Goemon Ishikawa XIII

Age: Mid-20s - early 30s Birthday: 16 August (The Castle of Cagliostro) Height: 180 cm Weight: 63 kg

The thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, beginning with the legendary figure Ishikawa Goemon (石川 五右衛門). He has a sword called Zantetsuken (斬鉄剣), meaning "iron-cutting sword", which can cut through almost anything. In one episode during the TV series Goemon admitted that his sword cannot cut konnyaku, which is a starch-based jelly made from yams, because the blade just gets stuck in it. The Zantetsuken is usually used to cut inanimate objects, which Goemon considers unworthy of his blade and often mutters his catchphrase "once again, I have cut a worthless object" after doing so. Objects cut by Zantetsuken will fall apart a couple of seconds after he sweeps through them with his blade. He is usually quiet and participates in Lupin's exploits less frequently than Jigen. He is also a skilled pilot.

A master of a number of classic Japanese martial arts, Goemon excels at Kenjutsu and Battōjutsu. Using his trademark Zantetsuken sword (carried in an unadorned shirasaya without a hand guard) he has the ability to cut through virtually any substance, even flying bullets, steel girders, automobiles, and multi-storied buildings. His training includes Jujutsu, Aikido and Karate, enabling barehanded vanquishing of several attackers at once with minimal effort. In spite of his invincible weapon and his martial arts expertise, Goemon prefers to incapacitate rather than kill opponents, usually by destroying their weapons and clothes with lightning fast sweeps of his sword. Since katanas traditionally must cut flesh before being returned to the scabbard, Goemon reacts to his non-lethal use of Zantetsuken by exclaiming "Mata tsumaranu mono o kitte shimatta" (in English dubs, "Once again, I have cut an unworthy [worthless] object").

Goemon has an extreme sense of pride in his abilities, and when he cannot accomplish a task, feels shame and remorse afterward. Breaking Zantetsuken, as he did in a battle with Flinch in The Mystery of Mamo, is a common cause of shame. He will also feel chagrin when he succumbs to his weaknesses, as when a woman ran off with his sword in Memories of the Flame: Tokyo Crisis. On many of these occasions, Goemon will leave to meditate or further train to rid himself of his weak points.

Goemon shows allegiance to Japanese culture as strictly as his traveling and unique lifestyle can allow. He dresses in a hakama and fundoshi, and prefers wearing his hair long and somewhat unevenly cut. He only eats Japanese cuisine, willing to fast rather than settle for any Western options. He is a firm believer in Buddhism and Shinto. Although he may toast with champagne, his drink of choice is sake. He occasionally has been seen smoking a kiseru and usually wears a Sugegasa style hat.

While Goemon is traditionally fearless in battle, he shows a boyish shyness when confronted by attractive women. His reaction to viewing a woman in scanty clothing is adverting his gaze and blushing; this embarrassment typically is performed even when in the company of women he has romantic interest for, such as Murasaki Suminawa, his fiancé in The Plot of the Fuma Clan.

Goemon's most often seen pastime is meditation. Even under threat or when locked up, he is typically seated on the floor in a state of mental seclusion so deep he cannot be budged from his position. Other activities Goemon favors include fishing, attending noh theater, listening to enka jazz and participating in martial arts competitions.

Although typically a person of mellow aloofness, Goemon has been seen exploding with frustration, as well as admiring beautiful women and (very rarely) screaming in fright. Such out of character moments are usually treated as humorous takes. If Goemon has a true weakness, it is that he's a sucker for women. He readily trusts any woman who seems superficially trustworthy or innocent, often landing him in much trouble. At the same time, he fears sultry women will distract him from his training, and tends to blush or flee when any woman puts him in a less than modest situation.

Goemon also is very bad with money as well as falling for any scam that states will show the path of enlightenment, and constantly charges Lupin for his services in some fashion. In $1 Money Wars he gives it to the female leader of a cult, who promptly runs off with it.

Commonly thought to be just a samurai, an episode of the second TV series ("Goemon's Revenge") has Goemon visiting his Iga ninja sensei. This episode depicts him as having had the training of a master ninja, perhaps giving some reason behind his willingness to find thievery as an acceptable practice, in spite of his samurai ways.

(Source: Wikipedia, Lupin III Wiki)