History Characters / SwordOfTheStranger

* OneManArmy: He curb stomps two dozen bandits all by himself in his introduction scene. Feng-Wu even prevents Mu-You from assisting him by reassuring her that [[LapshadeHanging against that many bandits, Luo-Lang alone is quite enough]]. He's also used to capture Lord Akaike, sent in alone and unarmed against multiple people, most of whom are armed.

* InformedAttribute: Luo-Lang surmises that Nanashi must be quite skilled to have defeated Feng-Wu and him. The fact that Luo-Lang singled those two out when Nanashi also killed Jin-Hai, Yue-Shen and Huou-Chou suggests Shui-Chen may have been one of the best fighters among the Ming warriors, though his actual screen time shows him losing his finger to a child and being defeated by Nanashi relatively quickly. Alternatively, Luo-Lang may be impressed that Nanashi managed to defeat Shui-Chen ''and'' Feng-Wu while fighting them both, whereas he fought all the others one-on-one, and he [[YouCanBarelyStand obviously wasn't at his peak condition at the time]].

* BladeOnARope: She fights with a hatchet attached to a rope, allowing her to spin the blade over a larger distance.
* DarkActionGirl: She kills several Japanese {{Mooks}} and Jurota before being subdued by Itadori.

* GoryDiscretionShot: Only [[spoiler:arrows piercing the wall behind her]] is shown of her demise.
* HumanPincushion: Absolutely riddled with arrows after being ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice by a spear.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: She's killed by Itadori driving his spear through her, [[PinnedToTheWall pinning her in place]] and allowing the archers to finish her.

* InformedAttribute: Luo-Lang surmises that Nanashi must be quite skilled to have defeated Feng-Wu and him. The fact that Luo-Lang singled those two out when Nanashi also killed Jin-Hai, Yue-Shen and Huou-Chou suggests Shui-Chen may have been one of the best fighters among the Ming Agents, though his actual screen time shows him losing his finger to a child and being defeated by Nanashi relatively quickly.

* GiantMook: Gigantic size is practically his only defining feature, for he's not shown fighting against anyone else but Tobimaru (and it was more like trying to shake the dog off).

* BadassInDistress: He kills offscreen a good deal of Japanese soldiers before he's subdued. This trope is later deconstructed because while in captivity, he loses his ability to FeelNoPain and ends up telling about the Ming squad's mission before he's put out of his misery.
* BattleStrip: Tu-Si's reaction to his escort turning on him is to remove his hat.

* MrExposition: An indirect example; Shogen Itadori learns from Tu-Si the details about the Ming warriors' mission and recounts them to Lord Akaike.
* NotSoStoic: He frustrates his torturers by calmly and quietly suffering all their methods. They're completely floored by his pain tolerance, but once his drugs wear off even the stalwart assassin is reduced to a writhig, frantic mess, as anyone would be in his condition and circumstances.

* AmbitionIsEvil: Itadori admits himself to be highly ambitious. In fact, he's so ambitious that he has his own master killed when the situation is convenient.
* TheDragon: Number two and lead henchman to Lord Akaike, who trusts him implicitly.

* EmpoweredBadassNormal: He's a skilled fighter, no two ways about it. But when he takes the Ming soldier's drugs, he's even stronger.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Itadori has a wife and a toddler son. He spends one scene with the wife treating his wounds while he plays with the son and confides to her about his ambitions.

* PowerHigh: It is revealed that he had [[spoiler: taken the Ming soldiers' drugs]], explaining his cavalier attitude and feelings of invincibility in the climactic fight.
* ShootTheHostage: Orders his lead archer to shoot Lord Akaike after he had been taken hostage so that his troops both to cement his power and to ensure his troops wouldn't be concerned with saving him.
* TheStarscream: Plots to kill his lord and take over in a coup. And is fairly successful in that regard, but he couldn't take on all the Chinese soldiers.

* OneManArmy: He curb stomps two dozen bandits all by himself in his introduction scene. He's also used to capture Lord Akaike, sent in alone and unarmed against multiple people, most of whom are armed.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler:He kills Bai-Luan before the old man can shoot No-Name and deny from him the duel with the WorthyOpponent Luo-Lang has sought for a long time.]]
* SelfImposedChallenge: He imposes some sort of advantage to his opponent in most of his fights. He attacks the bandit gang alone, despite having his entire squad of elite assassins to back him up, and disarms himself before facing their leader, who has a sword. During his final battle, he even offers [[spoiler: Nanashi]] some of the Chinese [[FeelNoPain medicine]], which he himself refuses to use, to help his foe fight at his full strength. [[spoiler:When Nanashi refuses it, Luo-Lang expresses surprise yet also approval as he destroys the vial.]]
* ServileSnarker: Like his comrades he is beholden to Bai-Luan, but he's not above expressing skepticism regarding certain plans to the point of blasphemy or speaking out of turn. He is actually amused when the Japanese storm their fortress, smiling and cracking jokes as Bai-Luan loses composure.
* SlasherSmile: As befitting his BloodKnight tendencies, he grins with delight during [[spoiler: his fights with Nanashi.]]

