Hojo Akitoshi

Biodata

Power Progression

No named cultivation realms or numerical levels are documented; his development proceeds from trained martial prowess to an initial awakening of purifying power.

Background / History

Akitoshi retains memories of his previous life on Blue Star, including higher education at Tōdai and familiarity with Inuyasha. Reborn into the Hojo family, he begins planning his conquest of Japan from infancy. By nineteen, he has displaced Hojo Ujiyasu as the intended successor, although he still considers victory at Kawagoe necessary to make his leadership fully legitimate 1 46.

According to an account recalled by Takeda Nobushige, Akitoshi took in orphaned children while still a boy, lived alongside them, and taught them martial arts and military strategy. Those children later became trusted retainers who supported his rise within the clan. Ujiyasu separately acknowledges that the Hojo’s recent advances depended on Akitoshi’s contributions 42 47.

For nineteen years, Akitoshi believes he inhabits ordinary Warring States Japan. The appearance of a Shikon Jewel shard reveals that he is instead in the world of Inuyasha. Realizing that armies alone cannot guarantee survival against greater demons, he expands his ambition from ruling Japan to ruling its demons as well 1 2.

He refuses to use the shard as a shortcut because of its corrupting danger. Instead, he considers immortal arts, spiritual power, spells, and human ingenuity. He also orders searches for Sango’s Demon Slayer Village, Miroku, Shinsen, and Ungai as potential sources of supernatural expertise 1 2.

Appearance

• Handsome and gallant: Kagome is immediately struck by his looks upon seeing him at the head of his cavalry 3.
• Light armor against Yura: He favors mobility over heavy protection when facing invisible hair attacks 12.
• Commanding bearing: His presence intimidates Mitsuhide and inspires soldiers preparing to charge 1 12.

Personality

Akitoshi is intensely ambitious, but willing to revise his plans when new dangers emerge. Discovering the supernatural nature of his world initially unsettles him; he soon turns that fear into a search for greater power. His refusal to risk corruption through the Shikon Jewel reflects calculated caution rather than a lack of appetite for strength 1 2.

His public ideal is a realm founded on benevolence and righteousness. He argues that rulers owe protection to the people who supply their food, clothing, arms, and armor. He refuses to sacrifice Kaede’s villagers for convenience or abandon his samurai to save himself 11 34.

That benevolent image also serves his political strategy. He deliberately stages an affectionate scene of serving food to his soldiers before Kagome arrives, and understands that generosity, shared danger, and repeated victories secure loyalty. Ujiyasu regards his pleasant exterior as concealing ruthless methods 12 19 41 42 43.

He readily exploits emotional vulnerabilities, including Sesshomaru’s grief and Inuyasha’s devotion to his mother. Although he liked Inuyasha as a reader in his previous life, he prioritizes his ambitions and followers over preserving the original story’s relationships 27 31 32.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Arts and Draw-Sword Slash

Akitoshi combines trained swordsmanship, battlefield instincts, and exceptional physical aptitude 12 39.

• Cuts Yura’s invisible hair by following his instincts before dye bombs reveal it 14.
• Severs Yura’s hand with Sirius to free Kagome 16.
• Uses Draw-Sword Slash, his signature technique, to attack Sesshomaru at close range 31.
• Redirects that normally committed strike to avoid hitting Inuyasha when Sesshomaru uses him as a shield 31.
• Only cuts Sesshomaru’s sleeve in the exchange; Sesshomaru defeats the attack by throwing Inuyasha into him 31.

Purifying Power and Archery

Akitoshi first uses purifying power supplied by Kagome before awakening a faint version of it himself 16 26 33 39.

• Fires Kagome-empowered arrows, destroying Yura’s comb and greatly weakening Sesshomaru 26 33 34.
• Manifests his own purifying aura around Sirius after repeated exposure and private study 39.
• His newly awakened power flickers and is insufficient to overcome Sesshomaru in direct combat 39 40.

