Characters / Samurai of Hyuga

Main Party

The Ronin

A wandering Rōnin with a mysterious, blood-stained past, charged with protecting a young noble.

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• Accent Adaptation: In Book 2, they are shown to have a Southern accent due to their early life in Genfu.
• Action Girl: If female, of course.
• The Alcoholic: Very much so. Their first scene involves them drinking sake in a bar, and every time they stop by a new town scouting out a place to get drunk is high on their list of priorities. The second game actually has them getting incredibly wasted after the first shogi match, and has their opinion of the Baron swinging upwards once they learn of his wine collection.
• Animal Motifs: Varies depending on both choice and what traits they've exhibited up to that point. Deviating from the Spirit Animal's traits will lower your spiritual attunement, while following them will raise it. There are ten total, but you can only exhibit 5 traits, as each is paired with another, opposing trait.

  Barn Swallow for Impulsive or Alligator for Calculated
  Snow Monkey for Perverted or Akita Inu for Chivalrous
  Firefly for Charming or Giant Salamander for Stoic
  Spider Crab for Drifter or Chipmunk for Protective
  Wild Boar for Brutal or Striped Snake for Finesse

• Anti-Hero: Even at their best, the Ronin is still a battle-loving ex-assassin unafraid to resort to harsh measures to get the job done.
• The Atoner: Has touches of this. It's particularly strong for Protective and/or Chivalrous Ronins, who flat-out state they became a bodyguard to try and make up for their past.
• Awesomeness by Analysis: The "Calculating" stat makes the Ronin very analytical and logical.
• Ax-Crazy: How they can come across at times, especially with the Jigoku Itto-Ryo.
• Clothing Reflects Personality: Gets some spiffy clothing or armor midway through the 3rd book depending on their spirit animal
• Beware the Quiet Ones: For Ronins with the Stoic trait, and Beware the Silly Ones for Ronins with the Perverted and Charming traits. Whichever front the Ronin portrays is exactly that—a front to hide just how dangerous they are.
• Blood Knight: Will always have some shades of this, as their knowledge of Jigoku Itto-Ryo has left them with a perpetual itch for battle, though to what extent depends on whether you have more Brutality or Finesse.
• Boyish Short Hair: The Ronin gets an option to cut their hair like this at one point in the game.
• Broken Bird: While it's not known if the Ronin was ever idealistic in their past, they certainly fit this, what with the cynicism and issues with emotional intimacy.
• The Charmer: Instead of going with the usual stereotype, the ronin can be an easy-going, social type who can talk their way out of trouble as easily as they can fight their way out.
• Chick Magnet: To an absurd degree. Every companion has a moment where they express an attraction to them, not to mention the crazy Yandere after them. They have had at least three girls interested in each book, and at maximum the list of girls interested in the Ronin includes Momoko, Toshie, Masami, Kohaku, and Junko.
• Child by Rape: When Toshio/Toshie asks for their birthdate, they just tell him/her to add nine months to the day a group of pirates raided the town of Genfu.
• The Comically Serious: If Stoic, then they along with Toshio/e will end up playing this part to the more eccentric companions around them.
• Consummate Professional: The Ronin is, at their heart, a mercenary who cares about getting the job done well and getting paid. Even a Protective one will still have money be one of their primary concerns.
• Covert Pervert: There is nothing stopping a Stoic Ronin from having a secretly perverted nature, as the two attributes are on different scales.
• The Cynic: Regardless of how the Ronin is played, they come across as this due to their past.
• Dark and Troubled Past: They're a Child by Rape and Street Urchin who murdered their Parental Substitute for coin and whose relationship with their First Love went south for an unknown reason. They also used to be an amoral assassin.
• Deadpan Snarker: The Ronin's wry sense of humor causes the narration to be a First-Person Smartass. There's no-one they're harder on and more biting to than themselves, though.
• Despair Event Horizon: Crosses on at the end of Book 3, when they realize they've lost their edge in combat and at least one of their students are killed during the competition regardless of what the Ronin does to train them.
• Dude Magnet: While not to the absurd degree of a male Ronin, a female Ronin has a good number of guys into her.
• Even the Girls Want Her: Momoko is as interested in a straight female Ronin (who only has other men into her, unlike a lesbian Ronin) as a male one.
• Face of a Thug: They describe themselves as having a face that, while not ugly, naturally lends itself to intimidation. The Psychotic Smirk helps.
• First-Person Smartass : The protagonist's experiences have left them jaded and cynical, and it shows in their inner monologue.
• Handsome Lech:
  • Instead of going for a Chaste Hero, the Ronin can be played as a complete and utter pervert who — male or female — shamelessly ogles everyone they meet, even the vision of a grown-up Masashi/Masami. Hilarity Ensues.
  • The Ronin can also privately admit that it is a form of Obfuscating Stupidity, as so long as Masami/Masashi thinks of them as a shameless pervert they won't discover the ruthless killer underneath.
• Good is Not Nice: Being compassionate does not mean you have to be nice about it.
• Good Is Not Soft: Nor does it prevent you from being utterly ruthless to those who cross you.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: It doesn't take much to grind an Impulsive Ronin's gears.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: The more altruistic versions of the Ronin often try to brush off, downplay, or outright hide their caring nature. Toshio/Toshie accuses them of doing so because they're afraid of letting others get close to them and risk being hurt.
• Hot-Blooded: With the Impulsive trait, the Ronin tends to act on spur-of-the-moment whims and whatever emotion they feel at the moment.
• I'm a Humanitarian: You find out from the Baron that they ate some of the other orphans to gain the Jigoku Itto-Ryo.
• Inelegant Blubbering: The PC ugly cries during their In-Universe Catharsis, and then breaks down even more when confessing Sensei’s Dark Secret and revealing the source of their power.
