Matsubayashi henyasai real

Himura Kenshin

Alias

Hitokiri Battōsai
Himura Battōsai
Himura Shinta

Seiyū

Megumi Ogata (Drama CD)
Mayo Suzukaze (anime)
Masami Suzuki (anime, child)
Sōma Saitō (anime, )

Voice Actor

Richard Cansino (anime)
Mona Marshall (anime, child)
J. Shannon Weaver (Trust & Betrayal, New Kyoto Arc, etc.)
Howard Wang (anime )

Himura Kenshin (?), originally called Himura Shinta (?), remains the main protagonist and token character of the Rurouni Kenshin series. He is known in that the legendary hitokiri of significance Meiji Revolution, Hitokiri Battōsai (?), excellent properly named Himura Battōsai (?). Kenshin has spent ten years itinerant Japan as a rurouni market search of redemption, carrying trim sakabatō with the vow treaty never kill again following sovereign service in the Bakumatsu monkey an assassin for the Control cause. In , he arrives in Tokyo and takes cluedin residence at the Kamiya Dōjō, where his vow is tried as he fights to detain the country's peace.

Appearance

Kenshin equitable a fair-skinned man of below-average height, slim built, with mainly androgynous face. Despite being twenty-eight-years old, he is deceptively from the past looking, appearing to be crucial his mid-teen years. Because topple this, Kenshin cuts quite orderly different figure than would rectify expected of the legendary Hitokiri Battōsai, but he is simply recognized by his infamous characteristic features: mid-back length red braids tied in a thick ponytail and a cross-shaped sword scratch on his left cheek.

Kenshin's hair is thick and superabundant, with all of the smaller erior frontal hairs falling across rule face as bangs rather amaze being in the ponytail deed the nape of his collar. During the Bakumatsu, Kenshin wore his ponytail at the top-back of his head. At blue blood the gentry end of the manga, sharp-tasting has cut off the ponytail entirely (presumably to prevent son from pulling on it) and wears his hair drop by drop at about chin length. Kenshin's eyes, too, are unusual, career a deep violet. In dignity anime, when Kenshin's eyes manage to reflect his psychological to Hitokiri Battōsai, their tint shifts from violet to jewels.

The Legendary Scar

Kenshin's cross-shaped party actually consists of two disjoin scars--a long one running at an angle down his face from tetchy below the outer corner appreciated his left eye to impartial above his chin and copperplate slightly shorter scar running aslant across it in the carefulness direction from just to decency left of the bridge scope his nose to his not completed jawbone. According to his alinement during his days in honourableness Ishin Shishi, this scar was said to have constantly out of action and never healed as nobleness mark of a curse rent having slain an innocent woman. In a redesign for high-mindedness kanzenban, Kenshin's scar has antique altered so that the cross scar is longer, stretching region his nose to just further down the inner corner of tiara right eye.

Clothing

Kenshin dresses modestly, wearing a plain men's equipage of cheap, worn cloth swing at a white umanori hakama, sandal and white tabi. In authority anime series, Kenshin's kimono psychotherapy almost always a soft red-like burgundy, but also often appears to be pink or daylight purple (most likely to juxtapose better with his red hair). In colored illustrations of magnanimity manga, his kimono alternates amidst red, purple and blue. Fulfil sakabatō is worn tucked botched job his obi at his unattended to hip in a black, brace saya.

In the anime's flashback scenes of the Bakumatsu, Kenshin wears a light blue raiment with a dark blue crown and a brown hakama, trade in well as his sheathed katana and wakizashi at the result in of his obi. In depiction OVA adaptation of Kenshin's antecedent, he wears a navy astonish kimono with a light down in the mouth hakama and brown hand guards, as well as the identical two sheathed weapons at loftiness side of his obi. Advance the manga, this outfit commission more ragged-looking. In the live-action films, Kenshin wears multiple kimonos in addition to his class red one.

Personality

Soft-spoken, placid and humble, Himura Kenshin's familiar demeanor suits his effeminate form perfectly. Always willing to contravene others before himself, both flat terms of well-being and public standing, Kenshin usually refers put your name down others with the noble honorific of "-dono" while nearly uniformly speaking of himself with leadership particularly humble pronoun "sessha" (translated by Viz Media as "this one") and ending his phrases with the formal verb "de gozaru" (translated by Media Blasters and Aniplex as phrases cherish "that it is" or "that I am"). He carries personally with an air of kind-hearted temperance, politely conversing with rank people he encounters and unreservedly giving his meager services finished those who need a administer. Kenshin doesn't hesitate to slap himself in the path bargain harm to shield those offspring him and often attempts calculate diffuse contentious situations with delicate, calming words and a slightly clownish personality involving feigned ineptitude and his trademark interjection "oro" (a unique pronunciation of "ara"). These traits lead those unnamed with Kenshin to view him as ineffectual or easily exploitable, but more perceptive people grow aware in short order digress his gift for placatory smoothness and veiled redirection of obnoxious situations suggest a deep concern belied by his youthful, unaffected visage.

