Kondo Isami

Kondo Isami (, Kondō Isami) is a character featured in Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!/Like a Dragon: Ishin! based on the real-life historical figure . He is the Chief of the Shinsengumi and the fourth heir to the Tennen Rishin style of swordplay.
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Kondo is a middle-aged man who wears his hair in a traditional samurai topknot. However, underlying his birth as a commoner, he does not wear a chonmage hairstyle, as it is reserved for nobles.
In Like a Dragon: Ishin!, he is instead based on Koichi Adachi, but sporting a topknot.
=== Attire ===
Kondo wears a gold, patterned kimono. Occasionally, he wears his official Shinsengumi light-blue haori on top of this kimono, but this is only reserved for when he attends meetings in his official capacity as Shinsengumi Chief.
=== Personality ===
Kondo is fiercely loyal to the Tokugawa Bakufu, since it was under their protection that he managed to rise from a common farmer to a samurai. He has devoted his life to ensuring that the Tokugawa Bakufu retains power over the Japanese government, even in the midst of the chaos of the Bakumatsu period.
Despite being a fierce swordsman when he was younger and a cunning strategist in small unit engagements, over the years he has become laid-back and detached from the realities of the violent conflict his troops engage in.
== Background ==
Kondo Isami was born to a family of peasant farmers in the outskirts of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), but was eventually made into a samurai. Since he was from the Tokugawa Bakufu's home territory in Edo, Kondo's training took place under the tutelage of the Bakufu and the young samurai became fiercely loyal to the Shogun's ruling dynasty.
After the American government forced the Bakufu to accept humiliatingly unequal trade agreements in 1853, rebel groups who opposed the Bakufu started forming across the country, with many of them massing in the Imperial capital of Kyoto. Fearing that these rebel groups could eventually take Kyoto and liberate the Emperor from his Bakufu guard, during the early 1860's the Bakufu started forming units of ronin and lesser samurai to combat these rebel groups. Among these units was one formed by Kondo and his friend, Hijikata Toshizo, the Miburoshigumi.
By the start of 1866, the Miburoshigumi was comprised of only Kondo, Hijikata and eight other swordsmen, but they had nonetheless started gaining a reputation for their militant support of the Bakufu and for the great skill of their members. Unfortunately, internal conflict between two factions within the group threatened to tear it apart: one faction, formed by Okita Soji, Inoue Genzaburo and Nagakura Shinpachi, heavily opposed the promotion of members of the other faction, comprised of Serizawa Kamo and his pupils, Hirayama Goro and Hirama Jusuke, because of the latter faction's past as deserters. This conflict culminated in a bloody brawl where Okita, Inoue and Nagakura tried to kill Serizawa, only for their target to kill Inoue and Nagakura and for Hirayama and Hirama to kill Okita. Since this internal conflict and the death of three of the group's most famous swordsmen would've destroyed the Miburoshigumi's reputation with their Bakufu masters, Kondo had Serizawa, Hirayama and Hirama take on the identities of Inoue Genzaburo, Okita Soji and Nagakura Shinpachi to cover it up.
The Miburoshigumi continued to operate in Kyoto, later changing their name to the more well-known Shinsengumi. They quickly expanded in size as their fame grew, eventually absorbing all other ronin units the Bakufu had created. By 1867, the Shinsengumi had become the Bakufu's top special police force in Kyoto and their ranks numbered over a thousand. As the group grew bigger, Chief Kondo became more hands-off in his leadership of the Shinsengumi, delegating most of the day-to-day operations to Hijikata, whom he'd appointed as his Deputy Chief.
== Involvement ==
=== Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!/Like a Dragon: Ishin!: 1867 ===
Sakamoto Ryoma infiltrates the Shinsengumi under the alias of "Saito Hajime" to search for the man who killed his foster father, Yoshida Toyo. Since the killer used the Tennen-Rishin swordfighting style practiced only by high-ranking members of the Shinsengumi, Sakamoto believes one of the group's ten captains or even Chief Kondo himself may be the killer. In reality, Inoue Genzaburo had been behind the assassination, which he'd committed as a mercenary killing to gain funds for the Shinsengumi's expansion. When Sakamoto joined the group, Inoue immediately recognized him and informed Chief Kondo, who told him to allow Sakamoto to remain in the organization, since his swordsmanship could be of use to them.
After some weeks had passed and Sakamoto had demonstrated his outstanding combat skills, Kondo invites him to his home in Gion, where the Chief surprises Sakamoto by revealing that he knows his true identity. Kondo assures Sakamoto that he doesn't care about his deception, since his combat prowess is useful towards his political ambitions, and makes him an offer: if he fully commits to the Shinsengumi and Kondo's political plans to centralize even more power with the Bakufu, he'll hand over Yoshida's killer. However, Sakamoto refuses to aid Kondo, since he recognizes that his project would inevitably end in a civil war between the pro-Bakufu and the pro-Emperor parts of the country. The argument ends in a fight between the two men, which Sakamoto wins. Despite being beaten, Kondo refuses to tell Sakamoto the killer's identity, but he agrees to let him continue investigating on his own. After Sakamoto leaves, Inoue enters the room and questions the prudence of sparing Sakamoto given what he now knows, but Kondo reassures him that he could still be useful to them alive.
