Usagi Yojimbo, Vol. 2: Samurai

Usagi Yojimbo [兎用心棒] #2

by Stan Sakai

Usagi is no Bugs Bunny. He's a rabbit samurai who wanders 17th century Japan, a land ravaged by civil war and populated with anthropomorphic animals that are fighting to survive. Classic storytelling, flawlessly designed art and lovingly researched period touches. . .a true all-ages comics treat. -Publishers Weekly

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Manga, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Japan

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Stan Sakai (Japanese: 坂井 スタンSakai Sutan; born May 25, 1953) is an artist who became known as an Eisner Award-winning comic book originator.

Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii and studied fine arts at the University of Hawaii. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He and his wife, Sharon, presently reside and work in Pasadena.

He began his career by lettering comic books (notably Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier) and became famous with the production of Usagi Yojimbo, the epic saga of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. First published in 1984, the comic continues to this day, with Sakai as the lone author and nearly-sole artist (Tom Luth serves as the main colorist on the series, and Sergio Aragonés has made two small contributions to the series: the story "Broken Ritual" is based on an idea by Aragonés, and he served as a guest inker for the black and white version of the story "Return to Adachi Plain" that is featured in the Volume 11 trade paper-back edition of Usagi Yojimbo). He also made a futuristic spin-off series Space Usagi. His favorite movie is Satomi Hakkenden (1959).

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume of Usagi Yojimbo collected all of his early appearances. This volume marks the beginning of the regular comic and it starts off wonderfully. After a wordless duel, Usagi relates his origins to Gen. It's followed up with some interesting short stories with a kappa, a Godzilla caricature and a stingy silk merchant.

I'm impressed with how early on Sakai figured out the tone and mindset of the series. Usagi's character has not waned over the years in any way. He's still the steadfast, honest ronin roving from village to village helping people, often to his own detriment. It's a great series for all-ages. There is fighting and death but no blood. Deaths are marked with a word balloon carrying a skull and crossbones. The art's fantastic. Slightly cartoony but not enough to ever be considered silly. Just nice, clean and crisp lines.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Usagi Yojimbo book collected the initial short comics that the character first appeared in before Stan Sakai decided to make a series out of him. This second book collects the beginning few issues in the ongoing (30 years!) Usagi Yojimbo series, and it’s definitely more of a sustained narrative than the bits and pieces of the first volume.

A wordless duel between Usagi and another samurai sets the stage for Usagi’s retelling of his origin story to Gen, the roguish mercenary from the first book. We see a young Usagi’s training under his sensei Katsuichi, learning how to become a master swordsman, as well as the beginning of his rivalry with Kenichi, the man who would marry his childhood love, Mariko.

Sakai keeps up the increasingly tense narrative as Usagi uses his skills to save his village and eventually become part of Lord Mifune’s elite guard. But after a crushing defeat at the hands of the evil Lord Hikiji (who will become the main villain of the series), Usagi becomes a ronin (masterless samurai) culminating years later in the duel that opened this book - a delayed revenge for past treasons against a former friend.

The volume rounds out with three short stories as Usagi faces a kappa (Japanese water demon), meets Zylla (a Godzilla caricature), and liberates some silk workers from their greedy boss.

What’s amazing is how quickly Sakai has captured the tone of the series at only the second volume and maintained it for so long. I’ve read his recent Usagi work and it feels exactly like these kinds of comics. This volume isn’t rough or feels like the world needs fleshing out, it’s like it came fully formed right from the get go.

Sakai’s art is wonderful and though there’s a lot of fighting, there’s absolutely no bloodshed and when characters expire a skull and crossbones appear in their speech bubbles, so it’s appropriate for all ages.

I’m surprised Sakai went for the origin story right off the bat but it works really well, gets it out of the way, and sets the stage for Usagi to move onto newer adventures. The short stories at the end are fine but after such an epic narrative, they feel like b-sides more than anything, there to pad out the page count without really adding much.

