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1[[center: [-[[Characters/RurouniKenshin Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinMainCharacters Main Characters]] ([[Characters/RurouniKenshinHimuraKenshin Himura Kenshin]]) | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinSupportingCharacters Supporting Characters]] | '''Rivals and Minor Villains''' | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheMeijiGovernment The Meiji Government]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinOniwabanshu Oniwabanshu]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheTenSwords The Ten Swords / Juppongatana]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheSixComrades The Six Comrades]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinAnimeOnlyCharacters Anime Only Characters]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinMangaOnlyCharacters Manga Only Characters]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinKenkakuHeiki Kenkaku Heiki]]]]-]
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3[[foldercontrol]]
4
5[[folder:Hiruma Gohei and Hiruma Kihei]]
6->Gohei voiced by: Tetsuo Komura (JP, 1996 TV series), Shigezo Sasaoka (JP, drama CD), Creator/WataruTakagi (JP, 2023 TV series) ; Creator/BeauBillingslea (EN), Jason Marnocha (EN, 2023 TV series)
7->Kihei voiced by: Creator/TakeshiAono (JP, drama CD), Creator/YuichiNagashima (JP, 2023 TV series); Frank Todaro (EN, 2023 TV series)
8The first villains in the series. In the manga and the 2023 anime, Hiruma Kihei wanted to sell the land that the Kamiya dojo sits on. To do so, he wormed his way into becoming Kaoru's caretaker while using his brother Gohei to aid him in his goals. In the 1996 anime, Gohei is a CompositeCharacter of the two and is instead a bitter ex-student of Kaoru's father who wanted revenge. Regardless of the motivation, Gohei impersonates the legendary Hitokiri Battousai while claiming to use the swordsmanship of ''Kamiya Kasshin Ryu'' to stain Kaoru's family name. He might have actually slain Kaoru and taken her home as Hitokiri Battousai if the ''real deal'' himself didn't blunder into Tokyo on that misty afternoon...
9----
10* AdaptationalBadass: Gohei, of sorts, in the 1996 anime. Because he isn't the DumbMuscle his manga counterpart is, he's treated more seriously. This is especially shown when Sanosuke comments that Gohei looks fairly strong in the anime. Sano is nowhere near as impressed with Gohei in the manga.
11-->'''Sano (1996 Anime):''' Well, from where I see, you don't look like an unworthy opponent yourself.
12-->'''Sano (Manga):''' Fool! Killing you ten thousand times wouldn't be proof of anything!
13* AdaptationalIntelligence: In addition to his more [[AdaptationalBadass competent]] and [[AdaptationalVillainy villainous]] portrayal in the TV series, due to being a composite character Gohei does much of the scheming that Kihei did in the original manga and on top of that his final appearance in the TV series shows he had become a successful businessman after Kenshin permanently put him out. In the manga, he merely remains a bodyguard working for random thugs with Kihei doing all the planning.
14* AdaptationalVillainy: While not above injuring people and possibly murdering for his criminal goals, the Gohei of the manga was originally a comic relief DumbMuscle. Whereas in the manga hurting Kaoru was simply a means to an end for his criminal enterprises and something he preferred to avoid, the 1996 anime puts his conflict with the Kamiya dojo as a personal vendetta because of an injury Kaoru's father gave him. Even before turning to criminal enterprises, he was already shown as being a [[BloodKnight blood-thirsty student]] of the Kamiya style who spat on its philosophies and enjoyed hurting other students with live blades. When he attacked Kaoru's dojo, he ripped out Kaoru's upper sleeves and offered his men to [[AttemptedRape to do whatever they pleased to her]]. In addition, he makes several more attempts to get revenge on Kenshin after his duel with Sano, and it is implied he went into shady business after being permanently injured.
15* AdaptedOut: Kihei was completely left out of the original anime and his role of caring for Kaoru was given to Dr. Gensai Oguni instead, who became an AscendedExtra there. 1996 anime Gohei seems to have [[CompositeCharacter taken a bit of Kihei's scheming]] (despite not being nearly as crafty) and also becomes a merchant in his third appearance, similar to his manga brother's scheme of selling off the Kamiya property. Kihei eventually makes his animated debut in the 2023 anime.
16* BeardOfEvil: Gohei sports a massive one.
17* BloodKnight: In the anime, he was a blood-thirsty student and had maimed at least one of his fellow students with a live blade before Kaoru's father broke his right thumb. He never loses his blood-lust, which is compounded by having a vendetta towards Kaoru and eventually Kenshin.
18* BrainsAndBrawn: In the manga, Kihei does all the scheming while the much larger Gohei provides the muscle.
19* TheBusCameBack: Gohei and Kihei disappear early in the ''Tokyo Arc'' after they hire Sanosuke but come back much later in the ''Jinchuu Arc'' when they reappear in Sanosuke's hometown.
20* ButtMonkey: Any real threat either iteration may have held in their first appearance plummets with each appearance, especially in the manga, where the brothers' only purpose in the Jinchuu arc is for Sanosuke to hand them their asses.
21* CompositeCharacter: The Gohei in the 1996 anime is essentially Gohei with a bit of Kihei's brain. In turn, the 90's anime version is fused with Udo Jin-e in the live-action films.
22* CurbStompBattle: Gohei has the misfortune of being the receiving end of every fight he takes part in. In the anime, he attacked Kaoru's father with a real sword, and his teacher beat with a single blow to the hand that permanently broke his thumb, and he was only using a bokken. His fight with Kenshin ends with every finger on his left hand broken.
23* CutLexLuthorACheck: In the Anime, after losing his sword abilities and failing to kill Kenshin again, Gohei apparently goes into business as a merchant and makes quite a bit of money. He even remarks that he's surprised he didn't think of this sooner, but after a fashion, he goes back to his plans to kill Kenshin by sinking his newly acquired fortune into it.
24* DeceptiveDisciple: In the anime, Gohei only wanted Kaoru's father's dojo in order to get the authority that comes along with it.
25* DirtyCoward: Once a ''real'' warrior shows up, these are the true colors the brothers will show.
26* DumbMuscle: Gohei, ''especially'' in the manga. In the 1996 anime, Gohei is an unsuccessful ManipulativeBastard and EvilGenius.
27* EvilIsBigger: Gohei, on top of being evil, is a significantly large man, dwarfing much of the cast.
28* FauxAffablyEvil: Kihei. He acts like a kind old man trying to repay Kaoru for nursing him back to health. He's really trying to take her land away and once Kaoru gets close to discovering the truth, he drops the act for good.
