Samurai Deeper Kyo/Characters

Characters that appear in Samurai Deeper Kyo. Note, this series has Loads and Loads of Characters, so this page will take a while to complete.

Spoilers - you have been warned
-


 * Tropes that apply to about 95% of the characters


 * Anti-Hero
 * Artificial Humans:
 * Ax Crazy
 * Badass
 * Badass Normal
 * Big Damn Heroes
 * Big Damn Villains
 * Blood From the Mouth
 * Commedia Dell Arte Troupe
 * Determinator
 * Implausible Fencing Powers
 * One-Man Army
 * Really 700 Years Old: Most of the Mibu.

Main Protagonists

 * Demon-Eyes Kyo

The legendary slayer of a thousand men, not to mention the title character. Known as the single deadliest Samurai in the history of the world, Kyo is currently suffering from a tiny problem. He's stuck in the body of his most hated enemy, who sealed away his real body in a hidden location Over the course of the story, Kyo must contend with an increasingly outrageous succession of enemies, who range from crazed Samurai out to kill him for revenge or reputation to enemies who are more or less gods. Ultimately Kyo must fight his way through the legions of the infamous Mibu Clan in order to learn the secrets surrounding his origin...or rather, that's why everyone else is going. Kyo could probably care less about that. In battle Kyo fights using the Mumyou-Jinpuu-Ryu, and wields the powerful longsword, Tenro. By the end of the story, Kyo is without a doubt the most powerful character in the entire series. -
 * Anti-Hero: Type V. AND HOW.
 * Ax Crazy: Kyo is one hell of a blood thirsty guy.
 * Badass Abnormal
 * Berserk Button: Threaten Yuya. Go on. See what happens.
 * BFS: Tenro, of course.
 * Blood From the Mouth
 * Blood Knight: A self-admitted case of the highest degree.
 * Dan Green
 * Freaky Friday Flip: Due to sharing a body with Mibu Kyoshiro. Kyo begins as more of a Super-Powered Evil Side, but progresses to a full-on Freaky Friday as he gets more deeply characterized. Ultimately, this culminates in...
 * Grand Theft Me: ...Kyoshiro stealing Kyo's body.
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: Only slightly more implausible than the rest of the cast, but still absurd by real-world standards. Fortunately, they're also incredibly awesome.
 * Jerkass: Kyo radiates jerkass energy from every corner of his being. And this is probably him being nice. He constantly insults even the people he likes, and refers to Yuya as an ugly dog, as well as "Servant #1. Benitora is Servant #2.
 * Last of His Kind
 * One-Man Army: How else did you think he single-handedly slew 1000 men at the Battle of Sekigahara? And that figure is probably multiplied by the end of the series.
 * And he's also stated he was merely out for a walk when the battle was going on. He just happened to be near it, then started kicking ass.
 * Physical God: By the end of the series, there really isn't anyone left who can stand up to him in battle and not be curb stomped.
 * Quirky Miniboss Squad: The Shiseiten
 * Red Baron: Everybody calls him "Demon-Eyes" Kyo.
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning: Literal incarnation of this trope, although it is subverted later on.
 * Sharing a Body
 * She Is Not My Girlfriend: ...and hilarity ensues.
 * Superpower Meltdown
 * The Four Gods: The Ultimate Techniques of the Mumyou-Jinpuu-Ryu are pretty much these 4, plus the hidden fifth.
 * Time to Unlock More True Potential: When Muramasa passes down the Ultimate Techniques through an off-screen Training From Hell.
 * Unstoppable Rage: The direct result of someone touching Kyo's Berserk Button.


 * Mibu Kyoshiro

A kind, perverted and bumbling medicine peddler that starts off as a bounty for Yuya who carries an oversized sword. Later turns out that he shares his body with Kyo and releases him every time he draws the sword. Well.. until that stops working and Kyo takes over his body. As the story progresses you find out he's and   He remains absent for a good part of the plot, although his presence is mentioned constantly. -
 * Badass Abnormal
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Turns out he's even stronger than Kyo was in his true body. Kyo, being the main character, eventually surpasses Kyoshiro.
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: only slightly less implausible than Kyo's.
 * One-Man Army
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: only slightly less implausible than Kyo's.
 * One-Man Army

Come to think of it, many of Kyo's tropes would fit Kyoshiro just fine.


