Spirits, also commonly referred under the vastly popular misnomer[1][2][3] of "Guardian Spirits", are glowing white creatures with a very strong connection to light, who are the biological children of the Spirit Tree. Ori, the main protagonist of Ori and the Blind Forest, is a Spirit.
Description[]
Spirits come in many different shapes and sizes, ranging from short and stout to tall and lanky. The only constant feature seems to be their white coloration and bright white/blue glow.
Most of their kind also have ears and tails, which can be long or short. Many Spirits appear to have had unique talents, indicated by their Ancestral Trees. Some of them were small and lithe and danced through the air, while others were strong and courageous, letting nothing stand in their way. By absorbing the light of fallen Spirits, one could learn these special abilities and traits and use them as their own. Other Spirits aren't built for combat and are not able to defend themselves.[4]
Only a few will become Ancestral Trees, and even less have the potential to become a Spirit Tree.[4] Becoming a Spirit Tree is considered the greatest honor for Spirits, and while they do take on a new form and enter a new stage of life, they are still the same entity.[5]
Both games make it evident that Spirits are herbivores, however this is not directly confirmed nor denied and is ultimately up to player interpretation. It has been defined that it is possible for them to starve. Another implication is that Spirits require their Spirit Tree to be alive and well in order to live themselves, however this is also undefined. Whether Spirits have died due to their parent tree dying or because of the side effects caused by their parent tree dying is unclear.
Appearances[]
Ori and the Blind Forest[]
A mural of the Niwen Spirits suffering in the Decay
In Ori and the Blind Forest, the first appearance of the Spirits (besides Ori, whose tale begins at the same time as the narrative itself) is in a cutscene recounting the fateful Light Ceremony, where Kuro ambushed the Spirit Tree and the many Spirits who attended the gathering. Sein explains that Ori's kin were attacked, wounded, and even killed by the Kuro's misguided will. This resulted in an abundance of Ancestral Trees, the arborescent monuments marking each of the Spirits' final resting places.
With the addition of the Definitive Edition, two named Spirits are given cameos: Eki and Sol. Appearing as spiritual wisps of Naru's past, she and the pair form a temporary friendship, despite Naru being lightless. They played catch with a ball of shining light the day Naru's Father separated them permanently.
After the death of Naru's Father, Eki attempted to find Naru, but failed and turned into an Ancestral Tree in the Black Root Burrows. Sol, too, eventually became one herself in the Lost Grove.
The final appearance of other Spirits is at the end of Ori and the Blind Forest, after the fires of Mount Horu were quenched and light was restored to Nibel. From bright falling leaves of the Spirit Tree's branches, young Spirits are 'born' upon the freshly regrown foliage.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps[]
In Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Spirits are known in the land of Niwen, but their population suffered extinction by the Decay when the Spirit Willow was unable to maintain life in the land. The Moki report to Kwolok that a Spirit (Ori) has been seen in Inkwater Marsh but he doesn't believe them at first. After the events of the story, it's implied Spirits returned to Niwen. It is also revealed that some spirits would turn into ghosts when deceased, and they would race around structures in a feature called spirit trials.
Trivia[]
Eki and Sol with Naru and her father in a flashback
- Ori, Fil, Eki, and Sol are the only named Spirits who appear in their Spirit form, not just their Ancestral Tree form.
- Eki and Sol may have come to Nibel from Niwen, as they were already alive by the time the Spirit Tree was just a sprout. Alternatively they were children of the previous spirit tree.
- Spirits are also present in Niwen, as children of the Spirit Willow.
- It is a possibility that the Spirits could be reference after the Carbuncles of South American mythology.
References[]
- ↑ Ori and the Blind Forest classic doesn't have the term "spirit guardian", let alone even "guardian", in the program's memory whatsoever.
- ↑ Additionally, the only occurrence of the term "Guardian Spirit" is in Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, specifically when viewing a past life for a save in One-Life mode
- ↑ And finally, the complete Localization Dump for Ori and the Will of the Wisps features absolutely no references to the term "Guardian Spirit" or "Spirit Guardian" (with the exception of one, which uses "Spirit Guardian" to refer to Baur, see
baurRumorDescription.txt). It does, however, have references to the term "Spirit" alone. - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Not all Spirits are combat oriented, with some being more powerful than others...
- ↑ Becoming a Spirit Tree is the greatest honor a Spirit can hold...