29* GameBreakingInjury: Kaoru's dad broke Gohei's right thumb in the anime. He trained in the following years to perfect left-handed swordsmanship to get revenge. Kenshin broke his left ''fingers'' in response. When he took Kaoru and Yahiko hostage during Kenshin's fight with Sanosuke, Sanosuke broke his [[ButtMonkey right leg]]. And to top it all off, his final appearance in a filler episode ends with him crawling on the ground after Yahiko [[GroinAttack broke his nuts]].
30* GroinAttack: His final appearance ends with him on the receiving end of one courtesy of Yahiko. It is followed up by an OverlyLongGag that involves images of various round shapes being broken to give the audience a good idea of the pain he's going through.
31* MurderersAreRapists: Gohei picks up Kaoru and asks his men, "Whose sword would like to be the first to get a taste of her flesh?" (All the men are leering at Kaoru and beg to be first.) [[spoiler: It never actually happens, though it is heavily implied]]. This also is an anime-only scene; it doesn't show up in the manga.
32* NonActionBigBad: Kihei is the planner and schemer who's plotting to take over the dojo and has Gohei and a good number of other thugs working for him to carry out his villainous plans, while not being a fighter himself.
33* ObviouslyEvil: Between the villainous appearance (especially his BeardOfEvil) and his rather open thirst for drawing blood, it makes you wonder why Kaoru's father even let Gohei set foot on the dojo grounds much less take him in as a student in the 1996 anime.
34* ScarsAreForever: Gohei got a large facial variety courtesy of Sanosuke's zanbatou when he and Kihei interceded with Sano and Kenshin's duel in the manga. It's plainly visible on his face during the brothers' return in the Jinchu arc. This got softened to Gohei's leg getting comically dislocated by the weapon in the anime.
35* SmugSnake: Especially Kihei. Gohei inherits some of these traits in the anime.
36* StarterVillain: The ''hilarious'' incompetence of Gohei's swordsmanship demonstrates just ''how'' powerful the ''Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu'' style is in comparison to "normal" Kenjutsu.
37* TokenMotivationalNemesis: To Kaoru. It was the Hiruma brothers' plot that disgraced the Kamiya Dojo and drove it into financial ruin for the entire series, but once ran out of town by Kenshin, they are never mentioned again outside of one pathetic reappearance in the Jinchuu arc where they are easily beaten down twice by Sanosuke. The 1996 anime version of Hiruma Gohei fares no better with his last appearance being on the receiving end of a GroinAttack thanks to Yahiko.
38* VillainDecay:
39** Gohei in the Anime. While in the Manga Gohei was more inept (and comical), in the anime he's introduced as a ruthless fighter, with a personal grudge against Kaoru. He was a CopKiller and very nearly killed Kaoru and destroyed her family's reputation. Even after Kenshin crippled his hands, he was still able to use underhanded tactics during his next appearance, though the seeds of this trope were already planted as he was comically shown up by Sanosuke. His third appearance cements him like this since the once ruthless murderer is now reduced to a weenie cowering from real opponents, enacting zany schemes, fighting a kid with an umbrella, and getting kicked in the crotch so hard a montage of cracked balls and nuts starts rolling.
40** Gohei and Kihei eventually go through this in the manga when they show up once more in the ''Jinchuu Arc'' of the manga. They appear again in Sanosuke's hometown as bodyguards for the yakuza but in all that time, they haven't done anything to [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind improve their abilities or fighting skills]]. Naturally, Sanosuke beats the crap out of the two with zero effort.
41* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: In the manga, by the time Sanosuke meets Gohei and Kihei back in his hometown late in the series, they're still at the exact same level as they were in the early series, judging from how Sanosuke beat them with almost zero effort. While Kihei was a NonActionBigBad, Gohei could've used all that time to train and get better but evidently didn't put in much, if any effort. In the anime, it's justified more by Gohei getting crippled by Kenshin and thus, can't take his training any further.
42* TheWorfEffect: They're frequently used to show how much stronger Kenshin and Sanosuke are when they appear.
43[[/folder]]
44
45[[folder:Kurogasa/Udo Jin-e]]
46[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kurogasa_309.jpg]]
47->Voiced by: Creator/AkioOtsuka (JP, 1996 TV series), Creator/TomokazuSugita (JP, 2023 TV series), Creator/UnshoIshizuka (JP, drama CD); Dave Mallow (EN, TV series), Martin Blacker (EN, OVA), Creator/JohnSwasey (EN, live-action), Creator/YongYea (EN, 2023 TV series)
48->Portrayed by: Koji Kikkawa (live-action)
49
50A hitokiri during the Revolution, and there is evidence he continued killing people well after the end of the Revolution. A master of the Nikaidō Heihō technique, attacked high-ranking Imperialist officials of the Meiji government (leading some to believe he fought for the Tokugawa shogunate during the war, since he did state that he was a member of the Shinsengumi, though his thirst for blood led him to kill members of his own squad), killing anyone who stood in his way.
51-----
52* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: While Jin-e was still a member of the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu, the 2023 anime adds an additional scene where Jin-e witnessed the Hitokiri Battousai's terrifying skill firsthand. It is implied that he was not an AxCrazy killer before, but his brush with the Battousai forever changed him.
53* AdaptationalBadass: In ''Restoration'', on the one hand, [[AdaptedOut he lacks his Shin no Ippo]]. On the other hand, he keeps on fighting Kenshin for a longer time, even with his arms broken, blocks Kenshin's super technique (though in this adaptation its role as the secret technique is swapped for the Kuzuryuusen) and needs a full Kuzuryuu Sen to relent. [[spoiler: He even stabs Kaoru in front of Kenshin, though she survives because the blades dislodged during the combat and he missed her vitals, but still...]]
54* AdvanceNoticeCrime: He is introduced as an assassin targeting officials of the Meiji government. He often announces his {{Assassination Attempt}}s beforehand because he enjoys cutting his way through the bodyguards on his way to the target.
55* AnachronismStew: The full-body black suit he's wearing.
56* ArcVillain: The first enemy to last longer than a MonsterOfTheWeek and the first true threat to Kenshin.
57* AxCrazy: Even as a Shinsengumi, he was psychotic.
58* BadassLongcoat: Forced Kenshin into Battousai mode.
59* BlackEyesOfEvil[=/=]BlackEyesOfCrazy: Inverted when he activates the MagicalEye on himself, he gains normal-looking eyes. For some reason, he normally has BlackEyesOfCrazy.
60* BloodKnight: All he cares about is a good fight. Fighting weaker opponents is boring.
