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* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: ''An entire fortress of samurai'' who chose death over orders from the Shogun to give their fortress to their enemy.
to:
** Several samurai are shown to be very touchy about lower-class people touching their scabbards even accidentally, which contain the swords that contain their souls.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled:''An entire fortress A lot of samurai'' people who chose death over orders from the Shogun to give their fortress to their enemy.commit seppuku.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled:
** Lady Maple's story ends with [[spoiler: her and her lord's son being raised safely and anonymously by Inspector Ikeda and his wife, but she's dead because she didn't know Usagi brought a doll in place of her son]].
* BodyDouble: For Lords [[spoiler: Noriyuki and Hikiji]]. Dolls are used for another lord and [[spoiler: Lady Maple's son]].
* BodySurf: [[spoiler: Jei-san: First Priest Jizonobu, then Inazuma, and currently the only survivor of Inazuma/Jei's rampage on Sanshobo's temple.]]
* BodySurf: [[spoiler: Jei-san: First Priest Jizonobu, then Inazuma, and currently the only survivor of Inazuma/Jei's rampage on Sanshobo's temple.]]
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* [[DeadLittleSister Dead Little Brother]]: Sakura's [[spoiler: he doesn't exist]].
to:
* [[DeadLittleSister Dead Little Brother]]: Sakura's Sakura's. [[spoiler: he doesn't exist]].exist]]
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* FantasticFoxes: Kitsune, although she's just really skilled. ''Actually magical'' kitsune have appeared only briefly, and never as named characters.
to:
* FantasticFoxes: FantasticFoxes / {{Kitsune}}: Kitsune, although she's just really skilled. ''Actually magical'' kitsune have appeared only briefly, and never as named characters.
** ''An entire fortress of samurai kill themselves'' to protest the Shogun's orders to give the fortress to their enemy.
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--->'''Kiyoko''': I overheard a plot to kill Merchant Murooka.\\
to:
--->'''Kiyoko''': I overheard a plot to kill Merchant Murooka.Motooka.\\
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* UnexplainedRecovery: Jei-san somehow recovers after being vaporized by lightening and being impaled by his own spear and chucked off a cliff [[spoiler: getting run through by Kusanagi destroyed his body for good, unfortunately he's a disembodied spirit. He doesn't recover as well in Inazuma's body, maybe his current one will be tougher]].
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* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: ''An entire fortress of samurai'' who chose death over orders from the Shogun to give their fortress to their enemy.
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* CatchPhrase: Sasuke will frequently call someone by name without having been properly introduced to them. When they ask how he knew their name, he'll say something like, "You must have mentioned it earlier."
to:
* CatchPhrase: Sasuke will frequently call someone by name without having been properly introduced to them. When they ask how he knew their name, he'll say something like, "You must have mentioned it earlier." [[RuleOfThree The third time]] (I think) this happens Usagi says "No I haven't."
* [[DeadLittleSister Dead Little Brother]]: Sakura's [[spoiler: he doesn't exist]].
* LackOfEmpathy: Kiyoko, Kitsune's apprentice, seems to have become a [[{{Leverage}} Parker]] expy (it's also possible she's just screwing with Usagi).
--->'''Kiyoko''': I overheard a plot to kill Merchant Murooka.\\
'''Usagi: ''WHAT?!'''''\\
'''Kiyoko:''' I bet we can sell this information to him.\\
'''Usagi:''' A person's life is in peril. We can't make a profit from that!\\
'''Kiyoko:''' Why not?
--->'''Kiyoko''': I overheard a plot to kill Merchant Murooka.\\
'''Usagi: ''WHAT?!'''''\\
'''Kiyoko:''' I bet we can sell this information to him.\\
'''Usagi:''' A person's life is in peril. We can't make a profit from that!\\
'''Kiyoko:''' Why not?
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* ScoobyDooHoax: The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill.
to:
* ScoobyDooHoax: The "The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill.Hill".
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* StarCrossedLovers / AnchoredShip: Usagi has rotten luck with women.
**Usagi and Mariko: They're both separated by duty and honor - she to her husband, he first to his lord and later to the warrior's road.
**Usagi and Kiku: She was about to enter an ArrangedMarriage, plus they're different social classes.
**Usagi and Tomoe: He'll never serve another lord, even one as nice as Tomoe's; she's been marked for an Arranged Marriage to an older lord -- in the tea ceremony chapter there's even a stone marker that means "path forbidden".
**''Space Usagi'' and Tomoe (who's a rabbit like Mariko and a samurai like Tomoe) do hook up [[spoiler: unfortunately she's killed in the next story arc]].
* SuicideByCop: Watanabe Ken, a destitute ronin who'd rather die in battle then live with his merchant son-in-law.
**Usagi and Mariko: They're both separated by duty and honor - she to her husband, he first to his lord and later to the warrior's road.
**Usagi and Kiku: She was about to enter an ArrangedMarriage, plus they're different social classes.
**Usagi and Tomoe: He'll never serve another lord, even one as nice as Tomoe's; she's been marked for an Arranged Marriage to an older lord -- in the tea ceremony chapter there's even a stone marker that means "path forbidden".
**''Space Usagi'' and Tomoe (who's a rabbit like Mariko and a samurai like Tomoe) do hook up [[spoiler: unfortunately she's killed in the next story arc]].
* SuicideByCop: Watanabe Ken, a destitute ronin who'd rather die in battle then live with his merchant son-in-law.
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* WhamLine: '''Gen''': [[spoiler: (Sakura) doesn't have a brother.]]
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* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Initial work had begun on a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlLPYn2km-U ''Space Usagi'' cartoon]], but was stopped after the failure of the superficially similar ''[[ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars Bucky O'Hare]]''. Similarly, ''Space Usagi'' was slated to make an appearance in the second season ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles: Fast Forward'', but the appearance was scrapped when the season was cancelled.
to:
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Initial work had begun on a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlLPYn2km-U ''Space Usagi'' cartoon]], but was stopped after the failure of the superficially similar ''[[ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars Bucky O'Hare]]''. Similarly, ''Space Usagi'' was slated to make an appearance in the second season ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles: of ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2003}}: Fast Forward'', but the appearance was scrapped when the season was cancelled.
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Usagi is often associated with the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, thanks in part to several crossovers between different incarnations of the properties, and the friendship between Sakai and the Turtles creators. This has permitted Usagi to appear on the screen in both ''TMNT'' cartoons as a recurring character, culminating in an episode set in Usagi's world--the closest thing yet to an ''Usagi'' animated series. ''Usagi Yojimbo'' was also published by Eastman and Laird's Mirage Studios for a time, before moving on to Creator/DarkHorseComics.
to:
Usagi is often associated with the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, thanks in part to several crossovers between different incarnations of the properties, and the friendship between Sakai and the Turtles creators. This has permitted Usagi to appear on the screen in both ''TMNT'' cartoons as a recurring character, culminating in an episode set in Usagi's world--the closest thing yet to an ''Usagi'' animated series. ''Usagi Yojimbo'' was also published by Eastman and Laird's Mirage Studios for a time, before moving on to Creator/DarkHorseComics.
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* CrossOver: The comic featured several early appearances by the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, and Usagi is a RecurringCharacter in the TMNT cartoons.
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* CrossOver: The comic featured several early appearances by the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, Comicbook/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Mirage}}, and Usagi is a RecurringCharacter in the TMNT cartoons.[[{{TMNT1987}} TMNT]] [[{{TMNT2003}} cartoons]].
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the Namespace, yeah
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** After being (seriously) wounded in one fight, Inazuma reassures [[MoralityPet Keiko]] that it's [[MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail "merely a]] [[OnlyAFleshWound flesh wound"]].
to:
** After being (seriously) wounded in one fight, Inazuma reassures [[MoralityPet Keiko]] that it's [[MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail "merely a]] [[OnlyAFleshWound flesh wound"]].
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Namespace Fix! - also, sorted a bit
Changed line(s) 8,9 (click to see context) from:
Usagi is often associated with the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, thanks in part to several crossovers between different incarnations of the properties, and the friendship between Sakai and the Turtles creators. This has permitted Usagi to appear on the screen in both ''TMNT'' cartoons as a recurring character, culminating in an episode set in Usagi's world--the closest thing yet to an ''Usagi'' animated series. ''Usagi Yojimbo'' was also published by Eastman and Laird's Mirage Studios for a time, before moving on to DarkHorseComics.
to:
Usagi is often associated with the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, thanks in part to several crossovers between different incarnations of the properties, and the friendship between Sakai and the Turtles creators. This has permitted Usagi to appear on the screen in both ''TMNT'' cartoons as a recurring character, culminating in an episode set in Usagi's world--the closest thing yet to an ''Usagi'' animated series. ''Usagi Yojimbo'' was also published by Eastman and Laird's Mirage Studios for a time, before moving on to DarkHorseComics.
Creator/DarkHorseComics.
* TheDrifter: Usagi, Gen, Stray Dog, assorted extras.
* TheFaceless: Lord Hikiji, for the most part.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Jei-san to a hapless fisherman. He even {{lampshade}}s it.
* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Inazuma.]]
* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Inazuma.]]
Deleted line(s) 70 (click to see context) :
* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Inazuma.]]
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* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Hikiji as the sole human, something Sakai later regretted doing. [[spoiler: Jesus on the crucifix -- lion, lamb, human, or something else entirely?]] Also, foreigners -- either the unseen {{Ruritania}}ns are some family other than mammalian, or ethnicity and nationality just depends on your WigDressAccent. Either option has enough {{Anvilicious}} UnfortunateImplications to cause a plot implosion.
** Sakai has said Hikiji is mostly kept off panel because he feels the character works better as a Sauron-like figure, manipulating things unseen. As far as the Europeans go, his Nilson Groundthumper strips take place in that part of the UY Earth. The characters there seem to be of a wide variety of species. It should be noted the Nilson stories predate the Ninja Turtles by a few years, despite the latter often being given credit for at least partially inspiring UY.
