Yaiba Kurogane

Yaiba Kurogane is the main character and protagonist of the titular manga. Son of Kenjuuro Kurogane, he aims to become the greatest samurai in the world.

Appearence
Yaiba is a very short kid with spiky black hair with a reddish hue. He has blue eyes and black, slightly thick eyebrows. His usual attire consists of the typical japanese hakama composed of blue pants and undershirt with a white overshirt and wooden geta sandals. He also wears fundoshi with his name printed on them. In the end of the series he's grown taller.

Personality
Overall, Yaiba shows an extremely cocky and loud personality, combined with a general naivete when it comes to modern or social things. He's easy to anger and often unsensitive with certain people. He's not good with numbers. However, Yaiba is also very brave and loyal to his friends, and as the series continues he slowly matures in a better person, capable of compassion and wise choices.

Abilities
Despite his minute size, Yaiba is extremely powerful and strong, having great resistance and speed. Furthermore, he's shown to be capable of wielding demon swords, starting with the Sword of Raijin. Over the course of the series, he has wielded many powers.

Weapons

 * Shinai: A simple bamboo sword, Yaiba's initial weapon, until it was sliced by Onimaru's sword.
 * Raijin Sword (雷神剣): The sword of Raijin, the God of Thunder, it has been Yaiba's weapon of choice during most of the series. It has a long, single edged straight blade and an elaborated hilt shaped like four symmetrical spikes with an hole in the middle, where the Orb is placed. Thanks to this hole, Yaiba's been able to use many orbs and powers and even turn it into the Ryuujin Sword. Later this sword was merged in the Supreme King Sword.
 * Fujin Sword ( 風神剣) : The sword of Fujin, the God of Wind, briefly used by Yaiba during his last fight against Kaguya when Onimaru discarded it. Later he used it again during the Pyramid Arc as his secondary weapon along with the Raijin Sword. It looks like the Raijin Sword, only with an oval hilt. Later it was merged in the Supreme King Sword
 * Ryuujin Sword: ( 龍神剣): The sword of Raijin/Fujin powered up by the Ryuujin Orb : it turns into a double-edged longsword with a hilt shaped like dragon wings and a black ring in the middle adorned with horns where the orb rests. The handle is spiral shaped. The sword vanished after Kaguya's defeat.
 * Supreme King Sword ( 覇王剣):  The supreme sword used by the god Susanoo to seal the Yamata no Orochi. It's a double-edged broadsword with an extremely elaborated hilt in a vague crescent shape covering the user's hand with one fang on one side. The handle is helix-shaped, and has two hollow spaces (one on the hilt, the other on one end of the handle where the orbs of Fujin and Raijin are embedded. This sword is the strongest of them all, turning the spirit of the user into pure energy. At his top, the blade is replaced with one made of light.
 * Kenjuuro's Bokken: (剣十郎の木刀): The wooden sword with the name of Kenjuuro, Yaiba's father, carved in the handle. It has no supernatural power whatsoever. It's Yaiba's weapon of choice during the Oda Nobunaga Tournament Arc.
 * Demon Sword Kusanagi: ( 魔剣クサナギ): The powerful sword found in Okinawa which, according to the legend, was found in Orochi's tail. It looks like a shining longsword with a very elaborated handle and the hilt resembling a flower. It can be called to the owner's side at any time and can travel at the speed of light, but nothing else is known of this sword.

