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Oguni Ayame and Oguni Suzume
Ayame voiced by: Kaori Yuasa (JP), Dina Sherman (EN)
Suzume voiced by: Noriko Namiki (JP), Mona Marshall (EN)
The granddaughters of Dr. Gensai, who often joins him on his visits to the Kamiya Dojo or on outings with Kaoru and, later, Megumi. They immediately take a liking to Kenshin and will often play with him or help him do chores.
- Canon Foreigner: While Dr. Gensai did have a minor role in the original manga, he never had any granddaughters. Ayame and Suzume were added in addition to his increased presence in the 1996 anime.
- Girlish Pigtails: Suzume has hair done in small pigtails, which matches her more childish demeanor compared to Ayame.
- Parrot Exposition: Whenever Ayame says something, Suzume will usually repeat it multiple times in a playful way.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: While they are very similar, Ayame usually tends to be the more level-headed Blue Oni of the two whereas Suzume is the more bratty and impatient Red Oni.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: The sisters are generally only present during light-hearted scenes, particularly the filler episodes. Once the plot starts getting serious, they're usually out of the picture.
Muto Shougo aka Amakusa
Voiced by: Junichi Inoue (JP), Crispin Freeman (EN)
Child Shougo: Akiko Yajima (JP); Brianne Siddall (EN)
A Christian, and sought revenge for Christianity, and to make the Holy Land, after his parents were killed for their beliefs when Christians were persecuted during the Shogunate. He mastered "God Speed" by the age of 14, and according to Kenshin, had surpassed even God Speed. His followers believe that he is the "Son of God". Some of his "miracles" were really just due to his education in Western Medicine, and other sciences.
- Badass Preacher: A man devout to the Christian faith and an excellent fighter. He bests Kenshin in their first bout and many have gone to say he's much stronger than Kenshin in pure might.
- Big Brother Instinct: Sayo is his Morality Pet, so he fiercely adores and protects her.
- Blinded by the Light: His sword style allows him to blind others with flashes of light, either permanently or temporarily as he did with his former master and Kenshin himself for a time.
- Break the Cutie: As a child, he and his sister saw their family die horribly, which embittered him very much.
- Break the Haughty: As an adult, when his plans fall.
- Child Prodigy: He mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi and "God Speed" by the age of 14, and according to Kenshin, had surpassed even God Speed.
- Church Militant: He's both a badass swordsman and a cultist leader.
- Expy: Of Real Life rebel Amakusa Shiro. It's notable that the historical Shiro does exist in the series and his followers see Shougo as a reincarnation of him.
- Filler Villain: He's the main antagonist of the anime only Christian arc.
- Freudian Excuse: The centuries of persecution of his people for their religion culminating with the death of both of his parents, sent him down the path to being the villain he is.
- Kick the Dog: His blinding of his master and Parental Substitute Hyoue really starts looking like this more and more as the series goes on. The man risked his life to rescue Shougo and Sayo, and had to leave his sick sister (their mother) behind. He raised the pair and taught Shougo everything he knows. Shougo blinding him when he tries to reel in Shougo's Knight Templar tendencies makes him come across as petty and uncaring of his own uncle, plus the sign that he's losing it.
- A God Am I: Or better said, A Son Of God Am I. He seems to enjoy claiming that his use of the Hiten Mitsurugi style was blessed by God and cultivating a Cult of Personality centered around him being a righteous Messianic Archetype to suit his goals.
- Love Freak: Played quite tragically. He wants to create a world of Love and adheres to the Love of Christian Faith, but his heart is too full of hate for the oppressors of his people and his need for vengeance.
- The Medic: Studied medicine during his adult years. Still not enough to cure his sister's illness.
- Religious Bruiser: Deconstructed nastily. He's an exceptionally dangerous swordsman and a devoted Man of God who only wants his fellow Christians to be able to practice their faith peacefully and create a loving world. However, the brutal persecution of Christians have soured his worldview and he instead uses his faith to justify murdering the authority of "Sinners" and brutalizing others to create a land where his fellow Christians can live freely under his authority.
