This is a list of characters from the manga/anime Bamboo Blade. The show aired from October 2, 2007, to April 2, 2008, with 26 episodes being released. It has had many spin-offs [1] and comic/manga stories created.
A large amount of the surnames are taken from various winners of the All Japan Kendo Championships.
Eishin High
The school's kendo team uniform consists of blue shirt, dark blue trousers, blue armour with red torso plate.
- Carrie Nishikawa (西川 キャリー, Nishikawa Kaari)
- Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi (Japanese); Jamie Marchi (English)
- An anime-only character, Carrie is an American girl raised in Japan with a loud and pushy attitude. She becomes Miyako's rival for Dan's affections since Carrie finds that he resembles her pet armadillo, Anderson. After seeing a samurai movie featuring a dual-wielding fighter as a child, she has always wanted to fight with two swords, and planned to compete in two-sword style as adult. As such, she is a strong opponent capable of using the two-sword style of kendo, despite high school competitions prohibiting the use of the two sword technique. Because Carrie has considerably more experience than the novice Miyako, Miyako trains especially hard to defeat Carrie. In the 25th episode, she finally defeats Carrie in a match, and later goes on to defeat her again with Carrie using the two-sword style (she defeats her after successfully knocking both swords from her hand with one swing).
Shugyoku High
The school's kendo team uniform consists of white shirt, white trousers, white armour with yellow torso plate.
- Rin Suzuki (鈴木 凛, Suzuki Rin)
- Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese); Caitlin Glass (English)
- A girl one year older than Tamaki, Rin is fond of the "Super Sentai Blade Braver" like Tamaki, but she prefers Shinaider (which sort of an enemy) more than the Blade Bravers. Rin and Tamaki first meet during a live action performance, where Red Braver had a guest appearance, and participate in a fan-quiz for the prize of limited edition Blade Braver dolls, which Rin wins (she only keeps the Shinaider doll and gives Tamaki the rest). Later, they work together in the new Blade Braver movie and the girls become friends and rivals because of their mutual interest the Braver series and their strength in kendo. She is the strongest opponent that Tamaki has ever seen and the first, and only person in the anime, to defeat Tamaki, using the high stance to do so. However, she is defeated by Tamaki at the same tournament where Kojirō defeated Kenzaburō nine years ago. During the final episode, it is shown that the two are still friends and see the Blade Braver movie together, both gaining respect for the other's favorite by the movie's end.
Touryuu High School
- Sakaki Ura (榊 心, Ura Sakaki)
Sakaki is Tamaki's rival in the manga. Although they have barely met (and that Sakaki quit kendo), it is thought to have been "fate" and therefore everyone is hoping for a match between them and consider her Tamaki's only match. She is more or less a replacement for Rin Suzuki in the manga (although Rin has been mentioned), as she takes the role of the one to defeat Tamaki so that Tamaki becomes stronger. In the end, the one to defeat Tamaki first, was Sawamiya Erina, a 16-year-old TV idol (whose real name is Yamada Umeko, a former national-level kendoka, rival of Sakaki, that dropped kendo due to frustration over not being able to defeat Ura even once) in a special television event of kendo beauties (Muroe was invited because Odajima Reimi sent footage of Miya-Miya to the TV station). After that, Ura appeared and challenged Erina, leading to a long all-out fight, that left an impression on Tamaki (making her gain conviction and the will to become even stronger). Months later, a special tournament is held on TV. The first match of Muroe is against a team composed of Ura and other skilled kendo girls (including Erina), and after two wins and two losses, the decisive fight between Tamaki and Ura leads to the end of the history. In the anime, she is only seen at the ending credits of episode 26, first talking to Suzuki Rin and then when she and Tamaki cross each other at the tournament's entrance.
Ozawa Kenyuukai
A team consists of actors that has consulted Kawazoe dojo's instrutor for kendo moves to be used in movies.
- Ozawa (小沢, Ozawa)
- Leader of Ozawa Kenyuukai. Also served as director for rehearsing action scenes in Blade Braver movie.
Battle Hero Series
Blade Braver
It is a Battle Hero Series programme that was broadcast 10 years prior to the Cosmo 13 stage show featuring the resurrected Death Armor. The Bravers have face masks resembling kendo masks.
- Red Braver/Juji
- The red-suited protagonist in the television series, carrying a single-edged weapon.
- Blue Braver
- The blue-suited protagonist in the television series, carrying two single-edged weapons.
- Yellow Braver
- The yellow-suited protagonist in the television series, carrying a long handle version of Red Braver's weapon.
- Death Armor
- The primary villain in Blade Braver television series. Originally died during the Blade Braver television series, it was revived in the Cosmo 13 stage show attended by Tamaki, Rin Suzuki, and Yuji Nakata.
- Shinaider
- An enemy to the Bravers carrying bamboo sword, but ended up supporting them, and never able to defeat Braver on its own during the television series. The suit resembles a black version of Braver suit, but right half of the mask is in human skull shape.
- Braver Robo
- A giant robot resembling Red Braver, with cockpit capacity of 3 (later 4 in the movie) Bravers.
- Death Friend
- A Braver villain with cat eye mask and black tails that appeared during the Cosmo 13 stage show.
- Cobrazaurus Death Friend
- A Braver villain with rubber tires paddings appeared during the Cosmo 13 stage show. It was defeated by Red Braver and Cosmo 1.
- Shinaigirl
- Shinaider's female companion, introduced in the Brave Braver movie Rin and Tamaki had performed in.
- high school girl (女子高生)
- An extra character with spoken part, introduced in the Brave Braver movie. Originally to be performed by Rin, the role was assigned to Tamaki when Rin took the role of Shinaigirl to replace the original Shinaigirl actor injured earlier in the same filming day.
- Silver Braver
- A transformed version of Shinaider in white-suited and orange scarf, emerged after the fall of Shinaigirl. The right half of the Shinaider's mask broke off during the transformation, showing it to be the mirrored version of Shinaider's left half-mask.
Cosmo 13
It is a Battle Hero Series programme, successor to Blade Braver. The protagonists have face masks based on traffic signs.
- Cosmo 1
- A red-suited Cosmo 13 member with red cross blue background circular traffic sign.
Material Puzzle/Mat-Puz
It is a 46-episode television series within Bamboo Blade.
- Donchil/Donchill
- In the Bamboo Blade television series, it appears as a talking figure included in the limited edition Material Puzzle DVD box set.