Hyōma Muroga (室賀 豹馬, Muroga Hyōma) is a member of the Kōga Manjidani clan and one of the ten ninjas selected by Danjō Kōga to participate in the war against the Iga where he serves as Danjō's second-in-command, a good friend of Saemon Kisaragi and the maternal uncle/teacher of Gennosuke Kōga.
Appearance[]
Hyōma has chest-length black hair and he has three, small circular markings between his eyes, which he almost always has shut.
He dresses all in black and his outfit consists of a kosode, a haori and hakama, which are tucked into his socks. He wears traditional sandals and also a pair of black gloves, which only cover his wrists and the back of his hands.
Personality[]
Hyōma is a cautious and intuitive man who is following a surprise attack on Kōga Manjidani is the first member of the Kōga ten to realize that the Hattori truce may have been absolved. Although he distrusts the Iga, Hyouma admires Gennosuke Kōga's efforts to establish peace between the two clans and supports him whole heartedly regardless of what personal cost he may endure.
Biography[]
Before the War[]
As the second in command to Lord Danjō Kōga, Hyōma was assigned to be the sensei of Danjō's young grandson Gennosuke Kōga who was also his nephew since Gennosuke's deceased mother was Hyoma's older sister. Over the years, Hyōma successfully taught his pupil to call upon the Dojutsu technique in their bloodline as well as how to rely on other senses besides sight, even though Gennosuke originally believed the lessons to be pointless. Hyōma's most important lesson however was when he revealed to Gennosuke the truth of the world; that despite whatever differences may exist between people, they are still humans who live, feel, and die the same way. It was due to Hyōma's teachings that Gennosuke was able to see past his clan's hatred for the Iga and seek a harmonious coexistence until the blood shed following the dissolval of the Hattori truce called for a decisive end to the conflict by one way or another.
Years later, Hyōma bares witness to Kagerō leaving Jūbei Jimushi's room in a fit of rage and enters the room to find out the reason for her anger. Jūbei tells him he refused to tell Kagerō what the future held in store for Gennosuke and Oboro's marriage. Hyōma mentions that he is also interested in the outcome, but Jūbei refuses to inform him, telling him that he doesn't give away other people's fortunes. Hyōma understands Jūbei's position, but is left slightly disappointed.
The Iga Invasion[]
Hyōma is briefly seen with Saemon Kisaragi, Kagerō and Gyōbu Kasumi when Jūbei Jimushi is reading the stars. The group listen as he predicts that Danjō Kōga and Shōgen Kazamachi's lives are in danger. Gyōbu offers to go and check on them, but Jūbei decides that he should be the one to go and sets out for Sunpu to find them.
Later on, Hyōma is seen again with Kagerō and Gyōbu discussing his fear for Danjō and Shōgen. When the topic shifts to Gennosuke Kōga's upcoming wedding, Kagerō claims that Gennosuke is only marrying Oboro for peace and that she would like to kill Oboro herself. Hyōma quickly silences her, clearly disapproving of her remarks. The group is interrupted by the arrival of Saemon, who informs the group he has sent his sister Okoi to Iga to check on Gennosuke and Jōsuke Udono. Hyōma and Gyōbu praise the idea, knowing Gennosuke and the Iga wouldn't be so harsh on discovering a woman entering. Suddenly, Hyōma hears the approaching footsteps and is able to discern that it is a group of Iga ninja, one of whom is a woman, coming from the north. Hyōma quickly evacuated the Kōga woman, children and elderly to the hidden shelters before sending a squad of ninja under the command of Gyōbu to intercept the Iga.
Following a brief and violent struggle, Hyouma (accompanied by Kagerō and Saemon) appears before the Iga leader Tenzen Yakushiji and demands to know the meaning for the unprovoked attack. Tenzen claims he and the others came as friends to tell the Kōga that Gennosuke was staying as their guest at Tsubagakure for a few days and that the Kōga were the ones who attacked them first, displaying a Manjidani shuriken thrown into his sword scabbard as proof. He throws the shuriken at Hyōma, but it is quickly deflected by Kagerō. With no evidence to prove the attack was not started by the Kōga and the safety of Gennosuke most likely at risk, Hyōma made no attempts to stop the Iga esacping, simply watching as the group disappeared into a swarm of butterflies summoned by Hotarubi.
Later, during a meeting with the other Kōga ten, Hyōma theorizes that for some reason the Hattori truce had been absolved and charges Gyōbu and Saemon with infiltrating Tsubagakure to learn the truth of the matter and if necessary retrieve Gennosuke to safety.
