A list of characters appearing in Gamaran Shura, the 2018 sequel to Gamaran.

For all returning character from the previous series you can see their entry here. Names are given in the western order.

Watch out for spoilers.

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Protagonists

Iori Sengoku

See his entry in Gamaran.

Gama Kurogane

See his entry in Gamaran.

Ran Ichinose

The new protagonist and main heroine. Ran is Zenmaru's younger sister and a member of the Ichinose family. Despite being a woman, she shows great potential in martial arts, to the point of being able to defeat most men in a swordfight. She follows Iori in Omiya and later to Edo in the Bakufu Tournament, having witnessed Iori's superior skills herself and wanting to become a powerful swordswoman.

She eventually enters the Bakufu Tournament, as Hyakken #58.

Action Girl: When we're introduced to her, she's seen defeating a man in a swordfight easily and no ordinary warrior was able to beat her. Even after Iori pointed out how much stronger she has to grow, she's determinated to become a strong warrior woman.
Combat Pragmatist: She's physically outmatched by most of her opponents, and she knows it. That's why she's ready to fight with all she has, including hidden throwing blades and Dual Wielding. At one point she even stomps on the shuriken embedded in her opponent's leg to get the upper hand. When she first fight Iori, she opens the fight by throwing the scabbard of her sword at him as a distraction while she delivers a rapid slash to his fingers.
Curb Stomp Cushion:
- Her thougthless attack on Raio Magami has her at a severe disadvantage against the latter's three-bladed Urumi, but that being said, she refuses to go down without trying and, at one point, manages to block a simultaneous triple-bladed attack by dodging the high blade, blocking the middle one with her scabbard and stepping on the lower one and hadn't Raio prepared a knife to parry in time he would have died there.
- The battle against Bihoumaru is similarly mismatched and she's clearly at a disadvantage against the latter's sheer brute strength. That being said, she wounds him non fatally and makes him declare worthy of bearing his children.
Damsel in Distress: After being defeated by Bihoumaru, she's taken prisoner and brought to Suruga.
David Versus Goliath: Her first canon battle is against the 2-meters tall and prodigy swordsman Burai. Through sheer guts, shuriken and judicious use of Gekirin, she's able to actually kill Burai, though she does admit that she only won because he underestimated her.
The Determinator: Ran has shown herself to be very plucky and determinated to win, even if her opponents are clearly stronger than her.
Deuteragonist: She's the main heroine and brand new newcomer alongside Iori.
Dual Wielding: When she fights Burai, she wields a tanto in her left hand to deliver an ulterior, unexpected attack.
The Hero Dies: During the peak of the second turn arc, she's seemingly shot by a Tenpei soldier and, despite Tadaie's best efforts to bring her to safety, succumbs when the last gate they have to cross is blasted to smithereens. Apparently, she died in the blast.
Master Swordsman: Downplayed, she's surprisingly talented with a sword for a woman of the Edo period, but as Iori shows her, she's still far from being actually strong. Not that this will deter her from growing stronger.
Morality Pet: While initially Iori didn't seem to care much for her well-being, he gradually began to accept her and respect her will to become a swordswoman, even agreeing to teach her the techniques of the Ogame Ryu. It doesn't help that it's implied that they're developing feelings for each other.
Not Afraid to Die: Even when Iori brutally informs her that if she dare to take on the Bakufu Tournament she'll likely be cut down and die like a dog she's determinated to press on.
Out of Focus: After her kidnapping, most of the action switch to Gama and Iori.
Overshadowed by Awesome: She's genuinely skilled with a sword... but the problem is, most of the opponents she has to face are worth of the moniker "monsters".
The Stoic: Most of the time, Ran has a detatched, calm behaviour, in spite of being Zenmaru's sister.

Zenmaru Ichinose

See his entry in Gamaran.

Isami Ichinose

The firstborn of the Ichinose clan, brother of Ran and Zenmaru. Joins the heroes in the final arc of the story, in order to stop the coup of the Genkai Tenpei.

Always Someone Better: Apparently his skill in swordsplay surpasses even the one of Zenmaru and Kai.
BFS: As with all Ichinose, he carries around his trademark Sadanaga blade.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Delivers one on Zenmaru, blaming his weakness for the death of their sister.

Shogunate

Shogunate and Agents

Tokugawa Tsunamitsu

The leader of Japan, ^note formerly known as "Kikuchiyo", Tsunamitsu is a paranoid man who wants to eradicate the threat posed to his domain by the Muhou Ryuu and his brother Tadaie.

Actually A Doom Bot: After Jinku seemingly decapitates Tsunamitsu, Kyoyasai actually reveals that the man he just killed at the cost of getting a critical wound and being stranded alone inside the enemy keep was actually a kagemusha.
Anime Hair: When he makes a proper appearence, he showcases normal black hair in a proper hairstyle... with two white tuffs of hair pointing upwards right above his forehead.
Ax-Crazy: While he's not a man of action, the Shogun seems excited at the prospect of having Tadaie and the Muhou Ryuu eradicated.
Big Bad Duumvirate: While Tadaie is the most imminent threat, his plan will also target Gama and the Muhou Ryuu.
Hostage Situation: When Zenmaru lies wounded and in near death after his battle with Homare, Tsunamitsu agrees to have him visited by the Shogunate's best doctors... if Gama agrees to fight his match against Kyoyasai, with both opponents using weapons dipped in lethal venom.
Kick the Dog: After forcing the two of them to duel with poisoned swords, Tsunamitsu mocks Yagira when he gets wounded first and calls him useless, much to the disgust of the others.
Killed Off for Real: He's beheaded by the real mastermind of the coup, Shibusawa Kangetsu.
The Man Behind the Man: He's the one commanding Yagira and the Genkai Tenpei.
Non-Action Big Bad: Unlike the others, he's no warrior at all.
Oh, Crap!: He finally snaps out of his bloodthirsty apathy and shows fear when Ramon Ise reveals that the Genkai Tenpei are revolting en masse.
Properly Paranoid: To be fair, his fears aren't immotivated, what with both Tadaie and the Muhou Ryuu wanting his head...
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To the Daimyo Naosada Washizu from the first series: they are both powerful authority figures with an unhinged streak and powerful warriors under their control, though while Naosada wants to protect martial arts and find out which Ryuu in his domain is the strongest, the Shogun merely wants to eradicate all threats to his position.

Kyoyasai Yagira

Hyakken #2, he's the sword instructor of the Shogunate as well as the strongest swordsman serving the Shogun, who originally wanted to send him to defeat Jinsuke. He has a peerless defense and wields a custom made katana whose hardness and thoughness are said to be without equals.

Baddie Flattery: He compliments both Gama and Iori for their skills upon meeting them, though admittedly he's also trying to butter them up in order to persuade them to join him against Tadaie and the Muhou Ryu remnants.
Blade Lock: Invoked by one of his techniques, the Tsubazeri Ai (Hilt-Pressuring Stance), which forces the enemy into a blade lock with both swords near the hilt and pushes the other until he's forced to lose his grip.
Combat Pragmatist: Takes advantage of Jinku's double distraction (first by Nachi's words, then by Kaido's attack) to deliver an attack to him while he was exposed.
Cool Sword: His katana seems ordinary, but it's actually made with a secret style which makes it incredibly hard and perfect for his sword style.
Curb Stomp Cushion: So far, most battles against him have the opponent seemingly at an edge against Yagira... before he shows them why he's referred to as the "Shogunate's Castle Wall". They allow him to completely turn the tables on Jinkuu and Gama during their matches.
The Dragon: He's the Shogun's greatest resource and originally was meant to take care of Jinsuke himself.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He actually cries in front of Rin's corpse while gently stroking his head and swearing to avenge his death.
Even Evil Has Standards: Downplayed, he doesn't seem to fond of being forced to coat his sword in poison to duel with Gama, but he can live with that, as he has to avenge Rin.
Expy: Of the Yagyu clan: The surname Yagira's first kanji is the same as the one in Yagyu, is an incredibly powerful swordsman and teaches swordsmanship to the Shogun.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: During the battle against Jinkuu, the latter uses the secret technique Katsubigoku Dokuho (Scorpion's Fire Apex Poisonous Step) to jam a wakizashi in his upper chest. He manages to survive the attack, though he's visibly in pain.
In the Back: Finished off by Shibusawa Kan while he's trying to protect Tsunamitsu.
Know When to Fold 'Em: When Gama shows up to rescue a wounded Jinkuu, a furious Yagira tries to stop him in order to avenge Rin, but upon sensing Gama's Battle Aura and taking in consideration his wound, Kyoyasai wisely decides to let them both go.
Made of Iron: Takes a wakizashi to the collar bone (and not even a shallow wound) followed by another slash aimed at his arm, but he still recovers with enough speed and strength to block the sword before it cuts too deep and counteract with a strike of the sword's kashira to the attacker's side with enough strength to send him flying back. Later he gets infected by snake venom and still fights unhindered out of sheer hatred alone.
Master Swordsman: Kyoyasai is, no if and no buts, the strongest swordsman of the Shogunate, and their answer for threats like Jinsuke and Tadaie.
My Master, Right or Wrong: Even when poisoned because of his master and mocked by him, he still shows enough willpower to interrupt his rancor-driven battle with Gama to avenge Rin and instead comes to Tsunamitsu's aid alongside Tadaie.
Oh, Crap!: Has a moment of genuine panic when Gama opens their duel with a slash so fast that he couldn't even see coming, even thought it only cut part of his haori.
Poisoned Weapons: Invoked by the Shogun, when Kyoyasai challenges Gama for the third round of the final tournament, Tsunamitsu decides to make the battle more interesting by presenting two flasks of specially-treated snake venom and telling them that they'll have to poison their swords for the battle.
Red Baron: For his defense, he's known as the "Shogun's Castle Wall".
Stone Wall: Kyoyasai's defense is remarked upon as being nearly unbreachable. Kan even compares it to a castle wall.
This Means War!: Granted, they already had the intention to exterminate them, but after the assault on Edo Castle which results in the death of Rin and Gama successfully escaping with Jinkuu and most of the others, Kyoyasai warns them that this time the Shogunate will do everything it can to eradicate them all.
Unstoppable Rage: Even after being poisoned by Gama, his desire to avenge Rin and the Shogun's scathing words enrage him to the point that he's more than willing to kill Gama even if he dies.
The Worf Effect: Subverted during his match against Gama in the third round of the tournament: his surprise at Gama's speed (which always seems close enough to outpace him) and the wound suffered against Jinkuu earlier seem to debilitate him... until he doesn't call Gama's technique "immature" and proceeds to nearly deal him a fatal wound by nearly grazing his neck with the poison-covered blade.

