#i might add to or edit this tomorrow but rn im tired so ill release it into the void

[majimemegoro]

So what do we actually know about og okudera?

this is not meant to be fully exhaustive, i dont have notes or anything, im just going off the op of my head and sharing some facts the canon gives us about og okudera, and some interpretations (characterization etc) we might make from them. please note that many of these facts are told through sato, which means that they are NOT actually confirmed by canon (since sato could be lying or not telling the whole truth). However if we don’t trust anything sato says, we have basically nothing to go on. so this post is written under the assumption that what sato tells us is basically true. without further ado: what do we actually know about og okudera?

A) Okudera was kicked out of his yakuza Family in Tohoku and marked for death

he did something his Family didnt like

maybe he’s moral. maybe hes not very smart. in conjunction with D (rescuing a convict) maybe he’s just impulsive. maybe a mix.

B) Okudera lived in the village for some time (more than a year) but the villagers didn’t know his name

he kept himself separate from the villagers

(not my headcanon, but “okudera” might have been a fake name—hence why it was useful for sato to take it, whereas the identities of men with a hit out on them aren’t usually seen as desirable targets of identity theft)

okudera probably went to the village to hide out because he knew he was in trouble

C) The villagers considered OKudera to be “one of them”/ not an outsider in a way they never considered Sato to be, even after 10 yrs

in conjunction with E (knowing how to hunt), maybe he’s matagi or they had reason to believe he was matagi (e.g. he told them, whereas sato never did)

D) Okudera found a guy passed out in the snow in an abashiri uniform and took care of him

In conjunction with H (letting sato kill him), maybe hes kind and generous

in conjunction with B, maybe he’s lonely

In conjunction with A, maybe he’s impulsive/ makes bad decisions

E) Okudera taught Sato how to hunt and gather

he had experience with hunting and gathering either before or during his time as a yakuza (probably before)

maybe he grew up in a hunting community. in conjunction with C, maybe he’s matagi

hes patient and knowledgeable enough to teach someone something and do a pretty good job

F) Nishina thought Okudera came to the village to make money and went after yama-oroshi to make money

okudera had vibes of someone who wanted/needed money

maybe he was bedraggled or poor looking. maybe hes bad with money in general, hence the fact that he didn’t have any saved up/wasnt able to fetch it (possibly fled tohoku in a hurry)

maybe he actually did want and need money, maybe he actually did come to the village as part of the hunting boom (possibly to make enough money for a new identity and to move away from the reach of the yakuza)

he apparently didn’t make enough money to do any of that during the time he spent in the village. maybe hes not very good at hunting. maybe he’s bad with money and spends too much to save up (in conjunction with the other impulsivity points)

G) sakurai thought okudera was chasing after yama-oroshi to help the village; also called okudera “a good guy”

in conjunction with B, okudera has a friendly or easygoing demeanor / appearance that makes people have fond feelings towards him despite his keeping them at arms’ length (note though that it’s sakurai, who also has something nice to say about Gonsuke...)

H) Okudera knew sato was there to kill him, but concealed that fact and didn’t try/want to stop him

in conjunction with D, maybe Okudera is generous

despite probably being impulsive, he’s also capable of exhibiting self control, sticking to his convictions, and completing a plan (hiding his knowledge from sato, possibly for an extended period)

passively su*cidal : maybe miserable, feels guilty for something, doesn’t like being in the village, doesn’t like hunting, etc.... all possibilities.

I) Sato said that he learned to be a conscientious hunter from Nishina, from the mountain, and from the village; he doesn’t mention Okudera.

in conjunction with F and with the fact that he was yakuza, maybe okudera wasn’t a truly conscientious hunter

so if he’s matagi as above, he may be a disaffected matagi and/or dislike the mountain lifestyle in general

anyway i so thats where i got a lot of my characterization for og okudera from. im listening to My Way by frank sinatra as i post this