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The Main Trio

Fuu

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (JP), Kari Wahlgren (EN), Mariana Ortiz (LA), Alessia Amendola (It)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fuu.jpg

The protagonist of the story, in search of the "Samurai who Smells of Sunflowers". She travels across Japan with Mugen and Jin as her unlikely bodyguards. Plucky and determined, she'll stop at nothing to find this mysterious samurai.

Action Survivor: She’s no Action Girl by any means and has to rely on Mugen and Jin, her own wits, and pure dumb luck to survive.
A-Cup Angst: At least once verbally express jealousy over another more endowed woman. She's also delighted in ep. 5 when the Ukiyo-e artist draw her with large breasts.
All-Loving Hero: Not a mean bone in her body, and due to her actions she saved both main's lives and an innumerable number of side characters.
Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?: In one episode, Fuu believes she is to be the "prize" in a duel between two brothers battling to succeed their father's dojo (they had both commented on how absolutely cute something was while looking in her direction). When the duel is over, the two brothers approach Fuu as though they're going to glomp her, only to become preoccupied with her flying squirrel. Fuu is... somewhat vexed.
Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: As shown during Episode 1's coin toss, she sports decidedly 20th-century sunflower-patterened nail art.
Badass Adorable: Despite her cute looks, she managed to continue eating in the Edo eating contest without stopping!
Belligerent Sexual Tension: Has a ridiculous amount with Mugen, so much so that more than a few viewers were surprised when they did not receive a Relationship Upgrade in the final episodes.
Berserk Button: While not driving her into a murderous rage, she gets pissed whenever Mugen calls her ugly.
Big Eater:
- Interestingly, she fits both the "surprisingly skinny" and "fat" versions of the trope, as she's normally pretty lanky, but will temporarily swell up and get a Balloon Belly after some particularly serious eating. Then again she is a teenager, a time when metabolisms are at their highest.
- Used to hilarious extremes in one episode, when after eating a huge meal, after which she looks like she's put on 200 kg, she is seen by a set of guards with Jin and Mugen when they've just gotten themselves into trouble (again). The guards run into her again after she's slimmed down and ask her:
  Guard: Excuse me, miss, have you seen a really fat girl around your age?
Bodyguard Crush: Possibly on Jin, Mugen, or both. While most interpret her as being closest to Mugen, she's more openly affectionate with Jin (as they're both of samurai families, they have much more in common).
Boob-Based Gag: In the first episode, she hides some bombs in her dress and runs through town with them bouncing to and fro.
Clingy Jealous Girl: She tends to get mad when Mugen shows interest in other girls.
Curtains Match the Window: Brown hair, brown eyes, of almost the exact same shade.
Cute Clumsy Girl: Much as she tries to deny it, she's a massive klutz and extremely awkward on her feet.
Damsel in Distress: A fairly justified version, since Edo period Japan was very dangerous place to travel around in, especially for a normal teenage girl. It's why she wanted Mugen and Jin, who have pasts which justify their combat prowess, to travel with her in the first place.
Dude Magnet: Despite being told she lacks sex appeal, she manages to attract a lot of male attention. Examples include Moronobu, Sosuke, and Nagamitsu among others. However she seems to believe she only attracts weirdos.
Flower Motifs: Various vegetables and plants in the opening, but she has a special connection with sunflowers.
Green-Eyed Monster: She's angry whenever Jin or Mugen visit other women. Interesting to note though that whenever Jin gets interested in another woman she gets seriously concerned and worried about him, while when Mugen gets interested in another woman she just gets furiously jealous.
Hates Being Alone: She hates being separated from either Mugen and Jin.
The Heart: She keeps Mugen and Jin from killing each other, and takes it hard whenever they try to leave.
Heavy Voice: Has one on the occasions that she gorges herself to obesity.
Japanese Christian: Heavily implied to be a Christian given that she is the daughter of Seizo Kasumi, leader of Christianity in Japan.
The Kirk: In sharp contrast to stoic Jin and temperamental Mugen, Fuu's just an awkward, cheery teenager. If the two are fighting, then Fuu is usually the one to stop them.
Like Brother and Sister: Word of God says this is the nature of her relationship with Mugen and Jin. They tend to treat her like an annoying kid sister, regardless, though it's implied that she might feel something more for Mugen.
Memento MacGuffin: The skull charm on her knife's sheath. It's a hint to her father's past, but she doesn't learn this until near the end of the series.
Neutral Female: Not quite. She's physically weak and small, and probably should stay out of fights, but she intercedes on more than one occasion. Personality-wise, she is a very strong, determined person and is by no means completely helpless when she's stuck in a tight spot. Hellhounds for Hire comes to mind.
Nice Girl: While she may get frustrated by her companions' antics, she's ultimately a very considerate person who can even sympathize with those who kidnap her.
Plucky Girl: She runs off with two guys she's never met, one of dubious morality, saves their asses from the government, to find some guy whose face she doesn't remember. Does she give up? No. Does she give in? Hell no! Face it, Fuu is stronger willed then either Mugen or Jin. Or just plain insane.
- For a specific example, in one episode a thug tries to threaten her with a knife and tells her if she screams, he'll kill her. She goes ahead and screams before he has time to actually put the knife in a threatening position.
The Protagonist: While Mugen and Jin are more active due to their fighting skills, the plot is still primarily about Fuu's quest to find the Sunflower Samurai.
Ship Tease: In the anime and manga, she has sexual tension with Mugen, which Word of God backs up.
Small Name, Big Ego: She thinks the men are lining up to ravish her. She's usually wrong.
Sunny Sunflower Disposition: She's a warm and brave girl who is associated with flowers.
Supporting Protagonist: While the story is driven by her quest to find the Sunflower Samurai, Mugen and Jin's antics are what usually drive each episode.

Mugen

Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai (JP), Steve Blum (tv series), Liam O'Brien (video game) (EN), Irwin Daayán (LA), Christian Iasante (It)

A violent, incredibly brash vagrant who always seeks out a fight. His escapades lead him to a duel with Jin, then the two swordsmen accompany Fuu in search of the Sunflower Samurai.

Afro Asskicker: A completely anachronistic one, which makes him stand out more.
Amazon Chaser: Mugen usually prefers strong women to the more quiet ones that he meets. The women don't even necessarily need to be fighters—they just have to have a strong will and/or confidence to catch his eye.
Ambiguously Brown: He's rather unambiguously Ryukyuan, but whether his skin tone is due to his ethnic heritage or a deep tan from piracy on the open seas and vagrancy under the sun is never clarified. He is darker than any of the Japanese characters, and the only other Ryukyuans have the same tan, but also grew up in the same conditions.
Animal Motifs: Is associated with Roosters in the opening, possibly because of his arrogant, cocky nature.
Anti-Hero: Seems to be Nomimal at first, but acquires some traces of Unscupulousness. He's a foul-mouthed Blood Knight who will frequently abandon his companions for the sake of a good fight, and cares little for his promise to Fuu, instead trying to fulfil his promise to kill Jin. But he also teams up with the latter numerous times, rescues Fuu even if it inconveniences him, scorns at the idea of villainy, and in the end, honors his companions as true friends.
Awesomeness by Analysis: He learned how to use energy to attack his opponent after having it used once against him, being told what his opponent had done and one month of (mostly irrelevant) training.
Balloon Belly: Tends to happen when he seriously overeats.
Berserk Button: Not that it takes much to piss him off, but Mugen really can't stand when Japanese people mistreat foreigners like the Dutchman (and the Russian from the manga). Obviously, it hits a little close to home for him.
Blood Knight: In one episode, he tries to start a fight with Fuu's pet squirrel.
- In fact, the only time he ever turns away from a fight is when he goes to rescue Fuu from where she's being held on that island. And that said, he did so reluctantly (he was desperately out-classed and if he'd stayed Kariya would've killed him) and he knew he was running towards another fight.
Book Dumb: Semi-literate at best and terrible with numbers, but he's not stupid and has regularly proven himself to be quite clever, cunning, and resourceful. Interestingly, he takes learning how to write rather enthusiastically.
But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Cut off one guy's arm and didn't care enough to remember. When his victim tracked him down with a Giant Mook and an elaborate murder plot and promised to make him pay for his crimes, all he got in return was a blank look.
Character Development: At the start of the story, he's a rude, selfish, impulsive, violent douchebag who starts fights at the drop of a hat and generally seems to be incapable of not getting into trouble at every opportunity, and it is only through circumstance that he winds up agreeing to help Fuu, and even that was probably motivated more by the prospect of eventually getting to kill Jin or die trying. As the series progresses, he slowly comes to care about people other than himself, most notably Fuu. By the end of the anime, he's also learned to use his head a little bit more in fights. He also finally makes peace with his desire to start fights with anyone and everyone just because. At the end of the series, he admits that he considers Jin to be a friend and has no desire to fight him anymore.
Chick Magnet: Suprisingly, chicks seem drawn to him. Moreso than Jin, in fact, who's supposed to be better looking.
Combat Pragmatist: Mugen doesn't know the meaning of fair play.
Confusion Fu: Intentionally fights purely on instinct and reaction, mixing in various matrial arts techniques he's experienced seemingly at random to put his opponent on the backfoot. While this is the primary advantage to Mugen's fighting style for most of the series, it actually becomes a liability later on once he starts facing highly skilled opponents who do have a well honed technique, on top of reflexes and physical ability that match or even outstrip his own.
Cruel Mercy: Kohza betrays him so that she will not be alone, something she's terrified of. He kills everyone in the old crew who betrayed him and then just ignores her, even when she begs him to kill her. Needless to say, it says a lot when Mugen—a guy who has few qualms about killing — deems someone Not Worth Killing.
Dance Battler: Break dancing to be specific, he even has steel plates on the soles of his sandals. His style is also often compared to capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music, and could plausibly have been learned from a passing Brazilian sailor. (Or invented on the spot.)
Dark and Troubled Past: Grew up fending for himself as a street urchin on a penal colony (by his own admission, he can't actually remember having ever had parents), had the only person who he ever considered an ally betray him repeatedly (said person also being an absolutely repulsive human being), and belonged to a particularly brutal and debauched pirate crew that the aforementioned ally captained. He's still an asshole, but suffice to say, Mugen has not had a good life. He claims that he doesn't care and embraces the hell that was his upbringing, but Sara senses otherwise and says as much, and Mugen's response suggests that she was right on the money with that one.
Determinator: The man dies more than once during the course of the series, and comes back to life through sheer determination!
Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: When he dies the first two times, he tells the Futuchi reapers that it's not his time yet and uses this trope by telling them to take their job and shove it by returning him to the living world. When he dies the third and final time (in the last episode, no less), this turns into Rage Against the Heavens by demanding that he be sent back to the living world at once. Once again, it's Mugen 3, Death 0, as our hero reigns victorious.
Hair-Trigger Temper: It's easier to find things that don't enrage him. While he never really loses his foul temper, becoming less impulsive and aggressive and learning how to not say or do the absolute worst thing possible in an already-tense situation are all things that he becomes significantly better at over the course of the series.
Hidden Weapons: He has a dagger hidden in the end of his sword's scabbard. He only considers using it as a last resort, and only does so twice over the course of the whole series.
Hot-Blooded: "Mugen" and "impulse control" are not things that typically accompany one another.
Implacable Man: He's extraordinarily resilient and has recovered from injuries that were all but explicitly lethal.
Improbable Age: Although no one's quite sure of his age, Mugen is generally thought to be no older than twenty, which is pretty young for a man of his abilities and experiences.
Informed Flaw: His ugliness. In some episodes his face is legitimately loathsome, but in others he's just ruggedly handsome. He pretty consistently looks as though he's made completely out of elbows, and it's likely that he's gotten his face beaten in enough over the years to deform it.
Informed Loner: For a guy who will insist, with sharp objects if pressed, that he works for and with no one but himself, he encounters old foes and friends nearly as frequently as Jin. And he is still getting dragged around behind Jin and Fuu.
I Work Alone:
Mugen: I don't believe in anyone, but me, and what I can do.
Mugen: I don't work for no one, but me.
Mugen: Now I lived my whole life without takin' help from nobody, and I'd be damned if I let you guys help me into my grave.
- Part of his character development is the realization that he's not alone after all.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Moreso later on - and Mugen may threaten murder against anyone who implies it.
Know When to Fold 'Em: Mugen is forced to back down on fighting Kariya when he realizes that he is just straight up outclassed by Kariya's skill and swordplay, and that the fight is between Jin and Kariya.
Leeroy Jenkins: If there's an opportunity to start shit or dramatically escalate a bad situation, he will gleefully take his shot without even pausing to consider the consequences. Part of his character development involves learning how to be less impulsive and needlessly aggressive.
Logical Weakness: Being untrained in formal combat, Mugen relies on his erratic movements and raw strength to beat his opponents. As such, a fighter who is Strong and Skilled will give him a tough time.
Loner-Turned-Friend: He's been a lone wolf criminal for most of his life, but has been forced by circumstance to find a pair of True Companions in Jin and Fuu.
Made of Iron: He's been been in close proximity to massive explosions, had his belly slashed open, was shot in the back with a musket ball, tortured, mauled by a psycho with a scythe, and even died on more than one occasion. And each time he recovered completely within a short space of time with no apparent lasting effects.
The McCoy: In contrast to the level-headed, stoic Jin, Mugen is unhinged, hot-headed, and emotional.
Mix-and-Match Weapon: His katana's crossguard looks like a sai's prongs; in fact he uses it to snap a blade during a fight. The blade itself however, takes cues from the Kogarasumaru tachi.
Never Learned to Read: Although an early episode shows him reading, or at least recognizing, the words for certain foods from a menu, he isn't actually literate. Bundai was offended enough by Mugen's indifference to his own illiteracy to force him to learn.
Noble Male, Roguish Male: The Roguish Male to Jin's Noble Male. He is an ex-pirate picking fights in underhanded ways while Jin is a ronin who engage in duel if possible.
No Social Skills: Mostly because he doesn't care who he offends and is pretty much just a rude thug at the start of the story.
Only Mostly Dead: Another possible (albeit more mundane) explanation for how he seems to keep coming back.
Perma-Stubble: It's implied that he simply doesn't shave, but he never seems to grow a full beard.
Perpetual Frowner: Seems to have attained a state of unending rage and spite at all things and people in general.
Pirate: Before the start if the story, he spent some time robbing Japanese ships with his fellow Ryukyuans, and was nearly executed for it.
Rebellious Spirit: If someone pushes Mugen, he will always push back. He doesn't need a reason.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red One to Jin's Blue Oni. They even have the clothing choices to match.
Resurrective Immortality: Possibly. It's certainly invoked with the Spirit World imagery whenever he dies, but it's not impossible that the resurrections are just Mugen's Heroic Second Wind and the visions of the spirits reviving him are just symbolic and/or hallucinations.
Satisfied Street Rat: He was born and raised in a Japanese penal colony in the Ryukyu Kingdom^note, claims that if he ever had parents it was too long ago to recall, ran with a band of thugs in his youth and by the age of nineteen was a branded criminal and pirate slated for execution. He publicly embraces the scoundrel his upbringing forced him to become, but Sara senses a deep well of bitterness and resentment towards his childhood, and Mugen's response suggests that deep down, it affects him way more than he would ever care to admit.
The Rival: To Jin. The main reason they stick together is that once Fuu finds the sunflower samurai they can go back at killing each other.
Sword Drag: Does this in Hellhounds for Hire when charging at Jin. Totally for the Rule of Cool, by the way.
Tall, Dark, and Snarky: The tallest and tannest of the group. And a chronic smartass.
Tattooed Crook: The blue rings tattooed around his wrists are a historical Japanese method for identifying convicts.
Technician Versus Performer: The performer to Jin's technician.
Token Evil Teammate: Though he's far from evil, he is an asshole with little regard for human life, a hair-trigger temper,and absolutely zero impulse control.
The Unfettered: He gives his all to every single thing he does.
Unskilled, but Strong: Being a self trained swordsman, Mugen uses eratic movements in fights with opponents instead of actual technique. Majority of the time it works to his favor. When facing opponents like Ukon and Sara, Mugen found himself outclassed and forced to actually use his head. When facing Kariya, he's hopelessly outclassed and Jin convinces him to leave the fight.

