Two-Face and Afro Samurai: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox animanga/Header
:''This article is about the DC comics villain. For the Nigerian musician, see [[2face Idibia]]. For the Brazilian soap opera, see [[Duas Caras]]. For craniofacial duplication, see [[Diprosopus]].''
| name = Afro Samurai
{{Superherobox| <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
image=[[Image:Batmanannual14.png|250px]]
| image = [[Image:AfroSamuraiTitle.jpg|230px]]
| caption =
|caption='''Two-Face''', as depicted on the cover of ''Batman Annual'' #14 (1990).<br>Pencils by [[Neal Adams]].
| ja_name = アフロサムライ
|character_name=Two-Face
| ja_name_trans = Afuro Samurai
|real_name=Harvey Dent
| genre = [[Samurai]], [[Action (genre)|Action]]
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
}}
|debut=''[[Detective Comics]]'' #66 (August 1942)
{{Infobox animanga/Manga
|creators=[[Bob Kane]]<br>[[Bill Finger]]
| title =
|alliances=[[Injustice League]]<br/>[[Injustice Gang]]
| author = Takashi Okazaki
|aliases=Janus
| publisher = {{flagicon|Japan}} NOU NOU HAU
|}}
| demographic = [[Seinen]]
| magazine =
| first = 1999
| last =
| volumes =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Anime
| title =
| director = Fuminori Kizaki<br>Jamie Simone (USA version)
| studio = {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Gonzo (studio)|Gonzo]]
| licensor = {{flagicon|USA}} [[FUNimation Entertainment]] {{flagicon|Australia}} {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Madman Entertainment]]
| network = {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Fuji Television]]<br> {{flagicon|United States}} [[Spike TV]]<br> {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Adult Swim (UK)|Adult Swim]]/[[Bravo (UK)|Bravo]]<br> {{flagicon|Australia}} [[MTV Australia|MTV]]<br> {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[MTV Brazil|MTV]]<br> {{flagicon|France}} [[Canal+]]
| first = [[4 January]] [[2007]]
| last = [[1 February]] [[2007]]
| episodes = 5 <ref>{{Ann anime|id=5275}}. Accessed [[2007-02-18]].</ref>
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}


{{Infobox TV ratings
'''Two-Face''' is a [[fictional character]] that appears in [[comic books]] published by [[DC Comics]]. The character first appeared in ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #66 ([[1942#August|August 1942]]), and was created by [[Bob Kane]] and [[Bill Finger]]. Once '''Harvey Dent''', [[District Attorney]] of [[Gotham City]] and an ally of Batman, after a criminal [[disfigurement|disfigures]] half of his face with [[acid throwing|acid]], Dent goes insane and becomes the crime boss Two-Face, who chooses to do either good or evil depending upon the results of flipping a coin. Originally, Two-Face was one of many [[gimmick]]-focused [[comic book]] villains, plotting crimes based around the number two, such as robbing Gotham Second National Bank at 2:00 on February 2. Creator Bob Kane was inspired by a movie poster advertising the [[Spencer Tracy]] film ''[[Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941 film)|Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'' and conceived the idea of a villain with a dual personality. In [[Modern Age of Comic Books|later years]], writers have portrayed his obsession with [[duality]] and [[fate]] as the result of [[bipolar disorder|bipolar]] and [[dissociative identity disorder|multiple personality disorders]] as well as a history of [[child abuse]]. He [[obsessive compulsive disorder|obsessively]] makes all important decisions by flipping a two-headed coin, one side of which is scratched over with an X.
| show_name = Afro Samurai
| usa_tv = TV-MA
| gb_tv = BBFC 18+
| can_tv =
| jp_tv =
| dt_tv =
| aus_tv = MA15+
| nz_tv =
}}


{{nihongo|'''''Afro Samurai'''''|アフロサムライ|Afuro Samurai}} is a [[Japan]]ese [[dōjinshi]] [[manga]] series created by Takashi Okazaki, originally featured in the ''NOU NOU HAU''<ref>[http://www.kugel-blitz.com/jp/nounouhau/bob.php TAKASHI OKAZAKI Profile], [[Kugelblitz]]</ref> dōjin magazine. It was adapted into a 5-episode [[anime]] miniseries directed by Fuminori Kizaki and produced by [[Japan]]ese [[traditional animation|animation studio]] [[Gonzo (studio)|Gonzo]]. The first episode was shown online on [[January 1]], [[2007]] and premiered on [[Spike TV]] on [[January 4]], [[2007]] on at 11:00pm EST. The anime series has since gone on to air in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], where it premiered on [[Adult Swim (UK)|Adult Swim]] on [[May 4]], [[2007]][http://forums.digiguide.com/topic.asp?id=20224], and Japan, where it was broadcast on [[Fuji Television]]. It also premiered on [[MTV Australia|MTV]] in [[Australia]] in August 2007.[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com.au/press-release/2007-05-29/afro-samurai]
The character has appeared in multiple Batman media forms, including video games, ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', and the [[Batman (film series)|Batman film series]]. [[Billy Dee Williams]] portrayed Harvey Dent in ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'', while [[Tommy Lee Jones]] portrayed Two-Face in ''[[Batman Forever]]'' and [[Aaron Eckhart]] played Harvey Dent/Two-Face in ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]''.


The anime series features noted American [[actor]] [[Samuel L. Jackson]] as the voice of the titular character and his sidekick, as well as one of the co-producers, and also features [[Ron Perlman]] and [[Kelly Hu]] as character voices. [[Wu-Tang Clan]] member [[RZA]] produced the original [[hip hop]] [[musical score]],<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=8968 The RZA Gets His Afro Samurai On], ''[[Anime News Network]]''</ref> which was released on [[compact disc]] by [[Koch Records]] on January 30, 2007 in both uncut and edited versions. The series was also licensed for [[North America]]n distribution by [[Funimation Entertainment|Funimation]], who released two versions: a SpikeTV version and an unrated director's cut on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Both DVD versions were released on May 22, 2007 with the Blu-ray Disc version being released on August 26 of the following year. In the [[United Kingdom]], a [[Bravo (UK TV channel)|Bravo]] Numbered Limited Edition, equivalent to the US Spike TV edition and featuring the same red themed artwork was released on [[2 July]] [[2007]]. A Directors’ Cut Edition Box Set, featuring new artwork, was released later on [[12 October]] [[2007]]. A second Bravo edition featuring artwork similar to the UK Director’s Cut was released on [[21 March]] [[2008]]. A Blu-ray disc version is yet to be released. In August 2005, Japan-based game developers [[Namco]] announced they would be releasing ''Afro Samurai'' related [[video games]].<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=7327 Namco to Publish Afro Samurai Video Games], [[Anime News Network]]</ref>
==Publication history==


The cost of each episode is estimated at one million dollars<ref>[http://tv.ign.com/articles/752/752802p1.html Episode 1 Review-IGN]</ref>, which is a record for Gonzo.
The character only made three appearances in the 1940s, and appeared twice in the 1950s (not counting the [[impostor]]s mentioned below). By this time, he was dropped in favor of more "kid friendly" villains, though he did appear in a 1968 issue (''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' #173), in which Batman declared him to be the criminal he most fears. In 1971, writer [[Dennis O'Neil]] brought Two-Face back, and it was then that he became one of Batman's arch-enemies.


==Plot summary==
In the wake of [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller's]] 1987 revision of Batman's origin (see ''[[Batman: Year One]]''), Andrew Helfer rewrote Two-Face's history to match.<ref name="YearOne"/> This origin, presented in ''Batman Annual'' #14, served to emphasize Dent's status as a [[tragic]] character, with a back story that included an abusive, [[alcoholic]] father, and early struggles with [[bipolar disorder]] and [[paranoia]]. It was also established, in ''[[Batman: Year One]]'', that pre-accident Harvey was a major heroic figure working as one of Batman's earliest allies. Harvey had clear ties to both Batman and Commissioner Gordon, making him an unsettling and personal foe for both men.<ref name="Annual 14"/>
The TV anime series is set in a "futuristic, yet feudal [[Japan]]," and stars a [[samurai]] named Afro for his hair. The story follows Afro as he tries to avenge his father's murder.<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/pressrelease.php?id=999 Press Release], [[Anime News Network]]</ref>
In the world of Afro Samurai, it is said that the one who becomes "Number One" will rule the world, wielding powers akin to a [[god]]. Someone becomes Number One by killing the previous Number One and taking his ceremonial headband. However, the only rule in this world is that only the "Number Two" (also designated by a sacred headband) is allowed to fight the "Number One." The downside of this is that anyone (and typically everyone) can challenge and try to kill the Number Two, to gain the right to move forward and challenge Number One. Afro Samurai's father was the old Number One, until he was challenged by a gunman named "Justice" (who was then Number Two), who fought him in a duel to become the new Number One. At the time Justice challenged his father, Afro had only been a child. Justice [[ decapitation | severed his father's head ]] right in front of the young Afro. Now an adult, Afro Samurai is the current Number Two and a master [[swordsman]]; he travels the road seeking [[revenge]] on Justice, the current Number One. Lengthy [[flashbacks]] interspersed throughout the story detail how Afro rose from frightened boy fleeing the death of his father, to master swordsman, and eventually to become the current "Number Two", while the story in the present deals with the adult Afro making his way to the mountain top keep of the "Number One" to duel Justice, while at the same time the mysterious cult known as the "Empty Seven Clan" sends various agents to kill Afro and take his Number Two headband.<ref>[http://www.gdh.co.jp/english/news/20050518.html GDH announces that Samuel L. Jackson will take the leadvoice-over role in Gonzo's "AFRO SAMURAI" and will also serve as a co-producer] GDH K.K. Press Release 2005.05.18</ref>


==Character histories==
During the same period, Two-Face is revealed to have murdered [[Jason Todd]]'s father, who had been one of his henchmen. Todd later has Two-Face at his mercy and chooses not to kill him, embracing Batman's ideal of justice. This storyline has been mirrored in other media, with other Robins taking Todd's place: in the animated series of the late 1990s with [[Robin (Tim Drake)|Tim Drake]] substituting for Todd <ref name="Annual 14"/> and in the 1995 film ''[[Batman Forever]]'', with [[Robin (Dick Grayson)|Dick Grayson]] as a substitute.
===Main characters===
====Afro Samurai====
Adult Afro {{anime voices|Samuel L. Jackson}}<br/>
Adolescent Afro {{anime voices|Phil LaMarr}}<br/>
Child Afro {{anime voices|Crystal Scales}}<br/>


A black, [[afro]]-headed master samurai, and the holder of the title "Number Two," Afro is out to hunt down Justice, the man who killed his father for the rank of "Number One." From the time he was a child, Afro honed his skills as a swordsman; his style typically consists of wielding his [[katana]] with only his right hand while his left continues to hold on to his [[scabbard | sheath]], although during his fight with Jinno, he held his sword with both hands to compensate for Jinno's dual wielding speed. Although his character is portrayed in black and white for a majority of the anime, as well as in any other products taken from the anime, one other character from the first chapter remarks that Afro's afro has a "greenish tint to it, if you look real close." He is a very quiet individual, likely because the life of the "Number Two" does not allow him to have any close relationships with anyone, so when approached by others he says very little, if anything.
In ''[[Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]]'', writer [[Grant Morrison]] portrays Harvey's dependence on his coin. The doctors in the asylum attempt to wean him off his evil personality by taking away his coin and replacing it with a die and eventually a [[tarot]] deck, effectively giving him 78 options. The treatment fails, however; with so many options, Harvey can't even make simple decisions. At the end of the graphic novel, Batman gives Harvey his coin back, telling him to use it to decide whether to kill him. He tells Batman that the coin landed scar face down, and Batman leaves safely, but the next scene shows the scar face up, meaning that he inexplicably chose to let Batman live. In the hardcover edition, Morrison said this was because it was April Fool's Day.<ref>{{Cite comic
| Writer = [[Grant Morrison|Morrison, Grant]]
| Penciller = [[Dave McKean|McKean, Dave]]
| Inker = McKean, Dave
| Story =
| Title = Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
| Volume =
| Issue =
| Date = 1989
| Publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| Page = 128
| Panel =
| ID =
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Johnson|url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/110920233584870.htm|title=Arkham Asylum 15th Anniversary HC Review|accessdate=2008-05-28|date=2005-02-23|publisher=Comics Bulletin}}</ref>


Although he seems cold, he is still haunted by his memories and past relationships; Justice later remarks that Afro, like his father, is still "soft inside." He also has a fondness for [[lemonade]] and is almost constantly smoking a hand-rolled [[cigarette]] when not engaged in combat.
Throughout the history of the Batman [[Media franchise|franchise]], attempts have been made to repair his facial scars but they have not yet cured his insanity; he simply destroys the one side of his face and becomes Two-Face once again. In Frank Miller's revival of Batman, ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]'', Bruce Wayne himself funds Harvey's rehabilitation, however, Harvey soon returns to crime and Batman must once again stop him from destroying Gotham.


