| “ |
I am Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven. And I've never lost a battle to anyone. |
” |
—Bankotsu[src]
Bankotsu (蛮骨, ばんこつ, "Barbaric Skill/Bone") was the leader of the Shichinintai. He was both the youngest and the strongest member of the group. He wielded the halberd Banryū.
History
Bankotsu traveled around the countryside with Jakotsu, challenging every strong human and yōkai alike. He met Naraku while heading off to fight a powerful yōkai, who killed it before Bankotsu arrived. Naraku told him about the Shikon no Tama before disappearing. Soon after this Bankotsu decided to go to war as a mercenary. This decision would lead him the create the Shichinintai, which gained infamy as mercenaries that had high success rates. However, due to their mercilessness and strength in combat, they were feared by all the warlords of Japan, even the ones they were allied with, which lead to a temporary alliance between the feuding Daimyō. The Shichinintai were given a job by a lord to slay an enemy army. As they carried out their mission, they suddenly found that they were surrounded by an overwhelming number of soldiers from different lords, and it was then that Bankotsu learned that his group was lured into a trap and ordered the Shichinintai to retreat. This proved to be futile, as the allied solders were able to capture the Shichinintai and then execute them; as the villagers had told the story to Inuyasha's group, a silhouette of Bankotsu was seen, being separated from Banryū, as he was struggling while two soldiers held him down and another soldier beheaded Bankotsu with his katana.[2] Bankotsu and his six comrades were later buried on a mound, in an attempt by the locals, to calm their vengeful spirits; the graves were known as the Tomb of the Shichinintai. His weapon Banryū had been kept by the lord as a testament to his victory over the Shichinintai. Fifteen years later, Bankotsu was resurrected and given seven Shikon Jewel shards by Naraku, who promised to let him and his brethren keep their newfound life if they killed all of his enemies.
During the story
Bankotsu retrieves Banryū.
Bankotsu was prepared to attack the castle of the lord that executed him and the rest of the Shichinintai. It was also where his Banryū was being kept. He had Renkotsu write a warning to them as a means to scare it inhabitants before they attack and had Kohaku deliver it. He and rest of the Shichinintai (excluding Kyōkotsu and Mukotsu) attacked the castle and killed everyone in it. Bankotsu arrived to the lord's chambers and located Banryū. The lord asked Bankotsu if he would be willing to serve him and rule the entire region together. Bankotsu expressed no interest in the lord's offer and killed him after reclaiming Banryū. Reinforcements arrived soon after that were lead by the samurai general that originally killed them. Eager to test out his weapon, Bankotsu killed the general and all of his troops.
In the aftermath of the battle, Bankotsu was drinking sake with Jakotsu. He expressed his disappointment that his comrade didn't keep at least one woman alive to pour their drinks for them. Renkotsu attempted to learn more about Naraku from Bankotsu during their reprieve, but was unable to get his leader to reveal anything useful. Kōga arrived after picking up the scent of blood in the area. He demanded to know Naraku's location, but Bankotsu continued to feign ignorance in regard to how much he truly knew about Naraku. Kōga then proceeded to fight the mercenaries. He immediately sensed that something was different about Bankotsu as compared to the others. Inuyasha stepped in to intervene just as Bankotsu was about to strike Kōga with his Banryū. When Inuyasha's friends arrived, Kagome sensed that Bankotsu had three Shikon Jewel shards in his neck, which he revealed belonged to Kyōkotsu and Mukotsu and planned to avenge their death. He and Inuyasha faced off against each other. Bankotsu proved himself to be Inuyasha's equal in both strength and swordsmanship, but when Inuyasha unleashes his Kaze no Kizu, Bankotsu was overwhelmed. Although he attempted to block it with Banryū, his halberd was damaged, and Bankotsu himself was only saved by the timely intervention of Ginkotsu. Several saimyōshō arrived and ordered Bankotsu and the others to retreat at the behest of Naraku. Retreating on Ginkotsu with his brothers, Bankotsu lamented the inconvenience of Naraku's summons. As Inuyasha attempted to pursue them, he was stopped by one of Naraku's puppets.
