(no subject)
"I did think of you as a beautiful little bird... but rather, you were of the lion type... I thought I had a talent for analyzing women... but I guess I need more training in both fields..."
Sasaki Kojirou (also known as Ganryū Kojirou) (1585? - April 13, 1612) was a prominent Japanese swordsman, born in the Fukui Prefecture, from the Sengoku and early Edo period. He is most remembered for his death while battling Miyamoto Musashi in 1612.
He went by the fighting name of Ganryū (Large Rock Flow), which was also the name of the kenjutsu school he had founded. It is said that Kojirou studied the Chūjō-ryu style of sword fighting from either Kanemaki Jisai or Toda Seigen. Toda Seigen was a master of the kodachi. If Kojirou had indeed learned Chūjō-ryu from Seigen, he would have been his master's sparring partner. Due to his master's use of the kodachi, Kojirou used a nodachi, or a long katana, against him, therefore eventually excelling in its use. It was after defeating his master's younger brother that he left and founded the Ganryū. The first reliable account of his life states that in 1610, because of the fame of his school and his many successful duels, including once when he fended off three opponents with a tessen, Kojirou was honored by Lord Hosokawa Tadaoki as the chief weapons master of the Hosokawa fief north of Kyūshū. Sasaki later became skilled in the wielding of a nōdachi, and used one he called The Monoshoshi Zao which translates to "The Laundry-Drying Pole" as his main weapon.
The Duel
Sasaki Kojirou engaged Miyamoto Musashi on the shores of Ganryū Island. Note that in this rendering, Musashi is using two bokken.Sasaki Kojirou was a long-time rival of Musashi Miyamoto, and is considered the most challenging opponent Musashi ever faced. There are a number of accounts of the duel, varying in most details except the essentials, such as Kojirou's defeat.
The age of Kojirou is especially uncertain - the Nitenki says that during his childhood, he
“ ...received the instruction of Toda Seigen, a master of the school of the short sword, and having been the partner of his master, he excelled him in the wielding of the long sword. After having defeated his master's younger brother he left him to travel in various provinces. There he founded his own school, which was called Ganryu. ”
The Nitenki's account initially seems trustworthy, until it goes on to give the age of Kojirou at the time of the duel as 18 years old; it is known that two years earlier he had been a head weapons master for a fief - but then that would imply he had reached such a position at the age of 16, which is extremely improbable. A further complication is that Toda Seigen died in the 1590s. This unreliability of the sources means Kojirou's age could have varied anywhere from his 20s from to as late as his 50s. Even worse, a number of scholars contend that identifying Seigen as Kojirou's teacher is a mistake, and that he was actually trained by a student of Seigen's, Kanemaki Jisai. Apparently, the young (at the time, around 29 years old) Musashi heard of Kojirou's fame and asked Lord Hosokawa Tadaoki (through the intermediary of Nagaoka Sado Okinaga, a principal vassal of Hosokawa) to arrange a duel. Hosokawa assented, and set the time and place as 13 April 1612, on the comparatively remote island of Ganryujima of Funashima (the strait between Honshū and Kyūshū). The match was probably set in such a remote place because by this time Kojirou had acquired many students and disciples, and had Kojirou lost, they would probably have attempted to kill Musashi.
According to the legend, Musashi arrived more than three hours late, and goaded Kojirou by taunting him. When Kojirou attacked, his blow came as close as to sever Musashi's chonmage. He came close to victory several times until, supposedly blinded by the sunset behind Musashi, Musashi struck him on the skull with his oversized bokken (wooden sword), which was over 90 centimeters long. Musashi supposedly fashioned the long bokken, a type called a suburitō due to its above-average length, by shaving down the spare oar of the boat in which he arrived at the duel with his wakizashi (the wood was very hard). Musashi had been late for the duel on purpose in order to psychologically unnerve his opponent (a tactic used by him on previous occasions, such as during his series of duels with the Yoshioka swordsmen). Another version of the legend recounts that when Musashi finally arrived, Kojirou shouted insults at him, but Musashi just smiled. Angered even further, Kojirou leapt into combat, blinded by rage. Kojirou attempted his famous Tsubame Gaeshi which translates to the "swallow's blade" or "swallow cut," (Swallow Reversal in F/SN terms) but Musashi's oversized bokken hit Kojirou first, causing him to fall down; before Kojirou could finish his swallow cut, Musashi smashed Kojirou's left rib, puncturing his lungs and killing him. Musashi then hastily retreated to his boat and sailed away. This was Musashi's last fatal duel.
