Rurouni Kenshin

Byakuya is a large man with wild dark colored long hair, V shaped eyebrows, small lines under each eye, and rings for irises in the middle of his eyes.
Byakuya wears the Kenkaku Heiki black hooded cloak with a flower pattern on the inside, a white long sleeve v neck shirt with a woven pattern on his lower chest and his abs exposed, a white sash around his waist, black skirt tail around his waist, white pants, black boots and rings around his wrist.

Byakuya has an eccentric personality, which he is known for. Byakuya is gracious and friendly towards anyone that he perceives as strong as he was willing to have a friendly chat with both Saito and Kenshin, and even invited Saito to join the Kenkaku Heiki because he was impressed by his strength and conviction. This is also why he allowed himself to be apprehended when Saito told him to listen to Eiji after the latter ordered him to surrender. Byakuya has a tendency to categorize those who possess "fighting spirit" , which he defines as those who have suffered tremendous tragedy and despair, yet have become stronger as a result - whether physically, spiritually or mentally.  Because of his warped perspective,  Byakuya views ordinary people - those who have been pampered by peace and complacency -  as mere prey animals while perceiving those who have endured hardship as predators, demons, deities and even natural disasters.  Byakuya also enjoys the battle experiments, as he finds it exciting to find strong individuals and earnestly believes they are necessary in lieu of the west's increasing influence and military power. He believes that the experiments will allow the Japanese people to fortify themselves against hostile foreign invaders by experiencing despair and death. To this end, he views himself as a true patriot that services Japan's needs.
Byakuya has a personal dislike of guns, since they make it easy to kill with very little training. Byakuya believes that power that is attained easily will inevitably corrupt the spirit.


Rurōni Kenshin

Abe Juro has mid black hair with most of the front of it is brushed to the right side and some hanging down the left side, thin black hair, a thin mustache, and a goatee.
Abe Juro wears a dark color suit and pants, with a black collar, cuffs, pocket covers, and a white apple on his left chest. Abe also wears a white button down shirt under his suit, which a black tie and black shoes.
During his time with the Goryo-Eiji, Abe had a similar hair style but with his hair extended down his back and tied in a ponytail. Abe wore dark colored overshirt with a black edge, over a white undershirt, a black sash over his dark shirt, white pants, and carries two swords on his left weist.

Abe Juro is a calm person who is willing to put his life on the line to get was he desires. Abe wishes to sees the Shinisengumi be defeated and is willing to act at bait to lure out the assassin of the Kenkaku Heiki. Abe also cares about the Goryo-Eiji and will get angry if anyone think lowly about them. Abe has a fondness for apples, as he has decorated his house is images of apples around his house, and image of an apple on his clothes, and even having an apple with him most of the time.


Rurōni Kenshin

Akamatsu is a large man with long brown hair that is tied in a ponytail. Akamatsu has thick brown eyebrows, black marks around his eyes, and stitches on his forehead and cheeks.

Akamatsu is a prideful man that overestimates himself. Akamatsu felt insulted when Saitō was given the assignment to kill Kenshin and felt that is should have been given to him. When Akamatsu believes that has the advantage or has won, he will let his guard down and even reveal information that he is not suppose to say. Akamatsu is also a coward, as he would fake surrender just to catch his opponent off guard. Akamatsu was also willing to run and hide when he feel the he is in complete disadvantage.


Rurōni Kenshin

Amakusa Sayo is a young, beautiful woman of average height and weight, with fair skin, long, wavy, medium brown hair in a loose fashion and wide green eyes.
Her main outfit was a white dress with long sleeves, with pink outlined red fabric at its ends with a red undergarment beneath the white dress. She also wore a pink and red cloak, with a lime green cape, red shoes and a medallion around her neck, which consisted a silver metal piece, with a symbol of her Christian Belief, engraved on it, attached to a necklace of purple pearls. Sayo also wore long, circle shaped green jewel earrings on her ears complementing her green eyes.

A deeply religious Christian who cares and teaches children about the Christian faith, thus her dislike for violence even if it's for self-defense.
Sayo has a very kind personality and teaches her followers to always trust and believe in God and to be kind to others, even their enemies. Though she initially believes outsiders (i.e. non-Christians) to be wrongdoers wishing to inflict harm on Christians, she later drops this idea, after learning of Sano's concern for her and her people.


Rurōni Kenshin

Shōgo has long brown-red hair and yellow eyes. He is always shown wearing a long green cape and a gold circlet (Shirō, in comparison, was reputed to be a bishonen—beautiful boy—but this may have been legendary, as well as a comparison to another mythic bishonen commander, Yoshitsune of the Minamoto clan, who fought in the Heike Wars of the 12th century.)

Shōgo Amakusa is a kind-hearted person to his fellow Christians and especially to his younger sister, Sayo. He would do everything in his power take care of his people and improve their lives, and in the face of persecution and injustice, even rise just to fight for them and their beliefs. He is also very faithful and devout to the Christian God.
However, his hate for the Meiji Government shrouded his heart in darkness, making him somewhat of a ruthless person. With this, he was able to kill three powerful people from the government, which lead the citizens in Japan worried.
During their battle, Kenshin saw that deep in Shōgo's heart, he never wanted to kill anyone because of his sadness and pain. Evidently, Shōgo did not like this in the least as he sealed Kenshin's eyesight as punishment.


Rurōni Kenshin

Jurobei has shoulder length black hair that is brushed back, and thin long eyebrows.

Jurobei desires to become famous, and is willing to kill a fake battosai just to do it.


Rurōni Kenshin

Azusa is a young woman with long brown hair that extends down her back. Azusa wears a pink plain kimono.

Azusa is a kind woman. She deeply cares for her son and was willing to give up the location of Shakkū's final sword to Sawagejō Chō, just to save Iori's life.


Rurōni Kenshin

Iori is a small child with a round head and brown short hair. He wears a blue kimono with a square pattern.

Living peacefully on the outskirts of Kyōto with his family. Iori was a happy and friendly child who knew nothing of suffering and seemed to enjoy the presence of everyone he met, often immediately identifying them by some physical or personality trait they displayed.


Rurōni Kenshin

Seikū is a thin man with a bob cut.
Seikū wears a blue kimono and pants, with a black sash around his weist.

Seikū is a kind and caring man. Because of his father's creations, Seikū decided to use his blacksmith skills to craft tableware instead of swords. After finding out that his father created the Sakabatō in memory of his grandson, Seikū views on his father has changed.


Rurōni Kenshin

Shakkū's facial features are never fully shown, but it can be seen that he has short hair.

Shakkū was an eccentric yet creative genius when it came to sword crafting. In truth, Shakkū hated that he had to create tools to murder, and did so in the hope that future generations could enjoy an era of peace.


Rurōni Kenshin

Danikichi has black hair, and thick arc eyebrow.
Dankichi wears a black kasa, a dark colored haori over a black shirt, white pants, and black shoes.

Dankichi greatly respects and trusts the Elder and is willing to help her out. Dankichi is also protective of the Elder, and has attacked Ishizu and his thug to protect her. Dankichi also finds the Elder to be very beautiful when she reveals that she is a woman to everyone. Dankichi is willing to give anyone a ride on his rickshaw, but will take those to the police who don't pay for it.


Rurōni Kenshin

Nothing is known about what Baku looks like, since he wears a mask and wears all black clothes.

Baku is a silent person, but is a loyal person, and follows his leader's orders.


Rurōni Kenshin

Beshimi is very short in stature, making characters such as Yahiko look tall when compared to him. He has dark brown hair styled into a fauxhawk. His eyes are large with slit-like pupils, making some characters refer to him as a "bug". He wears the standard shinobi outfit which is worn by typical Oniwabanshū members, with fingerless black gloves.

Beshimi is manipulative, as shown when talking to Megumi, and seems to underestimate his enemies. However, he cares for his comrades deeply as shown when he sacrificed himself to protect Shinomori Aoshi .


Rurōni Kenshin

Ebisu Jirokichi is a middle age man with brown eyes, short brown hair and a moustache. He has a robust complexion beacuse of the circus work. He has , and usually wears the uniform of the circus master. It seems that his hair and moustache are fake, since when we was using normal clothes at night, he had significant less hair and no moustache.

Jirokichi is an outgoing energetic man with nice personality. He runs the circus in a responsible way, and seems to care a lot for hos daughter Marimo. She also behaves really friendly to people like Kenshin or Megumi when they helped him.


Rurōni Kenshin

Ebisu Marimo is a young girl (around Yahiko's age) with a long brown hair and brown eyes. She is thin and flexible beacuse of the circus work. In order to perform her cannonball act, she uses a light blue bodysuit with yellow and black stripes, and googles to protect her eyes.

Marimo is an outgoing energetic girl with strong personality. She is very helpful to her father Ebisu Jirokichi at the circus. She also behaves really friendly to Yahiko when he approaches to offer his help.


Rurōni Kenshin

Eibin is a young man with dark brown hair that is brushed back and small strands hanging in the front, thin eyebrows, and large sideburns.

Eibin is an ambitious man and will do anything to acquire a higher position. Eibin is willing to ally with his enemies to create a situation that will give him glory, but is willing to betray them to cover his track.


Rurōni Kenshin

Dr. Peaberry Elder is a short woman with wavy dark colored hair, thin eyebrows, and not much of a figure (Her own admission).
She wears a tall Black top hat, a mask, white button down shirt, black pants, black elevated shoes, and a black trench coat.

Dr. Peaberry Elder is a caring person, who will go above and beyond the call of a normal doctor while not asking anything in return. Since she knows that female doctors are rarely trusted, she changes her appearance to be more accepting.


Rurōni Kenshin

Espiral is a tall man with black hair, no eyebrows, and white eyes with no pupils.
Espiral wears a black button down shirt, a dark collared tie, black pants, black shoes, a white trench coat, and black gloves that extends almost to his shoulder.

Espiral has no qualms about killing others and is willing to physically threaten others to get what he wants. Espiral has a desire to face off against the legendary samurai of Japan, Hitokiri Battōsai. When Espiral comes across Kenshin, Espiral challenges him to that they can determine which one of them is the better killer. When Kenshin comments about how he has shed the name of Battōsai, Espiral finds it ridiculous since the sword of the samurai is their soul and the soul will always remain the same.


