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1[[center: [-[[Characters/RurouniKenshin Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinMainCharacters Main Characters]] ([[Characters/RurouniKenshinHimuraKenshin Himura Kenshin]]) | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinSupportingCharacters Supporting Characters]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinRivalsAndVillains Rivals and Minor Villains]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheMeijiGovernment The Meiji Government]] | [[Characters/RurouniKenshinOniwabanshu Oniwabanshu]] | '''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!!Leadership
6[[folder:Shishio Makoto]]
7[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shishio06.jpg]]
8[[caption-width-right:350: The Mummy Returns.]]
9->Voiced by: Masanori Ikeda (JP, 1996 TV series), Creator/MakotoFurukawa (JP, 2023 TV series), Creator/SteveBlum (EN, TV series), Creator/DavidWald (EN, New Kyoto arc and live-action)
10->Portrayed by: Tatsuya Fujiwara (live-action)
11
12The primary antagonist of the "Kyoto arc" in the Manga and the second season of the anime. Like Kenshin, Shishio was an assassin during the Revolution. He aspires to conquer all of Japan by re-creating the chaos of the Revolution. He was known as the successor of the legendary Battousai, replacing Kenshin after he retired. He possessed skills equal or even greater to Himura, but none of the conscience.
13-----
14* TheAce: He's just as strong as Kenshin, if not stronger.
15* AdaptationalBadass:
16** His manga iteration had some tricks like the iron plate and gunpowder glove to give him an edge. In the film, he's just that good.
17** In the source material he fought Kenshin, Saitou, Sanosuke, and Aoshi one after the other. In the film he takes them all on at the same time.
18** In the original he fought Saitou after the man had been through a grueling fight with Usui that injured his legs as part of a gamble for Shishio to fight his already worn out opponents. The Shin Kyoto Hen OVA's has Shishio willingly fight Saitou at full strength and then he himself gives Saitou the leg wounds.
19* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: To Usui. Saitou points out that despite his constant attacks on Shishio, Usui had already realized he had no chance of winning since Shishio had received even greater injuries and came back stronger.
20** In terms of fighting ability he is quite possibly this to Kenshin, given that he isn't defeated by skill so much as Kenshin pushing him past his limits as an EvilCripple [[spoiler: causing him to ''spontaneously combust'']]. Notably the ''next'' major villain of the story is still considered to be ''less'' skilled a fighter than Shishio was, defying the usual SortingAlgorithmOfEvil through sheer badass-ness.
21* AmazonChaser: ''To Rule Flame'' revealed that part of Shishio's romantic interest towards Yumi was her fiery and strong-willed nature.
22* AndStarring: His actor in the live-action films, Tatsuya Fujiwara, is credited this way.
23* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Is an exceptionally powerful swordsman, and he has the ego to match. He's quick to anger at the thought of somebody getting in the way of his fights.
24* ArchEnemy: [[PlayingWithATrope Played With.]] Shishio is portrayed as Kenshin's complete opposite in terms of belief, fighting style, and even stature. However, their conflict is NothingPersonal, and based almost completely on their competing ideologies.
25* AwesomenessByAnalysis: More than Kenshin/Saito. While he's incredibly strong, Shishio's primary advantage is his extreme intelligence; he can immediately figure out a counter to any technique he's seen before, and even having the technique described to him (as was the case with Kenshin's ultimate technique) gives him a huge advantage.
26* AxCrazy: Though he hides it well underneath a veneer of [[WickedCultured polish and grace]].
27* BadBoss: While he acts polite to his subordinates, most of it appears to be a facade. Our first time seeing him threatening to kill Senkaku if he loses to Kenshin without showing him a single move. After Senkaku escaped prison, Sōjirō stated the only reason Shishio didn't pull a YouHaveFailedMe was because Senkaku was unimportant and there was no danger in killing him to avoid recapture. Shishio also threatened to kill Hōji for suggesting a more practical approach of sending all the Ten Swords to kill Kenshin and his allies, until Hōji flat out tortured himself to prove his loyalty. He also lied to them about his real plan, and pinned all the blame on Hōji saying it was his suggestion to send them out to burn Kyoto while he used the Rengoku to destroy Tokyo. To be fair, Hōji took the blame willingly.
28* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: [[spoiler: During the Bakumatsu, he killed Iizuka]].
29* BandageMummy: He is covered head-to-toe in bandages. His un-bandaged visage is surprisingly attractive... for someone who was shot in the face, burned alive, and barely survived.
30* BarehandedBladeBlock: Does this to both Kenshin and Saito. ''With his fingers.''
31* BaritoneOfStrength: One of the deadliest characters in the series, with Creator/SteveBlum giving him a suitably deep and dangerous voice to match.
32* BelligerentSexualTension: According to ''To Rule Flame'' this is how his and Yumi's relationship began. In the end it turns out that it was him who murdered her family.
33* BigBad: Of the Kyoto Arc.
34* BigBrotherMentor: Sadly enough, he is the closest thing Sōjirō has to a father and a best friend.
35* BloodKnight: Second only to conquering and remaking Japan as his GoalInLife.
36* BodyHorror: Under those bandages, his skin is horribly burned, and he has no sweat glands.
37* BreakoutVillain: Seen as one of the most popular villains and one of the most popular characters in the manga due to his villainous traits and great abilities that he offers throughout the Kyoto Arc. Even the author Watsuki considers him his favorite villain in the series. Shishio continues to appear in a variety of media related to the series and even received his own two-chapter spin-off outside of the main manga: ''Master of Flame''.
38* BurnScarsBurningPowers: Shishio survived third- and fourth-degree burns over most of his body in an assassination attempt by the Meiji government after [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he had outlived his usefulness]], and has a fire theme when fighting. Specifically, the blade of his sword catches fire from the human fats and oils left by previous victims and can give people he cuts with it flash burns.
39* CardCarryingVillain: Occasionally will call himself a demon from Hell, and fully expects to go there when he dies...and plans on taking it over as well. [[spoiler: And once his story arc is finished, he starts following through.]]
40* ChewingTheScenery: Rather more literally than usual, once he starts [[ManBitesMan Chewing The Costar]] during his fight with Kenshin. It's an intimidation tactic, and it works too: Kenshin is so freaked out by the memory of "those burning hot teeth" sinking into him that he almost dies seconds later.
41* CoveredWithScars: Shishio's full-body scarring is from one incident, but having almost all of your skin be second- or third-degree burns can't be good for the complexion.
42* CrazyPrepared: This is a man who booby traps ''his own hands'', just in case.
43* CurbStompBattle: He beats an already-battered Kenshin, Saito, and Sanosuke early on in his final battle with Kenshin, but Aoshi manages to buy time for Kenshin to recover and get back in the fight.
44* DarkerAndEdgier: Amazingly, he manages it in ''Shin Kyoto Hen''. [[spoiler: He is even more of a BloodKnight than usual, giving Usui his chance to defeat him before [[CurbStompBattle wiping the floor with him]]. [[BloodierAndGorier Messily]]. He even ends up killing Usui.]]
45* DeathByIrony: The entire arc kept coming back to [[spoiler:how Kenshin, with his [[ArchEnemy equivalent skill and opposite views]], was the only one who could have stopped Shishio. But in the end, it wasn't Kenshin or Saito or Sanosuke that managed to end his life... It was Shishio's own inhuman strength and endurance, his own passion for violence, that destroyed him.]]
46* DiabolicalMastermind: Behind most of the events of the Kyoto Arc, in one way or another, and has his fingers in other pies later on.
47* DiscOneFinalBoss: He is serves as this for the series allowing Enishi to be the series’ FinalBoss.
48* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
49** He genuinely loves Yumi.
50** He does feel an almost paternal affection for Sōjirō. Sure he turned the kid into a violent SocialDarwinist like himself, but that was better than how his own family treated him. Even though in public he dismisses Sōjirō for being weak after choosing to depart, in private Shishio takes his departure with respect.
51** Though he can be harsh towards him, Shishio does come to respect Hōji's unwavering devotion. After passing an intense SecretTestOfCharacter Shishio promises that Hōji will be right besides him as he changes the nation.
52* EvenEvilHasStandards: He's a monster and [[CardCarryingVillain he knows it]], but he can't stand the dishonesty and hypocrisy of the government whenever it commits comparably heinous acts while claiming to represent democracy and peace.
53** Evil as Shishio is, even he shows disgust at how Sojiro's family treated the boy.
54* EvilCounterpart:
55** To Kenshin, serving as his replacement as Battousai. Kenshin stepped out of the assassin role, becoming a feared Bakumatsu legend that he is not very fond of. Shishio took up Kenshin's former role and wants to make a name for himself, but the Meiji government has done everything in its power to remove Shishio from the annals of history. Yahiko even points it out, stating that if things had been a little different Saito might have been asking Shishio to help him kill a rogue Kenshin. Even his sword is a contrast to Kenshin's. Whereas Kenshin's is specially designed to be unable to kill someone, his is designed to not only kill, but each kill further increases its killing potential thanks to the design of Mugejin of allowing the blade to soak up human fats and ignite them during battle.
56** He's one to Hiko Sejurou, as a highly ambitious SocialDarwinist who genuinely wants to make Japan strong, which contrasts with Hiko's relatively indifferent but still-caring nature.
57** He notes the similarities between himself and Saitou as well. Both are ruthlessly devoted to their respective causes and aren't afraid to dirty their hands to achieve it or eliminate obstacles. Their motivations just happen to be different.
58** In many ways, he's what Sanosuke could have become if he hadn't met Kenshin and allowed his thirst for vengeance to completely take hold of him. Both are bitter towards the Meiji government for their betrayal against them, who are dead set on keeping their grievances hidden from the public, and both are capable of tanking plenty of hard hitting blows and return with something even harder. The difference is that Sanosuke simply wants vengeance against the Meiji while Shishio is looking beyond the betrayal to shape Japan with his [[TheSocialDarwinist social darwinism]] dogma.
59* EvilerThanThou: His first assignment was [[spoiler:to eliminate the treacherous Choshu agent Iizuka, who was instrumental in Battousai's fatal match with the Yaminobu and Tomoe's death]]. He later remarks that [[EvenEvilHasStandards such scum as Iizuka]] are far beneath his skills, but will bide his time serving the Ishin Shishi [[FromNobodyToNightmare in order to make his name known]].
60* EvilIsPetty: Played with. When asked why he took over a village and enforced brutal laws against the populace, Shishio states that he did it because the village is home to a particularly relaxing hot-spring that he enjoys because it soothes his burnt flesh. In the face of Kenshin's horrified reaction, Shishio admits to just joking, remarking that Kenshin takes things far too seriously. The real reason is that the village has a good tactical location that he wanted to set up a base at and the hot-springs were just a bonus.
61* EvilLaugh: A few times.
62* EvilMentor: To Sōjirō. And even then, he was [[VillainousFriendship nicer]] to him than his evil family would ''ever'' be.
63** Also serves as one to [[spoiler: Ashitaro, who he encourages to get stronger so that he can become the 11th member of the Juppongatana]].
64* EvilVirtues: Intelligence, willpower, patience, romantic and platonic love, a lack of prejudice when it comes to the talents of others... for a character as evil as Shishio, he's sure got a lot of these.
65* FairPlayVillain: Threatens to kill Hōji when he [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim suggests shooting Kenshin]] in their climactic final battle. This trope ''is'', however, subverted: during the battle, he bites Kenshin to "prove" his ideology as an intimidation tactic, and detonates gunpowder he had stored ahead of time in his gloves.
66* FeelsNoPain: An [[ImpliedTrope implied]] and [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] trope is going on here. Anyone who has lots of scar tissue will tell you that the flesh itself feels very little if anything at all from either the nerves being gone or at least buried deep under the thick healed-over scar tissue. It's implied that part of the reason why Shishio can take so much is that the hits from his opponents don't hurt as much as they would if he weren't burned on most of his body.