** Sakai has said Hikiji is mostly kept off panel because he feels the character works better as a Sauron-like figure, manipulating things unseen. As far as the Europeans go, his Nilson Groundthumper strips take place in that part of the UY Earth. The characters there seem to be of a wide variety of species. It should be noted the Nilson stories predate the Ninja Turtles by a few years, despite the latter often being given credit for at least partially inspiring UY.
* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Hikiji as the sole human, something Sakai later regretted doing. [[spoiler: Jesus on the crucifix -- lion, lamb, human, or something else entirely?]] Also, foreigners -- either the unseen {{Ruritania}}ns are some family other than mammalian, or ethnicity and nationality just depends on your WigDressAccent. Either option has enough {{Anvilicious}} UnfortunateImplications to cause a plot implosion.
** Sakai has said Hikiji is mostly kept off panel because he feels the character works better as a Sauron-like figure, manipulating things unseen. As far as the Europeans go, his Nilson Groundthumper strips take place in that part of the UY Earth. The characters there seem to be of a wide variety of species. It should be noted the Nilson stories predate the Ninja Turtles by a few years, despite the latter often being given credit for at least partially inspiring UY.
** Sakai has said Hikiji is mostly kept off panel because he feels the character works better as a Sauron-like figure, manipulating things unseen. As far as the Europeans go, his Nilson Groundthumper strips take place in that part of the UY Earth. The characters there seem to be of a wide variety of species. It should be noted the Nilson stories predate the Ninja Turtles by a few years, despite the latter often being given credit for at least partially inspiring UY.
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Usagi provokes a bandit into demanding that Katsuichi-sensei perform a near impossible feat of cutting a seed of Usagi's nose. Katsuichi calmly replies that this is near impossible, and asks the bandit to release Usagi. The bandit refuses. Katsuichi kills the bandit. When Usagi comments that Katsuichi couldn't/didn't cut the seed, he does so to teach Usagi not to shoot his mouth off.
** Also, any time a character strikes an arrow out of the air with a sword.
** Also, any time a character strikes an arrow out of the air with a sword.
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* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Usagi provokes a bandit into demanding that Katsuichi-sensei perform a near impossible feat of cutting a seed of Usagi's nose. Katsuichi calmly replies that this is near impossible, and asks the bandit to release Usagi. The bandit refuses. Katsuichi kills the bandit. When Usagi comments that Katsuichi couldn't/didn't cut the seed, he does so to teach Usagi not to shoot his mouth off.
** Also, any time a character strikes an arrow out of the air with a sword.
** Also, any time a character strikes an arrow out of the air with a sword.
Deleted line(s) 112 (click to see context) :
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: The story "The Death of Lord Hikiji", where Usagi runs into a couple of other former vassals of Lord Mifune. They are planning to kill Lord Hikiji to avenge Mifune's death, and Usagi has to decide whether or not he wants to join them.
* TheResenter: Kenichi.
* ShortCutsMakeLongDelays: Gen is prone to offer this to Usagi when they're travelling together, and Usagi follows. They end up in a predicament. Every single time, Usagi yells at Gen during or afterwards: "You and your shortcuts!"
Deleted line(s) 159 (click to see context) :
* ShortCutsMakeLongDelays: Gen is prone to offer this to Usagi when they're travelling together, and Usagi follows. They end up in a predicament. Every single time, Usagi yells at Gen during or afterwards: "You and your shortcuts!"
Changed line(s) 166,170 (click to see context) from:
* TheDrifter: Usagi, Gen, Stray Dog, assorted extras.
* TheFaceless: Lord Hikiji, for the most part.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Jei-san to a hapless fisherman. He even {{lampshade}}s it.
* TheResenter: Kenichi.
* TheUnfavorite / BastardBastard: [[spoiler: Noriko. She's shunted to her aunt's after her mom dies because her uncle is actually her biological father (mom and aunt are sisters). Aunty doesn't like her very much and then bio-dad straight-up tells her he'll never accept her as his daughter, so she kills him and poisons her "step" father for being weak. She reveals all of this to her The Favorite cousin Tomoe while beating her to the ground (on top of having worked a day in Noriko's mine). For Noriko, it's a ''very satisfying'' beating.]]
* TheFaceless: Lord Hikiji, for the most part.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Jei-san to a hapless fisherman. He even {{lampshade}}s it.
* TheResenter: Kenichi.
* TheUnfavorite / BastardBastard: [[spoiler: Noriko. She's shunted to her aunt's after her mom dies because her uncle is actually her biological father (mom and aunt are sisters). Aunty doesn't like her very much and then bio-dad straight-up tells her he'll never accept her as his daughter, so she kills him and poisons her "step" father for being weak. She reveals all of this to her The Favorite cousin Tomoe while beating her to the ground (on top of having worked a day in Noriko's mine). For Noriko, it's a ''very satisfying'' beating.]]
to:
* TheDrifter: Usagi, Gen, Stray Dog, assorted extras.
* TheFaceless:ToBeLawfulOrGood: The story "The Death of Lord Hikiji, for the most part.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Jei-sanHikiji", where Usagi runs into a couple of other former vassals of Lord Mifune. They are planning to a hapless fisherman. He even {{lampshade}}s it.
* TheResenter: Kenichi.
* TheUnfavorite / BastardBastard: [[spoiler: Noriko. She's shuntedkill Lord Hikiji to her aunt's after her mom dies because her uncle is actually her biological father (mom avenge Mifune's death, and aunt are sisters). Aunty doesn't like her very much and then bio-dad straight-up tells her he'll never accept her as his daughter, so she kills him and poisons her "step" father for being weak. She reveals all of this Usagi has to her The Favorite cousin Tomoe while beating her decide whether or not he wants to the ground (on top of having worked a day in Noriko's mine). For Noriko, it's a ''very satisfying'' beating.]]join them.
* TheFaceless:
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Jei-san
* TheResenter: Kenichi.
* TheUnfavorite / BastardBastard: [[spoiler: Noriko. She's shunted
* TheUnfavorite / BastardBastard: [[spoiler: Noriko. She's shunted to her aunt's after her mom dies because her uncle is actually her biological father (mom and aunt are sisters). Aunty doesn't like her very much and then bio-dad straight-up tells her he'll never accept her as his daughter, so she kills him and poisons her "step" father for being weak. She reveals all of this to her The Favorite cousin Tomoe while beating her to the ground (on top of having worked a day in Noriko's mine). For Noriko, it's a ''very satisfying'' beating.]]
* TheVoiceless: [[spoiler: Noriyuki's body double. He couldn't imitate his voice so he didn't speak, even after being fatally wounded.]]
* TheVoiceless: [[spoiler: Noriyuki's body double. He couldn't imitate his voice so he didn't speak, even after being fatally wounded.]]
Deleted line(s) 174 (click to see context) :
* TheVoiceless: [[spoiler: Noriyuki's body double. He couldn't imitate his voice so he didn't speak, even after being fatally wounded.]]
* {{Youkai}}: Usagi regularly encounters spirits, ghosts, and demons.
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* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo
* {{Youkai}}: Usagi regularly encounters spirits, ghosts, and demons.
* {{Youkai}}: Usagi regularly encounters spirits, ghosts, and demons.
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* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo
* {{Youkai}}: Usagi regularly encounters spirits, ghosts, and demons.YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo
* {{Youkai}}: Usagi regularly encounters spirits, ghosts, and demons.
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Changed line(s) 2,3 (click to see context) from:
This comic book series by Stan Sakai chronicles the adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, once a loyal retainer of lord Mifune who, after his whole clan was vanquished in battle, [[WalkingTheEarth walks the earth]] as a {{Ronin}}, meeting interesting people, facing mythological monsters and solving the odd murder mystery too.
to:
This [[FurryFandom furry]] comic book series by Stan Sakai chronicles the adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, once a loyal retainer of lord Mifune who, after his whole clan was vanquished in battle, [[WalkingTheEarth walks the earth]] as a {{Ronin}}, meeting interesting people, facing mythological monsters and solving the odd murder mystery too.
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fix the Namespace
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One of the longest-running comics of all time to be drawn and written by a single person, Usagi Yojimbo has been running (under various publishers) since 1984. It's been noted for its meticulously researched and accurate portrayal of feudal Japan (talking animals notwithstanding) as well as its ability to take readers by surprise by messing with tropes; a seemingly lighthearted story may turn out to be a heartrending tragedy, or vice-versa.
to:
One of the longest-running comics of all time to be drawn and written by a single person, Usagi Yojimbo has been running (under various publishers) since 1984. It's been noted for its meticulously researched and accurate portrayal of feudal Japan (talking animals notwithstanding) as well as its ability to take readers by surprise by messing with tropes; a seemingly lighthearted story may turn out to be a heartrending tragedy, or vice-versa.
vice-versa.
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** Genosuké could arguably be labelled a walking berserk button. His questionable character traits tend to set off more Usagi temper tantrums than anything else.
to:
** Genosuké could arguably be labelled a walking berserk button. His questionable character traits tend to set off more Usagi temper tantrums than anything else.
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-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!"
to:
-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!" death!"
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* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Inazuma.]]
to:
* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Inazuma.]] ]]
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* GiveHimANormalLife: Usagi does this for [[spoiler: the son of a lord and his courtesan, Lady Maple, when he gives the child to Inspector Ishida]]. He also did this unknowingly for [[spoiler: his son Jotaro, and decided not to tell him for pretty much this reason]].
to:
* GiveHimANormalLife: Usagi does this for [[spoiler: the son of a lord and his courtesan, Lady Maple, when he gives the child to Inspector Ishida]]. He also did this unknowingly for [[spoiler: his son Jotaro, and decided not to tell him for pretty much this reason]].