Rurōni Kenshin

Fudosawa is a large man with a muscular build. Fudosawa has brushed back black hair that is curly in the back and sideburns that are also curly. He has think black eyebrows and bumps on his nose.
Fudosawa wears a kimono, bandages around his waist and sandals.

Fudosawa is a selfish and greedy man. Fudosawa is also violent and is willing to attack anyone, who he feels has insulted him. Fudosawa does possess enough insight to not attack someone, when it does not benefit, but will stake the situation in his favor. When the powerful struggle between him and Kamishimoemon was off set by the arrival of Sano, Fudosawa decides to put an army together and go kill Kamishimoemon, to end their feud.


Rurōni Kenshin

A giant of a man, Fuji is easily the largest character in the series. He has waist-length white wavy hair, tan skin, and brown eyes. He wears a loincloth and a set of what appears to be large, heavily modified green samurai armor. Over his left hand, arm and shoulder and across his chest he wears a form-fitting green sleeve-like piece of clothing. His waist contains a black piece of armor which is oddly shaped to accommodate his size. Attached to his back in between his neck and shoulders on both sides, as well as down his left arm are several half-ring like objects. On both ankles he wears purple bands and on his right wrist he wears a white band. On his left hand is a small piece of armor only reaching his wrist. His face is covered by a green samurai helmet with a skull design on the facial area.

Despite his appearance, Fuji is shown to be kind and peaceful, not wanting to fight. As such, he despised Saizuchi, who forced him to commit acts of violence, yet never had the will to resist him until Hiko Seijūrō mentioned it to him. He had remained with Saizuchi out of personal honor, Saizuchi had saved his life, and the tiny villain used this gratitude to enslave him. No matter how cruelly Saizuchi treated him and what crimes he had him commit, Fuji's misguided loyalty kept him from questioning his master. Only when Hiko treated him as a man, an equal, and not a mindless monster, did he gain the strength to break free and start a new life.


Rurōni Kenshin

Gasuke is a tall man with black hair (brown hair in the anime), thin eyebrows, wrinkles on his forehead, and line on each side of his nose.
Gasuke wears a kimono with a black belt, white socks, and sandals. Gasuke also carries a katana, and a guard around his waist.

Gasuke is an arrogant person. If he feels that he has been disrespected, Gasuke will get angry and quick to attack such person.


Rurōni Kenshin

Geezer is an old man with long hair, with some tied in a bun, a mustache, a long beard, and wears glasses with one cracked lens.
Gears wears a dirty robe, a torn straw hat with the top missing, and carries a cloth bundle on his back.

Geezer is a kind old man and helpful, by bedding for scraps for the people of the fallen village and helping out Kenshin. Geezer appears to have a keen understanding of other people's natures. He correctly surmises Kenshin's inner conflict and its outcome, and later predicts that Enishi will also some day find a new purpose in his life.


Rurōni Kenshin

Gein's attire consists of a black suit with a skeleton pattern. Beneath the mask, he appears to be a feeble old man, but is quite strong and capable in combat.

As Iwanbō, Gein passes himself off as being incredibly dim-witted. The man himself has a calm demeanour most of the time, yet houses a deeply twisted and unpleasant personality; he is obsessed with obtaining beauty through his machines, such as the mechanical beauty of his Iwanbō III, as well as the physical beauty of his replica of the dead body of Kamiya Kaoru . He is shown to be perceptive and quick to catch on, as well as deeply intellectual.


Rurōni Kenshin

Gekki is a middle aged short man with short brown hair and black eyes. He is not that muscular and wears simple clothing (a samurai-like armor) with protection for his arms and legs. He uses a claw as a weapon, and a head handkerchief.

Gekki is a rude and brute man, who only follows orders of the Kairyu boss (Shura) in hopes of finding the appropriate moment to mutiny from her. So it’s assumed that he is a treacherous and sneaky person that must not be trusted. In combat, he is known to use deception and lies to get an advantage.


Rurōni Kenshin

Ginji is an average size man with dark color hair, with most brushed to the right and the rest brushed to the left, thin eyebrows, and has his eyes closed.
Ginji wears a light colored shirt with vertical and horizontal line pattern (blue in the anime).

Ginji is a caring man and was saddened when one of his friends had died. Ginji also enjoys to gamble.


Rurōni Kenshin

Ginjō is a young tall man with brown hair and black eyes. He is quite muscular, and wears simple clothing (the upper half of a green kimono and just bandages through his crotch) with protection for his arms and legs, and a bandana on his forehead. Later on the story, he is hurt in the right eye, so he wears an eyepatch.

Ginjō is a rude and brute man, who only follows orders of the Kairyu boss (Shura) in hopes of finding the appropriate moment to seize the command of the group. So it’s assumed that he is a treacherous and sneaky person that must not be trusted. In combat, he is known to use deception and lies to get an advantage.


Rurōni Kenshin

Hachisuka is an average size man with spiky black hair, black eyebrows that move upwards and then towards his ears, thick lips, wrinkles between his eyes and under his eyes, and two earrings on his left ear.
Hachsuka wears a dark colored vest with fur lining and the gang's symbol at the bottom and on the back, a light colored kimono with a flame pattern at the end of the sleeves and at the bottom of it, a black sash and a rope around his waist, a light colored scarf with a zig zag pattern, black fingerless gloves, and black shoes.

Despite being a perverted thug, Hachisuka appears to hold camaraderie dear, as he moves the entire gang to avenge the injury of a single member.


Rurōni Kenshin

Han'nya always keeps his face hidden by a traditional hannya mask when not wearing a disguise. His actual face is disfigured, though for differing reasons in the manga and anime. In the manga, he purposefully disfigured his own face, making it as flat as possible so as to enable him to wear any facial disguise perfectly over his own.

Han'nya in his traditional hannya mask
In the anime, however, no reason is specifically given for his facial deformity, although when his mask does break, he states that he was involved in many hell-like battles all for the sake of the Oniwabanshū, suggesting that this may have been the underlying reason for his facial mutilation. Underneath the mask, he looks similar to the way he does in the manga, though his face partially obscured by the remnants of his broken mask in the anime. His arms are either painted or tattooed with horizontal red and black stripes so as to give the illusion that they are shorter than they are when he is fighting. He wears a sleeveless blue shinobi outfit with a skin tight black hooded shirt underneath and gloves which conceal long metal claws, as well as his namesake mask, colored white with a red tongue and yellow teeth and horns. He appears to have no pupils.

He is very loyal to Aoshi as seen when giving his life to protect him. In combat, Han'nya is very honorable to his enemies, commending Himura Kenshin for his skill, when the latter defeated him. Han'nya was aware of Megumi's history and did feel sympathy towards her, but her loyalty to Aoshi outweighed his sympathy, but when he had no obligation to keep her prisoner upon Kanryu's betrayal, he told them where she was so he could rescue her. He also seemed to have a strong bond with Misao, as he appeared to her in a daydream, saying Aoshi would return to them.


Rurōni Kenshin

Ashitarō has a very unkempt appearance compared to the other residents of the Kamiya dōjō. His brown hair is wild and ear length, his clothes appear dirty and ragged. His eyes are a brilliant purple hue, and he appears to have red tattoos around the base of his eyes. His base clothes consist of a simple black gi and pants. He wears arm guards on both arms and sandals with foot wraps on his feet. Over this he wears a red and white robe in a similar fashion to his former master Shishio Makoto.

Ashitarō appears to have a fairly "no nonsense" personality. When prompted to lie about the prices listed on the brothel poster for Kubota Asahi , Ashitarō frustratingly proclaimed that it said whatever she claimed it did. This is due in part to Ashitarō being illiterate; claiming that reading "didn't put food in his belly".
Ashitarō is prone to getting into fights, and when doing so seems to lose himself in the moment. After starting a fight to defend Kubota Asahi at the Akabeko , Ashitarō ended up fighting with the police as well. It was commented that he forgot who he was fighting. This effect becomes even more apparent when Himura Kenshin intervenes to try and calm him down. This intervention has much the opposite effect causing Ashitarō to swing into a blind rage. In this mindset Ashitarō is able to effortlessly utilize techniques from the Three Secret Swords style created by Shishio Makoto, specifically First Secret Sword: Blazing Soul. After recovering from his outburst he appears remorseful, however this is short lived as he almost immediately gets into a minor argument with Alan .
Like other members of the dōjō, he is quick to complain when hungry.


Rurōni Kenshin

Hashizume is a middle-aged man has a short brown hair and tanned skintone. He has average height and wears occidental suits.

Hashizume is a corrupt politician, who was behind the Jinpū Squad killing rival politicians in order to advance his political career. He is also a liar, since he promised the leader of the Jinpū Squad, Tōma Sakaki, a place as a government official when he rises to a more prominent position, even though it was a lie.
Deep behind, Hashizume is a coward, since he tried to betray Sasaki when his plot was discovered by the police in charge of Chief Uramura.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kamishimoemon is a tall man with a muscular build. He has light color short hair, thin eyebrows, stumbles around his chin, and wrickles around his moth and eyes.
Kamishimoemon wears black haori with a white trim, white at the edge of his sleeves, and white lines above the white on his sleeves, white pants that are tied below his knees, sandals, a white hachimaki around his head, and a pipe in his mouth.

Kamishimoemon is a kind and caring man. He cares about his home town and the people who live there, as he stood against Fudosawa from trying to take it over. Kamishimoemon also understands to not tip the balance between him and Fudosawa, and deliberately head back to save the town. Kamishimoemon can be irresponsible, as he drank to much and had Ota drink his share when Uki cut him off.


Rurōni Kenshin

Uki has long black hair that extends to the bottom of her neck and the fringe in front are parted to the sides, and thin eyebrows.
Uki wears a kimono with scribe patterns all over it, white socks, and sandals.

