| This article is about STRANGER. You may be looking for the FARAWAY TOWN character of the same name. |
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You are here again, DREAMER. To what do we owe the occasion? Are you running out of time?  |
| — STRANGER |
STRANGERS are a group of characters and NPCs in OMORI. They serve as mysterious, cryptic entities that occasionally appear before OMORI and his friends in HEADSPACE. Most of them seem to know about the truth regarding the game's overall plot.
PROFILE
APPEARANCE
STRANGERS can differ in appearance, but the most prominent sprite set associated with the name STRANGER is one that looks like a silhouette of BASIL. This STRANGER has eerie white irises and nothing else. Other STRANGERS that appear throughout HEADSPACE occasionally take on the form of people that SUNNY knows from his childhood. These notably consist of AUBREY, KEL, and HERO.
A STRANGER with a different sprite can also be found on the TRAIN, bearing similarities to the BASIL sprite with its white irises and silhouette body but having different hair than BASIL. During the fight with STRANGER on the OMORI ROUTE, it is accompanied by a manifestation of BASIL'S SOMETHING that has the same teeth and tendrils as the one from BASIL's boss battle.
PERSONALITY
Personality-wise, STRANGERS tend to be perceptive and cryptic - they point out to SUNNY about the consequences of his actions alongside passing abstract messages. However, the STRANGER with BASIL's silhouette shows bitterness and aggression toward SUNNY during their battle, citing SUNNY's refusal to face reality as reasonable grounds for trapping SUNNY inside the dream. STRANGER also starts talking from BASIL's point of view during the battle, which implies similarities between STRANGER and BASIL's mindsets.
Compared to the real-world BASIL, the STRANGER BASIL displays less anxiety and talks in a manner that is often measured. The STRANGER BASIL is also less prone to be as expressive as BASIL but still shows concern about how the future will play out from SUNNY's actions. There is an implied concern for those living in HEADSPACE since STRANGER asks for mercy on the dream residents. Despite both being somewhat based on real-life BASIL, the STRANGER BASIL considers both dream and real BASIL to be separate entities from itself, referring to BASIL as SUNNY's friend or flower boy instead.
STORY
BOTH ROUTES
Throughout the game, STRANGERS appear in SUNNY's memories, presumably as placeholders for SUNNY's thought processes. They start to directly appear right after BASIL vanishes from HEADSPACE, serving as a marker for where to go next in the story.
Note that whenever OMORI and his friends encounter a STRANGER, the shadowy entity will usually turn around to silently face them before vanishing without a trace. They often can be seen using BASIL's appearance to help guide the group through certain areas necessary for plot progression and uncover the truth behind HEADSPACE's existence.
PROLOGUE
The first STRANGER that can be encountered is within VAST FOREST's FOGGY BRIDGE, only if the group hasn't reached OTHERWORLD yet. From there, STRANGER is shown in an unreachable area near the R Key. This area can later be accessed through a ladder found at LAST RESORT's construction site.
After helping the lovesick CAPT. SPACEBOY in OTHERWORLD, the group still has no clues on BASIL's whereabouts. However, OMORI ends up discovering a trail of red footprints, which brings him and his friends to STRANGER, who is waiting for them. Without saying anything, STRANGER turns around and heads west. OMORI follows STRANGER into the CATTAIL FIELD but ends up getting separated from his friends.
The area has changed significantly, as it is populated with objects hinting at vague memories of SUNNY's past with his friends. He is also guided to the previously-locked CATTAIL BARN by STRANGER, which now has a red glowing light illuminated inside. Once OMORI enters the barn, he discovers a large pink photo frame, in which STRANGER vanishes right in front of it.
THREE DAYS LEFT
The following day, STRANGER once again manifests in various HEADSPACE locations to guide OMORI through the dreamy landscape. Near the entrance to the LOST FOREST, STRANGER can be encountered there if the player hasn't collected the W Key. STRANGER also briefly shows up in the fifth LOST FOREST room with an apparition of BASIL facing upwards before vanishing like the other faceless mannequins encountered in the forest.
