Magatsu, Taito
Summary
Taito Magatsu stands among the elite swordsmen of the Ittō-ryū, distinguishing himself as a kenshi, a warrior who hails from the peasant class rather than the samurai aristocracy. His journey into the sword began with a desire for vengeance after a samurai murdered his sister during his childhood. He is one of the rare few individuals to have survived an encounter with Manji, and later fought alongside him. His personal life was marked by tragedy when Shira killed his lover, a prostitute named O-ren, prompting Taito to leave the Ittō-ryū, though he maintained his friendship with Anotsu. Driven by the knowledge that Shira was hunting Manji, Taito began to follow the protagonist. Despite their frequent arguments, the two developed a relatively amicable bond. Ultimately, Manji permitted Taito to confront Shira, allowing him to take the man who had killed O-ren. During their duel, Taito severed Shira’s remaining hand, leading to the man’s presumed death by falling. Later, prompted by something Shira had said, Taito sought out Anotsu and eventually returned to the Ittō-ryū. He wields a unique gladius-like triple-sectioned sword called Grand Turk, which notably lacks a guard. The weapon consists of a main gladius blade, a shorter sword concealed within the handle, and a spear-head dagger hidden inside the second blade. Taito first appears in the Conquest part 1 and is first named in Fanatic part 1.
