Rather than relying on deception, the Iga prefer more direct methods and their techniques tend to be mostly offensive to better give them an edge in close combat situations.
Oboro : The adopted heir of the Iga clan,
Oboro (朧) ascends to leadership following the death of Ogen only to have her authority usurped by Tenzen. Born with "mystic eyes", Oboro has the power to neutralize the techniques and special abilities of any ninja who meets her stare directly. This power is constantly in effect and has the potential to affect both enemies as well as allies. Prior to the lifting of the Hattori truce, Oboro is engaged to Gennosuke Kouga in an attempt to bring a lasting peace between both clans. In the anime, Oboro would frequently meet with Gennosuke along their clan's borders to practice a Japanese fan dance which they planned to perform for the guests at their wedding. Sweet natured with a gentle disposition, Oboro lacks any real talent for either martial arts or ninjutsu and is also a bit of a klutz. This, along with her love for Gennosuke has caused most of Iga to view Oboro as a black sheep, a fact she is painfully aware of. When the Hattori truce is lifted, the other Iga are quick to take advantage of Oboro's feelings for Gennosuke, tricking her into inviting him and Udono Jousuke into their compound where the Iga can keep them under surveillance. Although hurt and betrayed by their actions, Oboro remains loyal to her clan and is greatly torn between her duty and her feelings when the truth of the renewed conflict is finally revealed to her. Ultimately, she makes the decision to temporarily seal her eyes shut with a potion given to her by Ogen called the Seven Days of Darkness, knowing that if she saw any of her clansmen attacking Gennosuke, she might be tempted to use her powers against them instead. Despite her best efforts, when Lady Ofuku and her faction enter the conflict, Oboro is forced to face against a blinded Gennosuke in the final episode. In an attempt to both defy her fate and make amends for the Kouga her clansmen had killed, she refuses to kill Gennosuke. Instead she goes up to him, tells him that she loves him, and commits suicide, ending her own life.
Yakushiji Tenzen : The second in command to Ogen,
Yakushiji Tenzen (薬師寺 天膳) is able to wrestle control of the Iga away from Oboro following Ogen's death to become Iga's de facto leader. Although his initial impression is of a pragmatic fighter concerned solely for the honor and future of his clan, Tenzen is actually a sadistic and malicious individual who revels in conflict and bloodshed. He fights with a ruthless tenacity and won't hesitate to involve innocent bystanders to guarantee a victory. He also lusts after Oboro and desires to take her for his wife in order to become the true lord of the Iga even if he has to rape her to do it, which he attempts at least twice over the course of the series. Similar to Himura Genma of Ninja Scroll, Tenzen's technique is one of regeneration and immortality. He was born sharing his body with a symbiotic being that usually conceals itself so that only its closed eyes are visible as a wart/growth on Tenzen's ears. The creature awakens whenever Tenzen is wounded or killed, moving through his body to regenerate him by "eating" his wounds, thereby restoring whatever ravages of time or battle Tenzen might experience. Thanks to his powers, by the time of Basilisk's beginning, Tenzen was already well over 200 years old though physically he looks no older than 30. Even when decapitated, Tenzen can regenerate if someone holds his head to his body while his symbiote seals the cut. In the manga, Ogen tells Oboro that the symbiote creature is Tenzen's twin brother with whom he merged with inside their mother's womb shortly before being born. In the anime however Ogen stops just before telling Oboro where she believed the parasite came from, leaving its identity ambiguous. The anime also expands slightly on Tenzen's backstory, by identifying his mother as an Iga woman who was slain by her lover (a member of the Kouga ninjas and Tenzen's father). Baby Tenzen was then cut from his mother's womb and taken to be raised as a Kouga. Years later the Adult Tenzen would defect to the Iga where, unbeknownst to the others, he secretly manipulated both clans into retaining their hatred for each other in the name of his own vengeance. Over the course of the story, Tenzen dies a total of four times at the hands of Jubei, Gyoubu, Hyouma, and Kagerou; before finally dying for good when he's decapitated by Gennosuke and then has his symbiote purged by Oboro's mystic eyes. For the most part, the Kouga ninja did not know what Tenzen's abilities were, which allowed Tenzen to kill several of the Kouga ninja who thought he was dead. He used this tactic to kill Jubei, Gyoubu, Saemon, and to capture Kagerou (leading to her death).
