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ONI = demon. Oh, and that other Bungie game.
Winters (PMOH_Winters@hotmail.com) writes:
For some reason, ONI is often seen as a shadowy, sinister organization, where their agenda is not always clear.†I think that the word, Oni seems to describe them perfectly.†Oni is a Japanese term, and in English, translates roughly as "demon", "devil", or "ogre".†Their features are often described as horned and fearsome beings. Just looking at the mask of one certainly brings to mind Sgt. Johnson's comparing ONI's looks to Engineers. Its a common misconception that Oni are evil, but in Japan, Oni are often seen as both a destroyer and a protector. ONI is certainly Oni-like when it comes to the "destroyer" part. After all, it was ONI that authorized the SPARTAN project, and undoubtedly countless other projects and operations over the years. It can even be argued that ONI is possibly the "destroyer" of Earth. after all, as mentioned in First Strike and the HSP: it could've been their operatives' disregard for the Cole Protocol which could have (accidentally?) led the Covenant to Earth. Yet, ONI is also a "protector". In Japan, people used to put up tiles shaped like Oni faces to ward off evil spirits and worship the Oni for protection. This shows ONI's other face. Even though ONI may have many secret agendas, such as maybe leading the Covenant to Earth on purpose, ONI's primary directive is†to protect Humanity and ensure its survival.
As a side note, Bungie also has another game on their site, aptly named "Oni", for the Playstation 2. Unfortunately, I know very little about it.
Oh, but I bet someone around here might...
-Finn
