| “ | I'll make you feel my pain! | „ |
| ~ Kirie Himuro |
Kirie Himuro is the main antagonist of Fatal Frame. She was a member of the Himuro Family chosen by the family master to be the next Rope Shrine Maiden to be sacrificed in the Strangling Ritual, but it failed due to the young woman still clinging to life after falling in love with a man.
Kirie was voiced by Yoko Yamamoto in the Japanese version, and Lenne Hardt in the English version.
Biography[]
Strangulation Ritual[]
The Rope Altar, where Kirie and the previous priestesses were sacrificed.
At the age of seven, Kirie was chosen in a game of Demon Tag to become the next Rope Shrine Maiden of the Himuro Family, being held under complete isolation for the next ten years. No visitors were allowed aside from the priests who presided over the ritual, one of which is rumored to have regretted the sacrifice from the beginning, but nevertheless carrying over the orders of Lord Himuro and keeping her away from the outside world, so she would not care about life.
However, Kirie spotted a man outside her window one day, and sneaked off to meet him, quickly falling in love with the stranger as they met more and more, making her start realizing the joys of living. However, after several warnings of the Priests, they informed Lord Himuro about the fact, and he immediately ordered the visitor to be executed, lying to Kirie that he had to leave, despite her knowing the truth a few days later.
White Kimono, Kirie's remaining purity.
As predicted, the ritual carried over and Kirie was strangled and torn apart in the Strangling Ritual, her ropes and bloody garments taken to the Gates of Hell in order to close them. However, as Kirie now had feelings towards life and love, the ritual failed and the gates burst open, releasing the Calamity upon the mansion and all those in it. The corruption caused Kirie's spirit to be split into two forms: her remaining goodness, represented as a young version of her in a White Kimono, and a shady, sinister reflection of her former self with tortured souls behind her, moaning and screaming in agony. The event would also later lead to Lord Himuro's slaughter of all the people in the mansion, and several suicides.
Fatal Frame[]
Several years later, a group of novelists led by Junsei Takamine entered the mansion to make a report about the urban legend surrounding the mansion's story. However, the group never returned from their trip to the region, which caused Takamine's pupil, Mafuyu Hinasaki, to enter the mansion as well, fighting a few of the ghosts with the Camera Obscura that belonged to his mother. But Mafuyu also vanishes soon after, causing his sister Miku, the main protagonist, to enter the mansion as well to search for him.
As she travels through the mansion, she discovers the ghosts of the Novelist Group's members and the cause of their deaths: a curse cast upon them by Kirie herself that tore their limbs apart like in the Strangling Ritual, and Miku soon discovers Kirie cursed her as well. She is led through the manor by White Kimono, Kirie's pure self, and fights off the ghosts of the residents with the Camera Obscura, soon discovering the truth and seeing some hints of Mafuyu's whereabouts.
Finally she discovers the pieces of the Holy Mirror, necessary for the ritual, and enters the road to the Hell Gate, finally reaching her brother. However, Kirie reappears and engulfs him onto herself, engaging Miku in battle and losing after she uses the Mirror, destroying the corruption surrounding Kirie and releasing her spirit, as well as Mafuyu.
Kirie as she usually appears in-game, followed by tormented souls behind her.
Fatal Frame has multiple endings, the common factor tying them all is that Kirie's spirit, now released of corruption, contains the Calamity within the Hell Gate and urges the siblings to escape the area before it collapses. Many of the endings show Miku and Mafuyu running away together, but Fatal Frame III would later reveal that Mafuyu stayed behind to comfort Kirie in her torment, Miku being the only one to escape alive.
Personality[]
Kirie is usually described as a previously youthful girl, accepting of her fate and glad to serve her family in the sacrifice. However, once she met her lover, she became hopeful of life, something that Lord Himuro and his followers could not allow for the ritual, since the maiden must be devoid of all hope or love. After the failed ritual, Kirie became a vengeful, corrupt ghost with no emotion but rage for those who trespass her territory. Her good side split into a strict, but helpful ghost who wants nothing more than to be rejoined with her other half and contain the calamity. However, despite her corrupted state, she is able to notice Mafuyu resembles her lover and instead of killing him, holds him captive.
Kirie's Rope Curse[]
The curse cast upon Kirie's victims whenever she touches or looks directly at a visitor of Himuro Mansion. The signs of the curse are:
- Rope marks start forming on the person's limbs.
- The victims start having hallucinations. This stage especially affects people with a strong sixth sense.
- Delirium ensues, as the victim mumbles nonsense and incoherent speeches, also mentioning ropes and a woman in a white kimono.
- A final rope mark appears on the victim's neck.
- The victim's body is then horribly mutilated and stretched apart.