• Interrupted Suicide:
  • Midway through Book 4, the Ronin attempts to commit seppuku out of despair after Jun/Junko betrays them to the Jingoku-worshipping cult.
  • In Book 5, the Ronin attempts seppuku again out of despair at losing everyone they cared about, with Masashi/mi being in a coma, but is stopped by Toshi(o)]].
• Jerkass: They can be played as a absolute monster with no remorse, who constantly looks to kill people or...
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite being cynical and worn, they can genuinely care for their companions.
• Knight in Sour Armor: If Protective, then they're cynical and snarky, but they still trying to make the world a better place.
• The Lad-ette: The female Player Character can come off as this, particularly if played with high Brutality and/or Pervertedness.
• Lady of War: A female Ronin lean towards this when going for stats like Calculated, Chivalrous, Stoic, and Finesse. She can even look the part, as you get an option to give the Ronin a more dignified hairstyle in the middle of the first chapter.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: The Baron erases their memory of Jun(ko) at the beginning of Book 3, and they only regain it at the end — Toshi(o), Masashi/Masami, and Hatch having opted not to fill them in due to wanting to protect them.
• Lovable Sex Maniac: The Ronin can waffle between this, Chivalrous Pervert, or neither depending on how you play them.
• Love Confessor:
  • In the second book, it's possible for the Ronin to confess to their spirit animal they still love Jun(ko) while in a dream. This doubles as a Love Confession since Jun(ko) was somehow nearby.
  • They can also do this by reciprocating Momoko's feelings.
• Never Learned to Read: They never learned to read growing up, something they're defensive of.
• Oblivious to Love: It becomes almost embarrassingly obvious that Masashi/mi is crushing hard on them, yet they only respond to the signs with vague confusion despite Perverted Ronins being able to flirt with them. Possibly justified, since their Dark and Troubled Past gave them little experience with "normal" signs of affection. In Book 5, even a Perverted Ronin will be disgusted at the thought of actually putting the moves on Masashi/mi, even in her older astral form.
• One-Man Army: The player character if they unleash the Jigoku Itto-Ryo in the Yakuza den whereupon they proceed to massacre everyone and anyone standing between them and the Big Bad. It is also implied from their past that this wasn't the first time.
• Out of Character Is Serious Business: At the start of book 3, the Baron erases all memories the Ronin has of Jun. On one hand, this eases the Ronin of much of their pain, with the others noting that they seem happier and more at ease than they've ever been before. On the other hand, with the hardship they endured stricken from their consciousness, their killer instinct is erased as well. They spend the majority of book 3 barely able to hold their own against even mediocre fighters.
• Professional Killer: This is perhaps the lightest part of their Dark and Troubled Past.
• Pregnant Badass: The female Ronin during the climax of Book 4 if she's pregnant with Jun's child.
• Retired Monster: One way to play them, if they are unremorseful of their past.
• Rōnin: They are a mercenary hired to act as a bodyguard for Masashi/Masami Hashimoto, and are frequently treated with disdain for not being a true samurai.
• Sad Clown: If the Ronin is predominantly Charming, they cover up their inner pain with witty repertoire.
• Shamu Fu: Early in Book 1, the Ronin is confronted by guards after he/she killed a sacred koi fish the night before. It is possible for the Ronin to use the same half-eaten koi to smack one of the guards.
• Stepford Snarker: If the Ronin is Stoic, their comments tend towards being more blatantly sarcastic.
• Samurai Ponytail: Another one of the hairstyles you can choose from.
• Servile Snarker: To Masashi/Masami. The Ronin will snark at them and their naiveté, but is very loyal nonetheless.
• Supernatural Gold Eyes: Whenever they activate the Jigoku Itto-Ryo. A Brutal Ronin may also suddenly gain these in a fit of rage when mistaken for Junko during Book 2, though they manage to restrain themselves from anything more than striking Ige across the face with the flat end of their katana.
• Street Urchin: They grew up having to fend for themselves in the slums.
• The Stoic: Can be played as one, if you wish.
• Taught by Experience: Although the Jigoku Itto-Ryu and their main abilities as a warrior were taught to them by Gensai, most of their life experience and special techniques were picked up through their travels both as a street urchin and as a wandering assassin. Some of these include a set of 6 gimmicks of sorts they pick up throughout the course of the series. The success rate of these are affected by certain traits in their Karma Meter.
  • Skyward Slash - Available in Book 1. TBA
  • Piercing Palm - Available in Book 1. The Ronin adopts a Ko Gasumi stance in order to prepare for a stab attack, but uses their off hand to obstruct the enemy's view of their katana's tip, making it harder to predict. This move uses the Calculated trait.
  • Kabuki Killer - Learned in Book 2 from Saburo Honda. He used this one against the Ronin, and the Ronin then made it their own. The katana is held downwards behind the wielder to hide its length, and at the last second they swing it upwards in an uppercut. Saburo uses a katana that is a couple inches too long, and the Ronin holds their katana at the end of its handle for maximum reach. This move uses the Stoic trait.
  • Baron's Bluff - Available in Book 2, learned from Baron Roderico Da Mirandola. TBA
  • Twisted Tongue - Learned in Book 3 from Nishi. The Ronin uses a reverse grip for their Katana, which normally is a disadvantage. However, it is very effective in close quarters. This move uses the Drifter trait.
  • Champion's Cross - Learned late in Book 3 from Hatch. TBA
• The Tease: They have the option to flirt with all of their companions without any intent to follow up.
• Vague Age: The Ronin's age is never specified, but they are indicated to be somewhere in their twenties or thirties.
• Villain Protagonist: At their worst the Ronin is a unrepentant Jerkass, who enjoys fighting and killing and is needlessly cruel. This seems to be who they were in the past.