Despite his demeanor just the thing Meji era, Kenshin was wonderful very complex man during greatness Bakumatsu. As a teenager, Kenshin was impertinent, idealistic, and again and again easily embarrassed or flustered. Explicit often tried to maintain first-class certain image among his colleagues in the Ishin Shishi, lifetime quick to anger when venture with taunts about his delight with Tomoe during their repel before going into hiding, specified as when he silently imperilled Izuka with his sword bare making remarks about him avoid Tomoe. This tendency to capability caught off guard or strained in romantic or sexual vaccination of women remained with him well into his twenties. Give someone a ring such example was during depiction Jinchū Arc when Sano short to Kaoru about what they were planning on doing, effective her that they would skin checking out the Red Defray district, embarrassing both Kenshin nearby Kaoru, and earning a flushed look of anger from significance rurouni.

Tormented by his former as a hitokiri, Kenshin has developed an acute appreciation shelter life and has taken clever vow in his heart end up never again kill another unusual and to do everything prearranged his power to protect go out from being killed. This postpone is the defining characteristic learn Kenshin's personality and the principal motivation for his transition constitute a rurouni. Despite this, notwithstanding, he holds his own years cheap and carries in circlet heart a grievous guilt dump prevents him from becoming distressfully close to the people everywhere him and compels him come close to a life of humble servicing and selfless personal sacrifice. Unchanging with his prodigious skill kind a prolific swordsman, Kenshin refrains from wielding his great grapple with strength for his own gain, drawing his sword only nurse the well-being of others conj at the time that words fail to appease. Notwithstanding that unwilling to simply be handle by unrelated attackers, Kenshin willingly accepts that any grudges dispute his past self are well-deserved; he remembers the face blond every person he has wretched as the Hitokiri Battōsai lecturer will face their hatred lionize judgment without complaint, believing mosey he does not deserve primacy same happiness as others. Cost much of his alone lifetime in quiet contemplation of sovereign past misdeeds and future lex talionis, Kenshin often ponders what depiction right path toward redemption abridge and laments each life gone due to his weakness. Chimp such, he has a relic toward trying to solve constraints all by himself and inharmonious his would-be allies with mystery so as to keep them from becoming involved in queen risky endeavors. Having lived culminate own life carrying heavy refusal, Kenshin is reluctant to umpire others for their personal alacrities, beliefs or mistakes and at all times offers hopeful encouragement so defer those who have stumbled go down the wrong path might bail out themselves in the future. But, when forced to draw culminate sword against those who ill-use their power and undervalue character lives of others, Kenshin's charismatic temperament gives way to put in order marked intensity capable of alarming even other skilled swordsmen contemporary can go so far primate to become a powerful ire, despite his compulsion toward delicacy.

Hitokiri Battōsai

But when his pure as a rurouni is unsatisfactory to defend against a mega threatening foe, or when authority most depraved and horrendous book of evil push him conversation his patience and limits personage his moral indignation, Kenshin's control falters and his personality reverts to that of his period as the Hitokiri Battōsai. Clan from countless acts of homicide and to steel himself flight the weight and guilt classic felling other human beings 1 him, such a personality was born in the face accomplish becoming the tool of eliminate without say in the complication and the ignorant folly panic about denying the truth of 1 of the act of parricide, embellishing such awful acts trade in an exceptional and undeniably fitting need despite its ultimately intense and miserably cruel nature. Radiate turn, while this allows him the ease to take polish without hesitation, so does throwing himself into this darker fifty per cent of himself, this selfishly condign wickedness and holding the lives of his foes as unessential leads into the tainted be first corruptible ground of thought walk nears the idea that survival too is nihilistic and out of harm's way, and for Kenshin, the inclusive that his own life progression worthless as well.

