The Yamada Asaemons are known as professional executioners who can behead anyone with a single flawless strike. They have their own hierarchy, but who is the strongest Yamada Asaemon in Hell’s Paradise?
The hierarchy in the clan does not rely on an executioner’s combat abilities, contrary to popular belief.
This is the reason why some of the Yamada Asaemon who are ranked do not have the skills to match their standing in the clan.
Spoiler Warning: This listicle contains Hell's Paradise spoilers!
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Yamada Asaemon Eizen
Remember when Eizen first appeared and everyone thought he'd be one of the most badass characters in Hell’s Paradise?
Unfortunately, Eizen is not that strong, despite ranking first in the clan. He was killed off way early in the anime and was not given a chance to showcase his skills.
Simply put, Eizen did not have any significant feats in Hell's Paradise, so it's difficult to determine his strength.
Most likely, Eizen attained his ranking for other reasons not related to his poor combat skills. He has outstanding qualifications, but Eizen is not viewed as the strongest in the hierarchy.
We wish we could've seen more of him, but this poor thing watching Rokurota is totally tragic!
Yamada Asaemon Kisho
Kisho ranks 11th in the clan, and he was known for having the ability to see the bigger picture in crucial situations.
This is shown in his choice to murder his own criminal in order to return to the mainland as soon as they arrived in Kotaku. This is a wise decision because he will no longer be exposed to the perils of the island.
Kisho's decision, however, cost him his life, as he was infected with arborification when Tenza and Nurugai found him.
Nonetheless, Kisho is noted for never losing his cool in front of his opponents. He rarely acts assertively in battle and prefers to play it safe most of the time.
Shugen even vouched for Kisho’s strength, noting that he has nerves of steel that allow him to predict his opponent’s moves and avoid them in time.
Sadly, like Eizen, Kisho never had the chance to showcase his skills in Hell’s Paradise after he was also killed off early in the series.
Yamada Asaemon Senta
This Yamada Asaemon has an unfortunate upbringing. He doesn't want to be an Asaemon, but he was compelled to join the ranks to honor the family's tradition and fulfill his duty.
Senta originally aspired to be an artist and create magnificent works. However, things turned differently for Senta, and he chose to pursue theology, which pushed him up the ranks.
He ranks fifth in the clan despite his nervous and harmless demeanor.
Despite this, Senta’s swordsmanship is still impressive, resembling that of the sport of fencing.
By combining speed and precision, Senta’s swordplay can be fatal!
So, don’t be fooled by his cute appearance, even if he doesn’t look like he is strong enough to win a match!
Yamada Asaemon Genji
Due to Genji’s muscular build, he was viewed as the perfect man to master the martial arts.
He ranks eighth in the clan, and he is known for his unparalleled monster strength capable of overpowering Gantetsusai.
As channeled by Shugen in the later arcs of the series, Genji was also seen as having unrivaled wrist strength that could cause his opponents to lose in a clash of swords.
However, Genji is one of the people in Sagiri's life who dismisses her abilities. He reminds us of Yamada Asaemon Kichiji, who only sees Sagiri as a bride for the clan's next leader.
Genji ultimately believes in the path of the samurai and thinks that the user’s soul is forged in their swords.
Yamada Asaemon Tenza
Perhaps Tenza is one of the most righteous in the Yamada Clan. He is dedicated to his duties, but he doesn’t let it affect his perspective on life.
This is true of Tenza’s views about Nurugai, whom he believes has been the victim of her fate.
He empathizes with Nurugai and thinks that she deserves to be freed from her ill circumstances.
When it comes to combat abilities, Tenza is known for his speed and reflexes. He even claims that he has unmatched speed, capable of inflicting strikes on his opponents before they can even react!
In fact, Tenza was able to cut down Zhu Jin’s body before it could even react! But still, Shion, Tenza’s master, believes that his techniques need some more polishing and improvement.
If only Tenza lived much longer in the series, he would have had more room for growth!
Yamada Asaemon Fuchi
Fuchi serves as the group's healer. He possesses outstanding medical knowledge, and his experience in human anatomy enables him to develop powerful medicines capable of curing a wide range of injuries.
He was able to not only replace Gantetsusai's arm but also treat Gabimaru and Toma's issues.
He is ranked ninth in the clan, and many of his companions, particularly Shugen, look up to him because of his intelligence.
He is a nice and selfless individual who puts others' needs before his own.
During their confrontation with Shugen, Fuchi sacrificed what was left of his life energy merely to heal Gantetsusai.
Yamada Asaemon Toma
Aza Toma, the Yamada Clan traitor, has been said to have a brother complex. He lives and breathes for his brother, who has always shielded him throughout his life's trials and tribulations.
Toma looks up to his brother as the greatest, and he believes that he is merely an extension of his brother rather than an ally.