Various STRANGERS appear as passengers in VAST FOREST's TRAIN to ORANGE OASIS and end up being turned into TOAST after the group vanquishes a lone DOROTHI. After defeating SWEETHEART within her castle, a large hole is opened on the stage via detonation. Once SWEETHEART leaves with CAPT. SPACEBOY on their honeymoon, the group prepares to leave the place. However, OMORI senses an ominous presence behind him. Turning around, he sees STRANGER walking right into the hole. The group is then guided straight into the hole by the shadowy entity.
As the others disappear while falling, OMORI enters LOST LIBRARY all by himself. If OMORI chooses to read all six library excerpts available in the library, a hidden piano room located southeast can be accessed. Inside that room, STRANGER is shown staring at the piano, not before turning around to face OMORI and silently vanishing as usual. Like with the LOST FOREST encounter, this can only be shown if the W Key isn't collected yet.
STRANGER also appears behind the sliding glass door in SUNNY'S HOUSE after fighting SOMETHING IN THE WALLS and vanishes when SUNNY approaches him.
TWO DAYS LEFT
As OMORI and his friends reach the end of their journey, STRANGER makes a few more appearances in HEADSPACE using the form of BASIL to guide the group. In DEEPER WELL, STRANGER can be found sitting on the swing that BRANCH CORAL is holding before vanishing. He later shows up at a walkway in MARINA's sector in HUMPHREY, staring at a disheveled FLOWER CROWN that once belonged to BASIL. Upon noticing OMORI and his friends approaching him, STRANGER disappears as they slowly forget about BASIL in the following cutscene.
Once the group collects all necessary HANGMAN Keys to progress, the surroundings of BASIL'S HOUSE become deathly and foreboding, and its floor caves in, revealing the entry to BLACK SPACE. On their way to the heart of the VAST FOREST, the group encounters STRANGER, who decides to guide them to the old shoe. When entering the disoriented house after going through the PATH TO BASIL, STRANGER is shown walking directly into the hole, with the intent of guiding OMORI to BLACK SPACE.
Many STRANGERS appear and walk around in BLACK SPACE; interacting with them will give OMORI one of many cryptic lines of text that relate to SUNNY's current situation. The STRANGER BASIL appears in several rooms, mostly to warn OMORI of something ominous in the background or presumably echoing thoughts from the real BASIL. STRANGER's last major appearance is within the CHURCH OF SOMETHING, in which his encounter there ultimately depends on the route the player is on.
SUNNY ROUTE
On TWO DAYS LEFT, various STRANGERS can be seen roaming around or hovering over the waters of NORTH LAKE as OMORI and MARI venture through that area. Most of them resemble people from SUNNY's past, and cannot be interacted with, as going near them will cause them to immediately vanish. The BASIL STRANGER can briefly be seen on an island with a lone stump. If the WTF VALUE is at least 6, STRANGER will also appear for a few frames when exiting any of the abandoned houses in the area.
Additionally, If the WTF VALUE is set greater than or equal to eight, a STRANGER resembling BASIL'S GRANDMA's unused HEADSPACE counterpart will appear in the CURRENT MAP (go to the left immediately on the dock with MARI and swim to the left) on the 2nd island to the right. She will constantly turn around to face OMORI and MARI and ask if they have seen her grandson.
By the time OMORI arrives in the CHURCH OF SOMETHING, STRANGER appears before him and says that it's about time that SUNNY finally faces the truth behind MARI's death before fading into the shadows. From this point on, STRANGER no longer appears to OMORI as his role in helping SUNNY break away from his unhealthy escapism habits as well as uncovering the truth has been completed.
During the aftermath of SUNNY's climactic fight against OMORI, STRANGER can be found one last time alongside the HEADSPACE versions of AUBREY, KEL, and HERO in the hospital. From there, STRANGER will lead SUNNY to where BASIL is recovering and disappears from there.