Techniques

 * Rage Perception: Yaiba's most simple technique, he turns his back at his opponents and then counterattacks him as he's about to strike him down using the opponent's rage to locate him. However anyone skilled enough to hide his feelings can rend this technique useless.
 * Wild Beasts Dance: A technique taugh to Yaiba by Kenjuuro: the user start dancing around waving the sword and making noises and calls. It's used to arouse predators and make them attack the user. It can also be used to make people berserk and easy victims for the Rage Perception.
 * Senpuken: ( せんぷう剣 Whirlwind S  word) Yaiba's first attack, it involves putting his fingers in the hole in the sword's hilt and spin it, dicing everything like a lawnmower blade. However, it can easily be countered by attacks from different directions. It can also be used to move underwater. Originally he was going to call it Yaiba Rolling Thunder Special, but the name was too long to remember in combat, so he opted for Musashi's Senpuken.
 * Kaminari Giri : ( かみなり斬り  Lightning Slash) Yaiba's second main attack, it's a vertical slash (usually performed after a jump) delivered in a zig-zagged pattern akin to a lightning bolt, capable of dicing the enemy multiple times. When performed with the Raijin Orb, it sends out a massive electrical shockwave, capable of demolishing Onimaru's castle and breaking the Fujin Sword in half.
 * Yaiba Boomerang: One of Yaiba's failure moves used during his training: basically he starts spinning at top speed holding his sword out and then rush towards the enemy and then returns, like a boomerang. However, this move leaves him dizzy and helpless due to the excessive spinning.
 * Yaiba Senkoken: (Flash Sword): One of Yaiba's trick techniques, he simply puts a torch in the sword's hole and use it to blind the opponent with light. As Musashi pointed out, it's useless during daytime, though Yaiba managed to use it effectively against Mr Onick.
 * Yaiba Doshaburi Giri (Deluge Slash): One of Yaiba's failure moves, he basically jumps at the enemy throwing a lot of kitchen knives at him at once. It was used without success against Mr Onick.
 * Thunder Wave: With the Raijin Orb on, Yaiba simply throws a crescent-shaped blast of lightning at the enemy.
 * Yaiba Ninpo: Funseiken (Water Spring Sword): Using the Water Orb, Yaiba stabs his sword into the earth, creating a huge jet of water which shoots the enemy upwards. It was powerful enough to pierce Mount Tsurugi. Was used against Kotaro Fuuma.
 * Yaiba Ninpo: Taiyosen (Solar Flare): Yaiba polishes his sword and use it to reflect the sunlight into his enemy's eyes, blinding them. It was used during the aerial battle against Kotaro.
 * Kazaguruma ( 風車 Pinwheel): A technique created while copying Jubei's Wind Gust Slice, Yaiba jumps, holds his sword between his feet for momentum and then release it, dashing forward while spinning at top speed and cutting the enemy with great strenght. Yaiba can also use the flat side of the blade to fall a little in order to dodge the enemy's counterattack.
 * Barrier: By invoking the power of the Ryuujin Sword, Yaiba can make a giant disc-shaped shield of pure energy to block enemy attacks. It was powerful enough to withstand Onimaru's Tatsumaki Giri and even the blasts from the Demon King Sword.
 * Yaiba Shinkageryuu: Kasha (Firewheel): The Kazaguruma attack imbued with the power of the Fire Orb, resulting in a fiery, highly destructive attack.
 * Furaijinha: ( 風 雷神 波 Thunder and Wind Gods Wave) A powerful combined attack powerful enough to pierce through a whole galaxy, it requires the combined energy of both the Raijin and Fujin Orbs to work. It was first used by Yaiba and Onimaru to defeat Gekko.
 * Juumonji Giri (十文字斬り Cross Slash): Yaiba's special attack while using the swords of Raijin and Fujin at once: by concentrating a lot, Yaiba gathers a lot of energy in the blades until they're glowing and then slice the enemy in a cross-shaped attack. It's powerful enough to destroy a giant diamond and slice the Soldier like butter. It was used for the first time in battle to defeat the Rock Soldier.
 * Tatsumaki Giri (竜巻 斬り  Tornado Slash): An attack borrowed by Onimaru and used against Ruby and Sapphire. Yaiba spins on himself as he release more and more energy from the Fujin Sword, creating a huge tornado which he then throws at his enemy like a drilling beam of energy.
 * Double Kaminarigiri : The same as Kaminari Giri, but using two swords at once.
 * Furaijin Guruma ( 風 雷神  車  ) : Kazaguruma combined with the powers of Fujin and Raijin. Displayed for the first time against Ruby and Sapphire.
 * Yoko Ichimonji: A iaido technique which delivers and incredibly fast slash at the enemy with razor-sharp air, aimed at a vital spot. Yaiba learnt this technique from Onimaru, but he only mastered it during the final battle of the Oda Nobunaga Tournament arc.
 * Tojin (闘刃 Battle Blade): An illusionary technique, in which the user summons his fighting spirit in the form of a flurry of invisible but discernable blades which distracts the enemy.

History
Shortly after his birth, Yaiba snuck into Kenjuuro's backpack, ending up following him in the jungle where he received his training fighting beasts to survive. During his period there he saved a young Nadeshiko Yamato from a tiger, prompting the girl to fall in love with him.

Introduction Arc
Yaiba first appears in the jungle with his father, bringing down a giant gorilla. While they eat the roasted beast, they're attacked by a tiger, Kagetora, but before they can do anything a huge number of gorilla appears, forcing them to run away riding Kagetora. They end up in a pineapple crate and are sent to Japan via plane. In the airport Yaiba fights the policemen until he meets Raizo Mine and his daughter Sayaka. Together with his father and Kagetora, they go to Raizo's mansion.

They go to school then and meet Onimaru Takeshi. Yaiba wants to fight him, but when Onimaru refuses, Yaiba does a series of pranks that made them hate each other very much.

After Onimaru gets the fuujin sword from his grandfather and becomes a demon, Yaiba is forced to flee because of the massive difference in power. He finds out that there is a old geezer in the mountains who has the sword, and travels there with Sayaka, Kagetora,the tiger and Shounousuke, the vulture.He meets Musashi, a 400 years old samurai and receives the sword of raijin, that only the legendary samurai can handle.

Trivia

 * Yaiba Kurogane's name literally translates to "Blacksteel Blade".
 * Yaiba shared same voice actress with Conan Edogawa from Detective Conan, which is also drawn by Gosho Aoyama.
 * Yaiba was modeled after Son Goku from Dragon Ball, this includes his childish personality, his appetite, his father looking exacly like him (e.i. Bardock to Goku), and Yaiba becoming the most power character in the anime