Characters of the 'Retribution' Universe

Warning: Mild Spoilers in some character biographies.

Disclaimers: No claims to canon accuracy of ages and the cultural/historical accuracy of naming. I don't own the Samurai 7 characters Kanbei, Shichiroji and Kyuuzou. They belong to Gonzo and Akira Kurosawa. The rest of the characters listed here are mine. Non-canon background history of canon characters is made purely for fun, no profit intended.

Notes:

• The Age field indicates the age of the character at the end of the Great War, that is, 5 years before S7. The rank listed in the Great War Career field indicates the rank of the character at the end of the Great War (or at time of death), which may be different from the (lower) rank s/he had in fics earlier in the timeline.
• The character picture does NOT necessarily correspond to the character's age in the Age field. It is usually a picture taken at a far earlier age. Mouse over the image to see the age of the character in the image.

Except for Kanbei, Shichiroji and Kyuuzou, all the rest are minor OCs who appear only in a fraction of the stories in the Retribution series. But they are important for establishing the background of the main characters. The character list is arranged according to how much 'page time' a character gets or the character's importance in the story. (For example, Aikawa Sensei, Rumi and Shizuka have very little page time but they are key to Kyuuzou's childhood history, so I've chosen to list them before other minor characters that get more page time.)

Planned updates: More character images.

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Name:	Kyuuzou
Age:	20
Height:	174cm
Class:	Peasant by birth, samurai for four years in Confederated Army
Affiliation(s):	Student of Mount Kei'an Dojo, veteran of Army of the Confederated Prefectures ('Confederated Army' for short), employee of Kougakyo Municipal Government Security Division
Great War Career:	Confederated Army 43rd Light Infantry Battalion, then 42nd Light Infantry Battalion, Rank: Corporal
Hometown:	born in Tamatani Village, Gokyo Prefecture, Eastern Sector; raised in Shirase Village, Yoshin Prefecture (later Yoshin Province), Southern Sector
Appears in:	All of the Retribution series except One Life, One Love, Edge of Alienation, Mandate of Heaven
Connections:	Adopted son of Shimada Shizuka; adopted nephew of Sakamoto Rumi; student of Aikawa Sensei.
Quote:	"You started me on the road of killing. Don't think you can just walk away."
Quote:	"I had to waste my energy telling our 'wise' leader to reprioritize his tasks."

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Name:	Shimada Kanbei
Age:	35
Height:	188cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Retainer of Aokuma Clan, veteran of Allied Forces
Great War Career:	Allied Air Force 2nd Regiment, Rank: Colonel
Hometown:	Gindai Town, Akashima Province, Western Sector
Appears in:	All of the Retribution series except Happy Endings, The Ghosts of Chrysanthemum Bridge, Mandate of Heaven
Connections:	Son of Shimada Seibei and Satomi; younger cousin of Shimada Shizuka; formerly engaged to Hasegawa Chihiro.
Quote:	"A tiger outside the forest can be bullied by a dog."

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Name:	Shimada Shizuka
Age:	45 (if not deceased)
Height:	183cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Former retainer of Aokuma Clan, formerly a major in Allied Forces, former student of Mount Kei'an Dojo
Great War Career:	Allied Air Force 17th Squadron, Rank: Major
Hometown:	Gindai Town, Akashima Province, Western Sector
Appears in:	Retribution, Unforgiven
Connections:	Daughter of Shimada Juubei (older brother of Shimada Seibei) and Hatsue; former student of Aikawa Sensei; former commander of Katayama Gorobei in Allied Forces, adoptive mother of Kyuuzou.
Quote:	"War, to me, had become a meaningless contest to determine who lives to go home to see their children."

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Name:	Sakamoto Rumi
Age:	44 (if not deceased)
Height:	181.5cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Former retainer of Shirosawa Clan, formerly a sniper in the Confederated Army
Great War Career:	Confederated Army 15th Archery Battalion, Rank: Master Sergeant
Hometown:	Yuukaku Town, Shichiyama Prefecture (previously Shichiyama Province), Northern Sector
Appears in:	Retribution, Unforgiven
Connections:	Childhood friend of Shizuka; adopted aunt of Kyuuzou.
Quote:	"Only Heaven has the last word on a human life."