 * Shiina Yuya

A sixteen-year-old bounty hunter who stumbles upon Mibu Kyoshiro at the beginning of the story. She's looking for the man with the cross-shaped scar on his back who killed her older brother. However, her attempts to turn Kyoshiro in for the reward wind up involving her with the deadly Mibu clan and opening the door on her brother's mysterious past... -
 * Action Girl: In the beginning, she was a capable fighter. Later, she went under Chickification.
 * Chickification: Less Egregious than some cases; she never loses her abilities, but with the other characters constantly getting new weapons, employing secret moves, taking their skills to the next level, and generally going Up to Eleven, she gets left behind in terms of power.
 * Not to mention she's always in danger and has to be saved by Kyo or any other male lead.
 * Cool Gun: She has a three barreled pepperpot revolver. She was able to use it during the first half of the story, but she never used it that much as it progressed.
 * Dead Older Brother: Finding the man who killed him motivated her to become a bounty hunter.
 * MacGuffin Girl: For the a good portion of the story, confronting Shinrei to save her life drives Kyo forward.


 * Benitora

AKA  or "servant #2." He started out as a member of the Three-Color Gang but joined Kyo's side very early on in the manga. His childish personality hides a deeper side that is no less idealistic; he truly believes that he can protect everyone he cares about. -
 * Badass: Among the human characters, Benitora is very likely the top of the top.
 * Blade on a Stick: He starts out with a normal collapsible, three bladed spear, then upgrades to a trident-esque spear, the Hokurakushimon. Its one of the most powerful weapons in the series, but...
 * Contractual Immortality: No more than the rest of the main cast, but a bit more noticeable in the comic relief.
 * Dangerous Forbidden Technique: The Shinkage Reverse Eight-Sun is almost as damaging to him as it is to the people he uses it on.
 * Dogged Nice Guy: From early on he is this towards Yuya. Although, towards the end it becomes apparent that he's starting to develop a thing for.
 * Doppleganger Attack: Central to many of his moves; a rare non-Ninja example.
 * Eyes Always Shut: They usually only open when he's really surprised. Though Yukimra has stated his eyes are just very squinty.
 * Historical Hero Upgrade
 * Kansai Regional Accent
 * Running Gag: Yuya MUST NOT find out he's the son of
 * Shipper on Deck: Does this for a number of ships actually, the most prominent being Akira/Tokito. Neither Akira or Tokito react kindly towards his "suggestions".
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Or in this case, pink hair.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: He's always looking for this from his father but it never seems to quite work out.


 * Sanada Yukimura

Kyo's Bishounen mirror-image, despite having no previous connection to the Mibu and their shenanigans. Ultimately plans to conquer Japan by murdering Ieyasu Tokugawa and restoring the Sanada clan to power. -
 * Badass Bookworm: He and the Former Crimson King spend their entire fight trading and interpreting Confucius quotes.
 * Badass Normal: Starts out as one of these. This trope is a little problematic in Samurai Deeper Kyo because the line between "natural" and "supernatural" barely exists.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Even his closest servants can't tell when he's serious or not, most of the time.
 * Deadly Upgrade: The "Eye of the Wagtail" technique. It enables the user to briefly stop time, but is prone to Superpower Meltdown if overused.
 * Dynamic Entry / Big Damn Heroes: In what is probably Yukimura's greatest Crowning Moment of Awesome, he
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait: And HOW.
 * Historical Hero Upgrade: Like many of the characters, he's based on a historical figure.
 * Quirky Miniboss Squad: He has one, the Sanada Ten.
 * Say It with Hearts: A staple of his dialog.
 * Shadow Archetype: He's this to Kyo. Their skills are said to be equal, but their personalities couldn't be more different.
 * The Unfettered: An interesting spin on this trope. He's set his goals and will purse them to the bitter end- however, said goals include making a better world for his friends and allies. In short, he's a subtle and manipulative Unfettered.
 * Wig, Dress, Accent: He dresses in drag for the "Shogun's Tournament" arc to conceal his identity. Though making a fairly convincing (if flat) woman, he then proceeds to fail at passing because his brother's in the arena.


