Shimada, Kambei

島田カンベイ

The wisest of the seven samurai, he assumes the role of leader and devises the plans to defend the village. Brave, strong, and possessing wisdom beyond his years gained from the many battles he has fought, Kambei nonetheless lives in the shadow of a painful and stigmatic past, as all those battles were fought for the losing side. He wields a stylized katana, though on several occasions he uses two swords at once. Kirara selects him to lead the villagers against the bandits when her water crystal reacts to his passing in the city. Initially, Kambei disregards Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo as too inexperienced and immature to defend the village, but eventually recognizes both as full samurai, making them the fifth and seventh, respectively.