SHIKI Tohno[Note 1] (遠野 四季, Tōno Shiki?)[2] is the main antagonist of the Far-Side Moon routes of Tsukihime. He is the true son of the Tohno family and the eighteenth reincarnation of Michael Roa Valdamjong. While Roa's persona is dominant during the Near-Side Moon routes of the game, Shiki's is dominant during the Far-Side Moon routes.
Profile[]
Background[]
The eldest child of the Tohno family, who was feared by his sister Akiha due to his unstable demon blood and good friends with Shiki Nanaya, his adopted brother from the Nanaya clan. The three would often play with together, and they especially enjoyed playing a game where they would mark territory inside the mansion by carving their names walls, floors, and pillars. He eventually fell to his Inversion Impulse, resulting in him attacking his sister. She was protected by Shiki Nanaya, who suffered from a nearly fatal wound and having part of his "life" stolen by SHIKI.
As with the traditions of the Tohno household, SHIKI was to be killed by his father, Makihisa Tohno, but he managed to revive using Shiki Nanaya's "life." He regained a measure of his sanity, so Makihisa was unsure about killing him. While he was officially declared deceased to the rest of the family and officially replaced by Shiki Nanaya, he was kept locked in the Tohno Mansion's cellar. Makihisa planned to bring him back into the family after he healed, but he remained locked up for around eight years. After Makihisa's death, he was taken care of by Kohaku, who planned to use him in her revenge against the family. He is eventually released before the start of Tsukihime.
Appearance[]
In the Far-Side routes where SHIKI's personality is active, he is shown as a young, pale-skinned man with a loose, blue kimono. Due to his Inversion Impulse his hair has turned white and his eyes red. When he was a child he was black haired and blue eyed like his sister.
Personality[]
In the Far-Side Moon Routes of Tsukihime, SHIKI is deranged and obsessed with getting revenge on Shiki for stealing his life from him. He is incredibly overprotective of Akiha and tries to take her back from Shiki against her will, claiming that she should love him because he is her true brother. In Hisui's route, after accidentally killing Akiha he begins to cry and shout that he didn't mean to, before running away. Despite this he is shown to be able to function somewhat normally, having a discussion about life and people's place in the world with Shiki in Kohaku's route due to him not recognizing Shiki.
In the Kagetsu Tohya sidestory 'Drinking Dreaming Moon' his true personality is shown, said to be the version of SHIKI that Shiki most wanted to see. He is very friendly with Shiki and treats him as his friend and brother as he did as a child and is shown to be caring to the Tohno household members. He smiles widely and is pleased to hear that Akiha has grown into a fine woman, and expresses his regret for the terrible things he did to Kohaku, but he is happy to hear that she is finally truly smiling and not faking it. He laughs and chats with Shiki for a long time, and at the end of their discussion he tells Shiki that he was happy to be his friend and that he really wishes he could meet him again one day.
When he was a child he was a cheeky and playful, spending his days playing with Akiha and Shiki as the leader of the group. He was serious at times as he understood his blood and how dangerous it could be, and after coming close to inverting and attacking his siblings, he asked Shiki to kill him if he ever inverted.
Role[]
Tsukihime[]
Near-Side routes[]
SHIKI Tohno spends the "Near-Side Moon" routes under the complete control of Michael Roa Valdamjong's persona. Despite this, Roa inherits SHIKI's memories and grudge against Shiki for stealing his life away from him.
Akiha's route[]
« Yes, the old man almost killed me afterwards, though. The Tohno blood finally awakened inside me, but I was imprisoned underground, and lived in the dark for eight years. That damn old man. He said he'd let me out if I returned to being a human...! He thought it would be inconvenient for Shiki Tohno to be gone, so he made you into Shiki Tohno. » |
(SHIKI explaining to Shiki about their switch - Akiha's route, Day 10) |
SHIKI is the main antagonist during the "Far-Side Moon" routes, the stories of Akiha and Hisui. SHIKI's inversion impulse keeps Roa from exerting his will over him, resulting in a very deranged individual obsessed only with getting revenge on Shiki for stealing everything from him. Roa doesn't have an appearance in these stories besides a brief mention from SHIKI that something in his mind wants to take over.
