Gunichi was the chief bodyguard to Lord Mifune and a former comrade of Miyamoto Usagi who first appeared in Usagi Yojimbo Book 2: Samurai. He was a loyal retainer and an exemplary samurai, but during the fateful defeat of Lord Mifune during the Battle of Adachi Plains, he chose to flee rather than die alongside his master. This decision would later cost him his life at the hands of his fellow retainer, Usagi.
History[]
For many years, Gunichi served his lord faitfully and dutifully as his head bodyguard and right hand during the Age of Wars, and partook in many of Lord Mifune's victories, especially against Lord Hikiji. Years ago, after one such victory, Lord Mifune and Gunichi were touring the battlefield when they happened upon a group of foot soldier about to cut off a young boy's hand. Lord Mifune demanded to know what was going on; the foot soldiers accused the boy of being looting a dead soldier, but the child bravely denied the accusation and stated that he came here to return something to a dead soldier, not steal from him. Lord Mifune took a moment to examine the boy, and ordered him to go home, hoping he would never again step on a battlefield. Gunichi then asked his lord why he spared the boy, to which Mifune answered that he saw the strength of that child's spirit and that deceit wasn't in his character, perhaps one day he would be in service to their clan. Gunichi scoffed at the notion that such a dirty street rat could ever be in the clan's service, but Lord Mifune's intuition would eventually prove prophetic.
Many years later, the Dogora Dojo, the largest and most prestigious Kenjutsu School in the Northern Province, hosted a fencing tournament that was open to all other dojos, and as the top patron of the Dogora Dojo, Lord Mifune observed the competition with Gunichi dutifully at his side. Out of all the participants in the tournament, only one truly stood out; a single student with an obscure school with an unusual style named Miyamoto Usagi. This young man handily defeated every opponent he was matched against, and when the tournament was over, Lord Mifune himself presented Usagi with his signature daisho, the longsword Yagi-no-Eda (Willow Branch) and the shortsword Aoyagi (Young Willow).
A short time later, Gunichi approached Usagi while he was training with his new swords by a secluded creek and after commenting on his skill, challenged the younger warrior to a duel. After witnessing Usagi's victory at the tournament, Gunichi was eager to see if the rabbit's skills could match his own. Usagi agreed to the duel as an opportunity to baptize his new blades in blood. Their duel was extremely fierce, with both swordsmen appearing to be evenly matched. As the duel became more intense, both warriors sensed that they were being watched and discovered students from the Dogora School were hiding in the bullrushes to ambush Usagi as revenge for the shame he brought on them in the tournament.
Disgusted by the Dogora Students, Gunichi aided Usagi against the Dogora school because no true samurai would dare result to such shameful tactics. After the rival students were either slain or driven off, Usagi asked Gunichi if he wished to continue their duel. Gunichi stated that it was no longer necessary; Usagi's blades were now truly blooded and as far as Gunichi was concerned, the match was a draw. Greatly impressed by Usagi's skill, Gunichi decided to personally recommend him to Lord Mifune, believing that the young samurai would greatly prosper in their lord's service.
Gunichi was correct about Usagi's potential. Because of his great skill and Gunichi's recommendation, Usagi quickly attained the high rank of hatamoto (bannerman) and became personal and trusted bodyguard to Lord Mifune next to Gunichi. For years, Gunichi and Usagi served side by side under their lord with Gunichi often giving Usagi sound advice when he needed it, and the two became good friends.
Then came the night when Lord Hikiji sent his Neko Ninja to assassinate Lord Mifune and his family in order to finally defeat his longtime nemesis. Because of Gunichi and Usagi's combined skill, they were able to save their lord, but they failed to the lives of his wife and son. Overcome with grief and anger, Lord Mifune quickly gathered his army and met Lord Hikiji's forces at the Battle of Adachigahara. At first, the victory was in favor of Lord Mifune's forces, until a trusted general, Buichi Toda, turned traitor and outflanked the Mifune forces, trapping them in a pincer. Seeing the clan's imminent dfeat, with absolutely no hope for victory, Gunichi insisted to Usagi that the two of them use their horses to break through the Hikiji ranks and escape with their lives. They must abandon Lord Mifune if they were to survive the day. Disgusted by his comrade's callous disregard for Bushido, Usagi stated that no true samurai would abandon their lord, but Gunichi argued that there was no honor to be found in defeat, only death. Usagi threatened to kill Gunichi if he tried to abandon their lord, but Gunichi struck Usagi hard then made his escape through the enemy lines, abandoning his lord and his friend to their fates.
Two years later, Gunichi and Usagi once again crossed paths in a grassy field. They said no words, just simply drew their swords. Gunichi knew that Usagi was obligated honor to keep his promise to kill him for abandoning their lord in battle. Unlike their first duel, which was so fearsome, this duel was swiftly decided with a single blow, and ended in Gunichi's death.
Personality[]
Gunichi was a stoic man who placed his duty before anything else and was an exemplary samurai whose years of loyal service earned him the respect and loyalty of his peers and his lord. He had deep disdain for cowardly attacks, such as when the Dogora students tried to ambush Usagi during their first duel and had high expectations for anyone of the warrior class.
At the heart of it all, Gunichi was also pragmatic man who was driven by realistic thinking than emotion and would often act as a foil to the younger and more brash Usagi. When Usagi received word that the love of his life, Mariko, was marrying his friend Kenichi, Usagi almost abandoned his post to stop the wedding, and it was Gunichi who advised him to think about what he was doing, and reminded Usagi of everything he had done to finally achieve his position, as well as the fact that a samurai's first duty was to serve his lord and clan. It was this pragmatism that drove Gunichi to abandon his lord when it was apparent that the battle was lost, the clan doomed and the only thing that awaited him and Usagi was defeat and death, despite the expectations of being a samurai.
Fighting Style[]
As expected of the bodyguard of a powerful Daimyo, Gunichi was a highly skilled swordsman who fought alongside Lord Mifune in all of his military campaigns. As a veteran of many battles during the Age of War, Gunichi was also a capable battle commander who carried out his lord's battle strategies precisely.
Gunichi's style of swordsmanship emphasized self-control rather than focusing purely on strength. His power of control over his sword was so great that he could accurately slash his blade at a dragonfly in mid-flight and stop his swing right before it even touched the insect. In their initial duel, Gunichi pressed the attack against Usagi and deftly parried all of his opponent's moves. However, in the two years that passed since the defeat at Adachigahara, it seemed that his skill either waned or Usagi's skill became greater, because all his years as a skilled swordsman and war veteran couldn't save him from his former comrade's vengeful blade in their final duel.