Amidamaru - History

History

Amidamaru was born January 6, 1385 during the Muromachi period in feudal Japan. At a young age, he was orphaned and grew up with a number of orphaned children, including Mosuke, the son of a swordsmith. As one of the eldest children in the group, Amidamaru was compelled to protect the other orphans and drive away bandits. However, Mosuke was displeased that Amidamaru often broke the swords he wielded because they were too poor to afford good strong steel for another sword. Because Amidamaru refused to steal swords from the corpses and skeletons, Mosuke managed to forge an exceptionally high-quality sword from the last of his father's hunting knives. Touched by Mosuke's sacrifice, Amidamaru named the sword Harusame (春雨, "Spring Rain"?), which became a symbol of their friendship.

At some point in Amidamaru's life, he encountered the bandit Tokagero, killing him and his entire brigade, and leaving Tokagero's spirit to hold a grudge against Amidamaru for the next 600 years to come. As they grew older, Amidamaru and Mosuke were employed by a daimyo lord who was impressed with Amidamaru's skills as a samurai and Mosuke's craftsmanship as a swordsmith. Their good fortune was short-lived when the daimyo ordered Amidamaru to kill Mosuke to prevent the swordsmith from forging any sword that would exceed the Harusame. Divided between loyalty to his liege lord and his friend, Amidamaru eventually revealed the truth to Mosuke on Funbari Hill. Despite Mosuke's willingness to die for his friend, they arranged for Mosuke to flee while Amidamaru took responsibility for Mosuke's disappearance.

For Amidamaru's sake, Mosuke asked to take the Harusame in order to reforge it with a promise to return the sword to his friend the next night on Funbari Hill. However, a spy discovered their plan informed the daimyo, who arranged for both men to be killed. The daimyo's men arrived on the hill where Amidamaru was waiting; though he killed them all, he died from exhaustation from being forced to fight without the Harusame. Mosuke arrived too late to present the sword and died soon afterward, eventually haunting the sword for the next 600 years. Amidamaru died at the age of 24, with the reputation of an infamous killer into present day, and remained on the hill as a ghost waiting for Mosuke until he met Yoh.