Imagawa Tomeji

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Imagawa Tomeji (died 1585), also known as The Vanguard, was a Japanese samurai and a member of the Imagawa clan. He later joined the Japanese Templars under Kimura Kei and served as his right-hand man. Following his lord's death, he entered the service of Kei's daughter Yukari, helping her maintain her control over Awaji Island.

A true believer in the Templar cause, Tomeji grew to loathe Yukari due to their conflicting ideologies, but served her out of obligation and loyalty to his former master. During his time on Awaji, he became known as Yukari's personal enforcer, one of her three taishō (大将, lit. "general"), and recruited a team of loyal captains to patrol the island and ensure order was kept at all times.

However, the Templars' grip on Awaji began to falter in 1585, when the Kakushiba ikki members Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke came to the island in search of the former's mother Tsuyu and the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. In order to weaken Yukari's hold over Awaji, Naoe and Yasuke hunted down all of her allies, including Tomeji and his captains.

Biography

Service to Kimura Kei

By 1582, Tomeji had joined the Japanese Rite of the Templar Order and entered the service of the daimyō Kimura Kei. During his service under Kei, he swore to protect and watch over his daughter, Kimura Yukari, despite their mutual animosity.

Following Kei's death at the hands of the samurai Yasuke, Tomeji became Yukari's enforcer and followed her to Awaji, where he helped her subjugate the people of the island, leading their troops against any who opposed the Templars' rule. In time, people began calling Yukari's army the Sanzoku Ippa, and Tomeji took a position as one of the group's taishō, alongside Nowaki and Yasuhira.

Search for the Sword

By 1585, Tomeji retained his role as Yukari's enforcer and stationed his base at Sumoto Castle. At some point, he and Yukari captured the Master Assassin Fujibayashi Tsuyu, who held information on the location of the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, one of the Imperial Regalia. Despite years of torture and interrogation, Tsuyu never broke, refusing to disclose where she had hidden the Sword.

With this setback, Yukari sent out puppet shows to Izumi Settsu to entice Tsuyu's daughter Naoe, who had established her own Kakushiba ikki, to come and rescue her mother. The plan worked and, once Naoe arrived at Sumoto Castle to find Tsuyu, Tomeji appeared behind her and knocked her out with his kanabō. With both Naoe and Tsuyu prisoners, Yukari left the Fujibayashi women by themselves to ponder their choices while Tomeji locked the door. However, Naoe's fellow Kakushiba ikki member Yasuke soon infiltrated the castle and freed the Fujibayashi before the trio made their escape.

Along the way, Tomeji confronted Yasuke alone and challenged him to a duel to avenge Kei's death and honor his commitment to him and Yukari. However, Yasuke proved the superior fighter and nearly killed Tomeji, who conceded defeat and called for reinforcements. As soldiers surrounded Yasuke and held him at gunpoint, Tomeji ordered them to execute the samurai while he retreated. Yasuke was saved by the timely intervention of Tsuyu, who distracted the soldiers long enough for him to escape, though she was injured in the process. Despite Tomeji and his forces giving chase, the Assassins ultimately escaped from the castle.

Later, the Templars managed to track Naoe and Yasuke's movements to Myōshō-ji. There, they found and subdued Yasuke, taking him hostage, before moving forward to find Naoe. Outside one of the temples, Tomeji stood beside Yukari, his fellow taishō, and a collective of soldiers, watching as Naoe left the temple with the Sword in her hands. When Yasuke begged Naoe not to surrender the Sword, Tomeji immediately knocked him out. After Yukari promised to spare Naoe and Yasuke's lives in exchange for the Sword, Naoe reluctantly accepted the trade.

However, upon receiving the Sword, Yukari reneged on the deal and commanded Tomeji to kill the Kakushiba ikki members. Just as Tomeji was about to strike Yasuke with his kanabō, multiple arrows were loosed at the Templars, killing their guards. Ambushed, Tomeji, Yukari, and Nowaki fled while their remaining men faced off against Naoe and her allies, including Hattori Hanzō and Konatsu.

Death

With the Sword in the Templars' possession, Yukari moved forward with her plans, while Tomeji returned to Sumoto Castle and continued the hunt for the Assassins, dispatching his captains to search for them across all of Awaji. However, Naoe and Yasuke assassinated the captains, before breaking into the castle again with Konatsu's help.

Within the castle, the pair confronted Tomeji, who admired their progress against Yukari but admitted that their work must end. Tomeji then faced off against his opponents but was ultimately defeated and killed. Before they left, Naoe and Yasuke recovered the kanabō Boneshaker from his personal effects.

Personality and traits

"Tomeji is the face and fist of Yukari's power, brought down on any who stand in her way."

―Tsuyu describing Tomeji.

Imagawa Tomeji was a loyal and dutiful man, whose commitment and promise to his former Kimura Kei led him to stand beside Yukari despite his misgivings about her true desires. Like Kei, he truly believed in the Templars' cause, in contrast to Yukari's vision, and proudly displayed his affiliations with a Templar cross necklace, as well as Templar insignias on his robes.

Tomeji possessed a merciless side, as he committed acts of unjust killing to ensure Yukari's will over the people of Awaji and kept them oppressed under her rule. Despite this, he expressed admiration towards his enemies Naoe and Yasuke, recognizing their work in dismantling the Sanzoku Ippa and hindering Yukari's plans; yet, he continued to oppose them out of his loyalty to the Templars, ultimately leading to his demise.

Skills and equipment

Tomeji was a large and imposing warrior who relied on his brute strength to overwhelm his enemies. Reflecting this, his weapon of choice was the kanabō, which required considerable strength to wield properly.

Behind the scenes

Imagawa Tomeji is a fictional character introduced as a secondary antagonist and assassination target in Claws of Awaji, the downloadable expansion for the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows.

Gallery

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  Imagawa Tomeji

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji