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Rurouni Kenshin Kenshinvolume28.jpg Cover of the last Japanese manga volume ?????? -???????- (Ruroni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Romantan-) Genre Chanbara Manga Written by Nobuhiro Watsuki Published by Shueisha English publisher AUS Madman Entertainment NA Viz Media UK Gollancz Manga Demographic Shonen Magazine Weekly Shonen Jump Original run April 25, 1994 – November 4, 1999 Volumes 28 (List of volumes) Anime television series Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi Written by Akemi Omode Masashi Sogo Michiko Yokote Michiru Shimada Nobuaki Kishima Yoshiyuki Suga Music by Noriyuki Asakura Studio Studio Gallop (Episodes 1-66) Studio Deen (Episodes 66-95) Licensed by AUS Madman Entertainment NA Aniplex of America UK ADV Films Network Fuji Television English network AU Sci Fi Channel SEA AXN, Animax Asia UK Channel S US Cartoon Network (Toonami) Original run January 10, 1996 – September 8, 1998 Episodes 95 (List of episodes) Light novel Rurouni Kenshin: Voyage to the Moon World Written by Kaoru Shizuka Illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki Published by Shueisha Demographic Male[1] Imprint Jump J Books Magazine Jump Novel Published October 10, 1996 Anime film Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture Directed by Hatsuki Tsuji Produced by Yoshinori Naruke Ayao Wakana Written by Yukiyoshi Ohashi Music by Taro Iwashiro Studio Studio Gallop Licensed by AUS Madman Entertainment NA Aniplex of America Released December 20, 1997 Runtime 90 minutes Anime film series Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi Written by Mari Okada Music by Noriyuki Asakura Studio Studio Deen Licensed by AUS Madman Entertainment NA Sentai Filmworks Released December 17, 2011 – June 23, 2012 Runtime 45 minutes Films 2 Manga Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration Written by Nobuhiro Watsuki Published by Shueisha English publisher NA Viz Media Demographic Shonen Magazine Jump SQ English magazine NA Weekly Shonen Jump Original run May 2, 2012 – June 4, 2013 Volumes 2 (List of volumes) Manga Rurouni Kenshin: Master of Flame Written by Nobuhiro Watsuki Published by Shueisha English publisher NA Viz Media Demographic Shonen Magazine Jump SQ English magazine NA Weekly Shonen Jump Original run July 4, 2014 – September 4, 2014 Volumes 1 (List of volumes) Original video animations Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection Live-action films Rurouni Kenshin Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends Portal icon Anime and Manga portal Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (Japanese: ?????? -???????- Hepburn: Ruroni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Romantan?),[2] also known as Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work against the bakufu, Hitokiri Battosai disappears to become Himura Kenshin: a wandering samurai who protects the people of Japan with a vow of never to take another life. Watsuki wrote this series upon his desire of making a shonen manga different from the other ones that were published at the time, with Kenshin being a former assassin and the story taking a more serious tone as it continued. The manga revolves around themes of atonement, peace, and romance. The manga initially appeared in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from April 25, 1994,[3] to November 4, 1999. The complete work consists of 28 tankobon volumes, while years later it was reprinted into twenty-two kanzenban volumes. Studio Gallop, Studio Deen and SPE Visual Works adapted the manga into an anime series which aired in Japan from January 10, 1996 to September 8, 1998. Besides an animated feature film, two series of original video animations (OVAs) were also produced. The first adapted stories from the manga that were not featured in the anime, while the second was a sequel to the manga. Several art and guidebooks for Rurouni Kenshin have been published and writer Kaoru Shizuka has authored three official light novels which were published by Shueisha. Many video games have also been released for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable consoles. A successful live-action theatrical film adaptation was released in 2012, with limited international screenings. The manga, as well as the first light novel and first guidebook, has received a complete North American release by Viz Media. Rurouni Kenshin is subtitled "Wandering Samurai" in some English releases. The TV series was later licensed in North America and released on DVD by Media Blasters. The first two seasons aired on the United States Cartoon Network as part of the Toonami block, while the third season was only featured on DVD. The English-language versions of the OVAs, as well as the film, were originally released as Samurai X in North America, although the original name was included on the later DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases. The Rurouni Kenshin manga has over 70 million copies in circulation as of 2014, while its anime has ranked among the 100 most watched series in Japan multiple times. The series has received praise and criticism from various publications for manga, anime and other media, with both having received good response on the characters' designs and historical setting. Contents 1 Plot 2 Production 2.1 Anime production 3 Media 3.1 Manga 3.2 Anime series 3.3 Animated films 3.3.1 Requiem for the Ishin Patriots 3.3.2 New Kyoto Arc 3.4 Original video animations 3.5 Live-action films 3.6 Soundtracks 3.7 Art and guidebooks 3.8 Light novels 3.9 Video games 3.10 Merchandise 4 Reception 4.1 Manga 4.2 Anime 4.3 OVAs and films 5 References 6 External links Plot[edit] See also: List of Rurouni Kenshin characters In the early Meiji era, after participating in the Bakumatsu war as the assassin "Hitokiri Battosai", Himura Kenshin wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need as atonement for the murders he once committed. When arriving in Tokyo in the 11th year of Meiji (1878), he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who is in the middle of a fight with a murderer - who claims to be the Hitokiri Battosai - tarnishing the name of the swordsmanship school that she teaches. Kenshin decides to help her and defeats the fake Battosai. After discovering that Kenshin is the real infamous assassin, Kaoru offers him a place to stay at her dojo noting that he is peace-loving and not cold-hearted, as his reputation implies. Kenshin accepts and begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people such as Sagara Sanosuke, a former Sekiho Army member; Myojin Yahiko, an orphan from a samurai family who is also living with Kaoru as her student; and a doctor named Takani Megumi, caught in the opium trade. However, he also deals with his fair share of enemies, new and old, including the former leader of the Oniwabanshu, Shinomori Aoshi and a rival from the Bakumatsu turned police officer, Saito Hajime. After several months of living in the dojo, Kenshin discovers that his successor as assassin of the shadows, Shishio Makoto, plans to conquer Japan by destroying the Meiji Government, starting with Kyoto. Feeling that his friends may be attacked by Shishio's faction, Kenshin goes to meet Shishio alone in order to defeat him. However, many of his friends, including a young Oniwabanshu named Makimachi Misao, whom he meets in his travels, decide to help him in his fight. After his first meeting with him, Kenshin realizes he needs to get stronger to defeat Shishio without becoming the cold assassin he was in the past and returns to the man who taught him kenjutsu, Hiko Seijuro, in order to learn the school's final technique. He finally accepts his friends' help and defeats Shishio in a close fight; Shishio dies being engulfed in flames due to the rise in his body temperature caused by his severe burns. When Kenshin and his friends return to Tokyo, he finds Yukishiro Enishi, who plans to take revenge by killing his friends. At this point it is revealed that, during the Bakumatsu, Kenshin had been married to a woman named Yukishiro Tomoe. She had initially wanted to avenge the death of her fiancé whom Kenshin had killed, but instead they both fell in love and got married. It is then discovered that Tomoe was part of a group of assassins that wanted to kill Kenshin, and Tomoe is betrayed by them and captured to use as bait. Kenshin rushes to rescue her, killing both his assailant and accidentally Tomoe, who jumps in at the last minute to save Kenshin from a fatal attack. Wanting to take revenge for the death of his sister, Enishi kidnaps Kaoru and leaves behind a corpse doll bearing a stunning resemblance of Kaoru for Kenshin to find and momentarily grieve over. Once discovering that Kaoru is alive, Kenshin and his friends set out to rescue her. A battle between Kenshin and Enishi follows and when Kenshin wins, he and Kaoru return home. Five years later, Kenshin has married Kaoru and has a son named Himura Kenji. Production[edit] A prototype series titled Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story appeared as a pair of separate short stories published in 1992 and 1993.[4][5] The first story, published in December 1992 in the Weekly Shonen Jump Winter Special issue of 1993, featured an earlier version of Kenshin stopping a crime lord from taking over the Kamiya family dojo. Watsuki described the first Rurouni story, echoing the "Megumi Arc", as a "pilot" for Rurouni Kenshin. According to Watsuki, the final Rurouni Kenshin series was not composed entirely from his free will. Describing the creation of historical stories as "hard," Watsuki initially wanted to make his next series in a contemporary setting. An editor approached Watsuki and asked him to make a new historical story. With the historic concept, Watsuki intended to use the Bakumatsu time period from Moeyo Ken (Burn, O Sword) with a story akin to Sugata Sanshiro. Watsuki experimented with various titles, including Nishin (Two-Hearts) Kenshin, Yorozuya (Jack-of-All-Trades) Kenshin, and variations of "Rurouni" and "Kenshin" with different kanji in that order.[4] The second Rurouni story, published in April 1993 in the Weekly Shonen Jump 21-22 double issue of that year, featured Kenshin helping a wealthy girl named Raikoji Chizuru. Watsuki recalled experiencing difficulty when condensing "everything" into 31 pages for that story. He said that he "put all [his] soul into it" but sighs when looking at it from his perspective after the publication of the Rurouni Kenshin Volume 1 graphic novel in Japan. Watsuki describes that second Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story as receiving mediocre reviews and about two hundred letters.[5] He referred to it as a "side story."[4] During his childhood, Watsuki used to practice kendo which influenced him in the making from the series. Although, Watsuki developed various one-shots prior to the official serialization from the series, he mentioned he based the series from Crescent Moon in the Warring States, a story which introduced Kenshin's fighting style and his teacher. While naming the characters, he based some of their names from places he used to live such as Makimachi Misao's "Makimachi" and Sanjo Tsubame, who are named after places from Niigata.[6] Being fascinated by the Shinsengumi, Watsuki designed the characters by basing their characteristics to that of the real Shinsengumi members and also used fictional representation of them and other historical characters from the Bakumatsu period of Japan.[7][8] The historical characters were considered to be a hard task by Watsuki. Due to problems with the characterization from Sagara Sozo, Watsuki decided to illustrate Saito Hajime in his own style avoiding the historical figure. He felt very good with Saito's character having noted he fit very well in the manga.[9] However, Watsuki mentioned that many Japanese fans of the Shinsengumi complained about the personality of Saito, as he was made sadistic.