Kan Shibusawa Kangetsu Tokugawa

An envoy of the Shogun, he's tasked with following and monitoring Iori Sengoku after journeying all the way to Oomika to invite him to the Bakufu tournament. In truth his true name is Kangetsu and he's the illigitimate son of the Shogun and the leader of the Genkai Tenpei, Ise Gataku, making him half-brother to both Tadaie and Tsunamitsu, as well as the true mastermind behind the Genkai Tenpei coup.

Big Bad: As the mastermind of the coup, he's this to the entire series.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: He's seemingly just one of the many servants of the Shogunate, but he's quite competent at his job, faithfully monitoring Iori's journey and reporting to Kyoyasai.
I Have You Wife: In the final arc, he uses the lives of Tojo, Tsuchiryuu and Kamedenbo's family (and the Hyuga brothers) as bait to lure in the heroes, threatening to execute them.
Kick the Dog: In his introduction, he finish Hien off when he's defeated and riconsidering his life.
Master Swordsman: He shares the same power and talent as Tadaie, which proves when he effortlessly defeats Tsuchiryuu unparalled defense in one swing of his sword.
Meaningful Rename: Upon taking power, he renames himself as Tokugawa Kangetsu. His enemies though still refers to him as Shibusawa Kan.
The Stoic: Kan never emotes much.
Walking Spoiler: As the secret Big Bad and Final Boss of the story, he's this.

Rin Kaido

Hyakken #10, he's a disciple of Kyoyasai himself. He's a powerful master swordsman and Kyoyasai's aide.

Combat Pragmatist: Has no qualms about attacking Jinku from the back while he's distracted to land a decisive slash.
Iaijutsu Practitioner: He's seen beating Shigure at iaijutsu, first using the pommel of his sword to block the incoming attack and then cutting him open. He later confirms that Iaijutsu is his strong suit.
Master Swordsman: He was trained by Yagira and was able to block Shigure's secret technique on the spot, right before he could be hit.
Number Two: To Kyoyasai, as he's often seen at his side.
Oh, Crap!: Has a minor moment of panic when he realizes that Jinku is actually a member of the dreaded clan of assassins known as the Fuji Clan.
Slashed Throat: A victim of this by the hands of Jinkuu, who uses a specific drawing technique to make the sword slide against his opponent's blade and slice through Rin's throat, killing him.

Shinzo Ikariya /Ryogo Kuryuu

Hyakken #8, he's a disciple of Kyoyasai like Rin, who went under his service 5 years ago. He fights with a nagamaki. However, his true identity is that of Ryogo Kuryuu, Ango's brother and Special Corps of the Muhou Ryu.

BFS: Like the Gaun Ryu before, Shinzo uses a nagamaki in combat. For a very good reason.
The Determinator: Even when Zenra smash his ribs with the bottom of his oar and sends him falling back, Ryogo still finds the strength to stand back up and attempt to finish his opponent off.
Double Weapon: Shinzo's secret attack, the Ryuugakaiten (Heaven-revolving Dragon Fang) uses both ends of the weapon in sequence to stun the victim and deliver a devastating attack.
Named Weapons: His weapon of choice is named "Ryuujinmaru" (Dragon God). His attacks are also themed after a dragon.
Only Six Faces: Looks remarkably similar to Ango Kuryuu, from the previous series, with a few modifications. Justified, he's Ango's brother.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: When we see him in action, he's clearly the Blue to Ango's Red: Ryogo has a better control of his emotions and is willing to put something else in front of his own pride, and while Ango's style is mostly focused on brute force and direct hits, Ryogo has a more precise fighting style based on feints.
Senseless Sacrifice: His fight with Genra ends in his death, but is rendered moot when Jinkuu learns that the Shogun was actually a decoy, and thus beyond their reach.
There's No Kill like Overkill: When he's done with Shirasu Jin, the latter is dead, tied to a tree and his face is unrecognizable. Subverted, in that it's a cover.
You Shall Not Pass!: When Genra shows up to intercept him and Jinku, Shinzo attacks the Tenpei with his nagamaki, stalling him while yelling at Jinku where to find the Shogun. Unfortunately, his opponent proves to be too much for him to handle.
Walking Spoiler: Fourteen volumes in and we get the confirmation that he's a relative of another character from the previous series.

Kanbee Kirinosuke Yui

One of the sword mentors of the Tokugawa clan, expert of the Nioh Nitoryuu school of twin swords and a man full of confidence. Tries to stop the rampaging New Muhou Ryuu but is quickly killed by Toujou.

BFS: Kanbee's swords are rather large custom tachi lacking a tsuba and with an unique maki wrapping on the handle.
Big Damn Heroes: Defied, he boastfully announces his arrival during the assault of the Muhou Ryuu members but is quickly killed by Toujou before he can show what his technique can do.
Calling Your Attacks: He refers to his special technique as the "Transforming-At-Will Demon Sword Style" (Hengejizai Makenjutsu). Quite a mouthful...
Confusion Fu: Judging by the name of his announced but unperformed technique ("Transforming-At-Will Demon Sword Style"), his technique is based on hard-to-follow attacks.
Dual Wielding: Wields twin sword of moderate size, normally kept in scabbards on the back of his hakama.
Informed Ability: Toujou sends his head flying before he can show what he meant by "Transforming-At-Will- Demon Sword".
Mask Power: Downplayed, though he's one of the instructors of the Tokugawa and wears a distinctive metal guard on his face covering his chin and sides of his head.
Meaningful Name: He's a practictioner of the Nioh Nitoryuu, a school focused on Dual Wielding. Nioh are the dual guardian deities protecting temple gates and altars and always shown in couple.
Off with His Head!: Toujou beheads him with a single strike of his bisento before he can do anything.
Oh, Crap!: When he sees that Toujou has no intention to let him use his technique and proceeds to cut his head off.
Overly Long Name: He's one of the few characters with three names (though his family name is rather short).
Overshadowed by Awesome: He's one of the sword instructors of the Shogun and skilled enough to claim that his sword is the "Demon Sword Style", but he's not even in the Hyakken.
Unusual Eyebrows: Has some thick eyebrows with bushy ends.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Bringing back reminiscence of the previous series, Kanbee is quickly killed before he can show his prowess not even two pages after his introduction.

Genkai Tenpei

The so-called Limit-Suppressed Divine Soldiers, a special corps of incredibly powerful warriors working for the Shogun himself from the shadows as assassins, each of them possess a phoenomenal strength and has received top-notch martial training.

General Tropes:

The Dreaded: They are the strongest resource of the Shogunate, and make the Personal Corps of the Muhou Ryuu seem like children in comparison.
Exotic Weapon Supremacy: None of the elite members use Japanese weapons, but rather foreign weapons from either China or Europe. The rarity of these weapons give them an edge on usual warriors. Averted by the standard members, who all employ standard Japanese weaponry.
Living Weapon: They're outright considered this by the Bakufu.
One-Man Army: They aren't that many, but is said that their elite members could wipe out a force of 37000 soldiers on their own. Their attack on Suruga leave Tadaie and Ran as the only survivors in the mansion.
Superpower Lottery: Each member of the Tenpei was born with an unusually though or powerful body, and they also received the best martial training they could get and mastery of a foreign weapon, giving them a massive edge against regular martial artists.

