Nobu Yoshioka is a Japanese businessman and the leader of an ancient ninja clan organization known as the Hand in the Netflix exclusive series, Marvel's Daredevil. He was portrayed by Peter Shinkoda.
Biography[]
Dealings in New York[]
Working with Fisk[]
Nobu Yoshioka is a businessman who acted as the leader and representative of the mysterious Japanese organization, the Hand, in Wilson Fisk's criminal cartel. In exchange for investments from his organization, he requested a block of Hell's Kitchen and Fisk's assistance in transporting special items and weapons from Japan. However, nobody in Fisk's cartel were sure what Nobu and his organization actually contributed to their group. Nobu would also make a habit of reminding Fisk about the threat his organization posed to his criminal empire to ensure he continued working for their interests.
Nobu later organized the delivery of a child from Japan to New York City, which was referred to as "Black Sky". However, as his men were escorting Black Sky away, the delivery was interrupted by Daredevil and Stick, with the latter killing the child by stabbing him in the heart and fleeing. Nobu blamed Fisk for the delivery's failure as he had guaranteed the safety of Black Sky and informed him the difficulty of finding another one. Though Fisk denied being responsible as he fulfilled his obligations, which was ensuring the police would not interfere, and blamed the failure on Nobu alone. Angered, Nobu threatened to renegotiate the terms of their contract, resulting in Fisk apologizing, before leaving in frustration.
When Nelson and Murdock delayed the eviction of all tenants of a particular building in Hell's Kitchen, Nobu stormed in on a meeting between Fisk and James Wesley to demand the building be delivered to him as promised. Fisk attempted to offer other buildings instead, but Nobu refused and insisted on the one he requested, telling Fisk the people he represented would not accept a change in plans. Fisk then suggested that Nobu provide a warrior to defeat Daredevil in exchange for expediting the evictions for him, which Nobu agreed to.
Confronting Daredevil[]
Fisk later murdered one of the protesting tenants, Elena Cardenas, and made a televised statement subtly taunting Daredevil for being unable to protect her. Fisk then allowed Daredevil to track him to a warehouse, knowing he'd come after him to seek justice for Elena's death. Upon entering the warehouse, rather than finding Fisk, Daredevil was surprised to instead find Nobu waiting for him in his Hand uniform. Nobu explained he had slowed his heartbeat to ensure his presence was a surprise to the masked vigilante, before battling him in combat.
Nobu easily gained the upper hand and lethally injured Daredevil with a Kyoketsu-shoge, slicing his skin and stabbing him in his side before dragging him across the floor. However, before Nobu could deliver the killing blow, Daredevil pulled the shoge from his side and knocked Nobu into barrels of fuel, cutting them open and drenching Nobu in the liquid. He then used a stick to break a nearby light, causing the sparks to ignite the fuel on Nobu, burning him to death.
Fisk later arrives and thanks Daredevil for his unintended assistance, admitting he had decided to eliminate Nobu and knew his pride would make him challenge Daredevil himself. Upon being asked by Wesley on what to do with the corpse, Fisk tells him to let Nobu burn.
Return[]
Searching for Black Sky[]
Nobu reveals his survival to Daredevil
However, unbeknownst to both Fisk and Daredevil, Nobu later recovered from his fatal wounds with the help of his followers; albeit his face still being heavily scarred from the fire. Nobu then continued to direct the Hand's activities in New York City and aimed to find a new Black Sky to lead the Hand in their war against the Chaste. In an attempt to locate one, Nobu abducted and brainwashed several victims into providing blood for a sarcophagus belonging to Black Sky.
When Daredevil and Stan Gibson enter their hideout and attempt to free the prisoners, a masked Nobu stops them by throwing a pair of Bo Shuriken at the two; telling Daredevil they weren't finished yet. Battling the vigilante once again, Nobu continued to best his enemy in the fight, knocking him back with a single powerful hit. Nobu then takes out his Kyoketsu-shoge and commented that he hopes Daredevil still has scars to remember him from their last fight.
Once again overpowering his enemy, Nobu defeats him and cuts the blood supply to the sarcophagus before moving it into an elevator, removing his mask and revealing his scarred face to Daredevil. Shocked and confused, Daredevil claims that he should be dead, but Nobu tells him there is no such thing as death as he escapes with the sarcophagus.
Nobu later ordered his Hand soldiers to go to the hospital and recapture all the prisoners Daredevil had rescued from their hideout. In the proceeding battle, Stan Gibson was killed by his own son and the prisoners were all successfully returned to the Hand. Nobu later watches as Hirochi drains the prisoners of their blood and pours it into the sarcophagus. Once the prisoners had been drained completely, Nobu informed Hirochi that the sarcophagus is finally ready to be used for their plans.