Jin

Voiced by: Ginpei Sato (JP), Kirk Thornton (EN), Christian Strempler (LA), Loris Loddi (It)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jin_3.jpg

A quiet, stoic ronin who seeks a purpose and calling in life. After a duel with Mugen, the two swordsmen accompany Fuu in search of the Sunflower Samurai.

Animal Motifs: Is associated with carp, a symbol of samurai values, and other sea creatures in the opening. This creeps into the show itself through his interactions with Johnny.
Attractive Bent-Gender: He's pretty enough to get into a brothel while disguised as a prospective prostitute, his height being the only unusual thing about "her".
Blood Knight: Although he doesn't go out of his way to start trouble, Jin never backs down from a fight.
- Subverted in his fight with Yukimaru, which is a major characterization point. Jin urges Yukimaru to withdraw, so that he will not have to put an end to the fight.
Born in the Wrong Century: According to Jin, there isn't any worthy lord to serve nowadays. The clan symbol on his kimono indicates he's descended from the Takedas or their close retainers. The Takeda clan was one of the Tokugawa clan's two main rivals prior to their securing the shogunate, but was exterminated in the power struggle. So Jin is literally a relic of a bygone family and era.
- He actually brings this up to eleven if you consider that most samurai would follow their lords without question. The very fact that Jin refuses to serve anyone and vehemently objected to the shogunate's plans to turn his dojo into a corps of government assassins shows that he would be far more at home as a Knight in Shining Armor in medieval Europe than he would ever be as a samurai in any era.
Character Development: Just like Mugen, Jin gains human connections during the series, so he finally has something he wants to protect.
Combat Compliment: Both Inuyama and Kariya praise his skill as a swordsman.
Combat Pragmatist: Over time, Jin takes the Firefly Samurai's advice to heart and starts to use his surroundings to his advantage.
The Comically Serious: After being...entertained by at least two prostitutes, he gets up and takes out an attacking group of five men in two slices. Then doubles over. "My back!"
"I have heartburn..."
Covert Pervert: Jin is perhaps almost as interested in women as Mugen is, he's just a little more quiet about it.
Dangerous Forbidden Technique: He learns about a technique that allows an opening for the opponent to strike, but the opponent is also vulnerable for a fatal blow. The move is supposed to be only used as a last resort, as it's effectively a suicidal move, but Jin manages to survives when he uses the technique to defeat Kariya.
Deadpan Snarker: It's practically his default expression. He never hesitates to call Mugen out on his foolishness.
Death or Glory Attack: One of the final techniques his sensei taught him was considered this. By intentionally opening a weak spot on himself in a non-fatal area he allows an opponent to strike him in an area of his choosing. Thus allowing Jin to counter attack while the opponent is exposed by the resulting attack. This is considered a desperation move and Jin’s sensei warns that it is one that should be only be done in the most dire of circumstances, and even then it shouldn’t be moved if at all possible. This technique is what allows Jin to overcome Kariya’s technique as well as his own wounded state, resulting in Kariya’s death.
Defrosting Ice King: It's very subdued, but Jin goes from barely speaking in some episodes to openly caring about and defending his companions, especially Fuu. A turning point comes in "Lullabies of the Lost" when he finds Fuu's sandal and, assuming her to be dead, goes to look for her body to place it for her. Which may be the bare minimum but is probably more than he would have done before meeting her. He also was more reluctant to disband than Mugen, although both end up rejoining her. In the final episode of the series, he tells her and Mugen that their friendship is what he'd been searching for his entire life.
Determinator: Gets a sword through his stomach and keeps going. Able to fight at peak level after being tortured for a whole day. Also falls off bridges a lot. A LOT. You start to wonder if he has gills.
Disguised in Drag: In Episode 3, to get into a brothel.
Mook: Cross-dressers! I mean...! Double-crossers!
Driven to Suicide: In Episode 15, when faced with one of his fellow students from his old dojo who has come to kill him (during a time right after Fuu broke the group up after a fight with Mugen), Jin only half-heartedly fights him for a little bit before turning around and jumping off the waterfall behind him. Next time we see him though, he is perfectly fine; and when the other guy comes back, he even wonders if Jin was just trying to run away.
The Fettered: Jin refuses to follow the modern way of the samurai and aristocracy on principle and is always ready to help people in distress, even if he can be rude about it.
Good Is Not Nice: Not as bad as usual cases since most of it's more just his serious personality. As a card-carrying samurai he saves a Damsel in Distress from a life of prostitution (and it's heavily implied he'll marry her after her period of isolation ends), will not serve the currently corrupt Government in return for wealth and respect, and refuses to use force if he doesn't have to. However, he is not exactly friendly, starts off with a small superiority complex, doesn't mind sex with prostitutes even after he rescues a severely traumatized one, and in the first episode he saves a peasant from the the corrupt lord that was going to have the peasant beaten or killed for not giving the lord a sufficient bribe, but he takes the peasant's cash too. Of course, the peasant is probably happy to not be on the wrong end of the katana. Then again, saving said peasant proved useful as he later gives Fuu the pipe needed to start the fireworks that would save Mugen and Jin from their executions.
Honor Before Reason: He lies as a ronin instead of a famous and wealthy samurai because he can't find a lord who meets his high standards of honor.
Knight Errant: Prior to the series. He wandered around Japan searching for a purpose until Fuu roped him as her bodyguard.
Knight in Shining Armor: He actually fits this image better than he does a samurai given that he always puts his conscience before any law or authority and has refused to follow any lord he deems unworthy (which is pretty much all of them). The fact that he killed his own master rather than go along with the shogunate's plans cements him as this.
Knight in Sour Armor: He knows damn well that it doesn't pay to be good or honorable in the world he was born into. But he just can't help himself from doing the right thing.
The Lancer: Jin is much less likely to instigate an episode's events than Mugen and Fuu are, and rarely involves them in his conflicts.
The Last DJ: He could be a famous and wealthy warrior, but first he'd have to find a daimyo he didn't loathe.
- Furthermore, Jin's old master told Jin about the shogunate's plan to turn their school into a corps of assassins for the government, and Jin vehemently protested on principle. For this his master was ordered to kill him, but Jin was the winner of that fight. He could probably clear his name in a second and do serious damage to the government by telling the truth. He'd also dishonor the name of his master and his school, so he goes Walking the Earth instead.
Lethal Chef: In "Gamblers and Gallantry", Jin mans a grilled eel stand alongside a woman he ran into earlier in the episode. After the dinner rush, he agrees to cook her an eel. Her reaction? "...Wow. Your cooking is really quite amazing. I'm pretty sure this the worst thing I've ever eaten! But I suppose that's a talent in and of itself..."
Like Brother and Sister: Seems to have this relationship with Fuu.
Loner-Turned-Friend: He'd been a ronin, refusing to fall in with anyone, before he met Mugen and Fuu.
Made of Iron: Not to the extent of Mugen but the few times he gets severely beaten he just gets back up.
Mistaken for Gay: Both Mugen and the "Firefly Assassin" from episode two assume on first impressions that he walks down the left side of the street. There are some suggestions that Jin's old school friend Yukimaru was more like an old flame. On the other hand, he seems perfectly willing to sleep with women when the opportunity arises (to Mugen's vocal relief) and he genuinely falls for Shino.
- Worth noting: In the Edo Period, particularly for men of Jin's socioeconomic status, bisexuality was the default assumption. Samurai men were expected — even required — to show interest in women but it was perfectly acceptable to bed another warrior or a hot kabuki actor as well.
Mr. Fanservice: Very much so, especially when you factor in his Shirtless Scenes.
Noble Male, Roguish Male: The noble, by-the-book samurai to Mugen's roguish Ryukyu brawler.
The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Tells Mugen to not die until they finish their duel and even kills Mukuro partly because he seemingly robbed him of his rematch with Mugen.
Perpetual Frowner: The number of times he gives a sincere smile throughout the series can be counted on one hand.
Purely Aesthetic Glasses: Anachronistic ones, at that. He stops wearing them after they break in the final episode.
The Quiet One: In contrast to Mugen and Fuu, who talk nonstop about their adventures and surroundings, Jin remains silent most of the time, emphasizing his character as the calm, serious one in the group.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Raised and trained indoors, in contrast to deeply suntanned pirate-wanderer Mugen. He also has pitch black hair to complete the look.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Mugen's red. He enjoys women and fights as much as Mugen but he is just less boisterous about it.
Rōnin: He hasn't found a lord worthy and killed his master, making him effectively a ronin.
Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: Trained from childhood in a high-level and super purist dojo, by age 20 he's a fearsome, near-unbeatable kenjutsu prodigy who can't cook, catch fish, hold a conversation (especially with women), or drink more than two shots of sake without falling asleep. He makes a little progress towards (metaphorically) tying his own shoelaces over the course of the series.
Samurai Ponytail: Though a ronin, he keeps up the proper appearances.
Shirtless Scene: With torture scenes, hot springs and good old fashioned sword fights, he gets a couple.
Shrouded in Myth: If you heard the stories being spread about "The Thousand Man Killer" and his exploits, you'd be pretty shocked to find that the guy behind the rumors is the slightly fey broke dude facepalming at his travelling companions.
Skilled, but Naive: One of his early opponents, Inuyaka, notes that while he's a very skilled swordsman, he hasn't had enough outside experience to fight him in an unfamiliar environment, as he's spent his entire life training in a dojo. This is also why he can't cut down Mugen despite the glaring openings, he can't adapt to Mugen's style enough.
Slipknot Ponytail: His hair lets loose when he comes back to stop Kariya.
The Spock: He rarely shows emotion and is dispassionate about everything.
Stoic Spectacles: Again, probably what he's going for, given that the glasses are just fashionable. They do throw his meditative looks into sharp relief.
The Stoic: Virtually nothing causes him to lose his cool... except being mocked for his lack of fishing skill.
Strong and Skilled: He's just as dangerous as Mugen in a fight but is more skilled than him.
Surpassed the Teacher: Jin proves he's done so by foiling his master's attack — leaving him technically master of the discipline after Mariya's death.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: A few comment on his good broody look.
Technician Versus Performer: The technician to Mugen's performer.
Tranquil Fury: You can practically feel the temperature around him drop when he's getting angry, but he won't make a sound.
Well-Trained, but Inexperienced: In the second episode, Jin is the target of Inuyama, an assassin who is an excellent swordsman. At first Jin has the advantage, until the assassin begins taking advantage of the environment, causing Jin to start making mistakes due to his lack of experience with fighting in the middle of a wild forest.
Inuyama: I've got to admit you're better than I expected. In fact, if we were fighting in a dojo, I might not be able to beat you. [After starting to get the upper hand in the fight by utilizing the terrain] It isn't the same as fighting in a dojo, is it?
Younger Than They Look: 20 years old, but looks much older.

