History Characters / TenchuPlayableCharacters

* CodeOfHonour: Being part of an organisation that only takes assassination contracts that serve justice, Tesshu follows his own code. [[NeverHurtAnInnocent He won't kill innocents]], he won't kill people until he has been paid, and he even spares [[spoiler:Mifuyu's life when she made it clear that she wanted to kill him, instead telling her to go on with her life after protecting her paralysed body from guards that were paid to kill her and Tesshu. The second point is somewhat GameplayAndStorySegregation as the player is able to kill people in his last mission even if he hadn't recieved payment from Zennosuke yet, despite the opening screen saying that he won't commit murder until he recieves his contract, at least in the Japanese dub]].

-->''"Hmph. I'll happily suffer the title of 'fool' if it means I can save even one life from your blood-drenched dream! Farewell, Kagami."''

* {{Foil}}: With Kagami in ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins''. Both are leaders of a ninja clan and are unrelenting in their ideas, but while Rikimaru is loyal to Lord Gohda and his family and shows no problem over being considered just a tool to bring justice, Kagami ultimately [[spoiler:betrays her lord and [[LightIsNotGood leads her clan out of the darkness]] so that they would be acknowledged for the sacrifices they make, wanting more than a death in the shadows]].

* ActionGirl: She’s the only female ninja in the Azuma Clan, up until the customisable protagonist of ''Tenchu Z'', and she is able to hold her own against a vast majority of villians that battle with her.

* BigDamnHeroes: If the player choses Ayame in the first game, she will be the one to [[spoiler:rescue a captured Rikimaru and face off against Goo the jailor, as well as being the one who goes to Mei-Oh’s fortress for the sole purpose of rescuing Kiku from him. She once again rescues Kiku in ''Shadow Assassins'', after the princess was kidnapped by Rinshi]].

* TheLeader: [[spoiler:After the events of Stealth Assassins, [[YouAreInCommandNow she takes control of the Azuma Clan]] when Rikimaru is [[HeroicSacrifice left behind in Mei-Oh’s fortress and presumed dead]]. Fatal Shadows show that she still kept going on missions for Lord Gohda for the year that Rikimaru was missing, keeping an eye on his lands]].

* SupportingProtagonist: She's ultimately this in ''Fatal Shadows''. While she's looking into the [[spoiler:Kuroya due to the destruction of the Hagakure Village near Gohda's lands, the story is mostly about Rin's revenge against the people who wronged her. Eventually, this culminates in her facing off against Jyuzou, the leader, while Ayame's missions are mostly filler; an example being after Rin kills the bandit leader in the fourth mission and Ayame's mission after that is to simply leave the caves]].

* TraumaCongaLine: She goes through this during the second game as well, having to [[spoiler:see her clans brother and crush fall into the ocean and be presumed dead, until it’s revealed that he wasn’t dead and in fact betrayed the Azuma for Kagami and tried to attack Ayame, shortly after killing Shiunsai and killing the entire clan save her and Rikimaru. When she goes to kill Tatsumaru, she is horrified when he impales himself on Izayoi and dies, and ultimately ends up floating on a raft from the destroyed ship, ready to die and join her loved ones until her promise to Kiku spurred her to keep her promise and to keep going. [[FromBadToWorse That is until ''Shadow Assassins'']], where Ayame chases after Rinshi when she kidnaps Kiku and, even though she saves the princess, it turns out to be Rinshi in disguise and injuries Ayame before attempting to kill her. She believes Rikimaru, her only clansman left, betrayed Gohda like Tatsumaru did, until he proves his innocence, and then ends up killing Kiku in order to stop Onikage from escaping. It’s heart wrenching to see how broken Ayame is as she cradles Kiku’s dead body, and this final straw is what allows Onikage to come back as the hatred in Ayame deepens and allows the demon to possess her]].

* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler: When attacked by a devastated Rin in the ruins of her village, Ayame forgoes any attempt to explain to the teenage girl and goes straight to fighting, winning after a short battle. Then, she fights Rin again in a later mission while the assassin was trying to reach the town where her target was. That being said, Rin attacks first, and Ayame doesn’t attempt to kill Rin after the latter admits that she doesn’t know who the Kuroya are, and even uses a flash bomb when Rin tries to attack again out of grief]].

Once a member of the Hagakure village, Rin is a fourteen year old kunoichi and the second protagonist of ''Fatal Shadows'', alongside Ayame. After her village was destroyed and her family slaughtered, Rin went on a quest for revenge and joined the underground assassin organisation called the Beniya, working under “Lady Razor” Ogin. At first, she blames Ayame for the destruction of her village and fights the Azuma again during a mission, only to find out that [[spoiler:Futaba, who she thought had perished, was working for the group that destroyed her village, and works together with Ayame to defeat the Kuroya. In the end, she ends up getting revenge for her village and her family by killing Jyuzou, leaving Ayame's company to continue as an assassin for the Beniya]].

* ActionGirl: Like Ayame, Rin is a trained kunoichi turned assassin skilled in kenjutsu and the art of the shinobi, being able to handle herself against a wide range of enemies and can even hold her own against [[spoiler:Ayame during their second meeting]].
* AffectionateNickname: While the nickname is more patronising when Ayame first calls her "kid", the term is used more affectionately when [[spoiler:the two settle their differences and Ayame clears her name to the young assassin]].

* BadassBoast: She gives some to her enemies before she fights them. [[spoiler:When facing against [[BigBad Jyuzou]] in the last mission, she repeats the mantra of her organisation while wearing her fox mask]].

* BewareTheNiceOnes: She is one of the more nicer protagonists, shown by being polite to people who are not her enemies like Zennosuke and Ogin, and [[NeverHurtAnInnocent will not harm innocents]]. That said, she has a temper and is deadly when provoked, and when [[spoiler:called out by Futaba for being a murderer that gets paid, she replies that she doesn't care because she had no other way to survive after losing everything]].

