AKA: Rekka no Ryo, Ryo of the Wildfire, Ryo of the Inferno

KANJI: Virtue

SERIES: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors

Anime - Manga
He may be dated now, but Sanada-san is still hot stuff (if you'll pardon the pun). Ryo was my first anime crush - and here's where I have to come clean and confess that it wasn't the anime Ryo that caught my attention. I'll also own up to having never seen YST/RW...nope, not even one episode. The Ryo that won me is the yummy, older version as envisaged by P L Nunn. If you want to take a look at Pam's art, jump over to the fabulous Bishonen Works. The yaoi and non-yaoi sections are clearly marked.

Okay, back to the official version of Ryo featured on this page. He's the leader of the Troopers, and bearer of the Armors of Wildfire and Inferno. His element is fire, his weapons are the twin katana, and his quality is virtue. He's hot-headed, quick-tempered, and a fierce warrior. He is also intensely loyal and would give up his life for his friends.

Yaoi
If Ryo was a real person, he'd be over 30 by now. But since he's not real, he doesn't age like a real person - and he remains a popular subject for yaoi writers and artists. I've already mentioned P. L. Nunn's Bishonen Works, a great place for fans of yaoi. There's also the fantastic Mink's Ronin Yaoi Cake Archive (linked on the right), where you can find plenty of Ryo-centric fiction and art.

As mentioned on my Samurai Troopers page, there are five Trooper members which leads to a (sometimes) problematic "odd man out" situation. Some writers pair Ryo with Mia, leaving the others to buddy up. I'm not sure where this pairing originated because, as I understand it, in the series it was Seiji (Sage) who had a thing for Mia. Anyway, Ryo/Mia are coupled by some yaoi writers - which supposedly (but not always!) removes him from the boy/boy equation. I have read some fiction where Ryo is paired with Shin (Cye), but my personal preference is for the Seiji/Ryo pairing, especially when Ryo is showing a bit of backbone (no, not literally!...well, okay...yes literally, too) in the relationship.

WARNING: Following the Ryo & Friends link will lead to a page that depicts male/male closeness. There are a couple of images some people may consider graphic so if you'd prefer to avoid such content, give the link a miss.