A fierce and valiant warrior serving the Minamoto clan. In this play, he is portrayed as a tragic father who sacrifices his own son's life to fulfill his duty of loyalty. He displays the bold bearing of a mighty samurai through powerful mie poses such as the 'Hirayama mie' and the 'seisatsu mie,' yet he also reveals the grief-stricken heart of a father mourning his child. This striking contrast is the greatest highlight of the role.

His final exit down the hanamichi, murmuring 'Sixteen years feel like a lifetime ago...,' is a scene of such heartbreaking sorrow that it moves audiences to tears.

The wife of Kumagai Naozane. She is a devoted mother who travels all the way to the battlefield out of concern for their son Kojirō.

She had trusted her husband completely, knowing nothing of the truth — until she learns that her own son was the one sacrificed. The depth of her grief is staggering. Her portrayal conveys the raw, piercing sorrow of a mother in a way that resonates deeply with audiences.

The legendary hero of the Minamoto clan and a tragic nobleman. Depending on the play, he may appear as a commanding leader or as a figure in need of protection — comparing his portrayal across different works is part of the fun.

In Kumagai Jin'ya, he serves as a compassionate supreme commander. He perceives that Kumagai has sacrificed his own son, and though he recognizes the head as a substitute, he acknowledges it with the words 'You have done well.' He is a leader who bears the suffering of those who serve him.

He appears to be nothing more than a cheerful old stonemason, but in reality he is Taira no Munekiyo, a former high-ranking retainer of the Taira clan — a figure of great importance.

At first he plays the fool, but the transformation when he reveals his true identity — shifting from a doddering old man to a dignified warrior — is riveting. Watch for the powerful moment of unspoken understanding between him and Kumagai, a scene of deep camaraderie between two men of honor.

The mother of Taira no Atsumori, the young warrior reportedly slain in battle. Despite her noble birth, she has ventured into enemy territory, driven by a mother's desperate love for her son.

At first, she furiously confronts Kumagai, demanding 'Give me back my son!' But when she learns the truth — that Kumagai sacrificed his own child to save hers — she is struck speechless. It is a demanding role that requires the actress to convey the complex intertwining of a mother's grief and her gratitude toward Kumagai.

Though he does not appear on stage in this scene, he is the central figure around whom the entire story revolves. A Taira clan warrior renowned as a gifted flute player and secretly an illegitimate son of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa, he is also known as 'Mukan no Tayū' (Lord Without Office) because he held no official court rank.

He was supposedly slain by Kumagai at the shore of Suma, but in truth, Kumagai's own son Kojirō was substituted in his place — a life that Kumagai protected at the ultimate cost.

He appears in the preceding scene, 'Jinmon' (The Camp Gate). The only son of Kumagai Naozane, he is a sixteen-year-old youth facing his first battle. He is portrayed as a refined young warrior with an appreciation for beauty, moved by the sound of a flute.

Officially, he was said to have withdrawn from the front lines due to injury, but in truth he became the substitute for Taira no Atsumori. All of his father's feelings are encapsulated in those parting words: 'Sixteen years feel like a lifetime ago...'