!!The Manga and Anime:
* AccidentalInnuendo: Noticing that Tomoe's calming influence on the harsh young Kenshin, Katsura asks Tomoe to be the sheath to Kenshin's sword. Apparently, Katsura is unaware that swords and phallic imagery go hand-in-hand.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** Shishio. He wants what he thinks is best for his country, and has a complex but apparently genuine loving relationship with his girlfriend, and inspires genuine loyalty in his most devoted followers. On the other hand, [[spoiler: this doesn't stop him from killing her, even if she was willing]]; he is clearly TheSociopath and a straight-up CardCarryingVillain who fully expects to go (''back'') to Hell when he dies, and his vision of a "better" Japan is a Darwinistic [[DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans war-mongering tyranny]] and marks him as a precursor to the horrors of Showa-era Japan, and he commits numerous atrocities throughout the story as well. So, a (very, very dark) AntiVillain and WellIntentionedExtremist working on BlueAndOrangeMorality, or a sadistic megalomaniac? Or an unholy mixture of ALL OF THE ABOVE?
** Kenshin's vision of Shishio in Hell during the Jinchuu arc. Is it a hallucination brought on from his failure [[spoiler:to protect Kaoru]] or did Shishio really succeed in taking over Hell and is visiting Kenshin to taunt him over his failure?
* AluminumChristmasTrees:
** Sawagejo's Hakujin no Tachi, which some readers may be surprised to learn is actually based on a real-life weapon, the Indian "urumi" whip sword.
** [[spoiler:In real life, people with anhidrosis are at extreme risk for overheating. Though most don't ''actually'' catch fire the condition can be very deadly. Doing something very physical in a very hot place is not a great idea, no matter ''how'' badass the flaming sword attacks make the dramatic final duel look.]]
*** [[spoiler: Also, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_human_combustion spontaneous human combustion]] is a pseudo-scientific phenomenon involving "spontaneous combustion of a living (or recently deceased) human body without an apparent external source of ignition," although anhidrosis isn't usually the main culprit behind such instances.]]
* AmericansHateTingle:
** Emphatically does ''not'' apply to the show[[note]]''[=RuroKen=]'' hit pretty big in America[[/note]] but rather the Sony, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AXN_(Asian_TV_channel) AXN]], or Creator/{{Animax}} dub. Due to various issues, North America originally got its own English dub commissioned by Media Blasters or Creator/BangZoomEntertainment.[[note]]This dub aired on Toonami and is available on DVD. This dub is also much more faithful to the Japanese version and has no name changes. It's even widely considered to be much better acted.[[/note]] American fans who are aware of both dubs' existence universally ''hate'' the Animax dub.
** However, there is a sizeable contingent in North America who watched the Sony dub that ''really'' like the Sanosuke played by then-rookie Creator/DerekStephenPrince, especially as he grew into the role starting in Kyoto and when the show makes Sano more comedic.
* AntiClimaxBoss: A bunch of them, some [[WordOfGod explained]] ([[SelfDeprecation and apologized for]]) by Watsuki-san himself.
** Raijuta: He's a big, muscular man who appears to be a genuine threat when he first appears, but as the story progresses he's eventually shown up for the weakling he really is compared to Kenshin. This is even more obvious in the manga; in the anime, he at least had an imposing force of samurai warriors backing him up and actually is skilled enough to wipe out a corps of Meiji soldiers with a swipe.
** Usui: Gets a huge build up, but is defeated by Saito in the space of less than ten minutes screen time.
** Yatsume: Again, he's a victim of the "Saito effect".
** The Su Shen: The author even admitted that they're only there to keep Saito, Aoshi, Sano and Yahiko occupied.
* {{Anvilicious}}: Considering Kenshin's non-killing vow, the series does have shades of this, with Kenshin often saving his enemies in almost any circumstance despite the often intense enmity to him.
* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The Christian filler arc isn't necessarily a bad arc and is certainly one of the better arcs of the much despised third season, but it's kind of hard to convince anyone when the villain is a Christian who somehow learned the Hiten Mitsurugi Style.
* AwesomeEgo: Hiko may be arrogant, but he has every right to be.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The TV show soundtrack, composed by Noriyuki Asakura, is still considered an all-time classic. It's particularly worth noting that at first it was kinda upbeat and lighthearted, but when the Kyoto arc started, Asakura changed to a DarkerAndEdgier approach. Both styles were memorable, but the latter is the one that most people consider to be the best. Here some examples:
** Starting off everything, is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgYgY7xmzRM "Sobakasu"]], the first opening of the 1996 animated series. There's a reason why outside of its association with Rurouni Kenshin, its a legend in the Japanese pop rock genre having sold over 1 million copies and being #1 on the Oricon charts at its peak. Its status as one of the most beloved anime openings should be obvious in turn.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-VpHypu8s "Kimi wa Dare wo Mamotte Iru (Acoustic Version)"]] ("Who are you protecting?"). Kenshin's normal theme.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxwgRT0ddsc "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu: Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki"]]. This theme is associated to both Kenshin and Hiko, as well as the [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki]] technique. It's both epic and introspective, which fits perfectly pretty much every single time it appears.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUcZBcP8D0E "Departure (Master Mix)"]]. Another anime music classic.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4l4rvTVt8U "Warriors Suite"]]. The fighting scenes took fragments of it, always setting the right mood.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uh__MTM0pQ "The Last Wolf Suite"]]. Although ostensibly Saito's theme, it pretty much is ''the'' theme of the Kyoto Arc.
** Apart from the TV show, Creator/TakuIwasaki's score to the ''Trust and Betrayal'' OVA series is remarkable, especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8FFQ5T-LuU "In Memories: KO-TO-WA-RI."]]
** If you're vehemently against the [=OVAs=], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh9yZWeTmVM here's]] what the [[Film/RurouniKenshin live action movie]] has to offer, via One OK Rock.
