In the world of Kagurabachi, where enchanted blades and ancient feuds define the battle lines, one of the most complex figures is not the main hero, but a deeply flawed father and warrior named Seiichi Samura. He is a central figure in the story’s Sword Bearer Assassination Arc, a man whose past sins drive a relentless quest for redemption, one that ultimately puts him on a collision course with the series’ protagonist, Chihiro Rokuhira. A former hero of the great Seitei War, Samura is now an antagonist who has turned his legendary blade against his former comrades, including himself. His journey is a powerful story of guilt, self-sacrifice, and the struggle to protect a future he fears he doesn’t deserve.
Who is Seiichi Samura?
Seiichi Samura is one of the five legendary sword bearers, a group of warriors who wielded powerful enchanted blades created by the master blacksmith Kunishige Rokuhira to end the Seitei War. Samura wields the blade Tobimune. Unlike the hot-headed Chihiro, Samura is a calm, middle-aged man with a relaxed demeanor. He is almost always seen in a black suit jacket over a white polo, black pants, and traditional geta sandals, using his katana as a walking cane.
His most striking features are the vertical, spike-shaped scars over his eyes and the round sunglasses he wears. These scars are not from battle wounds but are self-inflicted; Samura blinded himself after the war for two reasons. First, he could no longer bear to see the images of the people he had killed. Second, he believed that avoiding worldly passions would keep his swordsman’s judgment sharp, fearing that such attachments would lead him to hell. This act defines his entire character—a man who has exiled himself from the visual beauty of the world as punishment for the ugliness he helped create.
A Personality Defined by Guilt and a Plan for Atonement
Samura appears cheerful and insightful, with an odd habit of identifying friends by smell and touch rather than sight. He is humble, refusing to be called a hero and instead giving that credit to Kunishige, the blades’ creator. Beneath this calm surface, however, lies a man consumed by profound guilt and self-loathing.
He despises that society holds the sword bearers in high regard, unaware of the terrible sins they committed during the war. Samura believes the sword bearers are “an evil far filthier than the Hishaku that must be punished”. His shocking mission, revealed to his former comrade Yoji Uruha, is to kill all five sword bearers from the Seitei War, including himself.
“There is an evil far filthier than the Hishaku that must be punished, even if it takes colluding with the Hishaku. I’m talking about us. The sword bearers… All five sword bearers, including me, will die by my hand.” – Samura to Yoji Uruha
This goal is not born of vengeance but of pure atonement. Samura’s true target is the elimination of the “hero” personas the sword bearers hide behind. He aims to sever their contracts with the enchanted blades and, most importantly, kill the sword bearer Akemura Soga to prevent his destructive power, Malediction, from threatening the world again. He is willing to walk this dark path alone, using any means necessary, including making deals with enemies like the Hishaku, to ensure he is the only one who suffers the consequences.
The Key Relationships That Define His Journey
Samura’s path is reshaped by two crucial relationships: one with his past and one with his future.
His Daughter, Iori Samura: Samura once had a family with a woman named Inori. Believing himself to be an unworthy father because of his war crimes, he abandoned them, divorcing Inori despite her protests. His daughter, Iori, grew up resentful of him. Protecting Iori becomes a mission equal in importance to defeating Soga after she breaks a memory seal and remembers him. His love for her is his most humanizing trait, leading him to physically put himself in harm’s way to protect her from attackers.
The Protagonist, Chihiro Rokuhira: Samura’s relationship with Chihiro is complex and adversarial. As the son of Kunishige, Chihiro is deeply connected to the enchanted blades and seeks revenge for his father’s death. Samura sees Chihiro’s path of vengeance as a mirror of his own cursed existence. In a brutal confrontation, Samura kills Chihiro—not out of malice, but to cut his contract with the enchanted blade Enten and force him off the destructive path of revenge. Samura then immediately heals Chihiro’s wounds, leaving him alive. This act shows that Samura’s violence is surgical, aimed at saving others from a fate like his own.
A Turning Point: From Self-Sacrifice to Hope for the Future
For most of the story, Samura is resolved to be a sacrificial lamb who atones for the past by dying for the future. The combined determination of Chihiro and Iori fundamentally changes him. Chihiro’s will to fight for his past and Iori’s refusal to let her father go it alone begin to crack his resolve.
A final catalyst is a vision of his ex-wife Inori, who reminds him to look after Iori for both of them. This pushes Samura to make a monumental choice: he uses the healing power of his blade Tobimune, Suzaku, to restore his own eyesight. This is the ultimate symbol of his change. He is no longer choosing to live in the darkness of the past but is willing to look forward to a future where he can exist alongside his daughter.
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His new perspective is tested in his final battle with Soga. When Chihiro is defeated, Samura prioritizes healing the young swordsman over himself, calling it a “bet on the future”. Even as Soga mocks this bet, Samura’s faith remains unbroken. He fiercely believes in Chihiro’s potential, contrasting Soga’s lifelong training with Chihiro’s mere three years of experience. Samura’s final stand is one of total self-sacrifice, consuming his own life force to prevent Chihiro’s blade Enten from disintegrating, ensuring the “light” of the future can continue to shine.
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