Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

This subject might have came up earlier since I am too lazy to look after.
But anymay, In which fight and in which story would you say that our long eared hero has come closest to being killed?

I myself hasn´t read all too many stories, but of those I have read I´d say his encounter with Jei in Grasscutter where the closest one. Jei would probably have finished him if it hadn´t been or Keiko..

What about Usagi's first encounter with Jei? Jei was a few seconds from killing him when he was struck by lightning. THAT was pretty close.

Definitely his duel with Nakamura Koji... that was too close

true, but I don't believe Koji-san actually had any intention of killing Usagi. There have been a couple of other instances where I was more concerned. One of the battles with Jei comes to mind! ... and anyone with a spear scares me as well!

Hmm... has Usagi ever been wounded-near-death... I can't recall...

Yes but Usagi didn't know that... uncertainly is always more scary than knowing for sure...

(and with Jei, Usagi knew he would die if he lost)

chickrockguitar wrote:Hmm... has Usagi ever been wounded-near-death... I can't recall...

heh! how would we know, it's always "little more than a scratch" with him

Well, those poisoned darts of that ninja where pretty close of killing him; if it hadn't been for Chizu, he wouldn't have survived the night, as she stated.

Another close encounter of death (although not in a fight as such) was "A Promise in the Snow" where he almost froze to death...

The Battle of Adachigahara is another. Usagi was prepared to die in that battle..fortunately his drive to preserve his Lord's honor by removing Mifune's head and carrying it away from Adachi Plain saved him. Had he not been able to rescue the head, I doubt he would have fled the battle...in doing so he surely would have perished due to the overwhelming number of Hikiji's forces.

Another near-death experience is when he was captured by Noriko. She could have easily killed him, but didn't. Usagi was completely helpless over her. I'm sure she'll be back to get revenge. Maybe she's next on Jei's possession list? A truly evil person...but maybe not...Jei seems to go after the pure of heart (Jizonobu and Inazuma).

well, I am reading the TPBs through in order right now - I've just started #7 - and I have seen plenty of close calls already. Shingen saves his butt in The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy or he would have been killed by one of Tamakoru's outriders when his horse went down, and Takohana had the drop on him with a teppo and an anonymous neko ninja saves him. Tomoe saves him from a horde of ninja in the first book , he was in big trouble, injured backed up against a tree and surrounded - with archers coming in. Same thing in Daisho but Gunichi and a bunch of Mifune retainers arrives. He just about goes off a cliff after he sticks Jei with his own spear head - Kenichi grabs him as he's about to drop. As I say plenty!

Not exactly a fight, but my favorite close call is from A Meeting of Strangers.

ya good one! definitely a close call

I was wondering why that looked odd... and then realised that it was in colour originally

I've never seen the b/w version before... I assume the TPB of the Mirage series reverts back to b/w then?

Usagi's expression. Priceless!

Mayhem wrote:I was wondering why that looked odd... and then realised that it was in colour originally

I've never seen the b/w version before... I assume the TPB of the Mirage series reverts back to b/w then?

Yep, that's right, all TPB are in B/W; I can't say for sure for the HC books, because unfortunatly I still miss most of these treasures.