Kojiro is a legendary ronin and a member of the Straw Hats. Infamous for killing many of his brothers, Kojiro leads a small band of Straw Hats to swear an oath to kill Jin Sakai.
Biography[]
Kojiro grew up to be so deadly and bloodthirsty, that his own brothers, meaning his ronin compatriots, turned against him. From dawn until dusk, dozens of Straw Hats fought Kojiro, but the Ronin slew them all. Those who escaped that day disowned Kojiro from the Straw Hat ranks, but never crossed him again. Legend has it that the spirits of death were so astonished by Kojiro, that they blessed his armor to grant him a tireless sword arm. Kojiro thus earned a fearsome reputation, being called a demon for his seemingly supernatural talent. Kojiro lived alone until the Invasion of Tsushima by the Mongol Empire, in which the Straw Hats betrayed the people of Tsushima and welcomed Kojiro back into their ranks.
Upon learning of the famous 'Ghost of Tsushima', samurai Jin Sakai, Kojiro gathered five other deadly Straw Hats: Yasumasa, Tomotsugu, Kanetomo, Hirotsune and Kiyochika, and together they swore an oath to kill the Ghost of Tsushima. Kojiro sent word to a musician in Umugi Cove to inform Lord Sakai of this challenge, adding that he will earn the honor to die by his hand if he manages to kill his companions first. Once Jin kills all the other Straw Hats, Kojiro goes into a cave hidden in a waterfall at Omi Monastery, knowing that being inside Jin's own clan territory will be seen as an insult by him.
Once Jin arrives in the cave to confront the bloodthirsty Ronin, he asks if the musician's words that Kojiro's armor was blessed by demons were true. Kojiro merely asks Jin's opinion, and he tells Kojiro that he should have stayed a legend. The two then engaged in a fierce duel, during which Kojiro recounts how he has killed a thousand men, declaring that each death was sweet. Jin then concludes that the musician was right about Kojiro being a demon. As Jin begins to gain the upper hand, Kojiro asks if Jin is the one who finally kills him, and Jin wonders if that is what Kojiro really wants. Eventually, the duel ends in a triumph by Jin over Kojiro, who is at long last slain, ending his murderous rampage.
Legends[]
Kojiro's spirit appears as an enemy at the end of The Crow Demons of Otsuna.