67* FlamingSword: A particularly disgusting one, considering that it works by soaking the blade in human fat.
68* GeniusBruiser: He needed Hōji to put his organization together, but Shishio is nonetheless a very crafty man.
69* AGlassOfChianti: He's no Hannibal Lector despite his [[ImAHumanitarian hardcore man eat man philosophy]], and no, he doesn't have one post literally snacking on our hero, but he downs one during Kenshin's battle with Sōjirō as he lectures Hōji on Sōjirō's Shukuchi technique.
70* GoodScarsEvilScars: While Kenshin's scar is heroic, Shishio is just disfigured.
71* GoodWeaponEvilWeapon: His Mugenjin is a katana created by the same prodigal eccentric genius swordsmith who created Kenshin's Sakabatou, Arai Shakku. Considered the Sakabatou's predecessor, the Mugenjin is a sword deliberately made for the process of killing, and to do that infinitely, as its self serrating edge and unique alloy helps keep it cutting down beyond where any other katana would suffer wear and tear, and its ability to catch fire through the soaked blade makes it an even deadlier weapon, expanding the swing of the sword and bringing on the pain more excruciating than with a normal blade by potentially cooking the enemy bit by bit. Symbolically, it is the opposite of the Sakabatou: representative of ''satsujinken'' (lit. swords that kill), "the weak are meat, the strong eat'', and times of war and chaos.
72* HandicappedBadass: After surviving an assassination attempt that rendered him unable to produce sweat, Shishio must avoid being in any fight for more than fifteen minutes in a row.
73* HeWhoMustNotBeNamed: By the Ashitaro side story, saying his name or having any connections to his criminal empire can get a person thrown in jail for life since the Meiji government is hell bent on making erasing Shishio's name from history.
74* HellHasNewManagement: [[spoiler: After dying,]] Shishio Makoto declared his intent to overthrow the King of Hell. Depending on how you interpret it, Shishio may or may not have succeeded in this endeavor when he visits the catatonic Kenshin in the latter's living hell during the Jinchuu arc.
75* HerosEvilPredecessor: Inverted. He was actually the successor to Kenshin and is definitely more evil than him (though Kenshin was more ruthless as a hitokiri).
76* HoistByHisOwnPetard: One of his signature techniques is using friction to set his sword on fire by igniting the human body fat that has absorbed into the blade. [[spoiler:He dies when repeated use of this technique, combined with being in prolonged combat with Kenshin and company, cause his body temperature to go so high that his own body fat spontaneously combusts.]]
77* HotBlooded: Literally. Figuratively, [[TheChessmaster less so]], unless he's in personal combat.
78* ImAHumanitarian: If the fact that he bites a chunk of meat out of Kenshin's shoulder and savors the taste is any indication.
79* ImplacableMan: He blows through the entire cast without stopping, taking hits from Sanosuke's punch to Saito's stab at his forehead to Kenshin's ultimate attack. It takes [[spoiler:his own body overheating to kill him]].
80* IronicName: His name literally means ''"Idealistic-Hero of The-Truth."''
81* IWasQuiteALooker: He was quite good-looking before his assassins torched him.
82* KarmicDeath: Shishio [[spoiler: evaded death by fire ten years earlier. [[KilledOffForReal Didn't happen a second time.]] And Kenshin didn't have to break his vow.]]
83* KnightOfCerebus: He's not the first villain introduced in the series who's fought through the Bakumatsu and can give Kenshin a tough time in battle, but his presence does herald the DarkerAndEdgier ''Kyoto Arc'' where the series became more serialized and Kenshin is thrust into a battle for the fate of the country, with lasting consequences for Himura.
84* LastNameBasis: He's only referred to as "Shishio", his family name.
85* LightningBruiser: The movie version of Shishio can not only keep up with Kenshin, but [[spoiler:Aoshi, Sanosuke, and Saito]] as well and all at the same time.
86* MadeOfIron:
87** Survived getting shot in the head at point blank range and set on fire. The man is tough. His fight at the end of the Kyoto Arc after said injuries epitomizes this.
88** Not to mention the second of his techniques, the Guren Kaina, involves setting of a gauntlet filled with ''gunpowder'', the kind of move that would probably shatter the bones of an ordinary person's hand and he uses this technique repeatedly.
89** In the movies, most of Kenshin's enemies go down after several hits from his sword. Shishio tanks dozens of his blows to brutalize him. However, he starts to block and dodge when [[spoiler:Aoshi and Saito enter the fight]].
90* MadLove: Played for tragedy, with Yumi. They're both ''very'' aware of it, too.
91* ManBitesMan: During his final showdown with Kenshin, Shishio bites a chunk of flesh out of his shoulder.
92* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Or "A Japanese Fascist By Any Other Name". Not helped by the fact that while he [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadows]] the excesses and ambitions of UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan, he also harkens back imagery of the notorious UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga (even setting up headquarters in Mt. Hiei, the very site of Nobunaga's most infamous massacres). And while Nobunaga was reputed as the ''dairokuten maou'' (lit. "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven"), [[spoiler: Shishio has set out to conquer hell after dying, and seems to be succeeding]].
93* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Has survived being shot in the head, being doused in oil and set on fire (and losing the ability to control his own body temperature as a result), and having his head cleaved in two.
94* ParentalSubstitute: During his time under Shishio's tutelage and service, Sōjirō seems to regard him as a combination of master, god, and foster father.
95* PetTheDog: Honors Yumi by not only giving Akari and Kogari to an orphanage to prevent them from becoming prostitutes, but even gives the monks gold to make sure they can be properly cared for.
96* PlayingWithFire: His sword has had so much human fat soaked into it that it can be ignited with mere sparks; he also uses gunpowder in his gloves to set off explosions against enemies in his grasp. His greatest move is basically a giant fire ball wrapped around his sword.
97* PlotTailoredToTheParty: Anticipates the various fights this way, setting up Anji against Sano as well Usui and Saitou, explicitly trying to wear each of them down for the final battle.
98* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: And he wishes Japan to be a nation comprised ''entirely'' of this, too.
99* PurpleIsPowerful: What clothing he still wears is dyed in this color, and he's generally regarded as the most imposing antagonist in the series.
100* RunTheGauntlet: A rare villainous example, where Shishio single-handedly takes down Kenshin, Saito, Sanosuke, AND Aoshi ''in succession'', with very little difficulty. Granted they were all injured in varying degrees coming into the fight, but that hardly diminishes the magnitude of the feat, especially considering Shishio had some considerable handicaps of his own.
101** The live-action film decides to distil this into Shishio fighting Kenshin, Saito, Sanosuke AND Aoshi ''at the same time''... Still with very little difficulty. [[spoiler:Like in the manga, it's the anhidrosis that kills him.]]
102* SanitySlippage: Unless he was always the way he is now, taking a bullet to the brain and getting roasted alive wasn't great for his mental health.
103* SerratedBladeOfPain: His Mugenjin, though it's not blatant at a first glance. According to Shishio, such edge will always keep the blade sharp and makes his above-mentioned fueling system possible.
104* ShadowArchetype: Basically, he's what Kenshin might have become had he not rediscovered his moral center. At one point, Yahiko said that if things had gone differently, it might've been Makoto going after a rogue Kenshin.
105* ShoutOut: WordOfGod states that his character design before getting his burn injuries was based on Kibagami Genjuro from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''.
106* ShutUpKirk: [[spoiler: Hits Kenshin with one after Yumi's death. Kenshin chews him out for killing her just to land a blow on him. Shishio responds that Kenshin made that remark without understanding a thing about her. True to his words, Yumi reveals her action was intentional, having finally been useful to Shishio.]]
107* TheSocialDarwinist: His philosophy is that "the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong"--and he drives his point home by taking a bite out of the hero. He is inevitably defeated, but afterwards, Kenshin observes that his victory has not truly proven anything--and that, if the one in the right is merely the strongest warrior, then Shishio was correct all along.
108* SpontaneousHumanCombustion: [[spoiler:His ultimate fate. Though a little better explained than most instances, he still burns pretty merrily following the initial ignition.]]
109* StayingAlive: Shishio was shot point blank in the head, doused with oil, burned alive, and left to die. [[MadeOfIron This is his backstory.]]
110* SwordAndFist: In the live action moments Shishio has a more viscious and eratic fighting style, punching his opponents when they grapple and even chokeslaming Kenshin against a crate several times.
111* TaughtByExperience: Having sustained his burns after being knocked unconscious by a head injury, he wears a metal skullcap under his bandages as protection against further blows to the head. Saitou finds this out the hard way when he tries to put a katana through Shishio's forehead.
112* TisOnlyABulletInTheBrain: According to the anime (the manga leaves the nature of his head injury unspecified). And he ''survived'' it.
113* {{Ubermensch}}: Believes in his idealized vision of Japan, wherein one '''must''' be a great warrior to survive, and hence will one day become a universally proud and strong nation in the global arena, and that, freed from all moral constraints, he is the one to make it a reality.
114* UnholyMatrimony: With Yumi. He freely admits that no one else really understands their relationship, but they're rather happy together [[spoiler: [[TogetherInDeath even in Hell]]]].
115* {{Unperson}}: What the Meiji government does to him after his death. It's come to the point that a criminal mentioning his name will apparently get a life sentence, in a prison in Hokkaido. Even the remnants of his forces tend to not speak his name (though more likely out of reverence).
116* VictoriousLoser: As the narration in the manga reminds us, his nightmarish dream of Japan reborn as a brutal, fascist and Darwinist military dictatorship would go on to [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan bear cruel fruit in the future]], while Kenshin's ideal of peace would not become reality until after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. But hey, at least it took longer than it would have otherwise, and he didn't live long enough to be the one running the show.
117* VillainousBreakdown: At the end of his battle.
118* VillainousRROD: [[spoiler:Despite knowing that due to his condition he should only be physically active for short periods of time, Shishio adamantly keep fighting Kenshin and company past that time limit, intent on taking the fight to the bitter end. Eventually this causes his death.]]
119* VisionaryVillain: His goal is to eliminate the Meiji government, which he views as weak and inferior to The Western Powers, and start a new era in Japan in which everyone must live under his brutal and warlike rule, where only the strongest can survive.
120* WorfHadTheFlu: Invoked. Shishio anticipates that Kenshin's allies will probably defeat their respective opponents, but be injured enough not to pose a threat. He himself is noted to have the weakness of having damaged sweat glands and no way to manage his body heat, which [[spoiler: eventually kills him.]]
121* WouldHitAGirl: {{Zig zagged}}. [[spoiler:Shishio kills Yumi, not because she made him angry, but because ''she'' wanted to create an opening for him to deal a blow to Kenshin.]]
122[[/folder]]
123
124[[folder:Komagata Yumi]]
125[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/komagata_yumi_anime.jpg]]
126->Voiced by: Kanako Irie (JP), Creator/WendeeLee (EN, TV series), Claire Hamilton (EN, New Kyoto arc), Creator/LindsaySeidel (EN, live-action)
127->Portrayed by: Maryjun Takahashi (live-action)
128
129An oiran, a courtesan in Yoshiwara, formerly an akasen. Because of that, she is beautiful, intelligent, dignified, well-cultured, and was brought up in a comfortable life. She was always interested in social issues and occurrences in Japan, and became reviled at the Japanese government's stance regarding prostitutes. She came to love Shishio Makoto with an utmost passion, which he returned. Thus, she joined Shishio's conspiracy to bring down the Meiji government. She is constantly concerned about Shishio's medical state with good reason.
130-----
131* AdaptationDyeJob: The manga has her with black hair, the anime makes it dark red. It becomes ''purple'' in the OVA.
