Utsuro

Utsuro
Information
Official English Name:	Utsuro
Age:	500+
Titles:	Tendoushuu
Physical Features
Race:	Human
Gender:	Male
Status:	Alive
Professional Status
Affiliation(s):	Tenshouin Naraku Tendoshu
Occupation(s):	Tendoshu
Strong Point(s):	Immortality Naraku Founder Always Smiling
First Appearances
Chapter:	Lesson 541
Volume:	60
Episode:	Episode 297.5 (special) Episode 314 (official)
Voice Actors
Japanese VA:	Yamadera Kōichi

Utsuro was the founder and the first leader of the Tenshouin Naraku before Oboro. He is the original identity and self of Yoshida Shouyou. After Shouyou's death, his body was reanimated back to his evil self. Imai Nobume stated that it is still unknown whether Shouyou's self still remains or not but regardless, Utsuro is currently considered the most dangerous man in the universe.

Background

With high amounts of Altana present within his body, Utsuro has the power of immortality and regeneration and a host of other extraordinary powers, though it is still unclear how he obtained the Altana in his body. According to Imai Nobume, the name "Utsuro" was passed down as the name of the founder of the Naraku. It is later revealed that all the "Utsuro"s were the same person. During the Tokugawa Reign, when the Naraku worked for the Tendoshu, Utsuro disappeared from Naraku and changed his name and identity and taught at a temple school as Yoshida Shouyou, where he taught students including Gintoki, Katsura and Takasugi. The reason for this was because he wanted to impart some good on the world after killing for 500 years. However, his identity was discovered and was arrested for illegal gatherings and creating dissenters that would rustle those who the Tendoshuu ruled over. He was executed by Gintoki at the end of the Joui war. After his death, he came back to life and reanimated back to Utsuro. Nobume has stated that "The Utsuro standing there was said to have eyes like those of a completely different person. "

Appearance

His outfit is similar to those of Tengus. Instead of the warm smile Shouyou always gives, Utsuro has a cold, contempt and twisted smile plastered on his face almost all the time. His body and face constitution seem to be slightly more muscular and masculine as well.

Personality

Though Utsuro smiles a lot, like his former Shouyou self, his smile is cold and twisted. He has taken an interest into fighting Gintoki. When Gintoki broke his mask, he was shocked to see the smiling face of his old teacher, and Utsuro used that moment to catch Gintoki off guard.

Even Batou commented that he cannont read Utsuro's mind at all, his whole being is like an emptiness that will consume everything (as Utsuro's name means "emptiness") He also refers Utsuro as "it" instead of "him".

Beyond his twisted personality, Utsuro seeks death to end his tragic life of immortality. He stated that life without ending is void (again reference to his name's meaning). It is still unknown if the reason why he taught the future samurais (most of all his first three disciples), and used Shige Shige's police forces is to acquire their help to end his life or not.

Strength & Abilities

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Due to his identity of being an evil persona of Shouyou, Utsuro is an expert at swords as he was able to take on Sougo, Nobume, and Kagura all at the same time. While he was fighting Gintoki, Sougo noted how Gintoki reacted to Utsuro's sword like he was fighting it from memory. Utsuro then stated that Gintoki had fought against his sword style before (hinting at Shouyou's style) and that Gintoki could not beat his style since he never did it before.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: He used the open-palm strikes against Gintoki and Sougo causing their bodies serious damage.

Physical Attributes: Shouyou was shown to have great physical strength, speed, agility, senses, and reflexes. Due to his identity of being an evil persona of Shouyou, Utsuro possesses even greater strength and physical attributes.

Cunning: He was taken by the Tendoushuu as a lab rat after he came back to life, but when he showed up again, he had become one of the Tendoushuu, able to play along with the Tendoushuu, seizing full power of Harusame by killing off all the Elders. He is a mastermind and is extremely cunning.

Immortality: Affected by the power of Altana /Ryumyaku, Utsuro is an absolute immortal; unable to die, age, rot, immune to all illnesses, diseases, disorder, poisons, toxins, spells, and will rapidly heal/regenerate from any and all injuries no matter how destructive and be restored to perfect health and condition. He can completely and perfectly heal and regenerate from all wounds, including lost limbs, lost organs, decapitation, even complete incineration and cannot be killed: as shown when he was forced to be executed by Gintoki and had his body burned, he came back to life after being beheaded, and incinerated. While the Tendoushuu and other amantos crave his power of immortality, Utsuro himself wishes an end to his immortality.

Relationships

Enemies

• Okita Sougo:
• Kagura:
• Imai Nobume:
• Sakata Gintoki:

Story

Farewell, Shinsengumi Arc

Utsuro was first introduced arriving in one of the Naraku ships both to help squash Isaburo's rebellion and to fight Gintoki. He easily defeats the combined forces of Nobume, Okita and Kagura and is barely beaten back by the trio mainly with Gintoki's help. When Utsuro was revealed to have Shouyou's appearance, Gintoki suffers a breakdown that, as shown in the next arc, he doesn't completely recover from. Okita, Kagura, and Gintoki also receive their first glimpse of Utsuro's healing ability. Utsuro will spend the rest of the arc back on one of the Naraku ships, gleefully watching as it bombards its enemies and allies.

Rakuyou Arc

As Nobume reveals Utsuro's history mainly to Gintoki and Katsura, Utsuro visits the Harusame Elders, the true leaders of the pirates, where they thank each other for destroying each others' enemies. He grows disgusted by their talks of immortality and helps the Harusame divisions overthrow the Elders by killing them. Days later, the pirate division leaders pledge their loyalty to Utsuro and the Tendoushuu, and Umibouzu arrives to chastise the pirates and warns Utsuro for interfering in his fight with his son, the former member of Harusame. It is later revealed that Oboro's constant revivals in the series was due to Utsuro giving the Naraku leader his immortal blood decades before when he was a child, dying.

Utsuro grows curious about how the disciples of his previous personality will become a danger to him and his fellow Tendoushuu along with his interest in fighting Umibouzu. He purposely antagonizes both groups and finally has his fight with Umibouzu. He barely defeats the Yato due to Umibouzu being not only aware of how his immortality works but also knowing his weakness to try to kill him. Utsuro was forced to resort to his trump card to stay alive and heavily weakened, he flees. He does thank Umibouzu for giving him his first ever near-death experience.

Battles

Fight	Outcome	Time it Occurred
Utusro vs. Sakata Gintoki, Kagura, Okita Sougo and Imai Nobume	Retreat	Episode 314
Utsuro vs Umbibozu	win	Lesson 577-583

Trivia

• His name "Utsuro" means "emptiness"
• Its appearance is similar to a Tengu (天狗) hybrid of bird and human represented in Japanese mythology.
• In the hilt of his katana is a manji, Buddhist religious symbol representing eternity and the 4 elements. It is also the Kamon (Japanese emblems used to decorate and identify an individual or family) of Yoshida Shoin (archetype of Shouyou).