Shigurui/Characters
Fujiki Gennosuke
The Stoic 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 , and is said to be most likely to succeed as the school's master.
- Animal Motifs: A tiger and a dragon.
- Bait the Dog: At the start he looks noble and admirable, then he crosses the Moral Event Horizon.
- Handicapped Badass
- Moral Event Horizon: Not lifting a finger to help Mie, the woman she loves when she's about to get raped.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Very bad when your master is a Complete Monster.
- The Stoic
- Villain Protagonist
Irako Seigen
An ambitious man who seeks to raise his status. In the present time, he is blind and has a deep cut in one of his feet. Years before, he Joined the Kogan-Ryuu school afterwards and was eventually picked to become the successor over Gennosuke Fujiki, but he and Kogan had a falling out which resulted in his present-day blindness.
- Animal Motifs: Dragons.
- Bishounen
- Blind Weaponmaster
- Even the Guys Want Him: Original Irako Seigen most certainly did.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Subverted.
- Eye Scream
- Friend to All Children: Yes, really. When ever he has to deal with children he goes out his way to be nice to them. Notable with the starving street urchin. No one else would touch the kid, but he washed her, gave her food and even a place to stay.
- Handicapped Badass
- Jerkass
- Magnificent Bastard
- Moral Event Horizon: Hard to pin point killing his mother might not count because he's so damn sad afterwards, but killing the original Irako most certainly does.
- Pet the Dog: Usually followed with him kicking it.
- Worthy Opponent: One scene does show that Irako actually respects Fujiki, but the feeling is not mutual.
Ushimata Gonzaemon
A master of the Kogan-Ryuu school and Gennosuke's senior.
- Badass
- The Big Guy
- Determinator: Even massive brain damage won't stop him from coming after your ass.
- Moral Event Horizon: Crossed it at the same time with Fujiki.
- The Stoic
Iwamoto Kogan
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. Cares nothing for his daughter, Mie.
- Badass Grandpa: Perhaps the most badass character in the series.
- Complete Monster
- Moral Event Horizon: Pick your poison. Driving his wife to suicide? Not bad enough? Killing both of Lady Iku's fiance's and then taking her as a concubine? Still want more? Okay, how about ordering his own daughter to be raped.
- Pet the Dog: Some flashback's imply that he was once less batshit crazy and evil.
- Old Master
Iwamoto Mie
The daughter of Kogan Iwamoto.
- Avenging the Villain: Swears vengeance on Irako after her father is killed.
- Driven to Suicide: Seemly she considered her life to be no more important after Fujiki killed Irako, she just killed herself without a clear reason, one can assume she had just too much build up sorrow.
Lady Iku
The concubine of Kogan. When she was younger she was consistently taunted with a Children's Song and the masses fled at her approach. This public scorn only increased her dependence on her husband.
- Anti-Villain: Perhaps the most symphatetic character in the series.
- Christmas Cake
- Morality Pet: To Irako.
- Neutral Female: Averted. She isn't a fighter, but is anything but useless.
- Unholy Matrimony: With Seigen to whom she is completely devoted to. It's unclear how much Seigen cares about her, although he does treat her much better (ie. like an actual human being) unlike her previous lover Kogan.
Tokugawa Tadanaga
Lord of the Sunpu castle and the shogun's younger brother. He is quite mad.