Owobo Ogunde, the son of legendary actor, playwright and theatre icon Hubert Ogunde, has returned to the “Aníkúlápó” universe with the revival of his character, Bashorun, in the new instalment titled “Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens.”
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that in “Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre”, Bashorun was an influential chief within the ruling council of Oyo, whose commanding presence added depth and intrigue to the series.
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Despite this, Bashorun emerged as a formidable antagonist, driven by deep-seated dissatisfaction with the king and his fellow chiefs. His quest for power and wealth ultimately led to his death, as his misguided, self-serving actions resulted in a fatal attack by the warriors of Ede.
Bashorun’s death left viewers conflicted, raising questions about the consequences of his choices and the true significance of his role in the story since the series’s release on 1 March 2024.
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However, during an interview with this newspaper on Thursday, he addressed questions on viewers’ minds.
Reflections
Owobo reflected on his return to the franchise following his character’s death in the previous chapter, revealing how he drew deeply on his late father’s theatrical legacy to shape Bashorun’s resurrected presence.
He said: “Growing up under my father’s tutelage, I learned early that the supernatural in African storytelling is never just spectacle—it is moral language. In Yoruba theatre, the spirit world exists to reflect human choices, their consequences, and the balance between them. That understanding guided my approach to Bashorun.
“I wasn’t playing a man who simply returns from the dead; I was embodying a consequence made flesh. My father taught us that when the ancestors speak, they speak with purpose. That philosophy shaped how I carried Bashorun’s presence—rooted in culture, restraint, and spiritual weight.”
Ghoul
When asked whether playing the “Ghoul” cost him the humanity he was known for in the previous series, Owobo insisted that, in African cosmology, the loss of humanity is never abrupt.
He added that it is ultimately for the viewers to decide whether humanity has been lost.
“That’s a fundamental question, and one the audience will wrestle with as the story unfolds. What I can say—without giving anything away—is that Bashorun exists now in a space where humanity and consequence are in constant tension.
“In African cosmology, the loss of humanity is never sudden; it is gradual, shaped by choices made long before judgment arrives. Whether Bashorun still recognises his humanity, or whether it recognises him, is part of the deeper conversation this chapter invites viewers to reflect on”, he said.
Return
Speaking on whether Bashorun’s return represents a similar penance, Owobo noted that African storytelling teaches that no return is accidental.
He emphasised that when a character comes back, it is never without reason or responsibility.
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Owobo said, “Bashorun’s return is not random, and it is not decorative—it carries meaning within the moral order of the world he once tried to control. Whether that meaning is punishment, warning, or unfinished reckoning is something the audience must discover for themselves.
“What I can say is that this chapter continues the tradition of using the supernatural not as fantasy, but as a mirror held up to power, ambition, and legacy.”
Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens will be released on Netflix on Friday.
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