* BreakTheCutie: She goes through this when [[spoiler:her village is destroyed and she finds one of the elders and Futaba dead on the ground. After Ayame beats her in a fight and refuses to finish Rin off, she tries to attack her again but if left behind with the use of a flash bomb. After managing to say goodbye to a dying Futaba and escaping her village, she breaks down in the boat and promises revenge. At the end of the game, she breaks down again after killing Jyuzou, [[ItsPersonal the man responsible for the destruction of the Hagakure]].]]
* BrokenPedestal: She loved Futaba deeply and was devastated for her death, praying that she had a safe journey to the afterlife. [[spoiler:However, after [[NotQuiteDead Futaba reveals herself to be alive]] and actually [[FaceHeelTurn allied with the group that burnt down their village]], Rin is [[ThisCannotBe unable to believe it at first]]. It's only after Futaba doesn't hesitate in shooting Rin does she finally accept that her old friend was a traitor and loses her temper]].
* BrokenTears: After she [[spoiler: escapes from her village and finds a boat to flee down the river, she takes her fox mask and cries into it, promising revenge for her fallen allies. After defeating Jyuzou, she grabs hold of a flower that was floating towards her and cries again, relieved that she got her revenge yet this didn't bring her family back]].

* ChildrenForcedToKill: Similar to Ayame, Rin is forced to kill the people that have invaded her village in order to escape. One of the objectives for her mission says that she cannot leave until she has [[LeaveNoSurvivors killed all enemies in the village]].

* DeathSeeker: She shows shades of this at the beginning after telling [[spoiler:Ayame to finish her off when she loses against the older kunoichi. When Ayame refuses, Rin is enraged by the dishonour and tries to attack again to [[SuicideByCop force Ayame's hand]] or get revenge, only to be caught in a flashbomb and [[CruelMercy left alone amongst the wreakage of her village and slain loved ones]]]].
* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler:She escapes her burning village by herself, eliminating any and all enemies that were in her way, before managing to get into the assassin organisation, the Beniya, shortly after. After being reunited with Futaba, poisoned, and then thrown into the river, she climbs out of it and carries on with her mission while the poison was still ''coursing through her system''. Her determinator attitude only falters towards the end, when she doesn't know what she wants to do with the information that she found the person responsible for destroying her village. After Ogin explains to her that she's an assassin of the Beniya, she found the courage to get through the guards to the beach where Jyuzou was]].
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: After Ayame comes across [[spoiler:the bodies of a village elder and Futaba, Rin arrives on the scene too late and mistakes Ayame for the one who did all this, moving to attack the kunoichi. Even after being defeated, she shows that she's not afraid to die and even demands Ayame to do so, angered that she would dishonour the younger girl like this and move to attack ''again'']]. This shows off Rin's {{Determinator}} attitude but also that she has shades of [[DeathSeeker Death Seeker]] after losing everything. The cutscene immediately after shows Rin's softer side with a [[spoiler:dying Futaba]], putting her as a [[TheWoobie sympathetic character]] that is just broken over all she lost.
* FireForgedFriends: She and Ayame start off fighting each other, and tensions remain high enough for them tofight a second time. However, by the end of the game two develop much respect for one another. In ''Time of the Assassins'', Rin is eager to find Ayame again, and the mission in which she searches for her is titled "Old Friend".
* HeartbrokenBadass: [[spoiler:She is still affected over the death of her family and destruction of her village even after becoming a Beniya assassin. That said, she is quick to [[JumpedAtTheCall jump into action]] when the people who were responsible make their appearance again, and doesn't really [[{{Wangst}} fixate]] on the tragedy until she faces her enemies who wronged her. Even after the revealation that [[EtTuBrute Futaba was part of the Kuroya]], Rin still focuses on the mission she was paid to do before leaving to rescue Ayame from the group]].

* HomelessHero: After she [[spoiler:loses her home to the Kuroya]].
* IronWoobie: [[spoiler: Even after losing her village and family, Rin manages to escape the burnt ruins infested with enemies by herself, and made a life for herself as a Beniya assassin. Up until she is faced with Ayame again, she doesn't fixate on her past and tries to move on, until she's roped back into the problem with the Kuroya when Futaba appears again. Even after she shows vulnerability to Ogin and can start to lose control of her emotions when facing against Jyuzou, she ultimately pushes through and ensures that, no matter what, she would get her revenge. After the death of Jyuzou, she decides to stop running from her problems and the game ends with her facing against numerous enemies, accepting her place in the Beniya and leaving her village in the past]].
* JustAKid: Due to her age, she's on the recieving end of this when confronting older targets. When [[NotNowKiddo dismissed]] by the bandit leader in the fourth mission, she removes her mask and snaps at him that she's no kid. [[spoiler:She proves that her age is no detriment to her skills shortly afterwards, as she is able to kill the bandit leader after a brief sword fight]].

* MasterSwordsman: She is able to defeat more experienced swordsmen that she faces off with, including the [[spoiler: bandit leader, [[BlindWeaponmaster Nasu]], even [[BigBad Jyuzou]]. However, she isn't able to beat [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Ayame]] and only manages to come to a draw the second time they meet]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:She doesn't make any attempt to dodge the arrow that Futaba shot at her because she was still in shock over the revealation. However, this poisons Rin and pushes Ayame to [[TakeTheBullet take the arrow]] fired at Rin to protect her, before Ayame pushes Rin into the river to allow her to escape and then sucumbs to the poison, causing her to be captured by the Kuroya. Rin helps fix this however, as she's the one who opens the prison door and gives Ayame the antidote to allow her to escape]].

* OrphansOrdeal: [[spoiler:It's unknown if her biological parents were in the same village as she was due to it being a ninja village similar to the Azuma, but Rin still thinks of her village as her family and is devastated over the loss. Her story follows as she gets {{revenge}} for their deaths and eventually move on after Jyuzou's death]].

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: She gives this to [[spoiler:Futaba after delivering the letter to Zennosuke.]]

* SoleSurvivor: Of the [[DoomedHometown Hagakure]] to her belief, until it's revealed that [[spoiler:Futaba and Hitoha had survived the massacre due to being part of the group that were responsible, and Jyuzou being a member before he left to follow his own rules. After she kills all of them, she is truly the last one of the Hagakure left.]]

* SympatheticMurderer: She's an assassin that is paid to kill people. However, she was likely raised to be a ninja in her village and, [[spoiler:after it's destruction]], was forced into the world at fourteen years old without many other skills besides knowing how to kill. That, and many of [[AssholeVictim her victims aren't the most innocent of people]].

