Hyakkimaru

* Anime (2019)
* Original Manga
* 2018 Manga

> *“You think you know what it feels like to be given up?! I was given up! I was abandoned!”*
> ―Hyakkimaru in the Original Manga, Chapter: Sabame
>
>

**Hyakkimaru** (百鬼丸, *Hyakkimaru*) is the main protagonist of the *Dororo* series. He is a *ronin* searching for parts of his body that were stolen from him by demons and slaying said demons. The demons originally took his body parts as part of a pact with his father and archenemy. After learning the entire truth from his mother, Lady Nui, he vows to kill his own father in retribution, even his somewhat warmhearted fifteen-year-old younger brother, and regain all of his missing body parts. He is accompanied on his harsh journey by a young orphaned thief named Dororo.

Hyakkimaru is displaced in a vile path to achieve his goals until the end. According to Asura, Hyakkimaru is the rightful heir to succeed his power-crazed father and his fifteen-year-old younger brother due to being the firstborn child.

About one or two decades later, he returns to the village of his birth and is reunited with Dororo.

## Appearance

Hyakkimaru is a slim, pale youth with a pair of dark brown prosthetic eyes. It is later revealed his actual eyes are also dark brown. He has long black hair that is tied up to a ponytail and bangs that pass his chin, often covering parts of his emotionless face. He bears a strong resemblance to his mother and, like her, has thin eyebrows and long, dark hair.

Before the events in the abandoned temple, Hyakkimaru would wear a long scarf along with a tattered cloak during his travels. However, the cloak is burned along with the temple afterward. Underneath is a worn, black kimono dotted with white anchor-shaped patterns (in episode 23, his sleeves became shorter after regained his arms) and a *fundoshi* tied around his waist. He initially had many bandages wrapped around his body and a sword equipped on him. To replace his lost limbs, Hyakkimaru is equipped with clay-hard prosthetics made of wood and colored to look just like human skin. By the end of episode 24, he wears sandals on his reclaimed feet.

Before killing the demon that took it, his skin was replaced by bandages and he wore a mask to cover the flesh of his face. They are noticeably mechanical in the 2019 anime, but in most other versions, they look like normal limbs. These prosthetics are equipped with weaponry, most notably blades mounted inside of the forearms which can be taken off for combat. He loses these weapons as he regains the limbs they replaced. Both of his prosthetic arms were been destroyed by Mutsu. After the siblings' deaths by his steed, Midoro, Hyakkimaru regained his arms, wrists, and hands, and covered them with the bandages from his legs after receiving cuts from his own blades. His reach thus extended and became slightly more effective than without.

## Personality

### Anime

In the beginning of the modern 2019 reboot, not much of his personality was revealed as he was unable to express himself due to the lack of his voice. With the limited access he has to the world, he was curious, naive and sensitive to his surroundings. Despite that, he possesses an undying determination to regain his body parts no matter the costs. He does have a darker side driven by that same determination.

When Hyakkimaru was shown warmth and comfort for the first time, he immediately grew a liking towards it. This resulted into when the girl whom he was attached to, Mio, was killed, Hyakkimaru was unable to contain his emotions and went berserk. He killed many of Daigo's troops to avenge her, merciless and brutally; implying that Hyakkimaru can be the brute monster Dororo fears him to be. His rage later simmered down, allowing the two to continue the journey.

After a period of slaying demons with young Dororo, Hyakkimaru learned a lot from him during the process and grew as a person with a free mind, will and soul. This included acts of generosity, understanding and leniency towards even his own father.

However, upon realizing the cruel truth that he was the major threat to the prosperity of his father's land and many people including his own brother had turned against him for the sake of that land, save for his mother who always loved and treasured him, Hyakkimaru was aggrieved of the unfair treatment he was given. The anger drove him to hunt for demons more vigorously in order to get his body back. It had led Hyakkimaru to lose his humanity and sentiment, as he would not hesitate to destroy those who get in his way. Although he grew cold and merciless, Hyakkimaru still shows concern about Dororo and cares for him. After Dororo got captured, Hyakkimaru became much colder and more merciless than before when slaughtering his father's troops, who were preparing for war against the Asakura Clan and destroyed their bases to bring destruction to the land. The only way he would regain his humanity and sentiment is from the love and compassion of his mother. In the finale, he finally regained his humanity and sentiment when his mother said she always loves him, and becomes kinder with his full body restored to him.

### Original Manga

In the original manga, Hyakkimaru has a lot more bravado and is much more self-confident and knowledgeable. He talks a lot more than his version in the 2019 anime, and he has accepted the way that he is (as his present state), with his determination to get his body parts back a little more sweet-tempered as a more selfless human.

## Plot

### History

During his birth, the twelve demons who made a pact with Lord Kagemitsu took his newborn son's body parts and skin, but allowed Hyakkimaru to gain certain demonic powers and nearly superhuman senses as side-effects of the curse, as he regains his six senses; one by one.

As an infant, Hyakkimaru was abandoned by his father but later found by Jukai. Jukai raised him well, training him in sword fighting and giving him his prosthesis as well as his own name. Before the events of the story in the 2019 anime, Hyakkimaru has killed a few dangerous monsters and a demon who devoured his right leg. Prior to setting off on his journey, Jukai gave Hyakkimaru a final upgrade, giving him a new pair of arms with swords attached on them. Once all preparations were completed, he headed out on his journey to kill all 12 demons and regain his body parts.

* Original Manga
* 1969 Anime
* 2018 Manga
* 2019 Anime

    **Episode 26**
After his final confrontation with his father in the Hall of Hell, it was burned down and left in ruins. Dororo and the villagers, not being able to find Hyakkimaru's body, presumed him being dead from the fight, not knowing that Hyakkimaru survived the fight. Hyakkimaru secretly left Dororo to the hands of the villagers, hoping that Dororo would grow into a beautiful woman and apologized for not giving his sword as he promised.

TBA

**Episode 1**

Hyakkimaru encountered Deiki, a demon who was involved in his father's pact when he was passing by a village. As the demon rampaged, it devoured a few men; luckily, Hyakkimaru was able to rescue a young thief named Dororo in the nick of time. Hyakkimaru collapsed the bridge Deiki was on and killed it in the process. He then regained his skin after slaying the demon.

**Episode 2**

 Hyakkimaru and Dororo came across a village troubled by a demon. Dororo, knowing Hyakkimaru’s capabilities, recommended the villagers of their service to get rid of the demon, taking notes of the village’s wealth. They then stayed within a villager’s home, where they were visited by the spirit, Kanekozou. Dororo, frightened by its presence, demanded Hyakkimaru to attack, which Hyakkimaru strongly refused to do.
The day after, the two were brought to the village’s chief, Bandai. Hyakkimaru, realizing she was a demon, went straight for the attack, much to Dororo’s confusion. Due to it, the two were captured and locked down in the barn, meeting another traveler, a monk named Biwamaru, who has the same capabilities as that of Hyakkimaru and seemed to have known him. They were then attacked by a demon in the darkness from the well, which Hyakkimaru quickly attacked and chased off down the well.
Going down the well lead to Bandai’s residence, which is revealed to be the demon that had been responsible for the missing traveller’s as well as the village’s wealth. Hyakkimaru killed Bandai with little to no struggle, gaining his sense of pain back from it.