61* BodyHorror: In the ''Restoration'' manga he was stabbed in the arms during the war leaving two long holes in them. He ''uses them to hold his blades in the present era''.
62* CombatSadomasochist: He thought the feeling [[spoiler: of him stabbing himself]] was "sweet." [[{{Squick}} Pleasant.]]
63** ''Restoration'': swords through both his hands? Pleasurable. His new fighting style? He used said open wounds to hold his swords. Kenshin snapping his arms to prevent him from fighting? He ''thanks him for giving him two more joints'' before continuing to fight using his broken arms as flails.
64* CompositeCharacter: Not in characterization, mind you, but for the [[Film/RurouniKenshin live-action film's]] plot purpose he takes the role of the "fake Battousai" from Hiruma Gohei.
65* CurbStompBattle: Is either dishing it or receiving it. Kenshin is no match for him in their first encounter, [[spoiler: and even after Jin-e kidnapped Kaoru, Kenshin is still no match for him. The tables are turned when Kenshin does revert back to his Battousai and breaks Jin-e's nose. Even when Jin-e goes full out, Kenshin breaks his arm, with his scabbard, before he can land a single blow.]]
66* DeadlyGaze: His secret technique, Shin no Ippo, allows him to channel his battle aura through his eyes, allowing him to paralyze anyone who gets caught. It doesn't work on people with a strong will though.
67* DragonInChief: Of the first live-action movie. Kanryuu may be orchestrating the Opium trade but it's clear that Kenshin's biggest threat in the film is him.
68* DragonTheirFeet: In the film. It is only after Kanryu is defeated that Kenshin realizes he forgot one of his opponents.
69* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: In both the mangas and the film, he kills himself after being defeated by Kenshin, preferring death to being shown mercy by his enemy. As he states "Live by the sword, die by the sword."]]
70* DualWielding: In the Manga, it's explained that the Nikaidou Heihou mostly focuses on dual swords, with three of the main formations being based on the kanji for numbers 8 and 10. Played for horror in ''Restoration'' where he uses the gaping holes in his hands to wield two katana blades (without the actual hilt and handle, mind you).
71* EvilCounterpart: A fellow Hitokiri, he's stated to be Kenshin's evil opposite as someone who has continued killing for fun and refuses to let go of the Bakumatsu
72* EvilLaugh: Jine has a signature giggle that echoes even after his death, especially in the case of the anime recap portion of ''Seisouhen''.
73* EvilerThanThou: In ''Restoration'', he butchers the Yaminobu in cold blood because he believes them to be too weak for Battosai. He then makes a shishkebob with their heads just to make his point.
74* {{Expy}}: Physically, he's very similar to Remy [=LeBeau=] aka ComicBook/{{Gambit}}. Watsuki also based his background and attitude from one of the Four Hitokiri/Manslayers of the Bakumatsu era, Okada Izou.
75* FinalBoss: Of the ''Restoration'' manga.
76* FinalSpeech: [[spoiler: Jin-e tells Kenshin before dying that a manslayer is always a manslayer. Kenshin grapples with his final words at later points in the series, in the anime Kenshin recalls Jin-e and his final words almost like a ghost taunting him before leaving for Kyoto, and in the manga, during Kenshin's trauma in the Enishi arc he recalls Jin-e's final words when flashing back through significant points in his life.]]
77* GamebreakingInjury: [[spoiler: Kenshin broke his arm in their rematch.]]
78* GigglingVillain: He snickers constantly, showing how unstable he is
79* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:He dies with a psychotic grin on his face after promising to watch Kenshin from the edge of Hell.]]
80* KickTheDog:
81** [[spoiler: First, he kidnaps Kaoru just to piss Kenshin off. Then, to make sure he's turned back to the "Battosai" he uses his eye power to ''completely paralyze Kaoru, breath included''.]]
82** [[spoiler:In the film, he takes the trope to its literal extreme by doing all of that plus kicking a bound Kaoru down the stone steps.]]
83* KnightOfCerebus: The moment he appears is when the series takes its turn, as the first person to make Kenshin revert to Battousai.
84* KnowWhenToFoldEm: He uses his Shin no Ippo to paralyze Kaoru, and it can only be broken by his death or a strength of will greater than his own. Kaoru manages to willpower her way out of it after a while, and Jin-e regards her with some disgruntlement but, unusually for a manga/anime villain, he doesn't deny the feat.
85* LargeHam: Being subtle? What's that word supposed to mean?
86* MusclesAreMeaningless: When he uses the Shin no Ippo on himself, he gets increased muscle mass and strength to go with it, being able to turn a boulder into dust in a few swings. Yet, in spite of that, all it took was one good swing of Kenshin's scabbard to permanently cripple him (on the other hand, he aimed for the elbow bone).
87* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:His Hyouki technique is essentially this, using the hypnotic suggestion of the Shin no Ippo on himself to make him stronger. By doing this, he gets [[GrowingMusclesSequence increased muscle mass]] and removes his BlackEyesOfCrazy.]]
88* PsychoForHire: He was hired to kill high-ranking officials for a corrupt politician named Shibumi in the original manga, who would later go on to hire Saito. The film and the ''Restoration'' change his employer to Kanryu.
89* {{Seppuku}}: [[spoiler: After being defeated by Kenshin, he spitefully goes through this rather than try another hopeless fight with the hero or let the authorities take him away. However, he does it by just stabbing himself rather than going for full disembowelment]].
90* SerialKiller: Specifically, of high-ranking government officials who fought on the side of the Meiji movement during the war, though really anybody was game for him. [[spoiler:It's later revealed he was hired to commit those political killings by the same corrupt politician who hired [[TheMole Saito]].]]
91* StarterVillain: A proper example, as the first character to force out the Battousai, which proves to be his undoing.
92* StartOfDarkness: In the manga and anime canon, he has always been characterized as a bloodthirsty asshole formerly working for the Shinsengumi. In the film, however, he seems like a warrior driven to madness by the general violence of the Meiji Revolution, with him [[TakeUpMySword picking up Kenshin-as-Battousai's abandoned katana]] supposedly giving him a "new" purpose in life: to truly accomplish what the symbol of "Battousai" means for him.
93* SympathyForTheDevil: Kenshin expresses some pity for Jin-e for his inability to escape the [[EvilFeelsGood bloody path he chose]]. [[spoiler:Even more so as he lies dying from a self-inflicted fatal wound. However, the dying Jin-e demands that Kenshin [[DontYouDarePityMe not look at him with pity]], as he preferred the [[DeathGlare eyes]] Kenshin had when he was prepared to kill him.]]