Masashi/Masami Hashimoto

The child of one of the most wealthy families in Hyuga, a shugenja and scholar who ends up entrusted with a duty to hunt spirits by the Emperor.

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• All Love Is Unrequited: Even a Perverted ronin doesn't even notice their feelings for them, and in Book 5 is outright disgusted by the thought of hooking up with her.
• Animal Motifs: Theirs is a red panda.
• Badass Bookworm: They don't show it as often as the Ronin—who tries to keep them out of the line of fire—but they have quite a repertoire of useful spells and talismans that, in the Ronin's own words, could "take out armies" if they wanted.
• Bodyguard Crush: Very obviously has one on the Ronin, given their Tsundere behavior and desire to be seen as "more than a kid". Given their Vague Age, it may or may not also count as a Precocious Crush.
• Child Prodigy: Besides their spellcasting ability, they're also a master shogi player, able to win a tournament (via Telepathy to the Ronin) with much older and much more experienced opponents. Could cross into Teen Genius depending on their age.
• Cute Witch: What the Shungeja Masashi/Masami essentially is.
• Delicate and Sickly: In Book 5, Masashi/Masami is stuck in a comatose state and slowly wasting away, with the Ronin being desperate to save them before they succumb and die.
• Fish out of Water: They're very out of their element, being a pampered noble seeing the world for the first time.
• Genki Girl: Or Keet if male; they are very excitable when encountering new places, things, or meeting famous people.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Displays a fair amount of insecurity and frustration over Jun/ko being the one to have/have received the Ronin's respect and (once) romantic love, and also becomes jealous of Toshi(o) flirting with the Ronin at the beginning of Chapter 3.
• The Ingenue: Even if male. They are wide-eyed, optimistic, pure-hearted, and most sexual innuendos will go right over their head. Jun/ko even accuses this as being the reason why the Ronin is drawn to them—they're fascinated by the innocence they could never have. Tellingly, they don't deny it.
• Innocently Insensitive: A major flaw of theirs is that they can't quite grasp that other people haven't had the same life of luxury as them, so their incredulity at some things - like the Ronin being unable to read - comes across as condescending.
• Limited Wardrobe: Masashi/Masami always wears an impractical red kimono, to the protagonist's exasperation, since it tends to drag and catch on things in a fight or chase.
• Luminescent Blush: Masashi/Masami is described as having a noticeable blush when the Emperor compliments them, when the main character first gets a hairstyle change, and if the main character is perverted towards them.
• Morality Pet: Potentially for the Ronin in the first book, and is definitely one in the second. The Ronin, regardless of personality, will panic and be enraged by them being in danger from Jun/ko.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: They have a very extensive vocabulary, and are proud of showing it off.
• Sheltered Aristocrat: Having lived a life of privilege, they're quite naive in the ways of the world.
• Skilled, but Naive: They are very fortunate they have the Ronin and their own magical abilities, because otherwise their unfamiliarity with the real world would probably have gotten them killed by now.
• She Is All Grown Up: The adult version of them encountered in the spirit world is attractive enough to derail the Ronin's train of thought.