Side Characters

Fuu's Run

Momo

Fuu's pet flying squirrel.

Ambiguous Gender: Fuu admits she is uncertain as to its sex.
Fuu: "Momo, are you a boy or a girl?"
Momo: "eeeee"
Fuu: sighs
Big Damn Heroes: Momo pops in to pull Fuu out of scrapes on occaison.
Non-Human Sidekick: The token animal sidekick. Though doesn't really show up much.

Kasumi

Kasumi-san

Fuu's mother.

Posthumous Character: She's dead before the start of the series. Fuu flashes back to her every so often and she can be seen in the ending credits.

The Samurai Who Smells of Sunflowers

Seizo Kasumi

Voiced by: Kouji Nakata (JP), Doug Stone (EN)

The man that Fuu is looking for. Her quest across Japan is to find out who he is.

Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: He didn't want his family to be killed for his faith.
Deathbed Confession: Before he's killed, he tells Fuu he's never forgotten her or her mother and begs for Fuu's forgiveness.
Dented Iron: Implied to have once been a skilled warrior but when he shows up in the series, he's too ill to even stand, let alone put up a fight against Kagetoki
Flower Motifs: Um,guess which one. Interestingly, sunflowers were originally foreign to the land, brought to Japan from the West, much like Christianity, the religion he practiced.
Japanese Christian: He is one and worked to save them from persecution. Keeping Fuu and her mother safe was the reason he left.
The Reveal: He's Fuu's father, Seizo Kasumi.
Samurai: Formerly a well known one, though he's now dying and can't even get up to fight off Kagetoki when he comes to kill him.

Mugen's Run

Rodriguez

Mugen's prize beetle. Rodriguez is her name.

Blood Knight: She's a beetle specifically trained to lock with other beetles in gambling match.
Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism: She's a beetle.
Strong Ants: They took this trope, tied it onto a rock, and made Rodriguez drag it almost beyond its logical extreme, although this is Truth in Television if somewhat exaggerated.
Training from Hell: She spends much of the episode dragging a rock around.

Mukuro

Voiced by: Kiyoyuki Yanada (JP), Kim Strauss (EN), Luca Ward (It)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/58c6815d324aa699bbb216fddd1c5291.jpg

Wanted criminal, pirate captain, former cohort of Mugen. Arguably the nastiest human being to ever appear on the show.

Arc Villain: For the "Misguided Miscreants" two-parter but also for Mugen's arc as a whole. Mukuro is one of the chief reasons that Mugen is the way he is today and many of Mukuro's crimes have consequences for Mugen and the gang long after "Misguided Miscreants."
Big Brother Bully: To Kozha, he intimidates her in staying around.
Card-Carrying Villain: He's a vile, disgusting human being and he'll gleefully admit it.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Betrays Mugen twice, and betrays his entire crew along with him the second time. It's not as extreme as some examples, but one still wonders how Mukuro ever manages to get a crew together.
Curb-Stomp Battle: On the receiving end of one from Jin after the latter finds out about his betrayal of Mugen.
Et Tu, Brute?: When he realizes Kozha has betrayed him.
Evil Counterpart: To Mugen. He demonstrates how Mugen would have turned out if he'd embraced his hatred of the world, instead of letting it distill into mere apathy.
Evil Former Friend: At some point in the past his and Mugen's relationship was, if not friendly, at least less contentious than it is now. That died when Mukuro left Mugen to die the first time, and after his actions in "Misguided Miscreants," Mugen wants to kill him.
Greed: Motivated only by money.
The Gunslinger: Carries a potentialy anachronistic six-shooter.
Improperly Placed Firearms: Depending on when exactly the show is set, the Colt Navy that Mukuro possesses could be extremely anachronistic or perfectly fine.
Hate Sink: He is a horrible person in every way possible with no redeeming qualities. He doesn't even have an interesting motivation or skill going for him — he's just an ordinary, greedy and cruel man.
Incest Subtext: Although never outright stated, it's shown that Mukuro has been abusive and controlling of Kohza in the past, and the way he strokes her face is... questionable.
Jerkass: Mukuro, in addition to being cruel and violent, is a deeply unpleasant person to be around. He's condescending, controlling, smug, and every interaction he ever has is tainted with an ulterior motive.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Much like Vicious from Watanabe's other famous work, Mukuro has no concrete points of sympathy. Anytime it might seem like he does, it's just a setup for him to be revealed as even more loathsome than previously thought. He has no loyalty to Mugen or his crew and even his affection for his sister shows him to be abusive and cruel.
Knight of Cerebus: The two-part episode revolving around him is completely devoid of any humor or levity which otherwise serves a trademark of the series. Also, it is because of Mukuro's toxic influence that Mugen became what he is now and his horrible actions have caused some of the darkest hours for several characters, most notably Kohza.
Lack of Empathy: Displays no empathy or sympathy towards his crew, his sister, or his former friend Mugen.
Never Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight: Jin closes the distance before he can properly aim and kills him in seconds.
Pirate: Makes his living as one, operating around the coast.
Pragmatic Villainy: He's a complete bastard to the core, but he's willing to split his spoils if it'll get him some much-needed backup against Mugen. Jin kills him before anything comes of it, though.
Quick Draw: He's no slouch in drawing his gun but he lacks the Improbable Aiming Skills to go with it. When fighting Jin, Mukuro draws and manages to get two shots at Jin before Jin can cross a short distance, but misses both. Similarly in Mugen's flashback during his Near-Death Experience, Mukuro attempts to shoot Mugen at extremely close range but misses.
Smug Snake: Very convinced of his own brilliance.
Revolvers Are Just Better: Mukuro's Colt Navy Revolver.
Taking You with Me: He fires off a wild shot after he has realized that he was set up by Kohza and is then mortally wounded by Jin. It's ambiguous if he was trying to shoot at Jin, who was maneuvering around him, or towards the inside of the hut, which is the last place where Kohza was. If it was meant to be the latter, unfortunately for him she had already fled, leaving the hut through the backdoor.
The Unfought: To Mugen anyway. Despite being an important enemy for Mugen and playing a large role in Mugen's life, Jin kills Mukuro while Mugen is presumed dead.

Kohza

Voiced by: Ai Maeda (JP), Stephanie Sheh (EN), Mayra Arellano (LA)

Mukuro's perpetually gloomy younger sister. She has a fondness for Mugen that dates back to their days of piracy, though the feeling is not quite mutual. Kohza isn't so much in love with Mugen as she is attached to him. This stems from her chronic dependency.