At the age of sixteen, Uki is the cornerstone of her small family in rural Shinshū, acting as a disciplinarian for her father Kamishimoemon and protector of her younger brother Ōta . Apart from her serious and short-tempered side, however, is a young girl with her head in the clouds and a pronounced confidence in her own looks; she frequently misunderstands situations, believing that any conflict that arises around her is some duel for her hand and that young men who insult or ignore her are merely doing so to hide their passionate adoration of her beauty.
In her youth, Uki was known as a cute little girl who would follow her older brother around wherever he went, but when Sanosuke left home to join the ill-fated Sekihō Army never to return, and her mother fell ill and passes away, Uki became incredibly depressed and afraid of losing more family members. As such, she has become rather uptight about Ōta's safety and orders him to hide immediately when trouble arises.


Rurōni Kenshin

Ota is a small child with black hair, thin eyebrows, and red cheeks. Ten years later, Ota has a growth spurt and is about a tall a Sano.
Ota wears a white shirt, dark colored pants with swirl pattern all over them, and wears sandals. After meeting his brother, Ota had the Aku Symbol sewn onto his shirt.

Rather small and weak at the age of six, Ōta spends a great deal of time being protected by his older sister Uki , but learns the value of strength after finally meeting his long-lost elder brother, even adopting the "Aku" symbol Sanosuke wears on his back.


Rurōni Kenshin

Hijikata black hair that hang on the side of his head, triangle shaped eyebrows, and wrinkles around his eyes.
Hijikata wore the standard Shinsengumi uniform, which consisted of a blue haori with a white mountain pattern on the bottom and end of the sleeves, a dark colored shirt, white pants, white socks, sandals, a white headband with plate on it, and carried two swords on his left waist.
While having his picture taken, Hijikata had his hair brushed back, wore an open double-breasted black jacket, a button down black shirt, black pants, black shoes, a white scarf, and a white belt.

Hijikata was the man responsible for the extremely strict code of conduct upheld by all Shinsengumi members under penalty of seppuku , leading to his notoriety as the group's "Demon Vice-Commander." He tolerates no imperfection, but is not unreasonable. As such, he has the respect of all 40 members of the Shinsengumi. Hijikata is also the kind of man to not run from a losing battle.


Rurōni Kenshin

Hiko Seijūrō is a tall man of fair complexion. His hair is long and kempt, yet a bit wild, poofy and with volume, similar to that of a kabuki's wig. He keeps the rest of his long hair in a ponytail.
In casual, and contemporary times, he wears a simple hakamashita top, in white with red borders, with darker hued hakama and his cape.
Hiko Seijūrō is also with a set of samurai armor when he sees war and important battles. This armor is of an elaborate and unique construction design of studding metal plates into an underlying frame plate for an elegant look with protection, consisting of:

a dō cuirass, with retractable layers near the waist for more flexible movement, kote gauntlets, extending from the shoulder to the hand, each with a round gem embossed near the top forearm and elbow, and a guard woven into the shoulder uniquely designed form fitting haidate cuisse thigh guards, with the kanji for blade on the bottom right's plate, suneate greaves Auxiliary pieces such as sode shoulder armor, kusazuri waist guards, and hato no ita and sendan no ita used to protect the front armpits and designate rank, in a more simpler design of the same fashion

As the first master of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, he is shown with two important items that would become heirlooms of the art in the far future, his cape, and his nihonto katana, the Fuyutsuki. His secondary sword, the Kogetsu, is a wakazashi, completing the two in a daisho set customary of samurai to carry. His cape differs than that of Hiko Seijūrō XIII's incarnation; it is a simple one cloth cape with a short and prim raised and tucked collar, along with the red border. His cape also bears a metal link to keep it in place when worn, possibly made of a precious metal like gold or silver.

Though not much is shown of his character, the first Hiko Seijūrō is much unlike his future successor. He is level-headed, calm, and carries himself in a regal demeanor, not unexpected of a samurai of his class and prestige in his times, though not above being a bit arrogant, judgmental, and condescending.
In battle, he is extremely well composed, being valiant, fearless, fierce, and focused. It appeared that his only weakness was his fatalistic approach to life, where his fealty to his lord and fief forced him to forsake his own romance and feelings with Princess Natsu, and took on an extremely close obligation to the rules of bushido to the point that he was willing to forsake his own life and to find only death on the battlefield as his only meaning in life.
Nevertheless, Hiko is understanding and sensible, willing to hear the words and plights of others. Though he forsook his compassion to Princess Natsu, he was selfless in knowing of the more unfortunate outcome should he had taken her and escaped, and while he showed unmoving loyalty to Kitakata, his loyalty was likely derived of respect towards his domain's benevolent treatment of their civilians and subjects.


Rurōni Kenshin

It is unknown what Hiko Seijuro XII looked like, but he did wear the tradition cloak of the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, which is the same cloak that his successor wears.

Hiko Seijuro XII follows the tradition of the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, and had his students fight him to the death, to become the next master of the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu.


Rurōni Kenshin

Physically, Hiko is a tall man with a somewhat angular face and a very developed physique. Like Kenshin, he has a rather youthful appearance, despite being 43 years of age. He is also considered very handsome as seen from Masukami and Ōmime being smitten with him at first sight. He has long, jet black hair, usually kept in a ponytail. He wears a short-sleeved gi , colored blue in the anime and red in the manga, and black hakama pants tucked into knee-high boots. He also wears an ankle-length, white cloak with red lining. The cloak is an heirloom of the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, and is comprised of several heavy materials that weigh down the wearer, as well as counter-springs in the shoulders that constantly apply a pressure of roughly 200lbs (90kgf or 900N). The garment acts as a training device, helping to maintain Hiko's strength as well keep the powers of Hiten Mitsurugi under control out of combat. Watsuki mentions in the manga that the image of the billowy cape was inspired by similar garments is Todd McFarlane's Spawn comics, particularly the exaggerated collar.

Hiko is shown to be very sarcastic, egotistical and a punishing taskmaster, often referring to Kenshin as "my stupid/idiot apprentice," and bringing up embarrassing incidents in Kenshin's past to provoke him into training harder. Kenshin describes his personality as "twisted, brusque and misanthropic", being vindictive to the point that he remembers more embarrassing and negative things about a person than the person concerned.
He dislikes the complications of personal socialization, and hearing of the ills of society, both of which he finds annoying, and to the latter's weight, ultimately incessant and depressing. In order to avoid having to work with people, he makes his living as a pottery artist alone on a mountain (a profession that he is reported to excel at). He also comes off as somewhat lazy, professing to have retrained Kenshin to save himself the bother of having to deal with Shishio, and later on, he complains about having to protect Kenshin's friends, after the latter pleads with him to do so (though he does). Hiko is vastly narcissist; his work in pottery he attempts as a means to challenge that he can accomplish anything. And his skill with the sword as well. All testaments to his sense of boastfulness.
Despite this rough exterior, he has a deep sense of responsibility to Kenshin and those he protects in the rare cases when he does get involved. He loves sake, himself, and teasing Kenshin, and while he is frequently seen drinking copious amounts of sake alone, he never becomes drunk. He and Kenshin frequently have bouts of slapstick conflict between them, and although he treats his apprentice rather roughly during training, he does so mainly to only to get his attention; he remarks to him as his idiot apprentice as he desires Kenshin to be more knowledgeable and insightful, while also to see him have more confidence in himself. Also knowing the ultimate destiny as a master of the Hiten Mitsurugi style, he also wants to ensure Kenshin would not bear regrets when that day would come, and for him to know that, despite his rough teachings, that he never wanted his apprentice to be miserable using the style.
His philosophy as a swordsman is that the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryū should be used to protect people from suffering, but only if it is used independently from any political power. He also seems to possess considerable insight, wisdom, and foresight. He was correctly able to predict exactly what would happen to Kenshin if he participated in the revolution, was able to correctly identify Kenshin's psychological problems during their second training and was able to both explain to Kenshin what was wrong and help him overcome it. Also, during his confrontation with Fuji, he correctly identified Fuji's despair at being so freakishly large that people saw him as a monster and not a warrior and helped him overcome it by giving him a respectful opponent that he need not hold back against.
Kenshin even states that if Seta Sōjirō had a mentor like Hiko the way he did, rather than Shishio Makoto , things would've turned out much better for him.
Also, unlike Kenshin, while never shameless about it, he appears to have absolutely no compunctions about killing his enemies, as seen during his first meeting with Kenshin when he slaughters a group of murderous bandits in cold blood. However, during his fight with Fuji, Kaoru notices that he reversed his sword so that only the dull edge hit the giant warrior and so he spared his life and also said that Fuji survived his attack because of his humongous size.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kenshin is a fair-skinned man of below-average height, slim built, with an androgynous face. Despite being twenty-eight-years old, he is deceptively younger looking, appearing to be in his mid-teen years. Because of this, Kenshin cuts quite a different figure than would be expected of the legendary Hitokiri Battōsai , but he is easily recognized by his infamous distinguishing features: mid-back length red hair tied in a thick ponytail and a cross-shaped sword scar on his left cheek.
Kenshin's hair is thick and abundant, with all of the shorter frontal hairs falling across his face as bangs rather than being in the ponytail at the nape of his neck. During the Bakumatsu, Kenshin wore his ponytail at the top-back of his head. At the end of the manga, he has cut off the ponytail entirely (presumably to prevent his son from pulling on it) and wears his hair evenly at about chin length. Kenshin's eyes, too, are unusual, being a deep violet. In the anime, when Kenshin's eyes change to reflect his psychological reversion to Hitokiri Battōsai , their color shifts from violet to gold.

