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Names are in Japan ese order, with the surname before the given name. The Viz manga uses the Japanese order in Rurouni Kenshin while the English anime uses the Western order. Friends of Himura Kenshin Other people with whom Kenshin has formed friendships in Tokyo and beyond. Tsukayama Yūtarō Japanese Seiyuu: Mayumi Tanaka English Voice Actor: Dave Lelyveld A rich son of a former samurai, who wants nothing more than to learn swordsmanship. In the anime, he wants to become stronger than his father once was. He learns the basics of Kamiya Kasshin Ryū from Kamiya Kaoru and becomes a rival to Myōjin Yahiko , but then returns to the person he believes to be his true sensei, Raijuta. After Raijūta injures him to the extent where he can't use his right hand, he goes to Germany where they have more advanced medicine. In the manga, Yūtarō is the son of a wealthy merchant (whom used to be a samurai), and wants nothing more then to learn swordsmanship. He first appears in volume 5, chapter 34, as a little follower of Raijuta. He is later asked to stay in the Kamiya dojo to find more information about Kenshin. Kenshin and Raijuta gets into a fight and Yūtaro gets injured in the process. It all ends up with Yūtarō to Germany to try to heal his injury. Tsukioka Tsunan Tsukioka Katsuhiro, later Tsukioka Tsunan, was a survivor of the Sekihōtai after it was disbanded by the government. Called Katsu by Sanosuke, Tsunan became an artist after the Meiji Restoration . He is an expert at explosive weapons and gunpowder, and intends to use them. Later in the series, Sano and Katsu try to embark on a terrorist campaign against the Meiji government, but are stopped by Kenshin. Since then, Katsu buried his bombs and became a journalist for his own newsletter. Later on in the anime series, he becomes a valuable source of information for Kenshin and Sanosuke. Hiko Seijūrō The thirteenth successor to the sword art of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū, Hiko Seijūrō saved Shinta from marauding bandits who killed his caretakers. Hiko then took care of Shinta, and named him Kenshin ("Heart of Sword"). He became angry and disappointed with Kenshin, because he ran away to join the rebellion against the Tokugawa Regime . He shut himself away from the rest of the world; he lives as a potter close to the forest near Kyoto . In SeisōHen/Reflection, he also realizes that the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū no longer seems relevant in the changing world, as he remarks to Yahiko: "The only thing that doesn't seem to change is the moon." Hiko is perhaps the strongest swordsman around; he is superior even to Kenshin. Although the two are comparable in speed, Hiko possesses a superior sense of judgement in combat and the superhuman strength (hidden, and even suppressed, underneath his heavy cloak) to wield Hiten Mitsurugi Ryū to its maximum. Hiko's favourite technique is Kuzu Ryū Sen. After fifteen years, master and student meet once more. It is then that Kenshin will complete his training, if Kenshin can survive Hiko's ego. The cloak is not only a distinctive for all Hiten Mitsurugi masters, but it also serves to strengthen them in peacetime. Even when conflict is not at the door, Hiko remains in training just by wearing it, as it is composed of several heavy materials that weigh him down and force him to work out. The name "Hiko Seijūrō" is in fact a title granted to each succeeding master of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū. Since Hiko Seijūrō II, each new master has discarded his own name in favor of the name of the creator of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū. As Kenshin declines to take the name "Hiko Seijūrō XIV", his master is the last man ever to be known as Hiko Seijūrō. Hiko is shown to be very sarcastic, egotistical and a punishing taskmaster, often referring to Kenshin as "My stupid/idiot apprentice," and bringing up Kenshin's past to provoke him into training harder. Despite this rough exterior, he has a deep sense of responsibility to Kenshin and those he protects, in the rare cases where he does get involved in a situation (usually at his own will). He loves sake, himself, and enjoys teasing Kenshin, although this is a testament to his excellent skill and powerful body. He is also very unsociable and takes up the life of a pottery artist to avoid people. Himura Kenji Kenshin and Kaoru's son. In the manga the reader only gets a glimpse of him. Kenji tends to take a liking to his mother more than his father and enjoys pulling on Kenshin's hair. In ''SeisōHen''/''Reflection'' he is a teenager. He despises his father for always leaving Kaoru's side and has left home to go to Kyoto in order to ask Hiko Seijūrō XIII to teach him the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū. Kenji is initially mistaken regarding the true strength of his father. He wants to learn "his father's swordsmanship" in order to create his own legend. However, after a duel with Yahiko, Kenji feels the brunt weight of Kenshin's Sakabatou and realizes that the true strength and legend of his father was not in his ability to slay people, but his devotion and self-sacrifice to those around him. In the end, he was given the sakabatō as a late Genpuku present. Kenji settles down with Raikōji Chizuru, who originates from Watsuki's original short stories; this girl, bears a striking resemblance to his mother since she was the character who inspired him to create Kaoru. Sagara Sōzō Based on the actual captain, Sagara Sōzō ( 1839 - 1868 ) was the leader of the Sekihōtai 's First Troop. Sanosuke looked up to him greatly; he was, to Sanosuke, the ideal role model. He was killed when the Meiji government purged the Sekihōtai, leading to Sanosuke's embitterment towards it. His head was placed on a platform and in a cage for all to see, it haunts Sano still to this very day. Sometime after his death, Sano took his name and became Sagara Sanosuke. Sekihara Tae The manager of the beef hot pot restaurant, the Akabeko. She has a twin sister named Sae managing in a similar restaurant called the Shiroubeko in Kyoto. Sanosuke also owes her a seemingly large sum of money in which interest is accounted for. She has also tried to push the relationship between Kenshin and Kaoru since it seemed it to her that it wasn't going anywhere. Sanjō Tsubame Helps Tae at the restaurant, and is Yahiko's sweetheart. She was saved by him from the ronin her family worked for as Yahiko stopped them from robbing the Akabeko. In Seisōhen/Reflection, the viewer see that they become a couple. She is very shy and softspoken. Dr. Genzai A venerable old doctor and friend of the Kamiya Dojo, he often offers treatment or advice early in the series. In the television show, he is the grandfather of two impossibly cute little girls (Genzai Ayame and Genzai Suzume) who also like hanging around the Dojo. After the group meets Takani Megumi , he offers her training and lets her take over his clinic when on vacation or out collecting herbs. Genzai Ayame Nonexistent in the manga. Ayame is the older of the two siblings. Like many of the village children, she likes to play with Kenshin. Genzai Suzume Nonexistent in the manga. The younger of the two. She and her sister, along with other village children, like to play with Kenshin. Oniwabanshū The Oniwanbanshu were the protectors of Edo Castle during the Edo period. In Rurouni Kenshin, they are comprised of the following members:Shinomori Aoshi, Hannya, Shikijo, Hyottoko, Beshimi, Makimachi Misao, Okina, and various x-Oniwanbanshu. Shinomori Aoshi The kanji of his name roughly means "Four's forest Blue purple" Leader of the Oniwabanshū, it was Kashiwazaki Nenji (Okina) who suggested he become the new leader. Aoshi was very gifted spy as a young man, becoming the leader of the Oniwabanshu at the mere age of 15. Aoshi, once kindhearted, even helping to raise Makimachi Misao , wanted to prove that the Oniwabanshū were the strongest during the times of the Revolution, as they were unable to fight at a pivotal point in the Boshin War (1868-1869). A dangerous opponent, he uses his speed together with a mix of sword and hand-to-hand combat moves called Kenpo. He joined with Kanryū as 'muscle' in his drug manufacturing operation which is how he came face to face with Kenshin, who was trying to rescue Takani Megumi . Their battle ends with Aoshi's defeat. Aoshi angers Kanryu who later betrays him and kills the rest of the Oniwabanshū with a Gatling Gun . After the deaths of the rest of his group, Aoshi hides in the mountains where he has buried his friends' heads (in the manga at least) and he stays there to train until he heads down to Tokyo to find and kill Kenshin. However, Kenshin