* TookALevelInBadass: While she was pretty badass to begin with, she wasn't able to win against [[spoiler:Ayame]] and knew very little moves outside her stealth kills. As she goes on through the story, she is able to come to a draw with [[spoiler:Ayame after their second fight, and even kept going along with her mission and killing Nasu, who's a skilled swordsmaster himself, while still poisoned]]. At the end of the game, she is able to use a move that can OneHitKill most of the other enemies in the game and faces against numerous skilled enemies by herself even after exhausting herself fighting previous enemies and [[spoiler:Jyuzou]].

* TraumaCongaLine: The whole of ''Fatal Shadows'' is this for Rin. [[spoiler:After coming home from training to find it in ruins and her entire family dead, Rin is beaten by Ayame after mistaking her for the culprit and is refused death simply because Ayame had other things to do. After saying goodbye to Futaba as she passes away, Rin escapes her village and mourns her loss, but finds a new purpose in the Beniya as an assassin. However, on a mission to kill Nasu, she comes across Ayame again and fights her, coming to a draw before Futaba reveals herself to [[NotQuiteDead not have died]] but rather having betrayed the Hagakure for Jyuzou. Rin is poisoned by her old friend but saved by Ayame, later rescuring the Azuma kunoichi from the manor she was taken to. Afterwards, she has to say goodbye to Kichigoro after he reveals his true alliance to Lord Gohda and, upon taking a letter to Zennosuke to request for help, she is confronted by Futaba and Hitoha. After fatally injuring Futaba, Rin returns to Ogin to find her injured after being [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] by [[TheSociopath Ranzou]]. With her motojime's words giving her courage, Rin finally confronts Jyuzou only to learn about why he betrayed the Hagakure, and manages to kill him after he tries to stab her through the head. After all that happened, she looks back at Jyuzou's body while leaving and [[BrokenTears breaks down into tears]].]]
* UnstoppableRage: [[spoiler:When Futaba shoots Rin and reveals that she was involved in the plot to destroy their village, Rin loses control of her emotions and strikes Futaba to the ground, making a move to stab her former ally before the poison takes effect and stops any attempts from the younger assassin.]]
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: [[spoiler:After finding the people who destroyed her village, Rin confides in an injured Ogin that she doesn't actually know what to do anymore, especially after waiting for so long to get her revenge and is doubting her ability to actually go through with it.]]

* VitriolicBestBuds: With Ayame. [[spoiler:While at first Rin wants Ayame dead for destroying her village despite Ayame's innocence, the two team together to fight against the Kuroya when Futaba reveals Ayame's lack of connection to the destruction of the Hagakure. When they meet for the last time, Ayame smiles at Rin and tells her that she'll "see her around", before leaving as the assassin faces off against multiple of Jyuzou's remaining men]].

** In ''Time of Assassins'', [[spoiler:she is shown to have survived and continues to work as an assassin in the Beniya, having been walking through a forest before coming across a [[HisStoryRepeatsItself severely injured man running from his destroyed village. After he perishes from his wounds, she promises to get revenge for him]]. This leads her to Onikage, and after he escapes, she leaves to continue on with her life]].

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:After Ayame defeats him in battle, he pulls the Izayoi she's holding at him into his neck out of remorse for wiping out his clan.]]

->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/ToruOkawa (1), Tomohiro Tsuboi (2), Creator/RikiyaKoyama (4)
->'''Voiced in English by:''' Paul Lucas (1), Creator/RinoRomano (2), Creator/DanielDaeKim (3)

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He’s the leader of the Azuma Clan, and the strongest out of the two remaining shinobi. Ironic, considering Rikimaru was the weakest child out of the three students that Master Shiunsai taught.

->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/YokoSoumi (1), Masako Inui (2), Creator/YukoKaida (4), Terry Osada (1), Debi Mae West (2)

* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:After coming to a draw in a fight with Ayame aboard the Fire Demon, Tatsumaru [[DrivenToSuicide impales himself on Izayoi]] to amend for the wrongs that he did during the game, and perishes from his wounds. The boat his body was on blew up after Lord Gohda's men attacked it, taking his corpse with it. In ''Wrath of Heaven'', he dies in multiple ways depending on the character the player chooses and the choices they make during the campaign.
** If the player had chosen Rikimaru, then Tatsumaru betrays Tenrai after fighting Rikimaru in the Buddha Temple and tells him how to defeat the sorcerer, only for [[YouHaveFailedMe Tenrai to extinguish the candle that represents Tatsumaru's life]], killing the ninja while Rikimaru watches.
** If the player chooses Ayame and decides not to fight Onikage, then after she defeats Tatsumaru, he will urge her to go on and defeat Tenrai, appearing to have died from his wounds. However, after Tenrai throws himself in the portal to bring back Mei-Oh, Tatsumaru and Rikimaru will appear, with Rikimaru taking Ayame out of the fortress while Tatsumaru [[HeroicSacrifice throws himself into the portal with explosions to detroy it]]. If Ayame picks to fight Onikage, then after she defeats Tatsumaru, Onikage will appear and attempt to fight Ayame only for Tatsumaru to [[InTheBack stab Onikage through the back]] and drag him into a chasm, killing both of them]].

* DontMakeMeDestroyYou: [[spoiler:He tells Ayame that he doesn't want to kill her in ''Wrath of Heaven'', but will have to if they meet again. Sure enough, he fights her when she runs into him again in Tenrai's fortress, but loses the fight to her]].

Once a member of the Hagakure village, Rin is a fourteen year old kunoichi and the second protagonist of ''Fatal Shadows'', alongside Ayame. After her village was destroyed and her family slaughtered, Rin went on a quest for revenge and joined the underground assassin organisation called the Beniya, working under “Lady Razor” Ogin. At first, she blames Ayame for the destruction of her village and fights the Azuma again during a mission, only to find out that [[spoiler:Futaba, who she thought had perished, was working for the group that destroyed her village, and works together with Ayame to defeat the Kuroya. In the end, she ends up getting revenge for her village and her family by killing Jyuzou, leaving Ayame's company to continue as an assassin for the Beniya]]. \\\
She is the only protagonist of the series that doesn't make another appearance in the main games.

* BadassBaritone: In Japanese dub.

* BareYourMidriff: A few of her outfits throughout the series has her abdomen exposed. The most notable ones being her outfits in ''Stealth Assassins'', ''Wrath of Heaven'' and ''Shadow Assassins''.

* BadassInDistress: In ''Stealth Assassins'', [[spoiler:he is kidnapped and held hostage if the player picks Ayame in the character select, pushing Ayame to go and rescue him]].