Soft-spoken, serene and humble, Himura Kenshin's usual demeanor suits his effeminate appearance perfectly. Always willing to put others before himself, both in terms of well-being and social standing, Kenshin usually refers to others with the noble honorific of "- dono " while nearly always speaking of himself with the 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 like "that it is" or "that I am"). He carries himself with an air of amicable temperance, politely conversing with the people he encounters and freely giving his meager services to those who need a hand. Kenshin doesn't hesitate to put himself in the path of harm to shield those around him and often attempts to diffuse contentious situations with soft, calming words and a somewhat clownish personality involving feigned clumsiness and his trademark interjection " oro " (a unique pronunciation of " ara "). These traits lead those unfamiliar with Kenshin to view him as ineffectual or easily exploitable, but more perceptive people become aware in short order that his gift for placatory eloquence and veiled redirection of disagreeable situations suggest a deep wisdom belied by his youthful, unassuming visage.
Despite his demeanor in Meji era, Kenshin was a very complex man during the Bakumatsu. As a teenager, Kenshin was impertinent, idealistic, and often easily embarrassed or flustered. He often tried to maintain a certain image among his colleagues in the Ishin Shishi, being quick to anger when dealing with taunts about his relationship with Tomoe during their time before going into hiding, such as when he silently threatened Izuka with his sword for making remarks about him and Tomoe. This tendency to be caught off guard or embarrassed in romantic or sexual matters of women remained with him well into his twenties. One such example was during the Jinchū Arc when Sano lied to Kaoru about what they were planning on doing, telling her that they would be checking out the Red Light district, embarrassing both Kenshin and Kaoru, and earning a blushing look of anger from the rurouni.
Tormented by his past as a hitokiri, Kenshin has developed an acute appreciation for life and has taken a vow in his heart to never again kill another person and to do everything within his power to protect people from being killed. This vow is the defining characteristic of Kenshin's personality and the primary motivation for his transition into a rurouni. Despite this, however, he holds his own existence cheap and carries in his heart a grievous guilt that prevents him from becoming emotionally close to the people around him and compels him to a life of humble service and selfless personal sacrifice. Even with his prodigious skill as a prolific swordsman, Kenshin refrains from wielding his great combat strength for his own sake, drawing his sword only for the well-being of others when words fail to appease. Though unwilling to simply be killed by unrelated attackers, Kenshin freely accepts that any grudges against his past self are well-deserved; he remembers the face of every person he has wronged as the Hitokiri Battōsai and will face their hatred or judgment without complaint, believing that he does not deserve the same happiness as others. Spending much of his alone time in quiet contemplation of his past misdeeds and future retribution, Kenshin often ponders what the right path toward redemption is and laments each life lost due to his weakness. As such, he has a tendency toward trying to solve problems all by himself and alienating his would-be allies with secrecy so as to keep them from becoming involved in his risky endeavors. Having lived his own life carrying heavy regrets, Kenshin is reluctant to judge others for their personal actions, beliefs or mistakes and always offers hopeful encouragement so that those who have stumbled onto the wrong path might redeem themselves in the future. However, when forced to draw his sword against those who abuse their power and undervalue the lives of others, Kenshin's calm temperament gives way to a marked intensity capable of intimidating even other skilled swordsmen and can go so far as to become a powerful fury, despite his compulsion toward diplomacy.


Rurōni Kenshin

Gohei is a large  muscular man with short brown hair, thin eyebrows, a large beard, mustache, and wrinkles around his eyes and how his forehead.
Gohei wears a dark colored vest over a white short sleeved skirt hoodie, white pants, white sash around his waist, black armguards, black socks, bandages around his legs, and sandals. While under the disguise of the Battōsai, Gohei wore a mask that covered his entire head to hide his identity.

Gohei is an arrogant man, who overestimates what he is capable of. Gohei also has a habit of looking down on people that he believes are weaker then him, which just ends up with him being easily defeated.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kihei is a short man with light colored hair that is brushed back, thin eyebrows, and wrinkles around his face.
Kihei wears a dark colored haori over a dark colored kimono, white socks, and sandals.

Kihei is the brain to his brother's brawn. Kihei comes up with statics to get what he wants. When things don't go his way, Kihei will use underhanded statics, like having his brother kill people to tarnish the Kamiya Dōjō 's name and shot a person while they are focus on something else. Due to his heinous actions, Himura considers him to be a hopeless soul, as he has proven to be beyond redemption and had no qualm in disfiguring him.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kamatari wears a light green kimono with short sleeves and a dark blue obi, as well as zori (traditional sandals worn by both men and women, similar in design to flip-flops) with white tabi (ankle-high, divided-toe socks). This attire makes him look like a thin young woman with short blue/dark purple hair.

A cross-dressing man, Kamatari is a member of the Juppongatana and takes pride in his "womanly" status (at one point reprimanding Kariwa Henya for throwing bombs at him since it could hurt his skin), to the degree that he throws Makimachi Misao off completely when Kamatari reveals that he is, in fact, a man.
He also is somewhat flirtatious, flirting with Yahiko whom he called cute and stating that he could be like him with practice. He is a happy easy going young man, often smiling and fawning over Shishio, but in battle, he becomes more serious, talking with a deeper harsher tone and utilizing his strength to the fullest. Honjō is very prideful both about his abilities and skills. He refers to himself as serious all the time, although this, in conjunction with his cross-dressing, is a pretext to hide his unrequited love for Shishio.


Rurōni Kenshin

Hyottoko is a large man. He has a short tousled mop of black hair and eyes with small black pupils. He wears a cloth around his waist and carries a barrel of oil on his back supported by two thick ropes. Noticeable of Hyottoko is the fact that he has removed all of his teeth and replaced only the front two top and bottom teeth with flint teeth, giving him somewhat odd facial expressions.

Like all other members of the Tokyo Oniwabanshū , Hyottoko is extremely loyal to Shinomori Aoshi , to the point where he will not hesitate if he needs to give his life for him. Hyottoko is somewhat cocky but will always acknowledge the fact that someone is stronger than him when he is beaten.


Rurōni Kenshin

Futatsu appears to be a large man, but in reality Futatsu is two people in large cloths.
Futatsu wears a skull mask, the Kenkaku Heiki black coat with tattered edges, a sash with a flower pattern similar to the inside of the black coat, and black gloves and boots with bone images on them.

Futatsu's personality is a combination of both Mataza and Matasuke's personality.


Rurōni Kenshin

I'izuka has long black hair with some hanging in the front and the rest tied in a ponytail, thin eyebrows, and a thin mustache.
I'izuka wears a dark colored shirt, white pants, white socks, sandals, and carries two swords on his left hip.

Depicted as a laid back individual, it's clear he's quite no longer bothered about the gruesome nature of his work, revealing himself to be the greedy double agent he is.
I'izuka was also somewhat lecherous, poking into assorted details questioning Kenshin having "relations" with the girl he rescued from the rain; and asserting her for a prostitute.
He also had lesser concern for Samurai ethics and overall conduct and was very self servicing. Instead, he largely went astray; By 1865 he had predicted the overall collapse of the samurai, knowing full well it would not matter which side; of the two warring powers would win; in the long run the samurai were destined for obsolescence; that Money was more important, and more " reliable than a sword."


Rurōni Kenshin

Inui wears military-styled pants with crossed shoulder straps with a matching headband. He wears black combat boots and a belt with a number of cases. He finally wears his gauntlets, which changed design before his humiliating defeat.

While he is somewhat skilled in combat, his fighting prowess is utterly overshadowed by his immense hubris, and he has a temper to match. Though being armed with steel armored plates appeared to give him the advantage against Sanosuke (who was rendered unable to use the Futae no Kiwami attack after fighting Shishio), trying to obtain a complete victory by taking Sanosuke's attack head-on did him in, and even his own comrades think little of his intelligence, as his stupidity is virtually unmatched.
Like Sanosuke, he is not entirely thick-headed, as he realized during his rematch that Sanosuke wasn't going to go down from a knock-out, and changed tactics. So far the height of his intelligence is wearing his old Invulnerable gauntlets over his Neo Invulnerable gauntlets, implied to be in anticipation for whatever Sanosuke had to counter his gauntlets.


Rurōni Kenshin

Raijūta is a tall and muscular man with defined facial features. He has short spiky brown hair, black eyes, and thick brown eyebrows. He wears a purple shirt under a dark green haori with reddish fur on the shoulder area, brown pants tucked into blue-green shin guards which are connected to sandals, and blue-green vambraces.

Raijūta is cocky and self-glorifying. He desires to impose fear on others to make himself feel more powerful. While he is not a bad swordsman by any means, his greatest weakness is his fear of killing others, deciding instead to knock them out or give them near-irreversible injuries.
In the first anime adaptation,  Raijūta possessed no such timidity and inhibitions against violence or a fear of killing. He personally killed his own hired underlings rather than expose his plans; his sadism extends greater as he is willing to kill his subordinates, his would-be apprentice - Yutaro, and took significant amusement in slaughtering government soldiers. He stood his ground against gun-wielding soldiers and slayed dozens of men.


Rurōni Kenshin

Iwazō is an old man with few gray hair on the sides of the head (most of his head is already bald) and black eyes. He is not tall, not that agile anymore, but with no known illnesses. He uses simple clothing (brown pants and green kimono upper part), and sometimes uses a cane.

Iwazō is very supportive to his friend Shura, and loyal to the Kairyu Pirates group. He seems to be a calm and nice person who thinks about others.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kaita has long black hair tied in a ponytail, long eyebrows, brown eyes, and a large nose.
Kaita wears a blue gi over mesh armor, a black sash around his waist, grey pants, black socks, and sandals.

Kaita is very loyal to the Sanada, so much so that he's willing to protect the clan's interests even from its leader's errors in judgment. He is even willing to help Kenshin and the others, to stop Misanagi. He also exhibits traits of nobility, as he saves Lentz' life, despite him having killed some of his fellow crew members, having tried to kill Myōjin Yahiko and Yutaro and despite being a narrow-minded bigot, who looks down on Japanese.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kaoru is a beautiful and slender young woman of average height with sleek, black hair (usually accented with a bluish or purple shine) ponytail so as to accommodate her kenjutsu practice and large blue eyes. Additionally, Kaoru sports a thick fringe of slightly curled bangs which hang past her eyebrows and are parted neatly in the middle as well as a few strands of shoulder-length hair in front of her ears. She sports a lean build thanks to engaging in regular physical activity. In training or combat, Kaoru dresses rather simply with a slightly worn, off-white uwagi and a hakama of a darker color (usually navy blue) while a sarashi wrapping covers and supports her upper torso.
However, in normal social settings, Kaoru displays a great fondness for fashionably colorful, patterned kimonos and always ties her ponytail with a large, colorful ribbon--her favorite of which is apparently a vibrant indigo-blue.
At the end of the manga series, Kaoru has cut her ponytail so as to carry herself with a more motherly demeanor.

