Katsuichi

Katsuichi is the elderly swordmaster who trained the young rabbit ronin Miyamoto Usagi in the ways of the samurai, instilling in his student the discipline and skill that would define Usagi's life as a wandering warrior in feudal Japan.

From the very first issue of Stan Sakai's beloved Usagi Yojimbo in 1987, Katsuichi has been woven into the fabric of one of comics' most enduring independent creations. A Copper Age original, this character has persisted across more than three decades of Dark Horse storytelling, sharing pages with series icons like Miyamoto Usagi, Tomoe Ame, and Gen. With 37 catalog appearances spanning from 1987 to 2020, Katsuichi is no background fixture — they're a genuine thread in the rich tapestry Sakai has spent a lifetime crafting, and for any fan who loves thoughtful, character-driven sequential art, that kind of longevity in such a celebrated series is reason enough to take notice.