--> '''Rikimaru''': I'm back to take you down, Onikage. \\

* BigSisterInstinct: She develops this with Kiku after rescuing her in ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'', and becomes [[CoolBigSis a big sister figure for the princess]] for years afterwards. Ayame had become [[MamaBear fiercely protective of Kiku]], even going as far as [[spoiler:chasing after Rinshi after she kidnaps Kiku in Shadow Assassins, and is enraged when she loses sight of the kunoichi]].

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler:He says this in ''Wrath of Heaven'' about Ayame, after stopping the twin samurai brothers; Ukyo and Sakyo, from killing her at the abandoned temple.]]

'''Tatsumaru''': It is my fate to kill her, not yours. That is all. \\

He has a cameo in Fatal Shadows, appearing after [[spoiler:Rin defeats Futaba and Hitoha]].

--> '''Rin''': Jyuzou of the Kuroya, that's you right? ... I am Rin of the Beniya. '''I have come to claim your life.''' \\

** In Time of Assassins, [[spoiler:she is shown to have survived and continues to work as an assassin in the Beniya, having been walking through a forest before coming across a [[HisStoryRepeatsItself severely injured man running from his destroyed village. After he perishes from his wounds, she promises to get revenge for him]]. This leads her to Onikage, and after he escapes, she leaves to continue on with her life]].

'''Due to [[Administrivia/HandlingSpoilers wiki policy]], trope names will not be spoiler tagged. Please read at your own risk.'''

--> '''Rin''': I don't care. I did whatever I had to to survive, because you took ''everything from me!'' Everyone I've ever ''loved! I will NEVER FORGIVE YOU!'' \\

* TookALevelInBadass: While she was pretty badass to begin with, she wasn't able to win against [[spoiler:Ayame]] and knew very little moves outside her stealth kills. As she goes on through the story, she is able to come to a draw with [[spoiler:Ayame after their second fight, and even kept going along with her mission and killing Nasu, who's a skilled swordsmaster himself, while still poisoned]]. At the end of the game, she is able to use a move that can OneHitKillNmost of the other enemies in the game and faces against numerous skilled enemies by herself even after exhausting herself fighting previous enemies and [[spoiler:Jyuzou]].

--> '''Rin''': I found them. I found the people who murdered my family. But... I don't know what to do. I've been waiting for this for so long and now I... I... \\

* WhenHeSmiles: Rikimaru's usually stoic and taciturn as a rock, so when Ayame sees him flash a genuine and appreciative smile during her ending in ''Time of the Assassins'', she gladly comments on it.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He was a capable ninja before he became leader of the Azuma.

->'''Voiced in English by:''' Paul Lucas (1), Creator/RinoRomano (2)

->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/ToruOkawa (1), Tomohiro Tsuboi (2), Creator/RikiyaKoyama (4), Paul Lucas (1), Creator/RinoRomano (2)

->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/YokoSoumi (1), Masako Inui (2), Creator/YukoKaida (4)

->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/ToruOkawa (1), Tomohiro Tsuboi (2), Creator/RikiyaKoyama (4), Paul Lucas (1), Creator/Rino Romano (2)

->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/ToruOkawa (1), Tomohiro Tsuboi (2), Creator/RikiyaKoyama (4)

* {{Revenge}}: [[spoiler:One of his motivations when assassinating Ukyo and Sakyo. While Zennosuke never reveals his injury, it's implied that Tesshu suspected something was wrong and said his goodbyes as he left to find the brothers. When Ayame comes to find Zennosuke already dead, Tesshu attacks her to avenge his death.

[[caption-width-right:288:''"[[{{UndyingLoyalty}} I wish only to serve Lord Gohda.]]"'']]

* {{Foil}}: With Kagami in ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins''. Both are leaders of a ninja clan and are unrelenting in their ideas, but while Rikimaru is loyal to Lord Gohda and his family and shows no problem over being considered just a tool to bring justice, Kagami ultimately [[spoiler:betrays her lord and [[{{LightIsNotGood}} leads her clan out of the darkness]] so that they would be acknowledged for the sacrifices they make, wanting more than a death in the shadows]].

* {{Hypocrite}}: Due to being raised in Feudal Japan, he holds some old-fashioned beliefs and doesn’t think that [[{{StayInTheKitchen}} women should be fighting with weapons like men do]], despite the fact that his only remaining clan member, and a [[{{ActionGirl}} worthy adversary herself]], is a woman.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: He wields the clan sword, [[{{ICallHerVera}} Izayoi]].
* KillTheOnesYouLove: [[spoiler:Subverted. Rikimaru is unable to bring himself to kill Tatsumaru right after he killed their master, allowing Tatsumaru to escape and injure Rikimaru in his eye. Later in the same game, Tatsumaru kills himself during his fight with Ayame, Rikimaru coming across the scene too late and given Izayoi by Ayame. In ''Wrath of Heaven'', after Tatsumaru kills Ganda in the Buddah Temple, Rikimaru will fight him, yet he will become too exhausted from fighting to finish the job and Tenrai will kill Tatsumaru for betraying him. Given Tatsumaru's [[{{HeelFaceTurn}} Heel-Face Turn]] and [[{{BigNo}} Rikimaru's reaction to his death]], it's doubtful that he could kill Tatsumaru even if he wasn't drained from fighting.]]
* TheLeader: After the death of [[spoiler:Master Shiunsai and Tatsumaru’s betrayal]], Rikimaru takes over the desolated clan as the master and remains like that until [[spoiler:presumed death at the end of ''Stealth Assassins''. This left [[{{YouAreInCommandNow}} Ayame as the only one in charge]], until his return in ''Wrath of Heaven'' where he takes the title once more]].
* MightyGlacier: He is much stronger and able to take more damage than [[{{FragileSpeedster}} Ayame]], but he is slower than she is and isn’t able to get as many hits in as she can.

** He does this again in ''Shadow Assassins''. [[spoiler:By impaling Kiku with his sword in order to kill Onikage, he caused Ayame to go into a [[{{HeroicBSOD}} Heroic B.S.O.D]] and allows her to be possessed by Onikage. It’s unknown how this ends, as Rikimaru reappears years later in ''Tenchu Z'' while [[{{WhatHappenedToTheMouse}} Ayame is nowhere to be seen]]]].

