Kenshi Himura

Kanji 緋村 剣心 Alias ​​Hitokiri Battōsai (Battōsai the Highlighter) Age 28 years old Birthday June 20,1849 Male Gender Height 1.58 m Weight 48 Kg Blood Group AB Family Parents unnamed (deceased) Tomoe Yukishiro (first wife - deceased) Enishi Yukishiro (brother-in-law) Kaoru Kamiya (second wife) Kenji Himura (son) Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū Fighting Style Weapons Sakabatō Daisho (previously) Occupation Political assassin (previously) Affiliation Isshin Shishi (previously)

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Kenshin Himura (緋村 剣心 Himura Kenshin) is the protagonist of the manga and anime Rurouni Kenshin. He is a former samurai assassin who was part of the Isshin Shishi, the pro-imperialist faction that fought against the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Bakumatsu as an assassin assigned to commit assassinations, and later fought in large-scale battles such as the Battle of Toba-Fushimi where he would be seen for the last time. After these confrontations and political unrest and with the establishment of the New Era, Kenshin becomes a Rurouni and travels throughout Japan offering protection and help to those who need it in order to redeem himself for the murders he committed in his past. He possesses an unusual katana with a "reverse edge" (the cutting blade is on the opposite side), so as to never kill again. Throughout the story, Kenshin forms relationships and has encounters that allow him to find true atonement for his past and a fulfilling life.

kenshi's appearance

He is of a slim and small build, with a youthful face. Kenshin's appearance is not what you would expect from a legendary swordsman known as "Battōsai" The Slasher. However, he is easily recognized by his "infamous distinguishing features": long red hair, tied in a ponytail and a thick cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. Kenshin has long, thick, abundant hair of a deep red color. In addition to his ponytail, he has a few strands of hair that fall over his face. His eyes are somewhat unusual, being a dark violet color. In the 1996 Anime series, when Kenshin reflects his psychological version of Battōsai "The Breaker", the color of his eyes changes from violet to gold while in the 2023 anime series, his gaze becomes sharper and his eyes lose their characteristic shine. His scar actually consists of two separate transverse scars; one along the face diagonally to the outer corner of the left eye to just above the chin and a slightly shorter scar diagonally, which crosses the previous one almost perpendicularly. The first scar was caused by Akira Kyosato who, determined not to die without first wounding his assassin, launched a stab directly at Himura's face which left that deep cut. The second scar was caused in the manga when the Tantô knife that Tomoe used to try to kill the leader of the group of assassins sent to eliminate Kenshin, was thrown through the air and hit him squarely in the face, but in the OVAs Tsuioku-hen, Tomoe before dying from his wounds, leaves the second scar on his face by cutting it with the aforementioned knife. Kenshin's clothing consists of a worn men's kimono of a soft red color (in the manga it is usually a darker red, purple or dark blue). He also wears a white hakama.

appearance

He always carries his sakabatō in his saya, hooked by his obi. Five years later at the end of the manga, Kenshin cuts his hair shorter, but in the sequel story Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido-hen, set six months later, Kenshin let his hair grow a little longer although not as thick as before.

personality

Soft-spoken, composed, and humble, Kenshin's usual demeanor suits his new lifestyle perfectly. He is always willing to put others above himself, both in terms of welfare and social standing. When speaking, Kenshin uses very archaic language, which he harkens back to his days as a samurai. He usually refers to others with the noble honorific "-dono", while almost always speaking of himself with the particularly humble pronoun "sessha" (translated as "this") and often ending his sentences with the catchphrase "de gozaru". He always possesses an air of friendly temperance, politely addressing the people he meets and often giving freely of his meager services to those who need a hand. Kenshin does not hesitate to brave the path of evil to protect those around him. He often diffuses conflictive situations with soft, soothing words and a jovial personality that involves feigned clumsiness and its attendant catchphrase "gold". These characteristics lead those unfamiliar with Kenshin to view him as an ineffective or easily exploited person, but more perceptive people often quickly realize his gift of eloquence. However, in his youth, Kenshin, after having received training under Seijuro and aware of the political situation his country was going through, did not think twice about using his newly acquired qualities to put them at the service of his country without stopping to think about the consequences that could bring him, since his teacher warned him that although the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu style was too powerful and he was extremely prodigious, his own power could lead him to suffer a terrible misfortune in his life.

