Unbroken

by

Laura Hillenbrand

Kunichi “Jimmie” Sasaki Character Analysis

A Japanese immigrant, Jimmie befriends Louie at college over their shared love of track. Mysterious and always shifting his allegiances, Jimmie might have spied for the Japanese but he also provided Japanese military secrets to the U.S. government. Jimmie is also extraordinarily conceited, telling Louie during the war that he was the head interrogator in the Japanese prison camps despite only being a low-level translator.
Get the entire Unbroken LitChart as a printable PDF.
Unbroken PDF

Kunichi “Jimmie” Sasaki Character Timeline in Unbroken

The timeline below shows where the character Kunichi “Jimmie” Sasaki appears in Unbroken. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: Into War
War and Identity Theme Icon
...Olympic runner Payton Jordan train for the next Games. Louie befriends a Japanese immigrant named Kunichi “Jimmie” Sasaki , a fellow student who also loves track. But Jimmie is not what he seems.... (full context)
War and Identity Theme Icon
While Louie trains to be a bombardier, the FBI investigates Jimmie Sasaki for espionage. The U.S. government suspected him of relaying information about the U.S. military to... (full context)
Chapter 19: Two Hundred Silent Men
War and Identity Theme Icon
...from Phil, and bring him to a room where he meets his old college friend Jimmie Sasaki . Although Louie remains quiet, Jimmie reminisces about their college days and boasts that he... (full context)
Chapter 20: Farting for Hirohito
Survival and Resilience Theme Icon
War and Identity Theme Icon
...Louie loses the race and becomes increasingly concerned about his failing strength. Louie goes to Jimmie Sasaki for help, who ensures that he will assist him, but ends up only providing him... (full context)
Chapter 36: The Body on the Mountain
War and Identity Theme Icon
...sentenced to death for contributing to the deaths of four prisoners. It also emerges that Jimmie Sasaki had not been the chief interrogator but instead a low-ranking interpreter. Always willing to shift... (full context)