The characters of Katanagatari.
Warning: Due to the nature of the series, there are many unmarked spoilers here.
open/close all folders
Main Characters
Shichika Yasuri
Shichika at the start of the series
Shichika at the end of the series
- Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya
A young martial artist and head of the Kyotouryuu style, living with his sister on a desolate island. At the start of the series he is approached by Togame, an underling of the shogunate, to help her find the Twelve Perfected Deviant Blades. He falls in love with her and agrees.
- Anti-Hero: Starts out as a Nominal Hero, having no qualms killing women and children if ordered, but thanks to Character Development he mellows down to a Pragmatic Hero.
- Ax-Crazy: In the last episode, after Togame dies. He goes on a rampage against the current wielders of the Deviant Blades and kills all but one of them in rapid succession, the sole survivor being simply knocked out because she had Seitou Hakari, the one blade that couldn't do harm to anyone.
- Bare-Fisted Monk: A man whose own body is a sword. In fact, he's utterly incompetent with a real sword.
- Big Brother Instinct: Inverted, he's the younger brother (believe it or not), but he's pretty protective over his older sister and worries about her constantly thanks to her frail health. He even goes as far as kill their father for reasons heavily implying that he attempted to kill Nanami in the past. It should be noted however, that in spite of all this, Shichika is very aware that Nanami is much, much stronger than him and his father.
- Big Little Brother: Nanami is his older sister, but she looks like a child.
- Bodyguard Crush: Invoked on Togame. And proved true by the end.
- Catchphrase: At Togame's suggestion, "However, by that point you will have been torn to pieces".
- Previously, he usually responded to anything she said with "Such a hassle" or "I really don't get X", leading her to explain further.
- Death Seeker: After Togame's death, though surprisingly he lives through the wounds received from The Dragon during his Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: After Togame dies, his normally black eyes turn grey and listless.
- Have You Told Anyone Else?: Asks Koumori if he has shared the secret of Togame's lineage with anyone else. When he says no, Shichika calmly announces that he can kill him then.
- Heroic Comedic Sociopath: He gets better.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: When invading the Shogun's castle and fighting the Shogun's retainers wielding the Deviant Blades, Shichika reveals that he was holding back against every one of the blades' original wielders - even Sabi Hakuhei - because he was under orders not to damage or destroy them. No longer bound by that order, he uses his Kyotouryuu techniques to effortlessly destroy the first eleven blades. And in the fight with Emonzaemon, he reveals that the order to protect himself was also holding him back; he's far more dangerous when he can ignore defense and go all-out.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Sports a long ponytail that stops just above his ankles and only continues to grow. By the end of the show, it's nearly as long, if not longer, than Togame's own hair.
- No Social Skills: He was raised on an island, spent his entire life training, and never saw anyone but his father and sister before Togame arrived. His social skills are lacking to say the least.
- Oblivious to Love: Most of the subtext between him and Togame goes right over his head, much to her annoyance. Despite this he still insists he loves her.
- Older Than He Looks: It may come as a surprise that he's 24 (pretty old for a shounen hero), mainly due to the simple art style and his naive personality.
- Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: He spent his entire life training under his father to master Kyotouryuu on a deserted island. At the start of the series he has absolutely no knowledge of the outside world and can't even pick up the differences between other people. Another side effect of Shichika's training is that he is completely unable to wield swords.
- Scars Are Forever: He retains some of the scars received in his final battle with Emonzaemon, particularly the one over his left eye.
- Self-Made Orphan: Killed his own father for unexplained reasons. Episode 7 implies it was to protect Nanami... not that she would need it. Or wanted it.
- Sins of Our Fathers: Togame was planning to kill him in order to avenge her father's death at the hands of Shichika's father.
- Skilled, but Naive: He's spent his entire life on a remote island cut off from civilization with only his sister and his father. While he did receive 20 years of training in Kyotouryuu, a powerful fighting style that is essentially "swordsmanship without a sword", he lacks actual battle experience.
- The Stoic: Sees himself as a sword that is meant for cutting. He does become visibly more emotional over time though.
- Super-Strength: Although it ain't as extreme as some other examples, and is at least partially justified by his rigorous training.
- Tragic Keepsake: After Togame's death, Shichika starts wearing her kimono (now dyed red from blood) with a lock of her hair tied to his belt.
- Tranquil Fury: During his Roaring Rampage of Revenge in episode 12.
- Undying Loyalty: He fights solely for Togame's sake, and is completely devoted to her.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Though he does put on a shirt for extreme cold weather, sword training, and a Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Willfully Weak: He's given orders by Togame to protect the swords, Togame, himself, and himselfnote , which proves to make some of the fights more difficult. In the last episode, he is under no such restrictions, and shows exactly how powerful he is by destroying all twelve swords. How much the restriction to protect himself mattered is evident during his duel with Emonzaemon.
- Walking the Earth: At the end of the story, he's on a journey to draw a map of Japan, permitting Hitei to tag along as long as she's being useful.
Togame
- Voiced by: Yukari Tamura
An agent of the shogunate who is trying to collect the Twelve Perfected Deviant Blades.
- Adaptational Skimpiness: Within the novel itself. take's illustrations (which her anime design is based on) portray her wearing a short skirt, which is in contrast to the text describing her as being clad in an elaborate kimono.
- Animal Eyes: Her left eye sometimes takes on a snake-like appearance.
- Animal Motifs: A snake.
- Anti-Hero: For most of the series she looks like a type III or IV but her Final Speech might put her in Villain Protagonist territory.
- Becoming the Mask: She genuinely does fall for Shichika during the series. But it's also an aversion, depending on whether you believe her final speech or not, since she genuinely falls in love with him, but that doesn't change her desire for revenge or her intention to kill him at the end.
- Catchphrase: "Cheerio!", which she confused for "Chesto!". Even after everybody points it out to her, she still insists on using it.
- The Chessmaster: Everything — people, swords, even her own feelings — were pawns in her quest for revenge.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Her father was murdered right in front of her by Shichika's father.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: She dies in the arms of Shichika.
- Disease Bleach: Her hair turned white after witnessing her father's death.