In the Far-Side routes, SHIKI is responsible for biting and turning Satsuki Yumizuka into a vampire, attacking her in the city at night time early in the story.
Near the climax of the route, SHIKI arrives to the Tohno mansion in order to take Akiha "back with him" and reveals to Shiki all the truths of their childhood. However, Akiha regains consciousness and protects Shiki. The two have a confrontation about Shiki, only for Akiha to say in his face that Shiki is her brother now and that she does not consider SHIKI as her brother anymore. SHIKI is angered of this revelation and aims to kill him, but Akiha protects Shiki and takes the attack. This causes Shiki to have a homicidal impulse and cut SHIKI’s lines, but he regenerates and escapes.[5]
After Akiha and Shiki consumate their relationship, an enraged SHIKI kidnaps her. When Shiki comes to the abandoned room in order to confront SHIKI and save Akiha, he discovers that SHIKI turned her into a mindless, blood sucking creature. Both fight and Shiki manages to debilitate him. However, at the last moment, Shiki hesitates to kill him so SHIKI uses the last of his energy to return to the abandoned house and see Akiha. Surprisingly, Akiha, now a mindless monster, kills SHIKI by ripping his heart out and mauling his body to pieces.[1]
Hisui's route[]
« You're so, so annoying! What kind of grudge do you have against me!? Why are you always getting in my way!? » |
(SHIKI during his last fight with Shiki - Hisui's route, Day 12) |
Near the climax of the route, Akiha fights him and seems to be capable of defeating him, until Shiki and Hisui arrive.[6]
In Hisui's True Ending, SHIKI attempts to kill Kohaku, but Akiha protects her with her body and dies. SHIKI breaks down at the sight of his dead sister and runs away to the roof, when Shiki kills him rather easily. He takes his final moment to ask Shiki just who he is, since he was unaware who he was fighting. This serves as the vital clue to Shiki realizing Kohaku's significance in the route's series of events.
In Hisui's Good Ending, Akiha is only injured in her arm by SHIKI and his fate is the same as in the True Ending.
It is revealed that after SHIKI inverted and became imprisoned, Kohaku drugged him and twisted his mind even further, by convincing him nobody wanted him and encouraging his murderous impulses, for the sake of her revenge on the Tohno family.
Kohaku's route[]
« I see. You like to talk a lot, don't you? I had a friend like that once. That guy, how to say it...He never had anything of his own. So he looked like he never wanted anything. That was, uh, terribly aloof. Although aloof is just another name for lonely. That's why I couldn't help but worry about him... » |
(SHIKI noticing Shiki is like his "old best friend" - Kohaku's route, Day 4) |
SHIKI catches a drugged Shiki going berserk and killing some people in a back alley. Both have coffee on a park bench while discussing life and how they both fit into the world, and joking with each other like friends. SHIKI even points that Shiki reminds him of his precious childhood friend, not realizing that he is the same person. In the end, SHIKI does try to start a fight, but Shiki tells him that he's superior in a fight to the death. Surprisingly, he agrees with him, and decides to give up and leave town for good.[7]
However, Akiha tracks down and kills him in order to protect Shiki from having to face all the pains from their past. However, due to SHIKI's ability of immortality and the nature of Akiha's powers, SHIKI is able to give Akiha one final curse before he dies. He transfers the burden of his madness caused by the inversion impulse of his Tohno blood and the evil spirit inside of him over to her when Akiha absorbs his energy to kill him.[8]
Manga[]
« Those with particularly strong Tohno blood are practically demons. So, even you and I will become monsters. Real monsters! But I want you to promise, when that happens to me, you'll.... » |
(Young SHIKI asking Shiki to kill him in the future - Tsukihime Manga, Chapter 46) |
Roa in the Tsukihime manga is a mix of both versions of himself from the Far-Side and Near-Side routes. He bears an appearance similar to that of Far-side Shiki Tohno, but contains the abilities, goals and the clothing of Near-side route Roa. He becomes progressively more dangerous each time as he begins utilizing continuously greater feats of Magecraft. During his first three appearances, he is always targeting Shiki so as to take vengeance for his death as SHIKI.[9][10][11][12][13] The childhood flashbacks are also more emphazised, showing SHIKI to be a cheeky prankster boy whose only friend was Shiki and was quite prone to have outbursts due to the Tohno blood.[14] He also asked Shiki to kill him in case that he ever inverted, but Shiki refused to kill his friend. When SHIKI inebitably inverted, Shiki not wanting to kill him but also wanting to protect Akiha, decided to shield her with his body at the cost of his life.[11]
After Shiki remembers his childhood, SHIKI attacks him, but Akiha arrives in time. The siblings have a confrontation in which Akiha refuses to acknowledge him as her true brother, causing him to try to kill her. However, Ciel manages to interrupt him just before he kills either Shiki or Akiha.[11] During another confrontation between him and SHIKI, he believes he has successfully killed Shiki and loses it, causing Roa to take full control of his body. Through the use of a Bounded Field, Roa manages to take control of quite literally the entire city of Miyaki's supply of magical energy, directing it all towards his final battle with Arcueid.[13]
Kagetsu Tohya[]
« If this is a dream, then we can meet again soon. But if this is real...then it'll have to wait until you die. » |
(SHIKI before saying goodbye to Shiki - Kagetsu Tohya, Drinking, Dreaming Moon) |
Roa and SHIKI are presented as separate characters in this adaptation. SHIKI only appears in two side stories.
