|
|
"Mature Content Warning!" |
Takechi Hanpeita is the main antagonist and the final boss of the 2014 SEGA video game Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!, a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series taking place during the Edo period of Japan, and its 2023 remake Like a Dragon: Ishin!.
Originally based on the historical figure of the same name, he is the one of the two founders of the Tosa Loyalists, alongside his adoptive father Yoshida Toyo, and the adoptive brother of Sakamoto Ryoma. He has Toyo assassinated due to him being averse to causing needless bloodshed, which he deemed to be required to start a revolution. In the present day, he fakes his death and uses the alias of Sakamoto Ryoma in order to conspire with others and get them to help reform the entire country of Japan.
In the original game he was voiced by Katsunori Takahashi, and in the remake he was voice by Hideo Nakano, who also voiced Keiji Shibusawa, whom Takechi's appearance was made to resemble.
What Makes Him Magnificent?[]
- He is always affable towards Ryoma, speaking politely towards him and never really having any genuine malice towards him, he just merely disagrees with his ethics.
- Initially wanting to change the Tosa Domain into a more free land, one without the social class system, he instead extends his ambitions and aspires to change the entire nation of Japan, allying with the elders of Tosa to do so.
- He is very manipulative and cunning, taking Sakamoto Ryoma's name to collude with Saigo Kichinosuke of the Satsuma Domain and Katsura Kogoro of the Choshu Loyalists, including supplying them with weapons from the British. all in attempt to start a national civil war against the Bakufu.
- With help from Yamauchi Yodo, Tosa's daimyo, and Tosa loyalist member Okada Izo, Takechi fakes his death, which successfully tricks several characters, including the real Ryoma, all so he can continue his work as Ryoma's impostor.
- He had several people spy on the real Ryoma, including Oryo, a maid that works at Teradaya, the inn where Ryoma is staying, and Yamazaki Susumu, the chief investigator of the Shinsengumi, whom Takechi later has killed to cover his tracks.
- When Ryoma and his Shinsengumi ally Okita Soji (or Hirayama Goro) ambush Takechi while he is staying and Teradaya, he is able to escape using a smoke bomb.
- After Ryoma convinces the shogun to initiate a Great Restoration and return power back to the Emperor, which puts a halt to his plans of starting a civil war between the Satcho Alliance, the newly-fromed union between the Satsuma Domain and the Choshu Loyalists, and the Bakufu, Takechi's response is to manipulate the Shinsengumi into setting fire to the city of Kyo, by faking orders from their chief, Kondo Isami, telling them to do so. This is to serve as a distraction while Takechi has Izo murder Kondo and then murder the Emperor while framing Kondo for it, which would provide reason for a war between the Bakufu and the Imperial Court,
- He sees through it when Ryoma and his allies set up a meeting between the leaders of the Satcho Alliance and "Sakamoto Ryoma" to lure Takechi, being able to attack Ryoma's ally Nakaoka Shintaro. When Ryoma arrives and meets Takechi, Takechi tells him to meet him at Tosa, the place where Ryoma's journey started, so they can settle things.
- He is somewhat of a sympathetic villain despite having very heinous crimes, as when Ryoma meets with him before going to Tosa for their final fight, Takechi has gotten grey hair prematurely, implied to be due to stress of the actions he committed.
- He is also a genuine well-intentioned extremist despite how vile his crimes got, as everything he does is honestly what he believes will make for a better Japan, including getting rid of the classist system (and when he becomes a hypocrite for taking advantage of said class system, he realises his mistakes).
- After explaining his philosophy to Ryoma when he reaches him at Tosa, he fights him in what is considered the best boss fight in the game, if not one of the best in the series, for the awesome music, the emotional stakes and the scenery, among otther reasons.
- After the fight, when Ryoma says he forgives him, Takechi decides to redeem himself and promises to clean up the mess he made.
- While Yamauchi Yodo did anticipate Takechi's betrayal and manages to shoot him, this isn't disqualifying as, unlike Yodo, Takechi doesn't go out as a dirty coward, keeping his composure, and after Yodo is murdered by Ryoma, he takes Yodo's name and helps Japan's restoration from behind the scenes.
What Makes Him A Baddie?[]
- Takechi has Yoshida Toyo, his own adoptive father, assassinated by Serizawa Kamo as he believed Toyo was too passive and not extreme enough to lead a revolution.
- He kills his conspirators Kamo and Yamazaki Susumu, solely to cover his tracks.
- He has the Shinsengumi light Kyo, an entire city, ablaze for his plans.
- He had Okada Izo murder Kondo Isami.
- His ultimate goal was to cause a nationwide anti-Bakufu civil war, including using the Satcho Alliance, and later ordering Izo to murder the Emperor, to do so.
External links[]
- Takechi Hanpeita at the Villains wiki.
- Takechi Hanpeita at the Inconsistently Heinous wiki.
- Takechi Hanpeita at the Yakuza/Like a Dragon wiki.
[]
 Magnificent Baddies
| ||
|
Main Series Spin-offs Like a Dragon: Ishin! |
||