Elite Mibu soldiers, the Goyosei defend the Mibu from outside threats and serve as subordinates to the Taishiro.
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The Goyosei as a group
- Adapted Out: Chinmei and Taihaku don't appear in the anime continuity, and the name Goyosei is never used.
- Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: Subverted. Some characters (especially Hotaru and Shinrei) will claim that their personal element has an advantage over another, but events throughout the story prove that superiority is determined by the wielder's skill and individual strength rather than their elemental affinity.
- Elemental Powers: Each of the Goyosei represents one of the five Chinese elements. Also each one (with one major exception) wields powers based on those elements.
- Quirky Miniboss Squad: They are this to the Taishiro.
- Stellar Name: As part of their Theme Naming, the Goyosei are named after their respective planets using their old name and removing the -sei (star or, in this case, planet). For example Taihaku is named after Taihakusei (Venus, the Gold Star), Chinmei is named after Chinsei (Saturn, the Earth Star) and so on.
Shinrei
The first of the Goyosei to be introduced. He represents the element of water and wields the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu that allows him to summon waterwyrms, powerful dragons made from water. In addition to this, he can crystallize water to create blades. He is initially the most fervently loyal of all the Goyosei until it is revealed that his mentor Fubuki killed his respected friend, Taihaku. In spite of this, Shinrei remains personally loyal to the Mibu Clan in general but comes to believe that the Taishiro and the Sendai Aka no Ou are the true source of the evil that threatens his clan.
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (JP), John Campbell (EN)
- Awesomeness by Analysis: It takes some time for his opponent to figure out the disorienting way he fights, if they can at all. That time gives Shinrei the opportunity to memorize and adapt to their rhythm, allowing him to flawlessly anticipate his enemy's next move.
- Big Brother Instinct: Sort of. He and Hotaru definitely still have major Sibling Rivalry going on and claim to hate each other, but a flashback reveals that it was Shinrei who convinced their father to stop sending assassins after Hotaru.
- Bloody Murder: His "scarlet wyrms" are water dragons enhanced and made corrosive by the addition of Shinrei's own blood. He also makes a sword out of blood the first time he fights Kyo.
- Break the Cutie: He was a sweetheart when he was a kid, talking to outcast Kyo and always professing his determination to protect the people he cared about. After he tried to tell people that the demon child was not evil, his father severely punished him, and he was quickly indoctrinated into the Mibu's A God Am I and Might Makes Right philosophies.
- Break the Haughty: Over the course of the story. He starts off smugly proclaiming Mibu divinity, then gets beaten by Kyo, discovers he's been betrayed by Fubuki, gets his ass handed to him when he tries to fight Fubuki, finds out that the Mibu are not gods but are in fact all Artificial Humans with a fatal genetic defect... etc.
- Close-Call Haircut: Related to Slipknot Ponytail; one of Fubuki's attacks cuts the tie in Shinrei's hair as he dodges.
- Cultured Badass: He's very well-versed in Mibu culture, and learned the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu (originally designed as a dance and performed on the Water Stage during festivals) from Fubuki.
- Dance Battler: Twofold. Firstly, Shinrei's basic form of attack is a dance-like technique that allows him to change the trajectory of his sword strokes just before they connect, which throws off an opponent who can read the path of the blade since the blade doesn't actually go where they expect. Secondly, even if the enemy figures out a way around the first type of attack, by the time they do so, Shinrei will have memorized their rhythm.
- Dangerous Forbidden Technique: His "scarlet wyrms", dragons created by mixing his own blood with water. These water dragons are corrosive and much stronger than the standard variety, but they're also harder to control and can damage the user.
- Deadly Upgrade: He has Hotaru use his Keikoku Kien technique to brand Hono Chikewai onto his body, powering him up to fight Fubuki. Subverted because 1) It fails to defeat Fubuki and 2) Shinrei doesn't die.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Kind of. He doesn't really turn because of his loss to Kyo, but because he realizes he has been deceived by Fubuki and begins to see the possibility that Muramasa wasn't misguided in seeing Kyo as his "hope".
- Elemental Rivalry: He has one with Hotaru, with him using water and Hotaru using fire.