In "The Tohno Family Con Game", the whole cast plays an elaborate game of tag for Kohaku's sake. SHIKI takes part of it and he acts friendly, albeit slightly insane, wanting to win the prize of being Tohno head for a day. He and Shiki hide together in their room, but Kohaku attempts to trick them into leaving the room by having Akiha crying for help. Despite Shiki knowing that it is a trap he is moved by how much SHIKI cares for Akiha and allows him go and 'save' her, letting him act like the big brother he wants to be. Right after being tagged himself he successfully tags Satsuki, controlling her using his power as her 'parent' vampire to paralyze her. Later he tries to tag Shiki as well, only to be knocked out by Akiha, who doesn't want SHIKI to win the game.[15]
In "Drinking, Dreaming Moon", Shiki meets with SHIKI at night and both discuss their relationship on friendly terms, sharing a bottle of sake. SHIKI asks Shiki about about how everyone is going, from the Tohno household members to Shiki's newer friends. He becomes very happy when he learns of how Akiha is doing, and even shows regret about how he treated Kohaku, but is happy that things have gotten better for her. Shiki grows suspicious of why he's able to talk to SHIKI and why he is friendly, so SHIKI explains that the SHIKI he is talking with now must be the one he wants to see, his friend from his childhood. Shiki becomes overwhelmed with emotions and beings to cry, SHIKI hides his face but together they cry the tears they should have shed when they killed each other.[16]
They talk and drink for a while longer, but eventually they say their goodbyes. Shiki begins to fall asleep and is unable to respond, but SHIKI tells him that he is glad they drank together and that he'll be praying that they'll meet again. Shiki later wakes up and his memories of the chat are hazy but he remembers to thank all of his friends as SHIKI asked him. He notices Kohaku cleaning up a bottle of sake and two cups, implying that everything was not a dream like Shiki believed and that he was actually talking with the spirit of SHIKI. The ending shows SHIKI and Satsuki talking together in the afterlife, with her thanking SHIKI for delivering her message of goodbye and thank you to Shiki.[16]
Carnival Phantasm[]
« I've been feeling kinda lonely lately. Akiha doesn't care about me, and Shiki has forgotten about me... » |
(Roa/SHIKI drinking with Nrvnqsr Chaos - Carnival Phantasm, EX Episode) |
SHIKI has short appearances in Carnival Phantasm. SHIKI has a small appearance as one of the murder victims during the Brainwashing Detective segment, as a terrified Shiki watches his corpse. SHIKI is comically exaggerated, seen in Roa's form sulking to Nrvnqsr Chaos about how Akiha never cared about him or that Shiki does not remember him due to Makihisa's spell.