Muto Sayo aka Magdaria
Voiced by: Hiroko Kasahara (JP); Lia Sargent (EN)
Shougo Amakusa's younger sister. She serves as a holy mother to their crowd of followers and a teacher to the young children. She has suffered from consumption ever since she was a child (which she most likely obtained from her and Shougo's dead mother, who suffered the same illness). She is often seen accompanied by Shozo, a childhood friend whom she and her brother saved from persecution.
- Break the Cutie: Was a happy-go-lucky Christian little girl from the countryside. Then, shit happened. LOTS of shit.
- Broken Bird: Her hardships left her very embittered, until she befriended Sanosuke. She lampshades the trope as she thanks Sanosuke for emotionally helping her while she lays dying in his arms.
- Closer to Earth: While she's not without her ruthless moments, she's less gung-ho on war than Shougo.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Died in Sano's arms.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: As a child, she had super short messy hair. As a teenager, she wore it long and in Girlish Pigtails. As an adult, she kept it loose.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: She took care of a young and injured Shouzo after Shougo took him in his Christian group, and he fell in love with her.
- Similarly, she and Sano start understanding each other a liiiiittle better when she found him wounded and tended to his bruises.
- Generation Xerox: Looks a lot like her Missing Mom and inherits her condition.
- Girls with Guns: Sayo owns a tiny hand gun, and considering how she did consider shooting Sano before learning that he was less of an asshole than she thought, it's a sure thing that she was trained to use it.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Gets shot to protect the only person, aside of Kenshin and his group, who was willing to help her crazed older brother.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Lady Magdaria and Shouzo were doing a great job of not provoking the police, who had stopped them for no reason other than they were Christians in the slightest... when Sanosuke jumped out from behind a bush and beat the crap out of them and probably got mistaken for a Christian (after all, who else would have bothered?). This is the kind of thing that Real Life activists from oppressed minority groups avoid unless they want to deepen the impression that they're a bunch of dangerous lunatics, so even if Magdaria could have been a little less harsh, she had a very good reason to not be happy.
- Meaningful Name: Her Christian name comes from Mary Magdalene.
- Neutral Female: As a Christian, she's averse to violence.
- Plucky Girl: When Shouzo got trapped under a tremendous pile of rocks while trying to shield Sayo, she immediately started to try getting them off him. It's impressive as she's an ill girl and such an effort could make her collapse.
- Ship Tease: Got a lot of this with both her bodyguard Shouzo and Sanosuke.
- Tragic Keepsake: Her medallion, which belonged to her Missing Mom.
Raikou
Voiced by Shinpachi Tsuji (JP); Joe Romersa (EN)
A supposed faith healer who says his prayers can heal the sick and injured. He actually worked with the Hishimanji gang to bring ruin to the doctors as a con artist.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: He's reduced to confessing him crimes after a battle nearly destroyed his temple.
Shura
Voiced by: Kazue Ito (JP); Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (EN)
Child Shura: Miwa Matsumoto (JP)
The leader of the Kairyu pirates, who raid ships containing valuable goods that they can sell off to feed the poor.
- Action Girl: Highly skilled with a three-section staff and sword, has great agility and reflex.
- Badass Adorable: She is good looking as she is strong.
- Heroic Team Revolt: Inverted. While Shura stayed true to her virtues and never stole more than what her village needed, all but two of her crew became increasingly corrupt and greedy, eventually culminating in a mutiny led by her former first mate Ginjo. The mutinous crew even strike an agreement with a slave trader, showing that they now like those they once fought against.
- Hopeless Suitor: Ends falling up for Kenshin. Doesn't last long, though.