Ramon Ise

Leader of the Genkai Tenpei, Ramon is a bald warrior dressed as a monk sporting a tattooed scalp. He's the strongest member of the corp and participated to the punitive raid against Unabara two years prior, slaying over 100 Muhou Ryu members with his bare hands. Participates in the latter two parts of the tournament as the Hyakken #3.

Bald Head of Toughness: He's one of the strongest warriors on the side of the Bakufu and is completely bald, underlining his monk-like looks.
Confusion Fu: His martial art is unpredictable and confusing, being able to deliver sudden attacks from nowhere (such as when he redirects one of the steel hammers of his weapon by kicking it in midair) and to dodge attacks at the last moment.
Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: In a rare defensive example, he actually manages to perfectly parry Tadaie's inhumanly powerful punches (which he just used to cave in the face of a man and break the arm of another) without taking any visible damage.
The Dragon: In the latter part of the story, Ramon is essentially a hidden Dragon to the Shogun. Unlike Yagira, Ramon is secretly preparing a coup in the castle.
The Dreaded: As the leader of the Genkai Tenpei, he's the most fearsome of the six.
Epic Flail: When confronting Rando in Suruga, he shows his weapon: a set of Meteor Hammers he can use with deadly precision and skill, strong enough to smash through walls. He also employs them in tandem with his martial arts, at one point redirecting one of the hammers by kicking it into Rando's abdomen. When fighting Tsuchiryuu he also reveals another smaller flail weapon, resembling a classical flail with a small, razor-sharp blade in lieu of a ball.
Extremity Extremist: He uses his incredily flexible body to deliver sudden and devastating kicks if caught unarmed.
Know When to Fold 'Em: With Sanjin dead, Sendo wounded and confronted by a furious Tadaie and a vengeful Tsuchiryuu, Ramon decides to call off the raid.
Megaton Punch: In his introduction he suddenly punches the much bigger Bihoumaru in the abdomen with enough strength to make him fall on his ass and spit blood. We later find out that he also stabbed him there with a metal shuriken.
Multi-Melee Master: Ramon makes full use of unarmed combat, hidden weapons, steel meteor hammers, and metal claws in the span of a dozen of chapters, showcasing his martial prowess in combat.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: During the attack on Suruga he kills Rando, the person closest to Tadaie. As a result, when he makes his move to overthrow the Bakufu and tries to murder Tsunamitsu, Tadaie has a reason to actually step up in defense of his brother and get in the way of the Genkai Tenpei.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: We're told that he participated in the invasion of Unabara, where he slaughtered over 100 members of the school himself.
One-Man Army: It tells a lot about the Genkai Tenpei when their leader, alone and unarmed, was able to kill a hundred soldiers from the Muhou School, especially when you consider that said soldiers were far more skilled than normal warriors.
Overlord Jr.: His mother Ise Kataku was also the former head of the Genkai Tenpei before him.
The Starscream: He secretly plans to dispose of Tsunamitsu and the Tokugawa troops inside the castle and take over Japan. Sort of, he's actually supporting his half-brother Kangetsu.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: When he reveals his weapon, his fighting style, use of dual weighted chains, bald head and tattoos make him surprisingly similar, design-wise, to Muraku Matsumoto.
Warrior Monk: He's bald and dressed like a bonze. Part of an elite team of powerful assassins and able to kill a hundred people with his bare hands. Not an hyperbolic sentence either.
Wolverine Claws: His other weapon is a set of metal claws he wears over the fingers of his left hand. Which he uses to fatally blind and kill Rando.

Genra

Vice-commander of the Genkai Tenpei, he's a man wearing a face-concealing collar adorned with Chinese symbols, who fights with an unusual weapon. Participates in the second half of the tournament as Hyakken #8 Upon removing his mask, he becomes much more brutal and ferocious, taking the name of "Zenra" and hide an even more deranged side and personality...

Axe-Crazy: Normally he's composed and calm, but his Zenra personality is far more unhinged and ruthless. The third personality, Gajiara, is even more psychotic, but also lucid and calm.
Being Tortured Makes You Evil: He and his friend were subjected to such terrible and agonizing tortures that he snapped, giving birth to his personalities of Zenra and Gajiara.
Berserk Button: Loathes traitors, especially Shinzo Ikariya, when he stalls him to let Jinku hunt after the Shogun and foiling his ambush.
The Big Guy: He's the tallest and largest member of the group, though rather than being a Giant Mook he's the second in command.
Carry a Big Stick: His weapon of choice is a large blunt oar made entirely of iron. He can both block most weapons with it and, despite the lack of an edge, swing it with enough power to actually cut his opponents.
Combat Pragmatist: Being mainly an assassin, he doesn't hesitate when it comes to using cheap tactics which may grant victory. Case in point, he silently ambushes Toujou when he comes to check the inner chambers and almost takes him out with a single swing of his oar.
Death Glare: Flashes an intense one to Shinzo for standing in his way to let Jinku go after the Shogun.
Feel No Pain: It's highly implied that when Gajiara is in control, Genra's stamina allows him to pretty much feel no pain, not even when he's cut by a sword. Eventually, Iori manages to overcome even his stamina and actually makes him feel pain again.
Foil: To Shinzo Ikariya: Both are physically powerful second-in-command of a mighty warrior whom they're loyal to and wield large, heavy polearm-like weapons (Shinzo has a Nagamaki, Genra a steel oar). Also, both have an alias, with Shinzo being actually Ryogo Kuryuu and Genra hiding the more ruthless personality of Zenra
Glasgow Grin: Beneath his collar he hides several scars on his chin, including two at the corners of his mouth. It was done to him in the past with a big saw, as part of the torture that broke him.
High Collar of Doom: His face is mostly hidden behind a tall, rigid collar adorned with four yin-yang symbols, giving him an ominous appearence. Upon removing his mask he takes on a much more barbaric, bloodthirsty persona.
Hope Crusher: While Genra is lucid and rational and Zenra is bloodthirsty, all that Gajiara lives for is to utterly crush any hope his opponent might have, an act he refers to as "Slaying their Inner God".
I Am Not Left-Handed: After stunning Shinzo by tanking and blocking his secret technique, Genra reveals that he has yet to show him his real power. He then removes the massive heavy rope restraining his movements and his mask, assuming his more murderous identity as "Zenra". And in case even that's bested... good news, he has a third one, Gajiara.
Improbable Weapon User: While all his colleagues use real foreign weapons, Genra's weapon is an "Iron Eku" (a metal oar). He still boasts about it being the perfect weapon to crush people with.
Lightning Bruiser: When going all out, he can swing his oar with enough strength to actually cut a person. As well as dodge a sudden strike by leaping over his opponent to deliver a powerful attack.
Made of Iron: Takes a direct hit from Shinzo's nagamaki's bottom end in the ribs, but he still manages to recover in a split second to parry the following overhead slash and deviate it.
Number Two: He's Ramon's second in command and is often seen with him, discussing the current events and strategies.
Oh, Crap!: Genuinely surprised to see how strong and nimble Toujou is, as he managed to knock him on the floor and cut his arm.
Power Limiter: Normally, Genra is calm, disciplined and rational. He also limits his true personality and power by wearing his sealed mask and a heavy rope belt on his person. Once those are are removed, Genra becomes more unhinged, stronger and faster.
The Rival: He's recognized as such by Toujou, and the feeling is mutual.
Slasher Smile: His actual face under the mask, as Zenra. Not helped by his mouth scars or sharp teeth.
Spanner in the Works: He correctly fortells an assassination attempt on the Shogun and ambushes Jinkuu and Kuryuu when they show up.
Split Personality: Turns out, he has two personalities: the calm and analytical Genra (when he covers his face) and the ruthless, wild Zenra. He can apparently "switch" between the two personalities by removing his mask.
Your Size May Vary: Not Genra, but rather his Iron Eku: when he first reveals it, it's about the size of a spear with a long paddle. Later on, it appears to be shorter and thicker in certain panels, resembling more a greatsword.

Homare

The only woman of the Genkai Tenpei and part of the "new generation", Homare is a tall amazonian woman who's not afraid to speak her mind and tends to have a straight-forward, sometimes even shameless mannerism. Participates to the second part of the tournament as Hyakken #7.