Attack on Gennosuke[]
Gyōbu Kasumi and Saemon Kisaragi return to Kōga Manjidani with Gennosuke Kōga, although without the now deceased Jōsuke Udono and Okoi. The group then sets out directly for Sunpu as Gennosuke wants to speak with Ieyasu Tokugawa to learn the reason behind the battle. As they travel, Hyōma puts his hear to the ground and determines that no one is following them. Gyōbu points out that the Iga couldn't catch up with them so fast, but Hyōma says he fears they may use an unknown Iga route to catch them.
Later, the Kōga realize that Gyōbu has gone missing and, with Hyōma unable to hear him nearby, determine that he has left to act on his own. It then begins to rain so the ninja stop at a roadside inn, unaware that Nenki Mino and Hotarubi are chasing them to assassinate Gennosuke. That night, Hyōma and Saemon hear a commotion coming from Gennosuke's room and enter to find that Gennosuke's eyes have been sealed closed by the medicine hidden within Hotarubi's snake. Angered, Saemon and Kagerō run outside and follow Hotarubi off into the darkness. Hyōma stays behind with Gennosuke, but soon after Kagerō and Saemon leave, Nenki arrives, determined to kill them both. He mocked them both for being blind, but upon Gennosuke's command, Hyōma opened his eyes, triggering his dojutsu and forcing Nenki to crush himself to death with his own hair. Not long after, Saemon and Kagerō return having been tricked by Hotarubi. Gennosuke tells Saemon that Hotarubi will have headed in the opposite direction of her butterflies and Saemon once again sets out to find her, this time having stolen Nenki's appearance.
Journey to Sunpu[]
After Saemon Kisaragi returned, the group once again set off for Sunpu with Gennosuke Kōga and Hyōma now wearing hoods that covered their faces. Saemon had taken Gennosuke's appearance so it would appear that Nenki Mino and Hotarubi had failed to blind Gennosuke. They eventually come across a wooden wall from a ship and within it is Gyōbu Kasumi's body. The group mourn him by putting flowers on the wall and sailing it out into the ocean. The group sense they are being watched by Iga ninja, but they ignore them and continue on their way.
That night, Ogen's hawk flew over the Kōga carrying the scroll, enticing Saemon and Kagerō to follow it. Hyōma stays behind with Gennosuke, who calls out to there would be assailant. From out of the tall grass, Tenzen Yakushiji emerges with his sword drawn and announces his intention to kill them both as he slices Hyōma's travelling hood open. Yet despite Tenzen's taunts and threats, neither Hyōma nor Gennosuke make any move against him. Instead, Hyōma asks Tenzen to return with the other Iga to Tsubagakure until Gennosuke and the other Kōga return from Sunpu. The challenge Gennosuke had originally sent was merely to save face among the other Kōga. His true intention was to plead with retired shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa to reinstigate the Hattori truce and finally bring an end to the 400-year cycle of violence and revenge that the Iga and Kōga had been trapped in for so long. With a mixture of amusement and contempt, Tenzen rejects their offer and launches himself into battle against Hyōma until his sword presses against his enemy's throat. Before Tenzen could administer the finishing blow, Gennosuke gives his teacher permission to look and Hyōma unleashes his Dojutsu, which forces Tenzen to slice his own throat open instead. Kagerō and Saemon return and praise Hyōma's work and then turn to look at the scroll that Kagerō had taken from the hawk. They realise Jingorou Amayo's name has been scored out too and thank Gyōbu for his work. The group then set their sights on the remaining Iga; Oboro, Akeginu and Koshirō Chikuma.
As Saemon stayed behind to take Tenzen's appearance for himself, the other Kōga continue on their way to Sunpu as Gennsouke orders his men to kill the next Iga they came across regardless of who it was. But although Gennosuke had signed his lover's death warrant, Hyōma determined by his heavy gate how deeply his leader's decision was making him suffer. As he prays for Gennosuke to remain conflicted until he was the last of the Kōga, Koshirō appeared before them and furiously launched both his vortexes and his scythes in an attempt to finish the remaining Kōga himself. Taking cover behind two nearby rocks, Hyōma orders Kagerō to take Gennosuke and run, his parting advice to his student to always look to the truth of the world should he ever lose his way. Kagerō leaves her sword to aid him and Hyōma throws himself into battle as his comrades run to safety. Koshirō blocks Hyōma's sword strike with his scythe as Hyōma attempts to use his Dojutsu. But with his eyes destroyed from his fight with Gennosuke, Koshirō is completely immune to Hyouma's powers. Koshirō counters with another vortex and Hyōma blocks the attack with Kagerō's scabbard, although the edge of the vortex succeeds in wounding his right ear. Realizing he won't survive another attack, Hyōma puts some distance between himself and his enemy before throwing his travel pack and Kagerō's scabbard onto the road. The scabbard lands first and Koshirō throws his scythe at the noise, revealing his position. The travel pack lands behind him to distract him, leaving him open for the finishing blow.