Abilities[]
Makihisa Tohno states that SHIKI was born with more Tohno blood than his sister Akiha. While in terms of potential, Akiha possesses an older Origin, SHIKI's blood runs much stronger. Makihisa believed this to be the reason why SHIKI inverted before he became an adult.[6]
Despite being Michael Roa Valdamjong's host, SHIKI doesn't display any of his powers such as regeneration or the ability to see "Death Lines". As a Mixed-Blood, SHIKI possesses two Abilities:[6]
- Immortality: Death Resistive Body. Just as it sounds, it means he has a body that will not die. However, this is not the ability to heal wounds, but the ability to reconfigure his body in order to survive despite his wounds.[2] His body dies with great difficulty.[7] It is this ability to freely manipulate his flesh that allows him to use his own spilled blood as a sword by coagulating it.[2] Rather than a sword, it resembles more a blade approximately 10 times longer than Shiki Nanaya's knife. Despite its length, SHIKI has no problem swinging it around in a closed space, since the blade doesn't get stuck in the walls or the ceiling despite its length. It simply arces down through obstacles like a knife in hot butter. SHIKI can throw his swords like bullets.[1]
- Fusion: Eroding Detachment. A Curse of fusion by contact. SHIKI is naturally capable of continuing to use his own body no matter what condition it's in, but his ultimate ability is actually restoring his own flesh by assimilating the flesh of others. In a word, it's the no-holds barred version of an organ transplant. Though SHIKI became a Vampire due to being invaded by Michael Roa Valdamjong's consciousness, this innate ability as a Mixed-Blood was already pretty vampire-ish. (Of course, in the end, it's just making up for lost parts.)[17] SHIKI was able to steal Shiki Nanaya's "life", regenerating himself with it.[6] While SHIKI is always taking away life from Shiki, resulting on his poor health, it returns to him when SHIKI sleeps.[7] The reason that Akiha attained some vampire-ish abilities after disposing of her rampaging older brother might have been because she also ended up plundering this power when she killed him.[17] This ability also allows him to reattach lost limbs and to junction his Life Force on to another living individual, and continue to live on through that method.[citation needed]
Combat[]
Thanks to his blood, SHIKI's power surpasses the level of a Human.[6] While SHIKI sometimes wields a knife to mirror Shiki Tohno, he isn't used to fighting with it. He is more skilled at attacking with his nails and Blood Blades.[5]
SHIKI was shown fighting Ciel in one of Shiki Tohno's dreams.[3] Based on the way Ciel moved, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, and throwing Black Keys like bullets, Shiki believes she almost seemed like more of a monster than SHIKI.[4] Shiki notes that while Ciel was very strong, the moment a passerby happened to interrupt their fight, it was the end.[3] When Ciel moved to protect the passerby, SHIKI took advantage of her opening and skewered the two of them from behind.[3][4]
During SHIKI's first fight against Shiki Tohno, SHIKI swings his knife numerous times at every part of Shiki's body. Shiki is able to avoid receiving any fatal wounds by moving his body past its limits to the point he's breathing hard. SHIKI is shocked he failed to kill him, and wonders why his ability to kill is so high. Even though Shiki had already seen SHIKI's killings in his dreams, he struggled to block his attacks, and claimed that it was nigh-impossible to strike his "lines". However, if he didn't care to avoid mutual death, he could easily kill SHIKI. When SHIKI gets serious and drops his knife, Shiki's body alerts him that he won't be able to keep up with him and that he probably won't be able to see him attack him. SHIKI jumps forward to Shiki hoping to catch him by surprise, however, he was expecting that already. Despite Shiki raising his knife to face his enemy, SHIKI's nails are faster. The result would have been mutual death had they not been stopped by Akiha Tohno.[5]
Previous to SHIKI's and Shiki Tohno's 2nd fight, Shiki's body had reached its limit and he couldn't move like he wanted to. Using all its energy just to stay alive, it'd be suicidal to fight in that state, but he fought SHIKI regardless. When SHIKI swings his arm to strike down Shiki, he dodges it, and prepares to cut across the "line" on SHIKI's chest. At the very last moment, SHIKI creates a Blood Blade to catch his opponent by surprise, but Shiki realizes it was just an illusion, and blocks SHIKI's weapon. Realizing he is at a disadvantage in a closed space due to SHIKI's long-ranged weapon, Shiki retreats to the forest. Shiki ambushes him outside and kills him by striking the "point" on his chest.[1]