has left for Kyoto. Once in Kyoto Aoshi joins with Shishio in hopes of fighting Kenshin and even fights his old friend Okina to try and learn the Kenshin's whereabouts (but fails to get the location). Towards the end of the Kyoto Arc, the most-anticipated battle arrives and Kenshin fights Aoshi. Kenshin saves Aoshi from his own madness, as he realizes that death is not the answer to his situation. To put an end to the feud and see who is truly the strongest, both decide to use their strongest attacks (their succession attacks, or "Ōugi") and Kenshin's Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki defeats Aoshi. He later appears to fight against Shishio to buy time for Kenshin. He also re-appears in the filler arcs, though he takes no major role. In the Jinchū Arc (manga only), he helps Kenshin by solving the mystery of Kaoru's "death" and also defeats the puppet master, Gein, who made the Kaoru doll. He also beats one of the Sushin bodyguards (Suzaku, I think), but the Sushin was only made because Watsuki didn't want Sanosuke, Saito, Yahiko and Aoshi to just stand there while Kenshin fought. Aoshi was based on Hijikata Toshizo , the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. There are two ways Hijikata is portrayed in books and fiction; Aoshi grew out of the Hijikata who killed his gentler feelings and buried his human weakness. Aoshi origionally fought with only one Kodachi but after Kenshin defeats him he switches to using two Kodachis and takes up the Kodachi Nitōu Ryū style. The style is based around the two Kodachis and mostly consists of attacks with a Kodachi in each hand. His techniques are: ''Onmyuo Kousa:'' Aoshi uses this cross-shaped slash when he is opposed by something he can't cut. He strikes with the first blade and then with the second blade perpendicular (hence the cross shape) to the first. This attack has been witnessed to cut Okina's metal tonfa (kempo attack stick, similar to a police baton) with ease. ''Kaiten Kenbu:'' Aoshi claims to use this attack on "all who intruded upon Edo castle". It involves Aoshi rapidly spinning around three times to slash the opponent thrice across the chest. Aoshi usually uses this attack after disorienting the opponent with Ryuusui no Ugoki.
''Onmyou Hasshi:'' Aoshi throws both kodachi straight at the opponent, however, the second kodachi is hidden directly behind the first. So the opponent would only see one kodachi heading for him/her in their line of sight. ''Gokou Juji'': Aoshi crosses his two kodachi in an X formation and lunges forward with them to slice the opponent's neck. ''Ryuusui no Ugoki:'' This is moving technique where Aoshi moves fast and silently. He does so in such a way that he confuses his opponent. He used this to attack Kenshin with Kaiten Kembu and tried to use it against Okina, but latter being a ninja, probably was familiarized with the attack and was able to defend against it. It looks as if many images of Aoshi start spinning around the opponent. Makimachi Misao
Originally cared by Shinomori Aoshi (the leader of the Oniwabanshuu) and his group, she is the grand-daughter of the former leader. She has a major crush on Aoshi, and as a 16-year-old, probably is in love with him. At some point in her childhood, Aoshi hands her over to Okina, another member of the Oniwabanshuu (Kashiwazaki Nenji), in order for her to have a safe and normal childhood. Misao therefore has abandonment issues, and upon growing older begins searching Japan for Aoshi and the other members of the Oniwabanshū. She idolizes them and does not realize that many others see them as murderers and criminals. During the Kyoto arc, Misao meets Aoshi again, but not under happy circumstances. She is trained as a ninja and uses Kunai (throwing knives) as her weapon. Nicknamed "Itachi musume", or "weasel girl" by Saitō. Also, her relationship with Aoshi after Ruroken ended was never really unveiled. Kashiwazaki Nenji (Okina) Okina is a strong fighter and a talented strategist. He is said to be the only one who can equal the former Oniwabanshu leader in a fight. Okina was to become the next leader but refused the position, saying that it was the time for the young,not the old and recommended Aoshi to be the next leader. He was then made an agent in Kyoto for gathering information. Upon retiring, he gave up his fighting ways (although he was seen fighting Aoshi) and now lives peacefully in Kyoto at the Aoiya (House of Malva), the headquarters of the Oniwabanshū (which is now a hotel), where he raised Misao. Although old, Okina still possesses a quick mind and knows all of the outer and inner workings of Kyoto since the old intelligence network of the Oniwabanshu is still active. He uses this network to help Kenshin find Arai Seikuu and Hiko Seijūrō. Okina tends to like drinking games... and pretty girls. Han'nya Han'nya is a pupil of Aoshi. The villiage he was born in was poor so he was to be killed to reduce the number of people to feed. Han'nya survived but he couldn't return to the village so he wandered around like an animal until Aoshi found him and gave him a position in the Oniwabanshu. Han'nya is the master of disguise within the group, an ability he gained by removing all his prominent facial features (lips, nose, cheekbones, and ears), which is why he wears the demonic mask on his face. As Aoshi gave him something to live for in the Oniwabanshu and was the only one to look past his gruesome appearance and train him without discrimination, he is very loyal to him, and would die for him, as was proven at the end of the Kanryū arc, giving his life to allow Kenshin enough time to retrieve his sakabatō to defeat Kanryū and save Aoshi. Han'nya's style of combat evolves primarily from his discipline from Aoshi. However, he adds his own bit to it by having painted his arms in vertical stripes, giving them the appearance of being shorter than they actually are, thus luring opponents into a false sense of security regarding distance of attacks. Kenshin defeats this tactic by using the sakabato in a manner to act as a ruler of sorts, allowing him to see through the optical illusion. Based on Yamazaki Susumu , one of the spies in the Shinsengumi. Hyottoko Hyottoko is one of the Oniwabanshū members that decided to go with Aoshi when he left Okina caring for Misao. His massive belly makes him nearly impervious to direct physical attacks. Hyottoko mainly breathes fire at his opponents, by means of a large oil bag he keeps stored in his stomach and a nozzle he keeps in his mouth. He lights the flames by using his front teeth, which he replaced with flint. He died at Kanryu's hand, protecting Aoshi from the gatling gun. Shikijō One of the Oniwabanshū members. Shikijō was a soldier for the Satsuma faction until he was beaten by Aoshi (the scars all over Shikijo's body were made by Aoshi), who gave him a chance to join up with the Oniwabanshū and gained strength using Oniwabanshū training methods. He is mainly a hand to hand figher but he also swings around a huge ball and chain. He fights Sano at Kanryu's mansion and is defeated. He was the first to die at Kanryu's hand, protecting Aoshi from the Gatling Gun. Beshimi The smallest of the Oniwabanshu, Beshimi uses his speed to compensate for his lack of strength. His favourite weapon are darts, with which he poisons Yahiko, and later on in the anime jams Kanryu's gatling gun. He was gunned down by Kanryu shortly afterward. Kenshin's opponents The opponents Kenshin meets throughout the series. Udō Jin-e Jin-e was a hitokiri (assassin) during the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate like Kenshin was. He is remarkably bloodthirsty, and serves his victims advance warning of their impending doom. He then kills them exactly on time no matter what preparations they have made in their defense. Jin-e used to be a member of the Shinsengumi but the group tried to have him killed because of his excessive bloodlust. He then killed his would-be assassins and escaped to the Inshin Shishi where he killed as a hitokiri until the end of the Bakumatsu. At the dawn of the Meiji era he took the name Kurogasa (Black Hat of Rushes) and became a serial killer, his main targets being former Ishin Shishi now active in the government. He killed for 10 years until he ran into Kenshin. In the Kyoto arc it is revealed that he was working for an assassination ring run by a Meiji government secretary. Jin-e's sword style is ''Nikaido Heiho'' and he possesses a technique unique to it known as ''Shin no Ippō'', in which he uses his ki to immobilize people with a glance of his eyes. He can also use it to perform the ''Hyoki no Jutsu'', in which he hypnotises himself to bring out his full strength. Jin-e longs to fight and kill Kenshin because he wants