Companion

Character Role Analysis

Katsushiro

Every master needs an apprentice and for Kambei, that means reluctantly adopting a stray.

Katsushiro is eager, obedient, and ready to do whatever it takes make his new master proud. He learns a whole lot during the course of the story, not all of it pleasant, but most of it at least useful. In another story, he might be the protagonist: coming of age in a dangerous world and learning the skills he needs to take care of himself along the way. As it stands, however, he's got some competition in the hero department. So like an apprentice samurai would, he bows respectfully to his master and cheerfully takes up the sidekick role in the story