Among other things, this conventional account (drawn from the Nitenki, Kensetsu, and Yoshida Seiken's account), has some problems. Would Musashi only prepare his bokuto while going to the duel site? Could he even have prepared it in time, working the hard wood with his wakizashi? Would that work not have tired him as well? Further, why was the island then renamed after Kojirou, and not Musashi? Other texts completely omit the "late arrival" portion of the story, or change the sequence of actions altogether. Harada Mukashi and a few other scholars believe that Kojirou was actually assassinated by Musashi and his students - the Sasaki clan apparently was a political obstacle to Lord Hosokawa, and defeating Kojirou would be a political setback to his religious and political foes.
The debate still rages today as to whether or not Musashi cheated in order to win that fateful duel or merely used the environment to his advantage. Another theory is that Musashi timed the hour of his arrival to match the turning of the tide. He expected to be pursued by Sasaki's supporters in the event of a victory. The tide carried him to the island then it turned by the time the fight ended. Musashi immediately jumped back in his boat and his flight was thus helped by the tide.
Assassin has no identity, though he masquerades as the mythical Japanese swordsman, Sasaki Kojirou. Both in the real world and in this story, despite renown for his nimble footwork and mastery of kenjutsu, Kojirou is most famous for his death at the hands of Musashi Miyamoto, although some historians question whether Kojirou existed at all. Although he is mentioned in government records, there is discrepancy about his age, and Musashi does not mention a swordsman named Kojirou in any of his writings. In Fate/stay night, the profile of Kojirou in the modern era is an invention, a blend of details from the lives of many nameless and forgotten historical swordsmen. Assassin, a nameless wraith who shared similarities with the legend, assumed the appearance and skills of Kojirou upon his summoning.
Noble Phantasm
Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Reversal)
Type: Anti-Unit
Assassin does not possess a Noble Phantasm, though Tsubame Gaeshi is equivalent in power to one. It is an attack that bends the laws of physics to cause what is known as a Dimensional Refraction Phenomenon, which consists of three unavoidable, simultaneous strikes from different directions. Unlike the techniques of other Servants, Tsubame Gaeshi requires no additional Mana beyond what Assassin needs to move, although a level foundation is necessary to ensure perfect execution. The name honors a technique of Sasaki Kojirou, who was said to be able to cut down a swallow in mid-flight.
The sword he uses, the Monohoshi Zao, is just an ordinary blade but since it's in the hands of a Servant, it can still cause damage since the case is that anything else would be an exception since conventional weaponry (swords, guns, explosives, miracles of science, etc.) wouldn't harm Servants at all since a healing factor would come into play instantaneous. Images of what the sword looks like are here and here while his posture to perform the Tsubame Gaeshi is like this so if you see an icon like that, chances are that it's going to happen.
Roles in Fate/
He was summoned by Caster as a guardian and watchmen for the front gate of the Ryudoji Temple. As an improper servant, Assassin is entirely dependent on Caster for mana and cannot move freely beyond the grounds of Ryudoji. Furthermore, he lacks most of the usual parameters and abilities granted to his class. Because of his limited status, Assassin cares little for the Holy Grail, and outside of his duties to Caster, he only seeks to enjoy a decent sword fight. In the Fate scenario, Assassin drives back Saber during her first assault on the Ryudoji Temple. During their second meeting (anime only), he allows Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka to pass in order to engage Saber in a duel in which he is defeated. During Unlimited Blade Works, Saber and Assassin do cross blades once again at the Ryudoji Temple (with of course Saber winning but it's noted that Assassin would die anyway and he'd wished to cross blades with Saber since that is his true wish out of the Holy Grail War... to fight with a Servant that is.) while Rin and Shirou go to face Gilgamesh and rescue Shinji. In Heaven's Feel, Assassin's flesh serves as Zouken Matou's catalyst for summoning True Assassin.