The only times Afro had shown any extreme emotional reactions were when he fought the Sword Master for the Number Two Headband, and when fighting Justice who reminds Afro of his father's tragic death.
During the aftermath of the [[No Man's Land (comics)|earthquake]] that leaves Gotham City in shambles, Two-Face carves out a sizable portion of the ruined city for himself. He takes up residence in Gotham City Hall, maintaining a relatively sophisticated lifestyle. His empire is eventually brought down by [[Bane (comics)|Bane]], who, in the employ of [[Lex Luthor]], devastates Two-Face's gang during his destruction of the city's Hall of Records. Two-Face kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and puts him on trial for his activities after Gotham City was declared a [[No Man's Land (comics)|No Man's Land]], with Two-Face as both judge and prosecutor. Gordon plays upon Two-Face's split [[Psyche (psychology)|psyche]] to demand Harvey Dent as his defense attorney. Harvey [[cross-examination|cross-examines]] Two-Face and wins an [[acquittal]] for Gordon, determining that Two-Face has effectively [[blackmail]]ed Gordon by implying that he had committed murders to aid the Commissioner.<ref name="NML">{{cite web|url=http://www.comicvine.com/no-mans-land/42106/|title=No Man's Land (comics)|accessdate=2008-05-09|publisher=Comic Vine}}</ref>


At the end of the series, he kills Justice and becomes the "Number One", but is almost impaled by one of Justice's spikes only to survive by having the spike go through his afro and skim the top of his head, thus saving Afro from death.
[[Image:Reneetwoface.png|left|thumb|185px|Renee and Two-Face. Art by [[Michael Lark]].]]


After the 'death' of Ninja Ninja, Afro seemed to be able to show himself more emotionally seen when he sheds tears for 'killing' Jinno before facing Justice and by his casual conversation with Jinno before facing him for the second time.
During ''No Man's Land'', Two-Face meets detective [[Renee Montoya]]. Montoya reaches the Dent persona in Two-Face, and is kind to him. He falls in love with her, though the romance is one-sided.<ref name="NML"/> Later, in the ''[[Gotham Central]]'' series, he [[Outing|outs]] her as a [[lesbian]] and frames her for murder, hoping that if he takes everything from her, she will be left with no choice but to be with him. She is furious, and the two fight for control of his gun until Batman intervenes, putting Two-Face back in Arkham.


====Ninja Ninja====
In the ''Two-Face'' one-shot book, Two-Face leads a crusade against Gotham City, culminating in the capturing of his own father to humiliate and kill on live television for the years of abuse he suffered. This story reveals that, despite his apparent hatred for his father, Dent still supports him, paying for an expensive home rather than allowing him to live in a slum. At the end of the book, Harvey and Two-Face argue in thought, Two-Face calling Harvey "spineless." Dent proves Two-Face wrong, however, choosing to jump off a building and [[suicide|end his life]] just to put a stop to his [[alter ego]]'s crime spree. Two-Face is surprised when the coin flip comes up scarred, but abides by the decision and jumps. Batman catches Harvey, but the shock of the fall seems to (at least temporarily) destroy the Two-Face side of his psyche.
{{anime voices|Samuel L. Jackson}}<br/>
Perhaps the most debated character within the story, "Ninja" is Afro's complete antithesis, always speaking and usually saying aloud what Afro can't bring himself to say; generally, Afro refuses to respond to anything he says other than telling Ninja Ninja to "shut up." As his name implies, he dresses in a [[ninja]] motif. He also seems to have a counter color scheme to Afro, while also having a similar frame and haircut though he slouches when he walks. This can best be seen at the end of episode 2, where they are walking side by side after the fire. There are several clues throughout the show that point to Ninja Ninja being imaginary, such as Afro being the only one who speaks to him, his constant disappearing when Afro is in combat or internal conflict, and the fact he is not hurt when he and Afro are knocked off a cliff by an [[rocket propelled grenade|RPG]] despite being next to each other. It is later shown in Episode 4 that Ninja Ninja first appeared suddenly when Afro lost his friends and loved ones while obtaining the Number Two headband. At the beginning of Episode 5, it is revealed that Ninja Ninja was the one that was "killed" by Kuma's strike; a symbolic way of showing that Afro has come to terms with the loss of his friends at this point in his journey. Also about halfway through the episode when Afro finally meets Justice again, Justice states that he watched him shed his imaginary friend (Ninja).


In the collector's DVD, interviews with the staff and writers concede that Ninja Ninja is indeed imaginary. However, even though Ninja Ninja is 'imaginary', he appears to have some form of presence in the real world, as well. When Brother 2 of the Empty Seven spies on Afro, Ninja Ninja can be clearly seen from Brother 2's point of view through the binoculars. Ninja Ninja also interacts with items around him constantly such as catching Afro's joint in his mouth, moving a hanging pillar inside Okiku's home, putting Okiku's comb into Afro's afro, eating the food that was intended for Afro given by Brother 3 (in the Director's cut) and throwing the Afro droid's microchip at Afro to cut in two. The idea of Ninja Ninja having at least a partial existence in reality is once again brought into light when he is 'killed' by Kuma. Because Kuma was such a skilled warrior and had the intent to kill Afro on the sword strike that killed Ninja Ninja, it would seem odd that he would pause from his attack and have a conversation with Afro if there was not a reason to give pause, which strengthens the idea that he was taken back by Ninja Ninja's sacrifice before attacking Afro again. However, in Ninja Ninja's final conversation with Afro, it is clear that the words spoken by Afro to Ninja Ninja are heard and understood by Kuma as referring to him, implying that the pause and Ninja Ninja's death are mostly Afro's mental constructs.
In ''Two-Face Strikes Twice'', Two-Face is at odds with his ex-wife Gilda, as he believes their marriage failed because he was unable to give her children. She later marries Paul Janus, a reference to the [[Janus (mythology)|Roman god of doors]] who had two faces, one facing forward, the other backward. Two-Face attempts to frame Janus as a criminal by kidnapping him and replacing him with a stand-in, whom Two-Face "disfigures" with makeup to make it look as if Janus has gone insane just as Two-Face had. Two-Face is eventually caught by Batman and sent away, and Gilda and Janus reunite. Years later, Gilda gives birth to twins, prompting Two-Face to escape once more and take the twins hostage, as he erroneously believes them to be conceived by Janus using an experimental fertility drug. The end of the book reveals a surprise twist; Batman learns from Gilda that Janus is not the father of Gilda's twins - Harvey is. Some of his [[sperm]] had been frozen after a death threat had been made against him, and she used some of it to get [[pregnant]]. Batman uses this information to convince Dent to free the twins and turn himself in.


At the show's website, Ninja Ninja can be seen in the background, behind Afro, during the final seconds of the trailer. How he has managed to come back for the sequel after being "killed" has yet to be revealed, but his return does imply that he was in fact imaginary.
In the storyline ''[[Batman: Hush]]'', Harvey's face is repaired once more via [[plastic surgery]]. This time around, only the Harvey Dent persona exists. However, he takes the law into his own hands twice: once by using his ability to manipulate the legal system to free the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]], and then again by shooting the [[serial killer]] [[Hush (comics)|Hush]]. He manipulates the courts into setting him free, as Gotham's prosecutors wouldn't attempt to charge him without a body.


====Rokutaro (Afro's Father)====
<!-- Please do not edit this image! Editors on the talk page reached a consensus to use Detective Comics #818 2nd printing and not Batman #653. -->
{{anime voices|Greg Eagles}}<br/>
[[Image:Detective Comics 818 2nd print coverart.jpg|185px|thumb|right|Cover art for the second printing of ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #818 (April 2006), by [[Simone Bianchi (artist)|Simone Bianchi]].]]
<!-- Please do not edit this image! Editors on the talk page reached a consensus to use Detective Comics #818 2nd printing and not Batman #653-->


Rokutaro was the Number One at the beginning of the series, who lost his title and life to Justice when Justice [[decapitation | decapitated]] him. How he attained the Number One headband, what he did during his time as Number One, and how long he'd had it prior to Justice killing him remain unclear. According to Justice, it was Rokutaro's intention to end the headband wars by hiding the Number One headband, but people kept fighting and killing each other to possess the other headbands. So Justice saw the only way to stop the fighting forever and to obtain ultimate power was to have all the headbands, but realized this only after killing Rokutaro for the Number One and discarding the Number Two. Unlike Afro, who wears it simply as a headband, Rokutaro uses The Number One Headband as a hairband to tie back his afro in a large ponytail. In season 2, Rokutaro's skeleton is uncovered by a female warrior named Sio who intends to resurrect him to lead an army of evil zombie warriors. Like his son, he is a great swordsman, wielding his katana with both hands as a normal samurai would, being able to block Justice's bullets and being able to balance between kicks and sword strikes in combat.
In the Batman story arc ''[[Batman: Face the Face]]'', that started in ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #817, and was part of DC's ''One Year Later'' storyline, it is revealed that, at Batman's request and with his training, Harvey becomes a [[vigilante]] protector of Gotham City in most of Batman's absence of nearly a year. He is reluctant to take the job, but Batman assures him doing good would serve as [[atonement]] for his past crimes. After a month of training, they fight [[Firebug (comics)|Firebug]] and [[Mr. Freeze]], before Batman leaves for a year. Soon, Harvey finds himself enjoying his new role, but his methods are seemingly more extreme and less refined than Batman's. Upon Batman's return, Harvey begins to feel unnecessary and unappreciated, which prompted the return of the "Two-Face" persona (seen and heard by Dent through [[hallucination]]s). In ''Face the Face'', his frustration are compounded by a series of mysterious killings that seem to have been committed by Two-Face; the villains [[KGBeast]], [[Magpie (comics)|Magpie]], The [[Ventriloquist (comics)|Ventriloquist]], and [[Orca (comics)|Orca]] are all shot twice in the head with a double-barreled pistol, implying that Harvey was the perpetrator. When Batman confronts Harvey about these deaths, asking Harvey to confirm that he was not responsible, Harvey refuses to give a definite answer. He then detonates a bomb in his apartment and leaves Batman dazed as he flees.