- Dying Declaration of Love: During her final moments, she admits to Shichika that even though all this time she had been manipulating him in order to kill him, she did genuinely fall in love with him.
- Eating the Eye Candy: To Shichika in the thermal baths.
- Fatal Flaw: Her all-consuming desire for revenge. Shichika points out that she was ultimately the person that was hurt the most by this, something she agrees with.
- Fashionable Asymmetry
- Godiva Hair: An obvious use for so much hair.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Is about half of Shichika's height. But then, compared to Shichika, everyone is tiny.
- Important Haircut: Gets one during the fight against Nanami, turning her long hair into a bob cut.
- Last Request: The last order that she gives to Shichika is to forget about her.
- Impractically Fancy Outfit: In the novel she is almost always described as wearing a jūnihitoe
with at least two dozen layers, even when visiting an uncharted islands or climbing up a dangerous mountain.
- Manipulative Bitch: Koumori sites her willingness to use anybody to further her ambition as her most terrifying feature.
- Meaningful Name: Her name derived from Japanese word 'togameru', means 'to blame'. And guess who she blamed for the death of her father?
- Ojou Ringlets: She has straight hair with two sidelocks that curl into ringlets. She's eventually revealed to be a princess.
- Peaceful in Death: Felt relieved that she could die free of her burden of revenge in the arms of the man she had come to truly love.
- Prematurely Grey-Haired: She was born with black hair, but it turned white in the moment that she witnessed the murder of her father.
- Revenge Before Reason: Was going to kill Shichika after their journey was over, because Kyotouryuu killed her father. It makes sense when you consider that she came to the island looking to recruit his father for the quest, to use him to collect the other swords and then kill him, and presumably saw no reason to adjust her plans just because she had recruited his son instead.
- Tsundere: Parodied. Also subverted at first, when they leave Shichika's home island. She orders him to protect himself, not because she cares or anything, but because it's conducive to their quest. And immediately follows it up with a second order to protect himself, this time because she does care.
- Unwitting Pawn: All that work and she gets killed just so Kyotouryuu can be perfected.
- You Killed My Father: Avenging her father's murder and carrying out his will are her primary motivations.
Nanami Yasuri
As Akuto Bita’s wielder
- Voiced by: Mai Nakahara
Shichika's older sister who is frail in health but much stronger than she looks.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Her main ability, which is how she learns techniques.
- Badass Adorable: Absurdly powerful and happens to look like a cute little girl. Though the adorableness is kind of hindered when her "smile" is on.
- Blessed with Suck: Her view on her overwhelming power, as the strain it puts on her already weak body forces her to live in constant agony.
- Catchphrase: "Is it good, or is it bad?" and other variations of it.
- Death Seeker: Her body's weak and painful constitution as a result of her overwhelming power has her wish that she was dead instead.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She's a murderous sociopath who cares little for other people's lives, but it's shown that she really does love Shichika in her own way.
- Irony: Strong enough that she can copy all techniques just by watching them... then we learn that she actually uses this in order to be weaker, as her natural power is just that strong that it could kill her.
- Lack of Empathy: She doesn't really think anything of killing anyone, considering it counterintuitive to being a weapon.
- Little Big Sister: You likely wouldn't believe she's Shichika's older sister with just looking at her childlike body.
- Made of Iron: Despite her weak body, she is surprisingly resilient. The prime example would be her death. After taking a full-on Shichika Hachiretsu Kai, Akutou Bita (the Deviant Blade sustaining her life) was pulled out of her chest, leaving a gaping hole in it. She then gets up and starts using her full strength, damaging her body even further. She manages to fight with her little brother evenly for a short while after that, but dies when she is hit by Shichika's self-titled ultimate move a second time.
- Older Than She Looks: She's pushing 30, but looks like a child.
- Pet the Dog: Despite the horrific deaths she inflicted upon the Insect Squad, she still gave them a proper burial, allowing them to be buried together as comrades, and honored Mitsubachi's dying wish to share a smoke with Chouchou.
- Person of Mass Destruction: Wipes out several entire towns of people, including one populated entirely with practitioners of a martial arts school that grants them Super-Strength.
- Power Copying: Learns any move after seeing it once and masters it after seeing it twice. It actually weakens her, as her innate skills are superior.
- Silk Hiding Steel: She has the looks of a little girl, is polite, well-dressed and almost never talks louder than a whisper. And she's one of the strongest and most skilled fighters in the entire series.
- Slasher Smile: Episode 7, it's one hell of an Un-Smile.
- Story-Breaker Power: Her ability to copy abilities and completely master them if she sees them being performed twice before her makes her Power Copying skills this. She's also considered a monster in-story thanks to this ability coupled with her sheer, frightening ruthlessness in battle.
- Stronger Sibling: Her constitution is frailer, but it's actually a result of her sheer power outclassing Shichika.
- Willfully Weak: Despite being physically weak and ill, Nanami starts the series able to easily defeat her brother, who defeated the official Greatest Swordsman in Japan. Turns out, she can also copy any skill she sees, including super-strength, spontaneous claw growth, and walking on water. Then it turns out that she has inhuman resilience and can't die no matter how sick or poisoned she becomes. Then it turns out she's acquired one of the Deviant Blades, which cures her weakness and low energy. And then it turns out she uses others' skills so she can be weaker, as her instinctive combat skills are utterly perfect!
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: She mercilessly kills everyone in her path regardless of how evil they are, but she's stuck in a perpetual state of agony due to her overwhelming power and didn't go through the experiences that Shichika did that allowed him to overcome his mindset of being nothing more than a weapon.
- World's Strongest Woman: She is officially the single, most powerful entity in the story, a fact acknowledged by numerous characters, including Shichika, Emonzaemon, and Houou themselves.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: With long black hair and a yukata she definitely looks the part, and with her sweet tone of voice she sounds the part. Even her method of fighting is more feminine than her brother's as she watches instead of trains. Subverted as she's actually a brutal Death Seeker that tortures without a thought.
Princess Hitei
- Voiced by: Haruka Tomatsu
A princess from Owari who is Togame's rival and also after the Deviant Blades. A descendant of Kiki Shikizaki.