 * Izumo no Okuni

Known to be a powerful spy and informer, Okuni loves Kyo to the point where making him hate her would just make her happy. Despite, she would not hesitate to give her life for Kyo. -
 * Buxom Is Better: And she's damn proud of it.
 * Heel Face Revolving Door: Justified as she's supposed to be a spy.
 * Impossibly Low Neckline: She always wears her kimono's sleeves nearly hanging off her shoulders to expose her cleavage. How in the world is stays in the exact same position at all times, we'll never know.
 * Most Common Superpower
 * Important Haircut
 * In Love with Your Carnage: Part of why she fell for Kyo.
 * She gets more than a little creepy with it at times, like when Benitora and Kyo fought a match for fun, and Okuni was sweating bullets, feeling herself up, and depending on the translation, said she wanted to see the winner bathe in the loser's blood.
 * : Attempted.
 * Nightmare Fetishist: Okuni's completely fine with Kyo trying to break her neck with his bare hands, so long as he's thinking of her while he's doing it.

The Shiseiten (Four Emperors)

 * Akira

One of Kyo's Four Emperors. Kyo found him as a child on the battlefield, the last survivor of a village they had razed. Kyo took a liking to Akira when the latter tried to threaten him; despite the fact that Akira had no powers and could be flattened in a split-second by Kyo and his cohorts, he still displayed no fear. Instead of killing him, Kyo took him in as an apprentice.

After Kyo's "death" at Sekigahara, Akira went on with his life, striving to achieve invincibility in battle. When Kyo finally returned, in the body of Kyoshiro Mibu, Akira had drifted so far off that he'd gone and become an antagonist. -
 * An Ice Person: Many of his techniques involve the creation and manipulation of ice.
 * Badass Normal: Of all the Shiseiten and even a better part of the cast as a whole, Akira stands out in this respect in that he is the only character (aside from Yuya) who does not have samurai blood, which becomes a major hurdle he has to overcome because in the context of the story, it means his ability to grow and improve is severely limited compared to the rest of the cast.
 * Can't Catch Up: Sort of. He has no "Samurai Blood" and thus has to work twice as hard to get half as strong. And he reached the limit of his growth a ways into the story. Because of this, he can't get any stronger than he is and falls behind a bit when
 * Child Soldier: Happily slaughtering his way through entire battlefields at the tender age of 10.
 * Cradling Your Kill: To Saisei.
 * Determinator: To a degree that stands out even in this manga. He purposely blinded himself in order to achieve another level of perception.
 * Pretty much the entire point of his character that determination, skill, and spirit can overcome his genetic limits. And they do.
 * Deadly Upgrade: He manages to pull this off twice. The first time he invokes his Inferno's Chill power, which allows him to use his life-force in order to surpass physical laws and generate temperatures below absolute zero. Then he does it a second time in his battle with
 * Disability Superpower: Subverted in that he disabled himself intentionally to gain his "eyes of the heart."
 * Dual-Wielding: With swords.
 * Fire-Forged Friends: With the Shiseiten, as shown in flashbacks. Also, Benitora.
 * Odd Friendship: With Benitora, of all people.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Benitora's red.
 * Reverse Mole: He played this role by killing Ajira of the 12 God Shoguns and taking his place.
 * She Is Not My Girlfriend: With Tokito. He tries to act indifferently about it, but usually ends up failing miserably.