In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Assassin remains bound to the Ryudoji temple, and continues to watch over its front portal even though peace has settled over Fuyuki City. He converses with whoever is nice enough to climb up the steps to see him. When Avenger makes his move, Assassins fights the dog-shadows right beside his Master, Caster.
Stats
Master: Caster
Alightment: Neutral Evil
Noble Phantasm: N/A
Strength: C
Endurance: E
Agility: A+
Mana: E
Luck: A
--
Sex: Male
Height: 176 cm (5'7")
Weight: 63 kg (138 lbs)
Presence Concealment: D
Transparency: B+
Knowledge of Foremost Harmony: B
Eye of the Mind (Fake): A
Color: Cobalt Blue
Talents: Swordsmanship
Likes: Nature's beauty
Dislikes: Nothing
Nemesis: Zouken Matou, Sakura Matou
Abilities
Presence Concealment
Rank: D
Hides one's presence as a Servant. Suitable for spying.
Transparency
Rank: B+
Clear and serene. A barrier that nullifies mental intervention. Since he is not an assassin, he cannot use the Assassin Ability, Presence Concealment, but he can conceal his presence as a master of Martial Arts.
Knowledge of Foremost Harmony
Rank: B
A special ability that prevents reduction of the effectiveness of an attack, no matter how many times it is used on the same opponent. Attacks will not be perceived by the opponent.
Eye of the Mind (Fake)
Rank: A
Resistance to changes of visibility caused by visual interferences. Also called the sixth sense, or prescience; an innate talent to sense danger.
Assassin in action
Although I don't have any animated scenes on me from the anime or the game, the closest thing I can show is the way he is played in the fighting game, Fate/Unlimited Codes. Not to mention you can hear his voice too if you haven't played the visual novel.
Sources and References
Wikipedia for Sasaki Kojirou's legend.
Type-Moon Wikia
Fate/Stay Night game for screenshots.
Youtube
... yes, I am a faggot but at least it wasn't as bad as my Gilgamesh one.
Sasaki Kojirou (also known as Ganryū Kojirou) (1585? - April 13, 1612) was a prominent Japanese swordsman, born in the Fukui Prefecture, from the Sengoku and early Edo period. He is most remembered for his death while battling Miyamoto Musashi in 1612.
He went by the fighting name of Ganryū (Large Rock Flow), which was also the name of the kenjutsu school he had founded. It is said that Kojirou studied the Chūjō-ryu style of sword fighting from either Kanemaki Jisai or Toda Seigen. Toda Seigen was a master of the kodachi. If Kojirou had indeed learned Chūjō-ryu from Seigen, he would have been his master's sparring partner. Due to his master's use of the kodachi, Kojirou used a nodachi, or a long katana, against him, therefore eventually excelling in its use. It was after defeating his master's younger brother that he left and founded the Ganryū. The first reliable account of his life states that in 1610, because of the fame of his school and his many successful duels, including once when he fended off three opponents with a tessen, Kojirou was honored by Lord Hosokawa Tadaoki as the chief weapons master of the Hosokawa fief north of Kyūshū. Sasaki later became skilled in the wielding of a nōdachi, and used one he called The Monoshoshi Zao which translates to "The Laundry-Drying Pole" as his main weapon.
The Duel
Sasaki Kojirou engaged Miyamoto Musashi on the shores of Ganryū Island. Note that in this rendering, Musashi is using two bokken.Sasaki Kojirou was a long-time rival of Musashi Miyamoto, and is considered the most challenging opponent Musashi ever faced. There are a number of accounts of the duel, varying in most details except the essentials, such as Kojirou's defeat.