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* HitMeDammit
to:
* HitMeDammit HitMeDammit
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*** [[spoiler:The possessed Inazuma isn't quite as implacable as original!Jei, though - she doesn't get better when you make large holes in her.]]
to:
*** [[spoiler:The possessed Inazuma isn't quite as implacable as original!Jei, though - she doesn't get better when you make large holes in her.]] ]]
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* IncurableCoughOfDeath: General Oyaneko suffers from this.
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* LawyerFriendlyCameo: SergioAragones' ''[[GrooTheWanderer Groo]]'' and characters from Mark Crilley's ''Akiko'' have appeared as background characters from time to time-- the former may in fact count as a YuppieCouple. Also [[TheSandman Morpheus]] shows up in line for noodles in the short story 'Noodles.' (As do Jei and Keiko.)
to:
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: SergioAragones' ''[[GrooTheWanderer Groo]]'' and characters from Mark Crilley's ''Akiko'' have appeared as background characters from time to time-- the former may in fact count as a YuppieCouple. Also [[TheSandman [[ComicBook/TheSandman Morpheus]] shows up in line for noodles in the short story 'Noodles.' (As do Jei and Keiko.)
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** Somewhat explained in the backstory for Jei: [[spoiler: the priest to the 'dark gods' points out to Buddhist priest Jizonobu that while they both work to fight "evil," their respective definitions for evil are not necessarily the same. The evil and sin that Jei is fighting is defined for him by the demonic gods he serves]]
to:
** Somewhat explained in the backstory for Jei: [[spoiler: the priest to the 'dark gods' points out to Buddhist priest Jizonobu that while they both work to fight "evil," their respective definitions for evil are not necessarily the same. The evil and sin that Jei is fighting is defined for him by the demonic gods he serves]] serves]]
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* ShipTease: Until the ''Mother of Mountains'' arc, this was the only thing Stan did with the romantic tension between Tomoe and Usagi.
to:
* ShipTease: Until the ''Mother of Mountains'' arc, this was the only thing Stan did with the romantic tension between Tomoe and Usagi.
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Sakai has identified Jei\'s species as \"Wolf\"
Deleted line(s) 69 (click to see context) :
** There's also Jei, although he's an entirely other kettle of fish
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* NoProblemWithLicensedGames: There was a somewhat obscure but excellent HackAndSlash game produced for the Commodore 64 and other 80s computers. Like ''BelowTheRoot'', it had some surprisingly modern innovations such as a KarmaMeter that measured how honorably you behaved.
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Added DiffLines:
** Somewhat explained in the backstory for Jei: [[spoiler: the priest to the 'dark gods' points out to Buddhist priest Jizonobu that while they both work to fight "evil," their respective definitions for evil are not necessarily the same. The evil and sin that Jei is fighting is defined for him by the demonic gods he serves]]
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Added DiffLines:
** There's also Jei, although he's an entirely other kettle of fish
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Changed line(s) 48 (click to see context) from:
* CunningLikeAFox: Kitsune, [[MeaningfulName literally]], Inspector Ishida, and Usagi.
to:
* CunningLikeAFox: Kitsune, [[MeaningfulName literally]], Inspector Ishida, and Usagi. Jei's original body is an aversion, as he is literally a fox but is not so much "cunning" as he is "pants-shittingly terrifying"
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ymmv
Deleted line(s) 95 (click to see context) :
* IAmNotShazam: "Yojimbo" (bodyguard) is not part of his name but sometimes his occupation while on the warrior's path. The 80s cartoon took "Usagi Yojimbo" for his name, the 2003 one correctly had "Miyamoto Usagi".
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Changed line(s) 118 (click to see context) from:
* MagicKnight: Sasuke (not [[{{Naruto}} that one]]) the Demon Queller.
to:
* MagicKnight: Sasuke (not [[{{Naruto}} [[Manga/{{Naruto}} that one]]) the Demon Queller.Queller.
* MatureAnimalStory
* MatureAnimalStory
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Changed line(s) 175 (click to see context) from:
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Initial work had begun on a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlLPYn2km-U ''Space Usagi'' cartoon]], but was stopped after the failure of the superficially similar ''[[BuckyOHare Bucky O'Hare]]''. Similarly, ''Space Usagi'' was slated to make an appearance in the second season ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles: Fast Forward'', but the appearance was scrapped when the season was cancelled.
to:
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Initial work had begun on a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlLPYn2km-U ''Space Usagi'' cartoon]], but was stopped after the failure of the superficially similar ''[[BuckyOHare ''[[ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars Bucky O'Hare]]''. Similarly, ''Space Usagi'' was slated to make an appearance in the second season ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles: Fast Forward'', but the appearance was scrapped when the season was cancelled.
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Changed line(s) 19 (click to see context) from:
** On that note, a ''Space Usagi'' pilot was made, but the project was canned after the failure of ''[[BuckyOHare Bucky O'Hare]]'' [[DuelingShows projected its demise]].
to:
** On that note, a ''Space Usagi'' pilot was made, but the project was canned after the failure of ''[[BuckyOHare Bucky O'Hare]]'' ''ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars'' [[DuelingShows projected its demise]].
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** In most cases where blood is spilled, but Sakai wanted to keep gore down, he instead drew characters exhaling a cloud with a cartoonish skull (in some cases wit the haircut of the dying character) to symbolize death. The trick is an iconic part of the series these days.
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* IAmNotShazam: "Yojimbo" (bodyguard) is not part of his name but sometimes his occupation while on the warrior's path.
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* IAmNotShazam: "Yojimbo" (bodyguard) is not part of his name but sometimes his occupation while on the warrior's path. The 80s cartoon took "Usagi Yojimbo" for his name, the 2003 one correctly had "Miyamoto Usagi".
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* Expy: A TMNT crossover in the comics had a rat sage named Kakera with a suspicious resemblance to Splinter who summons the Turtles through magic.
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* Expy: A TMNT crossover in the comics had a rat sage named Kakera with a suspicious resemblance to Splinter who summons the Turtles through magic. [[BilingualBonus "Kakera" is Japanese for "splinter" or "fragment".]]
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* Expy: A TMNT crossover in the comics had a rat sage named Kakera with a suspicious resemblance to Splinter who summons the Turtles through magic.
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* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In the 2003 TMNT series, Chizu leading the Neko Ninja is made to resemble Karai leading the Foot Ninja.
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* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: Chizu's brother had one [[spoiler: before [[TakingYouWithMe he blew up himself together with the boss of the Dragon Bellows Conspiracy.]]]] She thus replaced him as the head of the Neko Ninja. Invoked many times since by Chizu herself as their BadassCreed.
-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!"
-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!"
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* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: Chizu's brother had one [[spoiler: before [[TakingYouWithMe he blew up himself together with the boss of the Dragon Bellows Conspiracy.]]]] She thus replaced him as the head of the Neko Ninja. Invoked many times since by Chizu herself as their BadassCreed.
-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!"
-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!"
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* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: Chizu's brother had one [[spoiler: before [[TakingYouMithMe he blows up himself together with the boss of the Dragon Bellows Conspiracy.]]]] (She thus replaced him as the head of the Neko Ninja.) Invoked many times since by Chizu herself as their BadassCreed.
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* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: Chizu's brother had one [[spoiler: before [[TakingYouMithMe [[TakingYouWithMe he blows blew up himself together with the boss of the Dragon Bellows Conspiracy.]]]] (She She thus replaced him as the head of the Neko Ninja.) Ninja. Invoked many times since by Chizu herself as their BadassCreed.
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* PragmaticAdaptation: Since Gen's taste for sake couldn't be adapted to the second TMNT cartoon, he was made a gambler instead.
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* PragmaticAdaptation: Since Gen's taste for sake couldn't be adapted to the second TMNT cartoon, he was made a gambler instead. instead.
* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: Chizu's brother had one [[spoiler: before [[TakingYouMithMe he blows up himself together with the boss of the Dragon Bellows Conspiracy.]]]] (She thus replaced him as the head of the Neko Ninja.) Invoked many times since by Chizu herself as their BadassCreed.
-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!"
* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: Chizu's brother had one [[spoiler: before [[TakingYouMithMe he blows up himself together with the boss of the Dragon Bellows Conspiracy.]]]] (She thus replaced him as the head of the Neko Ninja.) Invoked many times since by Chizu herself as their BadassCreed.
-->"A ninja's duty in life... is death!"
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* EvilCounterpart: Kiyoko is a young girl with no family who becomes the companion of Kitsune. The same goes for Keiko and Jei. However, the two pairs have never met.
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* EvilCounterpart: Keiko is this to Kiyoko is a since they're both young girl girls with no family who becomes the become sidekicks of older characters. Keiko's companion of is Jei while Kiyoko's is Kitsune. The same goes for Keiko and Jei. However, the two pairs they (all) have never met.
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* EvilCounterpart: Kiyoko is a young girl with no family who becomes the companion of Kitsune. The same goes for Keiko and Jei. However, the two pairs have never met.
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!!''UsagiYojimbo'' provides examples of:
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uy5.jpg
This comic book series by Stan Sakai chronicles the adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, once a loyal retainer of lord Mifune who, after his whole clan was vanquished in battle, [[WalkingTheEarth walks the earth]] as a {{Ronin}}, meeting interesting people, facing mythological monsters and solving the odd murder mystery too.
Also, he's an anthropomorphic rabbit in an alternative dimension MedievalJapan. And the historical background and strong sense of cultural nuances work ''so'' well. As does the addition of tiny dinosaurs.
One of the longest-running comics of all time to be drawn and written by a single person, Usagi Yojimbo has been running (under various publishers) since 1984. It's been noted for its meticulously researched and accurate portrayal of feudal Japan (talking animals notwithstanding) as well as its ability to take readers by surprise by messing with tropes; a seemingly lighthearted story may turn out to be a heartrending tragedy, or vice-versa.
