Yashamaru (Basilisk)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yashamaru (japanese: 夜叉丸, hiragana: やしゃまる, rōmaji: Yashamaru) a character featured in the Japanese anime Basilisk Kouga Ninpou Chou (known in English as Kouga Ninja Scrolls). Yashamaru was chosen to be one of the ten ninja to represent his clan of Iga Tsubagakure against the chosen ten of the rival Koga Manjidani clan.

A brash, cheerful and cocky young man, Yashamaru's favored weapon are strands of garotte wires made from the hair of young women and alchemically treated with the natural oils havested from wild animals, turning them as hard as steel. Yashamaru controls them as though they were an extension of his own body and can use them to tie an opponent up, slice them to pieces, flay them, or even stiffen the wires so they can pierce like needles. The wires are usually kept wrapped around Yashamaru's foreams but extra wires are wrapped around his calves in the event his hands become immobilized. He also carries a cleaver in a sheathe on his back although his oppponents rarely get close enough that he's required to draw it.

Unlike most of the other Iga clan, Yashamaru seemed to consider the treaty between Koga and Iga beneficial, as it allowed him a chance to live a peaceful life with his lover and comrade the beautiful Hotarubi, whom he planned to marry before the treaty's cancellation resulted in all out war between the two clans.

[edit] Battles

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Yashamaru VS Shogen: The very first battle of the series. Accompanying Ogen to Sunpu, Yashamaru was was ordered to demonstrate his skill for retired Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu against Kazamachi Shogen, who had accompanied Kouga Danjo. Yashamaru took an early lead, tying Shogen to a rock but failed to finish him off as the spider-like ninja slipped free and used his glue to bind Yashamaru's hands to his head. Temporarily immobilized, Yashamaru found himself at the mercy of Shogen until he used the spare wires around his legs to slice off the glue (along with most of his hair) before chasing Shogen onto the top of Sunpu Castle where their techniques destroyed a good section of the roof before being called off by their respective leaders. After Ieyasu orders the Koga and Iga to resume their feud, Yashamaru was instructed by Ogen to deliver the Iga battle scroll to their clan, only to lose it as Danjou picks Yashamaru's pocket as he runs by.

Yashamaru VS Saemon & Gyoubu: Rather than a battle, this ends up being a fatal conflict. Kisaragi Saemon, who at the time used his subordinate ability to sound like Yakushiji Tenzen to make Yashamaru believe that he is talking to his leader. This led to Yashamaru later realizing that he is being tricked due to the fact that Saemon had a slip of voice.

After Yashamaru had one of his wires tied to Saemon's neck over the wall in which he was currently standing, Gyoubu, who had appeared through the wall, grabbed Yashamaru's neck. Gyoubu would have let him go, until Yashamaru attempted to use his extra stored wires in an attempt to kill Gyoubu, in which Gyoubu then broke Yashamaru's neck, killing him. His last words were dedicated to his still-living girlfriend, Hotarubi.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Alternate Information

Yashamaru was in the live-action movie Shinobi: Heart Under Blade. There are some differences in that he says very little during the movie, is very aloof, keeps his long hair, and is somewhat androgynous. He also wears an outfit with extremely long sleeves, but his use of wires as weapons remains intact.