Akashachi

Akashachi (赤鯱, "Red Orca") is a pirate captain, master of the crew of the Sōdō no Shachi (双胴の鯱, "the Double-Hulled Orca"). He is known for having transported Kenshiro to the Land of Shura and for being the father of Shachi. A one-eyed old sea dog, recognizable by his eye patch and the prosthetics that replaced his right hand (a grappling hook) and his right leg (a blade), he bears the scars of a past attempt to invade the Land of Shura. He is voiced by Daisuke Gōri in the TV series and by Nobuaki Kakuda in the Shin Kyūseishu Densetsu films.

The failed invasion of Shura

In his youth, Akashachi had landed on the island of Shura at the head of a hundred men, hoping to plunder its riches. Nearly his entire crew was massacred by a single unknown warrior, whose power was enough to annihilate a hundred pirates. Akashachi survived but lost an eye, his right arm and his right leg, and had to flee, leaving behind his son Shachi, who was fifteen years old at the time. Since that day, Akashachi has sailed the seas with a handful of loyal survivors, hoping to one day find his son again.

Reunion with his son and battle against Kaioh

Akashachi meets Kenshiro when the latter seeks to cross the sea to reach Shura. After attempting to fight him and then recognizing his power, Akashachi agrees to take him there, entrusting him with the mission of finding Shachi. The reunion between father and son is fleeting but deeply moving. Despite the years and the harshness of their parallel lives, their bond remains intact.

Akashachi and his crew intervene during the first decisive confrontation between Kenshiro and Kaioh. Using grappling hooks, they manage to immobilize the first Rashō and pour a barrel of sulfuric acid over him. Kaioh plunges into the water to neutralize the acid, and Akashachi prepares to finish him off with a harpoon, but Kaioh retaliates with a concealed crossbow and strikes him down at the fateful moment. In his final moments, Akashachi meets Leia and gives her a blessing, revealing the more human and benevolent side of this otherwise hardened pirate. Shachi witnesses his father's death and, as a sign of mourning and legacy, takes his headband to wear it in turn.

Connection with Raoh

A detail revealed belatedly sheds light on the character: Akashachi had also served in the past as a maritime transporter for Raoh, when the latter had crossed the sea to go meet Kaioh before the beginning of his own conquest. Raoh reportedly personally thanked the pirate for this help, which adds to the character of Akashachi a dimension of singular witness. He would have crossed paths in turn with two of the three greatest successors of Hokuto, and rendered service to each of them. A secondary but memorable character, Akashachi embodies the harshness of the land of Shura and the tragic fate of those who dare venture there.