- Arch-Enemy: To Togame. Even though they had the exact same goal.
- Catchphrase: "I deny it."
- Important Haircut: By the time she travels with Shichika, she's sporting a bob cut instead.
- Last-Minute Hookup: Believe it or not, but this might have happened between her and Shichika; the ending is ambiguous, but at the very least it shows them walking the earth together.
- Karma Houdini: One of few characters to survive the series.
- Smug Snake: Has the personality, but the last episode makes her seem like The Chessmaster. However, she doesn't lead Emonzaemon on and clearly establishes that she wouldn't want him to sacrifice his life for her, admits that she liked Togame even when she ordered her death, and is ready to be killed by Shichika. Her actions were irreproachable, but her personality doesn't help her. The last episode reveals that she's actually neither; she seems like she has a plan, but she's actually just enacting her ancestors' plans and doesn't really care whether or not they succeed, which is part of the reason they ultimately fail.
- Spanner in the Works: Subverted. Somewhat. By her own admission, she wants to see Shikizaki's succeed and fail in equal measure. Ultimately, her. Or so she thinks.
- Theme Naming: Her name means "denial". In contrast with Togame's real name, Yousha ("approval").
- Tragic Keepsake: She wears Emonzaemon's mask on the side of her head while journeying with Shichika at the end of the story.
- Walking the Earth: She accompanies Shichika on his journey to draw a map of Japan at the end of the story. Even though he told her not to follow him, he lets her be as long as she's being useful.
Emonzaemon Souda
- Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama
Princess Hitei's right hand man. A very calm and mysterious character, and former ninja. Apparently has a history with Houou Maniwa.
- Ax-Crazy: Maybe. He takes quite a lot of pleasure in killing and has flashed the occasional Slasher Smile.
- Bottomless Magazines: Never once do we see him have to reload either Jyuu handgun.
- Combat Pragmatist: How he wins his duel with Oshidori.
- Cool Mask: The kanji on it reads as 'unconcealed', or 'not ninja', ironically enough.
- Dual Wielding: With both his swords and, later on, with Jyuu.
- Evil Counterpart: His Undying Loyalty to Hitei is not too dissimilar to Shichika's loyalty to Togame. However, despite Hitei's nudging for him to be more independent, his complete lack of humanity and blind obedience to Hitei makes him willing to do anything up to murdering children without hesitation on her orders. In essence, he is what Shichika would be if Togame never taught him how to be human.
- The Faceless: Hitei made him wear a mask because she found his face "depressing" (said in episode 8). And as a mask wasn't enough, she made him live in the attic.
- Final Speech: He has an obsession with last words, and always asks people what theirs will be before they die. Naturally, he delivers a heavy last line himself, which Shichika repeats for Princess Hitei.
- Guns Akimbo: Wields Entou Jyuu, a pair of handguns.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Will do whatever Hiteihime asks of him.
- Really 700 Years Old: Considering the fact that Houou stole his face all those years ago and survived to the current story via his grafting ability, that makes Emonzaemon roughly just as old. How he hasn't aged past a day since is never explained.
- The Remnant: Played with. In his duel with Umigame Maniwa, Emonzaemon reveals his ninja background is due to having once belonged to the Aioi Ninja Corps whose village was destroyed 170 years ago by the Maniwa Corps of the past, and that he's the last descendant of those who survived. Interestingly, he denies holding any grudge or desire to avenge his ancestors - he just kills off the Maniwani because Princess Hitei tells him to. That said, he's certainly proactive about it.
- Undying Loyalty: Although his last words apologise to Hitei for dying for her sake.
Wielders of the Deviant Blades
Ginkaku Uneri
- Voiced by: Mitsuru Miyamoto
A swordsman who lives in a vast desert in the country of Inaba. Second Deviant Blade user Shichika and Togame run into. The second Deviant Blade, Zantou Namakura (Blunt, the Decapitator); is incredibly sharp and can cut through anything.
- Affably Evil: Calling him evil would be a stretch, but he is nonetheless an antagonist who opposes Togame's goals. Despite that, he's generally polite with those he interacts with and doesn't antagonizes anybody as long as they don't try to take Zantou Namakura.
- Anti-Villain: He doesn't even really do anything villainous beyond killing anyone who tries to take Zantou Namakura.
- Arc Villain: Of the Zantou Namakura arc (volume 2 of the light novels and episode 2 of the anime). As the wielder of Namakura, he becomes the first target of Shichika and Togame in their quest for the Deviant Blades.
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: He wields the second Deviant Blade, Zantou Namakura, which can cut through anything.
- Cool Sword: Zantou Namakura, a sword so sharp that just drawing it fast enough can slice an opponent in half.
- Contrasting Sequel Antagonist:With his antagonistic Deviant Blade wielder predecessor Komori Maniwa. Komori was talkative, emotional, came to search for Togame and Shichika and though amusing was mostly unsympathetic. Uneri is quiet, usually brooding, was searched for by the main characters and ultimately ended being a Tragic Villain trying to keep an impossible dream.
- Dark Is Evil: Downplayed. He wears dark clothing and won't hesitate to cut down anyone who tries to steal Zantou Namakura; but other than that, he's not really malicious and doesn't go out of his way to harm visitors.....so long as they don't step foot into his room.
- Deadly Upgrade: Covering Zantou Namakura in blood increases the speed of the Zerosen technique. After Ginkaku covered his sword with his own blood, his ultimate attack changed from five simultaneous slashes to ten.
- The Fettered: He exaggerates this trope: The desert has invaded all his land. His castle is ruined; he is the only one left, when Shichika ask him why he fights, he sincerely answers he doesn’t know. Even so, he’s willing to die defending his sword only because he must defend something.
- Fragile Speedster: Just a combo from Shichika gets him done... the problem is getting close enough to land a hit on him.
- Iaijutsu Practitioner: His Zerosen sword-draw was so fast that even Shichika couldn't see through it.
- "Instant Death" Radius: His technique. He just meditates in his room, but anyone who steps within Zantou Namakura's range dies instantly.
