Kondō Isami (November 9, 1834 – May 17, 1868) was a Japanese swordsman and samurai whose legacy endures from the turbulent final years of the Edo period. As the fourth-generation master of Tennen Rishin-ryū, he upheld a deeply rooted martial tradition, wielding it with exceptional skill and tenacity. He rose to prominence as the commander of the Shinsengumi, an elite samurai police force tasked with protecting Kyoto during a time of intense political unrest. Kondō’s leadership and valor cemented his reputation, making him both a symbol of loyalty to the Tokugawa shogunate and a notable figure amid Japan’s shifting cultural landscape as it approached the Meiji Restoration. Ultimately, he was arrested by Imperial forces and executed for involvement in the assassination of Sakamoto Ryōma during the Ikeda-ya Incident. Celebrated in popular culture to this day, his life, marked by dedication and tragedy, resonates as a story of duty and unyielding spirit.