Koban (こばんねこ Koban Neko?, lit. "Good Evening Cat") is a recurring character in the Ganbare Goemon series. He is the headmaster of a clan of shapeshifting ninja cats under the service of the Lord of Edo.
History[]
Koban is the leader of a clan of ninja cats whose responsibility is to protect Edo. He appears in Ganbare Goemon Gaiden: Kieta Ōgon Kiseru, Ganbare Goemon Gaiden 2: Tenka no Zaihō, and The Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Kurobei, Princess Yuki's pet cat, is actually one of his most skillful and trusted apprentices.
Appearances[]
Ganbare Goemon Gaiden: Kieta Ōgon Kiseru[]
First appearance of Koban in the series. He is one of the playable characters that join Goemon and Ebisumaru in their quest to find the stolen golden kiseru.
Ganbare Goemon Gaiden 2: Tenka no Zaihō[]
Koban appears as an NPC working at one of the many tea houses in order to satisfy his craving for dango. He offers the player some, free of charge.
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja[]
After being rescued by Goemon and Ebisumaru, Kurobei, a member of a clan of ninja cats, asks them to go to Shikoku Island and meet their master, Koban.
When the heroes arrive to the island, they find it is being controlled by the so-called Hyottoko clan, who just happen to have set a carnival in town. Suspecting something's not right, they enter the main carnival's tent only to discover that Koban is being held captive inside. The duo is then attacked by the Hyottoko's leader, the Lantern Man. After defeating him, Koban informs them his band of ninja cats is on a top secret mission: Princess Yuki has been kidnapped by a group of masked men. These fiends possess special weapons capable of crippling their ability to change forms, thus hindering their efforts to find the princess.
Not knowing who the real perpetrator is, he informs them they suspect of the dreadful Otafuku Army, who have been known to kidnap women, so he sends the heroes on their way to Awaji Island to investigate.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Koban seems to be a literal personification of the maneki-neko, a traditional Japanese fortune figurine which is usually depicted as a seated cat with a paw raised in a Japanese beckoning gesture and holding a koban coin with its other paw, from which he takes his name.