This article is part of a directory: Spring 2025 Anime Season Guide: Previews, Episode Reviews, & Discussions

Summary

Yaiba seemed to defeat Onimaru in their first fight, but was it a legitimate victory?
Onimaru may not have lost fair and square due to prior injuries and Yaiba's tactics.
Their first bout seems more like a draw, both needing medical treatment, and a rematch may change the results.

Episode 2 of YAIBA: Samurai Legend gave viewers the first actual fight between Onimaru and Yaiba. This spectacular visual feast showcased the beautiful art direction and animation quality as the two epically fought across a crowded city. Starting in a shopping district, the two eventually fought on top of a moving vehicle, with Onimaru seemingly defeated by the younger and smaller Yaiba. However, did Yaiba actually win the fight?

Both physically and even thematically, Onimaru was still not out at the end despite Y aiba declaring himself the victor. As these two characters are fighting anime rivals, keeping diligent track of the win-loss ratio is one of the draws of this type of series. So, who actually won their first real fight in the new YAIBA: Samurai Legend adaptation? Let’s take a look at some of the arguments for both sides.

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Yaiba Declares Himself the Victor

Did the Tiny Swordsmen Win the First Fight?

yaiba strike close — A closeup strike by Yaiba in Episode 2 of YAIBA: Samurai Legend.

In their final confrontation in their battle, Yaiba showed his ferociousness by attacking Onimaru with any means necessary. As the two clashed swords, Yaiba went in to bite Onimaru’s injured forehead, which had been previously damaged before the fight even began. The unexpected bite allowed Yaiba to exploit an opening and finally overcome Onimaru’s speed and technique.

“I did it! I win!” -Yaiba right before being knocked out by a road sign.

Yaiba, after landing a solid sword strike to Onimaru’s head, causes the taller fighter to drop his sword and lower to his knees. At this moment, Yaiba declared victory over Onimaru, only to collide with a road sign and be taken out of the fight himself. Still, despite neither fighter being knocked out or giving up, Yaiba’s attack is what ended the fight, and Onimaru himself actually sees the fight as a loss.

“For my steady sword to lose to such uncultured trash…I have to get stronger.” -Onimaru

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Onimaru is Too Hard on His Performance

Did Onimaru Actually Lose?

yaiba onimaru clashing — Yaiba and Onimaru charge at each other in the street with swords. (YAIBA: Samurai Legend)

However, there are several reasons why Onimaru’s apparent loss to Yaiba could be contested. For starters, Yaiba had previously injured Onimaru through a series of traps, meaning he was not fighting at full strength. It seems like this previous injury allowed Yaiba to overcome Onimaru, and had it not been present, things would likely have gone differently.

“But biting to win is… If you did not beat him fair and square, then you did not win, child.” -Fuji Mine scolding Yaiba.

Another reason Yaiba’s self-declared victory could be illegitimate is because he used underhanded tactics. Yaiba is chastised later for fighting this way, to which he replied that he will try to win the fight fair and square next time. This admission at least implies that Yaiba does not consider Onimaru to be truly defeated by him.

Also, in terms of damage, Yaiba seemed to sustain even more than Onimaru. The tiny swordsman was incapacitated by the end, while Onimaru only fell to his knees. Also, Onimaru seemed to fall to his knees more in shock at being hit than at the actual damage he sustained from Yaiba’s attack. He took the full brunt of Yaiba’s strike directly to his face but was not pushed back or shown to react in pain.

Although Onimaru admitted his defeat in their confrontation, this may just have been his perfectionist nature getting the better of him. Before his fight with Yaiba, Onimaru asserted that he had won every match he had ever fought, so not having an overwhelming victory against Yaiba could be the same as losing to him.

Given the complicated circumstances of their first bout, it seems more fair to call the results a draw. Both fighters ended up needing to receive medical treatment after their fight, and it seems that a rematch will change these circumstances yet again. At the end of episode 2, Onimaru gets possessed by an ancient sword and becomes a demon. This rematch will definitely give us more insight into who actually had the upper hand in their original duel if Yaiba can still manage to come out on top in the next YAIBA: Samurai Legend fight against a demon-empowered Onimaru.

Yaiba: Samurai Legend can be streamed on Hulu.

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TV-14

Anime

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Release Date: April 5, 2025
Network: Nippon TV, YTV
Directors: Hiroyuki Tanaka, Tomoko Hiramuki, Masao Kawase, Hitomi Ezoe, Rei Nakahara, Maho Ishikawa
Writers: Eiji Umehara