to enjoy fighting Hitokiri Battosai in an intense deathmatch; he even kidnapped Kaoru to force Kenshin to revert back to his Battosai form. In the battle, Kenshin finally reverts back to Battōsai and vows to kill Jin-e when he paralyzes Kaoru's lungs. Kenshin uses Battojutsu Soryūsen to defeat Jin-e, breaking his right arm, and is about to kill him until Kaoru breaks the Shin no Ippō and stops him from doing it. Afterwards Jin-e commits suicide to protect the identity of the politician that ordered the assassinations (he also says that life would have been boring with his crushed arm). As Jin-e dies he tells Kenshin that he'll be watching him from hell to see how long he can remain a wanderer who doesn't kill. Takeda Kanryū A cunning money-minded industrialist who started the opium dealing business in Tokyo and forces Takani Megumi to make the drug after the death of his previous opium maker. The purpose of his opium business is to generate enough profits to bring in modern Westernized weapons such as the Gatling Gun and sell them as an arms dealer. He builds his own private army in Tokyo composed of various gun users, sword users, and yakuza, as well as the infamous Oniwabanshu. He thinks he has the Oniwabanshu under his thumb but when Himura Kenshin shows up at his mansion to save Megumi, he finds himself demoted by Shinomori Aoshi. He resorts to using his Gatling Gun to kill all his enemies in the mansion including Aoshi. He manages to kill the four Oniwabanshū who died protecting Aoshi. However, his gun is damaged in the anime (in the manga he runs out of ammunition) and he is defeated by Kenshin; he was later arrested by the police. Takeda Kanryū is somewhat based on Takeda Kanryūsai, the captain of the Shinsengumi 's Fifth Troop. Takeda Kanruysai was rumored to be gay. Isurugi Raijūta Leader of the 'Knights of Shinkoryu' faction. Raijūta's personality and motives differ in the manga and anime. In the anime he aspires to form a "kingdom" of Japanese swordsmen with a rebel group of Samurai, starting at Tsukuyama Yūtarō's home in the province of Izu by using Yūtarō's admiration of Raijūta to his advantage. In the manga he is dissatisfied with the current state of swordsmanship in Japan and plans to revive the old style of swordsmanship (the killing sword) with his Shinkoryu by traveling around Japan and shutting down shinai dojos by force, gathering the strongest swordsmen he's met along the way. He uses the Tsukuyama family's money to fund his campaign. Although Raijūta appears to be a tough fighter, proficient in the ''Shinkoryu Izuna'' style, the Izuna techniques are all show and no true power. Although he severed the nerves in Yūtarō's right arm, he could only scratch Kenshin. In the manga, despite his talk of the killing sword he is revealed to have never killed anyone himself. Two of Raijūta's techniques are demonstrated in the series. The first is ''Matoi Izuna'' (Wrapping Around Rice Paper), which is a strike directed along the ground, similar to Kenshin's DoryuSen. The second is ''Tobi Izuna'' (Flying Rice Rope), in which the sword creates a vacuum in the air, and directed towards its target. It's largely ineffective, despite his claim that it's his "ultimate killing technique". In the anime he is defeated by Kenshin after his men and the police start fighting. In the manga Kenshin defeats him but also destroys his confidence as a swordsman and as a result he is never able to pick up a sword again. Saitō Hajime (Fujita Gorō)
A former leader of the Third Squad of the Shinsengumi, an extremely powerful loyalist faction in Kyoto during the time of the Bakumatsu. Now a policeman working for the Meiji Government. Extremely strong and vicious, he has a long time rivalry with Kenshin. He was involved in the Ikedaya Affair , although he failed to prevent the Kyoto Holocaust, and, ultimately, the victory of the Ishin Shishi. He has no compassion or mercy for his enemies. He lives by the Shinsengumi code "Aku Soku Zan"("Swift Death To Evil"/"Kill Evil Immediately"). He believes in peace and order, even in the society created by his enemies. Anyone he considers to be a threat to peace is a target for elimination. He is an agent of the destruction of corrupt political elements in Japan. He considers Sanosuke to be a child with mild potential, due to Sanosuke's lack of insight. Saitō Hajime ( 1844 - 1915 ) was an actual historic figure of this era, and a number of details presented on his character are based on facts. Saito is an excellent warrior, as he is an able observer and a quick analyst. Saito mastered several techniques of the standard Shinsengumi style, the ''Shinsengumi-Kenzyutu''. His techniques consist of the techniques of ''Gatotsu'' - the Fang Thrust. The four standard techniques are ''Ichiki'' - First Stance (standard level ground), ''Nishiki'' - Second Stance (attacking from the air toward the ground), ''Sanshiki'' - Third Stance (attacking from the ground toward the air), and ''Zeroshiki'' - Zero Stance (attacking at point-blank range with all his upper body strength). None of the Gatotsu techniques are real moves but the Shinsengumi's Hirazuki technique was. He was married to Tokio Takagi, the daughter of a samurai from Aizu . Shishio Makoto's Faction Shishio Makoto Shishio Makoto was the successor to Kenshin as the hitokiri in the shadows after Kenshin became a free wheeling swordsman for the Inshin Shishi. Shishio handled the assassinations after Tomoe's death and was responsible for the murder of Izuka, the man who had sold out Kenshin. He was very secretive about himself, even more so than Kenshin; the members of the Choshu and Satsuma clans knew very little about him. He was extremely clever, ambitious, and power hungry, believing himself to be the future leader of Japan. During the Boshin War, the new government attempted to silence him to prevent his knowledge of them from being used as a weapon against them. He was shot in the head and burned alive by the Meiji Government, but he survived, sustaining fantastical damage to his entire body. Afterwards, he began working underground in Kyoto, plotting the overthrow of the new government. During this time he assembled a group of the best swordsmen in Japan to fight for him and named them the Juppongatana. Shishio envisioned a Japan ruled by him, enforcing the principles of natural selection, or what he called "Survival of the Fittest". It was under this belief he ran his campaign against the Meiji government, as he felt it was too weak to effectively lead the country. This was during the time when the stronger western countries were colonizing the weaker countries. Also using his motto he molded an ideological disciple out of Sōjirō. He planned to strengthen the economy with petroleum once he took over the country. He uses a sword with a serrated blade called ''Mugenjin'' which is soaked in the flesh, oils and body fat of the victims he had killed over the course of his life. Thus, he is able to execute fire-oriented techniques. Shishio's fighting skill closely matches that of Kenshin . He, like Kenshin, is able to register his opponent's techniques, and could then analyze their strengths and weaknesses, taking advantage of them. His will to live is abnormally strong, almost as strong as Kenshin's. In battle, he does not disappoint. His speed is exceptional, but his power is almost beyond comprehension. His only 'weak point', however, is his medical condition. Due to the intense burns he received, his sweat glands and pores were completely destroyed, thus his mummy-esque visage. He therefore, has an elevated body temperature due to his lack of sweat as a cooling mechanism and can only fight at full strength for 15 minutes (which is why he uses the Juppongatana to fight for him). In the final battle with Kenshin, he continued to fight although he had gone beyond his 15 minute limit. As a result, his body became so hot his blood started to evaporate, though he still had a lot of power left. Right at the moment Shishio surpassed his limit his temperature skyrocketed--igniting his body fat and oils and turning him into a human torch, leaving him to die burning alive. As he did, he laughed maniacally, the meaning to the laughter lost to everyone. In the very end in both the anime and manga, Shishio is seen with Yumi and Hoji in Hell. All three walk off into the distance, with Shishio claiming that he will conquer Hell. Shishio's techniques revolve around his sword Mugenjin, which he uses to wield use what are called "The Three Secret Swords". Or at least that is what Hoji calls them. ''Homura Dama'' This is the technique Shishio has used the most. Using friction to ignite the oil in his sword, serving to distract the opponent from his swings. The result is being simutanously burned and slashed at the same time ''Guren Kaina'' He fills his gauntlets with gunpowder, and ingites them with the sparks caused by Mugenjin. Thus it results in an explosion. Although he grabbed Kenshin before using it, it is not necessary to have a firm grip on the enemy. Against Saito, he used it as an explosive punch. Guren Kain dishes out a lot of force, but the gloves have to be changed after use. ''Kaguzuchi'' The Kaguzuchi is the ultimate technique in Shishio's arsenal. It is not fully revealed, but one can guess the conclusion. By scraping the full length of his blade across the scabbard, he unleashes the full flame of the Mugenjin. It appears as a fiery tornado around the blade. Presumably Shishio just starts the fire and quickly slashes at the enemy. Thus he can incinerate them entirely while still cutting them. Komagata Yumi