As a result, Toma found it difficult to collaborate with anyone other than his brother.
But, once he recognized that this reasoning was incorrect, Toma was able to grow not only as a character but also as a warrior.
He also didn’t mind swallowing his pride and ego to get stronger, just to be on par with his brother and fight with him side-by-side.
Toma feels that surviving the hard and unforgiving environment is the key to life.
Yamada Asaemon Isuzu and Kiyomaru
Although unranked in the clan, Isuzu has explosive combat abilities. Similar to Sagiri, Isuzu is a female Asaemon, but her combat abilities are better than the others.
It is said that Isuzu is even working as a combat instructor for potential executioners.
But what makes Isuzu’s swordsmanship unique from the others is her ability to wield dual swords and inflict instant slashes.
Shugen also acknowledges her skill and notes that Isuzu is a very talented swordsman who can wield a sword that only a few can perform.
She is anything but ordinary, and Sagiri even knows it!
Credit: Yuji Kaku / Shueisha / Viz Media
The same goes for Kiyomaru, who is said to have the potential to sit at the top of the hierarchy.
He may be smaller and younger than the others, but he still has a lot of room to grow!
Yamada Asaemon Shion
You should never meddle with blind anime characters; otherwise, you'll be gone in an instant!
Shion is blind, but he is renowned as the Sword God Child, capable of seeing the world through the flow of waves.
These waves enable him to see the movement of things around him in the same way that a person with sight does.
This is why no one should underestimate him simply because he is blind!
At such a young age, Shion was able to awaken his Tao. This allowed him to perform tricks in front of many people and earn money for his mother.
Credit: MAPPA
Shion eventually made it into the ranks and was considered one of the strongest.
His swordsmanship is pinpoint and accurate, and he can defend against all types of attacks from all angles.
Shion possesses a wood Tao trait that, when combined with his swordsmanship, provides him with explosive power, agility, and reflex.
He has no fear when confronted by the Tensens, and he is prepared for whatever they hurl at him because this is his way of life and a way to atone for Tenza's death.
Yamada Asaemon Sagiri
By the end of Hell’s Paradise, we can all agree that Sagiri has surpassed Shion’s strength. He himself acknowledges Sagiri’s raw strength combined with her exceptional gift at using Tao.
When Sagiri grew accustomed to using her wood Tao attribute, she was able to perceive the next attacks and movements of her opponents.
She also has the ability to suppress her Tao to hide her presence, not to mention share her own life force with Gabimaru.
By conjecturing her Tao with her swordsmanship, Sagiri can easily cut through anyone flawlessly.
She only needs to accept the doubts that she feels inside herself in order to get stronger and be free from the chains of her profession.
Sagiri may have the lowest rank in the clan due to her gender, but her skills and abilities are unrivaled!
She may not follow the usual path of a samurai, but Sagiri proves that there’s more to her gender than meets the eye! You go, girl!
Yamada Asaemon Jikka
We're not sure whether it's just our imagination, but Jikka reminds us of Shanks from One Piece.
He scares us the most because he is so laid-back and carefree. He also has a playful demeanor, similar to Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen, which says a lot about his ability.
Nonetheless, Jikka is third in the clan and wishes for an easy life. He eventually accomplished his goal, and he became the clan's leader, permanently confined to his comfort zone with all the food and women he could get.
But Jikka's combat abilities are no laughing matter. He wields a bamboo sword that, like any other blade, can sever anyone.
Undoubtedly, Jikka is very skilled at what he does. He is also very quick-witted—the kind of guy who can survive anything.
Jikka was the first person able to survive and return to the mainland unscathed!
Imagine the kind of monsters he faced in the currents of Kotaku, and yet he was able to return!
Rumor has it that Jikka has a special intuition that shows him how objects and humans move. And most importantly, Jikka has a skill that surpasses that of having the ability to sense Tao.
Yamada Asaemon Shugen
Shugen can channel all the skills and abilities of his fellow comrades and make them his own.
This is the result of all the years of his analysis, studying the strengths and weaknesses of all the Yamada Asaemons in the clan.
He has a clear grasp of everyone, and it shows through his fight with Gantetsusai and Fuchi.
Moreover, he doesn’t even have a problem changing his skills from one Asaemon to another, as seen in the final arc of the manga.
Everyone also acknowledges Shugen’s monstrous strength and respects him the most.
On Kotaku Island, Shugen was able to singlehandedly destroy soshins without using his sword!
He is so well-versed in using his Tao that he can transform his own attributes to match the others.
This is the reason Shugen can match the Flower Tao users, and Rien never thought that this kind of development could be possible.
The hunt for the Elixir of Life continues in Hell's Paradise. But what awaits them is grave danger in the hands of the Tensens that guard it!
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