Kaoru is a strong-willed person with her all the pride and strength of her samurai lineage and, as such, is often quite a force to be reckoned with. Fiercely independent, she will gladly put her blood, sweat, tears and even life on the line in order to protect her father's legacy, her hard-earned belongings, and her precious friends with her own hands. Believing wholeheartedly in the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū's ideal of katsujin-ken (swords that protect life), Kaoru has great faith in the potential, honor and artistry of kenjutsu and rejects with equal fervor the idea that swords exist only to do harm and take life-- satsujin-ken .
Kaoru also has a fiery and violent temper which she displays without restraint when she feels that she has been slighted or insulted, often flying into a wild frenzy if her first blow does not settle the matter. Unfortunately, she is also quite childish and largely incapable of coming up with witty verbal retorts if struck with an insult that hits too close to her true shortcomings, further prompting her to violence, resulting in humiliating herself and making herself look like a fool. Even so, her most unique personal trait is that she is quick to see the good in others, even when it is hidden deep beneath the surface, and is always ready with a kind word of encouragement when she sees an opportunity to help. Her strength, like her father's kenjutsu philosophy, exists for the sake of the people around her and she will not hesitate to lend her samurai spirit to others in need. Though some may call her naïve for sticking to such a credo while surrounded by more selfish people in such trying times, her sense of duty and honor will not let her give up under any circumstances.
Despite her compulsion toward swords and her rough-handed nature, Kaoru also has a strong feminine side. She has a great appreciation for fine clothes and art as well as a strong taste for good food (particularly Western gyūnabe). Kaoru is unapologetic about her masculine athleticism, but worries about her looks, thinking herself too plain to be attractive. She becomes embarrassed and flustered when drawn into adult conversations and, though she waves aside the idea of being in a romantic relationship, she is particularly possessive of Kenshin and becomes markedly jealous when it appears another woman may be getting close to him. However, Kaoru remains shy and uncertain about her true feelings for Kenshin for much of the series, either becoming emotionally overwhelmed or putting on a thin mask of indifference whenever it is suggested that she and he may be an item. More than anything, Kaoru fears that Kenshin's hitokiri nature may resurface, forcing him to return to his wandering and leave her all alone once more. Faced with this possibility, Kaoru often finds herself at a loss when the "Battōsai" peeks through, her willpower giving way to despair and a sense of helplessness. With the help of her friends, however, she regains her strength in short order and discovers that she is the one who can have the biggest impact on Himura Kenshin , and that she must be the one to keep his violent past in check. In the story, Kaoru is often compared to a tanuki (raccoon dog).


Rurōni Kenshin

Koshijiro is a muscular man with short black wild hair, arched eyebrows, with a stubble surrounding his chin and upper lip, and wrinkles around his eyes.
Koshijiro wears a black haori over a white skirt.

Kamiya Koshijiro was said to be a righteous, strong and honorable man, and benevolent at heart, having developed the sword that saves lives rather than continuing in the tradition of swords that kill.


Rurōni Kenshin

Henya is a pale-skinned man of average height. He has tall spiky brown hair. His most noticeable feature is his emaciated appearance, which he achieved to ensure that he is the lightest weight possible so as to allow him to glide easily. He is usually hidden by his gliding "wings" which, when folded, look similar to a cloak. They are held in place by two crossed metal rings which circle his front and back vertically. His mouth is covered by a purple cloth and he wears ragged black pants and black shoes. His arms are wrapped in cloth and a long knife is protruding from under the cloth on his left arm, going over his hand. Two sets of explosives are attached to his back while hanging freely from the bottom; these are used to launch him into the air so that he can glide.

Henya has a cold personality, and is indifferent when he kills the low ranking soldiers of Shishio's army. He commonly references the game of chess, and claims that pawns should be sacrificed to achieve the greater goal. He is also extremely arrogant, and when he was sent to kill Kenshin's allies at the Aoiya, he wanted to leave after claiming his opponents (Kaoru, Misao, and Yahiko) were unworthy and a waste of time and effort.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kashiwazaki Nenji is an old thin man with white short hair. He has a small pointy beard and a moustache. He usually wears haoris of simple house attires. His misleadingly old man benevolent appearance of a simple merchant belies the fact that he still has a formidable speed, strength, and endurance.

Kashiwazaki Nenji, or known by his associates as Okina, is an easy going elderly figure in the Oniwabanshū's ranks. With a gentle yet excitable spirit, Okina shows a love for life (drinking and women) and even spirit for parties and celebrations when the chances arrive. He was considered the eventual successor to the Okashira, but he gave way to the younger Aoshi for the sake of the new age, which shows that he has a flexible way of thinking.
Despite his gentle demeanor, he not without his hidden depths. In times of adverse and serious tone, he is stern and intense. Devoted to his comrades, he is with a great deal of loyalty and honor to them, and to those that deceive such noble traits of his find themselves subject to his ferocity and just fury. In the days of his prime, Okina was once infamously known as the most frightening figure of the Oniwabanshū, freely carrying out horrific tortures on adversaries and suspects; in situations when push comes to shove, he is not hesitant to return to such measures that earned his terrifying reputation.


Rurōni Kenshin

Katagai is a large man with a muscular build, black hair in a topknot style, and sunken cheeks.
Katagai wore a cross pattern shirt, white pants, white socks, sandals, and carries two swords on his left hip.
While in hiding, Katagai wore a cloth around his head, a white skirt with dark patches on it shoulders, end of sleeves, and elbows, white pants with dark patches on the knees, and sandals.

Katagai was a loyal man, but was not afraid to question Katsura if he was making the right choice. Katagai also cares about his allies, since he expressed concern about Kenshin's mental state after becoming a hitokiri for a year. Katargai was also inquisitive and cautious, as he followed his comrade, I'izuka, when he was supposed to be somewhere else.


Rurōni Kenshin

Itsuko is a young woman with light brown eyes short black hair in rounded style.
She usually dresses in japanese kimonos, like a plain pink kimono.

Itsuko has a serious and strong personality, but overall is a just and honest person.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kaishu is an old man with grey hair that is brushed back, long thin eyebrows, a goatee, and wrinkles around his face.
Kaishu wears a light blue shirt under a black haori, and brown pants.

Kaishu, as he is known in reality, was widely known as a sensible and honorable person that chose peace and abhorred the option of violence and war. He is much like, if not, greater than Kenshin, in terms of pacifism and settling things with compliance than confrontation, being famous for having tied his katana and saya tight enough where he was not even able to draw it even if he wanted to, and even as a samurai of the Tokugawa himself during the rebellious and violent days of the Bakumatsu.
As a youth, his curiosity for the outside world, compassionate inspiration and visionary spirit that overlooked the ideas of classes and castes were what lead him to be knowledgeable and understanding.
In the anime, Kaishu is portrayed as an easy going, yet fatherly and stern elderly adult figure. Though he is a pacifist, Kaishu showed bravery even amongst a threat for his life, and reprimanded his apprentice Daigoro to have more courage and spirit amidst an ongoing battle. When his daughter demanded the whereabouts of Daigoro after he had dismissed and kicked him out of his tutelage, he expressed that his household had rules, and told her not to come back if she did leave for him.
Nevertheless, Kaishu is shown to have great duties of responsibility, even at an old age, feeling that as a member of the old generation, he must help clean up the messes of his age in the sake of the young and new generation of tomorrow. While with regret that he could not accompany his friend Saigo to the Satsuma Rebellion and save his life, Kaishu is intuitive and with a persevering mind in the long term, feeling the need that his life must still go on to help the new era that is becoming.
As a retainer and ally of the of Tokugawa, Kaishu still holds his allegiance strongly with them. Though appreciative of the peace and the efforts of the Meiji, he still knows that the Meiji fears the once great and legendary influence of the Tokugawas, and that, despite all atrocities that the Shogunate committed that lead to their collapse, feels the people must come to accept and acknowledge the sacrifice and the man that allowed Edo to be spared from the Bakumatsu's chaos.


Rurōni Kenshin

Katsura is a young man with black hair tied back into a ponytail and some handing in the front, and thin eyebrows.
Katsura wears a black hoari over a black shirt, white pants with vertical black lines, white socks, sandals, and carries two swords on his left hip.

Though known throughout history as a ruthless radical leader unafraid to sacrifice people for his goals and the betterment of the nation, Katsura was nonetheless a particularly scrupulous person who would eventually give up his prominent government seat in protest against unwarranted military expansion. He was an open-minded and worldly person, as exampled in his desire to open Japan to the greater World Stage.
In Rurouni Kenshin , Katsura Kogorō is characterized as an intellectual, wise and benevolent mentor to the young Kenshin and frequently regrets the necessity of staining such a naive child's hands and soul with blood. He attempts to appeal to Kenshin's buried humanity, first by asking him to play a larger political role (which Himura declines) and then by asking Kenshin's mysterious companion Yukishiro Tomoe to serve as a calming "sheath" for Battōsai's sharp, harsh nature. Though it is unclear what his role was historically in planning at the Ikeda-ya , but in the manga, the relatively moderate Katsura admits having been against the radical burning of the city.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kawaji is a short man, with short black hair, a large forehead, thick eyebrows, small eyes, and a mustache.
Kawaji wears a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, and carries a sword on his left hip.

Kawaji has a very strict and hard personality, always taking the strongest measures to prevent disasters from occurring (such as Shishio's plan to destroy Japan). He's loyal to the Meiji government, and was willing to threat Kenshin's friend, Megumi, to get Kenshin to help them against Shishio.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kinu was a beautiful woman with black long hair and brown eyes. She did not wear glasses and always dressed in traditional japanese kimonos.

Kinu was a gentle and caring person who was close to her brother Shinpachi. She developed feelings for Ryuunosuke, a friend of his brother, and prayed to the fireflies of summer to win his attention. But when Ryuunosuke rejected her, she suffered as her feelings were hurt.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kiriji is a short man with spiky black hair, long eyebrows, pointy nose, and pointy chin.
Kiriji wears a straw hat with diamond shaped holes to see through, a white shirt over a black long sleeves shirt, white pants, black toes less shoes, and carries a sword on his lower back.

Kiriji is a loyal member of the Shinko-ryū, and willingly followed Raijūta's order to try to get Kenshin to join them or to kill him if they fail. Kiriji is also a bit of a coward, as he quickly tried to flee when most of his comrades were defeated.


