Satoshi Houjou, born June 16, 1968, is Satoko Houjou's older brother. His mother's multiple remarriages led to temporary surname changes—Hatake, Yoshizawa, Matsūra—before the family name settled on Houjou. This instability fueled Satoko's distrust of stepfathers, with Satoshi frequently stepping in to protect her. After their parents died during the 1980 Watanagashi Festival, attributed to Hinamizawa's "curse," Satoshi and Satoko entered the guardianship of their abusive aunt Tamae and uncle Teppei. Satoshi shielded Satoko from their physical and psychological abuse, worsening his own physical and mental state. Ostracized in Hinamizawa due to their parents' support for a controversial dam project, Satoshi initially found respite on the Hinamizawa Fighters baseball team. He later quit to work part-time jobs, saving money to buy Satoko a giant teddy bear for her birthday. Around this time, he developed symptoms of Hinamizawa Syndrome: paranoia, auditory hallucinations, and depression, believing the villagers meant to harm him. On the night of the 1982 Watanagashi Festival, in a psychotic break induced by the Syndrome's terminal stage, Satoshi murdered Tamae with a baseball bat. Days later, while purchasing the teddy bear in Okinomiya, severe hallucinations overwhelmed him. Dr. Irie took him to a concealed ward at Irie Clinic, where he remained comatose and restrained due to violent outbursts. His disappearance was publicly explained as transferring schools or being "demoned away" to protect Satoko. Satoshi's relationships centered on protective devotion. He prioritized Satoko's safety above all, though privately expressed exhaustion from caretaking. Sonozaki Shion developed intense feelings for him during brief interactions, often while disguised as her twin Mion. Unaware of Shion's identity, Satoshi entrusted "Mion" with Satoko's care before vanishing, a promise later driving Shion's actions. Mion also held affection but conceded to Shion. Rena bonded with Satoshi over shared mental health struggles and later regretted not aiding him more. Keiichi Maebara, who never met Satoshi, initially resented him for "abandoning" Satoko but later felt a spiritual connection through using his baseball bat. Satoshi's fate varies across continuities. In *Matsuribayashi-hen*, he remains comatose indefinitely. *Miotsukushi-hen* concludes with his full recovery after Irie develops a cure, enabling reunion with Satoko and Shion. The *Rei* OVA *Saikoroshi-hen* depicts an alternate world where his parents survived, allowing a normal life. In *Gou/Sotsu*, time-looper Satoko briefly visits his comatose form in one fragment; another fragment shows him awakening in 1987 after the central conflict resolves. The celebratory manga *Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei* (2022) features him married to Shion in a timeline 35 years post-events. Additional traits include color blindness (unable to distinguish broccoli from cauliflower), a verbal tic ("Muu"), and a reserved, altruistic personality strained by trauma.