• Tsundere: They frequently call the ronin "baka", dish out back-handed compliments, stutter and blush around them, and try to hide their concern for them behind a thin veil of Blatant Lies.
• Unexplained Recovery: Somehow survives Jun/ko slashing their throat open. It has been explained that they survive because of the necklace the emperor gave to them blocked the blade and took most of the cut.
• Vague Age: They're young enough to still have some baby fat clinging to their face, but they're also old enough to be allowed to travel alone with the Ronin. Given that the Ronin can successfully bluff a guard into thinking Masashi/Masami is their lover, they're at least past puberty.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Much of what they know of the world comes from books, and they tend to push the Ronin towards morally good actions like helping others or sparing enemies.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: By the end of the first game, their experiences have caused them to mature and temper their naiveté some, though they are still occasionally prone to childish pique.

Toshio/Toshie

The Emperor's right-hand man/woman, a Kondo ninja whom the Emperor sends along to guide them to the various spirits they need to slay.

• Animal Motifs: Their spirit beast is a black swan.
• Badass Preacher: Yes, a preacher ninja. They're the most spiritual of the group, and often offer the Ronin and Masashi/mi advice for inner meditation and handling their spirit animals.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: With the Ronin at first, especially if you flirt with them. By Book 3, however, they fall in love with the Ronin.
• Brutal Honesty: Has no problem being blunt and to the point, such as when they tell the Ronin to their face they're a dangerous killer who they (Toshio/Toshie) don't trust.
• The Comically Serious: Will often end up playing this part to Hatch and a Charming Ronin.
• Fantastic Arousal: They seem to really enjoy a good murder mystery, and will fawn over the Ronin if they perform well in examining the crime scene in Book 3.
• Fantastic Racism: On the receiving end of this, as Kondo are looked down as inferior upon by the people of Hyuga. The Emperor was the first person who never held their race against them; Masashi/Masami is the second. Even the Ronin has to stop themselves from passing judgment.
• Good Is Not Soft: They often advocate ruthless measures in the name of the greater good.
• "Groundhog Day" Loop: In Book 5, Toshio/Toshie will reveal this is what happened during everyone's time at the Baron's estate. Unlike everyone else, their memory remained intact after every reset and experienced hundreds of daily loops.
• Happy-Ending Massage: Desperately wants to give the Ronin one in Book 3, which can either be turned down or accepted.
• Heroic Willpower: Fares the best out of the group in the Baron's estate, maintaining their awareness that it's not right and helping to bring the Ronin and Masashi/mi around. Book 5 reveals just how heroic their willpower actually was since they were all trapped in a "Groundhog Day" Loop and Toshio/Toshie was the only one who could remember what happened.
• Hero Worship: Develops one to the Ronin due to them being "the Sword Who Cuts the Heavens". The Ronin is not particularly comfortable with it, or fond of the name.
• Hopeless Suitor: Book 4 reveals that an unromanced Toshie/Toshio view themselves as this due to the Ronin's history with Jun/ko.
• Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Can Break Borgia's legs under orders from the Ronin
• Love at First Sight: Toshie/Toshio will confess that they've had feelings for the Ronin ever since their first interaction in Book 1 if romanced in Book 3.
• Ninja: To an extent—while they are skilled in the arts of stealth, sabotage, and espionage, the Fantastic Racism against the Kondo means they aren't allowed to carry weapons. Hence, they have absolutely no combat skills at all.
• Relationship Upgrade: Although they can be romanced as early as Book 3, Toshio/Toshie's relationship with the Ronin becomes official in Book 5.
• Romantic False Lead: A romanced Toshie/Toshio fears they're this due to the Ronin's history with Jun/ko. This viewpoint keeps them from realizing that the Ronin is under a spell in Book 4.
• Secret Secret-Keeper: They've known the truth behind the Ronin's Jigoku Itto-Ryo since Book 3 thanks to the "Groundhog Day" Loop they were trapped in.
• Secret Test of Character: The Ronin meets them early in the game, where they pose as a troubled client in need of protection. The whole thing was a set-up so they could judge what kind of person the Ronin was and how skilled they were.
• Spotting the Thread: Is very, very good at this.

• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With the Ronin in Book 1—neither of them trusts the other, but they at least try to be civil for the sake of the mission. There's also a bit of tension between them and Momoko as well.
• Undying Loyalty: To the Emperor.

Hachirobei/"Hatch"

A street fighter the Ronin pulls out of a Curb-Stomp Battle, and basically invites himself along from then on out.

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• Animal Motifs: Hatch's spirit-beast is a pony.
• All Love Is Unrequited: Unfortunately, his feelings for Momoko are one-way.
• Bare-Handed Blade Block: Does it to an axe at one point. A Calculating ronin points out that he could easily dodge the swing rather than use such an impractical move, only for him to protest that it's cooler his way.
• Calling Your Attacks: "Iron Palm Defense!" and "Stone Head Attack!" Notably, he's the only one who does it.
• Chekhov's Skill: Not for him, but for the Ronin. Whichever "secret technique" he used in the first book, the Ronin will recall and perform against their fight with Jun/ko in the second, saving their life in the process.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: Has a big heart and a desire to help anyone he meets, whether that be mysterious Rōnin or random Damsel in Distress.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass:
  • He might be an idiot, but he has moments where he proves how capable he is, such as catching an axe blade with his bare hands.
  • When a Player with a high enough "Calculating" stat points out how many other options Hatch had to deal with his assailant, Hatch just replies that doing that wouldn't have fit the name.
• Good Is Dumb: Good enough to care deeply for a wandering Rōnin he'd literally met the day before, dumb enough to try adhering to Rule of Cool in a world of demons, highly-trained swordsmen, and pragmatists.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Of the ronin, once he cottons on that Momoko is in love with them.
• Hot-Blooded: Hatch doesn't feel or do anything quietly.

