TV-Series
Description
Ashura Doji, also known by his alias Shutenmaru, is a towering and powerfully built samurai from Wano Country. His physical appearance is striking and intentionally demonic, featuring light pink hair tied into a topknot, three horns protruding from his head, and red skin, which draws heavily from traditional Japanese oni folklore. He typically wears a kimono decorated with flower patterns and has floral tattoos on his arms and upper chest. In his youth, he was a notorious and violent criminal in the lawless region of Kuri, where he was feared by all and earned the epithet the Strongest Monster of Kuri.
His entire life changed upon encountering Kozuki Oden, the daimyo who sought to bring peace to Kuri. Ashura Doji eagerly awaited Oden's arrival and engaged him in a fierce battle that lasted an entire day, only to be defeated. Instead of punishing him, Oden offered him a chance at a different life, and Ashura Doji chose to pledge his absolute loyalty, becoming one of Oden's most trusted retainers and a core member of the group that would later be known as the Nine Red Scabbards. Under Oden's guidance, he underwent rigorous training and education alongside his comrades, including Kin'emon and Denjiro, to become an honorable warrior. He was present for Oden's final, desperate assault on Kaido twenty years ago and was there when Oden was executed, even enduring the hour-long ordeal of being held over a pot of boiling oil alongside his lord.
In the two decades following Oden's death, Ashura Doji's personality underwent a drastic and bitter transformation. Devastated by the loss of his lord and, more tragically, by witnessing a group of his own impatient allies march to their deaths in a futile attack on Kaido, he lost all hope. He abandoned his identity as a retainer, reverted to a life of crime, and adopted the alias Shutenmaru, becoming the leader of the Mt. Atama Thieves. In this state, he appeared cynical, nihilistic, and aggressive, stealing from both the tyrannical shogun Orochi and the impoverished citizens of Wano, seemingly caring only for himself and his immediate band of thieves. Despite this hardened exterior, he harbored a hidden compassion, particularly for the people of Ebisu Town who were forced to smile due to the effects of the SMILE fruits, and his despair was a mask for deep-seated grief.
His role in the story becomes pivotal when the remaining Scabbards, having traveled from the past, seek him out as an ally for the rebellion against Kaido. He initially refuses to rejoin them, claiming he never swore loyalty to the entire Kozuki family, only to Oden himself. The turning point occurs when he witnesses the public execution of Shimotsuki Yasuie, a beloved figure and former daimyo. Deeply moved by Yasuie's sacrifice, Ashura Doji finally breaks down and agrees to rejoin Kin'emon and the others, providing them with critical resources for the coming battle, including the blueprints to Kaido's fortress on Onigashima. His motivations shift from pure self-preservation and nihilism back to his original goal: avenging Oden and liberating Wano from Kaido and Orochi's oppression.
Ashura Doji shares several key relationships that define his character arc. His unwavering devotion to Kozuki Oden is the central pillar of his life; he views Oden as a father figure and speaks of him with the utmost respect even decades after his death. Among his fellow retainers, he has a strong camaraderie with Kin'emon and a deep, unbreakable alliance with Denjiro, though his bitterness initially strains these bonds. He is a formidable enemy of Kaido, whom he hates for executing Oden and destroying Wano, and he has also clashed directly with Jack, one of Kaido's top commanders, wounding him in their encounter.
In terms of abilities, Ashura Doji is one of the strongest members of the Nine Red Scabbards, with Kin'emon stating that his power is equal to that of one hundred men. His strength is such that Kaido himself desired to recruit him into the Beasts Pirates. He wields a massive kanabo club (a large, spiked war club) in battle, which he uses to deliver devastating, skull-shattering blows. He possesses immense physical strength, superhuman endurance, and is a highly skilled close-quarters combatant. His durability is legendary; he survived being boiled alive in oil alongside Oden for a full hour and continued to fight even after being ambushed and severely wounded by the Numbers, the Beast Pirates' giant soldiers. During the Raid on Onigashima, he fought valiantly against Kaido himself, landing powerful strikes before ultimately succumbing to Kaido's Bolo Breath, sacrificing his life to protect his comrades and inspire the rebellion to victory.
