Shigurui

伊良子清玄

Iraku was born to the lowest station in society. A bastard son of a prostitute who continued to work even while she carried him in her womb. He was born a half a year late, crawling the day he was born and like Fujiki, was prone to violence and killed for the first time at a young age. Iraku also considered himself born Samurai in the same way as Fujiki does. Unlike his peers at the Iwamoto dojo, most of whom were Ashigaru and Goushi (low class Samurai) Iraku always set his sights on attaining the highest of Samurai and climb above social hierarchy. The contradiction was that Samurai were also those he the hated the most in the depths of his heart. Iraku had not risen in the world merely in order to satisfy his ambition, but in order to repudiate hierarchical society and the fixed class system. This contrasts with Fujiki, who is content with Kogan’s mercy in adopting the third son of a poor farmer and made him Samurai regardless of rank. Fujiki informed Iraku that like a seashell, the sole purpose of a man born to the house of Samurai was in protecting that house and nothing more. To Iraku, a man who was born of the lowest class and not yet aware of Fujiki’s past, such words were not inspiring. Like Fujiki, Iraku is more often symbolised as a dragon. Iraku is an androgynous looking man which bothered Fujiki when they first met, and although there is no instance to suggest Iraku is bi-sexual, he is self-aware his looks appeal to both sexes and will he use this to his advantage. Iraku murdered the real Iraku Seigen by seducing him, and fulfilled his own base desires by seducing countless women, including his master’s mistress, Iku. Although Iraku despises Samurai, recalling a drunk man he had witnessed in childhood who was butchered for merely brushing the shoulder of a Samurai; he will hypocritically murder out of rage, revenge, or to further his own ambition. Iraku murdered the real Iraku Seigen as well as murder a female servant out of rage. Iraku also killed the 1

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藤木源之助

The stoic star pupil of the Kogan dojo. In the present time in his duel with Seigen he has only one arm but it is noted that his back muscles could theoretically make up for lost strength. Fujiki is very loyal to Kogan (his master), and is said to be most likely to succeed as the school's master. Fujiki trains himself relentlessly to achieve what many would consider an impossible goal of perfection in swordsmanship. He extends this discipline over to his words as he rarely speaks unless required to, his actions and movements reflect his clear focus to anything and everything he does - he does not waste word or actions; maintaining his composure at all times. Though a taciturn and seemingly ruthless man, he does retain a more compassionate and sympathetic side to him. There are few instances in which he will demonstrate this aspect of himself. The most obvious is his care and affection, possibly even love for the daughter of his master. Another is when he envisions his peers in their usual daily routine even after they have been slain, signifying his sorrow for the loss of their friendship. As the son of a farmer, he had no family name, was nearly always silent, and was not known to make overt displays of emotion. Fujiki Gennosuke considers he was born Samurai and is often referred to one of the three tigers, a dragon, and one of the three demons along with Mie and Iraku. For Fujiki a Samurai was like seashell, the only road for a man born to the house of Samurai was protecting that house and nothing more. Fujiki represents the epitome of a Samurai entrusting matters of good and evil to his Lord and renouncing self-interest. Fujiki demonstrated his commitment to his Lord by holding down Mie to allow Iraku to rape her. Fujiki does however display traits counter to a traditional Samurai way. The Samurai Hoshikawa noted when Fujiki realised his blade was of no use to him, he did not hesitate to discard his sword, which is the soul of a Samurai. The Samurai Sasahara also

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岩本虎眼

The Grandmaster of the Kogan-Ryuu school. Mentally unbalanced most of the time, he regains his sanity most often in the period between fall and winter. Kogan cares nothing for his daughter, Mie, seeing her only as a tool to continue his bloodline. He has a small deformity, a sixth finger on one of his hands. His technique "Nagare Boshi" (Shooting Star) is known and feared by many Samurai. When he was younger, a Samurai named Yagyuu Munenori, who would later serve as instructor to the House of Shogun tricked Kogan into hiding his extra finger to the son of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s ally Honda Masanobu, knowing full well it would disturb him. This act shattered Kogan’s dreams of serving as instructor to the House of Shogun. Kogan is angered and curses the absence of a son. Kogan does share a tender moment of stating Mie had become beautiful upon being defeated at the hands of Iraku. However, given he envisioned Mie as a bride, it is questionable whether was happy at the sight of his daughter or pleased his daughter would continue his bloodline. Kogan also protects Fujiki from potential death at the hands of Sekiun; but again this could have been to protect his bloodline rather than fearing for Fujiki’s life. Kogan is staunchly constrained by social hierarchy and taught his disciples not to ignore social conventions.

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いく

岩本三重

Mie is arguably the most complex and ambiguous of the characters in Shigurui. Mie is the only main character whose thoughts are rarely made clear to the audience. An old male servant noted throughout her life Mie rarely smiled. When Mie was 7, her father Kogan, had slashed the sparrows nest she had christened in twain. At 11, when Kogan observed his wife had hung herself in a cell due to unknown circumstances, his only words were “fool”. Though little is known about her mother, it is clear her father cared little for her, even sending for his mistress Iku after the 2nd anniversary of her death had only just ended. In his demonic state, Kogan also ordered his disciples to hold down Mie and ordered Iraku to consummate his marriage by raping her in front of all Kogan-ryuu disciples. Her heart is broken by Fujiki who was one of the disciples who held her down. The only light of happiness to Mie was in falling in love with Iraku, who was the only man present who was not a puppet. This was short lived, and her heart was broken again when Iraku continued an affair with Iku despite being betrothed to her. It was this point Mie was “reborn” into a demon with a penchant for random acts of madness throughout the rest of the story. Her relationship with Iraku and Fujiki are complex. Caught between fulfilling her duty in seeking vengeance against Iraku for her father’s death and her love towards him. Though Mie possessed no carnal desire towards Fujiki, she does care deeply for him. Sasahara also observed with admiration for Mie’s cutting firewood with a hatchet simply by pressing down against it similar to Fujiki. Mie also demonstrates some awareness of swordsmanship. It was her action of deliberately dropping her sword which provided Fujiki with the idea of dropping his sword when fighting Iraku.

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近藤涼之介

宗像進八郎

興津三十郎

静畑検校

Kengyou Shizuhata is the supreme leader of, Toudouza, a guild of blind men. He is a man of tremendous status who has even had the honor of playing the Biwa lute in front of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Furthermore, he is the acupuncturist of Tadanaga Tokugawa, the current Lord of Suruga and younger brother of the third Shogun, Iemitsu Tokugawa. The mere suggestion of requesting an audience with Kengyou, enrages Mariko Hikobee and Okitsu Sanjurou because they know, that men of their lowly standing as martial arts apprentices could never hope to be granted such a request. He owns a large estate below Kakegawa Castle and has many servants. Shizuhata was left unattended as a child and his eyes were pecked out by crows.

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勝木雁之助