Theory:Takezo Kensei

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The following fan theories are about Takezo Kensei.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Takezo Kensei is Adam Monroe	None	+ Kensei has showed the power of regeneration, and that perhaps extends age, allowing him to possibly extend his lifetime, and allowing him to be alive in present time. + After seeing Hiro kissing Yaeko, and then betraying them perhaps Kensei is turning a new leaf, and will now hold a grudge against Hiro. If he does indeed extend his life to present time, he might meet Hiro's father, and plot against him and the Company because of Hiro's betrayal and a possible distrust of others with powers. • If this is true, then where is Hiro in the present when Kaito is killed? We do not know for certain if Kensei has Longevity, and we have seen no hero up to this point with this ability. + Peter finds a card from a man named Adam in "The Line" that implies that before Peter lost his memory, he and Adam were going against the Company. Bob also mentioned an Adam Monroe that is against the Company. If this is true, and iuf Kensei is still alive and holding a grudge, he would have a reason to go against the Company. + If the above is true, Kensei/Adam Monroe is probably the hooded individual who killed Kaito.\ {{note}] If Kensei/Adam Monroe was the hooded killer, then there would be an extra pool of blood next to Kaito, since Kensei is not known to fly.
Takezo Kensei is the hooded person who killed Kaito.	None	- This is highly unlikely considering Kensei has supposedly been dead for quite some time. + Takezo has showed some form of regeneration. Perhaps this extends to aging, making him near-immortal. + If that above theory had some definite truth to it, it would explain why Kaito Nakamura and Yamagato Industries had such a big thing for Kensei- they were old friends! + Another thing, that might also explain how Linderman had the original Kensei sword in the first place, because if Kane/Kensei was in the old timers Heroes group with Angela and Kaito Nakamura, he would have also been with Linderman. • When Kaito sees the hooded killer he says, "I never would have thought it would have been you." • Also, in Distractions, when Hiro tells his dad that he needs his sword, Kaito seems to show disdain towards Takezo, as though he had known him and maybe they had fallen out somewhere between Kaito reading Hiro stories and the present. + The pieces of a picture with The Symbol on them are the logo of Takezo Kensei. File:KaneHoodedKillerCompare.jpg + The resemblance of Kensei, both body size, and facial, are very similar. - The actor for the hooded killer could be a stand-in for the actual character or a stuntman. - Only one pool of blood is shown under Kaito Nakamura's body. - If some of this blood is Takezo Kensei's, and he got up and walked away, he would have left a somewhat empty space where his body lay before he regenerated. - The process of regeneration usually takes about five to ten seconds in the Heroes universe. Ando ran to the edge of the rooftop and saw Kaito's body alone only a split second after he and the hooded killer fell off the roof and hit the ground. If the hooded killer is indeed Takezo Kensei, Ando would most likely have seen him. + If Kensei is indeed immortal, he would have had hundreds of years to develop his power. Perhaps he could, unlike Claire, heal instantaneously.
Takezo Kensei is the ancestor of Claire.	None	+ They both have the power of rapid cell regeneration. - The Sanders family and Claire's biological "family" show that ancestry has no direct impact on the type of power one will have. + They both have blonde hair - possibly a result of genes being passed down. + In an interview it was hinted that Kensei was the ancestor of Hiro. If that is true, then there is a large chance that so is Kaito. Angela admitted to sleeping with Kaito, meaning that Nathan might be Kaito's son. Since Claire is Nathan's biological daughter, if all this is true, then she is related to Kensei. - Nathan is very obviously not Japanese, and neither he nor Claire show Japanese facial characteristics. - Kensei is not Japanese, he just traveled there from England as hinted at in Generations.
Takezo Kensei's ability is longevity.	None	+ In Godsend, we learn that he is born in 1584. Hiro goes back in time to 1671 and finds Takezo who doesn't look like he is 87 years old. + He was shown to have died after being shot with three arrows, but came back to life. • Takezo Kensei is confirmed to have the power of rapid cell regeneration. However, this could work in the same way as longevity, given that the aging cells and tissues and whatnot would heal themselves due to Kensei's ability.