Komagata Yumi was an ''oiran'', a courtesan (basically she was the highest rank of prostitute) in Yoshiwara, formerly an Akasen . Because of that, she is intelligent, dignified, well-cultured, and was brought up in a comfortable life. She was always interested in social issues and occurrences in Japan, and became reviled at the Japanese government's stance regarding prostitutes (according to the government they were no better than cows or horses). She came to love Makoto Shishio with an utmost passion, which he returned. Thus, she joined Shishio's conspiracy to bring down the Meiji government. She is constantly concerned about Shishio's medical state. Even though she loved the Meiji era's devil, Yumi is kind and feels justified in her love (Chou implies that she only found true happiness when she met Shishio). She also became Sōjirō's best friend, and cares for him dearly. She dies trying to protect Shishio when his body becomes overheated in his fight with Kenshin. Shishio runs her through with his sword, killing her in the process and wounding Kenshin as well. Knowing that she has finally been of use to Shishio in his most important battle, she dies happy. She is last seen with Shishio in hell. The Juppongatana The Juppongatana (Ten Swords) is an elite group of swordsmen that acts as a special attack force. They fight under Shishio Makoto against the Meiji government. Seta Sōjirō
Seta Sōjirō is a teenage assassin, trained by the master mankiller Shishio Makoto. Sōjirō is famous for his lack of battle aura, or, simply, emotion. He expresses no anger, cites no fear in his enemies, other than with his sword. His constant, sweet, smiling face and kind manners stem from his tragic past. An illegitimate child, Sōjirō's father left him in the care of his family, who badly mistreated him. He was assigned tasks such as carrying rice to and from the family warehouse and beaten whenever he messed up. Sōjirō built a defense against their lashings at him; he put on an optimistic face, and became used to the torture. Then, they would leave him alone. One night, he met Shishio, who was on the run from the police. Shishio taught Sōjirō that only the strong may live. With that mentality, Sōjirō slaughtered his oppressors, who had tried to murder him for housing a branded killer. Although he's not particularly bright, Sōjirō's apparent lack of emotion, his simple, insensitive mentality, "The strong will live and the weak shall die," and his skills make him a formidable foe to Kenshin. He is the one who destroys Kenshin's first Sakabato in a brief duel at Shingetsu Viliage. Sōjirō's abilities has earned him the title of ''Tenken'' or ''Heavenly Sword'' (''Ten'' meaning Heaven and ''Ken'' meaning Sword). During his duels with Kenshin, he wields the legendary swords ''Nagasone Kotetsu'' and ''Kikuichimonji Norimune'', and is already master of the style ''Tenbu no Sai Niyoru Ken''. His ''Shukuchi'' utilizes such powerful speed that, to an observer, it appears that the distance between the two fighters has shrunk (hence the name Shukuchi "reduced earth"). During his fight with Kenshin, Sōjirō continually states he's only moving "three steps below Shukuchi" or "two steps below shukuchi." While moving at this speed, the only thing that could be seen was Soujirou's footsteps ripping through the tatami mat. While doing the true Shukuchi, Sōjiro completely disappears and cannot be seen, even by Kenshin. He is also well versed in the ''Battōjutsu'' style like Kenshin, as is evidenced when he destroys Kenshin's first Sakabato. Combining the true Shukuchi with the Battōjutsu he has created his only named technique, ''Shun Ten Satsu'' (Instant Heaven Murder). It is named this because the speed behind the attack is so swift that the opponent dies instantly. According to Sōjirō: "there isn't an instant even to feel the pain". Eventhough the speed behind the Shun Ten Satsu is faster than Kenshin's Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, In terms of power however, it is slightly weaker than the Hiten Mitsurugi ougi. After he is defeated Sōjirō begins wandering. Sōjirō wants to find his own truth. A variety of characters in the Kenshin series were based on real people. Watsuki has publicly stated that the character design of Sōjirō is loosely based upon Okita Sōuji, Captain of the 1st Squad of the Shinsengumi. It should be noted however that the latter has also been featured in the episodes and movies. Uonuma Usui 'The Blind Swordsman', Usui used to be a swordsman working for the government. However in a fight against Shishio Makoto, he was blinded. He possesses the ''Shingan'' (Eye of Heart), which actually is superhuman hearing that lets him hear another's heartbeat thus enabling him to sense people around him and detect the emotions of others. Although he seems to hate Shishio Makoto, he actually thanks him for enabling the use of his enhanced ability of the Eye of Heart. Usui and Shishio made a deal upon Usui joining the Juppongatana: That Usui could try to kill Shishio anytime he gets the chance. Saito points out that deep down Usui knows he won't be able to kill Shishio and just boasts about killing him to hide that fact from everyone else. Saito also points out that Shishio knows this too and is just playing along to use Usui. Since Usui can't kill Shishio, the psychopath likes to kill people weaker than himself to boost his ego. He kills 50 police officers in Kobe before gathering in Kyoto with the rest of the Juppongatana and almost kills Misao during the Kyoto Grand Fire but is stopped by Anji. He is the only member of the Juppongatana to realize that Hoji's claim about it being his own idea to use the Juppongatana as decoys for the voyage of the Rengoku was a lie (it was really Shishio's idea). He fights using a short spear with a weighted end - the ''rochin'' - to attack, and a tortoise shell - the ''timbei'' - as a shield to deflect attacks and block the enemy's vision. He states that the use of the Rochin and the Timbei is a royal martial art of his homeland of Ryuukyuu. One of the techniques he applies in his duel against Saito is ''Bouken Bougyoku Hyakka Ryouran'' (Treasure Sword, Treasure Sphere, Hundred Flower, Silver Chaos) - which is a series of rapid thrusts with the spear's point and ball. He was killed by Saito's "Gatotsu Zeroshiki" which in the manga literally rips him in half. Yukyuzan Anji Anji is a warrior fallen-monk who fights along Shishio to destroy the Meiji government who did nothing to stop the anti-Buddhist purge which resulted in the destruction of his home and the deaths of the children he cared for. He has given up his beliefs in Buddhism and dedicated himself to total destruction of the current system, and is willing to side with evil to achieve this. He is the most merciful of the Juppongatana and has made a contract with Shishio that Anji decides whether someone lives or dies. He does not use a blade directly in combat, instead utilizing ''Futae no Kiwami'' (Double Layer Limit or "Mastery of Two Layers") to strike the blade into the ground to attack from a distance, or more usually directly with his fists. He is enormously strong and has trained his entire body into a killing weapon. Upon meeting Sagara Sanosuke, he teaches him his secret technique, without realizing Sanosuke is allied with Kenshin. Normally when a person punches an object resistance is made caused by the object. To make sure that this leftover power isn't wasted, the person will hit with the knuckles then a second hit with the rest of the fist is made within 1/64th of a second causing the object to shatter. That is the power of the Futae no Kiwami. He is defeated in a duel with Sanosuke, when Sanosuke upgrades the power of the Double Layer Limit into a Triple Layer Limit (''Sanju no Kiwami''), striking with a fist, then the knuckles, then the tips of the fingers. After hitting Anji with the Sanju no Kiwami, Sano