After a shaky first volume, Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo finds its feet with the second. It’s a great historical/samurai story with animal characters that’s a lot of a fun to read. Delightful comics!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Usagi Yojimbo reread continues. In this volume, Usagi fights a Kappa, meets Godzilla, protects a village from bandits, and tells Gen of his early life, training as a samurai and serving with Lord Mifune until his death. The art continues to evolve toward what Sakai's style will eventually become but is almost there. The stories are the usual Sakai goodness. Seriously, this is one of the best comics out there.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great art, with a great origin story (plus a few good one and done's).

The only real criticism I have is that the art is sometimes goofy, and the set up of each story is a bit repetitive - Japan apparently had a massive issue with drunken thugs, because Usagi can't go ten paces without getting into a fight with a mob of men.

[Machiavelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume really clicked for me because it’s more than a collection of standalone tales—it’s a longer, more focused story about Usagi’s path into becoming a samurai, and it’s excellent. Sakai builds the arc patiently, grounding Usagi’s growth in honor, discipline, and hard-earned choices rather than flashy heroics.

The storytelling is clean and confident, with clear action, strong character moments, and a deep respect for Japanese history and culture. What stood out most is how human Usagi feels: principled but not perfect, shaped by loss, duty, and the weight of the code he chooses to live by. The art is deceptively simple but incredibly expressive, and the pacing lets the story breathe and land emotionally.

Thoughtful, character-driven, and beautifully constructed, this is Usagi Yojimbo at its best—and a clear 5⭐️ read for me.

[Matěj Komiksumec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na Usagim obdivuji, že je nejen neskutečně čtivý ale krásně odpočinkový. Hrozně mě bavil Usagiho origin i doplňkové povídky které samozřejmě fungují!
S kresbou je to horší, i když se mi moc líbí prostředí i designy postav tak se nějak v těch soubojích pořád špatně orientuji, tady bych ocenil víc vykreslit prostředí. Jinak osobně nemám co vytknout.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story. A bit to long

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of short interrelated stories where Usagi slowly tells the story of his becoming a master samurai. I found it a bit slow at times and wasn't terribly interested in knowing Usagi's backstory. But it has fantastic artwork and is slowly building a quite convincing world.

[Ruel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm slowly but surely getting through the Usagi Yojimbo collected series, after reading random issues throughout my teenaged years. This second volume contains the origin story of Usagi Yojimbo (excellent) and a few shorter non-related pieces (good).

I love how Sakai uses the anthropomorphic animals to tell his tales; they're well drawn and gives his books a unique feel. I don't think "surreal" would be the right word to describe Yojimbo's adventures, so I'll settle with "different." I prefer the longer origin story in this volume, with its themes of honor and loyalty, mixed in with all of the samurai sword-wielding and carnage.

This is a delightful read and after two volumes of this ronin's exploits, I'm ready for the next installment.

[Václav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuraj je vlastně takový origin Usagiho Yojimba. Stan tady skrz jeden bod v Usagiho přítomnosti, souboj a zabití dávného přítele, vtáhne skrze vyprávění Genovi čtenáře do děje v podstatě na úplný začátek. A tak Usagi vypráví příběh v příběhu a tím nám odprezentuje vše důležité, co ho dostalo do daného bodu a to od malého chlapce až po privilegovaného Samuraje a následně rónina. A je to opět velmi promyšlené a napínavé čtení. Nakonec dostaneme pár krátkých příběhů, a ač jsou zábavné, tak se jim s hlavním dlouhým příběhem soupeří těžko. Pro mě to celé bylo super počtení, i když nejsem takový fanoušek "vyblití" originu takhle do konzistentního flashbacku.

[CS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

This is the book where Sakai got his own run, and it's a LOT more cohesive than Vol 1. Usagi really starts to develop a story, a background, some character. It's fun how clever he is, how he is always trying to do the right, honorable thing.

[Koen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories! Love the style of the artiest! .. good character building .. well, just about everything is amazing here ;)

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diving deeper into the character and motivation of the protagonist, the second volume of the series establishes him as a memorable character.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the Usagi Yojimbo saga shows the origins of our samurai rabbit. Again this book is a straight-forward samurai tale with anthropomorphic characters and a few supernatural characters this volume sees Usagi meet a young Godzilla. Not too much more to say here, this is a good story and I'll follow it as I get the urge to.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Volume 1 collected some of the early short stories surrounding Usagi, this volume includes the original first four issues and works as just as good a starting place, while also fleshing out some of the story beats introduced in the previous volume. The origin story and other tales included here are good but not particularly memorable. Although it does introduce some side characters who are prominent through the rest of the series. There's not a whole lot to say beyond if you enjoyed the first volume, this will be satisfying as well, and it can be a jumping on point on its own as well.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usagi recounts his early years when he left home, became a samurai, then a ronin. It's a simple enough story with plenty of tropes, but that still manages to be fun. Usagi's dedication, resilience, faithfulness and righteusness are all featured.  It's a good story that adds another dimension to the character.

