Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Kambei Shimada

One of the interesting things about Seven Samurai is that there isn't really one protagonist, but several. You could argue that Rikichi is the protagonist, since he seems to kick the whole thing in motion. But Kambei, the first samurai to take the job and the unquestioned leader of the group, probably fits the description most closely. He's the instigator of the action, after all, and the guy who eventually leads them all to victory.

Like most protagonists, he has to overcome a number of obstacles to reach the final victory. That includes subtler things like holding the alliance between peasants and samurai together, and admonishing Kikuchiyo to quit being such a spaz. What makes him particularly cool is that we first meet him after he's fallen. His story appears to have ended in disgrace, making him a soiled hero in search of redemption rather than a young hero trying to earn his spurs.

Does he find that redemption? He certainly doesn't think so, thought it's hard to blame him too much. He does keep the village safe, and for a time he gets to act like the samurai he once was. It's a small victory to be sure, but small victories matter out here in the muck, and if a protagonist can't notch at least a few new marks in the win column, he's going to have a grim time of it indeed.