- The Fettered: He takes strength from his devotion to the Mibu clan, and fights for their honor. Even after turning against the Taishiro and the Former Crimson King, Shinrei maintains that he is serving the Mibu clan's people and restoring what the clan is supposed to be.
- Generation Xerox: Of Fubuki, not his father. Hishigi says at one point that Shinrei is "the image of Fubuki as a young man." It's likely that Shinrei is related to Fubuki (it's stated that Shinrei's family developed the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu school), but he is not Fubuki's son.
- Glass Cannon: He has excellent avoidance tactics and can do a lot of damage, but once someone actually catches him he can't take much punishment.
- A God Am I: He wholeheartedly believes the Mibu to be divine. And he doesn't take it well when he finds out they aren't.
- Gratuitous English: "Dragon's Red Tears", his strongest technique.
- Heel–Face Turn: He denies that he's allying with Kyo and company at first, but he is no longer antagonistic after losing to Kyo. He feels betrayed by Fubuki and turns against the Taishiro and the Former Crimson King, but remains loyal to the Mibu clan as a whole.
- Hollywood Acid: His Red Dragons are made of a corrosive liquid that should melt anything with ease.
- Honor Before Reason: He has a very strict moral code by which he lives, and sometimes it leads him to do extremely impractical things.
- Kick The Son Of A Bitch: Violently butchers the five Goyosei wannabe who tried to poison Kyo and insulted the memory of Saisei and Taihaku.
- Kiss of Death: Kisses Yuya and at the same time he implants a water dragon in her chest, giving her 60 days before the dragon destroys her heart and kills her. Shinrei dispels the dragon after Kyo defeats him.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Among the prettiest of the cast, with long white hair to match.
- Luke I Am Your Brother: Shinrei is actually Hotaru's half brother, and reveals it during their battle. Subverted because both of them know that they are related, but each apparently believes that the other does not.
- Making a Splash: His power is based around water. Originally it was a dance for the Mibu royalty. It can also allow him to manipulate his own blood, but apparently doesn't work on ice (he can still crystallize water to make it solid).
- Oddly Shaped Sword: His Curved Mirror Broadswords are two short swords with double edged U shaped blades. He can make a good use of them.
- Oh, Crap!: When he realizes that all of the water on the battlefield is under Fubuki's control, including Shinrei's own swords.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The hot-headed, easily-angered red to Hotaru's chilled-out blue. Unusually, their color schemes and elements are the opposite of their "oni" types.
- Samurai Ponytail: He keeps his long white hair tied back.
- Slipknot Ponytail: When Shinrei fights Fubuki, one of the attacks cuts the tie in his hair and it falls loose.
- Spontaneous Weapon Creation: His blades are made of crystallized water, and he can make them out of his own blood if required. At one point, after being stabbed, he forms water dragons out of the blood from that injury to attack his opponent. The blades of water are useful when Kyo breaks one of them, because Shinrei can simply reform it. Their construction backfires when Shinrei fights Fubuki, his mentor and a true master of water, who takes all of the water on the battlefield out of Shinrei's control. Including his swords.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Hotaru, on occasion. Hotaru is horrified when Shinrei asks for his help and asks if Shinrei has lost all of his pride.
- The Unfought: In the anime, except for the battle against Muramasa.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Type 2 with Hotaru, eventually.
- White Hair, Black Heart: Initially. He subverts it later.
- The Worf Effect: Despite his best efforts and stated talent, he's stomped by Fubuki and rarely wins a fight against anyone significant unless they are already disadvantaged. For instance, he defeats Hotaru at one point, but only because Hotaru is still exhausted and very badly wounded from fighting Kyo. And the only reason he almost defeats Kyo is that Kyo is also badly hurt from fighting Hotaru and Chinmei earlier.
Keikoku
- See Hotaru
Taihaku
The leader of the Goyosei. Taihaku represents the element of metal (or gold in the translated version). However, unlike his other comrades in the Goyosei, he lacks elemental powers of any type. Taihaku is by far the most compassionate and benevolent of the Goyosei and a good bit of the cast in general. He is greatly respected by Shinrei and even Keikoku to a certain extent. In his free time, he looks after the children that are considered the failures of Mibu experiments, even though this is looked down on.