132* AdaptationalBadass: In the Shin Kyoto Hen OVA's she mans a gatling gun upon seeing Saitou attempt to swim his way to the ship. Knowing she can't see him, she tries to track him by the disturbances he makes in the water and blasting there. Eventually Shishio stops her because he'd rather fight Saitou himself.
133* AdaptationalModesty: Her ImpossiblyLowNeckline was dropped in the film in favor of an off-the-shoulder one, probably because, as the author would later note, her manga look is pretty much all but impossible in real life.
134* AdaptationalVillainy: Not as bad as the other Juppongatana, but she's still portrayed less sympathetically in the live action films.
135* AscendedExtra: She was originally just some eye candy for Shishio's introductory scene in the manga, but Watsuki found himself giving her an actual personality as the Kyoto Arc wore on.
136* BeastAndBeauty: Her relationship with Shishio in a nutshell, and a very dark example of the trope.
137* BelligerentSexualTension: According to ''To Rule Flame'' this is how her and Shishio's relationship began.
138* BisexualLoveTriangle: She's Shishio's long-term girlfriend, but he's also fruitlessly crushed on by Kamatari.
139* BrainyBrunette: Has reddish-brown hair, and is also very well-read and book smart.
140* BreakoutCharacter: She became quite popular with the fans to the point she was the main character in her own prequel spin-off, ''To Rule Flame''.
141* BrokenBird: Extremely cynical and emotionally broken, due to her past experiences. Yumi was once a very well-known, beautiful, and intelligent oiran (courtesan), she fell in despair during the Meiji Restoration as she saw the uglier side of the Japanese high society and experienced many hardships, as shown in the ''To Rule Flame'' prequel [[HeroOfAnotherStory which she is the star of]]. Fed up with this new world, built on lies and injustice in her eyes, she turned towards a man who offered her dignity and solace: MagnificentBastard Makoto Shishio.
142* CoolBigSis: To Sōjirō. [[spoiler:And to Hanabi, Kogari and Akari in ''To Rule Flame''; the three girls even refer to her as "Big Sister"]].
143* CulturedBadass: Yumi's not a fighter, but is skilled in other areas. She's a very intelligent woman and former high-class courtesan, Yumi is quite knowledgeable in regards to international affairs and modern discourse.
144* DarkAndTroubledPast: In ''To Rule Flame'' Yumi explains to Shishio that she was from a well-off merchant family, but they were all slaughtered by bandits [[SoleSurvivor except for her]]; since she had no living relatives, young Yumi was sold off to a pimp, and then became a prostitute. [[spoiler: It's very, '''very''' heavily implied that Shishio was among the ones who did them in.]]
145* DarkMistress: To Shishio.
146* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: In spite of his sinister, inhuman, fanatical nature, [[BigBad Shishio]] is genuinely in love with Yumi whom he professed understood him as thoroughly as he understood her.
147* EvilCounterpart: To Kaoru. Both are the main love interest of swordsmen known as ''Battousai'' and act as some kind of emotional support to them (Kaoru acts as a LivingEmotionalCrutch and MoralityChain to Kenshin, Yumi acts as a [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes rare concession to humanity]] for Shishio). They both feel useless when it comes to helping their love interest. However, Yumi supports Shishio's plan to destroy Meiji government and create Japan as a proud warrior race type of country; Kaoru (who is growing out of her naivety), recognizes the flaws of the government, but refuses to fix it with bloodshed.
148* GoOutWithASmile: She [[spoiler: goes out with a smile on her face and crying TearsOfJoy, happy that she was finally useful to Shishio in battle, and begging him to win the fight]].
149* HellHasNewManagement: Accompanies [[spoiler:Shishio and Hōji in their endeavor to overthrow King Enma and take the throne of Japan's literal Hell]].
150* HeroOfAnotherStory: Of the ''To Rule Flame'' prequel, which shows how she and Shishio met.
151* HiddenDepths:
152** She was literally invented by the author to be a sort of "accessory" to Shishio, a sign of his incredible charisma that he could have a beautiful woman waiting on him despite his hideous appearance, but ended up growing into a fully-fledged character with a remarkably developed personality and backstory.
153** She is shown to care more about a person's character than their appearance, given her love for Shishio despite his burned and mutilated physical appearance, as well as her care for Sōjirō.
154** Though entirely clueless when it comes to swords and swordsmanship, she has demonstrated the ability to operate modern Western machines such as the telegraph and seems to be the chief monitor of Shishio's medical condition, changing his bandages regularly and also keeping track of his rising body temperature.
155** As a young girl, she was a victim of sex trafficking, but she made the best of her situation, and rose to become an expensive and popular ''oiran'' (to the point where she could turn down clients if she wished). And she is not only skilled in sexual arts, but also well-read (and very likely self-taught), and knowledgeable about politics, art, and music.
156* HighClassCallGirl: What she used to be.
157* HotterAndSexier: For some, [[spoiler: her "killingly hot" [[CoitusUninterruptus "session"]] with Shishio]] (although others are beginning to find that awkward) in the ''Shin Kyoto Hen'' OVA counts.
158* ImpossiblyLowNeckline: Watsuki would apologize to cosplayers attempting to reproduce her look and finding it impossible over the years, as her open, bare-shouldered, cleavage-showing kimono is basically being held up entirely by mysterious forces that don't want to up the age-rating.
159* InTheBack: As she's [[spoiler:begging for Kenshin to stop, Shishio stabs through her chest and wounds Kenshin.]]
160* MadeASlave: Was sold into sexual slavery as a young girl, but made the best of her situation, and got to where she could turn down clients if she wished.
161* MadLove: With Shishio. They both know it.
162* MoralMyopia: Was victim of this in her backstory, and led to her bitter disenfranchisement with the Meiji government. Namely, according to ''To Rule Flame'', [[spoiler: Yumi's best friend Hanabi was horribly murdered by a paramilitary group that later kidnapped her other two companions, Akari and Kogari, and intended [[MadeASlave to sell them as slaves]] to an American crew. The owner of the high-class brothel that Yumi and the girls worked for coldly dismissed Yumi's '''deep''' distress, and that's what got her fed up enough to seek out Shishio.]]
163* MsFanservice: Then again, she is a former courtesan.
164* NeutralFemale: Since she's not a fighter like Kaoru, she's pretty much there to be arm candy for Shishio, and an AudienceSurrogate for Shishio and Hōji to drop some info on, though she actually ''hates'' being a NeutralFemale, and that prompts [[spoiler:her death]]. To give an idea, [[spoiler: she's crying tears of joy as she dies, happy to learn that she has finally managed to be useful to Shishio and during his most important battle too.]]
165* NonActionGuy: Rather, Non Action Girl Although she's not a fighter, she is extremely intelligent and quick enough to transmit a play by play of Kenshin and Aoshi's fight to Shishio by telegram, which gives him a major advantage in the FinalBattle.
166* PetTheDog:
167** [[spoiler:After she and Shishio are dead and end up in hell]], she convinces Shishio to wait a while for Hōji to show up [[spoiler:to be there when Shishio takes over the place]]. It's a small moment, but knowing Hōji's fanaticism, it pleased him greatly to know they waited for him. In addition, she's the one to ThrowTheDogABone and suggest they meet up with Usui and let him join in on the fun as well.
168** In Shin Kyoto Hen, she [[spoiler:makes a grave for Usui]] after he dies. Sōjirō is surprised at the gesture, especially to a traitor, but Yumi is content to honor him because he, like her and the others, was thrown aside by the Meiji and they were united by their pain.
169* PleaseIWillDoAnything: In ''To Rule Flame'', she offered herself to Shishio (whom she had BelligerentSexualTension with until then) as his mistress, in exchange for him [[spoiler: avenging Hanabi's murder and rescuing Akari and Kogari.]] He accepted, and from then on Yumi was a member of the Juppongatana.
170* TheResenter: She's revealed to have been this to [[spoiler:the fighters of the Juppongatana, as they made her feel useless to Shishio, who always respected strength]].
171* SlipknotPonytail: Her hair only gets shown undone a few times, but it's quite... voluminous. Guess her former life really trained her to keep it up.
172* StatingTheSimpleSolution: During the climactic duel between Shishio and Kenshin, Yumi outright asks Hōji [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim why he doesn't just shoot Kenshin]], since Shishio's body is approaching its limit. Hōji responds by throwing his gun away, firmly believing that Shishio ''will'' beat Kenshin. [[spoiler: He almost does... but Kenshin puts up a better fight than expected, and it takes him too long to finish the job.]]
173%%* SympathyForTheDevil
174%%* TheTease
175* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:After they both die, she and Shishio reunite in Hell, and seem very happy together as they plot to take it over]].
176* UndyingLoyalty: To Shishio. This was the price of being rescued by Shishio - she pledged her life and death to him, to serve him in any way and die at his leisure.
177* WoundedGazelleGambit: An inadvertent example, playing on Kenshin's soft heart to explain Shishio's weakness. [[spoiler: He runs her through InTheBack to injure Kenshin, but both of them are rather at peace with it.]]
178[[/folder]]
179
180!!The Ten Swords
181[[folder:In General]]
182!! Tropes Associated With The Ten Swords
183* AdaptationalVillainy: They are portrayed as complete villains in the live action films by completely downplaying, if not [[AdaptedOut dropping]], the sympathetic members' tragic backstories.
184* AdaptedOut: ''New Kyoto Arc'' drops several of the less important members: Iwanbō, Honjō, Saizuchi, and Henya. Most notable, however, is Hōji's absence.
185* BadassCrew: Excepting Hōji, Yumi, and Saizuchi, every member of the Juppongatana are OneManArmies capable of taking hundreds of police and soldiers and killing them within several hours (with the upper ranks being able to do so within minutes).
186* TheBusCameBack: Several members return in the Hokkaido arc as allies against the Kenkaku Heiki. Saito recruits [[spoiler:Chō, Kamatari, and Henya]], promising that they would be rewarded for their efforts, while Sugimura Yoshie recruits [[spoiler:the wandering Sōjirō and breaks out Anji]].
187* DemotedToExtra: The live action films did it to everyone except Shishio (obviously), Sōjirō, Hōji and, to some extent, Yumi. Anji at least got to speak in the third film.
188* NonIndicativeName: Very few of them are actually swordsmen. Just Sōjirō, Chō and Fuji.
189* RagTagBunchOfMisfits: The group has a [[{{Bishonen}} pretty boy]], a NonActionGuy, a glider, a DudeLooksLikeALady, a giant, a large skulled man, a BareFistedMonk, a man with unusual swords, a blind spearman and a FatBastard [[spoiler: who later turns out to be a disguise for a puppeteer who uses corpses to build stronger bodies.]]
190[[/folder]]
191
192[[folder:Sadojima Hōji]]
193[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sadojima_Houji_4717.jpg]]
194->Voiced by: Hiroshi Takahashi (JP), Dave Mallow (EN, TV series), Creator/IanSinclair (EN, live-action)
195->Portrayed by: Kenichi Takito (live action)
196
197Shishio's second in command. He used to be an official in the Meiji Government but lost faith in it when he saw no one in the government was worthy of controlling the country. He abandoned his position in the government and eventually met Shishio. Hōji, too, envisions Japan as a mighty power led by Shishio, ruling with the principles of basic animal survival. Hōji is indeed unique; although he is not proficient in any fighting style, he is a cunning organizer and possesses formidable leadership qualities. His skills as a staff officer figure are quite amazing; he even manages to purchase Rengoku on the black market. Hōji's plan with the Rengoku fails when Sanosuke blows up the Purgatory with bombs provided by his friend Katsu. Hōji was "baptized" by Shishio's intense body heat to kindle in him a belief in hell.
198-----
199* AdaptationalBadass: His live-action film counterpart is an ActionSurvivor.