[7] When questioned about the series' theme being Kenshin's self-redemption, Watsuki mentioned that when he was young he used to read shojo and that it influenced his writing of Rurouni Kenshin. He added that he wanted to make a story different from other comics as he considers the main character Kenshin is neither a good nor evil character. Since volume 7, Watsuki mentioned the series took a more adult tone due to the various conflicts in the story, but commented it was influenced by the shojo manga he read. Through the series' development, Watsuki was deciding if Kamiya Kaoru's character was going to die prior to the end. However, he later decided to keep Kaoru alive as he came to the conclusion he wanted a happy ending and that the manga is aimed at young readers.[9] Watsuki said he was an "infatuated" type of person rather than a "passionate" kind of person, so therefore Rurouni Kenshin is a "Meiji Swordsman Story" as opposed to being a "Meiji Love Story."[10] When the manga series started to be published in Weekly Shonen Jump, Watsuki had little hope in the development of the series. He planned to finish the story in approximately 30 chapters, ending with Kenshin's departure from Tokyo in a similar manner to the one from volume 7. Kenshin's enemies would have been people from Kyoto who would send an assassin to kill Kenshin. When the Oniwabanshu were introduced during the serialization, Watsuki noted that the series could be longer as he had created various main characters. In that time, there was a survey, and the series had become very popular.[9] When the series reached seven volumes, Watsuki's boss suggested him that it was time to make a longer story-arc, which resulted in the creation of the fights between Kenshin and Shishio Makoto. The arc was only meant to be serialized for one year, but it ended up being one year-and-a-half long. This arc was also done to develop Kenshin's character as he considered him not to have a weak point. Watsuki commented that his artistic skills were honed with this arc, as he could draw everything he wanted to. The last arc from the manga was meant to be much shorter, but it turned out to be a fairly long one as he could not present it in a simplistic manner. This arc was originally made by Watsuki prior to the series' start, having already thought about how would Kenshin's scar had been made.[9] Watsuki also planned to create a Hokkaido arc and a sequel, but felt it would be better to start with another manga and so ended the series with the last arc he made.[11] Anime production[edit] In a manga volume prior to the release of the anime, Watsuki said that while some fans might object to the adaptation of the series into anime, Watsuki looked forward to the adaptation and felt it would work since the manga was already "anime-esque." He had some worries about the series since he felt since the creation of the series was sudden and the series had a "tight" production schedule.[12] In another note in the same volume Watsuki added that he had little input in the series, as he was too busy with the publishing.[13] In addition his schedule did not match the schedule of the anime production staff.[14] Watsuki said that it would be impossible to make the anime and manga exactly the same, so he would feel fine with the anime adaptation as long as it took advantage of the strengths of an anime format.[13] After the anime began production, Watsuki said that the final product was "better than imagined" and that it was created with the "pride and soul of professionals." Watsuki criticized the timing, the "off-the-wall, embarrassing subtitles," and the condensing of the stories; for instance he felt the Jin-e storyline would not sufficiently fit two episodes. Watsuki said that he consulted a director and that he felt the anime would improve after that point.[15] The fact that the CD book voice actors, especially Megumi Ogata and Tomokazu Seki, who portrayed Kenshin and Sanosuke in the CD books, respectively, did not get their corresponding roles in the anime disappointed Watsuki. Watsuki reported receiving some letters of protest against the voice actor change and letters requesting that Ogata portray Seta Sojiro; Watsuki said that he wanted Ogata to play Misao and that Ogata would likely find "stubborn girl" roles more challenging than the "pretty boy" roles she usually gets, though Watsuki felt Ogata would have "no problem" portraying a "stubborn girl." Watsuki said that the new voice actor arrangement "works out" and that he hoped that the CD book voice actors would find roles in the anime.[16] Watsuki said that the reason why the CD book voice actors did not get the corresponding roles in the anime was due to the fact that many more companies were involved in the production of the anime than the production of the CD books, and therefore the "industry power-structure" affected the series.[14] The second season of the anime TV series had some original stories not in the manga. Watsuki said that some people disliked "TV originals," but to him the concept was "exciting". Watsuki said that because the first half of the original storyline that existed by the time of the production of Volume 10 in Japan was "jammed" into the first season, he looked forward to a "more entertaining" second season. Watsuki added that it was obvious that the staff of the first season "put their hearts and souls" into the work, but that the second series will be "a much better stage for their talents."[14] Media[edit] Manga[edit] Main article: List of Rurouni Kenshin chapters Written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the first chapter of Rurouni Kenshin premiered in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1994 and was serialized in the magazine until 1999.[17] The 255 individual chapters were collected and published in 28 tankobon volumes by Shueisha, with the first volume released on September 9, 1994 and the last on November 4, 1999.[18][19] In July 2006, Shueisha began re-releasing the series in a twenty-two kanzenban special edition volumes. A single chapter follow up to the series that follows the character of Yahiko Myojin, Yahiko no Sakabato (???????, "Yahiko's Reversed-Edge Sword"), was originally published in Weekly Shonen Jump after the conclusion of the series. Left out of the original volumes, it was added as an extra to the final kanzenban release.[20] In December 2011, Shueisha announced Watsuki would be putting his current series, Embalming -The Another Tale of Frankenstein-, on hold to begin a "reboot" of Rurouni Kenshin, called Rurouni Kenshin Cinema-ban (?????? -????-?, "Rurouni Kenshin Cinema Version"), as a tie-in to the live-action movie. The series began in the June 2012 issue of Jump SQ., which was released on May 2, 2012,[21] and ended in the July 2013 issue on June 4, 2013.[22] The reboot depicts the battles that are featured in the live-action film. Shueisha released the first tankobon volume in Japan on September 4, 2012,[23] and the second on July 4, 2013.[24] Another special titled Rurouni Kenshin Chapter 0, was published in Weekly Shonen Jump in August 2012.[25] In 2014, Watsuki wrote a two-chapter spin-off titled Controlling Flame -Rurouni Kenshin: Hidden Chapter- (????? -??????·??- Hono wo Suberu -Rurouni Kenshin: Uramaku-?) for Jump SQ., which tells how Shishio met Yumi and formed the Juppongatana. It was collected into one volume on October 3, 2014.[26][27][28] Rurouni Kenshin was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media. The first volume of the series was released on October 7, 2003.[29] Although the first volumes were published on an irregular basis, since volume 7 Viz established a monthly basis due to good sales and consumer demands.[30] Therefore, the following volumes were published until July 5, 2006, when the final volume was released.[31] Yahiko no Sakabato was also serialized in English Shonen Jump during 2006.[32] In January 2008, Viz began re-releasing the manga in a wideban format called "Viz Big Edition", which is a collection of three volumes in one.[33] The final volume included the Yahiko no Sakabato and Haru no Sakura chapters, which take place after the series. Viz uses the actual ordering of Japanese names, with the family name or surname before the given name, within the series to reduce confusion and because Rurouni Kenshin is a historical series.[34] On May 7, 2012, it was announced in Viz Media's digital manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha that Rurouni Kenshin Cinema-ban would join its line-up under the title Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, and would be published monthly starting on May 21.[35] Viz Media released the first volume on June 4, 2013,[36] and the second was published on January 14, 2014.[37] Viz also published Controlling Flame -Rurouni Kenshin: Hidden Chapter-, retitled Rurouni Kenshin: Master of Flame in the digital magazine in 2014.[27] Anime series[edit] See also: List of Rurouni Kenshin episodes The anime, directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi, began airing on Japan's Fuji TV on January 10, 1996 and ended on September 8, 1998. It was produced by Aniplex and Fuji TV, and was animated from episode 1 to 66 by Studio Gallop, whereas the episodes from 67 onwards were animated by Studio Deen.[38][39] The anime only adapts the manga up until the fight with Shishio, from then on it features original material not in the manga.[40] The final episode did not air in Japan, but was a bonus episode for the VHS and DVD releases.[41] Since its premiere in Japan, episodes from the series have been collected in DVDs various times: two DVDs series with both of them featuring four episodes per volume and three DVD boxes.[42][43][44] In 1999 Sony tried and failed to market the series in the United States as Samurai X via an existing company.[45] The TV series was later licensed in North America by Media Blasters, who split it up into "seasons", and released on DVD. It started airing in the US on the Cartoon Network as a part of the Toonami Block on March 17, 2003, but ended at the completion of the "second season" (episode 62).[46] Some of the show's depictions of obscene language, intense violence, and tobacco usage were subject to heavy editing on Toonami. Episodes 63-95 did not air, but were included in the DVD release.[47] The "seasons" were later released in three premium "Bento box" DVD boxes on November 18, 2003, March 30, 2004 and July 27, 2004.[48][49][50] They were released again, but in new packaging as "economy box" sets on November 15, 2005, January 17, 2006 and February 14, 2006.[51][52][53] Sony Pictures Television International created an English-language version of the series, titled Samurai X, that airs outside of the United States.[54][55] Animated films[edit] Requiem for the Ishin Patriots[edit] The series also has a movie called Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture, known in Japan as Ishin Shishi e no Chinkonka (?????????? Requiem for the Ishin Patriots?) and originally released in North America as Samurai X: The Motion Picture, which tells a story where Kenshin meets a samurai who was very close to a man Battosai murdered in the war. The samurai is trying to start a revolution to overthrow the Meiji government. The film was directed by Hatsuki Tsuji and it premiered in Japan on December 20, 1997. The Japanese DVD was released on August 21, 1998.[56] It has been republished twice in 2000 and 2002, adding new content to the DVD.[57][58] It was also released on December 7, 2005 on Universal Media Disc format.[59] In North America, the film was released on DVD on March 27, 2001.[60] The film was released on Blu-ray Disc in North America on October 26, 2011 by Aniplex of America.[61] New Kyoto Arc[edit] A new Rurouni Kenshin project was announced in April 2011's Jump SQ. Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Studio Deen, and the original cast returned after nine years (except Hirotaka Suzuoki who died in 2006; Saito Hajime was voiced by Ken Narita).[62][63] The project was split into two parts and is a remake of the second arc, the Kyoto arc, with some changes.