94* ThisCannotBe: He's genuinely shocked (slightly less so in the movie) when Kaoru [[spoiler: breaks free from his Shin no Ippo alone.]] In ''Restoration'' he throws a much bigger fit when [[spoiler: he realizes that by intercepting the sakabato in his hand-wound he unlodged his sword and thus missed Kaoru's vitals when he stabbed her, and so she lived.]]
95* WakeUpCallBoss: A very powerful one. Not only does he prove too much for Kenshin without his Battousai persona, but he also proves stronger than any of Kenshin's subsequent opponents until Saito appears.
96[[/folder]]
97
98[[folder:Takeda Kanryuu]]
99[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Takeda_Kanryuu_7446.jpg]]
100->Voiced by: Creator/NobuoTobita (JP, 1996 TV series), Creator/MitsuakiMadono (JP, 2023 TV Series); John Snyder (EN, TV series), Creator/JMichaelTatum (EN, live-action), Creator/ToddHaberkorn (EN, 2023 TV Series)
101->Portrayed by: Teruyuki Kagawa (live-action)
102
103A cunning money-minded industrialist and opium dealer. He hired Shinomori Aoshi and his Oniwanbanshu, as well as numerous lesser warriors, as personal bodyguards and hitmen.
104-----
105* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: ''Nobody'' likes this guy. Aoshi and the Oniwanbanshu make it clear they only work for him because he hired them. At one point Aoshi (Han'nya in the anime) threatens Kanryuu when he thinks the merchant's insulted his group. In the battle against Kenshin, Aoshi flat-out says he doesn't care what happens to scum like Kanryuu.
106* AdaptationalBadass: "Badass" might be too strong a word, but he's definitely not as cowardly and doesn't cry for his life in the live-action film. For comparison, when Megumi pins him down to stab him in the live-action film, his first reaction is to yell angrily at his subordinates for not doing anything whereas in the anime, his reaction is to shriek (to add insult to injury, Megumi doesn't even pin him down in the anime). Much of his cowardice seems to have instead been transferred to his army of [[YesMan Yes Men]]. In addition, he is a far more hands-on BigBad in the live-action film where he not only spends some time directly observing his operations, he even tries to provoke Kenshin by himself several times. In the manga, he strictly stays in his mansion behind doors, and even the planning and high command functions he gives to his subordinate.
107* AdaptationalVillainy: Downplayed. He was easily one of the evilest villains in the original Manga, but the film ups his villainy. He's the one who hired Jin-E, so the dozens of police officers killed was his doing, and he later has the water supply to the village poisoned so he could lure out Megumi[[note]]He did ''threaten'' to do this in the manga, but never actually went through with it[[/note]], which in turn nearly kills a number of people. With that said, his biggest KickTheDog moment [[spoiler:killing the Oniwaba group via Gatling gun]] has been removed due to the characters in question being AdaptedOut and the scene has a slightly more comical tone to it than in the original.
108* AdaptationalWimp: Of a sort. His design was originally that of StarterVillain Nishiwaki, from the very first ''Kenshin'' pilot. That character was every bit the slimy schemer, but also a swordsman of at least decent caliber (even if he's no match for Kenshin and has to resort to guns when the chips are down).
109* BigBad: Of the first live-action movie as well as the ''Restoration'' manga. In the original manga and anime, [[BigBadDuumvirate he and Aoshi share the role.]] He's the Oniwabanshu's boss during his debut arc, but he's a [[NonActionBigBad major weakling physically]].
110* TheBusCameBack: Returns in the Hokkaido Arc, [[spoiler:having escaped prison thanks to a member of the Kenkaku Heiki.]]
111* CompanionCube: Kanryuu becomes very fond of the Gatling Gun. He sees the potential in the weapon as part of his business, but he becomes infatuated with it after getting a chance to fire it, especially in the 2023 anime. [[spoiler:By the time of the Hokkaido Arc, not only has he gone by the alias "Gatou Ringu" in honor of it, but he makes a farewell speech to a Gatling Gun he comes across due to it being illegal and vows to legalize Gatling Guns so that they'll eventually reunite.]]
112* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Participates in shady businesses (opium and weapon trade) and won't hesitate to have people slaughtered if it will allow him to continue making money. The live-action movie expands on this, showing how he snubs his nose at the authorities whenever they try to question him.
113* DepravedHomosexual: The ''real'' Kanryusai Takeda was this (see "Historical Domain Character"). Nobuhiro Watsuki ''tried'' to work this trait in, but couldn't see how it would fit with the story, and so left out any explicit references to Takeda's sexuality. (He did mention in his side-panel notes in the manga that he wondered WhatCouldHaveBeen if he ''did'' manage to find a way to work that in, however.)
114* DirtyCoward: He throws his weight around, acting as if nothing can hurt him. When someone comes around that can, watch him crumple into a crying mess.
115* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He fails to understand why Kenshin would come to rescue Megumi when there's no financial reward in it for him. This leads to him trying to bribe Kenshin with money and a job offer as his personal bodyguard, which only serves to aggravate Kenshin further.
116--> '''Aoshi:'''[[note]]Han'nya in the anime[[/note]] [[LampshadeHanging "You don't understand. You can't win him over with money."]]
117* EvilGloating: He loves doing this, but only when he has someone more powerful backing him.
118* EvilIsHammy: His depiction in the ''Restoration'' manga deserves special mention, where he describes his love of money while he practically dances with his Gatling Gun.
119* EvilIsPetty: Tries to kill Aoshi just because he's fed up with his disrespect.
120* EvilerThanThou: When two of his guards and Beshimi report a failure to capture Megumi, Kanryuu executes the pair as a show of strength and he is mildly disappointed that Aoshi doesn't do the same to Beshimi.
121%%* FourEyesZeroSoul
122* FreudianExcuse: The Hokkaido Arc implies he has one to explain his obsession with money and wealth, as reference is made more than once to him having had to eat weeds and clay-made porridge just to survive prior to him getting his riches. Kanryu himself says that money is the only power people like him can use to rank up there with those who are born with natural talent.
123* GatlingGood: He owns a Gatling Gun with plans of moving into arms dealing in addition to selling opium. He eventually uses the Gatling Gun when the Oniwabanshu stop following his orders.
124* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: He's of the evil variety, casually smoking a cigar while shooting his Gatling gun at the protagonists.
125* GratuitousEnglish: The 2023 anime has him utter various English phrases here and there, probably to show his connections to foreign powers as a merchant and add some extra pompousness.
126* HateSink: The single most despicable character in the series who will do anything for money from selling drugs to weapons, and is a petty DirtyCoward to boot.
127* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Thanks to Alan and a bit of CharacterDevelopment, he genuinely becomes a nicer person during the Hokkaido Arc.]]
128* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: His being this only serves to piss Kenshin off after he tries to bribe the former manslayer.
129* JerkAss: The single '''most''' unpleasant character in the entire series.
130%%** Exaggerated in the first live-action movie.
131* ManipulativeBastard: Towards Megumi.
132* MoneyIsNotPower:
133** As stated below, he boasts that having so much money makes him stronger than warriors like Kenshin and Aoshi, but he finds out this trope is in play the hard way when Kenshin beats the stuffing out of him.
134** In the ''Restoration'' manga, it goes a lot more literally as he uses a money purse in the final battles. It's ''Yahiko'' who ultimately kicks his ass. Counts as LaserGuidedKarma as well considering how he mistreated and mocked him.
135* MoreHateableMinorVillain: In the grand scheme of things, he's a small time villain compared to Shishio, Enishi, and even Raijuta. But whereas some of those major ArcVillain characters at least have some kind of more sympathetic backstory involving great loss, have more noble, romantic goals in mind for the country, or at least display great strength or VillainousValor, Kanryu displays none of those qualities and revels in every vice of being a HateSink character who's ruined lives with his drug trade, a DirtyCoward who murders the more sympathetic mercenaries he's hired, and a huge {{Jerkass}} who beat Megumi senseless.
136* NamedAfterSomeoneFamous: Named after Takeda Kanryusai, Fifth Captain of Shinsengumi, remembered as a vile, treacherous man who bullied his underlings.
137* PunnyName: The alias he uses in the Hokkaido Arc, [[spoiler:"Gatou Ringu"]], is [[spoiler:Gatling, the gun he uses to mow down the Oniwabansu]].
138* ReformedButNotTamed: Despite his HeelFaceTurn, he still enforces his own selfish laws. That said, he's still willing to change through legal means.
139%%* RichBitch: Male version.
140* SecondaryColorNemesis: He wears a purple tie with a green suit.
141* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney:
142** He plays it utterly straight with his declaration that money is the greatest power in the world, and his having so much of it makes him stronger than Kenshin or Aoshi. [[spoiler:Too bad his money can't save him from Kenshin's wrath]].
143** In both the live-action movie and the [[spoiler:Hokkaido Arc]], he expresses that money is what allows people like him to get an edge against those who are gifted at birth. He knows that it's fleeting, but it's also the only way he could possibly compete against those stronger, smarter, and more beautiful than himself.
144* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In the Hokkaido arc, when Kenshin decides to allow Kanryu to leave, Kanryu is taken aback by his kindness and [[DontYouDarePityMe refuses to accept Kenshin's pity.]] His complaints stop when Kenshin mentions that Shinomori Aoshi will be meeting up with him soon. While Kenshin may be willing to put up with Kanryu, Kanryu knows that there is absolutely no way that Aoshi is going to show the man who killed his subordinates any mercy and immediately bolts.
145* SharpDressedMan: He's constantly dressed in a nice white suit, befitting that of a man who wants to flaunt his wealth to others.
146%%* SissyVillain
147* SmugSnake: Acts cool and collected when in control of a situation, such as when he's using his gatling gun, but the minute he's at Kenshin's mercy, he's left pathetically begging for his life.
148* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Kanryu vs. Kanryuu.
149* TheToothHurts: Kenshin breaks his jaw and knocks out one of his teeth.
150* TookALevelInKindness: In [[spoiler: the Hokkaido Arc, he ends up genuinely helping Alan and Kenshin fighting against the Kenkaku Heiki.]]
151* VerbalTic: In the 2023 anime, he punctuates every bullet fired from the Gatling Gun with "Gat".
152* WouldHitAGirl: He doesn't just hit Megumi, he ''batters her bloody'' after she returns to his mansion [[spoiler:and makes an attempt on his life with a dagger that is nabbed away by Aoshi/Han'nya]].
153* YesMan: Has an army of them at his beck and call in the live-action film, usually seen fanning him at a moment's notice. They are even more spineless than him.
154[[/folder]]
155
156[[folder:Isurugi Raijuta]]
157[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Isurugi_Raijuta_9291.jpg]]
158->Voiced by: Ryunosuke Obayashi (JP, 1996 TV series), Creator/KentaMiyake (JP, 2023 TV series); Creator/RichardEpcar (EN)
159
160The leader and founder of the Shinko-ryū "school" of kenjutsu - an organization whose purpose is to revitalize Japanese kenjutsu through force.
161-----
162* ActorAllusion: In the 2023 anime, Raijuta is voiced by Kenta Miyake, who also voices All Might of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' fame. Both men are mentoring younger pupils who idolize them, (For one, being a master swordsman, and the other, the Number One Hero). The big difference is that Raijuta only talks a big game and has no [[ManipulativeBastard genuine intentions]] [[MoochingMaster of teaching]] Yutaro swordsmanship, whereas All Might is a true NiceGuy who voluntarily passes on his Quirk to and teaches Izuku Midoriya how to be a Hero.
163* AdaptationalBadass: In the manga, he easily gets curb-stomped by a wounded Kenshin (who got his right arm disabled in an earlier ambush before the main fight) without Kenshin even using the blade of his sakabatou. He doesn't even go down fighting but loses because of a psychological breakdown from a lecture by Kenshin about real lethal swordsmanship. In the 1996 TV series, not only does he give a hell of a fight and go down KO'd (after giving Kenshin several wounds) but he wipes out an entire platoon of an elite Imperial Army battalion of riflemen with one swing. He's also shown adept at commanding small squads to execute ambushes and other military tactics.
164* AdaptationalSympathy: In the 2023 anime, he's given an additional ending scene where it's shown [[spoiler: he's incapable of taking any human lives and couldn't go through with even killing an old woman and young girl praying to a statue. After that, Raijuta breaks down crying and the scene plays out in a sympathetic, non-fatal AlasPoorVillain manner]].
165* AdaptationalVillainy: While he's certainly a conniving scumbag who manipulates and uses patrons in the original manga, his primary goal was to merely preserve Japanese sword arts in their original form and to make his philosophy of swordsmanship of Shinko Ryu dominant in the Meiji era. In the 1996 anime, his Shinko Ryu group was in existence before the Revolution as an elite group of Samurai and his intention from the very start was to use his school to recruit swordsmen so he could lead a revolt against the Meiji government and create his own small sovereign Kingdom in which the rigid Tokugawa caste system will be the status quo and that thrives around a SocialDarwinist sort of lifestyle. As opposed to his manga counterpart (who never killed a single person in his life), in the 1996 TV series, he's vicious enough [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness to kill his own henchmen]].