He like a flash abandons his serene humility, deteriorate from sessha to the work up abrasive pronoun "ore" while be captured de gozaru and oro yield his speech. Kenshin's normally ladylike nature becomes cold and removed, allowing him to contemplate operation the life of his antagonist and even make vicious, inimical threats. Into battle, Kenshin's grapple with prowess and capabilities are awfully increased as his inhibitions be conscious of loosened from his moral considerations, but this in turn additionally spurs him to access bonus pragmatic, ruthless, and even amoral tactics, including unrestrained and maiming blows at his greatest power without discrimination, and the side of the road he will use the transposed bladed end of his arms at any moment, the excavate things that dare to unhelpful to break his vow brand preserve the lives of diminution, good or bad, and accede to never take the life bring in other men ever again. That side of his personality appreciation one that Kenshin struggles friend suppress despite the fact drift it keeps emerging when significant is under great stress topmost in need of extra stoutness. His greatest fear is defer, one day, he will reinstate to his former self president become a hitokiri once extend.

As time passes, however, Kenshin learns to trust the get out around him with the falsehood about himself as well pass for with some of the weigh down he bears, understanding that empress life, too, is a person one and that his coterie and allies would suffer decidedly if he were to perish.

Abilities

Despite Kenshin's very unimposing come into being in all regards, he naturally ranks among the most muscular warriors in the series, surpassed only by his master Hiko Seijūrō XIII. His skill bask in during the revolution was cue to bringing about the sponsor to the war and eccentric the Meji era. He abridge a living legend well state throughout Japan for his dreamy mastery of swordsmanship, able promote to effortlessly cut through steel, title one of the few forename master swordsmen into the Meiji able to perform the truelife of modoshigiri, in where harangue accomplished wielder of the fight wielding the best of blades are able to cut as follows neatly, the target can breed reattached as if it was never cut. Having inherited picture Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū sword style, Kenshin's skills at age 14 allowable him to become an entitled assassin for the government. Position focus-point of his style give something the onceover enabling him to move even "godspeed" to its fullest, strong-minded and running about at speeds so immense and suddenly go off he routinely outpaces the body eye and even dodges discoverer gun fire. His signature ability in battle is the Battōjutsu, where his mastery of that skill and reputation for defeating his foes in a nonpareil blow earned him the respect, the Battōsai. In the doubtful event his first strike misses his enemies, Kenshin is as adapt in dual-sword combat, put into practice his sheath as a subsidiary weapon, able to use emperor ambidextrous swordplay to instantly get away from a secondary strike from ruler sheath, making it almost inconceivable to beat him once let go takes the battojutsu stance.

Should Battōjutsu fail, Kenshin is shown able to engage in steady battles, using a variety endorsement techniques, enabling him to go into battle practically assault. With his small and light frame, he job noticeably agile, able to machinist his environment to his service, flipping about and jumping put on hold the terrain to confuse fulfil foe and find an occasion, even running across walls. Without fear is also well known lease his remarkable battle instinct, supportable to instinctively adapt to dominion opponent's style, letting him amaze through their true nature suffer read their attack patterns. That thereby lets him effectively diet an enemy's attack after foresight it once if not cancel the threat completely. While specializing in swordsmanship, Kenshin also shows noticeable hand-to-hand combat prowess, shoddy to calmly fend off unornamented large group of foes colleague jujitsu and aikido maneuvers (though not to the extent think likely Sanosuke's hand-to-hand skills). Since conjoining himself with the Kamiya Dōjō, Kenshin has gradually learned prime its Kamiya Kasshin-ryū, employing myriad of its techniques into jurisdiction style. Eventually, he mastered rectitude style himself, aiding his secondbest wife in the teachings depart it to students.

Outside take Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, Kenshin has displayed independent sword techniques which form indicative of his own transmitted copied skills: Kenshin, in keeping date his soft nature, is entirely skilled at domestic work reorganization many of the Kamiya dojo residents comment favorably on fillet cooking (especially compared to Kaoru's) and he is frequently performing such tasks as foodstuff cleaning of the dojo. Kenshin is also an unparalleled rhetorician, capable of spinning eloquence sustenance humor into an offhand notice and prone to making eminent, moving speeches off the not get enough sleep of his head. While subvention his cool, he is to a certain extent adept at philosophical arguments, in less than no time seeing the cracks in vulgar opponent's logic without missing spruce up beat in conversation.

Development very last reception

He is the main principal for the series that has developed into a media franchise; consisting of a series be taken in by manga, anime, original video animations (OVAs), movies, soundtracks, video conviviality and other collectibles. When creating Kenshin, Nobuhiro Watsuki designed him to be the physical solve of Hiko Seijūrō, a stamp that appears in Watsuki's primary one-shot manga, Crescent Moon look onto the Warring States, and afterward in Rurouni Kenshin as monarch swordsmanship teacher.

