Takeru Hokazono put on a masterclass in not only finishing Samura’s role in the story but beginning a brand new era in the world of Kagurabachi. I’m as proud of him as I am proud of Seiichi Samura. What a beautiful end to a beautifully complex character.
Seiichi Samura’s Story
Now that we have his full timeline, let’s take a look at Samura as a whole.
Sword Bearer Assassination Arc
He’s introduced as a silly blind man who happens to be one of the original wielders of the enchanted blades. He quickly establishes himself as the best swordsman we had seen so far, cutting down sorcerers with just a regular katana. He was a war veteran more interested in protecting others than protecting himself, even though his life was objectively the most important. He’s the type of guy to be unsatisfied even if just one comrade dies. He’s Uruha’s superior, Chihiro’s teacher, and the object of the Masumi’s affection.
He also carried a burden that no one else understood. He intended to kill all the sword bearers for their sins during the Seitei War. He was the type of man to duel Uruha with regular swords despite having an enchanted blade because he respected him. He cut down Chihiro, but only because he was erratic. He used Tobimune to bring Chihiro back from the dead and sever his bond with Enten because he didn’t want the new generation to bear the same pain that he did. He brings Uruha back from the dead because only the Sword Master (Akemura Soga) needed to die. Samura kept his deal with the Hishaku even though they were untrustworthy.
Kyoto Arc
Both the Hishaku and Chihiro set out to find his daughter, Iori, whose memory was wiped per Samura’s request. At the Kyoto Bloodshed Hotel, through a flashback, we learned what Samura went through post-Seitei War. He had so much guilt from not only the blood on his hands but mainly from allowing Akemura Soga to use the Malediction on the Shokoku islanders, committing genocide. That guilt was the wall that stood between him and his family. That guilt broke up his marriage with Inori and kept him away from seeing Iori. Even when Inori was dying, he was reluctant to get close to them. It was only through circumstance that he took care of Iori, and we saw him begin to open up.
Then, Inori died, and it was just him and Iori. Propaganda about the sword bearers made by Yura started to spread throughout Japan, and people began getting aggressive against Samura and Iori. Samura’s house was vandalized daily, and Iori was getting bullied at school. As life got harder, Yura visited Samura and let him know that he knew the truth about the Malediction. He also guaranteed Samura that as long as the sword master lived, the Malediction was a possibility. This is where Samura’s hope for the future was slightly shaken. He confides in Ichiki, who assures Samura that Soga is restrained along with the Shinuichi. Samura also confides in Shiba.
Top 5 Times Sukuna Lost Aura Points in Jujutsu Kaisen – Weekend Weebs
As time went on, Iori kept dealing with the bullying that came from Yura’s propaganda in silence. One day, Samura heard her crying in bed and reached for the door but decided to not go in. He envisioned her hurting herself in the future. Then he decided to send her away with her aunt. This is when his trust in the future broke down. Here we saw a man reverting back to his old habits: running away from responsibility, pushing family away, and burying his feelings.
Then Kunishige Rokuhira died. Yura visited Samura on that same day and convinced him to work with him to kill Soga. Samura accepted his offer reluctantly because the Kamunabi couldn’t be trusted, he felt guilty for his sins, and even if he killed Yura, that wouldn’t end the threat of Soga.
3.5 years after sending Iori away, Samura ordered the Masumi to erase her memory of him. She had no choice in the matter. His last words to her were in a note that said, “I’m sorry I caused you nothing but pain.”
We reentered the present day from Iori’s flashback, and Samura spawned from the sky in reaction to Enten and Kumeyuri being used. He acknowledged that Iori’s memory had recovered and immediately ordered Masumi to reseal it. He did not acknowledge Iori directly. He protected Iori, keeping his back to her, and only turned around to shield her from multiple swords launched from Hiruhiko. For 3 years, Samura admitted he tried to “purge his mind” of Iori and only thought about killing the sword master. Despite Soga taking up so much of his focus, all the frightening hallucinations made by Kumeyuri to throw him off were focused on Iori. He took fatal wounds protecting Iori but used Suzaku to heal his entire body besides his eyes, which remained blinded.
He hesitated to kill Hiruhiko, and he escaped with Kuguri. Chihiro noted that Samura’s abilities have evolved since 18 years ago (based on what he’s heard and read about the Seitei War). Chihiro picked up on Samura’s intentions of severing all the sword bearers’ contracts and letting them live. Samura intended to die alone along with Soga. Chihiro told Samura what Iori needs for the future is her father. Chihiro tried to convince him that he can break the Shinuichi and stop the Malediction without him sacrificing himself. Samura refused to listen. He didn’t believe in Chihiro’s or Enten’s ability to break the Shinuichi. He also didn’t want to believe it. He believed his burdens were from the past and for the people of his generation to shoulder. Chihiro got through to him, and at the peak of revelation, he hallucinated his late ex-wife Inori, who told him to let go of the past and look after Iori. He imagined a past where he walked into the room the day Iori was sobbing and thanked her for protecting him.
