User blog:Elgb333/The Four Musketeers vs The Four Hitokiris



"We are not makers of history. We are made by history," said by the great Martin Luther King Jr. himself. And he's right in saying that history is not dictated by mere faith and chance, it is dictated by us, the people who fills the books with our achievements and travesties. We are the ones who forge our own history so that future generations can see and admire.

Yet, history can also be subjective, especially when tales of dashing rogues and warmongering villains are being talked about. And today in Deadliest Fiction, we are pitting two of the most famous, and yet also the least known about, group of heroes in this side of history.

The Four Musketeers: The swashbuckling gentlemen fighters of 17th century France, made famous by Alexander Dumas!

vs

The Four Hitokiris: Radical assassins of the Boshin War, who murdered their way into Japanese folklore!

WHO IS DEADLIEST?

The Four Musketeers
"“All for one and one for all.”"

- The Musketeers' most famous quote

The Four Musketeers were a group of four elite Musketeers of the Guard who lived during 17th century and tasked to defend and protect the French Monarchy. These individuals would become the inspiration behind one of the greatest historical fiction adventure books of all time: The Three Musketeers and its sequels. Although little is known about them, all of them came from nobility and strong military lineage. They were also noted for their skills in swordsmanship and warfare.

Three of them, Armand d'Athos (Athos) Isaac de Porthau (Porthos), and Henri d'Aramitz (Aramis) were related to Comte de Troisville, a notable French officer at that time. He was also the one who called for the three to become musketeers based on their reputation in combat. Troisville would also be the one to introduce the most famous of all them all, Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan to the elite regiment.

Members
The Leader= Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan Charles d'Artagnan served as the Captain of the Musketeer Guard during the time of Louis XIV, and is known as the greatest, if not, the most famous musketeer in history. D'Artagnan was born near Lupiac in south-western France. D'Artagnan found a way to enter into the Musketeers in 1632 through the support of his uncle, Henri de Montesquiou, Comte d'Artagnan, father of the field marshal Pierre de Montesquiou d'Artagnan, or perhaps thanks to the influence of Henri's friend, Monsieur de Tréville. D'Artagnan had a career in espionage for Cardinal Mazarin and Louis XIV, in the years after the first Fronde.

He was known for his great skill in fencing, and fought in pivotal battles such as the Sieges at Arras, Aire-sur-la-Lys, la Bassée and Bapaume in 1640-41, and Collioure and Perpignan in 1642. In 1654, he fought at the Battle of Stenay, as well as in Sieges at Lancrecies and Saint-Ghislaine from which he earned the rank of captain of the Guards. He continued serving as a musketeer for the remainder of his life, even as it cost him his marriage and family. Even at the age of sixty, d'Artagnan still fought and led men to the battlefield, before being killed during the Siege of Maastricht.

Weapon #1: Basket-Hilted Sword - as a high-ranking member of the French military, d'Artagnan probably used this kind of sword more than a civilian rapier. It is categorized as a straight "broadsword" with a common blade length of 3 feet. Double-edged and some variants have pommels for pummeling.

Weapon #2: Flintlock Pistol - single-shot pistol with a flintlock mechanism which replaced older wheellock pistols. Common for officers such as d'Artagnan. Caliber varies but are commonly in .60s cal.

Armand d'Athos was the oldest of the bunch, and was quite the hotheaded duelist, a severe contrast to his more fatherly fictional counterpart. He was however, probably the most closest to d'Artagnan of the three. He became a musketeer in 1640, and being a noted and skilled swordsman, d'Athos frequented the the famous dueling place known as the Pré aux Clercs. He probably fought and killed several duels there, and in one occasion d'Artagnan had to save his life during an alteration in the area (which was probably the inspiration behind the musketeers battle with Cardinal's men in the novel). Unlike in Dumas' story, d'Athos died before d'Artagnan joined the musketeers, from wounds his sustained from his last duel. He nonetheless had a brotherly relationship with d'Artagnan and the two others when he was still alive.
 * -|The Lancer= Armand d'Athos

Weapon #1: Rapier - a heavy thurst-oriented sword, though it is double-edged, allowing for cuts and slashes. It has a 1 meter blade and a pommel for blunt attacks.

Weapon #2: Main Gauche - a small parrying dagger 12-inches long. Some variants have deeply curved guards to catch an opponent's sword, as well as a small metallic cover to protect the user's hands and acts as a light shield.

Henri, Seigneur d'Aramitz was a Gascon abbé, and black musketeer of the Maison du Roi in 17th century France. Aramitz was born of noble ancestry to Charles d'Aramitz and Catherine d'Espaloungue de Rague in Béarn, France. Henri d'Aramitz's uncle, the Comte de Troisville, called him to Paris along with his cousins Armand d'Athos and Isaac de Porthau based on their reputation for swordsmanship. On this occasion Aramitz had the chance to meet the Comte d'Artagnan. In May 1640 Aramitz joined the Musketeers of the Guard. He later quit the musketeers in 1648 and took a tamer life as an abbe in his hometown.
 * -|The Pacifist= Henri d'Aramitz

Weapon #1: Rapier - a heavy thurst-oriented sword, though it is double-edged, allowing for cuts and slashes. It has a 1 meter blade and a pommel for blunt attacks.