200* AdaptationalVillainy: Not as bad as Anji and some of the others, but Hōji in the live-action films is a lot more vicious. When Kenshin confronts Shishio in the 2nd film Hōji holds Kaoru hostage and threatens to burn her face with a torch; later he kicks her off the boat into the raging storm hoping she'd drown. When they find an innocent fisherman in the 3rd film who saw Kenshin, Hōji remorselessly beats the man when the information he gives them is inadequate.
201* AdaptedOut: The most notable member of the group to be removed from the line up for Shin Kyoto Hen. His role is divided up amongst the other members with advising duties given to Yumi, the baptismal scene given to Usui, and several unnamed mooks taking over his commanding duties.
202* AscendedExtra: He's a central character in the novel portion of the manga canon prequel release ''To Rule Flame''.
203* ChessmasterSidekick: Is smarter and more pragmatic than Shishio, but is nonetheless completely loyal to him.
204* CoDragons: With Sōjirō to Shishio.
205* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: [[spoiler: He presumably died at the fall of the Rengoku in the live action films, instead of committing suicide at the prison.]]
206* DrivenToSuicide: And he [[spoiler:did that [[DyingMomentOfAwesome in quite a showy way]].]]
207* EvenEvilHasStandards: His loyalty to Shishio is absolute, but even he's shocked [[spoiler:at his killing of Yumi]]. Though upon finding out her reasons for it, he gives a moment of silence and [[spoiler:a small eulogy]].
208* EvilGenius: Shishio's logistician, organiser, and administrator. And capable enough to smuggle a [[spoiler: ''battleship'']] into the country.
209* {{Expy}}: Sort of, but not really. According to the author, Hōji's overall concept originates from Forge from the X-Men, but you'd be hard pressed to find two characters who are more different.
210* {{Fingore}}: In the manga, Usui rips off one of his fingernails to determine if he's telling the truth about not being a traitor. Hōji then ''bites off six more'' as punishment for "betraying" seven members of the Juppongatana. In the anime, Usui breaks a finger, then Hōji stabs it. Still quite nasty.
211* HellHasNewManagement: Joins [[spoiler:Shishio in his plan in Hell.]]
212* ImprobableAimingSkills: Shown in the ''To Rule Flame'' prequel, where he proves to be quite a crack-shot with a rifle. How good is he? He can aim his rifle at the spot on an enemy's vest where a button is missing and shoot at that exact spot. From several meters away. In the middle of a crowd. ''While wielding the rifle in one hand like a revolver''. When Shishio compliments his skills he just says that since arming the organization is part of his duties he's learned to use the guns he bought perfectly.
213* LargeHam: The more incensed he is, the louder he screams and acts
214* ManOfWealthAndTaste: His suit. It is supposed to evoke the fancy European style popular with Meiji-era officials, but Watsuki was unsatisfied with the result.
215* NonActionGuy: Compared to the others; his skillset within the Ten Swords involves his incredible organizational and logistical skills rather than his combat prowess. Averted in the ''To Rule Flame'' prequel, where he actively fights alongside the other Juppongatana members, wielding a rifle - although it's a special case since he's there to [[spoiler: avenge a girl he grew fond of during their stay in Yoshihara.]] He seeks out the one to blame and kills him with one shot.
216* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: When Shishio inquires about his religious beliefs, Hōji initially states that he is a materialist who doesn't believe in heaven or hell, something that Shishio says fits his rationalist nature. After Shishio's "baptism," however, he eventually ends up agreeing with his master's views on the subject, and [[spoiler: dies assured that he will follow his master to hell.]]
217* PsychoSupporter: After his "baptism" washes away some of his former rationalist characterization, his devotion to Shishio borders on the patently insane, to the extent that he has a total mental breakdown when Shishio is defeated.
218* TheStrategist: He's in charge of gathering all of the equipment and recruits for Shishio's army. His nickname translates as "Hōji the All-Knowing", a role he takes so seriously that he openly defies Shishio over the latter's plan to forgo an attack on Kenshin's allies in favor of [[HonorBeforeReason a straightforward duel]].
219* SmugSnake: His confidence in Shishio's power and his HonorBeforeReason philosophy make him haughtier than he really ought to be. His repeated underestimation of Kenshin bites him in the ass several times, but he never learns his lesson.
220* UndyingLoyalty: To Shishio. [[spoiler: He plays this trope so straight, it delves right into ''dying'' loyalty - as in, he kills himself rather than be used by the government his master despised. And he follows him straight to hell]].
221* VillainousBreakdown: When Shishio is defeated, Hōji destroys the lair in a sort of improvised SelfDestructMechanism to kill everyone. The reason?
222-->'''Hōji:''' "If you all die, there is no victor! If you all die, Shishio-sama remains undefeated! SHISHIO-SAMA ALONE TAKES THE DAY!!"
223* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Played for drama. During Shishio's final duel with Kenshin, he initially hides a rifle under his coat, ready to take out the heroes if his master starts to lose. He does this without Shishio's knowledge and is fully aware that [[FairPlayVillain Shishio will never forgive him for doing so and will almost certainly kill him if he goes through with it]]. Halfway through the battle, however, Hōji reveals the weapon to both Yumi and Shishio, and throws it away, to express his faith in his master's abilities. Whoops.
224* WickedCultured: His dandy-fied fashion sense and his frequent sipping of fancy wine is a dead giveaway.
225[[/folder]]
226
227[[folder:Seta Sōjirō]]
228[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Seta_Soujiro_1228.jpg]]
229->Voiced by: Creator/NorikoHidaka (JP 1996 TV series), Creator/DaikiYamashita (JP 2023 TV series), Creator/TaraSands (EN - Episodes 31-47), Lynn Fischer (EN - Episodes 50-51), Creator/MelissaFahn (EN - Episodes 54-56, 61), Creator/ClintBickham (EN - New Kyoto arc), Creator/JustinBriner (EN - live-action)
230->Portrayed by: Ryunosuke Kamiki (live-action)
231
232A teenage boy who is Shishio's right-hand man. He is noted in the series for always smiling, and apparently displaying no emotions in battle. He met Shishio when he was a small boy. After his parents died in the war, he stayed with his abusive relatives that treated him as a slave. He witnessed Shishio killing police men, after carrying large amounts rice packages back and forth, Shishio was about to kill him but didn't because of his habit to smile when he is in danger. Shishio orders him to keep him in a safe house and to provide for him. Days pass and Sōjirō tended to him and explained his situation with his relatives. Shishio then explained his creed of survival of the fittest and gives him his sword. When Sōjirō is blamed for wasting rice his older relatives try to kill him thinking that they can pin it on Shishio. In the end, Sōjirō killed his relatives and went off with Shishio to become his protégé.
233
234Sōjirō's apparent lack of emotion, his simple, insensitive mentality that ''the strong will live and the weak shall die'', and his skills make him a formidable foe for Kenshin. As a master swordsman of his own style, Sōjirō's abilities have earned him the nickname of "Heaven's Sword".
235-----
236* AbusiveParents: More exactly, abusive stepmother/step-siblings/step-uncles who [[TheUnfavorite hated on him]] for being [[BastardBastard an illegitimate child]].
237* AdaptationalKarma: [[spoiler:In the manga, he is left to wander the world to discover his own path in life. In the live action films, he suffers a mental breakdown after he loses to Kenshin and his SocialDarwinist beliefs are shattered.]]
238* AdaptationalHeroism: Not only does the movie tones down the brutality of his backstory, but he aids Kenshin in the battle against Enishi forces.
239* AffablyEvil: Surprisingly despite his acceptance of Shishio's SocialDarwinist doctrines, he's a genuinely refined and polite person who even is respectful to those he deems weaker. Also he doesn't go out causing pointless destruction and all murders he committed was under Shishio's orders. Unless you press his BerserkButton, in which case, all bets are off.
240* AlliterativeName: '''S'''eta '''S'''oujirou.
241* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Notable for being the first (and perhaps only character) to be even faster than Kenshin, and capable of even dodging the Kuzu Ryusen. The ability to dodge Kuzu Ryusen is somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that Kenshin's slim physique prevents him from using the move to its fullest potential.
242* BadassAdorable: Easily the series' best male example for both adjectives.
243* BastardAngst: His entire stepfamily was abusive towards him for his illegitimacy, which caused him to snap and kill them all.
244* BastardBastard: Born from an affair and would grow up to be a cold-blooded assassin.
245* BeenThereShapedHistory: Okubo Toschimichi really was assassinated. However, in the series, Sōjirō is the one responsible and the samurai historically credited for Okubo's death showed up after the fact and decided to take credit for it.
246* BerserkButton: [[CharacterExaggeration Made more apparent in the anime]], but Sōjirō does not take well at ''all'' to his [[SocialDarwinist worldview]] being challenged. [[spoiler: He met with [[TheBrute Senkaku]] after his escape and assured him that Shisho didn't send him to [[YouHaveFailedMe kill him]]--[[TranquilFury only to kill him anyway]], when Senkaku started talking about how Kenshin sparing him had changed his outlook]].
247* BloodbathVillainOrigin: He murders his abusive relatives after they pushed him one time too many and ended up as TheDragon for a SocialDarwinist.
248* TheBusCameBack:
249** [[spoiler:He returns in the Hokkaido Arc, still wandering the countryside when he stops by a local restaurant terrorized by a wanted man. He later joins Sugimura Yoshie alongside Anji as allies against the Kenkaku Heiki]]
250** In the live-action films, he reappears [[spoiler:seemingly as a ronin under the employ of one of Enishi's associates, only to reveal that [[HeelFaceTurn he also became a rurouni like Kenshin to see what answers that life could bring him]], and helps Kenshin clear a path to Enishi.]]
251* CoDragons: with Hōji to Shishio.
252* CreepyChild: Sorta, he's already 17 but is OlderThanTheyLook. [[spoiler: When he crossed the DespairEventHorizon and killed his abusive family, however...]]
253* DarkAndTroubledPast: As a child, Sōjirō was abused and beaten by his family, and he would smile instead of cry to make them stop temporarily. One night, he ran into Shishio Makoto, when he sliced a government official in half. Instead of killing him, Shishio took shelter in a shed and Sōjirō would bring him food and bandages. He gave Sōjirō a wakizashi to protect himself by killing his family, but he thought being killed by a sword would hurt too much so he hid it under the porch. [[spoiler: When his "family" found out Sōjirō was harboring a wanted criminal, they planned to kill the boy and turn Shishio in... Sōjirō fell in despair, took the wakizashi, and ended up slaughtering the five adults]].
254* DissonantSerenity: Practically the poster child for this trope.
255* EvilCounterpart: He mirrors Kenshin in his seemingly cheerful disposition and sword style (although he's even faster). The contrasts between their philosophies are further emphasized with the influence their mentors and experiences had on them.
256** He can also be considered one to Yahiko, essentially being what Yahiko could’ve been had he not been rescued by people like Kenshin and Kaoru. While Yahiko is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who still believes in Kenshin’s ideology, Sojiro is a BastardBastard that has Shishio’s SocialDarwinist ideology.
257* FragileSpeedster: Is capable of dodging nearly all of Kenshin's attacks, but the one attack that does connect utterly defeats him. Granted, it was Kenshin's ultimate technique...
258* FreudianExcuse: Has a pretty screwed up backstory that ''really'' screwed him up, and underneath everything is a traumatized mess. It's clearly suggested that the difference between him and Kenshin is that, at their lowest points, Kenshin was found by a good man while Sōjirō was found by a monster.
259* FlashStep: Fast enough to catch Kenshin off guard.
260* HazyFeelTurn: Last time seen travelling Japan. According to Chō, he won't allow himself to be captured but will simply look for the truth by himself.