All Love Is Unrequited: She seems to have genuine feelings for Mugen, which is both seen in the past and present. He’s probably the only person she actually did care about.
Anti-Villain: Kohza is a pirate, a thief, and a surprisingly competent manipulator, but she was raised on a criminal island and forced to rely on her abusive brother to survive. Even her betrayal isn't treated as entirely unsympathetic.
Best Served Cold: Her getting Mukuro killed was a long time coming, after he killed her mother long ago.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Though a timid, submissive young girl, she is also an extremely cunning manipulator, and immediately tries to get Mugen killed when he rejects her.
Broken Bird: This how she appears, which is certainly understandable: she was born and lived on an island used as a Penal Colony by the Japanese, complete with all the unpleasantness that would inevitably result from that. She was forced to rely on her cruel and abusive brother Mukuro to survive from a young age, despite him being an absolutely horrible person including having killed her mother, etc., and she seems perpetually gloomy and depressed as a result. Underneath that, however, she has learned how to cold-bloodedly manipulate people in order to survive, including exploiting sympathy generated from her Broken Bird appearance.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Sells out Mugen, Mukuro, and Shiren whenever it becomes convenient. It backfires immensely.
The Eeyore: Perpetually gloomy and depressive.
Fate Worse than Death: Having grown tired of Kohza's manipulation, Mugen leaves her alive despite her desperate pleas for him to kill her, knowing that more than anything Kohza cannot stand being alone.
Hates Being Alone: She simply can't bear to be alone. At the end, Mugen doesn't kill her because he knows that for her having to live alone is worse than death.
Manipulative Bitch: Knowing Mugen would be betrayed again, she acted sympathetic to get Jin to kill Mukuro, leaving her and her boyfriend free to take the money and run.
Oh, Crap!: She gets Mukuro and Shiren killed, but then realizes that they were the only ones who knew the location of their treasure, and with Mugen wanting nothing to do with her, she has no one left.
Revenge: On Mukuro. Not for Mugen, but her mother.
You Killed My Mother: Mukuro killed her mother and she takes her revenge for her.

Yatsuha

Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka (JP), Michelle Ruff (EN), Patricia Hannidez (LA), Federica De Bortoli (It)

A skilled ninja working as a prostitute in covert to break up a criminal operation counterfeiting coins. She is the daughter of Imano Jinpachi, a member of the Shogunate guard staff. She is purchased by Mugen after winning a rock-paper-scissor game with Jin to see who will stay with her. While Mugen is preparing himself for Yatsuha, she overhears a conversation about the counterfeiting through a wall. After failing multiple attempts to subdue Mugen, who thinks her actions are foreplay, Yatsuha resorts to tricking Mugen into helping her stop the counterfeiting operation by promising him a night of sex.

Action Girl: Not quite Mugen's equal in straight-up fight, and nowhere near Sara's level, but she and Mugen single-handedly took out an entire counterfeit coin operation.
Boisterous Bruiser: Surprisingly enough for a ninja, she's about as energetic as Mugen is.
Motivational Lie: Convinces Mugen to help her by repeatedly making risqué promises.
Ninja: A surprisingly realistic example, seeing as she's disguised herself as a courtesan to get close to her mark.
Women Prefer Strong Men: After seeing Mugen's impressive combat ability she states that she intends to marry him when they meet again. Considering Mugen's taste in women, that may very well happen.

Pantu/Grim Reapers/Ancestor Spirits

Pantu/Grim Reapers/Ancestor spirits

Mirror World: Whenever they appear to Mugen, the whole place is seemingly mirrored so that they're standing and walking upside down while Mugen "floats" face down on a water ceiling.
Phantom Zone: They seemingly dwell in an upside-down world between life and death.
Shinigami: A Ryukyu equivalent appearing before Mugen when he's near death.
The Voiceless: They never speak to Mugen, they just walk forward in utter silence.

Denkibou

Voiced by: Keiichi Nanba (JP), Derek Stephen Prince (EN), Edoardo Nevola (It)

The youngest of the brothers. His and his brothers' lives were ruined by Mukuro and Mugen during a pirate raid on a sugar shipment. He is the least stable of the three and prone to violent fits of uncontrollable urges to kill. He carries an odd double-bladed weapon and whines or shrieks wildly whenever he opens his mouth.

Ax-Crazy: Literally twitches while trying to contain his bloodlust. That should say it all.
Combat Pragmatist: Ambushes Mugen on a small boat loaded with large barrels, knowing very well that Mugen will be unable to use his usual style in such a small area.
Double Weapon: His other main weapon... well, it looks like two triangular-shaped blades on a ring-shaped handle.
Gonk: The guy looks kinda like Genma Shiranui with a better skin, but that's the kindest thing you can say about him.
The Nose Knows: Introduced sniffing at the trio's camp like a wild dog, implying that he can actually follow a scent like a bloodhound.
Psychopathic Manchild: Equally insane as his other two brothers, he's the most child-like of the gang.
Shared Unusual Trait: The brothers all have pink sclera on their left eyes; it's arguably the only physical trait they share. It may be due to some degree of damage. Unlike Umanosuke, both Denkibou and Toube don't have to use any protection.
Stealth Hi/Bye: Can be surprisingly stealthy despite his uncontrollable urges, as seen when he ambushes the restaurant owner who checked if they were gone and when he sneaks on Mugen's ship unnoticed.
Wolverine Claws: Wears a single set on his left hand, though they're rather short.

Umanosuke

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (JP), Doug Erholtz (EN), Héctor Reynoso (LA), Antonio Sanna (It)

The middle of the brothers. He sports a hefty chonmage, wears an eye patch, and wields a spectacular weapon: a chain-sickle kusarigama with an incredibly long reach.

Absurdly Sharp Blade: His kusarigama can slice through flesh and bone with ease. When fighting Mugen he displays its ability to cut through thick wooden pillars and even stone.
Ax-Crazy: Like Denkibou, he's a seething, barely-contained cauldron of homicidal fury. Unlike Denkibou, he can sort of keep it under control... that is, until the eyepatch comes off. Once that happens, he becomes every bit as unhinged as the latter.
The Berserker: Not really blatant at first (well, compared to Denkibou) but much more clear later on in his battle against Mugen.
Eyepatch of Power: Wears an eyepatch, but to protect his large, sensitive eye rather than cover a gaping hole.
Faux Affably Evil: The first true example is probably when he murders a random wanderer who just happened to be passing by when he didn't gave him the information he wanted to know. Information that he probably didn't have any way to know, to boot.
The Heavy: He's Mugen's biggest antagonist, and his actions drive the conflict for the final confrontation in the series. He's also one of Mugen's toughest opponents.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Mugen uses his own scythe to behead him.
Ki Manipulation: While it's unknown who taught him how to use it, it becomes obvious fairly quickly that his scythe is far stronger, and faster, than his frame would allow. Not to mention the impossible accuracy with which he uses it. See Person of Mass Destruction.
Kick the Dog: Asks a passing traveler for information and when he has none, Umanosuke beheads him on the off chance he might tell anyone that the brothers are looking for Mugen. After capturing Fuu, he casually beats her to pass the time.
Off with His Head!: He seemingly has a penchant for killing people this way using his scythe. This is also how he dies.
Person of Mass Destruction: Relatively so. He can demolish a house in a couple swings, and has destructive capabilities comparable to the more powerful bombs available.
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: He fondles Fuu, and while he never goes as far as raping her, the threat is on the table. He's mainly holding off so that he can finish the job in front of Mugen (or after Mugen dies with the knowledge of what's going to happen).
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Well eye in this case, he sports an eyepatch on his left eye due to losing an eyelid rendering him unable to blink. When it gets knocked off, his eye is red colored from the lack of water. Umanosuke also gets much crazier by this point in their fight.
Revenge Before Reason: While Toube's defeat and the sugar ship fiasco left them as Ronin, he still could have done something else with his and his brothers' lives rather than opt of hunting down Mugen.
Shared Unusual Trait: The brothers all have pink sclera on their left eyes; it's arguably the only physical trait they share. It may be due to some degree of damage. Umanosuke is the only one of the brothers that has to use protection, but it's mostly due to his loss of the eyelid.
Sinister Scythe: An one hell of a scythe. It looks like a western-style long-handled scythe but the top half can detatch, turning in some sort of mutant kusarigama.

Toube

The eldest of the brothers. Like his brothers, he lives for revenge. Mugen severed his leg in the raid on the ship he was protecting, and since then he has never uttered a word and uses a wheelchair.

An Arm and a Leg: Mugen severed his leg before the series.
Dumb Struck: Never spoke again after being injured by Mugen.
Dying Smirk: Gives a wicked grin as he commits suicide via a bomb in his wheelchair, thinking it will kill Mugen too.
Evil Cripple: He's down a leg and, along with his brother's are the final villains Mugen has to fight in the series.
Final Boss: He serves as Mugen's final opponent. Even if he's just in a wheelchair, he's hellbent on taking Mugen down, even if he goes with him.
The Quiet One: He never speaks a word.
Shared Unusual Trait: The brothers all have pink sclera on their left eyes; it's arguably the only physical trait they share. It might due to some degree of damage. Unlike Umanosuke, both Denkibou and Toube don't have to use any protection.
Sympathetic P.O.V.: With his brothers, as they're portrayed as the protagonists in a revenge plot against Mugen. The POV shifts back to Mugen before the climax, just so you remember who the actual star of the show is.
Taking You with Me: Well tries to and nearly succeeded by loading his wheelchair with dynamite. Too bad for him the afterlife wasn't ready for Mugen.

Jin's Run

Mariya

Mariya Enshirou

Voiced by: Makio Inoue (JP), Peter Spellos (EN), Gerolamo Alchieri (It)

The renowned "Slayer of a Thousand Men", third master of the Muju and Jin's master.

Broken Pedestal: To Jin. He intended to turn the dojo into an academy for training assassins under pressure from Kensei Kariya Kagetoki, but received passionate opposition from Jin, so Mariya tried to kill him in his sleep. However, Jin killed him in self-defense and Mariya passed away proud of him.
Face Death with Dignity: He takes his defeat and death by Jin's end well.
Historical Hero Upgrade: He is remembered as a wise and noble dojo instructor when he was actually willing to turn said dojo into a training ground for assassins and murder his best pupil.
Offing the Offspring Offing: He was a father figure to Jin but tried to kill him under Kagetoki's orders. Jin manages to survive the attack and slew his master instead. It's possible Mariya preferred that outcome.
Parental Substitute: He was this to Jin until the above incident occurred.
Posthumous Character: He died before the start of the series. He only appears in flashbacks.
Red Baron: Slayer of a Thousand Men.
So Proud of You: After Jin turns his assassination attempt back on him, his last words are complimenting Jin on how well his skills have grown.

Ogura

Ogura Bunta

Voiced by: Yuuto Kazama (JP)

Nagamitsu's mirror-holder and flunky, former student of Mariya Enshiro.

Avenging the Villain: He says Jin murdered his master. The truth is that it was self-defense.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: While not in Jin's league, Ogura proves himself to be far stronger than Nagamitsu, using his position as Nagamitsu's mirror-holder as a way of going incognito while searching for Jin.
Driven to Suicide: Off-screen, due to his shame at failing to avenge his former master.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Pretends to be Nagamitsu's dumb hanger-on, but proves to actually be using Nagamitsu as a way of finding and killing Jin.
Red Herring Shirt: He turns out to be more important than his apparent boss.

Yukimaru

Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki (JP), Steve Staley (EN), Carlos Íñigo (LA)

A student of Mariya Enshirou.

Avenging the Villain: Averted. He's seeking revenge for Jin leaving him behind, not for killing Mariya.
Bishōnen: Shares both Jin's good looks and kendo skills.
Childhood Friend Romance: One possible interpretation of their relationship — Yuki is very angry at Jin, but still specifically mentions that Jin's a looker in the rumors he spreads about him.
Flash Back Echo: Yukimaru's presence forces Jin to confront his memories of killing his master.
I Just Want to Be You: He confesses this to be his ultimate reason for hunting down Jin.
Yandere: "You left! ...Why didn't you take me with you?"