Action Girl: With her introduction she takes the place of strongest warrior woman of the series, eclipsing the gender ambiguous Arimaru.
Affably Evil: For an hitwoman on the payroll of the government, she's surprisingly carefree and friendly, even to the people on her blacklist.
Amazonian Beauty: Homare is rather beautiful, but she's also taller than Zenmaru (himself The Big Guy) and, scarily enough, more muscular than him. Both traits are noticed In-Universe.
Beat Them at Their Own Game:
- Challenges Bihoumaru to a bare-handed, fist vs fist match. She completely owns him thanks not only to her strength but also to her clever use of martial arts, trapping his right arm under her left armpit before uneashing a brutal combo of punches on his solar plexus, throat and trapezium.
- During the third round, she fights Zenmaru, another physically powerful warrior with an oversized sword, making it a match of western Montante vs japanese Oodachi. She ends up outpacing Zenmaru with speed and swordsmanship, eventually using Bind to make him lose the grip on Sadanaga and dealing a grievous wound to him, defeating him.
Berserk Button: She's normally jovial and nice, but whatever you do, do not interrupt her when she's fighting an enemy she's actually having fun with, not even if it means saving her life. When Apanosuke interrupts her rematch with Zenmaru by stabbing the latter, she downright rebels against the Tenpei.
BFS: Like all Genkai Tenpei, she wields a foreign weapon, namely a giant spanish sword known as "Montante" (old term for all two-handed swords)
Brutal Honesty: She tends to speak freely and in such a way that she embarrasses Zenmaru, who even call her "shameless".
Close-Call Haircut: Zenmaru's very first attack chops part of her hair while narrowly missing her body and arm.
Cruel Mercy: She manages to defeat Zenmaru and inflict a grievous wound on him, but she spares his life. It falls under this trope as she decided to not deal the final blow right after Zenmaru's attempt to stand back up and fight to show his determination to win the competition, kicking his feelings into the ground.
Foil: To Arimaru from the Muhou Ryu: both are incredibly powerful women warriors in a secret martial artist organization and are rather muscular. That being said, Arimaru is a monstrous-looking woman who secludes herself when not fighting and uses a combination of Home Field Advantage and a gigantic shield, while Homare is rather beautiful, a straightforward fighter and carries a great sword and uses a faster fighting style.
Heel–Face Turn: When her companions butt in her duel with Zenmaru, getting again in her way, she ultimately turns against them and sides with the Ogame/Muhou Ryu alliance, swearing to do anything she can to save Zenmaru's life.
Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Agrees to fight the equally big Bihoumaru in a fistfight.
Lightning Bruiser: Once she gets going, her speed is amazing, allowing her to chain three powerful sword swings in a row and outpace her opponent in a single assault.
Muscles Are Meaningful: She's very muscular, bigger than most men and can mow down the garrison of a castle on her own, using her Montante. In the final round, she matches Zenmaru blow for blow in terms of raw power.
No One Could Survive That!: In-Universe, she takes Bihoumaru's right punch to the face, with the former remembering that time, twelve years before, when he punched a man's skull open with his fist and is confident in victory... only to express utter disbelief and shock when she's still standing and joking after receiving his punch.
Oh, Crap!: Has a moment of genuine panic when Zenmaru overpowers her Blade Lock with Iwagui and floors her, following this with another potentially lethal attack she deviates at the last moment.
The Smurfette Principle: The only woman among the Genkai Tenpei, and one of the very few female fighters.
Sword and Fist: She's mainly a swordswoman, but she can give people hell even barehanded, as Bihoumaru found out.
The Tease: She's introduced remarking how cute Zenmaru is and making a lewd invitation at him.
Worthy Opponent: She considers Iori one for being able to perfectly block and deflect her slash.

Karai

Elite member of the Genkai Tenpei, Karai has learnt western swordsmanship and uses a falchion as his weapon of choice. His strength is remarkable even among his peers, and is considered undefeatable in a 1 on 1. In spite of his reputation, he's the first Tenpei to fall in battle, slain by Gama's Kamui.

Almighty Janitor: He's not an officer, but his strenght is widely recognized to the point that they think he can't be beaten in a one on one. Gama puts a kibosh on that, but still he had to use his strongest technique to win.
Always Someone Better: He uses the same Bind technique of Momose Shiro, but from what is said of him, he's much more competent.
Boisterous Bruiser: Appears to be the most energic of the group, and directly goes chasing after Gama alone just to challenge him in a one-on-one.
Cool Sword: One of the three fighters from Shura to use a western sword, namely a Falchion.
Machete Mayhem: His weapon is a one-handed, broad-bladed Falchion he can use with great skill, surprising his opponents as it's a foreign weapon, something they're not familiar with.
Master Swordsman: His skill with his Falchion is considered so great that he's deemed "unbeatable" in a duel. Indeed, he gives an hard time to Gama himself, combining fast attacks, binding and acrobatics in one deadly cocktail.
Pretty in Mink: His attire is customized by a fur collar and he's not too shabby on the eyes.
This Cannot Be!: He's left in complete shock after being cut down by Gama's Kamui.
Wake-Up Call Boss: Nearly kills Gama during their fight thanks to his agility and swordsmanship, and Gama has to resort to his strongest technique, the all-or-nothing Kamui, to land a fatal blow.

Seiya Zoin

Low-ranked member of the Genkai Tenpei, and Hyakken #17. He has mastered a western weapon, the Halbert. Goes after Tojo when he betrays the Bakufu and fights him in the first round of the Tournament, but meets his end in combat.

Awesomeness by Analysis: He was able to challenge Tojo perfectly because he managed to take a good look at him and study his martial style enough to be able to hold his own against the ace of the Muhou Ryu.
Boring, but Practical: One of the few characters without secret techniques or special stances beyond "trying to spear your opponent" or, if that's uneffective, "slam the blade into them at high speed".
Call-Back: To Riichiro in Gamaran and his poleaxe weapon.
Crazy-Prepared: He comes after Tojo because he watched him fight and was able to read through his movements It works, until Tojo uses his secret technique.
Exotic Weapon Supremacy: Wields a massive European halberd. Unlike the ones seen in the hands of the former Soujin Ryu members, his looks more similar to European ones, with the axe, spearhead and hook being part of the same blade.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Toujou impales him against a tree with his secret technique.

Sendo

Member of the Genkai Tenpei, is a handsome man with long hair, specialized in long western weapons. Participates to the second half of the tournament as the Hyakken #11.

Confusion Fu: His secret technique Renbu Sototsu (Continuous Dancing Spear Strikes) has him deliver a sudden attack with his right arm partisan, followed by a seemingly decisive series of spear strikes from the left hand. Acting as a decoy for another slash with the right partisan.
Curb Stomp Cushion: When he engages Tadaie in combat: he's hopelessly outmatched, but still tries to keep Tadaie from landing the fatal blow with all he has got, ending up disarmed of his broken weapon and with a broken arm. Eventually Ramon saves his life.
Disproportionate Retribution: Even if Kikumaru is barely a threat and not a target, he makes a point of wanting to kill him personally for trying to attack him.
Dual Wielding: In a unique example in the series, he shows up in the final round wielding two partisans against Iori. He claims that this is his real fighting style and call it "Partisan Twin Sojutsu".
Epic Flail: His weapon is a western two-handed flail resembling a thresher, featuring a long handle, a very short chain and a long, cilindrical head.
Let's Get Dangerous!: When he participates to the final round of the Tournament he shows up with a lot more confidence and using two spears at once.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: After a challenging battle, Iori blocks his attack with one sword and stabs him in the chest with the other one using Kousaho.
Multi-Melee Master: When he first appears he's using a long-hafted flail as his weapon of choice. Later, during the third round of the Tournament, he switches to using two partisan spears instead.
Oh, Crap!: His reaction when Tadaie breaks the head of his flail effortlessly.
Reverse Grip: His best stance with the Partisan Twin Sojutsu has him wielding the left one normally and the right one in a reverse grip, holding one arm up as if to spear a fish.
Slice-and-Dice Swordsmanship: Downplayed, he mostly uses the edged partisan to stab at Iori, but also throws in slashing attacks here and there.
Spin Attack: The secret technique of his Twin Sojutsu, Soukyoku Enbu (Twin Apex Circular Dance) involves wide spinning attacks from different angulations, ending with a simultaneous scissor-like strike.

Sanjin

Member of the Genkai Tenpei, wears a sharp-nosed mask and fights with unusual, glaive-like axes, resembling the Indian bhuj.

Dual Wielding: At one point he's seen using both his axes at once while facing the Suruga garrison. He's only wielding one bhuj when entering the mansion later.
Emergency Weapon: He can remove the bottom half of his axe to reveal a dagger for close-range combat.
Family-Unfriendly Death: A berserk Tadaie caves his face in with a single punch.
Kick the Dog: Shows no mercy to Kikumaru, Tadaie's aide, despite the power discrepancy.
Mask Power: Wears an half-mask covering the upper part of his face, featuring a hooked nose. He's one of the strongest warriors of the Shogunate.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He's the member of the Genkai we know less about and dies pretty soon after his introduction.

Kokuryuu

Former member of the Genkai Tenpei, who left the organization. Currently goes by Tsuchiryuu.

Renji Jiba

Elite member of the Genkai Tenpei, an expert spearman who makes use of a superb legwork to outpace his opponents.

Affably Evil: Despite being an evil bastard, he's always friendly and amiable, even playing the straigh man to Tessa's antics.
Anime Hair: Has black hair with a ridicolous mass of light-colored strands resembling cowlicks over his face.
I Am Not Left-Handed: Thought his spear was suspiciously simple? Turns out he can split the weapon into a nunchaku-like double-ended spear.
I Let You Win: Impressed by Shimon's Manjinuki, he agrees to spare his life and let him leave the gaol unharmed, but he must leave Tsuchiryuu (who Shimon was trying to rescue) behind.
Lightning Bruiser: Despite the spear, this man's greatest skill is his speed and agility, as he's able to deliver sudden attacks even from behind or above. He can even mimick the Narukami attack.
Logical Weakness: Greatly feels a kick from Gama to the leg, which is inevitable, since he needs to move at high speed and agility all the time.
Repetitive Name: It's even the very same kanji for Ji in both name and surname.
Villainous Friendship: His friendship with Yokuro and Tessa seems to be genuine.
Worthy Opponent: Considers both Shimon Kudo (for his iaijutsu skills) and Gama Kurogane (for his pedigree) as these, wishing to fight them personally.

