Dororo

Dororo revolves around a rōnin named Hyakkimaru (百鬼丸) and young orphan thief named Dororo (どろろ) during the Sengoku period. The rōnin was born malformed, limbless and without facial features or internal organs. This was the result of his birth father daimyō Kagemitsu Daigō forging a pact with 48 sealed demons so that he might rule the land and increase its wealth and prosperity. In return, he promised the demons anything that they wanted which belonged to him. This enabled them to roam free and commit atrocities along the countryside.

After his mother Oku was forced to set him adrift on the river, lest he be killed by his father, the infant was subsequently found and raised by Jukai-sensei, a medicine man who used healing magic and alchemical methods to give the child prostheses crafted from the remains of children who had died in the war. The boy became nearly invincible against any mortal blow as a result of the prostheses and healing magic. Grafted into his left arm was a very special blade that a traveling storyteller presented to Jukai-sensei, believing it was fated to be within his possession given that ever since the boy had been discovered, the doctor had been visited by goblins. As revealed in a short tale about the blade's origin, the blade had been forged out of vengeance to kill goblins as well as other supernatural entities.

After the sensei was forced to send him on his way because he was attracting demons, the young man learned from a ghostly voice of the curse that had been set upon him at birth and that by killing the demons responsible he could reclaim the stolen pieces of his body and thus regain his humanity. Across his travels, he earned the name "Hyakkimaru" (百鬼丸) among other names for his inhuman nature. On one such hunt of a demon, Hyakkimaru came across a young orphan thief named Dororo who thereafter travels by his side through the war-torn countryside. When Hyakkimaru met Dororo, he had already killed 15 demons.

Throughout their journey, Hyakkimaru killed 6 more demons, bringing the total to 21. Along the way, Hyakkimaru learns that Dororo was hiding a big secret. Dororo's father, Bandit Hibukuro, hid money he saved up on his raids on Bone Cape to later be distributed to the people squeezed dry by the samurai. Itachi, a bandit who betrayed Hibukuro and sided with the authorities, crippled Hibukuro. Hibukuro escaped with limping legs, along with his wife and young Dororo. Hibukuro dies trying to let his family escape. Fearing that she will die, Dororo's mother prayed to Buddha and, with her blood, drew the map that will lead him to Bone Cape. Three days later, she froze to death.

Itachi kidnapped Dororo and used the map on his back to lead them to Bone Cape. A mysterious boatman ferried them to the Cape but he had two demons sharks with him. One of the sharks ate half of Itachi's bandits while the other shark left with the boatman. However, Dororo and the remaining bandits managed to kill the shark. When the boatman and the second shark returned, Dororo was able to separate the boatman and the shark. Hyakkimaru arrived to stab the shark in one of its eyes, but It escaped. They held the boatman prisoner and then they landed on Bone Cape.

The boatman told the thirsty bandits of a spring not too far from their camp, and they went to drink, leaving Itachi, Dororo, the boatman and Hyakkimaru. Dororo later found their corpses and blood leading to the half-blind shark. Hyakkimaru killed the shark and the boatman, then recovered his real voice. Itachi went to search for the money but only found a letter from Hibukuro saying that he hid it somewhere else. The Magistrate arrived under the pretense of getting rid of the bandits but actually came for the treasure. Hyakkimaru, Dororo, and Itachi kill them, but Itachi was left for dead. Hyakkimaru and Dororo continued on their journey.

Sometime later Hyakkimaru learns that his father, Kagemitsu Daigo, was possessed by the 48 demons, and went to slay him. Things were going badly on the Daigo clan's land, and the citizens were forced to build a fort for him. The slaves were planning a rebellion, but one of the slaves told Kagemitsu of their plans, and he was prepared. His archers shot and killed many slaves and the remainder hid in a tunnel they had built under the fort.

Hyakkimaru left Dororo and ran into the fort. Dororo joined the slaves in their ambush, but Kagemitsu Daigo's soldiers caught Dororo. To prove his loyalty, Kagemitsu told Hyakkimaru to kill Dororo. Hyakkimaru acted as if he was about to kill Dororo but turned around and threw his sword into the dark stabbing the physical manifestation of the 48 demons, however, some of them managed to escape. The slaves charged through the tunnel and attacked Kagemitsu 's soldiers. Kagemitsu, weak because of the slain demons, escaped with his wife Oku.

After he regained his eyes, Hyakkimaru figured out that Dororo is female, though Dororo rejects the notion and refers to herself as a boy despite Hyakkimaru's insistence to act more feminine. This is in part due to Dororo being raised as a boy by her parents in order to be tough. Hyakkimaru also wanted Dororo to fight with the farmers against those in power because Dororo's father was a farmer. Hyakkimaru gave his sword to Dororo, the one that she had desired throughout the series. Hyakkimaru planned to continue his journey alone, agreeing to meet Dororo again when Hyakkimaru's body was whole. They parted with Dororo crying at the doors. It wasn't until 50 years later that the last of the 48 demons was slain.