• Large Ham: He has a very loud presence that's impossible to ignore.
• Love at First Sight: Is smitten by Momoko the moment he sees her.
• Never Learned to Read: Like the Ronin, he didn't have the privilege of growing up with tutors and teachers.
• Nice Guy: Bumbling as he is, Hatch is a helpful, caring man who always believes the best of people.
• That Man Is Dead: The ending of Book 3 has Hatch cast aside his identity as a street fighter and take up the persona of General Shatao.
• Use Your Head: He can knock out a man wielding hand-scythes by catching him in the jaw with his "Stone Head!" technique... but at the cost of a massive headache afterward.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: He is at once a parody and a straight version of a shonen hero in a realistic, semi-cynical setting.

Momoko Hayami

A beautiful woman being chased by the Yakuza. Actually one of their drug dealers gone rogue.

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• All Love Is Unrequited: She always has feelings for the ronin, but they don't have to return them.
• Animal Motifs: Momoko's Spirit Animal is some sort of deer
• The Atoner: Decides against suicide in favor of making up for her role in the opium outbreak. She does just that in book 2, leaving the group temporarily in order to help victims of the opium outbreak despite rumors of brewing conflicts.
• Broken Bird: Her hopes and dreams of being a doctor went crashing down in flames when her mentor died. Then people started judging her for being a woman, leaving her bitter enough to willfully join the Yakuza and help them poison the city. When her guilt caught up, she fled, but now she has a cynical streak and no sense of self-worth.
• Cool Big Sis: Masashi/mi views her as one.
• Defector from Decadence: She left the Yakuza because she couldn't stand what she was doing anymore.
• Demonic Possession: At the beginning of Book 4, she is possessed by a demon after Jun/Junko cuts out her tongue and leaves her for dead; becoming the crimelord known as the Silent Lady.
• Dude Magnet: She’s incredibly popular with guys. Hatch falls for her on the spot and side stories reveal she regularly was confessed to and hit on while working as a doctors apprentice. The Ronin regardless of if you romance her or not, will admit to finding her attractive in their inner monologue.
• Hospital Hottie: Trained in medicine and regarded as very beautiful.
• Interrupted Suicide: Eventually, her guilt for her involvement with the Yakuza drives her to attempt to kill herself. The Ronin and their group arrive and talk her out of it.
• Ms. Fanservice: Her looks and impressive cleavage get a fair amount of description. Also deconstructed, as people saw her as nothing more than eye candy and never gave her the chance to use her skills as a physician.
• Put on a Bus: She leaves in the last third of Book 2, planning to return to Jijinto to help the opium addicts there.

• Show Some Leg: She's not averse to using her good looks to get out of danger or persuade people to see things her way.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Whenever danger comes her way, she lifts her chin and handles it with a cool head and steady spine—she's not even fazed by the Ronin's bloodlust-fueled rampage or the prospect of being used as bait.
• Single-Target Sexuality: Unfortunately for Hatch, Momoko only has eyes for the ronin.
• Stalker with a Crush: Mild example. The ronin catches her staring at them multiple times, and once wakes up to find her watching them sleep.
• Tongue Trauma: In Book 3, Momoko makes the mistake of letting Jun(ko) know she has a crush on the Ronin and/or slept with them. Jun(ko) doesn't take it well and cuts out her tongue.

Daisuke

A giant man from the Yakuza in Jijinto.

• Dumb Muscle: Daisuke is not the brightest, but his stature and size are seen as an asset.
• Mutually Exclusive Party Members: If he survives the battle in Jijinto, than Keiko won't show up at the Baron's mansion.

Keiko

An ex-yakuza maid working for the Baron. Only shows up if Daisuke was killed in Jijinto.

• Mutually Exclusive Party Members: With Daisuke.

Borgia/Bobu

Kohaku

A samurai under General Shatao, left in the ronin's care.

• Heroic BSoD: After killing their former comrades, he becomes distraught and with advice from Masashi/Masami turns to the Ronin for advice and comfort.
• Sweet Polly Oliver: If the Ronin is attracted to women, it's revealed that "he" is actually a young woman in disguise.
• Tautological Templar: He initially believes samurai can do no wrong, but discovering several of their comrades in the act of raping Kuniko causes him to have an abrupt realization of how wrong they were.
• Thanks for the Mammary: Determinant on the Ronin's sexuality, they verifies Kohaku is a woman when she grabs their hand and places it on her chest.
• To Be Lawful or Good: Kohaku faces this conundrum when several of their comrades attack Ise and rape Kuniko, and ends up killing them out of rage and being horrified at breaking their vow of fealty.
• Undying Loyalty: To General Shatao, and later for the Ronin.
• Unequal Pairing: Develops a crush on the Ronin after they start teaching Kohaku and the other students.

