Okuru

Name: Okuru
Age: 40 Profession: Fugitive
Weapon(s): Repeating crossbow, kodachi
Fighting style(s): Archery, Other unspecified skill
Quote: "Death leaves no beautiful corpses."
Appears in: Episodes 16 & 17
Final status: Uncertain

An Ainu warrior whose village was struck by an epidemic and torched by the Matsumae Han. Overcome with rage, he killed the official who authorized the burning. He was arrested and incarcerated, but escaped before he could be executed. His weapon is unique, a modified crossbow, called a Cho-Ko-Nu, that can repeatedly fire bolts. He mistakes Mugen as part of the Matsumae Han (who, ironically, later mistake Mugen for Okuru) and attacks him. He withdraws after he realizes the error. Later, he saves Fuu after she plunges off a crag. Upon encountering Mugen again, they do battle, and Mugen remarks that he has the "eyes of a dead man, like a severed head that doesn't know it's been cut off." Their fight is interrupted by agents of the Matsumae Han, led by Tobata. Okuru is riddled by flaming arrows, but miraculously remains standing. Jin and Mugen slaughter the rest of the Matsumae Han agents, while Okuru wrenches an arrow out of his gut and stabs Tobata dead with it. Engulfed in flames, he leaps off a cliff into the river below. Mugen believes that Okuru is still alive.

Okuru's predicament of not being sure whether he is alive or dead due to life-changing events that occurred in his past bears similarities with that of Cowboy Bebop character Spike Spiegel.

Source: Wikipedia