Master swordsman Katsuichi first rejects Usagi and treats him as dirt, but is elated when years later the apprentice manages to land his first blow on his teacher. Usagi's forst tournament sees him defeat all his opponents, including his childhood rival Kenichi, and wins his pair of swords. Kenichi retreats into a bottle after his defeat, but must soon protect his town from brigands. Usagi gladly helps.

He is tested by Lord Mifune's right-hand man. Mifune hires Usagi who quickly rises through the ranks. An attack from Hikiji's ninjas leaves Mifune's wife and son dead, then sparks a war between Mifune and Hikiji. Betrayal from within Mifune's forces ensures Hikiji's victory. Usagi fails to protect his lord, but recoveres his head so it can't be used to humiliate Mifune's legacy.

As self punishment, Usagi continues on his own path, alone as a ronin, helping any who need his assistance.

[Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second volume in the series gives us first longer story arc - origin story for the Usagi. We follow him as a kid aiming to become a renown samurai warrior. While on his way to the famous Dogora sword fighting school he will come across Katsuichi, mysterious warrior challenged by the very Dogora students. Witnessing the ease with which Katsuichi defeats the gang, Usagi decides that Katsuichi is a master he wants to learn from. What follows is what in my opinion are the best parts taken from many martial arts movies, of young student learning the art of war and life from a reclusive and wise warrior.

Art wise nothing much is changed from the volume one. What catches the eye are more panoramic shots and more truly cinematic views - entry pages, for example, showing Usagi confronting a samurai from his past are truly fantastic.

Highly recommended to fans of adventure stories.

[Jim Reddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of this volume is devoted to telling Usagi’s origin story, how he went from student, to samurai, to ronin. Also included are stories where he meets a kappa, a young kaiju, and helps defend a village of silk workers from bandits. A great mix of action and humor with a variety of interesting characters and excellent art.

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah getting back into this series! The majority of the book was Usagi reminiscing about when he started training as a samurai, being the king's guard and the reason why he killed the other king's guard two years later. The side stories were great as well especially the Zylla. Wonderful graphics and looking forward to the next one in the series!

[Kryštof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection. Perfect art, perfect writing. 10/10
This was my second read of this book.

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first collection of Usagi stories from his namesake series, we learn how he trained, became a samurai, and what led to his life as a ronin. The art in these books is incredible, I'm in awe of Sakai's breathtaking landscapes.

[Harold Ogle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continued reading this, and continued to enjoy it. In most of this compilation, Usagi is telling his story to the mercenary Rhinoceros bounty hunter, so we see how he got an unconventional sensei, how he was trained, how he was pitted against his childhood friend, how he entered the service of his lord, and how his lord was betrayed and he was rendered ronin. This part, like most origin stories, is the strongest part of the book. What follows is a couple of one-off vignettes of humorous escapades: one in which he fights a kappa and another with a terrible run-on pun which I still loved (as it had to do with Godzilla). I will likely continue to read more, but spaced between other, longer works as I have done already.

Finally, a note about Sakai's artwork: it's getting a little more polished here, as this volume starts the series of the "Usagi Yojimbo" comic (volume 1 compiled guest appearances of the character in other magazines). He's settled into a style that is similar to Aragones' in "Groo": almost representational in some frames, extremely cartoony in others, depending on the mood he's trying to convey. This is great most of the time, though at times it makes the character of Usagi hard to spot in busier panels: you can never know how his features are going to be portrayed in these early comics. Judging by the cover art, I suspect that this gets ironed out as the series progressed.

