It's time for another weekly Samurai Fact!

This week's fact... Ronin.

Otherwise known as drifters or wanderers, ronin are commonly described as "masterless samurai". However, that definition is overly simplified and misleading. To be more precise, ronin are people who USE to be samurai, but have lost the right to hold that title due to losing the masters they were suppose to serve.

A samurai's typical defining trait is their loyalty to their masters; specifically their daimyo's. Should something happen to their master, by order of Bushido, they are suppose to commit Seppuku/Harikiri and die out with their master. Therefore, any samurai who fail to do this are in opposition to bushido, and cannot rightfully call themselves samurai anymore. Some ronin refused to commit ritual suicide under cowardice. However, due to errors of the class system, there were times when samurai were forced to become ronin against tradition; usually when a samurai was meant to be transferred to a new clan or master but nothing came of it. Many ronin were pretty upset with the system, since they still had plenty to offer and desperately wanted to serve as samurai since they still had a lot to offer for their country.

But hey! It's not all bad. Sure some took to crime just to make ends meet, but plenty of ronin could still get jobs. They could be hired body guards, bouncers, or they could eventually become part of the Shinsengumi!