convinces him that the life he's been living isn't the one that the deceased children want for him like he believed. After Shishio was defeated, he was going to be executed but Kenshin and Sanosuke plead on his behalf and he ended up serving 25 years in prision in Hokkaido. Sadojima Houji Houji is Shishio's lapdog, and, aside from Yumi and Soujiro, he is closest to him. He used to be an official in the Meiji government but lost faith in it when he saw no one in the government worthy of controlling the country. He abandoned his position in the government and eventually met Shishio. Houji, too, envisions Japan as a mighty power led by Shishio, ruling with the principles of basic animal survival. Houji is indeed unique; although he is not proficient in any fighting style, he is a cunning organizer and possesses frightening leadership qualities. Houji was 'baptized' by Shishio's intense body heat to kindle in him a belief in hell. Houji strongly believes in Shishio's strength as he throws away a gun he had hidden after learning of Shishio's 15 minute limit. Houji will follow Shishio anywhere, even to the depths of hell...and this is shown when he commits suicide in prison. Sawagejo Chō Japanese Seiyuu: Fukumoto Shinichi English Voice Actor: Derek Stephen Prince Also known as 'The Sword Hunter', Chō possesses quite a collection of rare and unusual swords, including a long flexible sword he keeps hidden around his waist. He is only a mediocre opponent when not using this exotic weapon. He has a very calm and cool exterior, and normally keeps one eye closed when talking, and only opens both eyes when excited in the heat of battle. His fighting style is determined by the sword he uses, but he mainly uses the style Garyuorochi. The first is ''Orochi'' (Eight-Headed Hydra), in which Chō bounces his sword, ''Hakujin no Tachi'' (The Thin One) on the ground in waves. He uses ''Sakasa Kuchu Nōtō'' (Mid-air Sheathing) on Seiku's son Iori to locate the final sword of Shaku which was placed in a temple as a godsword. It was at that time that Kenshin defeated him with that sword. Ultimately he turned out to be a far cry from a match for a well-armed Kenshin, however he told his opponents that all Juppon Gatana members are stronger than him. After Shishio's death, Cho pays Kenshin and his friends a visit to inform them of what happened to everyone, then he goes on to work under Saitoh. He later appears in the anime when he tries to attack Shougo Amakusa. In the manga, he later appears in the Jinchuu Arc helping uncover information about Enishi. Honjō Kamatari This character is a case of 'Miriam-ism' here. Although Kamatari appears to be a woman, she is not; she is in fact a man. And yet, Kamatari is so good at being a woman (hormone therapy did not exist in 1878) that he throws Machimaki Misao off completely when Kamatari reveals in the most obvious ways (i.e. flashing her) that he is biologically a man. Kamatari uses a very heavy scythe-like weapon, a reaper, with a chain ball on the butt of the weapon; this is called ''Ogama''. He/she was defeated by the combined efforts of Kaoru and Misao on the attack against the Aoiya. He/she practices ''Honjōryu'', and three of his/her special techniques are seen in the series. ''Midare Benten'' (Chaotic Benten) is when the scythe is whipped over his/her head, and the chain forms a sphere. He is in love with Makoto Shishio. After Shishio is defeated, he plans to kill himself, but Cho stops him. He says that Shishio wanted the survivors to spread the word of their revolution. It is later revealed that Chou made this up to prevent Kamatari's suicide. Hariwa Henya Known as Henya the Flighted, he aided the attack on Aoiya, the Kyoto secret headquarters of the Oniwabanshū, with four other Juppongatana members. His battle technique is called ''Hiku Happa'', in which he uses dynamite to lift him into flight and attack from above with. He can decend to attack the opponent with a blade on his arm and then blow himself back into the air. The power of flight is harnessed because Hennya starves himself; he is so light that the constant uplift from the explosions can easily keep him in the air, and a cape allows him to control his movement. Yahiko defeated Hennya by attempting to use the Ryu Tsui Sen that he has often seen Kenshin use. Later on, he is used as a government spy because of his aviation abilities. Iwanbo Iwanbo is one of Shishio's ''Juppon Gatana''. He is a fat oaf who uses his immense size, his strength, and his ability to entrap weapons in his flab. He is very stupid, and, apart from taking part in the battle of Aoiya against Kaoru, Yahiko, Misao, Jiya and the Oniwa Banshu as well as grinning like an utter idiot, he doesn't say anything, and he doesn't do anything. He was last seen on a cliff outside of Kyoto. As revealed in the Jinchū, or "Revenge" (though it better translates to "Earthly Justice" or as Enishi put it in Samurai X: Reflections "Those who live must act for those who have died.") arc of the manga, (which was sadly never animated in its true form), Iwanbo is in reality a mechanical puppet, a primitive mech, if you will, controlled by Gein, the puppetmaster. Gein reappears in this arc as one of the six comrades in a more dangerous form of Iwanbo and plays a major role in Enishi's revenge. Saizuchi Rōjin A cunning small old man who manipulates Fuji and lays out the battle plans for him. He believes that his old age makes him the one who is right since he's lived so long. He later works for the Negotiations Department in the government for sticky situations after Shishio is defeated. Fuji A giant. Considered a freak by everyone around him. One day he was attacked and almost killed but the old man Saizuchi found him and took him in. The gentle, depressed Fuji was in an ideal state for Saizuchi to manipulate his emotions and turn him into an unbelievable fighter. Saizuchi keeps telling Fuji that he owes him for saving his life and uses that to control him. He was defeated by Hiko Seijūrō, who unlocked his true martial artist's soul and was the first to look at Fuji as someone other than a monster. Upon capture, the Meiji government assigned him to northern Hokkaido as the first line of defense against invasion while laying out the railway. The Six Comrades From the manga only Jinchū arc. A group made up of six people formed by Yukishiro Enishi. Most of them have connections to Kenshin's past as Hitokiri Battōsai and want revenge on Kenshin for the wrongs he did to them through their Jinchū (Man's Justice) campaign. Yukishiro Enishi Tomoe's younger brother, Enishi's mother died when he was an infant. As a result, Tomoe raised him herself and was a sister and mother to him and he grew to love her quite dearly. When Tomoe leaves him behind, he becomes consumed by his selfishness to bring her back to Edo (now Tokyo) so they could be together. When he was about ten, Enishi runs away from Edo and is gone for seven months. He discovers the location of Tomoe through the Shogun agency and works with the Shogun spies to kill Kenshin in revenge for butchering Tomoe's lover, Kiyosato. After witnessing Kenshin's accidental killing of Tomoe, his hair turns snow white and he becomes more unstable and psychotic. Enishi swears Jinchū, or 'Man's Punishment,' to be brought down on Kenshin's head and disappears to China where he is taken in by a kind family after suffering month of hardships in the wilderness. He later kills the family and takes their money. He killed them simpily because they were happy and he couldn't bear to see it. 15 years later he returns to Japan after becoming a powerful overlord in the Chinese underworld (almost forgetting to how to speak Japanese in the process) and begins his Jinchu campaign with his "comrades". Enishi is the main antagonist of the Jinchū arc of the manga, which the Seisōhen OAV is roughly based on. In addition to his own desires for revenge, Enishi believes that Tomoe wants revenge too and constantly sees the image of his sister smiling on him. The purpose of Enishi's Jinchū is not to kill Kenshin but to plunge him into a living hell by taking away person he cares for the most like Kenshin did to him. In the attack on Kamiya Dojo Enishi fights and defeats Kenshin before delivering Jinchū. After the fight, Enishi accomplishes Jinchū by leaving a dummy of Kaoru made by Gein to look like Enishi killed her with his sword, which effectively drives Kenshin into a state of deep depression like he wanted. After Enishi completes Jinchū, the image of Tomoe he always sees stops smiling on him, which first brings him to conclude that he must kill Kaoru, but he is unable to. Due to the shock of witnessing his sister's death, he can't face any young woman without seeing Tomoe's image in them. As