[63] Part I was released on December 17, 2011 and titled Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc: The Cage of Flames (???(??????) Zenpen Homura no Ori?), which was selected from a fan suggestion,[64] ran at Tokyo's Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro theater and Osaka's Cine-Libre Umeda theater for one week only.[65] Part II, Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc: The Chirps of Light (???(????????) Hikari no Saezuri?), was released on June 23, 2012 and ran for three weeks in ten theaters.[66] Aniplex of America announced at Otakon 2011 that they were in "negotiations" for the English language rights to the films.[67] Aniplex released part I on DVD and Blu-ray on March 21, 2012 in Japan,[64] while Part II was released on August 22, 2012.[68] In 2013, North American licensor Sentai Filmworks released both films together on DVD and Blu-ray, labeling them as OVAs.[69] Original video animations[edit] Main articles: Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal and Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection There are also two Rurouni Kenshin original video animation (OVA) series. The first of them, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal, collectively known in Japan as Tsuiokuhen (??? Recollection?), was released in 1999 as four episodes in Japan, and later edited into a two-hour theatrical film with some new animated sequences. It is set during the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate and during Kenshin's job as an assassin.[70] ADV Films released the series on two VHS or DVD sets in 2000 under their Samurai X name in North America, and the film version in 2003. Aniplex of America released it on Blu-ray in 2011 in North America.[61] The second OVA is Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection, known in Japan as Seisohen (??? Time?). It is composed of two episodes and was later edited into a theatrical film. The first episode was originally released on December 12, 2001 in Japan and the second on March 20, 2002. It is set both during and after the timeline of the series and tells of Kenshin and Kaoru's later days, much of which is not derived from the manga.[71][72] Although Nobuhiro Watsuki had checked the script from the OVA, he gave it disapproval due to its sad ending, and he stated that it is not canon and should not be treated as canonical.[73] It was released in the United States by ADV Films on DVD on March 25, 2003 under their Samurai X name, while the movie edition was released the following year.[74][75] Aniplex of America released it on Blu-ray in 2011 in North America.[61] Live-action films[edit] Main articles: Rurouni Kenshin (film), Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends On June 28, 2011, a live-action film adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin was announced.[76] Produced by Warner Bros., with actual film production done by Studio Swan, the film was directed by Keishi Otomo and stars Takeru Satoh (of Kamen Rider Den-O fame) as Kenshin, Munetaka Aoki as Sanosuke Sagara and Emi Takei as Kaoru.[77] The film was released on August 25, 2012 in Japan.[78] In August 2013, it was announced that two sequels were being filmed simultaneously for release in 2014. Kyoto Inferno (?????? ????? Kyoto Taika-hen?) and The Legend Ends (?????? ?????? Densetsu no Saigo-hen?) adapt the Kyoto arc of the manga.[79] Soundtracks[edit] See also: List of Rurouni Kenshin soundtracks Cover of Rurouni Kenshin OST 1. All of the series music was composed by Noriyuki Asakura and several CDs have been released by Sony Records. The first, Rurouni Kenshin OST 1 was released on April 1, 1996 and contained twenty-three songs that were used during the first episodes of the series.[80] The second one, Rurouni Kenshin OST 2 - Departure was released on October 21, 1996 and contained fifteen tracks that were first used before the start of the Kyoto Arc.[81] The next one, Rurouni Kenshin OST 3 - Journey to Kyoto was released on April 21, 1997 and contained the thirteen tracks that originally used in the Kyoto Arc.[82] For the next arc, Rurouni Kenshin OST 4 - Let it Burn was released on February 1, 1998 and contained twelve tracks.[83] For the OVAs series, all themes were composed by Taku Iwasaki and the CDs were released by Sony Visual Works. The first, Rurouni Kenshin Tsuioku Hen OST was released on March 20, 1999 and contained sixteen tracks that were used in Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal.[84] For the Reflection OVA a soundtrack called Rurouni Kenshin Seiso Hen OST was released on January 23, 2002 and contained eighteen tracks.[85] Several compilations of the anime songs were also released in collection CDs. Thirty tracks were selected and joined in a CD called Rurouni Kenshin - The Director's Collection, that was released on July 21, 1997.[86] Rurouni Kenshin Best Theme Collection was released on March 21, 1998 and contained ten tracks.[87] All of the opening and ending themes were also collected in a CD called Rurouni Kenshin OP/ED Theme Collection.[88] The Japanese voice actors of the series also composed songs that were released as two Cds Rurouni Kenshin Songs Album. All of the anime tracks, including OVAs and films tracks were collected in Rurouni Kenshin Complete CD-Box that was released on September 19, 2002. It contains the four TV OSTs, the two OVA OSTs, the movie OST, the two game OSTs, an opening & closing theme collection, and the two Character Songs albums.[89] On July 27, 2011, Rurouni Kenshin Complete Collection, which includes all the opening and ending themes and the theme song of the animated film, was released.[90] Several drama CDs, which adapted stories in the Rurouni Kenshin manga, were also released in Japan. Each of them featured different voice actors from that one that worked in the anime adaptation.[91] In Volume 5 of the manga Watsuki stated that he anticipated that the script of the third volume, which has the stories involving the character Udo Jin-e, would be "pretty close" but would have additional lines belonging to Sanosuke and Yahiko.[92] Art and guidebooks[edit] Two encyclopedias of the Rurouni Kenshin manga were released in Japan. The first one, Rurouni Kenshin Profiles (???), was released first in Japan on July 4, 1996 by Shueisha and in the United States by Viz Media on November 1, 2005.[93][94] Kenshin Kaden (?????), released on December 15, 1999 includes the story Haru no Sakura (????, lit."Cherry Blossoms in Spring"), which details the fates of all of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. The story takes place years after the manga's conclusion, when Kenshin and Kaoru have married and have a young son, Kenji. Many of the series' major characters who have befriended Kenshin reunite or otherwise reveal their current whereabouts with him in a spring picnic.[95] For the anime, three Kenshin Soushi artbook were published from 1997 to 1998. While the first two were based on the TV series, the third one was based on the film. The film one was named Ishin Shishi no Requiem Art Book and was released along with the movie.[96][97][98] Also released was Rurouni-Art Book, which contained images from the OVAs. A guidebook from the kanzenban imprint of the series was published on June 4, 2007.[99] Light novels[edit] The Rurouni Kenshin light novels were published by Shueisha's Jump J-Books line and co-written by Kaoru Shizuka. Most of them are original stories which were later adapted in the anime. Others are adaptations of manga and anime stories. The first novel, Rurouni Kenshin: Voyage to the Moon World, was published in Japan on October 10, 1996 and in North America on October 17, 2006.[100][101] The second, Yahiko's Battle, was released on October 3, 1997. It retells various stories featured in the manga and anime series.[102] The third novel, TV Anime Shimabara Arc, was published on February 4, 1999.[103] A novel adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin Cinema-ban, titled Rurouni Kenshin -Ginmaku Soshihen- (?????? ????????) and written by Watsuki's wife Kaoru Kurosaki, was released on September 4, 2012.[104] Video games[edit] There are five Rurouni Kenshin games released for the PlayStation console. The first, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan: Ishin Gekitohen (?????? -???????- ??????) was released on November 29, 1996. It was developed by ZOOM Inc.. The game is a 3D fighter game with 5 playable characters, while the plot focuses in the first seven volumes from the manga.[105] The second one, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan: Juyushi Inbo Hen (?????? -???????- ???????) was released on December 18, 1997 and was re-released in the PlayStation The Best lineup on November 5, 1998. The game is a role-playing video game with a story unrelated to either the manga or anime.[106] Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan: Enjo! Kyoto Rinne (?????? -???????- ??!?????) is the only video game for the PlayStation 2 console. Its Japanese release was slated for September 13, 2006.[107] The game has sold over 130,000 copies in Japan.[108] A 2D fighting game titled Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan: Saisen (?????? -???????- ???) was released for the PlayStation Portable in March 10, 2011 in Japan.[109][110] On August 30, 2012, a sequel, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan: Kansen (?????? -???????- ???), was released.[111] Himura Kenshin also appears in the 2005 and 2006 Nintendo DS games Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars as a battle character, while others were support characters and help characters.[112] Kenshin and Shishio appear as playable characters in the 2014 PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita game J-Stars Victory VS.[113][114] Merchandise[edit] Watsuki commented that there was a lot of Rurouni Kenshin merchandise released for the Japanese market. He recommended that buyers consider quality before paying for merchandise items and for them to consult their wallets and buy stuff that they feel is "worth it." Watsuki added that he liked the prototype for a stuffed Kenshin doll for the UFO catcher devices.[115] Reception[edit] Manga[edit] Rurouni Kenshin has been highly popular, having sold over 55 million copies in Japan alone as of February 2012, making it one of Shueisha's top ten best-selling manga series.[116] In 2014, it was reported that the series had 70 million copies in circulation.[117] Volume 27 of the manga ranked second in the Viz Bookscan Top Ten during June 2006,[118] while volume 21 and 20 ranked second and tenth, respectively, in the Top 10 Graphic Novels of Viz of 2005.[119] Rurouni Kenshin volume 24 also ranked in 116th position in the USA Today's best selling book list for the week ending February 26, 2006.[120] During the third quarter from 2003, Rurouni Kenshin ranked at the top of ICv2's Top 50 Manga Properties.[121] In the same poll from 2005, it was featured at the top once again based on sales from English volumes during 2004.[122] In the Top Ten Manga Properties from 2006 from the same site, it ranked ninth.[123] The manga has received praise and criticism from various publications. Mania Entertainment writer Megan Lavey found that the manga had a good balance between character development, comedy and action scenes. The artwork of Watsuki was said to have improved as the series continued, noting that characters also had reactions during fights.[124] Zac Bertschy from Anime News Network (ANN) praised the story from the manga, but noted that by volume 18 of the series, Watsuki started to repeat the same type of villains who were united to kill Kenshin. Although he praised Watsuki's characters, he commented that some of them needed some consistency due to various "bizarre" antagonists.[40] IGN reviewer A.E. Sparrow liked the manga's ending, praising how the storylines are resolved, and how most of the supporting cast end up. He also praised the series' characters, remarking that Kenshin "belongs in any top ten of manga heroes."