Military Command and Strategy

He builds his forces around trained cavalry, armored samurai, matchlocks, and artillery rather than relying solely on temporary levies 2 8.

• Uses burning trenches, pigment bombs, and treated blades to counter Yura’s invisible Hair Sea 4 8.
• Anticipates Yura using villagers as human shields and orders their rescue 10 11 14.
• Has more than a thousand villagers clear a firebreak before attacking Yura’s forest refuge 22 23.
• Coordinates three-stage matchlock volleys against Sesshomaru, though the demon’s whip blocks the bullets 33.
• Combines a nighttime incendiary bombardment with a fully armored cavalry assault at Kawagoe 45 46 47.
• Checks his pursuit when exhausted horses and Uesugi Kenshin’s approaching army make further advance dangerous 49.

Technology and Anti-Demon Preparations

Akitoshi adapts knowledge from his previous life into practical weapons and countermeasures 7 8 25 46.

• Detects Yura’s approach using black dogs, roosters, and cattle, drawing on traditions learned at Tōdai 7.
• Adds anti-demon treatments to blooded battlefield blades, enabling his warriors to cut Yura’s hair 8.
• Develops Special Incendiary Bombs using white phosphorus and sugar to intensify the forest attack 25.
• Constructs short-range incendiary rockets for the Takeda camp raid, emphasizing sufficient range and fire-starting effects rather than long-distance accuracy 46.
• Recognizes that Sesshomaru’s speed and defenses make the methods used against Yura inadequate on their own 28 33.

Foreknowledge and Psychological Manipulation

His memories of Inuyasha provide information that he often disguises as deduction 2 16 21 28.

• Records remembered plot details in Chinese pinyin so others cannot easily understand his notebook 2.
• Knows that destroying Yura’s apparent body will not kill her without damaging her hidden comb 16.
• Identifies a third-party mastermind behind Kikyo and Inuyasha’s tragedy by reasoning backward from an answer he already knows 21.
• Questions the supposed resurrection of Izayoi, exposing contradictions in Jaken’s story 29.
• Uses Sesshomaru’s grief to create an opening and provokes Inuyasha into resisting by invoking his mother’s dignity 31 32.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Muramasa Blade Sirius — His personal sword, used against Yura and Sesshomaru and later imbued with his emerging purifying power 4 16 38 39.
• Bow and arrows — Used to deliver Kagome’s purification against demons 26 33.
• Iron spear — His mounted weapon during the raid on the Takeda coalition’s camp 47.
• Light armor — Selected for agility during the battle against Yura 12.
• Shikon Jewel shard — Carried in his pouch; its arrival reveals the identity of his world, but he declines to use its power 1 2.
• Pinyin notebook — A concealed record of his remembered Inuyasha knowledge 2.
• Fire-oil bombs — Used to delay Yura while retreating with Kagome 16.
• Spyglass — Used to examine Takeda Shingen’s camp before the night raid 45.
• Great Dog General’s bone fragments — Secretly collected from the tomb; Urasue’s artificial-body techniques interest him as a possible use for such materials 36.
• Sesshomaru’s flesh, blood, and bone fragments — Taken from his severed arm for Akitoshi’s future plans 40.
• Heavenly Feather Robe and Heaven Blade — Previously presented or stored at the Hojo’s main castle. He orders them retrieved but leaves for Kaede’s village before they arrive 1 2.
• Tessaiga, briefly handled — Accidentally draws the sword, then throws it to Inuyasha rather than retaining it 38.

