In 2013’s Tomb Raider game, a young Lara Croft’s search for legends brings her to the very real threat of Himiko, the immortal Sun Queen of Yamatai. Himiko’s curse creates violent weather which traps unlucky souls on the island. But just as dangerous as the queen was her army - a legion of undying samurai warriors known as the Stormguard - or the Oni.

The Stormguard were the instrument of Himiko’s conquest of Yamatai, and would have challenged the world had she not become trapped in undeath. Unbeknownst to almost all, Himiko achieved endless life over the centuries by transferring her consciousness into the bodies of her priestesses.

One priestess caught on to this secret and killed herself during the transfer ritual, trapping Himiko in her decaying body, cursing the island and the Oni, and halting their campaign beyond Yamatai. Their general committed seppuku after this failure, but the Oni themselves remained to protect their queen in undeath.

The Stormguard were no mindless zombies though. They were hostile to outsiders with evidence of cannibalism, yes, but even cursed in death, they seemed to share some shred of humanity, demonstrating the discipline one would expect of elite royal guards.

Lara comes face to face with the Oni as she pushes deeper into Yamatai. The soldiers came in multiple varieties, from swordsmen to archers to shieldbearers. The most fearsome was the Oni Stalker, a mighty warrior who ultimately falls to Lara’s climbing axe.

What happened to the Stormguard after Himiko’s presumed death at the hands of Lara remains unclear. Did they die after the curse was lifted? Did they follow in their general’s footsteps and commit suicide after failing to safeguard their queen? Or did they remain trapped between life and death on Yamatai, an immortal guard with no queen left to protect?

Watch the State of Survival trailer featuring Lara Croft and the menacing Oni.

Video Games

Tomb Raider (2013)