 * Bontenmaru

Another one of Kyo's Four Emperors, real name Date Masamune, Bontenmaru is The Big Guy distilled. Huge and muscular, he fights with his bokken- and when the battle drags, he throws that away and wades into the enemy with his fists, tearing them limb from limb. He's not what you'd call "reliable" - one of his first moves was betraying Kyo and Muramasa to Keikoku, but he quickly rejoins the nakama after nothing comes of it. -
 * Badass Abnormal: Bontenmaru is the only one of the Shiseiten with no special powers. However, his ridiculous strength, speed, durability, and martial arts prowess makes him one of the strongest in the series.
 * The Berserker: Ironically, Bon is the most normal of the Shiseiten. But when he enters his berserker state, he's completely wild. Hotaru has even stated that back in the day, he was like a wild animal who tore everything in his path apart when he let loose, and the other Shiseiten themselves tended to just walk away until he was done!
 * Diagonal Cut: One of the few aversions in this series; he fights with his fists or his bokken, but both are treated as blunt instruments.
 * Eyepatch of Power: He lost his eye when he was very young, but it hasn't hindered him- in fact, as he explained to Sasuke, he's so used to people attacking his blind side that he's more aware there.
 * Gentle Giant: Big, muscular body? Check. Superhuman strength and endurance? Check. Plays One-Man Army with nothing but a wooden sword and his bare hands? Check. Possesses a berserker mode? Bonus points. Has a soft spot for little girls (not like that!) and reads shojo manga? You bet he does.
 * Good Is Dumb: Has his moments
 * Healing Factor: After being heavily damaged, he can hibernate to regenerate himself in hours.
 * Historical Hero Upgrade: Bontenmaru is a pseudonym of Date Masamune. "Hero" is debateable (as it is for most figures around that time) but he's definitely historical.
 * Made of Iron: Even moreso than the rest of the cast. His skin so tough it deflects blades.
 * Self-Made Orphan: Important to his backstory- he killed his father and brother to clear the way for his own seizure of power.
 * Super-Powered Evil Side: Well, more superpowered worse side.
 * Team Dad: Especially to Akira
 * Unstoppable Rage: His entire "beast mode" bit.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene


 * Hotaru

The third member of the Shiseiten to be introduced, Hotaru serves as the comedy relief of the four, and by comedy relief we mean "moving caterpillars out of the way so they won't be squashed in the middle of a battle" sort of comedy. But under the facade of his constant deadpan expression and Obfuscating Stupidity lies a powerful fighter who possesses one of the most versatile fighting styles in the whole storyline.

It turns out that -
 * Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny
 * Awesome By Analysis: It's revealed during his fight with Yuan that Hotaru can take any form he's seen and adapt it to his fighting style.
 * Bishonen
 * Cloudcuckoolander: AND HOW
 * Flaming Sword: Subverted. He usually just shoots the flames out the tips of his sword, he almost never actually sets it ablaze and hack people with it.
 * Heroic Willpower: His fight against
 * Incendiary Exponent: Self-explanatory.
 * No Sense of Direction: A contender with Rorona Zoro for being the most triumphant example of this trope. The final chapter has Hotaru getting lost and somehow  The epilogue takes this even further, where it's implied that
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: A LOT. Possibly.
 * Playing with Fire: He combines flames of various temperatures with his swordsmanship. Ironically he almost never gets fired up under any situation, remaining cool-headed throughout the fight.
 * Running Gag: Moving caterpillars out of the way of battle, forgetting something someone told him just minutes ago, being slow to respond, the list goes on.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Type 2 with  Shinrei, at times to a hilarious degree.
 * You Are What You Hate: Despises the Mibu, despite the fact that he himself is at least half Mibu.


 * Akari

The last of the Four Heavenly Kings to be introduced, and also the most feared of the four (within the group anyways). Playing the role of a shamanic healer, Akari is there to heal any wounds the others may receive during battles, although it comes at the cost of her knowing one of their secrets. That rule however, doesn't apply to Kyo, as she is heads-over-heels in love with him, going so far as to make a bet with him where if she ever lands a blow on his face, he will promise to marry her. When she is first introduced to the crew, everyone was surprised as to what could possibly cause Akira, Bontenmaru and Hotaru to cower before her presence. Turns out she possesses monstrous strength, capable of wounding even Bontenmaru (although said strength is for the most part reserved for humorous situations), and can get really riled up when certain buttons are pushed.

Oh yeah, and did we mention she is actually a guy? -
 * Badass: Akira, Hotaru,, and Bontenmaru are all afraid of her. You have to be a badass for that.
 * The Medic: Akari will only heal someone, if they tell her a close personal secret. And this goes for each individual time as well.
 * The Mole: Akari is secretly
 * Story-Breaker Power: Akari's original Medusa Eye, which has the power to instantly turn anyone who sees it into ash. Subverted by the fact that Akari refuses to employ it in battle because it is a weapon for indiscriminate murder.
 * Superpower Meltdown: The Medusa Eye, when.
 * Wholesome Crossdresser: No one makes a very big deal about Akari being, biologically male, since its pretty obvious her heart is a woman.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Pink, actually.