[125] Otaku USA reviewer Daryl Surat said that the manga's quality was good until the "Revenge Arc," where he criticized the storyline and the new characters.[126] Surat described the series as an example of a "neo-shonen" series, where a shonen series also appeals to a female audience; Surat stated that, in such series character designs are "pretty" for female audiences, but not too "girly" for male audiences. Surat cited Shinomori Aoshi and Seta Sojiro, characters who ranked highly in popularity polls even though, in Surat's view, Aoshi does not engage in "meaningful" battles and Sojiro is a "kid." Surat explained that Aoshi appears "like a Clamp character wearing Gambit's coat and Sojiro always smiles despite the abuse inflicted upon him.[127] Surat said that the character designs for the anime television series were "toughened up a bit." He added that the budget for animation and music was "top-notch" because Sony produced the budget.[128] Anime[edit] When TV Asahi, a television network in Japan, conducted a nationwide survey for the one hundred most popular animated television series, the Rurouni Kenshin anime came in sixty-sixth place.[129] They also conducted an online web poll, in which Rurouni Kenshin was placed at number 62.[130] Nearly a year later, TV Asahi once again conducted an online poll for the top one hundred anime, and Rurouni Kenshin anime advanced in rank and came in twenty-sixth place.[131] It also ranked at tenth place in the Web's Most Wanted 2005, ranking in the animation category.[132] The fourth DVD of the anime was also Anime Castle's best selling DVD in October 2001.[133] Rurouni Kenshin was also a finalist in the American Anime Awards in the category "Long Series" but lost against Fullmetal Alchemist.[134][135] The anime has also been commented on by Chris Shepard from ANN noting a well crafted plot and good action scenes. However, he also criticized that during the first episodes the fights never get quite interesting as it becomes a bit predictable that Kenshin is going to win as the music of moments of victory is repeated many times.[136] However, Mark A. Grey from the same site mentioned that all those negatives points disappear during the Kyoto Arc due to amazing fights and a great soundtrack.[137] Tasha Robinson from SciFi.com had a similar opinion on the anime, and added that the characters' personalities' allowed the plot to develop into a good variety of interesting stories. She also liked the historical setting as it makes all the situations seem authentic.[138] Although Them Anime's Carlos Ross also liked the action scenes and storyline, he added that the number of childish and violent scenes make the show a bit unbalanced, saying it is not recommended for younger children.[139] Surat approved of the anime series, stating that while half of the first season episodes consisted of filler, the situation "clicks" upon the introduction of Saito Hajime and that he disagreed with people who disliked the television series compared to the OVAs. Surat said that while the Media Blasters anime dub is "well-cast," the English dub does not sound natural since the producers were too preoccupied with making the voice performances mimick the Japanese performances.[140] Surat said that while he "didn't mind" the first filler arc with the Christianity sect, he could not stomach the final two filler arcs, and Japanese audiences disapproved of the final two filler arcs.[126] OVAs and films[edit] Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal has received significant praise for its story, animation, art, music and Japanese voice acting from various critics. Mike Crandol from ANN noted Trust & Betrayal as one of the greatest OVA series of all time, celebrating the new characters designs as well as the fights scenes which were also noted to be "terribly bloody" and beautiful at the same time.[141] Although DVD Talk reviewer Don Houston mentioned the OVAs were very violent for teenagers, he found the story and music to be "solid". The director's cut version received positive comments by how the four OVAs were arranged with Houston commenting it "seems more like a movie that stands alone, rather than just the precursor to a long lasting series."[142] Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection received mixed reviews. While Nobuhiro Watsuki had checked the script from the OVA, he gave it disapproval due to its sad ending.[73] Crandol also later commented that fans from the manga may be disappointed when seeing Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection since most of the fighting scenes have been deleted in the OVA. Nevertheless, the music and animation featured in the Reflection were highly praised again as one of the best ones from Japan.[143] References[edit] ^ "Rurouni Kenshin light novel on Amazon Japan" (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2015. ^ Note: The Japanese title literally means "Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman", a collection of Romantic Folk Tales. "Rurouni" is a neologism created from the verb "ru," meaning "to wander," and "ronin," meaning "masterless samurai." A rough translation of the title would be "Kenshin the Wandering Swordsman". ^ «Weekly Shonen Jump» 19-th issue cover ^ a b c Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2004). "Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (2)". Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 3. Viz Media. ISBN 1-59116-356-0. ^ a b Watsuki, Nobuhiro. "Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (1)". Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 1. Viz Media. p. 168. ISBN 1-4215-0674-2. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2005). "Interview with Nobuhiro Watsuki". Rurouni Kenshin Profiles. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-0160-4. ^ a b Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2004). "The Secret Life of Characters" (21) Saito Hajime". Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 7. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-59116-357-2. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2003). "The Secret Life of Characters (6) Sagara Sanosuke". Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 2. Viz Media. p. 48. ISBN 1-59116-249-1. ^ a b c d Watsuki, Nobuhiro (1999). "Interview with Nobuhiro Watsuki". Kenshin Kaden. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-782037-8. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2006). "Free Talk". Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 27. Viz Media. p. 168. ISBN 1-4215-0674-2. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2006). "Free Talk I". Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 28. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-0675-0. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2004). Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 8. Viz Media. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-59116-563-7. ^ a b Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2004). Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 8. Viz Media. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-59116-563-7. ^ a b c Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2005). Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 10. Viz Media. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-59116-703-7. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2005). Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 10. Viz Media. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-59116-703-7. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2005). Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 10. Viz Media. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-59116-703-7. ^ "Sankei Sports: Rurouni Kenshin Manga Gets Live-Action". Anime News Network. June 27, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2011. ^ ?????? 1 [Rurouni Kenshin 1] (in Japanese). Shueisha. 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"Samurai X - Trust & Betrayal (Director's Cut)". DVD Talk. Retrieved May 26, 2009. ^ Crandol, Mike (January 22, 2002). "Ruroni Kenshin second OAV series Seisouhen, part 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 25, 2008. External links[edit] Portal icon Anime and manga portal Wikiquote has quotations related to: Rurouni Kenshin Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rurouni Kenshin. Official Shueisha Rurouni Kenshin manga website (Japanese) Jump Sq. Rurouni Kenshin website (Japanese) Official Sony Rurouni Kenshin anime website (Japanese) Official Warner Bros. 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Story of Samurai X

Himura Kenshin, known as the legendary hitokiri of the Meiji Revolution, Himura Battōsai (緋村抜刀斎), is the main protagonist and titular character of the Rurouni Kenshin series. Kenshin has spent ten years traveling Japan as a rurouni in search of redemption, carrying a sakabatō with the vow to never kill again. In early 1878, he arrives in Tokyo and takes up residence at the Kamiya dojo, where his vow is tested as he fights to keep the country's peace. Of small, slender build and with a youthful, feminine visage, Himura Kenshin cuts quite a different figure than would be expected of the legendary Hitokiri Battōsai and his appearance belies his twenty-eight years of age, making him look roughly ten years younger, but he is easily recognized by his infamous distinguishing features: mid-back length red hair tied in a thick ponytail and a cross-shaped sword scar on his left cheek. Kenshin's hair is thick and abundant, with all of the shorter frontal hairs falling across his face as bangs rather than being in the ponytail at the nape of his neck. During the revolution, Kenshin wore his ponytail higher and at the end of the series, he has cut the ponytail entirely (presumably to prevent his son from pulling on it) and wears his hair evenly at about chin length. Kenshin's eyes, too, are unusual, being a deep violet. In the anime series, when Kenshin's eyes change to reflect his psychological reversion to Hitokiri Battōsai, their color shifts from violet to gold. The Legendary Scar Kenshin's cross-shaped scar actually consists of two separate scars--a long one running diagonally down his face from just below the outer corner of his left eye to just above his chin and a slightly shorter scar running diagonally across it in the other direction from just to the left of the bridge of his nose to his left jawbone. In a redesign for the kanzenban, Kenshin's scar has been altered so that the lateral scar is longer, stretching across his nose to just below the inner corner of his right eye. Clothing Kenshin dresses simply, wearing a plain men's kimono of cheap, worn cloth with a white umanori hakama, zori and white tabi. In the anime series, Kenshin's kimono is almost always a soft red like burgundy, but in the manga, he alternates between this, a bolder red, purple and deep blue. His sakabatō is worn under his obi at his left hip in a black, steel saya. in live action film Kenshin wears brown kimono Soft-spoken, serene and humble, Himura Kenshin's usual demeanor suits his effeminate appearance perfectly. Always willing to put others before himself, both in terms of well-being and social standing, Kenshin usually refers to others with the noble honorific of "-dono" while nearly always speaking of himself with the particularly humble pronoun "sessha" (translated by Viz as "this one") and ending his phrases with the formal verb "de gozaru" (translated by Media Blasters as phrases like "that it is" or "that I am"). He carries himself with an air of amicable temperance, politely conversing with the people he encounters and freely giving his meager services to those who need a hand. Kenshin doesn't hesitate to put himself in the path of harm to shield those around him and often attempts to diffuse contentious situations with soft, calming words and a somewhat clownish personality involving feigned clumsiness and his trademark interjection "oro" (a unique