| Overview | Synopsis | Gallery |
“There is an evil far filthier than the Hishaku that must be punished, even if it takes colluding with the Hishaku. I'm talking about us. The sword bearers… All five sword bearers, including me, will die by my hand.” ― Samura to Yoji Uruha as he discusses the actions the sword bearers had committed in the Seitei War.[source]
Seiichi Samura (
He is a central character and major antagonist in the Sword Bearer Assassination Arc.
Appearance[]
Samura is a tall man with black hair standing at a similar height to Togo Shiba, some slight stubble on his chin. He has a scar going vertically down each eye and wears a pair of sunglasses. He tends to wear a black suit jacket over a white shirt with the top button left unbuttoned and no tie. He completes his outfit with black pants and geta sandals, and is always seen with a katana that he uses as his walking cane.
Personality[]
Samura is a cheerful, laid-back, calm man with a demeanor of being far more insightful and alert than can be seen from his usual jovial behavior. He is quite humble, refusing to being called a hero for wielding Tobimune in the Seitei War, in turn saying that Kunishige was the real hero for forging the blades. Samura has been noted by Chihiro to be somewhat "weird", given his habit of detecting friends and familiar faces by smell and touch. He is also empathetic, saying it was a good thing Kunishige wasn't alone during their time of separation after the war, in turn implying his gratefulness for Chihiro's presence in preventing Kunishige from being lonely.
Samura is not without his moments of seriousness, particularly in battle. He is a religious man, believing in the Buddha and apologizing for fighting in the presence of a Buddha statue. One reason he blinded himself out of a desire to avoid worldly passions, believing it could dull a swordsman’s judgement and blade which would lead them to hell. As such, Samura tends to hang cigarettes in his mouth but doesn’t light them, only using them as a diversion.
Samura also proclaims those who in engage in killings will go straight to hell when facing his enemies, very much including himself as well given the blood on his own hands. Samura has displayed a prominent sense of guilt for the lives he has taken, the second reason he blinded himself having been because he couldn't bear to see the severed flesh of the people he had killed, the images still remaining in his mind to the present day. When training Chihiro, Samura is adamant in telling Chihiro not to aspire to become like him, Chihiro settling for respecting him instead.
In battle, Samura is heavily opposed to the idea of allies fighting on his behalf or near him, due to his unique fighting style necessitating allies stay away lest Samura mistake them for the enemy in the heat of combat. He tolerates the Masumi's presence given their unique status and abilities allowing them to cloak their presence, but when Uruha joined the fighting at Senkutsuji while Samura was present, Samura was frustrated that Uruha was risking his life upon noticing his presence, especially after Samura had narrowly avoided slicing off his head.
Above all else, Samura is a man entirely consumed by his guilt and self-loathing. Samura has a very negative opinion of the Enchanted Blades and their wielders. He despises that society holds all of them in high regard despite the sins they had committed in the war and covered up afterwards. Because of the crimes they had committed and because younger people were now dying for the wielders without knowing the truth behind their actions, Samura has begun to view the wielders as an evil more deserving of punishment than the Hishaku. For this reason, Samura has chosen to eliminate every wielder from the Seitei War; including himself. Rather than Samura choosing to do this out of any desire for vengeance, Samura is pointedly motived by atonement.
Although he desires to bring peace and protect others, he does so through morally compromising methods, such as making a deal with Yura, though he is adamant that he will kill the Hishaku as well after their partnership so as to avoid them using the blades. He is entirely willing to walk his path by himself, so that no one else has to suffer through him.
Samura is extremely determined to accomplish his goal, killing his old comrade and student Uruha with little sign of hesitation; though he did so in a duel with ordinary katana, not willing to use the unfair advantage Tobimune would provide him. Samura's revenge only extends to the wielders and no one else; for this reason, he fired the Masumi and when talking with Uruha used Tobimune to knock the Masumi and all the monks in the surrounding area unconscious. Samura's hatred of the wielders extends to himself, as he includes himself in the category of wielders that should die and strongly despises that he is looked up and idolized by others, such as Chihiro before Samura corrected him.
