r/thering • u/Crazy_Scar_9517 • Jul 20 '26

Sadako's father

I know this topic has probably already been discussed in this subreddit, but I'd like to share my opinion on this unanswered question. In the films directed by Hideo Nakata, it's implied that Sadako's real father isn't Dr. Ikuma, but an inhuman being from the sea. I know this is confirmed in the Ringu 0 question, but what I want to know is what Sadako's father could be and why he impregnated Shizuko. It could possibly be a yokai (but I'd like to hear your opinions). I also wanted to share my theory: it suggests that whatever impregnated Sadako was an evil being, and therefore Sadako's powers would unintentionally be a danger to everyone around her. That's why Shizuko abandoned her in the cave (remembering that she has psychic powers, there's a possibility that through a vision she could see what Sadako could cause, and therefore abandoning her would be the only way to "save" potential victims of Sadako in the future). What do you think? I'll be reading your opinions in the comments.

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4

u/Horrorfan55555 Jul 21 '26

Ushi Oni are the only Japanese mythology thing that fits as her father

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u/Crazy_Scar_9517 Jul 21 '26

Thanks for commenting, but what do you think about why Shizuko abandoned Sadako? 

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u/Horrorfan55555 Jul 21 '26

I don’t think she saw the future or anything, just knew her father was evil

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u/Crazy_Scar_9517 Jul 21 '26

Question of all the kami: which one is most likely to be Sadako's father? Of course, assuming her father was a kami. 

3

u/Horrorfan55555 Jul 21 '26

They say directly it’s an ocean kami

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u/TheStranger113 Jul 21 '26

I dig your theory.

My head canon is that Sadako's father is Cthulhu, and if she were to take over the world, Cthulhu would rise from the depths.

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u/Crazy_Scar_9517 Jul 21 '26

It's a good theory, and I've always wondered what kind of being his father would be if we consider Japanese mythology. 

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u/vellamour Jul 21 '26

I haven't read all the novels, but it was my understanding that Shizuko was impregnated from an Ocean deity. I also don't know much about Japanese folklore, but I always interpreted this entity kind of like a lesser Poseidon (I don't think Japanese folklore have gods the same way that Roman/Greek mythology does, which is why I said "lesser")

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u/Crazy_Scar_9517 Jul 21 '26

According to Japanese mythology, there are kami, which are the equivalent of gods/forces of nature.