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Name:	Ayame
Age:	23
Height:	162cm
Class:	Merchant by birth, samurai for six years in Confederated Army
Affiliation(s):	Student of Mount Kei'an Dojo; Red Wolf; veteran of Confederated Army; Director of veteran-retraining company 'From Swords to Sewing Machines'
Great War Career:	Confederated Army 43rd Light Infantry Battalion, Rank: Captain
Hometown:	Hokuhei City (city-state independent of prefecture), Northern Sector
Appears in:	Unforgiven, Wolf Warriors, Happy Endings, The Ghosts of Chrysanthemum Bridge, Price of Mercy, Cost of Honor, Mandate of Heaven, Retribution
Connections:	Student of Aikawa Sensei; Kyuzo's 'Third Sister'; senior to Kyuuzou; junior to Mizuho and Haruko; Kyuuzou's commanding officer for two years during the Great War.
Quote:	To Mayumi: "You must be mistaken. I'm not the daughter of a daimyo or the emperor. I'm a nobody, so there's no need to flatter me." (Subtitles: Bug off!)
Quote:	"Good and bad! Right and wrong! Love and hate! How thin the line between the two. How close they lie in the human heart. How easily one tumbles into the other!"

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Name:	Mizuho
Age:	27 (if not deceased)
Height:	170cm
Class:	Peasant by birth, samurai for five years (until death) in Confederated Army
Affiliation(s):	Student of Mount Kei'an Dojo; Red Wolf; veteran of Confederated Army
Great War Career:	Confederated Army 43rd Light Infantry Battalion, then Air Force 51st Mecha Squadron (an Aerial Assault Mecha Squadron), Rank: Lieutenant
Hometown:	Mizuta Village, Hironishi Prefecture, Western Sector (Hironishi is on border of Eastern Sector and Western Sector)
Appears in:	Unforgiven, Wolf Warriors, Happy Endings, The Ghosts of Chrysanthemum Bridge, Mandate of Heaven, Retribution
Connections:	student of Aikawa Sensei; Kyuzo's 'Second Sister', senior to Kyuuzou and Ayame; junior to Haruko; non-commissioned officer reporting to Haruko for 3 years during the Great War
Quote:	"I am not a samurai. I am a peasant, like you."
Quote:	"This could be me, or my kin."

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Name:	Tashiro Haruko
Age:	35
Height:	186cm
Class:	Samurai by birth, demoted to commoner after Great War
Affiliation(s):	Retainer of Kurume Clan; Red Wolf; student of Mount Kei'an Dojo (both in Nankai Prefecture); veteran of Confederated Army
Great War Career:	Confederated Army 43rd Light Infantry Battalion, then Special Operations - Army Special Forces, Rank: Major
Hometown:	Minsaka Town, Nankai Prefecture, Southern Sector
Appears in:	Wolf Warriors, Happy Endings, The Ghosts of Chrysanthemum Bridge, Price of Mercy, Cost of Honor, Mandate of Heaven, Retribution
Connections:	Junior of Shizuka; senior student of Aikawa Sensei for the time Kyuuzou was at Mount Kei'an; Kyuuzou's 'Big Sister'; Lieutenant of Kyuuzou, Ayame and Mizuho's platoon for first year of Kyuuzou's military career; teacher of Yasue and Kazumi; friend (love interest???) of Aiko.
Quote:	"I may be a samurai, but I do not stand here as a samurai."
Quote:	"Ladies!!! How many times must I tell you not to 'o-samurai-sama' me?!!"

