Hunchback Oni (猫背鬼 Hunchback Oni), also known as Cat Oni (ネコ鬼 Cat Oni) in Ao Oni Online, is a major variant in the series. It first appears in Version 6.23, and would later become a recurring species in the series.
This page also covers Ice Oni (こおリ鬼 Ice Oni), its variant from the mobile games.
Appearance[]
Hunchback Oni shares the same appearance with Ao Oni's, but its body is hunched over, its head is slightly more circular, and both of its eyes are wide open and its jaw always bearing its teeth. In future remakes, its head would be changed to be the same as Fang Oni's head, although its head was left unchanged in its side sprites.
Ice Oni looks the same as Hunchback Oni, but its whole body is covered in a cyan-colored layer of ice, with ice spikes coming down from its arms, chin, nose and forehead.
Ao Oni (Game)[]
Version 6.23[]
In Version 6.23, Hunchback Oni stands idly besides the jailcell door in the Blueberry Farm, and once the player approaches, Hunchback Oni opens the door and starts a chase. After the player leaves the room, it, alongside all the other species previously inside the room, vanish.
Ao Oni 2016[]
In Ao Oni 2016, Hunchback Oni reprises its role from Version 6.23. Uniquely, during the final chase in the good ending, if the player attempts to enter the basement, Hunchback Oni appears from the door and stops the player, causing a game over.
In Ao Oni 2016's Comical Mode, Hunchback Oni appears in the kitchen, standing beside the table. During the final chase, it, alongside the other Onis in the kitchen, ambush the chaser when any of them is interacted with. If the player interacted with Hunchback Oni, it'll suplex the robot. Once the chosen attacker finishes their attack, it, alongside the others, turn to Hiroshi (If it was the attacker, it looks around in confusion after), causing him to run out of the kitchen.
Ao Oni (Mobile Remake)[]
In the Mobile Remake, Hunchback Oni reprises its role from Version 6.23 and doesn't have any new roles. It has a 1-star mask, a downgrade from Ao Oni 2.
Ao Oni (Steam Port)[]
In the Steam Port, like its predecessor, Hunchback Oni reprises its role from Version 6.23. It does have a role in Ai's scenario, where Hunchback Oni appears in a room replicating the Blueberry Farm, and will attack when Ai gets close to the glowing orb for the first time.
Ao Oni 2[]
Hunchback Oni returns as a 2-star mask.
Main Story[]
Hunchback Oni most commonly appears as part of death traps, such as inputting "0714" into the gym's safe or using the lens in one of the mirrors. It also makes an appearance in the Blueberry Farm and its related chase, as well as appearing in the final chase in some of its dead ends.
Mika's Scenario[]
Hunchback Oni has great predominancy in this scenario, taking the role of main antagonist. It first appears when Mika attempts to reach for a mouse, Hunchback Oni breaks through a wall and starts chase.
Later, it enters the freezer after Mika takes the item inside and chases her down, although it is far more sluggish due to being frozen over. It is then seen when Mika enters the hallway with a password-locked door after cleaning the group photo, foreshadowing the ending.
After Mika leaves the gym, Hunchback Oni steps into the room and starts the final chase of the scenario. Ultimately, Mika escapes, and Hunchback Oni is not seen again for the ending of the scenario.
Other Scenarios[]
Hunchback Oni is one of the Onis featured in an altar graphic that is both used in the main story and some scenarios like Takuro's scenario.
In the Principal's Scenario, Hunchback Oni appears in that scenario's Blueberry Farm and subsequent chase.
While not as a threat, the player receives a 2-star Ice Oni mask after beating Traveler's scenario. Additionally, the player can receive the same mask in the Mobile Remake after beating the Little Girl's scenario.
Ao Oni 3[]
Hunchback Oni returns as a 1-star mask alongside its 2-star counterpart Ice Oni, which is now obtained via gacha.
Hunchback Oni is absent from the Main Story, only appearing as part of the same altar from Ao Oni 2. The same applies to Tetsuya's scenario.
In Takeshi's scenario, Hunchback Oni appears as one of the Onis inside the pit Takeshi has to cross through. In Takuro's scenario, it appears as a death trap alongside other Onis if the player messes up the statues puzzle.
Ao Oni Online[]
Hunchback Oni returned in Ao Oni Online on launch as a 2-stars mask, being one of the basic masks that can rarely replace the Ao Oni during a 100 Players game. After launch, Ice Oni was the first new Oni added to the game, keeping its 2-stars rating.
Hunchback Oni has also received two skins: ☆ Oni and Vampire Oni. Some other skins have made use of its face, however, they aren't directly designed after Hunchback Oni, and aren't counted.
Ao Oni X[]
Hunchback Oni is completely absent from Ao Oni X, however, its counterpart Ice Oni appears as a 3-star mask.
Outside Appearances[]
Hunchback Oni appears in Ao Oni: The Blue Monster as one of many background Onis. It appears in the Blueberry Farm in episode 3, in the crowd of spectators in episode 10, and appears at the very end of the outro.
Gallery[]
Hunchback Oni[]
Ice Oni[]
Trivia[]
- Hunchback Oni is never seen facing forward in Version 6.23, making its front facing sprites unused.
- This does not apply to any of the remakes, as all of them allow the player to see its face somehow:
- The Mobile Remake and Steam Port features its face on the game over. Additionally, the special event in Ao Oni 2016's good ending technically counts as well, since Hunchback Oni is facing forward and it's a guaranteed game over.
- Ao Oni 2016's Comical Mode has it turn forward after an attacker finishes their attack.
- The Mobile Remake has the mask system, with it facing forward in its mugshot as well as being able to face forward in chases.
- The chase in Ai's scenario from the Steam Port allows it to turn forward.
- This does not apply to any of the remakes, as all of them allow the player to see its face somehow:
- Without counting masks, Hunchback Oni is one of the few recurring Onis that have been able to cause a game over in every game they have appeared in, with only Ao Oni and Fuwatty sharing this distinction.
- Hunchback Oni is the first variant to receive its own variant, in the form of Ice Oni. Ice Oni is also the first and only of its kind to originate in a non-spin off game.
- It and Hundred Eyes Oni are the only variants to have a variant outside of spin-off games, however, the latter's variants originated from Ao Oni Online.
- Ironically, they're also the only Onis to not appear in a game, but are still represented by variants of theirs.
- Ice Oni and Pyramid Oni are additionally the only variants in any non spin-off game to not be or intended to be blue in anyway, with the former being cyan and the latter being yellow.
- It and Hundred Eyes Oni are the only variants to have a variant outside of spin-off games, however, the latter's variants originated from Ao Oni Online.
- It and Squatto Oni are the only variants found in Version 6.23 to be absent from the novels, as they are never depicted or noted to exist.
- The reason is likely due to Ao Oni's behavior, as it is often described as having a hunched back in the novels, which makes Hunchback Oni redudant.
- For some reason, Ice Oni stands straight in its cutscene graphic, unlike its sprites or mask mugshot.