* BadassDecay:
** Raijuta was supposed to be a bigger threat until Watsuki [[FridgeLogic remembered]] that Kenshin had already demonstrated the ability to dodge bullets.
** Kenshin has a little of this in the Kyoto arc but this was due to Watsuki's CharacterDevelopment of Kenshin as he didn't want him to be an InvincibleHero and [[TheWorfEffect brought him strong enemies.]]
** Enishi. When first encountering Kenshin, he brings him despair for all the chaos he has caused. In the final fight, it looks like they changed roles.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Kaoru. For some, she's a good female lead with great CharacterDevelopment, and the only reason why she doesn't stand out more when it comes to action is because she's OvershadowedByAwesome (and she doesn't have Yahiko's advantage of being an AuthorAvatar). While others however, see her only as a bratty girl or a DamselScrappy, whose character development only makes her more submissive.
* BishonenJumpSyndrome: The series was one of the first ''Shonen Jump'' manga to cater to this, since [[PeripheryDemographic many female fans]] were first attracted to the series because of [[CastFullOfPrettyBoys the attractive male cast]]. However, because it was such a new thing at the time, Watsuki kept getting in trouble with his editors, who demanded he make the series more male-targeted (observing the strict gender segregation shonen manga had at the time). Several times in early volumes, Watsuki apologizes for the series being more popular with girls than boys.
* BrokenBase:
** The big plot twist in the Jinchuu arc involving [[spoiler:Kaoru's death and the subsequent reveal that her death was faked. Some felt that faking out Kaoru's death was an AssPull and that the story could have been more interesting if she remained dead. Others agreed with Watsuki's sentiment that the series should end on a high note for Kenshin, which could not be done with Kaoru dead, and that the events that follow, with most of the main characters getting some major CharacterDevelopment, and the ending itself more than make up for it. Others agree with the latter sentiment, but felt that trying to kill off Kaoru harmed the narrative.]]
** The ''Reflections'' OVA. It's either a good, if not bittersweet alternate, non-canon ending to a series or it's an InNameOnly mess that was a slap in the face.
** The ''Shin Kyoto Hen'' [=OVAs=]. These are usually what people talk about when arguments about the OVA quality pop up. Some find them to be "good for the fans" in that they provide an interesting, though not outsider-friendly, retelling of the Kyoto arc with new nice animation and a more serious tone. The story changes in enough places to add further intrigue so that some of the scenes and interactions can be fresh. Detractors feel that the story's a mess and that the AdaptationDistillation just doesn't work here; and further feel that the DarkerAndEdgier feel is to the story's detriment (especially in the case of Kenshin who some argue underwent AdaptationalVillainy). The series is often compared to the live-action films as both are {{Pragmatic Adaptation}}s with detractors arguing that the live-action movies handled it much better.
** And, of course, one can imagine what happened once Watsuki's crimes came to light. Many fans wish to disown the work entirely and feel Watsuki's actions irreversibly taint the work, some say [[DeathOfTheAuthor that RK is far more than just Watsuki]] and his actions alone don't necessarily invalidate it, a few hold forth that all of RK's positive messages and examination of revenge and obsession show that there's far more to Watsuki than simply his own crimes. And after Watsuki paid the fine and "expressed regret" for his actions letting his publisher return him to work, the fandom is divided on whether to continue to support his work or not, especially after the announcement and release of the 2023 anime adaptation.
* CommonKnowledge: No, Kenshin is not a {{ronin}}. To be a ronin, one has to have formerly been a {{samurai}}, and Kenshin never was one.
* CompleteMonster:
** "Tokyo Arc": [[KnightOfCerebus Jin-E Udo]] is a remorseless BloodKnight and SerialKiller who lives for murder. In the era of peace, Jin-E makes his living as an [[PsychoForHire assassin]] who goes out of his way to slaughter as many human beings as possible [[ForTheEvulz for the fun involved]]. When he encounters Kenshin Himura again, Jin-E becomes obsessed with turning Kenshin into a killer like him and kidnaps his LoveInterest Kaoru Kamiya. When Kenshin arrives, Jin-E uses his powers of hypnosis to freeze her in place and force Kenshin to break his vow to never take another life as the hypnosis will be lifted only if Jin-E dies and Kaoru's body will shut down within minutes.
** "Kyoto Arc": [[AxCrazy Usui Uonuma]] is the second-ranked of Shishio's [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheTenSwords Juppongatana]], and a egotistical man who happily slaughters members of his own side to try to assassinate Shishio. Usui [[CopKiller kills dozens of assembled policemen]] single-handedly and assists in the plot to incinerate Tokyo, even trying to murder the teenage Misao during the attempted arson.
* DracoInLeatherPants: Most of the major antagonists are sympathetic (and quite {{Bishonen}} to boot) and rank consistently in the top ten during character polls. Watsuki later attempted to avert this by making the antagonists of the Jinchuu Arc {{Complete Monster}}s. It didn't necessarily work.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: The best example is probably Soujirou, a minor villain in the Kyoto arc who stole every appearance he made. WordOfGod is that he intended to bring Soujirou back at some point because he felt underused for all the fans he had, but he never did [[spoiler:until the Hokkaido Arc]].
** Also [[UsefulNotes/TheShinsengumi Okita Souji]], who ranked decently in the first character popularity poll (something like 7th place?) despite having only appeared in two or three panels in a flashback at that point. Interestingly, Watsuki based Soujirou on Okita Souji (they're practically twins), and notes in Soujirou's profile that Okita has always been incredibly popular among Shinsengumi fans. He credits this for Okita coming in so high on the poll.
* EvilIsCool: Shishio to the point of being one of (if not the!) most popular villain, all owning to his cool fighting style.
* FashionVictimVillain: Enishi. What's with the blue muscle shirt, Chinese pants and RoundHippieShades? Does he dress in the dark?
