By observing his actions, you realize he's a much better written character than initially perceived. Like townspeople and the like had this skewed view of Oden, and the whole perception of his character was that he was just some thuggish brute, who wreaked havoc on the Country. But then when you look at it, it turns out that even though he had a very intense way of going about things, there was always a purpose behind it, and it usually ended in people being drawn to him.
For example, upon his introduction, he was shown eating a meal over the bones of a dead person. While this is hugely disrespectful, and on the surface it looks like he's just some asshole, at the end of it all, he stands up, down his glass of sake and tells the corpse that they will have to wait to have a drink together in the afterlife. When you put it together, him eating a meal over the bones of the dead man, was his way of having one last meal with the guy. The guys bones essentially cooked the meal Oden was eating, and Oden was sharing that final moment with him. The townspeople even noticed it at the end, but were in shock and disbelief in the beginning. Oden was actually honoring the guy, and sharing one final meal with him. Not just being some douchebag with no regard for human life.
That's something that I initially didn't notice during first reading, and when I caught it during the second reading, I realized we need to pay much more attention to Oden's character and actions, because there is something behind all of this.