Relationships[]
Former Enchanted Blade Wielders[]
In the Seitei War, Samura fought alongside the other blade wielders and committed countless atrocities, covering up what happened after the war's end, and being praised as heroes. After young people began to die for them during the Hishaku's attacks, without knowing the truth behind their actions, Samura's guilt began to drive him to punish the wielders for their actions, desiring to kill all the Seitei War wielders, including himself, for their actions.[1]
Yoji Uruha[]
Samura and Uruha were both wielders of Enchanted Blades in the Seitei War, and both had learned the Iai White Purity Style of swordsmanship from Itsuo Shirakai.[2] During their learning process, Uruha became incredibly familiar with Samura's swordsmanship technique.[3] Samura was pleased to see Uruha when he and Hakuri arrived at Senkutsuji, talking casually, but their reunion was cut short by the arrival of Datenseki-wielding sorcerers. Knowing Uruha had gone through difficult circumstances, Samura urged him to get some rest.[4] Later, when Uruha joined the fighting and narrowly avoided a slash from Samura, Samura was frustrated by Uruha risking his life to aid him.[5]
Despite their camaraderie, Samura ultimately killed Uruha as part of his self-imposed mission to kill the Enchanted Blade wielders from the Seitei War for the crimes they had committed.[6]
"Master Swordsman"[]
In the past, Samura fought side by side with the Master Swordsman at the Seitei War. In the present, however, as with all the other Enchanted Blade wielders from the Seitei War, Samura wishes for the Master Swordsman to die for his actions committed in the war and is devoted to killing him, having made a deal with the Hishaku to do so. Notably, the Master Swordsman came to mind when Samura discussed their crimes; likely due to the horrific atrocities resulting from the Master Swordsman's use of Malediction.[7]
Kunishige Rokuhira[]
18 years ago, Kunishige entrusted Samura with his Enchanted Blade Tobimune, placing his trust in him to uphold his ideals on the battlefield. Kunishige greatly respected not only Samura's swordsmanship, which he reckoned to be the fastest he had ever seen, but also his courage for risking his life in the Seitei War, viewing him as a hero. For his part, Samura viewed Kunishige as a hero instead for forging the blades in the first place.[8]
Togo Shiba[]
Samura and Shiba knew each other from the Seitei War, and are old friends. Samura was happy to see Shiba after 14 years, recognising his scent. The two immediately entered casual dialogue and banter, clearly on good terms, though Shiba was at times exasperated by Samura's more unusual habits.[9]
Chihiro Rokuhira[]
Upon first meeting Chihiro, Samura immediately realised his lineage as Kunishige's son, and was glad Kunishige had not spent the last 14 years alone. While Chihiro was slightly weirded out by Samura's more strange personality attributes, he ultimately developed a respect for him after Samura helped teach him swordsmanship techniques when Chihiro and Shiba visited his house.[10] Samura was adamant that Chihiro not admire him because he had killed many people and that was not something to aspire to achieve, and Chihiro was later on deeply sorry for eventually taking a path of murder like they had.[11]
Masumi[]
As the only allies who can safely fight alongside him in battle, Samura displays an appreciation for the Masumi. During the Hishaku Sorcerer's attack on Senkutsuji, the Masumi supported Samura in battle, who was slightly peeved by their action but begrudgingly told them to simply not let themselves get killed. The Masumi view Samura very positively, easily fighting alongside him and displaying a willingness to support him wherever possible.[12]
Iori Samura[]
Iori was initially on bad terms with Samura, Inori having told her about how Samura had abandoned them and kept focusing at the past. The two often competed in competitions and contests of the sorts, Iori closing her eyes in apparent fairness to her father. Eventually, the two grew closer, and one such contest turned into a collaborative effort to make a bento for Inori, who was thrilled after tasting it.
Samura was deeply against the idea of the Kamunabi placing Iori under strict observation like himself, and had the Masumi fake Iori's death and remove her memories of himself in order to guarantee her safety, showing a great deal of care on his part, despite the fact that they would never see each other again. He additionally appears to have taught Iori in the ways of swordsmanship.