* FauxSymbolism: The cross-shaped scar (a mark) on a character who is WalkingTheEarth after committing murder brings to mind the Biblical story of [[CainAndAbel Cain]]. Also, the cross is a symbol of redemption, and Kenshin ''is'' trying to make up for his checkered past. The fact that it is probably Kenshin's "cross to bear" is made more obvious in the Shimabara/Christian Revolt filler arc, as well as the accompanying ED "1/3 Junjou na Kanjou." However, the real reason why Watsuki added it? He thought Kenshin looked too feminine. But to be fair, he made the best of it to create an awesome story during the Jinchu arc, specially the flashback episodes.
* FranchiseOriginalSin:
** A criticism of the Hokkaido Arc is the number of returning characters and plot points surfacing from previous arcs. While the Kyoto and Jinchuu Arcs had notable characters from previous arcs make a return, they were either woven into the plot with a proper story arc (Aoshi) or were a fun ContinuityNod that didn't otherwise harm the narrative (Chou). The Hokkaido Arc, however, has ''a lot'' more returning characters and plot points show up and aren't as properly woven in, resulting in the arc feeling bloated and unfocused.
** Filler episodes in the 1996 anime get a bad reputation in general, particularly the ones post-''Kyoto''. However, during the first season, filler episodes weren't trashed quite as badly since many of them were decisively resolved towards the end and even slightly longer original stories involving the Jinpuu squad and the pirate captain Shura didn't last longer than two or three episodes. Many of them were also interwoven with actual canon stories from the manga and didn't feel too out of place. And a few filler episodes like ''Run Yahiko!'' did give valuable character development to Yahiko by teaching him the values of patience and humility. However, once the third season began and the anime turned into nothing ''but'' filler, even for long-running story arcs, that became the point when many people completely soured on filler episodes due to a sense of both ArcFatigue combined with perceived SeasonalRot. Furthermore, whereas the filler episodes of the first season were weaved in with adaptations of the Tokyo arc chapters and was followed up with the second season's Kyoto Arc, the unpopularity of the third season led to the cancellation of the series as a whole, denying the 1996 anime an adaptation of the Jinchuu Arc[[note]]Aspects of the Jinchuu Arc would be animated in the ''Trust & Betrayal'' and ''Reflection'' [=OVA=]s, but they are a separate from the 1996 anime[[/note]]. The result is that while the first season filler is regarded as enjoyable at best or forgettable at worst and doesn't otherwise harm the series, the third season's filler is blamed for denying the 1996 anime an adaptation of the Jinchuu Arc and leaving said arc without any kind of adaptation for years.
* GatewaySeries:
** The Manga is known for being a gateway for many people to study the Meiji Era. The fact that Rurouni Kenshin was one of Japan's first domestic works that deconstructs what is considered Japan's Golden Age and talks about subjects like the Sekihotai and the Buddhist Purges made it popular.
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
** The Sony/AXN/Animax ''Samurai X'' English dub is [[FirstInstallmentWins surprisingly popular]] overseas. This in spite of a few [[DubNameChange name changes]] to the primary cast ("Kaoru" became "Kao''ri''" and "Yahiko" became "''Yoshi''". And finally, Kenshin lost his last 'n', turning him into Kenshi, therefore making the original title sound a bit off--''Samurai X'' instead of ''Rurouni Kenshi'').
*** In fairness, the dub in question does [[GrowingTheBeard start to grow a small beard]] around the time the Kyoto Arc kicks off, with a particularly solid performance from [[Creator/StephenApostolina Shishio]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNAkGFGgyrY himself]] that could give [[Creator/SteveBlum Blum's Shishio]] a run for his money.
*** Furthermore, the Sony dub doesn't only feature the same [[Creator/RichardCansino voice actor]] for Kenshin/Ken''shi''. It also has the veteran ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' voice actress for [[Creator/RebeccaForstadt Lynn Minmay]] voicing Kaoru/Kaori.[[note]]She'd end up voicing Marimo Ebisu in the Media Blasters dub instead.[[/note]]
*** You also have [[Creator/DerekStephenPrince Uryu]] [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Ishida]][[note]]doing his best Creator/JackNicholson impression that would make [[Anime/SaberRiderAndTheStarSheriffs Jesse]] [[Creator/RobPaulsen Blue]] proud versus the more macho and [[MemeticMutation memetic]] performance of [[Creator/LexLang Kenshiro]][[/note]] as Sanosuke[[note]](Derek ended up voicing [[TheIdiotFromOsaka Cho Sawagejo]] in the Media Blasters dub)[[/note]]. There's also [[Creator/DanWoren Byakuya Kuchiki]] moonlighting as Saito/Sato[[note]]in a more baritone [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppReNTY4l8U performance]] compared to the raspier [[Creator/KirkThornton Shadow the Hedgehog]] version of him in the Media Blasters dub[[/note]].
*** Speaking of which, the [[DuelingDubs difference]] between the Sony dub and the Media Blasters dub is comparable to the difference between ''[[{{Macekre}} Robotech]]'' and the Creator/ADVFilms dub of ''[[{{Woolseyism}} Macross]]''.[[note]]Some prefer ''Robotech'' or the ''[=RuroKen=]'' Sony dub because of its [[TooLongDidntDub broad-strokes]] [[NarmCharm adaptation]] that caters to more casual viewers at the cost of [[InconsistentDub inconsistencies]] while those who prefer the Creator/ADVFilms ''Macross'' dub or Media Blasters ''[=RuroKen=]'' dub praise it for its [[CulturalTranslation faithfulness]] to the original series even at the cost of [[TranslateTheLoanwordsToo natural-flowing dialog]].[[/note]]
*** With all things considered, the Sony dub served as a good "trial run" dub for international markets before they learned from their mistakes and did a more faithful [[ImprovedSecondAttempt Media Blasters dub]] for North American or domestic markets.