166* AdaptationalWimp: In the 2023 anime, his Shinko Ryu followers are AdaptedOut, leaving Raijuta with almost ''no'' followers outside of Yutaro and his status as a leader is considerably diminished. Additionally, he's shown to be psychologically weaker than even his manga and 1996 anime counterpart, with Raijuta being [[spoiler: unable to kill even random passerbys and breaks down emotionally after realizing he's been living a lie]].
167* AdaptedOut:
168** Doesn't appear in the live-action films.
169** While Raijuta himself appears in the 2023 anime, his subordinates, who appear in both the manga and 1996 anime, are missing.
170* AllForNothing: His training for 10 years to promote his Shinko-Ryu as the "Murderous Sword" means nothing [[spoiler:if he can't kill another human being. The 2023 anime empathizes this with an extra scene where he tries to kill a grandmother and her grandchild, but he can't bring himself to do it. This realization drives him to [[InelegantBlubbering tears]].]]
171* ArcVillain: Of his own arc.
172* ArrogantKungFuGuy: He's a powerful man who can tank blows from kendo practitioners and defeat dojo masters. His proficiency with the Izuna is incredible, which impresses Kenshin. However, the idea that he is comparable to what he considers a true swordsman is completely unfounded. [[spoiler:Even more so when it's revealed that he's not a killer despite thinking of himself as one.]]
173* BigOlEyebrows: His eyebrows are notably large and stylized, being as messy and spikey as his hair.
174* BrokenPedestal: To Yutaro after he revealed his EvilPlan and sliced his arm.
175* CallingYourAttacks: In the manga, he shouts "Nun!" before each and every strike.
176* EvilGloating: When he manages to land the Tobi Izuna, Raijuta gloats about the murderous power of his Shinko-ryu and that it is truly invincible. However, Kenshin points out that he's gloating too much over what is practically nothing more than a paper cut. [[spoiler:This clues Kenshin in to the fact that Raijuta has never taken a life as a true killer would not be so overjoyed over something so small.]]
177* {{Expy}}: Watsuki mentions in his notes that Raijuta was based on an American superhero comic. Raijuta's design and philosophy were likely inspired by the X-Men's Magneto, with Japanese swordsmen instead being the would-be followers to Raijuta's Magneto.
178* HopeBringer: In the anime. To many of his followers, many of whom were former samurai stripped of their political power by the Meiji government, Raijuta was their last hope of restoring a semblance of the GoodOldWays to Japan. After witnessing Kenshin defeat Raijuta, a demoralized follower immediately attempts to [[InterruptedSuicide commit seppuku on the spot, only to be stopped by Kenshin]].
179* InelegantBlubbering: [[spoiler:In the 2023 anime following his defeat, he tries to kill an unsuspecting grandmother and grandchild, only to end up slicing the head of a Jizo statue. As they leave, Raijuta is left to his own devices and sobs loudly at his inability to kill.]]
180* InformedAbility: Claims his Izuna technique is the "ultimate killing technique." Kenshin proves him very, ''very'' wrong.
181** Averted with his kenjutsu skills. He is quite strong with his technique (though not as powerful as Kenshin).
182* LargeAndInCharge: He's a giant of a man and is in charge of the Shinko Dojo.
183* ManipulativeBastard: He utilizes Yutaro's hero-worship of him to his own advantage, pretending to be the boy's sword instructor while accessing Yutaro's family fortune for his own ends.
184** He's [[AdaptationalVillainy even worse]] in the anime. There he gained Yutaro's worship by saving him from a group of bandits hoping to hold him for ransom. [[EngineeredHeroics Later it turns out that Raijuta was the one who hired them in the first place, just so he could set up the rescue to earn Yutaro's trust]].
185* RazorWind: How the technique Izuna and Tobi Izuna works. Kenshin even refers to the Kamaitachi while describing this attack.
186* ShadowArchetype: Raijuta reflects how Yutaro would've turned out if he never learned humility. Both are talented, hard-working, like to throw their weight around, and long for the old days when the sword ruled Japan. However, Yutaro's ideal swordsman defends the innocent whereas Raijuta's is a conquerer. [[spoiler:Ultimately, Raijuta doesn't understand the gravity of taking a life any more than a sheltered child like Yutaro does.]]
187* StrawHypocrite: In the manga, [[spoiler:Kenshin (correctly) guesses that despite Raijuta's ambition to restore the "killing sword" philosophy and his claims of Izuna being the "ultimate killing technique," Raijuta himself has never actually killed anybody. The fact that Raijuta celebrates at being able to nick Kenshin on the wrist with said technique, instead of expressing disappointment that the blow wasn't a fatal one, cements the point.]]
188* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:In the manga, following a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech from Kenshin]]. In the 2023 anime, [[spoiler:he has a similar breakdown after his failure to kill an unsuspecting grandmother and grandchild.]]
189* WideEyedIdealist: A dark version of this trope. Raijuta uses his power and determination to chase fantasies rather than anything concrete. He strives to live up to romanticized image about invincible swordsmen and thinks defeating powerful enemies with Shinko-Ryu can turn back the clock and return kendo's glory days.
190* TheWorfEffect: He fights Kenshin in one-on-one combat following the KickTheDog scenario above. It goes about as well for him as you'd expect ([[CurbStompBattle totally one-sided against him in the manga]]).
191* WouldHurtAChild: Uses the Izuna to wound Yutaro, severing his muscles. In the manga, [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence the wound is so deep you can actually see the bones in his arm!]].
192* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Raijuta merely used Yutaro for his fortune to support the Shinko-ryu. When it's clear the jig is up, Raijuta has no issue turning his Izuna on Yutaro.
193[[/folder]]
194
195[[folder:Arundo Akamatsu]]
196->Voiced by: Kazuhiro Nakata (JP); Tom Wyner (EN)
197An arrogant and overly confident warrior is sent to kill Kenshin along with Saitou but fails. Wields a kusarigama and hidden chains.
198----
199* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Modesty isn't exactly a trait he's familiar with.
200* BullyingADragon: All without realizing that Saito is actually manipulating him for his plans.
201* DirtyCoward: Beg for forgiveness when Kenshin disarms him.
202* EpicFlail: His kusarigama, along with some flails hidden in his armlets.
203* {{Expy}}: Of Omega Red. His surname (Aka means Red and Matsu End) and weapons make this clear.
204* GoodScarsEvilScars: Has badly sewn scars on his forehead and cheeks.
205* OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler:Beheaded by Saito.]]
