# Kandata — Short Fiction character guide

> Kandata in Short Fiction by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** this Kandata

**First appearance:** 0027-the-spider-s-thread

## Snapshot

A great robber condemned to Hell, he spots a single spider's thread from Paradise and begins to climb, only to find he is not alone.

## Who they are

Kandata is a notorious bandit whose one remembered act of mercy earns him a slender chance at salvation: a spider's thread dangling into the Pond of Blood. As he climbs with all his strength, he discovers countless other sinners swarming up behind him, and his fear of falling turns to selfish rage. His cry to drive them off—and the thread's answer—form the moral heart of the tale, watched from Paradise by a sad-eyed Buddha.

## Relationships

### [Mōri Sensei](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/characters/mori_sensei)

_professional_

Kandata and Mōri Sensei have a teacher-student relationship, with Mōri guiding Kandata's education.

### [the naval officer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/characters/naval_officer)

_social_

Kandata and the naval officer are fellow travelers or acquaintances, sharing a casual bond.

### [the Buddha](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/characters/the_buddha)

_psychological_

Kandata is a devotee of the Buddha, but their relationship is marked by spiritual struggle and redemption.

### [Mōri Sensei](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/characters/mori_sensei)

_professional_

Kandata and Mōri Sensei have a teacher-student relationship, with Mōri guiding Kandata's education.

## In the story

### [The Spider's Thread](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/chapters/the-spider-s-thread)

A great thief who once spared a spider, earning the Buddha's mercy, but his selfishness causes his downfall.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/chapters/i)

A great robber in Hell, remembered for sparing a spider's life.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/chapters/ii)

The great robber, struggling in the Pond of Blood, sees the spider's thread and attempts to climb to Paradise, but his selfishness causes the thread to break.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/chapters/iii)

Sinks to the bottom of the Pond of Blood after his attempt to save himself fails.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/characters/kandata
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_59_se/characters