Kidnapping Stick[]
Nobu later has the Hand kidnap Stick to be interrogated for information he had on the Chaste. When Daredevil and Elektra arrive to come after Stick, Nobu and a team of Hand ninjas confronted the three and Nobu revealed that Elektra was Black Sky, the one who was destined to lead the Hand to victory. Nobu then gives Elektra his sword and tells her that the Hand lives to serve her. When Daredevil desperately tries to convince her to change her mind, Nobu offers her the chance to kill him to test her loyalty to the Hand. However, Elektra chooses to make her own destiny and instead helps Daredevil and Stick escape the Hand ninjas.
As Daredevil defeats several ninjas and makes his way up the stairs, Nobu intercepts him and engages in battle with his enemy once again; telling him that the Hand would be victorious and there was nothing he nor the Chaste could do to stop them. Daredevil tells him to just watch him as he charges into Nobu and furiously began fighting him. Despite Nobu's skill, he is unable to best Daredevil and is eventually beaten and kicked off a ledge, briefly being killed again upon impact.
Nobu quickly revives and rose to his feet as he watches Daredevil, Stick and Elektra escape. Realizing that Daredevil is the greatest threat in getting Black Sky to join their side, as he's the only one Elektra truly loved, Nobu tells his men that Daredevil must be killed.
Final Battle and Death[]
Nobu later obtains a list from Brett Mahoney listing the names of twenty people Daredevil has rescued and has his underling Tyler take some men and abduct them all to lure Daredevil into a trap so they could finally kill him. As Tyler took the prisoners, including Karen Page and Turk Barrett, into an abandoned warehouse to await Daredevil's arrival, Nobu took the time to meditate and prepare for his final battle with his foe. When the New York City Police Department arrived, having been warned of the attack and kidnapping, Nobu remained confident that this would not greatly affect their plans as the Hand soldiers began firing arrows at the arriving officers, killing them as they tried to call for backup. Once Daredevil and Elektra arrived at the warehouse and rescued the hostages, Nobu has Tyler hand him his Kyoketsu-shoge and vows to make Elektra theirs by the end of the night.
When Daredevil and Elektra eventually fight their way to the rooftop, Nobu and his army of Hand ninjas were there waiting for them. Nobu once again tells Elektra that she belonged to the Hand while Daredevil belongs in a grave, attacking the vigilante with his Kyoketsu-shoge while Elektra fought his ninjas. Eventually, Daredevil disarms Nobu and he and Elektra team up and push Nobu back, declaring that he's finished and demanding he give up. Enraged, Nobu declares that Elektra belongs to them alone and angrily attacks the pair once again, subduing Elektra and beating Daredevil to the ground; punching off his mask in the process.
Nobu then takes Elektra's twin sai and prepares to stab Daredevil, only for Elektra to run in front of the blade and be stabbed through the heart by Nobu instead, killing her and robbing the Hand of their greatest weapon. Furious that the Hand has lost another Black Sky, Nobu drops the sai and ordered his soldiers to kill Daredevil. However, Punisher unexpectedly appears to assist Daredevil and takes out Nobu's remaining ninjas with his sniper rifle. Fueled by rage over Elektra's death, Daredevil ferociously re-engages Nobu in combat, beating him back with ease before using his Billy Club to tie a wire around Nobu's head and launch him off the rooftop as he fell screaming several floors to the hard ground and died upon impact.
Once again, Nobu quickly revived and rose to his feet, preparing to return to the Hand and continue the war against the Chaste as well as find a new Black Sky to replace Elektra. However, before he could leave, he was stabbed through the heart by a vengeful Stick, who told him that this time he wanted him to stay dead. He then proceeded to pull his sword from Nobu's chest before decapitating him, killing him for good.
Personality[]
| “He doesn't care for the accommodations.” |
| —James Wesley |
| “Misspeak my words again, and I will have your tongue.” |
| —Nobu Yoshioka |
Nobu Yoshioka is a highly calm, gentle, confident, optimistic, and appreciateive man, knowing his own reputation is one of fear and respect due to his association with the Hand, he rarely speaks unless he has a reason to say something. When Leland Owlsley would make inappropriate comments about him, Yoshioka did not retaliate as such an action was below him, instead he just gave a stern look to Owlsley as a warning not to mock him again. However, despite his phlegmatic and collected nature, Yoshioka is still capable of rage, when the Black Sky was murdered by Stick, Yoshioka expressed his anger by openly threatening Wilson Fisk and almost breaking Francis's hand. During his final showdown with Daredevil, Yoshioka's anger pushed him so far that he indirectly killed Elektra by stabbing her through the heart with her own Twin Sai by mistake, leaving him furious.
Trivia[]
- Nobu is similar to DC Comics villain Ra's al Ghul; he died, but was revived via mysterious means.