*** The ''Samurai X'' [[MarketBasedTitle brand title]] was so popular in Latin America that it has been also re-used officially in some manga releases there depending on the publisher[[note]]one of them being JBC in Brazil, however their re-release of the manga kept the original title[[/note]] as well as in the live-action movies posters. However, the release of the 2023 anime in the region through Crunchyroll kept the original title.
** The series got immensely popular all over the world. Some famous examples are Latin America, a big chunk of Europe (specially France, Spain, Italy and, to a lesser degree, Germany) and Eastern Asia. In all of those places, the series is considered an all-time classic, and it still has reruns and re-prints. This, arguably, contributed to the substantial global hype that demanded the 2012 live-action film be released theatrically in other countries too (see below).
*** One of the most iconic cases is Spain. The series arrived there in the summer of 1998 under the name "The Samurai Warrior" ("El guerrero samurai" in Spanish) and became the most watched program of the station it was in. It became an instant classic for Spaniard anime geeks, which is specially surprising when you consider it was broadcast on Saturday mornings (luckily, with no censorship). The manga came one year later and rights were acquired by the Spanish branch of Glénat, a French publisher. That branch was at the brink of bankruptcy when they started to publish it, but the success of the manga was so big that practically single-handedly made Glénat the biggest manga publisher in Spain for over a decade. Thanks to that success, Glénat could acquire other big hits for over a decade, like ''Manga/LoveHina'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'', ''Manga/OnePiece'', and many more. Plus, in 2010 they started a special reprint (the same one started in Japan that same year) and ''still'' managed to top the manga charts in Spain until the branch's ultimate demise in 2012[[note]]The story is quite long, but essentially, due to some poor business decisions in other sides of the branch, the French headquarters decided to sell it, which was then bought by the head of Glénat Spain, Joan Navarro. But after that and a change of brand, Sueisha ended up cancelling ''all'' the licenses they had given to them, which completely doomed the endeavour[[/note]].
*** Latin America gives Spain a run for its money. Under the name ''Samurai X'' it was dubbed and shown uncut and gave many kids their first taste of anime.
*** In Argentina the manga was published and it's considered a quasi essential manga for any Argentinian fan.
*** And needless to say, the Spanish-speaking fanbases might have taken the news of Watsuki's misconduct harder than any other worldwide...
* GrowingTheBeard: The Kyoto Arc, starting with Saito, not only [[AnimationBump does the animation drastically improve in the anime]], but the story moves out of the MonsterOfTheWeek format to a long story arc.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** Kenshin himself is a FriendToAllChildren. In 2017 series creator Nobuhiro Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography. Eerier still, a year before that, the writer of the manga's English translation, Gerard Jones, was charged for the same reason. The franchise seemingly addressed this unfortunate reality in the 2023 anime remake. As this aspect of Kenshin's character is more or less removed, since he is never seen interacting with any children aside from plot essential characters such as Yahiko.
** For fans, it was soul crushing to learn about Watsuki's crimes but, after he expressed remorse[[note]](which we'll assume is sincere, if only for the sake of argument)[[/note]], it gets an additional layer of tragic irony, since it makes his life now have some serious uncanny parallels with Kenshin's at the beginning of the story. Just like Kenshin, Watsuki is now someone who, although he achieved greatness in his youth, shows remorse for his past crimes, and he must work to make up for it, despite the fact that many people are unwilling to forgive him.
** Seeing how disheveled Kenshin's clothes are, Misao asks if his wife left him... [[KillTheOnesYouLove sort of?]]
** In The Motion Picture, the animated movie, after seeing yet another battle before his eyes, Kenshin nearly cries and states that he thought he fought in "the war to end all wars" 10 years prior. In reality, 1868, when the war Kenshin fought in ended, was just 46 years before World War I, also known as "The Great War" or "The War to End All Wars" because of how terrible it was.
** In the climax of the Kyoto arc, Saito and Kenshin dismiss the idea of Yumi being a menace.... come the final fight against Shishio and Kenshin himself finds it sickenening he was wrong.
* HilariousInHindsight: Watsuki-san [[WordOfGod noted in his character profiles]] that he based Kurogasa/Udo Jin-e on the historical assassin Okada Izo. Fast forward today where (as detailed above) Takeru Satoh, who played Izo in ''Ryomaden'', plays Kenshin. This comes full circle when the film incarnation of Jin-e, who was based originally on Izo, claims to be a more genuine assassin than Kenshin-as-Battousai. Trippy? You bet.
** Back in ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'', Takeru Satoh played Ryotaro, who is the nominal Franchise/KamenRider, a living anomaly referred to as a Singularity Point. How does one mark a point? '''With an X.'''
** He was known for saying [[ByThePowerOfGrayskull "hen]][[HenshinHero shin"]], now he goes by Kenshin. Not hilarious but definitely silly.
** Shishio, voiced by Creator/SteveBlum in the American English dub by Creator/MediaBlasters, occasionally compares himself to being a demon (granted he [[NecessarilyEvil believes that he is right]]) and expects to go to Hell when he dies and, [[spoiler: following his death via internal combustion, is shown along with Yumi and Houji in the underworld with the ambition of taking it over]]. Later in 2010, Blum would provide the voice of {{Satan}} himself in VideoGame/DantesInferno: [[AnimatedAdaptation An Animated Epic]] [[spoiler: who in turn has an ambitious goal of his own in ruling all three realms (Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven) of the afterlife]].
** In both English dubs Richard Casino voices Kenshin, a hero with an infamous reputation that strictly adheres to ThouShallNotKill. In the English dub of the ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' anime Casino voices Legato Bluesummers, a major antagonist to another ThouShallNotKill hero with an infamous reputation- Vash the Stampede. Even more hilarious, Legato bears a passing resemblance to Aoshi, one of Kenshin's major opponents. [[note]]They're both tall, good looking guys with short, dark hair that wear [[BadassLongcoat white trench coats]] [[/note]]
** Considering what happens to Kaoru in the Jinchuu arc and the reaction of everyone there, and the 2023 anime promising to be faithful to the manga... One can't help but wonder if the casting director picked Creator/RieTakahashi for Kaoru when she has voiced [[Manga/OshiNoKo a character whose sudden departure affected those close to her and the fandom greatly...]]
