Editing Lone Wolf and Cub (section)

==Creation and conception==
In crafting a weakness for his protagonist (in order to make the story interesting), writer [[Kazuo Koike]] was inspired by the legendary [[Sigurd]], who is made invulnerable by bathing in a dragon's blood—except for where a leaf shields part of his back and retains his mortality. The character of Daigorō was created to satisfy this need.<ref name=":0">''Kazuo Koike on Lone Wolf and Cub'' (2016). ''[[The Criterion Collection]]''.</ref>{{Rp|page=2:00}}

Koike stated in an interview that he crafted the manga to be based upon the characters themselves and that the "essential tension between [Ittō's] imperative to meet these challenges while keeping his son with him on the journey" drove the story.<ref name="KoikeDHint">{{cite web|url=http://www.darkhorse.com/news/interviews.php?id=1261|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060320203346/http://www.darkhorse.com/news/interviews.php?id=1261|archive-date=2006-03-20|title=Kazuo Koike - The Dark Horse Interview 3/3/06|publisher=[[Dark Horse Comics]]|date=2006-03-03|access-date=2002-03-08}}</ref> According to Koike, "Having two characters as foils of each other is what sets things in motion" and that "If you have a strong character, the storyline will develop naturally, on its own."<ref name="KoikeDHint" />

Less than a year after the manga's debut, [[Tomisaburo Wakayama]] came to Koike to propose starring in the films, to which he immediately agreed.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=4:00}}

According to Koike, he knew from the beginning that being killers themselves, both Ogami and Retsudō must die at the end, while Daigorō should survive. Both the producers of the 1970s television series and magazine publisher opposed this, so he had to end his story in his way "without their permission".<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=9:00}}