- One-Hit Kill: His Zerosen can be this if one isn't prepared for it, as Shirasagi Maniwa finds the hard way.
- Shmuck Bait: All you have to do to avoid getting killed by him is not enter the room, and he gives you plenty of warning.
- Split Second Blade Spam: He can use his sword, Zantou Namakura, to strike five times a second.
- Worthy Opponent: Considers Shichika one.
Meisai Tsuruga
- Voiced by: Atsuko Yuya
The head of the Sanzu shrine and wielder of the third Deviant Blade, Sentou Tsurugi (Sword, the Thousand); a sword which possesses 999 copies.
- Anti-Villain: Takes in abused women and tries to rehabilitate them. Her last request is that the shrine be taken care of.
- The Atoner: Used to be a bandit.
- Crazy-Prepared: After Shichika chases her into the woods, he realizes there are Tsurugi swords planted everywhere - bound to the trees, hidden in the branches, and even buried under the ground in the case of the original Tsurugi blade. It turns out that her 'test' of having Togame identify which Tsurugi sword was the original was just a distraction while her maidens hid the blades around the shrine and the forest.
- Cool Big Sis
- Dark and Troubled Past: Her father, who taught her the Sentouryuu style at a young age, died in the rebellion 20 years before the story began. Left with nothing but her sword training, she turned to a bloody life of banditry and murder, eventually succeeding the chief of her bandit gang and inheriting Sentou Tsurugi. She eventually learned of the Sanzu shrine and became a maiden living under the care of the first Meisai Tsurugi, but when this failed to quell her inner turmoil she murdered him in a desperate rage.
- Field of Blades: Her ideal setting for a fight, as her Sentouryuu style revolves around picking up and discarding blades as needed.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Carries around a massive bottle of sake.
- The Nicknamer: Calls Shichika "Kyotouryuu Boy".
- Promotion to Parent: Abandons her bandit lifestyle to care for the maidens of the Sanzu shrine. Although this was only after she killed the previous Meisai Tsuruga and was shocked by his final words.
- Reasonable Authority Figure
Hakuhei Sabi
- Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa
Known as the strongest swordsman in Japan, Hakuhei Sabi went rogue after recovering the fourth of the Deviant Blades, the glass blade Hakutou Hari (Needle, the Light). He eventually catches wind of Shichika and Togame's sword hunt, and sends them a letter of challenge to duel for Hari.
- Catchphrase: "I'll have you fall for me".
- Cool Sword: Hakutou Hari is a sword whose blade is made of glass. While its apparent frailty is a point of concern, Sabi's skill with it is such that its said he could cut the moon in half.
- Dissonant Serenity: Not very expressive.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Togame mentions that people sometimes mistake him for a woman.
- Duel Boss
- Fallen Hero: Once loyal to Togame and the Shogunate, to the point where Shichika wonders why he would defect over a single sword. Togame reasons that the purer the swordsman, the more intensely the poison of the Deviant Blades affects them - and Sabi was the best of the best.
- I Was Just Passing Through: When he saves the girl on the bridge.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Played for Laughs. Lots of build-up for their duel, and ultimately it's only mentioned by the characters after the event.
- Phrase Catcher: Anyone he kills has "So...cool..." as their final words.
- Second Hand Story Telling: We don't see the showdown between him and Shichika, but apparently it was made of awesome.
- Stab the Scorpion: In the preview for Episode 4 that shows how his fight with Shichika likely went down, a large shark leaps to attack Togame after their boat overturns. Sabi sends a powerful slash of Razor Wind in her direction... and splits the shark down the middle right in mid-leap.
- The Unreveal: See Second Hand Story Telling.
- World's Strongest Man: At least as far as anyone knows, although after fighting him Shichika thinks to himself that Nanami is much stronger.
Kanara Azekura
- Voiced by: Tsuyoshi Koyama
A pirate lord who rules a small port town in Satsuma. He wields - or rather, wears - the fifth Deviant Blade, Zokutou Yoroi (Armor, the Bandit), a huge bladed suit of Western-style plate mail.
- The Dog Bites Back: Killed the pirates who kidnapped him in his backstory when they let him try on Yoroi.
- The Faceless: Save for one flashback scene of how he got the armor, Kanara is never seen outside Zokutou Yoroi.
- Foe-Tossing Charge: With Zokutou Yoroi protecting him and the hidden blades in his armour adding to the damage caused by the attack, this is how he prefers to fight.
- Loophole Abuse: How he disrupts his promise after he loses.
- Nigh-Invulnerable: Yoroi, his Deviant Blade armour, is touted as the ultimate defense. It was designed to nullify the kinetic force of any attack on it by channeling it into the ground harmlessly. Shichika has to creatively work around this mechanic to defeat Azekura; he later exploits this same mechanic when fighting the Shogunate retainer that inherited the armor.
- Slave to PR: As public as his duel with Shichika was, he couldn't welch on the bargain he made to give them passage out of his port. That said, he does get his revenge by sending them ''way'' off course.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Before he was enslaved by pirates, the flashbacks show him happily playing with his little sister.
- You Remind Me of X: He quickly became fond of Togame because she reminded him of his deceased little sister.
Konayuki Itezora
- Voiced by: Rina Hidaka
A small eleven-year-old girl who lives on Mount Odori. Her clan holds - or rather, held - the sixth Deviant Blade, Soutou Kanazuchi (Hammer, the Twin), a massively heavy club of a sword that even Shichika can't lift.
- Badass Adorable: A cute child who's also the first opponent to defeat Shichika.
- Confusion Fu: She has no training at all, but that means Shichika is totally unable to read her—making her deadly, considering her Super-Strength. Kyouken, who has thousands of years' worth of training, controlling her body easily removes this problem, however.
- Demonic Possession: On the receiving end of this from Kyouken Maniwa. Fortunately for her, Shichika does one heck of a kinetic exorcism.
- Improbable Infant Survival: One of the few to survive. Not just what happened to her village and her clan - she's one of a handful of characters that survives to the end of the show. An impressive feat, considering the body count by the finale.