* HoYay:
** Kenshin to Sano, most obviously in the anime: the adaptation adds one last duel between them not present in the manga, and when Sano collapses from pain, Kenshin catches him and lets out a rather tender smile.
** Saito and Sano have a nice case of BelligerentSexualTension.
** One of the prototype one-shots had Kenshin see this between Megumi and Kaoru (he says something to the effect of "Oooh, so that's why she doesn't want to get married."). They were ''sisters'' in that universe.
* JerkAssWoobie:
** Enishi. Yeah, he ''did'' go through lots of heartbreak, but he also left ''others'' completely broken.
** For some fans, Sadoshima Houji becomes this [[spoiler:after he kills himself]]. Also an in-story example, as Kenshin expresses pity for him once he's told about that.
** Amakusa's StartOfDarkness comes when he's a child and [[spoiler:both his parents and his whole Christian village is slaughtered, with only him and little Sayo as survivors]]. Doesn't necessarily mean he was less of a bastard as an adult.
** Kenji in ''Seisouhen'' had a horrible childhood with a constantly absent father and a mother dying of grief and some sort of skin disease she caught from said father, but it doesn't make him any less of a brat when he refuses to [[spoiler:come back and let both of his parents say goodbye to him before they die, and runs away to Hiko to find "real strength".]]
* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: In the Hokkaido arc, Eiji shows Kenshin the broken blade [[spoiler:of Saito Hajime]], implying that he may be dead. However, many point to him historically living up to his 70s as proof that he's not dead. [[spoiler:The following chapter shows that while Saito's sword did not survive the battle, Saito himself makes it out with an injured left arm thanks to Eiji.]]
* LoveToHate: Shishio Makoto is a brutal case of TheSocialDarwinist who causes many atrocities in the series, yet his odd sense of honor makes him the perfect adversary to Kenshin due to his genuine desire to make Japan strong. The author Watsuki even considers him his favorite villain of the series.
* MagnificentBastard: [[TheSocialDarwinist Makoto Shishio]] was once the feared Hitokiri of the Shadows during the Bakumatsu. Betrayed by the [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheMeijiGovernment government]] and left for dead, Shishio survived and by virtue of his overwhelming power and charisma creates [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheTenSwords the Ten Swords]], a powerful organization consisting of loyal soldiers he effortlessly manipulates, with one even ostensibly wanting revenge against Shishio for blinding him, unaware Shishio is knows he has lost all hope of vengeance and is just manipulating him by using his pride. Shishio then sets up a complex plan to burn Tokyo, only for it to be revealed [[KansasCityShuffle this is a ruse]] as he attacks Kyoto instead. Despite being foiled, Shishio proceeds to have the heroes fight his men in single matches, all for the purposes of weakening or eliminating them before they face Shishio himself while he gains greater understanding of their abilities through the fights. Even after his defeat and death, Shishio shows no sign of complaint and instantly sets off with his deceased lover and most loyal follower to begin conquering Hell itself.
* MemeticMutation:
** Futae no Kiwami, ah! (フタエノキワミ、アッー! or KYM as the argotic shorthand)[[labelnote:Explanation]]Rurouni Kenshin's infamous meme where Sanosuke's voice actor (Lex Lang), in the Bang Zoom! English dub, emits an extremely loud yelling noise in the recap of episode 58 (episode 59) in the anime adaptation, after calling out his ultimate technique. Since then, the Japanese took a well-received liking to the infamous scene, and several other scenes; including but not limited to the Kyoto arc. So much so in fact that it is also responsible for the Validation Series (検証シリーズ) tag on niconico. A scene in media played and repeated in different languages (including redubs). Combine all of this with soramimi or mondegreen, the meme has a tightly knit fanbase. However, it faced mass deletion in its inception due to copyright violations. The original scenes posted on niconico that are intact are hand-drawn or are edited (e.g. shortened scenes with cuts or having the scenes pixelated to be nearly unrecognizable).[[/labelnote]]
** ...oro? [[note]]Kenshin's signature saying upon confusion[[/note]]
** Hatarakitakunai degozaru! Zettai ni hatarakitakunai degozaru!!" (働きたくないでござる！絶対に働きたくないでござる！！; I will not work, there is no way I will work!) A Japanese meme that heavily implies Kenshin's status as a NEET.
** "Kenshin's left foot," lampshading that his ultimate ability is made possible simply by leading with his other foot.
%%* {{Moe}}:
%%** Kaoru.
%%** Sanjou Tsubame.
%%** Misao.
%%** Seta Soujirou.
%%** Honjou Kamatari.
%%** Toki Takatsuki.
* {{Narm}}:
** The Colombian Spanish dub is pretty infamous for this, partly due to the odd pronunciation of many of the names of the characters[[note]]This is a side-effect of how Colombian Spanish works, as the Colombian dialect has problems pronouncing the ''sh'' cluster and in Colombia this is pronounced as ''ch'', causing many Japanese words and names being pronounced as "Kenchin" for ''Kenshin'', "[[{{Geisha}} Geicha]]", "Suchi" for ''sushi'', etc. Kenshin's nickname ''Hitokiri Battousai'' is translated in Colombian (and also Argentinian Spanish in the live-action films) Spanish as ''Battousai El Destajador'' (Battousai the Butcher), when in other dialects ''Destajador'' is normally translated as ''Desta''z''ador'', being this the most controversial change in that dub.[[/note]] and due of the uneven quality of the acting. The most notorious example of this is Kenshin's Colombian voice actor, as he uses the same voice tone for both his regular form and his Battousai mode, making him sound like he was bored all the time.
