Gabimaru

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Gabimaru
Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku character
Illustration of Gabimaru by Yuji Kaku
First appearance
  • "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Chapter 1"
  • January 22, 2018
Created byYuji Kaku
Portrayed byTsubasa Kizu
Voiced byJapanese
Chiaki Kobayashi
English
Alejandro Saab
In-universe information
Full nameSaku (朔)
NicknameGabimaru the Hollow
GenderMale
OccupationShinobi
NationalityJapanese

Gabimaru (Japanese: 画眉丸), also known as Gabimaru the Hollow (がらんの画眉丸, Garan no Gabimaru), is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Yuji Kaku's manga series Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku. Gabimaru served as Iwagakure's most infamous shinobi until he was betrayed by his village for wanting to abandon his role as a murderer and live a peaceful life with his wife Yui. This resulted in him being handed over to the authorities to be executed. However, after the shogun calls for death row convicts to compete in acquiring the Elixir of Life from an island believed to be Shinsenkyō in exchange for a pardon for their past crimes, Gabimaru receives an invitation from Yamada Asaemon Sagiri to be a part of the competition and accepts in order to live how he had desired.

Kaku created Gabimaru and made him a married character, with the mindset that he needed a strong, immediate motivation for his hero to fight to survive, making Gabimaru's wife his core driving force. The character was praised by critics for his role in Hell's Paradise, coming across as an anti-hero in his backstory, while also developing a deep relationship with Sagiri upon the revelation of their connection.

Creation and concept

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He originates from Yuji Kaku's idea to focus on the main character's growth.[1] But while writing, he realized the themes had shifted more towards the Middle Way, with the paradoxes and conflict, and felt it should be Sagiri who deals with those, "so for me, Sagiri became the protagonist of the latter half".[1] Kaku had intended for Gabimaru to have a distinct driving force.[2] He would later go on about the creation of Gabimaru, commenting "the main character really needs a strong motivation to survive. He needs to be driven to get this over with as soon as possible. So I made his wife the driving force for Gabimaru. I'll admit that was something that I hadn't originally put too much thought into. It was really just a small aspect of his character initially. But afterwards, I realized I had created something unusual here with a married shōnen manga main character."[2] He would initially establish Gabimaru as a central figure in the survival story, initially making him a married protagonist with a unique motivation to survive for his wife, and then gradually developing his character—from a hollow, bloodthirsty assassin to a more empathetic person.[2][3] Kaku would say in an interview, "Despite condemned criminals and executioners being difficult characters to empathize with, if they share our perspective, then we feel close to them, and they stand out as unique characters" in the Edo period, when people had totally different ideas about ethics and human rights.[1] When asked "what do you think makes Gabimaru the protagonist of this story?" Yuji responded "Both Gabimaru and Sagiri have the same values as someone living in the 2020s. This is also the reason the story is set in the distant past during the late Edo period. The people of that time had totally different ideas about ethics and human rights. Despite condemned criminals and executioners being difficult characters to empathize with, if they share our perspective, then we feel close to them, and they stand out as unique characters in an Edo Period setting. Kaku felt that he made Gabimaru "unique".[1]

Casting

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Alejandro Saab voices Gabimaru in the English dub of the anime adaptation.

In the Hell's Paradise anime adaptation, Gabimaru is voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi in Japanese,[4] who was chosen by director Kaori Makita for his "calm" voice.[4][5] Makita would say "Casting the voice actors for Gabimaru and Sagiri was the most difficult part. When reading the manga, every reader imagines a different voice for the characters. The character's personality and age are the clues I use when deciding who to cast. Sometimes the actual age of the character is really different from their personality and their physicality, but all of that is taken into consideration when casting."[5]

The first stage play adaptation for Yūji Kaku's Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku was revealed on November 28, 2022, with a new visual, Tsubasa Kizu portraying Gabimaru,[6][7] and its February 2023 debut at the Hulic Hall in Tokyo.[7]

English voice actor Alejandro Saab,[8] would comment on Gabimaru's character saying "Speaking for Gabimaru, he's doing it for love. As cheesy as that may or may not sound, it's such a relatable thing to just get back to the one you love. That's his whole motive. He's like, 'I'm only doing what I'm doing right now to get back to my wife. That is my whole mindset.' I feel like a lot of people can relate to that. Whether they're in a relationship, seeking a relationship, or long-distance, you know, sometimes it's tough. To have that joy with someone, whoever it is, and to be reunited is such a relatable thing."[9]

