Who's your favorite samurai?

[TheBoulder]

I gotta say that no one's more badass than Afro here.

Spoiler

And if it counts, I really like Huey Freeman.

Spoiler

 

[Steven Biehler]

Samurai Jack
No contest.

 

[Pinkamena]

Samurai Jack! Loved that show as a kid

 

[Simeon Ivanov]

Yoshimitsu ... well, technically, he's an alien space ninja ... or something.

 

[Gaiseric]

Musashi form Brave Fencer Musashi on the PS1.

That little guy was cool.

edit: or maybe one of the guys from Ronin Warriors.

 

[The_State]

Easy, William Adams (Anjin-sama), First english guy in japan and Samuria William

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Adams_(sailor)

It is incredibly cool to learn that John Blackthorne was based on an actual historical figure. Incredibly cool, but also reduces my my appreciation for "Shogun" a bit, since I thought the idea was entirely imagined. Still a good book, though.

 

[Hitokiri_Gensai]

I have to go with real life on this one, becuase the person I'm thinking of, even though he was a rônin (which is essentially the samurai equivalent of a knight errant), is far more badass than anyone in the history of anything ever.

Miyamoto Musashi

hes often refered to as a Ronin, but he was a vassal of Shinmen Iga no Kami, in Mimasaka, however, i think hes best refered to as a Kenyaku. A Ronin was a samurai who lost his master, and han, Musashi instead left his Han to wander the land to perfect his swordsmenship.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Nobunaga, represent!

As far as I'm aware, Oda Nobunaga never became Shogun, nor did he rule over a unified post Ounin-War Japan. That fell to Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi respectively, though he did set everything in motion with the ending of Sengoku jidai wars.

Still, who knows what may have happened if the Honnouji-no-Hen turned out differently. I still wonder at Akechi's motives.

 

[Hitokiri_Gensai]

Nobunaga, represent!

As far as I'm aware, Oda Nobunaga never became Shogun, nor did he rule over a unified post Ounin-War Japan. That fell to Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi respectively, though he did set everything in motion with the ending of Sengoku jidai wars.

Still, who knows what may have happened if the Honnouji-no-Hen turned out differently. I still wonder at Akechi's motives.

he is considered one of the great unifiers of Japan. Although Nobunaga himself never became Shogun, he still held considerable power over most of Japan. He is the Destroyer, to Hideyoshi's Peace and Ieyasu's administration.

In his youth, Nobunaga was known to be somewhat unstable, even alienating some of his retainers. Nobunaga was a ruthless ruler, and was known to even have slaughtered the Monks of Mt. Hiei, because they so armed themselves and defied his rule, even going as far as burning Enryaku-Ji and killing thousands, even women and children. Still without his iron fist, the unification of Japan would have taken much longer.

 

[DeimosMasque]

Samurai, master of the blade.

Genuine hard, mental bastards.

Yet one film managed to make them look like gimps (and no i'm not talking about Last Samurai with Tom Cruise).

One film managed to make the Samurai look laughable and for that, and for making me think it was a comedy for some reason, Forest Whitaker in "Ghost Dog" is my favourite Samurai.

Ghost Dog for sure. A samurai by choice, he even dies like the heroic samurai of myth, and passes on his knowledge to the next generation.

*Distance Bones* Ghost Dog was so great that I even based an table-top RPG character off him. There is just something about how he does things that is perfect.

 

[Zao-Lat]

Real life - history: Miyamoto Musashi
Anime : Jin from Samurai Champloo
Movies : Ghost Dog

"Louie: Goddamn it. You shot me in the exact same f%^$#ing place as last time!
Ghost Dog: I'm sorry. I mean you no disrespect. You're my retainer. I don't want to put too many holes in you."

 

[saruman31]

Nope, all previous to me are fail.

Saito Hajime FTW.

This. He was badass.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

Buddy the Six String Samurai. Yeah he is badass.

 

[SckizoBoy]

he is considered one of the great unifiers of Japan. Although Nobunaga himself never became Shogun, he still held considerable power over most of Japan. He is the Destroyer, to Hideyoshi's Peace and Ieyasu's administration.

In his youth, Nobunaga was known to be somewhat unstable, even alienating some of his retainers. Nobunaga was a ruthless ruler, and was known to even have slaughtered the Monks of Mt. Hiei, because they so armed themselves and defied his rule, even going as far as burning Enryaku-Ji and killing thousands, even women and children. Still without his iron fist, the unification of Japan would have taken much longer.

Yah, he did the ground work for the ultimate unification, while Toyotomi furthered it and made sure it wouldn't fall to bits, and Tokugawa just took advantage of both and founded his dynasty. Sure, opportunistic but still, very well played. I think there's a saying about Oda pounding the rice, Toyotomi kneading the dough, while Tokugawa eats the cake.

Anyway, I knew that Nobunaga was rather... unhinged, especially in his youth, I think it started with his father's death, which he took rather badly. His chief retainer had to commit suicide for Nobunaga's behaviour at the funeral. Still, true, he was ruthless, but in that day and age (politics and all the back-stabbing that came with it being rife) could he realistically have been half a successful if he wasn't that ruthless? And you can't really doubt his military talents (the ambush at Okehazama being the example that comes to mind).

And for his less... pleasant actions, Enryaku-Ji was all the more troubling for the wanton destruction of a cultural icon as well. Most of his sieges invariably ended in slaughter, but I don't think he's any worse than some of the 'great leaders' of the west in that regard (for one reason or another the Sack of Magdeburg comes to mind). Deplorable it may be, but such is war... *sigh*

 

[Hitokiri_Gensai]

he is considered one of the great unifiers of Japan. Although Nobunaga himself never became Shogun, he still held considerable power over most of Japan. He is the Destroyer, to Hideyoshi's Peace and Ieyasu's administration.