Weapon #2: Cast Iron Grenade - an iron ball packed with black powder and metal scraps, with a fuse sticking out of the top.

Isaac de Porthau was a Gascon black musketeer of the Maison du Roi in 17th century France. In addition, he was the first cousin once removed of the Comte de Troisville, captain of the Musketeers of the Guard, and first cousin of Armand d'Athos. Porthau served in the company of Alexandre des Essarts, cousin of the Comte de Troisville, before joining the Musketeers of the Guard in 1642. Both he and d'Artagnan entered the Musketeers almost at the same time, and were perhaps excellent friends in life. He was initially rejected by the musketeer but was finally accepted in 1643 after proving himself in action. Heserved in the Gardes Francaises Regiment and due to battle wounds sustained, was transferred to Navarrenx Citadel as a low-ranking garrison officer. Following his father's death in 1654, he resigned from the Guard and took over as Secretary of the Parliament of Béarn.
 * -|The Wallflower= Isaac de Porthau

Weapon #1: Flintlock Musket - the iconic weapon of the musketeer to which they got their name. The flintlock musket uses a variety of large calibers and has a range of 100 yards.

Weapon #2: Plug Bayonet - a bayonet that musketeers install to turn their muskets into melee weapons. Usually had the appearances of a dagger, these bayonets were installed through the inside of the barrel, so a musketeer can't use the firearm as a range weapon at the same time. The bayonet can also be used as a makeshift dagger if it needs to.

The Four Hitokiris
"Revere the Emperor. Expel the barbarians!"

- Quote attributed to Rebels including the Hitokiris

The Four Hitokiris of the Bakumatsu (幕末四大人斬り Bakumatsu Shidai Hitokiri?) was a term given to four samurai during the Bakumatsu era in Japanese history. The four men were Kawakami Gensai, Kirino Toshiaki (also known as Nakamura Hanjirō), Tanaka Shinbei, and Okada Izō. They opposed the Tokugawa shogunate (and later, supported the Meiji Emperor). These four samurai were warrior elite and widely considered undefeatable by normal people. The word hitokiri literally means "manslayer" or "man cutter," as the kanji 人 means person, while 斬 can alternatively mean slay or cut.

Although little is known about them today, the hitokiris went down in Japanese history and folklore as one of the most easily recognizable historical individuals in the Boshin War. Numerous medias were written about their exploits (though fictional). They were the principle characters of many of Japan's most popular films and manga series such as Hitokiri and Rurouni Kenshin.

Members
The Leader= Kirino Toshiaki Kirino Toshiaki was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, and an Imperial Japanese Army general of the early Meiji era. Also known as Nakamura Hanjirō (中村 半次郎?), Toshiaki was renowned as one of the Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu. His sword style was Ko-jigen-ryū, a branch of the high-speed Jigen-ryū. During the Boshin War, he was a senior commander of Satsuma forces and was a high-ranking officer of the new Imperial Army. It was Kirino who was the representative of the imperial army at the surrender of Wakamatsu Castle, where he received the petition for surrender from Matsudaira Katamori, the lord of Aizu. He was also present during the Kinmon incident.

Kirino became a brigadier general in the early years of the Imperial Japanese Army. However, he joined the forces of Saigō Takamori during the Satsuma Rebellion, taking part in the march northward to Kumamoto. Kirino remained with Saigō until the end, and was killed at the end of the rebellion.

Weapon #1: Katana - a curved, single edged sword originating and is the most iconic weapon in Japan (and if you don't know, then shame on you). It has a common length of slightly more than 2 feet (73 cm at most).

Weapon #2: Percussion Pistol - a pistol that uses a caplock mechanism, which is the successor to the flintlock mechanism. It offers a faster reload and reliability (it can be used in the rain) than previous designs before it. Common models have a caliber of .58.

Tanaka Shinbei was a hitokiri who served under the command of Takechi Hanpeita, the leader of the Loyalists of Tosa. Of all the hitokiris, Shinbei ranked up the most kill count during the war. He assassinated politicians such as Shimada Sakon, Ukyo Omokuni and Homma Seiichiro. he was also suspected of murdering a young woman named Komichi. His most daring assassination was that of Ii Naosuke, the head of the Edo Council of Elders who was the head of administration for the Tokugawa shogunate in 1860. For that, Tanakaba was given the title of "ansatsu taicho" (captain of assassins). His demise came after his final assassination of senior official Anenokoji. Shinbei's sword was found at the scene of the assassination, and so he was taken for questioning in Kyoto and when asked to see the sword, he committed seppuku with it.
 * -|The Lancer= Tanaka Shinbei

Weapon #1: Katana - a curved, single edged sword and is the most iconic weapon in Japan (and if you don't know, then shame on you). It has a common length of slightly more than 2 feet (73 cm at most).

Weapon #2: Wakizashi - a short Japanese sword with a curved, single-edged blade. The weapon was often carried as a pair with katana, the set of two swords being known as a daisho (literally "big-little"). The wakizashi was typically used as a secondary weapon, for close-range and indoor fighting, the blade was also used for finishing off and/or decapitating downed enemies. It has a common length of 23 inches.