Nishi

An ex-yakuza, formerly under Shiroyama in Jijinto.

• Mauve Shirt: In Book 1.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite being vulgar and bloodthirsty, Nishi cares deeply for her comrades — why she initially desires revenge against the Ronin for killing Shiroyama, and later tells the Ronin they should be the only two Ax-Crazy people on the Ise team.
• Sir Swears-a-Lot: Nishi is noted to be exceptionally vulgar.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She develops an infatuation with Hatch.

Ige

• Sacrificial Lamb: No matter how well the Ronin trains him, Ige is killed during the tournament — the episode of his introduction — and his death spurs the Ronin towards a Despair Event Horizon.

Antagonists

Shiroyama

The head of the yakuza in Jijinto, and responsible for the opium trade there.

• Hypnotic Eyes: Shiroyama uses her serpentine hypnotic abilities to control people, and briefly manages to take over Hatch and the Ronin.
• Yakuza: She is the leader of Jijinto's yakuza, and specializes in creating and dealing opium.

Baron Roderico da Mirandola

• Dead Person Impersonation: The Baron impersonates Sadao and the Ronin's Sensei.
• Implausible Fencing Powers: The baron proves to be more than a match for the ronin in a practice duel.
• Asian Fox Spirit: He is a six-tailed fox-demon possessing the body of Baron Roderico Mirandola.
• Hoisted By His Own Petard: The Baron has a guillotine set up to execute whoever was responsible for the murder of his chef. When it comes to light that he is responsible for everything and the Ronin breaks his mind control, his former servants force him into the guillotine to be beheaded. After all, the guilty must be punished. Except that was merely an illusion as well.
• Silver Fox: The Baron is described as an older, but attractive man. Also doubles as a Stealth Pun since he is a kitsune, making him a literal Silver Fox.
• Trrrilling Rrrs: When his monstrous side starts showing through, he drags his R's out into a purring sound.

General Shatao

A ruthless general who organizes a tournament between various villages under his control.

• Bed Full of Women: The short story "Hatch's Harem" reveals Shatao had a bed that could fit twelve women.
• The Starscream: His goal is to overthrow Satsuma and rule Hyuga himself.
• Tengu: He unveils himself as a raven-headed bird-man.

Ichiro Takeda

A samurai trying to win the Hokusei election to restore his family's name.

• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: When you first meet Ichiro, he seems like a Good Samaritan who helps you escape from headhunters and houses and feeds you for a night. You later discover it's a front, and his main goal is to sacrifice souls, open a portal to hell to confront Gensai, and attain the Jigoku.
• Living MacGuffin: He is the third student that the MC and Jun/Junko spend all of Book 4 searching for.
• One-Winged Angel: After eating Kiyoshi to gain the Jigoku, Ichiro morphs into a magical demon with black blood and tendrils.
• Villain with Good Publicity: The citizens of Hokusei admire Ichiro for taking in orphans, accompanying you to disband the Oyama’s child labor operation, and providing food and shelter to poor artisans...but his ultimate goal is to win the election in order to sacrifice as many souls as possible to open a gate to hell and gain the Jigoku.
• Walking Spoiler

Jun/Junko Uesugi

The Player Character's First Love, absolutely hell-bent on finding and killing them.

