Mirza Aaqib Beg
In ‘Hell’s Paradise’ episode 1 titled ‘The Death Row Convict and the Executioner,’ a ninja from the Iwagakure Village known as Gabimaru is sentenced. However, despite the best efforts of the executioners, no execution technique works on him and he continues to cheat death. One day, an inspector comes to interview Gabimaru and tries to learn more about his early life and his crimes. While Gabimaru cooperates with the investigation, he is completely clueless that he is not talking to an ordinary inspector.
The Painful Life of Gabimaru
Hailing from the ninja village of Iawagakure, Gabimaru is a cold-blooded killer who is popular for his ruthless professionalism. However, he has now been sentenced to death for some crime. While the executioners try their best to burn him alive or decapitate him, no method eventually works on Gabimaru who claims that he has no attachment to life and just wants to die. One ordinary day, an inspector visits him and asks Gabimaru about his early life. It turns out that the ninja never got to know his parents as they were killed by the village chief Osa when he was just a young boy.
Following the death of his parents, Gabimaru was trained as an assassin and became the best ninja in Iwagakure as he grew up. He eventually married the daughter of the chief but claimed that he did not like her at all as she was not very intelligent. When Gabimaru was fed up with her and just told this to Osa, he was asked to complete one last mission. This turned out to be a huge mistake as he was then betrayed by his own comrades and captured.
Hell’s Paradise Episode 1 Ending: What Is Gabimaru’s Life Purpose? Why Does He Refuse to Die?
After all execution methods fail to kill Gabimaru, he is taken to a room where the inspector who has been questioning him in the last few days is waiting for his arrival. He is then informed that she is actually a well-known executioner named Yamada Asaemon Sagiri the Decapitator, who is entrusted with the responsibility of taking his life. Asaemon quickly draws her sword and tries to decapitate her target. However, Gabimaru is quick to evade the strike.
Asaemon inquires why Gabimaru saved himself which is a legitimate query considering the fact that the shinobi has been claiming that he no longer has the will to live. Sagiri then argues that she knows that Gabimaru did not lie about the fact that there has been an emptiness in his life. However, he did hide the fact that his wife is still his reason to live as he loves her with all his heart. She is still his attachment to life which is why all of the execution methods used on him have failed to yield any result. It turns out that Sagiri has accurately analyzed the whole situation as Gabimaru’s wife has given him the hope and love that he never got to experience before.
Despite his reputation, she still managed to see the human side of the shinobi. The acceptance she showed was enough to melt the heart of a cold-blooded assassin who decided to change his life. Gabimaru felt that he can longer continue to kill to earn a living and eventually told this decision to the chief of Iwagakure and Yui’s father, Osa. Unfortunately, Osa did not like the decision and asked Gabimaru to go on one last mission. This turned out to be the worst mistake of his life as he was cornered and then captured, after being betrayed by his own comrades.
What Are the Conditions For Gabimaru’s Official Pardon?
After taking cognizance of the whole situation, Yamada Asaemon Sagiri finally reveals a letter of official pardon issued by the Shogunate for Gabimaru. She reveals that there is a condition that he must fulfill to get it. Beyond the Ryukyu Kingdom, far to the southwest, there is a mysterious land known as Shinenkyo that is brimming with fertility and happiness and no corresponding pain.
People have even called it heaven and it has been said that the immortality-granting Elixir of Life is waiting to be found there. Naturally, the Shogunate was interested and wanted to get his hands on the Elixir of life. He eventually sent a search party but only the dead bodies of the people returned. This only got worse as five more search parties faced a similar fate. Eventually, the Shogunate decided that people on death row must be used for such a task, which is why Sagiri like many others was looking for men who were skilled enough for the job.
Sagiri reveals that whoever finds and returns with the Elixir of Life gets a pardon from the Shogunate. However, she warns Gabimaru that he will be competing against dangerous criminals who will not think twice before taking his life. Despite being aware of the dangers, Gabimaru accepts the assignment as he desperately wants to reunite with his wife, Yui.
Read More: Is Hell’s Paradise on Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, or Funimation?