Bankotsu and the others retreated to Mount Hakurei, where they were greeted by Kohaku and introduced to Kanna. Through Kanna's mirror, the Shichinintai learned of Inuyasha's brother Sesshōmaru and that Naraku ordered them to kill him as well. Bankotsu grabbed Kohaku and expressed his anger of being forced to retreat from his fight with Inuyasha. Kanna stated to Bankotsu that he would have been killed from his fight, as he stated it was just a scratch but Kanna continued by stating that he could make his weapon much stronger. Kanna had Bankotsu turned his attention to Renkotsu and demanded that he forfeit the Shikon Jewel shards that he stole from Kagome. Renkotsu attempted to feign ignorance, but Bankotsu responded by pointing his Banryū at his neck. Reluctantly, Renkotsu complied with his order and claimed he had meant to give them to Bankotsu all along. Bankotsu then ordered Jakotsu and Suikotsu to go after Sesshōmaru. Jakotsu immediately protested and expressed his desire to go after Inuyasha, but Bankotsu decided to kill Inuyasha himself. Hen the repaired Banryū with his newly acquired jewel shards.
Following that, Bankotsu confronted Inuyasha on Hijiri island. He was ordered to wait inside Saint Hakushin's tomb until they arrived to investigate the disappearance of Shintarō's father. The sacred barrier around the island weakened Inuyasha's demonic powers and prevented him from using the Kaze no Kizu. Although Bankotsu, being an evil specter, was also weakened by the purifying barrier, he was relatively unaffected due to his purely human heritage. After Bankotsu succeeded in wounding Inuyasha on the left arm, the barrier was dispelled by Miroku, restoring the full strength the two combatants. However, the unwounded and rejuvenated Bankotsu retained his advantage, and proved himself capable of deflecting the Kaze no Kizu with his jewel-shard-strengthened Banryū. Bankotsu then battled with the restored Inuyasha at full strength, but neither was able to gain an advantage. Inuyasha fired the Kaze no Kizu at Bankotsu, who countered with his Dragon Hammer, a similar-looking pink blast; the two energy waves canceled each other out. Inuyasha attempted to use the Bakuryūha against Bankotsu, but was incapable of pulling it off since his opponent did not produce a demonic aura. Using his Banryū's Ryūraisen attack, Bankotsu called down numerous randomly-targeted bolts of lightning, which incapacitated everyone, excluding Inuyasha and Bankotsu. After a prolonged exchange of attacks, the vajra (which was projecting the barrier earlier) intervened, healing everybody on the island and purifying Inuyasha's sword before he could strike Bankotsu. As Bankotsu was about to retaliate, he was stopped when Kagome fired her sacred arrow at his arm, disintegrating the flesh around it and revealing the bones. Bankotsu was surrounded by Inuyasha's group and was angry. The vajra then teleported Bankotsu away to safety. Inuyasha attempted to stop him with his Claws, but was unable to penetrate the vajra's barrier. Bankotsu arrived at a temple on Mount Hakurei and was approached by Kohaku and Kanna. After Kanna retrieved the vajra next to him, Bankotsu discovered the mummified body of Saint Hakushin.
Bankotsu paid his respects to Kyōkotsu and Mukotsu at the remains of their former tomb. As he was leaving, he crossed paths with Kikyō. She asked if he would try to kill, but Bankotsu was unsure since Naraku never gave him an order to do so. She immediately pointed her bow and arrow at Bankotsu. Intrigued by her sudden eagerness to fight, Bankotsu happily accepted Kikyō challenge. Kikyō attempted to probe the situation further and asked Bankotsu why he was killing so many people. He responded that he killed simple because he was this way and that he was not bound by fear of facing judgement in the afterlife once he died. He proclaimed that dead people like him and Kikyō would probably share the same fate, and should enjoy the time that the have while in the world of the living.