**Episode 4**

 On one leg of their journey, Dororo and Hyakkimaru meet a young woman travelling alone. Shortly afterwards, they discover that several people have been murdered. The killer, possessed by his demonic weapon, and Hyakkimaru clash. The assassin hits Hyakkimaru on his mechanical leg and dislocates it, but the young hunter uses it to disarm his opponent. Dororo sets off to find Hyakkimaru's leg in the forest. While trying to remove the sword from the leg, Dororo becomes enchanted by the weapon. Hyakkimaru is reunited with his leg, but without Dororo or the sword.

Meanwhile, the traveller, Osushi, finds the killer, whom she recognises as her brother Tanosuke, who has gone off to war. She takes him in, but he shows her no affection, obsessed as he is with the sword Nihiru, whose return he awaits. During the war, Tanosuke had to carry out unjust executions with a blunt sword. It turned out to be Nihiru, and the weapon drove him to slaughter everyone, prisoners and master alike.
Dororo, influenced by the sword, marches towards the village. Hyakkimaru attacks him. Tanosuke pushes Osushi away, who wants them to start a new life together, having been unable to save their rich former home.
But he doesn't listen and leaves. Hyakkimaru disarms Dororo, who regains his freedom of movement. Tanosuke regains possession of the weapon and attacks again. Hyakkimaru kills him and destroys the sword. Osushi arrives and weeps for his brother, while Hyakkimaru feels his ears grow real ears. He hears for the first time, at the end he Gains back his hearing.

**Episode 5**

 Overwhelmed by the amount of noises he gains from his new hearing, Hyakkimaru got himself wounded from a monster. The next day, he is lured by the soothing voice of a girl named Mio, a caretaker of orphaned children residing within a temple who tended Hyakkimaru’s wounds.
After recovering, he soon learned that Mio and the children are seeking refuge in a land endangered by a demon, At sunset, Mio prepares to leave to work with the Sakai family, hoping to find some medicine for Hyakkimaru, who is suffering from a fever. When she returns in the morning, she gives Hyakkimaru some medicine. Hyakkimaru uses hand gestures to ask her to sing. Dororo explains that he can see the colour of people's souls and that her singing might help him get used to the sounds. The old hunter returns, having spotted a fertile clearing with an abandoned house where Mio and the children could settle, but a demon has taken up residence there.

Mio decides to work for both sides to earn more money. As she sets off, Takebo worries about Mio, who is overworking. Dororo offers to go and help her so that she can finish faster. Hyakkimaru and the old man set off for the clearing to confront the demon. But Hyakkimaru, still wounded, is not in full possession of his strength. The giant insect demon rips off his fleshy leg. Dororo, who has caught up with Mio, discovers that she is a prostitute, while Hyakkimaru, who has acquired vocal faculties, screams in pain, while also regaining back his voice from partially being able to injure the demon.

    **Episode 6**

Dororo sets off again, shocked by what he has discovered. He meets the old hunter supporting Hyakkimaru and helps him to carry Hyakkimaru away. When Mio returns in the morning, she rushes to Hyakkimaru's bedside, unconscious. Dororo can't bring himself to tell Takebo the truth about Mio, especially when Takebo tells him that the young woman has promised to take back everything the war has taken from them and create their own rice fields. He himself hopes to be able to work soon.

Tahomaru asks his father to let him take part in the war to put an end to the Sakai's actions, but the lord refuses, believing that he is not yet ready. Tahomaru asks his mother to intercede on his behalf, but she refuses, especially as she hates war. Deep down, the young heir knows that his parents are hiding something from him and hopes to discover it one day. He sets off with his two bodyguards, Hyogo and Mutsu.

In the evening, Mio goes to see Hyakkimaru after her work. She urges him to speak but he refuses, showing that his own voice makes him tired of hearing. She starts singing again, seeing that it seems to soothe him.

The old hunter resumes his journey, deciding to bypass the demon's burrow. He warns Dororo that embers are burning in his soul and that he too is in danger of giving in to the demon.
Mio then leaves for work. She runs into Dororo and realises that he knows about her prostitution. Dororo tells her that when he lived with his mother, she always refused to do it, but she died soon afterwards. He assures Mio that she is also admirable in her own way.

The next day, during the night, Hyakkimaru goes back to fight the demon and manages to eliminate it by being more careful. Rain finally begins to fall, but when he eliminates the demon, the rain stops. Another demon statue cracks in Daigo's shrine.

Hyakkimaru and Dororo return to Mio and the children's house, where soldiers have just wreaked havoc. They have killed everyone, accusing Mio of spying for the Sakai clan, having seen her offer her services to both sides. Hyakkimaru, who senses that Mio is breathing her last, feels his rage rising and slaughters all the soldiers. Dororo finally stops him from killing the last survivor, so that he doesn't become a demon himself. Hyakkimaru then speaks Mio's name.

After burying Mio and the children, Hyakkimaru and Dororo set off again, taking with them the rice seeds Mio had obtained from her last job.

**Episode 7**

While wandering, Dororo and Hyakkimaru discover another demon, in the shape of a spider with a man in its web. They save him, while the demon prefers to flee. The two then go to the village in the valley, where the guards tell them that a kidnapper is currently on the loose. Dororo thinks it must be the demoness and that they can get a reward by killing him.

The next day, Yajiro, a villager, takes in a young woman found suffering on the road, unaware that she is the demon. Refusing to reveal her name, Yajiro names her Ohagi after the flowers beside them when he found her. She plans to suck out his life force before leaving the village.

Yajiro goes to work in the mines, where a landslide has injured several workers, one of whom dies. He returns home in the evening and tells Ohagi about his day. She is surprised to see him chase away a cockroach without killing it, while a man has died in the mines during the day.Dororo and Hyakkimaru patrol all night but cannot find the kidnapper. Meanwhile, Yajiro notices that Ohagi is looking increasingly pale. He suggests they run away from the village, which is under heavy guard, to find a doctor. They flee and come across Hyakkimaru and Dororo, who recognise Ohagi's voice.
Dororo reveals to Yajiro that she is a demon, but he exonerates her by confessing to being the kidnapper; he is actually scaring away some of the villagers, exhausted from working too hard in the mines. The guards arrive to catch them, claiming that they are the ones who will be killed if production drops. Ohagi and Yajiro escape, arriving at the secret passage through which Yajiro is making the villagers flee.
Ohagi explains to her benefactor that she sucks the life force from her prey without taking their lives, so that they regenerate and she can then feed on them again. Ohagi urges him to come with him, and since he is now unmasked, Yajiro offers to be her life source. The guards catch up with them and fire arrows at Yajiro. Ohagi takes his demonic form and neutralises the guards. Hyakkimaru comes to confront her but, seeing that she doesn't kill and hearing Yajiro, he lets them go.

**Episode 8**

Dororo and Hyakkimaru arrive near a village. They see a procession carrying a young bride and a child, dressed in wolf fur and carrying a bow, who tries to stop them. Dororo stops him, thinking he is trying to prevent a happy event, but the boy reveals the truth: a black cloud raining ash has once again appeared over the village. Nicknamed Nokosaregumo, the abandoned cloud, it is believed to be a demon, and the villagers offer him a young woman as his bride. The boy introduces himself as Saru. Dororo offers him his demon-hunting services.

The sacrificed woman is left at the top of the mountain. Dororo, Hyakkimaru and Saru find her, but she replies that she has chosen to protect the village. The demon then appears in a black cloud. A huge flying centipede appears and attacks. It kills the villagers who had come to escort the bride. Hyakkimaru, disoriented by the black cloud, which he sees as a mass of demonic red flames all around him, is unable to aim at the creature, which carries off the young woman.