Yokuro Unbo

Elite member of the Genkai Tenpei, Renji's comrade. Wields a massive, customized falchion with an heavily-plated back.

BFS: Wields a massive falchion sword whose back is covered in massive blocks of metal plating. The downward swings of this weapon are extremely strong. He refers to his skill as the "Fallen Star Sword Style".
Logical Weakness: Unlike other Tenpei, Yokuro seems to be a one-trick pony, as he's left wide open if his giant sword misses its mark.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Shimon Kudo takes full advantage of the weakness of the giant sword to kill Yokuro before he can lift the weapon back for a second blow.

Tessa

Elite member of the Genkai Tenpei, Renji's comrade. Tends to act foolishly, occasionally saying nothing but "On!"

Beware the Silly Ones: Yes, he looks and acts like a bufoon. Nope, he's not weaker than any of his colleagues, so he's still able to wipe out a massive amount of regular warriors with ease.
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Has moments when he'll just start frantically shout "On!" over and over again, though apparently Renji is able to understand him.
Cool Sword: Wields the Chinese Butterfly Sword, a cutlass-like blade whose handguard extends in the back to form a sai-like prong.
The Unfought: When Gama agrees to spare Renji's life at Tessa's request, he lets him and Shimon go undisturbed.
Verbal Tic: He frequently just shouts "On!" over and over again.

Apanosuke Hakama

Elite member of the Genkai Tenpei, seems to have a massive... admiration for Homare.

Dirty Coward: He only attacks Zenmaru while he's completely distracted.
Exotic Weapon Supremacy: Fitting his preference for ambush and sneak attacks, he wields "Emeici", puncturing weapons resembling handheld metal arrows.
Hate Sink: He's arrogant, is made object of mockery by Homare and even goes against her will in hopes of being noticed by her. When his own action leads to Homare smashing his jaw with a punch it's hard not to cheer.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Despite Homare's orders, he butts in during her battle with Zenmaru and stabs the latter with his Emeici, hoping to please her. Homare is so angry for being interrupted during a battle she's throughfully enjoying that she punches Apanosuke and betrays the Tenpei.

Jushiro Shibasawa

Elite member of the Genkai Tenpei, one of the few specialized in a Japanese weapon, namely a naginata.

Blood Knight: Excited at the prospect of battle, it's implied he asked to be put at the first gate so that he could fight first against a fully-rested enemy.
Slasher Smile: Helped by the fact that his teeth are sharpened, like a shark's.
This Cannot Be!: Caught offguard by Jinkuu's movements, he's left asking himself how could he dodge his naginata before being cut down.

Suruga Fiefdom

Tadaie Hiramatsu

Hyakken #1, Tadaie is the younger brother of the current Shogun, and was actually considered for the charge. Because of his unusual body, Tadaie has shown an incredible aptitude towards martial arts and first took sword lessons when he was 7. Currently the Lord of Suruga, he plans to take the place of Shogun for himself, being essentially the main antagonist of the story.

A God Am I: Has quite a bit of god complex, and he's even called as such by Rando and Bihoumaru.
Big Bad: Is shaping up to become the main threat of the manga and obstacle for Iori and Gama to overcome. He's overtaken by Ramon Ise and the Genkai Tenpei.
Blood Knight: While Jinsuke merely recognized his own power and wanted to use it to fuel his ambition, Tadaie seems to adore martial arts for the sheer pleasure of killing and maiming. None of his sparring partners survived against him.
Break the Badass: During his first fight with Iori he ends up blocking his strongest Narukami and giving him a serious wound. This extends to the point that Iori's ego takes a serious blow, to the point that he openly admits to Shinnojo that he fears he cannot win against him.
Charles Atlas Superpower: He was uncanningly precocious and strong since he was a baby, and he started to train accordingly since he was 6. At the moment, he's so powerful he can literally smash an adult's head open with his bare hands.
Cool Sword: When he shows up at the third round of the tournament he's carrying a single katana with an unique, beautifully engraved tsuba and kashira, while the handle itself is seemingly made of wood rather than sharkskin and wrapping.
Creepy Child: He first took up a sword when he was 2 and started studying martial arts since he was 6.
Dissonant Serenity: Scarily enough, Tadaie alternates between moments of genuine, carefree joy with moments of seriousness and bloodlust.
Enemy Mine: When Ramon Ise make his move and reveals that the Genkai Tenpei intend to take over the Bakufu, he steps up to fight them in order to protect Tsunamitsu.
Family-Unfriendly Violence: In his introduction he grabs his attacker by the face and then pushes him against the ground with enough strenght to splatter his skull, sending brains, eyeballs and fragments of skull flying everywhere.
Foil: To Jinsuke: both are very similar-looking and unearthly powerful, but Jin was a serious ronin and an ambitious swordsman who only fought with a sword (and occasionally his fists) and planned to use his martial prowess to conquer the country and impose his philosophy on the entire Japan. Tadaie is the little brother of the current Shogun, is the Daimyo of Suruga but seems to have a different approach to life than Jin, showing off his competence with many different weapon and seeking self-perfection rather than power to change the country. Furthermore, while Jinsuke has been called a Demon, Tadaie is often referred to as a God by his own men.
Genius Bruiser: Not only he's incredibly strong, but he's also a master with all martial arts, being able to understand the working of Raio's Urumi after seeing it in action for a few attacks.
Go Through Me: Most surprisingly, Tadaie performs this on the Tenpei troops to keep his brother safe.
Instant Expert: He only took him a chapter (about a handful of minutes, more or less) to learn how to use the exotic urumi Shiva and use it in combat with deadly expertise.
Multi-Melee Master: In the range of a few chapters he's show competence with bare-handed fighting and also swordsmanship with a custom Urumi and katana, as well as Sojutsu.
Nightmare Face: He occasionally gets some creepy shots when he flashes a Death Glare at others.
One-Handed Zweihänder: As pointed out by his brother, the scary thing about Tadaie's strength is that he can deliver one-handed attacks with any weapon with all the power of a two-handed strike behind them.
One-Man Army: His skills in martial arts are enormous, to the point that he can attack and kill multiple attackers in a single strike without missing a beat.
Reused Character Design: He's, design-wise, rather similar to Jinsuke Kurogane, even having the same hair.
The Sociopath: He's charismatic and can appear pleasurable, but he's also a ruthless murderer who's ready to kill without showing remorse. When he learns that Bihoumaru has died, he even wonders why he can't cry even if he's saddened. He still does show shock upon being shown Rando's severed head and ultimately decides to save his brother from the Genkai Tenpei.
Super-Strength: Again, he's powerful enough to shatter a man's skull to pieces with ease.
Tell Me How You Fight: Tadaie's incredible mastery of all weapons showcase his arrogant, talentuous side as he showcases his weapon mastery to the enemy, while his brutal, flesh-rending weaponless fighting shows the inner monster lurking behind that serene, composed façade.
The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: When Ramon betrays the Shogun and announces his coup, Tadaie surprisingly enough steps in to murder the mooks of the Genkai Tenpei and declares that he's going to protect his brother.
Tranquil Fury: He's provoked into one when he learns that both Bihoumaru and Rando have been slain by the Tenpei.
White Hair, Black Heart: Like Jinsuke, he has long flowing hair, but he's an even more amoral psychopath.

Rando Shakujii

Hyakken #3 and Tadaie's right-hand man, he's the sword instructor of Suruga. He tends to speak in an almost feminine manner, but is one of the greatest martial artists of Japan. He fights against Ramon during the Suruga Invasion arc but is felled and dies in combat

Combat Pragmatist: Mainly a swordsman, he's not afraid to use all sort of tricks to win, including needles hidden in his mouth.
The Dragon: To Tadaie, being his right-hand man and sword instructor.
Eye Scream: Ramon slashes him across the eyes with his steel claws before giving him the finishing strike.
Hair Antennae: Literally, he has two strands of fair hair jutting out as antennae from his otherwise black longhair.
Lack of Empathy: He doesn't even mention his fallen son when he's slain by Kyoyasai.
Master Swordsman: He's the sword instructor for the Suruga clan and Yagira's equal.
Multi-Melee Master: He's mainly a swordsman, but that doesn't stop him from wielding a spear in tandem with his sword when fending off Ramon.
The Rival: As sword instructor of Suruga, he has a bit of rivalry with Yagira, the Shogun's sword instructor.
Undying Loyalty: He's adamantly loyal to Tadaie, and not just because of his position as the lord of Suruga.

