Kiku

Princess Kiku

Gender	Female
Occupation	Princess
Affiliation	House of Gohda
Weapon
Status	Deceased
First Appearance	Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

Princess Kiku (Japanese: 菊姫 Kiku-hime, Princess Kiku^?) was the only daughter of Matsunoshin Gohda, the Daimyo over the House of Gohda. Her mother was Lady Kei and her older sister and best friend was Ayame, the member of the Azuma Ninja clan.

Biography

Princess Kiku was first seen in Tenchu: Stealth Assassins. She was very young at that time and was very ill, that resulted from losing her sight. Lord Gohda sent Rikimaru to Mount Shiba to retrive a magic herb, that said to cure any kinds of illness. After retrieving it, her vision was back, but unfortunately, she was kidnapped by Lord Mei-Oh, the king of hell. Her poor father, Lord Gohda, was now at the mercy of this evil man and he desperately sends both Rikimaru and Ayame to rescue her. Both ninjas went through a lot of fighting several skeletal samurais and fire-breathing zombies. Rikimaru defeats Onikage and searches for her in the underground tunnels. Finally, the ninja confronts the evil lord Mei-Oh in a deep cavern, where he had opened a portal.

While she, Rikimaru and Ayame find their way to escape, a cave-in blocked their path. With the ceiling about to fall, Rikimaru set aside his sword, Izayoi, lifted the boulder that blocks the path and ordered Ayame to take Princess Kiku and Izayoi so they can escape. The two of them escaped the tunnel just before the rocks buried it completely, leaving Rikimaru behind. Ayame stuck Izayoi into the ground as a grave marker for Rikimaru. Then, Ayame, Lord Gohda and Princess Kiku look off to the rising sun.

In Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins, the game was set in the event before the first game, Princess Kiku appeared in her infant years. Her father's uncle, Gohda Motohide kidnapped her during the civil rebellion he led against his nephew for the title of daimyo. In the midst of escaping, he assassinated Princess Kiku's mother, who attempted with her very life to protect her daughter. Ayame who had infiltrated Lord Toda’s war camp and eventually rescued Princess Kiku. She appeared later in Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (Tenchu 4), where she died sacrificing to kill Onikage.

Personality

Princess Kiku in her youth possessed much enthusiasm and energy typical of children that age. After the death of her mother, her father raised her by himself. However, after the sadness she felt because the loss of her mother, she found comfort in Ayame whom she looked at as an older sister and respectful role model. Later in her early teen years, she has become more formal, reserved and focused. She recognised that her father’s people are more important than she is yet she never shows a sign of jealousy to this notion. In Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, near the end of Sekiya Naotada's rebellion, when Rikimaru was framed she didn't jump to the immediate conclusion that he was guilty, even though an imposter disguised as him made an attempt on her life. Nevertheless, she showed absolute bravery when she willingly sacrificed herself in order to ensure the death of Onikage. Princess Kiku would have become a great, wise and compassionate ruler, very similar to her father, but her death is the reality of the warring states period.