Ryoma was once a low class samurai, a ronin without allegiance and a wanted man. But today he is recognized as a person who marshaled a unique strength of personality, diplomacy, and historical vision to help transform his nation, a vision that produced a unified modern Japan out of the rough cloth of a fragmented feudal tradition. Ryoma’s life is a tale of Shakespearian proportions -- a life of daring and personal triumph that helped mold a nation, but also a life lived without regard to personal gain or safety. His life tragically ended prematurely with his brutal assassination.