* WouldHurtAChild: Unfortunately, he goes through with the plan to [[spoiler:stab [[{{GoThroughMe}} through Kiku to get to Onikage]] on her orders, even though he shows some hesitation and moral dilemma in doing so]].

[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[{{DeadpanSnarker}} You call that stealth?]]''"]]

* BigSisterInstinct: She develops this with Kiku after rescuing her in ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'', and becomes [[{{CoolBigSis}} a big sister figure for the princess]] for years afterwards. Ayame had become [[{{MamaBear}} fiercely protective of Kiku]], even going as far as [[spoiler:chasing after Rinshi after she kidnaps Kiku in Shadow Assassins, and is enraged when she loses sight of the kunoichi]].

* ChildrenForcedToKill: As this comes with being raised in a ninja clan, Ayame was just 14 during the events of ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'' and had to kill mooks and enemy ninja alike, eventually culminating in her watching as [[spoiler:[[{{RedemptionEqualsDeath}} Tatsumaru impales himself on Izayoi]] as she held it at him]].
* CombatPragmatist: Due to her lithe frame, Ayame does not possess the raw strength that [[{{LightningBruiser}} Tatsumaru]], Rikimaru or [[{{MightyGlacier}} Tesshu]] have, and so has to use her entire body to break someone’s neck, while Rikimaru can do it with just his hands. She will use any method to kill the enemy, whether it’s her thighs, her entire body or blades in the enemy’s kidneys.

* DemonicPossession: In the extended ending of ''Shadow Assassins'', [[spoiler:Ayame appears to have been possessed by Onikage after Kiku’s death [[{{HeroicBSOD}} broke her]].]] It is currently unknown what happened afterwards, though.
* DoomedHometown: Her village before she was taken into the Azuma. When Shiunsai finds it, the village was already in ruins and everyone living there had been slaughtered, all but Ayame. [[spoiler:The Azuma village is this as well when Kagami and the Burning Dawn attack, massacring all the Azuma ninja within and destroying their homes, leaving [[{{SoleSurvivor}} Ayame and Rikimaru]] as the sole survivors with no home]].

* {{Hypocrite}}: She taunts a female warrior who stops her from passing through a checkpoint and says that [[{{StayInTheKitchen}} “they should be out finding a boyfriend rather than playing with their father’s weapons”]]. This is ignoring the fact that Ayame fights with weapons most of her life, and [[{{BoomerangBigot}} is a woman as well]].

* TheLeader: [[spoiler:After the events of Stealth Assassins, [[{{YouAreInCommandNow}} she takes control of the Azuma Clan]] when Rikimaru is [[{{HeroicSacrifice}} left behind in Mei-Oh’s fortress and presumed dead]]. Fatal Shadows show that she still kept going on missions for Lord Gohda for the year that Rikimaru was missing, keeping an eye on his lands]].

* TraumaCongaLine: She goes through this during the second game as well, having to [[spoiler:see her clans brother and crush fall into the ocean and be presumed dead, until it’s revealed that he wasn’t dead and in fact betrayed the Azuma for Kagami and tried to attack Ayame, shortly after killing Shiunsai and killing the entire clan save her and Rikimaru. When she goes to kill Tatsumaru, she is horrified when he impales himself on Izayoi and dies, and ultimately ends up floating on a raft from the destroyed ship, ready to die and join her loved ones until her promise to Kiku spurred her to keep her promise and to keep going]].
** [[spoiler:[[{{FromBadToWorse}} That is until ''Shadow Assassins'']], where Ayame chases after Rinshi when she kidnaps Kiku and, even though she saves the princess, it turns out to be Rinshi in disguise and injuries Ayame before attempting to kill her. She believes Rikimaru, her only clansman left, betrayed Gohda like Tatsumaru did, until he proves his innocence, and then ends up [[{{MoralEventHorizon}} killing Kiku in order to stop Onikage from escaping]]. It’s heart wrenching to see how broken Ayame is as she cradles Kiku’s dead body, and this final straw is what allows Onikage to come back as the hatred in Ayame deepens and allows the demon to possess her]].

[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[{{RedemptionEqualsDeath}} Unforgivable crimes must be punished. The traitor must die]]."'']]

* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler:He falls off a cliff whilst fighting Kagami and suffers from Amnesia, being taken into the Burning Dawn and later slaughtered the entire Azuma Clan with them, sparing just Rikimaru and Ayame. Afterwards, he remembers his past and connection to the Azuma and is [[{{MyGodWhatHaveIDone}} guilt-ridden with the revealation]], though he still remains with the Burning Dawn because of this guilt]].

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:In ''Wrath of Heaven'', he was resurrected by Tenrai to join his group and fight against the Azuma once again. However, he ends up [[{{HeelFaceTurn}} betraying Tenrai to help Rikimaru and Ayame later on in their stories]]]].

* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:After coming to a draw in a fight with Ayame aboard the Fire Demon, Tatsumaru [[{{DrivenToSuicide}} impales himself on Izayoi]] to amend for the wrongs that he did during the game, and perishes from his wounds. The boat his body was on blew up after Lord Gohda's men attacked it, taking his corpse with it. In ''Wrath of Heaven'', he dies in multiple ways depending on the character the player chooses and the choices they make during the campaign.
** If the player had chosen Rikimaru, then Tatsumaru betrays Tenrai after fighting Rikimaru in the Buddha Temple and tells him how to defeat the sorcerer, only for [[{{YouHaveFailedMe}} Tenrai to extinguish the candle that represents Tatsumaru's life]], killing the ninja while Rikimaru watches.
** If the player chooses Ayame and decides not to fight Onikage, then after she defeats Tatsumaru, he will urge her to go on and defeat Tenrai, appearing to have died from his wounds. However, after Tenrai throws himself in the portal to bring back Mei-Oh, Tatsumaru and Rikimaru will appear, with Rikimaru taking Ayame out of the fortress while Tatsumaru [[{{HeroicSacrifice}} throws himself into the portal with explosions to detroy it]]. If Ayame picks to fight Onikage, then after she defeats Tatsumaru, Onikage will appear and attempt to fight Ayame only for Tatsumaru to [[{{InTheBack}} stab Onikage through the back]] and drag him into a chasm, killing both of them]].

