Ayamaro is a character from the anime Samurai 7 who begins the series as the powerful magistrate of the city of Kōgakyo. He is a stocky man with pale skin, long thin blond hair, a mustache and short beard, typically dressed in a yellow aristocrat's uniform. As a self-made merchant who rose to wealth and influence, he represents the established merchant class that governs the city's affairs.

In terms of personality, Ayamaro embodies the typical merchant-ruler archetype. He is pragmatic, materialistic, and deeply concerned with maintaining social hierarchies and his own status. This is starkly illustrated when his adopted son Ukyo becomes infatuated with a peasant girl named Kirara. Rather than showing concern for Ukyo's feelings, Ayamaro coldly orders his right-hand man, Tessai, to kill her, stating that it would remind Ukyo of his proper place as a merchant who should not fraternize with lower classes. This reveals a character who values order, commerce, and class distinctions above personal relationships or compassion.

Ayamaro's primary role in the story is as an antagonist in the early episodes and a representative of the corrupt authority that the samurai oppose. When an imperial envoy is assassinated in his mansion, he places a bounty on all samurai in the city in an attempt to capture the culprit. His failure to find the murderer leads to him being stripped of his title, which is then granted to Ukyo, and he is summoned to the capital to face judgment.

His relationship with Ukyo is central to his character arc. As the adoptive father, Ayamaro raised Ukyo and taught him the ways of commerce. However, their dynamic shifts dramatically when Ukyo murders the emperor and declares himself the new ruler. In a moment of dark irony, the pupil surpasses the master in ruthlessness. Ukyo shows a degree of mercy by not executing Ayamaro for his failures, instead demoting him to the position of inspector of items at the warehouse. This demotion forces Ayamaro to witness the consequences of his own teachings and methods turned against him.

A significant development occurs when Ayamaro is forced to flee for his life. His former bodyguard Tessai advises him to escape, as Ukyo no longer has any use for him. During his flight, he is surrounded by assassins but is saved by the samurai Kyuzo, who was once in his employ. Desperate for protection, Ayamaro follows Kyuzo and eventually takes refuge with the samurai's group at the Firefly Inn. This marks a profound fall from grace for a man who once commanded the entire city. At the inn, he faces the humiliation of being asked to help with physical labor, admitting that as an aristocrat he does not even know how to boil water. This experience, while difficult, begins his transformation.

By the end of the series, after the samurai have destroyed the capital and Ukyo's forces, Ayamaro is seen living among the Shikimoribito, the lower-class workers. He is shown supervising a construction project, appearing genuinely happier than he ever was as a wealthy merchant. This final state suggests that his complete loss of status and power ultimately led to a more authentic and contented existence, free from the pressures and corruptions of his former life.

Notable abilities associated with Ayamaro are not physical or combative. His strengths lie entirely in commerce, administration, and political maneuvering. He is skilled in the ways of business and governance, having built his fortune and position through these talents. He taught these skills to Ukyo, who would eventually use them to far more devastating effect. In a world of samurai and bandits, Ayamaro's power is that of wealth and authority, not of the sword.