As the leader of the Shichi'nintai, Bankotsu is referred to as "great big brother" by the other six members because he is the strongest member and the founder of the group, however is also the youngest. He retrieves his giant halberd Banryū from a castle whose previous lord participated in a plot to put an end to the Shichi'nintai because they were too strong and stirred great fear among the rogue military leaders. Although it takes the strength of three of the lord's strong soldiers to merely lift Banryū, Bankotsu wields it single-handedly, and is a significant challenge to InuYasha in one-on-one melee combat without his Tessaiga.