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I, 4th Six Paths, would like to give those who visit the Jigokuraku wiki for information on the series my sincerest apologizes regarding the information concerning Gabimaru's real name. It has been years and because of my careless action some of you have already spread this misinformation on social media and other forms of news. I can't tell you how embarrassing and disgraceful as a supporter of Jigokuraku this makes me feel and will vow to do better. As for the other information from the fanbook and novels, I can assure you that they are all correct after going back to check but if you find any errors please let me know as soon as possible. Ever since I became admin of the wiki I have strived everyday to make it great for the series, even if it meant doing it alone, and hope that you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me.

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Yamada Asaemon Shugen ( (やま) () (あさ) () (もん) (しゅ) (げん) ) is a minor antagonist of Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku. He was the Yamada clan's 2nd rank Asaemon and a previous Assistant Instructor.

After the shogun became impatient of the first team acquiring the Elixir of Life on Kotaku, Shugen became the de facto leader of a second team sent to acquire the elixir. Upon landing on the island and finding evidence of his Asaemon allies dead, Shugen ordered the team to eliminate the surviving criminals and any monsters they found on sight.

Appearance[]

Shugen had chin-length hair with bangs that frame the sides of his face and slight hints of shadow below his eyes. His attire differed from the standard uniform of an Asaemon, being that he was clad in black due to wearing a black robe and hakama, instead of the standard white, and wore a matching colored kataginu.

After his confrontation with Rien, Shugen lost his right arm up to his elbow. Shugen also received burned marks to his face after recklessly charging towards Rien to attack while she was set on fire by Gabimaru's fire ninjutsu.

Gallery[]

Personality[]

Shugen crying

Shugen crying after having thought about one of his Yamada clansmen.

Shugen was very dignified and diligent in his duties as an executioner and took great pride in being an Asaemon. He cared greatly for his Yamada clansmen, having spent his years with them and being taught what they know, which was reflected in his abilities. He greatly expressed his concern for their safety on the island and vowed to bring them back home no matter what the means were. Furthermore, Shugen had a tendency to become emotional whenever he thought about his comrades. Even though the Yamada clan view women as inferior of becoming an executioner, Shugen was one of the rare few who do not believe in this belief as he vouched for Sagiri's qualifications in receiving a ranking and also did not think ill of Isuzu. It seemed that the only member he had a low opinion of was Jikka, who acted as his complete opposite, and did not take it lightly when he did not conduct himself in a dignified manner. Nevertheless, Shugen referred to him properly as his senior. Among his clan members, Shugen showed the most concern for Eizen, who was the one who took him in when he was young and promised to oversee his maturity as a Yamada Asaemon. After finding his corpse, Shugen broke down into tears and took the time to lay his soul to rest with a prayer.

Shugen greatly despised all criminals and truly believed that they are evil no matter who they are. At a young age, Shugen could not understand the Yamada clan's way of thinking when executing criminals and believed that they should all deserve a painful death. He believed that it was pointless to task the criminals from the vanguard party to retrieve the Elixir of Life and expressed his concern of the thought of one of the assigned criminals completing the mission and receiving the pardon, stating that it would leave him with nightmares. He also did not place his trust in the Iwagakure ninja and viewed them no better than criminals as well. Shugen's disdain towards criminals originated from the time his parents were killed by a murderer and sought revenge against the killer by executing them.

Such unpleasantness could not be avoided. Your execution alone would not stop your wicked ways from being carried on by your relations. The blame in such cases lies not only with the corrupt soul of a single man but also with the environment that produced him.
— Shugen's words to the boss of the Silver Serpent yakuza group.[1]


The Silver Serpent Incident

Even if they are an infant, Shugen shows no mercy to anyone who are connected to criminals.