- Honor Among Thieves: Shura has a great sense of nobility, stealing only from those who gain their riches through illicit means and using her earnings to feed, clothe and shelter the poor people in her village. She opposes the idea of killing or harming women and children. This is deconstructed to an extent as this causes most of her crew to not respect her as leader, feeling that she's too soft and also because she's a woman.
- Interrupted Suicide: After being betrayed by Ginjo and the rest of her crew. She attempted to kill herself but Kenshin stops her.
- Just Like Robin Hood: Desiring to help her village survive by robbing greedy and corrupt merchants, Shura is basically a female pirate version of Robin Hood.
- Leader Wannabe: Averted with Shura herself, who is competent in battle and excellent at controlling her crew. Unfortunately, in-universe, all but two members of said crew believe her to be this trope due to her standards about women and children and to just being a woman in general. They waste no time betraying her when the opportunity presents itself.
- Pirate Girl: She leads a band of pirates.
- Samus Is a Girl: In her masked form, she has the appearance of a dangerous killer, but is a slim attractive young woman unmasked.
Lorenzo Shouzo
Voiced by: Hozumi Gouda (JP); Peter Doyle (EN)
Child Shozo: Mayumi Akado (JP)
A Chinese young man who was taken in by Shougo and Sayo's group after being bullied and beaten up by his Christian beliefs. Due to this he holds Undying Loyalty for both of them and acts as Magdaria's bodyguard, eventually seeing Sanosuke as his Worthy Opponent.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Was a Chinese Christian boy, which got him into lots of trouble.
- Childhood Friend Romance: He has loved Sayo since he was young. She cares for him greatly as well.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: He fell in love with Sayo after she shed Tender Tears for him and nursed him back to health.
- I Owe You My Life: To both of the Mutou siblings, who gave him a new lease on life as well as something similar to a future.
- Meaningful Name: His Christian name seems to come not just from Saint Lawrence (the martyr who was allegedly burned alive by roasting), but also from the protomartyr of the Philippines
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila
— a half-Chinese/half-Filipino Christian man who was martyred in Japan in 1637... few months before the real Shimabara Rebellion took place. - Never Got to Say Goodbye: To Sayo. One of the reasons why he gives a Get A Hold Of Yourself Man to Sano was because he was there for Sayo when she kicked it, so he shouldn't beat himself up for her death anymore.
- Razor Wind: His Red Dragon fighting technique, which was fast enough to catch Sanosuke off guard and knock him off a cliff in their first duel. Sanosuke later breaks down the technique thanks to his experiences fighting opponents who had similar styles and uses it to defeat Shouzo.
Elsten
Voiced by: Ryūji Nakagi (JP), Tom Wyner (EN)
A Dutch medic who is the ambassador of the Netherlands in Japan, and Kenshin has him in high regards.- "Ass" in Ambassador: Completely averted, because he is the Dutch ambassador but is quite the Nice Guy.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: He's a kind-hearted Reasonable Authority Figure, and has blond hair and moustache.
- Inter Generational Friendship: Elsten is a Cool Old Guy at least in his early 50's, but gets along well with the 28-year-old Kenshin.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He is a calm, wise man with both good medical knowledge and the sincere desire to help the Shimabara Christian colony. This makes him a key figure in the arc, so much that Sayo goes down Taking the Bullet for him, since she knows he's the only one in power who's willing to cut a deal with Shougo. He lives up to his hopes and manages to safely send everyone in the Japanese Christian colony to the Netherlands.
Gentatsu Takatsuki
Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki (JP); Boon Sheridan (EN)
A young samurai/assassin of the Aizu clan whom we meet in the Ishinshishi e no Requiem movie.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: He does in Shigure's arms.
