Who is Takezo Kensei

In ancient Japan, kensei was an honorary title given to a warrior of legendary skill in swordsmanship. The literal translation of "kensei" is "sword saint." The term is considered by some to imply a higher degree of perfection (possibly morally, as well as with the sword) than the more commonly used kengo or "great sword." Although there is no such written rule, the title carries such prestige that it is commonly understood that there should be no more than one kensei at any given time.

Great Talent and Godsend

When Hiro locates his katana in a New York City museum, Ando believes that the Symbol is actually a combination of two Japanese characters - sai (which translates to great talent) and yo (which translates to godsend).

Later, when Ando sees the symbol in Jittetsu Arms, he calls the symbol "Godsend" again.

The Kanji dictionary defines yo as "bestow; participate in; give; award; impart; provide; cause; gift; godsend" and sai as "genius; years old" leading to a broader definition of the symbol under Ando's explaination, possibly as "bestowing talent/genius" or "providing/imparting ability".

The Serpent and the Crane

While sketching the symbol in the sand, Guillame tells his son the story of the serpent and the crane. The serpent was a creature of ambition, tired of crawling on its belly and eating grubs and mice. One day, he spotted the crane. The crane was carefree and stupid, but could fly. The sun shown on her always; she slept in the clouds and drank from the rainbows. The serpent found the crane at her watering hole, swallowed her whole, and was able to fly using her wings. The serpent flew around the sun and to the moon; he ate the clouds and played in the rain. However, Guillame notes, "What good is it to fly, if you have nowhere to go?" He says that the serpent lost touch with the ground. Guillame then scratches through his sketch.

David Anders is best-known for his role as Julian Sark, the deliciously devious bad guy on ALIAS. Learn more about Anders as Sark.

Get to know David Anders

David Anders (born David Anders Holt on March 11, 1981) is an American television and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Julian Sark on the Alias television series.

David was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, to parents Dr. Tony and Jeri Holt. He has two brothers, Jason and Arik, and a sister, Maili. The youngest of four children (one biological brother, an adopted brother, and an adopted sister), he was an energetic youth active in many sports, including basketball and tennis.

Anders started acting in local theatre productions like Jesus Christ Superstar and My Fair Lady. After moving to Los Angeles, he soon landed the role of spy Julian Sark on the television series Alias (2001-2006). He recently made his New York stage debut playing the lead role in the 2005 Fringe Festival production of the original musical, "Beautiful."