Benkei

Benkei (弁慶) is a character who debuted in Warriors Orochi Z. He is popularly known in fables as Yoshitsune Minamoto's devoted companion. He's voiced by Junichi Suwabe in the Japanese track.

Role in the Game
Benkei hails from the same world as Yoshitsune but the two got separated in the world created by Orochi. A collector of fine weapons, he desires to add more additions to gallery while he is searching for his friend. During his travels, he meets Himiko and Da Ji, the latter promising to quench his wish for weapons if he helped her in battle. Unwittingly serving in the Orochi army, he eventually finds Yoshitsune, who is upset to see his friend join forces with the villainous Da Ji. Due to the misunderstanding, Benkei is forced to defend himself from Yoshitsune. It's unknown if the two friends ever reconcile.

Personality
Fearless and brave, Benkei is a hot blooded guy who wants to get in the action. He is relatively impatient with others but has a good eye for weapons. Confident in his abilities, he states that taking his opponents' weapons is a trade; he beats them and takes their weapon in exchange for their lives. He remains unaware of the war with Orochi and merely wants to find Yoshitsune again. After he clashes with his friend, Benkei is confused by Yoshitsune's outburst and wonders what could have gotten into him. Himiko, who gradually warmed up to him, sympathizes with him and tries to cheer him up. Benkei appreciates her concerns but mispronounces her name at times, calling her "Himako" or "Humuko".

Quotes

 * "Stop right there. Give me your weapons!"
 * "Another weapon for my collection!"
 * "Now you've gone and made Benkei mad!"

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Throws a firework bomb forward. Stuns enemies in range.
 * ,undefined: Hops and drill himself underneath the ground like the Sky Ninja from Samurai Warriors. Players can control where he will appear a few seconds later. He emerges with a rising uppercut.
 * ,,undefined: Turns his back to his foe and retracts his gauntlet hand for a flame thrower. He uses its forward thrust to propel himself forward. Hits enemies in range of the flame thrower and people facing Benkei's back. Lets Beneki gain a quick getaway.
 * ,,,undefined: Retracts his gauntlet hand for a flail. Swings the flail for one revolution before smashing it on the ground in front of him.
 * ,,,,undefined: Detaches his gauntlet hand forward via a rope stored within his weapon, grabbing anyone in its range. If he captures someone, he have his hand come back to him with the enemy in tow. He performs a handstand with them in his hands before throwing them forward.
 * ,,,,,undefined: Retracts his gauntlet hand for a flamethrower. Sets the ground in front of him ablaze, stunning opponents within range.
 * ,,,,,,undefined: Retracts his gauntlet hand for his cannon. Shoots a burst of wind forward.
 * ,,,,,,,undefined: Retracts his gauntlet hand for a flail. Hops into the air and launches onto the top of the screen, swinging like an action hero. Lands on his back, creating a large impact on the ground.


 * ,undefined: Wide downwards swipe.
 * ,: While in the air, he retracts his gauntlet hand for his cannon and shoots a single cannonball forward. After it hits, he plummets to smash his feet onto the ground.
 * Retracts his gauntlet hand for his flail and smashes the ground with it. Ends with a pose to create a shockwave. In his true musou version, he finishes the move with three additional punches.
 * R1: Benkei hurls the weapons stolen from the enemy army to hit his opponents. They hover in a line parallel to the ground before they smash the ground in front of Benkei, creating a splash effect. If unique generals were previously defeated before he uses the move, their weapons will briefly be seen during the technique. Deals greater damage if all weapons hit a single target.

Horse Moveset

 * ,undefined: Retracts his gauntlet hand to drop a flail to his right.
 * ,,undefined: Retracts his gauntlet hand to fire a cannonball to his right.
 * ,,,undefined: A strong uppercut to his right.
 * ,,,,,,,: Series of swings of his gauntlet to his right.

Fighting Style
Benkei's weapon, like Yoshitsune's, is a multi task weapon that can transform into a flamethrower, a cannon, and a flail.

Historical Information
Stories about Benkei's birth vary considerably. One tells how his father was the head of a temple shrine who had raped his mother, the daughter of a blacksmith. Another sees him as the offspring of a temple god. Many give him the attributes of a demon, a monster child with wild hair and long teeth. In his youth Benkei may have been called Oniwaka — "demon/ogre child".

He joined the cloister at an early age and travelled widely among the monasteries of Japan. During this period, the Buddhist monasteries of Japan were important centres of administration and culture, but also military powers in their own right. Like many other monks, Benkei was probably trained in the use of the naginata. At the age of seventeen, he was said to have been over two metres (or 6.6 feet) tall. At this point he left the Buddhist monastery and became a yamabushi, a sect of mountain monks, who were recognised by their black caps. Japanese prints often show Benkei wearing this cap.

According to legend, Benkei is said to have posted himself at Gōjō Bridge in Kyoto, where he deprived every passing swordsman of his weapon, eventually collecting 999 swords. On his 1000th duel, Benkei was defeated by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a son of the warlord Minamoto no Yoshitomo. Henceforth, he became a retainer of Yoshitsune and fought with him in the Genpei War against the Taira clan.

During the two year ordeal that followed, Benkei accompanied Yoshitsune as an outlaw. In the end they were encircled in the castle of Koromogawa no tate. As Yoshitsune retired to the inner keep of the castle to commit ritual suicide (seppuku) on his own, Benkei fought on at the bridge in front of the main gate to protect Yoshitsune. It is said that the soldiers were afraid to traverse the bridge to confront him, and all that did met swift death at the hands of the gigantic man. Long after the battle should have been over, the soldiers noticed that the arrow-riddled, wound-covered Benkei was standing still. When the soldiers dared to cross the bridge and look more closely, the giant fell to the ground, having been dead in a standing position for some time before that. This is known as the "Standing Death of Benkei" (弁慶の立往生, Benkei no Tachi Ōjō). It's speculated that this was due to the physical actions of the battle, which would have greatly hastened rigor mortis.

It is Benkei's loyalty and honour which makes him most attractive in Japanese folklore. One kabuki play places Benkei in a moral dilemma, caught between lying and protecting his lord in order to cross a bridge. The critical moment of the drama is its climax, where the monk realizes his situation and vows to do what he must. In another play, Benkei even slays his own child to save the daughter of a lord. In the kabuki play Kanjinchō, filmed by Akira Kurosawa as The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail, Benkei must beat his own master (disguised as a porter) in order to avoid breaking his disguise.

Trivia

 * Though it isn't really his theme, a song that plays during one of his Dream Modes is called, "The Rule of Benkeism".