Usagi is often associated with the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, thanks in part to several crossovers between different incarnations of the properties, and the friendship between Sakai and the Turtles creators. This has permitted Usagi to appear on the screen in both ''TMNT'' cartoons as a recurring character, culminating in an episode set in Usagi's world--the closest thing yet to an ''Usagi'' animated series. ''Usagi Yojimbo'' was also published by Eastman and Laird's Mirage Studios for a time, before moving on to DarkHorseComics.
----
!!''UsagiYojimbo'' provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: [[DarkActionGirl Chizu, Inazuma]], Tomoe Ame. The occasional one-shot story may feature an ActionGirl [[spoiler:who inevitably dies or is [[strike:written out of the series]]married off]].
* AlternateContinuity: Usagi's cartoon incarnations. Also, some stories have had changes made between the comic and graphic novel collections -- such as Usagi [[strike:kissing]] hugging Kinuko after [[http://www.usagiyojimbo.com/casl/letters/volume3/uyletter_16.html a reader pointed out]] that kissing was a courtesan's trick imported by foreigners.
** The story referred to was an earlier one than the Kinuko story, namely Chizu's first instance of kissing Usagi and his utterly baffled response. This has been left as is, as it still fits both their characters.
* ArchEnemy: Jei and Lord Hikiji
* AuthorAvatar: Stan Sakai shows up as a character named Masa in the 141st issue of the Dark Horse run (and number 200 overall) as an artisan who dreamed that creating 200 small statues of a god will save his village from bandits that have taken over. With Usagi's help, the 200th being used upside the leader's head and a mudslide, the dream comes true. His character then states that he'll continue his work after reaching the milestone until he's unable to hold the tools of his trade.
* BackdoorPilot: Usagi's guest shot on the original Ninja Turtles cartoon was supposed to be a set up for his own cartoon show, but the show was never made due to creative differences between Stan Sakai and Playmates. His appearance on the 2000's TMNT show carried no such aspirations; it was just a treat for the fans.
** On that note, a ''Space Usagi'' pilot was made, but the project was canned after the failure of ''[[BuckyOHare Bucky O'Hare]]'' [[DuelingShows projected its demise]].
* {{Badass}}: Miyamoto Usagi.
* BadassPreacher: Sanshobo, who was a samurai until he took his vows. Priest Jizonobu was also a samurai and still an excellent fighter [[spoiler: before he became Jei]].
* BerserkButton: Don't mess with Usagi's swords. No, seriously, just don't.
** Or his teacher, Katsuichi sensei.
** Genosuké could arguably be labelled a walking berserk button. His questionable character traits tend to set off more Usagi temper tantrums than anything else.
* BigNo: Usually before a dramatic death scene.
* BigOlEyebrows: Ishida, Koji.
* BittersweetEnding:
** Gen's story ends with [[spoiler: Gen discovering that the swords he stole from Oda house's were his father's swords, Gen explain that the only way Oda could have obtained them were killing Gen's father]]
** Lady Kiku's story ends with [[spoiler: her and Usagi alive but forced to separate, and Usagi not learning that she still cares about him years later]]
** "Travels With Jotaro" ends with [[spoiler: Usagi and Jotaro being unable to compromise the others happiness by revealing they're father and son, even though they both really want to.]]
** "Sparrows" ends with [[spoiler: Inazuma being forgiven by her family for running off and dying as herself.]]
* BloodlessCarnage: Although blood is present, it is lesser quantities than one would realistically expect.
** Mostly, it seems to be used in sequences where it has the maximum dramatic effect, such as the story arc where Usagi [[spoiler: was poisoned and began to [[FeverDreamEpisode hallucinate]] that he had become Jei's new incarnation, fighting Tomoe]]. The sudden, shocking appearance of so ''much'' blood drove home just how traumatic an experience this was for the protagonist.
* BountyHunter: Gennosuke, Inukai, countless extras, and -- occasionally -- Usagi.
* BrokenPedestal: Mainly in ''Space Usagi''.
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Noriko and Tomoe, although it's Noriko who gets killed, probably.]]
* CaptainObvious: "Follow me, Spot! Our life of peace depends on us staying alive!"
** In "Blade of the Gods", Jei pins Usagi's sleeve to the wall. Usagi's response? "He's pinned my sleeve!" Take note that he says this out loud. This has happened so many times over the years that it's an apparent personality quirk. [[hottip:*: Usagi, awakening to find spiders crawling on his face, brushes them off quickly: "Gah! Spider on my face!"]]
* CatchPhrase: Sasuke will frequently call someone by name without having been properly introduced to them. When they ask how he knew their name, he'll say something like, "You must have mentioned it earlier."
** Not quite a "phrase", but everyone has a different yelling style; for instance, Usagi's '''''"RYAAAAAH!"'''''
* CavalryBetrayal: Happens to Lord Mifune and Lord Noriyuki's dad.
* CloseCallHaircut: To Katsuichi from Koji during their duel, though no one comments on it.
** At least Noriko has a FreudianExcuse...
* ConservationOfNinjitsu: {{Ninja}} mooks abound; the really lethal ones are the named characters.
* CreepyChild: Keiko, after Jei designates her as his "innocent" (acting like a witch's familiar). Although she's quite [[CheerfulChild cheerful]] about it, which, as Keiko cheerfully bids a polite farewell to the men Jei has just murdered, makes it all the eerier.
* CrossOver: The comic featured several early appearances by the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, and Usagi is a RecurringCharacter in the TMNT cartoons.
* CunningLikeAFox: Kitsune, [[MeaningfulName literally]], Inspector Ishida, and Usagi.
* DealWithTheDevil, complete with GiftOfTheMagiPlot: A mediocre artist called Katsushige sold his soul for the ability to create "art the like of which had never been seen before". [[spoiler:The dark gods turned him into an ink set. Anything that was drawn with it became real, but still... he's an ''ink set''.]]
** [[spoiler:Then we have the unfortunate Priest Jizonobu, whose well-meant DealWithTheDevil had even worse consequences.]]
* DefrostingIceQueen: Princess Kiku.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Invoked by the author in order to accurately portray the era and culture of the characters. Certain things considered right and honorable would be deemed harsh and cruel by modern standards. [[spoiler: A good example is Sanshobo, whose son commited suicide in order to make up for his father's perceived failure in not successfully rescuing his master's own son.]]
* DisabilitySuperPower: Zato Ino, "The Blind Swordspig", who can "see" things thanks to his sense of smell -- a common trait of the blind being the heightening of their other senses.
* DueToTheDead: In the story "Broken Ritual" (plot by SergioAragones), a village is haunted by the ghost of a general whose ''{{Seppuku}}'' attempt is interrupted by a squad of enemy soldiers. The ghost is exorcised when Usagi waits for its next appearance and helps complete the ritual.
* [[spoiler: DyingAsYourself: Inazuma. She even gets to make peace with her family.]]
* EarsAsHair: Usagi most often has his ears pulled into a ponytail, or possibly a top-knot. When he puts on a hat or a helmet, they disappear completely.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Subverted/inverted in "A Mother's Love". [[spoiler:Even moms love their bad sons, but sometimes they're just ''too'' bad... and ''must be stopped''.]]
* EvilIsDeathlyCold: The air around Jei-san becomes noticeably chilly.
* EyePatchOfPower: After losing his eye in the battle that makes Usagi think he's dead, Katsuichi Sensei covers it with a sword guard.
* FaceFramedInShadow: Lord Hikiji [[spoiler: and Jesus on the crucifix]].
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: The cruel capture and murder of poor, innocent Noodles. His only friends are kept back by corrupt lawmen while the terrified GentleGiant is tortured, then graphically run through with spears.
* FantasticFoxes: Kitsune, although she's just really skilled. ''Actually magical'' kitsune have appeared only briefly, and never as named characters.
** There ''was'' [[ShoutOut Kuzunoha]] in one story, a traditionally [[FemmeFatale evil and seductive]] kitsune.
* FightMagnet[=/=]WeirdnessMagnet: Usagi has an amazing tendency to attract all the weird and dangerous things in any area he is passing through. He will accidentally bump into an ancient, mystic sword and get himself in the middle of an anti-shogun conspiracy or become number one on a local psychopath’s “to kill” list. No matter how much he tries to avoid it, he always ends up in a fight. If it's not {{Youkai}} he has to kill, then a village needs to be saved from a {{Yakuza}}. Most of his friends are not ordinary people, either. This happy bunch includes: a bounty hunter, a powerful daimyo, said daimyo’s ActionGirl bodyguard, the former head of a ninja clan who would love to get rid of Usagi, a BadassGrandpa OldMaster, a ClassyCatBurglar, and a professional demon hunter.
* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Inazuma.]]
* FourIsDeath: The quartet of assassins known as "Shi".
* FurryConfusion: The world is populated with {{Funny Animal}}s of most species. Horses, lizards (tokage), birds, fish, and insects are excepted to minimize potential {{Squick}} value.
* GenreBusting
* GentlemanThief: Kitsune, her sidekick Kiyoko, and Nezumi.
* GiveHimANormalLife: Usagi does this for [[spoiler: the son of a lord and his courtesan, Lady Maple, when he gives the child to Inspector Ishida]]. He also did this unknowingly for [[spoiler: his son Jotaro, and decided not to tell him for pretty much this reason]].
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Usagi gets a cut over his eyebrow during the battle of Adachigahara. Not a "scar" per se, but Gen had his horn chopped off.
* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Hikiji as the sole human, something Sakai later regretted doing. [[spoiler: Jesus on the crucifix -- lion, lamb, human, or something else entirely?]] Also, foreigners -- either the unseen {{Ruritania}}ns are some family other than mammalian, or ethnicity and nationality just depends on your WigDressAccent. Either option has enough {{Anvilicious}} UnfortunateImplications to cause a plot implosion.