• Aggressive Submissive: Junko shows shades of this - she relentlessly pursues the Ronin, but seems aroused by him taking her and dominating her in bed. It’s implied that this might be due to her father abusing her as a child.
• Ax-Crazy: They are clearly not in a stable state of mind. Apparently a by-product of their overuse of Jigoku Itto-Ryo.
• Blood Knight: Jun(ko) revels in combat and using the Jigoku Itto-Ryo to kill at random.
• Combat Sadomasochist: They are equally ecstatic whether they're getting hurt or doing the hurting, as seen from their battle with the Ronin in the second book.
• Deadpan Snarker: Of the mocking, cutting variety.
• Deuteragonist: When we're not seeing the story from the Ronin's point of view in Book 4, we're seeing it from Jun/Junko's. They're the one who drives the MC to examine their issues, confront their past, and trains them so that they can regain the Jigoku.
• Domestic Abuser: Jun/Junko in Book 4. They are driven by jealousy, are insecure that the Ronin will leave them, and has a Dark and Troubled Past. They outright abuse the Ronin on multiple occasions, but the Ronin will still find them physically attractive and can rekindle their relationship with them.
• Double Entendre: Jun/ko is fond of phrasing things this way, particularly combat-related things.
• Eyelid Pull Taunt: Young Jun/Junko teases the MC in this way during one of their spats.
• First Love: Jun/Junko is this for the protagonist. It didn't work out well, though it's possible for the MC to still have feelings for them.
• Forceful Kiss: Jun/Junko frequently grabs the Ronin and kisses them without any precursor or warning in Book 4.
• Freudian Excuse: They used to be pretty normal once, but a combination of the overuse of Jigoku Itto-Ryo and a betrayal on the Ronin's part drove them to madness.
  • Book 3 reveals another facet to this - they were molested by their father.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Is clearly extremely unhappy and jealous of Masashi/mi being the primary recipient of the Ronin's affections. Murderously unhappy, as it turns out.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: The slightest thing can send them into a fit of murderous rage.
• Heel–Face Turn: In Book 4 they become the Ronin's ally and can rekindle their relationship, even working to make it less toxic.
• Hidden Depths: Book 4 reveals that Jun/Junko is a surprisingly talented gardener, having cultivated a small apple orchard outside their sensei's dojo.
• I'm a Humanitarian: Jun/Junko attacked and ate their own father, which is how they were able to attain the Jigoku.
• Insult of Endearment: Jun/Junko tends to call the Ronin "dumb orphan." Eventually uttered in a heartwarming way when a romanced Jun/Junko confesses they love the Ronin before they sacrifice themselves.
• Love Redeems: If romanced in Book 4.
• No Social Skills: The PC describes Jun/Junko as having devolved into animalistic mannerisms after being isolated in the dojo for five years.
• Not Good with Rejection: Jun/Junko refuses to accept that they and the ronin aren't soulmates and is driven into a homicidal rage when the ronin insists they don't belong to them. At the climax of Book 4, a ronin rejecting their advances ends up having to fight Jun/Junko and literally disarm them in order to escape hell.
• Pregnant Badass: A romanced Junko during the climax of Book 4 if she's carrying a male Ronin's child.
• Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: They didn't take the Ronin breaking up with them well. Not well at all.
• Pyschopathic Manchild: It becomes clear in Book 4 that Jun is pretty stunted in a lot of ways, spending years alone on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. When sitting in on a Shogi tournament, the Ronin notes that they are getting very antsy sitting around watching a quiet boardgame. The Ronin compares them to an over-energetic child, except for the sword and the murderous bloodlust that could lash out at any moment.
• One-Winged Angel: In Book 3 it's indicated they've become a Demon by attaining the Jigoku Itto-Ryo's perfect form, undergoing a monstrous transformation while slaughtering General Shatao's soldiers.
• One-Man Army: Was able to kill fifty of Shatao's elite guard on their own
• Rape as Backstory: The Baron reveals that Jun(ko) was sexually abused by their own father, contributing to their mental instability.
• Rugged Scar: Jun/Junko has one across his/her eye. How they got it is never revealed.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: In Book 4, Jun/Junko gets themselves cleaned up and the Ronin notes they are surprisingly beautiful.
• Smells Sexy: Jun/Junko's scent is the intermingling of tobacco and sweat, and it frequently causes the Ronin to reminisce about their past relationship.
• The Social Darwinist: They believe that the strong deserve to take what they want and that only the weak cry.
• Stalker with a Crush: To the insane degree of her entire current existence revolving around the Ronin.
• Supernatural Gold Eyes: Has crazy yellow eyes, as a result of the Jigoku Itto-Ryo. Their natural eye color is hazel.
• Tainted Veins: Jun/Junko's veins and sword-arm sometimes turn black when he/she uses the Jigoku Itto-Ryu.
• Terms of Endangerment: Addresses the ronin with the coyishly-affectionate "-chan"/"-kun" attached at the end of their name, which isn't nearly as sweet when it's being said by a psychotic killer.
• Undying Loyalty: Jun/Junko is absolutely loyal to their sensei Gensei, considering him their father.
• Would Hurt a Child: Upon getting it into their head that Masashi/Masami has a crush on the Ronin, Jun(ko) tries to kill them. Or at least a Vague Age teen/pre-teen.
• Yandere: The years have not been kind to your character's first love Jun/Junko, who comes across like this in his/her hunt for your character.
  • Their ultimate goal is to track the Ronin down and kill them, then kill themselves so they can be Together in Death. They'll also kill anyone who gets in the way of that, or anyone they perceive as having "stolen" the Ronin's affections. Such as Masashi/Masami and Momoko.
  • In the second book, they carve their name into the Ronin's stomach "so I'll always be with you", not to mention referring to them as their "property".
  • In the third book they go berserk upon learning that Momoko has a crush on and/or has had sex with the Ronin, and cut out her tongue in a fit of rage.

Other Characters

Emperor Satsuma

The emperor of Hyuga.

• Animal Motifs: Like most major characters he has a spirit animal. His is a Lion
• Arranged Marriage: Is set to marry Masami/shi's sister
• Big Good: While he can't act directly to help, the entire quest to set by him to help bring peace back to land.
• Mr. Exposition: Tells the ronin and Masami/Masashi his prophetic dreams of the various demons they will encounter.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He was the one to send the Ronin on their adventure

Sensei/Gensai Takeda

A renowned swordsman who trained the Ronin and Jun/Junko in the Jigoku Itto-Ryu style.