- Foil: To Kenshin. They were both feared as the strongest Hitokiri on their respective sides. However, much like Kenshin late into his Ishin Shishi career, Gentatsu recognized that even though he was fighting for a better future for Toki and his loved ones, he recognizes that his enemies all had loved ones as well, which fills him with regret that he had to end their lives. He even chews out Shigure for prioritizing the Aizu Clan's mission over his ailing father, telling his friend to cherish his father as that is the reason why they're fighting in the first place, echoing a similar sentiment Kenshin made to Yamagata early in the series. Shigure realizing this is what leads to him admitting defeat to Kenshin, realizing that it is actually Kenshin, not himself, who is living up to Gentatsu's legacy.
- Knight Templar: While Gentatsu himself as we saw him isn't really one, he is primarily affiliated with the Aizu clan, who are relatives/close retainers of the Shogunate and pretty much one-up even The Shinsengumi in their hatred of the Restoration rebels (i.e. Kenshin's camp). This is the reason why he and Battousai/Kenshin clashed at first sight with no questions—leading to his death.
- Plot-Triggering Death: The entire plot of The Movie is based around his fateful duel with the Hitokiri Battousai, which ends with him getting sliced by the Ryu Tsui Sen. Both Shigure and Kenshin recall Gentatsu's tragic defeat multiple times throughout the movie.
- Posthumous Character: Kenshin killed him in battle during the war, which drives a good part of the conflict.
- Promotionto Parent: Had to raise his baby sister alone.
- Red Baron: In the limited screentime we saw him, he would've been probably Kenshin's equivalent amongst the Aizu.
Shigure Takimi
Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue (JP); Judson L. Jones (EN)
One of the leading warriors of the Aizu clan, he was Gentatsu's best friend. He also subsequently befriends Kenshin in the modern age. He is also the leader of a rebellion that aims to overthrow the Meiji government.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Because Kenshin's duel with Gentatsu was burned in his mind, he has been able to figure out Kenshin's entire fighting style, especially Kenshin's tendency to pause to analyze the situation and emotions. Kenshin's Ryu Tsui Sen, the move that ended Gentatsu's life, is easily evaded and even other moves like the Ryu Shou Sen prove to be ineffective. Meanwhile, Shigure's Dual Wielding style allows him to take advantage of Kenshin's pauses to get past his guard, allowing him dominate much of the fight.
- Dual Wielding: In his final duel against Kenshin, Shigure wields his katana alongside its iron sheath. As the fight reaches the climax, he tosses aside the iron sheath and replaces it with his wakizashi as he prepares to deliver the killing blow.
- Good Is Not Nice: He believes strongly in honor and can be genuinely friendly to others, but Shigure is willing to cause war for the sake of what he believes in. Unfortunately, this has resulted in many deaths.
- Good Old Ways: He cherishes the old samurai ideals of honor and duty to the point that he is willing to kill to defend them.
- Heroic Sacrifice: When he sees Tamono's men about to shoot them, Shigure uses his own body to protect Toki from the gunfire.
- Honor Before Reason: He stubbornly holds on to the samurai ideals, favoring frontal attacks and actions that demonstrate honor over more practical decisions. An example of this is when Shigure decides to fall back to a temple with a poor tactical position because the Aizu clan once made their last stand there years ago.
- Hope Spot: Though he would have to answer to the authorities, it seemed like Shigure has finally made peace with Kenshin and recognized the pain he caused Toki. And then, Tamono comes in and has his men fire on the rebels with Shigure sacrificing his body to protect Toki. No wonder Kenshin allowed the Battousai to take over to go after Tamono.
- Irony: Part of Shigure's motivation for starting the rebellion is to avenge and honor Gentatsu's legacy. However, when Kenshin asks Shigure if Gentatsu would let Toki weep, he realizes that he's doing the complete opposite. At one point, Gentatsu criticizes Shigure's single-minded devotion to the cause of the Aizu Clan over the health of his father, reminding him that it's for the future over their loved ones that they're fighting for in first place. Furthermore, he recognizes that with Kenshin's regrets about the lives he took and him trying to protect the people around him as a Rurouni, it is Kenshin, Gentatsu's murderer, who is living out Gentatsu's legacy, not himself. It is this realization that causes Shigure to finally stand down and admit defeat.