Saru tells Dororo that this woman, whom he calls his big sister, was the only one who helped him when he was living alone in the mountains, having lost his parents. Dororo, noticing that Hyakkimaru seems bored and distraught, suggests a plan to Saru to fight the demon on his return. The following night, when the demon reappeared, Dororo and Saru lured it into a trap where they had placed explosives and flammable elements. Fire surrounded the creature, but this was not enough to burn it and defeat it. Hyakkimaru then shoots arrows at the demon to locate it and attack it. Dororo grabs hold of the demon's head to guide Hyakkimaru, who manages to kill it. Hyakkimaru feels a real nose appear. And the young woman is saved.

Saru pays Dororo with a small gold nugget, Dororo was hoping for more but is content with this. He leaves with Hyakkimaru, who says Dororo's name for the first time.

**Episode 9**

Dororo shows signs of flu and collapses. Hyakkimaru carries him and tries to ask passers-by for help, despite his inability to communicate with others. By chance, they come across a nun who welcomes them into her temple and takes care of Dororo. Dororo is afraid that Hyakkimaru will abandon him and tells the nun about his past, while Hyakkimaru returns from fetching water.

Dororo's father, Hibukuro, led a group of former samurai who had lost their masters in the war and had become bandits. But Hibukuro and his group were notorious for only attacking the samurai on duty, who looked down on them. Dororo and his mother Ojiya accompanied them. But the day came when one of their attacks failed because of one of their own, Itachi, who had made a pact with the samurai to get a good position. Itachi had Hibukuro, Ojiya and Dororo spared. The small family managed to survive, but Hibukuro was killed by a group of samurai who were attacking the defenceless villagers. Ojiya and Dororo had to continue on their own. They saw Itachi again, who was organising charity meals for the poor. Some time later, as they were crossing a field of lycoris, Ojiya collapsed and died of hunger, having sacrificed herself to feed Dororo.
Dororo falls asleep after his story and the nun shows pity for Hyakkimaru, who is travelling with this "little girl".

The two set off once Dororo has recovered. The nun having also washed his clothes, Dororo asks Hyakkimaru if he has seen him naked and if the nun has said anything about him. There was no answer.

An informant, after investigating, tells Daigo that in the past, an armless, legless baby was left on the riverbank. And that recently, a soldier pursuing an Asakura espio was wounded by a fighter wearing prostheses..

**Episode 10**

The rain is getting scarcer. Daigo goes to the shrine and questions the demon statues. They give him a brief vision of his first son, confirming that he has survived and is in the process of recovering what was taken from him.

Hyakkimaru defeats another demon. Dororo tells him about a neighbouring province with flourishing harvests that a merchant had described to him. He offers to go there.

Tahômaru's two bodyguards kidnap his father's informant. The drugged informant confesses that Daigo is looking for an infant who disappeared sixteen years ago, as well as a midwife. When Tahômaru tries to make him reveal the reason, he attempts suicide. Mutsu stops him in time. The next day, the young man asks his father about it, but his father formally forbids him to find out more.
Later, Tahômaru and his two bodyguards see trouble in a coastal village. Some of his father's samurai were passing through but the locals stopped them, pleading to be saved from a crab demon that devours those who venture onto the water. Tahômaru launched his first hunting expedition and came face to face with the creature. He and his men succeed in wounding the creature, which then flees. Tahômaru then devised a trap: he had a sluice built into which he lured the beast. The inhabitants then drained the water, depriving the demon of its mobility. He and his men attacked it, with the help of the villagers, who encouraged the young heir. However, the demon manages to break the sluice, allowing the water to spill out. Hyakkimaru emerges from the forest, pounces on the demon and wounds him, allowing Tahômaru to deliver the final blow..

    **Episode 11-12**

Tahômaru asks Hyakkimaru to reveal his identity, but the latter scrutinises him, seeing the image of his troubled soul. Dororo tells the young lord that his companion is blind but that he is a demon-hunting specialist. After obtaining a sum of money from Tahômaru for Hyakkimaru's help, Dororo asks him to show him the way to the land said to be prosperous. Tahômaru showed him the way to the capital of the Daigo lands. Before they could leave, Tahômaru insisted and Hyakkimaru told him his first name.

Dororo and Hyakkimaru arrive at the capital. In the streets, a destitute woman spots them and panics, recognising Hyakkimaru as the demon child. The two then attend a play featuring Lord Daigo Kagemitsu, defeating a demon with the blessing of the Goddess of Mercy. There they meet up with the old demon hunter. The latter has come to town to visit the shrine erected in memory of the demons Kagemitsu has defeated in the past. Before leaving them, the old hunter warns Hyakkimaru, whose soul has become a little dark after killing humans. Later, the two overhear the locals talking about Banmon's curse, which is said to be the cause of the recent lack of rain. Dororo is quick to ask them for information.

Hyôgo and Mutsu report to Kagemitsu about the intervention of Hyakkimaru, a blind man who wears several prostheses and hunts demons. His wife overhears their exchange.

Dororo and Hyakkimaru go to the top of a hill where the Banmon fort once stood, protecting them from the Asakura clan. Only a wooden wall remains, but it symbolises the Daigo's first victory over the Asakura. The Asakura kill any Daigo who venture there, seeking to defile the symbol represented by the wall. Ghouls also come at night to devour the corpses. Hyakkimaru sees a strong demonic presence emanating from the wall. There they meet a young boy, Sukeroku, who warns them against trying to loot the corpses, as the Asakaura clan has strengthened its position. He used to live here, but his village was razed to the ground to build Banmon and he lost his parents. However, he hopes to regain what remains of his village, which has been abandoned to the Asakuras. Dororo offers to help him by defeating the demons of Banmon in exchange for the meal he shared with them.

Kagemitsu's wife asks him what he plans to do and laments that all this is just punishment for sacrificing a child's life. She would like to know if he is not really doing this for his people, but to defeat his enemies and elevate himself. Tahômaru listens discreetly to their exchange.

Daigo leaves with a few men, while spies report his movements to a chief of the Asakura clan.

That evening, many evil fox spirits appear in Banmon. While Hyakkimaru and Dororo fight them, Sukeroku takes the opportunity to infiltrate the Asakura camp, as the guards are less present at night to avoid the demons. Dororo tries to catch up with him.

In town, Tahômaru and his two bodyguards try to find Hyakkimaru, convinced that he holds the answer to his parents' secret. He finds the woman who recognised him, who was one of his mother's followers when Hyakkimaru was born.

Dororo finds Sukeroku, who has been captured by Asakura's soldiers.

Kagemitsu meets up with Hyakkimaru, whose arrival causes the last fox demon to flee.

Hyakkimaru sees Kagemitsu's soul, gorged with dark red.

Hyakkimaru senses a link between himself and Daigo Kagemitsu. Kagemitsu calls him a child of the devil and orders his death, forcing Hyakkimaru to retreat.

Dororo and Sukeroku are locked up with other prisoners of war in a cell built into a rock face. Sukeroku was able to get to the site of his village, of which nothing remains, and concludes that his mother is probably dead too. Dororo notices an opening at the top, large enough for a child to pass through. Sukeroku is unwilling to flee with him, but he holds back the guards while Dororo escapes.

Tahomaru asks his mother Oku about Hyakkimaru, the child sacrificed to the demons, who confirms the matter. Kagemitsu then arrives and wants Tahomaru to understand that he is responsible for the act that has brought prosperity to his fiefdom. Tahomaru questions his word, accusing him of indulging his own ambitions rather than wanting to protect his people. Hyakkimaru then breaks into their home. On seeing him, Oku exclaims, calling him her son. The guards attack him, forcing him to flee again. Tahomaru begs his father to continue trying to kill Hyakkimaru, but Kagemitsu replies that if he is really prepared to spread misfortune throughout their territory, he should break his pact with the demons in the dedicated shrine known as the Pavilion of Hell.