Bankotsu soon met up with Renkotsu after the latter failed to take Koga's jewel shards twice. He revealed that he learned of the death of Ginkotsu from the Saimyōshō before stating he was happy that he was still alive. He then relayed the news of Suikotsu's death and how he, Renkotsu and Jakotsu were the only ones left as he stated he'll be needing him more from now on as they take their leave. Renkotsu suspected that Bankotsu knew that he was in possession of Ginkotsu's jewel shard and the he was spared due to him still being of use to Bankotsu.
Very soon, Bankotsu located Jakotsu and the two caught up before he was given Suikotsu's shard since he brought up the order of giving them to him if they found one. Touched by this loyalty, Bankotsu thanked him and said he was a good friend as they shared a laugh.
After learning that Renkotsu killed Jakotsu for his jewel shard, Bankotsu killed Renkotsu for his betrayal. With all seven jewel shards in his body, Bankotsu confronted Inuyasha to avenge his fallen "brothers".
Bankotsu and his Banryū overwhelm Inuyasha.
The two battled evenly again, well matched in both energy blasts (this time, Bankotsu uses his Heat Blast to counter the Kaze no Kizu) and swordsmanship. After a lengthy battle, Inuyasha realized he was making no headway against the equally-strong Bankotsu, and that, without the Bakuryūha, he couldn't break the stalemate. Instead of continuing the fruitless battle, Inuyasha opted to hurl his sword at Bankotsu and use the distraction to disarm his opponent, cutting out the two jewel shards in Bankotsu's right arm in the process. Confident he possessed the advantage, with demonic claws to Bankotsu's fists, Inuyasha pressed forward, declaring he would cut out all of Bankotsu's shards. An unimpressed Bankotsu dodged several slashes and retaliated by punching Inuyasha in the face with his wounded arm, which nonetheless had the force to send the hanyō sprawling. Declaring that he'd "never lost a battle to anyone", Bankotsu took control of the bare-knuckle brawl, pummelling Inuyasha mercilessly before a throttled Inuyasha manages to gouge out the shards in Bankotsu's neck. Inuyasha told Bankotsu that he could take a lot more damage than his victims, revealing he allowed himself to get hurt to claim the shards. He then kicked his foe away and stated he only needed the shards in his arm to end the battle.
Inuyasha attempted to reason with Bankotsu by claiming that Naraku was just using him and the rest of the Shichinintai, but Bankotsu confessed that didn't care since he had previously worked for feudal lords that used him just as well when he was alive. He want by claiming that he never trusted Naraku from the beginning and that he would kill anyone, including Naraku, who got in his way. He retrieved his Banryū and attacked the yōkai that were watching him and Inuyasha, slaying 10 of them to bring his demonic kill count from 990 to 1000. Having slain 1,000 yōkai and 1,000 humans with Banryū, the mighty halberd transformed into a demonic weapon that projects the hatred 1000 humans and 1000 yōkai slain as powerful yōki. More powerful than ever, despite losing five jewel shards in the course of the battle, Bankotsu then proceeded to launch a furious assault on Inuyasha. During the fight, he revealed how Naraku told him about he Shikon Jewel and how it empowers both humans and yōkai. He also explained his thoughts on gaining power, commenting that he didn't have demonic powers, not caring for spiritual powers, and wasn't born with the power of the divine. He stated to Inuyasha that he found a way to become strong by putting power into an object, as he made a wish on his Banryū to kill 1,000 humans and 1,000 yōkai to grant Banryū demon powers. Along with the fact that his Banryū had the Shikon Jewel shards he obtained from Renkotsu embedded in Banryū, Bankotsu asked Inuyasha if his demonic sword, Tessaiga, could beat his Banryū. Inuyasha told Bankotsu that he was still human despite being resurrected by the Shikon Jewel shards and that it would best for him to get rid of Banryū due to it being surround by a demonic aura, only for Bankotsu to respond with "Go to hell, half-breed". The two continued to battle with Bankotsu commenting that a yōkai or hanyō could't understand his desires or survival in man's world. Bankotsu eventually overwhelmed Inuyasha, finally rendering him a battered heap against the wall. Preparing to finish the fight, Bankotsu summoned an enormous red ball of demonic energy, gaining Inuyasha's attention of it producing demonic power. Bankotsu declared that he would lose to no one with the power he wielded and launched the energy ball at Inuyasha.