Takezo Kensei's ability has a side effect: Kensei's personality changes each time he is revived.	None	+ Kensei's dying words to Hiro were: "Maybe I'll be your hero the next time 'round." - It appears Kensei didn't know that he had the power of rapid cell regeneration. He could really have meant reincarnation in a different form. + Kensei's dying words in Kaito's tale were "Here is my love". + If this theory is accurate, it might explain how Kensei could become Kane. - His personality didn't seem to change afterwards. He still showed interest in wanting to be rich and not take his destiny seriously.
If the theory about Hiro being the Dragon of Kiso Mountain is true, then Takezo Kensei and Yaeko might travel along with Hiro to the future.	None	+ In the Sword Saint Chapter 4 Part 2 video, one of the professors says that after Kensei ripped out his own heart, nobody knows what happened. The professor guesses that Kensei and Yaeko might have traveled along with the Dragon of Kiso Mountain, and they were "never to be seen again". + Kensei might be so helpless and condemned to his "conscience", that he might even go to the future with him.
Takezo Kensei is the ninth founding member of The Company.	None	+ In "Lizards" Noah Bennet says that there are a series of 8 paintings done by Isaac Mendez. These could be the death of 8 of the founding members of the Company by the ninth member, Takezo Kensei. • 9 is an important number in Heroes. - The eight paintings have been revealed, and none of them, except the one where Hiro is fighting Kensei has Kensei in them. + The Symbol is first used by Kensei, and has since been adopted by the company, as well as others.
Takezo Kensei's actual power is postmortem regeneration.	None.	+ When Hiro pulled the arrow out of Kensei's chest he seemed to die first and then regenerate. - In Kindred he is shown to cut his arm and it regenerated without him expiring.
Takezo Kensei is still alive.	None.	• If this is true, then he could be Kane.
Takezo Kensei is the ancestor of several or maybe all evolved humans	None.	+ He is from England, but it is in Japan at 1761, he could have multiple affairs around the globe, leading to multiple offsprings that carried his genetic potential. + this fits his pre-Hiro personality perfectly + Claire and Niki have blond hair like him. Claire has tis power too. + he was alive far enough in the past for any physical trait to be "watered down" through generations, additionally, blond hair and blue eyes are recessive traits and would more easily to "vanish" trough generations and his (possible multi-racial) offspring could blend better with the general population in they areas. • All characters have connections. - Even after so many generations, this may imply incest.
The man played by David Anders is not the real Takezo Kensei.	None.	+ In Godsend, we learn that he is born in 1584. Hiro goes back in time to 1671 and finds Takezo who doesn't look like he is 87 years old. • We stil don't know if rapid cell regeneration can make people age slowly. + He claimed to never realized that he was able to regerate before, and his behavior (rather cowardly) confirms that. He would likely to have noticed that he still young looking at 87 and people at time didn't live that long. - The birth date could be incorrect; after over 300 years, there are bound to be at least small errors in something which was legendary to begin with.
If Kensei truly does become Kane, he may have became a villian because of the tortured life of living forever while his loved ones die.	None	+ Yaeko could not have lived to be with Kensei up to the 21st century. + Many fictional stories involving a villian with long life have a backstory of suffering while loved ones die from aging. + In "The Line", Hiro kisses Yaeko, and later on writes to Ando, calling it "the kiss that changed history". Later in the scene, Kensei looks on with an angry look on his face, and later betrays Yaeko, her father, and Hiro. This could be what turns him into Kane.
Takezo Kensei is Linderman	None.	+ He has a similar accent to Linderman. + They both have healing powers; Linderman's could just be a "more evolved" version of Takezo Kensei's: able to heal others, plus perhaps able to slow down aging (but obviously, not stopping aging completely) + Linderman had a huge collection of Takezo Kensei artifacts. - Linderman recalls healing his mother on her deathbed in War Buddies, Part 3. In the flashback, his family is wearing modern clothing, and live in a modern house. - Kensei has the power of rapid cellular regeneration. When D.L. Hawkins killed Linderman, Linderman did not regenerate. • In the alternate future Sylar kills Claire by eating her brain. D.L. put his fist through Linderman's head, possibly killing his brain.