a result his body reacts negatively whenever he tries to harm young women. This is the reason he had Gein make the Kaoru doll instead of simply killing Kaoru himself. Enishi later comes to the conclusion that he must kill Kenshin to truly complete Jinchū and get his sister's smile back. When Kenshin awakens from his comatose state he goes to Enishi's island with everyone else to rescue Kaoru and fights Enishi again. Enishi has the upper hand on Kenshin for most of the battle and after seeing Tomoe's image frowning at him again, decides that killing Kenshin would make him the same person as Kenshin, who killed his sister, so he throws down his sword and tells Kenshin to kill himself with it. But Kenshin throws it back to him, saying that he doesn't intend to die. They fight some more and Kenshin eventually gets the upper hand and defeats Enishi. Enishi is unable to continue fighting since his sister is no longer smiling on him. Kenshin tells him that as long as he continues living the life of a criminal, Tomoe will never smile for him again. Afterwards Enishi is apprehended by the police and as he's being lead away Kaoru gives him Tomoe's diary, which she asked Misao to bring with her from Kyoto. It's later revealed that Enishi escapes from the police boat and swims to Tokyo where he ends up at the same village for lost souls Kenshin was at during his living hell. He is a broken man when he is last seen. The kind old man Oibore who lives at the village runs into Enishi and remarks that the white haired man looks familiar to him, to which Enishi lifelessly replies with the same notion (Oibore was earlier revealed to be Tomoe and Enishi's father). Oibore notices that Enishi hasen't thrown away Tomoe's diary and assures the broken man that he'll recover and leave the village someday just like Kenshin. Enishi's sword style is ''Watōjutsu''. A style composed of Chinese tenchiques used in conjuction with the ''Tachi'' (also known as the ''Watō''), A Chinese made Japanese sword over 30 inches long. Enishi taught himself Watōjutsu from a book that he found. Watōjutsu includes techniques that perfectly counter those of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū, but within the context of the story this is coincidental. Here are some of his best Watōjutsu techniques. ''Shūgeki Tō Sei'': Enishi kicks the flat side of the blade to increase speed and force of the strike. ''Kaishi Tō Sei'': This is a rapid thrust attack. ''Sen Ran Tō Sei'': An attack in which Enishi ducks like a tiger and slash upwards by spining around. This technique has successfully counter most of the Kenshin's ground techniques, leaving Kenshin completely without any time to execute them. ''Kofuku Zettō Sei'': His Zetsugi (ultimate attack). Enishi holds the tachi with the hilt facing down and the blade parallel to the back of his arm and ducks like he does in the Sen Ran Tō Sei. He then raises and brings up his tachi, slashing the opponent's chest.Note that this is the technique that Enishi use to counter the amakakeru ryuu no hirameki. This is due to the first stance of this technique is ducking, Enishi was able to dodge the first attack. While at the second attack, Enishi lend the vaccum force cause by the first strike and quickly slash Kenshin's chest. In addition to his Watōjutsu, Enishi possesses an odd ability that he calls the ''Nerves of Insanity'', in which his nerves protrude out all over his body, causing him to become super sensitive to everything around him. In this state, Enishi's senses, speed, and reaction time are dramatically increased, enabling him to immediately react to attacks right when they're performed. Gein Dressed in black with a skull mask, Gein is the last remaining descendant of a small group of people who mastered the art of mechanics in the middle ages. He creates puppet like suits out of the corpses of dead people, most notably the Iwanbo series (version one which was a member of the Juppongatana, version two which looks exactly like one and was used to house a bomb, and a revamped battle suit called version 3 savage mode). He is actually an old man yet he is very strong due to controlling his heavy puppets for so long. The diamond edged steel wires he uses to control his puppets can also be used as a weapon as they are sharp enough to cut flesh and break bone. He also uses wires soaked in oil which he lays out in the form of a spider web to trap and burn his opponent to death. In order to be close to someone who smells of battle, Gein first joined Shishio's Juppongatana disguised as Iwanbo and later, Enishi's Six Comrades. Once Shishio was dealt with, Enishi had him organize the first meeting between the Six Comrades and acquire a mansion for them to stay at. He later reveals that he has no personal grudge against Kenshin like the other five, he just wants to test his creations and needs to be around men of battle to do it. For Enishi's Jinchū he creates a corpse doll of Kaoru to fool Kenshin into thinking she had been killed by Enishi, he considers this his masterpiece. During the attack on Kamiya dojo, Gein fights Kenshin using Iwanbo version three and is defeated by Kenshin's Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki. After Enishi defeats Kenshin, Gein produces a heavy smoke needed for Enishi to carry out Jinchū. After Jinchū is completed, he flees with Enishi to his island hideout. After meeting Wu Heishin Gein goes back to Tokyo on a boat. On the way he kills a bunch of men who were ordered by Heishin to kill him and figures out it's because Enishi doesn't need him anymore. When Gein gets to Tokyo he goes to the graveyard to get his Kaoru doll where he runs into a trap set by Aoshi, who had figured out that the corpse was a fake. Gein demands to know where Aoshi hid the doll and engages him in combat. Later Gein offers to reveal where Karou is in exchange for the location of his corpse doll. Though it's part of a trap on his part, Gein reveals the location of Enishi's hideout where Kaoru is and Aoshi in return tells Gein that he burned the corpse doll. In the end Aoshi outsmarts and kills Gein by pulling him into his own fire. Kujiranami Hyougo A huge one-armed man. Sano points out that he's bigger than Anji. During the battle of Toba Fushimi in the Bakumatsu, Kujiranami fought Kenshin, who cut off his right arm. Kujiranami requested that Kenshin kill him since he didn't want to live to see an era where wars are fought with guns instead of the swords, absent of skill and soul. However, Kenshin refused to kill Kujiranami, saying that he didn't want to kill anymore than he needed to and that Kujiranami should live in the new era. Already feeling that he had been robbed of a warrior's pride and era, being robbed of a warrior's death was the last straw for Kujiranami. Since then he vowed to kill Kenshin for dishonoring him and joined Enishi's Jinchu to get his revenge. Interestingly he starts to scream "BATTŌSAI" whenever he's enraged. Enishi gives Kujiranami an Armstrong canon to replace his missing arm which Kujiranami uses to blow up Akabeko and the police chief's home. He was the first to engage in combat when the Six Comrades attack Kamiya dojo and the first to be defeated. Later in the battle he regains his strength and incapacitates Kenshin, giving Enishi enough time to complete his Jinchu. He is then taken down by Saito, arrested, and put in jail, but later goes bezerk in his cell and escapes. He gets his upgraded weapon from Enishi, a grenade launcher and goes on a rampage in Tokyo searching for Kenshin. Yahiko is the only one around to fight Kujiranami at the time and manages to hold him off until Kenshin arrives and cuts off his grenade launcher, which returns his sanity. Afterwards Yahiko manages to convince Kujiranami that his hatred for a fellow samurai is wrong and has done nothing for him except lead him down the wrong path. Moved to tears by Yahiko's words, Kujiranami accepts that he was wrong, apologizes to Kenshin for his crimes and turns himself back into the police. As Kujiranami leaves, Kenshin once again tells him to live in the new era and Kujiranami in return thanks Kenshin for his kindness. Inui Banjin Inui is camaflouge wearing hand-to-hand fighter who mirrors Sanosuke in intelligence. He is the student of Tatsumi, the leader of the ninja group that tried to kill Hitokiri Battōsai. Because of Tatsumi's death at the hands of Battōsai, Inui joins Enishi's Jinchū campaign. However he reveals to Sano that he's just using his master's death as an excuse to fight and prove how powerful he is. Inui wears gauntlets on his wrists called ''tekkou'' that according to him can deflect any attack. He wears them to compensate for the fact that he can't take damage well. Inui is skilled in ''Jutsushiki