This, however, proved to be his downfall as Inuyasha realized that since Banryū was producing demonic energy he could use his Bakuryūha to send the energy ball back. He then unleashed his Bakuryūha and sent the energy back to sender, as Bankotsu was terrified and tried to block it but the attack shattered Banryū and defeating Bankotsu in a fiery explosion. As Bankotsu lays mortally wounded, wondering how he was defeated, Inuyasha pointed out that the warrior was blinded by greed and that he was already strong without the jewel shards. Bankotsu gave a last chuckle, seeing how there was some truth with Inuyasha's words, before dying.
Bankotsu’s remains were soon collected by Naraku, and Naraku takes the last two Shikon Jewel shards from Bankotsu’s body, reducing it to dust.[3]
Personality
A man who finds excitement and thrill in murder, Bankotsu is known for slaughtering yōkai and humans alike, which made him feared and hated by both. Despite his bloodthirsty nature, he generally maintains a relaxed, and laid-back demeanor, even during battle. In addition, while Bankotsu is very powerful, he never seems to overestimate his own ability, as he immediately orders the Shichinintai to run as he sees the massive army, made by the temporary alliance between the feuding Daimyō, that hunts them, as well as strengthening his Banryū by finishing his requirement to slay 1,000 yōkai during his final battle with Inuyasha, as Bankotsu knows he won't be able to escape alive even if he defeats Inuyasha due to being surrounded by Naraku's yōkai horde. Although he is a skilled mercenary and hardened killer, he retains a sense of loyalty, honor, and compassion, but only for his six companions. He exhibits considerable cynicism at times; when a furious Inuyasha demands to know why he attacks Inuyasha's friends, he dismissively notes that Inuyasha's naïveté doesn't suit him. When further accused of using dirty tricks, he responds that "In a match to the death, there's no such thing as fair or foul." However, when Kagome shoots her sacred arrow through his arm and calls him a coward, he sees the irony of his words as Inuyasha's friends surround him and he is angry at the result.
Later, when confronted by Kikyō after burying several of his dead comrades, he declares that there is no afterlife, and that "once a mortal is dead, that's the end of it" this implies he was sent to limbo after his first death, or is just jaded by his views. He states that the reason he fights and kills is simply because it's "thoroughly enjoyable" though he accepts Kikyō's challenge, he subsequently shoulders his Banryū and departs without bloodshed. Kikyō accuses him of making excuses for his evil actions, but he replies that "dead people like you and I will probably share the same fate.", before walking off.
His most distinguishing characteristics are most likely his love of battle, because he enjoys facing strong opponents, and his unswerving loyalty and dedication to his six brothers. As the Shichinintai is slowly whittled down at the hands of Inuyasha and his friends, Bankotsu buries them and even feels melancholy, asking their grave how its like to be dead again. He later kills Renkotsu for his treacherous murder of Jakotsu, Bankotsu's closest friend, for Jakotsu's jewel shard. Before he dies, Renkotsu accuses Bankotsu of using the Shichinintai in the same manner, and demands to know the difference between his treachery and Bankotsu's actions. After tearing the jewel shards from Renkotsu's neck, Bankotsu replies that the difference between him and Renkotsu was that "I would never betray my friends." Following Renkotsu's death, Bankotsu laments the fact that, although he himself is more powerful than ever, all of his brothers are now dead, and he is the last of the Shichinintai. When faced with the choice of fleeing and saving his own life, or staying to fight Inuyasha, he decides to avenge his six dead comrades by attacking Inuyasha. Even after being weakened and losing five of his jewel shards, he sneers at Inuyasha's offer of allowing him to escape with his life, declaring that "I'm not going anywhere until I kill you and avenge my brothers." His puts his sense of loyalty to his fallen comrades as somewhat naive due to the fact he thinks black and white, wanting to avenge his comrades by killing Inuyasha rather than think of the fact his comrades would not have wanted him to die in vain. Bankotsu also has a sweet side that he only reveals to Jakotsu when he realized Jakotsu's loyalty was absolute.