** The final arc in the anime where Kenshin goes up against Feng Shui wizards. While the series had its share of "super-human" powers this one was really pushing it with the Feng Shui users basically having magic at their disposal and said magic being Feng Shui of all things. It gets especially cringeworthy when the anime starts arguing that the Opium Wars in China were a result of the Chinese abandoning Feng Shui.
** The Hitokiri Battousai killing Gentatsu in the opening scene of the ''Ishinshishi e no Requiem'' movie is indeed a very important scene that would set up the eventual conflict between Kenshin and Shigure. By the third time the scene is replayed, however, it begins to lose its impact and would be replayed ''several'' more times throughout the movie.
** Watsuki love of Creator/MarvelComics can sometimes lead to some out-of-place character designs. This is most notable in the Jinchuu arc, where Yatsume (during the Bakumatsu) and Kujiranami's very blatant resemblence to [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Venom]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsApocalypse Apocalypse]] can cause some eyes to roll.
** The subtitles for the 2023 anime on Crunchyroll can be very silly with their word choices. One of the more sillier choices is calling Jin-e, ''a mass murderer'', a "hooligan". In the same episode, when Jin-e goes after Tani, Kenshin responds with "Oh snap!"
* NotBadassEnoughForFans: The Kaoru bashers LOVE to apply this to her, calling her "whiny bitch" and "useless whore" for being emotional and outspoken and sometimes prone to TenderTears. It reaches gross extremes when they systematically ''deny'' anything good she ever has done in the series and demand her TO DIE. In volume six of the manga, it is revealed that she is one of the top six dojo masters in Japan and has earned the nickname Kenjutsu Princess--many boys at the Maekawa dojo only show up on days Kaoru instructs. WordOfGod also states that Kaoru is a very powerful fighter, but she often gets overshadowed by Kenshin and Sano.
* OvershadowedByControversy: Watsuki's charges for possession of child pornography in 2017 cast an inescapable shadow over the entire franchise. If this were any other mangaka or any other franchise it wouldn't have hit as hard since many anime/manga fans know about the cultural differences in Japan and the West specially regarding child psychology, but the work always preached for a moral improvement. This coming out in the way it did, instead of let's say the author himself revealing it makes it hard for fans to rewatch the series without feeling hypocritical. And despite Watsuki expressing regrets for his actions, paying the fine and returning to work in April 2018, the damage is already done and fans are mixed whether to support his work or not. There's also the publisher Shueisha letting him continue to work after six months since the charges, which many people felt was too soon since the controversy is still fresh in the people's minds. Another sticking point is that many feel Watsuki hasn't done enough to atone for his crimes, with the fine and his brief suspension being viewed as just a slap on the wrist considering the seriousness of those crimes.[[note]] Although, it has been noted by commenters knowledgeable in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWIzGng2WLY Japanese culture]] that the fine and suspension, while feeling like a slap on the wrist to Westerners, are nothing compared to the experience of having to carry a perceptual shame everywhere you travel and being constantly condemned by everyone around you. In a Japanese environment, this is one of the absolute worst things that can happen to any person. Prior to modern times, seppuku was genuinely considered to be a preferable fate then having to bear such shame and endure constant humiliation. As such, there is a degree of ValuesDissonance between Western and Japanese cultural viewpoints at play here (though this assumes Watsuki is even experiencing this to begin with).[[/note]]
* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: ''Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenyaku Romantan - Ishin Gekitouhen'', a [=PlayStation=] game for the series was released in 1996 before Watsuki finalized the Kyoto arc. The game was criticized by modern fans of the series because it only features small amount of characters (all relevant fighting characters up to Saito encounter, except Hiruma and Yahiko) compared to the PSP game from the same series, which features a significantly bigger roster (including fan-favorite PosthumousCharacter such as Sagara and Okita).
* SeasonalRot: Both the manga and anime had this after the Kyoto Arc, albeit in different ways:
** The anime had no overarching story after the Kyoto arc was resolved, having a third season that was nothing but filler.
** The manga followed with the Jinchuu arc. While it was generally better received than the anime, it was still criticized on a number of points, including heavily derivative character designs and some ''very'' controversial plot developments. The author has expressed regret over how the arc turned out.
* SignatureSeriesArc: Even now, the Kyoto Arc is considered the highlight of the series and gets talked about more than any other arc, due to it being considered a GrowingTheBeard moment for the series as a whole, introducing fan favorite Saito, and overall being DarkerAndEdgier, with much higher stakes and an extremely formidable BigBad in Shishio. Even now, you'll find very few, if any, people who will rate any of the anime filler arcs as highly as Kyoto and while the Jinchuu Arc is much better received than the anime filler and more importantly, explores Kenshin's past more in-depth, it hasn't ''quite'' been able to become the point of discussion that the Kyoto story arc has when people discuss the highlights of Rurouni Kenshin as a series.
* SpiritualAdaptation: The manga and the animated adaptations are the closest thing to a Japanese-made adaptation of ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'', except with humans. Among the similarities are that the main leads (Kenshin and Usagi respectively) being pacifist swordsmen that normally avoid violence except when their dear ones are in danger, both having a love interest who is an ActionGirl (Kaoru and Tomoe[[note]]Funnily enough, Kenshin's former and late lover was also named ''Tomoe''.[[/note]]), both having a tougher-as-nails buddy, with a similar sounding name to boot (Sanosuke and Gennosuke), both having mentors more stronger than them (Hiko and Katsuichi, and then, Sojobo) and both having a collection of many quirky and bizarre opponents, as well of having a masked nemesis (Shishio and Lord Hikiji, and then, Jei-san).
* {{Squick}}:
** Gein makes puppets [[spoiler: out of ''dead people'']].
** That fish they're eating in Episode 81? The one that's been cut into little bits and arranged neatly on a plate? ''It's still alive.''
** Jin-e describing what happens to the body when it dies via suffocation after using the Shin-no-Ippo on Kaoru. In the 1996 anime, he simply says it's an ugly way to go, but in the manga and 2023 anime, he points out that various bodily fluids will eventually ooze out.