Dororo meets up with Hyakkimaru and informs him of the danger Sukeroku is in. Sukeroku and the other prisoners are taken from their cell and tied to the Banmon wall to be sacrificed, as a declaration of war against the Daigo clan.

The old demon-hunter emerges from the Pavilion of Hell, having seen the large number of demons the lord had vanquished. Along the way he meets Tahomaru, escorted by Hyogo and Mutsu. The demon hunter sees the same aura in the young heir's soul as in Hyakkimaru's. In the shrine, Tahomaru discovers the many split demon statues. A sudden gust of wind pushes them back outside.

Hyakkimaru has told Dororo that it's his family he's met. He seems to relish the prospect of meeting his mother. They then return to Banmon as the battle breaks out between the Asakura and Kagemitsu's army. But as night falls, the fox demons arrive again, causing the Asakura to flee. Amongst Kagemitsu's men, Hyakkimaru sees the soldier who survived the massacre of Mio and the children (see episode 6) but Dororo stops him from killing him. Tahomaru then shows up and, although he does not approve of his father's former actions, he fights Hyakkimaru, believing it is the best thing to do for the people. He duels Hyakkimaru while Dororo goes to free Sukehiro. The fox demon reappears, threatening Dororo and Sukehiro. Hyakkimaru wounds Tahomaru in the eye and leaves to confront the fox demon. The latter disappears into the Banmon wall.
While the old hunter watches from the sidelines, Oku arrives and speaks to Hyakkimaru. She expresses her pity and dismay at the idea of having sacrificed him for their people. She cannot relieve him of his burden, but she wants to share it. So she stabs herself, hoping to bring an offering to the demons. The Banmon wall begins to tremble and collapses, and Kagemitsu withdraws his troops and brings Tahomaru and his son home. Once calm had returned, Sukeroku found his mother, who had hidden in the woods with other villagers.

Dororo and Hyakkimaru set off again.

*Episode 13'*

 Dororo tries to restrain Hyakkimaru, who is redoubling his efforts to hunt down demons, so that he doesn't overwork himself. His mother's voice echoes in his head. They meet other travelers who tell them about a nearby hot spring. Dororo, to convince Hyakkimaru to go there, makes him believe that a monster would have been seen there.

Asakura's army retreated. Daigo Kagemitsu finds that his pact with the demons is not yet broken, with rain falling on his lands.

Behind a waterfall, a woman has kidnapped a man and drags him to a gigantic statue. The sculpture brings its sword down on the captive's face, severing him. The woman looks at the head of the statue, but she does not wear the face of the slain man.

At dusk, Dororo and Hyakkimaru settle into an empty house for the night. Going to look for wood, he discovers the huge statue and meets the woman, who looks exactly like his mother. He brings her to Hyakkimaru who assures her that she is not a demon. The latter introduces herself as Okaka and tells them that they are in her house. But she agrees to host them. In the conversation, Dororo asks him why the statue didn't have a face. Okaka tells him that a sculptor, who had been losing popularity since the era of the samurai, wanted to create a memorable statue. He thus built this statue of Fudo but never succeeded in sculpting the face which would have satisfied him and died.

After dinner, Hyakkimaru immediately falls asleep and Dororo also feels tired. Okaka reveals to him that he drugged them and tells him the rest of the story: the statue was possessed by a demon who resurrected its creator to provide him with a face. The sculptor, who changes appearance depending on who he is dealing with, thus bringing various people to the demon. Okaka thus carries away Hyakkimaru, whose face seems to him to correspond to the expectations of the demon. Dororo comes to her senses and goes to find Okaka and Hyakkimaru. Okaka thought he would have fled. As Dororo tries to stop him, Hyakkimaru wakes up and sees the statue. He begins to fight her. Okaka then tries to impersonate Hyakkimaru's mother, but Hyakkimaru can only see people's souls, so he doesn't let himself be tricked. Dororo then tries to make Okaka realize the harm she has caused by murdering people. Okaka realizes her actions, but the statue's sword swoops down on her. Hyakkimaru annihilates the demon possessing her. Dororo witnesses the last moments of Okaka who breathes his last and disappears.

The next day, Dororo and Hyakkimaru resumed their journey. Hyakkimaru agrees to go to the hot spring. Dororo confesses to him having told him canards but never mind, Hyakkimaru remains on his decision.

The two arrive at the source and relax there. They find the old hunter there by chance, then other villagers come to bathe there. Two children notice a map-like mark on Dororo's back.

*Episode 14'*

After their group was disbanded, Dororo's parents grappled with how to put the amassed fortune they hid away to good use. Hibukuro asked Ojiya to transmit their values ​​to Dororo, so that their child would use them wisely so that their struggle would not be in vain. Ojiya then instructed her to tattoo half of the map leading to the loot on her back, to make sure she couldn't use it for Dororo's sole comfort, and to tattoo the other half on the back of their child.

The old hunter notices that the map on Dororo's back only appears when in contact with heat. Dororo remembers his mother showing him her own tattoo on his back so that he would memorize it, but he's kind of forgotten since then, not having grasped its importance at the time. The old hunter, before leaving, invites them to think about what they will do once the hunt for demons is over, emphasizing that money would guarantee them a prosperous life.

Dororo and Hyakkimaru resume their journey. In the forest, they come across two spirits, that of a woman and that of a child, which Hyakkimaru does not identify as demons. The woman's spirit slips away quickly while that of the child, giant and deformed, grabs Dororo and lugs him around. They end up at the ruins of a burnt temple. Traces of oil litter the ground. As another man approaches, the child's spirit disappears. The newcomer presents himself under the name of Sabame, lord of the place. He invites them to his place in order to prevent them from meeting the demon that would be prowling around. Dororo remains suspicious, while Hyakkimaru senses a faint red trace in Sabame's soul. He offers them board and lodging and explains to them what has happened to the temple. A nun was raising orphans there the hard way and then selling them. But not long ago, a lightning fell on his temple, like a divine punishment. But his tormented spirit would continue to haunt the place.

In the night, Dororo and Hyakkimaru are attacked by a giant caterpillar. Hyakkimaru mortally wounds it, the beast begins to moan and a butterfly demon arrives which takes the caterpillar away.

The butterfly demon then joins Sabame on a hill and takes human form, in the guise of a woman. She then informs him that she couldn't eat the food he brought her, one of the humans is too strong.

*Episode 15'*

The next day, Dororo and Hyakkimaru act as if nothing had happened with Sabame. Dororo goes to meet the villagers while Hyakkimaru intends to observe Sabame.

The inhabitants breathe good humor, but when Dororo mentions the burnt temple, everyone withdraws and no longer speaks to her. On the outskirts, Dororo finds an unguarded barn containing the village's rice supplies. While rummaging around, Dororo finds a trapdoor but some men from the village make her fall into it and lock her up.

Hyakkimaru followed Sabame to an escarpment overlooking the village. He confides in Hyakkimaru that he made a pact with these ghoul butterflies that protected them from bandit ronin after the war was over, in exchange for the right to live on their land.

In the basement of the barn, Dororo runs away from the demonic caterpillars wanting to attack him. The spirit of the child of the temple then comes to save him and the soul of the other children shows him what really happened: Sabame is the one who had the nun killed and the children of the temple were given as food to ghouls.