261* IAmNotLeftHanded: During his fight with Kenshin he holds back from using his full Shukuchi speed until the very end, when he uses his only named attack, Shuntensatsu (which combines his full speed with Battoujutsu).
262* JourneyToFindOneself: At the [[spoiler:end of the Kyoto arc, he's wandering the world. By the the Hokkaido arc, he still has yet to find his answer and hopes that joining Kenshin against the Kenkaku Heiki might bring him closer to it.]]
263* KarmaHoudini: Despite [[spoiler:killing one of Kenshin's close associates from the revolution (who also happens to be the Prime Minister), he is just allowed to search for his meaning in life, not answering for his actions. That said, his living after having been an assassin is somewhat akin to Kenshin's case rather than an inexplicable escape from responsibility]].
264* OlderThanHeLooks: He's 17, but by looks and voice could easily pass for much younger.
265* PsychopathicManchild: A more robotic version. He's an older teenager, but his horrible childhood experiences completely fucked him up.
266* RedBaron: Heaven's Sword.
267* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: Lampshaded by Sanosuke in the TV series adaptation during his rematch with Kenshin.
268-->"You little idiot! You might be top-notch in your skills... But in the battlefield of life...... you're just a young kid with a blue butt!"
269* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler: Killed his abusive relatives and foster family in self-defense]].
270* SocialDarwinist: Due to his master's teachings though he seems reluctant to follow it literally because of hidden guilt and his polite demeanor towards his inferiors.
271* PerpetualSmiler: Is very polite and all smiles, even when he kills people.
272* TheSpeedster: Seta Sojiro's own Shukichi allows him to match Kenshin's speed, becoming invisible to the naked eye and even granting him the ability to run on walls. This, combined with his own iaijutsu, allowed him to develop the Blinding Heaven Kill technique, killing the target so fast that they don't even feel his sword cut them before they fall to the ground.
273* StepfordSmiler: Sōjirō is normally seen smiling, with seemingly no emotion. In actuality, he subconsciously suppresses his emotions, making him difficult to read in combat, as stated by Kenshin.
274* SuperSpeed: Gets pretty damn close. Not only is he faster than Kenshin, he can't even be ''seen'' when he's attacking.
275* TragicVillain: He turned out the way he is because of his abusive foster family.
276* UndyingLoyalty: To Shishio.
277* UsedToBeASweetKid: He was genuinely a nice kid before having his ideals warped by Shishio ''and'' his life completely trashed by his evil family.
278* VillainousBreakdown: A huge one. [[TearJerker And heartbreaking as well]].
279-->'''Sōjirō:''' "You speak of not killing, of protecting the weak...that's a lie. Back then, when ''I'' needed help, why were you nowhere to be found? If a sword can protect the weak, where were you to protect me?"
280** He actually snaps completely when Kenshin asks him an ArmorPiercingQuestion.
281* WalkingTheEarth: After [[spoiler:the Kyoto arc, trying to forge his own path.]]
282[[/folder]]
283
284[[folder:Uonuma Usui]]
285[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Uonuma_Usui_3632.jpg]]
286->Voiced by: Shou Ryuzanji (JP), Creator/JamiesonPrice (EN, TV series), Creator/DavidMatranga (EN, ''New Kyoto Arc''), Creator/BillJenkins (EN, live-action)
287->Portrayed by: Mitsu Murata (live action)
288
289The "Blind Sword", used to be a swordsman working for the shogunate government. However, in a fight against Shishio Makoto, he was blinded and eventually left to die.
290
291He possesses the Shingan, which actually is superhuman hearing that lets him hear another's heartbeat thus enabling him to sense people around him and detect the emotions of others. This ability is so advanced that it appears to be similar to the sonar of a dolphin or bat.
292-----
293* AdaptationalWimp: He manages to easily kill several police officers in the third live-action film, but once Saito sees that he's trying to sneak up on him, their fight is settled by a [[spoiler:SingleStrokeBattle]].
294* AlliterativeName: His first and last name both begin with a "U".
295* AxCrazy: When he goes killing, he overdoes it, no matter if his victims are enemies or [[WeHaveReserves allies]].
296* BecomingTheMask: Has more or less given up on killing Shishio, despite his protestations otherwise. A major source of his self-loathing.
297* CeilingCling: Makes his entrance in Shishio's room from the ceiling, where he was hiding using his spear to cling.
298* DashingHispanic: David Matranga gives him a suave Spanish accent in the Shin Kyoto Hen dub.
299* DemotedToExtra: His history with Shishio in the live action films is AdaptedOut.
300* DisabilitySuperpower: His hearing more or less functions as a sonar, allowing him to read people's emotions and movements. He is convinced that he received this power due to his near-death experience at Shishio's hands.
301* DoubleWeapon: His standard techinque uses both the sword end and the mace end of his unique Rocin to deliver [[BladeSpam a barrage of attacks from both ends]], in a technique called "Hokenpogyoku: Hyakkaryuran". He can also detatch the weapon in the middle to use only one head with the shield.
302* EvilCounterpart: To Saitou; both fighters cling to their past rivals to some extent; Saitou doubting Kenshin's Atoner status, and Usui constantly challenging Shishio. Yet Saitou stays true to his beliefs of justice, while Usui continues to simply maintain the facade for looks.
303* EyeScream: When he fought Shishio, the latter took his eyes in one single horizontal slash, whose scar can still be seen under his bandana.
304* {{Expy}}: According to Watsuki, Usui's looks and role as a powerful assassin are based on [[Manga/DragonBall Taopaipai]], the character who impressed him as [[KnightOfCerebus the first villain to actually defeat Goku]].
305* FaceHeelTurn: Before the story. He was a government assassin sent to kill Shishio. Now he works for him. (Though he was never good to begin with.)
306* TheFriendNobodyLikes: While the Ten Swords are most certainly not TrueCompanions, most tend to get along well enough. Chō and Yumi are friends, Saizuchi never really offends anybody and while nobody seems to care about him, nobody hates Iwanbō either. Usui, however, is a kept around for his skill with the blade. Hōji and Yumi think he's a loose cannon, Anji detests him, and Shishio simply uses him for his swordsmanship.
307* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Yes, to recap, Saito's ''thrust'' was so otherwordly powerful that broke his shield, tore him in half, and sent his impaled torso flying against a wall and pinned him there. A ''point-blank thrust''.]]
308* HandicappedBadass: A previous battle with Shishio left him completely blind.
309* HellHasNewManagement: Possibly. Yumi suggests finding and recruting him as she, Shishio, and Hōji plot to [[spoiler: take over Hell]] (not that it would need much taking over).
310* InformedAbility: We're told [[spoiler:he is the strongest of Shishio's men after [[TheDragon Sōjirō]], yet his battle with Saito is one of the shortest in the series, especially when compared to any of Kenshin or Sano's fights]].
311* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: By Saito. He ends up looking like a pinned butterfly]].
312* KickTheDog: Frequently. He breaks Hōji's finger, attempts to stab Misao from behind, and constantly belittles the other members of his team. Saito implies that this is the result of Usui needing an outlet for his own self-hatred.
313* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Uses a tortoise shell that is tough enough to withstand katanas [[spoiler: until Saito uses Gatotsu Zeroshiki.]] Unlike many other shield-users, Usui takes advantage of the shield's curved shape to deflect attacks and to block his opponent's field of vision - which doesn't correspondingly inconvenience Usui himself, since he's blind.
314* ManlyFacialHair: Has a small stylish mustache which helps to call to mind the character he was based on. He's also one of the most dangerous Juppongatana.
315* MixAndMatchWeapon: His weapon of choice is a Rocin, a short spear with a blade on one end and a large iron sphere on the other. Said weapon is used with the Tanbei as part of the typical Okinawan fighting style.
316* NonIndicativeName: After becoming blind, he changed his weapon from a sword to a Tanbei Rocin.
317* ProfessionalKiller: Was a government assassin before his FaceHeelTurn.
318* RedBaron: ''"The Blind Sword"''.
319* {{Revenge}}: His reason for joining Shishio.
320* TheStarscream: Joined Shishio's group under the condition that he be allowed to try and assasinate Shishio, whenever and as often as he wished. Subverted in that he has [[spoiler: completely given up on taking revenge; he just keeps up his Starscream facade to save face.]]
321** His ''Shin Kyoto Hen'' incarnation, however, [[spoiler: is still itching for a fight with Shishio, which eventually gets him killed at the latter's hands [[CurbStompBattle when he was suffering a severe case of boredom]].]]
322* StealthHiBye: Pulls this twice, first on Shishio (ambushing him in a seemingly closed room by appearing from the ceiling) and later he appears behind Yumi and Sōjirō without the former noticing until he talks.
323* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: In [[spoiler:''Shin Kyoto Hen'', he goes down like a punk in fighting Shishio when the latter was bored (though he seemingly lasted longer than his original battle with Saito)]].
324* SuperSenses: His ears are sharp enough to compensate for his eyes, ''and'' allow him to easily read people's emotions and movements.
325* ThrowTheDogABone: [[spoiler:While in Hell, Yumi suggest to Shishio to find Usui as well and treat him like a true companion this time, and Shishio agrees.]]
326* TheVoiceless: In the movies, he never once speaks: the only time he vocalizes in his battle against Saito he lets out an almost feral growl.
327* TheVillainMustBePunished: During their fight, Usui asks Saito whether or not the latter despises the former for massacring a group of police officers a few days prior and come for revenge. Saito denies it, saying that as a former Shinsengumi member, he had witnessed his comrades killed in action lots of times and he would not feel sentimental over lost lives like Kenshin. What motivates Saito to kill Usui is his "destroy evil swiftly" ideal, that as both a former Shinsengumi member and as a police officer, he will not let Usui roams free.
328* VillainousBreakdown: Totally loses his cool when Saito reveals that he has [[BecomingTheMask given up on killing Shishio]].
329* VillainousFashionSense: A yellow kimono completely covered in eyes. Unlike most examples, this is pointed out InUniverse by both Yahiko and later Saito.
330* WreckedWeapon: The first sign that Saito's a lot more than he can chew is that the iron ball of his Rocin suddenly shatters [[DelayedReaction after he used it to attack]].
331[[/folder]]
332
333
334[[folder:Yūkyūzan Anji]]
335[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yuukyuuzan_Anji_7575.jpg]]
336->Voiced by: Yasuyoshi Hara (JP), Creator/MichaelMcConnohie (EN, TV series), Lowell B. Bartholomee (EN, New Kyoto arc), Creator/JMichaelTatum (EN, live-action)
337->Portrayed by: Tomomi Maruyama (live-action)
338
339->''I don't blame you for being blind to my mission. Just know...it is the blind who must die.''
340
341A warrior fallen-monk who fights alongside Shishio to destroy the Meiji government. He was among the many victims of the Meiji-era sponsored ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haibutsu_kishaku Haibutsu kishaku]]''/anti-Buddhism purge, resulting in the destruction of his home and the deaths of the five orphaned children he cared for in his temple, who came from families who opposed the Meiji restoration and were wiped away during the war. Said horrifying experience made him pull a FaithHeelTurn, [[TookALevelInBadass go from an]] ActualPacifist from a WarriorMonk, and brutally murder the culprits with his own hands, before Shishio recruits him to his cause.
342
343Anji is the third strongest and most merciful of the Ten Swords and has made an agreement with Shishio that Anji shall decide whether someone lives or dies. Despite being ranked as third most powerful, Uonuma Usui seems to fear him to some extent, having declined from Anji's challenge after the fallen monk protected Makimachi Misao from the Blind Murderer. He does not use a blade directly in combat, instead utilizing Futae no Kiwami (Double Layer Limit or "Mastery of Two Layers") to strike the blade into the ground to attack from a distance, or more usually directly with his fists.
