Musashi Miyamoto (Vagabond)

Musashi Miyamoto
Vagabond character
Miyamoto Musashi, as illustrated by Takehiko Inoue
First appearance	Vagabond manga: Chapter 1 "Shinmen Takezo" (1998)
Created by	Takehiko Inoue

Musashi Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本 武蔵, Hepburn: Miyamoto Musashi), born Shinmen Takezo (新免 武蔵, Shinmen Takezō), is the protagonist of Takehiko Inoue's manga series Vagabond. Seeking strength from a young age, Takezo involves himself in several battles, regardless of danger. After meeting the monk Takuan, Takezo is renamed Musashi Miyamoto and starts a new life to become invincible. Now, as an adult, Musashi faces new enemies and obtains fame through his wandering in Japan. While the manga never reached its ending, Inoue wrote pages in the form of an exhibition that depict the last days of an elder Musashi.

Based on the historical figure with the same name, Inoue became motivated to write Musashi following the ending of the basketball manga series Slam Dunk, as the artist wanted to challenge himself with a different style of main character. Inoue's take on Musashi Miyamoto earned a well-received response from the media for his growth from a young man obsessed with strength to a wise warrior who does several activities and questions his original goals.