Tajomaru is a notorious bandit with a long-standing reputation for cruelty and theft. Operating entirely outside societal norms, he takes immense pride in his fearsome public image and fighting prowess. He views the ruling classes with cynical disdain, openly mocking authority figures even while in their custody. Driven by worldly desires, he concocts a treasure-hunting scheme to ambush a traveling samurai and his wife.

Masago is a young noblewoman married to the samurai Takehiko. Described by her mother as spirited and fun-loving, she suffers a severe and violently disruptive assault in a remote bamboo grove. Following the trauma, her primary concern becomes managing the immense public shame and strict societal expectations placed upon a woman of her aristocratic status.

Takehiko is a nobleman and trained samurai traveling with his wife along the Yamashina road. He adheres strictly to the bushido code, which dictates his rigid behavior and sense of honor. Delivering his perspective posthumously through a spiritual medium, he remains deeply concerned with his legacy. He wants his survivors to remember him for his honorable conduct in the face of absolute defeat.

A local peasant who stumbles upon a grisly scene in the bamboo grove while going about his daily routine. He provides the foundational details of the physical evidence left behind, carefully noting the exact condition of the body, the trampled surroundings, and the significant absence of any valuable weapons.

A religious man who passed the traveling couple the day before the crime. He offers detailed physical descriptions of their appearances, clothing, and weaponry. Despite his holy vows, he provides an incredibly precise measurement of the woman's height before quickly backtracking to claim he paid her little attention.

A law enforcement official who apprehends Tajomaru after the bandit is thrown from a horse. Detail-oriented and highly focused on his duties, he meticulously catalogs the specific weapons and items recovered at the scene of the arrest. He quickly draws firm conclusions about the criminal's guilt based on the stolen property.

Masago's mother and Takehiko's mother-in-law. She appears before the authorities to formally identify the deceased. Overwhelmed by the tragedy, she fiercely defends her daughter's chaste character and gentle nature while pleading for the police to hunt down the bandit responsible.