Goemon Ishikawa XIII

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Goemon Ishikawa XIII
Lupin III character
Goemon wielding his Zantetsuken
Created by	Monkey Punch
Voiced by	Osamu Kobayashi (1969) Chikao Ōtsuka (1971) Makio Inoue (1977-1985; 1989-) Kaneto Shiozawa (1987) Steve Kramer (Streamline #1) Mark Franklin (AnimEigo) Kirk Thornton (Streamline #2) Garrick Hagon (Manga UK) Richard Epcar (Manga) Mike McFarland (FUNimation) Lex Lang (Geneon)
Profile
Nationality	Japanese
Weapon	The katana Zantetsuken

Goemon Ishikawa XIII (石川五ェ門, Ishikawa Goemon^?) is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his Lupin III series. Goemon is the thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, a descendant of the historical figure Ishikawa Goemon. He is usually quiet and participates in Arsène Lupin III's exploits less frequently than Daisuke Jigen.

Relationships and Personality

While Goemon might be considered one of Lupin's friends, it starts off more of a professional relationship than friendship. By the second series, Goemon has developed a true loyalty to Lupin (refusing to give away Lupin's secrets when tortured in one second series episode, for example). However, he easily gets annoyed by Lupin's antics (especially Lupin's infatuation with women in general and Fujiko Mine in particular), and sometimes even directly opposes him when Lupin's jobs do not agree with his morals. However, he doesn't hesitate to help Lupin in serious situations, and readily assists him any time Lupin works for a just cause. Many theorize that Goemon associates with Lupin out of admiration for his profession, as Goemon's ancestor was a master thief himself. Goemon has a much more amicable relationship with Jigen. Goemon sees Jigen as a fellow honorable warrior, while Jigen sees Goemon as a trustworthy "foxhole buddy," and the two are frequently paired together during jobs (as well as keeping Lupin in check). If Goemon has a weakness, it is that he's even more weak with women than Lupin is. He readily trusts any woman who seems superficially trustworthy, often landing him in much trouble. He also fears women will distract him from his training, and tends to blush or flee when a woman is put in less than modest situation. Ironically, Goemon is the Lupin gang member who has come the closest to getting married, which almost happened in The Fuma Conspiracy. He also is very bad with money, and constantly charges Lupin for his services. What he does with the money is a usually complete mystery, although in $1 Money Wars he gives it to the female leader of a cult (who, of course, promptly runs off with it). Goemon also has an extreme sense of pride in his abilities, and when he cannot accomplish a task (such as breaking Zantetsuken in a battle with Flinch from Mystery of Mamo) or succumbs to weakness (as when a woman ran off with his sword in Tokyo Crisis) usually feels extreme shame and remorse afterward. It should be also be noted that in one second series episode (#20: "Goemon's Revenge"), Goemon visits his Iga Ninja sensei. Goemon is commonly thought to be a samurai, but this episode depicts him as having had the training of a master ninja, perhaps giving some reason behind his willingness to find thievery as an acceptable practice, in spite of his samurai ways. Finally, Goemon has two close members of his same clan but both use their talents to "satify their greed" as he once said, Kikyo and Sadachiyo the Scorpion. In Dragon of Doom, Kikyo was once a childhood friend of Goemon. When she returned to aid Goemon, she was all grown-up. She eventually became his love interest in the movie and traveled together to get the small dragon figurine which Lupin found from what's left of the Titanic. Later, during the raid at Chin Chin Chao's mansion, Kikyo fell to her doom after she caught the scroll Goemon found, which was used for the dragon figurine, and was eaten alive by the crocodiles or so she did. It was not until later when Kikyo was pretty much alive, only to turn on Goemon, steal the dragon figurine and sided with Chin Chin Chao. Motivated by greed, Kikyo helped Chao to uncover the secret of the dragon figurine, and used its alloy to make an unstoppable stealth fighter to make the world tremble in fear. However, her greed became her undoing when Goemon used his sword to slice the stealth fighter 3 times at the same spot and the stealth fighter was destroyed and Kikyo fell into the very same spot the Titanic sink, resting with her grandfather who stole the dragon figurine in the first place. As far as Sadachiyo the Scorpion goes, in Secret of the Twilight Gemini, he was a highly-trained, gender-bending assassin, who was hired by a rogue faction within the Geltic tribe, whose leader was revealed as Jean-Pierre, Inspector Zenigata's boss from the ICPO. Throughout the movie, Sadachiyo was hunting down Lupin for the Twilight, the key to the lost Geltic treasure but he only had half of it. It was not until later that Goemon confronted Sadachiyo and dueled while Lupin and Lara flee the assassins. Near the end of the movie, Goemon and Sadachiyo dueled to the death. Sadachiyo broke Goemon's sword but blocked his sword, only to see the tip of Goemon's sword landed into the back of Sadachiyo and dies afterwards. "Sadachiyo", Goemon said, "forgive me".