Bihoumaru

Hyakken #7, a supporter of Tadaie sporting a muscular body strong enough to allow him to snap swords barehanded and a barbaric disposition. He's fanatically loyal to Tadaie, who took him in.

Amazon Chaser: After being wounded by Ran in the chest, he proclaims that she's worthy of becoming his wife and carry his children because of her strenght.
And Now You Must Marry Me: After defeating Ran he carries her off with the intention of making her his bride and force her to have his children. Thankfully, Tadaie steps in.
The Brute: He's huge and very muscular, but he also has barbaric looks and speaks in a crude, rather simple way. He's also unquestionably devoted to Tadaie.
Establishing Character Moment: He appears in a cavern, eating raw meat from a deer's carcass and sitting next to an humongous axe, wondering if it's time to go after Ran.
Fluffy the Terrible: "Bihou" can translate to "Beautiful Feng ^note. He's a massive, muscular barbarian of a man.
In-Universe Nickname: Simply called "Bihou" by Rando and Tadaie.
Karmic Death: He spends his first fight overpowering and brutalizing Ran, a female warrior. He's overpowered by another, much stronger female warrior, Homare, and killed at her hand.
Lightning Bruiser: He's not only very powerful but also surprisingly fast on his feet and able to dodge attacks even when they're delivered at the last second.
Made of Iron: During the battle against Ran he gets wounded multiple times, but he never slows down one bit. He even takes a wakizashi through the forearm with mild annoyance.
Real Men Eat Meat: Introduced as a brutal, muscular, extremly virile savage gorging on deer's meat. He probably even hunted the deer himself.
Stealth Hi/Bye: In spite of his staggering size, he's able to pull a sneak attack on Ran during his first appearence, though she managed to dodge.
Undying Loyalty: He owes his life to Tadaie and won't go against his will. He even refers to him as an invicible god.
Villainous Breakdown: Becomes much more brutal and unhinged in his fight against Homare when the amazon proves too powerful for him to handle.
Would Hit a Girl: Two of his battle are against women. He has absolutely no compulsion in maiming them.

Hoyugo Shakujii

Hyakken #15, he's Rando's legitimate son. A skilled martial artist who has developed a unique defensive style fighting with a western shield known as "buckler" in tandem with his katana.

Boring, but Practical: His buckler style has two very simple uses: either push the enemy to both block their attacks and hide the direction of his own slash or simply redirect any attack so that the enemy will be left wide open.
Counter-Attack: His specialty thanks to the buckler and his secret Ikusaotome no Inori stance.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Hyougo fights with a large buckler which he uses to block enemy swords, either to deflect incoming attacks or to block the enemy weapon to prevent any opposition to his attack.
Oh, Crap!: Goes in panic when Kyoyasai manages to overpower his defense and slice through his shoulder.
Real Men Wear Pink: Of all the names he could give to his counter-attacking technique, he choose "Ikusaotome no Inori", literally "Prayer to the Battle Maiden".

Others

Other Bakka Hyakken

Hien Shiba

Hyakken #95. Head of the Genba Ryuu of Nodachijutsu, a genius swordsman known as the "Undefeated Swallow" for his 5-years long winning streak, which however left him empty inside. He's the first opponent faced by Iori on his way to Edo and wields the zanmato "Monohoshizao Masamune".

Animal Motifs: Swallows: his name translates to "Flying Swallow" and was nicknamed as such. He also named his attacks after the swallow, as a possible nod to Sasaki Kojiro.
Ax-Crazy: He was ten when he murdered a Ronin with his own wakizashi and enjoyed every single moment of it. Beacause of this, his father Ogai refused to teach him swordsmanship, choosing his brother Hayato over him as the new leader of the Genba Ryuu. Unfortunately, Hien taught himself swordsmanship, stole the family sword and used it to slay people left and right.
BFS: Wields a long nodachi as his weapon of choice. Uniquely, the maki wrappings of the handle extends even on the extra-long habaki (the blunt part right at the base of the blade), which allows Hien to pretty much go half-swording. Also subverting the concept of the nodachi being heavy and strength-reliant, Hien handles his sword with great skill and finesse.
Broken Ace: His continuous streaks of victories spread his fame but also made him jaded and hollow inside.
Calling Your Attacks: He has shown two named techniques themed after the swallow: Enbiranbu (Swallow Tail Mad Dance) and Enbiranbu Second Method: Tsubamegaeshi (Returning Swallow).
Diagonal Cut: Suffers one across the chest by Iori after he destroys his sword. However, it seemingly was non-fatal.
Klingon Promotion: He took his place as the head of the Genba Ryuu by murdering his father.
Named Weapons: The Shiba sword, the zanmato known as "Monohoshizao Masamune" (Laundry Pole Masamune).
No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's clearly a walking nod to the famous swordsman Sasaki Kojiro, carrying a nodachi named "Laundry Pole" and performing a technique called "Tsubame Gaeshi" with it.
Serial Killer: He murdered just as many people during his long victory streak, including his father.
Shown Their Work: Aside from the tsuba location, the Monohoshizao Masamune displays the typical handle length of a nodachi. Also, Zenmaru's comment about being surprised to see someone else outside of his clan using such a large sword has its basis, as during the Edo period katana had to fall under a certain length to be legal to own, thus making nodachi and tachi rarer.
Starter Villain: He's the very first opponent encountered by Iori and challenging him for his letter. He is, however, far from being a jobber.
Stealth Hi/Bye: To an almost ridicolous level, he's able to approach the quartet of Iori, Zenmaru, Ran and Kan (who were talking about him) without them noticing until he was there. And while the areas they were walking in had trees, they were sparse and distant from each other.
Victory Is Boring: A series of unstopped victories with no actual opposition made him jaded and empty inside. He seemingly gets better when Iori defeats him, but before anything can come from it he's slain by Shibusawa Kan for "growing soft".
Wrecked Weapon: Iori manages to break the blade of his Monohoshizao Masamune, defeating him in the process.

Raio Magami

Hyakken #9, known as the "Strongest Assassin", Magami is a murderous fellow who has mastered Indian swordsmanship and fights using different Urumi swords. He loses a hand while figthing Iori, but he still manages to obtain the three scrolls needed to join the Tournament. He and Taiichiro tries to tagteam Tadaie and Rando, but are killed.

Anime Hair: Has odd-looking red hair resembling a flower in his second appearence.
An Arm and a Leg: At the end of their battle, Iori manages to cut off his right hand. He has to give up using one of his Urumi, but compensates by adding a second blade to Shiva and by grafting a sai-like blade called "Vajra" to his stump.
Ax-Crazy: Raio derives pleasure from killing people and is clearly insane.
Calling Your Attacks: He names several of his techniques, including Shijinkaigan (Awakening of the Four Blades), Shijinkyoran (Madness of the Four Gods), Vishnu no Sabaki (Vishnu's Judgement) and Vajra no Raimei (Vajra's Thunderbolt).
Defiant to the End: Even when his technique is beaten, his left arm broken and he's at the mercy of Tadaie he still tries to attack him one more time with Vajra before being beheaded.
Dual Wielding: He wields the fast, three-bladed Urumi Brahma in his right hand and the heavier, single-bladed Shiva in his other hand when he really wants to be serious. After losing one hand, he simply adds a second blade to Shiva and grafts a katar to his wrist.
Elemental Motifs: Lightning. His name literally translates to "Lightning Sakura" and he compares the high speed movements of his Urumi to lightning bolts, even calling them "Thunder Blades". His second secret technique is even called "Vajra's Thunderbolt".
Establishing Character Moment: Walks down the streets of a town, leaving a wake of mutilated corpses behind.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Chopped to pieces by his own Shiva.
Logical Weakness: As Iori noted, his Urumi give him an "Instant Death" Radius, but if something prevents them from moving he's left vulnerable.
Nothing Up My Sleeve: His coat has very long, concealing sleeves that keep his hands hidden.
Red Baron: He's known by the sinister monikers of "The Strongest Assassin" and Shinigami.
Thousand-Yard Stare: He's constantly seen with open eyes and a creepy stare which makes him ominous.
Villainous Breakdown: Freaks out when Tadaie blocks his attack effortlessly and disarms him.
Wake-Up Call Boss: While Hien was an opponent who was overall not too different from what we had already seen in Unabara, Raio seriously threatens the life of Ran and Iori when he fights and showcases that yes, the high-ranked Hyakken are serious opponents even for the likes of Iori.
Whip Sword: Raio carries two with him: the swift, three-bladed Brahma and the heavier, fan-tipped sword Shiva. When he reappears, his Shiva now has two blades.
Would Hit a Girl: Has no qualms about trying to slice Ran to ribbons.

