"Number Two" man (like Hijikata Toshizō or Shokatsuryō Kōmei) it "strummed the chords of [his] heart," and ideas came one after another until Hōji became one of his favorite characters. Watsuki stated that Hōji's character design is "100% original" to him and that it is one of which he is the most confident. Watsuki added that the one aspect he did not like about Hōji is his costume; he had wanted to make it more like the "European style authentic" to the period but could not find any resources. The author revealed that by the end of the Kyoto arc, Hōji would become "a pretty cool guy." Seta Sōjirō , also known as , is a teenage boy who is Shishio's right-hand man and the strongest of the Juppongatana. He is noted in the series for always smiling and lacks any emotion but "comfort," making him impossible to read. He has been with Shishio the longest and is the most trusted member of the Juppongatana, having met Shishio when he was a small boy. He had witnessed Shishio brutally killing police officers, but Shishio ordered him to keep him in a safe house and provide for him instead of killing him. Days pass and Sōjirō tended to him and explained his situation with his abusive relatives. Shishio then explained his creed of survival of the fittest and gives him his sword. When Sōjirō is caught harboring Shishio in his family's rice silo, his older relatives try to kill him, thinking they can pin it on Shishio. As a result, Sōjirō kills them in self-defense and goes off with Shishio to become his protege. Yūkyūzan Anji , also known as after Fudō Myō-ō, is a warrior monk and member of the Juppongatana. Anji is the third strongest and most merciful of the Juppongatana and has agreed with Shishio that Anji shall decide whether someone lives or dies. He fights alongside Shishio to destroy the Meiji government who did nothing to stop the anti-Buddhist purge which resulted in the destruction of his home and the deaths of the five orphaned children he cared for in his temple, who came from families who were killed during the Boshin War. Though he is a "fallen priest," who feels no shame in violating the directives of Buddha, he still wishes to save the world, but believes in doing so by killing those who are evil