OMORI ROUTE
When OMORI reaches the CHURCH OF SOMETHING, he finds BASIL being held captive by the shadows. He slices them away to retrieve BASIL, only for STRANGER to appear behind him and berate him for trying to evade the truth yet again. STRANGER disappears, leading to BASIL's SOMETHING fully materializing. The shadowy abomination then lunges at OMORI, causing the screen to distort violently.
Eventually, SUNNY is thrust into a fight against STRANGER in a pitch-black void, in which the latter demands that SUNNY face him if he refuses to face reality. The fight with STRANGER is unwinnable, as SUNNY's skills are all interrupted by the sheer stress of it all, and his regular attacks will do nothing. STRANGER drowns SUNNY in despair, thrusting him into RED SPACE. With nowhere to go but forward, SUNNY collapses at the foot of the staircase to OMORI's throne of hands.
As OMORI steps forward to help SUNNY up, he sees STRANGER in the black void one last time, who has given up hope in trying to convince SUNNY to change his ways. Without anything left to do, a single RED HAND appears and warps OMORI back to the CHURCH OF SOMETHING so that he and BASIL can finally escape back to HEADSPACE.
VARIANTS
STRANGER takes on the appearance of various characters that SUNNY knows from his childhood. The most prominent form it takes on is in the form of his best friend BASIL. Some of them appear to be of unknown identity or simply brief visions of past mirages.
.png "Stranger (Basil's Grandma).png (552 bytes)")
.gif "Stranger (Sunny's Dad).gif (4 KB)")
.png "Stranger 2 (???).png (569 bytes)")
.png "Stranger (Polly).png (555 bytes)")
.png "Stranger 1 (???).png (542 bytes)")
.png "Stranger 4 (???).png (542 bytes)")
_Unused.png "Stranger (Train) Unused.png (835 bytes)")
_Unused.png "Stranger 2 (Train) Unused.png (844 bytes)")
_Unused.png "Stranger 3 (Train) Unused.png (820 bytes)")
QUOTES
Stranger (Train)
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STRANGER Home is not here.  STRANGER Here is not home. STRANGER Home is not where here is. STRANGER Here is not where the home is. STRANGER Here is not home, but where is home? STRANGER Home is not here, but where is here? STRANGER Where is home? |
Stranger (Lost Library)
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???  ... |
Stranger (North Lake)
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STRANGER Have you seen my grandson? |
Wandering Stranger Quotes
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STRANGER You are here again, DREAMER. To what do we owe the occasion? Are you running out of time? STRANGER The truth is difficult for you. In the past, it has caused you to stray to your destructive form. STRANGER Your current form subdues that... and although it is also evil... it may still be the better of the two. STRANGER This place has changed a great deal since you were last here. Will you be able to find your way back, or will you finally lose yourself? STRANGER Without KEYS of our own, we are forced to wander endlessly here. These doors will not open for us. We are not as fortunate as you. STRANGER Something was taken from here a long time ago... Where did you hide it? Only you know where it is now. STRANGER Why must you take that cursed form? It is indeed strong and can protect you... but if you rely on it too often... what you will sacrifice can never be reclaimed. STRANGER Has the flower boy lost his way? Here to save him again? How fortunate for him... STRANGER Redemption is hidden among one of these doors... but it will never open for you in that form. You will have to find another way in. STRANGER Behind these doors lie rooms made of scattered fragments, forever changing. STRANGER If you are lost, you need not worry. The red hands will guide you... and... the form you've taken... it cannot die here. STRANGER You have hidden yourself away again. Hopes, dreams, aspirations... do they mean nothing to you? STRANGER You may not be in control now... but do not lose hope, DREAMER. There are some who still believe in you. STRANGER With great power comes great burden... for yourself... and for the people closest to you. Who are you protecting? And... is it worth it? STRANGER I deeply wish that your friend's soul is born uncorrupted. We know too well what fate will befall him otherwise. STRANGER Please have mercy, DREAMER. The souls born here may never materialize, but their screams still echo through the ground. STRANGER The flower boy who is closest to the truth... whose eyes glow an eerie red. I have seen what you've done to him before... and pray that you don't find him again. |
Stranger (Black Space Areas)
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Stranger (Church of Something)
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STRANGER SUNNY... The truth is here. STRANGER You've been running from this for so long. STRANGER But this time, we can face it together.
