Ishikawa XIII, Goemon

Seiyuu / Dub

Corsetti, Sérgio· Japanese

Ho, Danny· Japanese

Inoue, Makio· Japanese

Kobayashi, Osamu· Japanese

Kováts, Dániel· Japanese

Laffey, Luiz· Japanese

Lin, Ku Chen· Japanese

Namikawa, Daisuke· Japanese

Naya, Gorou· Japanese

Ootsuka, Chikao· Japanese

Reinhardt, Peter· Japanese

Ribeiro, Eduardo· Japanese

Summary

As the thirteenth generation of the renegade samurai lineage descended from the legendary Ishikawa Goemon, this character in his mid-twenties to early thirties wields the Zantetsuken, an "iron-cutting sword" capable of slicing through nearly any material. He typically uses this weapon on inanimate objects, which he deems unworthy of his blade, often muttering "once again, I have cut a worthless object" after the target disintegrates seconds later. While he admitted in the TV series that the sword cannot cut konnyaku because the blade gets stuck, it generally slices through steel, cars, and even bullets. A master of Kenjutsu, Battōjutsu, Jujutsu, Aikido, and Karate, Goemon prefers incapacitating foes by destroying their weapons and clothes rather than killing them, reacting to this non-lethal efficiency by lamenting that he has cut an "unworthy object." Goemon possesses an extreme sense of pride and feels deep shame when he fails, such as when Zantetsuken breaks during a battle with Flinch in The Mystery of Mamo, or when his sword is stolen by a woman in Memories of the Flame: Tokyo Crisis. In such instances, he often departs to meditate or train to overcome his weaknesses. He strictly adheres to Japanese culture, dressing in a hakama and fundoshi with long, uneven hair, and eating only Japanese cuisine. A believer in Buddhism and Shinto, he favors sake over champagne and is often seen smoking a kiseru under a Sugegasa hat. Despite his fearsome reputation, he exhibits boyish shyness and blushes when confronted by attractive women, including his fiancée Murasaki Suminawa in The Plot of the Fuma Clan. His primary pastime is meditation, from which he remains deeply focused even under threat. He also enjoys fishing, noh theater, enka jazz, and martial arts competitions. Though usually aloof, he occasionally explodes with frustration or screams in fright, moments treated as humorous deviations. His greatest weakness is his susceptibility to women; he readily trusts innocent-looking women, which frequently leads to trouble, such as when a cult leader stole his money in $1 Money Wars. He is also poor with finances and falls for scams promising enlightenment, often charging Lupin for his services. While known as a samurai, an episode of the second TV series reveals he trained under an Iga ninja sensei, explaining his acceptance of thievery despite his samurai code.

Summary

Anime Appearances