Rurōni Kenshin

Akira is a young man with black hair styled in a topknot, thin eyebrow, and light colored eyes.
Akira wore a black Haori over a white shirt, vertical stripped pants, white socks, sandals, and carries two swords on his left hip.

Akira was a kind and caring man, as he was able to have a friendly chat with Jūbei after a night of drinking. Akira also deeply loved Tomoe and he wanted to make a better life for her, and she was the person he thought about when he was about to die.


Rurōni Kenshin

Yumi is a slender, yet voluptuous woman with black hair (dark red in the anime) pinned in a bun, light brown eyes, and a small beauty mark under the left side of her lower lip. She wears a red kimono (red in the anime, white in the OVA 5) which is opened intentionally at the collar, and hangs loosely over her upper arms, exposing her décolletage. Particularly well-groomed and made up, Yumi wears heavy eye shadow and bright lipstick (red in the manga, green in the anime). In the live action film she appears wearing a blouse.

Yumi is calm and at times lightly promiscuous. She is shown to be deeply in love with Shishio, calling him " Shishio-sama " affectionately. She seems to base all of her opinions on what Shishio's are, shown by how she talks to Kenshin and his friends. She is concerned with Shishio's well-being, seen when she is worried that he will fight for too long. She is also shown to care more about a person's character than their appearance, given her love for Shishio despite his burned and mutilated physical appearance, as well as her care for Sōjirō instead of seeing him as just a pawn. Even though she was committed to helping Shishio take over Japan, she supported Sōjirō's decision to leave the faction, believing it would be best for him even though he was the second most powerful member behind Shishio. This shows a deep side to Yumi's personality, likely stemming from people's judgement regarding her former occupation as a prostitute.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kondo is an average size man with a muscular frame, short black hair that is either brushed back or pointing upwards, small thick eyebrows, and wrinkles on his face.
Kondo wears bandages around his waist and wrist, a headband with a metal plate on it, blue jacket with white mountain pattern at the bottom and at the end of the sleeves, white shirt, and dark colored pants.

Kondo is a kind individual, caring for his fellow Shinsengumi, especially with Hijikata Toshizō and Okita Sōji , which he treats both of them like brothers. Additionally, he has a strong sense in Bushidō, the way of the samurai, which he follows extremely, even until his death in 1868.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kujiranami is a large muscular man with short black hair, a large brow with no eyebrows, sunken eyes, and lips that resemble Apocalypse from X-men.
Kujiranami wears a dark colored short sleeved shirt, dark colored pants, a torn skirt around his waist, a black hand guard with white trim and a white dot in the center, sandals, and bandage around his right arm to cover devise that can connect weapons to his arm.
During the Boshin war, Kujiranami had a topnot, wore armor around his chest and stomach, white pants, and carries two swords on his left hip.

Kujiranami has a deep hatred for Kenshin, since Kenshin didn't kill him when he cut off his arm, denying him an honorable defeat as a samurai. This shame developed into hatred so deep that when he was enraged, Kujiranami was able to break out of prison and go on an unstoppable rampage. Kujiranami is also willing to accept the kindness of others, as he accepted Tae's offer when she gave him a more expensive meal when he asked for a cheat one. After being awoken from his rampage, Kujiranami was convinced by Yahiko to give up his revenge and start his life anew in the Meiji era.


Rurōni Kenshin

Kurojo is a large muscular man with a shaved head, thin arced eyebrows, eyes that are allows closed, round nose, and a wide jaw.
Kurojo wears a white Hachimaki around his head, a blue shirt with a lite blue trim, a white apron, blue pants, and sandals.
Kurojo's Oniwanbanshu outfit consist of a black sleeveless shirt with white trims, black pants, a white sash around his waist, a white headband, and metal boots and arm guards.

Kurojo cares about Misao's well being, and didn't want to tell Misao about Okina going to fight with Aoshi.


Rurōni Kenshin

Lentz is a large man with a big build, blonde hair that is tied in a ponytail with a purple ribbon, thin eyebrows, and a clef chin.
Lentz wears a grey military uniform, a brown trim in the center and green surrounding it and around his forearms, brown shorts over black pants, and brown knee length boots.

He is extremely loyal to their cause, willing to commit even the most dishounrable acts in their name (unlike his counterpart, second Lieutenant Schneider ). He is very bigoted and looks down upon Japanese, often referring to them as monkeys.


Rurōni Kenshin

Maekawa is a muscular man with brushed back light colored hair with two strands hanging in the from, thin eyebrows, a mustache, beard, and wrinkles on his forehead, around his eyes, and mouth.
Maekawa wears a dark colored haori over a white shirt, dark colored pants, and white socks.

Devoted to the Chūetsu-ryū school of swordsmanship, Maekawa-sensei has cared only for swords ever since his youth and eagerly wishes to fight against stronger and stronger opponents.


Rurōni Kenshin

Misao is a little petite young woman with the lean build of someone who engages in regular physical activity. She has large, greenish-blue eyes and wears her black hair cut to chin length on the sides of her face, but in a long, thin braided ponytail in the back. Misao is often seen wearing a blue Oniwabanshū-style shinobi shozoku tied with a pink obi. To complement this outfit, she wears tabi socks with zori sandals and her lower legs wrapped in blue tape and on her hands, she wears blue combination hand- and forearm-guards.
However, Misao apparently keeps a set of street clothes for use during her downtime in Kyōto. These consist of pair of blue short pants and a blue shirt with its sleeves sewn loosely on.
In 2014 live action films, Misao wore a different variation of outfit. She was seen wearing a light lavender kunoichi uniform with yellow obi.

Misao is a bright and vivacious young girl with a headstrong attitude and volatile temperament. Though trained as kunoichi, she rarely misses a chance to make her presence known to friend or foe and can sometimes be said to have a lack of focus in combat, as her strong will often leads her to act without inhibition rather than with caution. Whether her emotion of the moment is joy, rage or sorrow, the young kunoichi displays what is in her heart without reserve and can switch from emotional state quickly, Saito metaphorically saw her as a weasel due to her looks and attitudes. Although quick tempered, her anger is usually comical. She is particularly close to Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke and Yahiko. In addition, she refers Kaoru as her best friend.


Rurōni Kenshin

Murakami is an old somewhat short man with white short hair and a white moustache. He wears a gray uniform with short sleeves, a green shirt on top, and sandals.

Marcus Marukami is a caring and obedient bodyguard who protects Prince Shin. He seems to be really intelligent and knowledgeable in etiquette.


Rurōni Kenshin

Omasu has long brown hair that is tied in a bun with some hanging in front of her forehead, and thin eyebrows.
While working at the inn, Omasu wears a kimono with a flower pattern and an apron.
Omasu's Oniwanbanshu outfit consist of a white sleeveless shirt with a large light blue trim, a blue skirt, a large yellow ribbon wrapped around her waist, two shields worn on each of forearms, and bandages around her feet.

Omasu is a kind and caring person. Omasu cares about Misao and does desire her to get hurt, won't stop her when Misao sets her mind on something.


Rurōni Kenshin

Melders has orange hair that is brushed back with a strand hanging in front of his face, and thin orange eyebrows.
Melders wears a blue military uniform with a ribbon in front of his neck and a green sash, with a red trim on both sides, that extends from his left shoulder to his waist, blue shorts with a white trim over black pants, and brown boots.

Meldars has a very strong, demanding personality. He is willing to commit dishourable acts in order to further the goals of the Black Knights, such as betrayal and like Lentz, he is very bigoted and looks down upon the Japanese.


Rurōni Kenshin

Misanagi is a young woman with long brown hair that is tied in two ponytails on each side of her head.
Misanagi wears a purple sleeveless vest over a mesh shirt, black skirt, purple arm guards that extends up to her shoulders, a blue belt with a gold colored buckle, blue bandages around her legs, and black shoes.
Misanagi casual wear a dark green kimono with a red color inside, over a blue shirt, white socks, and sandals.

Misanagi cares deeply for the Sanada Clan, and desires takes over Japan for her clan. Misanagi is willing to form an alliance with the Black Knights and even kill her fellow clansmen for this goal. After she was betrayed by the Black Knights, Misanagi saw the error of her ways and desires to make amends for her choices.


Rurōni Kenshin

Mishima has short brown hair with some handing in front of his face. Mishima wore a purple shirt, grave pants, white socks, and sandals.

Ei'ichiro cared about his family and tried to get them out of the village when the government decided to abandon it.


Rurōni Kenshin

Eiji is a young boy with short scruffy brown hair and fierce brown eyes, is of a slim build, and has a hard look on his face as a result of his past trauma.

A young boy, Eiji is brave, passionate and naive, and after the death of his parents and older brother, slightly unhinged. Having grown up in Shingetsu village, Eiji is shown to have little knowledge of the world outside his home, evidenced by his not knowing that killing in revenge had been outlawed in the sixth year of the Meiji era. Despite his youthful brashness, Eiji is also very brave, willing to fight opponents who are unbelievably more skilled and experienced than him. He also shows a strong sense of loyalty and attachment to his family, being devastated by the deaths of his brother and parents as well as horror at the desecration of his parents' corpses. He is also shown to be compassionate and understanding, forgiving his fellow villagers for allowing his parents' desecration and ousting him from Shigetsu village due to their cowardice, instead he wishes them well.


Rurōni Kenshin

Murakami is a large muscular man with black hair in the style of a topknot and shave on the top of his head.
Murakami wears a black skin tight shirt with the neck extends to his nose and an opening around his mouth, a black sleeves shirt over a white long sleeve shirt, black pants, white socks, and sandals.

Murakami is a killer and is willing to kill anyone who gets in between him and his target. Murakami is also tactical, as he followed Kenshin for multiple days and done research before confronting him.


