Yashin
Yashin is an anthropomorphic male ferret from Kaze: Ghost Warrior pilot episode. He is one of three characters (himself plus Kaze and Itsua) who does speak in the episode (as with all of the voices in the original pilot, Yashin was voiced by the same person who created the series, Timothy Albee)). A few fans have erroneously identified Yashin as a rat, but the intended and modelled him after a ferret.
Yashin is a local ringleader of Lord Soshi's Enforcers, including Koten and Yasei who cause trouble for folk and especially business owners like Itsua to force them to pay money. He leads a failed attack against Kaze in Itsua's tavern, trying to get a rise out of Kaze by holding Yasashii hostage.
- Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Yashin later tracks Kaze down in an empty field, where Kaze grieves in painful tears over 'Bay and leads a much larger (and fatally failed) attack with at least ten men. Six of his men die from Kaze's incredibly fast, powerful and masterfully skilled attacks and four others flee before Yashin finally stands alone to face Kaze. He trembles as he alone holds his sword to Kaze, but seems to know it is useless ... still, unlike four of his own men, he does not flee as Kaze begins a form of final rites to him, nor does he seem to make any attempt to resist as Kaze holds him, blesses him for his next life, and he grasps around Kaze's arm as Kaze finally executes him with a claw into his throat.
It is unknown if Yashin's reluctant yet seeming resignation to his execution by Kaze was as some show of honor as a warrior (but, then, what honor did Yashin have to personally hold Yasashii, an unarmed civilian, hostage?), or perhaps he feared a fate worse than death with the shame of his earlier defeat to Kaze and failure to serve Soshi.