Origins

Goemon is unique to the series as he was the only character not there from the beginning. Monkey Punch, in an interview featured on the American Dead or Alive DVD release, mentioned he added Goemon later as he felt his comic needed a more Japanese character. There are three different versions of the meeting and joining. In the original manga, Goemon is targeted by Lupin to steal the secrets of how to make his sword. In later issues, Goemon is sent by his masters to kill Lupin, but after failing many times, he decides Lupin can teach him more and joins his side. In episode five of the first anime series, Goemon is tricked into going against Lupin by Old Man Momochi, who wants them both out of the way so he can claim the title of world's greatest assassin. The two both outwit him and survive. Two episodes later, Lupin attempts to steal the sword formula; Goemon joins with him in the end. The two episodes pull in several elements from the manga stories. In the 2002 TV special "First Contact", Goemon met Lupin when he was searching for the Zantetsuken, the only sword he felt worthy of his abilities. Lupin, Jigen, and Fujiko all served as adversaries until being forced to work together to survive. There are hints that parts of the story may be made up at the end of the special, however, so not everything can be taken as true.

Goemon's sword

Goemon is an incredibly gifted martial artist, both in hand-to-hand and melee combat. However, he is best known and usually employed for his skills in iaidō and the famous katana (in a shirasaya) that he uses. His sword goes by the name of Ryusei ("shooting star") in the manga, but it is better known as its animated incarnation, Zantetsuken (斬鉄剣, Zantetsuken^?). Meaning "iron-cutting sword", the katana can cut anything and everything: airplanes and cars are a frequent target, but tanks, skyscrapers, and even lightning and a meteorite have been sliced apart by the blade. Objects cut by Goemon will fall apart a couple of seconds after he cuts them up with his blade, usually after he has returned Zantetsuken to its sheath. Goemon is so fast and skillful with it that he blocks bullets with the blade, even from submachine gun fire. To Goemon's dismay, Zantetsuken is usually used to cut inanimate objects, which Goemon considers unworthy of his blade, rather than human flesh. Zantetsuken has had a number of origin stories over the years, including having been made from the metal of a fallen meteor, or made from a special alloy passed down through Goemon's clan. In Episode 5 of "Lupin the Third," entitled "The Coming of Goemon the Thirteenth," the sword is described as being forged from three famous or mystical Japanese swords. These swords are identified as "Kotetsu," "Yoshikane" and "Masamune." A common explanation for its existence is still argued, but its strength and sharpness are constants in every Lupin III incarnation. However, Zantetsuken has also been known to chip or break under certain circumstances; it usually serves to show that circumstances have grown dire for Goemon and the rest of Lupin's gang. It is unknown how Goemon has the blade repaired after these situations. It is revealed in Shin Lupin III that Zantetsuken has at least one known weakness; it cannot cut konnyaku gel. The second series also gives Zantetsuken a more mystical ability; on a few occasions, the blade acquires a shadow, showing death lurks nearby for Lupin and his gang. Likewise, when the shadow disappears, it shows that the danger has passed. This trait of Zantetsuken appears to be unique to Shin Lupin III, however, and has never been used in any version of Lupin III afterwards. Zantetsuken is also the source of Goemon's most famous catchphrase, "Once again I have cut a worthless object," which he says whenever he uses Zantetsuken to do something spectacular that he nonetheless considers mundane (for instance, cutting down a helicopter chasing his friends in Secret of Mamo). This has been referenced many times in other anime and manga, and has become something of a joke within Lupin itself. In Da Capo of Love: Fujiko's Unlucky Days, Lupin even tells Goemon, "No one is better at cutting worthless objects than you!"

Popularity

In 2007, Oricon magazine polled readers on which characters they would most like to see in their own series.^[1] Goemon appeared in the eight position on the female readers polls, and seventh place overall. In Negima, the character of Setsuna Sakurazaki carries the same sword as Goemon, but she uses magic attacks with her sword and doesn't cut anything as fast like Goemon does.

References

External links

• Goemon Ishikawa XIII in the Lupin III Encyclopedia