Empty Seven
The Empty Seven (無無坊主, Mu Mu Bōzu) are an organisation of quintuplet Assassin Warrior Monks who seek to claim the Number Two Headband and then the Number One headband so that they may ascend to Godhood and immortality. The Empty Seven are actually six monks: each number represents a direction, while the seventh spot represents God. The Empty Seven are fairly weak and have inferior fighting abilities compared to some of Afro's other opponents, but they are fairly wealthy and able to fund the development of The Afro Droid and Kuma. According to Oi-Chan, the Empty Seven are the kingpins leading all the assassins in the world and have been responsible for sending assassins after Afro during his tenure as the Number Two through red paper notices in exchange for massive financial rewards.
Members[]
Brother 1[]
Main article: Brother 1
Brother 1 was the apparent leader of the Clan (although such an authority was never outright stated). His personality and mannerisms were a mixture of an Evangelical preacher and a street pimp. He was almost always seen with an almost nude beautiful woman at his side. As with most of the Clan, he was a wizened old man with a long beard and has a prosthetic gold left arm (which can be switched out for a machine gun). In an attempt to ambush Afro from atop the elevator leading to Kuma following the Afro Droid's destruction, Brother 1 ended up being paralyzed and held in a stretcher with a catheter by Brother 3 making him the only monk to fight Afro directly and lose but survive. Brother One's woman is seen in Afro Samurai: Resurrection working as a stripper in Brother 3's gambling house.
Brother 2[]
Main article: Brother 2
Brother 2 was the eyes of the Clan often seen scoping out Afro from a distance with a pair of high-tech binoculars. Usually Brother 6 was shown assisting him. All of his observations of Afro during his reconnaissance were reported to Brother 1 via cell phone. In combat, he was shown to use an extending Buddhist staff or kunai. When Otsuru turns against the Empty Seven for Afro’s sake, it was Brother 2 who stabbed and killed her. Later when he was lying in wait to kill Afro, Afro surprises him from behind by swiftly poking his eyes and shoving his binoculars deep into the wounds. Likely the brutal manner of his execution was out of revenge for Otsuru.
Brother 3[]
Main article: Brother 3
Brother 3 was unusual among the clan because he was the most laid-back of the brothers. While the other Brothers would plot Afro’s death, Brother 3 was usually content to face away off in the corner, listening to his circumaural headphones and bobbing to the music. During the few times that he actually spoke, he was shown to have a Southern US accent. He seemed to have a much more pacifistic approach than his comrades regarding decisions. When deliberating on which assassin to choose to kill Afro, rather than settle things through violence Brother 3 suggested looking at their individual credentials. Later when Afro invaded the Empty Seven’s temple, he was waiting by the door with tea and rice crackers prepared while calmly chanting Hachimaki o kudasai, (Japanese for "headband please.") simply asking for the Number Two Headband, rather than attempting combat for it. Afro didn't take the rice and tea offered to him, but Ninja Ninja did. Because of this, Brother 3 survived while the other monks were killed and injured. Brother 3 returns in "Afro Samurai: Resurrection," offering to tell Afro the whereabouts of the Number Two Headband if he could beat him in a game of chance. But when he is exposed as a cheater by using loaded dice, Brother 3 is forced to tell what he knew to save his life.
Brother 4[]
Main article: Brother 4
Brothers 4 was a gruff deep-voiced monk in a green robe who usually carried a Buddhist staff and wore a wide metal hat. He was usually seen side-by-side with Brother 5. In combat, Brother 4's weapon of choice was a sansetsukon. When determining which assassin would face Afro, Brother 4 insisted that Ivanov the Russian was the obvious choice which led to an argument with Brother 5 who held opposing views and felt Foo from China was more capable. Brother 1 settled the issue by suggesting a battle royale, an idea which greatly appealed to both 4 & 5. Later after Brother 6’s defeat at Afro’s hands, Brothers 4 & 5 launched out from where they were concealed in Brother 6’s backpack and attempted to gang up on Afro from both sides. This tactic failed miserably and both monks were easily killed.
Brother 5[]
Main article: Brother 5
Brother 5 was the arrogant and sadistic monk who wore a plain white robe, regularly smoked a long pipe, and spoke with a high squeaky voice. In combat, Brother 5's weapon of choice was a jian (in the manga, he wields a tantō). When determining which assassin would face Afro, Brother 4 insisted that Ivanov the Russian was the obvious choice which led to an argument with Brother 5 who held opposing views and felt Foo from China was more capable. Brother 1 settled the issue by suggesting a battle royale, an idea which greatly appealed to both 4 & 5. Later after Brother 6’s defeat at Afro’s hands, Brothers 4 & 5 launched out from where they were concealed in Brother 6’s backpack and attempted to gang up on Afro from both sides. This tactic failed miserably and both monks were easily killed. In the manga, Afro Samurai kicks Brother 5 over the waterfall and is later found dead in the water face down.
Brother 6[]
Main article: Brother 6
Brother 6 was a massive, muscled individual with cold inhuman eyes in monk regalia who wore a wide metal hat. He was the only Brother who didn’t resemble an old monk with a long beard. As mentioned in the manga, his true name is Shinojiryu Boujutsu Rokutaro and he is the youngest of the Empty 7, raised from infancy as a brutal assassin under their control. Violent and impulsive, Brother 6 never hesitated to use excessive force in his actions. In combat, he wielded a long Buddhist staff and a backpack holding a variety of weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a flame thrower. Brother 6 was the man who rescued Jinnosuke and Otsuru from the brink of death, but regarding Jinnosuke felt it would have been more merciful to just let him die. He nearly killed an injured Afro with his RPG in Lowdown East. He was the one to burn down Otsuru’s home and blew up the bridge after Afro’s initial confrontation with Afro Droid (much to Brother 1’s displeasure). When that tactic failed, Brother 6 fought Afro one-on-one. He proved a difficult opponent and when defeated held Afro’s sword within his body, disarming the samurai so that Brothers 4 & 5 could have the advantage over Afro.
Brother 7[]
Brother 7 is said to be God himself and that one becomes God by sacrificing the other six Brothers where they each fell into the rotating blades. Brother 2 does this while attempting to use Afro to take his place. Also in the video game, Afro Samurai defeats the Brothers 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 after his fight with Jinno while Brother 3 throws his own blood into the rotating blades before leaving the rest to the Empty Seven's robots.