His entire life changed upon encountering Kozuki Oden, the daimyo who sought to bring peace to Kuri. Ashura Doji eagerly awaited Oden's arrival and engaged him in a fierce battle that lasted an entire day, only to be defeated. Instead of punishing him, Oden offered him a chance at a different life, and Ashura Doji chose to pledge his absolute loyalty, becoming one of Oden's most trusted retainers and a core member of the group that would later be known as the Nine Red Scabbards. Under Oden's guidance, he underwent rigorous training and education alongside his comrades, including Kin'emon and Denjiro, to become an honorable warrior. He was present for Oden's final, desperate assault on Kaido twenty years ago and was there when Oden was executed, even enduring the hour-long ordeal of being held over a pot of boiling oil alongside his lord.
In the two decades following Oden's death, Ashura Doji's personality underwent a drastic and bitter transformation. Devastated by the loss of his lord and, more tragically, by witnessing a group of his own impatient allies march to their deaths in a futile attack on Kaido, he lost all hope. He abandoned his identity as a retainer, reverted to a life of crime, and adopted the alias Shutenmaru, becoming the leader of the Mt. Atama Thieves. In this state, he appeared cynical, nihilistic, and aggressive, stealing from both the tyrannical shogun Orochi and the impoverished citizens of Wano, seemingly caring only for himself and his immediate band of thieves. Despite this hardened exterior, he harbored a hidden compassion, particularly for the people of Ebisu Town who were forced to smile due to the effects of the SMILE fruits, and his despair was a mask for deep-seated grief.
His role in the story becomes pivotal when the remaining Scabbards, having traveled from the past, seek him out as an ally for the rebellion against Kaido. He initially refuses to rejoin them, claiming he never swore loyalty to the entire Kozuki family, only to Oden himself. The turning point occurs when he witnesses the public execution of Shimotsuki Yasuie, a beloved figure and former daimyo. Deeply moved by Yasuie's sacrifice, Ashura Doji finally breaks down and agrees to rejoin Kin'emon and the others, providing them with critical resources for the coming battle, including the blueprints to Kaido's fortress on Onigashima. His motivations shift from pure self-preservation and nihilism back to his original goal: avenging Oden and liberating Wano from Kaido and Orochi's oppression.
Ashura Doji shares several key relationships that define his character arc. His unwavering devotion to Kozuki Oden is the central pillar of his life; he views Oden as a father figure and speaks of him with the utmost respect even decades after his death. Among his fellow retainers, he has a strong camaraderie with Kin'emon and a deep, unbreakable alliance with Denjiro, though his bitterness initially strains these bonds. He is a formidable enemy of Kaido, whom he hates for executing Oden and destroying Wano, and he has also clashed directly with Jack, one of Kaido's top commanders, wounding him in their encounter.
In terms of abilities, Ashura Doji is one of the strongest members of the Nine Red Scabbards, with Kin'emon stating that his power is equal to that of one hundred men. His strength is such that Kaido himself desired to recruit him into the Beasts Pirates. He wields a massive kanabo club (a large, spiked war club) in battle, which he uses to deliver devastating, skull-shattering blows. He possesses immense physical strength, superhuman endurance, and is a highly skilled close-quarters combatant. His durability is legendary; he survived being boiled alive in oil alongside Oden for a full hour and continued to fight even after being ambushed and severely wounded by the Numbers, the Beast Pirates' giant soldiers. During the Raid on Onigashima, he fought valiantly against Kaido himself, landing powerful strikes before ultimately succumbing to Kaido's Bolo Breath, sacrificing his life to protect his comrades and inspire the rebellion to victory.