What also adds to Bankotsu's desire to fight strong opponents is his desire to possess demonic power, hence his wish to imbue his Banryū with demonic powers should he behead 1,000 warlords and 1,000 yōkai. He also comments to Naraku and Inuyasha that they can't understand his desire for power, claiming to Inuyasha that he "can't understand man's world, where strength is one's only hope of survival". This indicates that he sought strength to survive and never lose to anyone, possibly stemming from the fact that he is a human fighting in an era filled with yōkai and that he and his Shichinintai were outnumbered and beheaded with no escape. However, this turns out to be Bankotsu's undoing when he is defeated by Inuyasha, the hanyō commenting that Bankotsu was strong enough on his own without the Shikon Jewel shards, but was too greedy. In his final moments, he acknowledges Inuyasha's words with a laugh before he passed on.
Physical description
Bankotsu's full appearance.
Bankotsu is a lean-muscled young man due to years of training. He has a tattoo of a four-pointed star on his forehead and is generally very handsome. His eyes are a dark shade of cobalt and has tanned skin. He has long black hair that is stylized into a braided ponytail.
Outfit
He wears a white hakama with a white kosode that has a blue patch on his shoulder. He also wears a type of iron armor over these clothes along with a shoulder guard attached. This is attached to the rest of the armor by a strip of red cloth. The armor is tied at the waist with a red obi or sash. His armor has a purple fern like pattern on it. He does not wear shoes, instead he has the traditional ninja footwear. Along with that he wears black gloves that are held in place by his middle fingers.
Powers & Abilities
- Immense Strength: Despite being an otherwise normal human, Bankotsu is an extremely powerful warrior. So much so he can defeat yōkai, which normally only yōkai taijiya such as Sango could, or holy men and women like Miroku and Kagome. His immense physical strength allows him to wield Banryū with one hand as if it were a regular sword even though it is stated three large men struggled to carry the halberd.[4] His strength is such that, despite only being a mere human, he is capable of equaling Inuyasha in battle prowess. After gaining more jewel shards, he nearly surpasses Inuyasha's strength, and even taunts him for being weak. From this fight, Bankotsu may be the strongest human that Inuyasha has encountered, possessing power almost equivalent to a powerful hanyō, if not equal.
- Master Swordsman: Bankotsu is extremely masterful in wielding the halberd Banryū as an oversized broadsword with superior dexterity and precision. He could easily decimated armies of samurais and had slayed at least 1,000 yōkai with his trusty blade.
- Immense Speed: He possesses great speed and agility, far above all the other members of his team.
- Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Though highly proficient with Banryū, his weapon of choice, he also displays formidable skill in unarmed combat, as shown when he is able to single handedly take down several of the lord's guards with his bare hands, shoving them up the ceiling. He easily bests Renkotsu without his halberd, and later fights Inuyasha hand-to-hand. In the latter instance, it is shown that, despite Inuyasha's claws, Bankotsu holds a clear edge over Inuyasha, even after losing two of his Shikon Jewel shards. However, it appeared Inuyasha allowed himself to get hurt in order to claim Bankotsu's shards in neck, as he claims he could take more damage than Bankotsu could dish out.
Weapons
Inuyasha vs. Bankotsu.
- Banryū (蛮竜, ばんりゅう, "Barbaric Dragon") Nicknamed Bankotsu's "companion," Banryū is a gargantuan halberd that, after being bolstered by the shards of the Shikon Jewel, can manipulate lightning and fire a variety of energy attacks. In the series of episodes that compose the Shichinintai arc, Bankotsu uses four Sacred Jewel shards that Renkotsu stole from Kagome to strengthen Banryū’s power. The jewel-empowered Banryū is shown to able to effectively counter Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu attack. The strength of Banryū, enhanced with the Shikon Jewel Shards, is seemingly equal to that of the Tessaiga. In the anime, Bankotsu, desiring yōki, made a wish on his Banryū, vowing to kill both 1,000 yōkai and 1,000 humans, so that it would gain demonic powers. It refers to the legend that, if a human were to ever kill 1,000 yōkai, he would gain powers that yōkai possess. He succeeds in fulfilling in wish, only to have said accomplishment lead directly to his downfall, as Inuyasha reflects the energy of the now-demonic halberd back at Bankotsu, mortally wounding him and shattering the Banryū.
