Mirza Aaqib Beg
In ‘Hell’s Paradise’ or ‘Jigokuraku‘ episode 3 titled ‘Weakness and Strength,’ Gabimaru the Hollow gets attacked by the condemned criminal Twisted Keiun, who believes that he should kill all the competition first before looking for the Elixir of Life. Unfortunately for him, he underestimates the wrong man and gets brutally murdered soon afterward. When Yamada Asaemon Kisho gets an opportunity to talk to Sagiri and Gabimaru, he reveals some harsh truth that leaves the duo dumfounded.
Keiun Tries Kill Gabimaru
Gabimaru recalls how the Chief of Iwagakure could easily withstand deadly blows to his body and would often publicly prove to everyone that he was indeed immortal. It turns out that he achieved immortality thanks to a medicine he acquired a long time ago from a land across the sea. In the present time, Gabimaru tells Sagiri that the Elixir of Life is real but he is unsure if it is present in Shinenkyo. As he walks with his hands open, Sagiri insists that he ties them according to the rules.
Just when they are having this argument, the condemned criminal Twisted Keiun tries to kill the ninja using a wrecking ball. it turns out that Yamada Asaemon Kisho, the executioner who accompanies him has allowed him to do whatever he wants. Since the criminals are competing against one another, Keiun feels it’s better to kill others before looking for the Elixir of Life. But this turns out to be a huge mistake as Gabimaru despite his tied hands manages to brutally kill the criminal. Yamada Asaemon Kisho does not really care what happens to the murderer and simply beheads him so that he can return home.
Before he leaves, Kisho confesses that he has seen horrible things ever since the ship sailed from the shore. He maintains that things are about to take an ugly turn and within a day only one of all the criminals will be alive. He then reveals that more criminals will be supposedly called once their numbers dwindle. In fact, the shogunate has already made contact with the new Iwagakure. Furthermore, this mission is also going to be used as a test to determine the next head of the Yamada clan.
How Does Sagiri Help Gabimaru Fight His Inner Demons?
Moments after Yamada Asaemon Kisho leaves, Gabimaru pulls out a sword and attacks Sagiri. She has been quite confused about the nature of the man she had been accompanying so far, so she is quick to defend herself and asks Gabimaru what he is trying to do. Gabimaru does not flinch in admitting that he is trying to kill her painlessly. That’s when the crushing realization that this is his true nature begins to Sagiri. When Gabimaru was just a young boy, his parents were murdered by the chief of Iwagakure.
It turns out that the couple had asked to leave the village as soon as their son was born, presumably to shield him from the hardships that he will have to eventually endure there. The Iwagakure Chief had told Gabimaru that emotions especially love even between a parent and child is essentially a weakness. He had urged him to become strong as it was the only way he could protect anything. In the present time, Sagiri reminds the ninja that killing her will be a violation of the rules.
But Gabimaru is focused as he knows that if the Iwagakure gets to Shinenkyo, they would most likely burn down everything and his hopes of finding the Elixir of Life for the Shogunate will be over. Since he can’t let go of his only opportunity to reunite with his wife, he thinks that he has to kill Sagiri. However, during the battle, it becomes abundantly clear to Gabimaru that he is hesitant to hurt the executioner for some reason. Meanwhile, Sagiri is faced with the same dilemma. But slowly Gabimaru proves to be a superior swordsman as he forces Sagiri to fight without her sword. Gabimaru appeals to Sagiri to stop resisting and eventually manages to put him to the ground where he can easily stab and kill her.
Sagiri feels she will die now since the man in front of her is supposed to a cold-blooded murderer. But to her surprise, she notices that Gabimaru is struggling, and taking a life is not something that comes naturally to him. Once she realizes Gabimaru’s inner dilemma, Sagiri reassures him that emotions and love is not a weakness and he does not need to pretend that he does not feel anything. She inspires him to face his feelings and reclaim his life. This appeal appears to resonate with Gabimaru who decides to let Sagiri live.
Read More: Hell’s Paradise Episode 2 Recap and Ending, Explained