The Sanada Jūyūshi (Sanada Ten Braves)

 * Sarutobi Sasuke

Everyone's favorite little ninja, Sasuke was a boy who grew up in Aokigahara until he was found by Yukimura. -
 * Badass: Sasuke is the youngest of the Sanada 10, and everyone else is old enough to be his parent. But Sasuke is by far the most powerful.
 * Kid Samurai: Subverted in that Sasuke is a very experienced fighter.
 * He's actually a ninja. He uses samurai based swords, but tends to attack in more speed based, stealthy ninja like ways.
 * Ninja
 * Parental Abandonment: At least it seems that way until we find out
 * Sarutobi Sasuke: for the obvious reasons...
 * Shock and Awe: Once he gets Shibien.
 * The Stoic
 * Superpower Meltdown: He "crashes" if he uses his powers too much.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy


 * Kirigakure Saizo


 * Bodyguard Crush: In the anime, at least, on Yukimura. Could be argued in the manga.


 * Anayama Kosuke


 * Body Double: For Yukimura

The Jūnishinshō (Twelve Gods)

 * Nobunaga


 * Badass: Hmm, lets see, nearly defeated Kyo? Check! Completely destroyed Benitora? Check. Conquered Japan? Check!


 * Shindara


 * Elemental Powers:
 * Healing Factor: Its so strong, he's thought to be immortal.


 * Antera


 * Cute Bruiser: She crushed a man's skull with her bare hand by accident when he called her an old woman.
 * Daddy's Little Villain: Daddy doesn't want her to be one.


 * Bikara


 * Depraved Homosexual


 * Ajira


 * Posthumous Character: Killed by Akira to set up his Reverse Mole strategy, he is never shown, only alluded to.


 * Basara


 * The Archer
 * Half the Man He Used To Be: Once Yukimura's done with him.
 * Third Person Person: He tends to refer to himself as Maro, which is likely his real name.
 * Viewer Gender Confusion: Actually a guy.


 * The Fake Haira


 * The Brute
 * Half the Man He Used To Be: Yukimura is fond of this finisher.


 * Haira


 * The Berserker
 * The Brute
 * Fat Bastard
 * Hulk Speak
 * I'm a Humanitarian: Even more so than the other Berserkers.


 * The Fake Indara

"See Izumo no Okuni"


 * Indara


 * The Berserker
 * I'm a Humanitarian
 * Verbal Tic: Repeats words constantly.


 * The Fake Kubira


 * Spot the Imposter: Subverted. He attempts to trick Kyo with two puppets disguised as Yuya, setting up a situation where no matter who Kyo picked, it would result in failure for him.


 * Kubira


 * The Berserker
 * Heroic Sacrifice: He became a Berserker and slave to the Mibu in order to save his daughter Anju.
 * I'm a Humanitarian: Reluctantly.


 * The Fake Mekira


 * Deceptive Disciple: Killed his and Benitora's mentor for refusing to teach him the Hassun.
 * Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: By Benitora, who did learn the Hassun.


 * Mekira


 * The Berserker
 * Evil Eye
 * I'm a Humanitarian


 * Makora


 * Forgotten Childhood Friend: Sasuke's.
 * Ninja: The most ninja like in the series.


 * Santera


 * Poisonous Person
 * Taken for Granite: Temporarily, during the fight against the real Mekira.


 * Shatora

One of the most powerful of the Junishinsho, he was kept behind to reserve his strength the first time they fought Kyo. He is really. -
 * Fighting From the Inside: When his body is.
 * Grand Theft Me

The Goyosei (Five Shining Stars)

 * Tropes that apply to the Goyosei in general


 * Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: Averted. It's shown throughout the story that superiority is determined by the wielder's skill and individual strength rather than their elemental affinity.
 * Elemental Powers: Each of the Goyosei represents one of the five Chinese elements. Also each one (with one major exception) wields powers based on those elements.
 * Quirky Miniboss Squad: They are this to The Taishirō.