- Dragon Thunder (蛮竜槌,ドラゴンサンダ, Ryūraisen, "Dragon Thunder Flash"): Bankotsu is able to summon a thunderstorm and manipulate the lightning, creating a number of lethal electric bolts that almost kills everyone on Hijiri island. The attack cannot be fully controlled, and hits randomly.[5]
- Dragon Hammer (蛮竜槌, ドラゴンハンマー, Banryūsen, "Barbaric Dragon Flash"): By channeling the energy of the Shikon Jewel shards embedded in Banryū, Bankotsu can use an attack that is almost identical to Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu, except it's pink in color, but matches its strength.
- Heat Blast (熱ブラスト, "Kanetsu Bakufuu"): After embedding the Shikon Jewel shards of his deceased Shichinintai comrades into his body, Bankotsu is able to unleash a blast of heat similar in appearance to Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu, except that it is red and can overwhelm it.
- Banryū Flash (禁止流フラッシュ, "Banryu Furasshu"): Bankotsu uses this attack during his final confrontation with Inuyasha in the caves of Mount Hakurei. He swings his Banryū and unleashes a wave of red energy that is strong enough to cancel Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu.
- Hatred Ball (憎しみボール, "Gojou Tama"): Bankotsu's most powerful attack. The hatred of 1,000 humans and 1,000 yōkai built inside Banryū, combined with the power of the Shikon Jewel shards embedded in the halberd, creates a huge and powerful ball of swirling, fiery yōki. However, this all-powerful attack is ultimately his downfall: because it is flowing with demonic energy, Inuyasha is able to use the Bakuryūha to reflect the attack back at Bankotsu, shattering the Banryū and defeating him soundly.[6]
Relationships
Allies
Bankotsu and Jakotsu.
After Suikotsu was killed, Bankotsu told Jakotsu that he's "The only one in the whole world I can trust!", affirming his admiration for his fellow mercenary. It was revealed that before the formation of the Shichinintai, Jakotsu and Bankotsu had been traveling together. This explained why their bond is so strong, they are friends, more than just comrades.
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Renkotsu and Bankotsu.
Bankotsu acknowledged the fact that, despite Bankotsu's own cleverness, Renkotsu was "the smart one". Having him write the letter to the castle where they were executed, and giving Renkotsu what seems like the title of second in command of the rest of the mercenaries, letting him give his own orders to the others up until the point when Bankotsu was introduced. Upon learning from the saimyōshō that he took Jakotsu's Shikon Jewel shard from his body, the relationship between the two turned bitter and shortly turned into a fight, Bankotsu effortlessly defeated him and claimed all of his shards.
During Inuyasha and Bankotsu's first fight, Bankotsu was unaware of Inuyasha's Wind Scar. Ginkotsu saved Bankotsu from getting killed by this attack. Before that, Ginkotsu was seen staring at a butterfly, in which Bankotsu caught it for him due to being under the impression that Ginkotsu wanted to eat it.[4]
Naraku and Bankotsu at resurrection.
Since Naraku was responsible for reviving him and his six other comrades as a means to impede Inuyasha and his group, Bankotsu appeared to be loyal to him, and carried out his orders without a problem. But in the end Bankotsu knew all along that he and the other six were merely pawns in Naraku's schemes; Bankotsu told Inuyasha that it was due to how often he and his team were being used by their previous employers in life.
Bankotsu stated that he simply wanted to do whatever he wished as long as he was alive, and the fact that he was battling Inuyasha had nothing to do with his affiliation with Naraku.
Kohaku and Bankotsu.