[Joseph R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story (which fills two thirds of the book) tells the backstory of Usagi's training as a samurai, his joining with a lord, and the death of that lord, turning Usagi into a masterless samurai, i.e. a ronin. The story is dramatic and humorous. The young Usagi makes some mistakes and has an interesting sword master that teaches him not only swordsmanship but also honor and humility.

The second story, Kappa, is about a legendary vampire-like creature who demands a toll when Usagi travel through Kappa's swamp. Luckily, Usagi found some out-of-season cucumbers growing nearby and was able to pay off the Kappa. He comes upon a home with an old lady who makes him a meal and is waiting for her son to arrive. Usagi has used the cucumber she left for her son to pay off the Kappa, so Usagi is honor bound to protect the son. The ending has a nice twist.

The third story, Zylla, is a charming story about an egg and a hot spring, though it is mostly a set up for a joke at the end. I laughed at the joke, so it works.

The final story, Silk Fair, sees Usagi run into a mugging just outside a town. The outskirts of town are ruled by the bandits; town itself is ruled by the silk mill owner, who has no interest in hiring Usagi to deal with the bandits. The owner has another samurai on retainer but that fellow does not do much. When the bandits come back during the town's silk fair, things play out in a fun way.

Recommended.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cumulative review of the 35 volumes of collected Usagi Yojimbo stories that have been published to date. They span a 37-year history, from the first published Usagi story in Albedo Anthropomorphic #2, across the first seven volumes published by Fantagraphics, across the next 24 volumes published by Dark Horse, and finally across the most recent three volumes published by IDW, bringing us to Usagi Yojimbo v35: Homecoming, published in 2021. This review does not include the volumes Space Usagi, Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection, or Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis.

In a land very much like Japan, in a time very much like the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, when legions of samurai suddenly found themselves out of work in a war-torn land trying to get back to normal, a masterless samurai - a ronin - named Usagi Yojimbo walks the path of a student-warrior. He goes wherever fate takes him, living by his honor, his swordsmanship and by the grace of the friends he makes along the way. On his endless adventures, Usagi confronts wicked bandits, cruel tyrants, sinister assassins, and dire supernatural fiends. He often encounters humble folk plying their trade in an often cruel and harsh world (and along the way, learns a bit about their work, like brewing sake or weaving tatami mats).

Along his way, he builds a vast cast of friends, allies and rivals, including the bounty hunger Gen, fellow samurai )and love interest) Tomoe, the ninja Chizu, the third Kitsune, the noble lord Noriyuki, the stalwart Inspector Ishida, and of course, Usagi’s own son (and chip off the old block), Jotaro. And just as well, he builds no small list of enemies, including the dire Lord Hikiji (the power-hungry lord who is the very reason why Usagi no longer has a master), the Neko and Komori ninja clans, the Koroshi league of assassins, and the demonic ronin Jei. Amid all this, Usagi strives to uphold the warrior ideals of bushido and find a sense of enlightenment on his journey.

The stories are often funny, exciting, smart, sharp, tight, and occasionally touched with tragedy. They offer an informed look at medieval Japan, and pay no small number of homages to all kinds of cultural references both ancient and modern, as a reflect of Sakai’s own journey to connect with his personal heritage and honor it with his stories. They are simultaneously suitable for adults and kids alike - despite all of the carnage, Sakai never descends into gruesome detail, and yet, the many scenes of battle never seem so sanitized that they lost their gravity.

The artwork is distinct and excellent. Sakai’s is a master of sharp lifework (as well as lettering), and since he writes, pencils, inks and letters every issue solo, there is a uniformity and consistency to Usagi Yojimbo that you just don’t find in many other comics or cartoons. Until the last few volumes, it is all B&W, but Sakai’s sense of depth as well as his supremely skilled panel composition, pulls you in so deeply that you forget if it’s in color or not. You are under Usagi’s spell from the first page, and along for the ride, however long it goes.

To get an idea of the length, breadth and depth of how beloved an impactful Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo series has been, look no further than the introductions to each of the collected volumes published to date. There you will find a dazzling array of some of the finest talents in modern cartooning, who have a seemingly endless variety of ways to say how much they love Usagi Yojimbo, how impactful it has been on their own careers, and how great Stan Sakai has been himself as a goodwill ambassador for both cartooning as well as of the Japanese culture he so masterfully serves throughout his stories.