pronunciation of "ara"). These traits lead those unfamiliar with Kenshin to view him as ineffectual or easily exploitable, but more perceptive people become aware in short order that his gift for placatory eloquence and veiled redirection of disagreeable situations suggest a deep wisdom belied by his youthful, unassuming visage. Tormented by his past as a hitokiri, Kenshin has developed an acute appreciation for life and has taken a vow in his heart to never again kill another person and to do everything within his power to protect people from being killed. This vow is the defining characteristic of Kenshin's personality and the primary motivation for his transition into a rurouni. Despite this, however, he holds his own existence cheap and carries in his heart a grievous guilt that prevents him from becoming emotionally close to the people around him and compels him to a life of humble service and selfless personal sacrifice. Even with his prodigious skill as a prolific swordsman, Kenshin refrains from wielding his great combat strength for his own sake, drawing his sword only for the well-being of others when words fail to appease. Though unwilling to simply be killed by unrelated attackers, Kenshin freely accepts that any grudges against his past self are well-deserved; he remembers the face of every person he has wronged as the Hitokiri Battōsai and will face their hatred or judgment without complaint, believing that he does not deserve the same happiness as others. Spending much of his alone time in quiet contemplation of his past misdeeds and future retribution, Kenshin often ponders what the right path toward redemption is and laments each life lost due to his weakness. As such, he has a tendency toward trying to solve problems all by himself and alienating his would-be allies with secrecy so as to keep them from becoming involved in his risky endeavors. Having lived his own life carrying heavy regrets, Kenshin is reluctant to judge others for their personal actions, beliefs or mistakes and always offers hopeful encouragement so that those who have stumbled onto the wrong path might redeem themselves in the future. However, when forced to draw his sword against those who abuse their power and undervalue the lives of others, Kenshin's calm temperament gives way to a marked intensity capable of intimidating even other skilled swordsmen and can go so far as to become a powerful fury, despite his compulsion toward diplomacy. But when his strength as a rurouni is insufficient to defend against a particularly threatening foe, Kenshin's restraint falters and his personality reverts to that of his days as the Hitokiri Battōsai. He immediately abandons his serene humility, reverting from sessha to the more abrasive pronoun "ore" while dropping de gozaru and oro from his speech. Kenshin's normally warm nature becomes cold and distant, allowing him to contemplate taking the life of his opponent and even make vicious, bloodthirsty threats. This side of his personality is one that Kenshin struggles to suppress despite the fact that it keeps emerging when he is under great stress and in need of extra strength. His greatest fear is that, one day, he will return to his former self and become a hitokiri once more. As time passes, however, Kenshin learns to trust the people around him with the truth about himself as well as with some of the burden he bears, understanding that his life, too, is a human one and that his friends and allies would suffer greatly if he were to die. Kamiya Kaoru: Moving gradually from dear friends to love interests to husband and wife, Kenshin and Kaoru share a relationship that serves as one of the largest focal points of the series. Though initially seeing Kaoru as merely another Japanese citizen in need of his protection, Kenshin is immediately struck by her remarkable philosophies regarding katsujinken and the unimportance of one's past self, quickly coming to see her as a particularly special person. Additionally, having been rescued from death, dishonor and loneliness by the mysterious rurouni, Kaoru greatly values Kenshin's company after he appears in her life and is rather insistent that he stay. The two grow steadily closer as time goes on, with Kaoru keeping Kenshin's darker nature in check with her kindness and Kenshin's eager support giving Kaoru the courage necessary to deal with the hardships of her life, until it becomes clear that neither can go on living happily without the other. Later on, they have a son together, Kenji, who loves his mother and hates his father. Kenji looks a lot like Kenshin. Sagara Sanosuke: Though initially an opponent hired by the Hiruma brothers (Gohei and Kihei), Sano becomes a member of the Kenshin-gumi in short order, serving as a sort of "strong right arm" at Kenshin's side during battle. Though Kenshin attempts to hide the dangerous aspects of his life in Tokyo from Kaoru and Yahiko, Sano is usually the first to see through the Rurouni's innocent deceptions and stubbornly tags along whenever he catches the scent of an impending fight. As such, Sano quickly becomes Kenshin's most trusted compatriot, proving himself capable of fighting his own battles without Kenshin's concern or intervention. Sano, for his part, silently reveres Kenshin's strength and character, devoting himself to making sure such a great man survives long enough to save as many people as possible. Myōjin Yahiko: Seeing young Yahiko's great spirit and sense of honor from their first accidental meeting, Kenshin comes to view Yahiko as an embodiment of the future, both in terms of the new Meiji society and the potential of kenjutsu. Though he is aware that Yahiko looks upon him as a hero, Kenshin insists that the boy learn Kamiya Kasshin-ryū from Kaoru rather than Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū and trusts the young shizōku to carry the ideals of "the sword that protects" into the new era. Kenshin is initially protective of Yahiko, mentoring him through example and wise speeches while he insists that the boy keep a safe distance from the dangerous goings-on in Kenshin's life, but eventually begins to see Yahiko as another of his comrades and trusts him to finish his own battles without being coddled. At the end of the series, Kenshin chooses Yahiko as his successor and gives him the Sakabatō as a Genpuku gift with the belief that the young man will carry on the will of katsujinken. Hiko Seijūrō XIII: Kenshin's master and the current heir to Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, Hiko Seijūrō is a man whom he holds in great regard. From a young age, Hiko had mentored Kenshin in all the ways of the sword, life and the world, but on the other hand, Kenshin was given a rather unique vantage point from which to observe his master's vanity, selfishness and narcissism. Due to Kenshin's desire to participate in the revolution, the two parted ways under rather unpleasant circumstances before Kenshin had the chance to complete his training. However, Kenshin knows that Hiko is a stalwart, trustworthy man, even if the master insists on belittling and humiliating his former student at every possible turn. Yukishiro Tomoe: The first love of Kenshin's life, Tomoe had an unparalleled effect on young Battōsai's demeanor, gradually easing him from a cold-blooded hitokiri into a soft-spoken, caring human being. However, their encounter was not fate but rather an orchestration by Himura's enemies. Despite her orders and her own private grudge against the Hitokiri Battōsai for revenge of her fiance's death , Tomoe gradually fell in love with the young swordsman and betrayed her comrades in an attempt to protect him from harm. As a result of the enemy's trap, however, Tomoe's life was cut short by Kenshin's own hand and his resultant guilt became a major factor in creating his new, gentler rurouni persona and his vow never to kill. Takani Megumi: Megumi often flirted with him, and he always looked a little embarrassed in those moments. Kenshin was one of the men who saved her life, taking her from the life of opium manufacturer. After that, she shows a great respect for the swordsman. She is considered "Kenshin's Fox" in Saitō Hajime's imagination. Saitō Hajime: Saitō and Kenshin were enemies at the time of End of Shogunate, since Kenshin fought for the Ishin Shishi and Saitō was one of the Shinsengumi, who were a special police force for the Shogunate. In their meeting at Kamiya Dojo they fought again, reviving the time when they were enemies fighting on opposite sides. Kenshin and Saitō became allies to defeat Shishio and Enishi but they never became friends the way Kenshin and Sano did. Saitō likes to fight for himself, so he will join Kenshin just when it's necessary, but both respect and admire each others' power and abilities. Kenshin once even refers to Saitō (and the others with him on Enishi's island), as his 'trustworthy companion'. Shinomori Aoshi: Although initially enemies, Kenshin and Aoshi eventually become comrades, when Kenshin re-awakens his senses, after the latter is in a constant state of deep trauma, following the honorable sacrifices of his loyal subordinates, who perished saving his life. Aoshi aids Kenshin in his battle against both Shishio and Enishi. Enemies Shishio Makoto: Successor to Hitokiri Battōsai, he plans to take over Japan, but his plans are thwarted by Kenshin and his allies, after a long, hard-fought series of battles. Yukishiro Enishi: He was Kenshin's brother in law when Kenshin married his sister Tomoe. Like Tomoe, Enishi sought revenge against Kenshin for Tomoe's death and after Kenshin mistakingly killed Tomoe, Enishi's rage increased. In the end, 15 years later, he was defeated by Kenshin and after learning Tomoe's true feelings for Kenshin through her diary, he gave up his quest for revenge. Kenshin, in keeping with his soft appearance, appears to be quite skilled at domestic work as many of the Kamiya dojo residents comment favorably on his cooking and he is frequently seen performing such tasks as grocery shopping, floor and shoji door cleaning and laundry. While he does all of these things diligently and eagerly, it appears that his taste for them is an acquired one which he displays only to strangers and new acquaintances, as he was loath to perform even the simplest chore on Hiko Seijūrō's orders. However, it has also been shown that Kenshin's handwriting is not very good (with several characters comparing it unfavorably to that of Watsuki's). Kenshin is also an unparalleled orator, capable of spinning eloquence or humor into an offhand comment and prone to making grand, moving speeches off the top of his head. While maintaining his cool, he is rather adept at philosophical arguments, swiftly seeing the cracks in any opponent's logic without missing a beat in conversation. Himura Kenshin cutting through opponents at high speed Kenshin is perhaps most well known for his almost inhuman swordsmanship. Having inherited the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū sword style from his master, Hiko Seijūrō XIII, Kenshin's light frame allows him to use the style's "godspeed" to its fullest, moving so rapidly that he routinely outpaces the human eye. In the unlikely event his first strike misses his enemies, Kenshin uses his sheath to attack his opponent, making it almost impossible to beat him once he takes the battojutsu stance. His own prowess with Battōjutsu earned him his infamous moniker. Outside of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, Kenshin has displayed independent sword techniques which are indicative of his own acquired skills: Miscellaneous techniques Modoshigiri The most skilled swordsmen using the best of blades were supposedly able to slice an object in two and rejoin the halves together, as if it were never cut at all. Kenshin demonstrates this when he cuts a daikon and then reforms it back together. He doesn't cut it with his sword, but rather a kitchen knife, since his sakabatō was broken at that time. Zantetsu The most skilled swordsmen were supposedly able to use their