ENGLISH VOICE ACTOR: David Umansky
Alternate Names (Broom head, Sword hunter)
AGE: Unknown
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Swords (of course)

Chou was among the first members of the Juppongatana to appear in the series. In fact, Chou had the dubious distinction of being the first member of Shishio’s special attack squad to be defeated and apprehended by the good-guys (Kenshin). Later, it was Chou’s information along with some sound manslayer know how from Kenshin that allowed the Battousai and his friends to defuse Shishio’s master plan for taking over Japan. After Shishio was stopped, Chou, like many other members of the Juppongatana, was offered a place in the Meiji government. Chou decided to join the police and act as a special agent, not unlike Saitou. Unfortunately for Chou, he ended up being one of the primary obstacles between the estranged Christian swordsman, Shougo Amakusa and his intended victims. Outside the house of one of the said victims, Chou confronted Shougo and was soundly defeated.

If there’s one thing Chou likes, it’s collecting swords. In fact, collecting swords is one of Chou’s greatest passions. He’ll do anything to lay his hand on the finest swords around, regardless of shape, size or age. If it’s made mostly of metal and has a nice sharp edge, Chou wants it. The one thing Chou likes more than collecting swords is chopping people up with them. Chou did lose this second interest somewhat after he was captured. He dresses quite flamboyantly, especially when he’s decked out with all his blades.  Chou almost always has one eye closed in a perpetual wink. There is nothing wrong with either eye and Chou does switch them from time to time.

Chou’s lust for blades has led him to amass quite a fine collection, the majority of which (if not all), is carried on his person. These swords all supply him with an incredible arsenal and, depending on the way they are worn, can even serve as armor while Chou is fighting. Among the swords that Chou has collected are a few that were created by the late Shakku Arai, the smith who made Kenshin’s reverse-blade sword and Makoto Shishio’s Mugenjin. In fact, it was when Chou was in pursuit of another of Shakku’s works that he ran into Kenshin for the first time. Of course, not all of these swords are your run of the mill katana. There are two very unique swords that Chou caries that are worthy of note.

Renbattou: The Renbattou was one of Shakku Arai’s early creations. This sword is actually two swords laid out parallel to each other and joined at the base, so that the weapon makes two parallel cuts simultaneously. The principle behind this weapon is that when a victim receives two cuts that are close together, the cuts are difficult to stitch shut, meaning that even if the victim isn’t killed in the initial fight, there is a very good chance that he will die from the wounds later. This sword was quite obviously a prototype as the blades were brittle and easy to break, as Kenshin quickly proved.

Hakujin-No-Tachi: When Shakku Arai reached into his vast reservoir of sword-making know-how for an idea, he sure pulled out a doozy. The Hakujin-No-Tachi was one of Shakku’s deadliest creations. This sword is both the longest and thinnest ever made. When Shakku forged this weapon near the end of his career, he made sure to make the blade as thin and flexible as possible. As a result, the Hakujin-No-Tachi is more like a whip than a sword. With just a flick of his wrist, Chou can make the tip of the blade fly out with incredible speed to stab his target. Taking advantage of the sword’s flexibility, Chou can attack from above, below, or even behind, striking at his adversary from a nice safe distance. In this weapon, the true quality of Shakku’s workmanship is quite apparent. For even though the blade is paper-thin, it can stand up to a great deal of abuse and even break stone and cut through metal. Chou wears this sword wrapped around his waist over a layer of light armor which allows him to draw and strike with the sword with incredible speed while not having to risk cutting himself with it.

Chou’s fighting style varies, depending on the sword he’s using at the time. There are only two real techniques that Chou has been known to use.

Sakasa Kuchu Noutou: Chou can perform this technique with virtually any sword that has a sheath. Chou thrusts forward to launch the sheath like a missile at his target. One of Chou’s strategies with this technique is to throw the sheath at his target. While his opponent is blocking the flying sheath, Chou comes in behind it and launches his real attack with the now unsheathed blade. Chou’s skill with this technique is so great that he can launch the sheath into the air and then have it come straight back down onto his blade.

Orochi: Named for the eight-headed dragon from Shinto mythology, this technique can only be employed by the Hakujin-No-Tachi. Chou attacks, making the sword bounce off the ground in waves, making its motion extremely difficult to predict and counter. This move also allows Chou to launch a series of attacks, each following through from the last.