Rurōni Kenshin

Despite being shorter than average for the age of ten, Yahiko's appearance boasts of the defiant demeanor within with his rebellious "cat-like" brown eyes and shock of spikily unkempt black hair. He usually wears a green haori patterned with several sets of short, twin parallel lines and a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, as well as a dark hakama (sometimes white with dark vertical stripes) and standard white tabi and zori. In the anime, his haori is always yellow or tan, and the hakama is dark green; additionally, the anime version of Yahiko has a markedly tanned complexion. When out of the Dōjō, Yahiko also wears his shinai tied across his back for easy access.
At age 15, Yahiko has grown noticeably taller with a longer, more mature face, though his eyes and hair remain the same. He has switched his green haori for a dark blue one with sets of twin parallel blue lines along the white trim (in deference to his old outfit) and kanji character aku (悪), which means "evil" in English, emblazoned on the back of the collar (in deference to Sanosuke's symbol). He also wears a white hakama, white undershirt and blue wristbands.
Myōjin Yahiko at age 15

In the 20th volume of the Rurouni Kenshin kazenban edition, Watsuki redesigned of Yahiko's appearance to show how he would appear at that time. His hair was not as spiky as it was originally, and he had new clothes. He wore a dark jacket, a white short-sleeved t-shirt and short trousers. He did not have socks under his sandals, and he had sarashi on his hands to offer a better sword grip. In the redesign, he also carried two swords - his shinai and the Sakabatō - with the latter tied on his back.

Even at the tender age of ten, Yahiko is a short-tempered, violent, bad-mannered and foul-mouthed young man. But, above all else, he is proud--proud of his samurai lineage. Taught cynicism and rebelliousness by the mean streets of Tokyo and schooled in thievery by the yakuza after his parents' deaths, Yahiko is nonetheless driven by his pride to avoid taking actions that would bring shame to his family name and reviles his days as a lowly pickpocket.
Angrily rejecting the pity and charity of others, Yahiko strives to fix his problems with his own hands and suffers greatly when it appears that his strength is not significant enough to protect his ideals. As such, he quickly becomes obsessed with kenjutsu , training diligently to become strong enough that he needn't rely on anyone else's power. As he grows stronger and stronger under the guidance of the katsujinken philosophy, Yahiko also becomes driven by his samurai pride to take up his sword for the protection of the precious people around him. He frequently puts his own life in jeopardy to protect others and prove to himself that he is becoming stronger. When his friends have been wronged, he rushes headlong into the fray to enact revenge and see justice done. He also takes swordsmanship seriously, despising it when others use their swordsmanship to abuse those weaker than them and also becomes disgusted when students practicing swordsmanship rely on others to help them. He also follows the rule of never using a sword to kill, due to the teachings of Kaoru and Kenshin.
Despite his rude countenance and admittedly limited intelligence, Yahiko is also quite astute, being able to see inconsistencies and discrepancies in the words and actions of other people and point them out bluntly.
Despite his young age and his short time of training, as the series continues Kenshin allows Yahiko to fight with him, noting that he is too mature for his age. Though he often overestimates himself, Yahiko can defeat several enemies. In time Yahiko becomes a master swordsman; he grows into a level-headed, contemplative, and caring young man.


Rurōni Kenshin

Nagakura Shinpachi has short hair that is combed upwards, the top of head has white hair while the sides are black. Shinpachi has thick eyebrows that split towards his ears. Shinpachi has wrinkles on his forehead, around his eyes, cheeks, and mouth. Shinpachi also has a thin goatee.
Nagakura Shinpachi wears a men's kimono, with a flower pattern umanori hakama , zori and white tabi . Shinpachi also wears a strawhat, black gloves, and carries two swords on his weist.

Nagakura Shinpachi has a relaxed personality. Shinpachi has show to be a friendly individual, and even wants to make friend with old enemies, like Kenshin. Shinpachi is also a tactical person, as he was able to set up a network through out Japan to track Sojiro and even tried to get the Kenkaku Heiki to stop their combat experiments by having join up with government. After the fall of the Bakumatsu, Shinpachi says that he is no longer a wolf who slays evil immediately, and believes that he is more like a tanuki then a dog. Shinpachi also believes that their are no longer any samurai during the Meiji Era.


Rurōni Kenshin

Mikio has dark brown hair, large sideburns, square eyebrows with the edges pointing downwards, a pointy nose, and wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes.
Mikio wears a flower pattern hoari, over a blue shirt, pants with the same flower pattern that is on his hoari, wooden sandals, and carries a sword. While committing a robbery, Mikio wore a cloth around his head to disguise himself.

Mikio is a man who is stuck in the old traditions, even though in the Meiji era they are no longer valid, since there are no Samurai families anymore. Mikio also believes that the money that merchants make should belong to them since the merchants won't be able to make any money if it was not for the samurai. Mikio is also quick to get angry when he feels disrespected. Mikio is willing to kill people to get what he wants or to those who interfere with his plans.


Rurōni Kenshin

Nakajō was a muscular man, black hair that extends past his ears, thin eyebrows, and white eyes.
Nakajō wore a black short sleeved shirt, arm braces, black pants, dark colored bandages around his lower legs, white socks, sandals, and a skin tight dark colored shirt with the neck extending upwards to his nose and a hole were the mouth is.

Nakajō was a very talkative individual, who took great pride in how the Yaminobu fought. Like the rest of his comrades, he was completely willing to sacrifice his life in the name of maintaining the Bakufu. Nakajo was willing to do anything to kill his target, even ending his own life.


Rurōni Kenshin

Nishida is an old man, with light grey hair that is brushed back and stand hanging in the front, long-thin arced eyebrows, and wrinkles around his face.
When he was younger, Nishida has long black hair that was tied in a ponytail.
In his younger years, Nishida wore a brown shirt and grey pants.

Nishida is a caring man who loves his family. Nishida wished for his nephew and niece to be protected and trained his nephew in the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu. He also wished for his nephew to liberate the christains in Japan, but regretted it after learning the extreme methods that his nephew would take.


Rurōni Kenshin

Nishiwaki has brush back black hair with a stand hanging in the front, long thin eyebrows, wrinkles around his eyes, and stubs around his chin and upper lip.
Nishiwaki wears a dark colored kimono with a flower pattern, wraps around his stomach, white socks, sandals, and holds a stick in his mouth.

Nishiwaki is a loyal member of the group that the Hiruma brothers lead. When someone suspicious comes around and manages to figure out their plan, Nishiwaki is will to have them killed.


Rurōni Kenshin

Notaro is a big brown japanese Akita dog. Notaro has a lot of fluffy fur even in the summer.

Notaro is not an energetic dog, because he prefers to spend time resting and sleeping. He moves slowly, except when needed to act quickly (like eating closeby food or hiding objects inside a hole in the ground).


Rurōni Kenshin

Heizo is a large man with wild black hair that is tied in a topknot, wavy eyebrows that gets larger towards the outwards, a large mustache that is wild at each end.

Heizo is first shown to be a liar and swindler by proclaiming himself to be Hitokiri Battosai, to obtain money from the people that he is staying in. In reality, Heizo only does this because of the children he has taken in. Heizo cares for them deeply, as he flew into a rage when one of them was taken hostage.


Rurōni Kenshin

Ayame is a small six-year-old girl with brown eyes and long brown hair with two braids in the front. She wears a green kimono with a pink sash. Also always has a smile.

Ayame is usually carefree and happy, finding enjoyment out of life most of the time and knowing the importance of hard work. She does, however, notice if someone is sad or angry and will usually try and help as best she can. She is a role model to her little sister.


Rurōni Kenshin

Gensai is a short elderly man with kind, dark eyes and light grey hair that matches his thick Fu Manchu moustache and short, pointed beard. He is always seen wearing a burgundy kimono under his sky blue doctor's jacket and matching hat.

Amicable and grandfatherly, Gensai is always accommodating in times of need and readily available to help celebrate in times of peace and revelry. He cares deeply about his patients and the people in his community and his sharp observational skills allow him to sometimes serve as a useful source of information regarding the goings-on surrounding the Kenshin-gumi's adventures. His good-nature does appear to have a limit, as shown in his general sense of annoyance towards Sanosuke and his exasperation with Megumi 's rare lapses. In addition, the elderly doctor seems to have a lascivious side, as evidenced by his initially lusty behavior toward his lovely new assistant. In the anime, Gensai's constant attachment to Ayame and Suzume seems to foster a slightly more benign temperament.


Rurōni Kenshin

Oguni Hana is a short elderly woman with kind, dark eyes and light grey hair. She strongly resembles her brother Gensai (minus the mustache and beard). She is always seen wearing a burgundy kimono for doing household chores.

Amicable and grandmotherly, Hana is always accommodating in times of need. She cares deeply about Tsukayama Yutarō and the people in his community and his sharp observational skills allow her to sometimes serve as a useful source of information regarding the goings-on surrounding the Izu region.
Her good-nature does not appear to have a limit, and she worries about the well being of the poeple in the Tsukayama estate.


Rurōni Kenshin

Suzume appears to be about four years old. She got brown eyes and brown hair, tied in pigtails. She is always seen wearing kimonos (traditional woman clothes in Japan). Her kimono is orange with a yellow obi.

Suzume is usually carefree and happy, finding enjoyment out of life most of the time. She does, however, notice if someone is sad or angry and will usually try and help as best she can. She looks up to her older sister Ayame as a role model to follow.


Rurōni Kenshin

Okita has a very youthful appearance, looking several years younger than his actual age. He has straight black hair (hazel in the anime series and reboot) done in a ponytail that reaches his shoulders and large brown eyes. He wears a traditional Shinsengumi uniform.

Okita is kind and respectful to his fellow Shinsengumi members and his enemies alike. He is usually shown with a confident smile and takes his fights seriously, despite his childlike appearance. Although he respects all Shinsengumi leaders, he shows a particular respect to Saitō Hajime who was also considered on an equal level with him in terms of swordsmanship (both being leaders of the first and third squads of the Shinsengumi, respectively).


Rurōni Kenshin

Onizaki Tekkan is a middle aged man with average height. He has long black straight hair, and does not have beard or mosutache. Gengo seems to be in good physical shape and has muscles. He wears a white costume.

Gengo is a really serious person (maybe due to his ocupation as an assassin) who seems to be cruel and heartless. Due to the fact that he (alonside his brother) perform assassinations for money, it seems he is a greedy person.


Rurōni Kenshin

Onizaki Tekkan is a middle aged man with average height. He is bald, and has a beard that is starting to get gray. Tekkan seems to be in good physical shape and has muscles. He wears a black bodysuit.

