Kyooshiroo and Yuya are met by Okuni Izumono, a miko (Buddhist nun) who claims to be a great love of Kyooshiroo and Onime-no-Kyo. She is being pursued by rebels because she has discovered their secret hideout. But now Onime-no-Kyo is here and he can protect her! After running afoul of the local police, Kyooshiroo and his two friends have to camp out under the stars. While Kyooshiroo and Okuni sleep, Yuya sneaks off to find the rebels' hideout and steal their secret loot. But as she leaves, a shadowy group of rebels watch her from the cliff above.

Kyoshiro Mibu
A traveling medicine peddler, Kyoshiro Mibu is peaceful, lighthearted, and a bit of a coward. He carries a 5 shaku long sword with him, but claims it's just for show. Unbeknownst to anyone, he holds within him the spirit of Demon Eyes Kyo, and when provoked, the red-eyed samurai takes over Kyoshiro's body.

Demon Eyes Kyo
Kyo is the other personality in Kyoshiro's body. Kyo, one of the original Muramasas, has blood red eyes and is said to have killed 1000 men at the Battle of Sekigahara. There's a legendary one million ryo bounty on his head.

Yuya Shiina
Yuya is a clever and beautiful bounty hunter, the best anywhere on Tokaido-chu. She seeks a man with a scar on his back - the man who killed her brother. After discovering the secret of Kyoshiro and Kyo, she hopes to unravel their mystery (and possibly to collect on their bounty).

Izumono Okuni
A mysterious and powerful woman, Okuni is a former priestess of the Izumo temple who claims to have been Kyo's lover.

Jiban
A samurai who was shamed by Kyo at Sekigahara. He took a job as a yojimbo to a local Daikan in order to perfect his killing technique. Now he's ready to face Kyo again and regain his honor.

Kamijyo Akimine

Samurai Deeper Kyo is Akimine-san's first published manga. It began appearing in October of 1999 in Japan in Shuukan Shounen Magazine. The 18th volume was published in November, 2002 by Kodansha. It has also spawned a successful anime series from Studio Deen.