柳生十兵衛

Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi (1607–1650) was the eldest son of Yagyū Munenori, the shogunate's official sword instructor, and is arguably the most legendary swordsman of the Edo period. His life is shrouded in mystery, most famously a twelve-year disappearance from historical records in his twenties — variously attributed to a secret mission for the Tokugawa, wandering sword training, or disgrace and exile. He inherited and deepened the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū tradition founded by his grandfather Sekishūsai, refining the philosophy of 'katsujinken' (the life-giving sword) and the ideal of 'kenzen-ichinyo' (sword and Zen as one). His single remaining eye (the origin of which is disputed — variously attributed to a training accident, a hawk-hunting injury, or congenital weakness) became the defining symbol of his mysterious persona. He died suddenly at forty-three during a hawking trip, sparking inevitable rumors of assassination. He has since become the archetypal Japanese swordsman hero, the subject of countless novels, films, and manga.