** Sakai has said Hikiji is mostly kept off panel because he feels the character works better as a Sauron-like figure, manipulating things unseen. As far as the Europeans go, his Nilson Groundthumper strips take place in that part of the UY Earth. The characters there seem to be of a wide variety of species. It should be noted the Nilson stories predate the Ninja Turtles by a few years, despite the latter often being given credit for at least partially inspiring UY.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: [[{{Ninja}} Saru]] and [[RetiredBadass Ikeda]] both do this in ''Journey to Atsuta Shrine'', but for different reasons]]
** [[spoiler: Lord Noriyuki has a body double -- or rather he ''had'' one. He never speaks even after being wounded because his voice is different, and a remorseful Tomoe promises he'll get an honorable burial.]]
** [[spoiler: Lady Maple throws herself in front of a scheming lord's sword to save her son; unfortunately she didn't know Usagi had brought a doll in his place. For double irony points Usagi had already dealt with a doll-double and hated people sacrificing themselves for it.]]
** [[spoiler: The secret Christians are willing to put their lives on the line to get one crucifix to their followers; if any of them were caught they would've been crucified themselves.]]
* HighPressureBlood: In the beginning, and notably in Tomoe and Noriyuki's debut episode.
* HitMeDammit
* HonestAxe
* HonorBeforeReason: Reconstructed. Usagi has no problem using trickery, usually to help the underdog. Characters who mistake honor for weakness frequently come off the worse for it. Also played straight, averted, and subverted, depending on the character and occasion. For instance, if a character takes a stand in this series and says, "I am adamant!," you will know that ''nothing'', especially death threats, is going to make them change their mind.
** As in RealLife, most samurai would die in an assassination attempt on their lord's murderer than let the murderer get away with it.
** [[ShoutOut Watanabe Ken]] would sooner die from fighting the police than live comfortably with his daughter after she married into the merchant class.
* HumansAreBastards: The main villain, the shadowy Lord Hikiji, is a human in a world otherwise populated by anthropomorphic animals; the only ''other'' human-looking character with a speaking part [[spoiler:is really a flesh-eating monster]].
** It should be noted none of the main characters (and few of the minor characters) have seen Hikiji's true face, nor has his species -- something that Sakai later regretted showing -- been pinpointed as the reason for his evil.
** And [[spoiler: {{Jesus}}, who appears in a crucifix]]. Not a bastard.
*** Inconclusive -- there's too much shadow, although potentially lion since the shape of his head is vaguely similar to the LionKing Musical's logo.
*** [[spoiler:Jesus as a lion?]] Hmm... [[TheChroniclesOfNarnia Why does that sound familiar?]]
* TheHunter: Sasuke the Demon Queller
* IAmNotShazam: "Yojimbo" (bodyguard) is not part of his name but sometimes his occupation while on the warrior's path.
* ImplacableMan: Jei-san, Inazuma, and [[spoiler:Inazuma after she gets possessed by Jei -- presumably also Jei as Hama]].
** After being (seriously) wounded in one fight, Inazuma reassures [[MoralityPet Keiko]] that it's [[MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail "merely a]] [[OnlyAFleshWound flesh wound"]].
*** [[spoiler:The possessed Inazuma isn't quite as implacable as original!Jei, though - she doesn't get better when you make large holes in her.]]
** Usagi does a brilliant job of this with General Fujii, to boot (with appropriate NightmareSequence), but as TheHero, this is {{Determinator}}.
* ImprobableAimingSkills:
-->Kinuko: "I just aimed at everything '''except''' the target!"
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Usagi provokes a bandit into demanding that Katsuichi-sensei perform a near impossible feat of cutting a seed of Usagi's nose. Katsuichi calmly replies that this is near impossible, and asks the bandit to release Usagi. The bandit refuses. Katsuichi kills the bandit. When Usagi comments that Katsuichi couldn't/didn't cut the seed, he does so to teach Usagi not to shoot his mouth off.
** Also, any time a character strikes an arrow out of the air with a sword.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: General Oyaneko suffers from this.
* InstantExpert: Inazuma had an "instant affinity" with swords after she was forced to become a performer and soon surpassed her samurai husband's skill.
* JerkAssFacade: Gen, Stray Dog.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Gen, which Usagi amusedly calls him out on.
** Also Inukai, who [[spoiler: regularly donates large part of his earned money to an orphanage and seems to genuinely enjoy it.]]
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Noriko to Tomoe (twice), Noriko to the laborers.
* KidSamurai: Usagi during the flashbacks, Jotaro, Gorogoro, [[spoiler:Motokazu]].
* KillerRabbit: HAW! (though, only when necessary)
* KnightErrant: Usagi
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: The story "The Death of Lord Hikiji", where Usagi runs into a couple of other former vassals of Lord Mifune. They are planning to kill Lord Hikiji to avenge Mifune's death, and Usagi has to decide whether or not he wants to join them.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: SergioAragones' ''[[GrooTheWanderer Groo]]'' and characters from Mark Crilley's ''Akiko'' have appeared as background characters from time to time-- the former may in fact count as a YuppieCouple. Also [[TheSandman Morpheus]] shows up in line for noodles in the short story 'Noodles.' (As do Jei and Keiko.)
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Oh, boy. Easily into the hundreds of characters just from the ones who are ''named''.
* LukeYouAreMyFather Averted [[spoiler: Jotaro shouts this to Usagi, but he's too far away to hear]]
** [[spoiler: And they both know of Jotaro's true paternity, but they don't know that the other knows.]]
* MagicKnight: Sasuke (not [[{{Naruto}} that one]]) the Demon Queller.
* MeaningfulEcho: For a while, Usagi has a pet tokage he calls "Spot". Later, Jotaro befriends a tokage and names it "Spot", without prior knowledge of Usagi's. In the ''SpaceUsagi'' spin-off, Kiyoshi also names a tokage "Spot".
* MeaningfulName: Usagi means "rabbit" in Japanese. Kitsune, of course, is "fox", even if hers is a nickname given by her mentor in the art of thieving.
-->'''Kitsune''': 'Kitsune'? The trickster fox? I like it!
* MedievalJapan: Practically identical, besides the {{Funny Animal}}s. And magic and creatures of myth are ''real''. (albeit not an everyday thing)
* MilkyWhiteEyes: Jei-san [[spoiler: and anyone he/it possesses]], and ''technically'' all other supernatural beings since it's a black & white comic.
** Except the Mirage issues and Color Specials.
* MiyamotoMusashi: The inspiration for Usagi.
* MoodWhiplash: Not only does the story itself do this, but the art style is very suited to quick, seamless transitions from detailed dramatic images to humorous cartoonish ones.
* MurderInc: Koroshi, the assassin's guild, any of the ninja clans...
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Captain Torame from "The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy."
** And to some extent, Kenichi. After Hikiji killed the old village headman (Usagi's father), he appointed Kenichi in his place. Initially taking the assignment out of fear, Kenichi now serves out of duty (though Hikiji probably doesn't pay much attention to the town). Usagi sometimes feels guilt that Kenichi has shouldered burdens Usagi feels honor-bound to walk away from.
* NeverFoundTheBody: Jei's first and second appearances [[spoiler: in his last appearance no one actually saw him disintegrate, and he's a spirit anyway]]; teased for the ex-Neko Ninja ''chunin'' [[spoiler: unfortunately the giant explosion from the gunpowder he was sitting on probably rules this out. Tomoe has a nightmare that Noriko escaped the explosion/cave-in at the end of "Mother of Mountains", but Usagi assures her that even if they don't find a body she probably didn't survive.]]
* {{Ninja}}: The Neko, Komori, and Mogura clans of ninja. Chizu of the Neko clan is an important secondary character.
* {{Obake}}: Many Japanese creatures appear in ''UY'', from kappas to obakenekos, nues, onis and so on.
* ObliviouslyEvil:
-->'''Jei''': It is a nigh impossible task... to eradicate sin.
* OldMaster: Katsuichi-sensei.
* OperationJealousy: [[spoiler: Kitsune tells Tomoe that she and Usagi have "shared so many adventures and... other things" but she's just trying to get rid of the heroes while she's running a con.]]
* PetTheDog: Jei-san and Keiko, Gen and Stray Dog's acts of kindness.
* PragmaticAdaptation: Since Gen's taste for sake couldn't be adapted to the second TMNT cartoon, he was made a gambler instead.
* PublicDomainArtifact: Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Grass-Cutting Sword, one of Japan's imperial regalia (which is nearly as important to Japanese legend as Excalibur is in England), is the center of a whole story arc.
* PunnyName: Some throwaway secondary characters have names that are somewhat funny when translated from Japanese.
* RecurringExtra: The omnipresent woodcutters. Groo, on occasion.
* RecycledINSPACE: ''Space Usagi'' features descendants of the main characters and puts them in a SpaceOpera setting.
* RedOniBlueOni: Gen and Usagi; Noriko and Tomoe.
* {{Ronin}}: Usagi and many secondary characters.
* {{Samurai}}: Usagi, Tomoe, and ''so many extras besides''.
* ScareEmStraight: Usagi, either first or second hand, to several young people who think the life a wanderer is glamorous.
* ScarsAreForever: Usagi is consistently drawn with his scar from the battle at Adatachi Plain (even if other such scarring he acquires eventually heals). Katsuichi loses his eye and wears an eyepatch ([[RuleOfCool made from a sword guard]]) from that point on.
* ScoobyDooHoax: The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: Katsuichi-sensei is prone to do this.
* {{Seppuku}}: Appears periodically, usually when a character needs to atone for an earlier shame.
* ShamuFu: At one point, Usagi defends a fish merchant from a armed gang attempting a protection racket with nothing more than that day's catch.