* TheDragon: [[spoiler:He becomes a member of the Burning Dawn, being one of the strongest and [[{{NumberTwo}} Number Two]] to the leader; Kagami. In ''Wrath of Heaven'', he's the last person that Ayame will face before confronting Tenrai, and is this [[{{CoDragons}} along with Onikage]] in Rikimaru's campaign]].
** DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler:That being said, Onikage reveals that [[{{NotBrainwashed}} Tatsumaru knew what he was doing all along]] and was planning on betraying Tenrai to help the Azuma. In Ayame's campaign, he impales and throws himself and Onikage into a chasm to save her life, as well as throwing himself with explosives in a portal that Tenrai escaped in to destroy it, preventing Mei-Oh's return]].

* TheLeader: He became the leader of the Azuma Clan before being sent to help Lord Gohda in the civil war against his uncle, being given Izayoi by Master Shiunsai. [[spoiler:[[{{QuicklyDemotedLeader}} This leadership doesn't last long]]]].

* MeaningfulName: "Tatsu" = Dragon. He is [[{{TheDragon}} The Dragon]] to [[spoiler: Kagami until his death, and then later resurrected to be this again to Tenrai in ''Wrath of Heaven''. His name given when he joins the Burning Dawn is Seiryu - The Blue Dragon]].
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:By sparing Rikimaru and Ayame, he allows the two to join with Lord Gohda and stop the Burning Dawn's plans and kill off his comrades in the group, ultimately ending in his and Kagami's death as well as the destruction of the [[{{CoolBoat}} Fire Demon]]]].
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:After being implied to have died from his wounds when defeated by Ayame in ''Wrath of Heaven'', he appears to have survived in the final mission, [[{{BigDamnHeroes}} appearing to save Ayame]] when Tenrai enters the portal to bring back Mei-Oh. Ordering Rikimaru to take Ayame out of there, he follows after Tenrai with explosions, destroying both the portal and his fortress. He doesn't do this if Ayame chose to fight Onikage earlier on in the game, and instead drags Onikage and himself into a chasm where both of them die]].

* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: [[spoiler:This to Shiunsai, though it was more the amnesia that turned Tatsumaru rather than his own choice. Staying with the Burning Dawn after killing Shiunsai and the Azuma was [[{{IChooseToStay}} his own choice]], however]].
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:In the second game, he stabs himself with Izayoi after coming to a draw with Ayame so that he could make up for betraying the Azuma. In the third game, while he's not loyal to Tenrai, [[{{NiceJobBreakingItHero}} he still brought the Jewel of Heaven to him and fought against both Rikimaru and Ayame (Which can lead to their deaths if the player isn't able to defeat him)]], before killing himself to save Ayame from Onikage/prevent Mei-Oh from returning or being killed by Tenrai after telling Rikimaru about the power in his eye that could defeat the sorcerer]].
* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Mid-way through ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'', he appears to [[{{NotQuiteDead}} not have died from falling off the cliff]] and has [[{{FaceHeelTurn}} joined the Burning Dawn]]]].

* WalkingSpoiler: It's hard to talk about anything regarding Tatsumaru without saying that [[spoiler:he betrayed the Azuma, massacring them, for the Burning Dawn and was brought back to life by Tenrai, only to betray him to help his old clansmen. That and he and Kagami end up [[{{OfficialCouple}} getting together]]]].

[[caption-width-right:350:''"The old man warned me never to cross swords with [[{{TheAce}} Azuma ninja]]."'']]

-->''[[{{PreAssKickingOneLiner}} "There is still time. If you hurry, you can catch your brother on his way to Hell."]]''

* BadassInDistress: After defeating [[spoiler:Ganda, Tesshu reaches a small garden outside the Buddha Temple to meet up with Senkichi for his payment and is caught by numerous guards. [[{{EvilFormerFriend}} Jinnai]], an old member of the Muzen, appears and takes Tesshu captive. Locked in a cell within a limestone cavern, Tesshu is given a choice by Jinnai to join them and kill Zennosuke, though he refuses and is left to die in his cell. Fortunately, he picks the lock of his cell and escapes shortly after, killing all the guards left to watch him]].

* TheBigGuy: Out of the protagonists, Tesshu possesses the most raw strength out of them and in turn can take the [[{{MadeOfIron}} most damage]].
** BigGuyFatalitySyndrome: [[spoiler:Subverted. After killing Sakyo and moving to the leave the village, Tesshu is stabbed through the abdomen by one of the Jinnai brother's men. However, he doesn't die from this injury and ends up killing a few of the men before the explosions Sakyo planted beforehand [[{{NiceJobFixingItVillain}} wipes out the rest of the group while an injured Tesshu leaves]]]].
* TheCameo: [[spoiler:Both he and Zennosuke make an appearance in ''Fatal Shadows'' after Rin defeats Hitoha and Futaba. Tesshu stabs an injured Hitoha in the neck before he could attack again, and after Rin leaves to warn Ogin, he compliments Ogin's choice in assassins. As he and Zennosuke leave, [[{{NotQuiteDead}} Hitoha is revealed to not have died from the injury]] and tries to burn Futaba's body, only to finally perish. After expressing confusion over how he could have survived that, Tesshu leaves with Zennosuke]].
* CodeOfHonour: Being part of an organisation that only takes assassination contracts that serve justice, Tesshu follows his own code. [[{{NeverHurtAnInnocent}} He won't kill innocents]], he won't kill people until he has been paid, and he even spares [[spoiler:Mifuyu's life when she made it clear that she wanted to kill him, instead telling her to go on with her life after protecting her paralysed body from guards that were paid to kill her and Tesshu. The second point is somewhat [[{{GameplayAndStorySegregation}} Gameplay and Story Segregation]] as the player is able to kill people in his last mission even if he hadn't recieved payment from Zennosuke yet, despite the opening screen saying that he won't commit murder until he recieves his contract, at least in the Japanese dub]].
* DeadlyDoctor: He works as a doctor proficient in Japanese medicine during the day, but works as an assassin for the Muzen at night. He uses his knowledge in his stealth kills, and the player is shown just how much damage he does through X-Rays, whether it's him [[{{BeatStillMyHeart}} pulling out hearts]], breaking their spines, or [[{{CruelAndUnusualDeath}} breaking both their elbows and turning their heads around before letting them walk around for a few seconds until they collapse to the ground]].

* TheHero: He's the third protagonist of ''Wrath of Heaven'', alongside Rikimaru and Ayame. [[{{SecretCharacter}} You have to beat both of their stories before unlocking him, however]].