Powers and abilities

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As a child, Gabimaru was a shinobi prodigy who had already possessed raw talent that had not only allowed him to survive Iwagakure's deadly training regimens but also pushing him closer to being the next "Gabimaru the Hollow". Editors at Comic Book Resources felt that Gabimaru had become the "strongest mortal character" in the series.[10] His infamous reputation for killing his targets made him out to be a cold-blooded monster to society. He held his own fighting against the invincible members of Lord Tensen, beings who wield god-like powers.[10]

He possesses several superhuman abilities, such as enhanced strength and enhanced speed.[10] Gabimaru's abilities allow him to avoid being burned or stabbed by a sword.[10] Furthermore, his ninjutsu allows him to create a powerful fire.[10]

Appearances

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In Hell's Paradise

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Saku (朔), better known by the aliases "Gabimaru" and "Gabimaru the Hollow",[11] is the strongest ninja from Iwagakure,[12][13] where he was taken from his parents as a child by the village chief and trained to become a killer. He is known as Gabimaru the Hollow for his lack of emotion during his gruesome work. When he wanted to cut ties with the village and live a normal life with his wife, the chief arranged for him to be captured and sentenced to death. Gabimaru sets on a journey to retrieve Elixir of Life to receive a full pardon for his crimes and return to his wife,[3] who is the village chief's daughter.[12][14]

Reception

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Popularity

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He was well received by the series' readers and critics. Gabimaru was nominated for Boy of the Year at the 10th Anime Trending Awards.[15] Yoan Sover's performance as Gabimaru was one of the nominees for Best Voice Artist Performance (French) at the 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.[16]

Critical response

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Critical response to Gabimaru has been favorable. Isaac Rouse, in his review of the upcoming second season for Polygon, said he was "hardened by years of brutal training, Gabimaru survives every form of execution attempted, from beheading to burning at the stake.[17]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2024 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards Best Voice Artist Performance (French) Yoan Sover as Gabimaru Nominated [16]
10th Anime Trending Awards Boy of the Year Gabimaru Nominated [15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Cardine, Kyle (June 9, 2023). "Hell's Paradise Creator Yuji Kaku on His Creative Journey". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "No Character is Safe in Hell's Paradise". Anime News Network. October 5, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Aitchison, Sean (June 15, 2023). "All These Anime Guys Are Pretty Fly for a Wife Guy". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 18, 2022). "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Anime's New Promo Video Reveals 7 Main Cast Members, April 2023 Debut (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Don, Kristine (August 9, 2023). "Hell's Paradise Director Kaori Makita on Yuzuriha's Surprising Charm Point and Fighting Censorship". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  6. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (November 23, 2023). "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Stage Play 2nd Show Unveils Key Visual, Trailer". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Mateo, Alex (November 28, 2022). "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Stage Play Reveals Promo Video, Visual, Main Cast, February 2023 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Mateo, Alex (April 13, 2023). "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Anime Reveals English Dub Cast, Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Jha, Tanmay (October 27, 2023). "Sometimes it's tough: Hell's Paradise Voice Actor Thought Fans Would Relate to Gabimaru's Mindset on What Motivates Him". FandomWire. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e Garcia, Mayra; Sandoval, Andrea; Aravind, Ajay; Robinson, Robbie (June 7, 2023). "20 Strongest Hell's Paradise Characters, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  11. ^ Chu, Kayla (April 10, 2023). "Hell's Paradise review–Screening and Choosing introduces rivals". InBetweenDrafts. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Trejo Mosquera, Amílcar (June 14, 2023). "Gabimaru, Sagiri and the Characters of Hell's Paradise". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  13. ^ Chapman, Paul (March 18, 2023). "Hell's Paradise TV Anime Cuts Loose With Two New Cast Members". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  14. ^ Kurland, Daniel (May 6, 2023). "Anime Fans Are Eating Good This Year–Hell's Paradise Stars on Gabimaru and Sagiri". Den of Geek. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Results of the 10th Anime Trending Awards". Anime Trending. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Hazra, Adriana (March 2, 2024). "All the Winners of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  17. ^ Rouse, Isaac (September 30, 2025). "One of 2026's most anticipated anime shows gets a glorious new trailer". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 30, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.