Anubisu

悪奴弥守 | 佐々木九十郎

A single swordsman, all alone in the darkness, who wields a long sword. Anubisu moves through the darkness in the Yami armor. He is one of the four Tennou (Heavenly Kings) with a heart of "Ko (filial/family piety)".

Anubisu is voiced by Matsumoto Yasunori .

## Name Etymology and Alternative Spellings

Anubisu stems from connection to the Egyptian god Anubisu and the jackal. The final 'u' is rarely pronounced.

悪奴弥守 is the kanji that forms A\*nu\*bi\*su and translates to Evil One Who Serves. (Translate features often translate this as Evil Guy Yamori)

His human name is much more benevolent.

Sasaki 佐々木 means Helpers/Rescuers of the Tree/Forest

佐 - to help, to rescue, to assist 木 - tree

Kujuurou 九十郎 means 9th 10th son/90th son

九 - 9

十 - 10

九十 - 90

郎 - counter for male children

## Appearance and Personality

With wild blue hair and a wicked scar over his left eye, Anubisu appears and acts rough and superior. He is not without his sub or full armor the entire show. No official artwork shows him in anything but armor.

He often puts down Shuten or taunts Rajura. The other Masho rarely have anything negative to say to him. However, he is missing from episodes eight, thirteen, and twenty-seven when the heckling would have taken place.

He's cautious and rarely runs into battle without observing the situation or his enemy first. We see this most vividly in episodes seven, twelve, and twenty-six where he watches Korin no Seiji long before attacking. He likes to surprise and bewilder people. Even in the last battles before being absorbed by Arago, he is not the first to rush into battle. But once battle begins, he is steadfast and relentlessly part of the forward charge. The 30th Anniversary book lists Anubisu as the most skilled Masho in martial arts and the second most intelligent.

According to the YST Encyclopedia, once his virtue awoke, he had no fear and makes his enemies stiffen with fear. When he chooses to protect someone, especially if they are lost in the dark or being attacked, he remains loyal and true. He has the ability to lead people out of darkness, both physically and metaphorically. The overarching power of the armor is to protect those in the dark and those who have just died.

Unfortunately, because of his association with Darkness, people see him as a demon, no matter how much good he does.

## Biography

### Family History

Born into a low-ranking samurai family in northern Japan with little to its name until long after Sasaki Kujuurou was born, the family worked as farmers to sustain themselves and the few people that were part of the lands. The YST Encyclopedia states this was in Aomori, but the 30th Anniversary Book states Ou, a mountainous area that runs from Mutsu (where Aomori lays) to just south of Sendai.

### Early History

Early books do not detail the history of the Masho - this information came from the 30th Anniversary book and may not reflect the original intent.

The sight of his father and mother fighting against the harsh climate fostered a filial (respectful) heart in Kujuurou. However, warfare was raging in the region, and he had to go to war to defend his family's territory. He was probably about 14/15 at the time. On the battlefield against the Date army, Kujuurou clings to life with a blade that pierces him. The end of his short, unhappy life is a source of bitterness. He is trapped by Arago because of his strong thoughts.

He is a man of integrity who is willing to serve those he respects, even to the point of resigning his own life. He also has the courage to stand up for those he needs to protect, even in dangerous places. He is a man with the qualities to become a great warrior if he had been born elsewhere and under better circumstances.

### War on the Mortal World

He is the most rugged and single-minded of the Masho. His focus is nearly exclusively on Korin no Seiji. He doesn't fight another Trooper until the final episodes of the series. Then, under Arago's control, he battles Suiko no Shin and then Arago.

Together, the Masho attack Shuten when he defects, but have an individualistic strategy in season one. In season two, the Masho are separate until the introduction of Kayura, and then start to work together. Only when battling Arago do they seem to be in agreement for what to do or attack.

Anubisu uses a canine species in episode seven. In various books and references, they are called both wild dogs and wolves interchangeably, the subtitled show states wolves. Some people point out the animals shown are too uniform and shaped wrong for a dog, but are the right size, shape, and color for wolves. The Japanese black wolf went extinct in 1905, although some sightings may be dog-wolf hybrids.

In episode 16, Anubisu attacks Seiji while dressed in a Noh costume, specifically of a Hannya mask, which is a jealous female demon.

## Armor and Powers

Yami means darkness and his armor originally was meant to protect the quiet of the dark and those recently deceased. His armor can create complete darkness, taking away his opponent's sight. Because of the link to the dark, Anubisu can see in the dark and guide those who are lost in the darkness back to the light. The kanji reference implies this is both literal and figurative.

In episodes seven and twenty-seven, Anubisu creates a blizzard and freezes a waterfall instantly. While not covered by the show, the energy required to freeze a waterfall that fast is nearly the equivalent of over 400 nuclear bombs.

The 30th Anniversary book states his true armor name is Shikoku or Jet Black Armor. In this case, Jet Black refers to a special Japanese lacquer that is ritually used to send off the dead to their next life.

His sword is styled after a no-dachi, although it isn't quite the same. It is too straight to be truly considered one. The official books use the generic kanji for 'sword' when referring to his blade, which is usually reserved for non-Japanese swords. However, in much of the show, his blade is curved and structured like a typical no-dachi.

The early books call his sword Kokourou-ken or Kuroi Rou Ken. The 30th Anniversary book calls it Kurou Ookami. Both mean Black Wolf Sword. The first translation is more physical, literal translation, detailing the black wolf that went extinct in Japan in 1905. The second name refers more to the black wolf Yokai, a spirit that both protects and haunts travelers.

## Relationships

Servant - Arago, Kayura (at end)

Masho - Rajura, Shuten, Naaza

Main Enemy - Korin no Seiji

Others - Troopers, Nasutei

## Trivia

Anubisu's human name is very telling about his family and early life. The Sasaki were not known in the extreme north or eastern side of Japan until the late 1600s. In the 1300s-1700s, side branches of growing families were often sent to new areas to set up households. The history that says they fought with the Date clan in Anubisu's youth could indicate a border dispute as both the Sasaki and Date were expanding territory at the time into the northern region of Japan.

Sasaki meaning Protectors of the Forest indicate a strong bond to the natural world. Anubisu and Korin no Seiji are the only two in the show who seem to show a connection to this, despite Rekka no Ryo's history of living in the forest.

Kujuurou also shows his family history. That period of Japanese history did not name more than the first or second son, referring to all others by their birth order. Kujuurou could be 9th or 10th son. Or he could be one of many children from many mistresses, but doubtful since his family was poor. An interesting note is that his name has two numbers, which could indicate he was part of a set of twins, the other dying very early on. Kujuurou would then carry the burden of both children.

## Citation

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Yoroiden Samurai Trooper Encyclopedia - Rapport.K.K 1989
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 YST Show
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, 30th Anniversary Book, Tatsumi Publication. Fan translation by The URWWS.