====Otsuru/"Okiku"====
Despite escaping the explosion physically unscathed to a motel, Harvey suffers a crisis of [[conscience]] and a mental battle with his "Two-Face" personality. Although evidence is later uncovered by Batman that exonerates Harvey Dent for the murders, it is too late to do anything to save him. Prompted by resentment and a [[paranoia|paranoid]] reaction to Batman's questioning, Harvey [[self-mutilation|scars]] half his face with [[nitric acid]] and a scalpel, becoming Two-Face once again. Blaming Batman for his return, Two-Face immediately goes on a rampage, threatening to destroy the Gotham Zoo (having retained two of every animal - including two humans) before escaping to fight Batman another day.
Okiku {{anime voices|Kelly Hu}}<br/>
Otsuru {{anime voices|Tara Strong}}</br>


A young woman who specializes in the art of healing, Otsuru is an excellent cook and adores [[fireworks]]. She is the one who discovered Afro in the shrine after he lost the Number Two headband as a boy, and took him to Sword Master's dojo where he befriended Jinno. When she is introduced as "Okiku," she has once again found Afro in a near death state (having been blown off a cliff by an [[rocket propelled grenade|RPG]] fired by Brother 6 and badly poisoned by an arrow in a fight with Soshun); she bandages him and takes him to her home to heal. She and Jinno survived the attack that was meant to claim the Number Two headband from Sword Master, and they were both saved by the Empty Seven Clan. Apparently, some time after the events at Sword Master's dojo, she became an agent working for Brother 1 of the Empty Seven Clan. She possesses the unique ability to siphon [[memories]] from people as they [[dream]] and did this to copy down Afro's sword style to be used to complete the Afro Droid. She was also supposed to kill him should the opportunity ever present itself, but she finds herself unable to after spending a night, having sex with him. She remarks that she still thinks of him as the same innocent boy she knew so long ago, revealing to him that she is actually Otsuru. Brother 2 of the Empty Seven then kills her for failing to carry out her mission and betraying the Empty Seven. Otsuru apparently had a strong emotional effect on Afro as seen when in Episode five Afro calls out her name twice in his grief over the friends that he has lost.
On the cover of ''[[Justice League of America]]'' #13 (Vol.2), Two-Face is shown as a member of the new [[Injustice League]]. He can be seen in ''[[Salvation Run]].''


===Other Two-Faces===
====Sword Master====
{{anime voices|Terrence C. Carson}}<br/>
During Two-Face's third appearance in the 1940s, his face and sanity are restored. Although there was a demand to use him again, the writers did not want to [[retcon]] his last story, so they had other characters assume the role. The first impostor is Wilkins, Harvey's butler, who uses makeup to appear that the reformed Harvey had suffered a relapse and deformed his face to appear as before.
A one-eyed samurai who housed orphans and trained them to become warriors. When a young Afro first approaches him about the headbands, he receives a beating and is told by Sword Master that wearing the headbands leads to a life of murder, saying "We are born men in order to live, not to kill". Afro asks about the headbands again at dojo graduation, after hearing a rumor about Sword Master holding the Number Two Headband. The two meet alone underneath the Bodhi Tree outside the dojo, where Sword Master tells Afro he meant to take the secret to his grave. He then tells Afro to make a decision: forget avenging his father's death and live a normal life, or walk the path of the Number Two. When a large group of thugs in search of the Number Two headband attacks the dojo, Sword Master fights them to show Afro just what it means to be Number Two. After the battle is over, with all the thugs and most of the students dead, he faces Afro telling him that he's chosen his path. After Afro charges at Sword Master in order to kill him to claim the Number Two Headband, Sword Master closes his eyes and is killed by Afro who takes the Number Two Headband.


The official site reveals that Sword Master was in fact a friend to Afro's father Rokutaro, which helps explain the basis for his advice and world view.
Paul Sloane becomes the second Two-Face. An actor who was set to star in a biography of Harvey Dent, Sloane is disfigured by an accident on the set in a manner similar to Harvey Dent. Sloane's mind snaps, and he begins to think he ''is'' Harvey. Sloane recovers enough of his own personality but continues to remain as the criminal Two-Face. Sloane is reused in later [[Earth-Two]] specific stories as Two-Face II of Earth-Two where the original Earth-Two Two-Face Harvey remained healed (''[[Superman Family]]'' #211). Sloane is revived in the current continuity as a successor Two-Face (''Detective Comics'' #777), though not replacing Dent as done in the earlier Earth-Two specific storyline.


====Sasuke====
The third Two-Face is another impostor, a petty criminal named George Blake, who like Wilkins is not actually disfigured but is wearing make-up. Furthermore, his makeup is worn on the opposite side of his face to Dent/Sloane.
{{anime voices|Jason Marsden}}<br/>
A teenage student of Sword Master, and a friend to both Afro and Jinno. He wears a pair of glasses which are held to the face by string, similar to those worn in feudal Japan and late dynastic China. Though he graduated from swordsman school at the same time as Afro and Jinno, his skills are apparently inferior to theirs (though he is seen killing two people in his final battle). He appears to be very eccentric as shown by his playful manner with his friends as well as telling his friends that he hopes to eat chicken cutlet for his final meal, much to their disbelief. During a flashback in the fourth episode, he is killed in the Midnight Battle Under The Bodhi Tree after being impaled from behind by one of the assassins targeting Sword Master.


====The Empty Seven====
Also noteworthy is a 1968 story where Batman himself is temporarily turned into Two-Face via a potion (''[[World's Finest]]'' #173).
Brothers 1, 3, & 5 {{anime voices|Phil LaMarr}}<br/>
Brother 2 {{anime voices|John DiMaggio}}<br/>
Brother 4 {{anime voices|Terrence C. Carson}}<br/>
Brother 6 {{anime voices|Greg Eagles}}<br/>
The Empty Seven (無無坊主) are seven monks who believe that attaining both ancient headbands will lead to immortality and godhood. They employ robots and mercenaries to do their dirty work, since the monks themselves have greatly inferior skills when compared to Afro and Justice. Brothers 1 through 5 look like identical wizened old men with long beards, dressed in robes with some other accessories:


* '''Brother 1''' was the apparent leader of the Clan (although such an authority was never outright stated). His personality and mannerisms were a mixture of an Evangelical preacher and a street pimp. He was almost always seen with an almost nude beautiful woman at his side. As with most of the Clan, he was a wizened old man with a long beard, and has a prosthetic gold left arm (which can be switched out for a machine gun). He was killed when he tried to ambush Afro from atop the elevator leading to Kuma following the Afro Droid's destruction.
Aside from a 1962 reprint of the Sloane storyline, this was the character's only appearance in the 1960s.<ref>[http://www.dcindexes.com/planet/weeklyplanet.php?issue=55 Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics]</ref>


* '''Brother 2''' was the eyes of the Clan, often seen scoping out Afro from a distance with a pair of high-tech binoculars. Usually Brother 6 was shown assisting him. All of his observations of Afro during his reconnaissance were reported to Brother 1 via cell phone. In combat, he was shown to use an extending Buddhist staff or kunai. When Okiku turns against the clan for Afro’s sake, it was Brother 2 who stabbed and killed her. Later, when he was lying in wait to kill Afro, Afro surprises him from behind by swiftly poking his eyes out and shoving his binoculars deep into the wounds. Likely the brutal manner of his execution was out of revenge for Okiku.
Another Two-Face appears in the Batman Sunday strips. Actor Harvey Apollo is scarred with acid when testifying against a mobster in court, and becomes a criminal. He only makes a few appearances before accidentally [[hanging]] himself after slipping on the silver dollar piece he uses as Two-Face.


* '''Brother 3''' was unusual among the group. While the other Brothers would plot Afro’s death, Brother 3 was usually content to face away off in the corner, listening to his circumaural headphones, and bobbing to the music. During the few times he actually spoke, he was shown to have a Southern US accent. He seemed to have a much more pacifistic approach than his comrades regarding decisions. When deliberating on which assassin to choose to kill Afro, rather than settle things through violence Brother 3 suggested looking at their individual credentials. Later, when Afro invaded the Empty Seven’s temple, he was waiting by the door with tea and rice crackers prepared while calmly chanting, ''Hachimaki o kudasai'', Japanese for "headband please." Simply asking for the Number Two Headband, rather than attempting combat for it. Afro didn't take the rice and tea offered to him, but Ninja Ninja did. Because of this, Brother 3 survived while the other five monks were killed. A recent trailer for "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" shows Brother 3 in it.
As mentioned above, Harvey Dent does return as Two-Face in the 1970s. With the establishment of the [[Multiverse (DC Comics)|DC Comics multiverse]], however, the Two-Face of Earth-Two (i.e. the character seen in the original [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] stories) is said to be Harvey Kent, who had not relapsed following his cure. The last appearance of this version of Two-Face was in ''Superman Family'' #211 (October 1981), depicting him as a guest at the marriage of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle ([[Catwoman]]). He meets [[Lois Lane]] and Clark Kent, and his shared name with the latter creates confusion.


* '''Brother 4''' was a gruff deep-voiced monk in a green robe who usually carried a Buddhist staff and wore and a wide metal hat. He was usually seen side-by-side with the arrogant, and sadistic '''Brother 5''' who wore a plain white robe, regularly smoked a long pipe and spoke with a high squeaky voice. In combat, Brother 4's weapon of choice was a [[Three section staff|sansetsukon]] while Brother 5 fought with a [[jian]]. When determining which assassin would face Afro, Brother 4 insisted that Ivanov the Russian was the obvious choice, which led to an argument with Brother 5, who held opposing views and felt Foo from China was more capable. Brother 1 settled the issue by suggesting a battle royale, an idea which greatly appealed to both 4 & 5. Later, after Brother 6’s defeat at Afro’s hands, Brother’s 4 & 5 launched out from where they were concealed in Brother 6’s backpack and attempted to gang up on Afro from both sides. This tactic failed miserably and both monks were easily dispatched.
After the ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' event the Paul Sloane character, with a near identical history to the pre-crisis version, appears in ''Detective Comics'' #580 and #581. In ''Double Image'' Harvey Dent (as Two-Face) employs Doctor Thorne (the ''Crime Doctor'') to re-disfigure Sloane. Dent does this out of jealous bitterness and the hope that Sloane would commit crimes based on the number two - thus confusing Batman. At the end of the story Sloane is once again healed - physically and mentally.


* '''Brother 6''' was a massive, muscled individual with cold inhuman eyes in monk regalia who wore a wide metal hat. He was the only Brother who didn’t resemble an old monk with a long beard. Violent and impulsive, Brother 6 never hesitated to use excessive force in his actions. In combat, he wielded a long Buddhist staff and a backpack holding a variety of weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a flame thrower. Brother 6 was the man who rescued Jinnosuke and Otsuru from the brink of death, but regarding Jinnosuke felt it would have been more merciful to just let him die. He was the one to burn down Otsuru’s home, and blew the bridge after Afro’s initial confrontation with Afro Droid (much to Brother 1’s displeasure). When that tactic failed, Brother 6 fought Afro one-on-one. He proved a difficult opponent and when defeated held Afro’s sword within his body disarming the samurai so that Brothers 4 & 5 could finish him.
Paul Sloane is introduced into post-''[[Zero Hour (comics)|Zero Hour]]'' continuity as a criminal called "The Charlatan" in ''Detective Comics'' #777 (February 2003). In this incarnation, the actor had been hired by Gotham's costumed criminals to take Two-Face's place in a scheme to kill Batman, Harvey's coin having come up unscarred. When the real Two-Face learns about this, he captures Sloan and disfigures the left side of his face. [[Scarecrow (comics)|The Scarecrow]] then experiments on him with fear toxins. Driven insane, The Charlatan becomes obsessed with both getting revenge on the criminals who hired him and completing his mission to kill Batman.