Kohaku is the only person, outside the Shichinintai, that Bankotsu seemed to casually chat with. Due to how Kohaku's tactical methods, weapons, abilities, and outfit fit the description of a shinobi, Bankotsu usually referred Kohaku as a ninja. While Kohaku tried to correct Bankotsu that he was not a ninja, he was unable to recall his occupation. Despite this, Bankotsu continued to praise, albeit teasingly, Kohaku for his work as a ninja.
Enemies
Inuyasha and Bankotsu.
After his revival, he later met Inuyasha at the castle of where Banryū was being held. The two had have an antagonistic relationship since, mostly due to Bankotsu being affiliated with Naraku and bloodthirsty nature that put his friends in danger; the two shared numerous battles. During their last battle, Bankotsu brutalized Inuyasha, and teased him about him being a hanyō and therefore felt that he wouldn't count as a 1000th yōkai, whilst reaching his Banryū's full power. However, in his arrogance Inuyasha was able to show Bankotsu how resilient and determined he was as he removed the shards from his body. He even offered him a chance to escape with his life, but his foe turned it down in favor of battling with Inuyasha. In a form of irony, Inuyasha told Naraku that while Bankotsu was evil, he was more decent than him as he fought for his late comrades.
Manga vs. Anime
- The battle between Bankotsu and Inuyasha at Hijiri island lasts longer in the anime. In the manga, Bankotsu does not use Bankotsu's special attacks (Dragon Hammer, Dragon Thunder) that he displays in Episode 113
- The scene in Episode 115 when Bankotsu pays his respects to Kyōkotsu and Mukotsu at their former tomb, followed by the verbal confrontation he has with Kikyō, does not happen in the manga.
- The anime takes the confrontation between Renkotsu and Bankotsu further after the former took Jakotsu's jewel shard. The fight between the two does not happen in the manga. Instead Bankotsu removes all the jewel shards from Renkotsu's body as soon as he reveals that he knows of his betrayal.
- The anime also takes Bankotsu and Inuyasha's battle further to show that Bankotsu is skilled in terms of hand-to-hand, with Inuyasha only evening out the playing field with his stamina and resilience.
- In the anime, Bankotsu tells Inuyasha the he had first met Naraku before the Shichinintai was formed. This does not happen in the manga.
- In the anime, Bankotsu is killed by Inuyasha's Bakuryūha after Banryū is empowered by a demonic aura. In the manga, Inuyasha slices Bankotsu's body in half after he attacked with Banryū.
Quotes
- "If you really want to know Naraku's whereabouts, ask my blade."
- ―Bankotsu
- "Cursed dog, you scratched my Banryū!"
- ―Bankotsu
- "The time has come to settle old scores, our vengeance will know no bounds, so prepare to die... Or something to that effect."
- ―Bankotsu
- "I don't need any reason for killing people. I have always been this way, before my death and after being revived."
- ―Bankotsu
- "I'm a mercenary through and through. And what I do is thoroughly enjoyable."
- ―Bankotsu
- "My own ambition is simply to kill as many people as humanly possible."
- ―Bankotsu
- "People talk about heaven and hell all the time, but once a mortal is dead, that's the end of it. I have no interest in the so-called other worlds, I do as I please with no fear of the afterlife!"
- ―Bankotsu
- "Are you stupid?! In a match to the death there is no such thing as fair or foul!"
- ―Bankotsu
- "I won't fall for that again; do you only have one battle move?!"
- ―Bankotsu
- "Jakotsu...Why, you... You're such a good friend! You're really something Jakotsu, the only person in the whole world I can trust! Really weird, but loyal."
- ―Bankotsu
- "The difference is, I would never betray my friends."
- ―Bankotsu
- "That's interesting. Were you always this weak, Inuyasha? Or is it that I've become way too powerful for you?"
- ―Bankotsu
- "You can't understand man's world, where strength is your only hope of survival!"
- ―Bankotsu
- "Don't worry though, Inuyasha. I'm not interested in tormenting someone as feeble as you; weaklings hold no appeal for me. Now die."
- ―Bankotsu
- "There's a reason I was the leader of the Band of Seven. I held that gang of murderers together with these fists!!"