The age of Kojirou is especially uncertain - the Nitenki says that during his childhood, he
“ ...received the instruction of Toda Seigen, a master of the school of the short sword, and having been the partner of his master, he excelled him in the wielding of the long sword. After having defeated his master's younger brother he left him to travel in various provinces. There he founded his own school, which was called Ganryu. ”
The Nitenki's account initially seems trustworthy, until it goes on to give the age of Kojirou at the time of the duel as 18 years old; it is known that two years earlier he had been a head weapons master for a fief - but then that would imply he had reached such a position at the age of 16, which is extremely improbable. A further complication is that Toda Seigen died in the 1590s. This unreliability of the sources means Kojirou's age could have varied anywhere from his 20s from to as late as his 50s. Even worse, a number of scholars contend that identifying Seigen as Kojirou's teacher is a mistake, and that he was actually trained by a student of Seigen's, Kanemaki Jisai. Apparently, the young (at the time, around 29 years old) Musashi heard of Kojirou's fame and asked Lord Hosokawa Tadaoki (through the intermediary of Nagaoka Sado Okinaga, a principal vassal of Hosokawa) to arrange a duel. Hosokawa assented, and set the time and place as 13 April 1612, on the comparatively remote island of Ganryujima of Funashima (the strait between Honshū and Kyūshū). The match was probably set in such a remote place because by this time Kojirou had acquired many students and disciples, and had Kojirou lost, they would probably have attempted to kill Musashi.
According to the legend, Musashi arrived more than three hours late, and goaded Kojirou by taunting him. When Kojirou attacked, his blow came as close as to sever Musashi's chonmage. He came close to victory several times until, supposedly blinded by the sunset behind Musashi, Musashi struck him on the skull with his oversized bokken (wooden sword), which was over 90 centimeters long. Musashi supposedly fashioned the long bokken, a type called a suburitō due to its above-average length, by shaving down the spare oar of the boat in which he arrived at the duel with his wakizashi (the wood was very hard). Musashi had been late for the duel on purpose in order to psychologically unnerve his opponent (a tactic used by him on previous occasions, such as during his series of duels with the Yoshioka swordsmen). Another version of the legend recounts that when Musashi finally arrived, Kojirou shouted insults at him, but Musashi just smiled. Angered even further, Kojirou leapt into combat, blinded by rage. Kojirou attempted his famous Tsubame Gaeshi which translates to the "swallow's blade" or "swallow cut," (Swallow Reversal in F/SN terms) but Musashi's oversized bokken hit Kojirou first, causing him to fall down; before Kojirou could finish his swallow cut, Musashi smashed Kojirou's left rib, puncturing his lungs and killing him. Musashi then hastily retreated to his boat and sailed away. This was Musashi's last fatal duel.
Among other things, this conventional account (drawn from the Nitenki, Kensetsu, and Yoshida Seiken's account), has some problems. Would Musashi only prepare his bokuto while going to the duel site? Could he even have prepared it in time, working the hard wood with his wakizashi? Would that work not have tired him as well? Further, why was the island then renamed after Kojirou, and not Musashi? Other texts completely omit the "late arrival" portion of the story, or change the sequence of actions altogether. Harada Mukashi and a few other scholars believe that Kojirou was actually assassinated by Musashi and his students - the Sasaki clan apparently was a political obstacle to Lord Hosokawa, and defeating Kojirou would be a political setback to his religious and political foes.
The debate still rages today as to whether or not Musashi cheated in order to win that fateful duel or merely used the environment to his advantage. Another theory is that Musashi timed the hour of his arrival to match the turning of the tide. He expected to be pursued by Sasaki's supporters in the event of a victory. The tide carried him to the island then it turned by the time the fight ended. Musashi immediately jumped back in his boat and his flight was thus helped by the tide.
Assassin has no identity, though he masquerades as the mythical Japanese swordsman, Sasaki Kojirou. Both in the real world and in this story, despite renown for his nimble footwork and mastery of kenjutsu, Kojirou is most famous for his death at the hands of Musashi Miyamoto, although some historians question whether Kojirou existed at all. Although he is mentioned in government records, there is discrepancy about his age, and Musashi does not mention a swordsman named Kojirou in any of his writings. In Fate/stay night, the profile of Kojirou in the modern era is an invention, a blend of details from the lives of many nameless and forgotten historical swordsmen. Assassin, a nameless wraith who shared similarities with the legend, assumed the appearance and skills of Kojirou upon his summoning.