swords to cut through steel. Kenshin states he can use it anywhere except underwater. History Early Life Kenshin is born into a peasant family under the given name of "Shinta". After losing both his parents to cholera by age seven, he is sold into slavery. With his life turning for the worse, he is taken under the custody of three young women who are fellow slaves; Akane, Kasumi, and Sakura, and group together to take care of him in the face of being a child slave. Later on, the slave-traders' caravan is attacked by bandits who kill all of the peasants except for Shinta, who is saved by a skilled swordsmaster named Hiko Seijūrō. Killing the bandits, Hiko suggests to Shinta that he travel to a nearby village and start rebuilding his life. Hiko travels to the same village, but after spending an evening there and hearing no news of Shinta's arrival, he assumes the boy committed suicide. He returns to the site of the massacre with the intention of burying the bodies of everyone who died there. When he arrives, he is shocked to find that, not only had Shinta not committed suicide, but he had spent the previous night burying the bodies of everyone at the site, including the slavers and the bandits. Impressed by the boy's gentility and kindness, Hiko honors the gravestones of the young women who gave their lives to save him, and renames the boy "Kenshin", as he felt that the name 'Ken' (sword) and 'Shin' (heart) were more fitting for a swordsman. He then informed his new ward that he would teach him everything he knew about swordsmanship. After a few years under Seijūrō's guidance, Kenshin learned of a revolution that was occurring all over Japan, one whose members professed to the ideals of removing the oppressive shogunate from power and ushering in a new era of peace for the common people. Inflamed by this news, Kenshin desired to join these revolutionaries in order to put his swordsmanship to use in ushering in this new era. Hiko however, was unmoved by both the news of the revolution and his student's passionate desire to play a role in it. He attempted to explain to Kenshin that war was not so simple as his student believed it to be, and that Kenshin, for his own sake, should not get involved. Furthermore, he informed Kenshin that the tenants of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū were at odds with becoming involved in a political war, as the killing involved in such an undertaking would often be of people who did not necessarily deserve to die, and the decision to kill them would not be Kenshin's to make. However, Kenshin was adamant in his desire to aid what he saw as an honorable and noble cause, and he abandoned both his training and his master, leaving his knowledge of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū incomplete. His sword skills soon attracted the attention of Katsura Kogorō, a leader of the Chōshū clan. Seeing the phenomenal power of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, he recruited Kenshin and brought him to Kyoto, where he was assigned the role of an assassin. Within the first six months of his career, he killed over 100 people, and eventually became known as the "Hitokiri Battōsai". As time passed however, Kenshin began to grow disillusioned with his role in the revolution. Instead of ushering in a new era of peace, he eventually came to realize that he had simply become an extremely skilled murderer, and that the killing that he was engaged in didn't seem to be doing the good, or any significant difference, that he had hoped it would. Nevertheless, he continued his role as an assassin. One night in his career, he was assigned the task of killing Shigekura Jūbei, a high ranking samurai and a bakufu official. He engaged Jūbei and quickly killed both him and a bodyguard of his named Ishiji. Having killed both men with virtually no fuss, he turned to eliminate the final man in the group, Kiyosato Akiraone. Kenshin and Akiraone engaged in a brief, one-sided duel until Kenshin mortally wounded his completely outmatched foe. However, to Kenshin's astonishment, his opponent managed to cut the left side of his face as he received his mortal injury. Kenshin quickly recovered from his shock and dispatched his dying opponent, before honoring the man's incredible will to live. Later in his downtime, while drinking at an inn, he recalls a lesson from his master, noticing that the sake that he is drinking tastes like blood, to which it shouldn't. As a pair of men loudly boast upon barging into in the inn for free favors, claiming themselves of the Isshin Shishi (and ignorantly, of the opposing Aizu), before harassing a woman, Kenshin angrily confronts them and tells the two to get lost even though they weren't talking to him. Afterwards, Kenshin departed the inn, inwardly concerned about the fact that the two men had managed to bother him to the point of anger. He comes to the conclusion that all the killing that he has been doing has started him down the road to madness, and reflected upon Hiko's warning not to get involved. However, he was unable to discern the reason for Hiko's warning. As he walked, the two men from the inn who Kenshin had humiliated attempted to ambush him, but before they had an opportunity to attack, they were slain by a bakufu assassin. The assassin, introducing himself by killing off the last of the escaping men who begged for help, was there to eliminate Kenshin, and engaged the Hitokiri, but was quickly cut down. In the midst of this grisly scene, the woman whom Kenshin had seen earlier at the inn appeared just as Kenshin cut the bakufu assassin apart. Shocked to see her, Kenshin momentarily toyed with the idea of killing her; having seen him, the woman was now in a possession to potentially compromise his identity. Before Kenshin can make a decision, the woman fainted, and Kenshin found that he was unable to bring himself to kill her. Instead, he took her back to the house that he and his compatriots were operating out of. Once she awakened the next day, Kenshin learned that her name was Yukishiro Tomoe. Having seen Kenshin, the revolutionaries informed her that, in order for her to continue living, she would need to stay where they could keep an eye on her. Despite Kenshin's desire to have her leave, she agreed to stay on as domestic help around the revolutionary's headquarters. While there, she eventually began to form a relationship with Kenshin, befriending him and helping him to maintain his grip on sanity. After the crisis suffered by the Chōshū clan in the Ikedaya Jiken, both Kenshin and Tomoe act as a married couple to keep anyone from finding out Kenshin's true identity as an assassin and flee to a remote village. Sometime later, Tomoe meets with the leader of the Yaminobu, a fictional pro-Shogunate covert network of ninjas that had formulated a plan to assassinate Kenshin. She realizes that all along they had actually used her to create Kenshin's weakness. Meanwhile, Kenshin runs off to find his wife, but is ambushed by Yaminobu ninjas and is severely wounded. He manages to defeat them and eventually finds Tomoe with the leader of the Yaminobu. In a desperate attempt to defeat the leader, Kenshin blindly swings his sword, killing both his assailant and Tomoe, who jumps in at the last minute to save Kenshin from a fatal attack. Tomoe's knife flies into the air and coincidentally slashes Kenshin's already scarred cheek, creating the famous X-shaped scar across his left cheek. Before dying, her last words come to reveal the dark tragedy that ultimately leaves Kenshin forever changed. Following the death of Tomoe, Katsura, feeling heavily responsible for Kenshin's loss and his manipulation under the miserly traitor Iizuka, recruits Shishio Makoto to replace him as an assassin, and reassigns him as a guerrilla swordsman protecting the Imperialists. After the end of the Bakumatsu, Kenshin leaves the Ishin Shishi's ranks, his experiences resolving him to protect those unfortunate without the need for death and bloodshed. Arai Shakkū, a famed swordsmith of the Ishin Shishi and acquaintance of the Battosai, realizing the change that the turbulent era brought on to his friend, the virgin perspective that he now has resolved to keep, and concerned how his friend would carry his journey without the need for self defense and necessary force to carry out his ideals against the wayward, issues him the challenge to uphold his newfound path and tosses him the first of his signature weapon into the future, the kageuchi of the Sakabatou, marking Kenshin's end as a Hitokiri. Settling in Tokyo After finishing his job as the murderer "Hitokiri Battōsai" in the Ishin Shishi, Kenshin assumes the life of a wanderer, keeping his promise to protect every individual from danger without harming others through pacifist means, and through the use of Hiten Mitsurgi's powerful techniques and true principles of the art. Ten years after the Revolution, he arrives in Tokyo, where he meets Kamiya Kaoru. She invites him to stay in her dojo even after she discovers that Kenshin is the "Battōsai". During his residence in the dojo, Kenshin establishes lifelong relationships with many people, and changes the lives of many who he has met; even if his reputation of a notorious assassin in the day of the Bakumatsu and the animosity of those begrudged who have survived its bloody days come to haunt him, his change as a person has even lead ex-enemies, such as the former Shinsengumi member Saitō Hajime, to come to peaceful terms with him. With the many friends he has come to make, many of their experiences come to take them on adventures in the changing world of the historical Meiji era and the events they come to impact on both them, and the world to come. Although his has kept his promise and fulfills his duty as a swordsman of peace, many of his inner scars still come to haunt him, from his repressed hitokiri personality coming out in times of heavy conflict, to the heavy trauma and unremedied pain that keeps him distant from even his closest friends, and fearful of the consequences his past reemerges should they be dragged into them. New enemies such as Aoshi Shinomori of an Oniwabanshū turned mercenary thug criminal group, comes to bear a near vendetta rivalry to claim his life in order to mark their pride in history as the strongest of the Bakumatsu's days, and Jinei Udoh nearly comes to make Kenshin break his vows and spill blood after holding Kaoru hostage in threat of her life, before leaving behind a dark memento and reminder that the past of a warrior will always come to haunt him and leave no other path open to him than one of destruction. Kyoto Arc Though peace and resolute resolve guided Kenshin's days, a surprise meeting between his rival adversary Hajime Saitō and old ally Okubo Toshimichi gave news of the advent of Shishio Makoto, the brutal former successor to Kenshin's position as Chōshū Shishi's assassin. Masterminding a movement seeking to overthrow the Meiji Government and establish his own tyrannical Social Darwinist reign for the sake of Japan's future in the face of foreign powers, Kenshin remains conflicted to his former ally's requests and the strained past between them, with the support of his friends to protect him from any treachery that the current Isshin led Meiji Government may bring. However, upon Shishio's planned assassination of Okubo, and witnessing the devastating waves of the Kiyoizaka Incident bringing about turmoil and despair amongst the people, Kenshin comes to leave Tokyo, realizing now of how his past has come full circle at its most menacing incarnation, and that his destiny as a wandering swordsman to save as many lives as possible to escape the shadow of his former self must meet his brutal successor, as it is on his shoulders, that the future of the country lies in the fact that he is the only man capable of stopping Shishio and his plans. On the eve of May 14th, 1878, in the eleventh year of the Meiji, before the darkness of the night, Kenshin departs to only the eyes and heart of Kaoru Kamiya, and begins