- "Doubtless your journey was a trying one. You deserve the rest ahead of you. You came here seeking the dawn, yes? I must ask: why? The road you took here is soaked in the blood of those who opposed you. Was it worth it? I suppose it matters not. There is no evil in this world. No good. There is only that which we believe in. Can you tell me, without a shade of a doubt, that the dawn is worth all you have endured?" —Oboro, being confronted by the travelers in Vidania
Oboro, also known as Kazan, is a character in Octopath Traveler II. He is the overarching antagonist of Hikari's story, as well as one of the main antagonists of the game overall, being a prominent member of the Moonshade Order.
A famous tactician known as the Eagle of Ku, Kazan has led his nation to many victories. He is regrettably fond of drinking and gambling.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Kazan is an aged man with gray hair, a ponytail, and a beard. He wears a white robe above a set of simple clothes, and has a flask hanging off of his hip.
Personality[]
As the Eagle of Ku, Kazan is a genius in strategy and manipulation. His cunning and mysterious nature makes him both a valuable ally and a terrifying enemy, despite his lack of combat skill. Hikari has noted that Kazan unfortunately has a habit of falling into vices, namely gambling and alcohol.
In reality, Kazan's real name is Oboro, and he is greatly embittered to the world due to the horrible experiences he suffered under Ku's invasions. He originally tried to use his position as a strategist to lead Ku away from bloodshed, but violence dogged the nation until he lost hope. He is dedicated and patient regarding his true ambitions, willing to wait for decades and aid his enemies in order to get what he wants. He wishes for the Shadow to consume the world, believing that humans do not deserve their world due to their cruelty.
According to Oboro, there is no such thing as good or evil. There is only belief.
Story[]
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(I don't think this is where I should be going at the moment...) The following section contains potential story spoilers! |
Prior to Story[]
Kazan's true identity is Oboro, he and his adoptive younger sister Ori being lowborn citizens who have suffered since their home - the fallen kingdom of U - was conquered by Ku. Creating the identity of Kazan, he ends up becoming a member of king Jigo Ku’s court when his attempt to assassinate the king failed yet spared by the ruler for seeing his talents as a strategist. Bearing witness to the numerous atrocities committed by Jugo and his son General Mugen shaped Oboro’s ideology that the world is a cruel and unsightly place. He would then be approached by the Moonshade Order, a cult dedicated to Vide the Wicked, and is inducted into the cult after reading the Book of Night. Oboro then exploited Mugen Ku's agenda to acquire the Darkblood Blade, a means to quell the Sacred Flames, serving as his advisor during Ku's campaign to conquer Hinoeuma. But upon learning Mugen had no intent to hand over the Darkblood Blade, Kazan left for Montwise after the war ended.
Story[]
Forming a kinship with the gladiators of Montwise's Underground Arena out of empathy, Kazan formulated a plan to free them with Hikari's aid by having him participate in the matches under the context of repaying his gambling debts to the arena owner Borneau, earning enough leaves from betting on Hikari to earn a seat in Borneau's balcony. Exploiting Hikari's match against current arena champion, Bandelam the Reaper, Kazan placed a bet stipulating that the loser must pay three billion times their amount while arranging Zeto the Butcher and the other gladiators to take Borneau hostage. After Hikari's victory against Bandelam, Kazan took Borneau's arena as payment while revealing his true intentions, providing Hikari with a band of loyal followers. Prior to departing for Ryu to make preparations, Kazan informed Hikari of Mugen's weapon shipments at Wellgrove.
Once preparations are complete, Kazan met with Hikari at the outskirts of Ku Castle and formulated a scheme to storm the castle's front gate under the cover of a manufactured sandstorm and distract the guards long enough to overwhelm them with their reinforcements within the castle wall. Once the plan succeeded and Mugen was killed, Kazan managed to spirit away the Darkblood Blade and maintain his cover long enough to participate in Hikari's coronation. Despite preparing to end the world, he donated three billion leaves to Ku's reconstruction.
Soon after, having no need for his false identity, Oboro killed Ageha with the Darkblood Blade as a sacrificial offering to snuff out Ku's Sacred Flame, enabling Vide’s return to the mortal plane. Oboro would then travel to Vide's resting place to sacrifice himself to complete the deity's resurrection. There he was confronted by the eight travelers responsible for restoring the Sacred Flames, including Hikari.
Quotes[]
Associated Journals[]
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
"Oboro" is Japanese for "cloudy," "dim," or "hazy" (朧, oboro), often with reference to the moon. As such, Oboro's name symbolizes the Moonshade Order's desire for eternal night and his own lack of faith in humanity.
His alias, "Kazan," is the Japanese word for "volcano"; the term "kazan" can also mean "boiler" or "cauldron" in the Tatar and Turkic languages. This association with fire may reflect Kazan's role as a firebrand and contrasts the darkness implied by Oboro's true name.
Trivia[]
- If Hikari was selected as the starting traveler, he will acknowledge Oboro as Kazan when he answers his question about the dawn prior to the battle with Vide.
- Oboro's diary can be found in a lower room on the east side of Castle Ku during Hikari's Chapter 1.
- According to Hikari, Kazan has a chronic lying tell: hiding his cup.
- As revealed in travel banter, 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.
- Given his backstory and the town's history, Oboro likely hails from Sai.