STRANGER SUNNY... You've been running away from the truth for so long... How long will you keep running? STRANGER I won't let this cycle repeat itself... STRANGER I... I won't let you leave me, SUNNY... STRANGER Not again. |
Stranger (Before and After Boss)
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BOSS BATTLE
For an in-battle description and boss quotes, see STRANGER (Enemy).
GALLERY
IN-GAME
.png "Stranger (Sunny's Room).png (56 KB)")
_Sprite.png "Stranger (Something) Sprite.png (134 KB)"){kind=icon}
BOSS
.gif "STRANGER (ENEMY).gif (75 KB)")
ARTWORK
STICKERS
.png "Stranger Sticker (Stare).png (29 KB)")
.png "Stranger Sticker (Don't Ignore Me).png (36 KB)")
TRIVIA
- STRANGER's form as BASIL's silhouette is sometimes referred to as SHADOW BASIL in the game's files.
- In the ABANDON ENDING of the OMORI ROUTE, if the WTF value is set to 13, the STRANGER movers will instead be replaced with the actual shadowy variants seen in HEADSPACE.
- STRANGER's dialogue when following him through the PATH TO BASIL on TWO DAYS LEFT directly alludes to BASIL's thoughts on how the flowers he's nurtured reminds him of his friends. His dialogue when approaching the white tulip patch also depends on the route the player is on:
- If the player is on the SUNNY ROUTE, STRANGER comments on how the tulip flowers reminds him of SUNNY due to how simple, modest, and comfortable they are. He will then face the group before walking away.
- If the player is on the OMORI ROUTE, STRANGER will remain silent, not before facing the group without saying anything and walking deeper into the foggy mist.
- The STRANGER BASIL appearing in NORTH LAKE through the WTF VALUE was originally intended to have a different appearance, labeled as SHADOW. This form is unused in the final game but can be found in the game's data and files.
- During the PROLOGUE and THREE DAYS LEFT segments, if SUNNY wakes up at night and leaves his room, when re-entering it, there is a 10% chance that a large looming STRANGER can briefly appear on the wall.
- The same STRANGER also appears within a facsimile of SUNNY's room in the hidden MARI IS HOME location. Unlike the one rarely encountered in SUNNY'S HOUSE, this STRANGER will continue to stare at the player from above without vanishing at all.
- When brightening the portrait and boss sprites, STRANGER is shown crying. This is most likely since STRANGER shares the same appearance and boss sprites with the real BASIL but darkened.
- When OMORI confronts STRANGER to "protect" SUNNY near the end of the shadowy entity's boss fight, STRANGER's torso is entirely bisected, leaving endless drips of blood pouring down on the floor.
- This presumably alludes to the real BASIL committing suicide offscreen during the OMORI ROUTE's ending, evident by the ambulance noises heard during the ABANDON ENDING.
- Within WATER WALKWAY, STRANGER briefly appears staring at the poorly drawn house that leads to the CORRUPTED JUNKYARD and near the entrance to LOST AT SEA. These events are rather hard to see due to the area's poor lighting but can be seen more clearly via the RPG Maker MV project.
- The wandering STRANGERS in the BLACK SPACE hub use KEL's form, as shown in the game's data.
- According to the file "$DW_VF_TrainPassengers", STRANGERS that appeared in VAST FOREST's TRAIN were originally planned to have different designs. In the final game, only one of the four designs is used. The game's data also refers to them as patrons.