Characters and voice actors appearing in the anime and video game.

Hyakkimaru (百鬼丸)

Voiced by: Nachi Nozawa (1969); Voiced by: Hiroki Suzuki (2019) (anime)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (Japanese); Chris Murphy (English) (video game)

Hyakkimaru is a rōnin during the Sengoku period and the son of Kagemitsu and Oku Daigo. Due to a pact forged by his father with 48 sealed demons, the un-named baby was born malformed, limbless and without facial features or internal organs. The infant was set adrift in the river and was subsequently found and raised by Dr. Jukai who gave the child prostheses including a special blade grafted into his left arm forged out of vengeance to kill supernatural entities. The boy became nearly invincible as a result of the prostheses and healing magic. During his travels, he earned the name "Hyakkimaru" among other names for his inhuman nature.

Dororo (どろろ)

Voiced by: Minori Matsushima (1969); Voiced by: Rio Suzuki (2019) (anime)

Voiced by: Ikue Ōtani (Japanese); Bret Walter (English) (video game)

Dororo is a young thief who joins Hyakkimaru in his travels and adventures. In the original manga and 1969 anime adaptation, Hyakkimaru learns that Dororo is female with the latter continuously insisting she is a boy, though this is because her parents raised her as one. In the 2019 version it is revealed earlier[5], though Hyakkimaru makes no note of it. Dororo's bandit father Hibukuro was wounded by a samurai official and later died. Her mother froze to death while fleeing in the snow, but before she died she drew a map on Dororo's back to locate money hidden by her father at Bone Cape.

Kagemitsu Daigo (醍醐景光, Daigo Kagemitsu)

Voiced by: Gorō Naya (1969); Voiced by: Naoya Uchida (2019) (anime)

Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); Kevin Blackton (English) (video game)

Hyakkimaru's father and Samurai in the Muromachi period, Lord of Ishikawa and vassal to the governor of Kaga Province. So that he might rule the land and protect it from the repeated famines, epidemics, droughts and disasters that plagued neighboring domains, he forged a pact with 48 sealed demons where each could obtain a piece of his newborn child's body.

Tahōmaru Daigo (醍醐多宝丸, Daigo Tahōmaru)

Voiced by: Shūsei Nakamura (1969); Voiced by: Shōya Chiba (2019) (anime)

Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao (Japanese); Kevin Miller (English) (video game)

Younger brother of Hyakkimaru and the second son of Kagemitsu Daigo. Born after Hyakkimaru was abandoned.

Jukai (寿海)

Voiced by: Kinto Tamura (1969); Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (2019) (anime)

Voiced by: Kiyoshi Kobayashi (Japanese); Adam Harrington (English) (video game)

A skilled doctor and surgeon who used healing magic and alchemical methods to create prostheses for the child who became Hyakkimaru.

Biwa Hōshi (琵琶法師)

Voiced by: Junpei Takiguchi (1969); Voiced by: Mutsumi Sasaki (2019) (anime)

An unnamed blind travelling monk and a biwa hōshi (lute priest). He is an excellent swordsman who carries a sword inside his biwa.

Mio (未央)

Voiced by: Reiko Mutō (1969); Voiced by: Nana Mizuki (2019) (anime)

Voiced by: Yuki Makishima (Japanese); Evelyn Huynh (English) (video game)

Hyakkimaru's first love, a beautiful prostitute who took care of orphaned children. She died protecting the other children from a raid ordered by Kagemitsu. In the manga and first anime she dies before the action starts and therefore is seen only in flashbacks, but in the 2019 anime she shows up in person.

Itachi-no-Saigo (イタチの斎吾)

Voiced by: Masaaki Okabe (1969); Voiced by: Setsuji Satō (2019) (anime)

A bandit who betrayed Dororo's father Hibukuro and sided with the authorities. He later kidnapped Dororo to get the map to find the money hidden by Hibukuro.

Nota (ノタ)

A puppy wearing a hat that travels with Hyakkimaru. Original anime character only and does not appear in the manga. Makes a cameo appearance in the first episode of the 2019 anime.

• List of Osamu Tezuka anime
• List of Osamu Tezuka manga
• Osamu Tezuka's Star System

• Dororo at Tezuka Osamu @ World — Official site for Tezuka Osamu's works
• Official Dororo Page at publisher Vertical, Inc.
• TVアニメ「どろろ」公式サイト (Japanese) Official Dororo Anime 2019 Page
• Dororo (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Dororo on IMDb