Kyoshiro Tohdoh

Kyoshiro Tohdoh, 37 years old (38 at R2), is a chequered former officer in the Japanese military with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and the leader of the Four Holy Swords.

Character Outline
Tohdoh originally is seen as a member of the Japan Liberation Front and the leader of the Four Holy Swords. He is the only person to have ever won a battle against the Empire of Britannia during the war, which he notably accomplished without the use of Knightmare Frames. This earned him the nickname Tohdoh of Miracles (奇跡 の 藤堂, Kiseki no Tohdoh), and the event itself would later be known as the miracle of Itsukushima. He is followed by the Four Holy Swords (四聖剣, Shisei-ken), an elite unit consisting of four of his most devoted followers. He was Suzaku Kururugi's former instructor when Suzaku was a child and is one of the few Japanese people who understands Suzaku's ideals. Tohdoh is often seen bearing a katana at his side.

First season
In the first season, Tohdoh is initially a member of the Japan Liberation Front. During the Battle of Narita, Tohdoh along with the Four Holy Swords left the Narita Mountains in order to obtain customized knightmares for themselves from the Kyoto House. Without him and the Four Holy Swords, the JLF is severely outnumbered and outmatched against Britannia. On their way back, Tohdoh notices that something is already up and has the rest prep the knightmares. Tohdoh arrives just in time to save the remainder of the JLF and decides to hold off Cornelia's Royal Guardknowing that it will help Zero in his plan. However, Zero orders a tactical retreat for all Black Knight members leaving Tohdoh and JLF to defend for themselves. As a result, Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords abandon their knightmares to escape.

As the Britannian Army closes in on them, the organization is eventually scattered to the winds and Tohdoh himself captured. His subordinates turn to the Order of the Black Knights for help, and Zero decides to assist in his rescue to win Tohdoh to his side. Before his execution, Cornelia decides to switch the executioner to Suzaku Kururugi. But, since the Black Knights broke in already, a guard was decided to execute Tohdoh before they could rescue him. Zero manages to arrive in time and convince Tohdoh to join him. He is then reunited on the battlefield with the Four Holy Swords and orders them to cooperate with Zero to finish off the remaining enemies. The Lancelot appears in order to stop them and does so with it's Harken Boosters. Since reinforcements were arriving, Zero gave the order to retreat and Tohdoh releases his Gekka's Chaffsmoke to hide their escape. The Four Holy Swords become permanent members of the Black Knights, which each member leading a squad. Tohdoh is made the head of military operations. When Zero abandons the Black Knights after inciting all-out rebellion, leaving Tohdoh to command his forces, the Britannians are able to gain the upper hand and put the rebellion down.

Second season
After the failed rebellion, Tohdoh was arrested by Britannian forces and jailed. Gilbert G.P. Guilford, in an attempt to draw out Zero, threatens to publicly execute Tohdoh along with 255 other members of the Black Knights. Though the threat works, Zero is able to rescue all the prisoners. Despite Zero's former abandonment, Tohdoh does not show signs of discontent and recognizes Zero as the only man who can free Japan. When Zero announces his plans to join Nunnally Vi Britannia's renewed Special Administrative Zone of Japan, Tohdoh seems ready to abandon the Black Knights, but he goes along once Zero's plan of getting the entire order exiled to foreign soil is revealed.

After being exiled from Area 11, Zero and the Black Knights decide to kidnap Empress Tianzi in order to control the Chinese Federation. Tohdoh uses his new knightmare, Zangetsu to fight off Suzaku and is able to damage his Lancelot Conquista's Float System. After his fight with Suzaku, Zero orders him to return to the Ikaruga as they now have Empress Tianzi in their posession. However, Xingke appears in the Shen Hu to rescue the Empress. So, Kallen goes out to stop Xingke, but is captured since her energy filler runs out. Tohdoh is unable to do anything since the Zangetsu's Air Glide System was removed to replenish its energy. Zero decides to make the decision to rescue Kallen even under these dire circumstances and so orders Tohdoh, Chiba and Asahina to attack in the air. Tohdoh engages with Xingke in an attempt to exhaust all of the Shen-Hu's energy, but realizes the Black Knights are at a disadvantage without Kallen. The Black Knights are then caught in Xingke's trap and forces Lelouch to call for a retreat. Tohdoh is then ordered to rescue all members and to rejoin at the Mausoleum of Eighty-Eight Emperors. The battle later ensues at the Mausoleum and with the help of Zero's Shinkiro and strategy was able to stop the High Eunuchs and Schneizel.

Tohdoh later leads Black Knight forces in liberation operations throughout the Chinese Federation and the Middle East before being named Chief of Staff of the newly reorganized Black Knights which serve as part of the national army of the U.F.N.. As part of resolution one of the United Federation of Nations, The Black Knights have been contracted to liberate Japan. Tohdoh participates in the Second Assault on Tokyo Settlement. During the battle, after Asahina recieves information about Zero during the Assault on the Geass Order from Kinoshita, he tries to warn Tohdoh. However, Suzaku still under Lelouch's Geass to live causes him to use the F.L.E.I.J.A. killing Asahina and a large portion of the Black Knights resulting in a ceasefire. Tohdoh along with the other leaders of the Black Knights betray Zero after learning his identity and Geass from Schneizel. He directs the firing squad that nearly executes Lelouch, but is saved by Rolo who is piloting the Shinkiro. He is later seen with the Black Knights observing Lelouch's ascension to the throne.

He later joins Schneizel during the battle against Lelouch. When Lelouch used the Sakuradite in the Fuji mines, Tohdoh orders all units to deploy their Radiant Wave Shielding. However, even with it, most of the knightmares are destroyed or badly damaged. His Knightmare, Zangetsu, is destroyed while battling Suzaku in the Lancelot Albion, however the auto-ejection system activates and Chiba manages to catch his cockpit. Tohdoh is gravely wounded following his duel with Suzaku; he attempts to go back to the battlefield, despite Chiba's pleads against doing so. Tohdoh is insistant on returning the fight, but his injuries ultimately prevent him from rejoining the battle. After the battle, all who opposed Lelouch was captured.

He appears along with all that opposed Lelouch and is headed for their execution. Zero (Suzaku) appears to stop that and kill Lelouch surprising everybody. When Suzaku assassinates Lelouch as the last part of Zero Requiem, Tohdoh appears to realize what was happening. Kallen asserts that Suzaku is the real Zero. He is last seen together with Chiba Nagisa in traditional Japanese attire in a photo of Kaname Ohgi's wedding with Villetta Nu.

Abilities
Tohdoh is a skilled commander and leader as seen during his times in the Japan Liberation Front and the Black Knights turning almost impossible situations into a victory. One such situation was the miracle of Itsukushima were he succeeds in driving back Britannian forces without the use of a single knightmare. However, with a knightmare, he is very skilled and is able to go on par of that of Suzaku Kururugi and other highly skilled pilots such as Guilford and Xingke. It is further proven with the Black Knights assessment giving Tohdoh 100 out of 100 for his combat ability.

Trivia

 * Tohdoh's success at Itsukushima was given further explanation in the light novels; he defeated the much larger Britannian force through the use of jurry rigged Sakuradite based explosives and precise timing. This tactic would later be used by Lelouch when Cornelia attempted the capture of Japan Liberation Front leader General Katase for the last time.