* MysteriousPast: Nothing is known about Tesshu's younger years before he became an assassin, and only a small part of his time before meeting Zennosuke was shown in ''Time of Assassins'', mostly diving into his work with other motojimes and his friendship with Jinnai, who [[spoiler:[[{{FaceHeelTurn}} eventually betrays him]]]].

* RetiredBadass: [[spoiler:After Zennosuke's death and bringing justice to the Jinnai brothers, Tesshu retires from being an assassin. [[{{MakesUsEven}} This doesn't mean that he won't steal Rikimaru's kill some time later to settle the score]]]].

* UseYourHead: He incorporates headbutts in his throw, which is strong enough to send his opponent flying and [[{{HardHead}} never shows any signs of concussion no matter how many times the player uses that move]].
* VigilanteMan: He's paid by the Muzen to assassinate people who have wronged innocents and aren't being punished by the law, including people like [[{{FatBastard}} Nasu]], [[{{AristocratsAreEvil}} Echigoya]], Ganda and even [[spoiler:the Jinnai brothers]].

* ArrangedMarriage: She was actually engaged to [[spoiler:Jyuzou. When she confronts him in the final mission, he asks her to join him and bare his child, wanting to build up the Kuroya and let Rin forget about the Hagakure. She doesn't react well to it]]. This is actually [[{{TruthInTelevision}} Truth In Television]], as arranged marriages were mostly the norm in Feudal Japan for young girls, especially around Rin's age. This doesn't stop it from falling into [[{{Squick}} Squick]] territory, however, due to Rin being a fourteen year old girl and the man in question is [[spoiler: responsible for destroying her village and killing her family]].
* BadassBoast: She gives some to her enemies before she fights them. [[spoiler:When facing against [[{{BigBad}} Jyuzou]] in the last mission, she repeats the mantra of her organisation while wearing her fox mask]].

* BewareTheNiceOnes: She is one of the more nicer protagonists, shown by being polite to people who are not her enemies like Zennosuke and Ogin, and [[{{NeverHurtAnInnocent}} will not harm innocents]]. That said, she has a temper and is deadly when provoked, and when [[spoiler:called out by Futaba for being a murderer that gets paid, she replies that she doesn't care because she had no other way to survive after losing everything]].
* BlueIsHeroic: After beating the game, another outfit for Rin is unlocked that is basically a blue [[{{PaletteSwap}} Palette Swap]] of her original outfit.

* BreakTheCutie: She goes through this when [[spoiler:her village is destroyed and she finds one of the elders and Futaba dead on the ground. After Ayame beats her in a fight and refuses to finish Rin off, she tries to attack her again but if left behind with the use of a flash bomb. After managing to say goodbye to a dying Futaba and escaping her village, she breaks down in the boat and promises revenge. At the end of the game, she breaks down again after killing Jyuzou, [[{{ItsPersonal}} the man responsible for the destruction of the Hagakure]].]]
* BrokenPedestal: She loved Futaba deeply and was devastated for her death, praying that she had a safe journey to the afterlife. [[spoiler:However, after [[{{NotQuiteDead}} Futaba reveals herself to be alive]] and actually [[{{FaceHeelTurn}} allied with the group that burnt down their village]], Rin is [[{{ThisCannotBe}} unable to believe it at first]]. It's only after Futaba doesn't hesitate in shooting Rin does she finally accept that her old friend was a traitor and loses her temper]].

* ChildrenForcedToKill: Similar to Ayame, Rin is forced to kill the people that have invaded her village in order to escape. One of the objectives for her mission says that she cannot leave until she has [[{{KillThemAll}} killed all enemies in the village]].

* DeathSeeker: She shows shades of this at the beginning after telling [[spoiler:Ayame to finish her off when she loses against the older kunoichi. When Ayame refuses, Rin is enraged by the dishonour and tries to attack again to [[{{SuicideByCop}} force Ayame's hand]] or get revenge, only to be caught in a flashbomb and [[{{Cruel Mercy}} left alone amongst the wreakage of her village and slain loved ones]]]].

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: After Ayame comes across [[spoiler:the bodies of a village elder and Futaba, Rin arrives on the scene too late and mistakes Ayame for the one who did all this, moving to attack the kunoichi. Even after being defeated, she shows that she's not afraid to die and even demands Ayame to do so, angered that she would dishonour the younger girl like this and move to attack ''again'']]. This shows off Rin's [[{{Determinator}} Determinator]] attitude but also that she has shades of [[{{DeathSeeker}} Death Seeker]] after losing everything. The cutscene immediately after shows Rin's softer side with a [[spoiler:dying Futaba]], putting her as a [[{{TheWoobie}} sympathetic character]] that is just broken over all she lost.

* HeartbrokenBadass: [[spoiler:She is still affected over the death of her family and destruction of her village even after becoming a Beniya assassin. That said, she is quick to [[{{JumpedAtTheCall}} jump into action]] when the people who were responsible make their appearance again, and doesn't really [[{{Wangst}} fixate]] on the tragedy until she faces her enemies who wronged her. Even after the revealation that [[{{EtTuBrute}} Futaba was part of the Kuroya]], Rin still focuses on the mission she was paid to do before leaving to rescue Ayame from the group]].
* TheHero: She's one of the two protagonists of ''Fatal Shadows'', alongside Ayame. And she has the bigger and more personal connection with the plot's events- which follow her journey of revenge for the destruction of her village. Also, Rin is the one who undergoes the final mission and beat the [[{{BigBad}} Big Bad]] of the game.
* HiddenDepths: In one of her missions, it's revealed that [[{{GoddamnedBats}} she hates bats]]. Also, ''Time of the Assassins'' has her as the narrator of her own story mode, describing her situation and feelings in a haiku-like manner.

* JustAKid: Due to her age, she's on the recieving end of this when confronting older targets. When [[{{NotNowKiddo}} dismissed]] by the bandit leader in the fourth mission, she removes her mask and snaps at him that she's no kid. [[spoiler:She proves that her age is no detriment to her skills shortly afterwards, as she is able to kill the bandit leader after a brief sword fight]].
* KatanasAreJustBetter: She wields a katana [[{{ICallHerVera}} called Matsume]] similar to Rikimaru and Tatsumaru, though she uses her bare fists more like the latter than the former.

