Hell’s Paradise features Gabimaru the Hollow, a young man who aims to retrieve the Elixir of Life from Shinsenkyo and return home to his wife. He is known for his nickname, but what is Gabimaru’s real name?
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Why Is Gabimaru Called Hollow?
Gabimaru acquired the moniker "Hollow" after proving his skills and abilities as a worthy shinobi in Iwagakure Village.
His nickname made him famous, to the degree that even his fellow condemned convicts feared him.
Some, particularly Yuzuriha and Gantetsusai, have high expectations of him.
The Yamada Asaemon are also aware of Gabimaru, and they are extremely cautious while interacting with him.
At times, he is also often called "Empty," depending on the translations.
This implies that whenever Gabimaru kills someone, he is an empty shell devoid of any human emotion.
In a nutshell, Gabimaru is a living, breathing murdering machine devoid of humanity.
He murders his victims in the most heinous manner possible, with no sense of regret or conscience creeping up on him.
He doesn't feel awful about killing someone, let alone empathize with them. He doesn't even care whether his victims are children or the elderly.
Gabimaru's killing has become his daily routine, and it has become his way of life.
He just knows how to kill and has no concept of how to protect or save someone.
After all, the Chief of Iwagakure Village has been instilling his views and principles in Gabimaru's mind since he was a child.
He taught Gabimaru the shinobi ways every day, and he never ceased teaching Gabimaru to control and bury his human emotions.
That was until Gabimaru married Yui, the chief's eighth daughter.
She was the one who changed Gabimaru, teaching him that embracing his human emotions could help him become stronger and a much better individual.
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Gabimaru the Hollow’s Origins
There aren't a lot of details about Gabimaru the Hollow's origins. But we do know that the Chief of Iwagakure is to blame for his parents' deaths.
His parents, like Gabimaru, are both high-ranking shinobi (jonin-level) who work for the village chief.
They also carry out assassination missions, making them valuable assets to the village.
They are so good at what they do that they are essentially needed in the village. Gabimaru, who inherited their skills and abilities, is proof of this.
So, when Gabimaru's parents married and found out they were having a child, they chose to leave their dangerous profession and way of life.
It has become a dream for Gabimaru’s parents to stay away from the stench of blood and death in the hopes that they will be able to live a peaceful life someday.
But knowing that the Chief doesn’t have the heart to let them go, they planned on sneaking their way out of the village and starting over.
As expected, they were killed in the process, and the Chief took Gabimaru under his wing.
That’s when Gabimaru’s destiny got twisted, and his life has never been the same.
It’s all because of the Chief of Iwagakure that Gabimaru got broken, but he’s also the reason Gabimaru found love.
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So, What Is Gabimaru’s Real Name?
According to the official fan book of Hell’s Paradise (Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Kaitai Shinsho), Gabimaru’s birth name is Tsuki, which means "moon".
It is a direct reference to the full moon that Gabimaru's parents were looking at when deciding on his name that particular night.
Tsuki is a lovely name, and Gabimaru's parents thought it was appropriate for someone from Iwagakure Village.
They also believed that Tsuki was a name that would not draw attention to Gabimaru.
Furthermore, Tsuki is a name that will not endear him to others when he grows up.
Only Yui and Sagiri knew about Gabimaru’s real name, and up to this day, they are contemplating using it beside his infamous nickname.
It's difficult to address someone differently after all those years of using their given name.
But, in the end, names don't really matter because what matters most is what and who the person truly is.
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