TV-Series
Description
Otegine is one of the Three Great Spears of Japan and appears as a supporting character among the sword warriors living in the citadel in Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru. As a spear-type sword warrior, his background is drawn from the real historical weapon of the same name. The blade was forged in the Muromachi period by the swordsmith Gojou Yoshisuke of Shimada in Suruga Province and was commissioned by the warlord Yuki Harutomo. It later passed to Yuki Hideyasu and eventually to the Matsudaira Yamanokami family, for whom it served as a family treasure and as a large banner spear carried at the head of sankin-kotai processions, the system of alternate attendance used by regional lords during the Edo period.
His name comes from the shape of his scabbard, which was long and narrow like a hand pestle, since the word tegine refers to such a pestle. To emphasize the name, a very large pestle-shaped scabbard was created for processions, and Otegine frequently complains that this heavy scabbard is troublesome. In actual history the spear was burned and lost in the bombing of Tokyo in May 1945, making it the only one of the Three Great Spears that no longer survives. Legends associated with the blade claimed that drawing it from its sheath always brought snowfall and that placing it at the head of a procession brought rain.
In personality, Otegine is mild-mannered, friendly, and approachable, and he speaks in a casual, easygoing tone. His defining trait is his repeated insistence that he is capable of nothing but thrusting. Reflecting the design of the historical spear, whose triangular blade could stab but not cut or slash, he says that he cannot cut or sweep but will not lose when it comes to piercing. His calm, laid-back manner is said to contain a sharp edge within, and he is described as someone who may seem plain because of his straightforward fighting method but is a genuinely good person. He is also somewhat absent-minded, joking about processions and sankin-kotai when given orders, yet he has a serious and proper side as well. He is polite during sparring, listens carefully to expedition reports, and will gently rein in the jokes of his fellow spears.
Among the Three Great Spears, Otegine often compares himself with Nihongou and Tonbokiri, the other two blades in the group, and he feels self-conscious because his own history lacks the famous anecdotes attached to the others. This sense of being the least remarkable of the three serves as a quiet source of motivation rather than bitterness. He is especially at ease with the wakizashi, the short-bladed swords who support spears in battle, and he states that he finds them easier to talk with than other spear warriors. His development follows this arc of growing confidence. On a training journey to the past, he returns from Shimousa, where he watched over his former master Yuki Hideyasu, a skilled warrior who died young of illness without being able to fulfill his ambitions. Otegine then resolves to become the greatest spear in the land in place of his late master, asking his current master to help raise him to that level.
In Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru, Otegine is part of the everyday life of the citadel rather than a central figure, appearing as one of the many sword warriors who live, work, and celebrate together, and he joins the same routines of battle and chores as his companions. His abilities reflect his nature as a spear specialized purely in thrusting. In combat his spear attacks travel in a straight line and are able to pierce through enemy equipment and armor to reach the main body directly, which makes him effective against heavily protected opponents. He is a late-blooming warrior whose strengths develop considerably with training, including notably high impact force and strong reconnaissance for his rarity. After completing his training journey, his abilities improve further. He gains an additional equipment slot and a chance to strike multiple times in close combat, and among trained spears he holds the highest leadership and reconnaissance.
His name comes from the shape of his scabbard, which was long and narrow like a hand pestle, since the word tegine refers to such a pestle. To emphasize the name, a very large pestle-shaped scabbard was created for processions, and Otegine frequently complains that this heavy scabbard is troublesome. In actual history the spear was burned and lost in the bombing of Tokyo in May 1945, making it the only one of the Three Great Spears that no longer survives. Legends associated with the blade claimed that drawing it from its sheath always brought snowfall and that placing it at the head of a procession brought rain.
In personality, Otegine is mild-mannered, friendly, and approachable, and he speaks in a casual, easygoing tone. His defining trait is his repeated insistence that he is capable of nothing but thrusting. Reflecting the design of the historical spear, whose triangular blade could stab but not cut or slash, he says that he cannot cut or sweep but will not lose when it comes to piercing. His calm, laid-back manner is said to contain a sharp edge within, and he is described as someone who may seem plain because of his straightforward fighting method but is a genuinely good person. He is also somewhat absent-minded, joking about processions and sankin-kotai when given orders, yet he has a serious and proper side as well. He is polite during sparring, listens carefully to expedition reports, and will gently rein in the jokes of his fellow spears.
Among the Three Great Spears, Otegine often compares himself with Nihongou and Tonbokiri, the other two blades in the group, and he feels self-conscious because his own history lacks the famous anecdotes attached to the others. This sense of being the least remarkable of the three serves as a quiet source of motivation rather than bitterness. He is especially at ease with the wakizashi, the short-bladed swords who support spears in battle, and he states that he finds them easier to talk with than other spear warriors. His development follows this arc of growing confidence. On a training journey to the past, he returns from Shimousa, where he watched over his former master Yuki Hideyasu, a skilled warrior who died young of illness without being able to fulfill his ambitions. Otegine then resolves to become the greatest spear in the land in place of his late master, asking his current master to help raise him to that level.
In Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru, Otegine is part of the everyday life of the citadel rather than a central figure, appearing as one of the many sword warriors who live, work, and celebrate together, and he joins the same routines of battle and chores as his companions. His abilities reflect his nature as a spear specialized purely in thrusting. In combat his spear attacks travel in a straight line and are able to pierce through enemy equipment and armor to reach the main body directly, which makes him effective against heavily protected opponents. He is a late-blooming warrior whose strengths develop considerably with training, including notably high impact force and strong reconnaissance for his rarity. After completing his training journey, his abilities improve further. He gains an additional equipment slot and a chance to strike multiple times in close combat, and among trained spears he holds the highest leadership and reconnaissance.