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Name:	Motofuji Mayumi
Age:	28
Height:	176cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Former retainer of Kuroyama clan (now ronin), veteran of Confederated Army
Hometown:	Nariya City, Kokuryu Prefecture, Northern Sector
Great War Career:	Confederated Army Military Police Viper Brigade, Rank: Major
Appears in:	Mandate of Heaven, Beyond the Blade (not part of Retribution universe, she has a slightly different history in that story with regards to her military career.)
Connections:	Daughter of Kuroyama Tokuko's mother's younger brother.
Quote:	To Ayame: "Hime! Princess! I'm talking to you. Yes, you, the lady with the dark dreadlocks!" :-)
Quote:	"The ultimate in the Art of War is not to defeat the enemy in battle. It is to secure the capitulation of the enemy without bloodshed."

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Name:	Hasegawa Chihiro
Age:	35 (if not deceased)
Height:	178cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	retainer of Aokuma Clan
Great War Career:	Akashima Provincial Army 6th Support Company, Rank: Lieutenant
Hometown:	Seikawa Town, Akashima Province, Western Sector
Appears in:	One Life, One Love
Connections:	Once engaged to Shimada Kanbei; mistress/friend/lover of Okita Midori.

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Name:	Okita Midori
Age:	34 (if not deceased)
Height:	157cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Soldier of Aokuma Clan
Great War Career:	Akashima Provincial Army 6th Support Company, Rank: Staff Sergeant
Hometown:	Seikawa Town, Akashima Province, Western Sector
Appears in:	One Life, One Love
Connections:	Daughter of Okita Ryosuke; personal maid/staff sergeant to Hasegawa Chihiro.
Quote:	"I will have all or nothing."
Quote:	"But the way of the samurai is not in winning or losing. It is in doing one's best."

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Name:	Michiyo
Age:	32
Height:	172cm
Class:	Peasant
Affiliation(s):	Red Wolf; alumna of University of Sai'an, School of Agricultural Sciences Graduate Department
Hometown:	Mihara Village, Kokuryu Prefecture, Northern Sector
Appears in:	Edge of Alienation, Mandate of Heaven
Connections:	Acquaintance of Kanbei, friend of Rannosuke; friend of Aiko through the Red Wolf network.
Quote:	"With all due respect, peasants are attending university so that they can find new ways to yield more grain to fill your war chest."
Quote:	"You, a samurai, have the cheek to talk to a peasant in this manner after taking our taxes to fund your stupid war! Taxes that could have funded rural schools and rebuilt our irrigation systems, all bombed back to the Stone Age by the war that brought you 'glory' and brought us pain!"

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Name:	Kanou Rannosuke
Age:	26
Height:	180cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Former retainer of Kuroyama clan (now ronin), veteran of Confederated Army, alumnus of University of Sai'an, School of Military Studies
Great War Career:	Confederated First Armored Infantry Battalion, later transferred to Air Force 55th Squadron (an Aerial Assault Mecha Squadron), Rank: Lieutenant
Hometown:	Uwamachi Town, Kokuryu Prefecture, Northern Sector
Appears in:	Edge of Alienation, Price of Mercy, Cost of Honor, Mandate of Heaven
Connections:	Friend of Michiyo; acquaintance of Shichiroji (they were in the same department at Sai'an University), vassal of Lady Takako and later Tokuko.
Quote:	"Do you realize how many books on counterinsurgency were written by Northland samurai after the peasant rebellion?"

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Name:	Uchida Akira
Age:	21 (if not deceased)
Height:	179cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Shirosawa Clan, Confederated Army
Great War Career:	Confederated Army 43rd Light Infantry Battalion, Rank: Specialist
Hometown:	Seikaku City, Shichiyama Prefecture, Northern Sector
Appears in:	Wolf Warriors, Unspoken
Connections:	Subordinate of Ayame. Kyuzo's Squad 1 comrade.

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Name:	Yokoyama Masahiko
Age:	23
Height:	190cm
Class:	Samurai
Affiliation(s):	Kurume Clan, Confederated Army
Great War Career:	Confederated Army 43rd Light Infantry Battalion, Rank: Lieutenant
Hometown:	Bashou Town, Nankai Prefecture, Southern Sector
Appears in:	Wolf Warriors, Happy Endings
Connections:	Subordinate of Ayame. Kyuzo's Squad 1 comrade.

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