Hakuba

Hakuba
(ハクバ, Hakuba?, lit. White Knight)
Biographical information
Residence	Celestial Plain (formerly) Ark of Yamato
Membership	Celestials
Physical description
Species	Celestials
Gender	Female

Goodness! If I'm not mistaken... You're from our home, the Celestial Plain. It's you, Okami Amaterasu! Who would have thought we would meet again after all this time? All my waiting under the dark, cold ice has paid off. We Celestials may have lost our physical form... But our spirits live on and are with you for all eternity!

Hakuba

The Celestial known as Hakuba is the second to appear on the Ark of Yamato. She is among the remaining spirits to dwell within the depths of the steel coffin after the decimation of their race during the Ark of Yamato genocide.

History

Background

Long, long ago, Hakuba resided on the Celestial Plain as one of its countless peoples. When the only home she'd ever known was attacked, she was among the Celestials gathered onto the Ark of Yamato in an attempt by Waka to save all whom he could. Once on board, the boat lost its rudder, causing the steel ship to plummet and crash into Laochi Lake. At this time, Yami and its legion army of demons rose up from the depths of the ship and began to devour each and every one of the Celestials on board, Hakuba included. All of the light in her world was drained away by the Lord of Darkness until she was cast into the shadows, unable to see.

Ōkami

By the time Amaterasu finds Hakuba, her spirit is all that remains. She greets the white wolf and shares her story before allowing the deity to proceed to remove a being of darkness from the ship in order to make it fly once more. After Ninetails is defeated, Hakuba gives Amaterasu her best wishes, hoping that she will once again bring light to a world shrouded in shadows.

Characteristics

Appearance

Not unlike other members of the Celestials, Hakuba radiates a glowing aura, shows off golden rings around her ankles and one floating above her head, and flashes a pair of majestic golden wings atop her head that are as wide as she is tall. She sports a blueish-white toga that wraps around her breasts and ties in the back, allowing two ribbons of fabric to flow as freely as she does, with the rest of the outfit falling across her hips and around her legs. Hakuba is also unique in that she is the only known member of this race to have bangs resembling Waka’s, as Azumi’s hair is pulled back like the rest of the Celestials.

Personality

While Amaterasu only has a limited time to interact with Hakuba, it can be seen that she is a gentle, timid, and kindred spirit who had never lost hope in her beloved leader. Despite taking place nearly 200 years prior, the events of the Ark of Yamato genocide are still very fresh in her mind, causing her to be overly emotional and protective as Amaterasu goes on to vanquish the same beings that stole both of their lives once.

Abilities

Besides being able to attain incredible heights while flying, not much is know or revealed about her abilities or relevant skills. She does, however, radiate a faint crimson and gold aura, a trait shared by the the rest of her race.

Cultural References

While there may not be much in the way of references to Japanese or Ainu culture and mythology, Hakuba presents an interesting take on Western culture. Her design bears a strong influence from Catholic-Christian angels and the traditional wear of the Greeks. The name Hakuba, however, takes its roots from a Japanese word (「白馬」^?; hakuba) which loosely translates as the concept of a white knight in shining armor, not terribly unlike the white wolf warrior who eventually comes to avenge her death.