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Rurouni Kenshin (a.k.a. Battousai the Man Slayer)
Age: 28
Fighting Technique: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu
His parents died in a Cholera epidemic when he was about 8 years
old. Kenshin was then bought by someone. Kenshin and the person who bought him were attacked by a group of bandits, and the
person who bought Kenshin was killed. Fortunately, Hiko Seijuurou (a swordsmanship master) was passing by and rescued Kenshin.
Hiko took Kenshin in as a student and changed his name from Shinta to Kenshin (because Shinta was a sweet name). He then taught
Kenshin the sword technique Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.
At the age of 14, Kenshin parted ways from his master and joined
the side of the Ishin to help create a new era during the bakumatsu. He was given the nickname Hitokiri Battousai --the man
slayer. His name become a legend to the Japanese people. After
the start of Meiji in the 1800s, he vowed never to kill again, hoping to compensate for the people he killed and became
a rurouni or wanderer. His weapon of choice became a sakabatou (reversed blade sword), which is symbolic of an unwillingness
to kill.
After 10 years of wandering as a Rurouni trying to atone for the
sins he committed in the Bakumatsu, he met a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru who accused him of killing people in her dojo's
name. Kenshin ended up rescuing Kaoru from the real killer, and she offered him a home in her dojo. He soon accepted
to live with her and mets Yahiko Myojin, Sanosuke Sagara and Megumi Takani, who are all outcasts in their own
way. They end up forming a family of their own.
Name: Sanosuke Sagara
Alias: Zanza
Born: February 1860
Age: 19
He was a part of the Sekihoutai army, who were volunteers that joined together to help the movement for
better freedom and many other idealistic dreams. The leader of the Sekihoutai army was named Souzou Sagara (where Sanosuke
took his last name). He was the youngest and idolizes his "boss". The Sekihoutai army was eliminated; because they were given
false information, they became the scapegoat because of the doing of an IshinShishi.
Souzou rescued Sano... and Sano grew up in the town
of Tokyo where he learned to fight and became a gangster and earned himself the nickname of "Zanza". Sanosuke was told about
Kenshin, and he wanted revenge since he was an ex Ishin Shishi. After learning the once famed Hitokiri Battousai now protects
people, like his boss had done, he admitted defeat to him and became a trusted and helpful ally to Kenshin.
Name: Hiko
Seijuro
Age: 43 years old
Born: October, 1836
A man of extreme
strength and wisdom, which could only be matched by his arrogance. He prefers to live in seclusion, where politics and
people cannot interfere with his lifestyle.
Living by the alias Niitsu Kakunoshin, Hiko Seijuro earns a simple living
as a pottery craftsman in the mountains of Kyoto. His workmanship is well-respected. The name Hiko Seijuro was the name of
the founder of the Hiten Mitsurugi School, which was passed down from generation after generation. The name is inherited by
the individual who has completely mastered the style of the school and will continue to pass it along. As the 13th successor
of the school, he is formally known as Hiko Seijuro the 13th.
Did You
Know?: The anime version of Rurouni Kenshin failed to mention the secret behind the white cloak that the successor of the
Hiten Mitsurugi School is suppose to wear. The cloak was made with a set of springs that serve to oppose the muscles.
The springs act as if the individual who is wearing the cloak was supporting approximately 80 pounds of weight on his shoulders.
Thus the cloak's purpose is to restrain the inheritor of the Hiten Mitsurugi's power in times of peace.
Name:Yahiko Myoujin
Born: 1/??/1869 (Meiji 2)
Fighting Style: Kamiya Katsushin
Ryu
Tokyo's most dedicated young samurai, Yahiko Myoujin, is the perfect
case of bad gone good. He used to work for the Yakuza as a pickpocket under the belief that his father had debts that had
to be paid off. However, thanks to Kaoru and Kenshin, he discovered that they were lying to him, using him to get money.
Yahiko
is a proud young man, even arrogant sometimes! For a boy his age, he has a dirty mouth. His speech is similar to Sanosuke's!
He has a lot of courage, and often finds himself trying to prove his worth to the rest of the group. He is learning the way
of Kamiya Katsushin Ryu from Kaoru,
but has asked Kenshin on different occasions to teach him some of his style.
Kamiya Kaoru
Age: 17 (18 later in the series)
Swordfighting
teacher
She has no family left, since her father died when she was young. She has many nicknames: "Jo-chan"
(Sanosuke), "Raccoon girl" (Megumi and Saitou), plus various other insulting names by Yahiko. Her weapon of choice is a Bokken
(wooden sword), with which she is quite skilled. Kaoru is the owner of the Kamiya Dojo which used to be run by her father until he died. He taught her the art of Kamiya
Kasshin Ryu, and now she runs it as the master. This fighting technique is intended to protect people. On the day she
meets Kenshin, she confronts him as the cause of recent, local murders. After finding out he wasn't the murderer, she
decides to let him stay with her. She grows to love him, but is too shy to open up her true feelings. Kaoru has a generally
happy disposition, although at times she can be short-tempered and demanding. Also, her jealousy of other women
is unparalleled!
Her sole student is Myojin Yahiko who shows great promise
of being an excellent swordsman someday-- if he would only show more respect to his teacher!
Megumi Takani
Age: 18
She worked as a spy/conspirator against Choshu Ishinshishi
faction, but she is rescued from that bondage by Kenshin.
She is melancholic, reserved and an introvert. She reveals herself
to a few people, but only if she really trusts them. She prefers to sit quietly alone rather than socialize with other women.
She is firm and headstrong, and obeys other people without question, yet she has a mind of her own.
Being brought up well and properly trained, she could
cook well, write beautiful calligraphy and she has considerable knowledge in gardening and farming. (A great model of
the traditional Japanese woman).
As for combat, she has little to no knowledge about it. Since at the time women
were usually only trained in the house, Megumi has not been taught any combat skills. Her only weapon is a small knife
which she keeps inside her obi.
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