Shugen believed in order of all things in the world; the order in which those who abide by the law are to be protected while those who break them should be punished without mercy. As an executioner, Shugen had shown a great display of mercilessness when performing his duties. A great example is when he executed the captured underlings of the Silver Serpent yakuza group in order for their boss to reveal the remaining members that were not arrested and execute them as well. However, despite completing the task he was given, Shugen did not feel that justice had truly been fulfilled and moved towards executing the entire families of each member, showing no mercy in killing men and women, young or old, to infants. Although he was merciless in his duties, Shugen showed what little sympathy he had prior to executing the boss, shedding tears in hoping that he, along with the rest he executed, became righteous in the afterlife. Shion noted that no matter how critical the situation was Shugen would not stoop so low as to ally himself with criminals or allow any Asaemon to ally themselves with criminals as well, even going so far as to state that his arrival on the island only made matters worse rather than good for the allied leftover criminals and Asaemons of the vanguard. Isuzu also vouched for this when she explained to Sagiri that Shugen places this brand of justice above his own desires, which was proven true when he cut down Fuchi who protected Gantetsusai from his wrath despite the years they spent together as comrades. Despite this betrayal, Shugen still thought of Fuchi as a comrade and ordered the Iwagakure shinobi to help him if he was still alive as he made his way to Hōrai's floodgates.

After finding the corpse of his fallen mentor, Shugen unleashed his ruthless, cruel nature and developed a more vengeful attitude, shedding a single tear of blood and furiously declared that he would kill every living thing on the island. He also became more violent and sadistic as he slowly carved away at a Dōshi until he told him everything he needed to know about the island. As they continue to travel the island and find the death of two more Asaemon, Jikka took note at how Shugen was acting more psychotic after resorting to using the whistle the Dōshi had earlier to summon the Monshin and carry them to Hōrai.

Relationships[]

Yamada Clan[]

Yamada Asaemon Eizen[]

Yamada Asaemon Jikka[]

Yamada Asaemon Genji[]

Yamada Asaemon Fuchi[]

Yamada Asaemon Tenza[]

Yamada Asaemon Sagiri[]

Yamada Asaemon Isuzu[]

Yamada Asaemon Kiyomaru[]

Enemies[]

Criminals[]

Kotaku's Monsters[]

History[]

Past[]

Shugen was born as an only child and lived in a large shop owned by his parents. While still sound asleep one night, Shugen's parents were murdered after a young man broke in and robbed the shop.[2] After finding about his parents' murder at the hands of a criminal, a young Shugen went into a state of depression and started to develop a disdain towards those who commit illegal actions. Wanting to seek revenge for the yet to be captured criminal who took his parents away from him, Shugen ended up at the doorsteps of the Yamada clan and was looked after by Yamada Asaemon Eizen who had promised to be there for him to see that he learned the ways of the clan. Blinded by his anger and resentment towards his parents' killer, Shugen failed to get along with the members of the clan and focused his time on seeking out the murderer in his neighborhood, believing that it could very well be the same murderer who killed his parents. However, after Eizen and other clan members came to rescue him from the murderer who caught and beaten him up severely, Shugen came to see the Yamada clan as his new family and swore to protect everyone who gathered under its roof.[3] After he was certain he was accepted, Shugen devoted himself to learning all that he could from his clan members, leading to him earning his name as a Yamada Asaemon, the position of second rank as a potential candidate to become the clan's next head, and being recognized by his peers as being the strongest member within the clan, with quite a few members willing to become his followers. Some time ago, Shugen felt that Sagiri was qualified for a ranking and begged for his superiors to consider in giving her one.

During one of his duties as an executioner, Shugen executed the captured members of the Silver Serpent yakuza group in order for their boss to reveal the remaining members hidden within the Castle Town. After successfully executing all twenty members of the group, Shugen moved towards executing the families of each member, with the shogun present, while having the boss watch in horror before executing him last. This event caused Shugen to have an infamous reputation but also caught the approval of the shogun who rewarded him with a sword named Fuributsu Kaneki and ceremonial clothing.

Lord Tensen Arc[]

Main article: Lord Tensen Arc
The other Asaemon

Shugen and the other Asaemon prepare to depart to Kotaku.