* '''Brother 7 ''' has never made any appearance within the series, and remains a mystery. The scientist, Dharman, was assumed by many fans to be the Brother in question, but the official site states that this is in fact not the case. Whether Brother 7 will appear in the second season or not remains unknown.
==Fictional character biography==
[[Image:Batman - The Long Halloween 11 pg15.jpg|thumb|185px|left|Harvey Dent gets half a faceful of acid in ''[[Batman: The Long Halloween]]'']]
When he first appears in ''Detective Comics'' #66, the character's name is '''Harvey Kent''', but in later stories his name is changed to Harvey Dent to prevent confusion with [[Clark Kent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=95|title=Comic Book DB - Two Face |accessdate=2008-05-28|publisher=Comic Book Database}}</ref><ref name="DC - 66">{{Cite comic
| Writer = [[Whitney Ellsworth|Ellsworth, Whitney]], [[Mort Weisinger|Weisinger, Mort]]
| Artist = [[Jerry Robinson|Robinson, Jerry]], [[George Roussos|Roussos, George]]
| Story = The Crimes Of Two-Face
| Title = Detective Comics
| Volume =
| Issue = 66
| Date = August 1942
| Publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| Page = 68
| Panel =
| ID =
}}</ref> However, the original name is made reference to in the "Prodigal" storyline, where Harvey Dent walks due to a clerical error which causes him to be confused with a similarly named Harvey Kent. At 26, he is the youngest district attorney ever to serve [[Gotham City]], and is nicknamed "Apollo" for his good looks. He is elected about six months before Batman begins his war on crime, as depicted in the events of ''[[Batman: Year One]]''.<ref name="YearOne">{{Cite comic
| Writer = [[Frank Miller (comics)|Miller, Frank]]
| Penciller = [[David Mazzucchelli|Mazzucchelli, David]]
| Inker =
| Story =
| Title = Batman: Year One
| Volume =
| Issue = 4
| Date = March - June 1987
| Publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| Page =
| Panel =
| ID = 0930289331
}}</ref>


====Dharman====
[[Image:Twoface-tec66.jpg|185px|thumb|right|Two-Face from ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #66.]]
{{anime voices|Phil LaMarr}} (normal version), [[S. Scott Bullock]] (Director's Cut version)<br/>
His campaign against crime ends tragically during the [[prosecution]] of crime boss [[Sal Maroni|Sal "Boss" Maroni]] for murder. At a [[climax (narrative)|climactic]] moment in the trial, Harvey produces Maroni's good luck charm, a two-headed coin, which had been found at the murder scene with Maroni's fresh [[fingerprints]] upon it. Enraged, Maroni throws [[sulfuric acid]] in Harvey's face, horribly scarring his left hand and the left half of his face while leaving the other half undamaged; in some versions of the story, Harvey is only saved from a face-full of acid by Batman's quick, but only partial, deflection of Maroni's hand.<ref name="TF">{{cite web|url=http://www.dccomics.com/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories/two_face|title=DC Comics - Two-Face Profile|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=[[DC Comics]]}}</ref> Driven insane by his hideous reflection, Harvey scars one side of Maroni's coin and lets tosses of the coin decide whether he acts for good or evil in any situation.<ref name="DC - 66"/><ref name="TF"/>
Dharman is an insane cyborg scientist employed by the Empty Seven Clan to build their machine-ninja army and the Afro Droid. He also helped rebuild and heal Jinnosuke whom he considers his masterpiece, referring to him as his "Teddy Bear". His name comes from the fact that he closely resembles a Japanese [[Daruma doll|Dharma doll]]. When Jinnosuke was defeated by Afro, it is likely that Dharman was the one who repaired and rebuilt him. It is implied that Dharman is the seventh brother of the Empty Seven clan as indicated when Brother #1 refers to Dharman as "brother". However, he apparently does not like to think of himself as part of the group, referring to them in the third person in the second-to-last chapter. Dharman is most likely in the second season because his robotic hands are seen typing on a keyboard near the end of the trailer.


====Afro Droid====
''[[Batman Annual]]'' #14,<ref name="Annual 14">{{cite web|author=H|url=http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/2003/2003_Individual/2003_12/000159.php|title=The Comic Treadmill: ''Batman'' 454, 456, ''Annual'' 14 (1990)|accessdate=2008-05-28|date=2003-12-23|publisher=Comic Tread Mill}}</ref> elaborates on these events, with some changes. In it, Dent, Captain (later Commissioner) [[James Gordon (comics)|James Gordon]], and Batman forge an alliance to rid Gotham of crime (large elements of this story were later co-opted for the limited series ''[[Batman: The Long Halloween]]'', and to a lesser extent in the 2008 film ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]''). [[Mafia]] chieftain Sal "The Boss" Maroni is still the criminal who disfigures Harvey with help from the corrupt Assistant District Attorney Adrian Fields (though in ''The Long Halloween'', his name changed to Vernon Fields). Fields provides Maroni with the acid, concealed in an antacid bottle. Two-Face gets his trademark coin from his [[child abuse|abusive]] father, who would employ the coin in a perverse nightly "game" that would always end with Harvey being beaten. This would instill in Harvey his lifelong struggle with [[free will]] and his eventual inability to make choices on his own.
A semi-sentient robot copy of Afro created by the Empty Seven Clan (specifically their personal scientist, Dharman). It was created from combat data siphoned from Afro's mind by Okiku, and is able to reproduce all of his learned techniques and abilities. It is physically superior to Afro, and its external appearance is identical. The Afro Droid is also equipped with guns, lasers, and explosives. Afro eventually defeats Afro Droid in the third episode after the droid is impaled on its own sword following a sky-high, mid-air duel between the two.


====Jinnosuke/"Kuma"====
[[Gilda Dent]], who had been Dent's fiancée back in ''Detective Comics'' #66 and 68 (1942),<ref name="DC - 66"/><ref>{{Cite comic
{{anime voices|Yuri Lowenthal}}<br/>
| Writer = [[Whitney Ellsworth|Ellsworth, Whitney]], [[Mort Weisinger|Weisinger, Mort]]
A swordsman who wears a cybernetic teddy bear mask, the same design as Otsuru's teddy bear from their time as children in their dojo, earning him the nickname "Kuma" which means "Bear" in Japanese. He wears black keikogi and hakama, and his geta sandals have toe straps made of metal instead of cloth. Jinnosuke possesses great skill in wielding twin blades and is an old friend of Afro from his days at the dojo. Back then Jinno thought of Afro as a brother, but when Afro killed their master for the Number Two headband, Jinno vowed vengeance against him. His remaining eye constantly weeps, and under his robotic eye there appears to be a scar in the same position, due to the injuries (emotional, and possibly physical) he suffered at the Midnight Battle Under the Bodhi Tree; he tells Afro that his tears have never stopped falling since that day. Jinno was rebuilt with cybernetic body modifications by the Empty Seven to "create a samurai of incredible power." Afro defeats him by destroying his life-support system, but it seems Kuma was again able to cheat death. He returns to challenge Afro years after the death of Justice, this time his body completely modified, appearing more android than human and virtually mummified in the other headbands from Justice's lair. At their second meeting, Jinno has also regained his teddy bear mask with the the Number Two headband over the missing right eye; a mirror image of when Afro was recovering in the Sword Master's Dojo as a boy with his bandages mirroring Jinno's current bandages. Jinno appears in season 2 with a motorcycle.
| Artist = [[Jerry Robinson|Robinson, Jerry]]
| Story = The Man Who Led A Double Life!
| Title = Detective Comics
| Volume =
| Issue = 68
| Date = October 1942
| Publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| Page =
| Panel =
| ID =
}}</ref> is instead his wife in "Eye of the Beholder," and therefore subsequently, ''The Long Halloween'' (1998). In the former, he escapes from the hospital and confronts Fields, who tries to [[plea bargain]] with Dent by offering a massive file of criminal funds, hideouts, and connections for his old boss to begin his "new life." When Batman interrupts them, Two-Face kills Fields and then, losing the coin toss, confronts his father and forces him to play the game they used to play. The coin comes up clean, so he spares his father, and is incarcerated in [[Arkham Asylum]], where he receives an experimental plastic surgery. However, in a fit of madness, he claws his face open with his bare hands.


====Justice====
In ''The Long Halloween'', Harvey escapes from the hospital and hides out in the sewers for weeks, finally resurfacing as Two-Face to take revenge on the mob, killing Vernon Field and mob boss [[Carmine Falcone]] (Maroni has already been assassinated by this point by Falcone's son [[Alberto Falcone|Alberto]]). By the end, Two-Face is incarcerated in Arkham.<ref>{{Cite comic
{{anime voices|Ron Perlman}}<br/>
| Writer = [[Joseph Loeb|Loeb, Joseph]], [[Tim Sale|Sale, Tim]]
The holder of the Number One headband for most of the series, Justice is the man who killed Afro's father before his eyes many years ago. He is a remarkably skilled gunman, dressing in a cowboy garb with the Number One headband tied around his wide-brimmed hat. He has discolored, diseased-looking skin, which his bio on the official site implies is the result of a past accident (undecided, but assumed by the publishers to have been submerged in toxic waste). Justice has the ability to regenerate himself after being exposed to blood, as seen just before his final fight with Afro when the injured hero's blood flows to Justice's feet and his withered body begins to reshape into the young version that fought Afro's father. He also has a third arm hidden on his back that holds a sword for catching opponents off guard (in an earlier version of the official website, Justice was described as "The Gunman with Three Arms"). His origins are unknown, but he claims that destiny designed him to attain all the headbands and thus gain enough power to rule the world as a god and bring an end to all the violence and killing via force. Justice was able to survive being nearly decapitated (an ironic reversal of the scene with Afro's father), and seemed able to control the Number One's throne room to some extent, but Afro manages to defeat him by slicing his body into many smaller pieces. This may have finished him, however; right before the final episode's credits roll, Justice is seen opening his eyes, his grin showing before quickly fading to black (though this may have been symbolic of his views of the battles never ending, which were being touched upon as Afro and Jinno fight again).
| Artist = Sale, Tim
| Story =
| Title = Batman: The Long Halloween
| Volume =
| Issue =
| Date = 1996-1997
| Publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| Page = 368
| Panel =
| ID = 1563894696
}}</ref>


During interviews in the DVD release, it is stated that Justice and Afro's father were in fact part of the same clan of swordsmen and indeed best friends, however their differing views on the headbands and how to end the violence plaguing the world eventually drove them apart, leading to the final confrontation between the two.
===Family===
*'''[[Duela Dent]]''' is originally depicted as the daughter of Two-Face. Creator Bob Rozakis stated, "It didn't take too long to decide whose daughter she would turn out to be. After all, the only married villain was Two-Face. I convinced Julie (and associate editor E. Nelson Bridwell, the acknowledged keeper of DC's historical consistency) that Harvey and Gilda Dent had a daughter, that Harvey had been disappointed because she wasn't a twin, and that they'd named her Duela." <ref>[http://titanstower.com/source/whoswho/duela.html Titans Tower: Duela Dent<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*'''[[Gilda Dent]]''' is Harvey Dent's wife in ''Batman: The Long Halloween''. Gilda wanted to have children with Harvey but his busy schedule prevented such from happening. Gilda fled after Two-Face was first arrested and was never seen again. Two-Face constantly denies the chance for plastic surgery and a life with Gilda again but has stated that Harvey Dent is a married man.
*'''[[Poison Ivy (comics)|Poison Ivy]]''' is Harvey's first fiancée in ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''. Harvey and Isley have dated in "Pretty Poison". She poisoned Harvey as revenge for killing the endangered flowers to make way for Stonegate Penitentiary. The two later meet again in "Almost Got 'Im". Two-Face remarks that half of him wanted to strangle Ivy as revenge for poisoning him. When Ivy flirtatiously asks what the other half wants, he replies, "To hit you with a truck."
*In the ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' two part origin of Two-Face, Gilda becomes '''Grace''' (although this name change draws from several of Gilda's comic appearances -- including ''Batman Annual #14'' and ''Secret Origins Special #1'' -- where she is identified by this alternate name). He was going to announce their wedding date as part of his re-election speech, however a late night meeting with [[Rupert Thorne]] results in the scarring of Harvey's face and his transformation into Two-Face. Grace says she is there for Harvey at the end of the episodes and convinces him to turn himself in.


