Antagonist Ghosts

Antagonist Ghosts are the principal antagonists in the Fatal Frame Series. They appear throughout their respective games, usually through cutscenes where they chase the protagonists, but are impossible to actually fight until the very end (the one exception to this being Sakuya Haibara). To date, every Antagonist Ghost in the series has been either a shrine maiden or a priestess who took part in some type of ritual having to do with the spirit world. Figuring out how these rituals went wrong and soothing the agitated spirit of the maiden or priestess involved has been central to each game so far.

Fatal Frame

Kirie Himuro (氷室 霧絵)

Kirie Himuro was the last Rope Shrine Maiden of Himuro Mansion. Prepared from childhood to be a sacrifice, she happened to meet a young man shortly before the ritual was to take place. She developed strong feelings for him, and her attachment to the world made her an unsuitable Rope Shrine Maiden. Her Strangling Ritual failed to hold the Hell Gate closed, and this caused the Calamity. Tainted by Malice, Kirie forced everyone she encountered to suffer as she had by cursing them. Her spirit was appeased when Miku Hinasaki repaired the Holy Mirror, and Kirie's younger self reminded her to do her duty. Kirie bound the Hell Gate closed, sentencing herself to eternal suffering, but ending the Calamity.

Fatal Frame II / Deep Crimson Butterfly

Sae Kurosawa (黒澤 紗重)

A Twin Shrine Maiden from Minakami Village, Sae was supposed to be killed by her twin sister Yae in the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual. Although Sae wished to perform the ritual, Yae tried to run away from the village. Sae followed, but was recaptured by the villagers. Desperate, the village priests sacrificed Sae by hanging her at the sacred site but, because she was not killed by her twin, the Hellish Abyss was not pacified and the Repentance occurred. Sae's vengeful spirit massacred everyone in the village. The curse was lifted when twins Mio and Mayu Amakura found their way to the village. Sae's spirit possessed Mayu, and compelled the twins to perform the ritual as it should have been done. Through Mayu, Sae was able to become a crimson butterfly, and the Repentance was ended.

• Note: Unlike the other antagonist ghosts in the series, Sae is only fought in harder difficulties. In Easy and Normal mode for PS2, and Easy, Normal, Hard and Nightmare mode for Xbox, the Kusabi is the final boss, but that does not mean he counts as an antagonist ghost.

Fatal Frame III

Reika Kuze (久世 零華)

Reika Kuze was the last Tattooed Priestess of the Kuze Shrine. As priestess, she was supposed to take on people's pain in the form of tattoos, and then go into a sacred place where she could safely dream of the Rift forever, keeping the dead from spilling into the land of the living through dreams. However, Reika had concealed that she still had feelings for a man who was still alive, Kaname Ototsuki, and that she regretted not being able to see him again. Kaname came to the Shrine after dreaming that Reika was there. Reika saw him murdered and the tattoos entered her eyes, causing the Unleashing. Though the Shrine fell into ruin, the Manor of Sleep still existed in dreams, and drew more people in through the Tattooed Curse. Reika's spirit was only laid to rest when Rei Kurosawa sent her into the Rift to the Other Side. The spirits of the dead were able to cross over, and the dream manor ceased to exist.

Fatal Frame IV

Sakuya Haibara (灰原 朔夜)

Sakuya Haibara was the Vessel in Rogetsu Isle's ancient Rite of Descent ritual. Wearing a special mask, she danced in a traditional kagura on the night of the lunar eclipse, a ritual that her father and brother hoped would cure the mental illness that was endemic to the island. However, something went wrong: Sakuya's mask broke and she fell into a coma, and the five Organs involved in the ritual collapsed and lost all their memories. Two years later, Sakuya "awoke" from her coma-like state and began to roam the island, Blooming, in a disaster known as the Day of Tranquility. Everyone who saw her Bloomed as well, and the island was abandoned after all of its inhabitants were killed. Ten years after the failed Kiraigou, on the night of the next lunar eclipse, Ruka Minazuki was able to calm Sakuya's spirit with the Moonsong. When the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was placed back on Sakuya's face the ritual was completed, and the souls of the dead that had been trapped on the island were able to use Sakuya as a vessel to pass on to the Other Side.

• Note: Unlike other antagonist ghosts in the series, Sakuya is fought twice before the final chapter, although in a different form.

Fatal Frame V

Ose Kurosawa (黒澤 逢世)

After losing her family in an accident, Ose was chosen to become one of the Maidens of Black Water on Mount Hikami near her hometown, as those who had been close to death in the past had more powerful psychic abilities. In this role, she attended those who had come to the mountain to die and would watch their final moments. When her heart was nearly overflowing with the emotions she had taken in and the time came for her to be sacrificed, she had the honour of being selected as the "Great Pillar", serving to purify and strengthen the whole mountain. Before death, it was traditional for shrine maidens to have their image recorded in the House of Joining, to be shown to potential partners for Ghost Marriage. Rather than having her image painted, Ose was the first shrine maiden to be photographed with an experimental camera, brought to the mountain by the young Dr. Kunihiko Asou. When he came to take her picture, the two fell in love, and Ose was distressed by her desire to live, and her wish for their silent feelings to be spoken aloud. As her ritual was taking place, a man forced his way onto the mountain and began a killing spree, massacring shrine maidens and priests alike. All their suffering flowed into Ose, and together with her feelings for Asou, her sadness became too much to bear. The black water overflowed and drenched the entire mountain, and Ose wandered as a restless spirit, seeking someone to perform Mitori on her and ease her burden. At the end of the game, Yuri Kozukata is finally able to do so.

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir

The Woman in Black / Maya (黒い服の女 / 魔夜)

Maya was a girl raised to be the Vessel in the Tokoyomi Ritual performed in her village. She was supposed to be kept in complete isolation, so that she could not form any attachments to the world which might provide a channel for the Darkness to spread from her. At some point, the old woman who took care of her left behind a diary, and Maya began to write to the diary as if it were a real person, a sister. Gradually, her thoughts gave life to this "other Maya". When Maya came of age, she was forced to perform the ritual; however, because of her attachment, the darkness possessed her and spread, and the Other Maya came to life and became a separate being, the Woman in Black. Maya lost all her memories, and the Woman in Black was left completely alone. In her desperate search for her other half, she draws everyone who finds the diary into her world and curses them to stay forever. Eventually, when Maya remembers what happened, she and the Woman in Black are reunited, and Maya seals the diary so that they can be together in their own private world.

• Note: Throughout the game, Maya appears to be a helpful ghost, giving the player help and guidance to learn more about the curse. When she regains her memories, she and the Woman in Black vie for control and attack together.

See Also

• For other types of ghosts in the Fatal Frame Series, see Helpful Ghosts, Hostile Ghosts, Non-hostile Ghosts, Stationary Ghosts and Vanishing ghosts.