Both the Hishaku and the Masumi place enough consideration into Samura's relationship with his daughter to the point that Iori serves as both groups' primary objective in order to gain an advantage over him.
Hishaku[]
Yura[]
At some point three years ago, Samura and Yura made an alliance regarding the Enchanted Blade wielders, where Samura would assist the Hishaku in killing the other Enchanted Blade wielders, the Hishaku's assistance particularly necessary in order to reach the "Master Swordsman", in exchange for information on the Hishaku and the Enchanted Blades. Samura fully intends on double-crossing the Hishaku after the Master Swordsman is killed, well aware of the evils the Hishaku have committed and refusing to let them wield the blades,[13] and is extremely open with this fact.[14] Samura and Yura ultimately communicate cordially but with a degree of hostility. For his part, Yura is extremely wary of Samura's abilities, recognising him as the blade wielder that 'controlled the war'.
Hiruhiko[]
Hiruhiko was one of the Hishaku members that disapproved of the organisation's alliance with Samura, having dispatched the majority of his assigned forces to Senkutsuji in order to eliminate Samura and Uruha. Afterwards, when Hiruhiko heard Samura killed Chihiro, he swore to avenge his "friend". For his part, Samura simply views Hiruhiko as he does the rest of the Hishaku; an obstacle he will deal with eventually.[15][16]
Abilities[]
Samura's echolocation
Overall Abilities: As the wielder of the Enchanted Blade Tobimune and a veteran combatant of the Seitei War, Samura is a powerful individual. Yoji Uruha stated that if he were as strong as Samura, not a single guard would have died at the Kokugoku Hot Springs. He also stated that Senkutsuji Temple is invincible not because of the elite Kamunabi guards stationed there, but because of Samura himself.[17] The fedora-wearing Hishaku sorcerer attacking Senkutsuji Temple stated that Samura is a "legendary warrior" and that the Hishaku were forced to use special tactics to counter him.[18]
Even without his Enchanted Blade, Samura was able to stand his ground against sorcerers using Datenseki and kill many of them, and once he had regained Tobimune he was able to cut down the remainder in an instant.[19]
Samura has accomplished the first stage of spirit energy usage, being able to use his spirit energy to strengthen his body to superhuman levels. Due to having formed a Lifelong Contract with the Enchanted Blade Tobimune, he is unable to use sorcery.
Enhanced Senses: Samura's senses have been heightened to an incredible degree. He can recognize a person based off their scent and touch,[20] and can detect the positions of anyone so long as they are speaking.[21] He is even able to sense the hostile energy of enemies, but is unable to sense inanimate objects such as pine trees.[22]
Enhanced Speed: Samura is extremely fast, able to cut down multiple sorcerers before they could react.[23] Even when the sorcerers were empowered by Datenseki, Samura was able to swiftly cut them down with ease.[24]
Enhanced Durability: Samura is resilient enough to endure powerful attacks from a member of the Hishaku.[25]
Echolocation: Samura is capable of performing a form of echolocation by rapidly unsheathing and resheathing his sword. The soundwaves reverberations allow Samura to gather information on any enemies around him.[26]
Combat Prowess[]
Master Swordsman: Samura is an extremely skilled swordsman and one of the six Enchanted Blade wielders who fought and helped achieve victory during the Seitei War.[27] His swordsmanship is the fastest Kunishige Rokuhira has ever seen,[28] and Yoji Uruha stated that he is nowhere near Samura's level of skill,[29] which was proven when Samura outskilled Uruha in a one-on-one duel.[30] Samura is one of the incredibly few swordsmen who have successfully used the Iai White Purity Style[31].