Akeginu : As the bodyguard and confidant of Princess Oboro,
Akeginu (朱絹) is more forgiving of Oboro's lack of ninja skills than the rest of their clan, caring for her almost as an older sister. Regardless, her first loyalty is to the whole of Iga and when word of the Hattori Truce's absolvement reaches her, Akeginu has no reservations about deceiving Oboro while aiding her clansmen in their attempt to assassinate the Kouga ten, including Gennosuke. Despite her duties, Akeginu does feel some degree of sympathy for Oboro's predicament and is one of the few members of Iga besides Tenzen's apprentice Koshirou who doesn't ostracize her following Oboro's decision to seal her eyes. She even keeps safe from the other Iga the flute Gennosuke left behind in Tsubagakure so Oboro would have a memento of him after the war's end. She's also in love with Koshirou, whom she wishes to marry. A highly attractive woman, Akeginu (like Kagerou her Kouga counterpart) is representative of the historically accurate version of the kunoichi in her ability to use her sex appeal against the opposite sex. In combat, her technique enables her to secrete blood from her pores which she can then
squirt into an opponent's face to blind them or to create a fine mist which grants her the cover to move and attack in complete stealth. Her technique can also be used to "tag" an opponent who specializes in covert movement, as she demonstrated during Tenzen's duel with Gyoubu. After Koshirou was killed by Kagerou, a revenge-driven Akeginu was led by Saemon (who had taken the appearance of Tenzen) to a bridge where she then attempted to kill Kagerou only to be grabbed by Saemon which then allowed Kagerou to stab her through the heart. Afterwards, Akeginu's body is dumped into the nearby river, and drifted into the sunset.
Chikuma Koshirou : Apprentice to Tenzen,
Chikuma Koshirou (筑摩 小四郎
Chikuma Koshirō)'s technique enables him to create miniature whirlwinds with his breath which suck his enemies in and then shreds them to pieces. He also wields a pair of
kama hand scythes, which he can use in close combat or throw like boomerangs. After Gennosuke learned of the Hattori Truce's absolvement, Tenzen sent Koshirou to eliminate him. However, when Oboro attempted to stop the fight, Gennosuke used his Dojutsu to turn Koshirou's whirlwind back onto himself and completely destroy Koshirou's eyes. Gradually, Koshirou learns to use his other senses to compensate but still requires some sort of assistance to effectively fight. Koshirou and Oboro grew up together, and despite the differences in their stations she sees him as an older brother. Koshirou himself is completely devoted to Oboro and is even suggested to have romantic feelings for her. His loyalty to Tenzen compels him to follow his sensei's orders regardless of how he personally feels. He's also the love interest of Akeginu although he's more or less oblivious to it otherwise. In the anime Koshirou is an expert woodcarver and after being blinded, learns to carve with equal skill using his sense of touch alone. Of all of Basilisk's characters, Koshirou varies the most between the anime and the original manga, where he shares Tenzen's sheer ruthlessness and arrogance in combat, while the anime depicts him as being more reluctant to fight any battle where his opponents would suffer an overwhelming disadvantage. After killing Hyouma, he was in turned killed by Kagerou using her poisonous breath, who he thought was Akeginu when Saemon (impersonating Akeginu's voice) tricked him into thinking that Oboro had been murdered by the Kouga. His death greatly disturbs Akeginu, who wants nothing but revenge afterwards - which leads her to her own downfall, at the hands of Kagerou and Saemon.
