Sandayu Oda

Sandayu Oda is a cyberninja bodyguard employed by the Arasaka corporation, currently assigned to protecting the heiress Hanako Arasaka. Oda is an apprentice and good friend of Goro Takemura. He specializes in martial arts with the mantis blades.

Biography
Little is known about Oda's past safe for being mentored by Goro Takemura.

By 2077, his skill has already been recognized by Arasaka and rewarded by employment on the highest degree, as a personal bodyguard within the Arasaka family. He found himself in Night City escorting Hanako Arasaka to a matsuri festival she had been planning to host in Westbrook district's Japantown. Not long after their arrival, the unexpected murder of Hanako's father, Saburo Arasaka, set the tone of the dashi parade to a commemorative one, and Hanako was to give a public eulogy in addition to her tasks. The visit, which was supposed to last a single day before allowing them to return to Japan, seems to have conveniently fell behind schedule, as the security systems surrounding the Arasaka compounds gradually deteriorated, as if by design.

Oda appears to be well-aware of the event's underlying complications as well as curtains being pulled to prevent clarifying the story behind the murder, but stays out of the Arasaka family theatrics, instead focusing strictly on his job of keeping Hanako safe. The parade itself posed a great concern - with all the commotion it invites, it became an excellent occasion for further defamation to occur. The complexity of his role is once more increased when his mentor is accused of not only failing his job as a bodyguard of a murdered man, but consorting with the thief formally accused of the murder itself. By the end of the day, his job is conclusively challenged once he received an invite from said mentor, calling up on his honour and friendship, requesting a secret meeting. Contrary to expectation, Oda shows respect and moral values beyond Arasaka training, arriving to the meeting alone, by car, rather than camouflaged, and is willing to listen to what Takemura and his witness V have to say.

As soon as V spoke of the murder, attaching names to details, Oda swiftly interrupted, warning that talking as freely will invite death to their door. He did not act on behalf of the process and fully disregarded the price on his mentor's head, showing that he cares more for life than corporate technical undertakings or duty-bound sense of honour. Something Takemura admitted not sharing should their positions be reversed. Although, despite reluctantly showing empathy, Oda had no intention of failing his own job as Takemura did, especially during this delicate entanglement of Arasaka affairs, so he disregarded his mentor's request for an audience with Hanako.

Just before leaving, he issued his second and final warning – while being courteous at present, he will not show such leniency in case of meeting either of them again.

The night of the parade, all of Oda’s concerns seem to have been realized as the chaos took place and security showed no sign of improvement. Talking to the head of Night City’s Arasaka security, Adam Smasher, he expresses outrage over the lack of proper safety measures and directly questions the choices made by his employer, Yorinobu Arasaka. Eventually he had to leave Hanako’s side and deal with the disturbances himself. This is the second time he faced V, albeit on terms less civil than last, intending to act on the warning he had previously given.

The battle proves indisputably difficult for both parties and highlights Oda’s proficiency in every battle method available - being very quick on his feet, he utilizes both walls and platforms while practicing ranged and melee weapons alike. He is also not a stranger to stealth in case of his health falling low.

Dependent
In due course, he will fall and from there on, his fate rests in the hands of V – While Takemura will express a genuine wish to spare Oda’s life, the choice remains. In the case of not heeding his mentor’s wish, Oda can be killed on the spot. If allowed to live, however, he will be given proper Arasaka medical care and return to soldier duty. Takemura will note that his pride will not heal as easily as his body, but being alive is what matters most.

In case of accepting Hanako’s offer and cooperating with Arasaka in exchange for resolving the problem caused by a faulty engram, V will meet Oda once more. In spite of expressing a displeased surprise, he will accept the situation on Hanako’s request and personally help them finish business in the tower. During this time, he will mainly focus on watching Takemura’s back and readily wish him all the best on departure, showing no ill will following the events that have passed, staying behind to protect the Arasaka family's remaining members.

Database Entry

 * Hanako Arasaka's bodyguard who also happens to be a cyberninja trained by Takemura. He was supposed to be the key to solving V and Takemura's problems, but only ended up as one more threat among many. During their secret meeting at the docks, he declined their plea for help and gave them one last chance to leave the city. He's never further than a step away from Hanako, so it'll be difficult to reach her.

Associated Quests

 * Down on the Street
 * Play It Safe
 * Totalimmortal (dependent)