Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

I apologize if this has been asked before.

One of the aspects of Usagi that I find most interesting is the role of tokage lizards in the stories. Now, granted, I've only read the Fantagraph run thus far (I read slowly), but I've noticed some unusual things about the use of Tokage lizards in the stories.

In the early issues, Usagi often seems to be the only one that ever notices the lizards and, in fact, only interacts with them when he's in a particularly peaceful state of mind, stopping to pet or feed them. In later issues, others notice them but often view them as annoyances. Only characters that are pure of heart seem to appreciate them. I vividly recall Jotoro's interaction with a tokage that inadvertantly helped him to escape after Jotoro had been kidnapped and had shared his few rice scraps with the lizard. In fact, Usagi, Jotoro, and the Blind Swords-Pig are three of the purer/kinder characters in Usagi's world, and each has taken on a tokage as a pet at some point (each one named "Spot" too!). I also recall a laughable moment when Gen (much less pure and kind, though just as lovable) is being assaulted by a mob of tokages at the start of an issue.

So the big question: are these tokages somehow linked to Karma or a Zen state of being, or are these just fantastic coincidences? I'd love to know.

Thanks!

The tokage occupy a particular niche in the ecosystem of Usagi's world. Dogs, cats, rats, weasels, etc--animals that are pets or scavengers in our world--are people in Usagi's world. The tokage fill the role of pets and scavengers. As you said, even Usagi had one as a pet. Often when there is a dead body lying around, you'll often see one or more of them attacking the corpse.

But more importantly, they're just so fun to draw.

Stan Sakai wrote: But more importantly, they're just so fun to draw.

and to look at too!

My favourite characters!

Especially Spot. Both of them.

They're so cute, too ^_^ I want one as a pet; I light up whenever I see one in the comic XD