Shino

Voiced by: Hiromi Tsuru (JP), Julie Ann Taylor (EN), Diana Pérez (LA)

Once the respectable wife of a store owner, Shino is forced to work in a brothel to help pay off her husband's gambling debts. A chance encounter with Jin leads to a fairytale romance and hope for freedom from her degrading life.

Beauty Equals Goodness: She has a soft, sweet look not shared by the others in the brothel, and is the most pure-hearted of the bunch.
Interrupted Suicide: Jin first finds her on a Bridge contemplating the water. He opts to strike up a conversation with her in order to talk her down from it.
Love Redeems: Well...in a way, for Jin. Kinda.
Platonic Prostitution: Jin patronizes her simply to convince her to leave. They do eventually have sex, but only after having fallen in love after several visits.
Supreme Chef: When called upon to run a cart selling fried eels, she reveals a true knack for the art — from calling customers in, to managing the hustle and bustle, to frying up the tastiest unagi for miles.
Yamato Nadeshiko: She has many sterling qualities, including a good head for business, a calm, gentle demeanor, and excellent manners; however, her husband does not see them, taking advantage of her good nature to sell her to a brothel.

Niwa Juunosuke

Voiced by: Kosei Daigo (JP), Doug Stone (EN)

A former sensei of Jin's who had a dojo in Mihara. He was so envied by the other masters that he was ordered by the daimyo to take down his sign or cut off his arm. He committed suicide rather than allow this to happen. He requested that Jin look after his sons should something happen to him.

Driven to Suicide: He's forced to kill himself rather than close his dojo.
Take a Third Option: Given the choice to either lose his dojo or his ability to fight, he choses to die in the hopes that his sons will inherit his dojo instead.

Niwa Tatsunoshin and Niwa Kazunosuke

Voiced by: Hiro Yuki (Tatsunoshin, JP), Akio Suyama (Kazunosuke, JP), Igor Cruz (Tatsunoshin, LA), Benjamín Rivera (Kazunosuke, LA), Roberto Stocchi (Tatsunoshin), Roberto Draghetti (Kazunosuke, It)

Sons of Juunosuke and identical twins. After their father's death, they abandoned the way of the sword and tagging is their new way of life. They risk their lives to put text where no brush has scribbled before. They are first seen brawling in the street over who's the real head of the gang. Fuu suggests that they solve their succession argument with a tagging contest (most incredible location wins) and Jin agrees to be the referee.

Cain and Abel: Played for comedy.
Gonk: They are both rather homely.
Humble Pie: They gain humility when a mystery tagger, actually Mugen, hijacks their contest and beats them at their own game.
Japanese Delinquents: The Edo-period anachronistic version.
Sibling Team: After burying the hatchet and being scouted by Andou, they work a as pair of fashion designers.

Kariya Kagetoki

Voiced by: Takayuki Sugo (JP), Steve Kramer (EN), César Soto (LA), Roberto Draghetti (It)

An elite samurai working for the Shogunate known as the "Divine Hand" for his skill. Kariya has not drawn his sword in quite some time since there hasn't been an opponent worthy of him in years, according to Goroujuu, a member of the Shogun's council who visits him. He determines that Mugen and Jin must be worthy adversaries, and brings himself out of retirement in order to face them. Although employed by the Shogunate, his true motives are to use the government to further his own needs since the age of the samurai is ending.

Big Bad: He's about the closest thing to a main antagonist in the series, given that he plays a major role in both Fuu and Jin's storylines. He's ordered to kill the Sunflower Samurai, and he was the one who ordered Mariya to kill Jin.
Blood Knight: Lives for battle and laments about the lack of fighting in his time period. It was because of this that he is so eager to carry out an assassination mission for the Shogunate.
Blow You Away: When Mugen try to jump on him during the fight he simply turns around and a gale sends Mugen and rubble flying.
Born in the Wrong Century: He's very depressed about the lack of a worthy master to serve, or a cause that is worth fighting for in his time and tells this to Jin. Kariya also mentions that the skill with the sword isn't something you can rely on anymore to get by in life, and that samurai such as themselves are in decline.
Charles Atlas Superpower: His swordmanship makes him supernatural, even more than Ukon and Sara. Mugen is severely outclassed in strength and speed, making his self taught style worthless. While Jin's formal training fares better, he can barely avoid Kariya's attacks and only hits him once via Mutual Kill. The only explanation given is his training that made him legendary.
Cultured Badass: When he's not fighting, he's tending a garden filled with flowers of all sorts.
Dishing Out Dirt: When fighting on rocks he can make the ground collapse with what seems to be ki.
Double Speak: In his lesson of how to eliminate the weeds that rob a flower of its life, without disturbing a flower's soil and roots, the Councilor has no idea the flowers that Kariya speaks of are the samurai living in this era and the government the weeds. It goes completely over his head the solution Kariya offers doesn't eliminate the weeds at all; the flowers feeding off them instead. Something Kariya is very cleverly doing with the Shogunate.
Kariya: You learn to plant flowers that utilize the weeds as a form of nourishment. Take a look. This flower is an example of a beautiful exterior, masking its true intentions. Intentions thare are really quite brutal.
Dragon with an Agenda: Despite working for the Shogunate and loyally carrying out their will, he tells Jin that he's only interested in the chance to fight strong opponents that it brings him.
End of an Age: Kariya mourns the fact that the current era is a period of decline for the samurai, where there is no master worth serving nor any battles worth fighting anymore. What's more he isn't motivated by anything in particular and only uses the shogunate as a pretext to find people who could stand a chance against him, his finding of Jin was coincidence. On one of the few dialogue exchanges he bemuses that he and Jin were born in the wrong age.
Evil Counterpart: To Jin, reflecting that both of them are swordsman who hold values that are no longer relevant. But whereas Jin gradually becomes protective of those he cares about, Kariya seeks to manipulate others to get by.
Final Boss: He is Jin's final opponent, and is the deadliest swordsman he's faced.
Flash Step: He moves so fast he can seemingly do this. Part of it is also misdirection of the enemy's senses.
Glass Cannon: He is by far the toughest, swiftest, and most skillful swordsman in the setting. In the end, though, he ends up dying from a single stab to the gut.
Ki Manipulation: It's highly implied he can use Ki in battle.
Making a Splash: When he slashes at the water he creates a water wall in his wake. Just like Sara.
Manipulative Bastard: He's actually manipulating the Bakufu itself in the shadow.
The Man Behind the Man: He's the one who ordered Mariya Enshirou to kill Jin.
Nonchalant Dodge: Mugen and Jin can barely get close to him, let alone touch him.
Obfuscating Stupidity: As shown in his introduction he looks like a meek, harmless middle-age samurai with a penchant for flowers. He's actually the greatest swordsman in the Shogunate, and has a personal agenda to boot.
Pet the Dog: After killing Fuu's father he reveals that his other orders were to kill his family and retainers before killing his elderly aide. The finale shows that he let the man live in the end.
- During his duel with Mugen the most he does is strike Mugen with the pommel of his katana or flip him onto his back, even when he has multiple opportunities to go for the killing blow. It's clear that Kariya isn't taking his fight against Mugen that seriously when he begins to dissect Mugen's style and offers advice on how to improve it, in the middle of the fight.
Power of the God Hand: Kariya Kagetoki is known as the Hand of the Gods due to his skills.
Red Baron: The fabled "Hand of the Gods". He surpasses his reputation. One can only wonder what he must have been like in his prime.
Strong and Skilled: Completely schools Mugen and Jin during their fight, admonishing Mugen for relying only on instincts instead of brain and proper swordsmanship. Even when he indulges Jin in a proper duel Kariya is shown to be just too fast. He is the only antagonist in the series to take both on at the same time and gain the upper hand.
Unfulfilled Purpose Misery: Kariya is pretty apathetic by the time he faces the heroes, knowing full well that his skill with the sword while god-like is slowly starting to lose it's value in a world where the war-fueled era of the Sengoku Period is steadily being replaced by the Edo period's peace. By the time of the final episode, the Shimabara rebellion is all but quashed leaving no major conflict or battle for Kariya to participate in. The music involving his scenes reflect this: most pieces are melancholic and slow, and even the final duel's isn't one of action or fast paced but a somber subdued song.
World's Best Warrior: Considered the best swordsman in the series, though he notes there is a "paper-thin margin" between him and Jin. Jin has to exploit a Taking You with Me to wound and kill him.

Other Characters

Hotaru

Voiced by: Masako Katsuki (JP), Wendee Lee (EN), Irene Di Valmo (It)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/53495.jpg

A Russet-haired beauty who the trio encounters while traversing a forest. Mugen fixes her broken sandal strap and she entices him to a nearby shack. They make out, but before going further Mugen pulls away and spits, realizing he has been poisoned. Hotaru informs him that her smooch contained the toxic "One Night's Mushroom", which is normally benign, but which, since it was consumed with alcohol, would kill him by morning. She reveals that she is working for Ryujiro and he has the antidote. With time running short, Mugen spares her life and rushes off.

Nothing Personal: Though Mugen does consider killing her, she doesn't really show him any personal animosity even then.
The Vamp: Seduces Mugen in order to kill him. It's implied that he's not the first guy she's killed like this.

Osuzu

Voiced by: Sayuri (JP), Karen Strassman (EN), Letizia Ciampa (It)

Daigorou's demure daughter. Before she is forcibly procured by Ishimatsu, as an excuse to make up for Sousuke's insolence, she was the latter's tutor. She is put to work with in one of Rikiei's brothels, where she meets Fuu (who is also being forced into prostitution because of bad fortune) and they become friends. Both are emancipated after Rikiei's demise.

Beauty Equals Goodness: As is customary for this series, she's the only good looking prostitute and is a demure, innocent girl.

Fortune Teller

Voiced by: Reiko Kiuchi (JP), Melodee M. Spevack (EN), Cristina Grado (It)

A creepy old lady fortune-teller. For a small coin, she gives Fuu a hint: "Watch out for pots/vases."^notePots in sub, vases in dub

Cryptic Conversation: Her "prediction" is merely a cryptic, vague warning based on an alternate meaning of the word "tsubo". ^note
Gonk: She wears thick white and rouge makeup and has sharp, angular face traits.

Sawa

Voiced by: Yayoi Nakazawa (JP), Stefania Romagnoli (It)

The Fearsome Bookseller, an imposing middle-aged female owner of the bookshop/gallery where Moronobu's art is displayed, married to Roukishi, apparently sells some really captivating porn.

Abhorrent Admirer: She's very forward with her affections for Moronobu, much to his chagrin.
Karma Houdini: She and the members of the sexual-slavery set up receive no jail time or significant punishment for their actions beyond their operation being torn down. Their leader is arrested, but Sawa is left to walk away.
Miss Kitty: A much darker variant. She's the owner of a book-store specializing in erotica and for the right price she can hook clients up with the models. In actuality, she's a human trafficker selling young girls off to European traders.

"Yamato Nadeshiko"

An attractive young kabuki actor.

Attractive Bent-Gender: Subverted. The gang thinks this is the case for Isaac, and try to explain that kabuki features male actors. However, it turns out that Isaac is attracted to "her" because he's gay.
Bishōnen: Probably why he was chosen for the role in the first place. Truth in Television, as soft, pretty, feminine features were ideal for young men playing female roles.
Dude Looks Like a Lady: Intentionally, in this case, as he's playing a female role in a kabuki production.

Osen

Voiced by: Maria Kawamura (JP), Melissa Fahn (EN), Belinda Martínez (LA), Silvia Tognoloni (It)

A brunette with dreamy eyes, a penchant for quoting proverbs, and a "sweet tooth for grapes" and (foreign) grape wine. Although Nagamitsu, her husband, calls her Osen, "Budoukiba" ("grape fang") is her name.