* ShipTease: Until the ''Mother of Mountains'' arc, this was the only thing Stan did with the romantic tension between Tomoe and Usagi.
* ShoutOut: Many characters are [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to [[JidaiGeki Chanbara]] heroes -- the Lone Goat and Kid is a nod to the LoneWolfAndCub, Zato-Ino the blind masseur pig is a thinly-veiled version of Zatoichi, Lord Mifune references the actor ToshiroMifune, and so on.
** Jei's name is a shout out to the ''Friday the 13th'' film series. ("Jei-san")
** In addition to a ton of ''StarWars'' shout-outs in ''Space Usagi'', the Bugg Planet is a shout-out to ''[[NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind Nausicaa]]''.
*** Not to mention that one swordfight of Usagi is an almost exact adaptation of the first-bokken-then-swords duel from ''SevenSamurai''.
* ShortCutsMakeLongDelays: Gen is prone to offer this to Usagi when they're travelling together, and Usagi follows. They end up in a predicament. Every single time, Usagi yells at Gen during or afterwards: "You and your shortcuts!"
* ShownTheirWork: Stan Sakai may research some aspect of ancient Japanese life, from pottery to seaweed farming or geishas, and render it lovingly on the page or describe it in detail in the afterwords. In fact, Sakai's research and presentation of this stuff is so on the money that he won a Parent's Choice Award for the comic's educational value.
* SingleStrokeBattle
* SpaceWhale: [[InSPACE Giant space]] turtles! (in ''Space Usagi'')
** Whose corpses get turned into [[CoolShip giant space ships!]]
* SpeechBubbles: There is a speech bubble for ''death'', with a skull in it.
* SwipeYourBladeOff: After every blood-drawing battle. Usagi is regularly depicted as cleaning his swords, however, so perhaps it's to minimize how much he has to clean later.
* TheDrifter: Usagi, Gen, Stray Dog, assorted extras.
* TheFaceless: Lord Hikiji, for the most part.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Jei-san to a hapless fisherman. He even {{lampshade}}s it.
* TheResenter: Kenichi.
* TheUnfavorite / BastardBastard: [[spoiler: Noriko. She's shunted to her aunt's after her mom dies because her uncle is actually her biological father (mom and aunt are sisters). Aunty doesn't like her very much and then bio-dad straight-up tells her he'll never accept her as his daughter, so she kills him and poisons her "step" father for being weak. She reveals all of this to her The Favorite cousin Tomoe while beating her to the ground (on top of having worked a day in Noriko's mine). For Noriko, it's a ''very satisfying'' beating.]]
* TrickDialogue: In trying to get out of the rain, Usagi came across the swordswoman Inazuma telling her life's story to some of her friends. By the time she is finished, the rain has let up, so Inazuma bids them farewell and heads out. Usagi makes an aside about the story to one of the "friends"... only to discover that all four of them are dead -- bounty hunters who had been trying unsuccessfully to kill Inazuma.
** Usagi goes to return a small trinket to a fellow member of Lord Mifune's army. [[spoiler:The trinket was a good-luck charm; Usagi tells the man he is sorry he was unable to return it previously, then leaves it on the top of the man's gravestone and walks away.]]
* VoiceOfTheLegion: Jei-san [[spoiler: and anyone possessed by him/it]].
* TheVoiceless: [[spoiler: Noriyuki's body double. He couldn't imitate his voice so he didn't speak, even after being fatally wounded.]]
* WalkingTheEarth: Usagi travels the shogyusha -- the warrior's path.
* WaxOnWaxOff
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Initial work had begun on a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlLPYn2km-U ''Space Usagi'' cartoon]], but was stopped after the failure of the superficially similar ''[[BuckyOHare Bucky O'Hare]]''. Similarly, ''Space Usagi'' was slated to make an appearance in the second season ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles: Fast Forward'', but the appearance was scrapped when the season was cancelled.
* WhipItGood: Sakura.
* WorthyOpponent: Captain Torame in "The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy". He's so [[MyMasterRightOrWrong loyal]], he'll stay with his lord even though he knows his plans are evil.
---> '''Torame''', trading ''Bushido'' sayings with Usagi: "Is there ever a circumstance when ''rebellion'' against one's lord can be justified?"\\
'''Usagi''': '''''"Never!"'''''\\
'''Torame''': Ah, but it can be justified, ''if the rebellion '''succeeds'''!''
* {{Yakuza}}: Many antagonists.
* YouKilledMyFather: A samurai gets permission to kill the four bad guys who killed his father; Usagi in ''Space Usagi'' for both his lord and himself.
* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo
* {{Youkai}}: Usagi regularly encounters spirits, ghosts, and demons.
This comic book series by Stan Sakai chronicles the adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, once a loyal retainer of lord Mifune who, after his whole clan was vanquished in battle, [[WalkingTheEarth walks the earth]] as a {{Ronin}}, meeting interesting people, facing mythological monsters and solving the odd murder mystery too.
Also, he's an anthropomorphic rabbit in an alternative dimension MedievalJapan. And the historical background and strong sense of cultural nuances work ''so'' well. As does the addition of tiny dinosaurs.
One of the longest-running comics of all time to be drawn and written by a single person, Usagi Yojimbo has been running (under various publishers) since 1984. It's been noted for its meticulously researched and accurate portrayal of feudal Japan (talking animals notwithstanding) as well as its ability to take readers by surprise by messing with tropes; a seemingly lighthearted story may turn out to be a heartrending tragedy, or vice-versa.
Usagi is often associated with the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, thanks in part to several crossovers between different incarnations of the properties, and the friendship between Sakai and the Turtles creators. This has permitted Usagi to appear on the screen in both ''TMNT'' cartoons as a recurring character, culminating in an episode set in Usagi's world--the closest thing yet to an ''Usagi'' animated series. ''Usagi Yojimbo'' was also published by Eastman and Laird's Mirage Studios for a time, before moving on to DarkHorseComics.
----
!!''UsagiYojimbo'' provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: [[DarkActionGirl Chizu, Inazuma]], Tomoe Ame. The occasional one-shot story may feature an ActionGirl [[spoiler:who inevitably dies or is [[strike:written out of the series]]married off]].
* AlternateContinuity: Usagi's cartoon incarnations. Also, some stories have had changes made between the comic and graphic novel collections -- such as Usagi [[strike:kissing]] hugging Kinuko after [[http://www.usagiyojimbo.com/casl/letters/volume3/uyletter_16.html a reader pointed out]] that kissing was a courtesan's trick imported by foreigners.
** The story referred to was an earlier one than the Kinuko story, namely Chizu's first instance of kissing Usagi and his utterly baffled response. This has been left as is, as it still fits both their characters.
* ArchEnemy: Jei and Lord Hikiji
* AuthorAvatar: Stan Sakai shows up as a character named Masa in the 141st issue of the Dark Horse run (and number 200 overall) as an artisan who dreamed that creating 200 small statues of a god will save his village from bandits that have taken over. With Usagi's help, the 200th being used upside the leader's head and a mudslide, the dream comes true. His character then states that he'll continue his work after reaching the milestone until he's unable to hold the tools of his trade.
* BackdoorPilot: Usagi's guest shot on the original Ninja Turtles cartoon was supposed to be a set up for his own cartoon show, but the show was never made due to creative differences between Stan Sakai and Playmates. His appearance on the 2000's TMNT show carried no such aspirations; it was just a treat for the fans.
** On that note, a ''Space Usagi'' pilot was made, but the project was canned after the failure of ''[[BuckyOHare Bucky O'Hare]]'' [[DuelingShows projected its demise]].
* {{Badass}}: Miyamoto Usagi.
* BadassPreacher: Sanshobo, who was a samurai until he took his vows. Priest Jizonobu was also a samurai and still an excellent fighter [[spoiler: before he became Jei]].
* BerserkButton: Don't mess with Usagi's swords. No, seriously, just don't.
** Or his teacher, Katsuichi sensei.
** Genosuké could arguably be labelled a walking berserk button. His questionable character traits tend to set off more Usagi temper tantrums than anything else.
* BigNo: Usually before a dramatic death scene.
* BigOlEyebrows: Ishida, Koji.
* BittersweetEnding:
** Gen's story ends with [[spoiler: Gen discovering that the swords he stole from Oda house's were his father's swords, Gen explain that the only way Oda could have obtained them were killing Gen's father]]
** Lady Kiku's story ends with [[spoiler: her and Usagi alive but forced to separate, and Usagi not learning that she still cares about him years later]]
** "Travels With Jotaro" ends with [[spoiler: Usagi and Jotaro being unable to compromise the others happiness by revealing they're father and son, even though they both really want to.]]
** "Sparrows" ends with [[spoiler: Inazuma being forgiven by her family for running off and dying as herself.]]
* BloodlessCarnage: Although blood is present, it is lesser quantities than one would realistically expect.
** Mostly, it seems to be used in sequences where it has the maximum dramatic effect, such as the story arc where Usagi [[spoiler: was poisoned and began to [[FeverDreamEpisode hallucinate]] that he had become Jei's new incarnation, fighting Tomoe]]. The sudden, shocking appearance of so ''much'' blood drove home just how traumatic an experience this was for the protagonist.
* BountyHunter: Gennosuke, Inukai, countless extras, and -- occasionally -- Usagi.
* BrokenPedestal: Mainly in ''Space Usagi''.
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Noriko and Tomoe, although it's Noriko who gets killed, probably.]]
* CaptainObvious: "Follow me, Spot! Our life of peace depends on us staying alive!"
** In "Blade of the Gods", Jei pins Usagi's sleeve to the wall. Usagi's response? "He's pinned my sleeve!" Take note that he says this out loud. This has happened so many times over the years that it's an apparent personality quirk. [[hottip:*: Usagi, awakening to find spiders crawling on his face, brushes them off quickly: "Gah! Spider on my face!"]]