Noble Phantasm
Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Reversal)
Type: Anti-Unit
Assassin does not possess a Noble Phantasm, though Tsubame Gaeshi is equivalent in power to one. It is an attack that bends the laws of physics to cause what is known as a Dimensional Refraction Phenomenon, which consists of three unavoidable, simultaneous strikes from different directions. Unlike the techniques of other Servants, Tsubame Gaeshi requires no additional Mana beyond what Assassin needs to move, although a level foundation is necessary to ensure perfect execution. The name honors a technique of Sasaki Kojirou, who was said to be able to cut down a swallow in mid-flight.
The sword he uses, the Monohoshi Zao, is just an ordinary blade but since it's in the hands of a Servant, it can still cause damage since the case is that anything else would be an exception since conventional weaponry (swords, guns, explosives, miracles of science, etc.) wouldn't harm Servants at all since a healing factor would come into play instantaneous. Images of what the sword looks like are here and here while his posture to perform the Tsubame Gaeshi is like this so if you see an icon like that, chances are that it's going to happen.
Roles in Fate/
He was summoned by Caster as a guardian and watchmen for the front gate of the Ryudoji Temple. As an improper servant, Assassin is entirely dependent on Caster for mana and cannot move freely beyond the grounds of Ryudoji. Furthermore, he lacks most of the usual parameters and abilities granted to his class. Because of his limited status, Assassin cares little for the Holy Grail, and outside of his duties to Caster, he only seeks to enjoy a decent sword fight. In the Fate scenario, Assassin drives back Saber during her first assault on the Ryudoji Temple. During their second meeting (anime only), he allows Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka to pass in order to engage Saber in a duel in which he is defeated. During Unlimited Blade Works, Saber and Assassin do cross blades once again at the Ryudoji Temple (with of course Saber winning but it's noted that Assassin would die anyway and he'd wished to cross blades with Saber since that is his true wish out of the Holy Grail War... to fight with a Servant that is.) while Rin and Shirou go to face Gilgamesh and rescue Shinji. In Heaven's Feel, Assassin's flesh serves as Zouken Matou's catalyst for summoning True Assassin.
In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Assassin remains bound to the Ryudoji temple, and continues to watch over its front portal even though peace has settled over Fuyuki City. He converses with whoever is nice enough to climb up the steps to see him. When Avenger makes his move, Assassins fights the dog-shadows right beside his Master, Caster.
Stats
Master: Caster
Alightment: Neutral Evil
Noble Phantasm: N/A
Strength: C
Endurance: E
Agility: A+
Mana: E
Luck: A
--
Sex: Male
Height: 176 cm (5'7")
Weight: 63 kg (138 lbs)
Presence Concealment: D
Transparency: B+
Knowledge of Foremost Harmony: B
Eye of the Mind (Fake): A
Color: Cobalt Blue
Talents: Swordsmanship
Likes: Nature's beauty
Dislikes: Nothing
Nemesis: Zouken Matou, Sakura Matou
Abilities
Presence Concealment
Rank: D
Hides one's presence as a Servant. Suitable for spying.
Transparency
Rank: B+
Clear and serene. A barrier that nullifies mental intervention. Since he is not an assassin, he cannot use the Assassin Ability, Presence Concealment, but he can conceal his presence as a master of Martial Arts.
Knowledge of Foremost Harmony
Rank: B
A special ability that prevents reduction of the effectiveness of an attack, no matter how many times it is used on the same opponent. Attacks will not be perceived by the opponent.
Eye of the Mind (Fake)
Rank: A
Resistance to changes of visibility caused by visual interferences. Also called the sixth sense, or prescience; an innate talent to sense danger.
Assassin in action
Although I don't have any animated scenes on me from the anime or the game, the closest thing I can show is the way he is played in the fighting game, Fate/Unlimited Codes. Not to mention you can hear his voice too if you haven't played the visual novel.
Click to view
Sources and References
Wikipedia for Sasaki Kojirou's legend.
Type-Moon Wikia
Fate/Stay Night game for screenshots.
Youtube
... yes, I am a faggot but at least it wasn't as bad as my Gilgamesh one.