Takezo Kensei

Takezo Kensei
First mentioned	Godsend
In-story stats
Known ability	None
Formal name	Takezo Kensei / Takezo Kensai
Gender
Date of birth	1584
Home	Japan
Occupation	Samurai swordsman

At the Museum of Natural History, Hiro begins a quest to find a sword that belonged to Takezo Kensei, a great Japanese swordsman who reportedly became a great leader when he obtained the sword.

About

Godsend

Hiro tells Ando about the sword Takezo used. He says that it focused his energy and made him a hero. People everywhere feared him.

The Fix

Hiro tells Ando that the sword focused Kensei's powers.

Distractions

Hiro tells his father that he is on a quest to find Takezo Kensei's sword. Mr. Nakamura regrets telling a youthful Hiro stories about the fabled samurai.

Parasite

Hiro types Kensei's name into the computer at Linderman's archives to retrieve the sword. When the curator asks Hiro if he knows to whom the sword belonged, Hiro says it belonged to Takezo Kensei. "He was a hero."

Memorable Quotes

"Takezo Kensai. My father used to tell me stories about him before bed. He was a wild savage with great power. All of Japan feared him. Until one day he found a sacred sword, frozen in the snow. From the moment Kensai held it, it focused all his strength. He said the sword let him control his power. And so he became a great leader. A hero."

- Hiro Nakamura

Notes

• The Museum of Natural History lists the man's name as Kensei. When Hiro speaks about him, his name is spelled Kensai. Because the name has been anglicized from Japanese, there is no "correct" spelling.
• According to Michael Green, the fictional Takezo Kensei is based on various legends, including the real figure of Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645)[1]. He is believed to have been one of the most skilled swordsmen in history and is considered as the greatest samurai. Prior to adulthood was known simply as Takezo Shinmen. After his death, various legends began to appear. Most talk about his feats in kenjutsu and other martial arts, some describing how he was able to hurl men over 5 feet backwards, other about his speed and technique. Other legends tell of how Musashi killed giant lizards in Echizen, as well as Nues in various other prefectures. He gained the stature of Kensei, a "sword saint" for his mastery in swordsmanship. Some believed he could run at super-human speed, walk on air, water and even fly through the clouds. Musashi wrote Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings) in 1645. It is a treatise on sword fighting, martial arts, and military strategy.
• Some fans have noted that Future Hiro sports a similar look as Takezo Kensei's — they both wear a "soul patch" and a ponytail.

Gallery

• 
  Hiro retards time at the Museum of Natural History to take Takezo Kensei's sword.
• 
  Hiro and Ando stumble upon Takezo Kensei's armor at the museum.
• 
  Takezo Kensei's sword has the Symbol on its hilt.
• 
  Miyamoto Musashi, possibly the basis for Takezo Kensei, was a fierce sword fighter.
• 
  A tapestry...
• 
  ...shows a close-up of Takezo Kensei's face.

External Links

• Miyamoto Musashi at Wikipedia
• Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings) by Miyamoto Musashi - as translated by Victor Harris (Full text online)
• Miyamoto Musashi at Samurai Archives - a brief biography, with references.