* CatchPhrase: Sasuke will frequently call someone by name without having been properly introduced to them. When they ask how he knew their name, he'll say something like, "You must have mentioned it earlier."
** Not quite a "phrase", but everyone has a different yelling style; for instance, Usagi's '''''"RYAAAAAH!"'''''
* CavalryBetrayal: Happens to Lord Mifune and Lord Noriyuki's dad.
* CloseCallHaircut: To Katsuichi from Koji during their duel, though no one comments on it.
** At least Noriko has a FreudianExcuse...
* ConservationOfNinjitsu: {{Ninja}} mooks abound; the really lethal ones are the named characters.
* CreepyChild: Keiko, after Jei designates her as his "innocent" (acting like a witch's familiar). Although she's quite [[CheerfulChild cheerful]] about it, which, as Keiko cheerfully bids a polite farewell to the men Jei has just murdered, makes it all the eerier.
* CrossOver: The comic featured several early appearances by the TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, and Usagi is a RecurringCharacter in the TMNT cartoons.
* CunningLikeAFox: Kitsune, [[MeaningfulName literally]], Inspector Ishida, and Usagi.
* DealWithTheDevil, complete with GiftOfTheMagiPlot: A mediocre artist called Katsushige sold his soul for the ability to create "art the like of which had never been seen before". [[spoiler:The dark gods turned him into an ink set. Anything that was drawn with it became real, but still... he's an ''ink set''.]]
** [[spoiler:Then we have the unfortunate Priest Jizonobu, whose well-meant DealWithTheDevil had even worse consequences.]]
* DefrostingIceQueen: Princess Kiku.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Invoked by the author in order to accurately portray the era and culture of the characters. Certain things considered right and honorable would be deemed harsh and cruel by modern standards. [[spoiler: A good example is Sanshobo, whose son commited suicide in order to make up for his father's perceived failure in not successfully rescuing his master's own son.]]
* DisabilitySuperPower: Zato Ino, "The Blind Swordspig", who can "see" things thanks to his sense of smell -- a common trait of the blind being the heightening of their other senses.
* DueToTheDead: In the story "Broken Ritual" (plot by SergioAragones), a village is haunted by the ghost of a general whose ''{{Seppuku}}'' attempt is interrupted by a squad of enemy soldiers. The ghost is exorcised when Usagi waits for its next appearance and helps complete the ritual.
* [[spoiler: DyingAsYourself: Inazuma. She even gets to make peace with her family.]]
* EarsAsHair: Usagi most often has his ears pulled into a ponytail, or possibly a top-knot. When he puts on a hat or a helmet, they disappear completely.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Subverted/inverted in "A Mother's Love". [[spoiler:Even moms love their bad sons, but sometimes they're just ''too'' bad... and ''must be stopped''.]]
* EvilIsDeathlyCold: The air around Jei-san becomes noticeably chilly.
* EyePatchOfPower: After losing his eye in the battle that makes Usagi think he's dead, Katsuichi Sensei covers it with a sword guard.
* FaceFramedInShadow: Lord Hikiji [[spoiler: and Jesus on the crucifix]].
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: The cruel capture and murder of poor, innocent Noodles. His only friends are kept back by corrupt lawmen while the terrified GentleGiant is tortured, then graphically run through with spears.
* FantasticFoxes: Kitsune, although she's just really skilled. ''Actually magical'' kitsune have appeared only briefly, and never as named characters.
** There ''was'' [[ShoutOut Kuzunoha]] in one story, a traditionally [[FemmeFatale evil and seductive]] kitsune.
* FightMagnet[=/=]WeirdnessMagnet: Usagi has an amazing tendency to attract all the weird and dangerous things in any area he is passing through. He will accidentally bump into an ancient, mystic sword and get himself in the middle of an anti-shogun conspiracy or become number one on a local psychopath’s “to kill” list. No matter how much he tries to avoid it, he always ends up in a fight. If it's not {{Youkai}} he has to kill, then a village needs to be saved from a {{Yakuza}}. Most of his friends are not ordinary people, either. This happy bunch includes: a bounty hunter, a powerful daimyo, said daimyo’s ActionGirl bodyguard, the former head of a ninja clan who would love to get rid of Usagi, a BadassGrandpa OldMaster, a ClassyCatBurglar, and a professional demon hunter.
* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Inazuma.]]
* FourIsDeath: The quartet of assassins known as "Shi".
* FurryConfusion: The world is populated with {{Funny Animal}}s of most species. Horses, lizards (tokage), birds, fish, and insects are excepted to minimize potential {{Squick}} value.
* GenreBusting
* GentlemanThief: Kitsune, her sidekick Kiyoko, and Nezumi.
* GiveHimANormalLife: Usagi does this for [[spoiler: the son of a lord and his courtesan, Lady Maple, when he gives the child to Inspector Ishida]]. He also did this unknowingly for [[spoiler: his son Jotaro, and decided not to tell him for pretty much this reason]].
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Usagi gets a cut over his eyebrow during the battle of Adachigahara. Not a "scar" per se, but Gen had his horn chopped off.
* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Hikiji as the sole human, something Sakai later regretted doing. [[spoiler: Jesus on the crucifix -- lion, lamb, human, or something else entirely?]] Also, foreigners -- either the unseen {{Ruritania}}ns are some family other than mammalian, or ethnicity and nationality just depends on your WigDressAccent. Either option has enough {{Anvilicious}} UnfortunateImplications to cause a plot implosion.
** Sakai has said Hikiji is mostly kept off panel because he feels the character works better as a Sauron-like figure, manipulating things unseen. As far as the Europeans go, his Nilson Groundthumper strips take place in that part of the UY Earth. The characters there seem to be of a wide variety of species. It should be noted the Nilson stories predate the Ninja Turtles by a few years, despite the latter often being given credit for at least partially inspiring UY.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: [[{{Ninja}} Saru]] and [[RetiredBadass Ikeda]] both do this in ''Journey to Atsuta Shrine'', but for different reasons]]
** [[spoiler: Lord Noriyuki has a body double -- or rather he ''had'' one. He never speaks even after being wounded because his voice is different, and a remorseful Tomoe promises he'll get an honorable burial.]]
** [[spoiler: Lady Maple throws herself in front of a scheming lord's sword to save her son; unfortunately she didn't know Usagi had brought a doll in his place. For double irony points Usagi had already dealt with a doll-double and hated people sacrificing themselves for it.]]
** [[spoiler: The secret Christians are willing to put their lives on the line to get one crucifix to their followers; if any of them were caught they would've been crucified themselves.]]
* HighPressureBlood: In the beginning, and notably in Tomoe and Noriyuki's debut episode.
* HitMeDammit
* HonestAxe
* HonorBeforeReason: Reconstructed. Usagi has no problem using trickery, usually to help the underdog. Characters who mistake honor for weakness frequently come off the worse for it. Also played straight, averted, and subverted, depending on the character and occasion. For instance, if a character takes a stand in this series and says, "I am adamant!," you will know that ''nothing'', especially death threats, is going to make them change their mind.
** As in RealLife, most samurai would die in an assassination attempt on their lord's murderer than let the murderer get away with it.
** [[ShoutOut Watanabe Ken]] would sooner die from fighting the police than live comfortably with his daughter after she married into the merchant class.
* HumansAreBastards: The main villain, the shadowy Lord Hikiji, is a human in a world otherwise populated by anthropomorphic animals; the only ''other'' human-looking character with a speaking part [[spoiler:is really a flesh-eating monster]].
** It should be noted none of the main characters (and few of the minor characters) have seen Hikiji's true face, nor has his species -- something that Sakai later regretted showing -- been pinpointed as the reason for his evil.
** And [[spoiler: {{Jesus}}, who appears in a crucifix]]. Not a bastard.
*** Inconclusive -- there's too much shadow, although potentially lion since the shape of his head is vaguely similar to the LionKing Musical's logo.
*** [[spoiler:Jesus as a lion?]] Hmm... [[TheChroniclesOfNarnia Why does that sound familiar?]]
* TheHunter: Sasuke the Demon Queller
* IAmNotShazam: "Yojimbo" (bodyguard) is not part of his name but sometimes his occupation while on the warrior's path.
* ImplacableMan: Jei-san, Inazuma, and [[spoiler:Inazuma after she gets possessed by Jei -- presumably also Jei as Hama]].
** After being (seriously) wounded in one fight, Inazuma reassures [[MoralityPet Keiko]] that it's [[MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail "merely a]] [[OnlyAFleshWound flesh wound"]].
*** [[spoiler:The possessed Inazuma isn't quite as implacable as original!Jei, though - she doesn't get better when you make large holes in her.]]
** Usagi does a brilliant job of this with General Fujii, to boot (with appropriate NightmareSequence), but as TheHero, this is {{Determinator}}.
* ImprobableAimingSkills:
-->Kinuko: "I just aimed at everything '''except''' the target!"
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Usagi provokes a bandit into demanding that Katsuichi-sensei perform a near impossible feat of cutting a seed of Usagi's nose. Katsuichi calmly replies that this is near impossible, and asks the bandit to release Usagi. The bandit refuses. Katsuichi kills the bandit. When Usagi comments that Katsuichi couldn't/didn't cut the seed, he does so to teach Usagi not to shoot his mouth off.
** Also, any time a character strikes an arrow out of the air with a sword.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: General Oyaneko suffers from this.
* InstantExpert: Inazuma had an "instant affinity" with swords after she was forced to become a performer and soon surpassed her samurai husband's skill.
* JerkAssFacade: Gen, Stray Dog.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Gen, which Usagi amusedly calls him out on.
** Also Inukai, who [[spoiler: regularly donates large part of his earned money to an orphanage and seems to genuinely enjoy it.]]
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Noriko to Tomoe (twice), Noriko to the laborers.
* KidSamurai: Usagi during the flashbacks, Jotaro, Gorogoro, [[spoiler:Motokazu]].
