It's Orca! He's an emissary of the Dragon Palace. And he only comes for people worthy of goin' there.
Orca, or Shachimaru in the Japanese version, is the emissary for the Dragon Palace in Ōkami. He is needed to explore the islands around North Ryoshima Coast, and to safely travel in the sea due to the rampaging Water Dragon.
History
Background
Apparently, Orca had brought Urashima to the Dragon Palace when the fisherman fell into the sea while sitting at his dock. He drowned but the Dragonians revived him by feeding him mermaid flesh. This gave him an immortal and ageless body.
Ōkami
Orca in-game.
After speaking with Urashima, Amaterasu heads to the dock, where Urashima encountered Orca. She uses the Sunrise brush technique, which summons him. Orca arrives, looking quite excited to meet Amaterasu. He gladly offers his services to her, telling her that he will take her to the Dragon Palace. Urashima shows up, happy to see Orca again. He attempts to jump on Orca's back, who smacks him away instead.
When Amaterasu sits on his back, he informs her of Otohime's decree, which states that Amaterasu must find the hidden whirlpool entrance to the palace. After much adventuring and exploring, Amaterasu discovers the Whirlpool Galaxy, whose reflection in the sea is the entrance to the Dragon Palace. Orca then takes Amaterasu to the palace so that she can speak with Otohime, the queen of the Dragonians, about the Water Dragon.
Ōkamiden
Although Orca didn't appear in Ōkamiden, a fisherman mentioned that he had caught Orca, but in the end, he let him go.
Trivia
- Orca's name comes from the Latin name for the killer whale, "orcinus".
- His name is also the Spanish name for killer whale, "orca".
- His name in the Japanese version is also the language's equivalent for the the killer whale, シャチ,[1] added with the suffix 丸 (maru), common in male names.
- Orca (as the species) is one of animals that are not included in Animal Tomes despite having descent appearances.
- In the original concept, Amaterasu was planned to be a shapeshifter and one of her transformations include a dolphin.
- In the original folklore of Urashima Tarō and other Dragon Palace-related tales and legends, other species such as sea turtles, jellyfish, sharks, whales, oarfish, etc. can also be seen as emissaries.