Shugen sits next to Yamada Asaemon Jikka as he explains to the officials how he managed to return from the island. After angering them, Shugen apologizes for Jikka's behavior. They overlook this incident and explains to them the next course of action written in the shogun's message, which is to send out another team of Asaemon to the island. Once they were done discussing matters, Shugen scolds Jikka's behavior but is met with disrespect by the senior Asaemon, causing him to become furious and speaks bluntly that he can not tolerate his attitude. After Jikka apologizes, he wonders if there were any more criminals to send. Shugen informs him that the shogun has hired shinobi from Iwagakure instead of criminals and says that he will also be joining the next team as ordered by their leader, Yamada Asaemon Kichiji. He then sheds a tear after realizing that Eizen has failed to report back to him and becomes worried of his other fellow Asaemon members. A worker then comes up to Jikka asking what they should do with the giant monster head he had killed and brought back. Shugen gets close to the monster's head but the worker warns him that it may still be alive. However, Shugen says that the monster was dead after sensing no waves of life force. He then meets up with two additional allies and tells them that the four of them shall make preparations to depart to the island.

After departing the next day, Shugen thinks that Aoki is feeling uncomfortable with the ninjas presence and informs him that he can correct this. Aoki then becomes concerned with Kiyomaru and Isuzu being unranked Asaemon and wonders if they where capable of handling the mission. Shugen tells Aoki that despite not having a ranking they are skilled enough to handle themselves while also including Jikka, saying that he was adequate and declares that they will be determined to help his clansmen on the island. He then watches as one of the ninjas kills himself after being given the order by Kiyomaru to prove his loyalty and is approached by Kiyomaru asking if they can truly trust them. Shugen tells him that he never trust them to begin with and views them no better than criminals. He then expresses his resolve to kill the criminals on the island so that his clan members can return home. However, after being asked if they were already dead, Shugen becomes angry at the thought and tears up hoping that they are safe.

Shugen finds Eizen's body

Shugen emotionally breaks down after discovering Eizen's corpse.

After the landing party arrives on Kotaku, Shugen encounters a group of Sōshin and defends the team by fighting them barehanded. Once he quickly dealt with the monsters, Isuzu and Kiyomaru come to his aid but Shugen reassures them that as their senior he will take on the responsibility of taking care of lesser matters like fighting the monsters. Jikka becomes pleased to hear this but Shugen reminds him that he is his senior. As he proceeded to continue on with the mission, Shugen shockingly comes across the corpse of Yamada Asaemon Eizen and breaks down into tears. Feeling to distraught over the death of his master, Shugen uses his time to lay Eizen's soul to rest with a prayer before agreeing to continue on with the mission. While praying, the group fights off a horde of Monshin commanded by a Dōshi to attack them.

Shugen angry

Shugen declares vengeance upon everything living on the island.

After finishing with his prayer, Shugen cuts the leg off a Monshin that attempted to attack him from behind and uses its shakujō to chip away continuously at his blade. He then declares in anger that he will exact his revenge by killing every living thing on the island. Shugen manages to quickly defeat the Dōshi commanding the Monshin and attempts to extract information from him about the island by carving away at his head until he answers all his questions. Jikka tries to reason with him by saying that they should return home, however, Shugen angrily scolds Jikka, saying that under no circumstances are they allowed to return to the mainland. After being calmed down by Isuzu, Shugen apologizes to Jikka but demands that the Dōshi provide him with information he needed. One of the ninja then comes up to Shugen suggesting that the ninja handle this matter since they specialize in interrogation and torture.

Hōrai Arc[]

Main article: Hōrai Arc
The Treasure Barge departs

Shugen commanding the Monshin to transport him and the Asaemon to Hōrai.

While traveling to Hōrai, Shugen becomes furious after the ninja reveals to him evidence of Tenza's and Genji's deaths. Shugen then decides to use the Horse Flute used by the Dōshi to call upon the Monshin. Once the Monshin were summoned, Shugen orders them to quickly transport him and the Asaemon to Hōrai.

