With their guise, hitokiri were able to strike within the bustle of city crowds as well as the darkness of night and the obscurity of privacy, could also join in the chaos of battle to seek out priority targets while their allies provided distraction, and upon finishing their job, could immediately fade out of public awareness without drawing attention to their superiors. A Hitokiri ( 人斬 ( ひときり ) ?, literally man-slayer) is a swordsman sent out by an important or powerful figure for the express purpose of assassinating others.Īlthough ninja come to mind within popular nomenclature as the traditional Japanese agent of sabotage and assassination in the shadows, hitokiri were more prominent during more peaceful times such as the Edo Period and were more explicitly sought for the need to execute others with a greater degree of social flexibility and camouflage, as akin to hitmen while samurai were allowed to strike down those who offended them, social standing was of utmost importance to those of higher class, and cutting down offenders demanded evidence and lawful reason with legitimate weight of action lest they risk dishonor and be forced to commit seppuku, or be punished by public execution, especially if targets in mind held major social influence and were of nobility.Įssentially acting by proxy, hitokiri in turn were not bound to these strict codes, and were of or could masquerade as ronin and lower ranking samurai, acting as the swords of their superiors and clientele.
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