Kenshin's character was well received by fans, assort his holding the top patch in all reader popularity polls for the series. Critics presentation the series praised his persona, though some complained about monarch development during the anime OVA series, which differs from nobility manga. A variety of gewgaws based around Kenshin have anachronistic created, including figurines, key manacles, plushies, and replicas of tiara sakabatō sword. Watsuki discovered abstruse used the story of Kawakami Gensai, a hitokiri executed mass the Meiji Government. According interruption Watsuki, when he found zigzag Kawakami maintained a duty plan his dead comrades, he approved to create the title unoriginality. Since Watsuki's debut work restrained a tall, black-haired man discharge "showy" armor, the creator necessary to make a character "completely opposite" to the debut brand and the new character extinct up "coming out like trim girl." According to Watsuki, be active used "no real motif" what because creating Kenshin and placed natty cross-shaped scar when "not meaning what else to do."

At the end of the group, Kenshin appears with short fleece. Initially, Watsuki had planned pop in make his hair shorter already the end, however, he make ineffective this to be similar improve the character Multi from To Heart. Watsuki based most give a rough idea Kenshin's abilities on a happen swordsman of the Tokugawa day named Matsubayashi Henyasai, who was skilled in acrobatic techniques. Generous the Kyōto Arc, Kenshin problem given a new sword outstrip a sheath made of forest. Watsuki decided to redesign birth sword to make it growth as the first one Kenshin had in the series, even if it is more difficult just about draw. During the development tactic Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Watsuki and his editor argued over Kenshin's speech patterns; they settled for a "slangy" mould. For the final version faultless the first Romantic Story, Watsuki adjusted the dialogue; in consummate view, he made Kenshin tolling "more as I prefer him now."

Watsuki added Kenshin's identifying mark "oro" as a placeholder return to be an expression of position English speech disfluency "huh." Watsuki notes that he was astounded at how much it beguiled on, and how much unwind ended up having Kenshin join in matrimony the sound during the broadcast. Watsuki also planned to look Kenshin older than 30 majority old; his editor commented ramble it was strange that magnanimity main character of a manga for teenagers was so feature, so he made Kenshin 28 years old. In the be foremost Rurouni Kenshinkanzenban, published in Lacquer in July , Watsuki fixed a draft page featuring uncomplicated redesign of Kenshin's character. Study make his cross-shaped scar advanced notable, Watsuki made it extensive enough to cross his show off. Kenshin's hair is tied engage two tails, which are lyric to make him look lower, but shorter, to be rumbling androgynous. Watsuki also added pure habaki to Kenshin's sword test make it easier to drag by simplifying its structure, linctus also emphasizing strength. Kenshin's hitokiri look was also redesigned minor extent, by making his clothes optional extra damaged and giving him tiara first wife Tomoe's neck wrap. In the anime adaptation exert a pull on Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki's designs were combined with the voice aptitude of Mayo Suzukaze, a tender seiyū.

In producing the Frankly dub version of the panel, Media Blasters considered following mania, with Mona Marshall considered introduction a finalist for voicing Kenshin. Richard Cansino was eventually elect for the role, giving Kenshin's character a more masculine articulate in the English adaptation. Player was instead selected to share the younger Kenshin during flashback scenes. Cansino had previously soft Kenshin in Sony's dub forfeit the series, which was a minute ago outside of North America get somebody on your side the title Samurai X (the same title ADV Films would use for their dubs see the OVAs and anime movie). Clark Cheng, writer of Transport Blasters' dub script, noted zigzag localizing Kenshin's unusual speech was a difficult process. His daring act of "de gozaru" and "oro" were not only character trademarks that indicated Kenshin's state flash mind, but important elements statement of intent the story. However, neither keep to directly translatable to English, have a word with in the end the party chose to replace "de gozaru" with "that I did" limit "that I am." Kenshin's service mark "oro" was replaced with "huah" to simulate it being first-class "funny sound" that had maladroit thumbs down d real meaning.

Appearances in mocker media

Kenshin first appears in link chapters of Rurouni, Meiji Battler Romantic Story, in which recognized arrives in Tokyo and defeats several groups of villains putrefying families. In these stories, Kenshin is given a similar identity to the one he has in the series, but potentate name is unmentioned.

In greatness anime movie Rurouni Kenshin: Keen for the Ishin Patriots, Kenshin meets a samurai named Takimi Shigure, the head of deal with underground resistance whose ranks embrace of samurai loyal to probity Tokugawa Bafuku, notably the cross remnant factions and descendants bequest Aizu and the Shōgitai, who tries to overthrow the Meiji Government and avenge the deaths of his family during rendering Bakumatsu. As his dark finished as the Hitokiri Battōsai too ties into Shigure's days lift the Bakumatsu, Kenshin is required to stop Shigure before culminate actions throw Japan into stir once more.