Upon arriving in Hōrai, the Monshin breach the walls of the palace, allowing Shugen's team to enter. Shugen commands the ninja to confront and eliminate the convicts but spare the Yamada Asaemon. Shugen then charges forward as an army of Dōshi advances to attack the intruders but are all taken down by Shugen who warns the others that the Dōshi's tandens are their weakness.

Gantetsusai and Shugen clash

Shugen clashes with Gantetsusai.

Shortly after, Shugen finds Yamada Asaemon Fuchi and demands an explanation from him as to why his criminal, Tamiya Gantetsusai, hands are untied. He then senses Gantetsusai's "blood lust" and silences him while he hears Fuchi's reason, who explains that the Yamada Asaemon had no other choice but to ally with criminals to survive the dangers of the island. Shugen accepts this excuse and tells Fuchi that he no longer has to cooperate with Gantetsusai since he is here and ask that he execute him before joining his side. Fuchi refuses Shugen's order, saying that the time for crime and punishment will have to come later after they escape the island. After noticing how the missing tsuba on his sword was used as Gantetsusai's eyepatch, Shugen becomes shocked and angry seeing as how Fuchi mistreated his Asaemon soul. Shugen then clashes swords with Gantetsusai after he insults the Yamada clan. Shugen loses his footing but regains it after imitating Kishō and blocks Gantetsusai's next attack. He then begins to tell Gantetsusai about the memories he had with Yamada Asaemon Genji and releases the same strength Genji possessed to push Gantetsusai back. Recalling Gantetsusai's insult earlier, Shugen challenges him and states that he will use the power of all the Yamada Asaemons. Shugen gains the upper hand in his fight with Gantetsusai by using the skills of Genji and Kishō with his swordplay and prepares to deliver the final blow after bringing Gantetsusai to his knees.

Shugen cuts Fuchi

Shugen slashes Fuchi.

However, Fuchi blocks Shugen's attack and tells him that despite Gantetsusai being a criminal he is not "evil" as he makes him out to be and also says that he does not wish to see more people die. Shugen ceases the assault on his blade and sees that Fuchi's caring side for others has not changed since the day they met. However, Shugen forces himself to cut Fuchi, saying that he wields his sword for the sake of the world. Gantetsusai tells Shugen that he is insane for cutting down one of his comrades. Shugen replies that what he did was determination and says that he is prepared to execute him. However, Shugen becomes distracted with the changing of the layout after Zhu Jin's fusion with the Banko. After bringing his attention back to Gantetsusai, Shugen sees that the criminal and Fuchi's bodies are covered in flowers. He then receives notice from a group of shinobi that Rien is preparing to leave the island and is handed the captured Elixir of Life. Before leaving Shugen orders the shinobi to kill Gantetsusai underneath the flower bed if he is still alive while sparing Fuchi if he also alive.

Departure Arc[]

Main article: Departure Arc
Shugen loses his arm

Shugen loses his arm to Rien.

As he races towards the underground floodgates to halt Rien's escape, Shugen senses something ominous about the Elixir of Life and decides to taste test it for poison before the time came to hand it over to his superiors. He then concluded that it was safe to consume. Later, Shugen manages to arrive on time to the floodgates, gets on board Rien's burning ship, and attacks the Tensen. Shugen strikes at Rien's tanden but finds out that it did not have any effect due to him not possessing Wood Tao and is punctured from the chest by Rien's Tao attack. Luckily, Shugen finds that he was slightly protected by Tenza's metal headband, which he was happy to know, and tries another attempt at attacking Rien using his skill replication of the Yamada Asaemon. After mimicking Shion, Shugen lands an effective strike on Rien, with the Tensen discovering that Shugen is capable of altering his Tao attribute. Shugen then sees the flames rising from the ships after Rien decides to put their full attention on him and unexpectedly has his right arm severed by Rien in their Yin form wielding a feathered fan. He is then quickly defeated by the Tensen and is left onboard unconscious and severely injured.