Unfortunately for Hyōma, he forgets that Koshirō's scythes return when thrown and is forced to defend himself when the blade comes back for a second pass. The impact of Koshirō's weapon off Hyōma's sword reveals his position to Koshirō, who immediately creates a vortex that shreds Hyōma's entire face to pieces. Hyōma's final words are for Gennosuke to live before he dies standing on his feet with his sword bracing him up as the life flows out of him.
Abilities[]
- Dōjutsu: Hyouma possesses the same ability as Gennosuke Kōga, a skill passed down their family for generations. The Dōjutsu skill allows Hyōma to manipulate his opponents, forcing them to kill themselves or each other simply by looking into his eyes. However, unlike Gennosuke's Dōjutsu, Hyōma's Dōjutsu is permanently activate, forcing him to keep his eyes shut at all times to avoid killing the wrong person at the wrong time.
- Enhanced Senses: As Hyōma needs to keep his eyes closed at all times, he's learned to enhance his other senses to make up for his lack of sight. His hearing in particular is superior to everyone else in that it's almost like a radar, allowing him to hear the Iga approaching from far outside of Kōga Manjidani. He could also hear the number of ninja and distinguish between male and female footsteps. This makes him impossible to sneak up on.
- Kenjutsu: Hyōma's main weapon is his sword, which he uses with great proficiency despite being unable to see. When fighting, he tends to use his sword and scabbard in unison.
Relationships[]
Gennosuke Kōga[]
Gennosuke is Hyōma's nephew as his mother was Hyōmaa's elder sister and Hyōma was his teacher during childhood where Gennosuke disliked his lessons, but he seems to have learned them at some point.
During the story, Hyōma is respected by Gennosuke as his mentor and probably the only character besides Oboro and Danjō Kōga to have influence over him.
Danjō Kōga[]
Hyōma was Danjō's second in command, which means he was trusted by Danjō. By being Gennosuke Kōga's uncle means that he could be Danjō's son, but it was never implied in both anime nor manga.
Kagerō[]
Hyōma gives Kagerō councils, but always without hiding the truth from her and Kagerō always gets more angry about Gennosuke Kōga and Oboro.
Since Kagerō is Gennosuke's cousin, it would mean that Hyōma could be her uncle too.
Differences Between the Manga, Anime and Novel Versions[]
In the manga, Hyōma lacks the humanist beliefs of his anime version and was just as pleased as the other Kōga upon learning that the truce had been dissolved; expecting Gennosuke Kōga to willingly fulfill his obligations as clan leader. In contrast, following Gennosuke's return from Iga Tsubagakure in the anime, Hyōma was the only one who realized that in all likelihood, Oboro was just as unaware of the situation as Gennosuke was, much to Kagerō's outrage. Additionally, when asked by Gyōbu Kasumi in the manga if Gennosuke would be able to kill Oboro, Hyōma answered he would, whereas in the anime he remains silent, knowing full well the inner turmoil his student was experiencing.
Unlike the anime, Hyōma is capable of deactivating his Dōjutsu in the original novel. But because he was born with light-sensitive eyes, Hyōma is only able to open them at night or other low-light conditions. (This holds true in the manga as after killing Nenki Mino, Hyōma admits that during the day he is blind but at night he can open his eyelids and can gain limited vision). Also, instead of having his hair simply loose, Hyōma wears his hair in a topknot to mark his status as one of the Kouga's higher ranking members in the novel.
Appearance in Other Media[]
Hyōma appeared in the live action movie Shinobi: Heart Under Blade played by Takeshi Masu where he was slightly altered. In the movie, he didn't possess the Dōjutsu, but was instead a seer (in a way combining the attributes of Jūbei Jimushi with him) who could locate the position of people independent of great distances, as well as feeling changes in nature and decipher their means. He was also an adept sword user, favoring the shikomizue in close combat, which caused him to bear a strong resemblance to Zatoichi. He also maintained his mentor relationship with Gennosuke Kōga. He mounts a sneak attack upon the Iga and kills Tenzen Yakushiji in the process, before moving to kill Hotarubi and Oboro. When distracted by Hotarubi's butterflies, he is stabbed from behind by the recently-regenerated Tenzen.
Quotes[]
- (Moments before being struck by Koshirō Chikuma's whirlwind) "I've made a mistake."
- (Upon his death) "You cannot die, Gennosuke-sama. You must live past this day."
Etymology[]
- The name Hyōma means "leopard, panther" (豹) (hyō) and "horse" (馬) (ma).
- Hyouma's surname Muroga means "room, cellar, greenhouse/icehouse" (室) (muro) and "congratulations, joy" (賀) (ga).