Yaiba episode 1: Yaiba, Sayaka and Onimaru reach an impasse

Modified Apr 09, 2025 11:00 GMT

Yaiba episode 1 highlights (Image via WIT Studio)

Yaiba episode 1, titled Meeting Yaiba, aired on April 5, 2025, and focused on Yaiba's introduction to modern-day society after a lifetime of living in jungles. Episode 1 depicted that Yaiba had untapped potential as a swordsman, with his instincts and inhuman strength serving as the biggest indicators of it.

The episode also implied a longstanding rivalry between Yaiba's father, Kenjuurou, and Raizou, with Kenjuurou simply ignoring the rivalry and embarking on a journey, leaving Yaiba behind. Read on learn about the highlights of Yaiba episode 1.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoiler for Yaiba episode 1.

Yaiba episode 1 highlights

Yaiba episode 1: Yaiba and Kagetora (Image via WIT Studio)

Yaiba episode 1 started off with Yaiba and a bamboo sword in the middle of the jungle. Yaiba was doing so under the instructions from his father, Kenjuurou Kurogane, with the intention of luring and fighting a gorilla to improve his swordsmanship. Although Yaiba didn't have faith in the luring method, a gorilla soon appeared and engaged Yaiba in combat.

Yaiba managed to easily outclass the gorilla with his instincts alone, marking yet another milestone in his swordsmanship journey. Unfortunately, an entire band of gorillas soon appeared, compelling Yaiba and Kenjuurou to escape atop their pet tiger, Kagetora. All three of them managed to shake off the pursuing gorillas by hiding in a banana crate.

Sayaka as shown in the anime (Image via WIT Studio)

Their bad luck continued as the crate got sealed and shipped off to Japan. Yaiba episode 1 then shifted to Sayaka Mine receiving her father, Raizou Mine, at the airport. Sayaka congratulated him for winning the Asia Kendo Championship, an achievement that Raizou didn't pay much heed to since fighting Kenjuurou Kurogane and defeating him would be Raizou's greatest achievement.

Coincidentally, Kenjuurou and Yaiba ended up at the same airport, where Kenjuurou spotted Raizou and dragged him and his daughter, alongside Yaiba, all the way to Raizou's residence. Kenjuurou asked Raizou to look after Yaiba, a proposition that he promptly rejected.

Kenjuurou then went on to arrange a sparring session between Raizou's best kendo disciple and Yaiba to display Yaiba's swordsmanship talent. Needless to say, Yaiba easily overwhelmed the disciple, becoming a part of Raizou's household. Raizou then commented on how Kenjuurou too shall settle down at his age. Kenjuurou rejected the idea, stating how confines and constraints didn't suit him.

Yaiba vs Raizou's disciple (Image via WIT Studio)

The next day, Raizou found out that Kenjuurou simply left the house, leaving Yaiba behind in his care. Yaiba eventually accompanied Sayaka to her school. Sayaka scared Yaiba, mentioning how the school was full of strong monsters who could defeat Yaiba. Although scared, Yaiba said that Sayaka didn't need to worry about anything since he would save her from any such monsters, igniting slightly romantic feelings in Sayaka.

Upon reaching the school's kendo dojo, Yaiba found himself facing Onimaru, the national kendo champion. Although Yaiba attempted to catch Onimaru with a sneak attack, Onimaru easily disarmed him, establishing his actual swordsmanship prowess. The episode ended with Yaiba acknowledging Onimaru's strength, beginning their rivalry, while Sayaka tried to keep the situation from worsening.

Final Thoughts

Yaiba episode 1 served as the perfect introduction to the character while simultaneously establishing the family dynamics alongside Yaiba and Onimaru's rivalry. Yaiba episode 2 will be released on April 12, 2025, and will focus on Yaiba's induction into school.

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About the author

Anupam is an anime and manga writer at Sportskeeda. Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Logistics & Transportation, Anupam has simultaneously gained professional experience of almost 2 years as a content writer, having worked previously for Otakukart and Sportslumo.

Being part of the anime fandom for over a decade, Anupam believes his greatest strength lies in theorycrafting around animanga series and predicting their plots. His personal experiences have guaranteed him detailed knowledge about the reputation, reception, and plot points of several anime, which he combines with extensive research to report on a topic. They have also taught him the significance of respecting and accurately reporting on community sentiments attached to a particular series, which has now become a non-negotiable part of his writing process.

Anupam’s favorite artist is video game designer Hideo Kojima, whose ability to nonchalantly embed deep messages in his games he deeply admires. When not debating fresh anime theories, Anupam can be found reading or playing combat games.

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Edited by DEEPALI