Outside, ghoul caterpillars complete their metamorphosis and become giant butterflies. They attack Hyakkimaru, who sees in Sabame someone similar to his family. Anger overtakes him and he rushes on the beast. He will be injured and his mechanical leg will break. The butterfly will then attack the village and start a fire.

Dororo joins Hyakkimaru and tells him the truth about Sabame. He also found the oil used to set fire to the temple and spilled it.

The inhabitants begin to panic at the idea of ​​having lost their homes and their food, while Sabame is vexed.

In the evening, Hyakkimaru returns to confront the butterfly and kills it. After the fight, his mechanical spine becomes organic. Dororo is sad to see the plight of the villagers who have lost their village and begins to doubt the validity of their hunt for demons. However, Hyakkimaru refuses to listen to him.

In Daigo Province, Tahomaru, now one-eyed, trains to fight with only one eye to see, which severely incapacitates him.

Hyakkimaru continues on his way when he notices Dororo's absence. The child on his side falls on Itachi who demands to see the map of his back.

*Episode 16'*

Dororo shows his back to Itachi to prove to him that he has no clue concerning the location of the treasure, but the brigand remains convinced that Dororo has at least memorized the map and he takes him away by force.

They ride for several days. One evening while camping, Itachi reveals to Dororo that when he was collaborating with Hibukuro, he had noticed that he was stealing part of their loot discreetly and tried many times in vain to find out where he was going to hide it all. . When their faction was disbanded and Hibukuro was killed, Itachi thought back to his treasure, telling himself that only Ojiya and Dororo could know its location. Itachi found Ojiya's body that Dororo had buried and made a copy of his tattoo on his back.

They end up at the cape of Hakkotsu and go through a hamlet to look for boats to cross. But the place is deserted, ransacked, with traces of massacre. Further on, a boy offers them to rent boats. The thieves get on board and discover that sharks are towing the boats. Their guide explains to them that these two animals are his only family, he called them Saburomaru and Jiromaru. He gave them his own arm as food and then gave the whole hamlet food to his two sharks. Before the brigands react, he whistles his sharks. One overturns one of the two boats and shreds the thieves on it. The second guards the second boat, on which Itachi, Dororo and the rest of his men are to devour them later. The boy fakes their company on Jiromaru's back.

Itachi, who believes that they are finished, confesses to Dororo that the samurais with whom he had rallied had betrayed him and sent him into battle as food for the enemy. He survived with a few men and Hibukuro's treasure remained his last hope. Dororo shakes him off, refusing to let himself be killed. He grabs a rope and dives into the water, in order to attract the shark and be able to kill it. The beast lunges at him, Itachi and his men hoist Dororo out of the water. When Saburomaru comes out of the water following Dororo, Itachi and his men kill him. They can thus reach their destination.

The shark boy discovers Saburomaru's death on the shore of Hakkotsu but Itachi and his men come upon him. They beat him up but Dororo stops him from killing him. Itachi returns to his goal. He undresses Dororo, who was refusing to cooperate, in order to verify that he had no tattoos and discovers that Dororo was actually a girl. However, with their campfire nearby, the tattoo on Dororo's back is revealed. He then makes a reproduction of it, ties Dororo to a tree and goes to find the hidden loot.

Hyakkimaru tries to track down Dororo. He meets a monk who, seeing that he is missing a leg, tells him about a man offering prostheses to the dead.

*Episode 17'*

Hyakkimaru finds Jukai, on an ancient battlefield and he kills demons there. Jukai is moved to see him again after so many years but saddened to see him become so dark. He welcomes her into the cave where he is camping. Hyakkimaru asks him for a new prosthesis for his leg but Jukai channels his haste and offers him dinner first. Hyakkimaru tells him about his contact with his Daigo family and reveals the truth about his birth. Jukai is upset that Hyakkimaru carries such a burden and fears that by raising him, he has only pushed him into a dark life. He then refuses to provide him with a new prosthesis which will allow him to fight again at his ease, but which will only push him further into a world of violence. He cuts off the prosthetic leg he was keeping, lamenting that he didn't know how to save him from his fate. Words that remind Hyakkimaru of those of his mother. Suddenly, a landslide blocks the entrance to the cave.

Oku has recovered from her suicide attempt. Daigo comes to her bedside where she tells him about the Goddess of Mercy statue she had been praying to since they sacrificed Hyakkimaru. The statuette's head had broken off when Hyakkimaru was born, Oku then thought that meant her husband's pact with the demons had worked. But the fact that Hyakkimaru survived gives another meaning to this break, which leads Oku to believe that one of the demons in the pact with Daigo failed to take his part on Hyakkimaru's body, his head inside. occurrence. She envisions that early on the pact was not truly made and fears that the prosperity of their lands is already understood.

Coming out of Oku's room, Daigo is warned by his informant that the child who accompanied Hyakkimaru, Dororo, has been seen in the vicinity.

Tahômaru, accompanied by Hyogo and Mutsu, leaves to chastise a demon who has taken refuge in the residence of a merchant. The three of them kill the rat demoness who was protecting her young and burn down the house to eliminate any threat. A drastic method from Tahômaru which scares Hyogo and Mutsu a little.

Jukai wants to understand why Hyakkimaru is so keen on getting his body back. The young man simply replies that it is because it is his by right. Jukai warns him that he risks becoming the enemy of an entire region and spending the rest of his life alone. Hyakkimaru however replies that he has someone to find. Hyakkimaru clears the way and kills more demons. Hyakkimaru and Jukai wave goodbye. Hyakkimaru makes it clear to Jukai that he considers him a relative before leaving. Jukai, very touched, watches him leave. A dying demon superficially bites his leg before dying.

Tahômaru, commissioned by his father, prepares for a new expedition aimed at eliminating Hyakkimaru.

*Episode 18'*

Hyakkimaru has tracked down Dororo and is sailing towards Cape Hakkotsu.

Itachi and his accomplices go in search of the treasure, leaving Dororo alone tied to a tree. The shark boy finds Jiromaru and urges him to slaughter everyone. The shark eats the corpse of its congener and mutates into a demon. Hyakkimaru arrives in time to save Dororo. He fights Jiromaru and manages to kill him. After that, he recovers his second organic leg and together with Dororo, they leave to find Itachi.

Itachi and his men have found the entrance to the cave where Hibukuro is said to have hidden the treasure, but the entrance is riddled with explosives. Soon after, Tahomaru's expedition reached Hakkotsu in turn. Seeing Itachi's gang, they launch the assault on them. Hyakkimaru is caught by Tahomaru, Hyogo, and Mutsu and fights the three. Itachi embarks Dororo towards the cave but his men are killed one after another by Tahomaru's soldiers. Itachi will also be seriously injured. Dororo grants Itachi's dying wish by carrying him with her to the treasure.

The Shark Boy, in a last-ditch attempt to kill everyone to avenge his two fellow sharks, blows himself up on top of the cliff, causing a landslide. Many of Tahomaru's soldiers are killed.

Dororo and Itachi have found the hidden fortune, Itachi breathes his last. Tahomaru retreats while Hyakkimaru reunites with Dororo. The little girl decides to leave the treasure hidden here, not knowing what to do with it for the moment. She only takes a few ryō and both leave the island.