 * Shinrei

The first of the Goyosei to be introduced. He represents the element of water and wields the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu that allows him to summon waterwyrms, powerful dragons made from water. In addition to this, he can crystallize water to create blades. He is initially the most fervently loyal of all the Goyosei until it is revealed that  In spite of this, Shinrei remains personally loyal to the Mibu Clan in general but comes to believe that the Taishiro and the Sendai Aka no Ou are the true source of the evil that threatens his clan. -
 * Dance Battler: Twofold. Firstly, Shinrei's basic form of attack is a dance-like technique that allows him to change the direction of his swing mid-stroke, which throws off an opponent who can read the path of the blade since the path of said blade changes midway through the swing, catching him off guard. Secondly, even if the enemy figures out a way around the first type of attack, by the time they do so, Shinrei will have memorized their rhythm and can anticipate their moves perfectly.
 * Heel Face Turn: Feels especially betrayed by his mentor, Fubuki of the Taishiro.
 * Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons: The vast majority of Shinrei's attacks, including all of his named ones, are dragon themed.
 * Luke I Am Your Brother: Shinrei is actually . This is subverted by the fact that both of them know this but apparently believe that the other does not.
 * Making a Splash: His power is based around water.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Type 2 with Hotaru.


 * Keikoku

"See"


 * Taihaku

The leader of the Goyosei. Taihaku represents the element of metal (or gold in the translated version). However, unlike his other comrades in the Goyosei, he lacks elemental powers of any type. Taihaku is by far the most compassionate and benevolent of the Goyosei and a good bit of the cast in general. He is greatly respected by Shinrei and even Keikoku to a certain extent. In his free time, he looks after the children that are considered the failures of Mibu experiments, even though this is looked down on.

It is eventually revealed that he is in fact  After being defeated in battle by Benitora, Taihaku decides to side with Kyo in the others, but is killed by  -
 * Badass Normal: Lacks the elemental powers of the other Taishiro, but makes up for it with several lifetimes worth of sheer training. As a result, he can swing a sword so fast that to most people he doesn't even seem to move before he cuts them to pieces.
 * Defeat Means Friendship: After losing to Benitora, Taihauku decides to join the heroes. Unfortunately, this doesn't last long (see below).
 * Gentle Giant: The largest of the Goyosei, but one of the most benevolent characters in the entire series, and that includes the majority of the main cast.
 * Honor Before Reason: Is deeply conflicted about the Aka no Ou's plans for the world, but see's no hope in rebellion and is trapped by his honest belief that serving the Mibu is the only option he has.
 * Morality Pet: The children he looks after. Subverted in that they are not what keeps Taihaku from being evil, but are instead a sign that he is not evil.
 * Redemption Equals Death: He's convinced to side with the heroes and is then offed by  mere seconds later.
 * The Worf Effect: Subverted. Taihaku is killed off rather quickly by . This is subverted by the fact that his death is justified by the fact that he had nearly died in battle a few minutes earlier. The demonstration of his killer's skill comes from the fact that Taihaku was killed while standing right next to the heroes without any one of them even noticing until he dropped dead with a sword in his back.


 * Saishi

The Wood of the Goyosei. Saishi is an attractive looking woman with an impressive bust, dressed in a nurse's uniform (which is perplexing since this takes place in the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate). She, along with her companion Saisei, guard the second of the five gates leading into the Mibu stronghold. In spite of her cute appearance, she is exceptionally cruel and undeniably evil. She enjoys toying with enemy and ally alike. She is armed with the ability to resurrect the dead as extremely difficult to kill zombies as well as potent regenerative abilities that allow her wounds to heal near instantaneously.

-
 * Attack! Attack! Attack!: Lampshaded by Saishi herself as her regenerative abilities remove any necessity for defensive measures...that is until Akira eliminates them.
 * Awesomeness By Analysis: She uses her zombies to get the measure of Kyo, Akira and Bontenmaru's abilities and plan for a future confrontation. However, this is averted as Akira easily surpasses her expectations.
 * Healing Factor: Saishi is able to survive being cut to pieces and regenerates almost instantly. Because of this, she can attack without any regard for her own safety as no attack is likely to hurt her...until Akira gets serious.
 * Killer Rabbit: Saishi's fighting form is that of a...bunny girl. However, in spite of her cute appearance, her superhuman strength allows her to beat her enemies to death. In general she doesn't look like a serious fighter, but when she cuts loose...holy shit!
 * The Necromancer: She has the power to raise people from the dead as zombies that are terrifyingly hard to kill. With a little extra work, she can create even more dangerous super zombies that were once famous warriors. Notable examples include Benkei and Yoshitsune and Saisei, who is actually
 * Smug Snake: Is an absolutely twisted bitch who smugly believes she is invincible and can get away with some sick stuff. This only serves to make her defeat all the more satisfying.