wandering again. To defeat such a foe, Kenshin is forced to return to Kyoto, the city of both his pain and the stronghold of Shishio. Along his journey to the Imperial Millennium Castle City, he gains the accompaniment of Makimachi Misao, a traveling ninja of Kyoto's Oniwabanshu in search of a missing Aoshi. Upon the discovery of a battered and bloodied Mishima Ei'ichirō, and the arrival of Saitō during the subduing of Shishio's residing forces, they witness both the atrocities Shishio's accomplishments have brought about, and the possible future that would come about under his iron fisted rule, in the hamlet of Shingetsu Village. Having broken his sakabato clashing swords with Sojiro the Tenken of Shishio's upper ranks, and realizing his strength is inefficient enough to stop Shishio without returning to the hitokiri within, Kenshin resumes his quest with a few new friends, a newfound resolve, and new tasks to stop his enemy. Upon arrival to Kyoto, his first errand would to fulfill the promise of reuniting with his old friend Arai Shakkū, to receive a new sakabatou; second, to complete the final stages of correspondence of the Hiten Mitsurugi school, and mend his severed relationship with his teacher Seijūrō. With a newfound allegiance and introduction to the Aoiya's staff, the now current Kyoto branch Oniwabanshu, Okina of their ranks helped the rurouni scout out and find both persons of importance. The first person to find, Arai Shakku, was unfortunate, as he passed on years prior to his arrival in Kyoto; however, he was succeeded by his son, Arai Seikū. Although reluctant at first, and still in shame over the shady reputation his father brought upon himself and the craft he was renowned for, Kenshin, Okina, and Misao came at the call to save Seiku's son Arai Iori from the hands of Sawagejō Chō "The Swordhunter", and revealed to him, not just of his father's own philosophy of how it was up to the men who wield weapons that build the new era, but that Kenshin was also one of those men who fought for the future safety and peace of Japan. From proving to him that he only meant benevolence and noble deeds, the Arai Family happily gave him the final work of Arai Shakku, the shinuchi of the hallowed sakabatou. After obtaining the shinuchi of the sakabatou, Kenshin was now able to undergo his second errand. Under the pseudonym Ni'tsu Kakunoshin, the current master of the Hiten Mitsurugi school made his current living as a skilled potter. Attacking him to make an entrance, Hiko Seijuro the XIIIth was surprised to see his student return after 14 years. Explaining to him of the situation at hand, Hiko nonetheless analyzed and scrutinized his student with impeccable accuracy; not only did his reckless idealism come to fail to understand that the ideals of the Hiten Mitsurugi school teach that those who wield the school's techniques fight for their fellow man, not for the illusions of sides or allegiances of any sort, and how the tragedies he had inflicted and suffered had now left deep scars on his psyche, while he still held the mind of an immatured 14 year old boy, his actions altogether while in the ranks of the Ishin Shishi indirectly came to bring about Shishio's maniacal agenda and current existence. Infuriated, annoyed, and agitated at the ignorance of Kenshin, Hiko was about to dishonorably dismiss his apprentice, although not before the arrival of Misao, Yahiko, and to great surprise, Kaoru Kamiya, at his master's doorstep. Moved by the stories, exploits, and experiences his friends told, Hiko reconsidered and came to continue his apprentice's mastery. Through the harsh regiments, teaching him not only powerful techniques, Hiko also was instrumental in consoling Kenshin and the scars the plagued him; from reminding him that, although he sees himself as selfless and one who would be glad to help those in need, to the point of self sacrifice, he is also only a human being, and that if he were to die, no doubt that those close to him would be utterly devastated. This key truth was the very thing for Kenshin to overcome both his fatalistic hitokiri alter ego, and his master's fatal trial of the Kuzuryūsen, becoming the wellspring of power needed to execute the Hiten Mitsurugi school's ultimate and pinnacle technique, the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki. Upon the completion of his training and the nursing of his master back to health, Kenshin left to Kyoto, and with newfound strengths, ready to take on Shishio. Much to his surprise, several of his friends tracked him down to Kyoto to help him defeat Shishio and the Juppongatana. Foiling his first diabolical plan of the Kyoto Grand Fire and the invasion of Tokyo with the blackship Purgatory with his allies, the Kenshingumi had made it known that they were a force to be reckoned with. Realizing his new foe wasn't just an ordinary enemy, and a formidable threat to his conquests, Shishio and the Juppongatana agreed on the arrangement of a series of duels at their hideout, the Shrine of the Six Tori on Mt. Hiei. Accompanied with Sanosuke and Saitō, the three made their way to the compound early morning next day; while Sanosuke took on the vengeful fallen monk and former mentor "Bright King" Yukyuzan Anji, Saitō taking on the murderous "Blind Sword" Usui Uonuma, and learning of the underhanded assault on the Aoiya, Kenshin took the brunt of the series of duels on Mt. Hiei, facing off two formidable opponents in a series of rematches; first against the wildcard traitor Aoshi Shinamori, to return him to his senses for the sake of both the Kyoto Oniwabanshu and Misao, his admirer and student, as well as the youth swordsman prodigy Seta Sojiro, responsible for destroying his kageuchi of the sakabatou and the assassination of Okubo Toshimichi, before facing off against his terrible successor, Shishio Makoto himself. Kenshin used Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki to defeat both Aoshi and Sojiro. The battle against Shishio for Kenshin was no eased matter. Weakened and wounded earlier by prior duels, and pushing damage even further on to him, not even the combined efforts of Saitō, Sanosuke, and even a reformed Aoshi would come to see Shishio fall. But as Kenshin fell during battle, the duration of his ally's attempts would buy him enough time to recover from Shishio's brutal onslaught eariler, from the grisly bite marked on his left shoulder to even the explosion of the Guren Kaina. Fueled with an intense will to live brought on by his training and his promise to Kaoru, and his swordsman spirit surging with the winds and flora of the valley arena, his undying spirit, even pushing his body near the brink of death and to its limits, unleashed furious blows and his most powerful technique Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki. Shishio countered the first strike of Amakakeru but not the second strike. Shishio was greatly damaged by the move and ran his sword through Yumi in an attempt to hit Kenshin. Kenshin was critically wounded on the floor by the stab. Kenshin thinks that it was the end, but upon remembering his master Seijuro's words that the girl who came all the way from Tokyo (Kaoru) would be devastated if he were to die, his will to survive strengthened. At the end of the battle, even as he was grievously wounded with little to spare, his will to survive overcame and outlasted Shishio's bodily limits, who ignites into a flame (spontaneous combustion) due to overheating. Making a full recovery after a month unconscious and with the help of Megumi Takani, Kenshin's quest was fulfilled, and the country of Japan saved, but not without doubts, knowing that if battle and who was the strongest means that victory also means one is in the right, then Shishio was right all along; still, he thought, such a world and where its people would agree on such a brutal ideal, would be wrong no matter what. Even if victory was hollow, this would not mean that his actions were in vain- The ones close and who cherished him, who he changed their lives, and who came to also have done the same for him; Sanosuke, Misao, Megumi, Yahiko, the Oniwabanshu, Hiko Seijuro, Arai Seiku and his family, those who he left behind in Tokyo, and Kaoru, would always be happy and welcome to have him in their family, and proud of his deeds to ensure a world where peace and freedom would come about. Kenshin would return to Tokyo, ending his wandering again, back to a welcome home at the Kamiya Dojo. Jinchū Arc A few weeks after returning home to Tokyo a man known as Yukishiro Enishi visits the same grave that we saw Kenshin visit at the end of the Kyoto arc. Upset at the fact that Kenshin left flowers at this grave, Enishi asks Iwambo if Kenshin still has his scar, which he does to the pleasure of Enishi. Iwambo then reveals himself to be not just a brainless fighter, but a man known as Gein, the puppet master. Enishi finds several comrades who all have grievances with Kenshin and form a group known as the six comrades. Together they devise a plan to kill Kenshin no matter what the cost, however, Enishi and Gein have different plans, as the true meaning of Jinchu is much more than just attacking Kenshin himself. Kenshin notices a man who only has one arm at the Akabeko, Screen Shot 2015-08-25 at 7.46.11 PM and immediately remembers that he was the one who cut off his arm. This man, known as "Whale Mouth" is next seen with Enishi and blows up the Akabeko with an Armstrong Canon later that same night. The two leave behind a note with the word Jinchu (earthly justice) on it, and Kenshin, as perceptive as ever, begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Eventually, Kenshin has a direct confrontation with Enishi, in which Enishi declares war on Kenshin, and that in 10 days the Kamiya Dojo will be attacked because of the death of Enishi's sister, Tomoe. Kenshin has no idea how to atone for his sin of killing Tomoe - the reader still doesn't know her relation to Kenshin yet - and returns to the Kamiya Dojo, stressed out and exhausted. Kenshin has a nightmare where he finds Kaoru dead in Hell along with Tomoe and realizes that he must come clean with his friends and family about his bloody past completely. This part of the arc introduces Yukishiro Tomoe to the Kenshingumi, and it is discovered that Kenshin was married to Tomoe during the revolution, but he accidentally killed her. Kenshin had killed Tomoe's fiancé during the revolution during a routine assignment, and Tomoe wanted to take revenge for Kiyosato by killing him. She contacts a group of assassins who instruct her to study him, which she does. After a bloody first introduction, the two slowly begin to know each other, and after two months, Kenshin has very strong feelings towards Tomoe, and decides to marry her and go to Otsú. Tomoe stoically agrees, but her true motive to get close to Kenshin was to find his weak point. Over time, she accidentally falls in love with Kenshin, claiming that he is too gentle to be an assassin. Enishi as a child is then sent to go retrieve Tomoe by the ninja assassins, but she refuses to go back with him. Enishi is deeply upset at Tomoe's choice to protect Kenshin and informs her that it's too late for Kenshin. Later that night, Tomoe decides to open up to Kenshin about who Enishi is and why she was there to kill Kenshin (no mention of Kiyosato) and breaks down crying. Kenshin embraces her by the fire and the two talk Kenshin holds Tomoe as she dies about each other's past more in depth. Kenshin says that living with Tomoe has taught him that the only thing he can really do is protect the one's around him and that he will protect Tomoe's happiness to the bitter end. They make love to each other that night (not explicitly shown in the manga like it was in Trust and Betrayal) and Tomoe leaves Kenshin the next morning to tell the ninjas to call off the attack. Kenshin follows where she went, where he is blinded, deafened, and beaten badly until he reaches the cabin with Tomoe. Tomoe learns that she was a part of the plot just to create Kenshin's weakness by