*Episode 19'*

Hyakkimaru proceeds to rub his forehead on anyone, as a token of appreciation and does so on a horse. Dororo and Hyakkimaru approach a village where the famous blacksmith Munetsuna is said to be, so that he can repair Hyakkimaru's swords. A resident tells them where to find him but he denigrates his talents. The duo go there and meet their daughter Otowa. Hyakkimaru also takes her face to rub his forehead against hers, which surprises her. Dororo tries to make it clear that it's not okay to do that while the young girl has a crush, believing that Hyakkimaru was charming her.

They then meet Munetsuna and have fun with the Hyottoko (blacksmith god) masks he kept hanging on his wall. The austere blacksmith accepts their request and begins by going to purify Hyakkimaru's swords at the temple. A hidden spirit casts a spell on Hyakkimaru without his knowledge.

In the evening, Hyakkimaru begins to say that he no longer needs his katana and intends to stop his journey, leaving Dororo stunned. Hyakkimaru tries to stop himself from speaking. At this time, Otowa joins them in their room to share a dinner. She also claims to want to live with Hyakkimaru, who confirms this. Dororo, even more flabbergasted, begins to wish them happiness. Completely disoriented, Dororo runs away.

The next day, Otowa will announce his engagement with Hyakkimaru to the whole village. Dororo, pissed off, wants to get rid of Hyakkimaru's swords but she comes across Munetsuna. She explains the situation and her incomprehension for the sudden change in behavior of her traveling companion.

The next day, Dororo observes Munetsuna at work, who tells her that he wants to create katanas capable of ending wars rather than starting them. While chatting, Dororo realizes that it was since their time at the temple that she and Hyakkimaru started contradicting each other in unexplained ways. Dororo returns to the temple and discovers the prankster demon. Otowa, who was dragging Hyakkimaru to the temple for their nuptials then arrives. The demon again bewitches Hyakkimaru who goes after Dororo and begins to strangle her. However, Munetsuna comes to knock out the demon, which would be the Amanojaku spirit having thus tormented the whole village. Munetsuna and her daughter seemed to benefit from Hyottoko's protection, which shielded them from the evil one. Otowa then understands that Hyakkimaru was not looking to marry her. She will then clear up the misunderstanding with all the villagers. A man from the village takes the opportunity to declare his love for her and ask her to marry him. Then Munetsuna completes the restoration of Hyakkimaru's swords. Otowa makes up her mind and admits that following them in a fight against the demons would have been beyond her.

*Episode 20'*

Famine and epidemics begin to ravage villages in the province of Daigo. Tahomaru, accompanied by Hyogo and Mutsu, travels through the desolate villages. They wonder if this is the consequence of their failure to kill Hyakkimaru.

Dororo and Hyakkimaru heard about another demon lurking in the forest. Dororo marvels at the shimmering colors of autumn leaves and describes them to Hyakkimaru to imagine their beauty. The latter, unable to see them, listens kindly to the child speaking to him. Dororo for her part is surprised at Hyakkimaru's interest who would have ignored her before.

The duo then meet a man, Saburota, also in search of the demon who killed his mother six months ago.

Meanwhile, Kagemitsu is informed of the movement in the Hell Pavilion, one of the demon statues appears to emit a heartbeat.

Hyakkimaru, Dororo and Saburota find the demon but Saburota turns on Hyakkimaru, he claims to team up with the demon. Hyakkimaru struggles against the backs while protecting Dororo, the commotion causes a landslide.

Dororo finds his arm stuck under some rocks, Hyakkimaru tries to pull him out, but he can't get the rock to move. As he screams in distress, the old demon hunter passing by hears them and comes to help them. He uses his sword like a crowbar to allow Dororo to pull his arm out of the rocks.

Hyakkimaru rushes to find Saburota and the demon to finish the job. The man after the death of his mother, had participated in several expeditions with villagers to kill the demon, but the latter were all killed. This vision ended up giving him a taste for death and he decided to side with the demon.

Saburota tries to stop Hyakkimaru from killing the demon but he ends up devouring himself and fusing with the creature. Hyakkimaru, unleashed, prevails over the demon. Saburota then able to see Hyakkimaru's soul, sees in him the seed of a red hue. Hyakkimaru finishes him and the demon off but he doesn't get any of his body parts back. He tells Dororo that he is going back to Daigo where he thinks he can find the still missing parts of his body.

Tahomaru and his two bodyguards see in the Pavilion of Hell a demon statue splitting and another whose arms light up.

*Episode 21'*

Dororo and Hyakkimaru cross paths with Asakura clan men from Daigo. War between the two clans is imminent. Kagemitsu's informant informs his lord of Hyakkimaru's approach. Tahômaru immediately asks to take care of it and leaves with Hyogo and Mutsu to kill Hyakkimaru. Kagemitsu burns the villages affected by the plague and brings together all the men able to fight for the war against the Asakura.

Dororo tries to talk Hyakkimaru out of going to Daigo just yet, fearing they'll be killed in the war. She also fears that he will pervert to stubbornly go down this path but Hyakkimaru does not understand and replies that he only wants to take back his due. He wants to be able to perceive the world like Dororo, who can no longer find the words to make him change his mind.

Tahomaru and his two bodyguards after the day of travel, camp for the night. Hyogo and Mutsu remember their childhood, after the death of their parents killed by soldiers. They were taken prisoner and it was Lord Kagemitsu who saved them and took them to his home. They grew up alongside Tahomaru and swore loyalty to him.

The next day, Tahomaru and his two bodyguards find Hyakkimaru and engage in combat. Tahomaru's soul still appears pure to Hyakkimaru but he goes into battle. He manages to slice off an arm from Mutsu and Hyogo. Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru pursue a duel when Kagemitsu's spy and right-hand man intervenes. The father of the young heir had ordered him to protect his son. He pushes Hyakkimaru into the ravine trapping him with his mare which he had set explosives to. He administers a sleeping pill to Tahomaru to prevent him from chasing Hyakkimaru and running to certain death and abducts it to use against him. Hyakkimaru, injured, crawls on the ground. It is then that a fallen armor reanimates the remains of the mare in spirit form.

*Episode 22'*

A battle is brewing against Asakura. Jukai spots Tahomaru and his men riding away carrying off Dororo.

Hyakkimaru got up, angry as ever and decided to go save Dororo. The mare turned demon approaches him.

Hyogo and Mutsu receive emergency care and their lives are no longer in danger. Tahomaru, however, discovers that Mutsu is isolated due to her illness becoming increasingly virulent.

Dororo is locked up in the prisons of the Daigo mansion. But Oku comes to make her escape and decides to leave with her, eager to see her son again despite the danger. As they travel by boat on the river, a violent current capsizes them and they fall into the water. Villagers help them further, the old demon hunter having also stopped there. Dororo meets Yahiko and Jiheita, two of the few men who lead a hamlet of survivors of the purges ordered by Kagemitsu. Oku helps them to look after themselves and with daily tasks. Dororo warns Oku that Hyakkimaru is in danger of actually becoming a demon if he is not stopped. Shortly after, the leaders of the camp are informed of the attack of a demon in Nihonmatsu on soldiers who were however prepared for combat.

Hyakkimaru indeed, slaughters the men in his path, riding the demon mare.

Mutsu goes to the Pavilion of Hell to offer his body to the demons there. She hopes to fill in Hyakkimaru's missing body parts to complete the deal with the demons. Tahomaru and Hyogo meet him there to stop him. His request fails, letting him realize that only Hyakkimaru can be suitable for the sacrifice. The demons then awaken.

