The Broad Bridge of Benkei

In Okami, as Amaterasu travels to Sei'an City, she encounters a man on the bridge named Benkei. An unusual figure, bearing many different weapons upon his back, he is found fishing off of the blocked bridge in search of a legendary sword. When spoken to, he states that he has collected a total of 999 swords, and seeks to make his 1000th the legendary "living sword." With some help from Amaterasu, Benkei manages to fish up the living sword, only to learn that it was nothing more than a cutlass-fish. After this, Benkei retires his sword-seeking quest to take up fishing instead.

This character is directly based on the Japanese historical figure Saitou Musashibou Benkei, known colloquially as simply Benkei, and the game's interpretation of him is rather spot-on. Benkei was a warrior monk who set out to defeat 1000 arrogant samurai and take their swords. To this end, he carried seven types of weapons upon his back, much like his depiction in Okami, and managed to collect 999 swords before meeting a young man called Ushiwakamaru.

The young man wore a gilded sword, which made Benkei's blood boil, so he challenged the unknown warrior, moving from Gojotenjin Shrine to Gojo Bridge to fight. Upon this bridge, the imposing figure of Benkei lost to the young Ushiwakamaru in a David-and-Goliath fight. After this defeat, Ushiwakamaru revealed to Benkei that his real name was Minamoto no Yoshitsune (Ushiwakamaru being just a mouthful of a nickname), son of Minamoto no Yoritomo and member of a lineage of powerful warriors. Vengeful, Benkei set up shop at Kyomizu temple, waiting to encounter Ushiwakamaru again. When he did, he lost a second time, admitting defeat and becoming a retainer to the young and prestigious warrior.

Ushiwakamaru also has a counterpart in Okami, appearing as a key character in the game's final act: Waka. When Benkei found Ushiwakamaru, he was playing a flute at Gojotenjin Shrine, not too dissimilar to Waka's own flute/sword called Pillow Talk. While Waka's appearance is not as close to reality as Benkei's, the creative liberties taken were not entirely without cause. Legend has it that Ushiwakamaru was trained by a Tengu, an avian yokai (Japanese spirit) said to be created from the vengeful spirit of a fallen samurai. As such, Tengu are well-versed in the martial arts, using their extended lifespan to hone their skills, and occasionally passing these skills on to mortal warriors, as in the case of Ushiwakamaru. This Tengu training is reflected in Waka's design through the bird mask he wears on his head and his hair-cover that resembles wings.

Returning to the real history, Yoshitsune and Benkei, along with their other companions, would find themselves at war with Minamoto no Yoritomo, Yoshitsune's older brother. After a betrayal, Yoshitsune's men would all be killed--though Benkei would go out on his feet like the warrior monk he was--and Ushiwakamaru himself would be forced to commit seppuku (although there is another version of the story stating he escaped to Hokkaido, but that's a tale for another time).

Benkei in Fate/Grand Order

Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy XIV

For as significant a figure as Ushiwakamaru is, Benkei is right behind him, appearing in media time and time again in similar fashion. In addition to Okami, he makes appearances in TYPE-MOON media (specifically Fate/Grand Order), as well as in SQUARE ENIX's Final Fantasy franchise, though he goes by Gilgamesh instead (Final Fantasy has a habit of playing with names; don't look up "Cu Chulainn Final Fantasy"). Benkei's association with bridges is maintained across most depictions as well: his Max-Bond Craft Essence in FGO is called "Encounter at Gojo Ohashi" and displays an artistic rendering of the match between Benkei and Ushiwakamaru on Gojo Bridge. In addition, despite Gilgamesh's recurring nature in Final Fantasy games, he is most often encountered on or around bridges and, more often than not, brandishing several weapons, just like the real-life Benkei.

The tale of Benkei and Ushiwakamaru makes these figures feel larger than life. Despite being clearly documented historical figures, they seem as mythological as the Tengu warrior that trained Yoshitsune. The pervasiveness of these figures--these characters--speaks to the strength of the story, and the consistency of Benkei's depictions show just how respected he is within his culture of origin. Much like many warriors of his ilk, both in his story and his life, Benkei continues to stand long after his death.