• I'm a Humanitarian: See Dark Secret.
• The Berserker: A more zen take on this trope, but everyone who knows the Jigoku Itto-Ryu is this.
• Dark Secret: The source of the Jigoku Itto-Ryu is cannibalism, and Sensei took the MC and Jun/Junko under his wing because he caught them both cannibalizing other people when they were children.
• The Dreaded: People fear him, even by his name shown on the Ronin's katana.
• Lack of Empathy: His callousness is basically unrivaled, evidenced by making the Ronin and Jun/Junko spar with hot metal bars, choking Jun/Junko in order to teach the Ronin the Jigoku Itto-Ryu, leaving them both at his cabin for a whole winter while they were children, as well as killing and eating people. It's implied he did this up until his death, as there were human skull fragments in the stomach area of his skeleton.
• Old Master: Subverted. Even though he was still very skilled in his old age, his old age was catching up to him. This was something the Ronin could clearly see yet Jun refused to see. In the Ronin's duel with a demon taking on the form of Gensai, the Ronin notes that even now, Gensai's experience and skill outstripped the Ronin's. But what the Ronin had that Gensai did not was youth. Gensai's faltering body led to his death at the Ronin's hands and his "second" defeat by the Ronin as well.
• Sink or Swim Mentor: In order to teach a young MC how to use the Jigoku Itto-Ryu, Sensei grabs Jun/Junko by the neck and almost chokes them into unconsciousness. It successfully inspires bloodlust in the Ronin and causes their Supernatural Gold Eyes to first appear.
• Scatterbrained Senior: In some flashbacks in Book 4 to when he was still alive, he is described as having devolved in old age into a crotchety mentor and forgetting the differences between combat stances.
• Shadow Archetype: It becomes increasingly clear that the Ronin shares a lot more in common with their sensei than they would ever like to admit. Even going so far as to how they both became capable of accessing Jigoku. Both were starving and forced to cannibalize their friends to survive, the Ronin as a homeless orphan and Gensai as a child stuck in a collapsed gold mine.. And it is likely this, combined with the Ronin's lack of denial over Gensai's growing age compared to Jun, that led Gensai to declare the Ronin his successor in the Jigoku Itto-Ryu style, despite the fact that Jun was much more skilled at it than the Ronin was.

Ume-Ume

An sprightly old Kondo lady who makes multiple appearances in the series, the first of which is cutting the Ronin's messy hair.

• The Bus Came Back: Should the Ronin encourage her to move away from the capital in Book 1, she shows up again in Book 2 and gives the party lodgings.
  • She shows up again in Book 4, when you have to rescue her and her family from headhunters, and then again when she plays in a shogi tournament in Hokusei on your behalf.
• Hidden Depths: Shown in Book 4 to be a masterful shogi player who makes it into the finals against Ichiro.

Saburo/Sadao Honda

A famed kabuki actor/shogi player that competes against the Ronin in Book 2's tournament. Also a former shinsengumi on the run for the murder of his wife and unborn child.

• The Atoner: His motivation for competing in the shogi tournament is to ask the Baron to erase his old life, primarily the murder of his wife and unborn child.
• Domestic Abuse: Was the victim of a wife who constantly derided and mocked his interests and inability to give her a child, even cheating on him to conceive one. Her finally going too far is what pushed him to murder her.
• Large Ham: Comes with being a kabuki actor. He makes an overtop entrance to his match with the Ronin, complete with angel wings, flower petals, and descending from the ceiling on wires.
• Real Men Wear Pink: A former samurai and shinsengumi who was more interested in kabuki theater and shogi than combat or political advancement. However, his late wife was openly contemptuous of this and mocked him for it.

Kin Oyama

A wealthy man with a habit of getting into criminal schemes, most notably human trafficking and child labor.

• Affably Evil: When the Ronin, Jun/Junko, and Ichiro find his underground silk sweatshop ran on child labor, he doesn't run away. He instead opts to give them a tour, which backfires and partially exposes the poor conditions there, such as Oyama's wife berating children who were making minor mistakes (which are likely a product of overworking) before putting up an obviously faux nice side when she notices the three guests.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Kin Oyama gives Jun/Junko, the Ronin, and Ichiro a tour of his sweatshop as detailed in the Affably Evil section above. Eventually, the Ronin notices Aimi, an orphan who was residing happily at Ichiro's orphanage, in the sweatshop, tired and gaunt. The Ronin has finally had enough, regains the Jigoku, and slaughters the Oyamas' guards. The Ronin then chooses to spare or kill the Oyamas. If he/she opts to kill them, the Ronin feels his newly regained powers killed too fast, and to do it the old fashioned way. The Ronin shoves a silk spool down the wife's throat and beats her to death, and then after a short chase through the factory dunks Kin Oyama into a vat of boiling dye.
• Fat Bastard: The Ronin personally describes Oyama as "well-fed" and he's a far cry from scrupulous.