For those who have not yet enjoyed these stories for the first time, a wonderful journey awaits you. Usagi Yojimbo was created during those days in the 80s when anthropomorphic martial arts characters were all the rage. And yet, Usagi Yojimbo stood apart almost immediately. He might have been a rabbit ronin in a world of talking, walking animals, but he never seemed to be drafting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or trying to comment on the martial-art zoo comic trend. From the beginning, Usagi Yojimbo, like its titular character, was determined to walk its own path, to be the best it could be, and to celebrate the things in life that are worth celebrating: devotion to one’s craft, honoring one’s family, upholding one’s obligations, serving one’s highest aspirations, accepting one’s limitations, and acknowledging one’s flaws.

The stories are largely episodic varying in length from just a few pages, to an entire collection. They often are self-contained, but just as often reference slowly building meta plots, or serve an entire, novel-length story on their own. Everything is delicately interconnected, and yet, without such a heavy continuity that one can not simply pick up any of these volumes and begin reading without skipping a beat. Such is this series, endlessly accessible and friendly to beginners, and endlessly rewarding to long-time fans for whom earned narrative developments deliver terrific dividends.

As with any series of this length, some moments in it won’t land as well with the reader as others. But there just are not that many lows with this - if you appreciate what Sakai is doing here, you’re likely to enjoy pretty much all of it. There are some volumes that really stand out, largely because they tell the biggest and most epic stories (v04: The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy, v12: Grasscutter, v15: Grasscutter II - Journey to Astuta Shrine, v17: Duel at Kitanoji, v19: Fathers and Sons, v28: Red Scorpion, v32: The Hidden, and v35:Homecoming all come to mind), but really, the entire catalog of worth enjoying on equal terms. It’s saying something indeed that the most recent volume of Usagi Yojimbo tells one of the most compelling and moving stories of the entire series. Some edges dull over time, but as a storyteller, Stan Sakai’s edge never does.

Usagi Yojimbo has been hailed as one of the greatest independent comics ever. And it is. But it is more than that. It is one of the greatest comics, period. Read every volume. You will be glad that you did.

[Lissibith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Backstory central! We get to see not only who Usagi's master was, we also learn where he got his swords and what they mean to him. Usagi has just dueled a warthog, and upon meeting Gen immediately after, explains the story - not only how he came to be a great swordsman, but also what happened with his childhood friends and what led to him becoming a ronin.

I love the master and student part of this book especially, but the whole thing is great. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Tezuka's work, with the somewhat simplistic style and cartoonish characters presenting a fairly dark story. And I love it. I love the amount of expressiveness the characters have, I love the setup and the systems of honor that different characters have, I love the weight of legacy and responsibility Usagi carries with him.

This is a fantastic series. If you like comics, it's well worth a read.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Usagi! These comics are great. The art is simple and clean, and there are still moments of quiet beauty. The flow of Sakai's art makes clustered battle scenes feel fierce, and those silent, quick fights between duelist look cinematic.
Usagi is extremely likeable, and learning about his origin is fun, especially the pain of losing his master. I love how this book can go from goofy and fun to dark and serious, and it does this so well because it's full of heart.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guessed after reading the first TPB that the second one would be better: I was right! I really appreciated the longer stories and enhanced backstory that happened here, and the humorous interludes ("Are you a god, Zylla?") took nothing away from the rest of the story. I am very interested in where this character will go in the future - I have about a couple decades to catch up on at this point.

I'm not yet "in love" with this character, but I expect to be moreso as I read on.

[rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here, Toshiro Mifune stars in his first posthumous animal role, as the sword-swinging fiver tells his rhino buddy about his past military experience. This is really where to start in th story--volume one can wait. One of the better Americanized tails of bushido bravery with just the right amount of class.

[Ned Leffingwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about the combination of the elements that go into Usagi Yojimbo make it work so well. This book has Usagi's origin story and a few one- shot pieces. The only thing that would make it more enjoyable would be if they did the panels in color instead of black and white.

[Michael Emond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in a wonderful series. Sakai starts to experiment with ,onger tales and it works to his benefit. But short or long these are fun stories and you can see Stan's confidence as a writer grow with each volume.