Buxom Beauty Standard: Kimono are supposed to hide the bustline. She didn't get the memo, much to Mugen and Jin's delight (and to Fuu's envy).
Expy: Of Faye Valentine, as seen from her appearance.
Hard-Drinking Party Girl: She loves foreign wine, likes to drink large quantities of it (from the bottle, even) and is attracted to boys who can hold their liquor more than her.
Ms. Fanservice: A very attractive and classy woman wearing a loose kimono showing a generous cleavage.

Takegawa and Suyama

A pair of courtesans offered to Mugen and Jin in Episode 15. Jin is forced to spend the night with them after losing a rock-paper-scissor game with Mugen.

Yuri

Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (JP), Kate Higgins (EN)

A woman who believes in Christianity. She was kidnapped by Xavier, who hopes to force her to marry him.

Beauty Equals Goodness: A kind-hearted innocent, in contrast to the hideous Sinister Minister Xavier.
Small Role, Big Impact: It's because of her that viewers are able to put a name to the samurai who smells of sunflowers. It's also indirectly because of her that Fuu confesses to Mugen and Jin that the samurai is her father.
Japanese Christian: She fled

Sara

Voiced by: Sakiko Tamagawa (JP), Megan Hollingshead (EN), Circe Luna (LA)

A beautiful Blind Musician who the trio encounters near the end of their journey. The quartet travel together for a while, during which she reveals she has an illegitimate son that was sequestered from her, allegedly due to her blindness. Though she claims she knows a blind woman isn't the best mother for a child, she requests if Fuu would lend one of the men to accompany her to help reclaim her son. Sara is, in reality, an assassin sent by the Shogunate to expunge both Mugen and Jin.

Anti-Villain: Because of her tragic background and sympathetic reasons, especially compared with other assassins seen so far.
Beauty Equals Goodness: Played with. The guys are disarmed because she's beautiful and blind, but she turns out to be a highly skilled assassin. But she's being forced into villainy because her son is being held hostage.
Blind Seer: She's blind, but her other senses are so honed that Jin can't touch her when they fight. Mugen doesn't fare much better, even after Jin relays his newly acquired wisdom.
Hidden Weapons: Her weapon of choice is a jumonji-yari^note hidden in her walking stick.
Bullying a Dragon: Subverted in the beginning with those guys that hassle her, having no idea that they're a mood change away from being bloody puddles on the floor, and Played Straight in the end where Mugen provokes her because she is stronger than he is.
Charles Atlas Superpower: Like Ukon and her employer, Kariya, Sara's insane skills are derived from training in the martial arts themselves, not an incidental superpower. Her Hyper-Awareness is derived from her blindness.
Death Seeker: Once she realises her son has been dead, probably for a long time, she decides to join him, pulling back her strike on Mugen
Disability Superpower: If you're blind and can kick asses like she does, then you must have this.
Handicapped Badass: It's interesting to note that her skills and competence do not originate from her disability. Her enhanced senses — derived from her blindness — simply compensate for her loss of sight (and enhance her awareness).
Blind Weaponmaster: If she used a sword, she'd deserve the title Master Swordsman. Instead she's a Master Yari-user?
Hyper-Awareness: Able to sense everything surrounding around her.
I Did What I Had to Do: After traveling with the trio, she comes to like them. But ultimately, she's forced to carry out her mission for the sake of her son. But after realizing he's dead, she decides the mission isn't worth it anymore and decides to die by Mugen's hand.
Ki Manipulation: Her weapon can cut through solid stone like butter, and every slice is accompanied by the tell-tale bursts of wind that occur when ki is used.
Lady of War: She is a fighter on the level of 'Hand of God' Kariya^note, and is more deadly — and probably more experienced — than both Mugen or Jin, whom she fights with an eerie elegance that makes it look as if she's toying with them.
Let's Get Dangerous!: Jin claims there's no need to hold back against her, and Mugen boasts he won't have to take it easy on her, but the two of them are way out of their league when up against Sara.
Mama Bear: She's doing all of this for her son.
Martial Artists Are Always Barefoot: Played With in that while she does wears footwear, in order to fully utilize her capabilities, she removes her sandals before her fights with Mugen, something he repeats in kind during their second match. And as the rest of her entry shows, she is ludicrously strong and skilled, second only to the absolute strongest.
Not So Stoic: Briefly, after her second fight with Mugen.
Professional Killer: Her real job is assassination.
Punch-Clock Villain: She doesn't want to fight either Mugen or Jin, but she's forced to work for the shogunate, so there's no other choice.
Sword Cane: Variant, her cane hides a pop-up jumonji-yari.
The Stoic: Taken to the extreme and lampshaded several times.
Too Powerful to Live:
- She's the second most skilled opponent in the entire show (second only to Kariya Kagetoki). The only reason why Mugen and Jin are alive by the end of her arc is that she allowed Mugen to kill her. Suffice to say Mugen is significantly pissed off.
- Case in point: the only way Jin can get out of their fight alive is to destroy the freaking bridge they're fighting on.
Unwitting Pawn: She doesn't realise until the end that her child has been dead for a long time, and even then she can't do anything about the fact that she was manipulated.

Oniwakamaru

Voiced by: Seiji Sasaki (JP), Jamieson Price (EN), Mario Bombardieri (It)

A large man with a misshapen face that frightens most people. Oniwakamaru is haunted by memories of being chased out of a village by a torch wielding mob, and is what motivates is defensive violence. He wields a large double bladed weapon and is strong enough to knock a defending fighter off their feet.

Berserk Button: People calling him a monster. Otherwise he's pretty nice.
The Brute: He works for the guy who hired him as pure muscle.
Double Weapon: Wields a double-bladed naginata with great skill.
Gonk: Actually the whole focus of his backstory and current obsession.
Meaningful Name: Oniwakamaru can mean "Ogre Youth" and according to legend was the child name of Musashibo Benkei, another legendary colossus of Japanese folklore.
The Power of Friendship: He gets a Heel–Face Turn before death thanks to Fuu, who showed him kindness and wasn't afraid of him.
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: In the end, it's easy to feel sorry for this big guy, even though he's a murderer working for the bad guys.

Hishikawa Moronobu

Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki (JP), Ezra Weisz (EN), Massimo Lodolo (It)

An effeminate ukiyo-e artist with a captivating smile. He convinces Fuu to pose for him semi-nude knowing that she will be taken by slave traders and the portrait used as advertisement. Because she was sweet to him and liked his picture, he has misgivings and tries to free her, but gets caught by the three Punk Stooges. Mugen shows up and demands that he talk, and Moronobu spills the whole slave trade story. He ends up trying to leave for Europe where his art will be appreciated, with a stunning picture of Fuu in his luggage. Manzou tells us in the end narration that he was caught and deported to Japan, but his picture of Fuu stayed on in Holland to inspire Vincent van Gogh.

Bishōnen: Has an effeminate, delicate look in him.
Buxom Beauty Standard: Invoked, he paints Fuu with Adaptational Curves. She seems to appreciate that.
Guyliner: Wears lipstick.
Yank the Dog's Chain: After years and years of having his art used for slave trading, he finally gets a chance to travel to Holland and become a famous artist... the Manzo reveals that he was arrested before he could make it to the ship.

Ichiemon Ochiburi

Voiced by: Isshin Chiba (JP), Dave Mallow (EN)

The announcer is self-proclaimed as Edo's number one gossip, as he sells newspaper prints by reading them aloud.

The Narrator

Detective Manzo

Voiced by: Unshō Ishizuka (JP), Michael McConnohie (EN), Paolo Marchese (It)

A recurring character, Manzo, known also as "The Saw", is a lampoon of Hanzo Itami.

Breaking the Fourth Wall: He seemingly narrates the story to the viewers themselves when he monologues.
Catchphrase: "For Pete's sake!"
Cloud Cuckoolander: Though he takes his job seriously, he often overlooks important details in his plans. For instance, he attempts to sneak onto an American ship, disguised as an American sailor... even though he doesn't look the slightest bit Caucasian, speaks no English, and of course, the uniform doesn't even fit him.
Sailor:: Who are you!?
Manzo: Uhhh, I am... AN AMERICAN. YAN-KEE DOODUL.
Clueless Detective: Well, let's just say he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to investigation.
Fan Disservice: A heavyset middle-aged man in just a loincloth... bursting out of a barrel.
Large Ham: He gesticulates wildly with his truncheon blade, and has no voice volume between "boisterous roar" and "inner monologue."
The Narrator: In the couple of episodes he appears in he narrates bits of the story from his point of view.
Red Baron: Manzo the Saw. ^note Even if it's only in his own mind.
Secret Police: He's a member.

Inuyama

Voiced by: Takaya Hashi (JP), Michael Forest (EN), Roberto Stocchi (It)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unnamed_assassin.jpg

Introduced as a timid, easily startled old man who nonetheless is a samurai by title; he is actually a skilled assassin hired by Ryūjirō Sasaki . He and Jin do battle in episode 2; but after Oniwakamaru strangles Sasaki to death he retreats, seeing as he no longer has anything to gain from killing Jin.

Affably Evil: Inuyama never drops his kindly personality, even when trying to kill Jin. He continually praises Jin's skill and his determination and when all's said and done, he's willing to just drop the affair and go home once he has nothing to gain from it.
Faux Yay: Probably. Whatever his actual orientation is, he uses attraction to Jin as a way of passing off keeping a watch on and following him.
Nothing Personal: Says as much to Jin when they face off.
"I'd like you to know I've enjoyed your company and bear you no ill-will. For me, killing is merely a business, it's nothing personal."
Obfuscating Stupidity: Pretends to be a cowardly samurai-in-name-only but is actually a dangerous, ultra-competent assassin.
Professional Killer: Of the cool, Consummate Professional variety.
Punch-Clock Villain: As soon as he finds out that his employer is dead, he leaves.
We Will Meet Again: Subverted, he tells Jin that they'll surely meet again; but he doesn't appear beyond his introductory episode. Word of God from Watanabe is that he forgot about the character until it was too late.

Rikiei Nagatomi

Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (JP), Michael McConnohie (EN), Carlo Marini (It)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rikiei.jpg

A Yakuza boss fighting for territory in the "Hellhounds for Hire" episodes. Rikiei has the town in his grip with gambling debt and is slowly amassing power to dethrone the gang that used to run operations. Above all else, Rikiei is a businessman and pushes a level of legality to all of his operations even if they aren't necessarily moral.

Arc Villain: Of the "Hellhounds for Hire" two-parter. Rikiei is the one causing the conflict with his attempts to take over the town. He hires Mugen to this end.
Pragmatic Villainy: Rikiei's defining characteristic is that he's shrewd and businesslike. He tries to discourage violence in the gang, feeling that it will drive away customers and bring the police down on them. His criminal enterprises incorporate a lot of legality into them, which makes them harder to dismantle, and while they cheat at dice, Rikiei notes that nobody was forced to gamble themselves into debt. This becomes especially prominent at the end when he has his rival in a bet: if Rikiei wins, he'll kill his rival's son. If he loses, his rival will surrender all his territories, but his son will be spared. Even though Rikiei's hold on the town is guaranteed either way, he wants to cheat so that his rival will win and things will be settled peacefully.
Sinister Shades: A pair of Ray-bands to add to his smug aura. Notably, unlike most examples of the trope they aren't opaque and his eyes are visible at all times.
Smug Snake: His self-assuredness rubs Mugen the wrong way especially because he's treating his small criminal enterprise as some grand conquest.