* StrawmanHasAPoint: When first confronting Kenshin, Saito suggests that his refusal to kill his sworn enemies could indirectly endanger the innocent people he cares about, and in fact already has multiple times. This is supposed to be Saito's HannibalLecture, but many fans think he not only makes a damn good point, but exposes the critical flaw in Kenshin's philosophy. Several times throughout the series before and after this point, Kenshin's friends are at the mercy of enemies he formerly refused to kill, and survive by getting lucky.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
** The Media Blasters dub is very well liked so this was naturally the reaction to many of the future Kenshin projects, most notably the [=OVAs=], which had to recast the actors; especially since most of the Japanese cast reprised their roles. Shin Kyoto Hen especially had a number of critics lambast the dub for sounding flat and having much less personality than the original anime's cast.
** While the 2023 anime is praised for many reasons, there is one sore points for the fans: It actually tones down the comical faces of the characters (even more than the manga, whereas the 1993 anime actually cranked it up): Kenshin has less big-eyed or WingdingEyes moments whenever he goes for [[CatchPhrase 'Oro']] and Kaoru's angry chibi faces are also reduced. Whether the extra emotions given by the newer voice actors make up for this or not will heavily vary, but this change often becomes a (minor) sore point for nostalgia watchers.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Saitou's wife Tokio is mentioned once, with Misao and Kenshin utterly dumbfounded that someone like him could ever have married somebody and Kenshin himself wondering if she had the patience of Buddha. It's a shame she never appears onscreen as it could have made for some interesting interactions with Saitou.
* ToughActToFollow:
** The Kyoto Arc is the most well regarded arc of ''Rurouni Kenshin''. The themes, fights, and character development all really hit their stride in this arc. The anime got an animation bump, Saitou was introduced, Kaoru and Yahiko each got their own major fights, and Shishio is seen as the best villain to come out of the series. What followed inevitably fell into the Kyoto arc's shadow. Many argue that the anime went under SeasonalRot after the arc was concluded, and while the Jinchuu arc in the manga has its fans, it also has a few detractors and many who feel that it just couldn't surpass the Kyoto arc.
** The Trust and Betrayal OVA, an adaptation of the Jinchu arc story showing Kenshin's time as a manslayer, has received universal praise from fans and critics due to the darker and more mature animation and story. However, when it came time to adapt some of the "Rurouni" storylines with the same DarkerAndEdgier tone, fans didn't appreciate this. As a result, the [=OVAs=] that followed, ''Reflections'' and ''Shin Kyoto Hen'', failed to gain the same praise their predecessor did.
** The series itself is this in relation to Watsuki's later works, with works such as ''Manga/GunBlazeWest'' and ''Manga/BusoRenkin'' not quite reaching the same level of popularity as ''Rurouni Kenshin''.
* UglyCute: Beshimi is very odd looking and mousy, but not as physically out there as the rest of the Oniwaba group. The author was surprised at having received fanmail gushing about how cute he was.
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Shura stresses a strict code of ethics as a pirate; she only steals from the rich and the corrupt to aid her starving village and she doesn't want women and children harmed. It's rather jarring how much of her underlings' behavior she tolerates though, not blinking an eye as they mercilessly slaughter crews full of [[WhatMeasureIsAMook unarmed fleeing sailors]]. Her no-kill rule especially seems odd as she does nothing while Yahiko and Kaoru are being attacked and nearly killed, and she only objects when Kaoru is taken prisoner.
* ValuesResonance: The series places a lot of emphasis on the theme of trying to find a new way forward in a world that has changed dramatically in a very short amount of time. Kaoru's father was killed in action fighting against the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Rebellion Satsuma Rebellion]], and many of the villains whom the Kenshin-''gumi'' fight are unemployed ex-samurai or reactionaries seeking to reverse the social changes of the Meiji Restoration. These are fairly timeless themes.
* ViewerGenderConfusion: Kenshin. Not helped by being voiced by women in Japanese versions: ex-Takarazuka actress Mayo Suzukaze in the anime, Creator/MegumiOgata in the CD dramas. There's also a story that he inspired the character Baiken in ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' when the character designer for the game mistook Kenshin for a woman.
** Sorta TruthInTelevision: Kenshin is an {{expy}} of a certain RealLife {{samurai}} [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawakami_Gensai who could pull it off.]]
* {{Wangst}}: Kaoru's reaction to Kenshin's farewell in the beginning of the Kyoto arc. While the scene itself was very sad (especially with the addition of the fireflies in the anime), her becoming incredibly mopey and chewing out Megumi for trying to get her to snap out of it hasn't gone over with RK fans, both Kaoru haters ([[NeverLiveItDown often citing this moment as the reason why they hate her]]) and Kaoru fans (who felt that it was overdone) alike. Watsuki later apologized for it and Kaoru feels very ashamed when Tsubame brings it up in the Jinchuu arc (off-handedly saying that the fans would never forgive her if she decided to do something like that again).
%%* TheWoobie:
%%** Kenshin.
%%** Soujirou Seta.
%%** Sanjou Tsubame.
%%** Akira Kiyosato.
%%** Shigure Takimi.
%%** Toki Takatsuki.
%%** Fuji
%%Character names are not context. Why do these characters fit this trope?
* {{Woolseyism}}: The Latin American Spanish subs of the 2023 series is notable for keeping many of the terminology from the Colombian Spanish dub of the 1990s original animated adaptation, up to translate "Hitokiri Battousai" as "Battousai el Destajador" (see above why), despite the translation was done in Mexico, and Mexican and many other Latin American dialects outside Colombia translate "destajador" as "desta'''z'''ador" instead. On the other hand, Kenshin's way to address Kaoru, as "Kaoru-dono", was translated as "Doña Kaoru", being "doña" a honorific normally used to address older and married women, except that Kaoru is neither old nor married at the beginning of the story, while in the dub of the original series, Kenshin addressed her with the correct term "señorita", through he dropped the honorific with her afterwards. On the other hand, the Latin American Spanish dubbed version avoids all the above and many of the Japanese terms are kept instead.