In his youth, Nobunaga was known to be somewhat unstable, even alienating some of his retainers. Nobunaga was a ruthless ruler, and was known to even have slaughtered the Monks of Mt. Hiei, because they so armed themselves and defied his rule, even going as far as burning Enryaku-Ji and killing thousands, even women and children. Still without his iron fist, the unification of Japan would have taken much longer.

Yah, he did the ground work for the ultimate unification, while Toyotomi furthered it and made sure it wouldn't fall to bits, and Tokugawa just took advantage of both and founded his dynasty. Sure, opportunistic but still, very well played. I think there's a saying about Oda pounding the rice, Toyotomi kneading the dough, while Tokugawa eats the cake.

Anyway, I knew that Nobunaga was rather... unhinged, especially in his youth, I think it started with his father's death, which he took rather badly. His chief retainer had to commit suicide for Nobunaga's behaviour at the funeral. Still, true, he was ruthless, but in that day and age (politics and all the back-stabbing that came with it being rife) could he realistically have been half a successful if he wasn't that ruthless? And you can't really doubt his military talents (the ambush at Okehazama being the example that comes to mind).

And for his less... pleasant actions, Enryaku-Ji was all the more troubling for the wanton destruction of a cultural icon as well. Most of his sieges invariably ended in slaughter, but I don't think he's any worse than some of the 'great leaders' of the west in that regard (for one reason or another the Sack of Magdeburg comes to mind). Deplorable it may be, but such is war... *sigh*

Well Nobunaga laid the foundation of Japan with blood and bodies, Toyotomi laid the social ladder that grew from that, and Tokugawa took the lessons of his predecessors and created a Shogunate that stood strong against all that shook it.

Nobunaga had been strange in his youth even before his father passed, which would lead to his fathers chief retainer Hirate Masahide to commit seppuku out of shame for Nobunaga's behaviour.

True in the last days of the Sengoku Jidai, it was hard for a samurai to exist, far harder for a ruler to spring from the mud of almost 200 years of constant war, however, even against Oda's ruthlessness, Toyotomi's rule was noted for its enlightenment and artistic period. Although his rule didnt last, Toyotomi was the first to unite all of Japan under a single man. As well being from a common stock, the son of a peasent warrior. During his rule, he would set down the caste system and remove the weapons from the peasentry, allowing only Samurai to bear arms. Knowing that he had risen from the lower classes he set out to make it impossible, for another to do the same and ursurp the Shogunate from him.

Ironic then, that his sucessor, and the one who would grab power from his young son after his passing would be his long time ally, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Of course the Tokugawa Shogunate, is the true sucess story of the Sengoku. Despite having his foundations laid in the graves of Toyotomi and Oda, Ieyasu was a brilliant man. Not well liked, because of his action, Ieyasu would often change alliances, when it best suited him. Then, some 260 years of rule under a single family cant all be wrong.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Well Nobunaga laid the foundation of Japan with blood and bodies, Toyotomi laid the social ladder that grew from that, and Tokugawa took the lessons of his predecessors and created a Shogunate that stood strong against all that shook it.

Nobunaga had been strange in his youth even before his father passed, which would lead to his fathers chief retainer Hirate Masahide to commit seppuku out of shame for Nobunaga's behaviour.

True in the last days of the Sengoku Jidai, it was hard for a samurai to exist, far harder for a ruler to spring from the mud of almost 200 years of constant war, however, even against Oda's ruthlessness, Toyotomi's rule was noted for its enlightenment and artistic period. Although his rule didnt last, Toyotomi was the first to unite all of Japan under a single man. As well being from a common stock, the son of a peasent warrior. During his rule, he would set down the caste system and remove the weapons from the peasentry, allowing only Samurai to bear arms. Knowing that he had risen from the lower classes he set out to make it impossible, for another to do the same and ursurp the Shogunate from him.

Ironic then, that his sucessor, and the one who would grab power from his young son after his passing would be his long time ally, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Of course the Tokugawa Shogunate, is the true sucess story of the Sengoku. Despite having his foundations laid in the graves of Toyotomi and Oda, Ieyasu was a brilliant man. Not well liked, because of his action, Ieyasu would often change alliances, when it best suited him. Then, some 260 years of rule under a single family cant all be wrong.

Toyotomi could've lasted longer if he wasn't so intent on invading Korea... especially the second time around. Even so, what's more impressive is that he was in no way a 'warrior', with a somewhat weedy physique that earned him a nickname of 'Monkey', which I find the height of irony, that out of the three men, he was debatably the best tactician.

In any event, Tokugawa probably had the most foresight, since in the aftermath of Oda's death, opportunistic daimyo tried to shake the yoke, most of them failing miserably. In that context, his display of caution was very shrewd. Most of all, I admire his decision to move to Kantou upon Toyotomi's confirmation of accession. Questionable loyalty of retainers, rubbish economy and possible alienation of the senior vassals, but I think it turned out to be his grand strategic masterstroke. Shoring up a de facto autonomy from Toyotomi's rule and giving him time to build political capital.

...

This conversation has suddenly given me an urge to one, play S2:TW again, two, write something (fictional), and three, research this stuff like a hikki!

 

[octafish]

Kikuchiyo despite not being a real Samurai. I don't really identify with "Samurai" I mean fuck hereditary entitlement.