WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Orient Episode 11, "What's in a Katana," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
In Episode 11 of Orient, “What’s in a Katana,” Musashi is finally given the opportunity to retake his Kitetsu trial after failing to connect with any of the swords presented at the Ryuzoji Band camp market back in Episode 7, “You Can’t Survive Underwater.” Previously, fans of the show discovered that Musashi had a black soul -- which, according to Osafune Mitsuru, head of the Ryuzoji Band smiths, meant that he was forsaken and would be rejected by any Kitetsu no matter how hard he trained.
However, it appears that this has suddenly changed. After saving the Ryuzoji Band and their citizens from Shiro and Nanao Inukai, Musashi believed that it was time to try again. Shortly after picking up the sword, it glows bright red rather than the black coloration it previously had, and it is announced that Musashi has successfully passed the sword trial for Enma’s Oodachi. Many are likely confused by Musashi’s dramatic turnaround, so here’s why he was suddenly able to take control over his Kitetsu and what this means moving forward in the series.
Why is Musashi Now Able to Use a Kitetsu?
Prior to this episode, it was revealed that Musashi had a mysterious entity trapped within him. Currently, the nature of The Obsidian Goddess has largely been unexplored; however, it appears that she influenced the result of Musashi’s previous Kitetsu trial and prevented him from successfully being able to control his chosen sword.
After talking to the deity across several episodes, it seems that a connection between the two has been established. Ultimately, The Obsidian Goddess realized that in order to protect her host, she would have to grant him some of her powers so that they weren’t captured or killed by Shiro and Nanao. In doing so, Musashi was able to transform into what appears to be the deity's true form, easily thwarting Shiro’s attacks.
Just before the trial takes place, Kojiro recalls a moment shortly after the battle in which the Obsidian Goddess informs him that she must return to sleep and that when she does, “Musashi will lose the obsidian power.” This leads Kojiro to believe that Musashi will now pass his trial since the Obsidian Goddess’ control over him has been relinquished. Whether this poses problems for Musashi in the future, in which his powers sporadically disappear because The Obsidian Goddess’ influence takes hold once again, remains unclear. However, for now, it looks like Musashi will finally be able to use his Kitetsu and continue on his journey to form a Bushi Band.
Musashi’s Soul is Red - What Does This Mean?
It has previously been explained in the series that there are five different types of colors that a Bushi’s soul can be: blue, green, yellow, red or white. Each of these colors determines the power of the Kitetsu blade and the techniques that its holder can wield. The additional color that has been seen in the series is black, and its powers remain unknown, outside of Musashi’s experience of being unable to use his Kitetsu at all. However, it seems that Shiro has been able to overcome this boundary, gaining access to a range of strange techniques that have perplexed every character who has witnessed them so far.
The other soul colorations have yet to be fully explained, although it has been made clear to viewers, through Mitsuru’s exposition on Kitetsu blades, that blue is the most common color for a Bushi’s soul, while red is the rarest. This idea is reinforced after Musashi passes his Kitetsu trial and exhibits a burning red glow, greatly impressing many members of the Ryuzoji Bushi Band.
The extent and stability of Musashi’s newly acquired powers remain to be seen. It is unclear what the pros and cons of each soul coloration are and how this will affect this series’ protagonist moving forward. Furthermore, the nature of The Obsidian Goddess and her connection to Musashi is still a great mystery. Whether he will be able to keep using his Kitetsu as the show develops is uncertain, and if he will be able to grow quickly enough to defend himself and this deity from Shiro and Nanao Inukai is questionable.
Hopefully, when the new series airs this summer, fans will be able to learn more about Orient’s fantastical world and discover more about the Bushi, their Kitetsus and why The Obsidian Goddess is being tracked down by this pair of villainous characters.