Using his heightened senses in conjunction with his swordsmanship, Samura is able to swiftly detect and attack anything around him. However, this puts any ally in his vicinity in danger as Samura may attack the additional sources of sound and hostile energy, hence his allies often stay away from Samura when he is fighting. The only exceptions are the Masumi, his elite bodyguards, who are trained in the ninja arts to nullify their scent, sound and hostile intent; thus effectively "removing" themselves from Samura's battlefield.[32]
Skill Sets[]
Cooking[]
Samura learned to cook from his students at a dojo where he was teaching in order to first participate in cooking contests with Iori and later end up collaboratively making a meal for Inori. Inori praised them and stated their meal was delicious.[33]
Equipment[]
Katana[]
Samura uses an ordinary katana as a walking cane[34] and wields it as a weapon in battle.[35]
Tobimune[]
Tobimune (
Techniques[]
Etymology[]
座 (Sa): Means "seat" or "base".村 (Mura): Means "village" or "settlement".清 (Sei): Means "pure" or "clear".市 (Ichi): Means "market" or "city".
Trivia[]
- In his initial appearance in Chapter 18, Samura was shown wearing a tie and he did not have sunglasses on.
- Before Kagurabachi, in one of Takeru Hokazono's one-shots Roku no Meiyaku, Roku used an ability similar to Crow in his fight against his enemies.
- Samura shares several notable similarities with Ichi from Zatoichi:
- Both are blind, highly skilled swordsmen with enhanced senses due to being blind, which they use in combat.
- Both draw their swords and attack with a reverse grip.
- Both have "lightning-fast" sword slashes and use iai techniques.
- Both show initially a casual, laid-back and calm behavior, however, they become more serious and focused once they engage in a fight.
- Both of their names contain the kanji 座 and 市.
References[]
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 58 (Pages 7-8).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 65 (Page 3).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Page 15).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 50 (Pages 8,15).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Pages 16-17).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 58.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 58 (Pages 7-8).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 50 (Pages 11-12).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapters 50-51.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapters 50-51.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Pages 15-18).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Pages 2-9).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapters 57-58.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 59 (Pages 15-17).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 54 (Page 16).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 59 (Pages 17-18).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 50 (Pages 17-18).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Page 4).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapters 51-56.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 50 (Pages 7-11).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 51 (Pages 11-12).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Pages 5-6).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 51 (Pages 11-13).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 51 (Pages 15-17).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Page 6).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 51 (Page 14).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 18 (Page 14).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 51 (Page 3).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 51 (Pages 12-14).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 58 (Pages 12-15).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 51 (Page 19).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 55 (Pages 7-11).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 71 (Pages 9-11).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 50 (Pages 7-10).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 50 (Page 18).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 56 (Pages 18-21).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 59 (Pages 10-14).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 59 (Pages 12-18).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 60 (Page 3).
[]
| List of Characters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chihiro's Allies | Rokuhira Swordsmith | Chihiro Rokuhira • Kunishige Rokuhira† | |
| Sorcerers | Togo Shiba • Azami • Hakuri Sazanami • Hiyuki Kagari • Tafuku Mihara | ||
| Other | Hinao • Char Kyonagi | ||
| Kamunabi | Leaders | Azami | |
| Anti-Cloud Gouger Special Forces | Ikuto Hagiwara • Kazane Machi • Shiyumi Harima† • Hajime Kugara† • Kiyohiko Uzuki† • Makoto Kasahara† | ||
| Other Members | Hiyuki Kagari • Tafuku Mihara | ||
| Masumi | Ro • Sumi • Moku | ||
| Enchanted Blade Wielders | Misaka† • Yoji Uruha† • Seiichi Samura • Subaru • "Master Swordsman" | ||
| Hishaku | Yura • Hishaku Sorcerer • Hiruhiko • Kuguri • Toto | ||
| Sazanami Clan | Kyora Sazanami† • Soya Sazanami‽ • Tenri Sazanami† • Tamaki Sazanami • Enji Sazanami | ||
| Other Characters | Sojo's Group | Genichi Sojo† • Norisaku Madoka† • Mohawk Henchmen† | |
| Independent Sorcerers | Puppet Sorcerer† • Trauma Sorcerer† • Oni Mask Sorcerer • Yojiro Sengoku† • Iori Samura • Itsuo Shirakai‽ | ||
| Non-Sorcerers | Yuu • Ikura | ||