Sakon Shima

Sakon Shima (島 清興) is a minor antagonist and recurring boss in Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. He is a loyal retainer to Mitsunari Ishida, and thus also a part of the Toyotomi clan.

Historical Background

Born in 1540 to Shima Matsukatsu, Sakon grew up to serve the Hatakeyama clan in his early twenties. While it is uncertain which of his known aliases were his birth name, he at some point gained the nickname Shima Sakon (Shima Nearby to the Left). Sakon took part in the 1562 Battle of Kyokoji against the Miyoshi clan, though Hatakeyama Takamasa was defeated, resulting in the defeat of the Hatakeyama clan. In 1577, Sakon would begin serving the Tsutsui clan as one of two primary officers alongside Matsukura Shigenobu, working under the command of Tsutsui Junkei, where he would gain great distinction.

Following the death of Junkei in 1584, Sakon is believed to have been hired by Ishida Mitsunari and convinced to serve the Toyotomi clan under Toyotomi Hidenaga in the Kyushu Campaign. Following Hidenaga's death in 1591, Mitsunari recruited Sakon into his army as a leading strategist, serving him until his death in the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara where he is believed to have been fatally shot by riflemen lead by Kuroda Nagamasa. In truth, Sakon's ultimate fate remains unknown as his body was never found on the battlefield after the battle had ended.

Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams

During the total conquest of Japan at the hands of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Mitsunari Ishida would employ Sakon Shima as his personal retainer. Though it is not known what led to it, Sakon would grow fiercely loyal to Mitsunari above all else, willing to stand against any who may threaten him. While Mitsunari himself was always known as a highly cruel man, it is known that Sakon eventually became one of the two things that Mitsunari truly valued, the other being Sawayama Castle. In the early-to-mid 1590s, Mitsunari would successfully free the Genma Triumvirate from the underworld and strike a deal with Claudius, allowing the Genma to inhabit his body due to being rendered so weak that he could not manifest in his own, and work through him to further the Genma's plans of reviving the Creator God Fortinbras in exchange for gaining the Genma's power.

While the Triumvirate worked to strike a deal with Hideyoshi to act as a vessel for the revived god, the latter would allow Ophelia to sacrifice Lady Yodo after the birth of Hideyori Toyotomi, converting her in the Genma Mother Tree and beginning the spread of Genma Insects throughout the country. However, when ordered to consume them by Mitsunari on multiple occasions, Sakon outright refused, raising his concerns about using them. Seeing his unwillingness, Mitsunari would consult with Ophelia for a solution, and she would have Mitsunari fit Sakon with a special mask. Upon wearing it, Sakon would become entirely subservient, filled with Genma power and under the complete control of the Triumvirate.

In 1598, following his violent separation from Hideyoshi Toyotomi two years prior, Hideyasu Yuki, also known as Soki, would form an alliance with Jubei Akane Yagyu and Tenkai Nankobo, and the latter would inform them of a westerner that had been held captive within the dungeons of Sawayama Castle. The group would make a plan to rescue him, assigning Akane as a decoy to draw the Genma's attention in Sawayama Castle Town while Soki and Tenkai infiltrate the dungeons to free the westerner. Upon reaching the cell, the westerner, now revealed to be Roberto Frois, simply frees himself and engages Soki in battle before leaving them behind to hunt for Luis Frois when large footsteps are heard approaching the cell. Learning of the Oni's infiltration, these footsteps are learned to originate from an approaching Sakon who clears away the nearby Genma and challenges Soki and Tenkai. However, the two manage to defeat him, causing him to begin writhing in pain as he begins fighting the influence of Ophelia's mask, though as he flees the dungeon, the two are left temporarily trapped inside as the doors force themselves shut.