Shugen reacts to the elixir

Shugen feeling the effects of the Elixir of Life.

Shugen soon wakes up from his unconscious state and sees Gantetsusai standing in front of him who wishes to avenge Fuchi. Shugen manages to block Gantetsusai's sword attack but is unable to fight properly due to his body taking too much damage. However, Shugen refuses to give up due to his pride as a samurai, which causes Gantetsusai to angrily beat him barehanded, stating that it was the same pride that caused him to kill Fuchi. After getting back up and grabbing back his sword from the fire, Shugen cauterizes his right arm to heal his injury and does a few practice swings with his left arm. After managing to quickly adjust to wielding his sword using the knowledge Fuchi gave him in the past about the human body, Shugen lectures Gantetsusai about his duty as a samurai to protect all he holds dear in the Yamada clan and that he has abandoned sentimentality. After stating his conviction, Shugen senses that the Elixir of Life has started to take its effects on his body. He once again fights Gantetsusai but unexpectedly sees him kneel shortly after and hear him explain why he became known as the Blade Dragon. Shugen then becomes shocked to see the burning ship damaged after Gantetsusai unleashes a powerful slash with his sword. This action causes Rien to step outside and confront the two men in anger. With his job of slowing down the ship in time for the survivors to reach it completely, Gantetsusai prepares to leave but tells both Shugen and Rien that someone stronger than him will be on the ship to defeat them, which turns out to be Gabimaru who jumps on board and approach the two individuals.

Gabimaru vs Shugen vs Rien

Shugen battling both Gabimaru and Rien.

After announcing his resolve to fight for both the world and for the Yamada clan, Shugen engages in battle against both Gabimaru and Rien. However, both men soon realize that they are outmatched by Rien's power. Shortly after, Shugen sees Isuzu and Kiyomaru boarding the ship along with the other survivors from the vanguard. While Shugen's wounds is tended by Isuzu and Kiyomaru, the survivors fight against Rien but are caught victim to her Tao illusion. Shugen then becomes one of the few to witness Rien enter her Kishikai. After Sagiri's attack on Rien's tanden failed, Shugen jumps in to move her out of the way of Rien's Tao manipulation and orders Isuzu and Kiyomaru to move the criminals to the other ship since he did not want the monster to take away the Yamada clan's task of executing them. However, Rien unleashes her power upon the humans by dismantling the exterior of the ship, which resulted in the death of Kiyomaru. Shugen then bares witness to Isuzu being killed right in front of him by Rien. Fueled by blind rage, Shugen rushes towards Rien to try and attack while Gabimaru tries to incinerate her but is also caught in the fire as well. Though he was badly injured from Gabimaru's flames, Shugen pushes himself to continue fighting, since he desires to make Isuzu and Kiyomaru proud by carrying out his clan's duty, and orders Sagiri to return to the other ship after noticing how she has lost her resolve to fight due to doubt. Though this was the case, Shugen hears Sagiri boldly speak about how her imperfections are what forms her and senses her Tao reacting as a result.

Shugen slashes Jofuku

Shugen unleashing his final attack to destroy Jofuku's corpse.

After she manages to help in Gabimaru's recovery, Shugen watches as Sagiri and Gabimaru fight alongside each other against Rien and starts to see Sagiri in a new light as she holds her own against the monster. In an attempt to create an opening for Sagiri to destroy Rien's tanden, Gabimaru targets Jofuku's gilded body in order to weaken Rien's Tao after she becomes stricken with anger. However, Gabimaru becomes hesitant after realizing that, like his relationship with Yui, Rien and Jofuku are a married couple. Shugen then comes in to finish the task with complete devotion to his duties and cuts Jofuku's body in half with a powerful Tao-imbued sword slash. As a result of overexerting too much of his Tao, Shugen passes out with the right side of his face crumbled away and dies.

