Overview
Underneath Himeji Castle, Miyamoto Bensuke was determined to inherit the will of his late father, Shinmen Munenori, and aimed to become a great swordsman. For this purpose, he challenged anyone he could to matches and eventually forced a duel upon a martial artist named Arima Kihei, whom he killed. Munenori's old friend, the monk Guan Ando, reprimanded Bensuke's brutality and told him to go to the capital to refine his skills.
| Actor | Age then | Age now | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 17 | 87 | |
 | 57 | July 19, 1962 (64) | |
 | 20 | 90 | |
 | - | - | |
 | 33 | August 7, 1996 (73) | |
 | 30 | 99 | |
 | 59 | March 21, 1971 (74) | |
 | 23 | September 3, 1987 (55) | |
| 30 | 99 | |
 | 44 | December 18, 1965 (54) |