Kawakami Gensai was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. A highly skilled swordsman, he was one of the four most notable assassins of the Bakumatsu period. Gensai's high-speed sword discipline allowed him to assassinate targets in broad daylight. In 1862, he joined Kumamoto forces who were posted to security duty in Kyoto. After the political event of Higo-han, he left there and went to Chōshū-han, where he became a personal body guard of Sanjō Sanetomi. Soon after, Gensai carried out his most famous and only confirmed assassination: that of Sakuma Shōzan. He killed Shōzan in one stroke, in broad daylight. While other assassinations have been attributed to him, only his murder of Shōzan can be proven.
 * -|The Pacifist= Kawakami Gensai

After this, he withdrew to Chōshū and took part in the military actions of Takasugi Shinsaku's Kiheitai against the shogunate's Chōshū Expeditions. During the second Chōshū campaign by the Tokugawa regime, he participated for Chōshū and eventually won the battle. However, during action in Kokura, he decisively surrendered to Kumamoto forces, and was imprisoned until just after the Meiji Restoration. Although his side won the war, Gensai was outraged by the new adminsitration's policy on foreign relations. Because of this, he was captured again and executed. He was the most famous of all the hitokiris. Although a well-skilled assassin, Gensai was also known for his feminine and pacifistic characteristics, which became inspiration behind the character Kenshin Himura.

Weapon #1: Katana - a curved, single edged sword and is the most iconic weapon in Japan (and if you don't know, then shame on you). It has a common length of slightly more than 2 feet (73 cm at most).

Weapon #2: Naginata - as a well-educated samurai who devoted himself to harnessing his martial skills, as well as being knwn for his more feminine side, Gensai would have also known how to use a traditional naginata. It consisted of a long pole about 1.2-2.4 meters in length and a sword blade similar to that of a katana or wakizashi, typically about 30-60 cm in length. The weapon is capable of being used as both a thrusting and a slashing weapon.

Okada Izō was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, feared as one of the four most notable assassins of the Bakumatsu period. He was born in Tosa to the gōshi Okada Gihei, who had been a peasant but had bought the gōshi rank. Izō and Tanaka Shinbei were active in Kyoto as assassins under the leadership of Takechi Hanpeita. He was involved in the killing of Homma Seiichiro together with Tanaka Shinbei. In 1865 however, he was involved in yet another assassination, that of Yoshida Toyo, the regent of Tosa who he killed before his rise to power. Izo was captured, tortured and beheaded by government forces.
 * -|The Wallflower= Okada Izō

Weapon #1: Tanegashima Musket - Although a rather obsolete matchlock weapon by the 19th century, the Tanegashima was still prized during the Boshin War due to large numbers of it that survived after the Senggoku period. Common variants fires a .50 caliber round in ranges of over 100 yards.

Weapon #2: Wakizashi - A perfect sidearm just in case samurais need to discard their muskets rather than reloading it. The wakizashi is a secondary weapon, for close-range and indoor fighting, the blade was also used for finishing off and/or decapitating downed enemies. It has a common length of 23 inches.

X-Factors
Experience

Both groups are known in history as some of the best warriors of their time, however their military career is little and almost unrecorded. We know that they became inspirations behind many fictional heroes we grow up with but we actually know little about their real lives (made worse since most of their exploits were exaggerated by myth and fiction, usually done by amateur historians who can't separate history from fanfiction). Besides d'Artagnan (who had a great career as bodyguard, soldier and spy), the entirety of the military career of the remaining three musketeers were largely undocumented. The Four Hitokiri faired a little better with military careers that were more fleshed out, suggesting that they probably fought in more conflicts. But these were also little and still up for assumptions.

Intelligence

Its smart to say that the Hitokiris were known far and wide for their successful assassinations, which they probably planned out and executed with calcualting finesse. Besides d'Artagnan, its tough to say whether the other musketeers were successful military tacticians since they lack any fleshed-out biographies (besides fiction and exaggerations). They were probably like in Dumas' novel; brash, bold and reckless.

Swordsmanship

These people didn't go down in history for having tame jobs like a farmer, clerk or a potter. They made their own mark in history for their sheer badassery especially in the handling of a blade. The Four Hitokiris were known as superb martial artists by many of their contemporaries, but most of their assassinations were done on unsuspecting victims, not in face to face confrontation. The musketeers surely held their own better, and many of them such as d'Artagnan and d'Athos had reputations as skilled duelists in times of war.

Teamwork

While these individuals were collected in a group more because of their reputation, it didn't mean that they didn't kicked ass together as one. The Musketeers surely fought united under one company, the Musketeers of the Guard. Many of them were related and were probably introduced to each other by the same person, Comte de Troisville. Some of Hitokiris on the other hand fought under different commands and lords. They were nonetheless stationed in the same place, Kyoto, and two of them Shinbei and Izo fought under the command of the same lord Takechi Hanpeita and worked succesfully together in the assassination of Homma Seiichiro.