Abilities and Powers[]

Shugen was viewed by his peers as being the strongest Asaemon in the Yamada clan. Being the second ranked Asaemon, Shugen's suitability for becoming the next head of the clan rivalled that of his mentor, Eizen. After arriving on Kotaku, Shugen was capable of single-handedly defeat a group of Sōshin without the use of his sword and easily cut down a Monshin with no signs of worrying. He was also able to defeat a Dōshi, students of Lord Tensen who are well-versed at using Tao than any human. Furthermore, Shugen was able to overwhelm Gantetsusai, a powerfully well-known swordsmen, and almost came close to slaying him. Ultimately, Shugen became one of the few humans in 1,000 years to survive and escape the horrendous ordeals that Kotaku had to offer, such as the monsters and the members of Lord Tensen.

Physical Abilities[]

Shugen kills a Soshin

Shugen sends a Sōshin's head flying.

Shugen possessed impressive physical strength, being able to break the leg of a large Sōshin and effortlessly lift its arms when it was trying to hold on to him. Combined with his knowledge of anatomy and his ability to sense Tao, Shugen was able to fight barehanded against a group of Sōshin and easily defeat them without a single scratch. Using his copying ability, Shugen could further increase his strength to match that of Yamada Asaemon Genji's, which was capable enough to overpower the likes of Gantetsusai. Shugen had also shown to have great endurance to pain as he kept his composure after his right arm was severed by Rien. His reflexes were also great enough to dodge a Tao attack directed at him by Rien.

Kenjutsu[]

Further information: Tameshi Ittō-ryū
Shugen beheading the Doshi

Shugen beheading multiple Dōshi.

Shugen was known to have great skill and knowledge in swordsmanship than any other member in the Yamada clan. As an Asaemon, Shugen was capable of decapitating his victims with a single cut of his sword. After chipping away at his blade, Shugen was able to execute cuts modeled after the execution method known as Sawing ( (のこ) () き, Nokogiribiki), where he would carve away at his opponent if they refused to answer his questions as a means of interrogation. During the raid in Hōrai, Shugen gracefully beheaded every Dōshi while they were riding on horses. By applying his mimicry of every skill of the ranked Yamada Asaemons to his swordsmanship, Shugen was able to best Gantetsusai, an incredibly strong and highly experienced master in swordsmanship, and bring him to his knees. Using his knowledge of the human body imparted to him by Fuchi, Shugen made a remarkable feat of quickly adapting to wielding his sword with his left arm, after his right arm was cut off by Rien, in only a matter of seconds.

Techniques[]

  • Tameshi Ittō-ryū: Kabutowari — Genji Bājon ( (ためし) (いっ) (とう) (りゅう)   (かぶと) (わり) (げん) () 追悼 (バージョン) , Literal meaning: One Sword School Test Cutting: Helmet Splitter — Genji Version): Shugen brings out enough strength in his wrists to equal that of Yamada Asaemon Genji's and applies a huge amount of force to his sword when clashed with another, causing his opponent to fall forward. This is called Ittō-ryū School: Helmsplitter Genji Style in the Viz Manga.
  • Tameshi Ittō-ryū: Kabutōchi — Genji Bājon ( (ためし) (いっ) (とう) (りゅう)   (かぶと) (うち) (げん) () 追悼 (バージョン) , Literal meaning: One Sword School Test Cutting: Helmet Drop — Genji Version): Shugen brings out enough strength in his wrists to equal that of Yamada Asaemon Genji's and applies force to a single swing of his sword. This is called Ittō-ryū School: Helm Divest Genji Style in the Viz Manga.
  • Tameshi Ittō-ryū Gaiden: Shunjin no Tsuki — Senta Bājon ( (ためし) (いっ) (とう) (りゅう)   (がい) (でん) (しゅん) (じん) () (せん) () 追悼 (バージョン) , Literal meaning: One Sword School Test Cutting Gaiden: Excellent Swift Thrust — Senta Version): Shugen uses Senta's style of swordsmanship to rapidly pierce his opponent from a distance while adding more force behind his blade. This is called Ittō-ryū School Gaiden: Swift Thrust — Senta Style in the Viz Manga.

