context reflect the way that his life became a stalemate between war and peace.
Jigo's surname, "Ku," is a tribute to his nation. "Kū" (or "kyū") is a Japanese term used in several martial arts to indicate rank or level of experience; it is also a Chinese surname, meaning "ancient" (pronounced as "kù” in Chinese). The pronunciation of "Ku" may be a play on "coup d'état," or the forced overthrow of a ruler, such as Jigo's end at the hands of Mugen.
"Jigoku" is the Japanese Buddhist term for "hell," possibly reflecting the infernal hold of Clan Ku upon its nation.
Trivia[]
- Kazan once looked King Jigo in the eye and asked, "Shall we begin digging for salt?" The king was taken aback by this abrupt question, but he subsequently commanded the mining of salt in order to help his kingdom's poor populace, whose need Kazan had noticed before anyone else.