- Last of Her Kind: She tells an astonished Shichika and Togame that her clan was wiped out by an avalanche. When Kyouken possesses her and reads her memories, this proves to be a lie: the Itezora village was actually wiped out by Nanami..
- Little Miss Badass: She can effortlessly pick up Kanazuchi and wave it around like a fly swatter, where (as noted above) Shichika couldn't even budge it. The disparity is somewhat evocative of Mjolnir.
- Meaningful Name: Her given name is "powder snow", while her family name is "frozen sky".
- Stepford Smiler: Tries to act like a Cheerful Child, but when your family was just killed, it's a little hard.
- Super-Strength: Though as a child, she's still considered weak by her clan's standards. Which still makes her stronger than anyone else alive.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Her incredible raw strength, combined with her lack of training amounting to Confusion Fu, results in her being the first opponent to land a hit on Shichika - breaking his arm and ending the battle, no less.
Biyorigou
- Voiced by: Aya Endo
A four-armed automaton protector of a dried lake, rumored to be guarding the workshop of the late Kiki Shikizaki.
- Clock Punk: A robot? In 18th century Japan? Justified as Kiki Shikizaki was a soothsayer who could see the future of technology. As Togame lampshades, it’s the only way he could have created swords that, in that era, appear to break physical laws, but could be quite possible to construct with future techniques.
- Creepy Doll: The head and torso look like a ceremonial Japanese doll, made scarier by having it wield four swords and walk on robotic legs.
- Deceptively Human Robots: She seems fairly humanized at first glance, but she's never portrayed as anything but a particularly well-designed object, and is easily defeated once you figure out her limited range of programmed actions.
- Hidden Weapons: In addition to the four swords it outwardly carries, Biyorigou can produce a fifth sword out of it's mouth in a sort of stabbing action. It also has a hidden 'helicopter mode', where it rotates upside-down and orients its legs into four propellers. This almost destroys it when it runs out of power...while still some hundred feet up in midair. Shichika manages to catch it, though.
- The Lost Lenore: Based on Shikizaki's lost love.
- The Power of the Sun: How it runs. Togame exploits this to wear it down after a lengthy standoff with Shichika.
Zanki Kiguchi
- Voiced by: Shizuka Itō
A calm and serious young woman who gave up a pursuit of shogi to act as the 12th head of the Shinou Issou sword school. She wields the ninth Deviant Blade, Outou Nokogiri (King, the Saw), a wooden sword notably lacking the usual poison of a Shikizaki sword.
- Anime Hair: Has long, normal-looking, black hair... and then you notice her longer left bang, which is stylized to actually look like a katana edge.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Her attempts to teach Shichika how to use a sword fail.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Togame's inner Clingy Jealous Girl manifests itself when she thinks Shichika and Kiguchi are going at it. The Art Shift that happens whenever she misjudges the situation and lets her imagination run is nothing short of hilarious.
- Not So Above It All: Her last line of dialogue, which can be somewhat jarring considering her intense mannerisms throughout the episode. The implication is that this is when the focus of Nokogiri - the intense, cruel calmness that possessing it evokes - stops affecting her, after having surrendered it over to Togame.
- The Stoic: The intensity of which drove out her students. It turns out this was Nokogiri's focus at work - she lightens up considerably after she surrenders it.
- Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: Outou Nokogiri is one. Despite its appearance as a mere practice sword, Kiguchi explains that it's quite capable of breaking bone, smashing internal organs, and the like.
Rinne Higaki
- Voiced by: Miyako Ito
A three hundred year old holyman and a close friend of the deceased Shikizaki Kiki. Keeps the tenth Deviant Blade, Seitou Hakari (Scales, the True), a bladeless hilt with an oddly-suspended bladeguard.
- Deadly Dodging: Is about as slippery as an eel. He's the one Deviant Blade Wielder that Shichika never even managed to hit.
- Genre Savvy: Got rid of his deviant blade as soon as he he got it, knowing that no good can come of it.
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: His appearance is a collection of his guests' regrets. For Shichika and Togame, he looks like Konayuki with Nanami's hair with the personality of Togame's dad. When he directly addresses Togame, he wholly shifts into her father completely.
Kiki Shikizaki
- Voiced by: Katsuji Mori
A master blacksmith who created the Deviant Blades. Wields the eleventh and most poisonous of the Deviant Blades, Dokutou Mekki (Gilded, the Poison).
- The Chessmaster: Though long dead by the time the story even starts, the plans he set in motion deeply impact the course of events through the entire run. It helps that he stored his spirit in one of his swords somehow so he could check on how things were going a few hundred years later.
- Gambit Roulette: The entire plan to use the twelve Deviant Blade to 'forge' a thirteenth Blade eras later. Justified by his seer abilities, but damned if there wasn't a lot of convenience in The Plan.
- Grand Theft Me:
- Whoever wields the Deviant Blade Dokkutou Mekki will get possessed by him. Interestingly, the degree of possession that happens to the victim seems to depend on how receptive the host is to the memory effect imbedded in the sword. Houou grabbed the blade with Kawauso's arm when he accidentally drew it - the same arm he grafted on to gain the latter's ninpou of reading the memory of inanimate objects - and the result was akin to full-blown Demonic Possession. Its next host, the brutish Rogiri of the shogun's retainers, exhibits symptoms more aptly described as 'berserker madness', though whether this is because Shikizaki Came Back Wrong or the sword simply fried Rogiri's brain is never explained. Another possibility is that Shichika dispelled Shikizaki's spirit from the sword when he killed Shikizaki!Houou, and the poison was all that remained to affect Rogiri.
- Jerkass: Despite his swords often determining the victors during the tumltuous Sengoku era, he doesn't really give half a damn about anything outside his own plans. He's also not too particular about shanking Pengin Maniwa in the side and leaving him out on a dirt road for Shichika and Togame to stumble across.
- Screw Destiny: Stopped the Tokugawa Shogunate from coming to power in an effort to alter history and avert Japan's eventual destruction by outside forces. Subverted when the Yanari Shogunate comes to power instead in pretty much the same way, and (aside from building the capital at Owari instead of Edo) ultimately nothing changes for those efforts. The Deviant Blades he leaves behind are marginally more impactful in changing the course of events, but they too ultimately fail to shift history either.