Tao[]

Further information: Tao

Shugen possessed Water-attribute Tao and was capable of using it. With its use, Shugen could sense the presence of others, the movements and weak spots of his opponents, and enhance his physical attacks, which included imbuing his sword.

Skill Replication and Attribute Alteration[]

Shugen copying Genji and Kisho

Shugen fighting as both Genji and Kishō against Gantetsusai.

Having spent his time carefully analyzing the ranked Yamada Asaemons personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, Shugen became able to copy their unique abilities as if his opponent was actually fighting the ranked Asaemon he chose to emulate. Fuchi characterizes this ability as being akin to possession where it seems as though Shugen is being taken over by the Yamada Asaemon he chooses to fight as. After Shugen chose to fight as Genji, Gantetsusai had a look of confusion as if he was clashing swords with someone else. By switching in and out of each skill he uses, Shugen's opponents became overwhelmed as if they were actually fighting more than one Yamada Asaemon. In addition, not only could Shugen use their talents to their fullest, but he could also compensate for any weaknesses they may have by applying his own skill.

As confirmed by Rien, Shugen's clear grasp of his clansmen strengths and weaknesses did not just merely allow him to copy their abilities but also inexplicably allowed him to transform his Tao attribute to match theirs exactly, thereby making him suitable to fight against Flower Tao users other than those who had Fire Tao. Even a Tao master such as Rien never thought such an ability could be possible.

Yamada Asaemons[]
  • Yamada Asaemon Genji ( (やま) () (あさ) () (もん) (げん) () ): Shugen was able to replicate Yamada Asaemon Genji's monstrous wrist strength in his swordsmanship. In his fight against Gantetsusai, Shugen was able to beat him in a feat of strength when they clashed swords, causing him to be pushed back a good distance and fall down from the weight. By adding fluidity with this ability, Shugen improved upon Genji's swordplay. Gantetsusai had also taken note that the pure raw power prevented him from counterattacking even if Shugen was left with plenty of openings.
  • Yamada Asaemon Kishō ( (やま) () (あさ) () (もん) () (しょう) ): Shugen was able to replicate Yamada Asaemon Kishō's calm mentality to foresee incoming attacks as if he had saw a moment into the future, allowing him to avoid them and deliver a counterattack. Due to his attribute alteration ability, it was also possibly for Shugen to replicate Kishō's Earth-attribute Tao.
  • Yamada Asaemon Senta ( (やま) () (あさ) () (もん) (せん) () ): Shugen was able to replicate Yamada Asaemon Senta's swordsmanship where he extended his arm to perform thrusting and cutting attacks. Shugen used this ability to fight at mid-range from the monsters created by the Zhu Jin-fused Banko to avoid being turned into flowers. By adding twisting force behind his attacks to make them more destructive, Shugen improved upon Senta's swordplay.
  • Yamada Asaemon Tenza ( (やま) () (あさ) () (もん) (てん) () ): Shugen was able to replicate Yamada Asaemon Tenza's fast swordsmanship. Due to his attribute alteration ability, it was also possibly for Shugen to replicate Tenza's Fire-attribute Tao.
  • Yamada Asaemon Shion ( (やま) () (あさ) () (もん) () (おん) ): Shugen was able to replicate Yamada Asaemon Shion's swordsmanship, as well as his Wood-attribute Tao.
  • Yamada Asaemon Fuchi ( (やま) () (あさ) () (もん) () () ): Shugen was able to replicate Yamada Asaemon Fuchi's agile movements. Due to his attribute alteration ability, it was also possibly for Shugen to replicate Fuchi's Metal-attribute Tao.

Flower Tao[]

After test tasting the Elixir of Life for poison, Shugen acquired the healing abilities of Flower Tao. However, due to only consuming, and spitting out, a small sample of the elixir, Shugen's healing factor was much weaker than most Flower Tao users since his wounds took longer to heal themselves, rather than instantaneously, and could not regenerate any lost limbs. The effects also did not automatically activate until later on. Upon awakening the power, Shugen's cauterized right arm healed itself without him being aware. His resistance to pain had been heighten, as he was able to continue fighting Rien even after his body was heavily scarred by Gabimaru's fire ninjutsu.

