Vagabond

バガボンド

Manga9.3174561 votes37 volumes · 327 chaptersOn Hiatus

ActionAdventureAward WinningHistoricalSamuraiSeinen

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About this title

Synopsis

In 16th-century Japan, Shinmen Takezou is a wild, rough young man in both his appearance and his actions. His aggressive nature has won him the collective reproach and fear of his village, leading him and his best friend, Matahachi Honiden, to run away in search of something grander than provincial life. The pair enlist in the Toyotomi army, yearning for glory—but when the Toyotomi suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tokugawa Clan at the Battle of Sekigahara, the friends barely make it out alive. After the two are separated, Shinmen returns home on a self-appointed mission to notify the Hon'iden family of Matahachi's survival. He instead finds himself a wanted criminal, framed for his friend's supposed murder based on his history of violence. Upon being captured, he is strung up on a tree and left to die. An itinerant monk, the distinguished Takuan Soho, takes pity on the "devil child," secretly freeing Shinmen and christening him with a new name to avoid pursuit by the authorities: Musashi Miyamoto. Vagabond is the fictitious retelling of the life of one of Japan's most renowned swordsmen, the "Sword Saint" Musashi Miyamoto—his rise from a swordsman with no desire other than to become "Invincible Under the Heavens" to an enlightened warrior who slowly learns of the importance of close friends, self-reflection, and life itself. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Publication notes

Vagabond won the Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Grand Prize and the 24th Kodansha Manga Award in the General category in 2000. The series won the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2002 and has had over 82 million copies sold worldwide. Vagabond was published in English by VIZ Media under the VIZ Signature imprint from April 5, 2002, to April 21, 2015, and in large 3-in-1 omnibuses under the VIZBIG imprint from September 16, 2008, to April 21, 2015. The English release got Takehiko Inoue a nomination for the Eisner Award in the Best Writer/Artist category in 2003. It was also published in Brazilian Portuguese by Panini Comics from February 2016 to February 2019.

Published

Sep 3, 1998 to May 21, 2015

Authors

External links

MyAnimeList page Official Site Wikipedia Wikipedia

MAL rank: #3
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Main characters

Musashi Miyamoto19836 fan favorites
External profile
Miyamoto Musashi (1584 – 1645) or Shinmen Takezo (his birth name) at a very young age embarked on a journey to become the strongest samurai only after being exiled from his own village. Musashi is the son of a samurai family, whose father was one of the most renowned samurai across the nation. One of the foremost reasons that drives Musashi to excel in sword-fighting is his desire to overcome his father due to the harsh treatment Musashi received during his childhood because of his incapability of rebelling. Musashi is unique in terms of his sword skill due to the unfamiliar movements and lack of style he uses. This is due to the fact that he spent most of his time in the forest labeled as a demon child by his village because of his demeaning and wicked nature. No voice actors have been added to this character. Help improve our database by searching for a voice actor, and adding this character to their roles .
Kojirou Sasaki3074 fan favorites
External profile
The legendary archrival of Miyamoto Musashi. Raised by Kanemaki Jisai, after he is found as a baby in casket, floating on the ocean. He develops an intense attachment to swords and fencing at an early age, possessing an almost preternatural ability to react to his opponents' moves. Kojirou is deaf and mute, though still literate. His personality is very playful, almost child-like. Ittousai has also commented on the possibility that Kojirou's eyes have become better developed to compensate for his lack of hearing. Kojirou is renowned for his "Tsubame Gaeshi" (Turning Swallow Cut) technique, inspired by the movement of a swallow in flight. No voice actors have been added to this character. Help improve our database by searching for a voice actor, and adding this character to their roles .
Matahachi Honiden317 fan favorites
External profile
Hedonist and childhood friend of Musashi. Assumes Sasaki Kojiro's identity after a dying Tenki entrusts Kojiro's swordsmanship certificates to him. Later, after coming into contact with the genuine Kojiro, begins to identify himself as Sasaki Koujiro, an interpreter for Kojiro, the real Kojiro being deaf. He later becomes estranged from Musashi after a tense reunion, Matahachi displaying an intense jealousy to Musashi. No voice actors have been added to this character. Help improve our database by searching for a voice actor, and adding this character to their roles .