Amayo Jingorou : Loathsome and cowardly at heart,
Amayo Jingorou (雨夜 陣五郎
Amayo Jingorō) is one of the few Iga ninjas who specialize in assassination rather than combat, preferring to sneak up on his opponents and being quick to flee once he suffers a disadvantage. He also openly mocks Oboro's unwillingness to fight, which in the anime almost gets him killed when an upset Oboro orders for no one to provide him with water which he needs to survive after using his technique. By smearing himself with salt, Jingoro is able to dissolve into a viscous semi-liquid form; enabling him to slither through the tightest of passages, ooze his way up vertical surfaces, and silently creep onto his target to deliver the killing stroke. Remaining in this form for an extended period of time causes him to suffer extreme dehydration as his body gradually dries up and shrivels away, requiring him to immerse himself in water in order to restore his human form. His powers causes him to suffer an extreme fear of the ocean, as the salt water would keep him in a constant fluid state and causing him to completely dissolve. Forcefully dragged onto a ferry during the Iga's attempt to catch up to the Kouga, Jingoro's fears are realized when Gyoubu throws him overboard and into the bay, where he quickly melts into nothing. Akeginu had attempted to retrieve him, but couldn't get to him in time due to Oboro's safety being her top priority; when she finally was able to help Jingoro, all that was left of him was a jacket floating in the ocean.
Hotarubi : A petite and slender young woman with straight dark hair that drapes to just below her shoulders,
Hotarubi (蛍火) embodies the concept of the traditional Japanese beauty. Although she shares her clan's hatred for the Kouga, Hotarubi's prime concern is for her fiancé Yashamaru, another member of the Iga ten. Her devotion to him is so great that even the suggestion that he's come to harm is enough to send her into reactions that range from a mere evil stare (like when Mino Nenki makes a bad joke about it) to a feral rage (when Shougen refuses to tell her if Yashamaru is alive or not, and she brutally stabs him to death). Like most of the Iga, Hotarubi considers Oboro to be a completely useless leader and defers to Tenzen's orders. In the anime, this may be tied to slight jealousy, since Yashamaru once teased her for not being sweet and feminine like Oboro and a comically offended Hotarubi threw a childish tantrum at him. In combat, Hotarubi summons swarms of glowing pink butterflies that overwhelm and distract her opponents, allowing her to either strike a lethal blow through their dropped defenses with her tantō or escape to safety. She also maintains a spiritual link with her pet viper who acts as her bodyguard and scout. In the anime, Hotarubi summons and controls her butterflies through a barely audible chant. Hotarubi was brutally killed by the Koga ninja Saemon while he was disguised as Mino Nenki. Already weakened from a wound on her leg, after Hotarubi unmasks him she is no match for Saemon, who cuts off both of her arms to prevent her from summoning her butterflies and then stabs her through the chest. However, with an obvious sense of mercy and honor, he gives a slight nod to the dying Hotarubi when, delusional in her final moments, she pictured him as Yashamaru. Her body falls into a ravine, but she dies in peace and with a sad smile on her lips, believing in her last moments to have been with Yashamaru.
Mino Nenki : With his simian features, excessive body hair, and use of a bo staff,
Mino Nenki (蓑 念鬼) bears a strong resemblance to
Sun Wukong, the monkey king of
Chinese Mythology. His demeanor is boisterous and arrogant, which often makes him underestimate his opponents and leads him to act carelessly in battle, despite frequent orders from Tenzen to the contrary. Nenki is also more patient than the other Iga with Oboro's indecision, viewing her infatuation for Gennosuke as a childish phase born out of her sheltered view of the world and believing that as time goes by she'll eventually grow out of it. Mino Nenki is one of Iga's strongest fighters. Although lethally proficient with his staff, Nenki's greatest weapon is the control he exercises over his own hair. Draping down his back in a tangled mat, Nenki is able to straighten his hair and manipulate it as a grasping tool. His hair is also strong enough to swing him from tree to tree (leaving his hands free for combat) or even to wrap around an enemy and crush them like a Boa Constrictor. Beneath his robes, his body is covered in coarse fur that can be stiffened into needles to skewer any opponent that gets too close and also provides protection from certain techniques; this the technique he uses to kill Okoi, in example, stabbing her to death when she attacks him after killing Rousai. In the manga, Nenki's hair reflects his moods; writhing wildly whenever he becomes enraged or excited. Nenki is ultimately killed by underestimating Hyoma, thinking of him as a blind and defenseless target, only to be engulfed by Hyoma's Doujutsu and subsequently strangles himself to death with his own hair.
