土方歳三

Hijikata Toshizō, vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, was feared as 'the Demon Vice-Commander' and stands among the deadliest swordsmen of the Bakumatsu era. A practitioner of Tennen Rishin-ryū, he fought in numerous engagements including the Ikedaya Incident, forging the Shinsengumi into the most formidable fighting force of the age through iron discipline. His beloved sword was an Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, crafted by the eleventh-generation Kanesada of Aizu (commonly known as Nosada). This blade survived the brutal close-quarters combat of the Shinsengumi and embodies Hijikata's uncompromising warrior spirit. During the Boshin War, he fought from Toba-Fushimi all the way to Goryōkaku in Hakodate, falling as 'the last samurai.' Famous for being one of the few Bakumatsu figures captured in photographs, his image in Western dress with a sword at his side perfectly captures an era where old and new collided. His sword was the final proof of loyalty to a fallen shogunate.