As mentioned before, not much is known about Obi’s past - if that is his real name - he doesn’t even have a last name! All we know is he used to be an assassin; he’s good at working in the shadows and prefers moving around at night. Other things that add to his mystery are the scar above his left eye, his affinity for little Ryuu and that he doesn’t seem to have a clear reason or motive to follow and be loyal to Zen.

Obi doesn’t really talk about himself, so we have no idea where his ninja skills came from, though he has mentioned only being there “as an observer” and that he “won’t be staying long”. What does that mean!?

Though he’s mysterious and a serious fighter, Obi is a lighthearted guy. He likes to make jokes and tease others like he does when he flirts with Kiki to make Mitsuhide upset, or when he teases Ryuu about his height. He is also seen helping Ryuu and carrying him on his shoulders.

Even at the beginning when Zen catches him after shooting an arrow toward Shirayuki, Obi waves at her with a big smile on his face and answers to Zen’s questions with a big grin. And there’s also the time Zen and Obi share a drink and Obi tells Zen his eyes are a pretty color. He’s generally a cheerful and relaxed guy and is kind of like a knight/jester all in one. However, that doesn’t take away from his abilities as a stealthy fighter, which brings us to our next highlight.

Obi is referred to as being cat-like by several characters in the show and his amber colored eyes do resemble those of a feline. But that’s not the only way he reminds us of a cat. Obi is incredibly agile and quiet when he fights and when he spies. He can easily and stealthily jump through trees and buildings to observe his prey or his guard.

His sword fighting skills are also so great he has received praise from Mitsuhide, who is an amazing swordsman himself. And when Obi challenged Zen to a duel to decide whether he would guard Shirayuki, he effortlessly left Zen without a sword, at which point Zen conceded as he “could never beat him in hand-to-hand combat”. Obi’s well-roundedness as a fighter is the reason why Zen trusts him the most with keeping guard over Shirayuki.

Ever since he came to be part of Zen’s royal guard and therefore one of Zen’s most trusted allies, Obi will do anything in his power to preserve the honor of his prince and his “missy” Shirayuki. He is always ready with an “as my master wishes” for Zen and ready to help Shirayuki even if all she needs is someone to catch her when she slips or someone to help her carry things. And he had no second thoughts when he had to take care of a stumbling drunk Shirayuki after unwittingly drinking some alcohol.

Obi is also so loyal to Zen, he doesn’t act upon the feelings he clearly has for Shirayuki, though he’s had plenty of opportunities. Challenging Zen to a duel for the position of Shirayuki’s escort is also very much in line with Knightly behavior.

It’s not clear if this is only because of Shirayuki, or if it’s Obi’s nature, but he seems to be a pretty romantic guy. He once used money he won in an archery contest to buy a hair pin for Shirayuki and when he saw her wearing it when on a trip, he was visibly surprised and pleased. He’s also been close to gently holding her hand but backed off when Zen showed up.

And of course, there is the more recent situation where he showed interest in the flowers Shirayuki was growing and Ryuu gives him some seeds so he can grow them. When Shirayuki tells him she’s collecting the multicolored seeds but she doesn’t have the blue one yet, Obi keeps the blue seed he has and tells her to show him when she completes the collection. And don’t get me started on when he kisses her hand!