!![[Film/RurouniKenshin The 2012 Live-action Film]]
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The film trilogy's soundtracks composed by Naoki Sato (also responsible for ''Anime/EurekaSeven'') are all great and usually one of the most highly regarded parts of the films. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGFyXPNUsrk Rurouni]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn_hnOhHIIE Hiten]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B5sVW1Vens First Dungeon]] are just a few examples.
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: In the big battle of TheMovie, Sanosuke goes against TheBrute for an awfully-drawn-out battle... leading to him calling a timeout. They both stop. ''And eat.'' Until the Brute turns out to be a vegetarian who doesn't take kindly to Sanosuke tearing into that roast chicken. He has no problem sharing the booze, though...
* CompleteMonster:
** [[BigBad Takeda Kanryu]] presents as an [[BitchInSheepsClothing affable and successful businessman]] while hiding his true nature as a brutal drug lord. To keep himself from facing the law, Kanryu has [[HeKnowsTooMuch informants murdered]] and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay left in the open]] as [[MakeAnExampleOfThem a warning to others]], and even has his right-hand hitman, Jin-e Udo, massacre a police department. Forcing the goodhearted Megumi Takani to make a new kind of heroin for him, Takada kidnaps and tests it on the drug users of the city, watching with glee as they degrade. Discovering Megumi is hiding at the Kamiya Dojo, Kanryu poisons the surrounding area, willing to kill countless to force Megumi's hand.
** [[PsychoForHire Jin-e Udo]] is Kanryu's [[TheDragon top killer]] who serves his boss [[ForTheEvulz for the joy of committing murder]]. Having piled and proudly stood [[AtopAMountainOfCorpses atop a literal mountain of corpses]] at the Battle of Toba Fushimi, Jin-e goes on to take up hero Himura Kenshin's old blade and happily butchers people in the reformed Kenshin's name for a decade. Delighted to [[CopKiller murder all the officers]] in the station Megumi flees to, even slowly impaling one to savour his death, Jin-e later kidnaps another of Kenshin's allies in the finale, maiming her and even paralyzing her lungs to spite Kenshin before their fight.
* CrossesTheLineTwice: Akira getting up once after getting sliced by Kenshin? Noble and tear-jerking {{Determinator}} stuff. Akira getting up twice after getting sliced again, with Kenshin getting an exasperated look on his face? [[BlackComedy Hilarious!]] [[MoodWhiplash Akira still managing to cling to life, all the while muttering how he's not going to die and how he has to live then Kenshin stabs him coldly through the neck?]] [[HeelRealization Then Kenshin realizing the gravity of taking a life afterwards?]] [[TearJerker Not so much.]]
* HilariousInHindsight:
** Tatsuya Fujiwara portrayed Okita Soji in NHK's ''Shinsengumi!'', [[BastardUnderstudy whose character became the sort-of protege]] of [[BadBoss the uncouth and violent]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serizawa_Kamo Serizawa Kamo]], who Shishio was supposedly based on. In portraying Shishio, he is in a way following through.
** Conversely, Nijiro Murakami portrays Okita in ''The Beginning''. A separate film that came out in late 2021, ''Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai'' (an adaptation of Shiba Ryotaro's ''Moeyo Ken''--the novel serving as TropeCodifier for most popular tropes on UsefulNotes/TheShinsengumi) also features Murakami--this time in the role of Okada Izo, who was an assassin in the same vein as Battosai (which Takeru Sato himself portrayed before becoming the lead of the film series).
** Takeru Sato (Kenshin) and Tao Tsuchiya (Misao) were both part of ''Ryomaden'', but only really shared screentime in the Kyoto arc films, mostly as accidental accomplices turned allies. They would later team up in the 2017 dramatic film ''The Eight-Year Engagement'' as lovers.
** The 2021 final duology of sequels (''The Final'' and ''The Beginning'') would cast Kasumi Arimura as Tomoe, Kenshin's [[spoiler:[[TheLostLenore first wife who]] [[KillTheOnesYouLove died by his own hands]]]]. Just 2 years later, she would portray the Lady Sena in ''What Will You Do, Ieyasu'', the 2023 {{Creator/NHK}} Taiga Drama--who just happened to be UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu's first wife [[spoiler:who he had to execute for political reasons]].
* LoveToHate: Kanryu was always one of the most hatable villains across all of ''Rurouni Kenshin''[='=]s adaptations, but Teruyuki Kagawa manages to replace Kanryu's sliminess with pure ungodly ham. Much of Kanryu's whiny cowardice is downplayed and his jackassery cranked up to eleven. When he's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzr5CZNjveE firing the gatling gun]], he's smoking a fat cigar and having the time of his life.
* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Kanryu ordering the water in Kaoru's neighborhood to be poisoned. A good number of children would have died. All just to flush out Megumi.]]
* {{Narm}}: Although the movie is usually fairly realistic with a few tasteful flying leaps, Saito's Gatotsu falls under this: after an impressive buildup, he simply zooms into the air without even seeming to jump. The SpecialEffectsFailure turns what should be an awesome moment into a silly one.
* RetroactiveRecognition: Viewers of ''Film/RurouniKenshinTheLegendEnds'' might find it hilarious that Ito Hirobumi, [[NominalHero the slimy]] SupportingLeader of the Meiji Government, would later become [[MemeticMutation memetic]] as ''Advertising/LongLongMan''.
* SpiritualLicensee: At least some parts of TheMovie would also make for a very good live-action epilogue for ''VideoGame/TotalWarShogun2: Fall of the Samurai.''
* UnexpectedCharacter: The movie takes a lot of liberties with the cast roster but few expected it to include Gein and Banjin from the Six Comrades to show up as replacements for the Oniwabanshu.
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