344
345At some point, he and Sanosuke met in the forest; Sanosuke saw Anji perform the Futae no Kiwami, was amazed at the sight and asked him to teach it. Anji accepted on the condition that if Sanosuke didn't learn it perfectly in a week, he would kill him; Sanosuke barely managed to fulfill the deal, and few days later they were pit against each other...
346-----
347* AdaptationalVillainy: The live action films AdaptedOut his tragic backstory. He is also just a straight [[TheRival rival]] to Sano instead of being his mentor-turned-antagonist.
348* AdaptationDistillation: The Shin Kyoto Hen OVA's take a middle ground with Anji's backstory, they aren't as detailed as the source but they don't drop it all together like the films. We get to see a few flashbacks cluing us in to his sympathetic nature and implicit FreudianExcuse, but due to the abridged nature of the OVA's most had to be cut down for time.
349* AdaptedOut: The live action films dropped his tragic backsory and his mentor/student relationship with Sano, as well as his Futae no Kiwami technique.
350* AffablyEvil: While he may be the most merciful of the Juppongatana, his desire for wrath to purify the world and the downfall of the Meiji Government supersedes that. Plus, he only joined the Juppongatana on the condition that he could choose who lives and who dies. '''Pray that you are not on his bad side.'''
351* AlwaysWithYou: [[spoiler: The spirits of Tsubaki and the children Anji watched over remind him this after Anji realizes his life of killing was wrong]].
352* BareFistedMonk: He carries a sword, but it's not his favored weapon.
353* BigDamnHeroes: Pulls one ''despite'' being a villain, saving [[spoiler: Misao]] from [[spoiler: Usui]] trying to stab her in the back.
354* BreakTheCutie: Once was a sweet, caring monk. [[spoiler: Then, his adoptive children were murdered and his shrine was burned down. [[FreakOut He... snapped]].]]
355* TheBrute: To Shishio's BigBad. GeniusBruiser variant.
356* CoolSword: Despite not being a swordsman, he carries around a short, buddhist-like sword, which he only uses to turn his Futae no Kiwami in a deadly GroundPound. He got an even better one in the Hokkaido Arc.
357* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler: He is presumably killed after the fall of the Rengoku in the live action films.]]
358* DemotedToExtra: He does fight Sanosuke in the films, but their relationship and the majority of his screentime is relegated to that fight alone.
359* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: Suffered a brutal one in his backstory when the orphan children he was taking care of were killed by the government.]]
360* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler: Killing orphanage children is textbook KickTheDog, but they never expected the dog who was kicked to traumatic degrees to TakeALevelInBadass and turn them all into dilapidated jelly of human beings several years later.]]
361* EvilCounterpart: To Sanosuke again. They both became bitter after [[spoiler: losing their loved ones and turned to violence. While Sanosuke lost the one he looked up to and honored as a youth, Anji lost the children who he took care of and looked up to him. Sanosuke even mentions it during their fight, how Anji's just like him in the past.]] Sanosuke's relieving of stress in his fights is given a darker reflection with Anji dealing retribution to his foes, though both were really lashing out in hatred. Their meetings are even marked by their hatred of the Meiji Government, but what sets them apart is their insights: Though Sanosuke would like nothing more than the collapse of the Meiji Government by yesterday since the Sekihotai's betrayal, he can at least acknowledge with even the tiniest bit of respect that the people of Japan are able to live in peace and would rather keep fighting for true justice through civil change. Anji however would rather flip the entire nation over like a table, and is so blinded by his bitterness to where he thinks resetting the world will make things better again.
362* EvilMentor: To Sanosuke, whom he taught the Futae no Kiwami to. [[spoiler: Sanosuke subverts the trope by [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight snapping Anji back to his senses]].]]
363* FacialMarkings: Painted with ashes to make himself look more imposing. [[spoiler: The first time he did it, he used the ashes he took from the lifeless body of the orphan girl who loved him, which marked the definitive point in his FaithHeelTurn.]]
364* FaithHeelTurn: [[spoiler: Highly enraged when the children died, after praying for their safety when helplessly injured, and emphasized by him punching the face of Buddha out of pure sorrow. According to him, if Buddha won't listen to the world's prayers, he reasons, then he'll damn well save the world by his own hands. ]]
365* FamilyOfChoice: He tells his adopted orphanage children that they are his family, even though their mothers and fathers are either dead or far away from them (in a time of civil war). For their part, [[ShipperOnDeck they]] want him to marry [[CoolBigSis Tsubaki]] so they can become a "real" family. It's very touching, until, [[KickTheDog well]]...
366* FreudianExcuse: The [[spoiler:adoptive children he loved were murdered by greedy bureaucrats.]]
367* FreakOut: Forget [[TurnsRed Turning Red]]. If Anji, even being the AffablyEvil TokenGoodTeammate he is, ever gets ''[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness really angry and out of control]]'', he will brutalize ''anyone'' on his target priority. He is not called The Myo-o/The Destroyer for nothing.
368* FromNobodyToNightmare: An heartbreaking and terrifying example of how war and the evils that can spawn from it can utterly harm and warp even the most holiest men and most innocent of people in its breadth through drawing out the worst of humanity in its chaos, no matter how intense and how subtle. Anji was originally a happy, friend-to-all monk determined to do good in the world and help orphans. And he'd have stayed that way, too, until the Meiji Government [[StartOfDarkness killed his adopted children]].
369* GentleGiant: Subverted on the giant part. Anji is very tall but he used to be rather scrawny and bulked up ''after'' his FaithHeelTurn. He's gentle- Until force is needed on his end.
370* GeniusBruiser: Big, strong, and very, ''very'' bright.
371* AGodAmI: Downplayed, but he really takes inspiration from the Buddha's of wrath, likening himself to their image. A flashback reveals that he was first told to do this [[BruiserWithASoftCenter because he was too kind to properly discipline naughty children]].
372* GoodEyesEvilEyes: Has huge wide eyes before being broken. Afterwards, they're much more narrow. Double the effect since he paints his eyelids black with ashes to invoke the trope.
373* HeelFaceTurn: Anji realizes that all the killing he did was wrong and is reminded by the spirits of Tsubaki and the children he watched over that they will always be with him.
374* HugeGuyTinyGirl: He's about half again as tall as Tsubaki, she barely comes up to his chest.
375* {{Irony}}: In his flashback, he's chided for having a kinder face than most and an inability to be firm when scolding children. He even says that he just can't muster up enough anger to be imposing. [[ForegoneConclusion However,]] the audience doesn't see this until after we've come to know him as the wrath-filled destroyer.
376* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler:The worst side of him and that which is expected of Anji's fate if he continues his path of a savior by destruction. Answered in the face of an inquisitive Sano, Anji will go on destroying and challenging those who do not share the same views as him for his ideals and utopian world. This even goes for Shishio if his future world does not match up with him either.]]
377* LightningBruiser: Despite his size, he's noted to be quite fast, though not as fast as he could be.
378* ManlyTears: When he's [[spoiler:brought back by Sanosuke and remembers the good times with his adoptive children, he collapses in tears. [[TearJerker And we all cry with him]].]]
379* {{Necklift}}: He gets even with the mayor that ordered his temple destroyed by lifting him up by the head and crushing his skull between his massive hands.
380* PapaWolf: {{Deconstructed|Trope}}. It is not played as heroic or noble to become a murderous lieutenant out of grief, but by god [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds do we sympathize with him]].
381* PetTheDog: As the most sympathetic member of Shishio's group, Anji is prone to this.
382** He sits down with Sanno for a meal after learning that his training had made the man drop the food he was previously eating. Anji gets some food for him to apologize for the accident even though Sanno holds him blameless and brought up the issue as a joke.
383** When Sannosuke takes his challenge and tries to learn his technique, Anji makes it clear that if he fails to master it in the allotted time, Anji will kill him. When Sanno collapses of exhaustion and either sees or hallucinates the ghost of Captain Sagara, the captain speculates that Anji wouldn't go through with the murder if he saw just how hard Sanno had pushed himself to learn the technique. In the manga, when he thinks Sanosuke died of fatigue, he prepares to pray for his soul.
384** When Shishio's base finally falls, he goes back into the heart of the destroyed base to rescue Hōji.
385* RedEyesTakeWarning: When Sannosuke destroys his TragicKeepsake in battle, Anji gets up from a NoOneCouldSurviveThat shot that shocks even Kenshin.
386* ReligiousBruiser: Rare ''villainous'' version. His title in the Juppongatana also alliterates this, being '''Anji the Myou-ou''', meaning either '''Bright King''' or the '''Destroyer''', the buddhas of wrath and fear who convert by frightening non-believers into faith and slay evil in Buddhist mythology.
387* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: 5 years after [[spoiler: the orphans died]], he brutally murdered both the men who [[spoiler: set the fire]] and the local leader who gave tacit approval, despite the guy groveling for mercy.
388* StartOfDarkness: Was a humble monk who wanted to look after his adopted children in peace. When the Meiji Government showed up to [[KillItWithFire close his temple]] he [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge didn't take it well]].
389* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Why he is called Anji The Myo-O. Most of the time, he is the most calm and straightforward member of the Juppongatana, but his bottled up anger is but a volcano about to burst and erupt for days on end. Anytime the buttons are pressed to get him to explode, the point that he [[FreakOut goes ballistic]], ''nothing'' will get through to him except violence and a fierce unyielding spirit that is daring enough to try to reach out to him.
390* TokenGoodTeammate: [[BigBad Shishio]] states that Anji is extremely merciful, but his thirst for wrath is what keeps him on the villains team.
391* TookALevelInBadass: For his {{revenge}}. In five years, he went from a scrawny and [[AllLovingHero sweet]] monk to a huge LightningBruiser.
392* TragicKeepsake: A small prayer tablet with the names of his adoptive kids. [[spoiler: It's the only thing that remains from his destroyed temple]].
393* TranquilFury: Of a negative variety. Much of his personal air strongly feels like this, and it's not just from the muscle and the eye liner. It's very rare to see [[spoiler: current day]] Anji flash a smile, as a lot of the time though calm has a somewhat stern, strict, and smooth gruff temperament to show that he is a no nonsense person.
394* UnderestimatingBadassery: He only gets hit with Sannosuke's Futae No Kiwami because he stops after landing his SignatureMove to ''pray for Sannosuke's soul.'' To be fair, he couldn't have expected Sannosuke to learn one of his advanced techniques after seeing it only once.
395* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Anji's plan is to completely destroy the current world of Japan in order to start a society of moral righteousness.
396* VibroWeapon: Downplayed example, though his Futae no Kiwami's principle is that it allows the user to strike with two near-simultaneous impacts in order to entirely bypass any hardness or defense the target may have. By the time of the Hokkaido Arc, not only he has mastered the technique enough to attack from a distance (by channeling the attack through his sword into the soil) but can also perform the Futae no Kiwami with his entire body, allowing him to destroy any bullet that may hit him.
397* WarriorMonk: Of a [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie Disgraced Heretical Renegade]] ThugDojo kind.
398* WellIntentionedExtremist: In contrast to Shishio, a KnightTemplar, Anji's goals are more noble; having come from a place of genuine heartbreak and wanting to create a world where the strong won't hurt the weak.
399* WhatTheHellHero: Downplayed example, he still calls Sanosuke a hypocrite when he sees him fighting for the sake of the Meiji government after he told him he hates it.
400* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Again, if you haven't already noticed, Anji would have still been a humble, happy monk ''if he'd just been left alone''.
401* YouCantGoHomeAgain: With his temple burnt down, all he has left going for him is his hatred and vengeance.
