Aragami

アラガミ

A third-person stealth-action game developed by Spanish studio Lince Works and released on 11 October 2016. Players control Aragami, an undead assassin who commands the shadows and wields the katana of the fallen ninja Orochi, materializing the blade from darkness to strike down enemies in a single silent blow.

Description

Overview

Aragami is a third-person stealth-action game developed by Lince Works, an indie studio based in Barcelona, Spain. It launched for PlayStation 4 and Windows on 11 October 2016, later expanding to Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS and Linux. Partly funded through Kickstarter, the game earned praise for its shadow-manipulation mechanics wrapped in a ninja-flavored, Japanese-inspired setting and for the quiet precision of its stealth kills.

An Undead Assassin Who Commands Shadows

The protagonist, Aragami (real name Ryo), is an executed ninja resurrected by the power of shadow. He teleports between shadows, turns invisible, and, when discovered, can unleash "Shadow Kill," summoning a shadow dragon or serpent to drag enemies into darkness. The story's starting point is the sword of Orochi, a fellow shadow-empowered assassin killed before the game begins. Aragami only gains the ability to fight once he claims this blade, making the sword the literal source of his power throughout the game.

A Blade Born from Shadow

Rather than carrying a weapon at all times, Aragami "materializes" his katana out of darkness to deliver an instant, silent kill. The mechanic reimagines the tension of drawing a real sword from its sheath as a supernatural act of shadow magic. The "Nightfall" expansion added numerous collectible katana items styled after traditional Japanese swords, turning blade-hunting into an extra layer of exploration for players.

Reception and the Series' Growth

Aragami was well received by critics and players alike for the satisfying tension of its one-hit stealth kills and its distinctive fusion of ninja lore with shadow fantasy. A sequel, Aragami 2, followed in 2021, adding cooperative play and an expanded swordplay and combat system. By treating the katana as a symbol of power summoned from shadow itself, the game carved out a distinctive niche within the wafu (Japanese-style) stealth-action genre.

Real Swords Featured

See authentic Japanese swords

Related Content

Nobunaga's Ambition

Game

信長の野望

Japan's longest-running historical simulation game series by Koei Tecmo (1983–). Players control Sengoku warlords including Oda Nobunaga in a quest for national unification. The series systematically parameterizes warriors' swords and equipment, providing one of the most comprehensive frameworks for learning about Japanese sword history, distribution, and connections to historical figures.

Seven Samurai

Film

七人の侍

Akira Kurosawa's timeless masterpiece that introduced the world to Sengoku-era warriors and swords, influencing all subsequent action cinema.

Legend & Butterfly (Film, 2023)

Film

レジェンド＆バタフライ（映画・2023年）

Toei 70th Anniversary commemorative work (directed by Otomo Keishi, screenplay Furusawa Yoshita, released January 2023). Kimura Takuya portrays Oda Nobunaga and Ayase Haruka portrays his primary consort Nōhime (Kicho), depicting the unknown bond between Nobunaga and Nōhime. A large-scale historical film with a total production cost of 2 billion yen and cumulative attendance exceeding 1.8 million. Rooted in the historically documented famous swords of Nobunaga — Sozan Samonji (Yoshimoto Samonji) and Heshikiri Hasebe — this is an important work from the perspective of sword culture, in which Nobunaga's sword aesthetics under the banner of 'Tenka Fubu' (Rule the Realm Through Arms) intersect with Nōhime's strength.

Blue Exorcist

Anime and Manga

青の祓魔師

A shonen manga where exorcists who banish demons battle with swords. The protagonist's holy sword is central to the story.

This page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.

Back to list