TV-Series
Description
Chōbei Aza is a notorious figure known as the Bandit King, a former leader of a gang of criminals operating in the Iyo region. His life of crime, which involved numerous serious offenses, ultimately led him to be sentenced to death. However, he was given an opportunity to earn a pardon by joining a dangerous expedition to a mysterious island in search of the Elixir of Life. He is the older brother of Aza Tōma, and their bond is the most significant and defining aspect of his existence.
Before becoming an outlaw, Chōbei and his brother were the sons of a retainer serving the daimyō of the Akō Domain. After their master was forced to commit seppuku for attacking a court official, their father lost his status and became a rōnin, plunging the family into poverty. Their mother died from illness, and their father was later executed for his role in a revenge plot, leaving the two siblings completely alone. They were subsequently kidnapped by bandits who intended to sell them, but Chōbei managed to seize control of the group, eventually rising to become their leader. After years of leading a criminal band, he was eventually cornered and arrested. As he was taken into custody, he instructed Tōma to escape and trusted that his younger brother would one day rescue him. True to his word, Tōma infiltrated the Yamada Asaemon clan, a family of executioners, and returned to free Chōbei, presenting him with the shogun’s mission as a path to salvation.
Chōbei possesses a violent, arrogant, and cruel personality, showing little regard for anyone outside of his brother. He prefers to solve problems through brute force and bloodshed rather than communication, and he openly embraces the role of a villain. He is sadistic in battle and holds grudges against those who have defeated him. Despite this barbaric exterior, Chōbei is also a highly calculating and rational individual. His primary and overriding motivation is the survival and protection of his younger brother, Tōma, a goal he is willing to achieve by any means necessary, whether through direct violence, strategic alliances, or even deception. This fierce, almost unconditional love for Tōma is the core of his character and the driver behind most of his actions. At one point, upon finding himself in an afterlife-like state, he acknowledges the terrible things he did in life but affirms that everything was for his brother's sake.
Within the story, Chōbei is first seen surviving a brutal culling of death row convicts in Edo to determine who will be sent to the island. Once on the island, he and Tōma are a formidable pair, with Chōbei serving as the raw power and Tōma as the support. Their journey sees them come into conflict with the island's monstrous residents and eventually the Lord Tensen, the immortal beings who rule it. After a crushing defeat at the hands of the Lord Tensen, Chōbei and Tōma are thrown into a pit filled with the remains of previous victims. It is in this desperate situation that Chōbei awakens his Tao, the fundamental life energy that powers the abilities of the island's masters. Despite his ferocity, he is pragmatic and will collaborate with former rivals, such as Gabimaru the Hollow, Fuchi, and Gantetsusai, when facing a common, more powerful enemy like the Tensen.
In terms of abilities, Chōbei is exceptionally strong, possessing immense physical power that allows him to wield heavy weapons like a large axe without difficulty. He is also noted for his incredible adaptability, capable of adjusting to any combat situation. However, his most significant powers emerge after he is exposed to the island's environment. He awakens his Tao, which has the attribute of Metal. This allows him to enhance the force of his physical attacks and gives him a heightened perception to read and counter his opponents' movements. Later, after falling into the Tan pit, he achieves a balance with a more potent form of energy known as Flower Tao, derived from the Waitanhua flower, which grants him extraordinary regenerative abilities and near-immortality. He can heal from grievous wounds, such as a torn throat or having his neck broken, and even regenerate lost limbs. This regeneration is not without cost, however, as it causes strange vines to grow on his body, and if overused, he risks being completely overtaken by the plant life in a process called arborification. Furthermore, his regeneration can be weakened by opponents who wield Tao with the Fire attribute, and the only way to truly kill him is for such a user to destroy the flower's ovule inside his stomach. When fully unleashing his Flower Tao, Chōbei transforms into a more demonic-looking state, gaining claws and the ability to sprout vines from his body to attack or defend. Chōbei's development is less about a moral transformation and more about the relentless adaptation of his core self—a powerful, ruthless bandit whose singular love for his brother never wavers as he fights to survive in a supernatural hellscape.
Before becoming an outlaw, Chōbei and his brother were the sons of a retainer serving the daimyō of the Akō Domain. After their master was forced to commit seppuku for attacking a court official, their father lost his status and became a rōnin, plunging the family into poverty. Their mother died from illness, and their father was later executed for his role in a revenge plot, leaving the two siblings completely alone. They were subsequently kidnapped by bandits who intended to sell them, but Chōbei managed to seize control of the group, eventually rising to become their leader. After years of leading a criminal band, he was eventually cornered and arrested. As he was taken into custody, he instructed Tōma to escape and trusted that his younger brother would one day rescue him. True to his word, Tōma infiltrated the Yamada Asaemon clan, a family of executioners, and returned to free Chōbei, presenting him with the shogun’s mission as a path to salvation.
Chōbei possesses a violent, arrogant, and cruel personality, showing little regard for anyone outside of his brother. He prefers to solve problems through brute force and bloodshed rather than communication, and he openly embraces the role of a villain. He is sadistic in battle and holds grudges against those who have defeated him. Despite this barbaric exterior, Chōbei is also a highly calculating and rational individual. His primary and overriding motivation is the survival and protection of his younger brother, Tōma, a goal he is willing to achieve by any means necessary, whether through direct violence, strategic alliances, or even deception. This fierce, almost unconditional love for Tōma is the core of his character and the driver behind most of his actions. At one point, upon finding himself in an afterlife-like state, he acknowledges the terrible things he did in life but affirms that everything was for his brother's sake.
Within the story, Chōbei is first seen surviving a brutal culling of death row convicts in Edo to determine who will be sent to the island. Once on the island, he and Tōma are a formidable pair, with Chōbei serving as the raw power and Tōma as the support. Their journey sees them come into conflict with the island's monstrous residents and eventually the Lord Tensen, the immortal beings who rule it. After a crushing defeat at the hands of the Lord Tensen, Chōbei and Tōma are thrown into a pit filled with the remains of previous victims. It is in this desperate situation that Chōbei awakens his Tao, the fundamental life energy that powers the abilities of the island's masters. Despite his ferocity, he is pragmatic and will collaborate with former rivals, such as Gabimaru the Hollow, Fuchi, and Gantetsusai, when facing a common, more powerful enemy like the Tensen.
In terms of abilities, Chōbei is exceptionally strong, possessing immense physical power that allows him to wield heavy weapons like a large axe without difficulty. He is also noted for his incredible adaptability, capable of adjusting to any combat situation. However, his most significant powers emerge after he is exposed to the island's environment. He awakens his Tao, which has the attribute of Metal. This allows him to enhance the force of his physical attacks and gives him a heightened perception to read and counter his opponents' movements. Later, after falling into the Tan pit, he achieves a balance with a more potent form of energy known as Flower Tao, derived from the Waitanhua flower, which grants him extraordinary regenerative abilities and near-immortality. He can heal from grievous wounds, such as a torn throat or having his neck broken, and even regenerate lost limbs. This regeneration is not without cost, however, as it causes strange vines to grow on his body, and if overused, he risks being completely overtaken by the plant life in a process called arborification. Furthermore, his regeneration can be weakened by opponents who wield Tao with the Fire attribute, and the only way to truly kill him is for such a user to destroy the flower's ovule inside his stomach. When fully unleashing his Flower Tao, Chōbei transforms into a more demonic-looking state, gaining claws and the ability to sprout vines from his body to attack or defend. Chōbei's development is less about a moral transformation and more about the relentless adaptation of his core self—a powerful, ruthless bandit whose singular love for his brother never wavers as he fights to survive in a supernatural hellscape.