Muteki-Ryu'', which is an amalgamation of various styles of martial arts. He likes to boast about being invincible and undefeated but Sano figures out that he's just full of himself from wearing the tekkou and that he only fights people weaker than him. Inui attacks Maekawa dojo as part of the Jinchū campaign where he fights Sano for the first time. During the battle, Sano ends up wrecking one of his tekkou with the Futae No Kiwami. He later gets a pair of upgraded Tekkou from Enishi and fights Sano again in the attack on Kamiya dojo. In the end Inui provokes Sano into attacking him with the Futae No Kiwami again and is defeated as a result with his Tekkou destroyed. After being taken down, Inui vows to kill Sano next time and Sano welcomes him to try but warns him that he won't win as long as he wears the tekkou to cover his weakness. He is arrested by the police afterwards. His techniques include: ''Gofubaku'': Inui flexes his bicep and smashes the opponent's neck with it. ''Raijinguruma'': Inui just spins around like a wheel until he hits something. ''Ashura Sai'': Inui grabs the opponent's neck, pinches the veins, and throws the opponent. Otowa Hyoko Otowa is a drag queen looking user of assassin's weapons that he has hidden all over his body. He claims to have 13 in all though we only see him use a couple. Otowa's battle tactic is to outwit the opponent and catch them off guard with his hidden weapons as opposed to simpily overpowering them. He is a pretty sadistic individual as he loves to kill people and is not above killing women and children. He is also somewhat of a coward as he plans to retreat from the Kamiya dojo attack after seeing Kenshin glare at him. Otowa was the friend of the shadow ninja Nakajo, who he had nightly competitive killing sprees with. Because of Nakajo's death fighting Hitokiri Battōsai he joins Enishi's Jinchu campaign but we later see that he really joined the fight just for pleasure. Otowa attacks the police chief's home as part of the Jinchū campaign where he meets Kenshin and retreats after Kenshin figures out how one of his weapons work. Otowa later fights Yahiko in the attack on Kamiya dojo. He comes close to killing Yahiko with a few more of his weapons but Yahiko eventually defeats him. As Otowa goes down he has a crazed smile on his face as he couldn't believe his defeat at the hands of someone not even half his age. He was arrested by the police afterwards. His weapons include: ''Baika Chuzen'': A bow with six arrows that Otowa wears on his left wrist. He uses a character on his left hand which emits a strange sound as a distraction while he pulls the activation string on his right hand. ''Kasui Busuen'': Little cubes that emit a poisionous smoke that temporarily paralyzes the opponent. ''Bishamonken (Bishamon's Sword) & Bishamonpun (Bishamon's Powder)'': The upgraded weapons Otowa got from Enishi. A magnetic sword that is used in conjuction with the iron powder to home in on the opponent and attack with great speed. Otowa boasts that this weapon can turn any unskilled swordsman into an expert. ''Rikudoku'': The six pronged accessory that Otowa wears. With the pull of a switch the six prongs lunge forward and stab their target. He says this is his best weapon. Yatsume Mumyoi A member of an old gold mining clan. Family tradition led them to enlongate the limbs of the family members using gold rings (much like the tribal rings around the necks of some African tribes) to help them mine better. As a result, Yatsume's limbs are about 1.5 times as long as normal, with the notable exception of his left arm, which is twice as long and equipped with metal claws. He took up fighting and joined the shadow ninjas that tried to kill Kenshin in order to support his clan who had fallen under hard times. The Yatsume family's personal law is that no one may see them and live, so when Kenshin sees and defeats him (shortly before killing Tomoe), he vows revenge and returns in the Jinchū arc under Enishi to extract vengeance. His family law isn't the only thing that drives him as he blames Kenshin and the Inshin Shishi for the dire predicament his clan is currently in. He stayed hidden from his other five comrades until the attack on Kamiya dojo when he finally appeared once Kujiranami, Gein, Inui, and Otowa were defeated. However before he can fight Kenshin, he ends up fighting Saitou instead, and has his arm impaled by Saitou's Gatotsu Zeroshiki (only after first injuring Saitou). After Yatsume loses to Saitou, Kenshin offers to let Yatsume fight him if he still wants to but suggests that he go up north and use his abilities to help his clan. He is arrested by the police afterwards. In addition to the claw weapon on his left hand Yatsume has the ''Dosha no Bouheki'', in which he sticks his claw into the ground and throws up a bunch of dirt and rubble which acts as a barrier, and ''Bandan Jiraihou'' which he got from Enishi. They are ceramic shells filled with gunpowder that can be used as landmines and are activated when they are pulled or stepped on. Characters from the Shimabara Arc Characters from the Shimabara Arc. Amakusa Shōgo Claimed to be the Son of God in order to protect the people of Shimabara. He is one of the few people that knows the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū other than Kenshin and Hiko Seijūrō XIII. His uncle learned the ''Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū'' from Hiko Seijūrō XII but failed to learn the ''Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki'' against his master's ''Kuzu Ryu Sen'' which resulted in him being knocked into a waterfall. The uncle survived and later taught the ''Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū'' to Shōgo. He was the only person to add on a move to the ''Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū''; the ''Rai Ryu Sen'', which is a technique that manipulates light reflected on his sword in order to blind his opponent. Both Kenshin (though temporarily) and Shōgo's uncle was blinded by this attack. His parents were killed for being hidden Christians who at the time told Shōgo to be strong like God and to protect people of Shimabara. He and his sister moved to Europe with his uncle after his parents were killed. It was there that he learned astrology and medicine and later used that knowledge in Shimabara to predict major events and cure diseases. Because of that knowledge, people believed that he was performing "miracles" which led to further "evidence" for him being the Son of God. His plans were to make Japan into the land of God where the people could live peacefully without fear of being persecuted but he was manipulated by Kaiō. Amakusa Sayo Shōgo's younger sister a.k.a. Magdelia (her Christian name). Her real name 'Sayo' is not revealed until later in the battle between Shōgo and Kenshin. Sayo is a deeply religious Christian who cares and teaches children about the Christian faith. It is later revealed that she is suffering from Tuberculosis , and Sanosuke raced with all his strength in hope to get her to a doctor; However, she is shot while trying to protect Sir Elstan and dies peacefully in Sanosuke's arms. Kaiō This weird, bald, caped batty geezer is a treacherous, manipulative guy who uses Shōgo to push his secret plan of annexing Japan to the Netherlands . Shōzo Lorenz (Rorenzo) A young man who was the personal guard of Amakusa Sayo. During his childhood, he was saved by her and her brother Shōgo by bullies simply because he was a Christian . He was a user of a martial arts technique named ''Karyu'', in which his blows were executed so fast that small vacuum waves cut the opponent even if the attacks themselves missed (this attack was later used against him in his second fight against Sagara Sanosuke). He was almost killed by Kaiō, but used a couple of bombs borrowed from Sanosuke to exact his revenge. Later he talks with Sano at Sayo's grave and reveals his desire to become a monk. Ambassador Elsten A good friend of Kenshin, he is the Ambassador of Holland (and a medical doctor.) He tried to stop the attack against the Christians. Later on, he led Shogo Amakusa and the Christians to go to Holland. Characters from the Samurai X OVA/Memory Arc People that haunt Kenshin's memories of the Bakumatsu . Yukishiro Tomoe Yukishiro Tomoe was employed by the Shogun spies to spy on Kenshin for the murder of her fiance, Kiyosato Akira. Tomoe meets and befriends Kenshin, torn between her assignment to spy on the Battōsai, and her growing feelings for the young assassin. After the holocaust of Kyoto and the near destruction of the Choshu clan, Katsura assigned Tomoe and Kenshin to live as husband and wife in hiding in the mountains. Over the coming months, Tomoe taught Kenshin the way of living as