Hyakkimaru notably kills Kagemitsu's informant who kidnapped Dororo. Further on, he meets Tahomaru, Hyogo and Mutsu again who have each recovered an arm in place of their severed one. Tahomaru for his part has another eye in place of his blinded one and a third on his forehead. Hyakkimaru senses them as his eyes fail him and throws himself into battle against his brother.

*Episode 23'*

Dororo and Oku leave to find the two brothers fighting to death against each other. The old demon hunter accompanies them, while Oku reveals to them that it was because the twelfth demon of the past pact part Kagemitsu failed to devour his part that Hyakkimaru survived his birth.

Meanwhile in the hamlet of war refugees, a colt, the baby of the demon mare, senses his mother's presence and escapes. Yahiko, Jiheita and another pursue the animal. The little one gallops towards his mother, struggling with Mutsu and Hyogo. Tahomaru's two protectors take advantage of this to mortally wound the demonic animal, which uses its last strength to kill them. When they die, Hyakkimaru recovers his arms, while spite and sadness overtakes Tahomaru.

Oku tries to talk to Hyakkimaru but Tahomaru gets in the way. Hyakkimaru flees, pursued by his little brother. As the two continue their struggle, Dororo and Oku expose the situation to the three war refugees. The latter conclude that Hyakkimaru's sacrifice seems necessary however, Oku has changed his mind. This prosperity, built on a demonic pact, cannot be sustainable and must be acquired by themselves to become sustainable. Dororo adds that this involves gaining strength, but the old hunter adds that this quest for power risks leading to evil.

Kagemitsu is informed of the duel between Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru, but he decides not to intervene, having already had a lot to do with the battle against the Asakura.

Tahomaru had the castle evacuated to fight Salt Hyakkimaru there. The latter naturally followed him there and resumed the fight. However, unaccustomed to tight spaces, Hyakkimaru is at a disadvantage. In their fight, they knock over candles which set the building on fire.

Dororo and Oku go there hoping to stop them. Jukai on his side, also wants to find Hyakkimaru.

*Episode 24'*

Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru continue their fratricidal duel. Faced with the relentlessness of his little brother, Hyakkimaru asks him what he could miss when he lived normally, with his family. Tahomaru replies that because of him he lost Hyogo, Mutsu and his mother.

Dororo, Oku and the old hunter arrive near the castle. Oku first goes through a secret passage of his acquaintance to join his sons. She crosses a little more Jukai, who helps her to continue.

Hyakkimaru wins against Tahomaru, who admits he didn't have a chance from the start. Suddenly, the demon awakens within him. In extremis, he tears out the two demonic eyes which return to Hyakkimaru. The twelfth demon of the pact with Kagemitsu appears, Hyakkimaru throws himself on him to eliminate him, while Tahomaru collapses. Oku and Jukai join them, Jukai hands the young man a statuette of the Goddess of Mercy. He then makes him evacuate with Dororo who arrived in turn. Oku and Jukai stay by Tahomaru's side, while the fire, which has spread throughout the castle, destroys everything. Hyakkimaru and Dororo come out through the well. Hyakkimaru, now able to see, raises the beauty of the sky and that of Dororo, surprise and embarrassment then win her.

Kagemitsu for his part repels the Asakura, at the cost of many lives among his people.

Once calm returned, Dororo returned to the hamlet to share her plan with the survivors: to use the money she knows the hiding place to build their own territory, without depending on the samurais.

Hyakkimaru for his part went alone to the Pavilion of Hell. He finds his father there, prostrate. Kagemitsu announces to him that he would be ready to throw him again as food to the demons for his own reign. Hyakkimaru chooses not to kill him. He leaves her the statuette and invites her to live as a human like him, without becoming a demon. Kagemitsu realizes that it may be Hyakkimaru's will to live that the demons coveted. If he had kept it with him and passed on his title, perhaps his territory would have known true prosperity.

Hyakkimaru goes off alone, while Dororo continues her project with Yahiko, Jiheita and the others. The old hunter, Biwamaru, also leaves on his side, convinced that his path will cross again that of these two children.

## Relationship

### Jukai

Jukai is Hyakkimaru's parental guardian after being abandoned by Daigo Kagemitsu. Hyakkimaru was single-handedly raised by Jukai from a newborn to an adolescent and was the first to ever given care towards him. The prostheses built by Jukai had granted Hyakkimaru the ability to move around freely and complete daily needs. However, he soon realized that Hyakkimaru was not born crippled, but in fact, had his body parts stolen by demons. Due to this, Jukai set him off on a journey so as he could regain all of the missing pieces of his body.

Later on, Hyakkimaru was reunited with Jukai soon after being separated from Dororo. Hyakkimaru, who was in an unstable state as his leg prosthetic was severed, temporarily stayed with Jukai to recover. Although Jukai refused to give Hyakkimaru another prosthetic leg fearing that Hyakkimaru will end up suffering from loneliness and became fallacious, Hyakkimaru did not blame nor hold the slightest grudge on him. Rather, Hyakkimaru was grateful for Jukai's selfless deed. Soon Hyakkimaru parted with Jukai, in order to rescue Dororo from Itachi and his men.

### Dororo

Dororo is Hyakkimaru's traveling companion. After saving Dororo from a mud demon, the young child approached Hyakkimaru and began to follow him wherever he went. Due to Dororo's soul which did not indicate a threat, he allowed Dororo to linger around and help him.

As time passed, Hyakkimaru grew fond of Dororo and eventually developed a soft spot for him. Considering Dororo was the 'only friend' Hyakkimaru has, Hyakkimaru values him very much and keeps him by his side at all times. When Dororo is taken or missing, Hyakkimaru strives to bring him back even if it means to put a pause in his mission. The attachment towards Dororo begins to warp Hyakkimaru into killing Daigo's troops when Dororo was captured. Hyakkimaru won't let anyone harm Dororo.

### His Family

After learning the truth from his mother, Hyakkimaru holds an absolute hatred toward almost all of his family and his land. He vowed to kill his father and brother and lay waste to his own birthplace. Lady Nui No Kata, is the only one family member who ever cared for him and treasured him as her greatest gift in contrast to her husband and youngest son.

Unbeknownst to Hyakkimaru, his mother has betrayed her land and other family members for his sake, even her own marriage ties, and saved and sided with Dororo in her search for her son. Hyakkimaru shown sympathy after his mother and brother's deaths. He showed pity when his father passed away from the side-effects. He seems to let go of his hatred toward his family as he is the last one.

### Lord Kagemitsu Daigo

> "*You would feed me to them a second time?*"
> ― Hyakkimaru after regaining his body in full
>
>

Kagemitsu Daigo is Hyakkimaru's father and his archenemy who made the pact with the demons, allowing them to "devour" Hyakkimaru's body. For the prosperity of his land, Daigo cared less about his first son and sacrificed him when the demons had taken pretty much everything from the child. Hyakkimaru oddly recognized his soul to be quite similar to Tahomaru. Later on, after Nui No Kata let him know the truth, he only became aware that his body parts were missing because of Daigo's deal. After the events with Dororo and realizing how much he needs his body, his hatred towards his father, Kagemitsu, grew more potent.

Although father and son, Hyakkimaru would never truly forgive him and would not hesitate to put the samurai lord down in cold blood, even if it meant bringing upon the destruction of his own birthplace and annihilation of his people. After Asura's defeat and Lady Nui and Tahomaru's unfortunate deaths, Hyakkimaru went to the Hall of Hell when his father offered him to do *seppuku* as his *kaishakunin t*o end himself on his own terms, since Kagemitsu is dying from his pact with the demons being broken, causing fatal blood loss. Hyakkimaru let go of his hatred toward his father, however, placing a new statue of the Goddess of Mercy carved by Jukai and letting him pass away.