- Thanatos Gambit: Dies at Shichika's hands, confirming that Kyotouryuu (aka Kyotou Yasuri, the 13th Deviant Blade) is ready for the final step.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: His lasting legacy. Most people don't know about the soothsayer part, though.
- Walking Spoiler: In case all the spoilered entries here didn't give it away.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Despite the chaos his designs inflict, he wanted to save the whole of Japan from the impending destruction he foresaw. Quite a few people die before his plans (sort of) come to fruition, though.
Maniwa Ninja Corps
- Animal Motifs: The clan is split into four squads: Bird, Beast, Insect, and Fish. Each member is named and wears clothes based on an animal.
- Anti-Villain: Despite opposing Togame and Shichika, ultimately their reason for searching the Deviant Blades is to make money for their village, instead of some selfish goal. With the exception of Komori, Kuizame and Kyoken, most of them don’t even antagonize the main duo at all and are content with the no-aggression alliance Houou formed with them.
- Highly-Visible Ninja: All of them display eccentric, ridiculous costumes that would fit better for entertainers than for a clan of professional ninjas. Despite this, no one in-universe makes fun of them for that and they’re still treated as a dangerous faction.
- In-Series Nickname: Shichika calls them Maniwani. Nobody takes issue with it.
- Non-Indicative Name: The three members of the Fish Squad are a shark... and a turtle and a penguin.
- True Companions: Though some are clearly a bit unhinged in the head and bloodthirsty, most of them genuinely care for and look out for each another. The most prominent example is the Insect Squad.
- Only in It for the Money: The reason they want the swords? Because they're valuable. In a somewhat altruistic spin on this, they want to sell the swords to support the Maniwa village and the entirety of their Corps.
Houou Maniwa
- Voiced by: Ryōtarō Okiayu
De facto head of the Maniwa Ninja Corps and leader of its Bird Squad.
- Animal Motifs: Phoenix.
- The Charmer: He's polite and smooth-talking, and the waitress at Togame and Shichika's hotel dreamily calls him "handsome".
- Driven to Suicide: Implied to be what he would do after the story of the 12 swords finished, to atone for letting most of the Maniwa heads get killed. He doesn't get to do that.
- Eyes Always Shut: His eyes are constantly shut. Interestingly, an incident that would merit Glowing Eyes of Doom in any other character results in the red markings on his eyelids glowing instead.
- Grand Theft Me: When he accidentally draws Mekki, he gets possessed by Kiki Shikizaki.
- Handicapped Badass: He wasn't all that hindered by losing his arm. And then subverted when he grafts on Kawauso's arm after the latter is killed and gains his ninpou ability to read the history of inanimate objects.
- Immortality: He possesses the ability to graft body parts to himself to replace lost (or presumably, aging) parts of his own. Done enough times, this would logically render him undying - rather appropriate, considering his Phoenix theme.
- Noble Demon: Takes promises very seriously and cares deeply for his fellow ninjas.
Koumori Maniwa
- Voiced by: Chihiro Suzuki, Yukito Soma (as the ferryman)
A member of the Maniwa Ninja Corps and wielder of the first Deviant Blade, Zettou Kanna (Plane, the Absolute).
- Anime Hair: He sports a rather strange spiky hair with the shape of two long ears, evoking those of some species of bat.
- Arc Villain: Of the Zetto Kanna arc (volume 1 of the light novels and episode 1 of the anime). As the wielder of Kanna, his arrival to the island where Shichika and Nanami reside to get rid of Togame kickstarts the plot of the series and eventually forces Shichika into the quest for the search of the remaining Deviant Blades.
- Black Eyes of Crazy: His eyes are completely black, contrasting his white pupils, enhancing his whole bat motif.
- Body Horror: We first see Zettou Kanna after he pulls it out of his throat, which Shichika finds
incredibly gross. Later, he produces a sack containing a full costume the same way. And that's not even getting into how he effects his 'doppelganger' ability... - Cassandra Truth: During their fight, he warns Shichika that Togame is a twisted woman who will use anyone for her own goals and later discard them, telling the Kyotoryuu master working with her isn’t worth it. However, Shichika ignores his words and proceeds to fight him. Komori would be proven to be right when Togame confesses to Shichika in her last moments that she did indeed planned to kill him after reuniting the Deviant Blades in revenge for the murder of her father at the hands of Shichika’s own progenitor.
- Dark Is Evil: His clothes and hair are predominantly black with some dark purple and fuchsia motifs, and he’s one of the least sympathetic members of the Maniwa Clan.
- Even Evil Has Standards: As unpleasant Komori can be, he’s shown to be disgusted with the way Togame uses everyone she associates with as pawns for her ambitions. This is what prompted him to betray her in the first place.
- Hate at First Sight: While tying Togame to a tree to get her out of his way to kill Shichika, he bluntly tells the strategist that he has despised her ever since they met for the first time, as her left eye full of ambition made him realize she would eventually betray him and his clan for the sake of her schemes.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: After his attempt of killing Shichika by taking Togame’s form fails, he decides to adopt the form of Shichika, confident that his signature attack with Kanna mixed with his strength will give him the victory. However, due to Shichika being a Kyotouryuu practitioner, thus completely incompatible with swords, Kanna slips out from his hands, giving Shichika the perfect chance to defeat him.
- The Hyena: Has a tendency to laugh stridently and annoyingly at the most minor things, without any warning.
- Jerkass: Is abrasive and rude with his opponents. Subverted with his fellow clan members, with whom he seems to get along well.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Ultimately, his analysis of Togame as someone who would use and discard anyone she could convince to support her for her own purposes turns out to be correct, as Shichika would have find the hard way if Emonzaemon wouldn’t have put an end to both the ambitions and the life of Togame.
- Laughably Evil: With his hammy tendencies, annoying laugh and capacity to talk hours and hours, he ends up being quite an amusing fellow. This contrasts greatly with the more serious and/or tragic Deviant Blade wielders the main characters find later in their adventure.
