The premiere of Hell's Paradise introduces the two main characters: Gabimaru, a criminal on death row for his crimes as a ninja, and Sagiri, an executioner of the noble Yamada Clan. Following their sudden partnership, the series is centered around their redemption stories and struggles with violence.
Violence was never an issue for Gabimaru, who was brought up under the teachings of assassins with a cold-blooded temperament etched into him. That began to change when he met his wife, Yui. Unlike their people, Yui believes in compassion and ideal humane behavior, passing these values on to her husband. Wanting to leave the village and give them a normal life, Gabimaru was betrayed by his own people and left for death row. When Sagiri meets him, he wants nothing more than death -- but with his immense ninja training, nothing appears to even wound him.
On a mission of her own, Sagiri stirs up Gabimaru's desire to live on and be reunited with his beloved wife. She presents him with the opportunity to be pardoned for his crimes if he can find the legendary Elixir of Life on a mysterious and deadly island. Sagiri has her own noble reasons for taking on the challenge of working with a known criminal. As the daughter of one of the Yamada Clan's best, her pride is on the line to prove herself in a male-dominated clan.
As they face the dangers of seeking the Elixir of Life, as well as the competition of other criminals who've been summoned, they have to find the right balance of survival and humanity. When some criminals are pitted against one another in Episode 2, Gabimaru stands against the violence. While his words are inspirational -- much like Naruto -- the idealism falls on deaf ears in Hell's Paradise. Though he claims to not want to take lives, Gabimaru kills his competition with the utmost brutality, revealing his tendency to focus more on survival than compassion. Sagiri also faces criminals who target her, but rather than attacking with no remorse, she's torn up about taking their lives even though it meant her survival.