making him fall in love with her, and will be killed along with Kenshin since she too is in love, which dishonors the memory of Kiyosato and the Shogunate. Kenshin, while fighting a skilled fist-fighter, realizes that he will die, and is about to sacrifice his life to kill the assassin saying he just wants Tomoe to live in peace. Tomoe at the last second jumps inbetween the two and she along with the fighter die from Kenshin's blade. Enishi witness's her death and goes crazy, promising revenge on Kenshin. Kenshin completely heartbroken returns to their cabin in Otsú and cremates her body and vows to never kill again after the revolution is over. This tragic backstory created the non-killing and insecure Kenshin that is shown in the Meiji Era. When Enishi finds out about Kenshin's blossoming feelings towards Kaoru, he comes up with a sinister trick to destroy Kenshin emotionally and spiritually. The day before Enishi is set to fight Kenshin, Kaoru and Kenshin more or less get engaged. Enishi knows that by "killing" Kaoru, it will sent Kenshin into the same living Hell that Enishi went through when Tomoe died. He succeeds and leaves behind a professionally-made decoy of Kaoru with a sword in her heart, making everyone believe that she had been murdered. Upon seeing her corpse, Kenshin as a shell of a man. Kenshin has a complete emotional breakdown claiming that he is worthless for being unable to protect the dearest person to his heart. He runs off to the slums of Tokyo where he remains there until discovered by Sanosuke's friends two weeks after the incident happened at the Kamiya Dojo. With his soul completely shattered, he wanders in and out of consciousness, and frequently sees himself in Hell, where he begs Shishio to take his life. His friends words cannot reach him, and the Kenshingumi splits up. Eventually Tomoe's father meets Kenshin, and after a week of talking to him, Kenshin leaves the slums when he learns that Yahiko is in danger. After saving Yahiko, Kenshin goes to sleep and has a dream. He sees Tomoe in his dream and she tells him that all she really wants is to see Kenshin and Enishi happy. At the end of his dream, Tomoe tells Kenshin that he needs to go to Kaoru and be happy with her. Kenshin wakes up mentally revitalized and proclaims to the group that it was time to save Kaoru. The Kenshingumi goes to rescue her on Enishi's island. A battle between Enishi's "Nerves of Insanity" Kenshin and Enishi follows and after an exhausting duel that lasts for several chapters, Kenshin wins by exploiting Enishi, as he has no defense when using his nerves of insanity. Kenshin and Kaoru return home to live together for the rest of their lives. Four years later, in 1882 (Meiji 15th year), Kenshin is married to Kaoru and has a three year-old son named Himura Kenji. After an encounter with Kaoru's student Myōjin Yahiko, who he has taught his own sword style to during the past four years, they have a spar which Kenshin wins but barely. As sign of Yahiko coming of age he gives him his own reverse blade sword. He is the main protagonist for the series and has developed into a media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime, original video animations (OVAs), movies, soundtracks, video games, and other collectibles. When creating Kenshin, Watsuki designed him to be the physical opposite of Hiko Seijūrō, a character that appears in Watsuki's first one-shot manga, Crescent Moon in the Warring States, and later in Rurouni Kenshin as his swordsmanship teacher. Rekenshin Kanzenban Redesign Kenshin's character was well received by fans, with his holding the top spot in all reader popularity polls for the series. Critics of the series praised his personality, though some complained about his development during the anime OVA series, which differs from the manga. A variety of collectibles based around Kenshin have been created, including figurines, key chains, plushies, and replicas of his sakabatō sword. Watsuki discovered and used the story of Kawakami Gensai, a hitokiri executed by the Meiji Government. According to Watsuki, when he found that Kawakami maintained a duty to his dead comrades, he decided to create the title character. Since Watsuki's debut work contained a tall, black-haired man in "showy" armor, the creator wanted to make a character "completely opposite" to the debut character and the new character ended up "coming out like a girl." According to Watsuki, he used "no real motif" when creating Kenshin and placed a cross-shaped scar when "not knowing what else to do."At the end of the series, Kenshin appears with short hair. Initially, Watsuki had planned to make his hair shorter before the end, however, he found this to be similar to the character Multi from To Heart.Watsuki based most of Kenshin's abilities on a real swordsman of the Tokugawa period named Matsubayashi Henyasai, who was skilled in acrobatic techniques.During the Kyoto arc, Kenshin is given a new sword with a sheath made of wood. Watsuki decided to redesign the sword to make it look as the first one Kenshin had in the series, though it is more difficult to draw.During the development of Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Watsuki and his editor argued over Kenshin's speech patterns; they settled for a "slangy" pattern. For the final version of the first Romantic Story, Watsuki adjusted the dialogue; in his view, he made Kenshin sound "more as I prefer him now."Watsuki added Kenshin's trademark "oro" as a placeholder to be an expression of the English speech disfluency "huh." Watsuki notes that he was surprised at how much it caught on, and how much he ended up having Kenshin use the sound during the series.Watsuki also planned to make Kenshin older than 30 years old; his editor commented that it was strange that the main character of a manga for teenagers was so old, so he made Kenshin 28 years old.In the first Rurouni Kenshin kanzenban, published in Japan in July 2006, Watsuki included a draft page featuring a redesign of Kenshin's character. To make his X-shaped scar more notable, Watsuki made it long enough to cross his nose. Kenshin's hair is tied in two tails, which are flowing to make him look younger, but shorter, to be less androgynous. Watsuki also added a habaki to Kenshin's sword to make it easier to draw by simplifying its structure, while also emphasizing strength.Kenshin's hitokiri look was also redesigned slightly, by making his clothes more damaged and giving him Yukishiro Tomoe's neck scarf.In the anime adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki's designs were combined with the voice talents of Mayo Suzukaze, a female seiyū. In producing the English dub version of the series, Media Blasters considered following suit, with Mona Marshall considered as a finalist for voicing Kenshin. Richard Hayworth eventually was selected for the role, giving Kenshin's character a more masculine voice in the English adaptation. Marshall was selected instead to voice the younger Kenshin during flashback scenes. Clark Cheng, writer of the dub script, noted that localizing Kenshin's unusual speech was a difficult process. His use of "de gozaru" and "oro" were not only character trademarks that indicated Kenshin's state of mind, but important elements to the story. However, neither is directly translatable to English, and in the end the company chose to replace "de gozaru" with "that I did" and "that I am." Kenshin's signature "oro" was replaced with "huah" to simulate it being a "funny sound" that had no real meaning. Appearances in other media Kenshin first appears in two chapters of Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story in which he arrives in Tokyo and defeats several groups of villains attacking families. In these stories, Kenshin is given a similar personality to the one he has in the series but his name is unmentioned. Later, in the movie Samurai X The Motion Picture, Kenshin meets a samurai named Takimi Shigure, the head of an underground resistance whose ranks comprise of samurai loyal to the Tokugawa Bafuku, notably the dissatisfied remnant factions and descendants of Aizu and the Shōgitai, who tries to overthrow the Meiji Government and avenge the deaths of his family during the Bakumatsu. As his dark past as Hitokiri Battosai also ties into Shigure's days of the Bakumatsu, Kenshin is needed to stop Shigure before his actions throw Japan into turmoil once more. In the OVAs, Kenshin is given a more humanized design and a different personality. There are also numerous changes to his life story compared to that of the manga, including the way he received his X-shaped scar in Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal. Samurai X: Reflection is an "epilogue" to the series. Set long after the series' end, the movie expands upon a series' summary of Kamiya Kaoru's perspective of events, and on the future of a battle weary Kenshin ravaged by a life threatening disease. Kenshin in Reflections OVA Kenshin in Reflections OVA Many consider its depiction of Kenshin's future, including Nobuhiro Watsuki, uncanon, mainly due to lack of creative input from its series' creator and his objections to how Kenshin was treated overall through the film. Kenshin is a playable character in all of the Rurouni Kenshin video games, including Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars. Tokiko Tsumura, one of the main characters of Buso Renkin, another series created by Watsuki, is based on the design of Kenshin as a hitokiri. Watsuki commented that Tokiko is the female version of the "Hitokiri Battōsai" when he drew her face. Reception Kenshin has been highly popular with the Rurouni Kenshin reader base, having ranked first in every Shonen Jump popularity poll of the series, always with more than double the votes of second place. Watsuki received letters from fans describing Megumi Ogata's audio theatre voice as a "good fit" for Kenshin. Watsuki said that he imagined Kenshin's voice to be "more neutral." A plethora of merchandise have been released in Kenshin's likeness including keychains, action figures, and plush dolls. Since the manga was published, non-functional and functional sakabatō have been produced for purchase by collectors and fans. Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other media have provided praise and criticism on the character. T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews criticized that the fact that Kenshin looks super deformed in comedy scenes is not suited for the context of the character and the series. AnimeOnDVD.com remarks that Kenshin has a "smartass" attitude in a review of volume 8; while they noted that is a common attitude in the anime that makes him look out-of-character. Anime News Network praises Kenshin for being a character that all people enjoy to watch due to his comedy scenes. SciFi.com remarked "Kenshin's schizoid personal conflict between his ruthless-killer side and his country- bumpkin" as a perfect way to develop good stories. The development of Kenshin in the OVA series has had negative reviews by many publications. Anime News Network also adds that in Samurai X: Reflection he continues to be his old mopey self and criticizes that he never says "oro," while IGN cited that some moments of the relationship between Kenshin and Kaoru were depressing.However, some reviewers noted Kenshin's personality in the OVAs to be one of the most complex to ever be animated remarking the fact that he can not forget his bloody past, although having a peaceful life. A large number of video game characters were based on the character of Kenshin such as Keiichiro Washizuka from The Last Blade and Shizumaru Hisame from the Samurai Shodown series. Kenshin's personality was also planned to be used in the character Kakashi Hatake from Naruto, but the idea was deemed as a failure. In an interview with Mayo Suzukaze, who is the seiyū for the character, she says that she started feeling similar to Kenshin after years of work as his voice, and comments that providing the voice for the character was one of her best experiences.