Relationships

• Akechi Mitsuhide — Long-serving retainer and closest confidant. Advises him, supports his dealings with Kagome, and pledges to forge the Hojo’s “world of benevolence” 1 11 17 18.
• Hojo Ujiyasu — Defeated rival for clan leadership. Akitoshi entrusts him with the main army, while Ujiyasu acknowledges his achievements and fears his political methods 2 42 43.
• Kagome Higurashi — Combat partner and growing admirer. He rescues her, affirms her identity apart from Kikyo, and relies on her purification; she becomes strongly protective of him. No established romantic relationship is documented 16 19 20 23 32 40.
• Inuyasha — Initially hostile and jealous, later a reluctant ally. Akitoshi repeatedly protects and manipulates him; Inuyasha ultimately regards both Akitoshi and Kagome as people he wants to protect 5 14 29 32 33 40.
• Kaede — Wary intermediary. She initially supplies fake talismans, then trusts his promise to save her village while remaining concerned about his influence over Kagome 5 11 28.
• Sesshomaru — Powerful adversary and benchmark for Akitoshi’s growth. Acknowledges his courage and swordsmanship, but remains far stronger in direct combat 30 31 39 40.
• Yura of the Hair — First major demon opponent used to test the Hojo Army. Akitoshi destroys her true form with Kagome’s assistance 2 26.
• Takeda Shingen — Military rival targeted at Kawagoe. Each recognizes the other’s ability; Akitoshi’s night raid forces Shingen into retreat 45 47 49.
• Jaken — Captured servant of Sesshomaru. Akitoshi keeps him alive because his connection to Sesshomaru makes him worth handling carefully 41.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Kaede’s Village and Yura of the Hair

• Diverts five hundred cavalrymen from the Kawagoe campaign to test human military methods against demons 2.
• Seeks Kikyo’s remaining talismans while preparing his camp for an attack 4.
• Rejects sacrificing the villagers and personally leads the rescue, earning renewed loyalty from his samurai and admiration from Kagome 10 11 12.
• After Yura retreats into a trapped forest, mobilizes paid laborers to clear a firebreak and subjects her refuge to incendiary bombardment 22 23 25.
• Kills the surviving Yura with a spiritually empowered arrow and honors Kagome’s decisive contribution at the victory banquet 26 27.

Sesshomaru and the Great Dog General’s Tomb

• Challenges the false Izayoi’s story and fights Sesshomaru through swordplay, gunfire, and a joint Purifying Arrow with Kagome 29 31 33 34.
• Enters the boundary between life and death, secretly collects bones, and unexpectedly draws Tessaiga 36 38.
• Awakens purifying power while holding off Sesshomaru, but is badly injured 39 40.
• His and Kagome’s danger prompts Inuyasha to awaken Tessaiga’s true form. After Sesshomaru’s defeat, Akitoshi collects material from the severed arm 40.
• Orders Nameless executed for abducting and killing children, while retaining Jaken as a captive 41.

Return to Kawagoe

• Returns to Ujiyasu’s camp, punishes Tame Masa with fifty strokes for drinking before victory, and investigates the clan’s religious resources for confronting demons 43.
• Secretly positions an elite raiding force outside the Takeda coalition’s camp and launches an incendiary attack that causes nighttime panic 45 46.
• Leads fully armored cavalry through a breached wooden wall, kills several enemy samurai, and pursues Shingen 47.
• Slows the pursuit as Uesugi Kenshin’s forces approach, preserving his cavalry rather than advancing blindly into a possible trap 49.

Notable Quotes

“Just as I will not abandon Kaede's Village today, I will not abandon any of you tomorrow!” 11

“If a king does not move forward, how will his subjects know which way to go?” 12

“You are Kagome, not Kikyo.” 19

Trivia

• Frequently snacks on roasted soybeans, including while making tactical and political decisions 1 4 8 18 21.
• Has no confirmed activated system or conventional cheat. After awakening purification, he wonders whether hard work itself is his cheat 2 39.
• Kagome recognizes that his prominence—and Mitsuhide serving him rather than Oda Nobunaga—does not match the history she learned 5.
• His interest in collecting demon remains leads him to wonder where he could recruit an “Orochimaru”; he tells Kagome the name came from a traveling peddler 36.