is a Japanese honorary title given to a warrior of legendary skill in swordsmanship. The literal translation of kensei is "sword saint". This suggests a higher degree of perfection (possibly also encompassing a moral dimension) than the more commonly used or "sword master". This is distinct from the word , meaning swordsman.
Famous kensei
In popular culture
- The 2000 video game has a unit based on the Kensei (called "Kensai" in the game).
- The 2000 video game features a subclass of the Fighter class with the title of Kensai, being the most powerful physical attacker in the game.
- The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Oriental Adventures rulebook, the 2003 supplementary rulebook for the 3.5th Edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, titled Complete Warrior , and the 2017 supplementary rulebook for the 5th Edition, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, all have a kensei player class.
- The 2011 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game first-edition sourcebook Ultimate Combat adds a variant of the magus class called the Kensai. The 2018 video game ' and the 2021 video game ', both based on the Pathfinder system, include the Kensai under the name Sword Saint.
- The 2012 light novel ' has multiple characters who have held the title of Sword Saint within its story, and is associated with the Astrea family.
- The 2019 video game ' in the original Japanese release uses the term "Kensei" to title one of its characters, referring to him as Kensei Ashina Isshin.
- The 2020 video game Ghost of Tsushima features a ronin named Kojiro, described as a legendary sword master. Defeating Kojiro in a duel awards the Kensei Armor.
- The 2023 manga series Kagurabachi features a character named Akemura Soga with the title of Kensei, being the most powerful of the 6 enchanted blade wielders.
References