 * Saisei

Saishi's companion. -
 * Blade on a Stick: Her weapon of choice is a truly gigantic naginata.
 * Cherry Blossoms: Her ultimate technique summons a storm of cherry blossom petals that hit ridiculously hard.
 * I Will Protect Him: She will do anything to protect.
 * Lady of War
 * I Will Protect Him: She will do anything to protect.
 * Lady of War
 * I Will Protect Him: She will do anything to protect.
 * Lady of War

Chinmei /

Chinmei is the Goyosei of Earth, which gives him the power to manipulate gravity. This makes him a formidable combatant since it enables him to immobilize his enemies at will by increasing the gravity in their vicinity fly by eliminating the gravity in his own vicinity and do a large variety of tricks up to and including creating miniature black holes. Chinmei looks a lot like a hippie and complements his appearance by speaking a lot about "peace and love." However, this is just a cover for his real personality, as Chinmei is in fact the most evil and sadistic of the Goyosei who revels in the misery and bloodshed that he is able to sow. Chinmei is often referred to as the Joker of the Goyosei, as he is a wildcard that even the Taishiro do not fully understand.

-
 * And I Must Scream: Chinmei's tale about his long descent into madness as the sheer weight of times strips him of is a horrifying thing to think about.
 * Arc Welding:
 * Ax Crazy: Probably the most horrific example in the series as killing is the only thing that stimulates Chinmei at all.
 * The Fog of Ages
 * Gravity Master: Chinmei's powers allow him to manipulate gravity and even create black holes.
 * Kansai Regional Accent: Along with Benitora, Chinmei is one of the few characters to use this. However, it is used to help juxtapose his goofy image with the terrifying reality of his sadistic and twisted nature.

The Taishirō (Four Elders); Former and Current

 * Fubuki

The current leader of the Four Elders, Fubuki was once Muramasa's best friend, despite usually disagreeing and arguing with each other over anything, and the one who taught Shinrei the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu, and is shown to be a skilled Necromancer. Before Muramasa defected from the Mibu, Fubuki was a kind-hearted man who loved life. Now, he acts as the merciless will of the Sendai Aka no Ou, slaughtering everything he sees as a hinderance towards the Aka no Ou's plans for the Mibu. -
 * Dangerous Forbidden Technique: As the leader of the Taishiro, Fubuki possesses a one-time spell that greatly increases his power. It's a one-time spell because he needs to stab himself in the heart to activate it.
 * Heroic Sacrifice:.
 * Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons: Like Shinrei's, his attacks are dragon-themed.
 * Making a Splash: A master of the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu, his skills make Shinrei's (which already look damn impressive) look absolutely tame in comparison.
 * The Necromancer: He can even resurrect swords.
 * The Necromancer: He can even resurrect swords.
 * The Necromancer: He can even resurrect swords.


 * Hishigi

One of the current Taishiro, thought to be the most powerful ever (which is saying something when you consider the Badassery of Muramasa and Shihodo and the rest). Formerly the leader of the Taishiro. Wields a huge BFS named Hakuya and, when all else fails, his Medusa Eyes. Inarguably the smartest character in the series. He appears to be rather silent and calm at first, but as pretty much the entire cast--especially Sasuke, Kyo, Akari, Yuan and Julian--finds out, you shouldn't piss him off... -
 * BFS: Hakuya
 * Biseinen
 * Death Seeker
 * Driven to Suicide: Well, until Fubuki tell him that he isn't allowed to die until Fubuki says he can.
 * Evil Eye: The Medusa Eyes.
 * Eyepatch of Power: Something of an "Entire left side of his body" patch of power. And HOW.
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars: After the Medusa Eyes die, he is covered in very nasty scars.
 * Heroic Sacrifice:.
 * Light Is Not Good: His sword is called "White Night", and he uses light-based attacks.
 * Mad Doctor: His nickname, but he's mostly a subversion. Some of his distant underlings and emulators, however...
 * The Stoic
 * Suicide by Cop: Tries to provoke Fubuki into killing him in a flashback.
 * Taking You with Me: Tries to do this with Kyo in order to save Fubuki. It doesn't work.
 * The Stoic
 * Suicide by Cop: Tries to provoke Fubuki into killing him in a flashback.
 * Taking You with Me: Tries to do this with Kyo in order to save Fubuki. It doesn't work.
 * Suicide by Cop: Tries to provoke Fubuki into killing him in a flashback.
 * Taking You with Me: Tries to do this with Kyo in order to save Fubuki. It doesn't work.