===Minor characters===
==Other comic book appearances==
* '''Foo''' (voiced by [[Jeff Bennett]]) - A Chinese assassin hired by the Empty Seven clan. He is considered one of the world's most capable assassins. Brother 5 believes that Foo could have defeated Afro, but Brother 4 disagrees about this. He is killed along with every other assassin that charged toward the Afro Droid (his appearance was in the Director's Cut DVD).
As one of Batman's most recognizable and popular opponents, Two-Face appears in numerous comics which are not considered part of the regular DC continuity, including:
* '''Hachiro''' (voiced by [[Jeff Bennett]]) - In Afro's flashback, he and his brothers were the ones who attacked young Afro some time after Justice killed Rokutaro. After young Afro attacked his brother Yashichi, Hachiro later attacked him. With some help from Jinno, Afro managed to kill Hachiro.
* '''Ivanov''' (voiced by [[John DiMaggio]]) - A Russian assassin hired by the Empty Seven clan. He is considered one of the world's best assassins. Brother 4 believes that Ivanov could have defeated Afro, but Brother 5 disagrees about this. He is killed along with every other assassin that charged towards the Afro Droid (his appearance was in the Director's Cut DVD).
* '''Kihachi''' -
* '''Kuro''' -
* '''Jiro''' -
* '''Juzo''' -
* '''Matasaburo''' (voiced by [[Dave Wittenberg]]) - He is one of the students of the Sword Master. He is killed in the Midnight Battle Under the Bodhi Tree.
* '''Oyuki''' (voiced by [[Grey DeLisle]]) - Oyuki was the bartender at the bar that Afro stops at. She is also where Soshun got the headband history from.
* '''Ronin''' (voiced by [[Dwight Schultz]]) -
* '''Shuzo''' -
* '''Soshun''' (voiced by [[John Kassir]]) - A man who comes from the Land of the Weapon Masters of the West. He wielded a crossbow with a grenade launcher. He first saw Afro in a bar and learned the history of the headbands from its bartender. He encountered Afro on the mountain when Ninja Ninja detected him. In his battle against Afro, Soshun was killed by Afro, but one of his poisoned arrows had grazed Afro and resulting in his temporary handicap against his first encounter with Brother 6.
* '''Yashichi''' (voiced by [[James Arnold Taylor]]) - He is the brother of Hachiro and was with him in their first attack upon young Afro. Some time later, young Afro managed to interrogate him for the info on who has the Number Two Headband before killing him.


==Episodes==
*In ''[[Dark Angel]]'', the character of Two-Face remains basically the same, save for his origin. Having been abused by his mother and spoiled by his father, Dent develops a split personality, unwittingly killing his mother. After spending years in Arkham Asylum, Dent arrests Bruce Wayne for robbery and decides to become a lawyer. In the book's first arc, he is viciously burned by [[Joker (comics)|The Joker]], later teaming up with [[Clayface]] to kill the Joker's protege, [[Jason Todd]]. After succeeding in killing Todd, he willingly accepts capture.
*In the alternate future setting of ''[[Batman: The Dark Knight Returns]]'', plastic surgery returns Dent's face to normal, but at the unforeseen cost of permanently destroying the good-hearted Harvey Dent personality, leaving the monstrous Two-Face in control forever. As he puts it when Batman captures him, "At least both sides match." Later in the series, his psychiatrist (a character noted for telling notorious lies to the media and being inept as a psychiatric practitioner) describes his condition as "recovering nicely".
*In the Elseworld story ''[[Batman: In Darkest Knight]]'', Harvey Dent is the Gotham District Attorney and distrusts [[Green Lantern]] (who in this reality is Bruce Wayne) because of his [[vigilante]] tactics. [[Sinestro]], after becoming deranged from absorbing [[Joe Chill]]'s mind, then scars Harvey's face and gives him powers. He calls himself Binary Star and worked with [[Star Sapphire]] (who in this reality is Selina Kyle).
*Two-Face also appears in the ''[[Elseworlds]]'' Batman/[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics)|Daredevil]] crossover book, partnered with [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] villain [[Mister Hyde (comics)|Mr. Hyde]] for the purpose of using Hyde as an "incubator" to grow an organic [[microchip]], giving Hyde drugs to speed up this process (regardless of the fact that this would kill him). It is also revealed in this book that Harvey Dent had once been friends with Matt Murdock, who is secretly Daredevil. Prior to his disfigurement, Harvey believed in giving criminals a chance at [[Rehabilitation (penology)|rehabilitation]], while Matt believed in final justice; having reversed his outlook to what Dent had once believed, Matt talks Two-Face out of killing Hyde without Two-Face using his coin to decide. Two-Face, however, insists that act is merely "the last of Harvey Dent."
*In the Elseworlds comic ''[[Batman: Masque]]'', a pastiche of ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]'', Harvey Dent takes the role of the hideously scarred musical [[genius]].
*In the Elseworlds book ''Batman: Crimson Mist'', the third part of the trilogy that began with ''[[Batman & Dracula: Red Rain]]'', where Batman become a vampire, Two-Face &mdash; accompanied by [[Killer Croc]] as his muscle &mdash; forms an alliance with Commissioner Gordon and [[Alfred Pennyworth]] to stop Batman when his insane thirst for blood drives him to kill his old enemies. After Batman is believed killed in the old [[Batcave]], Two-Face turns on the two men, forcing Alfred to flee and rescue Batman while Gordon kills Two-Face's men. As he confronts Gordon, however, Two-Face is interrupted by the restored Batman- Alfred having given his blood to give Batman the strength to save the day one last time-, who drives two crossbow bolts into each side of Two-Face's head, citing it as 'One for each face'.
*In the ''[[Thrillkiller]]'' [[fictional universe|universe]], there are two versions of Two-Face. One is Detective Duell, a corrupt officer on the [[Gotham City Police Department]], whose face is scarred in a manner similar to Dent's. Duell is shown as being arrested at the end of ''Thrillkiller: Batgirl and Robin''. In the sequel, ''Batgirl and Batman: Thrillkiller '62'', Harvey Dent is shown as the new District Attorney. He appears at the end as the new mayor of Gotham.
*The new [[Earth-3]] features a heroic female counterpart to Two-face: Evelyn Dent, Three-Face. She is the mother of [[Duela Dent]], and the Jokester (a heroic Earth-3 alternate Joker) was her father. Unlike Two-Face, Evelyn has three personalities and she is not scarred, although she has a [[cybernetic]] left arm, after [[Superwoman]] mutilates her. Her original affiliation is to the heroic [[The Riddler|Riddler]] Family.
*The [[Gotham By Gaslight|Earth-19]] version of Two-Face is a [[serial killer]] called "The Double Man".
*In the ''[[Elseworlds]]'' series ''Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham'', model Darcy Dent has half her face scarred when a rival model hires a hitman to lace her facial cream with acid. Unlike the regular Two-Face, Darcy does not rely on a coin toss to make her decisions and wears a half business suit with a spiked metal bikini.
*On the [[Tangent Comics|Tangent]] Earth, Harvey Dent is the name of that world's [[Superman]], although he has no other similarities to the Two-Face character.
*On [[Amalgam Comics]] Earth, where a part of the DC Multiverse is fused with a part of the Marvel Multiverse, Two-Face is fused with Norman Osborne, [[Green Goblin|The Green Goblin]], to become Harvey Osborne, "The Two-Faced Goblin." This Two-Face has Norman's body with the left half of his face scarred in an accident (which he blames [[Dark Claw]] (Batman + [[Wolverine (comics)|Wolverine]]) for), but he disguises this in the Green Goblin's original costume, uses "pumpkin bombs" and rides on a glider shaped like a coin. Two-Faced Goblin was once the leader of the now disbanded "Terrible Three" ([[Terrible Trio]] + [[Sinister Six]]), and the other members are "Silicone Man" ([[Plastic Man]] + [[Sandman (Marvel Comics)|Sandman]]) and "Scarecrow" ([[Scarecrow (comics)|Jonathan Crane]] + [[Scarecrow (Marvel Comics)|Ebenezer Laughton]]).


{|class="wikitable" width="98%"
==In other media==
|-
===Newspapers===
! width="3%" | # !! Title !! Original air date
*During the Batman Sunday [[Batman (comic strip)|comic strips]] that ran from 1943-1946, he is an actor (Harvey Apollo) who is testifying at the trial of criminal Lucky Sheldon. He is killed at the end of the story arc. Also, his origin is again altered in the Batman daily strips published from 1989 to 1991. In this version, Harvey Dent is scarred by a vial of acid thrown by an unnamed bystander, and intended for the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]].
|-
{{Japanese episode list
|EpisodeNumber=01
|EnglishTitle=Revenge
|JapaneseTitle=
|KanjiTitle=
|OriginalAirDate=[[2007-01-04]]
|ShortSummary=Afro witnessed his father's death by the hands of a man looking to claim the title of "Number One" and seeks to avenge his father. Now a grown man, he has the title of "Number Two" and sets out on his journey of revenge.
}}
{{Japanese episode list
|EpisodeNumber=02
|EnglishTitle=The Dream Reader
|JapaneseTitle=
|KanjiTitle=
|OriginalAirDate=[[2007-01-11]]
|ShortSummary=Afro relives his harsh past through dreams when he is discovered by a local named Okiku by the riverbank who tends to his wounds.
}}
{{Japanese episode list
|EpisodeNumber=03
|EnglishTitle=The Empty Seven Clan
|JapaneseTitle=
|KanjiTitle=
|OriginalAirDate=[[2007-01-18]]
|ShortSummary=As The Clan of the Empty Seven continues to put pressure on Afro, he is faced with his toughest enemy yet... Himself.
}}
{{Japanese episode list
|EpisodeNumber=04‎
|EnglishTitle=Duel
|JapaneseTitle=
|KanjiTitle=
|OriginalAirDate=[[2007-01-25]]
|ShortSummary=The past comes back to teach Afro Samurai a lesson on the consequences of choosing revenge over family, and what it really means to wear the 'Number Two' headband.
}}
{{Japanese episode list
|EpisodeNumber=05
|EnglishTitle=Justice
|JapaneseTitle=
|KanjiTitle=
|OriginalAirDate=[[2007-02-01]]
|ShortSummary= Afro's battle with his childhood friend Jinno brought back from the dead continues as does his ascension towards the number one, Justice.
}}
|}


===Television===
==Cast==
* [[Samuel L. Jackson]] - Afro Samurai, Ninja Ninja
[[Image:The Animated Two-Face.jpg|right|thumb|185px|Two-Face as he appears in ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''.]]
* [[Kelly Hu]] - Okiku
* [[Ron Perlman]] - Justice
* [[Jeff Bennett]] - Foo, Hachiro
* [[Steven Blum]] - Assassins
* [[S. Scott Bullock]] - Dharman
* [[Terrence C. Carson|TC Carson]] - Sword Master, Brother #4
* [[Grey DeLisle]] - Oyuki, Woman
* [[John DiMaggio]] - Brother #2, Giant, Ivanov, Patron #2
* [[Greg Eagles]] - Rokutaro: Afro's Father, Brother #6
* [[John Kassir]] - Soshun
* [[Phil LaMarr]] - Brother #1, Brother #3, Brother #5, Kuro, Teen Afro Samurai
* [[Yuri Lowenthal]] - Jinno/Kuma
* [[Jason Marsden]] - Sasuke
* [[Liam O'Brien]] - Kihachi, Patron #4
* [[Crystal Scales]] - Young Afro Samurai
* [[Dwight Schultz]] - Assassin #1, Patron #1, Ronin
* [[Tara Strong]] - Jiro, Otsuru
* [[Fred Tatasciore]] - Juzo, Patron #5, Shuzo
* [[James Arnold Taylor]] - Yashichi
* [[Dave Wittenberg]] - Assassin, Matasaburo, Patron #3, Punk


==Music==
*He never existed on the [[Batman (TV series)|1960s television series]] due to the production's cancellation.{{fact|date=September 2008}} [[Clint Eastwood]] was scheduled for this role.{{fact|date=September 2008}} ''False-Face''' substituted him. This supervillain was portrayed by [[Malachi Throne]].
{{main|The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai OST}}
The hip hop soundtrack is produced by the [[RZA]] and features other artists as well, such as [[Big Daddy Kane]], [[Talib Kweli]], [[Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip]], and [[GZA]]. The soundtrack was released on [[Compact disc|CD]] on [[January 30]], [[2007]].