* VillainRespect: He regards No-Name as the WorthyOpponent he has waited for, [[spoiler:saving him from being killed afar]], approving his decision to decline the offered anesthetic despite being injured and [[spoiler:accepting his victory without ill thoughts]].

* AnArmAndALeg: Gets both of his arms cut off by [[spoiler:Luo-Lang]].
* BeardOfEvil: Has a goatee.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: More like Evil Cannot Comprehend Bloodlust. Despite [[spoiler:Luo-Lang making it clear the reason he stopped Bai-Luan from shooting No-Name was because he wants to fight him [[WorthyOpponent man-to-man]], the old man can only believe the "barbarian" just wants the immortality elixir for himself, which he has never shown any real interest in.]]
* EvilOldFolks: This veritably old man doesn't care what he has to do and who he kills in order to fulfill his Emperor's will.

* HonorBeforeReason: When Luo-Lang points out that they may lose everything if they have to wait for another year to sacrifice Kotaro and suggests adjusting the plans (postponing the ritual by a few days or sacrificing Kotaro in their more secure home country), Bai-Luan has none of it, thinking it outrageous to return empty-handed or stray from the royal instructions.
* {{Hypocrite}}: He calls Luo-Lang selfish when he believes that the swordsman wants the immortality elixir for himself while claiming that ''he'' deserves immortality far more in practically the same breath.

* LongRangeFighter: Being old and frail, he's practically useless in hand-to-hand combat, but the musket and the bombs he utilizes are close enough of a GameBreaker.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He looks down upon Luo-Lang, regarding him as a Western barbarian in spite of his skills.

* DualWielding: Uses twin dao in combat.
* FragileSpeedster: Feng-Wu is fast and nimble as well as deadly with his blades. However, he's quickly overpowered when he ends up in a wrestling match with the blinded No-Name.

* IgnoredEnamoredUnderling: As stated above, Feng-Wu has a thing for Luo-Lang, but the Western swordsman is distant toward him as much as toward everyone else. [[spoiler:Feng-Wu's last act upon dying is to reach out for Luo-Lang who callously ignores him in favor of Feng-Wu's killer.]]
* ImpromptuTracheotomy: [[spoiler:Feng-Wu's own blade pierces his throat without him even noticing.]]
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Feng-Wu's death includes him walking around in a confused state and looking for his sword with him coughing blood, his left arm being broken and [[spoiler:the blade sticking out of his neck]].
* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Gives one to Itadori's soldiers during the climax (in Chinese no less).

* BlatantLies: He tells Luo-Lang that he killed No-Name while escaping from the temple. Luo-Lang doesn't buy it, saying that No-Name is too skilled for Yue-Shen. [[spoiler:He turns out to be right.]]

* RedRightHand: A hideous facial scar that immediately has him pegged as a bad guy, especially amongst the fairly good looking Ming Warriors.

* WeHardlyKnewYe: Gets the least amount of screen time than the rest of the Ming squad, serving only as the catalyst for No-Name and Kotaro to start working together.

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Eventually he comes to view protection of Kotaro as repentance for the two children he killed.]]

* BigHeroicRun: Has to run for miles during the movie's latter half in order to reach the Ming fortress and rescue Kotaro.

* CombatPragmatist: He makes up his refusal to draw his katana by being opportunistic.

* {{Determinator}}: Runs over miles and then engages in combat with the Ming warriors to rescue Kotaro, [[spoiler:emerging victorious from a duel with Luo-Lang]].
* DyeOrDie: He has dyed his red hair black since his departure from military service (if not earlier than that) so that he'd be left alone by mockery and seekers of retribution.

* LodgedBladeRecycling: Gets Luo-Lang's broken wodao in his forearm and uses it for the remainder of the FinalBattle.

* ShellShockedVeteran: His dreams are haunted by his days as the soldier who [[spoiler:didn't resist the order to execute two children]].

* WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: In a sense. He keeps his sword sheathed, which means when he fights with it he's essentially wielding a ''bokken'', not a katana. Yet he consistently defeats opponents with far more deadly weapons.

* BrattyHalfPint: Kotaro can act quite cheeky toward No-Name.

* ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne: Given that what he was chosen for was to be the guest of honor at an alchemic ritual involving human sacrifice, yeah.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's a BrattyHalfPint toward No-Name and wants nothing to do with him initially, but he loves dearly Tobimaru and is willing to bribe No-Name into helping him to seek aid for the dog's poisoning.

* HeroesLoveDogs: The hero, No-Name, takes an instant liking to Tobimaru. Who [[LickedByTheDog reciprocates]].

A group of Chinese warriors dispatched by their Emperor to seek out Kotaro and use his blood as an ingredient of an immortality elixir.