It is eventually revealed that he is in fact a mortal human who was adopted into the Mibu by the Former Crimson King, who granted him a Mibu's extended lifespan. After being defeated in battle by Benitora, Taihaku decides to side with Kyo in the others, but is killed by Fubuki.
- Badass Normal: Lacks the elemental powers of the other Goyosei, but makes up for it with several lifetimes worth of sheer training. As a result, he can swing a sword so fast that to most people he doesn't even seem to move before he cuts them to pieces.
- Empowered Badass Normal: The Former Crimson King gave him the Mibu's immortality, but other than that he has no special powers.
- Defeat Means Friendship: After losing to Benitora, Taihauku decides to join the heroes. Unfortunately, this doesn't last long (see below).
- Gentle Giant: The largest of the Goyosei, but one of the most benevolent characters in the entire series, and that includes the majority of the main cast.
- Honor Before Reason: Is deeply conflicted about the Aka no Ou's plans for the world, but see's no hope in rebellion and is trapped by his honest belief that serving the Mibu is the only option he has.
- Lightning Bruiser: He moves so fast he appears to be immovable when he's actually attacking.
- Made of Iron: Tanks Okuni's steel strings and later pulls them from his wound and breaks them like uncooked spaghetti as if it was nothing.
- Morality Pet: The children he looks after. Subverted in that they are not what keeps Taihaku from being evil, but are instead a sign that he is not evil.
- Mortal Wound Reveal: One moment, he's agreeing to ally with the protagonists; the next, he suddenly goes quiet and drops dead with a sword sticking out of his back.
- Nice Guy: Probably the nicest guy in the entire cast, making him a Token Good Teammate.
- Redemption Equals Death: He's convinced to side with the heroes and is then offed by Fubuki mere seconds later.
- The Worf Effect: Subverted. Taihaku is killed off quickly and with minimal effort by Fubuki, but Taihaku had nearly died in battle a few minutes earlier. The exhibit of Fubuki's skill is that he kills Taihaku while standing right next to the heroes, and none of them notice until Taihaku drops dead with a sword in his back.
Saishi
The Wood of the Goyosei. Saishi is an attractive looking woman with an impressive bust, dressed in a nurse's uniform (which is perplexing since this takes place in the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate). She, along with her companion Saisei, guard the second of the five gates leading into the Mibu stronghold. In spite of her cute appearance, she is exceptionally cruel and undeniably evil. She enjoys toying with enemy and ally alike. She is armed with the ability to resurrect the dead as extremely difficult to kill zombies as well as potent regenerative abilities that allow her wounds to heal near instantaneously.
After a prolonged battle, it is revealed that Saishi is the only one of the pair that is an actual member of the Goyosei and that Saisei is just the most advanced of Saishi's animated corpses. Saishi is eventually defeated by Akira after he successfully nullifies her regenerative abilities with his ice techniques.
Voiced by: Sakura Nogawa (JP)
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: Lampshaded by Saishi herself as her regenerative abilities remove any necessity for defensive measures... that is until Akira eliminates them.
- All Women Are Lustful: She frequently talks about finding a man, and expresses very creepy interest in some of the male protagonists. In the anime, she and Saisei express the desire to play with Kyo and "touch him everywhere".
- Amazon Brigade: Her zombies are a bunch of half-naked girls in bandages ranging from cute to voluptuous, but despite their looks they still are nigh unstoppable killer machines which can reveal rotten faces when wounded, making their cuteness jarring.
- An Arm and a Leg: Her last attack against Akira abruptly ends when her arm breaks off, because her cells are being progressively destroyed by Inferno's Chill and her regeneration isn't working.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: She uses her zombies to get the measure of Kyo, Akira and Bontenmaru's abilities and plan for a future confrontation. However, this is subverted when Akira easily surpasses her expectations.
- Clothing Damage: She can't regenerate her clothes, resulting in gratuitous fanservice.
- Hair-Raising Hare: Saishi's fighting form is a bunny girl. Seriously. Despite the cute appearance, though, her superhuman strength allows her to beat her enemies to death. She doesn't look like a serious fighter, but when she cuts loose... holy shit!
- Half the Man He Used to Be: She's cut in half twice but regenerates. In the Anime she's defeated when Benitora cuts her in half horizontally so that Migeira can shoot her heart while it's exposed by the gaping hole.