* MasterSwordsman: She is able to defeat more experienced swordsmen that she faces off with, including the [[spoiler: bandit leader, [[{{BlindWeaponmaster}} Nasu]], even [[{{BigBad}} Jyuzou]]. However, she isn't able to beat [[{{AlwaysSomeoneBetter}} Ayame]] and only manages to come to a draw the second time they meet]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:She doesn't make any attempt to dodge the arrow that Futaba shot at her because she was still in shock over the revealation. However, this poisons Rin and pushes Ayame to [[{{TakeTheBullet}} take the arrow]] fired at Rin to protect her, before Ayame pushes Rin into the river to allow her to escape and then sucumbs to the poison, causing her to be captured by the Kuroya. Rin helps fix this however, as she's the one who opens the prison door and gives Ayame the antidote to allow her to escape]].

* OrphansOrdeal: [[spoiler:It's unknown if her biological parents were in the same village as she was due to it being a ninja village similar to the Azuma, but Rin still thinks of her village as her family and is devastated over the loss. Her story follows as she gets [[{{Revenge}} revenge]] for their deaths and eventually move on after Jyuzou's death]].

* SoleSurvivor: Of the [[{{DoomedHometown}} Hagakure]] to her belief, until it's revealed that [[spoiler:Futaba and Hitoha had survived the massacre due to being part of the group that were responsible, and Jyuzou being a member before he left to follow his own rules. After she kills all of them, she is truly the last one of the Hagakure left.]]

* SympatheticMurderer: She's an assassin that is paid to kill people. However, she was likely raised to be a ninja in her village and, [[spoiler:after it's destruction]], was forced into the world at fourteen years old without many other skills besides knowing how to kill. That, and many of [[{{AssholeVictim}} her victims aren't the most innocent of people]].

* TookALevelInBadass: While she was pretty badass to begin with, she wasn't able to win against [[spoiler:Ayame]] and knew very little moves outside her stealth kills. As she goes on through the story, she is able to come to a draw with [[spoiler:Ayame after their second fight, and even kept going along with her mission and killing Nasu, who's a skilled swordsmaster himself, while still poisoned]]. At the end of the game, she is able to use a move that can [[{{OneHitKill}} One Hit Kill]] most of the other enemies in the game and faces against numerous skilled enemies by herself even after exhausting herself fighting previous enemies and [[spoiler:Jyuzou]].

* TraumaCongaLine: The whole of ''Fatal Shadows'' is this for Rin. [[spoiler:After coming home from training to find it in ruins and her entire family dead, Rin is beaten by Ayame after mistaking her for the culprit and is refused death simply because Ayame had other things to do. After saying goodbye to Futaba as she passes away, Rin escapes her village and mourns her loss, but finds a new purpose in the Beniya as an assassin. However, on a mission to kill Nasu, she comes across Ayame again and fights her, coming to a draw before Futaba reveals herself to [[{{NotQuiteDead}} not have died]] but rather having betrayed the Hagakure for Jyuzou. Rin is poisoned by her old friend but saved by Ayame, later rescuring the Azuma kunoichi from the manor she was taken to. Afterwards, she has to say goodbye to Kichigoro after he reveals his true alliance to Lord Gohda and, upon taking a letter to Zennosuke to request for help, she is confronted by Futaba and Hitoha. After fatally injuring Futaba, Rin returns to Ogin to find her injured after being [[{{ColdBloodedTorture}} tortured]] by [[{{TheSociopath}} Ranzou]]. With her motojime's words giving her courage, Rin finally confronts Jyuzou only to learn about why he betrayed the Hagakure, and manages to kill him after he tries to stab her through the head. After all that happened, she looks back at Jyuzou's body while leaving and [[{{BrokenTears}} breaks down into tears]].]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After ''Fatal Shadows'', Rin is neither seen or mentioned again, setting her apart from the other protagonists as they had cameos/appearances in other games. [[spoiler:It is unknown if she survived her encounter with the enemies as Ayame left, as the ending left it ambiguous, though if the player uses an invisibility spell before the end of Jyuzou's fight, then it shows the hand on Ayame's shoulder in the ending to have disappeared too, implicating that it's Rin's]].
** In Time of Assassins, [[spoiler:she is shown to have survived and continues to work as an assassin in the Beniya, having been walking through a forest before coming across a [[{{HisStoryRepeatsItself}} severely injured man running from his destroyed village. After he perishes from his wounds, she promises to get revenge for him]]. This leads her to Onikage, and after he escapes, she leaves to continue on with her life]].

* PantyShot: Technically in the second game, though she opts for black wear to fit the stealth necessities and the low graphical fidelity of the game prevents it from standing out.

* DualWielding: She uses a pair of [[{{KnifeNut}} kodachi/twin daggers]] as her main weapons, as they are lighter and easier to use than the katana that Rikimaru uses.

* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:He’s thought to have died at the end of ''Stealth Assassins'' after he held up a boulder blocking the way out of the fortress, allowing Ayame to flee with Kiku and his sword before the fortress collapsed around him. This is {{Averted}} in ''Wrath of Heaven'', as it turns out that Rikimaru went through the portal that Mei-Oh went through and survived until he came out the same portal during the third mission in the game]].

* KillTheOnesYouLove: [[spoiler:{{Averted}}. Rikimaru is unable to bring himself to kill Tatsumaru right after he killed their master, allowing Tatsumaru to escape and injure Rikimaru in his eye. Later in the same game, Tatsumaru kills himself during his fight with Ayame, Rikimaru coming across the scene too late and given Izayoi by Ayame. In ''Wrath of Heaven'', after Tatsumaru kills Ganda in the Buddah Temple, Rikimaru will fight him, yet he will become too exhausted from fighting to finish the job and Tenrai will kill Tatsumaru for betraying him. Given Tatsumaru's [[{{HeelFaceTurn}} Heel-Face Turn]] and [[{{BigNo}} Rikimaru's reaction to his death]], it's doubtful that he could kill Tatsumaru even if he wasn't drained from fighting.]]

** BigGuyFatalitySyndrome: [[spoiler:Narrowly {{Averted}}. After killing Sakyo and moving to the leave the village, Tesshu is stabbed through the abdomen by one of the Jinnai brother's men. However, he doesn't die from this injury and ends up killing a few of the men before the explosions Sakyo planted beforehand [[{{NiceJobFixingItVillain}} wipes out the rest of the group while an injured Tesshu leaves]]]].