- I Did What I Had to Do: When Kenshin confronts him over causing even more deaths for the sake of his selfish ideals and vengeance, Shigure briefly considers Kenshin's words, only to give him a look of simple determination. While Shigure didn't enjoy the deaths caused by his personal war, he considers them to be a necessary price for his ideal vision of Japan, which he truly believed was best for everyone. This is actually something Gentatsu calls Shigure out on as his single-minded devotion to the cause makes him neglect his ailing father, which would later be echoed by Kenshin when Toki begs Shigure to end his crusade.
- Parental Substitute: He raised Toki after the death of her brother Gentatsu.
- Rebel Leader: He is the leader of a small army fighting against the Meiji Government.
- Unwitting Pawn: He is this to Tamono, who is helping the rebellion for his own selfish ends.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist:
- He sees the Meiji government as hopelessly corrupt, so he raises an army to eventually overthrow it. Shigure also does whatever he can to make the Meiji government look incompetent by causing chaos, such as attempting to murder a foreign dignitary, in the hope of encouraging others to rebel.
- It's also a case of Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist because Shigure is also doing all this to avenge the Aizu clan members who died during and after the Meiji Restoration.
- Worthy Opponent: He respects Kenshin as a swordsman equal to him in skill and conduct, particularly during their duels. So much so that after their initial duel, when Kenshin tries to apologize for killing Gentatsu, Shigure points out that their duel was inevitable during the Bakumatsu and thus should not apologize for it.
Toki Takatsuki
Voiced by: Yuko Miyamura (JP); Shaneye Ferrell (EN)
Shigure's ward and a local school teacher, as well as Gentatsu's younger sister.
- Hot Teacher: Works as a schoolteacher and is quite the cutie, which the smitten Sano and Yahiko can testify to.
- Wife Husbandry: Strongly implied to have feelings for her Parental Substitute Shigure.
Yasuharu Musashino
Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (JP); Ben Wolfe (EN)
A teenage boy who works for Shigure and quickly makes friends with Yahiko. He dies in the middle of Shigure's rebellion.
- Birds of a Feather: He and Yahiko could have been brothers, their similar backstories and all. Only that Yahiko is younger and far more Hot-Blooded than the calm Musashino.
Sadashiro Kajiki
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (JP); Clay Towery (EN)
A survivor of the Aizu clan and an associate of Shigure and Gentatsu. He is the second-in-command of Shigure's rebel army and handles its day-to-day affairs.
- Combat and Support: He is the Support to Shigure's Combat. Kajiki handles the more tedious, yet necessary, tasks that allow Shigure's rebellion to succeed. This includes gathering information, finding allies, and acquiring supplies and weapons. He also serves as a field leader whenever Shigure needs to lay low.
- Dirty Coward: He quietly abandons the rebels when they are about to face arrest. It turns out to be a wise decision when Tamono and his men suddenly appear to kill everyone.
- Karmic Death: He is confronted by Saito after managing to slip away from Kenshin and the police. When Kajiki tried to attack Saito as he is momentarily distracted, Saito reacts swiftly and kills him with a single stroke of his sword. As he dies, Kajiki realizes his killer's identity.
- About a decade ago, the Aizu and the Shinsengumi were fast allies in the fight against the forces of the Meiji Restoration. Kajiki's death at Saito's hand reflects how much Kajiki had strayed from Aizu ideals of the past.
- Token Evil Teammate: He is rather self-serving compared to Shigure and the other rebels. After he is offered a high-ranking position in the Meiji government by Tamono, Kajiki becomes the one who allows Tamono to manipulate the rebellion.
Eibin Tamono
Voiced by: Jurota Kosugi (JP); Bill Wise (EN)
A captain in the Tokyo police.