- Lean and Mean: He has a slender, lithe physique and is a bonafide jerk.
- Motor Mouth: Even for the standards of the series, this guy loves to talk, going into long, fast, detailed rants about the topics he’s talking about.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: His failure to eliminate Togame in the island where the Yasuri family resided ends screwing up the plans of his clan. Not only did they lose one of their leaders, but they also lost the only Deviant Blade in their possession at the hands of their biggest enemy too. With his death, the decline of the Maniwa Clan as a whole starts.
- Oh, Crap!: Has an spectacular one when, having Kanna slip out of his hands after transforming into Shichika, he’s explained by the real one that Kyotoryuu practitioners are unable to use swords, realizing he’s completely screwed.
- Pointy Ears: His ears are rather pointy, being the only character of the series to display such trait. Combined with his eyes and abilities it makes him look rather inhuman.
- Power Copying: In addition to taking the shape of anyone he desires, he can also copy their characteristics and strength. Unfortunately for him, this also means he replicates their weaknesses too, which ends being his undone when he tries to execute his signature move with Kanna with the body of Shichika, unable to use any sword.
- Spit Take: Apparently his initial flurry of kunai was actually this—Togame's order to Shichika to "Fall for me!" was just too cringe-inducing for him to stand.
- Starter Villain: He is both the first opponent, Deviant Blade wielder and Maniwa ninja Togame and Shichika confronts in the series.
- Technically Naked Shapeshifter: Subverted. Komori’s shapeshifting abilities don’t give him the capacity to generate clothes from his body. He, however, can generate the clothes of those he turns into out of his stomach and spite them in order to make his guises more convincing.
- This Was His True Form: After Shichika kills him (with Komori having taken his shape), he reverts back to his usual appearance.
- Undignified Death: Has a pretty embarrassing one after losing due to his own mistakes and then being pummeled to death by Shichika’s Shichika Hachiretsu. He’s left lifeless with his eyes open and his tongue out, half-naked due to leaving his normal clothes in the tree where he tied Togame. At the very least they bothered to give him a proper burial.
- Vocal Dissonance: When his plan to take Shichika by surprise by taking the shape of Togame and attack him when he would had let his guard down fails, he stops imitating Togame's voice and uses his own before their fight re-starts. As a result, this ends with a raspy, clearly masculine voice coming out of the petite, feminine body of Togame.
- Voice Changeling: His shapeshifting ninja art also comes with the ability to change his voice into those of the people he turns into. He briefly does that when turning into the ferryman who takes Togame to the deserted island where Shichika lives and when turning into Togame herself. By the time Shichika discovers his guise of Togame, Komori doesn’t bothers changing his voice anymore and uses his own for the remaining of the fight.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: His main weapon. Togame takes a comical amount of time to realize he was the ferryman who gave her the ride out to the Yasuri's island, which is how he managed to track her despite her extra secrecy.
- We Can Rule Together: Subverted. He offers Togame the chance to ditch Shichika and employ the Maniwa Clan again for her goals. However, when Togame refuses his offer, he then reveals he was lying with that and that he planned to betray her again after dealing with Shichika, as he considers her a big threat for his clan and that no one would even trust someone as untrustworthy as her.
Shirasagi Maniwa
- Voiced by: Wataru Hatano
A member of the Bird Squad who goes after Ginkaku Uneri. Speaks backwards.
- Strange-Syntax Speaker: He speaks not only reversing his words but also the characters of each phrase. According to Togame, this is because "he tries his utmost not to be boring". He stops only after he realizes he's been sliced in half, and has just enough time to express his incredulity normally before he...falls apart.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies in his first scene, after a laughably small amount of dialogue. We get a little exposition on him from Togame when they're headed to the castle, and again when she trips over his top half after they arrive, but that's pretty much it.
Kuizame Maniwa
- Voiced by: Tomohiro Tsuboi
A member of the Fish Squad, he fights for money and his own bloodlust, however respects his fellow members. He targets Meisai Tsuruga.
- Animal Motifs: Shark.
- Ax-Crazy: He shreds everyone else on the boat he arrived on (plus the boat itself), just because he was so "excited" about the upcoming battle.
- Epic Flail: Fights with two swords attached to a chain.
- Expy: Very similar in appearance and personality to Akechi Mitsuhide from Sengoku Basara.
- Insult Backfire: When Shichika refers to him as a 'Maniwani', he...reacts like it's the ultimate praise, calling it 'sublime'. He's a special kind of crazy.
- No Fourth Wall: Roughly half of his lines seem to be exposition directed at the audience, or at least at nobody in particular. Again, he's a special kind of crazy.
- Slasher Smile: Constantly. Has an impressive set of razor teeth, befitting his shark theme.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Gets killed in his second scene, and isn't even remotely important in the plot arc he appears in. At least he lasted longer than Shirasagi.
Kamakiri Maniwa
- Voiced by: Makoto Yasumura
The leader of the Insect Squad, a serious highly experienced and feared warrior. One of the three ninjas sent to capture Nanami.
- Absurdly Sharp Claws
- Ambiguously Gay: Specifically mentions when encountering Nanami that "Mitsubachi could have fallen for her", implying a lack of attraction towards women on his part.
- Animal Motifs: Praying Mantis.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Is on the receiving end by Nanami.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Nanami kills him by stabbing him through the head using his own ripped off fingernails.
- Fingore: Nanami rips his fingernails off.
- Villainous Valour: When being questioned by Nanami about his comrades he doesn't budge.
Chouchou Maniwa
- Voiced by: Daisuke Sakaguchi
A member of the Insect Squad and in a relationship with a fellow ninja Oshidori. One of the three ninjas sent to capture Nanami.
- Animal Motifs: Butterfly.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He truly loved Oshidori, planning to settle down and marry her after his mission. Sadly, this never came to be.
- Flight: His ninpou ability makes him incredibly light, allowing for this and the ability to walk on water. The latter talent was how he and his team got out to the island where Nanami lived, and her copying this ability is how Nanami left the island afterwards to wreak havoc on the mainland.