Azuki Rousai : The second oldest of the Iga after Tenzen,
Azuki Rousai (小豆 蠟斎
Azuki Rōsai) is a short statured elderly man with an even shorter temper and a massive gourd-shaped head, which in the anime he claims is swollen with hatred for the Koga due to their surprise assault on the Iga alongside Nobunaga. Although his frail and antiquated appearance says otherwise, Rousai is a highly skilled martial artist whose punches and kicks are capable of felling trees and smashing rocks with one blow. As such, he's one of the few characters who specializes in unarmed combat. Additionally, Rousai's ninja technique enables him to stretch and contort his limbs in fantastic ways, allowing him to fight and grapple with his opponents from well outside their range of attack. Being somewhat of a lecher, Rousai causes his own death during his attempt to interrogate Okoi. He threateningly caresses the captured girl's shoulder, allowing her to attach herself to him and drain all the blood from his body with her own powers, like a
vampire or a
leech.
Yashamaru : A brash and cocky young man,
Yashamaru (夜叉丸)'s favored weapons are dozens of strands of garotte wires called Kokujou (black rope, or black binding) which are woven from the hair of young women and alchemically treated with natural oils harvested from wild animals, turning them as hard as steel. Yashamaru controls the Kokujou as though they are an extension of his own body, and can use them to tie an opponent up, slice them to pieces, flay them, or even stiffen the wires so they can pierce like needles. The wires are usually kept wrapped around Yashamaru's forearms, but extra wires are tied around his calves in the event his hands and/or upper body becomes immobilized. He also carries a cleaver in a sheathe on his back although his opponents rarely get close enough that he's required to draw it. Chosen by Ogen to demonstrate the Iga's skills for Ieyasu, Yashamaru accompanied his clan's leader to Sunpu and was later charged to deliver to the Iga their copy of the battle scroll. After realizing it was lost, he is tricked by Saemon (voicing Tenzen) and then taken off guard by Gyoubu, who snaps his neck. Despite his quick death, Yashamaru is easily one of Iga's strongest fighters. He was able to fight on par with Shougen, who was able to hold his own fairly well against four Iga ninjas alone. Yashamaru was even able to gain the upper hand on Kisaragi Saemon before being killed by Gyoubu. Unlike most of the Iga clan, the easygoing Yashamaru had begun to consider the Hattori truce beneficial as it allowed him a chance to live a peaceful and quiet life with his lover and comrade Hotarubi, whom he planned to marry before the treaty's cancellation resulted in all out war between the clans. The possibility of his death sends Hotarubi into recklessness, which proves to be her undoing later.
Ogen : As the elderly chieftess of the Iga Tsubagakure ninja clan,
Ogen (お幻) was ordered by retired Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to lead nine other warriors in a duel against the chosen ten of the rival Kouga Manjidani clan to determine a successor to the shogunate. She shares a spiritual connection to her hawk which serves as her messenger and servant although it is unknown if she possesses any other abilities, though it is implied that she may have had the mystic eyes as Danjou had knowledge of them and Oboro likely inherited from her. When she was younger, she was very much in love with Kouga Danjo and the two sought peace between the warring clans through their marriage. But following a surprise attack by the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and the Kouga in which her grandfather was murdered, she lost all faith in Danjo and declared herself his enemy. Despite the Kouga's betrayal, Ogen was in her twilight years willing to make her adopted granddaughter Oboro the bride of Danjo's grandson Gennosuke in the hopes that the two of them could bring a definite peace and also find the happiness that she could not. In the manga, while not outright hateful towards Oboro, Ogen tends to view her as a disappointment to the clan and is hinted to have only consented to her marrying Gennosuke due to her granddaughter's lack of fighting skills. In contrast, in the anime was more forgiving of Oboro's faults and even attempted to boost her self-esteem when she failed in her training by saying she preferred her as sweet and loving. She also took pains to hide the Kouga's actions following Nobunaga's surprise attack so Oboro wouldn't become infected with the Iga's hatred. This may be explained by how the details about relationship between her and Danjou are exclusive to the anime series. ==Other==