Shinmen Munisai

## Image Gallery

**Shinmen Munisai** (新免 無二斎, *Shinmen Munisai*), also known as "**The Peerless Warrior**" (無双兵法者, *Musō Heihōsha*?Literal translation: *Peerless Art of War Person*), is a renowned swordsman and the father of Tenkaichi participant Miyamoto Musashi.

## Appearance

Munisai is a distinguished looking man who bears little resemblance to his son, Miyamoto Musashi. Munisai has light-coloured hair that is subtly middle-parted with each part swept back to give a vaguely acorn shape, very thick eyebrows and thick facial hair set in a style reminiscent of Lemmy's trademark chops. He wears a traditional kimono with a haori over the top that features the Chosokabe clan's mon on the shoulders; he straps his two swords to his left hip.

When Musashi was younger, Munisai had thinner eyebrows and only a thinner moustache, though his hairstyle remained the same.

## Personality

Munisai is a subtly quirky person, who generally maintains a calm and collected manner. Showing immense faith and pride in his son's prodigious abilities, Munisai often becomes most animated and is his most enthusiastic when interacting with Musashi, juxtaposing somewhat with Musashi's more reserved and self-centred persona.

## History

Fourteen years prior to the Tenkaichi tournament, Munisai was at a loss due to his two-year old son Takezo yet to have spoken a single word and doing nothing but crying. Soon coming to the idea that Takezo would be unable to learn the way of the sword, he and toddler Takezo came across the corpse of a man with his sword stuck in the ground nearby him. As Munisai said his pitied respects, he suddenly realised Takezo had disappeared from his grasp. Looking around, Munisai finally found Takezo holding the felled katana and saying his first words; rushing towards his son, shouting that it was dangerous, Munisai was left in shock when Takezo ended up slashing his arm; it was then that Munisai first saw the tremendous talent Takezo possessed for swordsmanship.
Watching his son develop over the years, it was at the age of 11 that Musashi then surpassed Munisai.

## Plot

With Miyamoto Musashi having been introduced, Munisai stood beside Chosokabe Motochika, with the two standing behind Musashi as the latter sat on the floor, dozing. When the crowd realised Musashi was asleep and started getting annoyed, Munisai attempted to wake him up with a blow to the head but, failing, he casually told Motochika they would have to wait half an hour. With Chosokabe freaking out, Honda Tadakatsu laughed aloud and said he'd see if Musashi was the real deal by stabbing him his spear. With Munisai telling Chosokabe to stand back, Honda lunged at Musashi sending debris flying everywhere. With Musashi evading the strike, Munisai casually mentioned to Chosokabe that Musashi could always sense when his life was in danger.
With the fight between Musashi and Honda getting underway, Chosokabe asked Munisai if Musashi was even cut out for the fight, with Munisai admitting that Honda was greater than he'd anticipated. With Chosokabe getting visibly agitated and calling Musashi out for using a bokken, Munisai revealed that Musashi hadn't wielded a sword in a while, but defended his son, saying Musashi's talents had no limit. After Musashi then caught Honda's spear, Munisai flared his nostrils, declaring Musashi was a genius after all! With Musashi wounding Honda, Munisai mentally admitted that Musashi was performing far beyond his expectations. Musashi's bokken then broke, eliciting the boy to ask for his father's sword; throwing Musashi his katana, Munisai wondered how long it had been since he'd seen Musashi have so much fun. Explaining to Chosokabe about Musashi's past, Munisai then loudly exclaimed his thanks to Honda Tadakatsu for reawakening Musashi's passion for swordsmanship. With the fight continuing and Musashi getting struck backwards by Honda, Munisai told his floored son that his swordsmanship couldn't end here. From the ground, Musashi then asked his father for his wakizashi. With the two fighter taking it up a notch, Shinmen watched silently until Honda once again pulled ahead, managing to land a heavy blow to Musashi's side, sending a piece of the boy's ribs flying into Munisai's right hand. With Musashi's condition not looking good and Chosokabe freaking out, a nervous-looking Munisai closed his eyes in silence however, an unfazed Musashi confidently voiced his intentions to win. With the two readying to end the fight, Munisai gave a bemused hmm when Musashi took on a strange never-before-seen stance; as Musashi and Honda exchanged their final blows, Munisai worriedly shouted out his son's name... and stood still as Musashi managed to land the decisive fatal blow that earned him victory. Munisai then bore witness to Honda Tadakatsu's final moments as he sacrificed himself to save Tokugawa Ieyasu.
With Musashi declared the victor, a jubilant Chosokabe said they should be celebrating and a subdued Munisai agreed, before noticing Musashi's strange expression. Seeing Musashi walking over to them, Munisai mused in surprise that his son felt like a completely different person from before the fight. Thanking his father for bringing him to the Tenkaichi, Munisai acknowledged that Musashi's fight with Honda Tadakatsu had reawakened Musashi's dormant talent and would grow to a greater height than he'd originally imagined.

On the second day of the Tenkaichi, at Ozaka castle for the fourth match, Munisai was dragging Musashi along by the ear while telling him it was what he got for whining. With Musashi irritatedly complaining he was fine and was getting used to dual wielding, eliciting an enthusiastically prideful response from Munisai; however, Munisai immediately whacked his son on the head, telling him that if he wanted to be the strongest, the fight they had come to watch was a must-see! Their shenanigans were interrupted by Fuma Kotaro making a jab at Musashi.
Later, when the noticeably sleeping Kamiizumi Isenokami was introduced mumbling about busty women, Munisai chortled noting it was like Musashi's own introduction a day earlier; unimpressed by his father's laughter, Musashi then asked what "honkers" were, leaving Munisai flapping at how to answer.
With the match between the Sword Saint and Hino Choko underway, Musashi noticed something amiss, catching Munisai's attention. Asking his son what was up and receiving a reply regarding Kamiizumi's actions, Munisai chuckled and praised Musashi's eye for detail before stating and then explaining that the legends regarding the Sword Saint were true. Later during the fight, after Kamiizumi dropped Hino using nothing but his barehands, Munisai stated it to be "Muto-dori".

## Powers & Abilities

Though his abilities are unknown, Shinmen Munisai is noted as being a famous duelist; his swordsmanship was praised by Ashikaga Yoshiteru himself. He has been seen wielding both a sword and a jutte in the past. While only a small feat, Munisai is mobile enough to nonchalantly evade all the debris that flew his way after Honda Tadakatsu attempted to stick Musashi before their match.
Shinmen is also knowledgeable about other martial artists, aware of Kamiizumi Isenokami's sword-wielding prohibition and also recognising the Sword Saint's usage of Muto-dori.

## Notes & Trivia

* This character is based on the real life Shinmen Munisai.

## References

1. ↑ *Tenkaichi* manga: Chapter 3 (pages 6-15).
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Tenkaichi* manga: Chapter 3 (page 16).
3. ↑ *Tenkaichi* manga: Chapter 2 (page 16).
4. ↑ *Tenkaichi* manga: Chapter 3 (page 17).
5. ↑ *Tenkaichi* manga: Chapter 2 (page 24).
6. ↑ *Tenkaichi* manga: Chapter 18 (pages 20-21).
7. ↑ *Tenkaichi* manga: Chapter 18 (page 28).