As the leader of the Shichinintai, or Band of Seven, Bankotsu was referred to as "great big brother" by the other six members because he was the strongest member and the founder of the group, however he was also the youngest. He retrieved his giant halberd Banryuu from a castle whose previous lord participated in a plot to put an end to the Shichi'nintai because they were too strong and stirred great fear among the rogue military leaders. Although it took the strength of three of the lord's strongest soldiers to merely lift Banryuu, Bankotsu wielded it single-handedly, and was a significant challenge to InuYasha in one-on-one melee combat without his Tessaiga.