Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell is a cyberpunk franchise which started in the 1980s with a manga series by Masamune Shirow. It became the inspiration for Oni when Brent Pease saw the movie adaptation in a theater, likely in 1996. Two of the primary themes of the movie are the feeling of loss of identity due to total cyborgization of the body and the untrustworthiness of one's memories due to the potential for cyberbrain hacking. The movie's combination of intense gun fights and martial arts (in the scene where a hacker is apprehended) served as the model for Oni's intended gameplay.

Oni's main character Konoko was originally a cyborg in the early development of the game. She also had altered memories in this early story, and since the title "Oni" was considered temporary at the time, a final title of "Mnemonic Shadow" was considered for the game. Eventually the working title became the permanent title, and meanwhile the story was rewritten, turning Konoko into an organically-augmented person instead of a cyborg. The notion of altered memories was removed from the plot as well, although there remains a hint of tension from the original story in that Konoko does not seem to remember her father.

Konoko is clearly based on Ghost in the Shell's main character Motoko Kusanagi, however Konoko is much more emotional than the impassive Major. The similarity between Konoko's boss Griffin and Chief Aramaki from GitS has been noted. Konoko's neural link with Shinatama is likely based upon the brain implant which Section 9 members use to communicate securely with each other. Shinatama herself may be inspired by the android Operators of Section 9, which appear in the 1995 movie (but which originally come from the manga). Other similarities include the phase cloak, which deactivates when attacking an enemy, resembling Ghost in the Shell's thermoptic camo that malfunctions when being touched by an outside body.

The canceled Iron Demon was doubtlessly based on the spider tank in the movie's climax. Although Ghost in the Shell's cyberpunk atmosphere is famous and was intended to be an influence on Oni's look, very little of it is evident in the game's final appearance, which was revised during development to be less stereotypically sci-fi than its early look. Some examples of the cyberpunk style can still be found in Oni, e.g. Rooftops, Damocles and the inside of the Syndicate Mountain Compound.