206* OhCrap: Several, as when he realizes that Kenshin disarmed him and later when he's about to land the finishing hit. The anime gives him a third the moment before Saito beheads him.
207* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Once he finds out about [[spoiler: Ookubo]], he decides to quit. [[spoiler: But is killed by Saito before he can do anything.]]
208[[/folder]]
209
210[[folder:Saito Hajime (aka Fujita Goro)]]
211See Characters/RurouniKenshinMainCharacters
212[[/folder]]
213
214[[folder:Abukuma's Four Priests]]
215->Voiced by: Katsuya Shiga, Norihisa Mori, Takeshi Matsumura, and Yoshikazu Nagano (JP); Bob Papenbrook, Derek Stephen Prince, Steve Kramer, and Dean Wein (EN)
216
217Four warrior-priests serving under Shishio Makoto, who are sent to hire Aoshi Shinomori when he visits the tombs of his fallen comrades, but are eventually provoked by Aoshi and killed.
218----
219* BaldOfEvil: All four of them.
220* BerserkButton: As soon as Aoshi disrespects Shishio they suddenly decide that he's worth Hell and prepare to chop him in half.
221* CurbStompBattle: They don't last long against Aoshi.
222* EliteMook: What they are, essentially.
223* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: Aoshi literally cut them all up to pieces with his kodachi.
224* FauxAffablyEvil: They appear to be friendly at first, but they're really just scumbags.
225* {{Gonk}}: All of them, each in a different way.
226* LastDisrespects: Aoshi catches them eating and drinking on top of the Oniwabanshu burial ground. Furthermore, after Aoshi disrespects Shishio and tells all of them to get out, one of the Priests goes the extra mile by spitting on one of the gravestones. They don't last long after.
227* NunTooHoly: These men embody the concept of the Japanese "fallen priest"; despite referring to themselves as "nyuudo", in their first appearance they're shown eating meat and drinking liquor on a burial ground while talking about a woman they had sex with. They're also quick to resort to violence.
228* SmallNameBigEgo: They believe they are Shishio's best fighters. They aren't even close, and their deaths don't even phase him.
229* UndyingLoyalty: For Shishio.
230* WarriorMonk: All of them, though not as powerful as Anji.
231* WeHardlyKnewYe: They don't last past the chapter they appear in.
232* WolfpackBoss: Non-videogame example, they all fight together in a technique known as "Four Bodies as One".
233[[/folder]]
234
235[[folder:Senkaku]]
236->Voiced by: Tetsuo Komura (JP); Creator/BeauBillingslea (EN)
237One of Shishio's henchmen, but not a member of the Ten Swords. Is a huge man with an oddly shaped head who boasts about his speed and the 99 men he murdered. He rules over the Shingetsu village with an iron fist. Is defeated by Kenshin who uses his own speed against him and is arrested.
238----
239* AdaptedOut: Doesn't appear in the live-action films. A nameless MookLieutenant fills in his role at the village while his murders are implied to be performed by Shishio.
240* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Boasts a lot about his skills and the number of people he massacred in the past.
241* BaldOfEvil: His baldness really emphasizes his freaky conical head, and that oddity makes him look that much more threatening.
242* TheBrute
243* FlashStep: Despite his immense bulk, he's very fast. [[spoiler: Eventually, lots of flash steps in a row leads to his defeat.]]
244* {{Gonk}}: Has a cone-shaped head, is overly muscled, and wears a tiny, veeery tight body suit...
245* HeelFaceDoorSlam: Thanks to Kenshin for willingly using one of his techniques so that Senkaku would be spared, Senkaku is grateful for Kenshin's mercy and is very much at peace. Then he gets killed by Soujirou...
246* HeelRealization: Though a temporary one. In the 1996 anime, after he is defeated, Kenshin's merciful act to wound him and thus spare him from Shishio's wrath makes him rethink his violent survival of the fittest mentality. Senkaku was never able to comprehend such an act of altruism and upon seeing it his belief in Shishio's vision falters.
247* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Despite being as fast as Kenshin, he's a lot heavier, and so after a while [[spoiler: his legs break after performing one last FlashStep.]]
248* LightningBruiser: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]. His greater size places a significantly greater strain on his body than Kenshin's comparatively lighter frame does, so going long enough causes severe injuries.
249* MixAndMatchWeapon: His weapons looks like a hybrid of an ax and knuckleduster.
250* MusclesAreMeaningless: Averted. [[spoiler: They make him heavier, which cause his downfall.]]
251* NotWorthKilling: How Shishio viewed him after his escape. Senkaku was an unimportant henchman who didn't know anything valuable, so he was spared any orders to be executed after his escape. Instead, Senkaku explaining his HeelRealization to Soujirou gets him killed.
252* OhCrap: [[spoiler: The first one when his legs break. Then, when [[OutscareTheEnemy Shishio threatens to dispose of him should he lose without forcing Kenshin to show at least one attack.]]]]
253* TopHeavyGuy: Leads to his defeat.
254[[/folder]]
255
256[[folder:Yaminobu]]
257->Tatsumi voiced by: Minoru Uchida (JP); John Paul Shepard (EN, OVA), Rick Zieff (EN, live-action)
258
259A group of five ninja-like warriors from the Bakumatsu period who tried to kill Battosai Himura and hired Tomoe so that she could become bait for Kenshin, and were also in cahoots with Iizuka. They were all killed by Kenshin, except for Yatsume Mumyoi. Most of their members have something to do with the Six Comrades in the present, as Tatsumi was Inui's master and Nakajo was Otowa's buddy. For Yatsume Mumyoi, see The Six Comrades.
260----
261* AdaptationPersonalityChange: The ArrogantKungFuGuy demeanor is dropped entirely in the first OVA for all of them. None of Yaminobu members except for Tatsumi talk, letting their stealth and skill do the talking. As for Tatsumi, he's portrayed as a crafty and disciplined OldMaster with none of his manga counterpart's hammy smugness. In ''Restoration'' they also undergo AdaptationalWimp and simply become arrogant small fries.
262* AnArmAndALeg: Nakajo has both his arms chopped by Kenshin. Sumita loses his legs instead.
263* ArrogantKungFuGuy: All of them, most noticeably Tatsumi, member of the Invincible Jusshiki style and Inui's master.
264* BeardOfEvil: Tatsumi.
265* BloodKnight[=/=]AxeCrazy: Nakajo. He and Otowa used to make bets to see how many men they could kill in a single night.