- Ret Irony: He talks at length about his plans to settle down and marry after this mission.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Mitsubachi.
Mitsubachi Maniwa
- Voiced by: Hiroaki Miura
A member of the Insect Squad, the most gentle, fair, and calm of its three members, preferring to avoid conflicts with his friends. One of the three ninjas sent to capture Nanami.
- Animal Motifs: Bee.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Seems inexperienced compared to his comrades, but comes closest to subduing Nanami after his comrades are killed.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Chouchou.
Pengin Maniwa
- Voiced by: Ryō Hirohashi
A member of the Fish Squad and a stuttering little child. Accompanies Houou personally throughout the series.
- Animal Motifs: Penguin.
- Death of a Child: Emonzaemon coldly guns him down by shooting him through the mouth.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Attempts to help Houhou in his fight against Emonzaemon by tossing him Mekki, which leads to Houhou getting possessed by Kiki Shikizaki.
- Winds of Destiny, Change!: His ninja ability is basically being so lucky that he's able to Screw Destiny to some extent. Turns out he's not lucky enough.
Kyouken Maniwa
- Voiced by: Michiko Neya
A member of the Beast Squad who despises Togame for the deaths of her fellow ninja.
- Animal Motifs: Wolf.
- Bait-and-Switch Boss: She ends up being the true enemy Shichika must defeat to get the sixth sword, by way of possessing an unwitting Konayuki.
- Body Surf: Her ninja ability allows her to hijack women's bodies.
- Didn't See That Coming: She hijacked Konayuki's body because she was the only known person to defeat Shichika. She didn't expect that her own centuries of skill would be easier for Shichika to handle than Konayuki's unpredictable (lack of) fighting style.
- Really 700 Years Old: Thanks to her ability.
- Revenge Before Reason: She attacks Shichika and Togame to avenge the Maniwa members they'd killed, in blatant disregard of the fact that Houou had just formed an alliance with them. In addition, Shichika and Togame were only directly responsible for Koumori's death; the other five dead Maniwa heads at the time were killed by either Nanami or Deviant Blade Wielders.
- Super-Speed: In her first form, to the point that she cannot be seen if she doesn't want to be.
- Tattooed Crook: The tattoo is her living essence, and striking just the tattoo is how Shichika manages to kill her while sparing Konayuki (who she'd just possessed).
Kawauso Maniwa
- Voiced by: Shinji Kawada
The leader of the Beast Squad, he is invaluable to the Maniwa Corps as he can ascertain the locations of the Deviant Blades.
- Animal Motifs: Otter.
- Black Eyes of Crazy: His eyes are white irises on black sclera, and he has no qualms about dying for the Corps.
- Dissonant Serenity: Oddly content with the idea of dying for the Corps. He even notes he's looking forward to seeing his friend Koumori in the afterlife.
- Off with His Head!: He allows Houou to kill him this way to maintain the Corps' alliance with Togame after Kyouken's unprovoked attack on Shichika and Togame jeopardizes it.
- Psychometry: His ninja ability lets him learn an object's history by touching it. Apparently this doesn't extend to the memories of other people because of his shyness.
- Undying Loyalty: Is willing to sacrifice his life for the Maniwa Corps. Which he does.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Appears very briefly despite his importance. His left arm, which Houou uses to replace his severed one, arguably gets more screentime than Kawauso himself.
Umigame Maniwa
- Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki
The leader of the Fish Squad. As his name suggests, he wears a turtle-like uniform, and wields a rapier.
- Animal Motifs: Turtle.
- Non-Indicative Name: Despite his title of "Umigame the Long-Lived", he is relatively young. Emonzaemon comments on this.
Oshidori Maniwa
- Voiced by: Kaori Yamagata
A member of the Bird Squad, she is the object of Chouchou's affection.
- Animal Motifs: Duck.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She genuinely loved Chouchou and he is the one she dreams of reuniting with as she dies.
- Stripperiffic: The only way to describe a costume that incorporates a chain thong.
- Together in Death: One possible way to interpret her death scene, where she has a dying dream of coasting away over the sea in Chouchou's arms.
- Villainous Valour: Stays behind to fight Emonzaemon so the rest of the Maniwa Corps can escape. Her opponent even commends her for fighting so honorably.
- Weapon Specialization: Her ninja ability involves flawless control of her whip.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: She's on the literal receiving end of this in her fight against Emonzaemon, since his guns obviously outrange her whip.
Other
Mutsue Yasuri
The Sixth head of the Kyotō school of Japanese sword martial arts, the late father of Shichika Yasuri and Nanami Yasuri, and the person Togame is initially seeking for the mission to find the Deviant Blades.
- The Exile: After assassinating Takahito Hida, Mutsue and his family are exiled to an uninhabited island of the country of Tamba.
- Posthumous Character: He died a year before the series begins at the hands of Shichika.
- The Stoic: He thought of himself as a sword, and thus didn't require emotions.
- Theme Naming: His name literally translates to "Six Branch Rasp". His childrens' names represent flowers and fruit, products of a tree's branches.
Kazune Yasuri
- Voiced by: Atsushi Abe
The First head of the Kyotōryū style as well as its creator. Kazune is long dead by the time the series starts but his actions cast a long shadow over his decendants as well as the events of the story.
- A Day in the Limelight: Is a prominent character in the prequel anthology Maniwagatari.
- Deal with the Devil: His creation of the Kyotōryū thanks to the help of Kiki Shikazaki has shades of this since it helped seal the fates of his descendants.
- Determinator: He was a man with zero talent as a swordsman but his dedication to the Way of the Sword was so great it impressed the extremely anti-social Kiki Shikazaki and together they created the Kyotōryū style that would allow one to fight without needing a sword.
- Odd Friendship: With Kiki Shikazaki.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Appears only in a single flashback scene late in the story but it goes a long way to explain how the events of the story unfolded as they did.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Looks like Shichika with Mutsue's hairstyle.
- Theme Naming: As with the rest of his family, his name literally translates to "One Root Rasp". Being the founder of Kyotōryū, he symbolically represents the roots of the tree that is Kyotōryū to which his descendent, Mutsue (branch) develops from.