==Sequel==
*In ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', Harvey Dent, voiced by [[Richard Moll]], suffers from deep-seated psychological trauma resulting from years of repressing anger. As a child another personality was created inside Harvey, who would come to be called Big Bad Harv. Big Bad Harv would sometimes show himself whenever Harvey were to become incredibly angry, causing him to seek therapy. Mob boss Rupert Thorne gets a hold of his psychiatric file and plans to black mail him unless he were to do him favors. Big Bad Harv breaks out, and he has a fight with Thorne and his men. Big Bad Harv chases Thorne into a chemical plant where he is horribly injured, giving him scars covering the left side of his face. After the accident, he becomes a twisted vigilante known as "Two-Face" and soon begins his own crusade to bring Thorne down, something the law deliberately failed to do. In subsequent episodes of the show, he becomes the supervillain he is in the comics. Prior to his disfigurement, he once dated Pamela Isley who would later become Poison Ivy. Also prior to his disfigurement he was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne.
{{main|Afro Samurai: Resurrection}}
A new season (referred to as "[[Afro Samurai: Resurrection]]") has been announced for 2009 on Spike TV.<ref>{{cite web |title=Afro Samurai: Resurrection to Spike |url=http://www.spike.com/blog/afro-samurai/66874}}</ref> [[Takashi Okazaki]] said in the new season Afro "loses his way, gets tired of all the killing" and he "wakes up to his destiny, which is to be the world's number one warrior." Afro will clash with an alluring female warrior named Sio (who will be voiced by [[Lucy Liu]]) who seems to be someone from Afro's past and has uncovered Rokutaro's skeleton and plans on resurrecting him to lead an army of the undead.<ref>{{cite web |title=Afro Samurai: Resurrection |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2008/g4-presents-comic-con-08-afro-samurai-resurrection |accessdate=2008-07-26 |author=Zac Bertschy |date=2008-07-25 |work=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref> [[Mark Hamill]] will voice Sio's manservant/protector Bin while [[Yuri Lowenthal]] will reprise Kuma.
*In the final episode of ''[[The New Batman Adventures]]'', Harvey's personality fragments a second time, creating a third personality called "The Judge" (voiced by [[Malachi Throne]]), a violent court-themed vigilante that attempts to eliminate all of Gotham's denizens. Two-Face, looking to eradicate this new threat to him, has no idea that he himself is The Judge. At the end of the episode he is sent back to Arkham. This would be his last appearance in the DCAU, though an alternate reality version of him made a cameo appearance during the Justice League episode "A Better World".
A trailer can be seen on the Afro Samurai website.
In the Afro Samurai Resurrection trailer a man who looks like the "Brothers" in the first season is shown with what looks like a number 3, whether he is the same man (from the first season) or not is not known.


===Film===
==Film Adaption==
There are plans to produce a live-action ''Afro Samurai'' movie, also starring Samuel L. Jackson as the title character<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-07-22/comic-con-live-action-afro-samurai Comic-con Live Action Afro Samurai]</ref>, although production has not yet begun.
[[Billy Dee Williams]] appears as a pre-disfigurement Harvey in ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' (1989). Williams took the role specifically to guarantee his casting in a sequel, reinforced by a [[pay or play contract]]. However, when Two-Face was to become a secondary villain to [[Jim Carrey]]'s [[Riddler]] in the third movie, director [[Tim Burton]] had abdicated to [[Joel Schumacher]], who decided to pay Williams' penalty fee to hire [[Tommy Lee Jones]].


==Video game Adaptation==
[[Image:twofacetommyljones.jpg|right|thumb|[[Tommy Lee Jones]] as Two-Face in ''Batman Forever''.]]
{{main|Afro Samurai (video game)}}

'''''Afro Samurai''''' is an upcoming [[video game]] for [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]]. It was the cover story for the February 2008 issue of [http://www.playmagazine.com play magazine].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/02/19/latest-anime-game-afro-samurai/ | title=Latest Anime Game: Afro Samurai | publisher=Xbox 360 Fanboy| date=2008-02-19|accessdate=2008-02-20}}</ref>
In ''[[Batman Forever]]'' (1995) [[Tommy Lee Jones]] portrays Two-Face alongside [[Jim Carrey]]'s [[Riddler]] and opposite [[Val Kilmer]]'s Batman. "Harvey Two-Face" plays up the "two" gimmick to the point where Two-Face even refers to himself in the [[plural]]. In the film, Two-Face (instead of [[Tony Zucco]], as in the original comics) is responsible for the origin of [[Robin (comics)|Robin]] when he kills [[Dick Grayson]]'s ([[Chris O'Donnell]]) family. Also, Lee's Two-Face repeatedy flips his coin until he gets the decision he wants.

[[Image:Twofaceaeckhart.jpg|thumb|left|[[Aaron Eckhart]] as Two-Face in ''The Dark Knight''.]]

<!-- This section should focus only on the appearance of the character in a non-comics media. the Plot is covered in detail in the The Dark Knight article, and should not be retold here except as directly relates to the characterization -->
[[Aaron Eckhart]] portrays Harvey Dent/Two-Face in ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' (2008), the sequel to the 2005 film ''[[Batman Begins]]''. In the film, Harvey Dent plays more of a [[tragic hero]] role than a full-fledged villain as he is commonly portrayed in the comics. Harvey is first elected to become Gotham City's district attorney and tries to rebuild Gotham's image for the better, only to have his life destroyed by the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]] and the mob. Upon escape from a building rigged to explode by the Joker, half of Harvey's gasoline-doused face catches on fire and is severely disfigured. His trademark coin is created when his double-headed 1922 [[Peace Dollar]] is burnt on one side in an identical explosion that killed his fiancée, [[Rachel Dawes]]. Afterward, Harvey takes the nickname the cops had given him when he was in the [[Gotham City Police Department|GCPD]]'s Internal Affairs division - "Two-Face" - and sets out to make things "fair" by confronting the mobsters and crooked police officers who helped ruin his life, deciding whether or not to kill each one by flipping his coin. Director [[Christopher Nolan]] explained that the movie's portrayal of the character was meant to emphasize both the differences and parallels between Two-Face and Batman. Aaron Eckhart has expressed his enthusiasm that he would reprise his role for a sequel if asked,<ref>{{cite news | author = Geoff Boucher | title = Aaron Eckhart: Not just another pretty face in 'The Dark Knight' | work = [[Los Angeles Times]] | date = [[2008-05-03]] | url = http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-echkart-2008may04,0,932553.story | accessdate=2008-05-04}}</ref> although he later confirmed that, in talks with Nolan before [[Heath Ledger]]'s death, the director currently considers Two-Face to be dead.<ref>{{cite news | author = Heather Newgen | title = Aaron Eckhart on Two-Face | work = Superhero Hype! | date = [[2008-09-03]] | url = http://www.superherohype.com/news/featuresnews.php?id=7641 | accessdate=2008-09-03}}</ref>

===Video games ===
Two-Face appears in several Batman-related [[video games]]. A pre-disfigurement Harvey Dent appears as a hostage of Poison Ivy in the video game ''Batman: The Animated Series'' (which carries over Ivy's vendetta against Harvey for being indirectly responsible for the destruction of an endangered plant in the episode "[[Pretty Poison (Batman: The Animated Series)|Pretty Poison]]"). As Two-Face he is a boss in ''[[Adventures of Batman & Robin|The Adventures of Batman & Robin]]'' for the [[Super NES]], ''The Adventures of Batman & Robin'' for the [[Sega Genesis]], the video game adaptations of ''[[Batman Forever (video game)|Batman Forever]]'' and ''[[Batman: Chaos in Gotham]]'' (in which he is the final boss). He is a confirmed character in ''[[Lego Batman: The Video Game]]''. It's also been told that in ''[[Game Informer]]'' September 2008 issue that there will be collectible Two-Face coins in ''[[Batman: Arkham Asylum]]'' making him a possible character.

==See also==
{{wikiquote|Batman (comics)#Two-Face|Two-Face}}
*''[[Batman: The Long Halloween]]''
*''[[Batman: Dark Victory]]''
*''[[No Man's Land (comics)]]''
* [[Gilda Dent]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Batman}}


== External links ==
* [http://www.afrosamurai.com Official Website]
* [http://www.afrosamurai.co.uk Official UK Website]
* {{ann anime|id=5275}}
* {{imdb title|0465316}}
* [http://www.popcultureshock.com/afro-samurai-vol-1-preview/44223/ Afro Samurai, Vol. 1 (manga) preview (published by TOR/Seven Seas)]


[[Category:DC Comics supervillains]]
[[Category:1999 introductions]]
[[Category:Anime of 2007]]
[[Category:2007 television series debuts]]
[[Category:2007 television series endings]]
[[Category:Action anime and manga]]
[[Category:Funimation Entertainment]]
[[Category:Seinen]]
[[Category:Madman Entertainment anime]]


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Revision as of 14:36, 11 October 2008

Afro Samurai
File:AfroSamuraiTitle.jpg
GenreSamurai, Action
Manga
Written byTakashi Okazaki
Published byJapan NOU NOU HAU
DemographicSeinen
Original run1999 – present
Anime
Directed byFuminori Kizaki
Jamie Simone (USA version)
StudioJapan Gonzo
Released 4 January 2007 1 February 2007

Template:Infobox TV ratings

Afro Samurai (アフロサムライ, Afuro Samurai) is a Japanese dōjinshi manga series created by Takashi Okazaki, originally featured in the NOU NOU HAU[2] dōjin magazine. It was adapted into a 5-episode anime miniseries directed by Fuminori Kizaki and produced by Japanese animation studio Gonzo. The first episode was shown online on January 1, 2007 and premiered on Spike TV on January 4, 2007 on at 11:00pm EST. The anime series has since gone on to air in the UK, where it premiered on Adult Swim on May 4, 2007[1], and Japan, where it was broadcast on Fuji Television. It also premiered on MTV in Australia in August 2007.[2]

The anime series features noted American actor Samuel L. Jackson as the voice of the titular character and his sidekick, as well as one of the co-producers, and also features Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu as character voices. Wu-Tang Clan member RZA produced the original hip hop musical score,[3] which was released on compact disc by Koch Records on January 30, 2007 in both uncut and edited versions. The series was also licensed for North American distribution by Funimation, who released two versions: a SpikeTV version and an unrated director's cut on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Both DVD versions were released on May 22, 2007 with the Blu-ray Disc version being released on August 26 of the following year. In the United Kingdom, a Bravo Numbered Limited Edition, equivalent to the US Spike TV edition and featuring the same red themed artwork was released on 2 July 2007. A Directors’ Cut Edition Box Set, featuring new artwork, was released later on 12 October 2007. A second Bravo edition featuring artwork similar to the UK Director’s Cut was released on 21 March 2008. A Blu-ray disc version is yet to be released. In August 2005, Japan-based game developers Namco announced they would be releasing Afro Samurai related video games.[4]

The cost of each episode is estimated at one million dollars[5], which is a record for Gonzo.