402[[/folder]]
403
404
405[[folder:Saizuchi]]
406[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Saizuchi_41.jpg]]
407->Voiced by: Ikuo Nishikawa (JP), Creator/PaulStPeter (EN, TV series), Creator/PhilParsons (EN, live-action)
408->Portrayed by: Kentarô Shimazu (live-action)
409
410A cunning small old man who manipulates Fuji and lays out the battle plans for him; his real name is not stated in the series. He believes that his old age makes him the one who is right since he has lived so long. Saizuchi's talents lie not in battle-abilities, but in his proficient use of words.
411-----
412* AdaptationalBadass: His Live Action incarnation is of normal height, seems to be younger, uses a katana, and tried to personally attack Kenshin on several occasions. He also appears to be a MultiMeleeMaster.
413* AdaptedOut: Absent from the Shin Kyoto Hen OVA. Shishio takes on his role as the man Fuji swore loyalty to.
414* BaldOfEvil: Paired with a very large head to boot. Parodied in the character sketch, in which someone scribbled on the back of his head.
415* {{Gonk}}: He's small and downright grotesque, witn a huge bald head and exaggerated facial features.
416* HeelFaceTurn: After [[spoiler:Shishio's defeat, he puts his persuasion skills to use as a foreign diplomat for the Meiji government.]]
417* HumiliationConga: First, Yahiko refuses to buy his breaking speech and openly challenges him and Fuji, then he's silenced and called an idiot by Seijuro Hiko and finally he's defeated when a defeated Fuji crushes him under his arm.
418* LaserGuidedKarma: After using Fuji as an attack dog to destroy Kyoto and tormenting others, he's finally taken out when Fuji, defeated by Hiko, accidentally crushes him under his arm.
419* KidWithTheLeash: {{Inverted}}, he's an ''old man with the leash''. Of his disciple, Fuji.
420* ManipulativeBastard: Poor Fuji.
421* NonActionGuy: One of the two Jupponganta that doesn't have an awesome fighting style, and he's only there to order Fuji around.
422* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Gives one to the heroes during the assault on Aoiya. Unlike many other examples, he makes use of logic to make his point and even admit that they underestimated them, as they defeated two of the Juppongatana alone.
423* SmallNameBigEgo: Claims that his comrades are envious of his "great and remarkable skills". He's wrong.
424* SmugSnake: Talks like a superior and tries a logical [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech analysis on why Kenshin's team will lose]], but we all know he's only there to give orders to his giant.
425* TheStrategist: Thinks he's this, although Hōji's a lot better at than he is.
426[[/folder]]
427
428
429[[folder:Fuji]]
430[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Fuji_5815.jpg]]
431->Voiced by: Creator/UnshoIshizuka (JP), Creator/BeauBillingslea (EN, TV series), Lowell B. Bartholomee (EN, New Kyoto arc), Cole Brown (EN, live-action)
432->Portrayed by: Kôta Yamaguchi (live-action)
433
434A giant, considered a freak by everyone around him; his real name is not stated in the series. One day he was attacked and almost killed but the old man Saizuchi found him and took him in. The gentle, depressed Fuji was in an ideal state for Saizuchi to manipulate his emotions and turn him into an unbelievable fighter. Saizuchi keeps telling Fuji that he owes him for saving his life and uses that to control him.
435-----
436* AdaptationalVillainy: Much more lucid and brutal in the films.
437* AdaptationalWimp: In the films not only he's not a giant, but he also goes down [[spoiler:after Saito stabs him through the chest when he wasn't looking]].
438* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: His enormous height terrified everyone, and once he was shot to almost death by scared guards.
439* ArmorIsUseless: According to [[spoiler: Hiko]], the armor actually decreases his real strength, as it makes him feel too confident.
440* {{BFS}}: Zigzagged, he wields a sword based on a Matagi Knife which is too large for any normal person to wield, but he's so large the sword fits his size normally.
441* TheBigGuy: [[spoiler:In the end]], literally and figuratively.
442* BoringButPractical: Due to his size and sheer destructive power, the closest thing he has to a secret technique simply involves using both hands to deliver an impossibly fast attack powerful enough to leave a crater in the ground.
443* BreakTheCutie: His backstory is [[TearJerker completely heartwrenching]]. Notice that in the manga, we're only given hints about his past by Saizuchi; [[AdaptationExpansion in the anime, it's fully exposed to the viewer.]]
444* TheBrute: When controlled by Saizuchi he's nothing more than a brutal attack dog.
445* CallToAgriculture: Becomes a [[spoiler: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tondenhei Tondenhei]] (a sort of soldier who works as a farmer during peace periods in the northern island of Hokkaido)]] after the Kyoto arc.
446* CompositeCharacter: He's combined with Iwanbō in the Shin Kyoto Hen OVA. Fuji is much closer to Iwanbō's size, and Iwanbō's fight scene with Tokyo's Oniwabanshu was given to Fuji.
447* CoolHelmet: As part of his armor he wears a menacing helmet with a skull-like menpo which makes him look downright monstrous. He discards it alongside the armor.
448* DeathByAdaptation: Saito [[spoiler:kills him off in the live action film.]]
449* DemotedToExtra: In the live action films, his integral fight scene with [[spoiler: Hiko Seijuro]] is AdaptedOut.
450* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:After the Kyoto arc, he enters a quiet life [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tondenhei as a rural guard]] and gets friends and co-workers that see him as the decent guy that he is.]]
451* EmptyShell: When controlled by Saizuchi, again.
452* {{Expy}}: of ''Evangelion Unit-01''.
453* GentleGiant: One who towered over ''buildings'', and [[spoiler: despite his terrifying armor, he becomes one of the most normal characters in the series]]. His flashback in the anime shows him gently placing a fallen bird back in their nest.
454* GracefulLoser: When he realizes that [[spoiler: Hiko avoided his deadliest attack by sticking to the side of his blade and is about to counter]], Fuji simply smiles.
455* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Thanks to his fight with WarriorTherapist Hiko Seijuurou he switches sides and turns on Saizuchi, and ultimately becomes a farmer.]]
456* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:Hiko was the first to treat Fuji with respect and talk to him like a person, and it's revealed that far from being a mindless brute using nothing but brute strength, Fuji possesses the spirit of a true martial artist and [[BoxingLessonsforSuperman has excellent swordmanship technique]] along with his overwhelming power.]]
457* ItIsDehumanizing: During the flashback to his backstory, both the angry mob and the armed guards refer to him as "it", "monster" and "thing", with the former instructing the later to "get it before it gets us". In the present day, many wonder if he's even human.
458* KarmicDeath: In the live action movie, [[spoiler: he brutally impales a policeman, patronizingly asks him why he fights and mocks his answer. Then, Saitou backstabs him while he's distracted and cuts him down with the same lack of mercy.]]
459* LightningBruiser: Despite his size, he's so fast that the gang at the Oniwabanshu place didn't notice his presence until after he had cut half the inn down. He also hits surprisingly fast.
460* ManlyTears: When [[spoiler: Hiko]] addresses and treats him as a human and not a tool or a monster, Fuji takes off his mask and helmet and cries in ''joy''. [[spoiler: Then, they duel properly, and Hiko wins.]]
461* MeaningfulName: Fuji can refer to Mt. Fuji and also means "Peerless". Invoked, as it's not his real name.
462* ObliviouslyEvil: [[spoiler: Subverted, he's not a bad guy deep down.]]
463* PunchClockVillain: He's not really evil, just being manipulated by Saizuchi.
464* RageHelm: His helmet has a skull.like mask which, paired with his scowling eyes and his snarling teeth biting in the rope holding the helmet in place gives him a furious face.
465* RedBaron: He and Saizuchi sort of share one, which can either translate to "Destructive Army" or "Army Destroyers". (they use different kanji which both translates to "destroy").
466* ScreamingWarrior: When Hiko persuades him to discard the armor and fight him with all he has, Fuji lets out a massive yell before challenging Hiko back.
467* SinisterScimitar: His sword is a huge curved blade resembling an hunting knife and large enough to demolish buildings. However, he's not as villainous as he looks.
468* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Subverted in the movies, [[spoiler: as he's stabbed in the back by Saito while calling the policeman he's just slain useless.]]
469* TokenGoodTeammate: Subverted at first.
470* TragicVillain: Fuji is a kind-hearted man who has suffered through all of his life for being different, so Saizuchi easily plays on his despair and gets him on his side.
471* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Or at least, a freakishly huge one. Misao lampshades the trope by wondering if he was a human man or not.
472* WildCard: When he was first mentioned, it is implied that he is ever a [[SmugSuper an overconfident brute]] or [[DumbMuscle a simple-minded behemoth that uses strong, but slow punches]]. [[spoiler: No could have expected he'd be a huge swordsman who's not only subtle, but not look menacing in his armor. In fact, it's implied only Hiko could face him on equal terms]].
473** Shishio remarks that Sōjirō is his strongest warrior under him, [[spoiler:but it seems that Fuji has more ''raw'' power than all of his top men, even him. And is heavily implied that even Kenshin would lose to him, so Hiko the strongest character in the series had to face him]].
474* YourSizeMayVary: The first time he appears, we only see his feet, which are as big as a normal person. When he appears later, he's huge, but not that big.
475* WorthyOpponent: Fuji is overjoyed at the chance to fight the greatest swordsman in the world, and he and Hiko treat each other with utmost respect.
476[[/folder]]
477
478[[folder:Honjō Kamatari]]
479[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Honjo_Kamatari_8567.jpg]]
480->Voiced by: Creator/JunkoTakeuchi (JP), Melodee M. Spevack (EN, mainly), Lara Cody (EN, episode 54), Creator/HeatherWalker (EN, live-action)
481->Portrayed by: Hiroko Yashiki (live-action)
482
483A cross-dressing young man from the Juppongatana. He loves Shishio Makoto deeply, but knows that he will never be loved like Komagata Yumi nor will he ever become as talented as Seta Sōjirō, who serves as Shishio's right-hand man. He still devotedly fights for the person he loves.
484
485Kamatari uses a very heavy scythe-like weapon, a reaper, with a chain ball on the end of the weapon; this is called Ogama. He practices Honjō-ryū, his own style of martial arts with his scythe.
486-----
487* AlwaysSecondBest: He laments that he can never serve as either Shishio's lover like Yumi or right-hand man like Sōjirō. Even so, he does whatever he can to help Shishio succeed in his goals.
488* BerserkButton: In the Hokkaido Arc, he holds his scythe at [[spoiler: Eiji]]'s neck when he insults the late Shishio.
489* BisexualLoveTriangle: He's a HopelessSuitor to Shishio, who is in a long-term relationship with Yumi.
490* BoxedCrook: After Shishio's death he's [[spoiler: hired by the Japanese government as a crossdressing spy. He makes a return in the Hokkaidou Arc to fight the Kenkaku Heiki.]]
491* CreepyCrossdresser: He's a villain that dresses like a woman, which the protagonists find disturbing and insult him for. The story itself doesn't really treat the crossdressing as so strange, but Kamatari is sexually crass enough to flash his genitals to a child and two women, and almost sounds like he's hitting on Yahiko at one point.
492* DemotedToExtra: In the live-action films, [[GenderFlip she]] doesn't have any lines and her integral fight scene with Kaoru (and Misao) is AdaptedOut.
493* DesignatedGirlFight: Subverted, as the two heroines take on a crossdressing man rather than a woman.
494* DrivenToSuicide: Twice. [[spoiler:Misao knocks him out from committing [[{{seppuku}} jigai ritual suicide]] after losing [[LovelyAngels to her and Kaoru]], and later Chō has to dissuade him from joining Shishio and Yumi in death.]]
495* DudeLooksLikeALady: To the point that the good guys think he's a woman at first.
496* {{Expy}}: Noted by Watsuki in the design notes to be modeled after [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Ikari Yui]], Ikari Shinji's mom.
497* GagPenis: As noted above, his "manly parts" are used as a gag, shocking poor Misao. Apparently, he's ''really'' hung.
498-->'''Misao:''' It's like... An elephant, A...FURRY ELEPHANT!!