a civilian, but as the conflicts heated up, Tomoe went to the waiting Shogun assassins in order to save Kenshin. Realizing that her feelings for Kenshin were being used to the advantage of his assailants, she throws herself in front of Kenshin's opponent in order to protect Kenshin. But she dies as a result of the action she took. From that day forward, Kenshin was burdened with the lives of everyone in Japan - especially those he had taken. Yukishiro Enishi (See Six Comrades entry) Katsura Kogorō Katsura Kogorō was the leader of the Choshu clan. He worked hard to bring down the Shogunate. Katsura was an intelligent, wise and calculating man. He pitied Kenshin's emotional struggle between the old Shinta and the unrepentant Battousai. So, he saved his life by asking Tomoe to become his 'sheath'. Upon the accession of the Meiji government, Katsura became one of the three ''Ishin Sanketsu''. He died close to the same time of Saigō's demise, in 1877 . Okita Sōji A master swordsman of the Shinsengumi. Okita was the captain of Shinsen Gumi's First Troop. In the OVA, he often fought together with Saito. Okita was involved with the Ikedaya Affair and killed numerous Choshu clansmen in Kyoto. He succumbed to Tuberculosis and died shortly after the fall of the Tokugawa regime. Seta Sōjirō is based on the Okita from fiction ''Shinsengumi Keppuroku'' and therefore, darker and more like a villain than the real Okita. Iizuka Iizuka was the field examiner for the Choshu clan. He was responsible recording the group's kills. Laid back, a joker, and easy going, Iizuka was in fact a greedy double agent, working for the Tokugawa shogunate. He was a contributing factor in plotting the downfall of Hitokiri Battousai - Himura Kenshin. Iizuka attempted to skip country as soon as the trap was in place, but was murdered by Shishio Makoto in an alleyway (in the manga it's a mountain side). Murakami Nicknamed "Rensato", Murakami was the first Yaminobu (western-based ninja like the Oniwabanshū) Kenshin encountered. He ambushed Kenshin from the rooftops as he made his way back to the Choshu headquarters. Murakami possessed quick reflexes and was skilled with his chain swords, but ultimately, Kenshin made a rain of blood when he sliced the ninja in half as he sailed over the assassin's head. Kiyosato Akira Tomoe's dead fiance, a member of the Mimawarigumi. He was on bodyguard duty for the Kyoto administrator, Shigekura Jūbei on the day of his death. He and Tomoe were childhood sweethearts, and they planned to get married. This kind and caring man was butchered by Kenshin in a Kyoto street. It was all due to the tragedy of human folly; Akira only joined the Mimawarigumi so that Tomoe could look at him as a hero. Instead, she ended up seeing him deceased. Nakajo One of the Shogun ninja clan warriors who in the manga is revealed to be the best friend of Otowa Hyoko, who he had nightly killing sprees with (he got his bow and arrow weapon from Otowa). Nakajo is the first one to engage Kenshin in the forest. In the manga he gets his hands cut off by Kenshin and ends up triggering an explosion that kills him and temporarily distorts Kenshin's hearing. In the OAV he is simpily impaled by Kenshin's sword and as he dies, triggers the explosion. Sumita Sumita was another Shogun ninja out for Kenshin during the plot to kill him in the forest. Kenshin had already lost his hearing, and was forced to fight Sumita and Mumyouni. Although Sumita fought well with his axe, he dies after the fight. There are two endings to his death. in the OVA he was run thorugh the chest, while in the manga his legs were sliced off. He stumbled away, pulled another mine, and Kenshin temporarily loses his eyesight due to the flash. Yatsume Mumyoi (See Six Comrades entry) Tatsumi A hulk of a man, Tatsumi is the leader of the ninja clan Kenshin fights when looking for Tomoe. In the OVA, he is represented as a physically-fit old man with a ninja outfit who gives Kenshin the beating of his life before Kenshin kills him. His character cares a lot about the Tokugawa values. It should also be noted that in the OVA, he talks a lot, while all other members of his gang a never shown speaking. In the manga, he is depicted (much like many of Kenshin's other enemies) as someone (literally) twice his size. His outfit is more like a judo outfit than (similar to Banjin Inui) a ninja outfit and he lacks pupils. He was the master of Inui Banjin and his death at the hands of Kenshin is used as an excuse by his student to join Enishi's Jinchu campaign. His portrayal in the manga is more brutal (he says they'll kill Tomoe after Kenshin's defeat). Characters from the ''Samurai X: The Motion Picture'' Characters Kenshin and his friends visit Yokohama in the movie. Takatsuki Toki Toki was Gentatsu's younger sister whom Shigure took in after her brother's death. She is in love with Shigure. Takatsuki Gentatsu Gentatsu was Shigure's close friend and comrade, and possessed a keen sense of insight. After a disagreement involving an attack location, Gentatsu and Shigure split their team in two. Gentatsu was killed by Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi during the raid, just as Shigure arrived. Takimi Shigure Shigure led a rebel army made up of disgruntled samurai who were involved in the Boshin wars (one way or the other). Shigure was from Aizu, and fought during the Bakumatsu, as the Shinsengumi did, for the shogunate. In the Meiji era, Shigure went around to the homes of the victims of the civil war and gave them financial support. Shigure wanted to overthrow the Meiji government. He believed that the government was corrupt and did not distribute enough wealth among the population. In Tokyo, his band's first objective was to kill the British Guest of State during a parade to the embassy. Shigure was an idealistic and kind man, and a good orator as well as fighter. He is a master of the style Saiki Kanuma, a discipline most effective indoors, and in the dark. Tamono Eibin A captain in the Japanese army, Tamono aspires to replace General Yamagata as the Lord of the Imperial army. He is a ruthless man who is not afraid to shed a lot of blood. Tamono believes that nobility in battle is unsuited to modern times. The captain collaborates with Kajiki to destroy Takimi's rebellion and disgrace Yamagata so he can gain the position of army commander. However, thanks to Kenshin Himura, he was arrested. Musashino Musashino is a young skilled swordsman who is part of Takimi's rebel group. He becomes friends with Yahiko after learning that both their fathers died together at the Battle of the Keneiji Temple during the Boshin War. Musashino teaches Yahiko some of his budo before he was killed at the battle at the British Embassy in Tokyo. Kajiki Sadashiro Leaders People Kenshin knows in high places. Yamagata Aritomo General Aritomo Yamagata( 1833 - 1922 ), a former Choshu clansleader, is the commander-in-chief of the Japanese imperial army and the minister of war. Yamagata was a real person, and an important Meiji statesman; he was also the first Prime Minister under the Meiji constitution of 1889 . With his modern army, he defeated the samurai uprising led by Saigō Takamori. He died in 1922 . The general appears a few times in the series; the first was in episode three, when he sought Kenshin's skills in the new army. They also meet in the Samurai X movie during Takimi Shigure's uprising, and for the last time in Seihousen, in 1893 before the Nisshin (The First Sino-Japanese War ) took place. Ōkubo Toshimichi In history, Ōkubo Toshimichi ( 1830 - 1878 ) was one of the five Ishin Shishi - Men of Spirit and the last of the three to have the highest honors in the government. He outlived Katsura and Saigō Takamori. He was a leader of the Satsuma clan, who supported the restoration of imperial power. He was responsible for the suppression of the Satsuma rebellion in 1877, led by Ōkubo's college friend, Saigō Takamori. In Rurouni Kenshin, Ōkubo appears to Kenshin for help in the Shishio crisis. In real life, Okubo was murdered by six discontented clansmen on his way to Tokyo on May 14 , 1878 . In the Kenshin series, it was Seta Sōjirō who murdered him; the clansmen merely took responsibility. Detective Muraki Local Police Chief. Kawaji Toshiyoshi Based on the historical figure, Police Superintendent Kawaji Toshiyoshi ( 1834 - 1879 ) was a member of the Satsuma clan. He played an active part in the cause of the Satsuma clan during the Revolution and fought against the Satsuma Rebellion led by one of his former leaders, Saigo Takamori . Since Kawaji made an effort to modernize the police system after the Meiji era began, he earned the title of the "Father of the Japanese police." |
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