Ronin

The Masterless Blade

A ronin was a samurai of feudal Japan who had lost his lord or his place of service, set adrift as a masterless wanderer in a society that bound a warrior's honor to loyal service. Stripped of stipend and standing, some sold their swords as mercenaries or bodyguards, others fell into banditry, and a few sought to restore their name through devotion to a cause. The most celebrated were the forty-seven ronin, who avenged their wronged master and then took their own lives.