Yakage
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character in the Tenchi Muyo!
franchise and the first major antagonist of Hitoshi Okuda's
No Need for Tenchi! manga
series, published in the U.S. by VIZ Media
.
an scientist who specialized in swords and swordplay, and even designed the energy sword used by Ryoko. Like Kagato
, Yakage studied under Washu as one of her personal assistants at the Galactic Academy, but possessed a greater sense of honor and loyalty than the future "Ruins Buster". Despite this, he was not without ambition or obsession, and Yakage became immersed into creating a sword of immense power, one that would be strong enough to even overcome the Lighthawk Wings.
To reach that goal, Yakage abandons Washu, stealing some of Ryoko's DNA
and mixing it with his own. He began raising and training his Ryoko, named Minagi
, to be a superior warrior, planning for her to be the wielder of this "ultimate sword". Though harsh - and on occasion, brutal - in his teachings, Yakage genuinely cares for Minagi, only wanting his daughter to be prepared for whatever trials she might face in the future. The full extents of his research are still unknown, but he did discover many powerful blades, some so valuable they were sought by others themselves (and subsequently taken from his possession). The culmination of his work was a dual-bladed, artificial Lighthawk Sword.
Yakage managed to stay for thousands of years to further his studies by cloning himself each time he was near death, training Minagi in the ways of swordsmanship all the while. However, the cloning wasn't perfect, making each version of the scientist weaker than the last. Cell degeneration had set in, and with Yakage growing sickly - bad off enough to suffer spurts of coughing up blood at points - Minagi confronted Tenchi and the others on Earth. She attacks them knowing that they were the one who defeated Kagato, thinking research on Tenchi's sword would help her master achieve his greatest wish. However, Minagi was beaten by Ryoko, and was stricken with amnesia as a result.
Ryoko failed in her attempt to defeat Yakage alone (to keep Tenchi from having to fight him), so Tenchi and the others quickly headed off to Yakage's ship to take him down. Through fighting with him, Minagi's memories gradually return, and after seeing the scar on his face - something Yakage kept as a memento of the first time Minagi bested him in combat - she remembers everything. Minagi allows herself to be cut down by Yakage's final strike, desiring to help achieve his dreams and make her father happy. Yakage had never told her that he only wanted to prove the sword's abilities in combat so he could give it as a gift to her.
Not wanting to kill Yakage - despite knowing the scientist's life was nearly at its end - Tenchi and his friends were put into serious jeopardy themselves. Ryoko breaks free of her bonds to save Tenchi from Yakage's deathblow, but it's not until the scientist levels his weapon at Ryoko that Tenchi shows his true power. The two then trade sword strokes, with Yakage cleaved in two by the inferiority of his artificial sword against the genuine article. Having done his best as a scientist and warrior, Yakage's only regret is that he won't be able to pass the sword along to Minagi, as he bids the group a final farewell.
Tenchi Muyo!
, is a Japanese anime, light novel, and manga series created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi.The generally accepted translation of the title is No Need for Tenchi or Useless Tenchi, though at the time of its appearance it was also translated variably as No Heaven and Earth and This Way Up...
franchise and the first major antagonist of Hitoshi Okuda's
Hitoshi Okuda
is a Japanese manga artist, most famous for his characterizations and stories set in the world of Tenchi Muyo!.Okuda got his start as a doujinshi artist before debuting professionally, studying under Nobuteru Yūki and Yutaka Izubuchi....
No Need for Tenchi! manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series, published in the U.S. by VIZ Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
.
Swordsmith
He is a JuraiJurai
is a planet in the AIC anime Tenchi Muyo!, and also the name of its royal family. The planet and royal family of Jurai appear mostly in the Ryo-Ohki OVA and Tenchi Universe series and briefly in Tenchi in Tokyo...
an scientist who specialized in swords and swordplay, and even designed the energy sword used by Ryoko. Like Kagato
Kagato
is a fictional character in the anime Tenchi Muyō!, serving as the main villain of the original OVAs. A second, alternate incarnation of the character was the antagonist of the initial TM! television series, Tenchi Universe...
, Yakage studied under Washu as one of her personal assistants at the Galactic Academy, but possessed a greater sense of honor and loyalty than the future "Ruins Buster". Despite this, he was not without ambition or obsession, and Yakage became immersed into creating a sword of immense power, one that would be strong enough to even overcome the Lighthawk Wings.