- Ambition Is Evil: He is willing to betray his own government for a chance to eventually become the Meiji government's Chief of Staff. In exchange for aiding Shigure's rebellion, Tamono hopes to cause Aritomo Yamagata's dismissal and take advantage of the resulting power vacuum.
- Dirty Cop: Zigzagged. While Tamono isn't being paid off, he is supplying an insurrection against his government to create an opportunity for his own advancement.
- Greater-Scope Villain: He is secretly the main collaborator and supplier of Shigure's rebellion, but only Kajiki knows about him. Unlike Shigure, Tamono has selfish, sinister reasons to aid the rebellion, making him the true Big Bad of the Ishin Shishi e no Requiem movie.
- Hate Sink: Every scene is meant to make him as despicable as possible between his manipulative and ambitious nature of sacrificing officers, a foreign diplomat, and Yamagata to advace himself to his aggressive treatment of the people around him to the unauthorized slaughter of anyone inside Shigure's base to cover up his role in Shigure's rebellion. All of this gets him a well-deserved strike from a very angry Hitokiri Battousai.
- The Mole: He supplies confidential information and weapons to Shigure's rebels through Kajiki. By controlling the information he gives out, Tamono is able to secretly manipulate the rebellion.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He is a competent, responsible police officer whom his superiors are considering for a promotion. Unfortunately, he is also ruthlessly ambitious and willing to use and tear down others to increase his own standing.
Meldars
Voiced by: Kazuhiro Yamaji (JP); Ezra Weisz (EN)
- Arc Villain: The main antagonist of the Black Knights arc starting with Yutaro's return.
- Badass Normal: Not only can he kill the best of an ancient Ninja clan's warriors with ease but he is so far the only Westerner in the series who doesn't use modern gunpowder weapon... but can still give Kenshin some difficulty in battle while LACKING superhuman swordsmanship and magics.
- Driven to Suicide: Losing to Kenshin (who he looks down on), and accidentally destroying the elixir has made him insane. He chose to throw himself into the fire.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: He looks down on the Japanese. He refers to them as "monkeys".
- Step Three: Profit: His plan to conquer the world with the elixir he hopes to find in Japan. He's put most of his effort into acquiring the elixir, striking deals, hunting people across continents, but from there the plan just becomes a vague "we'll sell the elixir on the black market, and use the money to buy an army to conquer the world." The key points of his plans have so many variables that it's probably for the best that he failed at such an early stage.
- Would Hit a Girl: He cuts down Misanagi. Even if she dodged, she got a gash in the arm!
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He does this to Misanagi. This causes Schneider to turn against him and defend Misanagi.
Lentz
Voiced by: Joji Nakata (JP); Paul St. Peter (EN)
- Even Evil Has Standards: When Schneider ultimately turns on them and challenges Meldars, it's Lentz who tries to de-escalate the situation by trying to convince Schneider to back down, while Meldars was willing to kill him right there.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Just like Meldars, he looks down on the Japanese.
Schneider
Voiced by: Junichi Takeoka (JP); Matthew Kermit Miller (EN)
- Knight in Shining Armor: Double-subverted since he definitely has the mannerisms and skills an ideal knight should have but he is also shown having somewhat racist views towards Japanese culture and is not above killing to advance his organization's goals. However, he defends Misanagi when Meldars betrays her and orders her executed; he refuses to do so and fights back against Meldars.
- Ship Tease: He and Misanagi seem to be rather attracted to each other. But they can't stay together.
Moriya Misanagi
Voiced by: Chisa Yokoyama (JP); Julie Ann Taylor (EN)
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Especially regarding her interactions with Schneider.
- Master of Disguise: She can disguise herself as a man and mask her voice as well.
- Faux Action Girl: She can't fully live up to her fame as a Ninja towards the end.
- Ship Tease: As said above, she and Schneider have quite a bit of chemistry. Bad thing, it doesn't work out as he has to return to Germany (and is believed to be dead) and she has to stay in Japan to rebuild her clan.