Plot summary

The TV anime series is set in a "futuristic, yet feudal Japan," and stars a samurai named Afro for his hair. The story follows Afro as he tries to avenge his father's murder.[6] In the world of Afro Samurai, it is said that the one who becomes "Number One" will rule the world, wielding powers akin to a god. Someone becomes Number One by killing the previous Number One and taking his ceremonial headband. However, the only rule in this world is that only the "Number Two" (also designated by a sacred headband) is allowed to fight the "Number One." The downside of this is that anyone (and typically everyone) can challenge and try to kill the Number Two, to gain the right to move forward and challenge Number One. Afro Samurai's father was the old Number One, until he was challenged by a gunman named "Justice" (who was then Number Two), who fought him in a duel to become the new Number One. At the time Justice challenged his father, Afro had only been a child. Justice severed his father's head right in front of the young Afro. Now an adult, Afro Samurai is the current Number Two and a master swordsman; he travels the road seeking revenge on Justice, the current Number One. Lengthy flashbacks interspersed throughout the story detail how Afro rose from frightened boy fleeing the death of his father, to master swordsman, and eventually to become the current "Number Two", while the story in the present deals with the adult Afro making his way to the mountain top keep of the "Number One" to duel Justice, while at the same time the mysterious cult known as the "Empty Seven Clan" sends various agents to kill Afro and take his Number Two headband.[7]

Character histories

Main characters

Afro Samurai

Adult Afro Voiced by: Samuel L. Jackson
Adolescent Afro Voiced by: Phil LaMarr
Child Afro Voiced by: Crystal Scales

A black, afro-headed master samurai, and the holder of the title "Number Two," Afro is out to hunt down Justice, the man who killed his father for the rank of "Number One." From the time he was a child, Afro honed his skills as a swordsman; his style typically consists of wielding his katana with only his right hand while his left continues to hold on to his sheath, although during his fight with Jinno, he held his sword with both hands to compensate for Jinno's dual wielding speed. Although his character is portrayed in black and white for a majority of the anime, as well as in any other products taken from the anime, one other character from the first chapter remarks that Afro's afro has a "greenish tint to it, if you look real close." He is a very quiet individual, likely because the life of the "Number Two" does not allow him to have any close relationships with anyone, so when approached by others he says very little, if anything.

Although he seems cold, he is still haunted by his memories and past relationships; Justice later remarks that Afro, like his father, is still "soft inside." He also has a fondness for lemonade and is almost constantly smoking a hand-rolled cigarette when not engaged in combat.

The only times Afro had shown any extreme emotional reactions were when he fought the Sword Master for the Number Two Headband, and when fighting Justice who reminds Afro of his father's tragic death.

At the end of the series, he kills Justice and becomes the "Number One", but is almost impaled by one of Justice's spikes only to survive by having the spike go through his afro and skim the top of his head, thus saving Afro from death.

After the 'death' of Ninja Ninja, Afro seemed to be able to show himself more emotionally seen when he sheds tears for 'killing' Jinno before facing Justice and by his casual conversation with Jinno before facing him for the second time.

Ninja Ninja

Voiced by: Samuel L. Jackson
Perhaps the most debated character within the story, "Ninja" is Afro's complete antithesis, always speaking and usually saying aloud what Afro can't bring himself to say; generally, Afro refuses to respond to anything he says other than telling Ninja Ninja to "shut up." As his name implies, he dresses in a ninja motif. He also seems to have a counter color scheme to Afro, while also having a similar frame and haircut though he slouches when he walks. This can best be seen at the end of episode 2, where they are walking side by side after the fire. There are several clues throughout the show that point to Ninja Ninja being imaginary, such as Afro being the only one who speaks to him, his constant disappearing when Afro is in combat or internal conflict, and the fact he is not hurt when he and Afro are knocked off a cliff by an RPG despite being next to each other. It is later shown in Episode 4 that Ninja Ninja first appeared suddenly when Afro lost his friends and loved ones while obtaining the Number Two headband. At the beginning of Episode 5, it is revealed that Ninja Ninja was the one that was "killed" by Kuma's strike; a symbolic way of showing that Afro has come to terms with the loss of his friends at this point in his journey. Also about halfway through the episode when Afro finally meets Justice again, Justice states that he watched him shed his imaginary friend (Ninja).

In the collector's DVD, interviews with the staff and writers concede that Ninja Ninja is indeed imaginary. However, even though Ninja Ninja is 'imaginary', he appears to have some form of presence in the real world, as well. When Brother 2 of the Empty Seven spies on Afro, Ninja Ninja can be clearly seen from Brother 2's point of view through the binoculars. Ninja Ninja also interacts with items around him constantly such as catching Afro's joint in his mouth, moving a hanging pillar inside Okiku's home, putting Okiku's comb into Afro's afro, eating the food that was intended for Afro given by Brother 3 (in the Director's cut) and throwing the Afro droid's microchip at Afro to cut in two. The idea of Ninja Ninja having at least a partial existence in reality is once again brought into light when he is 'killed' by Kuma. Because Kuma was such a skilled warrior and had the intent to kill Afro on the sword strike that killed Ninja Ninja, it would seem odd that he would pause from his attack and have a conversation with Afro if there was not a reason to give pause, which strengthens the idea that he was taken back by Ninja Ninja's sacrifice before attacking Afro again. However, in Ninja Ninja's final conversation with Afro, it is clear that the words spoken by Afro to Ninja Ninja are heard and understood by Kuma as referring to him, implying that the pause and Ninja Ninja's death are mostly Afro's mental constructs.

At the show's website, Ninja Ninja can be seen in the background, behind Afro, during the final seconds of the trailer. How he has managed to come back for the sequel after being "killed" has yet to be revealed, but his return does imply that he was in fact imaginary.

Rokutaro (Afro's Father)

Voiced by: Greg Eagles

Rokutaro was the Number One at the beginning of the series, who lost his title and life to Justice when Justice decapitated him. How he attained the Number One headband, what he did during his time as Number One, and how long he'd had it prior to Justice killing him remain unclear. According to Justice, it was Rokutaro's intention to end the headband wars by hiding the Number One headband, but people kept fighting and killing each other to possess the other headbands. So Justice saw the only way to stop the fighting forever and to obtain ultimate power was to have all the headbands, but realized this only after killing Rokutaro for the Number One and discarding the Number Two. Unlike Afro, who wears it simply as a headband, Rokutaro uses The Number One Headband as a hairband to tie back his afro in a large ponytail. In season 2, Rokutaro's skeleton is uncovered by a female warrior named Sio who intends to resurrect him to lead an army of evil zombie warriors. Like his son, he is a great swordsman, wielding his katana with both hands as a normal samurai would, being able to block Justice's bullets and being able to balance between kicks and sword strikes in combat.

Otsuru/"Okiku"

Okiku Voiced by: Kelly Hu
Otsuru Voiced by: Tara Strong

A young woman who specializes in the art of healing, Otsuru is an excellent cook and adores fireworks. She is the one who discovered Afro in the shrine after he lost the Number Two headband as a boy, and took him to Sword Master's dojo where he befriended Jinno. When she is introduced as "Okiku," she has once again found Afro in a near death state (having been blown off a cliff by an RPG fired by Brother 6 and badly poisoned by an arrow in a fight with Soshun); she bandages him and takes him to her home to heal. She and Jinno survived the attack that was meant to claim the Number Two headband from Sword Master, and they were both saved by the Empty Seven Clan. Apparently, some time after the events at Sword Master's dojo, she became an agent working for Brother 1 of the Empty Seven Clan. She possesses the unique ability to siphon memories from people as they dream and did this to copy down Afro's sword style to be used to complete the Afro Droid. She was also supposed to kill him should the opportunity ever present itself, but she finds herself unable to after spending a night, having sex with him. She remarks that she still thinks of him as the same innocent boy she knew so long ago, revealing to him that she is actually Otsuru. Brother 2 of the Empty Seven then kills her for failing to carry out her mission and betraying the Empty Seven. Otsuru apparently had a strong emotional effect on Afro as seen when in Episode five Afro calls out her name twice in his grief over the friends that he has lost.

Sword Master

Voiced by: Terrence C. Carson
A one-eyed samurai who housed orphans and trained them to become warriors. When a young Afro first approaches him about the headbands, he receives a beating and is told by Sword Master that wearing the headbands leads to a life of murder, saying "We are born men in order to live, not to kill". Afro asks about the headbands again at dojo graduation, after hearing a rumor about Sword Master holding the Number Two Headband. The two meet alone underneath the Bodhi Tree outside the dojo, where Sword Master tells Afro he meant to take the secret to his grave. He then tells Afro to make a decision: forget avenging his father's death and live a normal life, or walk the path of the Number Two. When a large group of thugs in search of the Number Two headband attacks the dojo, Sword Master fights them to show Afro just what it means to be Number Two. After the battle is over, with all the thugs and most of the students dead, he faces Afro telling him that he's chosen his path. After Afro charges at Sword Master in order to kill him to claim the Number Two Headband, Sword Master closes his eyes and is killed by Afro who takes the Number Two Headband.

The official site reveals that Sword Master was in fact a friend to Afro's father Rokutaro, which helps explain the basis for his advice and world view.

Sasuke

Voiced by: Jason Marsden
A teenage student of Sword Master, and a friend to both Afro and Jinno. He wears a pair of glasses which are held to the face by string, similar to those worn in feudal Japan and late dynastic China. Though he graduated from swordsman school at the same time as Afro and Jinno, his skills are apparently inferior to theirs (though he is seen killing two people in his final battle). He appears to be very eccentric as shown by his playful manner with his friends as well as telling his friends that he hopes to eat chicken cutlet for his final meal, much to their disbelief. During a flashback in the fourth episode, he is killed in the Midnight Battle Under The Bodhi Tree after being impaled from behind by one of the assassins targeting Sword Master.