499* GenderFlip: The live action films made him a true female.
500* GenderReveal: In the manga, when he is called a "scythe girl", he proceeds to flash his jibblies to Misao, Yahiko, Kaoru, and the whole Aoiya crew.
501* GameBreakingInjury: Kaoru [[spoiler:defeats him by knee capping him with her bokuto. It was so serious in fact that a month after the battle he still had to recover... and his depression didn't helped either.]]
502* HiddenDepths: His feelings for Shishio are completely sincere, his silly faces [[BewareTheSillyOnes hide a skilled warrior]], and has a surprisingly low sense of his own worth.
503* ImprovisedWeapon: By the time of the Hokkaido Arc, Kamatari has modified his scythe so that he can pull out the shaft from the chain-connected blade and use it as an impromptu bident thanks to the pointy bottom.
504* {{Kawaiiko}}: He was also prone to make cutesy faces in battle, especially when his beloved Shishio was involved.
505* LoveMartyr: To Shishio. He's ''painfully'' aware that he simply can't be loved back, so he fights to at least be useful to him [[spoiler: and after losing he has to be dissuaded ''twice'' from trying to kill himself.]]
506* MeaningfulName:
507** The "Kama" in Kamatari means Scythe, and also a play on "okama", Japanese slang for gay men, especially effeminate ones, or a crossdresser or drag queen.
508** His attacks are named after Benten, the only female goddess of the Seven Lucky Gods.
509* MusclesAreMeaningless: Has the body frame of a young maiden, and yet can swing around his large scythe (30 kg) effortlessly.
510* SinisterScythe: During the duel against Misao and Kaoru he uses more the large EpicFlail at the tip of the weapon to fight. Subverted in the live action movie, where she holds a katana instead.
511** In one of the volumes, the author mentions that the character came about as a result of a Japanese pun suggested by one of his assistants. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kama_%28weapon%29 Kama]] is a word referring to a sickle or scythe, while okama is a slang term for transvestites. Reading between the lines, fans have come to the very reasonable conclusion that the assistant in question was none other than Creator/EiichiroOda.
512* SpinAttack: Both his named attacks (Midare Benten and Benten Mawashi) involves a lot of spinning. The former also borders with SpinToDeflectStuff.
513* TransEqualsGay: Played with. Kamatari ''is'' male-assigned, presents (very convincingly) like a woman, and is in love with the male Shishio. But rather than a trans woman the story treats as a man, Kamatari specifically identifies as male, and even corrects Misao for assuming otherwise.
514* UnderestimatingBadassery: Misao accuses him of this because of his flighty nature [[spoiler:and the way she and Kaoru were able to break his defenses and shatter his scythe]]. Kamatari states that wasn't the case though, as to underestimate his opponent would be a disservice to a job that he takes very seriously. They were just able to beat him because of their skill rather than him underestimating them.
515* UndyingLoyalty: to Shishio. He's actually in love with him.
516* UnsettlingGenderReveal: In the manga, he just flashes Misao upon being called "Scythe Girl". In the anime, when Yahiko notes that Kamatari is sexier than Kaoru and Misao, Kamatari says that Yahiko has the potential to outdo the two of them himself and is willing to give pointers. Eventually, Yahiko, Kaoru, and Misao put the pieces together and are devastated by the realization.
517-->'''Yahiko:''' You've gotta be kidding me! No matter what I do, there's no way a guy like me can become a woman! ''(both he and Kaoru gasp)''\
518'''Misao:''' So, she's not a "Scythe Girl" but...\
519'''Yahiko, Kaoru, and Misao:''' ...a "Scythe ''Queer''"...\
520'''Misao:''' ''(Turning pale)'' I lost to a guy...
521* VillainousBreakdown: At the start of his fight against Misao and Kaoru, he's jolly, smiling and joking. By the end he's frowning and a lot more serious. When he actually loses, [[spoiler: he sadly accepts his loss and tries to kill himself, but Misao stops him.]]
522* WholesomeCrossdresser: Despite being a villain, his habitual crossdressing isn't portrayed as especially negative. [[spoiler:After the end of the Kyoto arc, he's hired as a spy for the Japanese government.]]
523* WreckedWeapon: The combined efforts of [[spoiler:Misao and Kaoru shatter his scythe. However, he can still use a secret technique using the other end of his pole arm to pick up the flail and throw it.]]
524* VolleyingInsults: With Yumi.
525* {{Yandere}}: To Shishio.
526[[/folder]]
527
528[[folder:Kariwa Henya]]
529[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kariwa_Henya_4516.jpg]]
530->Voiced by: Creator/EijiTakemoto (JP), Dan Lorge (EN, TV series), Tyler Walker (EN, live-action)
531->Portrayed by: Yûya Hara (live-action)
532
533Known as Henya the Flighted, aids the attack on Aoi-Ya, the Kyoto secret headquarters of the Oniwabanshu, with four other Juppongatana members. His battle technique is called Hiku Happa, in which he uses dynamite to lift himself into flight and attack with from above. He can descend to attack the opponent with a blade on his arm and then blow himself back into the air. The power of flight is harnessed because Henya starves himself and is very emaciated; he is so light that the constant uplift from the explosions can easily keep him in the air, and a cape allows him to control his movement.
534-----
535* ArrogantKungFuGuy: To the point that this is his main personality, for example when he prepares to join the forces in the fire of Kyoto and tells Iwambo to not interfere, or he'll be in the way.
536* AnimeHair: His resembles a blade and is grown to a pointed tip.
537* AnimalMotifs: The Bat: the "Hen" in Henya is the first of the two kanji for "Komori" (Bat), his glider cape resembles a pair of bat wings when opened and during the Hokkaido Arc, Byakuya sees him as a giant, smoke-spewing bat.
538* BlackCloak: It opens out into a glider designed to look like bat-wings.
539* BladeBelowTheShoulder: For close-up work, paired with CreepilyLongArms to great effect. He wields two of them during the Hokkaido Arc.
540* BlowYouAway: He blows up his enemies with dynamite, and uses the force of the explosions to propel himself higher.
541* BodyHorror: His torso is horribly emaciated, all his ribs are perfectly visible under the skin and his entire abdomen is so skinny he practically has an hourglass figure.
542* BoxedCrook: The government [[spoiler:later uses his flying skills to spy for them.]]
543* CreepilyLongArms: Under his cape, it's revealed that his arms are quite long, as well as all skin and bones like the rest of his body. They allows him to attack better from above while keeping the distance from his enemy.
544* DemotedToExtra: In the live action films, he doesn't have any lines and his integral fight scene with Yahiko is AdaptedOut.
545* FragileSpeedster: He may be able to fly, but once Yahiko manages to get close enough to whack his emaciated body, he's done for.
546* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Yahiko [[spoiler:takes advantage of Henya's blast to use a door like a kite and use the same technique as Henya to catch him offguard.]]
547* LeanAndMean: It's hard to find someone else ''that'' thin. He remarks that he's only able to maintain his light weight by keeping himself on the edge of starvation.
548* MeaningfulName: The "Hen" from Henya means Bat. Kariwa means "Reaping Feather".
549* NoMouth: He costantly wears a bandit mask made of black cloth which obstructs his mouth. The only time we see his chin and mouth is when he's defeated.
550* NotQuiteFlight: More gliding than true flight, but still.
551* PunchClockVillain: Implied, by the time of the Hokkaido Arc he seemingly has no objection in working with the very same government Shishio tried to overthrow, as long as he's free to carry out his research on his flying apparatus.
552* ShoutOut: To ComicBook/{{Spawn}} character Freak. He's also named after the famous swordsman Henyasai Matsubayashi, known for his acrobatic skills.
553* {{Tengu}}: He was originally envisioned as a "Tengu-like member of the Oniwabanshu", and his movie design hints of this, having him wear a beaked mask.
554* WeHaveReserves: His attitude towards his subordinates during the great fire. His fighting style can also damage his own allies in battle, but he doesn't seem to care.
555[[/folder]]
556
557[[folder:Iwanbō]]
558[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Iwanbou_2728.jpg]]
559->Voiced by: Norito Yashima (JP), Creator/LexLang (EN, TV series), Creator/PhilParsons (EN, live-action)
560->Portrayed by: Takao Yamada (live action)
561
562A fat oaf who uses his immense size, his strength, and his ability to entrap weapons in his flab. He is armed with small blades worn on his fingertips. He is very stupid, and, apart from taking part in the battle of Aoi-Ya as well as grinning like an utter idiot, he does not say anything, and he does not do anything.
563
564He is in reality a mechanical puppet, a primitive mech, controlled by Gein, the puppetmaster.
565-----
566* AcroFatic: Very fat, very fast. Surprisingly nimble.
567* AdaptationalHeroism: His complex backstory is AdaptedOut of the Anime and Live-Action films. In the anime he's a fairly harmless idiot and in the films, he's just an EliteMook, while in the manga [[spoiler:he's actually Gein, a graverobber who creates flesh-puppets from corpses, which was what Iwanbō was made of]].
568* AdaptationalWimp: Not so much in terms of fighting ability, but his Live Action movie version is of pretty standard height compared to his massive manga self. He can still bodyslam Kenshin with enough strength to send him flying.
569* ArtificialHuman: It is revealed in the Jinchuu arc that [[spoiler:Iwanbō is actually a combat suit made out of corpses.]]
570* BewareTheSillyOnes: True, he's such a harmless idiot that he cannot do anything on his own, but remember, it was Shishio who let him join his elite. [[spoiler: Even more so in the manga, considering the truth.]]
571* DemotedToExtra: In the live-action films, he doesn't have any lines and his integral fight scene with Kaoru and the Oniwabanshuu is AdaptedOut.
572* TheDitz: To the point that when he escapes Chō suggest to let him be, as he's not a threat to others.
573* {{Expy}}: Of [[ComicBook/XMen Blob and Mojo]], according to WordOfGod. [[spoiler: His model 0.3 is based on a deformed version of [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]].]]
574* {{Foreshadowing}}: After Kamatari's defeat, he looks at the Aoiya crew, [[spoiler: and then turns his head like an owl, freaking out Kaoru and Misao, hinting at the fact that he's not human.]]
575* HulkSpeak: In the manga, the only times he says something it's in a rather broken, simple Japanese. [[spoiler: Part of the mask, of course.]]
576* {{Kevlard}}: He's so disgustingly obese that shurikens and weapons bounce off him. Almost bordering with RubberMan.
577* MeaningfulName: His nickname, the "Round Demon" in Japanese is "Mari Oni". [[spoiler: As in ''Mario''nette.]]
578* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler: [[TheMole The one handling the Iwanbō puppet]] is NOT stupid at all.]]
579* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Kamatari and Henya are defeated, but before Saizuchi and Fuji show up.
580* SlasherSmile: He's always seen grinning like a moron, except when Hōji rips off his own nails (he had a "share the pain" face).
581* SpectacularSpinning: The [[spoiler:3.0 model can spin his fingers and arms to smash and tear people apart.]]
582* SumoWrestler: His design in the live action movie.
583* TooDumbToLive: To the point that the Mooks decide to run away even when he's left, because "he's too stupid".
584* WolverineClaws: A variation: he wears small, hatchet-like blades on his fingernails.
585[[/folder]]
586
587[[folder:Sawagejo Chō]]
588See Characters/RurouniKenshinSupportingCharacters
589[[/folder]]
590
591!!Other Members
592[[folder:SPOILER CHARACTERS]]
593!!Ashitaro Hasegawa and Asahi Kubota
594
595Two youngsters that were errand kids for the group, but in ''Hokkaido arc'' were taken in by the Kamiya dojo. Their tropes belong to Characters/RurouniKenshinMangaOnlyCharacters
596[[/folder]]
597
598

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