### Lady Nui No Kata

> "*Mama.*"
> ― Hyakkimaru after witnessing his mother stabbed herself to redeem herself.
>
>

Nui No Kata is Hyakkimaru's beloved mother. Nui No Kata, as a mother felt horrible guilt for not being able to protect her child when Daigo Kagemitsu abandoned him. During the commotion at the Banmon wall, she attempted to sacrifice herself to the demons which she believes could help Hyakkimaru to bear the weight of the prosperity of the land. She also revealed the entire truth behind Hyakkimaru's missing body parts and plead Hyakkimaru for forgiveness. Hyakkimaru did not know much about his mother as he only interacted with her merely for a short while, however, her truthful words seemingly worry him.

In Episode 22, Lady Nui has an unbreakable love for her son as she searched for him but forced to return. She is the only person who can stop Hyakkimaru's rage. After Asura's defeat, Nui hugs Hyakkimaru and apologized for not saving him from his abandonment and that she always loved him. With this love, Hyakkimaru addresses her as "mama". When she died in the collapsing castle, Hyakkimaru showed sympathy for the loss of his mother.

### Lord Tahomaru

> "*He me called a demon*"
> ― Hyakkimaru before fighting him again
>
>

Tahomaru is Hyakkimaru's younger brother and sworn enemy. At first, Hyakkimaru was curious about Tahomaru's presence as it was different compared to others. Later on, he found out that Tahomaru was actually his brother. Hyakkimaru never understood why his brother would fight him until Mutsu enlightened him of Tahomaru's resolve for the land's "peace". Seeing that Tahomaru perceived things the same way as their father Daigo Kagemitsu did, Hyakkimaru grew furious towards his own brother. Although they were siblings, Hyakkimaru would not hesitate to slay Tahomaru and bring the destruction the land of Daigo if he remains headstrong to stop him from regaining his body parts. Tahomaru was furious both when Hyakkimaru cut out his right eye and his servants' arms, hating him even more. When they went to the demon statues, Tahomaru and his servants received Hyakkimaru's eyes and arms to replace their own. Hyakkimaru defeated Tahomaru but did not kill him. They ended their feud then and there when Tahomaru removed his brother's eyes from his head as Asura attempted to possess him using them. After his brother died in the collapsing castle, Hyakkimaru showed sympathy for his death.

### Mio

Mio was Hyakkimaru's first love. Enamored by her melody and kindness for the very first time, Hyakkimaru had fallen in love with the girl and soon confessed his feelings towards her. Before he could fully understand why Mio pushed him aside, Mio was killed by Daigo's men. This led to Hyakkimaru's rage and devastation, and her death left a scar in his heart.

### Biwamaru

Biwamaru is a traveling blind monk who befriended and recognized Hyakkimaru. He advised him to get used to anything when regaining his body parts. After learning that Hyakkimaru killed Lord Kagemitsu's men, Biwamaru tells him to be careful when involved with bad people.

## Power & Abilities

* ***Enhanced Physical Abilities** -*  Due to the side-effects of his father's offering for his body parts to the 48 Demons, Hyakkimaru possesses demonic strength and enchanted senses that help him kill demons and the demonic power that is stronger than normal humans even as a child. This demonic power has kept him alive after when he survives from his abandonment by Kagemitsu during his birth. He is also very agile, able to dodge attacks quickly and position himself. He has immense reflexes to block anything coming toward him such as an arrow. Getting the powers from the help of Midoro, Hyakkimaru became more powerful than before with the red aura consumed through him making him unstoppable and seemingly invulnerable with his powers that hold no equal and that Daigo's troops cannot stand a chance against him even in large number. According to Dororo, his demonic flame inside of him gets gradually stronger, meaning that Hyakkimaru might transform into a "demon" if Dororo and Nui cannot stop him. When presumably become a demon, Hyakkimaru would gain immortality and more invulnerable to all threats and his strength would be more compounded than an ordinary human. The only way to stop this rage is his mother's compassion and love. He also has extraordinary healing factor and regeneration, His wounds heal quicker and his right leg that Arijigoku cut off also regrow in a short period of time after killed the demon. Due to this curse, he doesn't feel anything and the injuries he took are just temporary even from Mutsu's arrow and Tahomaru slashed him even fall from the cliff. No one can stand a chance against him even in large number as Hyakkimaru is more powerful than anyone who would face him.

* ***Soul Sight*** - Although he is born-blind, he can still see the colour of others' souls, which allows him to indicate evil beings. However, after he regained his eyes, Hyakkimaru no longer sees souls anymore.

* ***Telepathy*** (Manga Only) - Before he had his voice, Hyakkimaru used telepathy to communicate with others.

* ***Prosthetic Body*** - Majority of his body are prosthetic, this allows him to prevent any injuries if the blow was hit on his prostheses. His prosthetic parts are mostly weaponized. His arms have swords hidden in them, which he can easily slip them off and fight. His legs are filled with caustic chemicals that are corrosive to demons and monsters (Manga Only). He also has a detachable prosthetic nose that is explosive (Manga Only). All the prostheses were built and given to him by Jukai. However, his mask, prosthetic legs, nose, ears, spine, what's left of his arms and eyes pop off after regaining his body parts. But letting both of his prosthetic arms to be destroyed when fighting Tahomaru and his servants. Hyakkimaru loses these prosthesis as he regains his body.

* ***Sword Proficiency*** - Hyakkimaru had learned swordsmanship when he was a child.  He can wield his swords with ease and cut down enemies swiftly as well as break weapons such as swords, spears and arrows into pieces and cut through armour. He easily defeated his brother, Tahomaru as he slashed his right eye without sustaining any injuries and left a scar on Tahomaru.  However, his blades became rusted and one of them broken when against Tahomaru and his servants until a blacksmith, Munetsuna, fixed and sharpened his blades made them more powerful. His newly forged blades are much more powerful than before when he killed Nue and Saburota. With his newly demonic powers imbued his blades after losing Dororo, Hyakkimaru single handily killed Daigo's entire troops without any difficulty, tearing them to shreds. Even regaining his arms, he can use his blades with his bare hands with great skill. Any humans who would challenge Hyakkimaru would end up being killed by him with nobody able to defeat him, not even his father and brother. He left his blades in Asura's crystal-like heart after slaying it.

## Gallery

### Anime (2019)

Hyakkimaru in the endingHyakkimaru as a newbornHyakki Maruo reference sheet in Young Black JackClose-up portrait of Hyakkimaru.Hyakkimaru with his cloak on.Dororo and Hyakkimaru Episode 24 endcard.Hyakkimaru with his hair downHyakkimaru after recovering all body parts and after a time skip
## Trivia

* When Hyakkimaru saw Dororo for the first time, Dororo looked surprisingly cuter than what he had pictured in mind.
* Hyakkimaru made an appearance in Young Black Jack, which he is an alternate character named Hyakki Maruo who is a doctor that lost all four of his limbs.
* Hyakkimaru's name in kanji (百鬼丸), when directly translated to English, means "Hundred Demon Circle".

## References

1. ↑ Dororo Anime (2019), Episode 5
2. ↑ Dororo Original Manga Volume 3, Chapter: The Cruel Cape, Page 81
3. ↑ Dororo Anime (2019), Episode 3
4. ↑ Dororo Anime (2019), Episode 12
5. ↑ Dororo Original Manga Volume 1, Chapter: The Possessed Sword, Page 304