personality

Over time his master's words proved to be true as Kenshin committed more and more murders, he was going insane to the point that he was feeling disgusted with his situation as a political assassin. It was meeting Tomoe Yukishiro that made Kenshin come to his senses and realize that no matter how positive his actions were in building a better country, killing was wrong, which made love truly blossom between the two despite the fact that they had to pretend to be a married couple in order to protect Kenshin from the Bakufu. However, their love was destined to end in a very tragic way and because of this painful circumstance, Kenshin felt a deep guilt as he realized too late that his idealism led him to suffer such a painful punishment for his actions. Haunted by his past as a murderous assassin, fighting in a time when Japan was going through a serious internal political crisis and by the trauma of having killed his first great love Tomoe Yukishiro, Kenshin has developed a keen appreciation of life and has made a vow in his heart to never kill another person again and to do everything in his power to protect people from being killed. This vow is the defining characteristic of Kenshin's personality and the main motivation for his transition into a wanderer. Because of this, he maintains a humble lifestyle and carries in his heart a strong sense of guilt that prevents him from getting emotionally close to the people around him. This drives him to a life of humble service and selfless self-sacrifice.

Even with his prodigious skill as a swordsman, Kenshin refrains from wielding his sword for his own good, drawing his sword only for the welfare of others. Kenshin freely accepts past grudges against him and regards them as well-deserved. He generally remembers the face of every person he has offended as Battōsai and in his own words "he will face their hatred and judgment without complaint, believing that he does not deserve the same happiness as others." He spends much of his time alone in quiet contemplation of his past misdeeds. He often ponders the correct path to redemption and laments over each life lost due to his weakness. As such, he has a tendency to try to solve problems himself and alienate potential allies with secrecy in order to prevent them from becoming involved in his risky activities. Having lived through multiple, traumatic experiences that would drive anyone insane, Kenshin refuses to judge others for their personal actions, beliefs, or mistakes and always offers hopeful encouragement that those who have stumbled down the wrong path may redeem themselves in the future. However, when forced to draw his sword against those who abuse their power and disregard the lives of others, Kenshin's calm temperament gives way to a marked intensity, capable of intimidating even other swordsmen and can go so far as to become a powerful rage, despite his compulsion towards diplomacy. But when his strength as a wanderer is not enough to fend off an enemy, Kenshin's self-imposed restraint falters and his personality reverts to that of his days as the Battōsai "The Ripper". He immediately abandons his serene humility and warm nature, becoming cold and aloof, allowing himself to contemplate and take the life of his opponent and even make cruel threats.

past(history)

Before he was known as Kenshin, his real name was Shinta. When Shinta was only 6 years old, his parents died in a devastating cholera epidemic and he left his village; he met a caravan with slaves and prostitutes traveling for a year. At the age of 7, he met Akane, Kasumi and Sakura, three girls who were sold as prostitutes, considering them as his sisters despite having known them very little, during a trip with the caravan, they were attacked by bandits. During the robbery, the attackers killed everyone who got in their way, leaving only 3 women and Shinta alive in the end. Shinta tried to defend them by taking a sword, but they knew it would be useless, so to protect him, the three girls stood in the way of the assassins doing everything they could to leave the little boy alive, they also tried to persuade Shinta by asking him to escape and survive for them, repeating that he has to live and be strong; He is paralyzed by such a massacre and the ruthless way in which the three girls are murdered before his eyes, and he is unable to escape. Just as one of the assassins was approaching him to kill him... Hiko Seijuro appears and saves him by killing all the bandits. Feeling sorry for the boy, Hiko tells Shinta that he should be grateful for having survived, ordering him to go to the village near the crime scene, where they would surely help him if he looked for a monk, for example, and told him what had happened.

history

The next afternoon, Hiko passes by the place of the massacre again and notices that there are many crosses, like in a cemetery. To his surprise, he finds Shinta there with 3 rocks in front of him. Hiko asks him why there are so many graves (those of his "family" and those of the bandits). Then, he tells him his story. In the end, he reasons why he had given them burial, saying more or less that people, whether they are bandits or traffickers, in the end when they die, all remain silent. Hiko, also taking pity, pours sake on the 3 stones that represented the 3 sisters. After the offering, Hiko asked him what his name was, to which the boy replied Shinta, tells him that it is a very tender name, but that for a swordsman it is useless and that from that moment on he would be called Kenshin (Heart of Sword) and offers him a very precious gift, a sword. This is how Kenshin met his teacher in the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryū style. Many years later, in 1864, during the political upheaval that Japan was experiencing at that time (the so-called Bakumatsu), Kenshin, already a teenager, was the "shadow assassin" known as Hitokiri Battōsai (Battōsai the slasher, the master of drawing the sword), one of the most powerful swordsmen in Japan. A mercenary of the Ishin Shishi, he killed many people in order to make way for a new era, the Meiji era.