Following this encounter, Sakon returns to Kyoto alongside Mitsunari, Luis and Munenori Yagyu as they await the inevitable arrival of the Oni. When Soki, Akane, Tenkai and Roberto arrive in an attempt to burn the Genma Mother Tree, Akane and Roberto are immediately drawn away by Luis and Munenori respectively, allowing Mitsunari to goad Soki into rushing towards Hideyoshi alone. Before Tenkai can stop him, Sakon approaches and challenges the monk once again, though despite Sakon's strength alongside Mitsunari's taunting as he spectates the battle, Tenkai manages to defeat Sakon, causing him to once again start resisting Ophelia's mask as he is once again writhing in pain. With this failure, Mitsunari decides to do battle with Tenkai himself in an attempt to keep him from aiding Soki. Despite this, Tenkai manages to reach Soki in time to shield him from Hideyoshi's final attack, sacrificing himself in order to give him the chance to escape to Mt. Hiei with Ohatsu, something that Sakon witnesses.

Sakon is not seen again until Soki, Akane, Ohatsu and Roberto attempt to commandeer the San Felipe in Sakai in order to reach the Toyokuni Research Facility in Shimabara in the hopes of destroying the second and last Dark Stone. As they reach the ship, Soki stays behind as they sense an approaching threat, and he is left to fight off an arriving Sakon. Once again, Sakon is left defeated, giving Soki the chance to rush towards the ship and board it as it leaves, though Sakon soon manages to do the same, boarding the ship and preparing to destroy it to prevent the Oni's escape. However, having been rescued from death by his Oni Gauntlet, Tenkai manages to arrive in time to stop Sakon's attack, and he works with Soki to purify the retainer, using a purification charm to destroy Ophelia's mask. As its influence wears off, Sakon is left in pain once again, causing him to stumble over the edge and into the sea, allowing the Oni to escape.

This loss causes Mitsunari, now revealed as Claudius having taken full control of the former's body, to lose faith in Sakon's ability, deciding to leave him behind for good. Though Luis, also having been fully possessed by Rosencrantz, expresses disappointment in not being able to use Sakon as a research experiment, he follows Claudius to Shimabara Research Facility in order to prepare for the Oni's arrival. Once the Oni finally reach the facility and enter the underground chamber, they discover the stone to be floating far above them as Claudius and Rosencrantz confront them, though when they manage to defeat the former, he reveals his invulnerability due to his close proximity to the Dark Stone after the platform had risen up towards it, and he restrains the group to prevent them from destroying it. As he does, Sakon, having finally been freed from the mask's influence, reaches the platform and impales Claudius, demanding that he relinquish Mitsunari's body.

After driving Claudius from within Mitsunari, Claudius reveals that he no longer has any need for him now that the Omen Star has already grown so close to the earth that he is now capable of manifesting in his own body, and Sakon is ordered to flee with Mitsunari while the Oni face him. In the end, Roberto manages to destroy the second Dark Stone as the rest of the Oni defeat Claudius, though the Genma warns that with only seven days before the Omen Star completes its descent, they do not have enough time to return to Kyoto and kill Hideyoshi before he reincarnates into the Creator God, laughing as he falls from the platform and explodes, the blast also killing both Luis Frois and Rosencrantz. Once the Oni escape the facility, they begin trying to figure out a way to reach Kyoto in time, and Sakon approaches them and reveals the existence of the Space Folder within Nogoya Castle that was originally kept there by Nobunaga Oda. While the group are confident that they can reach it in time, Sakon refuses to join them, instead walking away with little hope that only 5 people will be able to successfully assault Nagoya Castle.

In the end, Sakon's concerns prove untrue as the Oni reach Nagoya Castle in time, and with the aid of Minokichi, successfully reach Kyoto and defeat Hideyoshi. While Munenori still manages to complete the revival of Fortinbras, the Creator God is eventually purified and destroyed by Soki, and the latter fully awakens his own godly power as the reincarnated Oni God of Destruction. With this new power, Soki immediately decides to sacrifice himself in order to destroy the Omen Star, hoping to ensure that both Fortinbras and the Genma would never return as a result, an act that most likely succeeded as all signs of the Genma are believed to have completely ceased over the next two years. While Sakon is never seen after directing the Oni to Nagoya Castle, it can be assumed that he survived following the death of Hideyoshi and Fortinbras.

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