Intelligence[]

Shugen possessed knowledge taught to him by a few of his fellow clansmen, such as Fuchi's understanding of anatomy and the workings behind Tao from Shion. These two studies combined allowed Shugen to easily defeat his opponents in a fight even without the use of his sword.

Weapons[]

Fuributsu Kaneki

Shugen's sword: Fuributsu Kaneki.

Having impressed the shogun, Shugen was given the named blade, Fuributsu Kaneki. After arriving in Kotaku, Shugen acquired the Horse Flute that was previously owned by a Dōshi he defeated. He later used it to call out the Monshin from their nest to have them carry him and the Asaemon to Hōrai.

Creation and Conception[]

Shugen's Concepts

Shugen's early concepts.

In one of his interviews, when asked about whether or not the characters' inner thoughts were reflected on their designs, Kaku mentioned that the one that left the biggest impression in that sense was Shugen. He also added that it was difficult to come up with a design that would match his strong personality, as he was meant to look like he was the main character and was going to be older at first. Through trial and error, Kaku came up with the design the readers are currently familiar with.

Trivia[]

  • Shugen ranked 15th in the manga's 1st Character Popularity Poll.
  • In chapter 2, a silhouette of a person bearing resemblance to Shugen can be seen in Sagiri's flashback.
  • Up until Chapter 56, Shugen initially wore the standard white robe of an Asaemon but was later redesigned to wearing a black robe. This suggests that this adds to Shugen's hatred towards criminals since the white robe is meant to symbolize the Yamada Asaemon's sorrow for criminals as they execute them.
  • Though not confirmed by the author, Shugen can be suspected to suffer from a condition known as haemolacria.
  • Shugen possesses dark lines under his eyes due to insomnia when he was a child, as his parents' death left him traumatized with nightmares whenever he fell asleep.[4]
  • Shugen was the only known Tao user that possessed, and was capable of using, more than one elemental attribute.
  • According to the Q&A of Kaitai Shinsho, Kaku stated that he does not have a favorite character in Jigokuraku he could choose from but felt a strong emotional attachment towards Shugen in particular, though he adds that he did not approve of his ideology.[5]
  • Shugen's characterization can be likened to the protogonist of the famous Japanese folklore "Momotaro (桃太郎)". The author said in one of the interviews, before his assistant did not know Shugen's name, he was codenamed Momotaro in a nod to their striking similarities.
  • Top 8 popular male characters according to the Jigokuraku Kaitai Shinsho Q&A:
Shugen > Tōma > Jikka > Eizen > Tenza > Fuchi > Shion > Kishō
  • Yamada clansmen's sake tolerance:
Strong — Shugen > Shion > Fuchi > Genji > Eizen > Tenza >> Kishō > Jikka — Weak (Cannot drink: Sagiri and Senta)[6]
  • Shugen shares a few similarities with Gabimaru:
    • Both of their parents have been killed by someone who they are acquainted with in their place of residency. (Iwagakure Chief and Yamada Asaemon Jikka)
    • Both had an inability to sleep at night.
    • Both are the strongest in their organization and became infamous after killing a group of people.
    • Both have been rewarded by their superiors for their services. (Shugen being rewarded with ceremonial clothing and Fuributsu Kaneki by the shogun, while Gabimaru was rewarded with marriage to Yui by his chief)
    • Both have comrades who respect and admire them dearly. (Shija and Yamada Asaemon Isuzu and Yamada Asaemon Kiyomaru)
    • Both have killed a fellow comrade who they have known for a long time. (Shija and Yamada Asaemon Fuchi)
    • Both are clad in black clothing.
    • Both are capable of using Tao and acquired the healing power of Flower Tao.
    • Both are well acquainted with Sagiri.
    • Both have escaped Kotaku.

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