 * Tokito

One of the current members of the Four Elders, Tokito is the son of Muramasa and wielder of the last Muramasa sword set, Hokuto Shichisei. He views Muramasa's abandonment of the Mibu clan as an act of treachery and despises him for it, openly proclaiming his disdain for the former Elder on numerous occasions. Despite his child-like appearance he is incredibly strong and harbors a terribly cruel disposition towards his opponents.

It is later revealed that Tokito is in fact -
 * Enfante Terrible
 * Parental Abandonment: His mother is dead and his father abandoned him. Tokito is incredibly bitter about this.


 * Yuan

Hotaru's mentor and surrogate father, and one of the current Taishiro. He took his mother's place after she died. It is revealed later that -
 * Disability Superpower: Subverted; his blindness has very little to do with his skill.
 * Parental Abandonment: His mother, Ian, was killed  for learning too much about the Sendai Aka No Ou; and his father, Julian, left his family and has been working ever since to set up a way to avenge her.
 * Playing with Fire
 * Promotion to Parent: Shares the role with his sister, Anna.
 * Taken for Granite: Temporarily, while fighting Hishigi.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy: Subverted
 * Taken for Granite: Temporarily, while fighting Hishigi.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy: Subverted


 * Ian

Yuan's mother, who was part of the Taishiro before him. She was killed by  for learning too much about the Sendai Aka No Ou. -
 * Gender Blender Name
 * Posthumous Character


 * Muramasa


 * Friend to All Living Things: Implied, considering all of the animals that hang out in his house.
 * Speaks Fluent Animal


 * Shihoudou

One of the original Taishiro, and among the strongest. -
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Heartbroken Badass: The Sendai Aka No Ou asked her to kill him if he ever turned down the path of evil. She couldn't do it because of her love for him, which is why she hides in the labyrinth beneath Onmyo Palace. Also applies after his death.
 * Love Hurts: See above.
 * Really 700 Years Old: Several thousand.

The Aka no Ou (Crimson King) and The Red Cross Knights

 * Shodai Aka no Ou (The First Crimson King)

The progenitor of the Mibu Clan and its first ruler.

The First Crimson King is encountered by Kyo, as he is in fact

Sendai Aka no Ou (The Former Crimson King) /

A mysterious figure in the story. His identity, nature and intentions are a mystery throughout much of the story. When the Former Crimson King first appears, he seems to have strangely benevolent inclinations towards Kyo. There are also mysterious hints that he seems to be setting up a competition between Kyo and Kyoshiro to see who will be the legitimate successor to his title.

In truth -
 * A God Am I: Played terrifyingly straight. He even has the power to create and destroy at will. Subverted at the end when it is revealed that
 * All Your Powers Combined: Aside from being a master of the Mumyou-Jinpuu-Ryu, whe also has the ability to use all the skills of the lesser Mibu at will.
 * Badass Bookworm: Initially, he pretends that he is badly nearsighted thanks to countless years of studying books and scrolls. Often quoted Confucius early on in the story.
 * Blind Without'Em: In his first non-silhouetted appearance, he talks to pillars and walks into walls, even with his glasses on! However, once he starts getting serious, this goes out the window.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: In his first real appearance outside of silhouette, he appears to be incredibly near-sighted, talking to pillars and walking into walls. But when Tokito steps out of line...
 * Omnicidal Maniac: Comes to the conclusion that mankind is beyond redemption and decides they must all be wiped out.
 * Stepford Smiler: When he first appears, the Crimson King's appearance is positively goofy. At times he makes it incredibly intimidating.

Toudai Aka no Ou (The Current Crimson King) /

The one who was supposed to be the Current Crimson King, but who was

Mibu Kyojiro

"See"

Mibu

"See"

Others

 * Tokugawa Ieyasu


 * Mahiro

 Sakuya


 * Julian

The greatest blacksmith of the Mibu clan, Yuan's father and Shihoudou's best friend. -
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Heroic Sacrifice: Tries against Hishigi and Fubuki in an attempt to break their swords. Fails to die, and Fubuki "resurrects" the swords anyway.