Ishimatsu

Voiced by: Ryuzaburo Otomo (JP), Peter Spellos (EN), Mauro Bosco (It)

A yojimbo to an influential yakuza boss, Rikiei. His considerable height, dark skin and a string of large Buddhist beads he wears around his neck are distinctive features. Rikiei offers Mugen a partnership after Mugen impresses him with his fighting skills. This does not sit well with Ishimatsu, and he and Mugen do not get along; barely past introductions they are attacking each other. Their duel is cut short by Rikiei, who wants to get down to business. Eventually, disillusioned by Kawara Heitarou's sacrifice, Ishimatsu cuts down Rikiei, and finishes his duel with Mugen. He suffers an honorable defeat. His manriki can be seen as a wild card, in the same light as Mugen's tantou.

Ambiguously Brown: He appears to be of African descent but this isn't confirmed.
Heel–Face Turn: Was Rikiei's top enforcer, but after seeing his former boss Heitaro commit seppuku to take responsibility for his son's mistakes and seeing how much of a greedy coward Rikiei really is, he turns on Rikiei and kills him.
Honor Before Reason: Subverted as he originally was Heitaro's bodyguard and left to work for Rikiei when he moved in and took over, but Played Straight when he turns on Rikiei in the end when he realizes that he only ever cared about money. He also turns down Sosuke's offer to work for his family again so he could honor the 'Outlaw code' and to finish his duel with Mugen, which ends up being his death.
Redemption Equals Death: Dies in a duel against Mugen shortly after his Heel–Face Turn.

Kawara Heitaro

Voiced by: Hidekatsu Shibata (JP), Simon Prescott (EN), Renzo Stacchi (It)

Elderly clan head, known as "The Merciful" despite being a yakuza. First appears listening to Daigorou and Osuzu make their plea. Refuses to hire Jin, saying that it will only lead to more bloodshed. Tries several times to prevent escalation, having seen too much bloodshed in the past.

After Sosuke is taken hostage, he agrees to settle by wager. He loses the wager and commits seppuku.

Doomed Moral Victor: He dies to prevent a gang war and save his son's life. His death upholds the honor of the yakuza and exposes Nagatomi's selfishness, leading to his death.
Failure Is the Only Option: His arc ends with him betting his life on a game of chance. If he loses, he forfeits his life. If he wins, he forfeits his empire.
The Stoic: Shows no fear as he meets certain death or defeat. He goes out with complete dignity from start to finish.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Before the rival yakuza gang came to town, everybody looked to him as the town's defacto leader. He was so deeply respected by the locals that he was known as "Heitaro the Buddha."

Kawara Sosuke

Voiced by: Mayumi Yamaguchi (JP), Darrel Guilbeau (EN), Flavio Aquilone (It)

The 12-year-old son of Heitarou. First appears being tutored by Osuzu, then turns up in fight trying to get the deed to Osuzu's father's store back. Jin saves him from a beating and becomes his bodyguard.

Kid Samurai: Deconstructed. He tries to be one to save Osuzu, but gets beaten and berated for being overly impulsive.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: While it's hard to blame him for how he feels and what he does, his actions only end up making a bad situation even worse, and ultimately seals his father's fate.

Isaac Kitching/Jouji

Voiced by: Hōchū Ōtsuka (JP), Paul St. Peter (EN), Roberto Stocchi (It)

A strange man who claims to be Japanese even though his accent, red hair and blue eyes suggest otherwise. After winning Mugen's and Jin's swords in an eating contest, he asks Mugen, Jin, and Fuu to give him a tour of Edo in exchange for the return of their swords, and tells them that his name is "Jouji".

His real name is Isaac and he represents the famous Dutch East India company, the Governor-General in charge of trade. Isaac was to meet with the shogun but wanted to see Edo instead, his subordinates had been delaying the meeting while looking for him. In an emotional scene, he reveals that he was persecuted in his homeland because of his homosexuality, and upon reading Ihara Saikaku's "Great Mirror of Male Love", hoped to find a more tolerant environment in Japan — only to find that here he's a distrusted foreigner. Fuu asks him if he's seen "The Samurai who smells of Sunflowers" and shows him her trinket. After examining it he warns Fuu to never show it to people and that it's dangerous to own at all in Japan.

As Long as It Sounds Foreign: No, that is not a Dutch name. Not that most Japanese (or Americans, for that matter) would realize it. (His surname really should be spelled Titsingh, after the real Dutch Governor-General to Edo at the time; either "Kitching" is just a guess/transcription from the Japanese pronunciation, or they didn't want to suggest that Titsingh had been gay.)
Big Eater: The only character in the series who can match Fuu's appetite.
Foreign Culture Fetish: Saikaku's book triggers an unrealistic ideal of Japanese culture in him. Unfortunately, Isaac's entered a Japan that has literally closed itself off from the world, and is therefore deeply suspicious of foreigners.
Funny Foreigner: Despite his claiming, as seen with his huge stature, his red hair and blue eyes.
Gentle Giant: This massive guy may be overenthusiastic and loud, but is a good soul at heart.
Gratuitous Foreign Language: Near the end of the episode, he and his underlings have a talk in Dutch, subtitled in japanese.
Gratuitous Japanese: He speaks a heavily-fractured Japanese, and struggles to suppress his European mannerisms, such as making the sign of the cross when stating that he speaks the truth.
Otaku: Given his extreme fascination with Japan and Japanese culture.
Small Role, Big Impact: Even though he appears in one episode, he causes significant developments in the story. What he tells Fuu not only provides a great deal of foreshadowing regarding later plotlines, but it also sets Fuu and her companions on the road to Nagasaki where they would eventually find "The Samurai who smells of Sunflowers."
Straight Gay: He went to Japan thinking that he would be accepted there, after reading a Japanese book about male homosexuality, and how unlike it Europe, it was not considered a sin, or a depraved lifestyle.

Shinsuke

Voiced by: Shigeru Shibuya (JP), Johnny Yong Bosch (EN), Luis Daniel Ramírez (LA), Emiliano Coltorti (It)

A guy who is forced to steal to support himself and his mother. He first appears bumping into Fuu on the street, and it is later revealed that he picked her pocket. His next victim happens to be the head of a band of drug smugglers, yielding a packet of opium powder. He takes the drugs to Hikoichi for resale, but gets ratted out. Meanwhile, the doctor is telling him that it would take a hundred times his current funds to cure his mother's illness, and his mom is getting antsy because he won't tell her what he's up to. Fuu corners him at the same time the gang tracks him down, he takes her hostage and holes up in a warehouse. He was injured by the gang, and Fuu binds the cut and gets him to talk about his problems and they become friends.

Lima Syndrome: Towards Fuu. After holding her hostage, he lets her escape after they sort of bond over their sickly mothers. They even make a promise to not forget about each other. Shinsuke is killed only a moment after.

Saganshougen Nagamitsu

Voiced by: Kōichi Yamadera (JP), Tony Oliver (EN), Oreste Baldini (It)

A man who believes he's destined for great things and has set out to make a name for himself. A self proclaimed samurai, he travels all over Japan aiming to defeat the best regarded samurai in Japan, eventually hoping to live in Edo castle.

Ephebophile: Has a crush on Fuu.
Epic Fail: His plan to enter the stage had him storm the Shogun's castle.... except that he still believed it was in Osaka, while the Tokugawa family moved to Edo. In the episode's end he's plotting to fight Miyamoto Musashi (dead at the time) and later Oda Nobunaga (long dead at the time).
Dirty Coward/Lovable Coward: The one time he's faced by a serious opponent, he only wins through sheer luck and before that moment he looked like he was about to surrender.
Miles Gloriosus: Despite all his talking, this buffoon is obviously not the great samurai he thinks he his.
Plucky Comic Relief: His overall role in the episode.
Rhymes on a Dime: In the Italian sub, he speaks this way.
Sheath Strike: Parodied: when he starts fighting, he throws the sheath high in the sky, tries to block the incoming slash but gets disarmed. When he's about to give up, the sheath falls down on his opponent's head, knocking him out cold. He then claims it was his secret attack of the Flying Dragon.
Shoryuken: Not an actual punch, but his Flying Dragon Sword attack can be read in Japanese as such. The only difference is the kanji; Nagamitsu uses "昇龍剣" while the actual name uses "昇龍拳". Both "sword" and "first" are pronounced as "ken".
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Remember Osen from above? The busty, sexy, hard-drinking brunette? Well, she's his wife.

Tajima Munetada

Samurai of the Fuu Sekisai Ryu. On the way he meets Shoryuu, is challenged by him and is killed by him.

Body Horror: And very painfully. Shoryuu's Hakke makes him puke blood out of all his orifices.
Sacrificial Lamb/Red Shirt: He gets taken out very quickly.
Single-Stroke Battle: Shouryuu makes quick work of him with his Hakkei.

Ukon/Shoryuu

Voiced by: Show Hayami (JP), Jeffrey Stackhouse (EN), José Luis Orozco (LA), Gianni Gaude (It)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shoryu.png

Born into the royal bloodline of the samurai, Ukon studied kenjutsu under the tutelage of Zuikou before he was sent on a voyage to the mainland. However, the journey was interrupted by violent seastorms and the boat he was traveling on was wrecked by the waves. Even so, Ukon survived the journey and he was found lying unconscious on the mainland by a group of shaolin monks, from whom he learnt of a mysterious fighting technique called 'Hakkei'.The tenth episode is a character study of this martial arts student-turned-renegade as he travels to challenge and defeat the fighters he encounters across the country in the hopes of achieving national recognition for what he deems to be superior fighting skills.

A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Is this in relation to his former teacher Zuikou.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Oh yes. It's also interesting to note that he takes pride in a martial artform that was taught to him by shaolin monks.
Blood Knight: A very bloodthirsty one as well.
Dangerous Forbidden Technique: The aforementioned Hakkei. He probably didn't know it was one of these.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: But only initially. By the time he gets to fight Mugen, he may or may not have confessed that he doesn't really care about this any longer.
It's All About Me: This comes in spades.
Ki Manipulation: Hakkei. It looks like a contact Razor Wind that chops the insides of the victim.
Serial Killer: 'He made the mountains his home, and he became a demon.'
Stock Wushu Weapons: After returning from his training in Chinese martial arts not only he has Ki Attacks but he also exchanged his katana for a dao.
That Man Is Dead: He completes his transformation into 'Shoryuu' by announcing this trope in a private conversation he has with his former instructor.
Villainous Breakdown: Aside from the motivation that gives him his reputation as tsugiri ("street killer" in the English dub), the reaction he has to Mugen duplicating his Ki blast with only a month of training (which betrays the possibility that it may have taken him much longer to practice with his own ki attacks) might be a flicker of this.
With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: It's loosely hinted that despite having trained rigorously at using Hakkei and knowing how to use it efficiently as a result, Ukon might not fully understand the power of his technique. When dojos kick him out because of his inability to understand or realise this fact, he became greatly insulted as he thought they simply did it to shun him. Although, in the conversation he holds with Mugen for the first time over the bridge, he shows that he appears to be aware of what he is turning into.

Zuikou

Voiced by: Shōzō Iizuka (JP), Bob Papenbrook (EN)

Formerly a martial arts teacher, with Ukon having been one of his most talented followers. Becomes a priest to compensate for being unable to stop his student from turning rogue. Offers Fuu and company food and shelter in return for help with maintaining the temple and other domestic chores. Appears to be a canny and an highly intuitive individual.