In Kohaku's route, SHIKI was able to block an attack from Shiki Nanaya (Shiki Tohno's Killer persona), canceling out each other's fatal strikes to the throat. This made SHIKI laugh like "a boxer that finally cut weight and steps to the ring to face his greatest lifetime rival." Probably, Nanaya had the same smile on his face. While SHIKI wished to resume their duel after chatting for a while, Nanaya stopped him, telling him that while as a living creature, SHIKI is stronger than him, in a fight to the death, he is superior to SHIKI. SHIKI agrees, and decides to leave town.[7]
SHIKI is no match for Akiha Tohno in her Crimson Red Vermillion form empowered by Kohaku.[6][8] The difference between their abilities is too great. Whereas SHIKI needs to get close to kill, Akiha merely has to look. Akiha's killing ability, no matter how someone may think about it, is many times superior to SHIKI's. The only way to kill Akiha would be a surprise attack.[8] During their fight in Akiha's route, Akiha left SHIKI in the brink of death and gasping for air with a single attack. SHIKI counterattacked by leaping forward in a flash of speed Shiki Tohno can't even follow, but Akiha simply glanced down at him, burning his body. Akiha greatly degraded SHIKI's body, to the point Shiki could dodge his attack and slice the "line" from the top of his head to his abdomen at a speed slower than that of walking.[6] In Kohaku's route, SHIKI is barely able to avoid Akiha's attack, losing everything past his left elbow in the process. Despite losing another leg while trying to escape, SHIKI still believed that he could kill her seven times over in five seconds if he took her by surprise. To his surprise, Akiha was still able to react in time, and killed him with no mercy.[8]
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 12/A Finale - 12th day/November 1 (Mon.)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
[] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Tohno SHIKI [Person's name], p.185 SHIKI Tohno [Person's name]
The true eldest son of the Tohno family.
He was always pretty talkative and brash, but after Roa surfaced he got even chattier. His having a different appearance in the Arcueid and Akiha routes is just a little bit of fan service. After all, the only real difference between the two is whether or not Roa or SHIKI's consciousness is stronger, but we thought it would be pretty terrible if player had to keep seeing the same face pop up over and over as the villain in a game as long as Tsukihime, so we gave them different sprites.
He is a handsome young man, casually dressed in traditional Japanese clothes. Somehow, he has the air of a haiku poet about him.
One of his abilities as a demon hybrid is a "death-resistant body". Just as it sounds, it means he has a body that will not die. However, this is not the ability to heal wounds, but the ability to reconfigure his body in order to survive despite his wounds. It is this ability to freely manipulate his flesh that allows him to use his own spilled blood as a sword by coagulating it.
…He is yet one more hapless victim of the Infinite Reincarnator, Roa.遠野シキ【人名】
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 8/Afternoon Dream - 8th day/October 28 (Thur.)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 9/Bloodsucking Demon - 9th day/October 29 (Fri.)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 10/Sweltering Night - 10th day/October 30 (Sat.)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Tsukihime - Far Side: Hisui's Route, 13/Golden Cocoon - 13th day/November 2 (Tue.)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Tsukihime - Far Side: Kohaku's Route, 4/Cradle Garden - 4th day/October 24 (Sun.)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Tsukihime - Far Side: Kohaku's Route, VI/Future Vision, Future Death
- ↑ Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 31
- ↑ Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 32
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 46
- ↑ Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 60
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 61
- ↑ Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 45
- ↑ Kagetsu Tohya - Ten Nights of Dream - The Tohno Family Con Game
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Kagetsu Tohya - Drinking, Dreaming Moon
- ↑ 17.0 17.1
[] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Corrosive Separation [Unusual talent], p.183 Corrosive Separation [Unusual talent]
Corrosive Separation. One of Tohno SHIKI's abilities as a demon hybrid. A curse of fusion by contact.
SHIKI is naturally capable of continuing to use his own body no matter what condition it's in, but his ultimate ability is actually restoring his own flesh by assimilating the flesh of others. In a word, it's the no holds barred version of an organ transplant.
Though SHIKI became a vampire due to being invaded by Roa's consciousness, this innate ability as a demon hybrid was already pretty vampire-ish. (Of course, in the end it's just making up for lost parts.)
The reason that Akiha attained some vampire-ish abilities after disposing of her rampaging older brother might have been because she also ended up plundering this power when she killed him.蝕離【異能】