- Healing Factor: Saishi is able to survive being cut to pieces and regenerates almost instantly. Because of this, she can attack without any regard for her own safety as no attack is likely to hurt her... until Akira gets serious.
- In the Anime, hers and Saisei's bodies contain a nearly infinite space where the vulnerable heart cannot be reached by conventional weapons. Too bad they're up against two gunslingers...
- Kick the Dog: She first has Saisei speed up the Water Dragon inside Yuya to hasten her death (only because she didn't like the idea of her being protected by so many handsome guys) and later steps on Saisei's petals after her death while calling her useless.
- Kill It with Ice: How she meet her end, complete with Literally Shattered Lives.
- Lack of Empathy: Her disdainful reaction to Saisei's death and the reasons why she created her in the first place reeks with this and are the reason why Akira gets mad at her.
- Male Gaze: During her Shower Scene she brings the attention on a zit which grew on her boobs.
- Necromancer: She has the power to raise people from the dead as zombies that are terrifyingly hard to kill. With a little extra work, she can create even more dangerous super zombies that were once famous warriors. Notable examples include Benkei, Yoshitsune, and Saisei (Tomoe Gozen).
- Oh, Crap!: Reacts with utter terror when the ice from Grand Cross prevent her from healing. In the anime she has one when Migeira shoots her heart to pieces preventing her from reforming.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Anime!Saishi gives this vibe.
- Smug Snake: Is an absolutely twisted bitch who smugly believes she is invincible and can get away with some sick stuff. This only serves to make her defeat all the more satisfying.
Saisei
Saishi's companion. It's revealed during her fight with Akira that Saisei is not actually one of the Goyosei, but another of Saishi's zombies: Tomoe Gozen resurrected and bound to Saishi's will. She has something of a relationship with Shinrei and is extremely devoted to him, despite being Saishi's puppet. She is ultimately defeated by Akira in battle.
- Adaptational Villainy: She's just as evil as Saishi in the Anime.
- Attack Reflector: Her secret technique allows her to form a special space on her abdomen which reflects any attack right back at the attacker with another portal opening on his body. Akira manages to kill her using this principle to stab the portal on his body, thus hitting her instead.
- Back from the Dead: And not very happy about it.
- Breast Attack: In the anime, when Benitora spears her chest he hits squarely in the boob. She then tears the wound open like a broken soccer ball to show off the infinite space inside her body.
- Cherry Blossoms: Her ultimate technique summons a storm of cherry blossom petals that hit ridiculously hard.
- Cool Helmet: An awesome-looking samurai helmet filled with ornaments.
- Dead All Along: She's a zombie, only a better one than the usual types.
- Deader than Dead: She's been dead for a couple hundred years, but Akira's final attack severs her soul's last ties to the living world and lets her move on.
- Go Out with a Smile: She thanks Akira for the respect he showed her and is able to die peacefully, with a final wish for Shinrei to live.
- Lady of War: She's the most famous female samurai in the history of Japan. Duh.
- Male Gaze: She's subjected to this, usually with focus on her bare legs.
- Naginatas Are Feminine: A feminine warrior whose weapon of choice is a truly gigantic naginata.
- Petal Power: Her "Zetsu: Hyakkaouran" attack summons a storm of them as she tears the enemy to pieces. When she dies, her body scatters into petals, with a handful of them reaching her beloved Shinrei.
- The Stoic: Compared to Saishi.
- Too Dumb to Live: In the anime, she absorbs Yuya into her body, allowing Yuya to shoot her heart and kill her.
Chinmei/Mibu Kyojiro
Chinmei is the Goyosei of Earth, which gives him the power to manipulate gravity. This makes him a formidable combatant since it enables him to immobilize his enemies at will by increasing the gravity in their vicinity fly by eliminating the gravity in his own vicinity and do a large variety of tricks up to and including creating miniature black holes. Chinmei looks a lot like a hippie and complements his appearance by speaking a lot about "peace and love." However, this is just a cover for his real personality, as Chinmei is in fact the most evil and sadistic of the Goyosei who revels in the misery and bloodshed that he is able to sow. Chinmei is often referred to as the Joker of the Goyosei, as he is a wildcard that even the Taishiro do not fully understand.
