ONIWABAN GROUP OF EDO CASTLE
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| Beshimi | Hyottoko | Shikijou | Hanya |
The Oniwaban Group was considered to be a collection of some of the most elite fighters of the Revolution. However, after the Revolution, the organization was mostly dissolved. While most of the members were able to reintegrate themselves into society, four of the best in the organization had devoted too much of their lives to perfecting their fighting skills that they were unable to give up fighting after the Revolution ended. Seeing it as his duty as their leader, Aoshi Shinomori stayed with them, even turning down offers for positions in the new government in order to do so. As devoted as he is to them, these four men are equally devoted to Aoshi and are even willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
BESHIMI
ENGLISH VOICE ACTOR: David Umansky
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Weapon: Spiral darts
Beshimi is proud to call himself a member of the Oniwaban Group and takes great pride in his fighting ability. Beshimi is small, light and very dexterous. As a result, he is both agile and stealthy. He is capable of getting into places where others can’t because of his size and skill. Beshimi almost always attacks from the shadows. His weapons of choice are spiral darts. With a flick of his thumb, Beshimi can launch these nasty little things with deadly velocity and even deadlier accuracy. He often adds poison to increase their potency.
HYOTTOKO (Alternate Name: Fire Man)
ENGLISH VOICE ACTOR: John Smallberries
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Size and fire breathing
Hyottoko is one big guy. Thus, it is no surprise that he as learned to turn his sheer size into one of his weapons. One of his other defining features is the fact that he only has four teeth. Hyottoko has a thick layer of fat that absorbs any hits he takes and powerful muscles underneath that allow him to give as good as he gets. However, Hyottoko’s most potent weapon is his fire breath. He carries a bag full of oil that is hidden in his gullet. With a click of his flint (or at least flint-like) teeth, Hyottoko can ignite the oil and create a steam of fire that threatens to incinerate anyone in his path. This makes Hyottoko a formidable foe for anyone who crosses his path. Like Beshimi, he is extremely proud to be a member of the Oniwaban Group.
SHIKIJOU
ENGLISH VOICE ACTOR: Dean Elliot
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Iron ball and chain and his body
Shikijou is a man addicted to strength. Through years of training, he has conditioned his body to be as hard as steel. As a result, just about any part of him can be used as a weapon. His favorite form of fighting is to simply use brute force to crush his opponents. In addition to this, Shikijou likes to use a large iron ball and chain that he can hurl with crushing force. Like all the others, Shikijou is very proud of his status as a member.
HANYA
ENGLISH VOICE ACTOR: Abe Lasser
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Kagitsume (steel claws)
The second strongest member of the Oniwaban Group after Aoshi himself is Hanya. Hanya always wears a demonic mask of his face, which is horribly disfigured. Agile, fast, stealthy, and strong, Hanya has all the best traits of the other members combined and then some. Hanya fights using the Kempo style, which was taught to him by Aoshi. Underneath his gloves, Hanya wears metal gauntlets. The gloves also hide the deadly steel claws which can burst forth whenever Hanya has need of them. The clever warrior has one last trick up his sleeve (literally). It is called the Shin-wan Spell. It utilizes the horizontal stripes on Hanya’s sleeves to give his enemies the impression that his are broader and therefore shorter than they really are. This gives Hanya an edge in battle as his opponents misjudge his reach, allowing his blows to connect when they attempt to dodge his attacks with a narrow margin. The Shin-wan Spell can be broken by the opponent if said opponent provides some sort of reference with which to measure the actual length of Hanya’s arms. Of all the members of the Oniwaban Group, Hanya is the most dedicated to Aoshi and, unless out on a mission, is seldom far from his leader’s side.