Sekiro - Boss Fight - Owl the Father

No. 15 in the Boss Fight Diary. =========================================================== Interpretation of Owl's musical themes and Sekiro's character =========================================================== The feeling was subtle but a constant tick in the back of his mind. When his Lord Kuro left and the visiting figure rose, Sekiro was surprised to see his master and Father, the Great Shinobi Owl, alive and well. Yet there was no time for relief in this turn of events. Not even a moment. Long thought dead and as sudden as his reappearance, Owl had returned, surreptitiously presaging the great need of Ashina with his sights set on the Divine Heir. And while the Iron Code was absolute, Wolf had picked up a thing or two about codes from Kuro. "A code must be determined by the individual," Sekiro responded resolutely to Owl's feint of a plea. He had seen through his ploy from the start. "That is what I've decided... Just as my master did." What followed was no surprise to him. A swift stab in the back, one he was well-prepared for this time. What he did not expect was the inner turmoil of having to face the man who raised him, gave him purpose, and now put him down. As they clashed again and again, thoughts and feelings constantly zigzagged along with their scurrying battle atop the tower. They frantically sliced his ears as the two shinobi slashed blades at each other, giving him no time for pause as a trumpet blared menacingly deep within his soul. And once Wolf was victorious, even with the certainty in choosing to protect his master, there still lingered some doubt, hesitation, and regret for not knowing his father fully. Now he faces his Owl again. Here in the memory, here in the root of his schemes. And though mere memory it may be to some, this is Wolf's confrontation with his past and his fight for resolution. As he faces the Great Shinobi---no, his Father in a fight to the death, the song in his heart is tender, evenly spaced, and more deliberate in melody, while the horn in his mind calls out loudly and wistfully. They give strength and courage to each strike, each dodge, and every counter. With both bells in hand and a more complete perspective, Sekiro now comes to terms with the fact Owl orchestrated this whole thing from the beginning, resulting in this long drawn-out plan set into motion by one calculated move. It is through his understanding of himself as a shinobi and as a person who decides his own fate that Sekiro overcomes this even more demanding fight and defeats the memory of his trickster Father. Owl's pride soars in no small measure as he attempts to fly away by unleashing his true power. And without hesitation, Sekiro returns his feelings with the greatest of efforts, catching up to his Father and besting him, now a master of his own. By banishing all doubt, hesitation, and regret, he impales Kusabimaru into his father's chest. And while the battle is hard won against this formidable foe, he is still his Father in the end. "Farewell," Sekiro bids a final time. "Defeated by my own son?" Owl cries out in his death knell. The Father and Great Shinobi chuckles softly and contently as he crumples and fades into the aether of memories. "The feeling is not entirely unpleasant." Without doubt, without hesitation, Sekiro grants him both peace and ultimate happiness; to fight his son to the death and see him come out the victor. =========================================================== Thumbnail Art: Reddit user u/MrMeSoLonely Enjoy.