In truth, Chinmei is Mibu Kyojiro, the second of the Red Cross Knights. He was the first Knight created by the Former Crimson King and serves as his special agent and assassin.
In the far flung past, Chinmei was in love with a seer who, like Sakuya, had her heart synchronized with the Former Crimson King. At her request, Chinmei killed her with the hope that the Former Crimson King would die along with her. However, the Crimson King did not die and Chinmei's ability to resurrect her was taken away as punishment. While he presumably works for the Former Crimson King in hopes of one day being able to revive her in return for his service, the truth is that over the millennia he has gradually forgotten everything about her, ultimately coming to wonder if she even existed at all. This caused him to sink into absolute madness where the only solace he could find was in indiscriminate carnage.
Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono (JP)
- Almighty Janitor: Played with. His rank as initially presented is far from irrelevant, but as the second Crimson Cross Knight, he's much stronger than the Goyosei position implies.
- Arc Welding: Chinmei is the one who killed Mahiro's sister (Muramasa's wife), leaving her dead body at the scene with Kyo standing over it, just in time for Mahiro to blunder in and assume that the whole thing was Kyo's fault. However, Kyo never denies this, believing that since he wasn't able to save her, it was the same as killing her himself.
- Ax-Crazy: Probably the most horrific example in the series as killing is the only thing that stimulates Chinmei at all.
- Death Equals Redemption: As he's about to be absorbed by the Crimson King, he helps Kyoshiro to get out, telling him (while crying real tears for the first time in centuries) to protect Sakuya and not to end up like he did.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Can use rocks as a shield or as a rain of meteors.
- Distracted by the Sexy: This is what happens when he cuts "Yukimura"'s clothes... only to be awarded with a delightful sight of Kosuke's bosom. It actually buys her enough time to get away.
- Establishing Character Moment: When the squad of Mibu soldiers who failed to recover Kyo's body begged for mercy, he promised them that, if they manage to get past a line draw behind him he'll speak to their superior. The soldiers seems to think it's impossible but they all manage to get past Chinmei unharmed... then, as they rejoice, Chinmei slashes them all to pieces without warning.
- Faux Affably Evil: Gives off a peace-loving hippie vibe, but is actually one of the most unstable and sadistic characters in the series.
- The Fog of Ages: Chinmei's tale about his long descent into madness as the sheer weight of time stripped him of his memories of the woman he loved and ultimately erasing all feeling whatsoever is a horrifying thing to think about.
- Gravity Master: Chinmei's powers allow him to manipulate gravity and even create black holes.
- The Idiot from Osaka: Along with Benitora, Chinmei is one of the few characters with a Kansai accent. However, this is Played With to juxtapose his goofy image with the terrifying reality of his sadistic and twisted nature.
- Knight of Cerebus: Oda was the first real threat in the series, but this guy made the story Darker and Edgier
- Made of Iron: Dude lost an arm, got hit by Suzaku, was seriously wounded by Sasuke aided by the Juyuushi and bifurcated by Yukimura, but he only died for real when the Former Crimson King absorbed his flesh and blood.
- The Mole: He's this for the king within the Goyosei, being one of the four Crimson Cross Knights. He also masquerades as Spade, the leader of Tokito's Imperial Guard, in order to steal Tokito's Muramasa blade.
- Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: Gravity powers check, red demonic eyes check, losing your sanity by living for eons check, and a Psycho for Hire check
- Paper Fan of Doom: Real paper fans, which he uses as weapons when he's Just Toying with Them. When he's serious, he uses a katana.
- Psycho for Hire: Plays the act of a peace loving hippie, but it quickly becomes obvious that he's actually a vicious, sadistic killer. He even admits that he only feels anything while killing, because The Fog of Ages has caused him to lose almost all of his memories and emotions.
- Say It with Hearts: Or in his case, glasses-wearing smiley faces.
- Scary Shiny Glasses: Inverted; Chinmei looks his most sinister when we can see what's behind those dark lenses.
- Technical Pacifist: Subverted. He can't shut up about love and peace, but it soon becomes obvious that he's out for blood.
- Villainous Breakdown: Becomes really deranged near the end, after being defeated by Sasuke.