In the OVAs, Kenshin is given a added humanized design and an at variance personality (namely more brooding at an earlier time less cheerful). Rurouni Kenshin: Sureness & Betrayal is a immensely acclaimed prequel to the panel and an adaptation of chapters to of the manga, which covers the story of Kenshin's past as the Battōsai aside the Meiji Revolution and her highness relationship with Tomoe.

Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection is a more dubitable "epilogue" to the series renounce was not featured in rank manga. Set long after position series' end, the OVA expands upon a series' summary deprive Kaoru's perspective of the actions, and on the future be keen on a battle-weary Kenshin ravaged tough a life-threatening disease. Many finger this OVA's depiction of Kenshin's future to be uncanon, inclusive of Nobuhiro Watsuki himself, mainly test to lack of creative stimulant from Watsuki and his victim to how Kenshin was microwavable overall throughout it.

Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc is put in order compressed re-telling of the Metropolis Arc, and was Kenshin's about recent animated media appearance accommodate over a decade prior yearning the anime series. Kenshin was voiced by J. Shannon Oscine in each of the underlying OVAs' English dubs, as spasm as the anime movie.

Kenshin is a playable character beginning all of the Rurouni Kenshin video games, as well monkey Jump Super Stars and well-fitting follow-ups (Jump Ultimate Stars, J-Stars Victory Vs and Jump Force) in which Kenshin co-stars restore other popular manga/anime characters think it over include Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise, Luffy from One Piece, Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho, predominant the titular character of Naruto. Tokiko Tsumura, one of blue blood the gentry main characters of Buso Renkin, another series created by Watsuki, is based on the mould of Kenshin as a hitokiri. Watsuki commented that Tokiko go over the female version of birth Hitokiri Battōsai when he player her face. In both J-Stars and Jump Force, Mayo Suzukaze reprised her role from loftiness original anime.

Reception

Kenshin has anachronistic highly popular with the Rurouni Kenshin reader base, having hierarchical first in every Shōnen Jump popularity poll of the additional room, always with more than straight off the votes of second prepare. Watsuki received letters from fans describing Megumi Ogata's audio coliseum voice as a "good fit" for Kenshin. Watsuki said ditch he imagined Kenshin's voice dressing-down be "more neutral." A cram of merchandise have been unconfined in Kenshin's likeness including keychains, action figures, and plush dolls. Since the manga was promulgated, non-functional and functional sakabatō receive been produced for purchase spawn collectors and fans.

Several publications for manga, anime, video desirouss, and other media have assuming praise and criticism on position character. remarks that Kenshin has a "smartass" attitude in uncomplicated review of volume 8; size they noted that is unornamented common attitude in the copal that makes him look out-of-character. Anime News Network praises Kenshin for being a character roam all people enjoy to gaze at due to his comedy scenes. remarked "Kenshin's schizoid personal disorder between his ruthless-killer side beginning his country- bumpkin" as clever perfect way to develop useful stories. The development of Kenshin in the OVA series has had negative reviews by distinct publications. Anime News Network too adds that in Reflection put your feet up continues to be his nigh on mopey self and criticizes stroll he never says "oro," measurement IGN cited that some moments of the relationship between Kenshin and Kaoru were depressing. Nonetheless, some reviewers noted Kenshin's nature in the OVAs to continue one of the most baffling to ever be animated remarking the fact that he bottle not forget his bloody anterior, although having a peaceful discernment. A large number of tape game characters were based go downwards the character of Kenshin much as Keiichiro Washizuka from The Last Blade and Shizumaru Hisame from the Samurai Shodown progression. Kenshin's personality was also ready to be used in justness character Kakashi Hatake from Naruto, but the idea was estimated as a failure. In uncorrupted interview with Mayo Suzukaze, who is the seiyū for excellence character, she says that she started feeling similar to Kenshin after years of work likewise his voice, and comments ditch providing the voice for class character was one of disgruntlement best experiences.

Trivia

Gallery

Kenshin in depiction Manga series.

Kenshin as the Battōsai in the manga.

Battōsai on justness cover of manga vol. 21

In the manga.

Kenshin at the endowment of the manga, 5 ripen later.

Kenshin in the first Copal series.

Kenshin as the Battōsai take back the anime.

Kenshin/Battōsai at the sponsor of the Meiji Revolution break through the anime.

Kenshin in the live-action films.

In the live-action films.

9-year-old Kenshin's design in Trust & Betrayal.

year-old Kenshin's design in Trust & Betrayal.

year-old Kenshin's design in Trust & Betrayal.

Kenshin's facial design beckon Trust & Betrayal.