Sara

Sara is a beautiful blind musician (Goze) whom the trio of Mugen, Jin, and Fuu encounters near the end of their journey. She was secretly working as a Shogunate assassin.

Appearance
Sara has brownish hair that is stylized in a topknot with bangs that frame her face, and is well-endowed. She wears a traditional Japanese kimono; due to her blindness and martial arts discipline, she walks barefoot. She carries a Shamisen with a Kishibojin Buddhist deity charm, as well as a walking staff that is actully a Yari.

History
The trio stops at an inn where Sara performs and the group is impressed by her skill after hearing her play and sing. After her set Sara then sits down next to them. Mugen’s offer of sake is rebuffed as charity. A couple of tough guys come over and threaten her for moving into their territory, but Mugen makes short work of them, then tries to come on to Sara while Jin and Fuu forcefully register their disapproval.

As trio chats with Sara, they learn that she is travelling in the same direction they are. As a result, they welcome her into their group; she pays for their room and board in exchange for their protection. The four of them travel together for what appears to be at least a few weeks, very contentedly.

One day Jin comments on the charm Sara has on her Shamisen, and Sara reveals that she has a child, born out of wedlock and taken from her because of her blindness. That night Mugen tries to corner Sara in the hot spring of the inn, but she senses his presence and his plans are foiled. She says that being blind has not made her helpless or stupid, and that is why she hates pity. Fuu is horrified to find them together, and Mugen leaves to forestall further screeching. When Sara asks Fuu what Mugen looks like, Fuu is surprised, almost shocked by her question. She claims Mugen is not worth it and that he’s quite awful. Later that night, in bed, Fuu tells Sara about her quest to find her father, and Sara tells Fuu that her child is a boy, and that she cannot do anything to get him back. She asks if Fuu has ever considered giving up the quest (the answer is apparently yes), and which of the boys she would be willing to part with. Fuu doesn’t really know what to say to that.

The next day, she asks Fuu to send one of the guys with her to find her child, and then asks Mugen to pick out something for her son at the street fair. They have a conversation about Mugen’s orphanhood, and she says they are alike in their discontent. In the morning, Fuu picks Jin to go with her, because he’s less likely to be “interested” in her; he agrees, and they leave at sunset.

While crossing a rope bridge, Sara suddenly shoots the lantern from Jin’s hand, drops her luggage, and snaps the blades out of her staff. Jin doesn’t draw his sword until she’s already coming at him as he’s reluctant to fight a woman. She attacks him, and seems to be able to predict his moves—-though she says she does not see with her eyes. He is wounded down his left side, and in desperation slashes the ropes of the bridge; and they both tumble into the river below.

She’s found the next morning, unconscious, by the rescue party, and Mugen and Fuu take her to a hut to recover. Once conscious, she asks Fuu again if she will continue her journey. Meanwhile Mugen finds Sara's staff in the river, and realizes what happened to Jin, and calls her out. They fight by the river, and Sara reveals that her son’s life is on the line. She slashes Mugen in the chest, and is just about to deliver the killing blow when Fuu intervenes.

Sara is about to skip town when she is confronted by the Pinwheel Man, and realizes that her child is already dead. She meets Mugen again by the riverbed in the wee hours of the morning, and nearly defeats him again (although Jin’s advice about fish has helped him). She intentionally fails to dodge one of his charges, because she no longer has any reason to live, and dies after revealing that it is the shogunate that is after the trio.

Fighting Style
Sara's fighting ability is one of the strongest in the "Champloo Universe", being able to noticeably sunder rocks with her Yari in her fight against Mugen and sense opponents' attacks despite her blindness. Her skill is so considerable that after Kariya Kagetoki learns that she has been killed by Fuu's bodyguards, he deems them worthy enough to be defeated by himself personally.