* AnnoyingArrows: Even if arrows can't cause any pain, they should still affect the target's physical prowess. In the case of the Ming warriors, however, they can keep going as long as the arrows miss their more vital parts.
* BlackSpeech: Their usage of their native Mandarin in front of the Japanese is meant as this. Not as scary in the English dub, though.
* FeelNoPain: They have access to a drug that renders their sense of pain null. One agent even withstands untold hours of horrific torture, but once his drug wears off is reduced to the same agony and fear any normal human would feel in his situation.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: As long as they're affected by their anesthetic drug, they tend to shrug off about all the injuries that'd render anyone else into a wailing mess.
* OneManArmy: Any one of them can take on many enemies. It's telling that the final battle is about half a dozen Ming warriors vs. a full army of Japanese soldiers and were it not for No-Name, the Ming would have likely eventually won, since [[spoiler: even with him personally taking out several Ming, the Japanese forces are still defeated]].
* PunchClockVillain: Most of them would like nothing more than just get their mission accomplished and return home.

* BareHandedBladeBlock: He does this two times; first with a bandit leader in the beginning and secondly with [[spoiler:No-Name]] during the FinalBattle.
* BloodKnight: Luo-Lang's love of combat is his key feature. His current lack of contentment stems from not having faced strong enough an opponent while in Japan. While he admits the practical value of the Ming anesthetic, he chooses not to use it because he thinks that reduces the thrill of combat.

* TheCoroner: He's able to examine a bunch of burned bodies and draw accurate conclusions about who died how and who died before the others without any modern tools. He's also able to tell that Tu-Si is not among them because the corpse that has Tu-Si's clothes lacks a scar Luo-Lang knows Tu-Si to have. (Knowing him, he's [[BloodKnight probably the one who put it there.]])

* GeniusBruiser: Not only are Luo-Lang's fighting skills superb, but his mind is sharp as well. For one thing, he makes an excellent coroner, considering the setting. Also, he seems to be the only Ming to speak Japanese (even if it's a little 'broken.')
* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:He dies with a slight smile over being bested and how strange pain feels to him.]]

* MightyWhitey: The only European character of the film who outweighs all the other combatants, except [[spoiler:the possibly mixed-raced No-Name]].
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Zig-zagged. He openly dismisses the likelihood the ritual will yield any results. He doesn't even particularly believe immortality is achievable at all. But even so he claims he has no objections to carrying out the dirty work for the Emperor. However, he is also perfectly willing to lie to the emperor about the details of their ritual or postpone it another year to make things easier. [[spoiler: And once he finds a worthy opponent, all bets are off.]]
* NobleDemon: Though Luo-Lang's going through with the Ming Emperor's quest for immortality, he personally scoffs at the absurdity of a child's blood granting eternal life. He also respects [[WorthyOpponent No-Name's]] battle prowess to the point that he [[spoiler:saves him from being shot]] and offers him anesthetic to even their duel.

* OneManArmy: He curb stomps two dozen bandits all by himself in his introduction scene. He's also used to capture Lord Akaike, sent in alone and unarmed against multiple people, most of whom are arm.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: No-Name uses Jin-Hai's discarded whip to get him close enough to receive a killing blow.

* BladeOnAStick: Fights with one during the FinalBattle.

* BladeOnAStick: Attempts to sacrifice [[spoiler:Kotaro]] with one.

* BladeOnAStick: He's by his own admission better with spear than sword, opting for the former in the climax.

* TheCoroner: He's able to examine a bunch of burned bodies and draw accurate conclusions about who died how and who died before the others without any modern tools. He's also able to tell that Tu-Si is not among them because the corpse that has Tu-Si's clothes lacks a scar Luo-Lang knows Tu-Si to have.

* WhipItGood: He uses a whip against No-Name, beginning with an impressive waving demonstration.

* OneManArmy: He curb stomps two dozen bandits all by himself in his introduction scene.

->Voiced by: Creator/AkioOhtsuka (JP), Creator/BrianDobson (EN)

* MixAndMatchWeapon: His weapon is a [[FightingWithChucks three-sectional staff]] that has [[SinisterScythe scythe blades]] attached to each end. This allows it to be used both as a double-bladed spear and two blades attached to each other.

* AnAxeToGrind: She fights with a hatchet [[BladeOnARope attached to a rope]], allowing her to spin the blade over a larger distance.

* KnifeNut: He has an arsenal of knives for throwing and close combat.

* FamousLastWords: "[[spoiler:This is the first time I've been wounded, but... the pain from a sword... feels... strange... Strange... It feels strange...]]"

* FamousLastWords: "[[spoiler:Rarou-sama... My sword... Rarou-sama...]]"

* FamousLastWords: "Gotcha!"

* NotSoStoic: He frustrates his torturers by calmly and quietly suffering all their methods. They're completely floored by his pain tolerance, but once his drugs wear off even the stalwart assassin is reduced to a writhung, frantic mess, as anyone would be in his condition and circumstances.

--

* AnAxeToGrind: She fights with a hatchet attached to a rope, allowing her to spin the blade over a larger distance.

* GeniusBruiser: Not only are Luo-Lang's fighting skills superb, but his mind is sharp as well. For one thing, he makes an excellent coroner, considering the setting.