The Atoner: His failure to save his student prompted him to become a monk and devote his life to charity.
Charles Atlas Superpower: With subtle implications, and the justifications thereof.
Coconut Superpowers: He is highly intuitive, and has great reflexes. He may also have done some research into the art of Hakkei, and the explanation he gives to Mugen of the offensive uses of this technique gives fruition to that possibility.
Mister Exposition: The source of Ukon's backstory.

Momoi Seishirou

Voiced by: Tomohisa Asou (JP)

Nicknamed 'the lightning dynamo', Momoi is a poser who lives by a false reputation as an accomplished dojo instructor and surrounds himself with a group of flunkies. Mugen goes after him in order to ask about the tsugiri, but is mistaken for the tsugiri himself. In the ensuing scuffle, the flunkies are quickly disposed of and in as much time, dynamo exposes himself for the coward that he is.

Dirty Coward: Begs for mercy when Mugen defeats his bodyguards.
Miles Gloriosus: His boasts and stories of his exploits are disproportionate to his actual claim to fame... which is nothing.

Shiren

Voiced by: Ken Narita (JP), Erik Davies (EN)

A Shogunate official, infatuated with Kohza. He becomes Mukuro's collaborator in his plan to steal gold from a ship.

Ambiguously Evil: Outside of selling out his own men and even Mukuro, Shiren's relationship with Kohza is up in the air. On the one hand, he doesn't tell her where the gold is hidden and his conversation with Mukuro makes him seem somewhat obsessed with her. On the other, he was just leading Mukuro around and his interactions with Kohza seem to be genuine.
The Mole: He's Mukuro's mole on the government money ship. It's through his schemeing that Mukuro is able to get onboard and he assists Mukuro in betraying both the pirates the the government soldiers.
Yandere: Downplayed. Shiren's got a thing for Kohza and he can be obsessive per the trope. However when Mukuro speculates this as a reason Shiren sold out his comrades, Shiren denies it saying that he did it for the money; Kohza's just a bonus.

Otawa Hankichi

Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo (JP)

A young shogunate ninja with a highly distracting facial mole and Yatsuha's underground counterpart. Before the story begins he apparently steals some of the forged koban to present as evidence. He ditches the gold in the river (where it is later found by Jin) but gets caught and withstands torture to protect Yatsuha's cover. Rescued (inadvertently) by Mugen in a very painful state. Appears again at the end of the episode, leaning the unconscious Mugen against a tree outside of town, and expresses disbelief at Yatsuha's taste in men.

Momochi Ginsa

Voiced by: Joji Nakata (JP), Tom Wyner (EN), César Soto (LA)

The leader of a group creating counterfeit coins.

Cruel and Unusual Death: Threatened to pour molten gold down the throat of a spy, though he's stopped when Mugen and Yatsuha arrive.
Ninja: He's one of the heads of his clan, though in a fight he's taken down before he can really show off any skill.

Okuru

Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (JP), Richard Epcar (EN), Luca Ward (It)

An Ainu warrior whose village was struck by an epidemic while he was away and torched by the Matsumae clan Han. Overcome with rage, he killed the official who authorized the burning. He was arrested and incarcerated, but escaped before he could be executed. His weapon is unique, a modified crossbow, called a Chu-Ko-Nu, that can repeatedly fire bolts.

Anti-Villain: He's a criminal by virtue of having avenged himself on the officials who destroyed his home. He's otherwise very kind and generous.
Automatic Crossbows: Wields a chinese zhu ko nu. Makes little sense, since he's Ainu, not Chinese, though Japanese weren't completely unfamiliar with crossbows either.
Braids, Beads and Buckskins: The Japanese equivalent - he's as stereotypically Ainu as possible without ever using the word.
Determinator Allows himself to be shot with burning arrows in order to get close to the leader of the Matsumae samurai hunting party and set him on fire.
Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: In his flashback, we see his eyes change from normal to blank and distant. Mugen compares them to the eyes of someone who has just died.
In a Single Bound: Possibly due to his montainous home, Okuru can leap pretty tall.
Fall Guy: For the death of his clan.
Friend to All Living Things: Gets along very well with animals, as one might expect from an indigenous stereotype.
Genocide from the Inside: The samurai hunting him believe he did this before attacking other samurai from their clan. He didn't.
Heartbroken Badass: Has lost everything that ever mattered to him, and is out to exact payment in blood from those who took it from him.
Heroic BSoD: When his wife died.
Last of His Kind: The last survivor of his community, anyway.
No One Could Survive That!: But Mugen thinks that he did anyway.
Not Using the "Z" Word: An odd non-supernatural example. Because Japanese broadcast code is extremely strict on how the Ainu must be portrayed, Okuru is never explicitly referred to as Ainu, even though everything about him is designed to immediately make that apparent to any Japanese viewer who watches it.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Against the Matsumae clan, who torched his village. Mugen's desire to duel him is merely a thorn in his side.
Worthy Opponent: To Mugen, who becomes obsessed with killing him after their duel is interrupted.

Bundai

Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto (JP), Paul St. Peter (EN), Gerolamo Alchieri (It)

A man who is very enthusiastic about being literate and forces Mugen to learn how to read.

Large Ham: He is a man of great passion and expression, especially when literacy is involved.
Manly Tears: When Mugen's extreme literacy training is complete.
Mundane Made Awesome: He takes teaching and words to a stage of hot-blooded combat.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's pretty much an anime version of Joe Clark. Now get to class.

Francisco Xavier III

Voiced by: Jurota Kosugi (JP), Lex Lang (EN), César Soto (LA), Gianni Gaude (It)

A man who claims to be the grandson of the first Francisco de Xavier, an evangelist who introduced Jesus to Japan. He deceives an underground Christian village into producing firearms for him to make money. His crown is shaved in the fashion of a Western monk, and he is highly amblyopic.

Artistic License – Religion: He claims to be a grandson of Francis Xavier, which is impossible, as Xavier was a Jesuit priest who accordingly had taken a vow of chastity. In theory, his Christian followers should have known that, but Xavier's been exploiting their ignorance by lying to them about what the religion actually teaches.
Bad Habits: He's posing as a Spanish missionary to exploit the labor of Christian peasants. He's also trying to force Yuri to marry him on threat of death.
Collector of the Strange: Has a collection of pictures (some of which should be elsewhere) and items belonging to famous warlords from the past.
Evil Colonialist: Subverted, as he's actually Japanese.
Gratuitous Spanish: In the Italian dub he speaks with a Spanish accent and uses Spanish words when speaking. Makes sense, since Xavier was of Spanish origins.
Karmic Death: Forces the hidden christians into building guns and, when discovered, mocks their faith and prepares to kill them all with one of his biggest guns to silence them, having barely survived a cross dropped on him: the gun promptly backfires and explodes him into smithereens, as if by divine intervention.
Scam Religion: He knows nothing about Christianity, but is able to use his followers' faith in Francis Xavier to trick them into building weapons that he can sell for profit.
Too Dumb to Live: He gets spared twice in the final confrontation with him. First by the girl he abused, then by avoiding a giant cross dropped on him. You think he would take a hint that the "fate" he's representing is trying to tell him something and he should quit while he's ahead. Instead, he he still tries to kill the heroes with his rocket launcher. By this point, his luck runs out when his gun backfires on him and kills him where he stands.

Johnny

Voiced by: Bon Ishihara (JP), Ismael Castro (LA)

An eccentric old hermit who fishes Jin out of the river after his fight with Sara. When Jin comes to, Johnny teaches him how to fish, and it is awesome.

Cloudcuckoolander: He calls himself Johnny. In Edo period Japan.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Despite the above trope, the first time Jin asks his name he replies " Miyamoto Musashi." Whether he's serious or not is up for debate given the show's screwy timeline.
Eccentric Mentor: He's either an utter nutjob or a holder of great insight and wisdom. Possibly both.
Chekhov's Skill: The fishing lesson allows Jin to teach Mugen how to beat Sara.

Shige

Voiced by: Kōji Totani (JP), Tony Oliver (EN)

A mysterious man who claims to be a descendant of the Heike clan, searching where the clan's lost gold was buried. He convinces Mugen, Jin, and Fuu to aid him and his workers in digging for the gold, but Fuu discovers there's more to him than meets the eye...

Chekhov's Gun: To prove his bloodline, he often flashes a genealogy chart. Late in the episode, Jin studies it closely and sees that there's a break in a family tree, meaning that Shige isn't actually truly descended from the Heike.
Empty Eyes: His eyes always have a lifeless, blank look in them, which is one of the first indicators that there's something not quite right about him.
Our Zombies Are Different: Despite his body apparently having been dead for some time, him consuming large amounts of wasabi has allowed it to keep from decomposing.
Revenant Zombie: He's undead, and his body would have died centuries before the era when the show takes place, but he retains his personality and mannerisms, and is still driven by an obsession with recovering the treasure of his clan and returning them to power.
Time Abyss: He and his followers still believe that the Genji have just wrestled power from the Heike and can be toppled with the treasure. For reference, the Heike were decisively defeated by the Genji in a war then ended in 1185, while the show varies between hinting that it's set anywhere from the mid-1600s to the 1800s.
Villainous Breakdown: When Jin reveals that Shige isn't actually a member of the Heike clan to begin with.

Kagemaru

Voiced by: Toshio Furukawa (JP), Dave Wittenberg (EN), Gianni Gaude (It)

A former ninja, a member of a hereditary elite guard that got shut down when the isolation order went into effect (that's how he's had enough contact with foreigners to know how to play baseball). He wears distinctive snazzy sunglasses. He is first seen sitting in a tree, balancing a baseball on his head. When Mugen runs past, fleeing from the restaurant staff, he jumps down and slugs him with the baseball. Mugen's return pitch is forceful enough to knock over a pagoda, and earn the trio a chance to get out of trouble by playing on Kagemaru’s baseball team.

Gratuitous Ninja: A Ninja baseball player to boot.
Sacrificial Lion: He dies ensuring that he hits a pitch that keeps Team Japan in the game, splintering his bat and being impaled on the shrapnel. His death might have just been a gag though, since Jin also "died" after being sat on by a fat American player.
Sanity Slippage: Doubled with some Angrish when Manzo utterly fails to deliver what he's asked. In sign language.

Alexander Joy Cartwright

Voiced by: Jamie Schyy (JP), Steve Kramer (EN)

The overweight American admiral. He comes to Japan in order to open trade by force. Kagemaru challenges him and his crew to a baseball game to settle the dispute.

Fat Bastard: He's morbidly obese and at one point takes Manzo out of commission by sitting on him.
Gratuitous English: He only speaks in English in the original dub.
Mighty Whitey: He possesses a haughty sense of superiority over the Japanese, and his business plan is best described as colonization.
Shout-Out: Named after Alexander Joys Cartwright, a founding member of the New York Knickerbockers, sometimes referred to as the "father of baseball."
Precision F-Strike: His reaction when he's told that foreigners are not welcomed in Japan.

Abner Doubleday

Voiced by: Ryan Drees (JP), Doug Stone (EN), Giorgio Locuratolo (It)

Cartwright's translator.

Japanese Ranguage: The English dub has him speaking in an exaggerated Japanese accent while "translating."
Shout-Out: Named after Abner Doubleday, the man credited with inventing baseball in American legend.

Characters / Samurai Champloo

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