Kensei sword/Season One
This article archives the history of Kensei sword during Season One.
For more about Kensei sword, see the main article.
For Kensei sword's Season Two history, see here.
History
Collision
When Future Hiro returns to the "present" to give Peter Petrelli the message, he wears the sword on his back.
Better Halves
When Peter delivers the message to present-day Hiro, he tells Ando Masahashi about the sword. When Ando translates, Hiro is definitely impressed and begins miming a swordfight.
Fallout
In a hotel room in Midland, TX, Isaac Mendez slips into a precognitive trance and paints an image of Hiro brandishing a sword at a dinosaur. Hiro observes that he really needs to find that sword.
Godsend
In the Museum of Natural History in New York City, Hiro finds a sword which belonged to the legendary Japanese warlord Takezo Kensei. Believing it will help him focus his powers, he slows time and steals it from its case. Outside the museum, however, he discovers it is a replica: the real sword is in the possession of the Linderman Group. When he tells Isaac and Simone about it, Simone agrees to arrange a meeting with Mr. Linderman and gives him the Dinosaur Painting to take with him.
The Fix
In a parking garage, Hiro is determined to steal the sword to focus his powers. Ando points out the Catch-22: he cannot obtain the sword without using his powers. Hiro believes there is a way, and that the sword has many lessons to teach. Ando believes the sword is simply for killing.
Distractions
Hiro explains to his father that he has to deliver the painting to Mr. Linderman in Las Vegas so that he can steal the sword of Takezo Kensei and use it to stop the explosion. Hiro wishes that he had the sword so he could show Kaito what he could do. Ando later tells him that he should consider Kaito's offer since he can't steal the sword without his powers.
Parasite
With the help of Nathan Petrelli, Hiro gets the Corinthian Casino security to let him go to Linderman's archives where the Kensei sword is kept. In the archives, Hiro delivers the ripped painting of him and the dinosaur to Linderman's curator and distracts him by asking for a receipt for the delivery. As the curator is in another room, Hiro accesses his computer and locates the Kensei sword in the database, causing a nearby drawer to open in the wall. Hiro climbs to the sword, only to be interrupted by the curator who activates an alarm to draw all 754 security guards in the casino to him. However, when the first guard arrives, he pistol-whips the curator unconscious and reveals himself to be Ando who had followed Hiro in secret to help him. After barricading the door, Hiro finally retrieves the Kensei sword and cheers. As the guards start to break in, Ando tells Hiro to use his restored powers to teleport himself out since he now has the sword. However, Hiro tells Ando they will go together and with much less concentration than he's ever used before, teleports himself, Ando and the Kensei sword out of Linderman's archives.
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In Linderman's archives, Nathan and Linderman look at a painting of Hiro and Linderman comments that if Nathan sees him again, to tell him that Linderman wants his sword back.
Hiro carries the sword with him to the future, where he encounters Future Hiro in Isaac Mendez's apartment. Both Hiros draw their swords on each another.
Graphic Novel:String Theory
Future Hiro uses his sword five years in the future to threaten an officer. Later, while looking at his string web, he remembers when his former self used the sword to stab Sylar, but to no avail--Sylar regenerated from the stab wound. Finally, Future Hiro returns to Isaac's apartment, and encounters Hiro; both Hiros draw their weapons.
Five Years Gone
Future Hiro and Hiro discuss the past, both in possession of the sword (a future and a past sword). Hiro is detained by Future Matt, where he takes the past sword away from him. Future Hiro, Ando and Future Peter break into the Homeland Security building to free Hiro. Future Hiro kills multiple guards then heads to save Hiro. After Future Hiro is killed, Future Mohinder gives Hiro the future sword and tells him to leave. Then, Hiro and Ando travel to the present.
The Hard Part
After stopping time, Hiro draws his sword to Sylar's neck. When bringing his sword back to attack, time resumes speed, where Sylar catches the sword, freezing it. Hiro and Ando teleport to Isaac's loft, only to find the sword is broken in two.
Landslide
With the sword broken, Hiro and Ando find a repair shop to take the sword to. While there, Kaito encounters the two and asks to speak to Hiro. Hiro tells his father that the sword was broken while trying to kill Sylar, but Kaito tells him the journey restored his ability, not the sword.
How to Stop an Exploding Man
The sword may or may not have been repaired (it's covered), and Kaito hands it back to Hiro as he leaves to search for Ando. After teleporting away from Sylar, Hiro and Ando arrive at Yamagato Industries, where Hiro hands his sword over to Ando. Stating "It is not the sword, it is the man. This man is ready," Hiro takes Ando's sword and teleports to Kirby Plaza to battle Sylar.
When Hiro arrives in 1671, a warrior is seen brandishing the sword.
Heroes Evolutions
Hiro's blog
- In his post "New York or Bust", Hiro marvels that he will have a sword as Future Hiro. He wonders what kind of sword it will be, but hopes for a katana. He also wonders if it's a magic sword.
- In his post "Practice Makes Perfect", Hiro agrees that the right way to go is to get a katana.
- In his post "Destiny Called", Hiro blogs about Isaac's painting of Hiro fighting a dinosaur with a sword. He notes that the sword seems pretty important, and connects the sword in the painting to the one Peter told him about. He says that Isaac painted what seemed like a two handed katana, and that Hiro must find it.
- In his post "The Sword", Hiro writes extensively about the sword he found. As he puts it, "I've found my sword but not really. There was no sword in the sword." He notes that he found the sword in the Kensei exhibit, took the sword without permission, ended up in a dinosaur exhibit, and then returned the sword replica to the museum as it was donated by the Linderman Group. He declares his resolve to find the real sword.
- In his post "Women", Hiro pines to get his sword back.
- In his post "Hard Choices", Hiro expresses his focus on the mission to "Get the sword. Save the world."
Sword Saint
In Chapter 5, "The Mystery of Kensei", Curator Tatsuya Atsumi documents that Takezo Kensei means "Sword Saint" and so we have little records of his actual name or if he even existed. Legend claims that Kensei was feared before he found his sword. The sword was said to give him focus and calm to his wild temper. Professor Donna Dorn comments that little is known about the sword's origin. Professor Karen Chamberlin adds to Dorn's comment by saying that it is much like King Arthur and his Excalibur; Kensei had to pull the sword from a field of solid ice. In 1977, Daniel Linderman, CEO of Linderman Corporation, found the sword that proved Kensei's existence. Atsumi comments that Linderman contained the largest collection of Kensei artifacts and refused for them to go on tours. This only adds to the mystery because Linderman had been recently killed and the sword went missing shortly before that. Could the killers and everything be connected somehow to Kensei?