The Empty Seven

Brothers 1, 3, & 5 Voiced by: Phil LaMarr
Brother 2 Voiced by: John DiMaggio
Brother 4 Voiced by: Terrence C. Carson
Brother 6 Voiced by: Greg Eagles
The Empty Seven (無無坊主) are seven monks who believe that attaining both ancient headbands will lead to immortality and godhood. They employ robots and mercenaries to do their dirty work, since the monks themselves have greatly inferior skills when compared to Afro and Justice. Brothers 1 through 5 look like identical wizened old men with long beards, dressed in robes with some other accessories:

  • Brother 1 was the apparent leader of the Clan (although such an authority was never outright stated). His personality and mannerisms were a mixture of an Evangelical preacher and a street pimp. He was almost always seen with an almost nude beautiful woman at his side. As with most of the Clan, he was a wizened old man with a long beard, and has a prosthetic gold left arm (which can be switched out for a machine gun). He was killed when he tried to ambush Afro from atop the elevator leading to Kuma following the Afro Droid's destruction.
  • Brother 2 was the eyes of the Clan, often seen scoping out Afro from a distance with a pair of high-tech binoculars. Usually Brother 6 was shown assisting him. All of his observations of Afro during his reconnaissance were reported to Brother 1 via cell phone. In combat, he was shown to use an extending Buddhist staff or kunai. When Okiku turns against the clan for Afro’s sake, it was Brother 2 who stabbed and killed her. Later, when he was lying in wait to kill Afro, Afro surprises him from behind by swiftly poking his eyes out and shoving his binoculars deep into the wounds. Likely the brutal manner of his execution was out of revenge for Okiku.
  • Brother 3 was unusual among the group. While the other Brothers would plot Afro’s death, Brother 3 was usually content to face away off in the corner, listening to his circumaural headphones, and bobbing to the music. During the few times he actually spoke, he was shown to have a Southern US accent. He seemed to have a much more pacifistic approach than his comrades regarding decisions. When deliberating on which assassin to choose to kill Afro, rather than settle things through violence Brother 3 suggested looking at their individual credentials. Later, when Afro invaded the Empty Seven’s temple, he was waiting by the door with tea and rice crackers prepared while calmly chanting, Hachimaki o kudasai, Japanese for "headband please." Simply asking for the Number Two Headband, rather than attempting combat for it. Afro didn't take the rice and tea offered to him, but Ninja Ninja did. Because of this, Brother 3 survived while the other five monks were killed. A recent trailer for "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" shows Brother 3 in it.
  • Brother 4 was a gruff deep-voiced monk in a green robe who usually carried a Buddhist staff and wore and a wide metal hat. He was usually seen side-by-side with the arrogant, and sadistic Brother 5 who wore a plain white robe, regularly smoked a long pipe and spoke with a high squeaky voice. In combat, Brother 4's weapon of choice was a sansetsukon while Brother 5 fought with a jian. When determining which assassin would face Afro, Brother 4 insisted that Ivanov the Russian was the obvious choice, which led to an argument with Brother 5, who held opposing views and felt Foo from China was more capable. Brother 1 settled the issue by suggesting a battle royale, an idea which greatly appealed to both 4 & 5. Later, after Brother 6’s defeat at Afro’s hands, Brother’s 4 & 5 launched out from where they were concealed in Brother 6’s backpack and attempted to gang up on Afro from both sides. This tactic failed miserably and both monks were easily dispatched.
  • Brother 6 was a massive, muscled individual with cold inhuman eyes in monk regalia who wore a wide metal hat. He was the only Brother who didn’t resemble an old monk with a long beard. Violent and impulsive, Brother 6 never hesitated to use excessive force in his actions. In combat, he wielded a long Buddhist staff and a backpack holding a variety of weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a flame thrower. Brother 6 was the man who rescued Jinnosuke and Otsuru from the brink of death, but regarding Jinnosuke felt it would have been more merciful to just let him die. He was the one to burn down Otsuru’s home, and blew the bridge after Afro’s initial confrontation with Afro Droid (much to Brother 1’s displeasure). When that tactic failed, Brother 6 fought Afro one-on-one. He proved a difficult opponent and when defeated held Afro’s sword within his body disarming the samurai so that Brothers 4 & 5 could finish him.
  • Brother 7 has never made any appearance within the series, and remains a mystery. The scientist, Dharman, was assumed by many fans to be the Brother in question, but the official site states that this is in fact not the case. Whether Brother 7 will appear in the second season or not remains unknown.

Dharman

Voiced by: Phil LaMarr (normal version), S. Scott Bullock (Director's Cut version)
Dharman is an insane cyborg scientist employed by the Empty Seven Clan to build their machine-ninja army and the Afro Droid. He also helped rebuild and heal Jinnosuke whom he considers his masterpiece, referring to him as his "Teddy Bear". His name comes from the fact that he closely resembles a Japanese Dharma doll. When Jinnosuke was defeated by Afro, it is likely that Dharman was the one who repaired and rebuilt him. It is implied that Dharman is the seventh brother of the Empty Seven clan as indicated when Brother #1 refers to Dharman as "brother". However, he apparently does not like to think of himself as part of the group, referring to them in the third person in the second-to-last chapter. Dharman is most likely in the second season because his robotic hands are seen typing on a keyboard near the end of the trailer.

Afro Droid

A semi-sentient robot copy of Afro created by the Empty Seven Clan (specifically their personal scientist, Dharman). It was created from combat data siphoned from Afro's mind by Okiku, and is able to reproduce all of his learned techniques and abilities. It is physically superior to Afro, and its external appearance is identical. The Afro Droid is also equipped with guns, lasers, and explosives. Afro eventually defeats Afro Droid in the third episode after the droid is impaled on its own sword following a sky-high, mid-air duel between the two.

Jinnosuke/"Kuma"

Voiced by: Yuri Lowenthal
A swordsman who wears a cybernetic teddy bear mask, the same design as Otsuru's teddy bear from their time as children in their dojo, earning him the nickname "Kuma" which means "Bear" in Japanese. He wears black keikogi and hakama, and his geta sandals have toe straps made of metal instead of cloth. Jinnosuke possesses great skill in wielding twin blades and is an old friend of Afro from his days at the dojo. Back then Jinno thought of Afro as a brother, but when Afro killed their master for the Number Two headband, Jinno vowed vengeance against him. His remaining eye constantly weeps, and under his robotic eye there appears to be a scar in the same position, due to the injuries (emotional, and possibly physical) he suffered at the Midnight Battle Under the Bodhi Tree; he tells Afro that his tears have never stopped falling since that day. Jinno was rebuilt with cybernetic body modifications by the Empty Seven to "create a samurai of incredible power." Afro defeats him by destroying his life-support system, but it seems Kuma was again able to cheat death. He returns to challenge Afro years after the death of Justice, this time his body completely modified, appearing more android than human and virtually mummified in the other headbands from Justice's lair. At their second meeting, Jinno has also regained his teddy bear mask with the the Number Two headband over the missing right eye; a mirror image of when Afro was recovering in the Sword Master's Dojo as a boy with his bandages mirroring Jinno's current bandages. Jinno appears in season 2 with a motorcycle.

Justice

Voiced by: Ron Perlman
The holder of the Number One headband for most of the series, Justice is the man who killed Afro's father before his eyes many years ago. He is a remarkably skilled gunman, dressing in a cowboy garb with the Number One headband tied around his wide-brimmed hat. He has discolored, diseased-looking skin, which his bio on the official site implies is the result of a past accident (undecided, but assumed by the publishers to have been submerged in toxic waste). Justice has the ability to regenerate himself after being exposed to blood, as seen just before his final fight with Afro when the injured hero's blood flows to Justice's feet and his withered body begins to reshape into the young version that fought Afro's father. He also has a third arm hidden on his back that holds a sword for catching opponents off guard (in an earlier version of the official website, Justice was described as "The Gunman with Three Arms"). His origins are unknown, but he claims that destiny designed him to attain all the headbands and thus gain enough power to rule the world as a god and bring an end to all the violence and killing via force. Justice was able to survive being nearly decapitated (an ironic reversal of the scene with Afro's father), and seemed able to control the Number One's throne room to some extent, but Afro manages to defeat him by slicing his body into many smaller pieces. This may have finished him, however; right before the final episode's credits roll, Justice is seen opening his eyes, his grin showing before quickly fading to black (though this may have been symbolic of his views of the battles never ending, which were being touched upon as Afro and Jinno fight again).

During interviews in the DVD release, it is stated that Justice and Afro's father were in fact part of the same clan of swordsmen and indeed best friends, however their differing views on the headbands and how to end the violence plaguing the world eventually drove them apart, leading to the final confrontation between the two.

Minor characters

  • Foo (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - A Chinese assassin hired by the Empty Seven clan. He is considered one of the world's most capable assassins. Brother 5 believes that Foo could have defeated Afro, but Brother 4 disagrees about this. He is killed along with every other assassin that charged toward the Afro Droid (his appearance was in the Director's Cut DVD).
  • Hachiro (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - In Afro's flashback, he and his brothers were the ones who attacked young Afro some time after Justice killed Rokutaro. After young Afro attacked his brother Yashichi, Hachiro later attacked him. With some help from Jinno, Afro managed to kill Hachiro.
  • Ivanov (voiced by John DiMaggio) - A Russian assassin hired by the Empty Seven clan. He is considered one of the world's best assassins. Brother 4 believes that Ivanov could have defeated Afro, but Brother 5 disagrees about this. He is killed along with every other assassin that charged towards the Afro Droid (his appearance was in the Director's Cut DVD).
  • Kihachi -
  • Kuro -
  • Jiro -
  • Juzo -
  • Matasaburo (voiced by Dave Wittenberg) - He is one of the students of the Sword Master. He is killed in the Midnight Battle Under the Bodhi Tree.
  • Oyuki (voiced by Grey DeLisle) - Oyuki was the bartender at the bar that Afro stops at. She is also where Soshun got the headband history from.
  • Ronin (voiced by Dwight Schultz) -
  • Shuzo -
  • Soshun (voiced by John Kassir) - A man who comes from the Land of the Weapon Masters of the West. He wielded a crossbow with a grenade launcher. He first saw Afro in a bar and learned the history of the headbands from its bartender. He encountered Afro on the mountain when Ninja Ninja detected him. In his battle against Afro, Soshun was killed by Afro, but one of his poisoned arrows had grazed Afro and resulting in his temporary handicap against his first encounter with Brother 6.
  • Yashichi (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) - He is the brother of Hachiro and was with him in their first attack upon young Afro. Some time later, young Afro managed to interrogate him for the info on who has the Number Two Headband before killing him.

Episodes

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# Title Original air date

Cast

Music

The hip hop soundtrack is produced by the RZA and features other artists as well, such as Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, and GZA. The soundtrack was released on CD on January 30, 2007.

Sequel

A new season (referred to as "Afro Samurai: Resurrection") has been announced for 2009 on Spike TV.[8] Takashi Okazaki said in the new season Afro "loses his way, gets tired of all the killing" and he "wakes up to his destiny, which is to be the world's number one warrior." Afro will clash with an alluring female warrior named Sio (who will be voiced by Lucy Liu) who seems to be someone from Afro's past and has uncovered Rokutaro's skeleton and plans on resurrecting him to lead an army of the undead.[9] Mark Hamill will voice Sio's manservant/protector Bin while Yuri Lowenthal will reprise Kuma. A trailer can be seen on the Afro Samurai website. In the Afro Samurai Resurrection trailer a man who looks like the "Brothers" in the first season is shown with what looks like a number 3, whether he is the same man (from the first season) or not is not known.

Film Adaption

There are plans to produce a live-action Afro Samurai movie, also starring Samuel L. Jackson as the title character[10], although production has not yet begun.

Video game Adaptation

Afro Samurai is an upcoming video game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was the cover story for the February 2008 issue of play magazine.[11]

References

  1. ^ Afro Samurai ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia. Accessed 2007-02-18.
  2. ^ TAKASHI OKAZAKI Profile, Kugelblitz
  3. ^ The RZA Gets His Afro Samurai On, Anime News Network
  4. ^ Namco to Publish Afro Samurai Video Games, Anime News Network
  5. ^ Episode 1 Review-IGN
  6. ^ Press Release, Anime News Network
  7. ^ GDH announces that Samuel L. Jackson will take the leadvoice-over role in Gonzo's "AFRO SAMURAI" and will also serve as a co-producer GDH K.K. Press Release 2005.05.18
  8. ^ "Afro Samurai: Resurrection to Spike".
  9. ^ Zac Bertschy (2008-07-25). "Afro Samurai: Resurrection". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  10. ^ Comic-con Live Action Afro Samurai
  11. ^ "Latest Anime Game: Afro Samurai". Xbox 360 Fanboy. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-02-20.

External links