Sanpeita Momochi

Hyakken #99 and former Kirigakure Ryuu of Ninjutsu, Sanpeita is a crafty old shinobi who's an expert in Chinese venoms, traps and underhand tactics. He attacks Zenmaru after mistaking him for Iori, causing him to be involved in the Bakufu Tournament.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Constantly mocks Zenmaru during their battle and boasts about his skills and experience in combat.
Combat Pragmatist: Probably the biggest one in both series, Sanpeita is introduced attacking a distracted Zenmaru in an inn with poison, only to run away when confronted, luring the warrior into a forest where he has prepared plenty of traps in advance.
Extremity Extremist: When not using his venomous touch, he performs disarming attacks with kicks, at one point blocking Zenmaru's iaido attack with a kick.
Kick the Dog: Uses his Poison Hand to murder a random innkeeper while talking to Zenmaru.
Mistaken Identity: He attacked Zenmaru because he mistook him for Iori Sengoku. After finding out that Zenmaru is a Hyakken he decides to target him too.
Ninja: Sanpeita is actually a veteran of the Iga School of ninjutsu, and a crafty old bastard willing to use pretty much any trick, no matter how dirty, to kill his enemy.
Old Soldier: Clearly among the oldest characters in the series, he actually cherishes his status as he claims that experience is the best weapon a martial artist can use.
Poisoned Weapons: His entire left hand is highly venomous, a technique developed using a special Chinese potion made from venomous bugs and poisonous herbs. This venom allows him to have a Touch of Death active all time.
Poisonous Person: Thanks to his training and knowledge of Chinese potion-making he has at his disposal the Dokushu (Poisonous Hand) and the secret "Poison Mist Jutsu" (which involves spitting poison in the eyes of his opponents). Thanks to this he also has an Acquired Poison Immunity.
Slashed Throat: Before losing the last of his strength, Zenmaru's Shuengetsu manages to slash him across the neck, killing him for real.
Stock Ninja Weaponry: He has shown competence with venom, shuriken, makibishi, swords and traps. Lots of traps.
Stunned Silence: Stops trashtalking and stares in disbelief when Zenmaru is able to smash his last trap (a massive log of wood with metal blades embedded in it) with the Sadanaga.
Underestimating Badassery: He doesn't take Zenmaru or his Sadanaga seriously, confident in victory since he managed to land a poisoned attack. Through sheer determination, Zenmaru manages to cut him down.

Ikki Oobayashi

Hyakken #54, a pragmatic warrior who wields a unique weapon, the three-section battle axe Enmiyabi. He tries to ambush Iori with his accomplices before the start of the tournament.

Combat Pragmatist: He ambushes Iori with a team of 30 people, armed with swords, bows, spears and shuriken to force him to divide his attention on different kinds of attackes as he joins the fray.
Confusion Fu: His weapon, being based on a three-section staff, is incredibly difficult to defend against.
Dude Looks Like a Lady: He's rather effemminate-looking and his name even contains the kanji for "Princess"!
Exotic Weapon Supremacy: Sansetsukon (three-sectioned staves) are already exotic weapon material, but he goes one step forward with Enmiyabi, a sansetsukon with a large, broad-tipped blade on one end.
Mix-and-Match Weapon: He calls his weapon a "Sansetsu Senpu" (Three-sectioned Battleax), and is essentially a three-section staff with a large, machete-like blade with a broad head in lieu of one section.
Non-Indicative Name: While he calls his weapon an "axe", the shape of the blade makes it a machete or some kind of broad-ended scimitar, making his weapon a three-section glaive.
Undignified Death: Right when he thinks he has the upper hand... Iori cuts through his weapon and deprives him of his eye and left hand in one attack. And when it looks like he'd be spared, he's cut down across the neck by Tojo.
Wolfpack Boss: He brings company into combat, fighting Iori alongside his 30 comrades.

Sakutaro Nagoshi

Hyakken #11, head of the Nagoshi Ryuu of Tsujutsu. Sakutaro is a materialistic, greedy veteran who uses a steel cane to fight, hard enough to withstand and break swords. He's slain by Hanjiro's Doukou no Kata.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: He's rather dismissive of Hanjiro as a swordsman, since he sees swords as inferior against his steel cane.
Cane Fu: Fights with a "jo" (a type of staff which is shorter than the bo but longer than the hanbo) made of steel, which allows him to block and destroy swords with ease.
Dirty Old Man: He openly mentions that he'd rather be in Kyoto rubbing his face in a woman's breast rather than fight in the Tournament. Hanjiro even calls him "Pervy Gramps".
Karmic Death: He boasts that no sword can break his staff, but is slain when Hanjiro's Iwasakunesaku breaks through his cane and into his head.
Oh, Crap!: Has a moment of terror when he realizes that Hanjiro's Iwasakunesaku is breaking his staff and now the smashing sword is about to land on his cranium.
Wrecked Weapon: He boasts that he can snap swords easily with his steel cane. Hanjiro manages to break his weapon in return.

Kitaro Mashima

Hyakken #12, former Myojin Ryuu member and the rightful Divine Spear for Beninuki. During his training he fell in love for his kohai and brother Sasuke and eventually left the school after leaving his spear and status to his beloved. News of Sasuke's death pushed him to reclaim Beninuki and go after the Ogame Ryuu in revenge.

Always Someone Better: Remember how Jinno talked about Sasuke's many techniques? Well, Kitaro clearly has much more experience and shows improved versions of Sasuke's own attacks.
Animal Motif: Before being attacked by Kaeshi Gaga, Iori feels the aura of a giant snake over him, and Kitaro himself likens the side sickle of Beninuki to a snake's fang. At one point, he claims that if Sasuke made a "snake" of Beninuki, Kitaro himself will make it an "orochi" instead. His ultimate technique is even called "Snake King Fang".
Ambiguously Bi: While his past relationship with Sasuke is important in the story, during his introduction he mentions he could just find a girl and "have fun" with her, though given his... lack of sanity it could have been an euphemism for... deadlier types of fun.
Ax-Crazy: It appears to run in the family. If possible, he's even more unhinged than Sasuke.
Brother–Sister Incest: While it's not clear if they really are blood-related (since they have different surnames), he and Sasuke still consider each other brothers. And had sex with each other.
Counter-Attack: In case the spear is knocked aside, Kitaro can use the slashing technique Kaeshi Gaga (Returning Fangs) to strike the opponent if he rushes at him.
Creepy Souvenir: Carries with him the severed ear of Sasuke, so that they can be together. When reaching his limit, he swallows the ear whole, going so insane he gets a power boost.
Diagonal Cut: Both he and Beninuki are cut in half with a single attack by Iori.
Early-Bird Cameo: Makes an early appearence after Hien's defeat. Also counts as a Wham Shot for fans who recognized his spear as the Beninuki.
Power Born of Madness: After getting wounded and eating Sasuke's ear, he goes completely insane, with the side effect that now his body has no restrain, which allows him to push his body to his very limits, no matter how damaging they could be. He comes this close to killing Iori.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: He wants revenge against the Ogame Ryuu for killing Sasuke. Is still Misplaced Retribution, as technically Zenmaru killed Sasuke.
Slasher Smile: Sports a creepy grin with sharp teeth when in combat.
Spin Attack: He uses the improved version of Chigarami called Hajo Chigarami (Blood Tangle's Destructive Form). When going all out, he can employ the spinning thrust with multiple attacks at once, the Jaoga: Chigarami Ranbu (Snake King Fang: Blood Tangle's Chaotic Dance).
Split Personality: When going berserk, he ends up channeling Sasuke, to the point that he actually speaks in Sasuke's voice and half of his face resemble Sasuke's.

Shigure Nakamura

Hyakken #13, member of the Muhou Ryuu and Shimon's disciple, he has learnt the iaido of the Kannari Ryu. He's killed by Rin Kaido, who sees through his secret technique.

Anime Hair: His hair wouldn't look bad on a modern-day punk, but on an Edo period ronin...
Iaijutsu Practitioner: He learnt iaijutsu from Shimon.
The Mole: He's actually working for the Muhou Ryu.
Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Can use the Nagisengetsu like Shimon to throw his sword at the enemy to blind him before attacking. Doesn't work against Rin.
The Worf Effect: Taken out easily by Kaido Rin.

Yoshimori Genu

Hyakken #14, member of the Mugenso Ryuu of sojutsu, fighting using a Omi-Yari. Gama's opponent in the first round of the tournament. and is killed offscreen by Jinku.

Anime Hair: His hair resemble a white, fluffy flame with three spikes.
Charles Atlas Superpower: Apparently, his skill with the Omiyari is so great he can pierce through an entire tree trunk with his spear.
Decapitation Presentation: Jinku shows his severed head to Gama, informing him that he already took care of him so that Gama would pass the tournament.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: A mighty spearman with great strength, weird hair and a massive broad-bladed spear who's supposed to fight Gama, all of which brings Shingo Mido back to mind.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Murdered offscreen by Jinkuu before we can get to know him.

Shiro Momose

Hyakken #16, a warrior with a twisted sense of justice who'd do anything to crush those he perceives as "evil". Wields a western Longsword as his weapon and fights Zenmaru.