To reach that goal, Yakage abandons Washu, stealing some of Ryoko's DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
and mixing it with his own. He began raising and training his Ryoko, named Minagi
Minagi
is a fictional character in Tenchi Muyo!, a recurring character in Hitoshi Okuda's No Need for Tenchi! and The All-New Tenchi Muyo! manga series, published in the U.S...
, to be a superior warrior, planning for her to be the wielder of this "ultimate sword". Though harsh - and on occasion, brutal - in his teachings, Yakage genuinely cares for Minagi, only wanting his daughter to be prepared for whatever trials she might face in the future. The full extents of his research are still unknown, but he did discover many powerful blades, some so valuable they were sought by others themselves (and subsequently taken from his possession). The culmination of his work was a dual-bladed, artificial Lighthawk Sword.
Yakage managed to stay for thousands of years to further his studies by cloning himself each time he was near death, training Minagi in the ways of swordsmanship all the while. However, the cloning wasn't perfect, making each version of the scientist weaker than the last. Cell degeneration had set in, and with Yakage growing sickly - bad off enough to suffer spurts of coughing up blood at points - Minagi confronted Tenchi and the others on Earth. She attacks them knowing that they were the one who defeated Kagato, thinking research on Tenchi's sword would help her master achieve his greatest wish. However, Minagi was beaten by Ryoko, and was stricken with amnesia as a result.
New test subjects
His protegé missing, Yakage comes to earth along with his two guardians, Kuze and Hakkou, interested in seeing the power of the Lighthawk Sword. During this encounter, Kuze and Hakkou easily dispatched Tenchi, and Yakage, lecturing the boy about his lack of focus, took Ayeka prisoner in order to entice Tenchi into facing him with his full force. Though Yakage is mindful of taking the girl (as she is First Princess of Jurai), as a scientist he must use whatever means are necessary to carry out his research.Ryoko failed in her attempt to defeat Yakage alone (to keep Tenchi from having to fight him), so Tenchi and the others quickly headed off to Yakage's ship to take him down. Through fighting with him, Minagi's memories gradually return, and after seeing the scar on his face - something Yakage kept as a memento of the first time Minagi bested him in combat - she remembers everything. Minagi allows herself to be cut down by Yakage's final strike, desiring to help achieve his dreams and make her father happy. Yakage had never told her that he only wanted to prove the sword's abilities in combat so he could give it as a gift to her.
Final analysis
Still unwilling to waver with Minagi's sacrifice, Yakage refused to quit until he and Tenchi have a final match, for the sake of both his research and his daughter. The scientist tries to goad the boy into battle by threatening Ayeka and Ryoko's lives, as a shield surrounding them will eventually kill them unless Yakage himself dies first. As they fight, Washu reveals that this Yakage is a copy, as he's been repeating himself millennium after millennium, overwriting his knowledge and appearance until his body could no longer withstand the constant degeneration.Not wanting to kill Yakage - despite knowing the scientist's life was nearly at its end - Tenchi and his friends were put into serious jeopardy themselves. Ryoko breaks free of her bonds to save Tenchi from Yakage's deathblow, but it's not until the scientist levels his weapon at Ryoko that Tenchi shows his true power. The two then trade sword strokes, with Yakage cleaved in two by the inferiority of his artificial sword against the genuine article. Having done his best as a scientist and warrior, Yakage's only regret is that he won't be able to pass the sword along to Minagi, as he bids the group a final farewell.
Trivia
- Like many characters in Tenchi Muyo!, Yakage takes his name from a locale around Japan's Okayama PrefectureOkayama Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
, in this case a townYakage, Okayamais a town located in Oda District, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 15,864 and a density of 175.06 persons per km². The total area is 90.62 km²....
located within the Oda DistrictOda District, OkayamaOda is a district located in Okayama, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 21,285 and a density of 130.33 persons per km². The total area is 163.32 km².-Merger:...
. - Since VIZ's initial pressings of No Need for Tenchi! were "flipped" (i.e. reversed horizontally from the original right-to-left for a more natural read to Westerners) the mirror effect caused several errors to Okuda's artwork. One can be seen above, as Yakage's scar runs under his right eye instead of curving to the left. Currently, a second edition of the books is being released in the un-flipped format.