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Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin is a set of anime and manga series set during the early years of the Meiji Era in Japan. It is subtitled Wandering Samurai in some English releases. The name Samurai X is used in various English language releases, due to the X shaped scar on Kenshin's face, and most likely also the general "hipness" the letter X has in English. This name is unpopular with fans of the series, who also point out that Kenshin never was a samurai to begin with.

There are four Rurouni Kenshin series (るろうに剣心 "Rurouni" means "wanderer," so the series could be translated as "Kenshin the Wanderer"):

Kenshin is the Battousai, an assassin who helped bring about the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate which ushered in the Meiji Era. As a result, he is highly prized by people who want to either hire him for his skills, or kill him for toppling the old power structure. Kenshin himself grieves for the lives he ended, and has vowed that he will never kill again.

The OVA series -- which feature a number of historical characters -- attempt to be more realistic and accurate than the TV series, which begins as a romantic comedy but evolves into a period drama.

Table of contents
1 Characters
2 Theme Songs

Characters

(names are being listed traditionally in surname given name fashion)

Himura Kenshin (Hitokiri Battousai)

Japanese Seiyuu: Mayo Suzukaze
English Voice Actor: Richard Hayworth

The main character of the series, Kenshin was a former Imperialist assassin that went by the name "Battousai". After the revolution, he traded in his katana for a reverse-bladed sword sakabatou and assumed the life of a wanderer. He becomes a technical master of the Hiten Mitsurugi fighting style after defeating his master, but declines the official mastership.

Kamiya Kaoru

Japanese Seiyuu: Miki Fujitani
English Voice Actor: Dorothy Melendrez

Assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin (her father's) fighting style. She runs the dojo and, after some initial scuffles, lets Kenshin stay as a guest.

Myoujin Yahiko

Japanese Seiyuu: Miina Tominaga
English Voice Actor: Elyse Floyd

For a descendant of samurai, the new Meiji era was not the best place to grow up. He was originally forced to live as a thief for the local Yakuza, but with the help of Kenshin and Kaoru, he becomes an apprentice of the Kamiya Kasshin style.

Sagara Sanosuke (Zanza)

Japanese Seiyuu: Yuji Ueda
English Voice Actor: Lex Lang

The last of the Sekihou Tai, he initially bore a hatred for all former Imperialists. He made a living as a fighter-for-hire who bore a nickname based on the name of his favorite weapon, a zanbatou until he was hired to kill Kenshin. After being defeated and learning of Kenshin's no-kill approach, he becomes a valuable ally.

Saitou Hajime (Fujita Goro)

Japanese Seiyuu: Hirotaka Suzuoki
English Voice Actor: Sparky Thornton

A former member of the Shinsen Gumi, an extremely powerful loyalist faction in Kyoto during the time of the Bakumatsu war. Now a policeman working for the Meiji Government. Extremely strong and vicious, he has a long time rivalry with Kenshin. He has no compassion or mercy for anyone. He lives by the Shinsen Gumi code "Aku Soku Zan"("Slay Evil Swiftly"). Anyone he considers to be evil is a target for elimination. Considers Sanosuke to be a child with mild potential.

Shishio Makoto

Japanese Seiyuu: Masanori Ikeda
English Voice Actor: David Lucas

The successor to Kenshin after he became a wanderer. Shishio was burned alive by the Meiji government, but survived. Afterwards, he swore revenge and assembled a group of the best swordsmen in Japan, called the Juppongatana (10 swords), to overthrow the new government, but Kenshin, Saitou, Sanosuke, Kaoru, Yahiko and the Oniwabanshu rallied against his plan.

Theme Songs