Hone Onna exudes an aura of elegance and beauty, embodying the image of Tsuyu, the woman she once was in her lifetime. While she claims to be around 200 years old, her youthful appearance defies this assertion, similar to her fellow companions. It remains ambiguous whether she references her total lifespan, combining both her lives as Tsuyu and Hone Onna, or if she is specifically alluding to the time she has spent as Hone Onna alone. If it’s the latter, her true age could be even greater.

Hone Onna’s kimono’s concept art.

Her long black hair is typically styled in a traditional Japanese manner, secured with a decorative clip, allowing strands to gracefully fall on either side of her face. When she opts for casual, non-Japanese attire, she often leaves her hair untied or ties it in a ponytail, showcasing her mid to light brown eyes. She also enhances her features with red lipstick, adding a touch of vibrancy to her appearance.

Hone Onna predominantly wears traditional Japanese clothing. Her signature outfit consists of a blue kimono with a dark blue border lining the neckline, worn over a white nagajuban. The red obi that cinches her kimono is tied in the front, a departure from the customary practice of tying it at the back. She completes her look with white jika-tabi footwear and an array of hair accessories, including a brown decorative clip, a white piece of cloth, and a hairpin adorned with a red decorative ball.

InTwo Mirrors, her attire shifts to a striking white kimono, also featuring a dark blue border and delicately placed floral patterns reminiscent of Kikuri’s kimono. This is layered over a blue nagajuban, and she ties a dark blue obi in the front, accented with a red obi-jime. Her footwear for this outfit consists of black zori paired with white tabi, and she retains her signature hair accessories.

Three Vesselsintroduces yet another transformation in her wardrobe. Here, she wears a blue kimono with a vibrant border—half yellow and half red—over a white nagajuban. The magenta obi is tied at the front with a yellow obi-jime, maintaining her unique style. Her footwear remains consistent, while her hair accessories change to include a red decorative clip, a light blue cloth, and three hairpins—two golden and one with a red decorative ball.

When working undercover, Hone Onna frequently adopts two primary outfits. One features a light brown jacket over a gray top, paired with a black skirt and black shoes, with her hair left untied. The other consists of a magenta jacket over a yellow top, a matching magenta skirt, and high-heeled shoes, showcasing her hair in a chic ponytail.

In her straw doll form, Hone Onna is represented in dark red, adorned with a red string tied around her neck.

Hone Onna is characterized by her gentle and mild demeanor, often radiating a sense of calm. Although she occasionally loses her temper, it’s usually over minor irritations, and she rarely lets her frustrations escalate. Unlike some of her companions, she frequently displays genuine concern and sympathy for others, indicating a deeper emotional sensitivity.

One notable source of annoyance for Hone Onna is when Kikuri refers to her as an “old lady,” a playful jab that she takes to heart. Despite her occasional frustrations, she maintains a fondness for all of Ai Enma’s companions and has a particular affection for Ai herself. However, her relationship with Kikuri is more complicated, as she often appears to be exasperated with her.

In her human life, Hone Onna was known as Tsuyu, a talented geisha renowned for her skill in crafting delicate paper balloons. Her life took a tragic turn when a man named Shinsaburo professed his love for her, leading to dreams of a shared future. However, just as their plans to escape the confines of their town began to unfold, Shinsaburo revealed his true intentions. He betrayed Tsuyu, selling her to a brothel for his financial gain and leaving her in tears without a backward glance.

During her time in the brothel, Tsuyu developed a close bond with a fellow prostitute named Kiyo. Amidst the despair of their circumstances, she found solace in the love of a man named Tetsuya, who genuinely cared for her. Determined to help Kiyo escape their grim reality, Tsuyu devised a plan for them to flee together. However, Kiyo’s jealousy ultimately led to betrayal; she informed the brothel’s owner of their intentions. When Kiyo arrived with the owner and a hired thug, Tsuyu and Tetsuya were cornered, leading to their tragic deaths at the hands of the man.

After being gravely wounded, Tsuyu’s lifeless body was discarded into a river. It was here that her fate took a supernatural turn; her soul merged with those of other women who had met similar fates, transforming her into the yōkai known as Hone Onna, or Bone Woman.

For a time, Hone Onna roamed nearby villages, seeking companionship but often met with fear and rejection upon revealing her true skeletal form. Her sorrow deepened until Ai Enma found her, presumably searching for her on purpose. After a brief conversation, Ai extended an invitation to join her, and despite initial skepticism, Hone Onna felt a connection with Ai and chose to accept.

Thus, Hone Onna became Ai’s third companion, making her the first among them to have lived as a human. Over time, she learned to embrace her new identity, mastering the art of concealing her skeletal appearance behind the visage of Tsuyu. When investigating clients, she often uses the alias ‘Sone Anna,’ as her true name is too unique for the human world.

In the season “Three Vessels,” after Ai’s death, Hone Onna temporarily lived as a bartender in a small bar. Her quiet life was disrupted when Ai’s spirit appeared to her as a butterfly, heralding her return. Following this encounter, she was recruited once more, possibly by Kikuri or Yamawaro. Throughout the season, she served as a gym teacher at Yuzuki Mikage’s school in Saigawara City. However, near the end, she and Ichimokuren chose not to aid Yuzuki, who had briefly assumed the role of Hell Girl. Instead, they set off together, likely to seek out Tsugumi Shibata, as they suspected her departure from Saigawara City was tied to her failed efforts to alter Yuzuki’s fate. Eventually, Hone Onna returned to her role as one of Ai’s trusted companions once more.

Traveling Between the Normal World and the Realm of Eternal Twilight: Hone Onna possesses the unique ability to traverse between the normal world and the Realm of Eternal Twilight, alongside Ai Enma, Kikuri, her fellow companions, and the master of hell.

Magical Attire Changing: When investigating clients or antagonists of Ai’s service, Hone Onna can magically alter her clothing, allowing her to adapt to various situations seamlessly.

Memory Manipulation:She has the power to create illusions in people’s minds, enabling them to perceive her as someone specific or to feel as if they have known her for a long time. This ability aids her in gathering information and maintaining her cover.

Straw Doll Transformation: At Ai’s request, Hone Onna can transform into a straw doll, which appears dark red with a red string tied around her neck. Before transforming, she often tosses her obi-jime over her shoulder as part of the process.

Skeleton Body: As a yōkai, Hone Onna has the ability to reveal and manipulate the bones in her body at will. She frequently uses this power to instill fear in Ai’s adversaries, showcasing her skeletal form. Additionally, she can penetrate human flesh with her skeletal fingers, adding an unsettling element to her presence.

Throwing Knife-like Objects: Hone Onna is skilled in throwing knife-like objects, which she can engulf in blue flames—an attribute associated with spirits and magic. This fire is not merely for show; when the knife makes contact, it ignites the victim in blue flames, causing significant damage. The fire itself inflicts most of the harm, overshadowing the impact of the knife.

The name Hone Onna translates to “bone woman,” reflecting both her original form and her ability to revert to that skeletal state. The character is inspired by a yōkai of the same name found in Japanese mythology and folklore. This yōkai is depicted as a woman whose true form is skeletal, often disguising herself as a beautiful woman to lure unsuspecting victims.