Then he healed his eyes and opened them. He saw Iori for the first time. Like Kunishige, he put his faith in the future. He told Chihiro that he can destroy the Shinuichi. He acknowledged his daughter, apologized, and held her. He also apologized to the Masumi and Chihiro for giving them so much trouble.
Assault on Kamunabi Headquarters Arc
Samura and Chihiro reached the Kamunabi headquarters thanks to Shiba’s teleportation. They faced Yura, who was wielding the Shinuichi. Even while up against the Shinuichi, Samura’s focus was off because he was worried about civilians. Shiba takes care of them and eases his mind.
Samura fought alongside Chihiro as his support. He used Suzaku to heal Chihiro and himself. He also used it to sever Soga’s encroachment on Yura, disconnecting him from the Shinuichi.
When Soga took over Yura’s body, Samura knew immediately. Despite his motivation to kill Soga, he had no ill will against his former friend. They simply represented two different expectations for the future. Samura had nothing but respect for Soga. He called him peerless and his beliefs ironclad. He hesitated to even attack him at first. Instead of slashing him, he pushed his shoulder away to commence their battle. They spoke with familiarity like the old friends they were.
Soga cut Samura down easily. Magatsumi was more powerful than Suzaku. Soga acknowledged that Samura was stronger than when he last saw him 18 years ago, but he still could not match him. Samura bet it all on Chihiro, using Suzaku to heal him and sparing very little healing energy on himself.
Samura, at the brink of death, rejected Soga’s notion that Chihiro and Enten were duds. He burned his life energy to produce black flames capable of bringing Chihiro back to life and restoring Enten. The flames reached everyone in Kamunabi headquarters, protecting them from Magatsumi.
Samura lunged at the Sword Master with the full power of his flames focused on himself. Soga focused all his life-stealing power on Samura, which neutralized both their techniques. They essentially dueled as two regular samurai.
At the height of the battle, Samura and Soga entered a personal cutscene similar to Chihiro and Sojo’s cutscene during their final battle. Soga thought Chihiro was inadequate as a swordsman and didn’t understand Samura’s faith in him. Samura defended Chihiro and explained that he was just getting started.
In a flashback from before the Seitei War, Samura and Soga are executioners. Not too different from Chihiro in the beginning of the story, they were tasked with killing evildoers and freeing victims. Samura found mutual understanding with Soga amongst the corpses they created. Soga believed that there was a path to a peaceful world through the blood they shed. Samura thought the war changed Soga.
Soga knew that Samura would turn to ash soon whether he fought him or not. He noted there was no merit in entertaining the battle and that Samura was still the swiftest sword fighter even while wounded. Despite that, he respected Samura as a friend and samurai. They clash and embrace each other in a quick hug. Both men landed fatal strikes.
Samura told Soga that the war cursed them. He wasn’t able to face his daughter, and Chihiro helped him dispel that curse. He believed Chihiro would dispel Soga’s curse too.
While fading away, Samura apologized to Iori for putting their talk about the future on hold. He used the last bit of his energy to teleport the Tobimune to Iori. Chihiro believed that since Samura turned to ash by using dark energy rather than simply dying, he could be revived by the Tobimune. He believed Samura did not give up on his life with Iori.
With the entire timeline, we get to see the type of man Samura was. He was the type of person to put everything on his shoulders (physically and mentally) at the expense of his own life. His initial plan was to kill Soga and spare everyone else’s lives (besides the Hishaku). He ended up getting what he wanted, a 1v1 with Soga, but sadly he was outmatched. He never planned to fight a Soga that was wielding the Shinuichi. Based on the type of person Samura was, I don’t believe that if given the chance, he would have executed an unarmed Soga. Like his duel with Uruha, I think he would have given Soga a sword and given him a fair shot with normal blades. He had too much respect for him as a friend to just mercilessly cut him down with Tobimune. That could have ended in Samura dying and failing to execute Soga also, but I just think that’s the type of person Samura is based on his interactions with Soga.
Wow. That’s all I could really say after finishing Kagurabachi 111 and 112.
End of Part 1
This picture of Iori, Chihiro, and Hakuri with their fathers (Samura, Kunishige, and Kyora) behind them hits even harder after Samura’s death. This group is the future of Japan. I think it’s beautiful that Samura passed on Tobimune to Iori. It shows how much trust he has for the next generation, as opposed to Soga, who doesn’t trust anyone. He believes the past 18 years was a failure and immediately put the country under martial law, ruling with an iron fist. He’s a relic of the past imposing his ideals on the present.
Despite Kyora being evil, all three fathers have things in common: they saw the value of their children before their deaths, they were all widowed, and they were all haunted by the past. Samura was haunted by the war, Kunishige by the Malediction, and Kyora by the responsibilities of the Sazanami patriarch.
Takeru outdid himself, and I can’t wait for Kagurabachi 113, Part 2 and hopefully an anime adaptation soon!
Peak!
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