* KillerRabbit: HAW! (though, only when necessary)
* KnightErrant: Usagi
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: The story "The Death of Lord Hikiji", where Usagi runs into a couple of other former vassals of Lord Mifune. They are planning to kill Lord Hikiji to avenge Mifune's death, and Usagi has to decide whether or not he wants to join them.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: SergioAragones' ''[[GrooTheWanderer Groo]]'' and characters from Mark Crilley's ''Akiko'' have appeared as background characters from time to time-- the former may in fact count as a YuppieCouple. Also [[TheSandman Morpheus]] shows up in line for noodles in the short story 'Noodles.' (As do Jei and Keiko.)
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Oh, boy. Easily into the hundreds of characters just from the ones who are ''named''.
* LukeYouAreMyFather Averted [[spoiler: Jotaro shouts this to Usagi, but he's too far away to hear]]
** [[spoiler: And they both know of Jotaro's true paternity, but they don't know that the other knows.]]
* MagicKnight: Sasuke (not [[{{Naruto}} that one]]) the Demon Queller.
* MeaningfulEcho: For a while, Usagi has a pet tokage he calls "Spot". Later, Jotaro befriends a tokage and names it "Spot", without prior knowledge of Usagi's. In the ''SpaceUsagi'' spin-off, Kiyoshi also names a tokage "Spot".
* MeaningfulName: Usagi means "rabbit" in Japanese. Kitsune, of course, is "fox", even if hers is a nickname given by her mentor in the art of thieving.
-->'''Kitsune''': 'Kitsune'? The trickster fox? I like it!
* MedievalJapan: Practically identical, besides the {{Funny Animal}}s. And magic and creatures of myth are ''real''. (albeit not an everyday thing)
* MilkyWhiteEyes: Jei-san [[spoiler: and anyone he/it possesses]], and ''technically'' all other supernatural beings since it's a black & white comic.
** Except the Mirage issues and Color Specials.
* MiyamotoMusashi: The inspiration for Usagi.
* MoodWhiplash: Not only does the story itself do this, but the art style is very suited to quick, seamless transitions from detailed dramatic images to humorous cartoonish ones.
* MurderInc: Koroshi, the assassin's guild, any of the ninja clans...
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Captain Torame from "The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy."
** And to some extent, Kenichi. After Hikiji killed the old village headman (Usagi's father), he appointed Kenichi in his place. Initially taking the assignment out of fear, Kenichi now serves out of duty (though Hikiji probably doesn't pay much attention to the town). Usagi sometimes feels guilt that Kenichi has shouldered burdens Usagi feels honor-bound to walk away from.
* NeverFoundTheBody: Jei's first and second appearances [[spoiler: in his last appearance no one actually saw him disintegrate, and he's a spirit anyway]]; teased for the ex-Neko Ninja ''chunin'' [[spoiler: unfortunately the giant explosion from the gunpowder he was sitting on probably rules this out. Tomoe has a nightmare that Noriko escaped the explosion/cave-in at the end of "Mother of Mountains", but Usagi assures her that even if they don't find a body she probably didn't survive.]]
* {{Ninja}}: The Neko, Komori, and Mogura clans of ninja. Chizu of the Neko clan is an important secondary character.
* {{Obake}}: Many Japanese creatures appear in ''UY'', from kappas to obakenekos, nues, onis and so on.
* ObliviouslyEvil:
-->'''Jei''': It is a nigh impossible task... to eradicate sin.
* OldMaster: Katsuichi-sensei.
* OperationJealousy: [[spoiler: Kitsune tells Tomoe that she and Usagi have "shared so many adventures and... other things" but she's just trying to get rid of the heroes while she's running a con.]]
* PetTheDog: Jei-san and Keiko, Gen and Stray Dog's acts of kindness.
* PragmaticAdaptation: Since Gen's taste for sake couldn't be adapted to the second TMNT cartoon, he was made a gambler instead.
* PublicDomainArtifact: Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Grass-Cutting Sword, one of Japan's imperial regalia (which is nearly as important to Japanese legend as Excalibur is in England), is the center of a whole story arc.
* PunnyName: Some throwaway secondary characters have names that are somewhat funny when translated from Japanese.
* RecurringExtra: The omnipresent woodcutters. Groo, on occasion.
* RecycledINSPACE: ''Space Usagi'' features descendants of the main characters and puts them in a SpaceOpera setting.
* RedOniBlueOni: Gen and Usagi; Noriko and Tomoe.
* {{Ronin}}: Usagi and many secondary characters.
* {{Samurai}}: Usagi, Tomoe, and ''so many extras besides''.
* ScareEmStraight: Usagi, either first or second hand, to several young people who think the life a wanderer is glamorous.
* ScarsAreForever: Usagi is consistently drawn with his scar from the battle at Adatachi Plain (even if other such scarring he acquires eventually heals). Katsuichi loses his eye and wears an eyepatch ([[RuleOfCool made from a sword guard]]) from that point on.
* ScoobyDooHoax: The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: Katsuichi-sensei is prone to do this.
* {{Seppuku}}: Appears periodically, usually when a character needs to atone for an earlier shame.
* ShamuFu: At one point, Usagi defends a fish merchant from a armed gang attempting a protection racket with nothing more than that day's catch.
* ShipTease: Until the ''Mother of Mountains'' arc, this was the only thing Stan did with the romantic tension between Tomoe and Usagi.
* ShoutOut: Many characters are [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to [[JidaiGeki Chanbara]] heroes -- the Lone Goat and Kid is a nod to the LoneWolfAndCub, Zato-Ino the blind masseur pig is a thinly-veiled version of Zatoichi, Lord Mifune references the actor ToshiroMifune, and so on.
** Jei's name is a shout out to the ''Friday the 13th'' film series. ("Jei-san")
** In addition to a ton of ''StarWars'' shout-outs in ''Space Usagi'', the Bugg Planet is a shout-out to ''[[NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind Nausicaa]]''.
*** Not to mention that one swordfight of Usagi is an almost exact adaptation of the first-bokken-then-swords duel from ''SevenSamurai''.
* ShortCutsMakeLongDelays: Gen is prone to offer this to Usagi when they're travelling together, and Usagi follows. They end up in a predicament. Every single time, Usagi yells at Gen during or afterwards: "You and your shortcuts!"
* ShownTheirWork: Stan Sakai may research some aspect of ancient Japanese life, from pottery to seaweed farming or geishas, and render it lovingly on the page or describe it in detail in the afterwords. In fact, Sakai's research and presentation of this stuff is so on the money that he won a Parent's Choice Award for the comic's educational value.
* SingleStrokeBattle
* SpaceWhale: [[InSPACE Giant space]] turtles! (in ''Space Usagi'')
** Whose corpses get turned into [[CoolShip giant space ships!]]
* SpeechBubbles: There is a speech bubble for ''death'', with a skull in it.
* SwipeYourBladeOff: After every blood-drawing battle. Usagi is regularly depicted as cleaning his swords, however, so perhaps it's to minimize how much he has to clean later.
* TheDrifter: Usagi, Gen, Stray Dog, assorted extras.
* TheFaceless: Lord Hikiji, for the most part.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Jei-san to a hapless fisherman. He even {{lampshade}}s it.
* TheResenter: Kenichi.
* TheUnfavorite / BastardBastard: [[spoiler: Noriko. She's shunted to her aunt's after her mom dies because her uncle is actually her biological father (mom and aunt are sisters). Aunty doesn't like her very much and then bio-dad straight-up tells her he'll never accept her as his daughter, so she kills him and poisons her "step" father for being weak. She reveals all of this to her The Favorite cousin Tomoe while beating her to the ground (on top of having worked a day in Noriko's mine). For Noriko, it's a ''very satisfying'' beating.]]
* TrickDialogue: In trying to get out of the rain, Usagi came across the swordswoman Inazuma telling her life's story to some of her friends. By the time she is finished, the rain has let up, so Inazuma bids them farewell and heads out. Usagi makes an aside about the story to one of the "friends"... only to discover that all four of them are dead -- bounty hunters who had been trying unsuccessfully to kill Inazuma.
** Usagi goes to return a small trinket to a fellow member of Lord Mifune's army. [[spoiler:The trinket was a good-luck charm; Usagi tells the man he is sorry he was unable to return it previously, then leaves it on the top of the man's gravestone and walks away.]]
* VoiceOfTheLegion: Jei-san [[spoiler: and anyone possessed by him/it]].
* TheVoiceless: [[spoiler: Noriyuki's body double. He couldn't imitate his voice so he didn't speak, even after being fatally wounded.]]
* WalkingTheEarth: Usagi travels the shogyusha -- the warrior's path.
* WaxOnWaxOff
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Initial work had begun on a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlLPYn2km-U ''Space Usagi'' cartoon]], but was stopped after the failure of the superficially similar ''[[BuckyOHare Bucky O'Hare]]''. Similarly, ''Space Usagi'' was slated to make an appearance in the second season ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles: Fast Forward'', but the appearance was scrapped when the season was cancelled.
* WhipItGood: Sakura.
* WorthyOpponent: Captain Torame in "The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy". He's so [[MyMasterRightOrWrong loyal]], he'll stay with his lord even though he knows his plans are evil.
---> '''Torame''', trading ''Bushido'' sayings with Usagi: "Is there ever a circumstance when ''rebellion'' against one's lord can be justified?"\\
'''Usagi''': '''''"Never!"'''''\\
'''Torame''': Ah, but it can be justified, ''if the rebellion '''succeeds'''!''
* {{Yakuza}}: Many antagonists.
* YouKilledMyFather: A samurai gets permission to kill the four bad guys who killed his father; Usagi in ''Space Usagi'' for both his lord and himself.
* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo
* {{Youkai}}: Usagi regularly encounters spirits, ghosts, and demons.
