Genichiro Ashina

Genichiro Ashina’s Role and Personality

What makes Genichiro one of the more compelling presences in the story is that his villainy comes wrapped in a kind of desperate patriotism. He does not want power for its own sake; he wants Kuro’s immortal bloodline as a weapon against the encroaching Interior Ministry, whose forces are circling a clan already weakened by his grandfather’s failing health. Ruthless and technically brilliant, he studied under the legendary Lady Tomoe and can channel the Way of Tomoe, a fearsome lightning technique that speaks to how far he will push himself for Ashina’s survival. His arc reaches its most striking point in the endgame, where he sacrifices himself using the Black Mortal Blade to resurrect Isshin in his prime, a final act of devotion that undercuts any simple reading of him as an antagonist.

Who Voices Genichiro Ashina in Sekiro: No Defeat?

Kenjiro Tsuda returns to voice Genichiro in the anime, reprising the role he originated in the FromSoftware game. Tsuda brings a distinct authoritative weight to the character, a quality fans of his work will recognize from his long-running role as Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh! and his turn as Overhaul in My Hero Academia.