InYomowari: Night Alone, the Protagonist is witness to a horrific event, which becomes the catalyst for the game’s story - she must brave a town inhabited by malicious spirits at nighttime in order to find her sisterand her dog Poro. Night Alone discusses dark themes such as death, grief, and moving on.
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Over the course of the game, the Protagonist is able to come to terms with what happened to Poro, giving her the strength to defeat the Mountain Spirit and rescue her sister. Night Alone’s intense beginning is integral to understanding the game’s themes and ending, and the emotional journey that the Protagonist goes through.
This article contains references tosensitive themes, such as animal death.
The Beginning Of Yomawari: Night Alone
At the beginning of the game, the Protagonist is walking her dog Poro at dusk near the Tunnel. As it’s starting to get dark, the young Protagonist decides to head back home. While they’re walking, a Hand Spirit, minions under the Mountain Spirit, runs behind them; however, the Protagonist and Poro don’t see it for themselves.
The Protagonist and Poro soon happen upon a pebble that has fallen from the cliff above. The Protagonist picks up the pebble and decides to throw it onto the road, prompting Poro to chase after it. In a horrific turn of events,a truck suddenly appears on the road, accidentally hitting Poro.
The screen fades to black, and when the Protagonist opens her eyes, Poro is nowhere to be seen. The only evidence of what happened isa blood splatter on the road and Poro’s empty leash.
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In shock, the Protagonist returns home tofind her sisterwaiting for her. The Protagonist’s sister asks where Poro is; however, the Protagonist is silent and doesn’t correct her sister when she assumes that Poro has run away.
Although the Protagonist most likely knows about Poro’s death because of the blood splatter,she is unwilling to tell her sister the truth, whether that be because she’s worried about getting in trouble or because she simply doesn’t want to believe what has happened.
The Protagonist’s sister goes out to look for Poro, but iskidnapped by Mr Yomawari, a spirit known to kidnap children. This prompts the Protagonist to search for her and Poro, hoping that what she saw was wrong.
Searching For Sis And Poro
Throughout the game,the Protagonist searches for Poro and her sister, encountering multiple spirits and finding objects that help her to decipher what happened, such as a shoe belonging to her sister.
In Chapter Four, the Protagonist follows the spirit of Poro, which leads her to his body. The Protagonist begs Poro to wake up but eventually has toaccept Poro’s death and makes him a grave. Although the Protagonist realizes that Poro is gone, she still has to explore the town to find her sister.
The Protagonist is eventually kidnapped by Mr Yomawari in Chapter Five. After defeating Mr Yomawari, the Protagonist finds an Old Charm belonging to her sister inside an open shipping container - an item that comes in useful later.
As the Old Charm was her sister’s, the fact that it’s found in the Factory suggests that Mr Yomawari is responsible for kidnapping her in the first place. However, there is no sign of her. There are Hand Spirits in the area, suggesting thatthe Mountain Spirit took the Protagonist’s sister from Mr Yomawari, possibly as a sacrifice.
In terms of appearance, theMountain Spiritappears to be an amalgamation of human body parts, possibly of sacrificial victims, potentially explaining why it took the Protagonist’s sister. However, there’s no concrete reason given in the game.
What Happens At The End Of Yomawari: Night Alone?
In the final chapter, Mr Yomawari appears in the Protagonist’s house; however, unlike earlier in the game, it isn’t hostile. Mr Yomawari leaves behind the Black Crayon Note that says“the kidnapped will be taken to the other side of the tunnel,“letting the Protagonist know that her sister has been taken to Beyond the Tunnel -the domain of the Mountain Spirit. Determined to rescue her sister, the Protagonist sets off.
By using her sister’s Old Charm on the small shrines in the Tunnel, the Protagonist is able to disperse the black fog preventing her from entering the Mountain Spirit’s territory. Mr Yomawari, in its aggressive Meat Form, appears, and the Protagonist runs, lighting shrines on the way.
The Protagonist then encounters a large Hand Spirit; however, before it can attack her, Mr Yomawari sees the Hand Spirit and goes for that instead.While the spirits fight, the Protagonist is able to escape.
It’s possible that Mr Yomawari acts aggressively toward the Hand Spirit because the Mountain Spirit ordered its minions to steal the Protagonist’s sister from the Factory.
Proceeding deeper into the Mountain Spirit’s territory, the Protagonist arrives at a small shrine and is surrounded by Hand Spirits - she’s able to keep them at bay using the Old Charm to light up the shrines in the area.
The Protagonist eventuallyfinds her sister unconscious at the top of the mountain; however, before she can reach her,the Mountain Spirit appears, teleporting the Protagonist and itself to another dimension.
By avoiding Hand Spirits and lighting the shrines scattered around the area, the Protagonist is able to stop the Mountain Spirit, causing it to disappear.
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The Protagonist is then able to reunite with her sister, carrying her back down the mountain toward their home. She doesn’t escape unscathed, though, asthe Mountain Spirit takes the Protagonist’s left eye.
The Mountain Spiritmost likely required a sacrificeto allow the Protagonist and her sister to leave its realm, taking her eye as payment. As the Mountain Spirit and its cohorts the Hand Spirits have eyes as an integral part of their design, it could suggest that these eyes belong to previous victims.
The screen fades to black, then shows the Protagonist and Poro back in the Tunnel. The Protagonist parts ways with Poro one last time, letting Poro off his leash so he can pass on to the afterlife, showing that she hasfinally come to terms with his passingand is able to move on.
A post-credits sequence shows the Protagonist and her sister visiting Poro’s grave and leaving a flower on it to pay their respects.
Yomawari: Night Alone’s Themes And Messages
Night Alone’s ending not only focuses on the Protagonist’s defeat of the Mountain Spirit, but also on her relationship with her sister and Poro.The Protagonist is willing to risk her life and ultimately sacrifice her left eye in order to rescue her sister, showing the deep bond between them.
The sequence where the Protagonist says goodbye to Poro shows how she has developed as a character. In the beginning, she was unwilling to admit or accept what had happened to Poro, butshe learns that she needs to move on in order for Poro’s spirit to freely go to the afterlife.
At the start, she was also unable to confide in her sister about what happened, causing her to be kidnapped by Mr Yomawari and the Mountain Spirit; however, as they’re both seen at Poro’s grave after the credits, it shows that the Protagonist is able to tell the truth in the end, allowing them tosupport each other and move on.
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