After Inoue is killed by a mysterious assailant, Okita suspects Sakamoto killed him because Inoue had killed his foster father. However, Kondo talks Okita down after he and Sakamoto get into a fight. When Sakamoto questions why Inoue didn't kill him if he knew he was after him, Kondo reveals Inoue, Okita and Nagakura's change of identities and then speculates that Inoue probably sympathized with Sakamoto's mission to avenge his father and with his hardships in having to live under an alias to follow his principles.
After Katsura Kogoro of Choshu and Saigo Kichinosuke of Satsuma broker a truce between their feuding domains to overthrow the Bakufu together, Kondo decides the Shinsengumi must accelerate their plans to weaken the Emperor by burning down the Imperial Palace to force the Emperor to relocate to Edo, where he'll be easier to control. However, Sakamoto opposes this plan, since any fire large enough to destroy the Imperial Palace would inevitably spread throughout Kyoto and kill countless civilians. Wanting to avoid this, Sakamoto persuades a demoralized Kondo that the Bakufu has to compromise with the rebels and, if Kondo himself suggests this to the Shogun, then perhaps he could be persuaded to listen. Ultimately, Kondo agrees and he and Hijikata draft a proposal for the formation of a constitutional monarchy where the Tokugawa Bakufu would give direct rule back to the Imperial Court in exchange for a high position for their clan within the new government. Since sending a proposal of this nature through official channels would be tantamount to treason, Kondo tasks Sakamoto and Okita with personally delivering it to Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu.
Kondo's plans to broker a truce between the Tokugawa and the rebels were thwarted when Ito Kashitaro, the Shinsengumi's Military Advisor, betrayed the organization by faking orders from Kondo to the Shinsengumi's troops to start fires across Kyoto. The massive fire would serve as a distraction for agents of the Tosa Loyalist Party to kill Kondo and then break into the Imperial Palace to take the Emperor away from his Bakufu guard. Okada Izo oversaw this mission and personally attacked Kondo in his home, fatally wounding him before fleeing towards the Imperial Palace. Sakamoto would arrive to Kondo's home soon after, where he found the Chief barely clinging to life. With his dying words, Kondo pleaded with Sakamoto to stop his assassin from kidnapping the Emperor, since it would spell the end for the Tokugawa Bakufu's rule.
== Fighting Style ==
=== Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! ===
As a user of Tennen Rishin, Kondo uses Inoue Genzaburo's moveset with a few of his own unique attacks. His moveset is comprised of:
* the standard Tennen Rishin Rush Combo, triple-stab attack, lunge-thrust and downed attack, as well as
* a unique second stance he can shift into, in which he can perform a number of attacks:
** a downward diagonal left slash-spinning downward diagonal left slash-low thrust combo,
** charging forward with his left forearm out and executing a downward diagonal left slash, and
** a low underarm thrust-upward diagonal right slash guard reversal.
His Heat Mode aura is azure blue.
Kondo's variation of the Tennen Rishin moveset is reused by Hijikata Toshizo.
=== Like a Dragon: Ishin! ===
Kondo's attack animations have been sped up, making him a lot more dangerous than than he was in the original Ishin!. He can now remain in his secondary stance for longer periods of time, even after attacking, and has been given the Tennen Rishin forward quickstep attack. However, he can no longer use his downed attack. When he enters Heat Mode, he can use Sakamoto's Essence of Incendiary Bomb ability.
Kondo's Heat Mode aura is now a fiery orange.
==Gallery==
===Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!===
RGGI! - Character Render - Kondo Isami.png|Full-body Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! render of Kondo
RGGI! - Character Render - Kondo Isami (Gion).png|Full-body Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! render of Kondo in Gion
Rggikondoisamiingame.jpg
Kondo.png|Kondo's crest
===Like a Dragon: Ishin!===
LADI! - Character Render - Kondo Isami.png|Full-body Like a Dragon: Ishin! render of Kondo
LaDI - Kondo Isami - Profile.png
=== Ryu Ga Gotoku Online ===
RGGO - Card - SSR Kondo Isami.png|SSR Kondo Isami
RGGO - Card - KSR Kondo Isami (Ishin Kiwami).png|KSR Kondo Isami (Ishin Kiwami)
Category:Historical Figures
Category:Tennen Rishin Users
Category:Shinsengumi
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! Characters
Category:Like a Dragon: Ishin! Characters
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! Supporting Characters
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! Bosses
Category: Like a Dragon: Ishin! Bosses
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Online Characters
Category:Tokugawa Bakufu
Category:Miburoshigumi