266* BloodierAndGorier: And just about, if not more ruthless within the OVA. For example, when a team member of Kenshin goes to investigate Tomoe's errands and learns that she is working with the enemy, he is inevitably found and killed. Within the manga, Nakajo merely shot a wrist dart into his neck; within the OVA, Yatsume crawls off of the ceiling, grabs his head with his clawed hand, and rips it apart by mashing it into a maimed pulp. Even for Tatsumi, the fist-fighter, every blow of his seems like it's breaking every bone and rupturing organs in Kenshin's body during his battle.
267* TheCombatPragmatist: Nakajo is a user of hidden weapons, Sumita uses his ax to lob massive logs from afar and Yatsume is proud of sneak attacks. Tatsumi is also an avid practitioner of this style. To cup it all they challenge Kenshin in their native training ground, the Kekkai Forest, where the sixth sense doesn't work because of the eerie location.
268** Tatsumi to a masterful degree. In most other cases he probably wouldn't stand a chance against Kenshin, but by the point they fought, he already had to go through the rest of Tatsumi's men to reach him. Kenshin was so exhausted (and heartbroken, not to mention practically blind, deaf, and unfeeling) that Tatsumi was able to nearly kill Kenshin with just his bare hands.
269* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Murakami, Nakajo, and Sumita were hit the worst of these out of the five:
270** Murakami was virtually split in half while lunging at Battosai.
271** Nakajo, in the manga, had his hands chopped off by Kenshin. Then he blows himself up.
272** Sumita had the misfortune of Kenshin slicing both of his feet off in battle. Then he also blows himself up.
273* DeadlyEuphemism: "Becoming ''kekkai''/barriers", whenever they say it, means one of them is doing a TakingYouWithMe against their opponent. They metaphorically become barriers to the opponent being able to fight properly, making him easier pickings for the surviving Yaminobu.
274* DeathByIrony: For most of the final episode of the OVA, Tatsumi berates and tries to break Tomoe's will by shaming her when he gets wind of her genuine feelings for Kenshin. [[spoiler:Ultimately, it is Tomoe's tragically-futile attempt at defending Kenshin that distracts him long enough for him to slash through them. It's not entirely inaccurate to say that ThePowerOfLove, which he has been giving her stick for, did him in.]]
275* DualWielding: Murakami's Chained Swords, aka two katana connected by their pommels with a very long chain, working as an EpicFlail. He mostly uses the chain and a single pinned sword to block the opponent as he attacks with the other blade. In ''Restoration'' the swords are shorter and stake-like.
276* EvilOldFolks: Tatsumi is the oldest of the group.
277* KnightTemplar: Possibly even more so than UsefulNotes/TheShinsengumi--at least in the OVA. Tatsumi spells out that they have chosen to brutally suppress and kill any potential threats to the Shogunate because they believe that the Shogunate is the only government that has provided stability to the country for the past centuries.
278* ManipulativeBastard: Tatsumi manipulated both [[spoiler: Tomoe and Enishi into doing his bidding to kill Battousai.]]
279* MalevolentMaskedMan: Murakami, Nakajo, and Sumita wear masks that hide the underside of their faces.
280* OhCrap: Nakajo as Kenshin manages to overcome his attack with ease.
281* PosthumousCharacter: Since they all appear in Kenshin's flashback.
282* TakingYouWithMe: Nakajo and Sumita, after being mortally wounded by Kenshin, "become Kekkai" by blowing up some explosive barrels that hinder Kenshin's sense of hearing and sight. By the time he's reached Tatsumi, Kenshin's senses of perception, hearing, sight, and even touch are severely reduced.
283* WeHardlyKnewYe: Murakami is the first Yaminobu to appear, and the one who gets less screentime.
284* TheWorfEffect: Members of the Yaminobu appear in the ''Restoration'' as part of the group Kanryuu hires to try and kill Kenshin. They are all killed by Jin-E and the scene goes to show just how crazy and dangerous Jin-E is.
285[[/folder]]
286
287[[folder:Espiral RotaciĆ³n]]
288->Voiced by: Creator/ShinichiroMiki (JP)
289
290A Spanish Fencer introduced in ''Act Zero'' who was hired by Ishizu Deian to take care of Kenshin when the Rurouni protects Dr. Elder from his thugs. Luckily for Ishizu, their interests align as Espiral has been interested in challenging the strongest "samurai".
291----
292* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: In 2023 anime, Espiral runs into Kenshin when Dr. Elder invites him for tea. In the original ''Act Zero'' story, he isn't introduced until he is hired by Ishizu and doesn't meet Kenshin until he targets Dr. Elder.
293* AdaptationalHeroism: In the original ''Act Zero'' story, Espiral was merely an arrogant swordsman who wanted to test his skills against Kenshin, only to be easily trounced by Kenshin and arrested. In the 2023 anime, while still arrogant, he shows much more tact as he apologizes to Dr. Elder for the rough treatment after Kenshin agrees to fight him. Furthermore, he would be inspired by both Kenshin and Dr. Elder to rethink his life and go through a HeelFaceTurn, leaving on good terms with Kenshin and accompanying Dr. Elder as a bodyguard on her travels.
294* AllThereInTheManual: His family name, RotaciĆ³n, is only mentioned in Watsuki's Free Talk segment and the credits of the 2023 anime.
295* HeelFaceTurn: In the 2023 anime. Despite being hired by Ishizu, Espiral goes against him when Ishizu tries to throw a jar containing smallpox to spite Kenshin and Dr. Elder. After being treated by Dr. Elder and re-evaluating his life, he decides to accompany Dr. Elder as a bodyguard and leaves on good terms with Kenshin.
296* MeaningfulName: His name translates to "Spiral Rotation" from Spanish. It's a fitting name for a man who wields a drill-like rapier and whose fighting style causes him or his victims to spin violently through the air.
297* SpectacularSpinning: When Espiral's attacks make contact, they cause the victim to spin violently. His ultimate attack also sends him spinning toward his victim at high speed. Kenshin uses this against him in the 2023 anime when he blocks Espiral's ultimate attack as the spin increases the strength of Kenshin's Battoujutsu and allows him to target Espiral's torso.
298* ThisIsADrill: The blade of his rapier resembles a drill bit, which aids in his style's spinning strikes.
299* WreckedWeapon: Kenshin's counterattack in the 2023 anime shatters Espiral's rapier. He later replaces it with a bladeless rapier, inspired by Kenshin's sakabatou, when he becomes Dr. Elder's bodyguard.
300* YouKeepUsingThatWord: Espiral refers to Kenshin as the "strongest samurai" despite the fact that Kenshin has never been a part of that social class. As far as he's concerned, all Japanese swordsmen are samurai.
301[[/folder]]

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