- ―Bankotsu
Trivia
- Though Bankotsu did have at least one Shikon Jewel in his body, it is still suggested that his physical strength is comparable to Inuyasha's, a powerful hanyō in his own right. As Inuyasha has been shown to easily lift several tons with one arm, it's likely that Bankotsu is the strongest human character in the series based on his handling of Banryū.
- Despite having a yōkai sword, Bankotsu is the only human that was never overcome by his sword's power where as other humans such as Tōshū and Kōtatsu have been killed and possessed by their own individual demonic weapons. This may be attributed to his jewel shards, though it is uncertain whether or not he would have been possessed had he remained alive.
- The mark on Bankotsu's face means "Youth".
- Bankotsu's Theme-Music from the InuYasha Original Soundtrack, Vol. 3 is entitled Shichinintai Shuryō Bankotsu (七人隊首領 蛮骨, "The Band of Seven's Leader Bankotsu"). He and Jakotsu are also featured in a song entitled "Abarero!!" that is performed by their Japanese voice artists.
- At the end of Episode 111, it shows Bankotsu inserting 4 shards Renkotsu stole from Kagome into Banryū, one of which was the large shard Kagome and Kikyō fused from Kagome's 3 shards in Episode 98, making a total of 6 sacred jewel shards in Banryū's blade, and 9 total in Bankotsu's possession at this point in time. In episode 113 however, Kagome states that there are only 2 shards in the halberd. In Episode 118, Jakotsu gives Suikotsu's shard to Bankotsu, and at the end of Episode 120, Bankotsu takes the 3 shards from Renkotsu, bringing his total to 13.
- Despite being the youngest member of the Shichinintai, he is often referred to as 'Big Brother' by the other mercenaries, e.g. Jakotsu and Renkotsu.
- Even though he had heard of Sesshōmaru, the two never met or fought.
- Bankotsu dies while there are still jewel shards inside him. It is unclear how this is possible, when the jewel shards were able to resurrect him and his gang from bones, and enabled Ginkotsu to survive being mostly destroyed. It may be possible that he might have been unconscious up until when Naraku takes out his shards (anime).
- It is also likely a corpse that is nothing but bones needs an intact ribcage/torso to stay sustained by the shards; as Bankotsu getting cut in half very likely destroys his heart, this would make sense.
- After Bankotsu was killed by Inuyasha in Episode 122, his left arm that contained the last of his Shikon Jewel shards is shown to have separated from his body. Yet in the next shot, Bankotsu it is still attached to his body since he did not turn into bones.
- His seiyū also voiced Magatsuhi and Jūra. He also voiced Shinnosuke from Rumiko Takahashi's previous work Ranma ½.
Media appearances
Manga
- Chapter 250 (First appearance)
- Chapter 251
- Chapter 252
- Chapter 253
- Chapter 254
- Chapter 255
- Chapter 256
- Chapter 257
- Chapter 258
- Chapter 260 (Appears in thoughts)
- Chapter 264 (Appears in thoughts)
- Chapter 265
- Chapter 267
- Chapter 268 (Appears in a flashback)
- Chapter 272
- Chapter 273
- Chapter 274
- Chapter 275
- Chapter 276
- Chapter 277 (Corpse)
- Chapter 278 (Corpse)
Anime
- Episode 103 (First appearance) (Appears in a flashback)
- Episode 108 (Appears in a flashback)
- Episode 109
- Episode 110
- Episode 111
- Episode 112
- Episode 113
- Episode 114 (Appears in a flashback)
- Episode 115
- Episode 116 (Appears in thoughts)
- Episode 117
- Episode 118
- Episode 120
- Episode 121
- Episode 122
- Episode 123 (Corpse)
- Episode 163 (Appears in a flashback)
- Episode 20 (FA) (Appears as essence in the Sacred jewel)
References
- ↑ Zusetsutaizan Ōgikaiden, page 216
- ↑ InuYasha anime; Episode 103
- ↑ InuYasha anime; Episode 123
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 InuYasha anime; Episode 110
- ↑ InuYasha anime; Episode 113
- ↑ InuYasha anime; Episode 122
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