Blade Of The Immortal
Characters
"Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan,
has been cursed with immortality. To rid
himself of this curse, regain his mortality,
and end his life of mysery, Manji must slay
one thousand evil men!
His quest begins when a young girl seeks his
help in taking revenge on her parents' killers.
His quest ends only after he has spilled
the blood of a thousand!"
Taken from TPB 1 "Blood Of A Thousand"
There are a lot of characters in the story of Blade Of The Immortal.
Here's a brief description of each of the characters with major roles.
SPOILER ALERT: Minor spoilers ahead
Protagonists of the story
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Manji - The hero of the story. A wandering nameless swordsman, his life began to change when he mysteriously acquired the kessen-chu - a mystical worm that heals all physical wounds and injuries - from Yaobikuni, a wandering 800 yr. old nun. To be freed from this terrible affliction, he made a deal with Yaobikuni that if he spills the blood of a thousand evil men, Yaobikuni will let him die as a mortal. Can use any weapon. |
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Rin Asano - A Mutenichi-ryu student, her father's school. Her parents were murdered by the notorious Itto-ryu clan. Seeking revenge, she confides for the help of Manji through the referral of Yaobikuni of an immortal swordsman. She tries to convince Manji to do the job of crushing the Itto-ryu by giving gold - even her own body. Manji wakes up the 16 yr old girl and reminds her not to lose her pride under a life of strife. Rin understood and together they made a deal. |
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Yaobikuni - A wandering nun (lama monk) who has walked the earth for 800 years seeking the souls of those who need refuge. Under strange circumstances, she carries the mysterious kessen-chu in her blood. After witnessing the tragic life of a swordsman in Manji's eyes, Yaobikuni (after cursing Manji with the kessen-chu by spilling blood on the tea Manji drinks) decided to help the swordsman by accepting the deal, and therefore giving Manji a direction in life. |
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Machi - Manji's sister, his only family. Suffering from a disease of retardness. Manji is supposed to lead a peaceful life until the untimely death of her beloved sister. She is one of the reasons for Manji's emotional outbreak of crushing the corruption that plagues Japan, merely because of her passing. She is also a widow to Saito Tatsumasa, an officer of the police force whom Manji had personal grudges before. |
The renegade Itto-ryu clan
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Anotsu Kagehisa - The renegade swordsman leading the top of the Itto-ryu clan. Believing his grandfather Anotsu Saburo was treated unjustly in the Mutenichi-ryu dojo, he now seeks the goal of destroying all sword schools in Japan therefore proclaiming his valor as the best "kengo" in the land. Together with his band of accomplished swordsmen, he now seeks the Mutenichi-ryu dojo next - with Rin Asano as the only survivor of the school. Uses a blunt blade called "Kabutsuchi" |
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Kuroi Sabato - A skillful kengo, but of strange qualities and sick behavior. He occasionally chants old Japanese poetry before a battle, and uses a pair of small cicular shuriken-like blades called "Karasu" and with only this he can behead his opponent. He respects women in death, and in a gratifying way he beheads them and sews their neck on his shoulders so he would "be with them until death". |
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Magatsu Taito - One of the more honorable members of the Itto-ryu clan. His sister was killed unmercifully by a passing daimyo when his sister accidentally startled the horse. Convinced that the current daimyos of Japan abuse their power, he joins the Itto-ryu in an attempt to bring justice to the peasants like him. Loyal to Anotsu although he continues to doubt the actions of the clan. Uses a large blade called "Grand Turk" that conceals another blade used tactically to catch enemies off guard. |
Supporting Cast
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Saito Tatsumasa - A loyal member of the police force, as well as a skilled swordsman. He had a grudge with Manji because his father was one of the subordinates of Lord Horii, previous lord of Manji, and his father committed seppuku due to the failure of protecting Lord Horii. Since then, he blamed Manji for his father's death. Saito's death at the hands of Manji triggered the psychological disturbance on Machi, and he was also the 100th to die at Manji's hands. Uses 2 katana blades attachend on both ends. |
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Makie Otono Tachibana - A beautiful but deadly kengo woman whose past is dark and shrouded in mystery. She fell in love with Anotsu and they had a relationship shortly after Anotsu spent the night with her. She also shares a strong connection with the Anotsu clan since her family was involved with the internal matters of the flourishing of Anotsu's family. She continues to doubt her own existence as to which role in life she should choose: a hokubai-kou or a swordswoman. |
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Hyakurin - The honorable leader of the Akagi assassins. Unlike the Itto-ryu clan, Hyakurin relies only on killing only as a last resort. She managed to gather all of the swordsmen and women in Edo who are survivors of the Itto-ryu's campaign to destroy all sword schools, and Manji is no different from what she seeks: a formidable force to topple Anotsu's clan. She specializes in espionage and poisioning her enemies, which is a big secret of hers as to how she conceals poison in her body. Uses a crossbow which she rarely equips in public. |
Blade Of The Immortal Compendium by NOZ
Blade Of The Immortal 1996-1997 � Hiroaki Samura
NOZ Main / Blade Of The Immortal Compendium
Characters / Gallery / Issues & TPB Guide
Hiraoki Samura / Dark Horse Comics / Studio Proteus