Tekkan is a really serious person (maybe due to his ocupation as an assassin) who seems to be cruel and heartless. Due to the fact that he (alonside his brother) perform assassinations for money, it seems he is a greedy person.


Rurōni Kenshin

Otowa is a very tall man who wears a magenta-colored juban and a light blue kimono with a jagged hem, tied with a magenta obi , white tabi and women's zori . His black hair is kept separated into three parts (two in pigtails, and one in a low pigtail covering his left eye), with some short strands always hanging between his black, ever-partially-closed eyes. He also has a liking for cosmetics, in the form of wearing red lipstick and pink nail polish. The most noticable part of his outfit is the six spikes that make up the Rikudoko, which at first appears to be an unusual accessory.

Otowa is a very sadistic man, taking pleasure in harming and killing men, women, and children alike. Despite his outward bravado, he is prone to cowardice when faced with an opponent that poses a serious threat to himself.
In general he has a calm  and reserved demeanor, rarely showing signs of shock by surprising events or of being easily intimidated.  However, he is easily annoyed by petty things such as when Yukishiro Enishi appears to disregard him as an equal. He also has a smoking habit, with a hookah as his pipe of choice, implying a laid-back nature.


Rurōni Kenshin

Prince Shin looks exactly like Myōjin Yahiko. He is a somewhat short boy with short black hair and dark eyes. But (in contrast with Yahiko), Shin dresses in fine clothing and shoes.

Despite looking exactly like Myōjin Yahiko, Shin has a completely opposite personality from him. Shin is a refined and calm boy who cares a lot about his country. He does not resort to violence and prefers to spend his free time playing with others. Shin treats everyone (like his boduguard Marcus Murakami) with respect and seriousness.
But when called into serious matters, Shin takes his duties with responsibility and diligence for the good of his people.


Rurōni Kenshin

Raiko is a large man with long brown hair, thick brown eyebrows, a large handle bar mustache, a large brown beard, and wrinkles around his forehead and around his eyes.
Raiko wears brown priest robes, a green headband, black socks, sandals, and wields a staff.

Raiko is a liar and swindler, as he tricked people into thinking that he can heal people with his mystical powers, just to obtain their money. When Raiko thought he was going to die thanks to genuine injuries during the fight, Raiko turned cowardly and begged for help.


Rurōni Kenshin

Chizuru is a young girl with long black hair that is tied with a red ribbon, and thin eyebrows.
Chizuru wears a pick shirt over a red one, a dark pink shirt, and black shoes.

Chizuru is quick to get angry for multiple reasons, but will calm down when she gets her point across. Chizuru will show her gratitude for those that help her, like making Kenshin a meal to eat and give her ribbon to him, after he had saved her.


Rurōni Kenshin

Ren is a tall man with long brown hair that extends past the bottom of his head.
Ren wears a purple one piece suit that exposes his shoulders and chest, with scales on his stomach, scales on the top of his head, two fangs on each of his cheeks, a black eye patch over his right eye, and a strap that holds his whips on his back.

Ren is a loyal member of the Sanada Clan, and willingly follows his leader's orders. Ren is also a confident man, that over estimates his opponent and what he is capable of.


Rurōni Kenshin

As a young man Ryuunosuke was a tall and handsome man with fit and agile body. He did not use glasses and did not have a moustache or a beard. He usually dressed in Kendo uniform.
Later in life Ryuunosuke grew a moustache and had grayish hair. His clothes became old and rusty (as he did not care that much of his personal appearance).

As a young man Ryuunosuke was a strong headed and impatient man who became obsessed with the idea of being the most powerful swordsman to the point of ignoring the love that a young woman professed to him. When he mastered the kenjutsu he became arrogant and prone to a fight.
As an older man Ryuunosuke became a lonely and calm person who wandered across the land.


Rurōni Kenshin

Hoji has brown hair, a large forehead, no eyebrows, dark eyelids and wrinkles around his eyes.
Hoji wears a brown jacket and pants, red tie, white button down shirt, white gloves, and a white coat with a fur trim around his neck and at the end of his sleeves.

Hōji was largely a pragmatic and serious man, not seeing the point in believing in concepts such as the afterlife or religious philosophy, nor having much of a sense of humor. He was direct, to the point, and held banter and belaboring a point in high distaste. While he did not care for his enemies, Hōji was also somewhat humble, readily acknowledging his allies' and foes' strengths and seldom underestimating them, making him a capable second-in-command and lead strategist for Shishio's insurgency. He was not entirely void of compassion and empathy, seeking retribution for Hanabi, a courtesan that he met and presumably had feelings for. He was also notably impressed with Seta Sōjirō's seeming lack of emotions and ease with which he killed. Though often very calm, Hōji's personality took a turn towards manic and unyielding fanaticism after his "baptism of fire" by Shishio's very own hand, the overwhelming heat he was subjected to likely caused him a significant degree of brain damage in the process.
After that event, Hōji's composed and deadpan exterior gave way to a passionate and excitable veneer where he devoted his every effort to securing Shishio's conquest of Japan, having now had his leader's status in his mind elevated to that of a deity, giving in to his philosophy of survival of the fittest with dogmatic enthusiasm. He also became far easier to anger after his "baptism" and after Shishio lost the duel to Kenshin, he denied with all his fury, unleashing the vents of lit petroleum and destroying the fortress in the process. His passion did not even leave him when he died and was sent to hell, still as eager to serve Shishio in death as he had in life.


Rurōni Kenshin

Tall and lean, Sanosuke's slight build belies his immense strength and his superhuman toughness, but his wild shock of spiky brown hair and intense brown eyes are clear indications of his demeanor. Sano is always seen wearing a white happi jacket with black trim and the kanji character aku (惡) - meaning evil or bad - emblazoned conspicuously on the back in black as well as white dōgi trousers. While he always wears his jacket open - sometimes leaving his arms out of the sleeves so that it simply drapes over his shoulders, Sanosuke does not wear a shirt beneath it, instead leaving his chest bare while white sarashi bandage tape is wrapped around his abdomen; this same white sarashi is wrapped around his ankles and feet.

Sanosuke's "bad" symbol
Additionally, Sano wears a long headband and matching sarashi around his left forearm, both of which are often depicted as red, but sometimes seen in purple. As he fights with his fists and relies on his ability to absorb damage rather than any defensive skill, Sano is also frequently seen in bandages, most notably around his right hand and forearm after mastering Futae no Kiwami .

Sanosuke as he appears at the end of the series
After he leaves Japan and goes to the mainland at the end of the series, Sanosuke lets his already wild image grow wilder by allowing his hair to lengthen to a shoulder-length mane while growing a chinstrap beard.

Straightforward and brash, Sanosuke presents a rather complex set of morals despite his relatively simple demeanor. Not particularly occupied with whether a person aligns with "good" or "bad", he instead places importance on whether or not people are honest with themselves or others. Due largely to his experience with the Sekihōtai and the Ishin Shishi of the Meiji Government, Sanosuke is acutely aware that the definitions of good and bad are arbitrary and subjective - often changed or switched depending on who is in a position of authority - and, therefore, does not judge those who choose either path or balk at doing "illegal" or "immoral" things himself. However, he marks lies and hypocrisy as the height of villainy and, as a result, is unusually forthcoming with his own intentions and also bald-facedly critical of others' half-truths.
Though usually displaying a demeanor somewhere between sardonically jovial and bored, Sanosuke is described by those close to him as having a temperament like fire - a fire that smolders with the losses of his past in times of quietude but comes fully aflame when his fists itch for combat. In keeping with his brash and forthright character and in spite of his quick tongue, Sanosuke is more prone to speak with his fists than with his words. For him, there is no greater enjoyment than that found in brawling with strong opponents and no greater disappointment than raising his fists against a weaker man. When Sano's temper is ignited by the victimization of a friend, however, he becomes unable to calm himself until his fists have struck a target, regardless of his enemy's strength.
After coming into contact with Himura Kenshin and the group at the Kamiya Dōjō , however, Sanosuke has begun to see a deeper path through life. For the most part, forgoing his violent nature, Sano soon comes to admire Kenshin and joins the ex-hitokiri's mission to aid the downtrodden and victimized. Along the way, Sanosuke encounters more and more people whose strength he begins to evaluate differently; to those whose inner strength resembles Kenshin's, Sanosuke offers his strong right arm, and to those whose ideals are misguided, Sanosuke seeks to give the same inspiration that Kenshin has given him.
Unfortunately, Sanosuke's brash straightforwardness carries a strong strain of thickheadedness with it. Though rather observant in crucial situations and particularly astute with doling out criticisms, he can often be rather simple-minded, requiring those with sharper minds to explain the finer points of any complex occurrence. Sanosuke is also known to his close friends as a bit of a mooch, skulking around the Kamiya Dōjō for free meals, borrowing cash from friends without any real promise of reimbursement and racking up a rather large unpaid tab at the Akabeko .


Rurōni Kenshin

Sōzō's visage, despite his wartime experiences, displays a soft essence of innocence and peace. He is a handsome young man with shiny black hair that is well-groomed in the back, but flows in sweeping bangs which fall over the right side of his face, obscuring his right eye. Even in death, his face displayed no pain.
Sagara's attire during his depiction in the series consists of a standard Sekihōtai officer's uniform (including the red bandanna identical to Sanosuke's) and he is constantly seen carrying himself with grace and pride.

Sōzō had a caring and ambitious personality, wanting to help create a Japan where people live under freedom and equality, much like Himura Kenshin . A natural leader and mentor, he was fond of children and a champion of the common man. He did his utmost to teach these principles to those under his lead and it is because of these ideals that Sanosuke befriends Kenshin, despite him being a former Ishin-Shishi .


Rurōni Kenshin

Saijou is a young tall man with long gray-ish hair. He does not have a beard nor a moustache, but most of the time his face is hidden behind a kitsune mask he (and his followers) use. He wears an orange body suit and light shoes.

Saijou is a thief and a violent person who commits crimes alongside his group (called the Kendawan). He resorts to violence to get his goals, and he is willing to cause harm (or kill) his victims. When confronted to a person who wants to fight against him (and his group), Saijou does not stop and will accept the challenge.