Beat Them at Their Own Game: On the receiving end. His Bind technique is usually deadly against normal swords... but the Sadanaga is even heavier than his sword, which means that the Bind damages his own hands and weakens his grip.
Cool Sword: Carries a western longsword with him, taking advantage of the sword's weight and size to crush others. The sword itself is not as long as a true-blue longsword, but he does wield it two-handed.
Early-Bird Cameo: First appears after the death of Hien Shiba, where he's shown cutting down armed opponents with his sword. He makes a full appearence much later during the Shura Island arc.
Foil: To Zenmaru: both are young swordsmen using rare swords, but while Zenmaru is emotive and impulsive but overall good-hearted, Shiro is dignified, calm but also cold and ready to slay in the name of his "justice". Zenmaru's sword is a huge nodachi made to strike the enemy from a certain range, while Shiro's straight sword and fighting style work better in close melee. From a merely linguistic point of view, "Ichinose" means "One Shoal", while Momose means "Hundred Shoals".
For Great Justice: His main motivation was justice, but over time, his concept of justice became distorted and twisted. He's probably the only contestant who cares about the title of Daimyo promised to the winner of the tournament.
Genius Bruiser: A powerful fighter who managed to make out his own take on western swordstyle by reading books and became strong enough to be the 16th Hyakka.
Heroes Prefer Swords: Invoked, he's obsessed with justice (his own vision of it, anyway) and carries a sword usually associated with knights and heroes.
Hoist by His Own Petard: His overreliance on binding ends up biting him in the ass when used against Zenmaru's heavy Sadanaga, as with too many binds he ends up weakening his own grip on the sword, which slows him down at a critical moment.
Meaningful Name: "Shiro" contains the kanji for "Warrior" found in both "samurai" (bushi), warrior (senshi) and knight (kishi), and can also be read as "white". He's a fair-haired warrior with a western sword obsessed with "justice", invoking a knightly idea.
Non-Indicative Name: His longsword, as a matter of fact, is not long enough to qualify as one, though it's justified as it's implied that Shiro had it customized for himself. Plus, he does wield it with both hands anyway.

Ouka

Hyakken #19, an odd-looking fighter using an old-school Japanese sword with a heavier handle and a different balance. He fights Tsuchiryuu during the Tournament.

Animal Motifs: When he shows his true face, his fin-like black hair, round visage and sharp teeth call a shark to mind.
Beware the Silly Ones: Looks like a total joke but he catches Tsuchiryuu by surprise and almost kills him with his technique.
Cool Sword: His sword is actually an ancient tsurugi sword, the predecessor of the katana. It's straight, double-edged and the weight is centered on the pommel, which allows him to perform surprisingly effective attacks.
Confusion Fu: Because of the balance of his sword, his attacks are deceptively fast and hard to predict.
Early Installment Character-Design Difference: In the first panel he's seen in he has a standard, if eerie face with eyes drawn as normal, but when he reappears later, he looks like another character entirely.
Game Face: When he gets serious, he sports a menacing glare and shows some pointy teeth in a wicked smile.
Gonk: Looks noticeably more cartoony and goofier than the other characters.
Lightning Bruiser: Thanks to his sword, his fighting style revolves around incredibly fast, oscillating swings that can catch the enemy by surprise.
Non-Standard Character Design: He looks nothing like the characters usually drawn by Naosuke, and actually resembles a caricature of Astroboy.
Oh, Crap!: Lets out one when Tsuchiryuu manages to break his guard and is about to stab him in the guts with his weapon.
Scary Teeth: When we see his teeth, we see that they're as sharp as shark teeth.
Verbal Tic: He's often seen saying "Po.... Po..." when alone, giving the impression he's just an idiot.

Taichiro Kamada

Hyakken #28, a bare-handed martial artist using armored gauntlets and greaves. Together with Raio he attacks Tadaie and Rando, but his arrogance proves fatal.

Armed Legs: Wears metal guards on his shins and feet to deliver stronger kicks.
Bullying a Dragon: Granted, he did not have anything to say on the matter as Rando was his target and vice versa, but he still took on the 3rd Hyakken with absolute confidence despite the difference in rank. While he manages to surprise Rando for a while with his martial arts, he's ultimately killed.
Eye Scream: Rando slashes him across the face with his wakizashi, taking out his left eye.
Extremity Extremist: While he can use fists, he mostly attacks with sudden kicks. They are powerful enough to snap Rando's katana in one blow.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: By the time Rando is done with him, he's found with a broken katana embedded in his forehead.
Power Fist: He wears metal protections on his arms to enhance his punches.

Hanjiro Okamoto Oizumi

Hyakken #100, a mysterious swordsman with unusual hair and a playful disposition who seems to be interested in Gama and Iori. In truth, he's Hanjiro Oizumi, Kamedenbo's son and the man who introduced Jinsuke to the Ogame Ryu, as well as the man who, alongside Jinsuke and Mario, mastered all the Five Forms. Jinsuke tasked him with teaching the Sword Form he personally made, the Tenchi no Kata, to Gama and Iori.

Anime Hair: Has some pretty weird hair with three separate locks covering his right eye. they became more prominent later on.
Enigmatic Minion: His true motivations are rather unclear: he didn't side with Jinsuke, but still agreed to pass his own secret form to Gama and Iori.
Heroic Sacrifice: Killed off while stalling the Tenpei for as long as he could, exchanging blows with Homare before being felled by an enemy spear.
Let's Get Dangerous!: At first, the fight against Sakutaro is clearly not in his favor, but he manages to turn the tide by using Doukou no Kata.
Master Swordsman: He mastered all the forms of the Ogame Ryu, and so far, is the only living person who can use the sixth hidden form invented by Jinsuke, Tenchi no Kata.
Meaningful Name: Iwasakunesaku, the name of his secret technique, literally means "Rock Splitter Root Splitter" and refers to both: 1) the names of two Shinto gods, and, when written with "saku" as splitting, as "the power of a sword to tear even the roots of rock". Very fitting for an extremely powerful, almost unstoppable attack, as well as the top technique of the Doukou no Kata, the "Earth Lord Form".
The Mole: The climax of the second round arc reveals that he was actually a traitor on the Genkai Tenpei side and they expect him to turn against his companions. Hanjiro, however, ultimately stays loyal to his companions and gives his life to stall the enemy.
Spin Attack: His secret attack Iwasakunesaku (Rock-root Splitter) has him holding his sword in a peculiar stance and twist it with incredible strength to deliver a spinning slash powerful enough to break through an iron staff.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He was the one who introduced Jinsuke to the Ogame Ryu.
Wham Line: As he prepares to fight Sakutaro, he reveals the name of his technique and his former allegiance: Doukou no Kata, the 5th form of the Ogame Ryu.

Others

Jiromaru Amano

Member of the Tenjin Ryu, a kodachi user who tries to challenge Gama when he arrives in Edo.

Bullying a Dragon: Tries to pick up a fight with Gama, the fifth Hyakken and son of Kurogane Jinsuke. At least he does spare his life.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Gama disarms him of his kodachi and slice him with it.
Lightning Bruiser: He's rather fast and attacks with combined attacks.

Burai Udo

A gigantic man with herculean strength, member of the Shinsei Ryuu, he was adopted by a samurai clan and went to Edo in hope of participating to the Bakufu Tournament, but he ends up fighting Ran Ichinose. His chauvinism ends up costing him his life.

Anime Hair: His hair has plenty of gravity-defying spike-like tuffs resembling the petal decorations of certain Buddhist statues.
Boisterous Bruiser: Appears to be very loud and eager to get in a fight.
Charles Atlas Superpower: Thanks to his training he can crack rocks with his wooden sword.
Muscles Are Meaningful: He's huge and his immense size and muscles allow him to crack boulders in half with a wooden sword.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Express disdain towards Ran for being a woman as she attacks him. As he's dying, Ran admits that had he took her seriously from the start she would have lost.
Slasher Smile: He doesn't seem to be really evil or murderous, but he still sports a creepy, teeth-baring grin most of the time.
Would Hit a Girl: Granted, the girl in question has just tried to slice him with a sword.

Characters / Gamaran Shura

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Iori Sengoku

Gama Kurogane

Ran Ichinose

Zenmaru Ichinose

Isami Ichinose

Shogunate and Agents

Tokugawa Tsunamitsu

Kyoyasai Yagira

Kan Shibusawa Kangetsu Tokugawa

Rin Kaido

Shinzo Ikariya /Ryogo Kuryuu

Kanbee Kirinosuke Yui

Genkai Tenpei

General Tropes:

Ramon Ise

Genra

Homare

Karai

Seiya Zoin

Sendo

Sanjin

Kokuryuu

Renji Jiba

Yokuro Unbo

Tessa

Apanosuke Hakama

Jushiro Shibasawa

Tadaie Hiramatsu

Rando Shakujii

Bihoumaru

Hoyugo Shakujii

Other Bakka Hyakken

Hien Shiba

Raio Magami

Sanpeita Momochi

Ikki Oobayashi

Sakutaro Nagoshi

Kitaro Mashima

Shigure Nakamura

Yoshimori Genu

Shiro Momose

Ouka

Taichiro Kamada

Hanjiro Okamoto Oizumi

Others

Jiromaru Amano

Burai Udo

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