List of Afro Samurai characters

This is the list of the characters that appear in the 2007 manga and anime miniseries Afro Samurai, the television film Afro Samurai: Resurrection, the video game adaption, and other related media.

Child Voiced by: Crystal Scales (anime), Kari Wahlgren (video game)
Teenager Voiced by: Phil LaMarr
Adult Voiced by: Samuel L. Jackson

Afro Samurai is the main protagonist of the series, who mourns for his father as a child and wears the Number Two headband on a quest to kill Justice and reclaim the Number One. As an adult, he often smoke cigarettes and makes deep calm voice.

Voiced by: Samuel L. Jackson

Perhaps the most debated character within the story, "Ninja Ninja" is Afro's complete antithesis, always speaking and usually saying aloud what Afro cannot bring himself to say, such as expressing fear or worry when Afro is stoic in the face of danger; generally, Afro refuses to respond to anything he says other than telling Ninja Ninja to "shut up." As his name implies, he dresses in a ninja motif. He also seems to have a counter color scheme to Afro, while also having a similar frame and hair cut though he slouches when he walks. This can best be seen at the end of episode 2, where they are walking side by side after the fire. There are several clues throughout the show that point to Ninja Ninja being imaginary, such as Afro being the only one who speaks to him, his constant disappearing when Afro is in combat or internal conflict, and the fact he is not hurt when he and Afro are knocked off a cliff by an RPG, despite being next to each other. In Episode 4, Ninja Ninja first appeared and sees Afro mourning for his friends and master, after obtaining the Number 2 headband. At the beginning of Episode 5, it is revealed that Kuma apparently kills Ninja Ninja who saves Afro. About halfway through the episode, Afro confronts Justice who states that he watched him shed his "imaginary friend."

In the collector's DVD, interviews with the staff and writers concede that Ninja Ninja is indeed imaginary. However, even though Ninja Ninja is "imaginary," he appears to have some form of presence in the real world, as well. When Brother 2 of the Empty Seven spies on Afro, Ninja Ninja can be clearly seen from Brother 2's point of view through the binoculars. Ninja Ninja also interacts with items around him constantly such as catching Afro's spliff in his mouth, moving a hanging pillar inside Otsuru's home, putting Otsuru's comb into Afro's afro, eating the food that was intended for Afro given by Brother 3 (as seen in the Director's cut), and throwing the Afro-Droid's microchip at Afro to cut in two. The idea of Ninja Ninja having at least a partial existence in reality is once again brought into light when he is 'killed' by Kuma. Because Kuma was such a skilled warrior and had the intent to cut down Afro on the sword strike that killed Ninja Ninja, it would seem odd that he would pause from his attack and have a conversation with Afro if there was not a reason to give pause which strengthens the idea that he was taken aback by Ninja Ninja's sacrifice before attacking Afro again. Additionally supporting his real world presence is the scene in the video game in which he knocks the hand of one of the Empty Seven off of a ledge, killing him, as is the scene after Sword Master's death in which one of the many clones of Ninja Ninja grabs Sword Master's mouth and moves it up in down, pretending he is a puppet.

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