🌸 Hanako Arasaka
“Only she grasped the true meaning of Alt Cunningham’s work.”
đź“‹ Quick Reference
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Chief Officer of Arasaka Corporation |
| Faction | Kiji 雉 (Green Pheasant) — Saburo loyalists |
| Status | Active — reclusive, focused on digital research |
| Skills | Netrunner of high skill; Soulkiller researcher |
đź“ť Overview
Hanako Arasaka is the eldest daughter of Saburo Arasaka and the official Chief Officer of Arasaka Corporation. Despite this title, she has always been something of a recluse — more interested in her Netrunning experiments than in gathering power. The true authority still rests with her father.
After the death of her brother Kei in the Night City nuke, the remainder of the Old Guard — mostly retired commanders who served under Kei — unified around Hanako and formed the Kiji (Green Pheasant) Faction. They want to maintain Arasaka according to Saburo’s sweeping vision and seek peaceful reconciliation with the New United States.
Hanako is their figurehead more than their leader. Her real focus is elsewhere.
đź’» The Soulkiller Project
Hanako’s most significant work is a revised version of Soulkiller — the consciousness-digitizing program created by Alt Cunningham. Where others saw a weapon, Hanako understood Alt’s work at a fundamental level. Her research aims to enable the transfer of consciousness into clone bodies, turning Soulkiller from a tool of destruction into something far more ambitious.
This project, conducted from within Arasaka’s Japanese facilities, is a natural continuation of the Reliquary Database Project that her father initiated before the nuke.
👨‍👧 Family Relationships
| Member | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Saburo Arasaka | Father — she leads the faction loyal to his vision |
| Yorinobu Arasaka | Brother — Hanako is instrumental in trying to reconcile him with the family |
| Kei Arasaka | Brother (deceased) — his old commanders now serve her |
| Michiko Sanderson | Niece (Kei’s daughter) — leads the rival Hato Faction from America |
đź”— Related Topics
- Arasaka — The corporation she officially leads
- Saburo Arasaka — Her father
- Yorinobu Arasaka — Her renegade brother
- Arasaka Tower — Where the original Soulkiller lab was destroyed
(Sources: CRB pp.267–268)